EP0427563A2 — Apparatus and method for installation of multi-pi…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 132 words

Apparatus for making connections between the pins of a multi-pin component and sockets mounted on a circuit board, said apparatus being characterised in comprising: a body, and a plurality of converter elements supported on said body; each said converter element comprising a receptor adapted for operatively mating with a pin of said multiple component, said receptor being sized to engage a pin having any diameter within a coarse range of diameters, and a precision pin adapted for operatively mating with a socket on said circuit board, the diameter of said precision pin being held to a tolerance so that said diameter is within a precision range of diameters; and in that the variation in diameter within said precision range of diameters is less than the variation within said coarse range of diameters.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 132 words

Apparatus for making connections between the pins of a multi-pin component and sockets mounted on a circuit board, said apparatus being characterised in comprising: a body, and a plurality of converter elements supported on said body; each said converter element comprising a receptor adapted for operatively mating with a pin of said multiple component, said receptor being sized to engage a pin having any diameter within a coarse range of diameters, and a precision pin adapted for operatively mating with a socket on said circuit board, the diameter of said precision pin being held to a tolerance so that said diameter is within a precision range of diameters; and in that the variation in diameter within said precision range of diameters is less than the variation within said coarse range of diameters.

Claim 3

Independent Claim 124 words

A method of installing a multi-pin component into sockets mounted on a circuit board, wherein the diameters of the pins vary so widely in diameter (i.e., have a tolerance so large) as to make the insertion or extraction force required to install or remove said component undesirably large, said method being characterised in comprising the steps of: installing between said component and sockets a plurality of converter elements, one of each pin of said component; providing on each converter element a receptor capable of accepting said pins with widely varying diameters; and providing a precision diameter pin on the other end of each converter element, said pin having a diameter held to a smaller tolerance than the tolerance of the pins of said component.

Claim 4

Independent Claim 124 words

A method of installing a multi-pin component into sockets mounted on a circuit board, wherein the diameters of the pins vary so widely in diameter (i.e., have a tolerance so large) as to make the insertion or extraction force required to install or remove said component undesirably large, said method being characterised in comprising the steps of: installing between said component and sockets a plurality of converter elements, one of each pin of said component; providing on each converter element a receptor capable of accepting said pins with widely varying diameters; and providing a precision diameter pin on the other end of each converter element, said pin having a diameter held to a smaller tolerance than the tolerance of the pins of said component.

Claim 5

Independent Claim 96 words

A method of installing a multi-pin component into sockets mounted on a circuit board, wherein the pins extending from the component vary widely in diameter (i.e., have a coarse tolerance), said method being characterised in comprising the steps of: installing between said component and board-mounted sockets a plurality of converter elements, each converter element having a receptor capable of accepting pins having a coarse tolerance, and each converter element having a pin with a diameter capable of being received in said mounted sockets and held to a precision tolerance, i.e., tolerance less than said coarse tolerance.

Claim 6

Independent Claim 96 words

A method of installing a multi-pin component into sockets mounted on a circuit board, wherein the pins extending from the component vary widely in diameter (i.e., have a coarse tolerance), said method being characterised in comprising the steps of: installing between said component and board-mounted sockets a plurality of converter elements, each converter element having a receptor capable of accepting pins having a coarse tolerance, and each converter element having a pin with a diameter capable of being received in said mounted sockets and held to a precision tolerance, i.e., tolerance less than said coarse tolerance.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 85 words

Apparatus according to Claim 1 or a method according to Claims 2 or 3, further characterised in that said receptors are sized and positioned to engage pins having any pin spacing within a coarse range of pin spacing, in that said precision pins are sized and positioned to have a pin spacing within a precision range of pin spacing, and in that the variation in spacing within said precision range of pin spacing is less than the variation within said coarse range of pin spacing.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 28 words

An apparatus or method according to Claim 4, further characterised in that said variation in pin spacing within said precision range is 0.002 inches (0.00508 cm) or less.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 28 words

An apparatus or method according to Claim 5, further characterised in that said variation in pin spacings within said coarse range is 0.010 inches (0.0254 cm) or greater.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 30 words

