Patent ID: 8493085

Claim:
A spring contact pin for an IC chip tester comprising a conductive spring barrel having a first barrel end and a second barrel end, said first barrel end having a barrel end opening, a compression spring in said spring barrel, a first conductive probe member projecting from the first barrel end of said spring barrel and being depressible into said spring barrel against said compression spring from a fully extended position to a compressed position, said first conductive probe member having an enlarged base end captured within the spring barrel and a projecting end terminating at a probe tip, said projecting end extending from said base end through the barrel end opening at the spring barrel's first barrel end and having sidewalls that taper in the direction of said probe tip from a position within said spring barrel and that continue to taper from said position within the spring barrel as the projecting end of the probe member enters the barrel end opening at the first barrel end of the spring barrel so as to prevent contact between the sidewalls of the probe member's projecting end and the first barrel end of said spring barrel as the first probe member moves between its fully extended and compressed positions, and a second conductive probe member projecting from the second barrel end of said spring barrel.