Patent ID: 7202657

Claim:
An actuator for pressing a plurality of circuit contacts carried on a microcircuit package against a plurality of test contacts, said actuator including a) a frame having a generally rhomboidal exterior shape, said frame having a top surface, and a bottom surface facing away from the top surface, said frame having first and second end features each intersecting the top surface at opposite ends thereof; b) a loader foot carried by the frame's bottom surface for applying force to a microcircuit; c) first and second latch elements, each respectively mounted within the frame's first and second end features and each shiftable between a latched position and an unlatched position within the frame's first and second features, each said latch element when in the latched position for gripping an edge of an alignment plate and when in the unlatched position for releasing the alignment plate; and d) an actuating element mounted on the frame's top surface for receiving manual force and for converting the received manual force to force applied to the latch elements to shift the latch elements between the latched and unlatched positions.