Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

Tom Skrtic

Timothy J Juntunen

James L Schenz

According to the present invention there is provided a unitary flexible carrier tape comprising a strip like portion defining a top surface for the tape, and wall portions defining a plurality of similarly-shaped pockets spaced along the tape and opening through the top surface. The wall portions include bottom wall portions, side wall portions extending between the strip like portion and the bottom wall portions. The bottom wall portions include distal parts spaced from the top surface of the tape and embossed parts projecting above the distal parts and having abutment surfaces spaced above the distal parts. The side wall portions include longitudinal parts extending between the top surface of the tape and the distal parts. The side wall portions also include castellation parts having portions located above the embossed parts and inset from the longitudinal parts.

Carrier tape

A unitary flexible carrier tape comprising a strip like portion defining a top surface for the tape, and wall portions defining a multiplicity of similarly shaped pockets spaced along the tape and opening through the top surface. Side wall portions extending between the strip like portion and bottom wall portions to define the pockets include a majority of angled parts disposed at included angles of slightly greater than a right angle with respect to the top surface of the strip like portion so that the angled parts of the side wall portions converge toward the bottom wall portions defining the pockets, and a minority of generally normal parts extending between the strip like portion and the bottom wall portions that are disposed at included angles significantly closer to a right angle with respect to the top surface of the strip like portion than the included angles between the top surface of the strip like portion and the adjacent angled parts to provide, with projecting parts of the bottom wall portions adjacent the generally normal parts, anti nesting shoulders for restricting entry of the side wall portions defining the pockets in one wrap of the carrier tape on a reel into the pockets in the wrap of carrier tape beneath it.

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Eau Claire, WI, United States of America

Tom Skrtic