Patents Assigned to FICO
  • Patent number: 5766650
    Abstract: The invention relates to a moulding apparatus for moulding a chip on a flat carrier, including a mould formed by two mould parts which are movable relative to each other and between which the carrier can be received, the one mould part of which is provided with a mould cavity against the peripheral edges of which the carrier can be pressed, and means for exerting pressure in at least one cavity for moulding material arranged in the mould and connected to the mould cavity by means of a runner, wherein at least one compensation element is arranged whereby in the closed position of the mould parts one side of the carrier is held sealingly against the peripheral edge of the mould cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1998
    Assignee: Fico B.V.
    Inventors: Gerardus Franciscus Wilhelmus Peters, Hendrikus Johannus Beernardus Peters
  • Patent number: 5684912
    Abstract: The invention provides a scheme for attenuating light transmitted through an optical fiber, using an attenuator including a base plate having a series of vertical protrusions extending therefrom and a top plate positioned to close with the base plate. When closed, the base plate and top plate clamp a length of optical fiber between the base plate vertical protrusions and the top plate such that an optical fiber bends around the protrusions. Also provided is an optical attenuator including a rigid base plate having a channeled depression, on one face of the base plate, that includes a nonlinear channel path along at least a portion of the channeled depression. The channeled depression extends from a first point at an edge of the base plate face to a second point at an edge of the base plate face to form a continuous channel path between the first and second edge points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 4, 1997
    Assignee: Fico, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul J. Slaney, Daniel Hayes
  • Patent number: 5660424
    Abstract: A sunvisor comprises a body, an attachment device for pivotally attaching the body to an automobile structure, a support releasably engageable by the body, and weakening structure for facilitating disconnection of the body from the attachment device and for the support in the event of collision, the weakening structure including a first weakening groove provided in the region Of the attachment device, and a second weakening groove provided in the region of the support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 26, 1997
    Assignee: Fico I.T.M., S.A.
    Inventors: Jose Aymerich, Jesus Prat
  • Patent number: 5656305
    Abstract: The invention relates to a system for dosed conveying and selecting of pellets for a moulding apparatus for lead frames, with which it is possible to prevent crumbled pellets or fragments and/or dust thereof being able to reach the molding apparatus arranged in a so-called clean room. For this purpose the system has structure for successively conveying pellets one by one, structure for selecting to length and feeding pellets to a transporting path, structure for reducing the transporting speed of conveyed pellets, structure for separating the pellets one by one and tranferring the pellets to a transport carrier, and means for transferring pellets from the transport carrier to a conveying device to a mold of a molding apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 12, 1997
    Assignee: Fico B.V.
    Inventor: Johannes Lambertus Gerardus Maria Venrooij
  • Patent number: 5654017
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided for molding lead frames. The apparatus has a mold formed by two mold halves. An assembly for introducing a lead frame into one of the mold halves, an assembly for carrying encapsulating material into the cavities of the mold and an assembly for removing an encapsulated product from the mold are arranged on a carriage movable along a guide relative to the mold halves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 5, 1997
    Assignee: Fico B.V.
    Inventor: Wilhelmus Hendrikus Johannes Harmsen
  • Patent number: 5626169
    Abstract: The leads of a lead frame on which an encapsulated chip is placed are bent by placing them in a mould and subsequently bending them with a bending tool in the form of a cylinder-like roller rotatable round a rotating shaft. Because the roller rolls off over the leads, scraping off of solder onto the leads is prevented during bending. In view of its length the mounting of such a roller causes problems, such as sagging. This is resolved according to the invention by providing the roller on the periphery with slot-like recesses for passage of a bearing for the rotating shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 6, 1997
    Assignee: FICO B.V.
    Inventor: Van Dalen W. Adrianus
  • Patent number: 5600869
    Abstract: A sunvisor for automobiles comprises a sunvisor body, a metal reinforcing rod which reinforces the sunvisor body and has two U-shaped ends, a retaining spring, a sunvisor hinge having a vertical arm attachable to a base member fitted to a structure of a vehicle and a horizontal arm snugly attachable to the retaining spring housed in the linking body so that the sunvisor may be rotated about a horizontal arm of the supporting pivot, the linking body being formed as an elongated parallelopipedon with two adjoining hollow longitudinal sections including a front section and a rear section separated from one another by a wall, the front section housing the retaining spring and being open at its free end and also having means for snugly receiving both ends of the metal ring reinforcing rod so that the ends are aligned longitudinally and left facing each other, means for fixing a position of the retaining spring, and means for fixing a position of one of the L-shaped ends of the metal reinforcing rod, the rear secti
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 11, 1997
    Assignee: Fico I.T.M., S.A.
