Universal Pin Production Support (UPPS)

A method for fixing and supporting a printed circuit board or assembly in a customizable manner comprising the steps of:

• providing a universal pin production support (UPPS) that acts as a resettable surface mount carrier for fixing and supporting the printed circuit board or assembly, the UPPS including a main housing with a plurality of support pins contained at least partially within the main housing, the plurality of support pins configured to move away from and toward a first face of the main housing;
• inverting the UPPS such that the first face is positioned above the circuit board or assembly, whereby the inversion of the UPPS automatically causes the plurality of support pins to move to fully extended positions;
• lowering the inverted UPPS into contact with the printed circuit board or assembly to causing at least some of the plurality of support pins that contact the printed circuit board or assembly to retract within the main housing with at least some of the plurality of support pins surrounding the printed circuit board or assembly remaining in the fully extended positions;
• and using an actuator, located along the main housing, to lock the plurality of support pins in a locked position, thereby holding the printed circuit board or assembly in place and allowing transport of the printed circuit board or assembly.

A universal pin production support (UPPS) that acts as a resettable surface mount carrier for fixing and supporting a printed circuit board comprising:

• a main housing having a top plate and a bottom plate that is spaced from the top plate,
• wherein the top plate has a plurality of first through holes formed therein;
• an intermediate plate that is disposed between and can move laterally relative to the top plate and the bottom plate;
• the intermediate plate having a plurality of second through holes formed therein, the first and second through holes being axially aligned relative to one another, wherein a diameter of the second through hole is greater than a diameter of the first through hole;
• a plurality of support pins, each support pin having an elongated shaft and a head that is enlarged relative to the elongated shaft, the elongated shaft passing through one first through hole, while the head being sized only for reception in the second through hole aligned with the one first through hole but not the aligned first through hole;
• an eccentrically mounted actuator for applying a shear force to the intermediate plate resulting in lateral movement of the intermediate plate and contact between the intermediate plate and the plurality of support pins causing the plurality of support pins to be set so that the plurality of support pins protrude select distances from an outer surface of the top plate allowing for a set surface contour of the plurality of support pins, wherein the actuator comprises a CAM knob that is rotatably coupled to the main housing and configured to drive the intermediate plate in a lateral direction, wherein the CAM knob has an eccentric body that includes an off-centered mounting hole such that rotation of the CAM knob about the off-centered mounting hole has a varying radius with respect to radial orientation.