Patents Examined by Rick Kiltae Chang
  • Patent number: 6928728
    Abstract: A method and article of manufacture for providing a mechanical bond and an improved water vapor seal between a lens (11, 41) and a base (17, 47) in an instrument housing (10, 40), includes heating the components and a hot butyl rubber sealant (18, 58) prior to assembly, maintaining a level of heating for the assembly during assembly, dispensing the heated sealant (18, 58) into a channel (25, 65) to form a ring-shaped body of sealant (18, 58), assembling the lens (11, 41) to the base (17, 47) and pressing a lower edge (11a, 41a) of the lens (11, 41) into the ring of sealant (18, 48) and bending an upper edge (17b, 47b) of the side wall (17a, 47a) over a portion (11b, 41b) of the lens (11, 41). The method is applied in a second embodiment to an instrument having at least two signal conductors (55) entering the base (47) at two entry points. Apparatuses manufactured with the method are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2005
    Assignee: Badger Meter, Inc.
    Inventors: H. Paul Walding, Jr., John E. Laubach, Andrew J. Paese
  • Patent number: 6922889
    Abstract: A shifting device for shifting two rows of continuous terminals includes a body and a shaft. The body is formed with a hole and an inlet and an outlet both communicating with the hole. A direction into the inlet and a direction out of the outlet are the same. The inlet is shifted a predetermined distance away from the outlet. The shaft is fitted with the hole of the body and defines a spiral channel with the body after fitting with the hole of the body. The spiral channel corresponds to the inlet and the outlet of the body According to the structure, one row of the continuous terminals enters the body from the inlet and travels along the spiral channel and travels out of the body from the outlet with a predetermined distance shifted away from the other row of the continuous terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2005
    Inventor: Chou Hsuan Tsai
  • Patent number: 6920687
    Abstract: A component mounting method for picking up an electronic component, positioning the electronic component on a circuit substrate and mounting the electronic component to the circuit substrate adapted to perform an idling operation during a pause of component mounting operation, thereby eliminating any degradation of the component mounting accuracy due to temperature changes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2005
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Nakano, Koji Odera, Takeshi Kuribayashi
  • Patent number: 6915561
    Abstract: This invention relates to an electronic component mounting apparatus. In the apparatus, a rotary body for changing the direction of a component mounting section is fixed to a hollow rotary shaft with a flange. The hollow rotary shaft is provided in a hollow motor and rotated integrally with the rotary body by driving of the hollow motor. A wire extending from an electric component, which is provided in the rotary body for changing the direction of the component mounting section, is arranged in the hollow rotary shaft of the hollow motor. An end of the wire is fixed to the rotary body, and the wire is arranged with looseness or into a spiral in the hollow rotary shaft. Further a lateral surface of inside the hollow rotary shaft and a surface of a coupling shaft are coated with protective materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2005
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Dai Yokoyama, Hideaki Watanabe, Kiyoshi Imai, Toshiyuki Koyama, Taira Ishii
  • Patent number: 6880234
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a thin film negative temperature coefficient thermistor is disclosed. The method includes selecting a negative temperature coefficient of resistance versus temperature curve, selecting a mixture of metal film materials to provide the negative temperature coefficient of resistance curve while maintaining a desired physical size, and depositing the mixture of metal film materials on a substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2005
    Assignee: Vishay Intertechnology, Inc.
