Network Engines, Inc.

Joanne Sheehan

Robert A Wiley

David Potter

Jerry Jarvis

Christopher S Bonni

Thomas Savage

James Harvey Smith

The invention provides, inter alia, kits and methods for improved manufacture and, in particular, for improved fixed and flexible manufacture. The improvements provide templates having cavities, silhouettes, impressions, contours, and/or profiles (collectively, 'cavities') that fit and correspond to parts at each stage of parts picking and/or assembly. For example, a kit can have (and a method according to the invention can use) a first template with cavities adapted to hold parts used in a first stage of computer manufacture; a second template with cavities adapted to hold parts used in a second stage of computer manufacture; and so forth. Alternatively, or in addition, the templates can hold parts gathered/or to be gathered in different phases of parts picking&#x2014;for example, the first template can have cavities adapted to hold parts gathered in a first stage of picking; a second template can have cavities adapted to hold parts gathered in a second stage of picking; and so forth.

Kits and methods that facilitate flexible manufacture

The invention herein pertains to improved methods and apparatus for electrically coupling components within a digital data system without the use of ribbon cables and other wires. The disclosed coupling device comprises a body member and at least one finger member. The body member physically and electrically couples with components mounted on a circuit board by mating with component pins extending on a solder side of the circuit board. The finger member is conjoined with the body member, and is a flexible, twistable, thin member containing electrically conductive vias coupled which couple the mounted components with an electrical connected located at the distal end of the finger member. The electrical connector at the distal end of the finger member can be a solder pad, a further member body, or other electrically coupling connector device. The finger member is designed to impact cooling air flow less than the disturbances created by conventional component coupling methods and apparatus, e.g., ribbon cable and wires, thereby increasing the effective heat dissipation within the digital data system.

Signal conducting applique and method for use with printed circuit board

Growing community of inventors

North Easton, MA, United States of America

Joanne Sheehan