Patent US3220025A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US4864723A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4864723A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Electrical circuit modification method
Assignee: Preleg Inc
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Filing: 1988-05-19
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Granted: 1989-09-12
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Expires: 2008-05-19
Abstract
Abstract Wire for repairing or changing circuit elements such as printed circuits has heat-resistant insulation surrounded by a hot-melt adhesive. The wire is attached to the surfaces of printed circuit boards easily by applying a hot iron to the adhesive layer on the wire and melting the adhesive which then adheres to the board surface. The hot iron has a tip with a groove in it so that when the iron tip is pressed onto the wire, the tip embraces the wire to melt the adhesive quickly and to make the bond relatively quickly. The coating is applied by passing insulated wire vertically through a length of molten adhesive and then through a die. A cleaner/holder device is used for cleaning the tip of a hot iron used for melting adhesive, or a soldering iron, and for holding the hot iron when it is not in use. The preferred cleaner is anti-combustion treated absorbent cotton string wound on a spool which is mounted in the holder, or adhesive tape with a soft clutch backing. A fresh cleaning surface can be provided simply by rotating the spool, or unwinding a layer of the cleaning material and removing it.
Inventors
- 👤 Louis E. Griffith
- 👤 Peter R. Ebner
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 06:02
CPC Classifications
H; H05; H05K; H05K7/00; H05K7/02; H05K7/06; H05K3/00; H05K3/22; H05K3/222; H05K2201/00; H05K2201/10; H05K2201/10227; H05K2201/10287; H05K3/30; H05K3/301; H05K3/303; H05K3/305; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T29/00; Y10T29/49; Y10T29/49002; Y10T29/49117; Y10T29/49124; Y10T29/49155; Y10T29/49162
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 30
Claim 1
Independent Claim
100 words
A method of modifying a completed electrical circuit on an electrical circuit member, said method comprising the steps of providing a wire comprising a length of conductor having an electrical insulation layer and an adhesive layer surrounding the insulation layer, electrically connecting the ends of the conductor to said circuit member, said adhesive being normally inactive and being activated by the application of heat thereto, and pressing a tip of a heat applicator against said wire to hold said wire against said board while heating said adhesive by contact with said tip to fasten said wire to said circuit member.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
100 words
A method of modifying a completed electrical circuit on an electrical circuit member, said method comprising the steps of providing a wire comprising a length of conductor having an electrical insulation layer and an adhesive layer surrounding the insulation layer, electrically connecting the ends of the conductor to said circuit member, said adhesive being normally inactive and being activated by the application of heat thereto, and pressing a tip of a heat applicator against said wire to hold said wire against said board while heating said adhesive by contact with said tip to fasten said wire to said circuit member.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
14 words
A method as in claim 1 wherein said insulator layer is made of polytetrafluorethylene.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 including the step of electrically connecting the ends of the conductor terminals on said printed circuit board by soldering.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
14 words
A method as in claim 1 wherein the adhesive layer is a hot-melt adhesive.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method as claimed in claim 4 including the step of heating said adhesive layer by the application of said heat applicator having a temperature of from approximately 550° F. to approximately 650° F.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
75 words
A method as in claim 1 in which said heat applicator has two laterally-spaced apart portions to contact said wire, and including the step of removing one of said portions from contact with said wire while leaving the other portion in contact with said wire so as to hold said wire against said board until the heated adhesive near said one portion has cooled, and then removing said other portion from contact with said wire.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
80 words
A method as claimed in claim 6 wherein said heat applicator tip is a heated tip which is said one portion and said heat applicator includes a spring element which is said other portion of said heat applicator, and in which the spring element presses against the wire as the heated tip is moved toward and into contact with the wire and continues to press said wire against the board as the heated tip is pulled away from the wire.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method as in claim 6 in which said heat applicator tip is an elongated tip, said portions being spaced-apart portions on said tip, said applicator being tapered towards said tip.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method as in claim 8 including the step of tilting said heat applicator to keep said one portion in contact with said wire while lifting said other portion.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
61 words
A method as in claim 8 in which said heat applicator has a handle, an elongated groove in said tip and beveled edges at the ends of said groove, said one portion being at one of said ends and the other portion being at the other of said ends, and including the step of tilting said applicator about said one edge.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method as in claim 1 in which said heat applicator tip straddles the wire to conduct heat to and compress the adhesive when it is pressed against said wire.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method as claimed in claim 11 wherein said tip comprises an elongated groove, the depth of the groove being greater than the diameter of the insulator layer and less than the diameter of the adhesive layer.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
112 words
A circuit wiring method comprising the steps of: providing an electrical circuit member bearing a plurality of pre-existing conductors in a pre-determined pattern formed by automated equipment, providing an additional conductor bearing insulation with inactive hot-melt adhesive completely surrounding said conductor and said insulation, applying said conductor to and manually holding said conductor at a desired location on said circuit member without the use of said automated equipment, activating said hot-melt adhesive by heating it while holding it at one or more selected locations by contacting the adhesive with heated tip to cause said additional conductor to adhere to said circuit member, and electrically connecting said additional conductor to said pre-existing conductors.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
112 words
