US 6,267,288 B1Granted

Pallet for combined surface mount and wave solder manufacture of printed ciruits

OwnerHenry Chunginventor

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Abstract

A pallet for mounting components on a double sided PCB including a fab (panel) having a frame area surrounding a depression. A shoulder around the depression is dimensioned to support the fab. The fab is laid on the shoulder with the a group of components mounted in a previous reflow operation in the space between the depression and a first area of the fab. The print, pick and place and reflow operations are performed to mount a second group of components on the opposite side of the fab. The first area of the fab is shielded from the heat of the oven so that the first components do not separate from the fab during the second reflow step. Standoffs in the depression prevent sagging of the board. Another area of the pallet has a recessed area with cutouts for wave soldering components located on the third area of the fab.

Claims6

Dependent claims

A pallet for supporting a fab in a surface mount manufacturing operation wherein manufacturing a double sided PCB requires mounting a first group of components on one side of a fab and mounting a second group of components on an opposite side of the fab using the techniques of:

(i) printing a pattern of solder paste on each side of the fab;
(ii) placing the first and second groups of components on the respective sides of the fab;
(iii) heating the fab to a temperature where the solder paste melts enabling each group to adhere to the fab when the temperature is reduced to ambient temperature;
said pallet comprising:
a panel having a frame area (14) surrounding a depression area (16);
a shoulder (18) having a shoulder surface and located on a perimeter of said depression area;
said depression area and shoulder dimensioned to support the fab positioned on said shoulder surface with a top surface of said fab coplanar with a top surface of said frame area and defining a space between a surface of said depression area and an area of the fab extending over said depression area;
a finger (24) formed by cutting out a portion of the frame area (14) at the edge of the depression area (16);
said finger (24) having one end (28) integrally joined to said frame area (12) and a free end (26) biased toward the depression area providing that the fab on said shoulder (18) over depression (16) is retained on said shoulder (18) by said finger pressing against said fab.

6 more elements

(i) printing a pattern of solder paste on each side of the fab;
(ii) placing the first and second groups of components on the respective sides of the fab;
(iii) heating the fab to a temperature where the solder paste melts enabling each group to adhere to the fab when the temperature is reduced to ambient temperature;
said pallet comprising:
a panel having a frame area (14) surrounding a depression area (16);
a shoulder (18) having a shoulder surface and located on a perimeter of said depression area;
said depression area and shoulder dimensioned to support the fab positioned on said shoulder surface with a top surface of said fab coplanar with a top surface of said frame area and defining a space between a surface of said depression area and an area of the fab extending over said depression area;
an array of openings (39) in said depression area arranged to evenly distribute heat in said space during a reflow cycle.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/420,181Filed 18 Oct 1999
Granted: 31 Jul 2001
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification19 codes

B25B 5/142
Clamps for work of special profile: for windows and frames
B23K 3/08
Tools, devices or special appurtenances for soldering, e.g. brazing, or unsoldering, not specially adapted for particular methods: auxiliary…
B25B 11/02
Work holders not covered by any preceding group in the subclass, e.g. magnetic work holders, vacuum work holders: assembly jigs
H05K 3/3415
Surface mounted components: on both sides of the substrate or combined with lead-in-hole components