    Inventor: Javed Khan
  • Patent number: 6877222
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a high frequency electrical connector including positioning a plurality of parallel contacts, a plurality of terminals, and conductors interconnecting the contacts to the terminals in a manner such that signals flowing through proximate contacts are transmitted in opposite directions to reduce near-end crosstalk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Assignee: Stewart Connector Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Anila Patel
  • Patent number: 6848179
    Abstract: A terminal mounting apparatus inserts press-fit terminals into a terminal housing for constituting a joint connector. The terminal mounting apparatus has a terminal positioning unit, a transfer unit, a carrier cutting unit, a tab bending unit, a separator, and an insertion unit. The terminal positioning unit adjusts spaces between adjacent ones of the terminals such that each of the terminals can enter one of the terminal insertion channels. The transfer unit transfers the terminals. The carrier cutting unit removes a desired joint portion jointing the terminals. The tab bending unit brings a desired contact tab, which can connect an upper one to a lower one of the terminals, into a connection state. The separator adjusts spaces between the terminals to correspond to spaces between terminal insertion channels. The insertion unit presses the terminals all at once into the terminal insertion channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2005
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuhiko Takada
  • Patent number: 6810581
    Abstract: A crimping apparatus comprises a pair of frames; a pair of crimpers each provided centrally in each frame; pairs of connector tables each provided movably in a longitudinal direction on each frame; locking means for securing the connector tables on both ends of each frame; moving means for moving each said connector table along the frame; and a pair of connector holding poles in each of which a plurality of connectors are arranged to be settable on each the connector table. Thus, a large number of kinds of sub-harnesses can be manufactured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2004
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuhiko Takada
  • Patent number: 6807733
    Abstract: Method of sealing plug-in connection elements of electrical line systems during the foaming in place of such elements that are to be foamed in place in components, in which method the entry point of the electrical lead into the plug-in connection element is sealed by a closure part under the pressure of the foam to be introduced. The closure part preferably includes an elastically deformable material and has either lips which lie against each other and enclose the lead or a form corresponding to the opening in the plug-in connection element that widens outwards for receiving the lead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2004
    Assignee: Meritor Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Daniel Drewniok, Andreas Schroeder
  • Patent number: 6787013
    Abstract: A spacer forming method for a biosensor that has a biosensor possessing a capillary sampling channel and electrical connecting tracks for the use of a specific portable meter. A pair of electrodes is printed on an insulating base plate to be the transducer of the electrochemical biosensor by means of the screen-printing technology. The advanced thick-film printing technology is employed to construct the spacer component of the sampling channel that precisely controls the volume of a sample solution. Therefore, the spacer forming method reduces the usage of adhesive that otherwise causes a serious problem during a continuous punching procedure. Furthermore, the embedded switch pad on the biosensor is introduced to be instead of a micro switch in a connector of the portable meter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2004
    Assignee: Eumed Biotechnology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ching-Yu Chang, Cherng-Jyh Lee, Tzer-Ming Chen
  • Patent number: 6782606
    Abstract: A tape guide for guiding a carrier tape in a component mounting machine, a tape magazine for receiving the tape guide, and a system including the tape guide and the tape magazine. The carrier tape carries components that are positioned in sequence on the carrier tape and are covered by a cover tape. The tape guide includes an exposure mechanism for exposing the components at a picking position, wherein the exposure mechanism includes a separator for separating and lifting a lateral portion of the cover from the carrier tape, leaving the remaining portion of the cover at least partially attached to the carrier tape, and for bringing the lifted portion of the cover aside. The tape guide also includes a lock for enabling ready and quick attachment and detachment of the tape guide to and from the component mounting machine, a guiding for guiding the carrier tape towards a picking position, and a retainer for preventing accidental displacement of the carrier tape along the tape guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2004
    Assignee: Mydata Automation AB
    Inventor: Johan Bergström
  • Patent number: 6782615
    Abstract: A plurality of electronic components having conductive connecting members are surface-mounted to a target surface of a circuit board by specifying terminal-forming areas that are each no greater than the corresponding one of the electronic components and each include at least one terminal part such that at least one of these terminal-forming areas includes a plurality of terminal parts directly and that each pair of the terminal parts within any one of the terminal-forming areas is closer to each other than any pair of the terminal parts in different ones of the terminal-forming areas. An anisotropic conductive layer is formed on this target surface so as to span these terminal-forming areas, and the plurality of electronic components are placed on this anisotropic conductive layer individually above the plurality of terminal-forming areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2004
    Assignee: ROHM Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazutaka Shibata, Tsunemori Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 6779257
    Abstract: A method of making a flexible elongate member includes the steps of providing a core wire having a proximal region and a distal region, attaching an electrical device to the distal region of the core wire, the electrical device being electrically connected to at least one electrical conductor. A substantially cylindrical electrical connector is formed from a substrate having a first edge and a second edge, the first edge and the second edge of the substrate being bonded substantially flush to each other, the electrical connector including a plurality of conductive bands and a plurality of electrically conductive runners interconnected to the plurality of bands. An electrically conductive bond is formed between the electrical conductors and the plurality of electrically conductive runners. The substantially cylindrical electrical connector is attached to the proximal region of the core wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2004
    Assignee: Volcano Therapeutics, Inc.
