International Business Machines Corporation

International Business Corporation

James Edward Tersigni

Michael J Fisher

David Clifford Long

Thomas Weiss

Michael T Peets

Wai Mon Ma

David Charles Olson

Robert L Weiss

Jac Anders Burke

Daniel James Buschel

Jeffrey Scott Wolfe

Christopher Lee Tessler

Dale Curtis McHerron

William A Cavaliere

Anton Nenadic

Kaushal S Patel

Kenneth Y Chan

David Scott Graboski

Gilles G Labbe

Jerry A Gorrell

Raymond D Birchall

Dennis Denizard

Jefferson L Watson

Tamper-respondent assemblies, electronic packages and fabrication methods are provided which incorporate a vent structure. The tamper-respondent assembly includes an electronic enclosure to enclose, at least in part, an electronic component(s) to be protected. The electronic enclosure includes an inner surface, and an air vent. A tamper-respondent electronic circuit structure is provided which includes a tamper-respondent sensor disposed to cover, at least part, the inner surface of the electronic enclosure, and define, at least in part, a secure volume about the electronic component(s). The vent structure includes at least one air passage coupling in fluid communication the secure volume and the air vent of the electronic enclosure to allow air pressure within the secure volume to equalize with air pressure external to the tamper-respondent assembly.

Tamper-respondent assembly with vent structure

An apparatus includes a top plate sized to cover components for a PCB in a solder operation to attach the components to a top surface of the PCB. The apparatus may include heat shielding devices and/or heat attracting devices. Each heat shielding device reduces heat transfer to a component to be soldered to the PCB and is positioned in the top plate to decrease heat to the component corresponding to the heat shielding device. Each heat attracting device increases heat transfer to a component to be soldered to the PCB and each heat attracting device is positioned in the top plate to increase heat to the component under the heat attracting device. The top plate is coupled to the heat shielding and/or heat attracting devices and includes a recess for each component configured with a heat shielding device or a heat attracting device.

Device for thermal management of surface mount devices during reflow soldering

A primary circuit board has a front surface, a back surface, and a non-conductive void. The void has first planar dimensions through a first portion of a thickness of the primary circuit board extending from the front surface to a position between the front and back surfaces, and second planar dimensions through a second portion of the thickness extending from the position at least towards the back surface. A secondary circuit board holder includes a non-conducting locking member insertable into the non-conductive void at the primary circuit board's front surface to secure the holder while a conductive part of the holder is conductively affixed to a conductive part of the primary circuit board. The first planar dimensions are different than the second planar dimensions to permit the primary circuit board's thickness to be greater than a maximum thickness specification of the holder's non-conducting locking member.

Primary circuit board non-conductive void having different planar dimensions through board thickness to secure non-conducting locking member of holder

A surface mount component adapter, assembly and related method for attaching a surface mount component to a printed circuit board. The surface mount component adapter includes a substrate, a surface mount component holder on the substrate, and flexible leads each having a base end attached to the surface mount component holder and a free end configured to engage a plated through hole on a circuit board. The surface mount component holder is configured to engage electrical contacts of a surface mount component. The surface mount component assembly combines the surface mount adapter with the surface mount component. In the surface mount component method, the surface mount assembly is formed and the free ends of the flexible leads are attached to a corresponding number of the plated through holes on the circuit board.

Adapter for plated through hole mounting of surface mount component

An apparatus is provided and includes a housing, a block formed to define an array of holes corresponding to an array of plugs into which connectors with spring loaded sleeves are pluggable such that the block engages with a respective sleeve of each connector, the block being supportively disposed within the housing to be movable with respect to the housing between first and second block positions at which the sleeves are extended and retracted, respectively and a cam lever supported on the housing and coupled to the block, which selectively occupies first and second lever positions at which the cam lever causes the block to assume the first and second block positions, respectively.

Apparatus for plugging multiple connectors with spring loaded sleeves into an adapter simultaneously

A unique self-compensating structure mounted to a printed circuit board (PCB) includes a compensating block element having a back portion with at least a first guide surface and a front portion with at least a third guide surface. A mechanical support member having at least a second guide surface with at least a guide element disposed thereon for sliding engagement with the at least a first guide surface. At least a complaint member cooperatively positioned between a surface on the compensating block element and the at least a third guide surface on the mechanical support member. The at least a third guide surface being cooperatively and movably associated along a back portion of an electrical socket connector via the at least a complaint member for compensating and absorbing external stress and strain of a plug-in connector during alternating plugging and unplugging of the plug-in connector from the socket connector, while simultaneously mitigating damage to the PCB.

Self-compensating connector support method and apparatus

A fixture having a bottom plate, top plate and an expansion block interposed between the bottom plate and top plate. A workpiece is positioned between the expansion block and bottom plate. When the fixture is heated, there is a net displacement exerted by the expansion block so as to apply pressure to the workpiece. The pressure applied by the fixture to the workpiece is due solely to the thermal expansion of the fixture when it is heated.

Method and apparatus for application of pressure to a workpiece by thermal expansion

A shaving or shearing blade utilized in dressing solder joint chip technologies without the use of heat or a copper block wicking process. In essence, any solder debris resulting from the solder shaving process as implemented by the shaving blade is removed through the intermediary of a vacuum arrangement located as an integral structure in the shaving blade so as to inhibit the potential formation of electrical shorts or causing solder damage in subsequent replacement chip joins or other assembly operations.

Shaving blade for chip site dressing

A cutting assembly and an apparatus for self-aligned chamfering of a workpiece are disclosed. The chamfering apparatus includes a mechanism for releasably securing the workpiece in preparation for a chamfering thereof, a cutting assembly, and a mechanism for moving the cutting assembly proximate the securing mechanism between a first position and a second position, wherein the cutting assembly traverses along an edge portion of the workpiece to be chamfered. The cutting assembly includes (i) a guide member having a guide surface; (ii) a blade member mechanically coupled with respect to the guide surface for establishing a desired cutting depth; (iii) a mechanism for applying a resilient tensioning force to the guide member, the resilient tensioning means applying a first tensioning force when the guide member is in a non-chamfer engaging position and applying a second tensioning force when the guide member is in a chamfer engaging position, the chamfer engaging position corresponding to a position of the guide member when the guide surface engages the portion of the workpiece to be chamfered; and (iv) a mechanism for locking the guide member to maintain the chamfer engaging position and the desired cutting depth subsequent to the guide surface no longer being in contact with the workpiece. A method of chamfering is also disclosed.

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Highland, NY, United States of America

James Edward Tersigni