Patents Examined by Tom Dunn
  • Patent number: 6607119
    Abstract: A method of welding two work pieces that define a connecting zone between them is described. A friction pin is fed at a starting point into the connecting zone and into opposite regions of the work pieces on both sides of the connecting zone. The friction pin is moved in a welding direction along the connecting zone resulting in the work pieces being welded. The friction pin is led out of the connecting zone after welding the work pieces. The friction pin is fed into a sacrificial element while lifting the friction pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2003
    Assignee: Framatome ANP GmbH
    Inventors: Gerhard Engelhard, Rainer Bauer, Dieter Pellkofer, Helmar Adams
  • Patent number: 6607116
    Abstract: There is provided a method which can conveniently estimate a quality of a lead-free solder material used for a flow soldering process. In the present invention, a differential thermal analysis curve of a sample of the lead-free solder material is obtained by utilizing a differential thermal analysis method, and thereby a quality of the lead-free solder material used for a flow soldering process is estimated based on the obtained differential thermal analysis curve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2003
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichiro Suetsugu, Shunji Hibino, Yukio Maeda, Shoshi Kabashima, Mikiya Nakata
  • Patent number: 6607117
    Abstract: The disclosure is a plural process to perform a solder ball attaching process that corresponds to the final of a ball grid array package manufacturing process. For example, flux and solder balls are exactly attached on solder ball pads of base frames on which base tapes having a number of land pattern groups are adhered. In the above state, the base frames are inserted into an adjacent reflow device to make the solder balls be attached on the solder ball pads. After the flux of the solder ball pad, on which the solder ball is attached, is removed, the base frames are stored in containers. To perform the base frame storing process in a very small space, the transfer course of the base frames is in the form of loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2003
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ju-Il Kang, Hee-Sang Yang
  • Patent number: 6607121
    Abstract: A precisor plate for an automatic wire bonder having a heat block attachment portion thereon to precisely attach a heat block thereto provides a simple and quickly adjustable precisor plate and method of alignment. The precisor plate includes fixed alignment pins to align the precisor plate relative to a lead frame in an automatic wire bonding machine. In a preferred embodiment, the heat block is integral with the precisor plate and includes internal bores and or passageways for receiving a heating element, a thermocouple, and/or a vacuum source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2003
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Rich Fogal, Michael B. Ball, Ronald W. Ellis
  • Patent number: 6607021
    Abstract: A radius configuration of a strand guide of a vertical bending caster and including following over another bending zone, transition straightening zone, main radius guide zone, and transition final straightening zone, with the bending zone having at least one first region with a comparatively stronger bend and defined by a curvature formed by a series of continuously smaller, starting from an infinite radius of the vertical section of the strand guide, radii, and a second region adjoining the first region and having a comparatively smoother bend in comparison with that of the first region, and with the transition straightening zone, guide zone, being defined by a curvature with continuously increasing lengths of curvature-forming radii.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2003
    Assignee: SMS Schloemann-Siemag Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Werner Rahmfeld
  • Patent number: 6607837
    Abstract: Disclosed is a friction stir welding technique which avoids occurrence of a dent, in adjoining region, extending to a level beneath the joined surfaces. At end portions of the frame members to be joined, at the joining region, thickened parts which project toward the rotary body joining tool are provided. Two adjoining thickened parts, of adjacent members to be joined, can form a trapezoid shape. The rotary body joining tool has a small-diameter tip portion and a larger diameter portion. The rotary body joining tool is inserted in the thickened parts. In a state where the rotary body joining tool has been inserted small-diameter tip and first, to a level where the larger diameter portion of the rotary body joining tool overlaps the thickened part but does not extend below the upper surface of the non-thickened surfaces of the members joined, the rotary body is rotated and moved along the joining region. Even when a gap exists between two thickened parts, a desirable joining can be carried out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2003
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kinya Aota, Masakuni Ezumi, Yasuo Ishimaru, Hisanori Okamura, Isao Funyuu, Akihiro Satou
