Alignment weight for floating pin field design

Abstract

An alignment weight is provided. The alignment weight includes a body of material having first and second opposing surfaces. A number of depressions are formed in the first surface. The depressions receive pins of a floating pin field when placed on a floating pin field during connection of the floating pin field to a printed circuit board.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An alignment weight, comprising: 
 a body having a first opposing surface and a second opposing surfaces; and    a number of depressions formed in the first opposing surface so as to receive pins of a floating pin field when placed on the floating pin field during connection of the floating pin field to a printed circuit board, wherein selected ones of the number of depressions are configured to receive only one of the pins.    
     
     
         2 . The alignment weight of  claim 1 , wherein the number of depressions are formed in rows along a perimeter of the body.  
     
     
         3 . The alignment weight of  claim 1 , wherein the body comprises a material that exhibits substantially no warping during a solder reflow process.  
     
     
         4 . The alignment weight of  claim 1 , wherein the body further includes a number of holes that pass through a thickness of the body.  
     
     
         5 . The alignment weight of  claim 4 , wherein the holes are disposed in a center region of the first opposing surface of the body.  
     
     
         6 . The alignment weight of  claim 1 , wherein the depressions have a diameter at a surface of the body that is greater than a diameter of the depression inside the body.  
     
     
         7 . An alignment weight, comprising: 
 a body having a first opposing surface and a second opposing surfaces; and    a plurality of depressions formed in the first opposing surface so as to receive pins of a floating pin field when placed on the floating pin field during connection of the floating pin field to a printed circuit board, wherein each of the plurality of depressions are configured to receive only one of the pins of the floating pin field, and wherein the body has a weight sufficient to provide a downward force to secure the pins of the floating pin field in place during a solder reflow process and to maintain the pins of the floating pin field in a substantially straight-up alignment.    
     
     
         8 . The alignment weight of  claim 1 , wherein some of the plurality of depressions have an inner diameter smaller than an outer diameter.  
     
     
         9 . The alignment weight of  claim 1 , wherein some of the plurality of depressions have an interior angle of less than about 90 degrees.  
     
     
         10 . The alignment weight of  claim 1 , wherein some of the plurality of depressions are substantially circular.  
     
     
         11 . An apparatus, comprising: 
 an alignment weight;    a circuit board; and a plurality of pins adjacent the circuit board and a corresponding plurality of depressions in the alignment weight.    
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising: 
 a field carrier coupled to the plurality of pins.    
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the alignment weight further includes a plurality of passages that pass through a thickness of the alignment weight.  
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of passages are disposed in a center region of a first opposing surface of the alignment weight.  
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the alignment weight comprises a body having a first opposing surface and a second opposing surfaces, wherein the body has a plurality of passages extending from the first opposing surface to the second opposing surface and located in a center region of the first opposing surface, wherein the corresponding plurality of depressions are disposed in rows about a perimeter of the first opposing surface and configured to receive only one pin of the plurality of pins.  
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein some of the corresponding plurality of depressions have a diameter at a surface of the body that is greater than a diameter of inside the body.