System for molding electronic components

Claim 2

An improved system for molding components in insulative material, said system comprising at least two mold parts which have at least one molding cavity portion formed therein defining at least one molding cavity when said mold parts are brought together, a sheetlike metallic frame member adapted to fit snugly between the mating mold parts, said frame having a pattern of cutouts therein defining a central opening in registry with the mold cavity opening and at least two pairs of spaced-apart slots extending from said central opening to points on said frame short of its edges defining at least two narrow, elongated prong-like strips each joined to the metal frame at one end only with the free ends of said strips extending into the mold cavity and supporting an electronic component in said cavity, a passageway in one of said mold parts communicating with at least one of said cutouts leading to each mold cavity for introducing fluid molding material along said cutout and into the mold cavity to encapsulate said component, with at least one other of said cutouts extending from each mold cavity serving as an overflow passage to receive excess molding material from said cavity.

Claim 3

The molding system of claim 1 in which the pattern of cutouts in the frame member includes one pair of slots extending from the central opening for each terminal to be contacted on the component to be molded.

Claim 4

The molding system of claim 1 in which the cutouts employed to conduct fluid molding material to each molding cavity are selected ones of said slots extending to each molding cavity.

Claim 5

The molding system of claim 1 in which the mold parts comprise a base plate, a runner plate and a cavity plate between said base and runner plates, and wherein cavity openings are formed in the cavity plate, whereby the frame member is positioned between runner plate and the cavity plate with the components supported in the frame member positioned in the cavities in the cavity plate.

Claim 6

The molding system of claim 4 in which grooves are formed in a mating surface of at least one of the mold parts, with at least one groove extending from each mold cavity to the exterior of the mold, the depth of said grooves being sufficient to allow gases to escape therethrough from the molding cavities when they are being filled with fluid molding materials but too shallow to allow entry therein of the molding material itself.

Claim 7

The molding system of claim 4 in which grooves are formed in a surface of the cavity plate extending from the mold cavity therein to the edge of the plate, the depth of said groove being sufficient to allow gases to escape therethrough from the molding cavities when they are being filled with fluid molding material but too shallow to allow entry therein of the molding material itself.

Claim 8

A molding system comprising at least two mold parts which have a plurality of molding cavity portions formed therein defining a plurality of spaced-apart molding cavities when said mold parts are bought together, a sheetlike metallic frame member adapted to fit snugly between the mating mold parts, said frame having a pattern of cutouts therein defining a plurality of central openings spaced apart in correspondence with the spacing of the mold cavities and with the central openings in registry with the cavity openings, and at least two pairs of spaced-apart slots in said frame extending from each central opening to points on said frame short of its edges and defining at least two narrow, elongated prong-like strips each joined to the metal frame at one end only with the free ends of said strips extending into the mold cavity in registration with said respective frame opening, a plurality of electronic components each supported in a mold cavity on the free ends of the at least two prong-like strips extending into each mold cavity, a sprue-like passageway in said mold parts communicating with runner passageways in said mold parts communicating with at least one slot for each mold cavity for introducing fluid molding material through said slots and into the mold cavities to encapsulate said electronic components, with at least one other of said slots extending from each mold cavity serving as an overflow passageway to receive excess molding material overflowing from said mold cavities.

Claim 9

A molding system comprising at least two mold parts which have a plurality of molding cavity portions formed therein defining a plurality of spaced-apart molding cavities when said mold parts are bought together, a sheetlike metallic frame member adapted to fit snugly between the mating mold parts, said frame having a pattern of cutouts therein defining a plurality of central openings spaced apart in correspondence with the spacing of the mold cavities and with the central openings in registry with the cavity openings, and at least two pairs of spaced-apart slots in said frame extending from each central opening to points on said frame short of its edges and defining at least two narrow, elongated prong-like strips each joined to the metal frame at one end only with the free ends of said strips extending into the mold cavity in registration with said respective frame opening, a plurality of electronic components each supported in a mold cavity on the free ends of the at least two prong-like strips extending into each mold cavity, a sprue-like passageway in said mold parts communicating with runner passageways in said mold parts communicating with at least one slot for each mold cavity for introducing fluid molding material through said slots and into the mold cavities to encapsulate said electronic components, with at least one other of said slots extending from each mold cavity serving as an overflow passageway to receive excess molding material overflowing from said mold cavities.

