1. A production system for a product assembled from a plurality of element groups, comprising:
means for inputting functional and operational product information associated with a first element group, wherein the functional and operational product information comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of: system layout, logical design, layout design, and manufacturing process design, wherein the means for inputting is associated with a first independent business entity and wherein the first independent business entity possesses an industrial property right that is associated with said functional and operational product information;
a first information processing device including a first attributes information storage area for receiving and storing the functional and operational product information associated with the first element group;
means for producing the first element group of the product based on the functional and operational product information in accordance with conditions associated with the industrial property right, wherein the means for producing is associated with a second business entity;
means for combining a second element group with the first element group, producing the product, and selling at least one product in which the first and second element groups have been combined, wherein the means for combining is associated with a third independent business entity, and
means for determining, in the third independent business entity, and for sending, from the third independent business entity, production yield and production plan information for each type of the product to the information processing device of the first independent business entity.
2. A production method for manufacturing a product assembled from a plurality of element groups, comprising:
storing, in an information processing device of a first independent business entity having an industrial property right associated with said product, functional and operational product information, including at least one selected from the group consisting of: a system design, a logical design, a layout design and a manufacturing process design, and storing an identifier for identifying a type of the product, and corresponding manufacturing process and processing conditions;
retrieving, by a second independent business entity, the functional and operational product information from the information processing device of the first independent business entity,
manufacturing, in the second business entity and in accordance with conditions associated with the industrial property right, elements of a first element group of the product according to the product information retrieved from the information processing device and of the first independent business entity according to production plan information corresponding to the type of the product;
manufacturing, in a third independent business entity and in accordance with conditions associated with the industrial property right, elements of a second element group to be assembled with at least one element of the first element group;
assembling, at the third independent business entity, the product with at least elements of the first and second element groups; and
determining, in the third independent business entity, and sending, from the third independent business entity, production yield and production plan information for each type of the product to the information processing device of the first independent business entity.
3. A production method for manufacturing a product assembled from a plurality of element groups, comprising:
performing, in a first independent business entity having an industrial property right associated with said product, at least one selected from the group consisting of: system design, logical design, layout design, and manufacturing process design of the product;
storing, in a first attributes information storage area of a first information processing device, an identifier for identifying a type of the product and corresponding manufacturing process and processing conditions;
creating, in a second independent business entity and in accordance with conditions associated with the industrial property right, a manufacturing process program based on information in the first attributes storage area in the information processing device;
recording, in a second attributes information storage area of a second information processing device, the identifier and production information including production volume, a production schedule, and a lot number, for the type of product corresponding to the identifier;
manufacturing elements of a first element group of the product according to the production information;
manufacturing, in a third independent business entity and in accordance with conditions associated with the industrial property right, elements of a second element group, wherein at least one element of the second element group is to be assembled and fit with at least one element of the first element group; and
recording, in a third attributes information storage area of a third information processing device, a production yield and a production plan information for each type of the product,
wherein:
the first, second and third information processing devices are connected via one of special lines or public lines,
the first independent business entity and the second independent business entity share the first attributes information storage area, and
the second independent business entity and the third independent business entity share the second attributes information storage area and the third attributes information storage area.
4. A production method for manufacturing a product assembled from a plurality of element groups, comprising:
performing, in a first independent business entity having an industrial property right associated with said product, at least one selected from the group consisting of: system design, logical design, layout design, and manufacturing process design of the product;
storing, in a first attributes information storage area of a first information processing device, an identifier for identifying a type of the product and corresponding manufacturing process and processing conditions;
creating, in a second independent business entity and in accordance with conditions associated with the industrial property right, a manufacturing process program based on information in the first attributes information storage area in the first information processing device;
recording, in a second attributes information storage area of a second information processing device, the identifier and production information including production volume, a production schedule, and a lot number for the type of product corresponding to the identifier;
manufacturing an element of a first element group of the product according to the production information;
forming a protective film on the element of the first element group to prevent breakage of the first element group due to at least one of environmental pollution and static electricity;
removing the protective film from a first substrate in a third independent business entity;
manufacturing, in the third independent business entity and in accordance with conditions associated with the industrial property right, elements of a second element group, wherein at least one element of the second element group is to be assembled and fit with at least one element of the first element group; and
recording, in a third attributes information storage area of a third information processing device, a production yield and a production plan information for each type of the product;
wherein:
the first, second and third information processing devices are connected via one of special lines or public lines,
the first independent business entity and the second independent business entity share the first attributes information storage area, and
the second independent business entity and the third independent business entity share the second attributes information storage area and the third attributes information storage area.
