Optical device molding system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9346205-B2
Application number	US-57874509-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 14, 2009
Priority date	Oct 15, 2008
Publication date	May 24, 2016
Grant date	May 24, 2016

Abstract

A substrate having a plurality of protrusion members on its surface is molded by a molding system comprising first and second molds cooperating to apply a clamping force onto the substrate for molding, and a middle plate located between the first and second molds such that the substrate is clamped between the middle plate and the first mold during molding. A plurality of molding cavities is located on the second mold and through-holes formed in the middle plate correspond to positions of the molding cavities, such that each through-hole is sized and configured for inserting a protrusion member of the substrate to enable each protrusion member to be in communication with a molding cavity of the second mold. Molding compound is molded onto the protrusion members by the molding cavities during molding.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Molding system for a substrate having a plurality of protrusion members on its surface, each protrusion member having a molding side for mounting a light-emitting diode (LED) chip thereto, the molding system comprising:
first and second molds cooperating to apply a clamping force onto the substrate for molding;
a middle plate located between the first and second molds which is movable relative to the first and second molds, and configured such that the substrate is clamped between the middle plate and the first mold during molding;
a plurality of molding cavities located on the second mold;
through-holes formed in the middle plate corresponding to positions of the molding cavities, each through-hole being sized and configured for inserting a respective one of the plurality of protrusion members of the substrate to enable the protrusion member to communicate with a respective one of the plurality of molding cavities of the second mold, and to form a seal around a molding side of the protrusion member to prevent leakage of the molding compound from the molding side of the protrusion member to other non-molding sides of the protrusion member;
a plurality of holes located on the first mold, each of the plurality of holes is sized for inserting and receiving a respective protrusion member; and
a plurality of supporters, each of the plurality of supporters being located within a respective hole and biased by resilient devices to push the protrusion members towards the molding cavities on the second mold;
wherein the second mold comprises a plunger pot in the form of an elongated channel which is operative to receive the molding compound for molding, runners connecting the plunger pot to the plurality of molding cavities, and a plunger for expelling the molding compound from the plunger pot into the plurality of molding cavities through the runners to encapsulate said portion of the respective molding side of each of the plurality of protrusion members.

2. Molding system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the molding cavities are arranged in separate rows and the plunger pot is centrally located between the separate rows of molding cavities.

3. Molding system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a dispenser movable over the plunger pot which is operative to dispense molding compound into the plunger pot.

4. Molding system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the plunger comprises a locking feature which is operative to adhere the molding compound to the plunger after molding so as to facilitate the separation of the molding compound in the molding cavities from cull.

5. Molding system as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the locking feature comprises one or more angular hook-like recesses on a surface of the plunger.

6. Molding system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a track plate guided by a support rod for gripping a side of the substrate, and which is operative to move the substrate vertically between the first mold and the middle plate.

7. Molding system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the middle plate substantially covers the whole surface of the substrate except for positions of the protrusion members.

8. Molding system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the holes comprise blind holes.

9. Molding system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the molding compound is silicone and the molding compound forms a lens on each protrusion member after molding.

10. Molding system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the molding cavities are formed on inserts which are detachably insertable in the second mold.

11. Molding system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a surface of the middle plate which contacts the molding compound is coated with a coating which is operative to prevent molding compound from sticking to the middle plate.

12. Method of molding a substrate having a plurality of protrusion members on its surface, each protrusion member having a molding side for mounting a light-emitting diode (LED) chip thereto, the method comprising the steps of:
providing first and second molds and a middle plate located between the first and second molds;
locating a plurality of holes on the first mold, each of the plurality of holes being sized for inserting and receiving a respective protrusion member; and
locating a respective supporter within each hole and pushing the protrusion members towards the molding cavities on the second mold with the supporters being biased by resilient devices;
locating the substrate between the middle plate and the first mold while inserting the plurality of protrusion members into through-holes formed in the middle plate to enable the plurality of protrusion members to be in communication with respective ones of a plurality molding cavities formed in the second mold, and to form seals around respective molding sides of the plurality of protrusion members to prevent leakage of the molding compound from the molding sides of the protrusion members to other non-molding sides of the protrusion members;
applying a clamping force onto the substrate; and then
encapsulating a portion of the molding side of each of the plurality of protrusion members with a molding compound during molding,
wherein the second mold comprises a plunger pot in the form of an elongated channel which has molding compound for molding, runners connecting the plunger pot to the plurality of molding cavities, and a plunger, and that the step of encapsulating the plurality of protrusion members includes pushing the plunger into the plunger pot to force the molding compound into the runners and subsequently into the plurality of molding cavities to thereby encapsulate the respective portions of the molding sides of the plurality of protrusion members.

13. Method of molding a substrate as claimed in claim 12 , further comprising dispensing molding compound into plunger pot in the form of an elongated channel before applying a clamping force onto the substrate, the plunger pot being connected to the molding cavity by runners.

14. Method of molding a substrate as claimed in claim 12 , further comprising the step of gripping a side of the substrate with a track plate guided by a support rod, and moving the substrate linearly between the first mold and the middle plate to position the substrate for clamping.

15. Method of molding a substrate as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the middle plate substantially covers a surface of the whole substrate except for the protrusion members.

16. Method of molding a substrate as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the holes comprise blind holes.

17. Method of molding a substrate as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the molding compound is silicone and the molding compound forms a lens on each protrusion member after molding.

Assignees

• Ho Shu Chuen
• Kuah Teng Hock Eric
• Hao Ji Yuan
• Chiw Ee Ling
• Ong See Yap
• Asm Tech Singapore Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Ho Shu Chuen
• Kuah Teng Hock Eric
• Hao Ji Yuan
• Chiw Ee Ling
• Ong See Yap

Classifications

• H10W74/00 Primary

  Encapsulations, e.g. protective coatings · CPC title

• B29D11/00807

  Producing lenses combined with electronics, e.g. chips · CPC title

• B29C33/68

  Release sheets · CPC title

• H01L2924/00

  Electricity · mapped topic

• B29C45/02

  Transfer moulding, i.e. transferring the required volume of moulding material by a plunger from a "shot" cavity into a mould cavity · CPC title