Electronic component carrier tape with generic pockets
AssigneeMinnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
InventorThomas Skrtic
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A carrier tape is provided for storing electronic components and for supplying those components seriatim to a machine. The tape comprises an aligned row of pockets formed in the tape, with each pocket having a plurality of ribs that define lead-retaining slots therebetween for retaining the projecting leads of the electronic components positioned therein. At least one of the electronic components positioned within the carrier tape has a different number of leads than the pockets have lead-retaining slots, to facilitate the storage and delivery of different sized components within the pockets of a single carrier tape.
Claims24
A flexible carrier tape for storage and delivery of components by an advancement mechanism, the carrier tape comprising:
- (a) a strip portion having a top surface, said strip portion including means for engaging the advancement mechanism;
- (b) a plurality of aligned pockets spaced along the carrier tape and opening through said top surface, said pockets each comprising
- (i) at least one side wall adjoining and extending downwardly from said top surface of said strip portion,
- (ii) a bottom wall portion adjoining said at least one side wall to form the pocket, and
- (iii) lead retaining means comprising a plurality of individual ribs that define a number of lead-retaining slots therebetween, the number of lead-retaining slots not equal to the number of leads of at least one of the components;
- and
- (c) at least one component within at least one pocket, said component having a body and a number of spaced leads arranged at least one aligned row and projecting from the body into the slots, at least one component having a different number of leads than the pocket in which it is contained has lead-retaining slots.
A flexible carrier tape for storage and delivery of components by an advancement mechanism, each component having a body including a number of leads arranged in at least one aligned row and projecting from the body, the carrier tape comprising:
- (a) a strip portion having a top surface, said strip portion including means for engaging the advancement mechanism;
- (b) a plurality of aligned pockets spaced along the carrier tape and opening through said top surface, said pockets each comprising
- (i) at least one side wall adjoining and extending downwardly from said top surface of said strip portion,
- (ii) a bottom wall adjoining said at least one side wall to form the pocket, and
- (iii) a plurality of individual ribs that define a number of lead-retaining slots therebetween, said ribs having portions inclined with respect to the bottom wall of the pocket to guide the components into the pocket, and vertical portions for positively positioning the component within the pocket,
- whereby the carrier tape is adapted to carry at least one component within each of said pockets.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.