Metal working – Means to assemble or disassemble – Means to disassemble electrical device
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-22
2001-08-14
Young, Lee (Department: 3729)
Metal working
Means to assemble or disassemble
Means to disassemble electrical device
C029S762000, C029S729000, C029S758000, C029S251000, C029S281300
Reexamination Certificate
active
06272739
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus used in the handling of electronic components during manufacturing or other processing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Integrated circuit devices are often transported from one location to another in a plastic tube referred to as a dual in-line package (DIP) tube.
FIG. 1
shows a DIP tube
100
carrying integrated circuit devices
110
and two DIP pins
120
. The DIP tube
100
has two holes
130
,
140
. One DIP pin is shown fully inserted within one hole
130
of the tube, and the other DIP pin is positioned for insertion into the other hole
140
of the tube.
FIG. 2
shows a plastic DIP pin
120
having a head
200
, a stem
210
, and a semi-rigid loop base
220
. The loop base
220
is flexible enough such that the loop base may be positioned into a DIP tube hole whose diameter is smaller than the loop base width
230
of the DIP pin
120
without breaking, cracking, or permanently deforming the loop base
220
of the DIP pin
120
. Once inserted, the loop base reforms to its original shape and the DIP pin remains inserted until it is forcibly removed from the hole of the DIP tube by pulling upwards on the head
200
of the DIP pin.
Typically, a removable DIP pin is first inserted into a DIP tube hole on one end of the DIP tube. Then, an operator inserts one or more integrated circuit devices into the open end of the DIP tube which is devoid of a DIP pin. Next, once the operator has completed inserting the circuit devices into the DIP tube, a second removable DIP pin is inserted into the hole at the open end of the DIP tube. The DIP pins at both ends of the DIP tube retain the circuit devices within the DIP tube. The circuit devices in the DIP tube may then be transported by moving the DIP tube from one location to another. The circuit devices may then be removed from the DIP tube by removing at least one of the DIP pins and sliding the circuit devices out of the DIP tube. The process of inserting and removing DIP pins into and from DIP tubes is typically performed manually many hundreds of times a day by any single operator.
To insert a DIP pin into a hole, a DIP pin is positioned over the hole and downward pressure is then applied to the head of the DIP pin to force the loop base to temporarily deform such that the DIP pin may be inserted into the hole. Due to the small size of the DIP pin and the DIP tube hole, it is often difficult for operators to adequately align the DIP pin with the DIP tube hole and concurrently apply pressure to securely insert the DIP pin. Typically, an operator first aligns the DIP pin with the DIP tube hole by manually aligning the DIP pin over the DIP tube hole. The operator uses one hand to hold the DIP pin at the DIP tube hole by “pinching” the DIP pin with his fingers or by using tweezers. Then the operator grasps a block or other tool in his other hand and hammers the DIP pin into the DIP tube hole. Such a maneuver may cause damage to the DIP pin, the DIP tube, and/or circuit devices within the DIP tube, any one of which will cause delays in the processing cycle.
An operator may remove a DIP pin from a DIP tube hole by manually pulling on the DIP pin head. Typically, an operator removes a DIP pin from a DIP tube hole by holding the DIP tube in place with one hand and placing his fingernails of the other hand under the DIP pin head and pulling upward. In other situations, an operator may use pliers, or a similar grasping tool, to grasp the DIP pin head before pulling upward and away from the DIP tube. In each situation, the operator needs to exert enough force on the DIP pin to enable the semi-rigid loop base to deform and pass through the DIP tube hole. In exerting such force, the operator may be caught “off-guard” when the DIP pin is completely removed from the DIP tube hole such that circuit devices are accidentally spilled from the tube and damaged. Additionally, operators often break their fingernails, the DIP tube, or may damage or lose the DIP pin during such a maneuver. The results of these removal actions, likewise, cause delays in the processing cycle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to an apparatus which resolves the problems of delays in the processing cycle that are caused by an operator forcibly inserting or removing DIP pins into or from DIP tubes. The invention provides an operator a tool with which the operator can apply an downward or an upward force on a DIP pin to insert or remove the DIP pin into or from a DIP tube hole without damaging the DIP pin, DIP tube, or circuit devices inside the DIP tube.
In one embodiment, the present invention comprises an apparatus for inserting a DIP pin into a hole in a DIP tube and for removing the DIP pin from the hole in the DIP tube, wherein the DIP pin has a head and a loop interconnected by a stem. The apparatus comprises a frame, a rod slidably connected to the frame, and a lever pivotally connected to the frame such that pivoting the lever with respect to the frame causes the rod to slide with respect to the frame. A lower end of the rod of the apparatus has an extension having a lower plate with a slot extending to an edge of the plate, the lower plate defines a clearance with respect to the lower end of the rod, the height of the clearance is greater than the thickness of the head of the DIP pin, and the slot is wider than the stem of DIP pin and narrower than the head of the DIP pin, such that the DIP pin can be configured onto the extension, whether or not the DIP pin is already inserted into the DIP tube, by sliding the stem of the DIP pin into the slot in the lower plate of the extension with (1) the head of the DIP pin positioned above the lower plate and within the clearance between the lower plate and the lower end of the rod and (2) the loop of the DIP pin below the lower plate.
In another embodiment, the present invention comprises an attachment to configure a device to function as an apparatus for inserting a DIP pin into a hole in a DIP tube and for removing the DIP pin from the hole in the DIP tube, wherein: the DIP pin has a head and a loop interconnected by a stem; the device has a frame, a rod slidably connected to the frame, and a lever pivotally connected to the frame such that pivoting the lever with respect to the frame causes the rod to slide with respect to the frame; and the attachment comprises a lower plate with a slot extending to an edge of the plate, such that, when the attachment is configured onto a lower end of the rod, the attachment forms an extension at the lower end of the rod, wherein: the lower plate defines a clearance with respect to the lower end of the rod, wherein the height of the clearance is greater than the thickness of the head of the DIP pin; and the slot is wider than the stem of DIP pin and narrower than the head of the DIP pin, such that: the DIP pin can be configured onto the extension, whether or not the DIP pin is already inserted into the DIP tube, by sliding the stem of the DIP pin into the slot in the lower plate of the extension with (1) the head of the DIP pin positioned above the lower plate and within the clearance between the lower plate and the lower end of the rod and (2) the loop of the DIP pin below the lower plate.
As used herein, the term “punch-tool” includes devices such as minitools, ink and dye press tools, pressure printing devices, leather hole-punching tools, and the like. A punch-tool, as defined herein, is a device having a movable rod configured by levers or gears to enable an operator to manually pull or push a levered arm of the punch-tool such that the rod of the punch-tool exerts a greater force than that applied to the levered arm by the operator. The lower end of the movable rod of the punch-tool is configured or adapted to be configured to accept a mateable connector or bracket of the present invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4031603 (1977-06-01), Shultz
patent: 4207665 (1980-06-01), Kurek
patent: 4521959 (1985-06-01), Sprenkle
patent: 4583287 (1986-04-01), Mc Devitt e
Lucent Technologies - Inc.
Mendelsohn Steve
Trinh Minh
Young Lee
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