International Business Machines Corporation

Lockheed Martin Corporation

Glenn L Kehley

Sanjeev Balwant Sathe

William Louis Brodsky

John R Slack

John Henry Sherman

Anthony P Ingraham

Glenn Edward Myrto

Patrick J Fitzgibbons

John T Swider

Robert M Krohn

John Hoover

Mary B Wilcoxen

Steven J Pratt

James S Howard

Gregory Reyner

A camera assembly is disclosed which may be implemented on a mail processing system for photographing flats mail items. In one embodiment, the assembly includes lighting components (e.g., light emitting diodes) which are capable of projecting light toward a mail item in a viewing station at a specific angle, which angle may be adjusted to reduce the amount of specular reflection from an item toward a camera. The lighting components may reside in a nose unit which may be easily attached to and detached from the housing for ease of maintenance. The nose unit may be attachable to the housing in a manner which seals the camera and lighting components off from the operating environment, such that airborne dust and debris does not enter the housing or nose unit and damage the camera or lighting components.

Low maintenance flat mail line scan camera system

A mail box configured to contain and reduce exposure to hazardous particulates, which includes a container having a deposit port at an upper end and a collection chamber at a lower end. There is at least one door at the upper end for mail to be placed into the deposit port. A normally open sealable bag is located in the collection chamber for receiving mail and for being sealed when the mail is to be removed from the container. There is a bag holder constructed and arranged to hold a bag in place and normally open so that in a first position, mail placed into the deposit port falls downwardly through the bag holder and into a bag in the collection chamber and which bag may be preliminarily sealed while in this position, and in a second position, the bag may be more securely sealed and removed from the bag holder. The bag holder is movable from its first position in which the bag is within the collection chamber to the second position in which the bag is outside of the collection chamber and includes two open frames hinged together for removably holding the top of a bag. The bag holder has an upper frame and a lower frame which are arranged so that the top of an open bag may be clamped between the upper and lower frames to hold an open bag in place in the collection chamber.

Method and apparatus for containing mail articles deposited in a mail drop box

A mail box configured to contain and reduce exposure to hazardous particulates, which includes a container having a deposit port at an upper end and a collection chamber at a lower end. There is at least one door at the upper end for mail to be placed into the deposit port. A normally open sealable bag is located in the collection chamber for receiving mail and for being sealed when the mail is to be removed from the container There is a bag holder constructed and arranged to hold a bag in place and normally open so that in a first position, mail placed into the deposit port falls downwardly through the bag holder and into a bag in the collection chamber and which bag may be preliminarily sealed while in this position, and in a second position, the bag may be more securely sealed and removed from the bag holder. The bag holder is movable from its first position in which the bag is within the collection chamber to the second position in which the bag is outside of the collection chamber, and includes two open frames hinged together for removably holding the top of a bag. The bag holder has an upper frame and a lower frame which are arranged so that the top of an open bag may be clamped between the upper and lower frames to hold an open bag in place in the collection chamber.

A new and improved line scan camera achieves the proper framing of the image field of view by using a first test card to calibrate the true bottom and leading edge portions of the test card which simulate the true bottom and leading portions of an article being scanned or photographed. Still further, the architecture of the electronic chip incorporated within the charge coupled device (CCD) of the camera effectively divides the linear array of pixels into a plurality of channels, and amplifier gain and black offset adjustments are made with respect to exposure levels, characteristic of the pixels disposed at the channel boundaries, under different degrees of input whiteness signals applied to a test card of a predetermined color shade, so as to achieve channel-to-channel seam matching. Subsequently, correction factors are effectively superimposed upon substantially all of the exposure levels characteristic of substantially all of the pixels comprising the line scan of the line scan camera such that true uniform exposure levels are in fact achieved.

Automatic calibration and built-in diagnostic procedures for line scan cameras

A line scan camera comprises a printed circuit board upon which a charge-coupled device (CCD) is mounted. A lens component is fixed within a lens mount, and the base of the lens mount is adjustably mounted upon an optical bench. Calibration devices adjustably interconnect the lens mount to the printed circuit board and to the optical bench so as to calibrate the positional location of the lens component relative to the charge-coupled device (CCD) and to an object plane past which objects to be scanned and photographed are conveyed. In this manner, the focus distance defined between the lens component and the charge-coupled device (CCD) as well as the focal distance defined between the lens component and the object plane are fixed and do not need any further calibration. The object plane is defined upon the front surface of a sealed housing enclosure and all of the components are disposed within the housing enclosure so as to prevent dust and contaminants from collecting upon the optical components. LED arrays are disposed within the front of the housing so as to illuminate and properly expose the objects conveyed past the object plane. A positive pressure differential is also created within the sealed housing enclosure so as to prevent the ingress of dust and contaminants into the housing enclosure.

Low maintenance line scan camera

An efficient cooling mechanism for a multi-chip carrier can be provided while conserving board surface area. Flexible circuitized material is used to form multi-chip carriers with air baffle capability. The flex is folded or curved into the desired shape and held in position with a support structure. Bonding sites for chips are located on regions through the carrier. Shapes which provide air baffle capabilities include coils, spring-like coils and serpentines.

