Patents Examined by Tuan Dinh
  • Patent number: 7203070
    Abstract: An electronic module includes an insulative housing and at least one circuit board contained within the housing. A plurality of connectors are coupled to the circuit board, and at least some of the connectors accessible through a surface of the housing. At least one fuse is electrically connected to the circuit board, and an insulative fuse door is sealingly engaged to the housing and positionable with respect to the housing to provide access to the fuse from an exterior of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2007
    Assignee: Tyco Electronics Canada, Ltd.
    Inventors: Adam Weisz-Margulescu, Alan Albino, Roger Robichaud
  • Patent number: 7202421
    Abstract: A dielectric film is formed over the entire surface of a wafer having a plurality of electrode pads in a manner to expose the electrode pads, a first UBM that is a first metal layer is formed over the electrode pad and the dielectric film, a second UBM that is a second metal layer is formed on the first UBM, and a bump is formed by an electroplating processing over the electrode pad through the first and second UBMs, such that the first UBM is formed to be broader than the bottom area of the bump. In this case, since the first UBM is formed to be broader than the bottom area of the bump, the adhesion supporting force of the bump at the first UBM is increased, and consequently, the adhesion of the bump with the electrode pad through the first UBM can be improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2007
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Sugiura
  • Patent number: 7203069
    Abstract: A PC card can reduces possibility of the lid being detached from the extended portion even when twisting stress, bending stress, etc. is applied against the PC card, and simplifies the metal mold for resin molding. In the PC card, by placing a lid so as to face an extended portion in such a way that catches provided on the lid are evaded from the catches provided on the extended portion, and thereafter sliding the lid relatively against the extended portion in parallel with the insertion direction to the electronic apparatus, the catches on the lid and the catches on the extended portion become aligned in the height direction, and thereby the lid is fixed to the extended portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2007
    Assignee: J.S.T. Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Washino, Satoru Kihira, Hiroshi Fukuzaki, Tsuyoshi Fukami, Masato Kato, Yoichi Kasamaru, Yuki Morita, Masaharu Takai
  • Patent number: 7203076
    Abstract: A retention device used in a circuit card of a computer is composed of a fixing board, an upper board surface of which is provided with a positioning hole having two ear parts at two sides; a positioning member, two sides of which are provided with shaft members which can be transfixed into shaft holes of the ear parts, and pressing surfaces at a lower part of which are pressed and in touch with a horizontal board surface of the fixing board. A projection piece which is extended from a metallic piece connected at a side of a circuit card is pressed by the positioning member which is rotated in the shaft holes with the shaft parts, to release the circuit card from being positioned and pressed, such that the circuit card can be easily taken out of the fixing board, thereby achieving a robustness in positioning the circuit card, along with a quick and convenient dismantling and assembling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2007
    Assignee: Super Micro Computer
    Inventor: Chien-Fa Liang
  • Patent number: 7203072
    Abstract: A heat dissipating structure and a semiconductor package with the same are proposed. A substrate is used to accommodate at least one chip thereon, and the chip is electrically connected to the substrate. A heat dissipating structure having a flat portion and a support portion is mount on the substrate via the support portion by means of an adhesive. At least one groove is formed on the support portion and at least one air vent is formed around the groove to allow the groove to communicate with the outside via the air vent, such that the adhesive is allowed to fill the groove to expel air from the groove to the atmosphere through the air vent, thereby preventing the air from trapped in the groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2007
    Assignee: Siliconware Precision Industries Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chin-Te Chen, Chang-Fu Lin
  • Patent number: 7197820
    Abstract: A circuit board is provided in which peeling strength is prevented from decreasing and a connection resistance to a conductive material is prevented from increasing, though the contact area decreases when the circuit board has a copper foil. This circuit board has a metal film for covering a through hole on at least one surface of an insulating substrate having the through hole filled with the conductive material. An uneven layer with a thickness of 5 ?m or more is formed on a surface of the metal film, and a metal layer is formed on the opposite surface to the uneven layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshio Sugawa, Yoshihisa Takase
  • Patent number: 7200011
    Abstract: A method of selectively assembling a printed circuit board (PCB) module intended for attachment to another structure, such as another larger PCB. A plurality of different mounting hardware for a PCB are provided for enabling the selective enhancement of the thermal characteristics of the module. One embodiment provides a conversion kit comprising a PCB having a circuit mounted thereon, lead frames, a baseplate, and open frame and baseplate mounting hardware that, when selectively attached to the PCB, result in an open frame or a baseplate module. The manufacturer of power conversion or other modules can thus manufacture and pretest the board's electronics before assembly into either an open frame or baseplate module, while also providing a conversion kit that includes inexpensive mounting hardware to enable a user to select between assembling a module as either an open frame or a baseplate module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignee: Astec International Limited
