Patent ID: 7771184

Claim:
A press for encapsulating electronic components with an encapsulating material, comprising: opposed first and second mould parts, wherein at least the first mould part is displaceable relative to the second mould part between closed and open conditions, and wherein the first and second mould parts define a mold cavity when in the closed condition thereof for containing an electronic component to be encapsulated, feed means for feeding the encapsulating material to mold cavity defined by the first and second mould parts, and a drive mechanism operatively connected to at least the first mould part, wherein the drive mechanism includes, (i) a fluid bed having a fixed base part, a moveable operating part connected to the first mould part, a fluid-containing space defined between the fixed base part and the moveable operating part, and a first fluid feed which is fluid-connected to the fluid-containing space; and (ii) a fluid-activated cylinder having a second fluid feed; (iii) a displacer operatively connected to the cylinder and positioned with respect to the fluid-containing space and the first fluid feed so as to be moveably displaceable upon operation of the cylinder between a first position wherein the first fluid feed is in fluid-communication with the fluid-containing space to allow a fluid from a fluid source to be introduced into the fluid-containing space, and a second condition wherein the displacer extends into the fluid-containing space so as to disconnect fluid communication between the first fluid feed and the fluid-containing space and to increase pressure of the fluid in the fluid-containing space when the first and second mould parts are in the closed condition thereof, and (iv) a common fluid feed source operatively connected to both the first fluid feed of the fluid bed and second fluid feed of the cylinder.