Advantek, Inc.

Dean B Chenoweth

Timothy B Zbikowski

A carrier tape has a plurality of pockets longitudinally spaced with transverse bridges for accommodating microchips. The tape has a bottom wall having upright corner supports and platforms that engage and retain the microchip with a pocket and space leads connected to the microchip from the side walls, end walls and bottom wall of the tape. A cover tape is releasably attached to side flanges and bridges of the carrier tape to close the top of the pockets and retain the positions of the microchips in the pockets. A hole in the bottom wall of the tape allows optical readings to verify the position of the microchip.

Microchip carrier tape

A band has a pair of laterally spaced grooves adjacent its side edges accommodating the outer peripheral edges of a tape accommodating reel assembly. A connecting clip has first and second hook members projecting through corresponding openings in opposite ends of the band to hold the band on the reel assembly to enclose and protect a carrier tape stored on the reel assembly. The hook members and openings in the band are longitudinally aligned so that the band is held on the reel assembly in an end-to end relationship.

Locking clip for reel band

Clip for a band

Band apparatus for reel assembly

A tape has a plurality of pockets longitudinally spaced with transverse bridges for carrying electronic microchips. Each pocket has a bottom wall having ridges surrounding the center of the pocket. The ridges engage the microchip to center the microchip within the recess and space leads connected to the microchip from the side walls and end walls of the pocket. Support members extending angularly between the ridge ends are adapted to elevate the microchip above the bottom wall of the pocket and space the leads from the bottom wall. A cover is releasably attached to side flanges and bridges of the tape to close the top of the pockets and retain the positions of the microchips in the pockets. A hole in the bottom wall of the tape allows optical readings to verify the position of the microchip. A heat sealing apparatus has movable shoes with ribs and heaters to heat seal side edges of the cover to the side flanges of the tape and middle portions of the cover to the bridges.

Microchip storage tape and cover therefor

A tape has a plurality of recesses for carrying electronic microchips. Each recess has a bottom wall having ridges surrounding the center of the recess. The ridges engage the microchip to center the microchip within the recess and space leads connected to the microchip from the side walls and end walls of the recess. Support members extending angularly between the ridge ends are adapted to elevate the microchip above the bottom wall of the recess and space the leads from the bottom wall. A cover is releasably attached to the tape to close the top of the recess. A hole in the bottom wall of the recess allows optical readings to verify the position of the microchip. A modification of the tape has a plurality of recesses for carrying electronic microchips having corner ears. Each recess has corner supports for supporting the corner ears of the microchip. The corner supports elevate the microchip and space leads connected to the microchip from the recess walls. The microchip ears engage side walls and end walls of the recess to locate the microchip in a centered position within the recess.

Microchip storage tape

A tape accommodating reel assembly having reel sections with hubs that are interlocked together. Each hub has ears and locking lips. The ears and locking lips of mating hubs interengage each other to hold the hubs together. The widths of the hubs vary so that reel assemblies having different sizes can be made from a minimum of different reel sections.

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Minnetonka, MN, United States of America

Dean B Chenoweth