  • Patent number: 6607120
    Abstract: A flexible circuit compression connector system utilized to electrically connect together conductive pads disposed on a rigid printed circuit board, the connector system comprising a flexible insulating substrate having conductive material at a plurality of preselected positions and a conductive line extending between at least two of the preselected positions, a plurality of contacts, each contract secured to the flexible substrate at each of the preselected positions having conductive material, a compression assembly that includes a resilient compression mat and means for aligning the flexible substrate of the compression assembly and the rigid substrate together so that the resilient compression mat urges the contacts secured to the flexible substrate against the conductive pads on the printed circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2003
    Assignee: InterCon Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas A. Neidich, Grant R. Adams, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6607118
    Abstract: There is disclosed a method and apparatus for ensuring release of objects such as solder balls from a pick head in a transfer and placement apparatus, comprising causing said pick head to vibrate by applying a vibration signal to said pick head over a range of frequencies. The range of frequencies is chosen such that it bounds the resonant frequencies of the pick head which may be calculated by computer simulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2003
    Assignee: ASM Assembly Automation Limited
    Inventors: Chi Wah Cheng, Ping Kong Joseph Choy, Ping Chun Benson Chong, Ka Kin Wong, Chi Fung Chan
  • Patent number: 6607112
    Abstract: There is provided a wire bonding apparatus operated steadily at a high speed without excitation of vibrations of an XY stage 102 and a capillary 104, which are movable parts. The wire bonding apparatus is configured so as to have a composite target path generating section 208 for generating a target path 109, in which the deceleration part of a go path and the acceleration part of a return path are composed to one continuous path, for a path part of reciprocating movement of said target path indicating a motion process of either one or both of the XY stage and capillary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2003
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Yasushi Toda
  • Patent number: 6607115
    Abstract: An electrical junction box for a vehicle has a connector circuit having bus bars fixed on an insulation substrate to connect to electrical connectors, a fuse circuit having bus bars fixed on an insulation substrate to connect to fuses, and a relay circuit having third bus bars fixed on an insulation substrate to connect to relays in use. In assembling the box, in order to avoid generation of stress and allow for dislocation of the circuits, the method includes the steps of: (i) joining upstanding welding portions of bus bars of the connector circuit and the fuse or relay circuit by arranging them adjacent each other and welding them together; and (ii) after step (i), joining laterally projecting welding portions of bus bars of the connector circuit and the fuse or relay circuits by welding them together when superimposed one on the other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2003
    Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Noriko Kobayashi, Yukitaka Saito, Tatsuya Sumida
  • Patent number: 6608280
    Abstract: A process and a device for joining or separating various workpieces, in particular made of plastic or plastic and other materials, by means of curtain-like laser beams. To join workpieces in a particular joining area of the contact surface, a mask, made of a laser-impermeable material, is arranged between the laser source and the workpieces to be joined. The laser beam and the mask are moved relative to each other. To generate high energy density in the joining area, laser beams of at least two diode lasers are brought together, and subsequently, differing laser line lengths are generated by means of a zoom optics arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2003
    Assignee: Leister Process Technologies
    Inventors: Jie-Wei Chen, Christiane Leister
  • Patent number: 6604671
    Abstract: A method of forming improved wire bonds between the contact pads on semiconductor devices and individual lead frame fingers of a lead frame. The method includes the use of an individual independent lead finger clamp during the wire bonding process to provide increased stability of the individual lead finger for improved bonding. If desired, the method also provides for the use of a conventional fixed clamp for the lead fingers during the wire bonding process in addition to the individual independent lead finger clamp during the wire bonding process to provide increased stability of the individual lead finger for improved bonding and also provides for the replacement of the fixed clamp with another, or second, independent clamp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2003
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael B. Ball, Rich Fogal
  • Patent number: 6604673
