Patents Examined by Edmondson
  • Die bonding apparatus
    Patent number: 6244493
    Abstract: In a die bonding apparatus with a position correcting stage that has a die carrying surface upon which a die is placed by a collet, the external circumferential shape of the die carrying surface of the position correcting stage is formed so as to be smaller than the external circumferential shape of the die to be carried on the die carrying surface, thus avoiding damages to the surface of the die.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2001
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Shinkawa
    Inventors: Eiichi Shimazaki, Tsutomu Sugimoto, Toshihiro Naoi, Osamu Nakamura, Noboru Fujino
  • Connected structure and method for manufacturing the same
    Patent number: 6244496
    Abstract: A connected structure includes a supporting member and a bushing mounting member connected thereto. The supporting member is made of a pipe having a round cross-sectional shape. The bushing mounting member includes a bushing mounting portion for mounting a bushing having a rubber elastic member and a connecting portion protruded from the bushing mounting portion. The connecting portion is press-fitted into an opening at one end of the supporting member, and the connecting portion and the supporting member are joined together along a circumference of the supporting member by a friction agitation joining method. Accordingly, the connecting member which is light in weight and high in strength with an improved efficiency for utilizing the surrounding space and a predetermined characteristics of a bushing can be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2001
    Assignees: Tokai Rubber Industries, Ltd., Showa Aluminum Corporation
    Inventors: Rentaro Kato, Koji Uchino, Yuichi Ogawa, Masatoshi Enomoto, Seiji Tasaki, Naoki Nishikawa, Naoyuki Kawata, Takenori Hashimoto
  • Cover for a component surface
    Patent number: 6244492
    Abstract: A cover for a component surface to provide protection against hot metal splashes, during processing of the component itself or a component in its vicinity. The material for the cover is an elastic rubber plastic of adequate temperature stability which can be fixed to, and removed from, the component by adhesion/sticking. The surface geometry facing the component, of the cover is exactly complementary to the geometry of the component surface. The thickness of the cover is matched to the energy content of the expected metal splashes with the highest energy, and maintains a specified minimum dimension at every position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2001
    Assignee: MTU Motoren-und Turbinen-Union München GmbH
    Inventors: Bern Kupetz, Anton Meitinger
  • Supplying a cover gas for wire ball bonding
    Patent number: 6234376
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for supplying a protective cover gas during ball formation on a wire bonding machine to permit the use of wire formed from metals which may react with air, such as copper or aluminum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2001
    Assignee: Kulicke & Soffa Investments, Inc.
    Inventor: Rudolph M. Wicen
  • Friction welded fastener process
    Patent number: 6227433
    Abstract: A process for joining two or more overlapping metal workpieces includes providing a fastener which is made of metal having a melting point temperature at least as great as that of the workpieces. The fastener is rotated about its central axis and is axially advanced at a predetermined advance rate into engagement with the workpieces so as to cause plasticization of the workpieces at the interface with the fastener, and to cause the fastener to axially penetrate through substantially the entire thickness of the workpieces. The rotation of the fastener is then stopped, and the plastic zone which surrounds the fastener cools to form a metallurgical bond with the fastener. The resulting fastened joint is mechanically superior to conventional mechanically fastened joints made by rivets and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2001
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Douglas J. Waldron, Robert Scott Forrest, Ray F. Toosky
  • Apparatus and method of clamping semiconductor devices using sliding finger supports
    Patent number: 6227431
    Abstract: An apparatus and method of supporting lead fingers during a wire bonding process and of preventing the bonding apparatus and clamping assembly from applying force against the die. The present invention includes the use of a movable arm with a portion that is positionable under a portion of the lead fingers of a lead frame during the wire bonding process to provide increased stability of the lead fingers and prevent the bonding apparatus and clamping assembly from applying force against the die. The present invention also provides for the transfer of heat from the heat block directly to the lead fingers during the wire bonding process. The present invention includes the use of a clamp for stabilizing lead fingers during the wire bonding process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2001
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael B. Ball
  • Apparatus and method for connecting printed circuit boards through soldered lap joints
    Patent number: 6223973
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for connecting together first and second printed circuit boards 10/20 (PCBs), wherein one or both of the PCBs is a flex circuit. The method includes overlapping the two PCBs such that their respective matching circuit trace arrays 12/22 face each other and are separated by a small predetermined distance K, and then introducing molten solder 30 proximate an overlapping PCB edge 18, such as by wave soldering, so as to urge capillation of the molten solder between the two PCBs, thereby forming solder joints operatively connecting together the two circuit trace arrays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2001
    Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen H. P. Wong, Billy Kiang
  • Solder bonding/debonding nozzle insert
    Patent number: 6223968
