ELECTRONIC ASSEMBLY REMANUFACTURING SYSTEM AND METHOD
First Claim
1. A method for remanufacturing an electronic assembly, the assembly including a housing having therein a circuit assembly comprising a plurality of components, at least one of which is affixed to a portion of the housing, the method comprising:
- removing a first portion of the housing to expose a portion of the circuit assembly, the exposed portion of the circuit assembly having thereon a plurality of solder joints, one or more of the solder joints being associated with at least one component affixed to a second portion of the housing for linking the at least one component to the circuit assembly;
lowering the exposed portion of the circuit assembly onto a desoldering fixture, wherein the desoldering fixture comprises a solder pot assembly including a plurality of solder pots each containing solder and having a closed upper edge, the upper edges of the pots lying essentially in a common plane and collectively encompassing a plurality of distinct regions, the solder pot assembly being registered with the exposed portion of the circuit assembly such that each solder joint associated with the at least one component affixed to the portion of the housing is aligned with only one of the plurality of distinct regions, and each solder joint not associated with the at least one component is registered with an area outside of the plurality of distinct regions; and
lifting the second portion of the housing away from the solder pot assembly while restraining the circuit assembly, thereby removing from the circuit assembly the at least one component affixed to the second portion of the housing.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method for remanufacturing an electronic assembly includes removing a first portion of an assembly housing to expose an underside of an enclosed circuit assembly. One or more solder joints on the underside of the circuit assembly are associated with at least one component that is also affixed to a portion of the housing. The opened electronic assembly is lowered onto a desoldering fixture having a plurality of solder pots configured to encompass, and thus desolder, the solder joints associated with the component that is affixed to a portion of the housing. Once the affected solder joints are melted, the remaining portion of the housing and the component affixed thereto may be lifted away, exposing the top surface of the circuit assembly for analysis, repair, and or adjustment.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method for remanufacturing an electronic assembly, the assembly including a housing having therein a circuit assembly comprising a plurality of components, at least one of which is affixed to a portion of the housing, the method comprising:
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removing a first portion of the housing to expose a portion of the circuit assembly, the exposed portion of the circuit assembly having thereon a plurality of solder joints, one or more of the solder joints being associated with at least one component affixed to a second portion of the housing for linking the at least one component to the circuit assembly; lowering the exposed portion of the circuit assembly onto a desoldering fixture, wherein the desoldering fixture comprises a solder pot assembly including a plurality of solder pots each containing solder and having a closed upper edge, the upper edges of the pots lying essentially in a common plane and collectively encompassing a plurality of distinct regions, the solder pot assembly being registered with the exposed portion of the circuit assembly such that each solder joint associated with the at least one component affixed to the portion of the housing is aligned with only one of the plurality of distinct regions, and each solder joint not associated with the at least one component is registered with an area outside of the plurality of distinct regions; and lifting the second portion of the housing away from the solder pot assembly while restraining the circuit assembly, thereby removing from the circuit assembly the at least one component affixed to the second portion of the housing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A fixture for desoldering a plurality of components from an electronic circuit board, the electronic circuit board having a first side whereon the plurality of components reside and a second side opposite the first side, wherein a plurality of leads associated with the plurality of components are soldered to the baseboard via a plurality of solder joints on the second side of the baseboard, the fixture comprising:
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a plurality of solder pots each having a continuous upper edge, the upper edges of the plurality of solder pots lying essentially in a common plane, the edges collectively encompassing a plurality of distinct regions, each of the plurality of solder pots being configured to contain a body of molten solder, the solder pot assembly being registered with the electronic circuit board such that, in at least one orientation of the electronic circuit board, each joint of the a plurality of solder joints is aligned with only one of the plurality of distinct regions, at least one solder source for supplying molten solder to the plurality of solder pots; and a plurality of latches for holding the electronic circuit board against the upper edges of the plurality of solder pots such that each joint of the a plurality of solder joints is at least partially in contact with molten solder in a solder pot of the solder pot assembly, thereby melting each of the plurality of solder joints. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of using and processing an engine control unit having a housing and a circuit assembly therein comprising a plurality of components, at least one of which is affixed to a portion of the housing, the method comprising:
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installing the engine control unit into a machine unit; using the engine control unit to control an engine of the machine unit; removing the engine control unit from the machine unit; removing a first portion of the housing to expose a portion of the circuit assembly, the exposed portion of the circuit assembly having thereon a plurality of solder joints, one or more of the solder joints being associated with at least one component affixed to a second portion of the housing for linking the at least one component to the circuit assembly; lowering the exposed portion of the circuit assembly onto a desoldering fixture, wherein the desoldering fixture comprises a solder pot assembly including a plurality of solder pots each containing solder and having a closed upper edge, the upper edges of the pots lying essentially in a common plane and collectively encompassing a plurality of distinct regions, the solder pot assembly being registered with the exposed portion of the circuit assembly such that each solder joint associated with the at least one component affixed to the portion of the housing is aligned with only one of the plurality of distinct regions, and each solder joint not associated with the at least one component is registered with an area outside of the plurality of distinct regions; lifting the second portion of the housing away from the solder pot assembly while restraining the circuit assembly, thereby removing from the circuit assembly the at least one component affixed to the second portion of the housing; and testing the circuit assembly as if the at least one component had not been removed. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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21. A method of processing an engine control unit, the engine control unit comprising a housing having top and bottom portions, a circuit assembly within the housing, the circuit assembly having a plurality of components soldered to a board, at least one of the components also being affixed to the top portion of the housing, the method comprising:
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removing the bottom portion of the housing and desoldering the at least one component from the board; removing the top portion of the housing and the at least one component from the board as a single unit; repairing the circuit assembly; and reassembling the top portion of the housing and the at least one component to the circuit assembly as a single unit and resoldering the at least one component to the circuit assembly.
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Specification