    Abstract: A filling device for and a method of filling balls in an array of apertures in a ball-receiving element, the filling device comprising: a housing including an opening at a lower surface thereof and defining in part a chamber for containing a supply of balls, the housing being in use movably disposed over a ball-receiving element including an array of apertures; and distribution means disposed within the housing for distributing balls contained in the chamber such as to maintain a limited number of layers of the balls over at least a region of the opening in the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2003
    Assignee: Novatec SA
    Inventors: Francis Bourrières, Clément Kaiser
  • Patent number: 6604668
    Abstract: For the manufacture of miter-welded profile rod frames by friction welding, a welding apparatus with friction welding units is used with which permits the welding of all miter joints of a frame to be made concurrently within a very short period and with very little displacement of welding material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2003
    Assignee: Multi Orbital Systems GmbH
    Inventor: Leonhard Crasser
  • Patent number: 6604667
    Abstract: In a device for joining, by friction stir welding, at least two workpieces, a support structure is provided with a head portion which includes drive means and a shaft which is rotatable by the drive means and has a pin-like projection projecting toward a support member of the support structure for supporting workpieces to be joined by friction stir welding and wherein guide means are provided for moving the rotating pin-like projection into contact with, and into, the workpieces while plasticizing the workpieces in the contact area to form thereby a spot weld by friction stir welding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2003
    Assignee: GKSS-Forschungszentrum Geesthacht GmbH
    Inventors: Christoph Schilling, Jorge dos Santos
  • Patent number: 6604669
    Abstract: Manifold for a heat exchanger intended to be joined by brazing or soldering to heat transfer tubes. A portion of a surface of the manifold that will be joined to the tubes is proved with at least one recess in which a brazing material is mechanically locked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2003
    Assignee: Norsk Hydro, A.S.
    Inventors: Morten Syslak, Leiv Adne Folkedal, Antonio Baldantoni
  • Patent number: 6604568
    Abstract: The present invention comprises a method of making a golf club head by casting a molten titanium alloy and thereafter removing the alpha case that is formed on the surface of the titanium by means of a conformal milling process. The conformal milling process uniformly dissolves the alpha case without distorting the underlying metal. The reduction in wall thickness caused by the conformal milling results in a concomitant reduction in the weight of the part without any loss in the critical impact strength of the part. In fact, impact strength is increased. This weight can then be redistributed as a supplemental weight member, which can be used to lower the center of mass of the club. The weight member can further be positioned on the sole plate or club body in such a way so as to permit fine tuning of the location of the center of mass of the club, as well as shaped so as to increase the polar moment of inertia of the club head about the golf club shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2003
    Assignee: Kartsen Manufacturing Corp.
    Inventors: John C. Bliss, Gregory C. Sayler
  • Patent number: 6604670
    Abstract: An apparatus and method of forming improved wire bonds between the contact pads on semiconductor devices and individual lead frame fingers of a lead frame. The apparatus and method includes the use of a penetrating individual independent lead finger clamp during the wire bonding process to provide increased stability of the individual lead finger for improved bonding by the clamp penetrating a portion of the lead finger being bonded. If desired, the apparatus and method also provides for the use of either a penetrating or non-penetrating fixed clamp for the lead fingers during the wire bonding process in addition to the penetrating individual independent lead finger clamp during the wire bonding process to provide increased stability of the individual lead finger for improved bonding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2003
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael B. Ball
  • Patent number: 6605207
    Abstract: A catalyst suitable for use in fluid catalytic cracking of petroleum feedstock in the form of particulate of crystalline zeolite having a coating on it6s surface comprising bayerite phase alumina.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2003
    Assignee: W. R. Grace & Co. - Conn.
    Inventors: Wu-Cheng Cheng, Xinjin Zhao, Philip Stephen Deitz
  • Patent number: 6602622
    Abstract: A dielectric ceramic oxide substrate in combination with superconducting film containing Ba can be used to form a dielectric resonator which has a high no-load Q factor at a high frequency and satisfactory superconducting characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2003
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yuji Kintaka