Spool case for bonding wire, and method of handling spool using same

Abstract

A bonding wire spool case, and a method of handling a spool using the spool case has a structure capable of effectively preventing the durability and the holding of the spool from being deteriorated due to the repeated coupling and decoupling operations of the spool with respect to the spool holder while preventing the bonding wire from being contaminated and damaged due to the carelessness of the worker. The bonding wire spool case includes a base having a bottom portion and a sidewall protruded from the bottom portion. The base mounts a spool wound with a bonding wire thereon. A cover is coupled to the base at the outer surface of the sidewall of the base to prevent an alien material such as dust from being introduced. The sidewall of the base is partially provided with an opening portion. A slide coupling member is internally formed at the base such that the slide coupling member is fitted to the flange portion of the spool when the spool slides inward through the opening portion.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A bonding wire spool case, comprising: 
 a base having a bottom portion and a sidewall that protrudes from the bottom portion, a spool wound with a bonding wire being mountable on the base;    a cover coupled to the base at an outer surface of the sidewall of the base so as to prevent foreign material from being introduced into the case, the sidewall of the base being partially provided with an opening portion; and    a slide coupling member internally formed at the base so that the slide coupling member is fitted to a flange portion of the spool when the spool slides inward through the opening portion.    
     
     
         2 . The bonding wire spool case of  claim 1 , wherein the slide coupling member has a guide rail arranged so as to space the spool from the bottom portion of the base by a predetermined distance, and a coupling protrusion arranged to protrude from an inner surface of the sidewall so as to hold the flange portion of the spool together with the guide rail.  
     
     
         3 . The bonding wire spool case of  claim 2 , wherein the slide coupling member has at least two coupling protrusions.  
     
     
         4 . The bonding wire spool case of  claim 3 , wherein the slide coupling member has three coupling protrusions arranged so as to hold the spool at three points.  
     
     
         5 . The bonding wire spool case of  claim 4 , wherein the three coupling protrusions are positioned at portions of the sidewall placed at both sides of the opening portion, and at a portion of the sidewall facing the opening portion.  
     
     
         6 . The bonding wire spool case of  claim 5 , wherein the portion of the sidewall facing the opening portion is formed with a curvature identical to the spool flange.  
     
     
         7 . The bonding wire spool case of  claim 1 , wherein the cover has a protrusion configured to be insertable into an inner diameter portion of the spool when the spool is mounted to the base so that a central axis of the spool is maintainable in a horizontal direction.  
     
     
         8 . A method of handling a spool using a spool case having a base with a bottom portion and a sidewall that protrudes from the bottom portion, a spool wound with a bonding wire being mountable on the base, a cover coupled to the base at an outer surface of the sidewall of the base so as to prevent foreign material from being introduced into the case, the sidewall of the base being partially provided with an opening portion, and a slide coupling member internally formed at the base so that the slide coupling member is fitted to a flange portion of the spool when the spool slides inward through the opening portion, the method comprising the steps of selectively coupling and decoupling the spool from a spool holder by sliding the base of the spool case in a direction perpendicular to the spool holder without directly touching the spool by hand.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , including sliding the base downward in a direction perpendicular to the spool holder.