    Inventor: Karl T. Fronk
  • Patent number: 7199306
    Abstract: A multi-strand printed circuit board substrate for ball-grid array (BGA) assemblies includes a printed wiring board (11) having a plurality of BGA substrates (12) arranged in N rows (14) and M columns (16) to form an N by M array. N and M are greater than or equal to 2 and the size of the N by M array is selected such that each of the plurality of BGA substrates (12) maintains a planarity variation less than approximately 0.15 mm (approximately 6 mils). The printed wiring board (11) has a thickness (26) sufficient to minimize planarity variation and to allow a manufacturer to use automated assembly equipment without having to use support pallets or trays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventor: Norman Lee Owens
  • Patent number: 7199309
    Abstract: A method to replace an electrical interface on a printed circuit board having a plurality of contact pads on a top surface, the contact pads being connected to conducting material extending through said circuit board. For the contact pad being replaced, drilling a hole through said printed circuit board at that location, and removing any remaining conductor material attached to the contact pad on the top board surface. Providing a replacement conductor/contact pad structure having a generally T-configuration with a stem and a head that completely surrounds the stem, wherein said head has a diameter greater than the diameter of the drilled hole. Inserting the replacement conductor/contact pad into the hole with said stem extending beyond the second surface of the board with the bottom surface of the head being in contact with the first surface of said board. A replacement conductor/contact pad on repaired board is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Bruce John Chamberlin, Mark Kenneth Hoffmeyer, Wai Mon Ma, Arch Nuttall, James R. Stack
  • Patent number: 7200010
    Abstract: A thin film circuit module constructed for serial coupling to circuit conductors at printed and transmission line circuits. In one form of equalizer construction, thin film circuit elements are deposited on a supporting substrate and wherein a capacitor plate is defined a circuit resistor. Two connector applications serially couple the equalizer modules to trace conductors of a motherboard connector block and to cylindrical core conductors of a coaxial connector. Other hybrid equalizer constructions provide modules constructed of thin film resistors and pick-and-placed capacitors mounted piggyback to an equalizer module substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignee: Thin Film Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Mark Hamilton Broman, Mike Howieson, Tsuguhiko Takamura, Mark Brooks, Yasutsugu Okamoto, Brent Huibregtse
  • Patent number: 7196909
    Abstract: This invention is directed to reduce degradation, loss, and reflection of high frequency signals of a coupling circuit for an alternating current. The coupling circuit, for connecting a first circuit element to a second circuit element, comprises a die capacitor and a chip capacitor connected in parallel to each other. The die capacitor has a first electrode that faces to and is in contact with the first circuit element, and a second electrode that is wire-bonded to the second circuit element. The chip capacitor also has a first electrode that is in contact with the first circuit element and a second electrode that is in contact with the second electrode of the die capacitor. The coupling circuit may show both advantages of superior performance at high frequencies attributed to the die-capacitor and relative large capacitance attributed to the chip-capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2007
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Tomokazu Katsuyama
  • Patent number: 7196907
    Abstract: An elasto-plastic socket for Land or Ball Grid Array package comprising a plurality of metal contacts embedded in a substrate by lamination. The curved plate spring of the metal contacts enable large deformation to accommodate all tolerances other than package tolerance and ensure uniform contact pressure across the package because they are designed based on the application of elasto-plasticity theory. An elasto-plastic stiffener shares the pressure from heat sink to package substrate and semiconductor. A cutting edge subsystem assembly for Land or Ball Grid Array package integrates L/BGA socket, L/BGA package and heat sink with a frame on top of PCB to increase the stiffness. The methods of post manufacturing including post forming and post age hardening used for testing socket application can increase the durability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2007
    Inventor: Wen-Chun Zheng
  • Patent number: 7193863
    Abstract: An electronics packaging assembly (100) includes: an assembly housing (120); a plurality of printed circuit boards (110; 210) arranged in parallel within the assembly housing (120); and a vibration stiffener (140; 240). The printed circuit boards (110; 210) each have a notch (112; 212) on one edge. The vibration stiffener (140; 240) is arranged within the assembly housing (120) along a lateral direction relative to the plurality of printed circuit boards (110; 210) and includes a plurality of slots (142; 242) that engage with corresponding notches (112; 212) of the plurality of printed circuit boards (110; 210), wherein engagement of the vibration stiffener (140; 240) with the plurality of printed circuit boards (110; 210) limits flexing of the printed circuit boards (110; 210) in the lateral direction. In one implementation, a portion of the assembly housing (120) contacts and applies pressure to the vibration stiffener (140; 240) to keep the vibration stiffener (140; 240) in place.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Lee H. Tullidge, William M. Tillinghast
  • Patent number: 7193860
