Electrical circuit testing apparatus

Claim 2

An electrical circuit testing apparatus for mating with an integrated circuit socket having a mating surface substantially parallel to a mounting surface, said apparatus comprising: a nonconductive base having a mating face, and further comprising a header and a spacer wherein said header is movable relative to said spacer; first and second J-shaped members positioned on opposing sides of said base and projecting away from said base substantially perpendicular to the mating face of said base, wherein each of said J-shaped members has a finger portion projecting toward the other of said J-shaped members, and said J-shaped members and finger portions thereof are formed together with said spacer into an integral unit, said finger portions being for engaging the mounting surface of the integrated circuit socket; a plurality of spring probes connected to said base in a spaced apart relationship and projecting away from said base substantially perpendicular to the mating face of said base, said spring probes being for contacting the mating surface of the integrated circuit socket, wherein said spring probes are rigidly attached to said header and comprise a contact portion and a cylinder portion, said contact portion being axially movable with respect to said cylinder portion, and said cylinder portion being positioned substantially within holes in said spacer and axially moveable relative to said spacer; and the apparatus additionally comprises a fastener slideably affixed one of said spacer and said header for releasably securing said header at a predetermined position relative to said spacer.

Claim 3

An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said fastener comprises first and second U-shaped members each having a short leg substantially parallel to a long leg.

Claim 4

An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 additionally comprising a reinforcing bar attached to said header to prevent distortion of said header from pressure exerted by said spring probes.

Claim 5

An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 additionally comprising a spring mounted between said header and spacer, said spring being mounted so that said header and said spacer are urged apart.

Claim 8

A method as claimed in claim 5 additionally comprising the step of urging the header portion of the base away from the spacer portion of the base by action of a resilient element.

Claim 9

An electrical circuit testing apparatus for mating with an integrated circuit socket having a multiplicity of pins arranged in parallel lines and a mating surface substantially parallel to a mounting surface, said apparatus comprising: a nonconductive base having a header which is movable relative to a spacer, the spacer having a mating face; a multiplicity of spring probes arranged in parallel lines wherein each of said spring probes has a cylinder portion rigidly affixed to the header of said base, positioned substantially within a hole in the spacer of said base, and is axially movable relative to the spacer, and wherein each of said spring probes has a contact portion projecting away from said base substantially perpendicular to the mating face of the spacer, the contact portion being movable relative to the cylinder portion and being for contacting the integrated circuit socket pins at the mating surface of the integrated circuit socket; first and second J-shaped members integrally formed on opposing sides of the spacer of said base substantially parallel to the lines of said spring probes wherein each of said J-shaped members has a finger portion projecting toward the other of said J-shaped members, the finger portions being for engaging the mounting surface of the integrated circuit socket; and first and second U-shaped members wherein each of said U-shaped members has a short leg substantially parallel to a long leg, the long leg of each of said U-shaped members being slideably affixed to one of the spacer and header of said base, said U-shaped members being for releasably securing said header in a predetermined position relative to said spacer.

Claim 10

An electrical circuit testing apparatus for mating with an integrated circuit socket having a multiplicity of pins arranged in parallel lines and a mating surface substantially parallel to a mounting surface, said apparatus comprising: a nonconductive base having a header which is movable relative to a spacer, the spacer having a mating face; a multiplicity of spring probes arranged in parallel lines wherein each of said spring probes has a cylinder portion rigidly affixed to the header of said base, positioned substantially within a hole in the spacer of said base, and is axially movable relative to the spacer, and wherein each of said spring probes has a contact portion projecting away from said base substantially perpendicular to the mating face of the spacer, the contact portion being movable relative to the cylinder portion and being for contacting the integrated circuit socket pins at the mating surface of the integrated circuit socket; first and second J-shaped members integrally formed on opposing sides of the spacer of said base substantially parallel to the lines of said spring probes wherein each of said J-shaped members has a finger portion projecting toward the other of said J-shaped members, the finger portions being for engaging the mounting surface of the integrated circuit socket; and first and second U-shaped members wherein each of said U-shaped members has a short leg substantially parallel to a long leg, the long leg of each of said U-shaped members being slideably affixed to one of the spacer and header of said base, said U-shaped members being for releasably securing said header in a predetermined position relative to said spacer.