Electricity: conductors and insulators – Boxes and housings
Reexamination Certificate
2001-12-29
2004-01-20
Patel, Dhiru R. (Department: 2835)
Electricity: conductors and insulators
Boxes and housings
C174S135000, C174S058000, C174S064000, C220S003800, C361S832000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06680434
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a locating means, and more particularly to a locating means for locating conductive terminals to a printed circuit board (PCB).
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Surface mounting technology (SMT) process is widely used to solder conductive terminals to a printed circuit board (PCB). Before the soldering process, a vacuum suction device must be employed to pick and place the terminals on correct places of the PCB. When the terminals are very small and the number of the terminals is large, it is difficult to achieve a precise placement of the terminals. Some conventional terminals are provided with planar portions for vacuum suction devices to pick up. However, this results in larger profiles for the terminals.
Hence, a locating means for locating terminals on a PCB is required to overcome the disadvantage of the prior art.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A main object, therefore, of the present invention is to provide a locating means assembly for conveniently and accurately locating conductive terminals on a printed circuit board (PCB).
A locating means assembly according to the present invention includes a housing and a plurality of terminals. The housing has a plurality of side walls and defines a plurality of passageways therein. A pair of ribs protrude inwardly from lower portions of two side walls in each passageway and define a pair of grooves. Each terminal has a planar soldering portion, and a pair of fins extending and bending upwardly from two lateral sides of the soldering portion, respectively. The terminal is received in the housing, the pair of fins elastically engaging in the two grooves, respectively. After the housing with the terminal is picked up and placed on a printed circuit board (PCB), the terminal is soldered to the PCB, and then the housing is removed. The passageways of the housing can be designed to adapt for different terminals
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4796159 (1989-01-01), Miksche
patent: 5955700 (1999-09-01), Slipy et al.
patent: 6369320 (2002-04-01), Okamoto
patent: 6395980 (2002-05-01), Iitsuka
patent: 6433274 (2002-08-01), Doss et al.
Chung Wei Te
Hon Hai - Precision Ind. Co., Ltd.
Patel Dhiru R.
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