Probe assemblies and methods for housing and providing electrical contact to planar or chip-type sensors and heaters

A probe assembly for housing and providing electrical contact to planar or chip-type sensors and heaters, comprising:

• a probe housing having a tip end and a feed-through end and an associated longitudinal axis;
• a sensor or heater element within said housing, said element having top and bottom surfaces, said top surface including electrode pads for said element, said assembly arranged such that said bottom surface is in thermal contact with said probe tip and said top and bottom surfaces are perpendicular to said longitudinal axis;
• a means of applying a first compressive force to said sensor or heater element such that thermal contact between said bottom surface and said probe tip is maintained;
• and
• electrical lead wires (ELWs) within said housing which provide respective conductive paths between each of said electrode pads and said feed-through end, each of said ELWs including at least one spring portion which provides a second compressive force that acts to maintain physical and electrical contact between said ELW and its respective electrode pad, said first and second compressive forces are applied parallel to said longitudinal axis;
• an alignment device arranged to ensure alignment between said ELWs and said electrode pads, said alignment device comprising:
• a first surface;
• a second surface opposite said first surface;
• a raised retaining means on said first surface, said first surface and said retaining means arranged to be placed over the top surface of said sensor or heater element and to maintain said element in a desired position with respect to said alignment device when so placed, said first and second surfaces being perpendicular to said probe axis when in place over said element;
• and
• guide holes which pass from said first surface to said second surface, each of said guide holes aligned with a respective one of said electrode pads when said alignment device is placed over the top surface of said element,
• said assembly arranged such that, when in place over said element, said alignment device and thereby said sensor or heater element is subject to said first compressive force;
• and
• an electrical lead wire guide assembly (LWGA) comprising:
• one or more conduit tubes through which at least a portion of said ELWs pass, at least one of said tubes being in contact with the second surface of said alignment device;
• and
• one or more springs which exert said first compressive force on said conduit tubes, said conduit tubes and springs stacked within said probe housing along said longitudinal axis;
• such that said LWGA moves independently of said probe housing and said ELWs;
• said assembly arranged such that said first compressive force is independent of said second compressive force.