# US 2020/0288581 A1 · Methods and systems for aligning a component

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- Number: US 2020/0288581 A1
- Document ID: US20200288581A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/782,230
- Filed: 2020-02-05
- Published: 2020-09-10
- Earliest claimed: 2019-03-06
- Assignees: North Inc.
- Applicants: North Inc.
- Inventors: Douglas Raymond Dykaar
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200288581A1

## CPC

- B23K 1/0016: {Soldering of electronic components}
- H05K 3/4638: {Aligning and fixing the circuit boards before lamination; Detecting or measuring the misalignment after lamination; Aligning external circuit patterns or via connections relative to internal circuits}
- B23K 1/005: Soldering by means of radiant energy
- B23K 1/008: Soldering within a furnace (B23K1/012 takes precedence)
- B23K 1/20: Preliminary treatment of work or areas to be soldered, e.g. in respect of a galvanic coating
- H05K 3/0008: {for aligning or positioning of tools relative to the circuit board (H05K3/4638, H05K3/4679 take precedence; for manufacturing assemblages of components H05K13/0015)}
- H05K 3/3431: {Leadless components}
- B23K 3/087: {Soldering or brazing jigs, fixtures or clamping means}
- B23K 2101/42: Printed circuits
- H05K 13/0465: {by soldering (H05K13/0469 takes precedence)}
- H05K 2201/09063: Holes or slots in insulating substrate not used for electrical connections
- H05K 2201/09072: Hole or recess under component or special relationship between hole and component
- H05K 2203/048: Self-alignment during soldering; Terminals, pads or shape of solder adapted therefor
- H05K 2203/167: Using mechanical means for positioning, alignment or registration, e.g. using rod-in-hole alignment
- Y02P 70/50: Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
- B23K: SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM
- H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

There is provided a method which includes placing a component on a substrate and extending an alignment member through an opening in the substrate. Once the alignment member is extended through the opening, the component is moved to abut against the alignment member to align the component relative to the substrate. After the component is aligned relative to the substrate, the component is secured to the substrate and the alignment member is retracted through the opening.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
placing a component on a substrate;
extending an alignment member through an opening in the substrate;
moving the component to abut against the alignment member to align the component relative to the substrate;
securing the component to the substrate; and
retracting the alignment member through the opening.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein after the moving the component to abut against the alignment member, the alignment member contacts two sides of the component to align the component along two linearly-independent directions on the substrate.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
extending an additional alignment member through an additional opening in the substrate; and
retracting the additional alignment member through the additional opening; and
wherein:
the moving the component comprises moving the component to abut against the alignment member and the additional alignment member to align the component along two linearly-independent directions on the substrate.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein after the moving the component the alignment member abuts against a first side of the component and the additional alignment member abuts against a second side of the component.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
extending an additional alignment member through the opening in the substrate; and
retracting the additional alignment member through the opening; and
wherein:
the moving the component comprises moving the component to abut against the alignment member and the additional alignment member to align the component along two linearly-independent directions on the substrate.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein:
the alignment member is secured to a support to form a jig; and
the extending and the retracting the alignment member comprise moving one or both of the jig and the substrate closer to and further from one another respectively.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the moving the component comprises exerting a magnetic force between the alignment member and the component to attract the component towards the alignment member.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein:
the alignment member comprises an electromagnet; and
the exerting the magnetic force comprises electrifying the electromagnet.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the extending the alignment member comprises:
extending the alignment member comprising a permanent magnet through the opening in the substrate.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
providing a quantity of a liquid disposed on the substrate between the substrate and the component; and
wherein:
the moving the component comprises applying a surface tension force of the liquid to the component.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the providing the quantity of the liquid comprises providing a plurality of sub-quantities of the liquid spaced from one another.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the providing the liquid comprises:
providing a solid solder disposed on the substrate between the substrate and the component; and
melting the solid solder.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the moving the component comprises tilting the substrate to cause gravity to pull the component towards the alignment member.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the moving the component further comprises vibrating the substrate and the component.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the moving the component further comprises blowing a gas across a surface of the substrate to push the component towards the alignment member.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the securing the component to the substrate comprises soldering the component to the substrate.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the extending the alignment member comprises:
extending the alignment member comprising a solder non-adhesive material through the opening in the substrate.

### Claim 18

A system to align a component on a substrate, the system comprising:
a substrate holder to hold the substrate;
an alignment member;
an actuator mechanically coupled to one or both of the substrate holder and the alignment member, the actuator to move one or both of the substrate holder and the alignment member relative to one another between a first configuration in which the alignment member extends through an opening in the substrate and a second configuration in which the alignment member is retracted from the opening;
a component moving module to move the component to abut against the alignment member in the first configuration to align the component relative to the substrate; and
a component securing module to secure the component to the substrate after the component is aligned relative to the substrate and before the alignment member is retracted from the opening.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The system of claim 18, wherein the alignment member is shaped to contact two sides of the component when the component abuts the alignment member, to align the component along two linearly-independent directions on the substrate.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The system of claim 19, further comprising:
an additional alignment member and a support, the alignment member and the additional alignment member secured to the support to form a jig;
wherein:
the actuator is mechanically coupled to one or both of the substrate holder and the jig, the actuator to move one or both of the substrate holder and the jig relative to one another between the first configuration in which the alignment member extends through the opening and the additional alignment member extends through a corresponding additional opening in the substrate and the second configuration in which the alignment member is retracted from the opening and the additional alignment member is retracted from the additional opening; and
the component moving module is to move the component to abut against the alignment member at a first side of the component and to abut against the additional alignment member at a second side of the component, to align the component along two linearly-independent directions on the substrate.