IC package carrier

Claim 1

A carrier of an IC package having a plurality of IC leads projecting in parallel sidewise from at least two lateral side surfaces thereof, which comprises: a carrier substrate including a section for accommodating the IC package therein and a plurality of grooves formed in at least two lateral side portions of the upper surface of said carrier substrate for accommodating therein the plurality of IC leads and supporting the lower surfaces of the plurality of IC leads on the bottoms thereof when the IC package has been accommodated in said section; IC package supporting means hingedly mounted for rotation at a position on said carrier substrate, disengageably engaged at another position with said carrier substrate and comprising at least two IC lead retaining bars which extend along said two lateral side portions and engage the upper surfaces of the plurality of IC leads for retaining against the lower surfaces of the bars the upper surfaces of the plurality of IC leads when said IC package supporting means has been engaged with said carrier substrate having the IC package accommodated in said section thereof; said at least two IC lead retaining bars having free outer ends, said free outer ends of said bars having engaging pawls, and said free outer ends being elastically shiftable toward and away from each other; and said upper surface of said carrier substrate has engaging means for engaging said pawls and for shifting said free outer ends of said bars toward each other when said bars are rotated against the upper surface of said carrier substrate, whereby said pawls of said free outer ends are engageable and disengageable with said carrier substrate for retaining the IC package.