Eric Richard Benson

US Patent:

8227723, Jul 24, 2012

Filed:

Oct 19, 2009

Appl. No.:

12/581728

Inventors:

Eric Benson - San Francisco CA, US
Danny Cam Lu - San Francisco CA, US
Jeffrey S. Sullivan - Castro Valley CA, US

Assignee:

Applied Materials, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

B23K 1/00

US Classification:

219 8522, 219 79

Abstract:

The present invention generally relates to a module and process for automatically attaching a junction box to a composite solar cell structure during the fabrication of a completed solar cell device. The electrical connection module further provides a thermode assembly including heating elements for forming a soldered connection between the junction box and the composite solar cell structure and a temperature sensing device in thermal communication with the heating elements for detecting a temperature profile during the connection process. The heating elements and temperature sensing device are linked to a controller configured to monitor and compare the energy input into the heating elements with the temperature near the tip of the heating elements throughout the connection process. The controller is further configured to compare the actual energy versus temperature profile to an expected profile throughout the connection process and verify whether a quality bond is achieved.

US Patent:

20110272061, Nov 10, 2011

Filed:

May 5, 2010

Appl. No.:

12/774391

Inventors:

Eric Benson - San Francisco CA, US
Danny Cam Toan Lu - San Francisco CA, US
Jeffrey S. Sullivan - Castro Valley CA, US

Assignee:

APPLIED MATERIALS, INC. - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

B65B 31/00
B29C 70/72

US Classification:

141 59, 156285

Abstract:

A method for vacuum filling a junction box and a junction box attachment module are provided. According to one embodiment of the invention, a junction box attachment module includes a dispense nozzle, an enclosure and a vacuum source. The enclosure is disposed around and extended from the dispense nozzle, wherein the enclosure has a sealing portion located at its open end. The vacuum source is connected to the enclosure, wherein the vacuum source is configured to establish a vacuum within the enclosure enclosing an open region of a junction box attached to a solar cell device, thereby facilitating injecting a potting material into the open region of the junction box via the dispense nozzle.

US Patent:

20110285840, Nov 24, 2011

Filed:

May 20, 2010

Appl. No.:

12/783668

Inventors:

Eric Benson - San Francisco CA, US
Danny Cam Lu - San Francisco CA, US
Jeffrey S. Sullivan - Castro Valley CA, US
Matthias Wendt - Dreden, DE
Paul-Emmanuel Eyme - Aschaffenburg, DE

Assignee:

APPLIED MATERIALS, INC. - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

H04N 7/18
G06K 9/00

US Classification:

348 87, 382150, 348E07085

Abstract:

The present invention relates to an automated electrical connection module for automatically attaching a junction box to a composite solar cell structure. The electrical connection module includes a thermode assembly having heating elements for forming a soldered connection between the junction box and the composite solar cell structure and a temperature sensing device in thermal communication with the heating elements for detecting a temperature profile during the connection process. The heating elements and temperature sensing device are linked to a controller configured to monitor and compare the energy input into the heating elements with the temperature near the tip of the heating elements throughout the connection process. The electrical connection module further provides a vision system configured to capture images of the soldered connection between the junction box and the composite solar cell structure. The vision system is linked to the controller configured to analyze and compare the captured images to those of properly formed bonds to verify whether a quality bond is achieved.

US Patent:

20160014915, Jan 14, 2016

Filed:

Jul 10, 2014

Appl. No.:

14/328565

Inventors:

- Cupertino CA, US
Christiaan A. Ligtenberg - San Carlos CA, US
Dinesh G. Mathew - Fremont CA, US
Eric L. Benson - San Francisco CA, US
Robert Y. Cao - San Francisco CA, US
Valerie S. Chang - Cupertino CA, US
Victor H. Yin - Cupertino CA, US

International Classification:

H05K 5/00
G06F 1/16

Abstract:

An electronic device may have a housing. Electrical components such as a display and other circuitry may be mounted in the housing. The housing may have portions that move with respect to each other such as a lid that rotates relative to a base. A flexible printed circuit may have metal lines that couple components in one portion of the housing to components in another portion of the housing. As the housing portions move with respect to each other, the flexible printed circuit bends. Reliability may be enhanced for the flexible printed circuit by providing the metal layer that forms the metal lines with upper and lower coating layers. The coating layers may be formed from metal with a higher Young's modulus than a metal core in the metal layer. A slot may be formed along the length of the flexible printed circuit to help increase the minimum bend radius exhibited by the flexible printed circuit. Upper and lower metal shield layers may be provided above and below the metal traces.

US Patent:

20150049275, Feb 19, 2015

Filed:

Aug 15, 2013

Appl. No.:

13/968254

Inventors:

- Cupertino CA, US
Dinesh C. Mathew - Fremont CA, US
Eric L. Benson - San Francisco CA, US
Jason N. Gomez - Campbell CA, US
Jun Qi - Cupertino CA, US
Robert Y. Cao - San Francisco CA, US
Victor H. Yin - Cupertino CA, US
Christiaan A. Ligtenberg - San Carlos CA, US
Wey-Jiun Lin - Los Altos Hills CA, US

Assignee:

Apple Inc. - Cupertino CA

International Classification:

G06F 1/16
G02F 1/1368
G02F 1/133

US Classification:

349 42, 349 58, 36167928

Abstract:

An electronic device may have a housing with a lid that rotates relative to a base. A display in the lid may have a thin-film transistor layer. Display driver circuitry may be mounted to the thin-film transistor layer. A display timing controller integrated circuit may be mounted in the base. A rigid flex printed circuit may have a rigid portion in the base to which the display timing controller integrated circuit is mounted and may have a rigid portion in the lid. A flexible printed circuit portion of the rigid flex printed circuit may be used to couple the rigid printed circuit portion in the lid to the thin-film transistor layer. A flexible printed circuit portion of the rigid flex printed circuit that extends between the lid and the base may be formed from a double-shield-layer single-signal-line-layer flexible printed circuit.