Other

Gibson-egan Company

American Tech Manufacturing, Inc.

Integrated Machine Development

Alpha Modular Systems

James C Alemanni

An apparatus for straightening pin grid array leads includes a support guide for the grid leads and a plurality of laterally movable blades for extending between the leads and movable in both directions therebetween for engaging and bending the leads as they move in both lateral directions and then back to center alignment.

Apparatus for straightening pin grid array leads

A motor driven apparatus to efficiently and reliably straighten the leads of a pin grid array (PGA) so that the leads are aligned parallel with one another and perpendicular to the flat PGA body. The apparatus includes a nest of parallel knife blades which is mounted for linear travel so as to be either introduced to or retracted from the grid of PGA leads. The nest of knife blades is carried by an oscillator assembly which is adapted to automatically oscillate (i.e. pivot) the blades between respective rows of PGA leads. When the nest of knife blades is introduced to the grid of PGA leads, the back-and-forth oscillations of the knife blades will cause the blades to engage and straighten any bent leads. The PGA is carried by a rotatable table assembly. When the nest of knife blades is retracted from the grid of PGA leads, the table assembly may be automatically rotated (e.g. by 90 degrees) so that the grid of leads is oriented for repeated engagement by the nest of knife blades, whereby bent leads may be reliably straightened, regardless of the angle at which such leads are bent.

Apparatus to straighten the leads of a pin grid array

One and two-part carriers for a pin grid array having a body with a plurality of pins projecting from at least one face of the body. Certain ones of the carriers include an outer frame for extending around the perimeter of a separate removable carrier insert on which the pin grid array is releasably supported. The carrier insert has a recessed base for supporting the body of the pin grid array and an array of holes in a grid pattern through which the pins project when the body of the pin grid array is supported on the base. Resiliently flexible retention fingers at opposite ends of the carrier base engage the body of the supported pin grid array to retain it on the carrier insert base. The flexible retention fingers are bendable away from the carrier insert base for releasing engagement with the body of the supported pin grid array when either placing the pin grid array in the carrier insert or removing it from the carrier insert. Resilient clips on opposite inside faces of the frame cooperate with cam surfaces on opposite outer faces of the carrier insert for releasably attaching the carrier insert base to the inside of the outer frame in a snap lock to support the carrier insert inside the frame. Certain other ones of the carriers are of unitary construction, such that the carrier insert is fixedly connected within the outer frame. In some of the carriers, the retention fingers are split into bendable first and second halves so as to engage pin grid array bodies of different thicknesses.

Carriers for pin grid array

A one-piece integrated circuit carrier includes a base having a central opening bounded at opposite ends by walls having a plurality of narrow, parallel elongated grooves for receiving the leads of an integrated circuit flat pack inserted in the opening of the carrier. A pair of elongated resilient retaining fingers extend along opposite edges of the opening for connecting to the four outermost leads of the flat pack to hold the integrated circuit in the carrier. A pair of retaining fingers on each side of the carrier are supported from a narrow central support web, and the fingers extend in opposite directions from the support web generally parallel to the leads of the flat pack. The fingers terminate in free ends near the corners of the central opening in the carrier. Flanged tips at the free ends of the retaining fingers fit over the outermost leads of the flat pack to retain it. The flat pack is inserted into the carrier by pushing generally horizontally outwardly on the tips of the retaining fingers to spread them apart sufficiently to allow the body of the flat pack to be inserted in the opening of the carrier. The outermost leads of the flat pack bypass the spaced apart fingers so the leads can be inserted into the grooves at opposite ends of the opening. Upon release of the applied horizontal force the fingers return to normal positions in which the flanged tips of the fingers extend over and frictionally contact the tops of the outermost leads to retain the flat pack in the carrier. Advantages are that the flat pack is retained in the carrier by connection to leads instead of the flat pack body and the retaining fingers have improved resiliency and memory with reduced stress when connecting them to the leads, making continued reuse of the integrated circuit carrier possible.

Integrated circuit carrier

A two-part carrier for a pin grid array having a body with a plurality of pins projecting from at least one face of the body includes an outer frame for extending around the perimeter of a separate removable carrier insert on which the pin grid array is releasably supported. The carrier insert has a recessed base for supporting the body of the pin grid array and an array of holes in a grid pattern through which the pins project when the body of the pin grid array is supported on the base. Resiliently flexible retention fingers at opposite ends of the carrier base engage the body of the supported pin grid array to retain it on the carrier insert base. The flexible retention fingers are bendable away from the carrier insert base for releasing engagement with the body of the supported pin grid array when either placing the pin grid array in the carrier insert or removing it from the carrier insert. Resilient clips on opposite inside faces of the frame cooperate with cam surfaces on opposite outer faces of the carrier insert for releasably attaching the carrier insert base to the inside of the outer frame in a snap lock to support the carrier insert inside the frame. The spring-biased clips are exposed in their snap-locked position for contact with an external force-applying means to release the clips from their snap-locked position when removing the carrier insert from the outer frame.

Carrier for pin grid array

Processing of an integrated circuit element singly formed within an integral flat pack frame by shearing the element from the frame and inserting the element in a testing and shipping carrier in a selected clocked orientation, all in a continuous cycle of operation from start to finish. A frame receiving nest and abutments thereto are used in clocking of the integrated circuit element. An arm holds the element by a vacuum during transfer of the separated element from cutting station to packing station. The carrier has opposed lugs, for integrated circuit element engagement, which are spread at the time the element is packed in the carrier and then are released to secure the integrated circuit element in place in the carrier. Strip or reel feed of frames is an option.

Means and method for processing integrated circuit element

A one-piece integrated circuit carrier includes a base having a central opening bounded on opposite ends by walls having a plurality of narrow grooves for receiving the leads of an integrated circuit flat pack inserted in the carrier. Resilient retaining fingers at the corners of the central opening extend diagonally into the opening. The tips of the fingers have flanges adapted to fit over the outermost leads of the flat pack. Opposite bottom edges of the flat pack rest on a pair of ridges extending along opposite sides of the opening between the end walls of the carrier. The flat pack is inserted in the carrier by first pushing upwardly on the bottoms of the resilient retaining fingers with a set of vertical pins to spread the fingers apart sufficiently to allow the body of the flat pack to be inserted in the opening, with the outermost leads of the flat pack bypassing the fingers so the leads can be inserted in the grooves at opposite ends of the opening. Upon release of the applied vertical force, the retaining fingers return to their normal position in which the flanges at the tips of the fingers extend over the tops of the outermost leads to retain the flat pack in the carrier. Advantages are provided in retaining the flat pack by contact with the leads rather than the body of the flat pack.

Growing community of inventors

Oceanside, CA, United States of America

James C Alemanni