Patent ID: 7695269

Claim:
A degating apparatus for separating excess molding material from encapsulated electronic packages in a molding system having an upper mold and a lower mold which clamps onto the upper mold with a parting plane at a meeting of the upper mold and the lower mold, the degating apparatus comprising: at least one holding device in the form of a pin coupled to the upper mold of the molding system, the holding device terminating in a tip portion remote from a lower mold, the tip portion being located such that excess molding material is molded onto the tip portion of the holding device during molding; and a locking feature on the tip portion of the holding device that is molded for locking the excess molding material to the holding device; wherein the holding device is operative to hold the excess molding material molded onto it and to forcibly separate the excess molding material from the encapsulated electronic packages after molding, and the encapsulated electronic packages, excess molding material and tip portion of the holding device being located substantially along the parting plane at the meeting of the upper and lower molds in a closed state of the molding system.