Method of mounting electronic components on a circuit board
AssigneeDelco Electronics Corporation
InventorsThomas L. Dowell, Richard S. King
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A carrier on a circuit board has inclined side planes canted at a predefined angle and a ledge. Flat components are placed on the carrier to rest on the inclined planes and the ledges and leads extending through holes in the circuit board. To correct the positions of misplaced components a guide having lower inner faces inclined at the same predefined angle is placed over the components, and a lift tool momentarily pushes up on the leads to position the components above the ledges so that when the lift tool is removed the guide will bias the components down against the ledges and the side planes.
Claims9
A method of mounting a plurality of flat package heat generating electronic components to a component carrier on a circuit board, each component having electrical leads and a mounting surface and an edge adjacent the leads, the component carrier having ledge means adjacent the circuit board for locating the edges of the components and mounting means defining a locating plane at an angle to the circuit board for holding the components with the mounting surfaces in the locating plane, the method comprising the steps of:
- placing the electronic components on the carrier with the component leads protruding through circuit board openings wherein some components are subject to improper placement relative to the ledge means and the mounting means;
- correcting the improper placements by
- biasing the components toward the mounting means and toward the circuit board for seating the edges on the ledge means and the mounting surfaces into the locating plane, and
- momentarily moving at least some of the components away from the circuit board for alignment with the ledge means;
- and
- while continuing the biasing step, soldering the leads of the components to the circuit board.
A method of mounting a plurality of flat package heat generating electronic components on a component carrier on an upper side of a generally horizontal circuit board, each component having a heat sink surface on one side and a mounting surface on the opposite side and a plurality of leads, the component carrier having ledge means adjacent the circuit board and a central portion defining a pair of oppositely disposed mounting planes extending upwardly from the ledge means and canted toward each other at a predefined angle, the method comprising the steps of:
- placing the components on the carrier with the leads of the component protruding through circuit board openings adjacent the ledge means such that, when properly placed, a lower surface of each component seats on the ledge means, and each component rests on the central portion with its mounting surface in a mounting plane;
- positioning a guide tool over the placed components to bias the components downward into engagement with the ledge means and the central portion of the carrier;
- applying a lifting tool to lift at least improperly placed components against the bias of the guide tool;
- then releasing the lifting tool for proper component placement by the guide tool;
- and
- soldering the leads of the components to the circuit board.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.