A circuit wiring method comprising the steps of: providing an electrical circuit member bearing a plurality of pre-existing conductors in a pre-determined pattern formed by automated equipment, providing an additional conductor bearing insulation with inactive hot-melt adhesive completely surrounding said conductor and said insulation, applying said conductor to and manually holding said conductor at a desired location on said circuit member without the use of said automated equipment, activating said hot-melt adhesive by heating it while holding it at one or more selected locations by contacting the adhesive with heated tip to cause said additional conductor to adhere to said circuit member, and electrically connecting said additional conductor to said pre-existing conductors.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method as in claim 13 in which said adhesive has a melting point higher than approximately 300° F.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method as in claim 14 in which said melting point is between approximately 300° F. and 550° F.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method as in claim 14 in which said melting point is between approximately 340° F. and 400° F.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
133 words
A method of modifying printed circuit boards, said method comprising the steps of providing a printed circuit board bearing multiple electrically conductive printed circuit paths formed by a printed circuit board fabrication method, said board having a coating of epoxy resin solder-resist material, providing an elongated conductor with a coating surrounding said conductor, said coating including an inner-most portion of insulating material and an outer portion of hot-melt adhesive material, placing said conductor on said printed circuit board, applying a heated tool to said adhesive material at a selected location and contacting said solder resist coating with said tool, the temperature of said tool being between approximately 500° F. and 650° F., thus causing said conductor to adhere to said printed circuit board and electrically connecting said conductor to said printed circuit paths.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
133 words
A method of modifying printed circuit boards, said method comprising the steps of providing a printed circuit board bearing multiple electrically conductive printed circuit paths formed by a printed circuit board fabrication method, said board having a coating of epoxy resin solder-resist material, providing an elongated conductor with a coating surrounding said conductor, said coating including an inner-most portion of insulating material and an outer portion of hot-melt adhesive material, placing said conductor on said printed circuit board, applying a heated tool to said adhesive material at a selected location and contacting said solder resist coating with said tool, the temperature of said tool being between approximately 500° F. and 650° F., thus causing said conductor to adhere to said printed circuit board and electrically connecting said conductor to said printed circuit paths.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
86 words
A method as in claim 17 in which said conductor has at least one uninsulated end, extending said end into one of a plurality of conductive holes extending through said board, and said electrically connecting step comprises passing said board through a hot solder bath with the solder contacting the surface of said board opposite the surface bearing said conductor, the melting point of said adhesive being sufficient to maintain the adherence of said conductor to said board despite heating thereof by said hot solder bath.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method as in claim 18 which the melting point of said adhesive is higher than approximately 300° F.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
127 words
A method of manually attaching heat-meltable adhesive coated insulated wire to electrical circuit-bearing circuit boards by use of a tool having heating tip means dependent upon the angular orientation of said tool relative to said wire to heat and melt said adhesive, said method comprising the steps of holding said tool against said wire in a first angular orientation so as to hold said wire against said board and heat and melt said adhesive, changing said tool to a second angular orientation while holding said tool against said wire so as to allow at least a portion of the melted adhesive to cool, removing said tool from contact with said wire after said adhesive has cooled and electrically connecting said wire to said circuit on said board.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
127 words
A method of manually attaching heat-meltable adhesive coated insulated wire to electrical circuit-bearing circuit boards by use of a tool having heating tip means dependent upon the angular orientation of said tool relative to said wire to heat and melt said adhesive, said method comprising the steps of holding said tool against said wire in a first angular orientation so as to hold said wire against said board and heat and melt said adhesive, changing said tool to a second angular orientation while holding said tool against said wire so as to allow at least a portion of the melted adhesive to cool, removing said tool from contact with said wire after said adhesive has cooled and electrically connecting said wire to said circuit on said board.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
41 words
A method as in claim 20 in which said heating tip means includes an elongated heating tip which contacts a substantial length of said wire in said first angular orientation, and contacts a substantially smaller portion in said second angular orientation.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
90 words
A method of attaching heat-responsive adhesive-coated insulated wires to a circuit-bearing substrate, said method comprising the steps of pressing and holding a heated element tip against one of said wire to activate said adhesive and hold said wire against said substrate, lifting a portion of said heated element tip away from said wire while another portion continues holding said wire against said substrate to allow a portion of said adhesive to cool and harden before completely releasing said wire and electrically connecting said wire to said circuit on said board.
Claim 27
Independent Claim
90 words
A method of attaching heat-responsive adhesive-coated insulated wires to a circuit-bearing substrate, said method comprising the steps of pressing and holding a heated element tip against one of said wire to activate said adhesive and hold said wire against said substrate, lifting a portion of said heated element tip away from said wire while another portion continues holding said wire against said substrate to allow a portion of said adhesive to cool and harden before completely releasing said wire and electrically connecting said wire to said circuit on said board.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method as in claim 22 in which said heating element tip has recess into which said wire fits and including the step of fitting said wire into said recess when pressing said wire against said substrate.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
56 words
A method as in claim 22 in which said heating element tip extends for a substantial distance along said wire when applied thereto, said lifting step comprising pivoting said element to lift one portion of said element while making contact and continuing to press said wire at the point of pivot distant from said one portion.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
44 words
A method as in claim 24 in which said heating element tip has a recess into which said wire fits, said recess being elongated and having a beveled edge at at least one end, said point of pivot being located at said beveled edge.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1992-09-11 | 1993-03-13 | 1993-09-12 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1996-09-11 | 1997-03-13 | 1997-09-12 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2000-09-11 | 2001-03-13 | 2001-09-12 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |