Apparatus and method for bonding conductors
AssigneeMolex Incorporated
InventorMichael S. Godwin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and method is provided for conductively bonding at least two conductors together. An inductive coil generates a magnetic field when electrical current is run therethrough. A magnetic concentrator is disposed near the inductive coil and adjacent which the two conductors can be positioned for concentrating the magnetic field on the conductors. The concentrator is independent of the conductors. Pressure is applied to the conductors. The concentrator concentrates the magnetic field generated by the inductive coil on the conductors, thereby heating the conductors under pressure and electrically bonding the conductors together.
Claims22
An apparatus for conductively bonding the conductors of a pair of flat circuits in which the conductors are generally parallel and at different densities laterally of the circuits, comprising:
- a platen defining a work station;
- locating means on the platen at the work station and above which opposing ends of the pair of flat circuits can be overlapped with the conductors of the overlapped circuits juxtaposed, the locating means being elongated transversely of the parallel conductors;
- an inductive coil above the locating means and including an armature and a winding for generating a magnetic field when electrical current is run therethrough;
- a plurality of magnetic concentrators disposed in an elongated array on said locating means transversely of the parallel conductors for concentrating the magnetic field on the conductors, the concentrators being independent of the inductive coil and the conductors, and the plurality of concentrators having different masses corresponding to the different densities of the conductors laterally of the circuits;
- and
- an applicator for applying pressure to the juxtaposed conductors,
- whereby the concentrators concentrate the magnetic field generated by the inductive coil on the conductors at different concentrations laterally of the circuits corresponding to the different densities of the conductors thereby heating the conductors under pressure and electrically bonding the conductors together.
The apparatus ofclaim 1 wherein said magnetic concentrators comprise magnetic dielectric blocks.
An apparatus for conductively bonding the conductors of a pair of flat circuits in which the conductors are generally parallel and at different densities laterally of the circuits, comprising:
- a platen defining a work station;
- an inductive coil above the work station and beneath which opposing ends of the pair of flat circuits can be overlapped with the conductors of the overlapped circuits juxtaposed, the inductive coil including an armature and a winding for generating a magnetic field when electrical current is run therethrough;
- a plurality of magnetic concentrators disposed in an elongated array at the work station transversely of the parallel conductors for concentrating the magnetic field on the conductors, the concentrators being independent of the inductive coil and the conductors, and the plurality of concentrators having different masses corresponding to the different densities of the conductors laterally of the circuits;
- and
- an applicator for applying pressure to the juxtaposed conductors,
- whereby the concentrators concentrate the magnetic field generated by the inductive coil on the conductors at different concentrations laterally of the circuits corresponding to the different densities of the conductors thereby heating the conductors under pressure and electrically bonding the conductors together.
A method of conductively bonding the conductors of a pair of flat circuits in which the conductors are generally parallel and at different densities laterally of the circuits, comprising:
- providing a platen defining a work station;
- overlapping opposite ends of the pair of flat circuits at the work station with the conductors of the overlapped circuits juxtaposed;
- locating an inductive coil at the work station and including an armature and a winding near the juxtaposed conductors and generating a magnetic field about the conductors in response to electrical current run through the coil;
- locating a plurality of magnetic concentrators in an elongated array at the work station transversely of the parallel conductors for concentrating the magnetic field on the conductors, the concentrators being independent of the inductive coil and the conductors, and the plurality of concentrators being provided with different masses corresponding to the different densities of the conductors laterally of the circuits;
- and
- applying pressure to the juxtaposed conductors of the flat circuits to facilitate electrically bonding the conductors together.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.