Patent ID: 6071756
Filing Date: 2000-06-06
Classification: H05K

Abstract:
A method for soldering components onto a printed-circuit board, comprising the steps of:inserting the leads of said components through apertures extending through said printed-circuit board to thereby form a loaded printed-circuit board;placing said loaded printed-circuit board in a horizontal position, thereby defining an upper side of said loaded printed-circuit board, and selecting said upper side as that side adjacent said components;placing, over a region including at least some of said components on said horizontally oriented loaded printed-circuit board, a pin array, said pin array comprising a support arrangement extending over at least a portion of said region, said support arrangement supporting a horizontally disposed two-dimensional array of pins, the horizontal spacing of said pins being selected so that at least one of said pins lies over a corresponding one of said components, at least some of said pins being free to move, independent of motion of other ones of said pins, over a predetermined distance toward said loaded printed-circuit board under the impetus of a force, and being restrained against motion over a distance exceeding said predetermined distance;moving said pin array toward said loaded printed-circuit board at least until said pins come into contact with said components; andsoldering said components to said loaded printed-circuit board.