    Inventor: Jose A. Munoz
  • Patent number: 5564314
    Abstract: A control cable length self-adjusting device comprises a regulating rod having one end attachable to a corresponding end of a sheath of a sheathed cable portion and also an axial through passage through which a steel cable having no sheath is slidable, a base body provided with retaining element acting on the regulating rod being substantially cylindrical and having element for firm attachment of the base body to a fixed point of a vehicle structure, the base body formed as a substantially hollow cylindrical one-piece member composed of a plastic material and having one end provided with a cover with an axial through passage for sliding a steel cable having no sheath and another end which is open and provided with the retaining element acting on the regulating rod, the base body being dimensioned so that the regulating rod is snugly slidable in an interior of the base body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 15, 1996
    Assignee: Fico Cables S.A.
    Inventor: Carlos Gabas
  • Patent number: 5542453
    Abstract: The pressurized hydraulic piston-cylinder device with an internal volume variation compensation device includes a hydraulic pressure cylinder; a piston movable in the pressure cylinder; a cap closing the functional end of the pressure cylinder; and a liquid contained in the hydraulic pressure cylinder between the cap and the movable piston. The cap includes a substantially cylindrical hollow body member which fits snugly fits over the functional end of the pressure cylinder and an end wall at another end opposite from the open end, and a resilient compensating diaphragm having an outer surface facing the pressure cylinder and an inner surface facing the end wall of the hollow body member. The resilient compensating diaphragm and the end wall bound a compensating chamber having a variable volume depending on a pressure of the liquid contained in the hydraulic pressure cylinder and acting on the outer surface of the resilient compensating diaphragm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 6, 1996
    Assignee: Fico Cables, S.A.
    Inventor: Carlos Gabas
  • Patent number: 5520067
    Abstract: A check valve for pistons of hydraulic self-adjusting devices comprises a flow body (10) formed by a frustoconical portion linked at the smaller diameter end thereof with a cylindrical portion the free end of which is attached to the inner end of the rod of the device, and by a stopper body coaxial with said rod and which may freely slide on said cylindrical portion. The axial bore of the stopper body has at the end thereof facing the flow body a seal seat of progressively increasing size dimensioned to mate with the sealing gasket of the flow body. The configuration of the seal seat and of the sealing gasket cause progressive closing of the valve when the rod is pulled, which allows during closing the flow of fluid between both half-chambers of the main body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 28, 1996
    Assignee: Fico Cables, S.A.
    Inventor: Carlos Gabas
  • Patent number: 5451154
    Abstract: An apparatus for encapsulating with plastic lead frames having chips arranged thereon includes mutually movable mold halves (102, 103). In the closed position a mold cavity is bounded, in which molding material is arranged under pressure via a runner. the pressure is provided by a plunger-cylinder (134-133) which carries up the molding material. Leaking molding material can result in adhering of the plunger to the cylinder wall, which is prevented according to the invention in that the outer wall of the plunger (134) is provided with scraping edges which scrape clean the inner wall of the cylinder (133) during operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 19, 1995
    Assignee: Fico B.V.
    Inventor: Hendrikus J. M. Schaars
  • Patent number: 5411309
    Abstract: An automobile sun visor has a visor body, an internal structural member arranged in the visor body and having shorter sides, a retaining clip attached to one of the shorter sides of the internal structural member and having arms provided with front edges which are flush with an outer surface of a side of the sun visor body, and a longitudinal bag-shaped sheath which covers an outer surface of the visor body and has a free end which forms a joint line on the front edges of the arms of the retaining clip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 2, 1995
    Assignee: Fico I.T.M. S.A.
    Inventors: Jose Aymerich, Jesus Prat
  • Patent number: 5410804
    Abstract: Encapsulated integrated circuits (chips) (2, 3, 4, 5, 6) are manufactured by separating the encapsulated integrated circuits arranged on a lead frame (1), subsequently cutting away the lead-connecting strips (7) of the individual products, then bending the leads and finally cutting them to length. By subjecting the products individually to the above stated method steps, products in a great variety of dimensions can be processed. The method and device according to the invention are particularly suitable for manufacturing pilot series on laboratory scale.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 2, 1995
    Assignee: ASM-Fico Tooling B.V.
