Energy absorbing carrier tape

Carrier for electronic circuit components having a plurality of leads extending outwardly from a body, with the body having at least first and second opposing sides, a top and a bottom, with the leads having free ends, comprising, in combination:

• a carrier medium including a front face and a back face;
• and at least a first pocket for receiving the electronic circuit component, with the pocket being provided on the carrier medium and extending beyond the back face, with the pocket including first and second sidewalls on opposite sides of the pocket, with the pocket further including means for supporting the electronic circuit component in the pocket, with the pocket further including a pocket bottom, with the bottom of the body being positioned in the pocket by the supporting means intermediate the pocket bottom and the back face, with the first and second opposing sides of the body being spaced a first distance, with the pocket bottom extending in a direction between the first and second sidewalls a second distance which is shorter than the first distance, with the pocket being dimensionally smaller at the pocket bottom thereof than at an upper portion of the pocket at the back face such that when the carrier medium is stacked in an upper layer and a lower layer, the pocket of the upper layer sandwiches the electronic circuit component against the supporting means in the pocket of the lower layer.

Carrier for an electronic circuit component having a plurality of leads extending outwardly from at least first and second opposing sides of a body, with the body having a top and a bottom, with the leads having free ends, comprising, in combination:

• a carrier medium including a front face and a back face;
• and at least a first pocket for receiving the electronic circuit component, with the pocket including first and second sidewalls, a pocket bottom, and means for supporting the electronic circuit component in the pocket, with the pocket being free of protrusions extending above the bottom of the body of the electronic circuit component when supported in the pocket and which would minimize shifting of the electronic circuit component when supported in the pocket, with the first and second sidewalls located on opposite sides of the pocket, with the sidewalls including ramp portions inclined upwardly and outwardly from the pocket bottom, with the free ends of the leads on the first and second sides of the body engaging with the ramp portions of the first and second sidewalls on opposite sides of the pocket to center the electronic circuit component in the pocket, with the bottom of the body being supported in the pocket by the supporting means intermediate the pocket bottom and the back face, with the first and second opposing sides of the body being spaced a first distance, with the pocket bottom extending in a direction between the first and second sidewalls a second distance which is shorter than the first distance, with the pocket being dimensionally smaller at the bottom thereof than at a portion of the back face such that when the carrier medium is stacked in an upper layer and a lower layer, the pocket of the upper layer sandwiches the electronic circuit component against the supporting means in the pocket of the lower layer.