    Abstract: A DC bus for use in a power module has a positive DC conductor bus plate parallel with a negative DC conductor bus plate. One or more positive leads are connected to the positive bus and are connectable to a positive terminal of a power source. One or more negative leads are connected to the negative bus and are connectable to a negative terminal of a power source. The DC bus has one or more positive connections fastenable from the positive bus to the high side of a power module. The DC bus also has one or more negative connections fastenable from the negative bus to the low side of the power module. The positive bus and negative bus permit counter-flow of currents, thereby canceling magnetic fields and their associated inductances, and the positive and negative bus are connectable to the center portion of a power module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignee: Ballard Power Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Scott Parkhill, Sayeed Ahmed, Fred Flett
  • Patent number: 7193859
    Abstract: A cabinet (10) for a television set or an electric apparatus includes a casing having a front wall (11) and a bottom wall (12), a key top (13), guide structures (20a, 20c, 20b) for holding a narrow first printed wiring board (30) provided with a tact switch (30a) and a wide second printed wiring board (130) provided with a tact switch (1301) at different levels, respectively. Either of the first printed wiring board (30) or the second printed wiring board (130) can be held in the casing without changing the design of the cabinet (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yasuo Horiuchi
  • Patent number: 7190595
    Abstract: A protecting device of a memory module comprises two protecting sheets capable of covering a memory. Each upper edge of the protecting sheet has a buckling sheet and a buckling seat. One buckling sheet of one protecting sheet is capable of being buckled to the buckling seat of another protecting sheet. A front edge of each buckling seat is lowered so as to form an upper section surface and a lower section surface. The buckling hole has a lower buckling hole in the lower section surface and an upper buckling hole at the upper section surface. A front edge of the buckling sheet is lowered so as to form an upper section surface and a lower section surface. The lower section surface of the buckling sheet is formed with a buckling piece; and the buckling piece is extended with at least one tenon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2007
    Inventor: Wan Chien Chang
  • Patent number: 7190593
    Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit device is provided in which (i) inspection pads are arranged along one side or two opposite sides of the semiconductor integrated circuit device for bonding pads arranged along the sides other than the side or the two opposite sides and (ii) the bonding pads are connected to their respective inspection pads by connection wires The inspection is carried out by applying probe needles to the pads (inspection pads and bonding pads) arranged only along one side or two opposite sides of the semiconductor integrated circuit device. The invention also provides a semiconductor integrated circuit package with leads on four sides includes a semiconductor integrated circuit device with bonding pads laid along one pair of opposite sides of the four sides, and a table for supporting the semiconductor integrated circuit device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2007
    Assignee: Renesas Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Aiki, Kazunori Hikone, Hiroyuki Adachi, Masayoshi Okamoto, Masao Onose, Yuji Mizuno
  • Patent number: 7187556
    Abstract: One aspect of the present invention provides a power distribution system comprising a first printed circuit board, a power supply, a processor, and a flexible cable connector. Both the power supply and the processor are mounted on the first printed circuit board. The flexible cable connector comprises a first end electrically connected to the processor and a second end electrically connected to the power supply. The flexible cable connector is configured with a length so that the power supply is in a spaced relationship relative to the processor. The flexible connector also extends between the power supply and the processor independent of the first printed circuit board. The flexible cable connector comprises a plurality of insulated power wires and a ground structure. The plurality of insulated power wires are arranged generally parallel to each other extending from the first end to the second end of the flexible cable connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Andrew Barr, Ricard E. Espinoza-Ibarra, Sachin Navin Chheda
  • Patent number: 7187555
    Abstract: An apparatus in one example comprises a card guide that provides an installation path for an extension circuit card. The installation path promotes a coupled relationship between the extension circuit card and a circuit board. The card guide comprises a first connector and a second connector. To form the coupled relationship the extension circuit card attaches to one of the first connector and the second connector based on a configuration of the extension circuit card.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Robert G. Campbell, Raymond Chin
  • Patent number: 7187558
    Abstract: A DC bus for use in a power module has a positive DC conductor bus plate parallel with a negative DC conductor bus plate. One or more positive leads are connected to the positive bus and are connectable to a positive terminal of a power source. One or more negative leads are connected to the negative bus and are connectable to a negative terminal of a power source. The DC bus has one or more positive connections fastenable from the positive bus to the high side of a power module. The DC bus also has one or more negative connections fastenable from the negative bus to the low side of the power module. The positive bus and negative bus permit counter-flow of currents, thereby canceling magnetic fields and their associated inductances, and the positive and negative bus are connectable to the center portion of a power module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Ballard Power Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Scott T. Parkhill, Sayeed Ahmed, Fred Flett