Soldering Patents (Class 219/616)
  • Patent number: 7009157
    Abstract: Procedure for soldering the constituent layers of a multilayer printed circuit and machine for performing it. The procedure is applicable to circuits made up of layers containing the circuit image (2, 3, 4, 5,) that have perimetral strips (9) including reserve areas (11), superimposed and separated from each other by isolating layers (6, 7 and 8). The procedure includes the following steps: i) place a heater circuit (13) composed of a flat winding with at least one turn in short-circuit (14) in each reserve area (11); ii) superimpose the layers that contain the circuit image (2, 3, 4, 5,) and the isolating layers (6, 7 and 8) in alternating order; iii) secure the position of the layers relative to the others, thereby creating groups (12) of reserve areas (11); iv) place induction electrodes (18) over the groups (12) of reserve areas; v) soldering each one of the groups (12) by application of a magnetic field of variable induction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2006
    Assignee: Chemplate Materials
    Inventor: Victor Lazaro Gallego
  • Patent number: 6875966
    Abstract: A portable induction tool is provided for soldering or brazing sections of metal pipe together. A work coil head (with induction coil) is U-shaped, allowing placement of the head around lengths of pipe, heating a susceptor (e.g., the pipe) to form a joint, and then to be withdrawn after the pipe joint is made. In one form, the tool uses heat pipes to remove thermal energy from the head, and also a heat exchanger for higher-powered units. Power capacitors are generally included with the induction (work) coil to create a tank circuit of a resonant frequency. The induction coil uses Litz wire, copper tubing, or heat pipes with a conductive outer skin to carry the high-current being delivered to the induction coil. The induction coil has a general racetrack configuration, which is typically wound in a U-shape (or as a semicircle) as a single winding, with multiple turns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2005
    Assignee: Nexicor LLC
    Inventors: John P. Barber, Robert C. Cravens, II, Antonios Challita, Susan A. Stanton
  • Patent number: 6799712
    Abstract: A system is disclosed for determining optimal process settings for a conveyor oven, such as a reflow oven used to reflow solder paste on a PCB assembly. According to a disclosed embodiment, an ideal temperature profile is obtained from the solder paste specifications of the solder paste to be reflowed in the oven. The ideal temperature profile of the paste includes a preheat phase, a soak phase, a reflow phase and a cooling phase. One or more profiles that fit the oven are obtained by aligning the beginning of each phase of the ideal profile with a forward end of an oven zone. The profile that best fits the oven is selected as a target profile for the reflow soldering process. The set points of the oven zones for effecting the target profile when the solder paste is conveyed through the oven are determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2004
    Assignee: Electronic Controls Design, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul M. Austen, Bobby Joe Rooks, Rex L. Breunsbach
  • Patent number: 6548790
    Abstract: A novel apparatus for manufacturing Solid-Solder-Deposit Printed Circuit Boards (SSD-PCBs) by melting solder powder via induction heating consequently forming relatively thick layers of solid solder over the soldering pads of a bare-PCB 230. Solid Solder Deposit (SSD) refers to a relatively thick layer of solid solder metallurgically bonded over the soldering pads of a bare-PCB 230 such as that said SSD-PCB by itself is the source for solder alloy during a subsequent soldering operation. The manufacture of SSD-PCBs provides the electronic assembly industry with ready-to-solder PCBs consequently eliminates the need to use solder paste at the assembly floor. This invention, unlike the prior art for producing SSD-PCBs, utilizes a solder powder pile 232 that is melted by localized electromagnetic induction heating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2003
    Inventor: Horacio Andrés Trucco
  • Patent number: 6288376
    Abstract: According to a method of melting a bump improved to omit processes of flux application, reflow, cleaning and drying, a bump formed on a substrate is heated and melted by electromagnetic induction using an induction heating coil in ambient of low oxygen concentration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2001
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kiyoaki Tsumura
  • Patent number: 6236029
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for soldering the core end (3) of an electrical wire (4) to a tinplated spoon (2) of a contact terminal of a connector (1) by using a soldering sleeve (5) that is a shrinkable tube including meltable soldering material. The method includes the following steps: pre-soldering (6, 8, F1; 7, 9, F2) the core end of the wire to the spoon; positioning the soldering sleeve (5) over the pre-soldered core end and spoon; and heating, preferably by induction, the soldering sleeve in order to melt the soldering material included therein so as to perform the ‘real’ soldering. Owing to this method, including the pre-soldering operation, and to the apparatus specifically design therefore, the action of the operator is facilitated in that he no longer the maintain together the core end, the spoon and the soldering sleeve while heating the whole during a relatively long time. Also the quality of the resulting soldering is thereby improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2001
    Assignee: Alcatel
    Inventor: Michel Leopold Marie Louis Leurquin
  • Patent number: 6226862
    Abstract: Disclosed is a new process for electrically and mechanically joining arrays of conductors on flexible printed circuits and other flexible conductors including collated flat, flexible cables (FFCs). An array of flat copper conductors on a flexible dielectric sheet is electroplated with tin-lead solder. Surface insulation is locally omitted or removed from conductor surfaces. A second circuit or cable is overlapped in competent electrical communication and the solder plating fused by inductively heating the copper to join the two conductor arrays. An adhesive placed between conductors is also thermally activated to bond the film on the two cable arrays together. This insulates the electrical connections and seals them from attack by moisture and chemical pollutants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2001
    Assignee: Sheldahl, Inc.
