Paul Christopher Watson

US Patent:

58616020, Jan 19, 1999

Filed:

Jul 24, 1995

Appl. No.:

8/506240

Inventors:

Wilton Louis Cox - Charlotte NC
Charles David Fieselman - Concord NC
Leonard Douglas Hobgood - Durham NC
Paul Gilbert Watson - Durham NC
Simon Yu - Harrisburg NC

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

B23K 2600

US Classification:

21912164

Abstract:

The present invention features an improvement in the construction and manufacturing of small peripheral cartridges which plug into exterior slots of computer systems such as PCMCIA cards. The metal cover of a snap-together PCMCIA card is typically tack welded at its seams An inexpensive and highly accurate welding technique is presented for performing this welding operation. The inventive welding technique may be used without risk of damage to highly sensitive electronic components. The lap joint seam formed using the techniques exhibits the strength and stiffness characteristics that allow the size of welded seams to be minimized thereby also reducing the risk of burn-through or other damage to the cards during manufacturing.

US Patent:

61946834, Feb 27, 2001

Filed:

Jan 18, 2000

Appl. No.:

9/484783

Inventors:

Wilton Louis Cox - Charlotte NC
Charles David Fieselman - Concord NC
Leonard Douglas Hobgood - Durham NC
Paul Gilbert Watson - Durham NC
Simon Yu - Harrisburg NC

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

B23K 2600

US Classification:

21912163

Abstract:

The top and bottom parts of a one-piece cover of a PCMCIA card are snapped together to form lap-joint seams which are welded together with a laser, under argon gas. Only a few small tack welds are required to substantially increases the mechanical strength and moisture resistance and to eliminate the risk of accidentally opening the card. The operation can be done at a high rate with minimal cost. Also, an internal frame may be made much narrower to allow more card area, while still meeting structural requirements for PCMCIA cards. The weld penetrates fully through the first layer of the seam and only partially through a second layer. During welding a fixture holds the seams in reasonably precise position and tightly closed so the seams are much tighter after welding than when the card is only snap closed. The precise positioning of the seams also allows the size of the weld to be minimized which reduces the risk of burn through which may damage electronic components enclosed within the card during welding. The card is plugged into an externally accessible slot in a computer system during operation.

US Patent:

61082090, Aug 22, 2000

Filed:

Sep 25, 1997

Appl. No.:

8/937411

Inventors:

Wilton Louis Cox - Charlotte NC
Charles David Fieselman - Concord NC
Leonard Douglas Hobgood - Durham NC
Paul Gilbert Watson - Durham NC
Simon Yu - Harrisburg NC

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

H05K 114

US Classification:

361737

Abstract:

A cartridge having top and bottom metal covers which enclose a circuit board, the metal of the covers forming a seam which is welded at locations therealong to bond the two covers together. The covers may form a snap-fit, lap, or butting seam where the welds are applied. The cartridge is particularly useful in PCMCIA applications.