    Inventor: Hendrikus T. Berendts
  • Patent number: 5366265
    Abstract: A spring hinge for automobile sunvisors has a one-piece member composed of a resilient material and having an upper region formed as a longitudinal housing for grippingly receiving a pivot pin of a bracket member of a sunvisor, an intermediate region formed as a longitudinal narrowing, and a lower region formed as a substantially rectangular longitudinal portion with two side walls, the longitudinal portion having two extensions extending inwardly from lower end of the side walls and two terminal flanges extending from free ends of the extensions toward the housing, each of the side walls and the extensions being provided with two transverse slits starting from the narrowing and arranged at opposite sides from a transverse center line of each side wall and the bent extension so as to form a central flexing grip tab and two lateral attachment tabs in each the side wall and the extension so that when the spring hinge is fully housed in a hollow body member of the sunvisor the attachment tabs are located permane
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 22, 1994
    Assignee: FICO I.I.M.,S.A.
    Inventors: Jose Aymerich, Jesus Prat
  • Patent number: 5361486
    Abstract: A system of machining lead frames (7), such as punching, cutting and bending of the leads consists of a number of machining devices (1, 2, 3) placed in series. Transport means (8) are provided for transporting the lead frames between the successive machining device. Each device comprises means for transporting the lead frames in horizontal and vertical direction, a tool carrier driving means for driving the tool carrier (18). Further, a control device (4) is provided for controlling, synchronizing and protecting the operation of the machining devices. The machining devices are purely mechanically driven and the system is a device on a modular basis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 8, 1994
    Assignee: ASM-FICO Tooling B.V.
    Inventors: Johannes G. T. Harmsen, Willem A. De Boer
  • Patent number: 5340186
    Abstract: The attachment device has a plurality of attachment projections (1) and respective retaining elements (MR). The attachment projections (1) are essentially cylindrical and project from the bottom wall of the cavity (2) formed in the one-piece casing (3), produced by plastics blow molding techniques, of the sunvisor. The cavity (2) receives the vanity mirror boxlike shell (4) so that the attachment projections (1) penetrate in the interior of the boxlike shell (4) through respective through holes (7). The boxlike shell (4) is firmly fixed in the cavity (2) by retaining means (MR) constituted by a plastic deformation (10) of the free end of the attachment projection (1), or by a self-tapping screw (11) or by an internally toothed washer (12), or by a self-tapping nut (14) which, in any case, presses the boxlike shell (4) against the bottom wall of the cavity (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 23, 1994
    Assignee: Fico I.T.M. S.A.
    Inventors: Jose Aymerich, Jesus Prat
  • Patent number: 5297897
    Abstract: An apparatus for molding electronic components. The single-strip molding apparatus has a mold die formed from two mold halves which are movable relative to each other and can be closed upon one another. A leadframe for the component to be molded is placed into a recess in one of the mold halves. Molding material is heated and forced under pressure into the recess containing the leadframe. After the component is molded the mold is opened and the upper half of the mold is cleaned by a combined cleaning-discharge unit. Upon the return stroke of the cleaning-discharge unit, the molded component is removed and the lower half of the mold is cleaned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 29, 1994
    Assignee: ASM Fico Tooling B.V.
    Inventors: Johannes L. G. M. Venrooij, Wouter B. Verwoerd, Wilhelmus H. J. Harmsen
  • Patent number: 4890725
    Abstract: An automatic continuously cycleable molding system wherein a plurality of mold sets are transported in predetermined timed cycles through a series of work stations wherein the various molding, curing and workpiece handling operations are accomplished, and wherein the mold sets are recirculatingly moved through the system for repeated usage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 1988
    Date of Patent: January 2, 1990
    Assignee: ASM Fico Tooling B.V.
    Inventors: Richardus H. J. Fierkens, Ireneus J. T. M. Pas
  • Patent number: 4877387
    Abstract: An automatic continuously cycleable molding system wherein a plurality of mold sets are transported in predetermined timed cycles through a series of work stations wherein the various molding, curing and workpiece handling operations are accomplished, and wherein the mold sets are recirculatingly moved through the system for repeated usage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 1985
    Date of Patent: October 31, 1989
    Assignee: ASM Fico Tooling, b.v.
    Inventors: Richardus H. J. Fierkens, Ireneus J. T. M. Pas
  • Patent number: 4781282
    Abstract: A receiving and arranging apparatus for bringing electronic components, or other workpieces, into a molding apparatus and unloading them from suitable magazines into a mechanism which arranges them in a proper orientation for placement into a mold. The apparatus includes a vertically movable and horizontally rotatable turntable mechanism which operates in conjunction with a conveyor system to arrange the electronic components in a side by side manner for transfer to a subsequent workstation in the molding process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 1985
    Date of Patent: November 1, 1988
    Assignee: ASM Fico Tooling B.V.
    Inventors: Richardus H. J. Fierkens, Ireneus J. T. Maria Pas