System for refurbishing or remanufacturing an electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9894776-B2
Application number	US-201414157780-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 17, 2014
Priority date	Jan 8, 2013
Publication date	Feb 13, 2018
Grant date	Feb 13, 2018

Abstract

An approach to refurbishing or remanufacturing an electronic device may involve exposing electrical components that are situated within an interior of the electronic device. The approach may also involve replacing one or more defective electronic components of the electronic device with one or more replacement components and applying a protective coating to at least a portion of the interior of the electronic device. The protective coating may cover the circuit board and the electronic components it carries. The protective coating may also cover at least some of the electrical connections of the electronic device. The protective coating may also be applied to the replacement component prior to reassembly. The resulting refurbished or remanufactured electronic device may thus be provided with moisture resistance to help protect the electronic device from damage caused by exposure to moisture.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A system for refurbishing or remanufacturing an electronic device,
the system comprising:
an access element for exposing one or more components within an interior of an electronic device;
a component removal element for removing one or more defective components from the electronic device;
a component replacement element for replacing the one or more defective components with one or more replacement components for the electronic device;
a masking element for applying a mask to features and/or components of the interior of the electronic device that are to be exposed beyond a subsequently applied protective coating; and
a coating element downstream from the masking element for applying a poly(p-xylylene) protective coating to at least a portion of the interior of the electronic device exposed through or beyond the mask and to the one or more replacement components and to the mask, the coating element being used downstream from the component replacement element.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the coating element is also used downstream from the component removal element and upstream of the component replacement element.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a material removal component for removing at least a portion of one or more protective coatings from around the one or more defective components within the interior of the electronic device.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the material removal component is located upstream of the component removal component.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the material removal component is further configured to selectively remove at least the portion of the one or more protective coatings from the one or more defective components.

6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a diagnosis element for identifying the one or more defective components.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the access element is configured to remove at least a portion of a housing from the electronic device.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the access element is configured to make an opening in a housing of the electronic device.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the mask is configured to remain assembled with said feature(s) and/or components of the interior of the electronic device.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more replacement components include a pre-coated protective coating thereon.

11. A system for refurbishing or remanufacturing an electronic device,
the system comprising:
a component removal element for removing one or more defective components from the electronic device;
a component replacement element for replacing the one or more defective components with one or more replacement components of the electronic device;
a masking element for applying a mask to features and/or components of an interior of the electronic device that are to be exposed beyond a subsequently applied protective coating; and
a coating element for applying a poly(p-xylylene) protective coating to at least a portion of the interior of the electronic device exposed through or beyond the mask and to the one or more replacement components and to the mask, the coating element being used downstream from the component replacement element and from the masking element.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the coating element is located downstream from the component removal element and upstream of the component replacement element.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the coating element is located downstream from the component replacement element.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the coating element is also used downstream from the component removal element and upstream of the component replacement element.

15. The system of claim 11 , further comprising:
a material removal component for removing at least a portion of one or more protective coatings from around the one or more defective components within the interior of the electronic device.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the material removal component is located upstream of the component removal component.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the material removal component is further configured to selectively remove at least the portion of the one or more protective coatings from the one or more defective components.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the material removal component is configured to abrade and/or to cut the protective coating to separate the portions of the protective coating over the one or more defective components from the adjacent portions of the protective coating.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the material removal component is located upstream of the component removal component.

20. The system of claim 18 , wherein the material removal component is further configured to selectively remove at least the portion of the one or more protective coatings from the one or more defective components.

21. The system of claim 11 , wherein the mask is configured to remain assembled with said feature(s) and/or components of the interior of the electronic device.

22. The system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more replacement components include a pre-coated protective coating thereon.

23. A system for refurbishing or remanufacturing an electronic device,
the system comprising:
a material removal element for mechanically separating portions of a protective coating over one or more defective components of the electronic device from adjacent portions of the protective coating that are to remain on the electronic device:
a component removal element for removing one or more defective components from the electronic device; and
a component replacement element for replacing the one or more defective components with one or more replacement components for the electronic device; and
a coating element for applying a poly(p-xylylene) protective coating to at least a portion of the interior of the electronic device and to the one or more replacement components and to a mask on the electronic device, the coating element being used downstream from the component replacement element.

24. The system of claim 23 , wherein the coating element is also used downstream from the component removal element and upstream of the component replacement element.

25. The system of claim 23 , wherein the one or more replacement components include a pre-coated protective coating thereon.

Assignees

• Hzo Inc

Inventors

• Stevens Blake
• Sorenson Max
• Gordon Scott B

Classifications

• H05K13/0486 Primary

  Replacement and removal of components · CPC title

• H05K3/288

  Removal of non-metallic coatings, e.g. for repairing · CPC title

• H05K3/30 Primary

  Assembling printed circuits with electric components, e.g. with resistors · CPC title

• H05K3/225

  Correcting or repairing of printed circuits (H05K1/0292, H05K3/222, H05K3/288, H05K3/4685 take precedence) · CPC title

• Y10T29/49004

  including measuring or testing of device or component part · CPC title