Patent ID: 6237832
Filing Date: 2001-05-29
Classification: B23K

Abstract:
A fixture for supporting a PCB over a solder tank in a wave soldering operation which comprises:a frame (12) having at least one frame opening (14) and a frame reference surface (15) on one side of said frame;said frame reference surface abutting a surface (19) of the PCB (18) to be soldered when said PCB (18) is supported on said frame reference surface (15);means for registering said PCB with said at least frame opening;clamp (16) means for clamping the PCB to said frame reference surface (15) with said PCB extending over said at least one frame opening (14):means for resisting warpage of said PCB during said wave soldering operation including at least one of:(i) a pair of stiffeners (36) for resisting warpage of said frame (12) in reaction to heat, each stiffener of said pair being an elongated member, each stiffener having a stiffener reference surface secured against said frame reference surface (15) along an outside edge of said frame reference surface opposite another stiffener of said pair of stiffeners having a stiffener reference surface (17) secured against said frame reference surface along an opposite edge of said reference surface;(ii) a board support means (119) mounted on said frame and extending over said PCB for resisting buckling of said PCB when said PCB is heated during a wave soldering operation;(iii) a hold down means (130) mounted on said frame and extending over said PCB for temporarily securing components on said PCB when said PCB is passed through a wave soldering operations;said frame having a chamfered surface (40) forming a boundary of said frame opening arranged to minimize turbulence of said solder wave impinging on said chamfered surface of said frame.