Claim 10

Molding apparatus comprising a base plate, an upper runner plate, a cavity plate intermediate the runner and base plates and having a plurality of spaced-apart openings therethrough, a sheetlike frame member disposed between the cavity plate and the runner plate, said frame member having a pattern of cutouts therein defining a plurality of central openings in registry with the openings in the cavity plate and at least two pairs of spaced-apart slots in said frame extending from each opening to points in said frame short of its edges defining at least two narrow, elongated prong-like strips each joined to the frame at one of their ends only with their free ends bent out of the plane of said frame member into the opening in the cavity plate, a plurality of electronic components each supported in an opening in the cavity plate on the bent ends of the at least two prong-like strips, whereby when said base plate, cavity plate, frame member and runner plate are brought together a plurality of mold cavities are defined with the base and runner plates forming the floors and roofs of the mold cavities and with the registered openings in the cavity plate and frame member forming the side walls of the mold cavities, said runner plate additionally having a sprue hole extending therethrough and communicating with at least one runner-like depression therein overlying and communications with at least one selected slot in the frame member extending to each mold cavity so that the fluid molding material can be introduced from said sprue hole into the runner depressions and through the underlying slots into the mold cavities to encapsulate the components therein, with other selected slots extending from each of said mold cavities serving as overflow passages to receive excess molding from the mold cavities.

Claim 11

Molding apparatus comprising a base plate, an upper runner plate, a cavity plate intermediate the runner and base plates and having a plurality of spaced-apart openings therethrough, a sheetlike frame member disposed between the cavity plate and the runner plate, said frame member having a pattern of cutouts therein defining a plurality of central openings in registry with the openings in the cavity plate and at least two pairs of spaced-apart slots in said frame extending from each opening to points in said frame short of its edges defining at least two narrow, elongated prong-like strips each joined to the frame at one of their ends only with their free ends bent out of the plane of said frame member into the opening in the cavity plate, a plurality of electronic components each supported in an opening in the cavity plate on the bent ends of the at least two prong-like strips, whereby when said base plate, cavity plate, frame member and runner plate are brought together a plurality of mold cavities are defined with the base and runner plates forming the floors and roofs of the mold cavities and with the registered openings in the cavity plate and frame member forming the side walls of the mold cavities, said runner plate additionally having a sprue hole extending therethrough and communicating with at least one runner-like depression therein overlying and communications with at least one selected slot in the frame member extending to each mold cavity so that the fluid molding material can be introduced from said sprue hole into the runner depressions and through the underlying slots into the mold cavities to encapsulate the components therein, with other selected slots extending from each of said mold cavities serving as overflow passages to receive excess molding from the mold cavities.

Claim 12

The molding apparatus of claim 8 wherein the cavity plate is a two piece member comprising a main section having a row of open-ended notches spaced along one side thereof in correspondence with the desired spacing of the mold cavities and wherein the second section is a tapered member having a straight edge for abutting against the notched edge of the main section and wherein the base plate has a wedge shaped groove for receiving the main and tapered sections of the cavity plate assembly when wedged in said groove, whereby the notch openings in said main section have their ends closed off by the straight edge of the tapered section to form the mold cavities.

Claim 13

The mold apparatus of claim 8 wherein the cutout pattern in the frame member includes one pair of slots defining one prong-like metal strip for each terminal on the components in each mold cavity.

Claim 14

The mold apparatus of claim 8 wherein the free ends of the metal strips extending into the mold cavities to support the components therein are each bent to a level out of the plane of the frame member corresponding to the desired level of the terminals to be contacted on each component.

Claim 15

The mold apparatus of claim 8 in which the pattern of cutouts on the frame member defines prong-like metal strips pre-shaped to serve as the external leads of the components after molding and severance of the strips from the frame member.

Claim 16

The molding apparatus of claim 8 wherein the frame member is composed of a more malleable metal than the metal of the other mold parts.

Claim 17

The molding apparatus of claim 8 wherein the pattern of cutouts in the frame member provides the pRong-like metal strips at positions around the central openings in conformity with the desired arrangement of the external leads on the molded components.

Claim 18

The molding apparatus of claim 8 wherein the frame member has a pattern of cutouts comprising a pair of slots extending from opposite sides of each central opening to form a prong-like strip on each side of central opening for supporting a two-terminal component and for providing axial leads for said component after molding.

Claim 19

The molding apparatus of claim 15 wherein the free ends of the strips extending into said mold cavity are bent into clamp like configurations and grip the ends of a slablike component.

Claim 20

The molding apparatus of claim 8 wherein grooves are formed in a surface of the cavity plate extending from each mold cavity therein to the edge of said plate, the depth of said grooves being sufficient to allow the escape of gases therethrough from the molding cavities when they are being filled with molding material but too shallow to allow entry therein of the molding material itself.

Claim 21

The molding apparatus of claim 17 wherein the grooves are formed in the surface of the cavity plate not adjacent to the frame member.

Claim 22

The molding apparatus of claim 17 wherein the depth of the grooves is from 1 to 2 mils.