Granted Patent B2

US 12,313,649 · App. 18/529,262 · Granted May 27, 2025

Inventors: Phuong Pham (Fountain Valley, CA); Ly Ngoc Tran Bach (Ho Chi Minh, VN); Tri Huu Tran (Ho Chi Minh, VN); Douglass Constable (Lake Forest, CA); John Joseph Protti (Long Beach, CA)

Assignee: Innova Electronics Corporation

G01R1/067

Abstract

Claims (22)

1. A probe device, comprising:

a conductive ground connector;

a main body having a hand-held grip for the probe device;

a probe body having a conductive probe tip for detecting a voltage at a test point of an external electrical system;

a screen on the main body that displays the detected voltage at the conductive probe tip when the conductive probe tip contacts the test point of the external electrical system;

a joint body attached to the main body and the probe body, the joint body having:

a first joint that allows the probe body to rotate about a first axis relative to the main body; and

a second joint that allows the probe body to rotate about a second axis, at a skew angle to the first axis.

2. The probe device of claim 1 , wherein the first joint comprises a hinge joint.

3. The probe device of claim 2 , wherein the second joint comprises a rotary joint.

4. The probe device of claim 1 wherein the first joint comprises a hinged connection between the joint body and the probe body, and the second joint comprises a rotary connection between the joint body and the main body.

5. The probe device of claim 4 , wherein the joint body comprises a pair of knuckles configured to wrap around a pin of the probe body to form the first joint.

6. The probe device of claim 4 , wherein the joint body comprises a housing having a cavity configured to accept a shaft of the main body to form the second joint.

7. The probe device of claim 1 , wherein the probe body comprises a heating circuit that heats the conductive probe tip to at least 365° F. when a current is directed through the heating circuit.

8. The probe device of claim 7 , wherein the processor is programmed to direct current through the heating circuit upon activation of a soldering switch.

9. The probe device of claim 1 further comprising:

a heating circuit in thermal communication to the conductive probe tip for heating the conductive probe tip to at least 365° F.;

a screen on a main body attached to the conductive probe tip, the screen operative to display a voltage at the conductive probe tip when the conductive probe connector contacts the contact point of the external electrical circuit;

a processor that when a set of instructions are executed on the processor, is programmed to activate the heating circuit and cause current to the directed through the heating circuit to heat the conductive probe tip.

10. The probe device of claim 9 , further comprising a soldering switch, wherein the processor is configured to execute the set of instructions upon activation of the soldering switch.

11. The probe device of claim 10 wherein the main body has the soldering switch.

12. The probe device of claim 1 , wherein the conductive probe tip extends from an insulated sleeve.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (3)

References Cited (250)