    Abstract: In an apparatus for soldering/desoldering components having a nozzle with larger and smaller ends, the larger end for attaching to an exhaust for drawing a vacuum and to a supply of heated gas for at least softening solder, an insert is attached at the smaller end of the nozzle to adjust the size of that opening for receiving each of a plurality of components, fitting different inserts to different sizes of components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2001
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Charles Felix Gabriel, Miguel Angel Jimarez, Joseph Edward Zdimal
  • Apparatus and method for welding and inspecting coiled tubing
    Patent number: 6220498
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for use in welding together sections of coiled tubing (6) in the oil industry, wherein the apparatus has a container (14), legs (12) which can be adjusted to adjust the height of the container (14), welding apparatus in the container and slots in the walls of the container. In use the container is raised to the height of the coiled tubing which is to be joined. A winch pulls the ends of the coiled tubing towards a clamp, which holds the two ends of the coiled tubing fixed inside the container, while the ends are welded together. The slots in the walls allow the joined tubing to pass out of the container after the weld is completed. The container provides a controlled environment for welding and weld inspection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2001
    Assignee: Agais Offshore Limited
    Inventors: Alec Gordon, Ashley Thomson
  • Method of joining metallic members, and joined metallic members
    Patent number: 6220501
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method of joining metallic members together. The metallic members are coated with an undercoat composed of an alloy of tin and zinc and contacted with each other through a mixture containing a solder comprising tin and zinc and a flux, while heating the metallic members to melt the solder. Then the molten solder is solidified to join the metallic members. Here, the ratio of zinc in the undercoat is represented by x (% by weight), the ratio of zinc in the solder is represented by y (% by weight), and the ratio, x, and the ratio, y, are values within an area enclosed by the line A or B in FIG. 1, which satisfies the formulas: 1≦x≦20, 3≦y≦13 and 3≦(x+y)/2≦13, or formulas: 0.1≦x≦25, 2≦y≦15 and 2≦(x+y)/2≦15.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2001
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Masahiro Tadauchi, Izuru Komatsu, Kouichi Teshima, Rikiya Katoh, Jun Sugimoto, Takayuki Suzuki, Mitsuyoshi Hirayama
  • Pipe forming roll apparatus and method
    Patent number: 6216940
    Abstract: A forming stand for continuously forming a skelp material into a pipe, by pressure of spaced-apart forming rolls supported by spaced upper and lower shafts, the forming rolls having two portions, with one portion fixedly fitted on one side of its shaft, a sleeve slidably fitted to the other end of the shaft and fixedly secured to the sleeve and slidable with respect to the shaft; a bearing box for supporting one side of the associated shaft; a bearing box supporting the other side of the associated shaft through the sleeve; upper and lower stand supporting frames for supporting both of the bearing boxes to be movable in an axial direction; and supporting columns for supporting the stand supporting frames; the pipe-forming force is continuously measured and the forming operation is adjusted such that the measured value of pipe-forming force does not exceed a predetermined pipe-forming upper limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2001
    Assignees: Kawasaki Steel Corporation, Kusakabe Electric & Machinery Co., Ltd., both of
    Inventors: Koji Sugano, Masahiro Kagawa, Toshio Ohnishi, Kingo Sawada, Yoshinori Sugie, Nobuki Tanaka, Takaaki Toyooka, Motoaki Itadani, Yuji Hashimoto, Ryoji Kusakabe, Kazuo Omura
  • Feeder of wire solder
    Patent number: 6213374
    Abstract: Beads or ridges formed by metal work such as knurling provide peaks and valleys on a shaft of a rotary disc, which is part of an abnormal detector of wire solder, so that frictional force between the wire solder is strengthened. Further, the same peaks and valleys mating with those on the shaft are provided on a surface of a feeding roller of the wire solder. The wire solder fed by the feeding roller is provided with the peaks and valleys due to plastic deformation. Both the peaks and valleys on the shaft and on the wire-solder mate with each other so that slipping therebetween can be prevented. Since the shaft is integrated with the rotary disc which is part of the abnormal detector, the accuracy of detecting abnormalities such as clogging wire-solder or crimped wire-solder can be improved. As a result, a feeder of wire solder with better accuracy in abnormality detection can be realized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2001
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayoshi Ueda, Moriaki Kawasaki
  • Electrode grid for lead storage batteries
    Patent number: 6210837
    Abstract: Electrode grids for lead storage batteries comprise a lead alloy which, in addition to calcium and tin and, if appropriate, silver, contains of aluminum, the aluminum content being in the range of approximately 0.012% to 0.02% by weight, and the average grain diameter in the web and frame area of the grids is 200 &mgr;m-600 &mgr;m. Preferably, the aluminum content is in the range of approximately 0.014% to 0.02%, the calcium content is approximately between 0.04 and 0.06%, the tin content is approximately between 0.5 to 1.0%, and optionally 0.5 to 0.7%, and the silver content is approximately between 0.005 and 0.06%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2001
    Assignee: Varta Batterie Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Jürgen Bauer, Christine Standke-Thiemann, Albert Tönnessen
  • Method and apparatus for placing conductive preforms
    Patent number: 6202918
