Patents Examined by Minh Trinh
  • Patent number: 6093110
    Abstract: A golf training kit for helping a golfer improve his or her overall game by helping improve alignment, putting stroke, pitching and chipping, and ball position. The inventive device includes a circular target, a line and putting guide, a putter trainer guide, a golf hole backstop that is positionable within a golf hole, an alignment guide that is adapted for illustrating proper ball placement for various shots, and an indoor putting ring adapted for securement to a carpeted surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2000
    Inventor: Robert Q. Jones
  • Patent number: 6085411
    Abstract: A fixture for making laminated integrated circuit devices from layers of integrated circuits comprises a base having support structure for at least two side body portions. The side body portions are adapted to be held in position by the support structure and project outwardly from the base in an orientation for substantially enclosing a plurality of the integrated circuit layers in a desired alignment for subsequent lamination to one another. The support structure enables the side body portions to be spaced from one another and have only one degree of freedom of movement toward and away from one another, enough to accommodate some dimensional differences between the plurality of integrated circuit layers. A retainer holds the side body portions in a fixed relative position providing the desired alignment for the subsequent lamination. The retainer biases the side body portions toward one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2000
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gary L. Stewart, Milo Dunaj
  • Patent number: 6076257
    Abstract: A cutting apparatus wherein a blade holder includes two blades which are each designed for cutting web material (e.g., dry film photoresist) in a reverse manner prior to application of the material to a substrate (e.g., dielectric-conductor structure) designed for eventual usage as a printed circuit board or as part thereof (e.g., if laminated up with other, similarly formed substrate members).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2000
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: James Ralph Case, Michael James Cummings, John Michael Griffin, Michael Vito Longo
  • Patent number: 6070321
    Abstract: A solder preform is provided for forming interconnections between multilayer ceramic substrates comprising an upper layer and lower layer of solder separated by an intermediate layer of a material which is wettable by solder and which does not melt at the temperatures used to reflow the solder and form the connections. The solder preform is used to join the substrates and is particularly useful to simultaneously electrically interconnect the substrates and to form a hermetic seal between the substrates being joined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2000
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Peter J. Brofman, Patrick A. Coico, Mark G. Courtney, Lewis S. Goldmann, Raymond A. Jackson, William E. Sablinski, Kathleen A. Stalter, Hilton T. Toy, Li Wang
  • Patent number: 6070322
    Abstract: A method for reverse cutting with material wherein a blade holder includes two blades which are each designed for cutting web material (e.g., dry film photoresist) in a reverse manner prior to application of the material to a substrate (e.g., dielectric-conductor structure) designed for eventual usage as a printed circuit board or as part thereof (e.g., if laminated up with other, similarly formed substrate members).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2000
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: James Ralph Case, Michael James Cummings, John Michael Griffin, Michael Vito Longo
  • Patent number: 6070318
    Abstract: A surface mount placement system with one or more carriages includes, on each carriage, multiple groups of quills, each group being adjustable on one of two principal orthogonal directions of a plane containing a component mounting zone. The quills of each group are independently rotatable with respect to the quills of the other group and are further independently moveable in a third direction orthogonal to the two principal directions. A carriage is moved to the component mounting zone where the two groups are adjusted with respect to each other for placement of at least two components, one from each group, in a single place step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2000
    Assignee: Amistar Corporation
    Inventors: Stuart Baker, George Michael Wohlhieter
  • Patent number: 6065205
    Abstract: A placement apparatus for co-planar placement of electronic components on a component carrier using a rotational placement arm in which the electronic component is moved between the base or loading position of the placement arm and the near-placement position substantially on a circular path, and in which the component is moved linearly between the near-placement position and the placement position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2000
    Inventor: Hubert Zach
  • Patent number: 6058593
