Patent ID: 6474475
Filing Date: 2002-11-05
Classification: B65D,H01L

Abstract:
An apparatus for handling a plurality of substantially identical integrated circuit devices, each of said plurality of substantially identical integrated circuit devices including a plurality of leads extending downwardly below a body portion thereof and having a length, a width and a depth including a downward extension of the plurality of leads, the apparatus comprising:a generally planar latticework forming a plurality of rectangular cells, each of said rectangular cells being dimensioned in length to substantially conform to said length of said circuit devices and dimensioned in width to substantially conform to said width of said circuit devices; at least one rectangular cell of said plurality of rectangular cells being dimensioned in depth substantially as a multiple of said depth of said substantially identical integrated circuit devices of the plurality so as to enable receipt therein of a like multiple of said substantially identical integrated circuit devices in a vertically stacked relationship with the body of portion of each of the like multiple of substantially identical integrated circuit devices above a lowermost integrated circuit device of said like multiple located wholly above the body portion of the next lower integrated circuit device of said like multiple; and at least one lead protection element for an integrated circuit device of said plurality comprising a plate-like structure sized and configured to prevent contact between vertically adjacent integrated circuit devices received within said at least one rectangular cell when said at least one lead protection element is interposed therebetween.