International Business Machines Corporation

High End Systems Inc.

Terry L Wilmoth

Richard S Belliveau

Mark A Stultz

Mikhail A Dubinovskiy

Thomas S Cavness

Michael K Rafalko

Darryl Ray Polk

David P Watson

Francis W Bogaczyk

Joel R Anstrom

Robert W Kulterman

Gilbert B Nebgen

Michael A Rubsam

Robert A Amos

Clifford M Wood

A lens holder includes which a bottom cover, a top cover, sliding means and clipping means for holding lens assemblies in an optical lighting system. The bottom and top covers have a plurality of slot extensions lining the interior of the two covers. The top cover clips to the bottom cover by a set of clips on each side of the top cover to a set of clip slots on each side of the bottom cover. Lens assemblies can consist of lenses assembled in a holder along with individual lenses which can slide into between slot extensions.

Slid mounted lens holder with slot extensions one or multiple lenses

Lens holder

The apparatus of the present invention may be utilized for the automated bonding of electronic components to a circuit board. A placement and bonding head is attached to a manipulatable robotic arm and is utilized to select an electronic component having a plurality of conductive leads from a supply of such components and position that component adjacent a plurality of contact pads on a circuit board. While retaining the electronic component within the placement and bonding head, the component is then thermally bonded to the contact pads. In one embodiment of the present invention, an electronic component may be optically inspected while being retained within the placement and bonding head. In another embodiment, thermal bonding is accomplished utilizing a plurality of thermally activatable blades which each include a thermocouple mounted adjacent thereto. Selective low current control signals are then coupled to the placement and bonding head where transformers are utilized to amplify the current prior to coupling the control signal to individually thermally activatable blades. In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the placement and bonding head includes a plenum for supplying inert gas to the bonding site so that the use of flux is not necessary.

System for automated mounting of electronic components to circuit boards

Apparatus in a disc dictation machine for accurately positioning the soundhead at a predetermined start phasing position during the execution of a disc change cycle. The apparatus includes means for disengaging the soundhead drive pawl from the soundhead drive lead screw and linkage that interacts with a cam surface attached to the disc change loader carrier to restore the soundhead to the start phasing position on the forward stroke of the loader carrier.

Soundhead restore mechanism for use in a disc machine

Growing community of inventors

Austin, TX, United States of America

Terry L Wilmoth