    Inventors: Horst F. Kiepen, Michael J. Eberle, Gary P. Rizzuti, Daniel A. Brunicardi
  • Patent number: 6739046
    Abstract: A method is provided for connecting two conductive surfaces in an electronic circuit package comprising the steps of forming dendrites on selected regions of a first conductive surface, applying a dielectric insulation material over the first conductive surface such that the dendrites are exposed through the insulation material to leave a substantially planar surface of exposed dendrites, and placing a second conductive surface on top of the exposed dendrites. The second conductive surface may be a surface metal, a chip bump array, or a ball grid array. Also claimed is an electronic circuit package incorporating the dendrites used for electrical interconnection and planarization manufactured in accordance with the present invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Bernd K. Appelt, Saswati Datta, Michael A. Gaynes, John M. Lauffer, James R. Wilcox
  • Patent number: 6729021
    Abstract: A method of installing signalization spheres on energized transmission lines. A supporting structure, consisting of two bases equidistant, parallel to each other, linked to each other by axial segments, the axial segments acting as supports for activation engines, respectively, a grounding and idler tension system including a structure formed by two parallel rods that move along the vertical direction linked to two bases equidistant and parallel to each other in its intermediate portion through an axis. In its superior extremity through an axis and presenting in its inferior extremity slots for the introduction of an axis of a wheel. A first axial segment being equipped in its intermediate portion with a threaded rod which is linked it its inferior extremity to the axial segment of the bases superiorly equipped with a crank and spring. A fork is articulated over a pivot to the external part of the bases whereto are projected the feeding system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2004
    Assignee: Furnas Centrais Eletricas S/A
    Inventors: Milton Junior Panico, Jose Robson Brandao De Oliveira, Ricardo Coelho Rodrigues
  • Patent number: 6581283
    Abstract: A method for forming pin-form wires or bumps on, for instance, an electrode pad of an electronic circuit element, in which a ball is formed on a tip end of a wire that passes through a capillary, the wire is then extended from the lower end of the capillary, a notch is formed in the portion of the wire between the ball and the capillary by a cutter, the ball is bonded to the electrode pad using the capillary, and the capillary is raised, thus pulling the wire and cutting the wire at the notch to form a pin-form wire or bump on the electrode pad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2003
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Shinkawa
    Inventors: Kazuo Sugiura, Hirofumi Moroe, Fumihiko Kato, Yasuyuki Komachi
  • Patent number: 6507993
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a printed circuit board with a polymer thick-film (PTF) resistor whose dimensions can be defined with improved precision by providing a circuit board construction having a planar surface where the resistor is to be deposited. To achieve the desired board construction, the interconnect for the resistor is pattern plated using a permanent photodielectric layer as a plating mask instead of a sacrificial plating resist. The interconnect can be patterned before or after the PTF resistor ink is printed. The x and z dimensions (width and thickness, respectively) of the resistor are determined by the deposition process, while the y dimension (electrical length) is accurately determined by copper terminations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2003
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventor: Gregory Dunn
  • Patent number: 6481101
    Abstract: A method for producing a cable harness includes the step of applying an essentially strip-shaped base layer having a plastic thixotropic material to an assembly support. A plurality of essentially parallel adjacent wires are fixed to the base layer. A cover layer of plastic material is applied onto the base layer. The cover layer is subsequently treated so that the plastic material envelops the wires, adheres to the base layer and changes to a more solid consistency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2002
    Assignee: Leoni Bordnetz-Systeme GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Gerhard Reichinger
  • Patent number: 6449834
    Abstract: Methods of making electrical conductors by twisting a plurality of strands to form a bundle, winding the bundle to form a coil, fusing some of the strands together, optionally drawing the bundle prior to winding and fusing utilising materials and coatings disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: Scilogy Corp.
    Inventors: Thomas O. Bales, Jr., Francisco Avellanet
  • Patent number: 6401326
    Abstract: A device for mounting stator coils (7, 8) in stator laminated cores (6) is proposed which permits fabrication with an increased degree of automation. This is achieved according to the invention by virtue of the fact that a movable hoisting unit (1) is provided with a frame (2) and a holder (3), which can be moved relative to the frame (2), for a stator laminated core (6), the hoisting unit (1) comprising at least one processing tool (10, 12) which can be moved relative to the frame (2) and/or the holder (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2002
    Assignee: Otto Rist
    Inventors: Otto Rist, Anton Wessle