Apparatus for covering electronic components with plastic material

Claim 1

Apparatus for covering electronic components with a low-pressure molding compound, comprising an assembly of closing units each of said closing units being rotatable on an axis of rotation and comprises two angularly spaced apart closing sub-units, each closing sub-unit has an open side remote from said axis of rotation and includes mold means located in said open side, said closing sub-units being operable to open and close said mold means, means operatively associated with each of said such closing units for carrying such components to and from each of said closing units, each of said closing sub-units being movable to a first position, in which its mold means are operable to enclose electronic components carried by said carrying means, and to receive such a molding compound to cover said components, and to a second position in which its mold means are open, and means operatively associated with each of said closing units for cleaning said mold means of each of said closing sub-units when the same is in said second position, said closing units being operable to move said closing sub-units in alternation to said first position, and to move one of two angularly spaced closing sub-units to said second position while moving the other closing sub-unit to said first position, so that said closing unit is operable for continuous covering of said components, while at the same time being automatically cleaned.