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for placing solder balls 201 on electronic pads 1204 on a substrate 1202, such as for a ball grid array (BGA) applicator 10. The solder balls 201 are held to openings 102 in a foil 22 such as by vacuum force 1607 applied to the solder balls 201 through the openings 102 in a foil 22. After locating the solder balls 201 at electronic pads 1204 on a substrate 1202, by deactivating the vacuum force 1607 and optionally applying a release force 1703 the solder balls 201 are released and placed on the electronic pads 1204. Optionally, a release mechanism 2400 applies placing force 2600 to the solder balls 201 through the openings 2404 in the foil 2403.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2001
    Inventor: Eric Hertz
  • Method for joining two parts of different kinds by heterogeneous butt welding, and uses thereof
    Patent number: 6193145
    Abstract: An end portion of each of two parts is machined and the machined end portion of the parts are arranged in facing positions to form a welding bevel extending in a longitudinal direction between the parts, whereafter a filler metal is deposited into the welding bevel. The welding bevel is a narrow bevel with side walls at an aperture angle of no more than 5° relative to the longitudinal central plane of the bevel. A nickel alloy comprising 18-32% of chromium is deposited into the welding bevel. The method is particularly suitable for joining a pressurized water nuclear reactor vessel tubing and an austenitic stainless steel primary circuit pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2001
    Assignee: Framatome
    Inventors: Yves Fournier, Alain Peigney, Léon Dunand-Roux
  • Pressure welding device and method for terminals
    Patent number: 6193138
    Abstract: A terminal pressure welding device and method are provided. In this improved device and method, a pair of wires are pushed into a space between a pair of barrels by a wire holding member, and the pair of barrels are caulked by lapping one of them on the other by a crimper. At the start of the barrel caulking by the crimper, the wires are fixed to a position between the pair of the barrels by the wire holding member 16, so that an ingress allowance space is ensured for allowing the edge of one of the barrels to get under the other barrel. With this device and method, a terminal can be pressure welded onto even two thick wires as desired, and the pressure welding widths of terminals can be as uniform as possible so that the terminals can surely be inserted into the terminal receiving chambers of a connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2001
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshimi Wada
  • Method and articles for evaluating welded joints
    Patent number: 6193133
    Abstract: Two polygon shaped articles having walls of different thicknesses are mated and welded together. Specimens cut from this composite part are used to evaluate the performance of welded joints with the influence of design, processing conditions such as welding, molding, and the like, and material composition. The evaluation advantageously provides an accurate predictor for linear vibration, orbital vibration, hot plate, hot gas, hot gas extrusion and infrared welding at a variety of bead thicknesses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2001
    Assignee: AlliedSignal Inc.
    Inventors: Val A. Kagan, Chul S. Lee
  • Method of cable wire arrangement
    Patent number: 6189769
    Abstract: The invention discloses a method of arranging a plurality of wires of a cable at proper positions for soldering to corresponding terminals of a connector. An arrangement for preparing wires of a cable suitable for subsequent soldering to terminals of an electrical connector has a soldering head including a pair of bases and a pair of heating plates. The base has a plurality of slots for engaging with corresponding flanges of the heating plate. A plurality of equidistantly spaced receiving slots is formed in the heating plates for engaging with the corresponding wires of the cable. Thus, efficiency can be improved during mass production.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Ind. Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Peter Kuo
  • Method of forming a solder ball
    Patent number: 6189772
    Abstract: The present invention is drawn to a method of making solder bump interconnections or BGAs ranging from chip-level connections to either single chip or multichip modules, flip-chip packages and printed circuit boards connections. According to the method of the present invention, a die wafer or a substrate with a conductive contact location is positioned in close proximity and aligned with a mold wafer having a pocket corresponding to the contact location of the die wafer. A source of a molten solder is also provided which interconnects with the mold wafer. The molten solder from the source is introduced into the pocket of the mold wafer such that the molten solder wets the contact location aligned with the pocket. Before the molten solder inside the pocket is allowed to solidify, the die wafer and the mold wafer are separated from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: David R. Hembree
  • Method and apparatus for precisely registering solder paste in a printed circuit board repair operation
    Patent number: 6182883
    Abstract: The precise solder paste application process makes use of mask registration apertures that are formed in the printed circuit board and that are adapted to receive a component solder paste mask that conforms to the conductor pattern of the component to be replaced. The component solder paste mask comprises a mask that has formed therein apertures that correspond to the pattern of solder paste that is to be applied to the printed circuit board surface mount pads to correspond to the conductors of the component. The component solder paste mask includes registration features that mate with the registration apertures formed in the printed circuit board to thereby ensure precise placement of the component solder paste mask over the area of the printed circuit board that receives the replacement component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2001
    Assignee: Lucent Technologies Inc.
    Inventor: Khalil N. Nikmanesh