Female screw device practical for installation in a motherboard by a SMT automatic machine

{
  "publication_number": "US6587352B1",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B1",
  "title": "Female screw device practical for installation in a motherboard by a SMT automatic machine",
  "abstract": "A female screw device is constructed to include a female screw rod adapted for mounting in a mounting hole of a motherboard to support an object above the motherboard, the female screw rod having an axially extended screw hole for the installation of a screw, and a quick-release cap adapted for fastening to the female screw rod to close the screw hole for enabling the female screw rod to be installed in a mounting hole of a motherboard by a SMT automatic machine, the quick-release cap having a cap body and a plurality of springy retaining arms adapted for fastening to the screw hole of the female screw rod to secure the cap body to the female screw rod to block up the screw hole.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A female screw device comprising: A female screw rod adapted for mounting in a mounting hole of a motherboard, said female screw rod having a screw hole; and a quick-release cap having a cap body for blocking up the screw hole of the female screw rod, and a plurality of springy retaining arms extending toward the screw hole and adapted for fastening thereby for the quick-release cap temporarily fastening to the female screw rod.",
    "2. The female screw device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said springy retaining arms have a smoothly arched shape."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "1. Field of the Invention\n\nThe present invention relates to a female screw device and, more particularly, to such a female screw device, which is practical for installation in a motherboard by a SMT (surface mounting technique) automatic machine.\n\n2. Description of the Prior Art\n\nA computer motherboard has a plurality of mounting holes for the mounting of female screw rods to support a circuit board or any of a variety of electronic devices above the motherboard. After insertion of female screw rods into the respective mounting holes, screws are respectively mounted in the female screw rods to fixedly secure the circuit board or electronic device in place. After installation of related parts in the motherboard, the motherboard is delivered to a tin soldering stove to receive a soldering process. According to current motherboard fabrication methods, electronic components are automatically installed in the motherboard by SMT (surface mounting technique). However, because female screw rods have a screw hole extended through the top and bottom sides thereof, they cannot be automatically sucked by the vacuum suction unit of a SMT automatic machine for quick installation in the motherboard. Therefore, workers achieve the installation of female screw rods manually. This manual installation procedure takes much time and labor and, cannot eliminate human errors. In order to eliminate this problem, some manufacturers plug a plastic plug into the screw hole of each female screw rod before its installation so that a SMT automatic machine can suck in the female screw rod for quick installation in a motherboard.",
  "cpc": [
    "H05K 7/142"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "H05K 7/14"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Chiang Chun Lin"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2002-06-21",
  "publication_date": "2003-07-01",
  "grant_date": "2003-07-01",
  "priority_date": "2002-06-21",
  "application_number": "US-17603902-A",
  "family_id": "22642727",
  "cited_by_count": 2,
  "citations": [
    "US4875140A",
    "US5618129A",
    "US5671124A",
    "US5724229A",
    "US5978232A",
    "US6225566B1",
    "US6399887B1"
  ]
}