    Abstract: A micro motor is manufactured by slipping the parts (24a, 24b) of a stator (24) on the mandrel (60) which is placed into an injection mold (50). The motor housing is made by injecting polymer material (63), the stator parts (24a, 24b) being encapsulated in the housing. During injection, a bearing (27) is contained in the injection mold (50). Subsequently, the mandrel (60) is drawn from the stator and a prepared rotor is inserted. Thus, a cost effective and high-precision manufacture of an electric motor with very small dimensions is made possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2000
    Assignee: Impella Cardiotechnick GmbH
    Inventor: Thorsten Siess
  • Patent number: 6049966
    Abstract: A magnet wire having generally round cross section is taken out from a wire pack and formed by a forming roller mechanism into a polygonal shape in cross section to be wound on a bobbin tightly, thereby increasing the space factor of a coil. Then, magnet wire having round cross section is wound in a portion where pressure may be applied from the outside. Since the round wire is easy to move and able to dodge the pressure, a reliable coil of a high space factor can be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2000
    Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yusuke Kawano, Mitsuyuki Hayashi
  • Patent number: 6047470
    Abstract: A circuit board substrate assembly includes a generally planar circuit board substrate material having a longitudinal axis extending along a length of the substrate material between a first end and a second end thereof. The circuit board substrate material further has a first edge and a second edge extending along the length of the circuit board substrate material between the first end and the second end. A plurality of openings are defined in the substrate material. Each opening extends between a first distance from the first edge of the circuit board substrate and a second distance from the second edge of the circuit board substrate. Further, each opening separates adjacent circuit forming regions lying along the longitudinal axis and has first and second opposing end portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2000
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Zane Drussel, Derek Hinkle
  • Patent number: 6044548
    Abstract: A method of making connections to a microelectronic unit includes the steps of providing a connection component having a flexible dielectric top sheet, a plurality of terminals on the top sheet and a plurality of electrically conductive, elongated flexible leads connected to the terminals and extending side-by-side downwardly from the terminals away from the top sheet to bottom ends remote from the top sheet. The connection component is then engaged with a front surface of a microelectronic unit having an array of contacts thereon while subjecting the connection component and the microelectronic unit to heat and pressure so that bottom ends of the leads remote from the top sheet bond with the contacts on the microelectronic unit to form electrical connections therewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2000
    Assignee: Tessera, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas H. Distefano, John W. Smith, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6035524
    Abstract: Method for fabricating thermally cooled electronic cards. A card of any kind is covered with a rigid heat sink shaped to fit the card and is attached thereto. The heat sink is formed in such a way that it fits as closely as possible the shape of the printed circuit. The printed circuit has components on one or both faces so that it is possible to increase the surface thermal coupling between the sink and the board. An optical sensor using a laser beam may be used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2000
    Assignee: Thomson-CSF
    Inventors: Vito Suppa, Noel Begnis, Jean-Claude Aldon
  • Patent number: 6032359
    Abstract: A method of making a wiping connection between a male connector and a female connector in a single layer of a flexible polymeric dielectric film substrate having a thickness of less than 0.012 inches is disclosed. A laser directs a beam towards the substrate cutting a smooth pattern through the substrate to define a passage extending through the substrate and providing at least one resilient foldable flap normally closing the passage through the substrate. Next an electrically conductive material is coated on the flexible polymeric dielectric film substrate including a circuit trace providing an electrical contact land area surrounding the pattern extending over the foldable flap to form the female connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2000
    Inventor: Keith C. Carroll
  • Patent number: 6006422
    Abstract: A connector mechanical assist system incorporating a mating tool and a connector configured for being squeezably interfaced with the mating tool. The connector is composed of first and second components having a conventional interlock mechanism, wherein a passage is provided in each of the first and second components which align when the first and second components are initially mated to form a passageway through the connector. The mating tool is composed of a head and two blades pivotally mounted on a common pivot in a cammed and slidable relation to the head. The blades have opposingly oriented hooks at the distal end portions thereof, wherein the hooks are retracted when the blades are mutually parallel. Each blade has a cam surface which interfaces with a respective boss of the head. With the connector pre-staged and the blades parallel, the blades are inserted through the passageway of the connector so that the distal end portions project therefrom at an exit side of the connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1999
