Patent ID: 6854981
Filing Date: 2005-02-15
Classification: H01R

Abstract:
1. Apparatus for the temporary electrical interconnection of device leads to test apparatus terminals comprising: (a) a housing with opposed planar and parallel first and second surfaces having parallel contact receiving slots extending therebetween with opposed first and second ends, the housing also having an essentially cylindrically shaped front hole and a smaller essentially cylindrically shaped back hole which extend through the housing perpendicular to the slots with the front hole being a predetermined distance closer to the first surface of the housing than the back hole and a predetermined distance closer to the first end of the slot than the back hole; b) a cylindrical shaped front elastomeric member sized to fill the front hole, and a cylindrical shaped back elastomeric member sized to fill the back hole; c) generally planar contacts having an inwardly curved nose end and an opposite inwardly curved tail end which together form an essentially “S” shape, being shaped and sized to rotatably fit within each slot being arranged such that when the first elastomeric member is positioned within the first hole and the second elastomeric member is positioned within the back hole and the contact is positioned within the slot in engagement with the first elastomeric member and the second elastomeric member, the nose end of the contact will be biased to extend outward past the first surface a predetermined distance and the nose end will essentially match and partially encircle the outermost surface of the front elastomeric member, and the tail end of the contact will extend outward to the second surface and the tail end will essentially match and partially encircle the outermost surface of the back elastomeric member, and such that, when a planar surface of a device is placed next to the first surface of the housing opposite the nose end of the contacts, the nose end of the contact will be forced into the slot even with the first surface to rotate the contact and compress the front and back elastomeric members; and further comprising an essentially rectangular shaped alignment plate having a parallel side and having a linear edge perpendicular thereto, the parallel side of the plate abutting the first surface of the housing such that the perpendicular edge is perpendicular to the slots, the plate being positioned and sized such as to allow portions of the first surface of the housing opposite the nose end of the contacts to remain uncovered, the edge of the plate being beveled on the lower corner with the dimensions being such that the beveled edge of the alignment plate will permit the nose end of the contact to extend outward only a predetermined distance above the first surface.