    Inventor: David Neuman
  • Patent number: 6229124
    Abstract: A new apparatus for inductively soldering surface-mount, straddle-mount and through-hole type electronic components into a self-soldering PCB (printed circuit board) in an automated fashion utilizing localized Electromagnetic Induction Heating (E.I.H.). Current manufacture technology for packaging electronic components depends on the reflow and wave soldering processes. Both processes heat up to relatively high temperatures the entire assembly, namely its PCB and all the electronic components being soldered into it. Such harsh high-temperature environment frequently causes components damage resulting in rejects and/or demanding rework. With this invention reflow oven and/or wave soldering equipment is not required. During a soldering operation only the leads and pads being soldered are heated but neither the body of said electronic components nor the dielectric material forming said self-soldering PCB and its interconnecting traces are heated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2001
    Inventor: Horacio Andrés Trucco
  • Patent number: 6188052
    Abstract: A new apparatus and process for soldering surface-mount and through-hole type electronic components into a printed circuit board (PCB) in an automated fashion utilizing localized electromagnetic induction heating. Current manufacture technology for packaging electronic components depends exclusively on the reflow and wave soldering processes. Both processes heat up to relatively high temperature the entire assembly, namely its PCB and all the electronic components been soldered into it. Such high temperature environment frequently causes components damage resulting in rejects and/or demanding rework. With this invention however, during a soldering operation only the leads and pads, or joints, being soldered are heated but neither the body, or casing, of said electronic components nor the dielectric material forming said PCB are heated. Because of this selectively localized heating, the invention permits to reduce cost and improve the quality and reliability of manufactured products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2001
    Inventor: Horacio Andrés Trucco
  • Patent number: 6078031
    Abstract: A method for joining well and other oilfield tubulars by amorphous bonding comprises the steps of positioning a body of amorphous material (16) between adjacent and surfaces of a pair of oilfield tubulars (3, 4) that are to be joined and using induction heating to melt the amorphous material and create on cooling a metallurgical bond between the tubulars (3, 4). Throughout the heating and bonding process the tubulars (3, 4) are fixed in axial alignment with each other using clamp means which include a mandrel (1) which is inserted into the interior of the tubulars (3, 4) so that the bonding process can be performed in a sealed chamber (17, 18) which is filled with an inert gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2000
    Assignee: Shell Research Limited
    Inventors: Alan Edgar John Bliault, Francis Alexander Cumming, Mark Seth Laws
  • Patent number: 6031216
    Abstract: A wire bonding apparatus has a first support arrangement for supporting a first integrated circuit package component. A second support arrangement is configured to supporting a second integrated circuit package component. The second support arrangement includes at least a portion of a heating arrangement for heating certain portions of the second component. At least portions of the first support arrangement are thermally insulated from the second support arrangement such that at least certain portions of the first component may be maintained at a temperature substantially lower than the temperature of the heated portions of the second component. The apparatus may be used in method of forming a bonding wire for electrically connecting a first contact on a first integrated circuit package component to a second contact on a second integrated circuit package component. The method includes the steps of supporting and holding the first component and the second component in a desired position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 29, 2000
    Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Inderjit Singh, Seshadri Vikram
  • Patent number: 5816482
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for attaching balls to a substrate for forming a ball grid array. The apparatus consists of two pole pieces, a magnetizing coil, and an excitation coil. The first pole piece has an alignment plate having a plurality of openings, and a plurality of tips which can be magnetized by the magnetizing coil to attract a ball into each opening. Once the balls are attracted into the openings, excess balls are removed and the substrate is aligned with the balls such that each ball is in contact with a respective pad on the substrate. The first pole piece having the balls and substrate position thereon is then placed into a receiving area of the second piece. An excitation coil is excited with a high frequency signal to heat the balls and reflow solder that has been previously applied thereto. The assembly is then cooled and removed from the device and the ball grid array is complete.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 6, 1998
    Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation
    Inventor: Dimitry Grabbe
  • Patent number: 5580479
    Abstract: The high-frequency inductor heating tube (1) for solder injectors is furnished as a hollow cylinder formed at one end as a cylindrical receiver tube. Windings of an inductor (2) are disposed over length of the cylindrical receiver tube. A solder injector (13) made of a highly heat-conducting base material and covered with a ferromagnetic layer (16) is inserted into the cylindrical receiver tube. Claws (8) of a wire spring (9) inserted into elongated holes (7) disposed in a wall of the cylindrical receiver tube lock the solder injector (13) in the cylindrical receiver tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 3, 1996
    Inventor: Werner Bruns
  • Patent number: 5519192
    Abstract: Electrical connector components, for example, a pin terminal constructed from a solid wire pin and a formed metal body, are attached to a web carrier and fed through an inductive heating station, thereby bonding the components together. The components are pre-treated with a conductive bonding material which can be cured, flowed, or set by applying heat. The web carrier may be wound on a first spool, fed through the inductive heating station, and wound onto a second spool, for ready feed to and from successive production steps. The temperature of the heating operation may be controlled by varying the speed of the web feed and the strength of the inductive field, so as to ensure repeatable, uniform heating, at a high economical speed. In addition, the tip of the pin can be cooled during the heating operation, to prevent heat damage or contamination of the pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 21, 1996
    Assignee: Cardell Corporation
    Inventors: Jonathan Childs, Charles R. Schotthoefer
  • Patent number: 5408072
    Abstract: The present invention generally relates to a high frequency soldering iron. In particular, the soldering iron of the present invention is provided with a tip which is directly heated for a quick heating to a desirable temperature set by a temperature setting means. The soldering iron is also provided with a sensor for detecting the temperature of the soldering iron tip. A temperature comparator compares the sensed tip temperature against the set soldering temperature to maintain the tip temperature constant at the set temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 18, 1995
    Assignee: American Hakko, Inc.