Free standing, three dimensional, multi-chip, carrier package with air flow baffle

Electrically conductive lamina are attached by an electrically insulating, thermally conductive adhesive and/or solder to one or more semiconductor devices such as chips and extend beyond the periphery of the chip or chips to form heat sink fins. Electrical connections may be made between such chips through holes (e.g. by a wire or plated through hole) in the electrically conductive lamina lined with an insulating material such as the electrically insulating adhesive to provide a structurally robust assembly. Surface pads and connections may overlie patterns of insulator on the lamina. A further lamina can be wrapped around lateral sides of the assembly to provide further heat sink area and mechanical protection for other heat sink fins. A graphite/carbon fiber composite matrix material is preferred for the lamina and the coefficient of thermal expansion of such materials may be matched to that of the semiconductor material attached thereto. Conductivity of the lamina also provides shielding against electrical noise to improve the noise immunity of short connections between chips made through the lamina as well as that of surface connections which may be formed on the lamina.

Integrated, multi-chip, thermally conductive packaging device and

Free standing, three dimensional, multi-chip, carrier package with air

An electronic package including as part thereof a thermally conductive arrangement for restricting thermal fluid material motion about a heat-generating device, thereby assuring effective heat transference from the heat-generating device (e.g., module) to a cooling member (e.g., spaced heat sink), this arrangement preferably including: (1) a thermal fluid (e.g., thermal grease); and (2) structural elements (e.g., wire mesh, heat sink ridges, etc.). For restricting fluid movement, sealing structures (e.g., external gaskets) may be used to further assure fluid containment to a specified location. Pressure generation means (e.g., a plunger) can be used to increase fluid pressure when pressure droppages occur.

Electronic package with heat transfer means

A flexible circuitized interposer (50) and method of making same wherein the interposer includes at least one flexible circuitized substrate (53) having a dielectric (e.g., polyimide) layer (54) with a conductor (55) and plated elements (56), e.g., copper pad, including possibly with dendrites (57) thereon for enhanced connection, an apertured support member (58) aligning with the conductor, and a support member (60) having the apertured member thereon. When the interposer is engaged, the flexible circuitized substrate (53) is depressed within the aperture (59). Various alternatives, including a support (60') formed with compression portions (69) that extend into respective apertures (59) in the support member (58), and an interim, compressible support (60''), are disclosed. Flexure is also enhanced by utilization of patterns of one or more apertures (64) in the flexible substrate relative to and substantially surrounding the positioned conductors (56). Electrical assemblies including a pair of circuitized substrates electrically interconnected by the defined interposers are also described.

Flexible circuitized interposer with apertured member and method for

An electrical connector for coupling two circuitized substrates (e.g., a ball grid array module and a printed circuit board) wherein the connector includes a base member fixedly secured (e.g., soldered) to the printed circuit board and having one substrate oriented therein. The connector further includes a 2-part retention member including one part movably oriented in the base and a second part for directly engaging the retained substrate to cause it to move downwardly (and thus in a completely different direction than the direction of rotation of the movable one part within the base) to thereby provide effective connection between substrates. An interposer may be used if desired. An information handling system including a microprocessor and connector electrically coupled thereto is also disclosed.

Electrical connector assembly for connecting first and second

A multi-chip carrier which uses less lateral mounting space on the surface of a circuit board or card can be formed using flexible circuitized material. Lateral space is compressed by utilizing more vertical space to package chips and components. The problem of cooling multiple chips in a tight space may be accomplished by integrating the heat sink in with the circuit carrier and having the heat sink double as a support structure. A flex material is folded or shaped. Different regions of the flex are used for mounting chips, mounting support mechanisms, or mounting the structure on a carrier or substrate.

Vertically integrated multi-chip circuit package with heat-sink support

A socket connects electronic components such as integrated circuit modules with arrays of solder balls or columns, lands, pads of similar contacts to other components, typically substrates such as printed circuit boards. The socket has a polarization post and locator posts that extend through polarization and locator holes in the substrate and in a registration sheet that locates the module with respect to the substrate. The heads of the posts, which are all substantially the same size, extend through arcuate slots in a cam ring. Each of the slots has an inclined ramp that engages the heads of the post. When the cam ring is turned, the heads of the posts ride up the ramps, moving the cam ring towards the substrate and compressing a wave spring that presses against a pressure plate. The pressure plate in turn presses the module toward the substrate, providing a secure yet separable electrical connection between the contacts in the array on the module and contacts on the substrate, preferably through an electrical interposer positioned between the module and the substrate.

Method and apparatus for separable interconnecting electronic components

A flexible circuitized interposer (50) and method of making same wherein the interposer includes at least one flexible circuitized substrate (53) having a dielectric (e.g., polyimide) layer (54) with a conductor (55) and plated elements (56), e.g., copper pad, including possibly with dendrites (57) thereon for enhanced connection, an apertured support member (58) aligning with the conductor, and a support member (60) having the apertured member thereon. When the interposer is engaged, the flexible circuitized substrate (53) is depressed within the aperture (59). Various alternatives, including a support (60') formed with compressible portions (69) that extend into respective apertures (59) in the support member (58), and an interim, compressible support (60''), are disclosed. The support member may also be metallic, e.g., for use as an electrical ground shield. Flexure is also enhanced by utilization of patterns of one or more apertures (64) in the flexible substrate relative to and substantially surrounding the positioned conductors (56). Electrical assemblies including a pair of circuitized substrates electrically interconnected by the defined interposers are also described.

A heat sink structure with a heat-conducting base and wound wire heat conductors thermally attached to the base for use in electronic packaging structures, e.g., those used in computers. The method of making such a structure, as taught herein, provides a unique structure using wire to form the thermally conductive members in a corrugated shape and aligning these with and thermally coupling to a base structure. In one embodiment, the base structure may be excluded with a heat conductive spacer member used instead.

Growing community of inventors

Endicott, NY, United States of America

Glenn L Kehley