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US 5,100,524 AGranted
Apparatus for selectively coating part of a member
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorRonald F. Lester
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus for selectively coating part of a member with a material, such as plating the walls of a hole in a printed circuit board, may include two heads which, during operation of the apparatus, form a passageway between them through the hole. A pump alternately sucks and pumps liquid used in laying down the coating in both directions through the hole. Electrodes may be included in the heads to permit electroplating techniques to be applied in laying down the coating where the material is metallic.
Claims9
Apparatus for selectively plating a material on to the wall of a hole in a printed circuit board, comprising
- first and second hollow cylindrical heads positioned on opposite sides of said board with the hole interposed therebetween, each of said heads containing an electrode for electroplating the wall of said hole when said electrodes are energized;
- pumping means attached to said heads, said pumping means alternately applying suction to produce movement of a plating fluid through said heads in one direction and releasing suction to allow movement of said plating fluid through said heads in the opposite direction;
- first and second carrier members securing said first and second heads respectively to a rigid support structure, each of said carrier members having a resilient portion at an end adjacent said board;
- and
- tensioning means secured to said carrier members for sealing the resilient portions of said carrier members to said board during operation of said apparatus, said apparatus enabling the plating of very small holes without damaging surrounding parts of said printed circuit board.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.