    Inventor: Takashi Nagase
  • Patent number: 5357084
    Abstract: The jumper cable assembly 10 in accordance with the invention includes at least a first layer 12 of insulating film, an array of electrical conductors 20, each having first and second connecting portions 22,24 at opposed ends thereof and a fusible electrically conductive material disposed on the connecting portions 22,24. Each conductor 20 is formed from a first conductive layer 26 having high electrical resistance and high magnetic permeability, and a second conductive layer 28 integrally joined thereto, the second layer having low electrical resistance and minimal magnetic permeability. Each of the conductors 20 defines a heater body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 18, 1994
    Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation
    Inventors: Michael J. McKee, Joseph M. Pawlikowski
  • Patent number: 5329085
    Abstract: A Curie point heater primarily for use in a soldering iron and initially designed to operate with currents in the megahertz range is restructured to operate in the kilohertz range. Further in one embodiment of the heater, the coil exciting the heater is mounted in the handle of the iron.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 12, 1994
    Assignee: Metcal, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark J. Cowell, Steven A. Daniel
  • Patent number: 5290984
    Abstract: A device for positioning a cable end and an associated connector during inductive heat soldering of the connector to the cable includes a housing having a pair of terminals connectable to a source of radio frequency (RF) current. A connector positioning section positions the connector so that a heating portion of the connector is disposed in a heating region. An electrical conductor assembly is operable to electrically connect the pair of terminals when the pair of terminals are connected to the RF current source. The conductor assembly includes a first electrically conductive contact bar immovably connected to one of the terminals. A second electrically conductive contact bar is slidable between a first position wherein the first contact bar is electrically disconnected from the other of the terminals, and a second position wherein the first contact bar is electrically connected to the other of the pair of terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 1, 1994
    Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation
    Inventor: George H. Gerhard, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5288959
    Abstract: A device 10 usable in conjunction with a source of constant amplitude high frequency alternating current of known frequency for providing sufficient thermal energy to melt a fusible electrically conductive material 24 includes an integral member formed from strip 12 of a first metal having a carrier strip section 14 and a plurality of fingers 20 initially integrally coextending therefrom. The carrier strip section 14 further has a thin magnetic layer 18 thereon, transforming the carrier strip into a Curie point heater. The fingers 20 including end portions 22 having layers of solder affixed to opposite sides thereof are adapted to be inserted into apertures 36 defined through a first electrical article 30 from a first surface 32 to a remote surface 34 thereof and adjacent contact pads 40 thereon. The first and second electrical articles 30,46 are placed together with the respective contact pads 40,48 opposed from each other and separated by the finger end portions 22.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 22, 1994
    Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation
    Inventor: Homer E. Henschen
  • Patent number: 4621181
    Abstract: An improved method of manufacturing multilayer helical seam pipes from strips or bands lying loosely over each other to prevent porous welding seams due to heated air escaping from resultant gaps between the layers of strips, comprising feeding the strips to a deformation station at an angle of entry corresponding to the pipe diameter, arc welding seams of the band edges with several arc welding heads, and arc welding a seam to the inside contact points of the area containing the band seams with another welding head to connect the adjacent bands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 1984
    Date of Patent: November 4, 1986
    Assignee: Hoesch AG
    Inventor: Horst Lachmitz
  • Patent number: 4143801
    Abstract: A pipe is fabricated from rolls of flat metal plate by continuously moving the plate into a pipe-forming station which shapes the flat plate into a pipe having a longitudinal seam therealong. A plate arc welding machine welds consecutive plates to each other thereby maintaining continuity of plate movement. Equal sections of the longitudinal seam are consecutively welded in a leapfrogging manner using two welding units movably positioned on the opposite sides of the moving pipe. The welding units alternatingly weld alternate and overlapping sections of the longitudinal seam. The welding operations are carried out without interference with the continuous movement of the pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 1977
    Date of Patent: March 13, 1979
    Assignee: Michael P. Breston
    Inventor: Claud B. Sargent