An apparatus according to Claim 1 or a method according to Claims 2 or 3, further characterised in that said precision range of diameters is 0.001 inches (0.00254cm) or less.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 29 words

An apparatus or method according to Claim 7 further characterised in that the variation in diameter within said coarse range of diameters is 0.004 inches (0.01016 cm) or greater.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 71 words

Apparatus for making connections between the pins of a multi-pin component and posts mounted on a circuit board, said apparatus being characterised in comprising: a body and a plurality of converter elements supported on said body; each said converter element comprising a first receptor adapted for operatively mating with a pin of said multiple pin component, and a second receptor adapted for operatively mating with a post on said circuit board.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 71 words

Apparatus for making connections between the pins of a multi-pin component and posts mounted on a circuit board, said apparatus being characterised in comprising: a body and a plurality of converter elements supported on said body; each said converter element comprising a first receptor adapted for operatively mating with a pin of said multiple pin component, and a second receptor adapted for operatively mating with a post on said circuit board.

Claim 14

Independent Claim 81 words

A method of making connections between the pins of a multi-pin component and a circuit board, wherein the pins extending from the component vary widely in diameter (i.e., have a coarse tolerance), said method being characterised in comprising the steps of: installing between said component and posts mounted on said board a plurality of converter elements, each converter element having a first receptor capable of accepting said pins, and each converter element having a second receptor capable of accepting said posts.

Claim 15

Independent Claim 81 words

A method of making connections between the pins of a multi-pin component and a circuit board, wherein the pins extending from the component vary widely in diameter (i.e., have a coarse tolerance), said method being characterised in comprising the steps of: installing between said component and posts mounted on said board a plurality of converter elements, each converter element having a first receptor capable of accepting said pins, and each converter element having a second receptor capable of accepting said posts.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 73 words

Apparatus according to Claim 9 or a method according to Claim 10, further characterised in that said first receptor is sized to engage a pin having any diameter within a coarse range of diameters, in that said board-mounted posts have diameters held to within a precision range of diameters, and in that the variation in diameter within said precision range of diameters is less than the variation within said coarse range of diameters.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 140 words

Apparatus for making connections between an electrical device and sockets mounted on a circuit board, said sockets being of the type having a contact with resilient fingers, characterised in that a contact stub is provided on said device for making each of a plurality of said connections, said stub having a curved end and said stub being of sufficiently short length so that during said insertion of said stub into a said socket, said curved end engages at least one said finger and produces a wiping action of said finger against said curved end with the location of contact between said fingers and stub remaining on said curved end so that a force with a component parallel to the longitudinal axis of said stub, and in the direction resisting insertion of said stub, is maintained in the fully inserted position.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 140 words

Apparatus for making connections between an electrical device and sockets mounted on a circuit board, said sockets being of the type having a contact with resilient fingers, characterised in that a contact stub is provided on said device for making each of a plurality of said connections, said stub having a curved end and said stub being of sufficiently short length so that during said insertion of said stub into a said socket, said curved end engages at least one said finger and produces a wiping action of said finger against said curved end with the location of contact between said fingers and stub remaining on said curved end so that a force with a component parallel to the longitudinal axis of said stub, and in the direction resisting insertion of said stub, is maintained in the fully inserted position.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 48 words

Apparatus according to Claim 12, further characterised in that said device comprises a body and a plurality of converter elements, said elements comprising receptors at one end for mating with the pins of a multi-pin component and said stubs at the other end for mating with said sockets.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 23 words

Apparatus according to Claim 12, further characterised in that said wiping action occurs across a distance of at least 0.010 inches (0.0254 cm).

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 87 words

Apparatus according to any of Claims 1, 4 to 9, or 11 to 14, further characterised in that said body is provided with an opening positioned beneath said component when said component is installed on said apparatus, the opening being sufficiently large to accommodate a knockout means of an extraction tool; and in that means are provided for operatively engaging said tool with said body and said tool with the bottom of the multi-pin component to permit an extraction force to be developed between said body and

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 33 words

Apparatus according to Claim 1 or any claim as appendant thereto, further characterised in that the diameters of all of said precision pins on said apparatus fall within said precision range of diameters.

Apparatus and method for installation of multi-pin components on circuit boards

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