Patent US5492265A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5492265A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Method for soldering printed-circuit boards under low pressure
Assignee: Linde Gas AG
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Filing: 1993-03-17
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Granted: 1996-02-20
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Expires: 2013-03-17
Abstract
Abstract The invention relates to a method for soldering electronic components to printed circuit boards or other elements to be connected by soldering, as well as suitable continuous soldering systems. The use of electronic modules, designed in the form of printed circuit boards populated with pluggable, mountable, or surface-mountable electronic components (Surface Mounted Devices, SMDs), which must be then soldered, is growing steadily. To manufacture these modules, suitably prepared printed circuit boards are populated with the corresponding components, the latter are held in place possibly with an adhesive or soldering paste in preparation for the soldering process, and finally the printed circuit boards and the components are connected together permanently and conductively by a soldering process. This soldering process is performed under low pressure and under the plasma action of a special process gas.
Inventors
- 👤 Ernst Wandke
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 20:28
CPC Classifications
B; B23; B23K; B23K1/00; B23K1/012; B23K1/0008; B23K1/0016; B23K1/08; B23K1/085; H; H05; H05K; H05K3/00; H05K3/30; H05K3/32; H05K3/34; H05K3/3489; H05K2203/00; H05K2203/09; H05K2203/095
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
117 words
Method for soldering with a soldering system electronic components onto printed circuit boards using wave soldering, the method comprising the steps of: feeding the printed circuit boards populated with the electronic components to soldering station; soldering the electronic components to the printed circuit boards, the soldering including guiding the populated printed circuit boards with contact over at least one solder wave generated in a solder bath, so that solder is applied to the corresponding areas to be soldered in a wave soldering process, said wave soldering process being performed under low pressure and under the plasma action of a special process gas; and cooling the populated printed circuit boards after the soldering step to harden the solder.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
117 words
Method for soldering with a soldering system electronic components onto printed circuit boards using wave soldering, the method comprising the steps of: feeding the printed circuit boards populated with the electronic components to soldering station; soldering the electronic components to the printed circuit boards, the soldering including guiding the populated printed circuit boards with contact over at least one solder wave generated in a solder bath, so that solder is applied to the corresponding areas to be soldered in a wave soldering process, said wave soldering process being performed under low pressure and under the plasma action of a special process gas; and cooling the populated printed circuit boards after the soldering step to harden the solder.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
Method according to claim 1, wherein the steps that precede, parallel, or follow the soldering process are carried out under the same low pressure as the soldering process itself.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
14 words
Method according to claim 2, wherein the low pressure is less than 100 mbar.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
15 words
Method according to claim 2, wherein the low pressure is between 0.5 to 20 mbar.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
55 words
Method according to claim 1, wherein the preheating step includes effecting a plasma action on the electronic components and the printed circuit boards by a plasma action of the process gas produced independently therein, wherein the same said process gas forms the atmosphere for the preheating step as is used to form the soldering atmosphere.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
Method according to claim 1, wherein the atmosphere during the preheating step is an atmosphere that differs from the atmosphere during the soldering process.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
27 words
Method according to claim 1, wherein the process gas, at least as a plasma, has both a reducing and oxidizing effect and contains oxygen and hydrogen simultaneously.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
40 words
Method according to claim 7, wherein the process gas is a gas mixture composed of 0.5 to 10 vol. % oxygen, 80 to 20 vol. % hydrogen, and 20 to 80 vol. % CF 4 , N 2 or Ar.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
33 words
Method according to claim 1, wherein the plasma action or the plasma from the process gas is produced by at least one of microwaves, high-frequency waves, and a glow discharge with sufficient energy.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
14 words
Method according to claim 1, wherein the plasma is generated at the soldering location.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
20 words
Method according to claim 9, wherein the solder bath is the cathode of a glow discharge for the wave soldering.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
22 words
Method according to claim 1, further comprising generating the plasma outside the soldering system and supplying the plasma to the soldering system.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
19 words
Method according to claim 12, further comprising dividing the generated plasma before supplying the plasma to the soldering system.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
16 words
Method according to claim 1, further comprising mixing the process gas mixture at the soldering system.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
14 words
Method according to claim 1, wherein the process gas mixture is a prepared mixture.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
21 words
Method according to claim 1, wherein the preheating is by at least one of infrared light, microwaves, and other electromagnetic waves.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
16 words
Method according to claim 1, wherein the preheating is accomplished by energy transfer through the plasma.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
16 words
Method according to claim 1, comprising preheating the printed circuit boards fed to the soldering station.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
58 words
Continuous soldering system with a soldering station and additional stations, comprising: a system chamber containing the soldering station and the additional stations, said system chamber chamber being sealed gas-tight from the environment; means for generating a low pressure in said system chamber; and means for forming a specific low-pressure atmosphere in said system chamber in the plasma state.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
58 words
Continuous soldering system with a soldering station and additional stations, comprising: a system chamber containing the soldering station and the additional stations, said system chamber chamber being sealed gas-tight from the environment; means for generating a low pressure in said system chamber; and means for forming a specific low-pressure atmosphere in said system chamber in the plasma state.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
13 words
Soldering system according to claim 19, further comprising gas-flow-inhibiting inserts between individual stations.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1999-02-19 | 1999-08-21 | 2000-02-20 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2003-02-19 | 2003-08-21 | 2004-02-20 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2007-02-19 | 2007-08-21 | 2008-02-20 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |