Integrated circuit test probe assembly

An integrated circuit test probe assembly for probing selected leads of operational integrated circuit packages mounted on an interconnection medium comprising in combination:

• a probing frame removably mounted over said interconnection medium, said frame including a pair of opposed planar sides having respective bars elevated from the surfaces thereof and oriented parallel thereto,
• a probe support slidably mounted in one rectangular coordinate axis on said bars of said probing frame and oriented in orthogonal relation thereto, said probe support comprising a pair of end blocks for engaging the respective pair of bars of said probing frame and a plurality of parallel spaced-apart rods, each of said rods having its opposite extremities supported by the respective pair of end blocks,
• a test probe adapted to be carried by said rods of said probe support and being movable above said interconnection medium in the opposite rectangular coordinate axis, said test probe comprising a body and a cover therefor, said body including a plurality of spaced-apart tooth-like projections at its forward extremity, a plurality of spring-actuated plunger type contacts mounted in said body and protruding externally thereof between respective adjacent ones of said tooth-like projections, a plurality of electrical conductors each having an extremity connected to one of said plurality of contacts and its opposite extremity external to said body, a spring member attached within said body, a plurality of slots in said body and said cover for permitting portions of said spring member to appear externally thereto,
• said test probe being further adapted to be moved toward said selected leads of an integrated circuit package in a direction substantially orthogonal to the surface of said interconnection medium, said contacts engaging said selected leads and said tooth-like projections separating and insulating the latter from one another, said spring member causing said body of said test probe to be locked onto one of said rods of said probe support in substantial concurrence with the attainment of contact of said tooth-like projections with said surface of said interconnection medium.