Spool case of bonding wire

A spool case for storing a spool having at least one flange with an outer circumferential edge, said spool case comprising:

• a base and a cover to be fitted to each other and separated from one another,
• at least one of said base and said cover having a plurality of engaging pieces formed thereon that removably engage and support the outer circumferential edge of the flange of the spool in at least a horizontal position of the spool when said base and said cover are separated from one another;
• said at least one of said base and said cover thereby supporting the spool via said engaging pieces to be transported when said engaging pieces engage and support the outer circumferential edge of the flange of the spool and when said base and said cover are separated from one another;
• and
• wherein said at least one of said base or said cover is resiliently deformable, and at least one of said plurality of engaging pieces are unitarily and resiliently deformed with said at least one of said base or said cover when engaging and disengaging the flange.

A spool case for storing a spool having at least one flange with an outer circumferential edge, said spool case comprising:

• a base and a cover to be fitted to each other and separated from one another,
• at least one of said base and said cover having a plurality of engaging pieces formed thereon that removably engage and support the outer circumferential edge of the flange of the spool in at least a horizontal position of the spool when said base and said cover are separated from one another;
• said at least one of said base and said cover thereby supporting the spool via said engaging pieces to be transported when said engaging pieces engage and support the outer circumferential edge of the flange of the spool and when said base and said cover are separated from one another;
• and
• the spool having a barrel section, wherein
• said base comprises:
• an inner circumferential ridge that fits said cover, said inner circumferential ridge being provided with a plurality of engaging sections arranged in positions to resiliently engage the outer circumferential edge of the flange of the spool when the spool is stored in the spool case, each of the engaging sections being unitarily and resiliently deformed when said base is deformed, thereby releasing the spool, and
• said cover comprises:
• an expanded guiding ridge fitting the barrel section of the spool, said guiding ridge guiding the spool both when said base and said cover of said spool case are fit together and when said base and said cover of said spool case are separated from one another.

An assembled spool case, comprising:

• a spool having a center axis and including at least one flange with an outer axial face and an inner axial face perpendicular to the center axis of said spool, and an outer circumferential edge face extending along a direction substantially parallel to the center axis of said spool and connecting said outer axial face and said inner axial face;
• bonding wire wound about said spool to form a wound spool;
• and
• a spool case having a base and a cover axially fitted to each other along an axial direction corresponding to the direction of the center axis of said spool and readily detached from one another along the axial direction, at least one of said base and said cover having a plurality of engaging pieces formed thereon that removably engage and support the outer circumferential edge face of the flange of the spool in at least a horizontal position of the spool when said base and said cover are detached from one another, said at least one of said base and said cover supporting the spool to be transported when said base and said cover are detached from one another, via the engagement of said engaging pieces to said outer circumferential edge face of said flange and the support of said engaging pieces of said outer circumferential edge face of said flange when said base and said cover are detached from one another, said wound spool being stored in said spool case.

A method for handling a spool case and spool having a center axis and including at least one flange with an outer axial face and an inner axial face perpendicular to the center axis of the spool, and an outer circumferential edge face extending along a direction substantially parallel to the center axis of the spool and connecting the outer axial face and the inner axial face, comprising:

• engaging a plurality of engaging pieces formed on at least one of a base and a cover to only one outer circumferential edge face of the spool and supporting said only one outer circumferential edge face of the spool by said engaging, said at least one flange having said only one outer circumferential edge face being adjacent said at least one of a base and a cover of the spool case with no other flange intervening therebetween;
• holding with a handler's hand said at least one of a base and a cover of the spool case;
• and
• transporting said spool without any direct contact between the spool and the handler's hand, by transporting said at least one of said base and said cover by the handler's hand and transporting the outer circumferential edge face of the flange of the spool via said the engaging of said engaging pieces to said outer circumferential edge face of said flange and the supporting of said outer circumferential edge face of said flange by said engaging pieces, so that said spool is supported at only one end via said outer circumferential edge face of said flange when said base and said cover are detached from one another.

A spool case for storing a spool having a center axis and including at least one flange with an outer axial face and an inner axial face perpendicular to the center axis of the spool, and an outer circumferential edge face extending along a direction substantially parallel to the center axis of the spool and connecting the outer axial face and the inner axial face, said spool case comprising:

• a base and a cover axially fitted to each other along an axial direction corresponding to the direction of the center axis of the spool and readily detached from one another along the axial direction,
• at least one of said base and said cover having an engaging portion of substantially a same inner dimension as the outer circumferential edge face of the flange of the spool and adapted to removably engage and support the outer circumferential edge face of the flange of the spool when said base and said cover are detached from one another, said at least one of said base and said cover supporting the spool to be transported when said base and said cover are detached from one another, via the engagement of said engaging portion to said outer circumferential edge face of said flange and the support of said engaging portion of said outer circumferential edge face of said flange when said base and said cover are detached from one another;
• and
• a holding section by which said at least one of said base and said cover is held to be transported when said base and said cover are detached from one another, said holding section formed on said at least one of said base and said cover substantially opposite said engaging portion and projecting in a direction away from said engaging portion, said spool being transported together with all of said at least one of said base and said cover having said holding section, said holding section, and said engaging portion when said engaging portion engages and supports the outer circumferential edge face of the flange of the spool as said base and said cover are detached from one another.

A method of mounting a wound spool onto a machine with a spool case having a base and a cover, the method comprising:

• holding at least one of the base and the cover, said at least one of said base and said cover having a plurality of engaging pieces formed thereon that removably engage and support an outer circumferential edge of a flange of the wound spool;
• separating said base and said cover from one another, the outer circumferential edge of the flange being supported to be transported by said engaging pieces and the spool being thereby supported to be transported by said at least one of said base and said cover and removed from a remaining one of said base and said cover;
• transporting the spool:
• placing the wound spool on said machine via said at least one of said base and said cover;
• and
• deforming said at least one of said base and said cover via a disengaging section, at least one of said plurality of engaging pieces releasing the outer circumferential edge of the flange of the spool when said at least one of said base and said cover is deformed so that said wound spool is released and mounted on the machine without direct contact between an operator's hand and the spool.

A spool case for storing a spool having at least one flange with an outer circumferential edge, the spool case comprising:

• a base and a cover to be fitted to one another and separated from one another,
• at least one of said base and said cover having:
• a plurality of engaging pieces that removably engage and support the outer circumferential edge of the flange of the spool, so that when said base and said cover are separated from one another, the outer circumferential edge of the flange is supported to be transported by said engaging pieces and the spool is thereby supported to be transported by said at least one of said base and said cover and removed from a remaining one of said base and said cover;
• and
• a disengaging section adapted for a user's hand to deform said at least one of said base and said cover, at least one of said plurality of engaging pieces releasing the outer circumferential edge of the flange of the spool when said at least one of said base and said cover is deformed via said disengaging section.