US5159265A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Pivotable spring contact
Assignee: Motorola Solutions Inc
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Filing: 1991-09-19
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Granted: 1992-10-27
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Expires: 2011-09-19
Abstract
Abstract A pivotable spring probe (30) includes a housing (36) having an opening, a plunger (34) within and guided by the housing, the plunger being slidingly movable between an extended position and a retracted position, a pivotable contact head (32) mounted on the plunger for making electrical contact with a conductive surface external to the housing, and a spring (42) mounted on the bottom of the plunger for biasing the plunger towards the housing opening.
Inventors
- 👤 Juan O. Alfonso
- 👤 Peggy L. Clark
- 👤 Adolph C. Naujoks
- 👤 Ray D. Pearson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 01:30
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01R; G01R1/00; G01R1/02; G01R1/06; G01R1/067; G01R1/06711; G01R1/06716; G01R1/06722
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
89 words
A pivotable spring probe for probing a spherical surface, comprising: a housing having an opening; a plunger within and guided by said housing, said plunger being slidingly movable between an extended position and a retracted position; a pivotable contact head retainably mounted on said plunger for making electrical contact with a conductive surface external to said housing, said contact head having a concave shape for substantially mating with said spherical surface; and spring means mounted on the bottom of said plunger for biasing the plunger towards the housing opening.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
89 words
A pivotable spring probe for probing a spherical surface, comprising: a housing having an opening; a plunger within and guided by said housing, said plunger being slidingly movable between an extended position and a retracted position; a pivotable contact head retainably mounted on said plunger for making electrical contact with a conductive surface external to said housing, said contact head having a concave shape for substantially mating with said spherical surface; and spring means mounted on the bottom of said plunger for biasing the plunger towards the housing opening.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
17 words
The pivotable spring probe of claim 1, wherein said pivotable contact head comprises a gold plated contact.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
The pivotable spring probe of claim 1, wherein said probe further comprises a self-aligning means for retaining the contact head in a centrally disposed position.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
The pivotable spring probe of claim 3, wherein said self-aligning means comprises a spring coupled to the pivotable contact head.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
The pivotable spring probe of claim 1, wherein said spring means comprises a coil spring coupled to a bottom portion of the plunger.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
95 words
A pivotable spring contact probe for probing a conductive spherical surface, comprising: a cylindrical housing having an opening; a plunger within and guided by said housing, said plunger being slidingly movable between an extended position and a retracted position; a pivotable self-aligning contact head retainably mounted on said plunger for making electrical contact with said conductive spherical surface external to said housing, said contact head having a concave shape for substantially mating with said conductive spherical surface; and spring means mounted on the bottom of said plunger for biasing the plunger towards the housing opening.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
95 words
A pivotable spring contact probe for probing a conductive spherical surface, comprising: a cylindrical housing having an opening; a plunger within and guided by said housing, said plunger being slidingly movable between an extended position and a retracted position; a pivotable self-aligning contact head retainably mounted on said plunger for making electrical contact with said conductive spherical surface external to said housing, said contact head having a concave shape for substantially mating with said conductive spherical surface; and spring means mounted on the bottom of said plunger for biasing the plunger towards the housing opening.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
18 words
The pivotable spring contact probe of claim 6, wherein said pivotable contact head comprises a gold plated contact.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
23 words
The pivotable spring probe of claim 6, wherein said spring means comprises a coil spring coupled to a bottom portion of the plunger.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
122 words
An electronic probing device for probing a plurality of conductive spherical surfaces, comprising: a plurality of pivotable spring probes formed in a predetermined pattern to couple to an electronic component having contacts formed in the predetermined pattern, each pivotable spring probe comprising: a housing having an opening; a plunger within and guided by said housing, said plunger being slidingly movable between an extended position and a retracted position; a pivotable contact head retainably mounted on said plunger for making electrical contact with a conductive surface external to said housing, said contact head having a concave shape for substantially mating with said conductive spherical surface; and spring means mounted on the bottom of said plunger for biasing the plunger towards the housing opening.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
122 words
An electronic probing device for probing a plurality of conductive spherical surfaces, comprising: a plurality of pivotable spring probes formed in a predetermined pattern to couple to an electronic component having contacts formed in the predetermined pattern, each pivotable spring probe comprising: a housing having an opening; a plunger within and guided by said housing, said plunger being slidingly movable between an extended position and a retracted position; a pivotable contact head retainably mounted on said plunger for making electrical contact with a conductive surface external to said housing, said contact head having a concave shape for substantially mating with said conductive spherical surface; and spring means mounted on the bottom of said plunger for biasing the plunger towards the housing opening.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
17 words
The pivotable spring probe of claim 9, wherein said pivotable contact head comprises a gold plated contact.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
25 words
The pivotable spring probe of claim 9, wherein said probe further comprises a self-aligning means for retaining the contact head in a centrally disposed position.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
20 words
The pivotable spring probe of claim 11, wherein said self-aligning means comprises a spring coupled to the pivotable contact head.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
23 words
The pivotable spring probe of claim 9, wherein said spring means comprises a coil spring coupled to a bottom portion of the plunger.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1995-10-27 | 1996-04-27 | 1996-10-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1999-10-27 | 2000-04-27 | 2000-10-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2003-10-27 | 2004-04-27 | 2004-10-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |