U.S. patent application number 09/985582 was filed with the patent office on 2003-05-08 for electronic component packaging strip.
Invention is credited to Yen, Yung-yu.
Application Number | 20030085150 09/985582 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25531609 |
Filed Date | 2003-05-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030085150 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Yen, Yung-yu |
May 8, 2003 |
ELECTRONIC COMPONENT PACKAGING STRIP
Abstract
A packaging strip has a series of receiving cavities formed
thereon for each receiving an electronic component therein. Each of
the receiving cavities is internally provided along peripheral
edges with ribs and near a central area with a stepped land
portion. The electronic component is received in the receiving
cavity with its peripheral edges rested on the ribs, so that most
part of the electronic component is suspended in the receiving
cavity and a distance is kept between contacts at a bottom surface
of the electronic component and a bottom of the receiving cavity.
The stepped land portion restricts the electronic component from
moving in the receiving cavity. When the packaging strip is wound
into a roll and compresses the receiving cavities, the land
portions arch to elevate the electronic components, protecting
contacts of the electronic components from damage due to collision
with the receiving cavity.
Inventors: |
Yen, Yung-yu; (Tu-Cheng
City, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
RABIN & CHAMPAGNE, P.C.
Suite 500
1101 14th Street, N.W.
Washington
DC
20005
US
|
Family ID: |
25531609 |
Appl. No.: |
09/985582 |
Filed: |
November 5, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
206/714 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 73/02 20130101;
H05K 13/003 20130101; B65D 81/05 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/714 |
International
Class: |
B65D 085/00; B65D
085/48 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An electronic component packaging strip, comprising a long strip
that could be wound into a roll and has a row of serially and
continuously arranged receiving cavities formed thereon for each
receiving an electronic component therein, each of said receiving
cavities being internally provided along every peripheral edge with
a rib and near a central area with at least one square land portion
raised from a bottom of said receiving cavity; such that said
electronic component is positioned in said receiving cavity with
peripheral edges of said electronic component rested on said ribs
and most other part of said electronic component suspended in said
receiving cavity; and said at least one land portion being adapted
to arch and thereby elevate said electronic component positioned in
said receiving cavity when said packaging strip is bent while being
wound into a roll, protecting contacts provided at a bottom surface
of said electronic component from damage due to any collision with
a bottom of said receiving cavity.
2. The electronic component packaging strip as claimed in claim 1,
wherein each of said land portions has a stepped top to provide an
upward projected central area that serves as a locating means, and
said locating means being engaged with an area on said electronic
component that do not have any contact provided thereat, so as to
hold said electronic component in place and restrict said
electronic component from moving in said receiving cavity.
3. The electronic component packaging strip as claimed in claim 1,
wherein said ribs are provided along peripheral edges of each said
receiving cavity in a plurality of pairs of opposite ribs.
4. The electronic component packaging strip as claimed in claim 2,
wherein said locating means are formed at their respective tops
with grooves arranged in a predetermined manner to enhance a
structural strength of said land portions.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a packaging strip having a
plurality of continuous receiving cavities for receiving electronic
components therein. Each of the receiving cavities includes ribs
provided along peripheral edges thereof and a stepped land portion
provided near a central area thereof. The electronic component is
received in the receiving cavity with its peripheral edges rested
on the ribs and its central portion rested on the stepped land
portion, so that most part of the electronic component is suspended
in the receiving cavity and a distance is kept between contacts at
a bottom surface of the electronic component and a bottom of the
receiving cavity. When the receiving cavities are compressed while
the packaging strip is wound into a roll, the land portions arch to
elevate the electronic components and thereby protect contacts of
the electronic components from damage due to collision with the
receiving cavity under pressure.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Taiwan Patent Application No. 86211417 discloses an
electronic component carrying strip that is provided with frames
having contours generally similar to that of the electronic
components to be carried. The frames are slightly raised from a
horizontal surface of the carrying strip when the latter is wound
around a reel. Moreover, each of the frames is provided near a
center thereof with a small spot of adhesive. The electronic
component is adhered to the small spot of adhesive and restrained
in place by the frame that generally meets the contour of the
electronic component.
[0003] For an electronic component having contacts formed at a
bottom surface thereof in the manner of ball grid array (BGA), the
contacts are easily deformed due to any collision with other
things. When the electronic components having BGA contacts are
carried over the carrying strip disclosed in Taiwan Patent
Application No. 86211417, the contacts tend to collide with the
carrying strip and become damaged or unusable when the carrying
strip is wound into a roll. In other words, the carrying strip for
electronic components disclosed in Taiwan Patent Application No.
86211417 does not include any structure to protect the contacts on
the electronic components and is therefore not suitable for
positioning electronic components, particularly those with BGA
contacts.
[0004] Another Taiwan Patent Application No. 85217916 discloses a
packaging strip provided with boxes into which electronic
components are packaged. Each of the boxes has inward beveled top
edges to facilitate easy positioning of the electronic components
into the boxes and to obtain an enhanced structural strength for
the boxes. Again, the disclosure of Taiwan Patent Application No.
85217916 does not include any structure to protect the electronic
component having BGA contacts.
[0005] It is therefore desirable to develop a packaging strip for
electronic components to protect the contacts on the electronic
components from damage due to collision with the packaging strip
when the latter is being wound.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] A primary object of the present invention is to provide an
electronic components packaging strip capable of protecting
electronic components packaged therein from damaged contacts even
when the packaging strip is compressed, for example, while being
wound into a roll.
[0007] Another object of the present invention is to provide an
electronic component packaging strip that includes means to hold
the electronic components to the packaging strip and restrict them
from moving.
[0008] A further object of the present invention is to provide an
electronic component packaging strip that includes structurally
strengthened locating means for holding the electronic components
to the packaging strip, and the locating means are not subject to
permanent deformation even the packaging strip has been wound and
stretched many times.
[0009] To achieve the above and other objects, the electronic
component packaging strip of the present invention has a plurality
of serially and continuously arranged receiving cavities formed
thereon for each receiving an electronic component therein. Each of
the receiving cavities is internally provided along peripheral
edges with ribs and near a central area with a stepped land
portion. The electronic component is received in each receiving
cavity with its peripheral edges rested on the ribs and its bottom
central area rested on the stepped land portion, so that most part
of the electronic component is suspended in the receiving cavity
and a distance is kept between BGA contacts provided at a bottom
surface of the electronic component and a bottom of the receiving
cavity. The stepped land portion provides an upward projected
central area serving as a locating means to engage with the bottom
central area of the electronic component and thereby restricts the
electronic component from moving in the receiving cavity. When the
packaging strip is wound into a roll, the land portion arches to
elevate the electronic component and protects contacts on the
bottom surface of the electronic element from damage due to
collision with the bottom of the receiving cavity under pressure.
The locating means is provided at a top with grooves arranged in
predetermined patterns, so that the entire land portion has an
enhanced structural strength.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] The structure and the technical means adopted by the present
invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best
understood by referring to the following detailed description of
the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings,
wherein
[0011] FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of an electronic
component packaging strip according to the present invention;
[0012] FIG. 2 shows the packaging strip of FIG. 1 is used to
package connectors;
[0013] FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, sectioned side view of FIG. 2
showing the positioning of a connector in one of many receiving
cavities formed on the packaging strip;
[0014] FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, sectioned side view showing the
packaging strip of FIG. 3 is bent and a land portion generally
centered at the receiving cavity elevates the connector positioned
in the receiving cavity;
[0015] FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the
packaging strip of the present invention is used to package
chips;
[0016] FIG. 6 is a fragmentary, sectioned side view showing the
packaging strip of FIG. 5 is bent and the chip positioned in the
receiving cavity is elevated by the land portion; and
[0017] FIG. 7 shows a condition in which the connector positioned
in the receiving cavity of the packaging strip of the present
invention is not completely seated on the land portion.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0018] Please refer to FIG. 1 that is a fragmentary perspective
view of an electronic component packaging strip 1 according to the
present invention. The packaging strip 1 is a long strip that could
be wound into a roll and having a row of serially and continuously
arranged receiving cavities 11 formed through press molding. Each
of the receiving cavities 11 is internally provided along every
peripheral edge with a rib 112, and near a central area with a
square land portion 113 raised from a bottom 111 of the receiving
cavity 11. In a preferred embodiment, the ribs 112 are arranged
into a plurality of pairs of two opposite ribs. Each of the land
portions 113 has a stepped top so that a central area thereof
projects from the top of the land portion 113 to serve as a
locating means 114 and a shoulder portion is formed around the
location means 114. Moreover, the locating means 114 is provided at
a top with a plurality of grooves 115 arranged in predetermined
patterns to increase an overall structural strength of the land
portion 113. In the illustrated embodiment, the grooves 115 include
two intersected straight grooves and a circular groove.
[0019] Please refer to FIG. 2. Each of the receiving cavities 11 is
designed to receive an electronic component therein. In the
illustrated embodiment of FIG. 2, the electronic component is a
connector 2 having contacts 23 (see FIG. 3) formed at a bottom
surface thereof in the manner of ball grid array (BGA). It is to be
noted that the connector 2 is a standardized component onto which a
central processing unit (CPU) is plugged. The connector 2 has a
central square opening 21 and a plurality of pinholes 22 arranged
around the opening 21 for each receiving a pin provided on the CPU.
The pinholes 22 extend a full thickness of the connector 2, and the
contacts 23 are correspondingly formed at lower ends of the
pinholes 22.
[0020] Please refer to FIG. 3. The connector 2 is positioned in the
receiving cavity 11 with the central square opening 21 engaged with
the locating means 114 and an area of the connector 2 adjacent to
an outer periphery of the opening 21 rested on the shoulder portion
of the land portion 113. Meanwhile, outer peripheral edges of the
connector 2 are rested on the ribs 112 provided in the receiving
cavity 11, so that most part of the connector 2 is substantially
suspended in the receiving cavity 11. That is, there is a distance
h (as indicated by the arrows) existing between the contacts 23
provided at the bottom surface of the connector 2 and the bottom
111 of the receiving cavity 11, preventing the contacts 23 from
colliding with the bottom 111 when the packaging strip 1 is wound
into a roll and therefore protecting the connectors 2 packaged in
the packaging strip 1 against high damage rate. The locating means
114 projected from the top of the land portion 113 engages with the
central square opening 21 of the connector 2 to hold the connector
2 in place and therefore prevents the connector 2 from moving out
of the receiving cavity 11 when the packaging strip 1 is wound into
a roll. That is, the locating means 114 is provided to set the
connector 2 to a fixed position in the receiving cavity 11 and
restrict the connector 2 from moving.
[0021] The packaging strip 1 of the present invention is
structurally characterized in that the land portion 113 close to
the central area of the receiving cavity 11 is the first place in
the cavity 11 that arches when the receiving cavity 11 is subject
to a pressure and becomes compressed. This is because most part of
stress produced at the time the receiving cavity 11 is compressed
would converge on the land portion 113 and arch the same. However,
with the grooves 115 provided on the locating means 114 that
enhance the overall structural strength of the land portion 113,
the land portion 113 is not subject to permanent deformation and/or
damage due to repeated pressure applied on it.
[0022] Please refer to FIG. 4. There is a tolerance of fit between
the connector 2 and the receiving cavity 11. That is, the connector
2 is slightly larger than the receiving cavity 11, so that outer
peripheral surfaces of the connector 2 positioned in the receiving
cavity 11 press against inner wall surfaces of the receiving cavity
11 to firmly hold the connector 2 to the receiving cavity 11 and
prevent the connector 2 from falling out of the receiving cavity 11
when the packaging strip 1 is wound into a roll. Please note that
the compressed receiving cavity 11 on the wound packaging strip 1
causes the land portion 113 to arch and therefore elevate the
connector 2, protecting the contacts 23 at the bottom surface of
the connector 2 from colliding with the bottom 111 of the receiving
cavity 11. That is, the distance h is increased.
[0023] FIGS. 5 and 6 show that the packaging strip 1 of the present
invention is used to package chips 3. It is noted that each of the
chips 3 is provided at a bottom surface, except a central area 31
thereof, with a plurality of contact 32. As in the embodiment shown
in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, the chip 3 is positioned in the receiving
cavity 11 with its outer peripheral edges rested on the ribs 112
and the bottom central area rested on the land portion 113 and
engaged with the locating means 114, so that a distance h exists
between lower ends of the contacts 32 and the bottom 111 of the
receiving cavity 11. When the packaging strip 1 is wound into a
roll, the receiving cavity 11 is compressed and the land portion
113 arches to elevate the chip 3 rested thereon, preventing the
contacts 32 from colliding with the bottom 111 of the receiving
cavity 11.
[0024] What is to be noted is the land portions 113 on the
packaging strip 1 are not limited to any specific shape and number.
Any type and number of land portions 113 should be included in the
scope of the present invention so long as the land portions 113 in
a compressed state could elevate the electronic components
positioned in the receiving cavities 11.
[0025] As mentioned above, the connector 2 is positioned in the
receiving cavity 11 with its outer peripheral edges rested on the
ribs 112 and its central square opening 21 engaged with the
projected locating means 114, so that most part of the connector 2
is substantially suspended in the receiving cavity 11. In the event
there are manufacturing errors in forming the land portions 113 on
the packaging strip 1, it is possible the outer peripheries of the
openings 21 fail to fully rest on the shoulder portions of the land
portions 113 and leave a small distance between them, as shown in
FIG. 7. Nevertheless, the land portions 113 would still arch to
elevate the connectors 2 when the receiving cavities 11 are
compressed, and therefore protect the contacts 23 from contacting
with the bottoms 111 of the receiving cavities 11. This condition
also applies to the chips 3 positioned in the receiving cavities 11
to protect the contacts 32 against damage.
[0026] The present invention has been described with a preferred
embodiment thereof and it is understood that many changes and
modifications in the described embodiment can be carried out
without departing from the scope and the spirit of the invention
that is intended to be limited only by the appended claims.
* * * * *