The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 08, 2003
Filed:
Mar. 07, 2001
Joseph Cachina, Warwick, RI (US);
Jack Seidler, Flushing, NY (US);
James R. Zanolli, North Smithfield, RI (US);
Teka Interconnections Systems, Inc., Warwick, RI (US);
Abstract
The present invention provides a method of forming a solder ball on a portion, e.g., one end, of a contact. In one exemplary embodiment, the contact is a terminal pin which is intended for use in an electrical connector and more particularly, for use in a solder ball grid array (SBGA) connector. Generally and according to one embodiment, the method includes providing the contact along with a solder-holding clip having a body with an opening. The body has a solder-holding conformation adjacent the opening and a solder mass is held by the conformation. The contact is then positioned proximate to the body opening and heat is applied to the solder mass causing the solder to reflow so that the solder flows into a spherical shape. This results in a solder ball being formed on the portion of the contact. Subsequent to forming the solder ball, the solder-holding clip is separated from the contact leaving a contact with a solder ball affixed thereto. Preferably, a series of solder-holding clips are provided along a carrier strip of material so that a number of solder balls may be formed on corresponding contacts during a single reflow operation.