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Jeffrey M. Hickox
  • Patent number: 6000120
    Abstract: A method of forming a coaxial transmission line on a high density PCB. A metal strip (102) on the PCB (104) forms the bottom part of the shield, and is covered by a first dielectric (112). Two parallel trenches (122) are formed in the first dielectric to reveal part (123) of the metal strip. The signal conductor (132) is then formed on the first dielectric. A second dielectric (142) covers the signal conductor and the first dielectric. A second set of two parallel trenches (172) are formed in the second dielectric immediately above the first two trenches. Metal (182) is plated in the parallel trenches to contact the metal strip, and also covers a portion of the second dielectric that lies between the trenches, to create a shield. The resulting coaxial transmission line has a center conductor insulated from the shield by the dielectrics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1999
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: John K. Arledge, Joaquin Barreto, Thomas J. Swirbel, Jeffrey A. Underwood
  • Patent number: 5996224
    Abstract: A method of applying twisted wire pairs to an electrical connector is provided. A cable having a plurality of twisted wire pairs is selected for insertion into a selected connector. The twisted wire pairs are untwisted and inserted into the connector in a substantially flat lateral configuration such that the ends of the wires protrude from the connector. Before shearing off the protruding ends of the wires, identification symbols on the wire ends are compared with a standard that indicates a correct symbol identification pattern therefor. Preferably, the protruding ends of the wires are pulled tight against the connector before shearing off the wire ends, to minimize cross-talk. Even more preferably, the connector is crimped concurrently with the shearing off of the wire ends.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1999
    Inventor: Robert W. Sullivan
  • Patent number: 5970609
    Abstract: A method of effectively manufacturing various types of wire harnesses of complicated wiring structure in which a predetermined number of connectors necessary for a unit wire harness are arranged on a movable pallet. The pallet is then moved so that crimp-style terminal of one of the connectors can come to a crimp connecting position of a rotatable crimp connecting press. An end of an electric wire is fed to the crimp-style terminal at the crimp connecting position. The end of the electric wire is then connected to the terminal by the rotatable crimp connecting press. Then, the pallet is moved again, and the other end of the electric wire is connected to a crimp-style terminal of a predetermined connector by crimp connection. The series of motions are repeated until all terminals necessary for the unit wire harness are connected to the electric wires by crimp connection. According to this method, a rotatable crimp connecting press has a plurality of different crimp connecting blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1999
    Assignees: Harness System Technologies Research, Ltd., Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd., Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Ryosuke Shioda
  • Patent number: 5950303
    Abstract: A substrate stack is suspended within a stack holder to position upper and lower stack surfaces coplanar with upper and lower holder surfaces. Laminating heat and pressure is simultaneously applied to the upper and lower surfaces to laminate a carrier interconnect film to top and bottom stack portions simultaneously. Subsequent wet chemical processing of both stack edges may also be simultaneous to effect savings in manufacturing costs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1999
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Paul A. McConnelee, Richard J. Saia, Kevin M. Durocher
  • Patent number: 5924194
    Abstract: A method of producing an overhead contact wire for supplying power to electrically driven vehicles is proposed which comprises a copper-clad steel wire and a copper wire that is metallically joined to the copper-clad steel wire. The method includes the following steps: a) heating a steel wire to a temperature about 950.degree. C.; b) joining first and second metal band sections to a surface of the steel wire by means of rolling at a temperature of about 950.degree. C. under protective gas atmosphere to produce a combined element; c) reducing the cross-section of the combined element by at least 20%; d) heating a copper wire to a temperature about 950.degree. C.; e) joining the heated copper wire to the reduced diameter combined element in the area covered by the first band section by rolling at about 950.degree. C. under protective gas to produce a prepared wire; and f) reducing the cross-section of the prepared wire to produce an overhead contact wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 20, 1999
    Assignee: Alcatel
    Inventor: Gerhard Ziemek