5. A production method for manufacturing an integrated product assembled from a plurality of element groups, comprising:
performing, in a first independent business entity having an industrial property right associated with said integrated product, at least one selected from the group consisting of: system design, logical design, layout design, and manufacturing process design of the integrated product;
storing, in a first attributes information storage area of a first information processing device, an identifier for identifying a type of the integrated product and corresponding manufacturing process and processing conditions;
creating, in a second independent business entity and in accordance with conditions associated with the industrial property right, a manufacturing process program based on information in the first attributes information storage area of the first information processing device;
manufacturing elements of a first element group of the integrated product based on information in a second attributes information storage area in which the identifier and production yield for a corresponding product type are stored;
manufacturing, in a third independent business entity and in accordance with conditions associated with the industrial property right, elements of a second element group, wherein at least one element of the second element group is to be assembled and fit with at least one element of the first element group;
establishing a production plan information for each type of the integrated product; and
storing, in a third attributes information storage area of a third information processing device, the identifier and production yield for the corresponding product type;
wherein:
at a first production line owned by the second independent business entity, a first identifier is assigned to each of a first plurality of substrates and processing conditions for each of the first plurality of substrates are assigned in association with the first identifier;
information relating to the processing conditions is stored in the second attributes information storage area of a second information processing device;
one grouping comprising the first plurality of substrates is loaded onto a carrier;
a second identifier for distinguishing the one grouping is assigned to the carrier;
management information comprising an aggregate of processing conditions based on the first identifier is recorded in the second attributes information storage area of the second information processing device;
a manufacturing process is managed based on process progress information obtained on the basis of the second identifier and processing information obtained on the basis of the first identifier;
the first element group is formed to each of plural sections divided up on the first plurality of substrates;
at least one of a first quality information and first characteristic information relating to the first element group formed on the first plurality of substrates between specific processes in a first process is collected and associated with the first identifier and saved in the second information processing device,
at a second production line owned by the third independent business entity, the first plurality of substrates is divided into a second plurality of substrates;
one grouping consisting of the second plurality of substrates is treated as a second lot and is processed according to a second process;
the second element group is formed in correspondence with a plurality of sections divided up on the second plurality of substrates;
at least one of a second quality information, second characteristic information relating to the second element group between specific processes in the second process, a third quality information, and product information relating to where the first element group and the second element group have been composed, is collected;
at least one of the first quality information and the first characteristic information is collated with at least one of the second quality information, the second characteristic information, the third quality information, and the product information;
information specifying an address of a section of a first substrate recognized as a non-defective product is recorded in the third attributes information storage area in the third information processing device;
each of the second plurality of substrates is separated into the sections to generate single-unit functional members; and
only functional members which the address-specifying information indicates are non-defective products are selected and integrated with other functional members and modularized.
6. A production method for manufacturing an integrated product assembled from a plurality of element groups, comprising:
performing, in a first independent business entity having an industrial property right associated with said integrated product, at least one selected from the group consisting of: system design, logical design, layout design, and manufacturing process design of the integrated product;
storing, in a first attributes information storage area of a first information processing device, an identifier for identifying a type of the integrated product and corresponding manufacturing process and processing conditions;
creating, in a second independent business entity and in accordance with conditions associated with the industrial property right, a manufacturing process program based on information in the first attributes information storage area of the first information processing device;
manufacturing elements of a first element group of the integrated product based on information in a second attributes information storage area in which the identifier and production yield for a corresponding product type are stored;
manufacturing, in a third independent business entity and in accordance with conditions associated with the industrial property right, elements of a second element group, wherein at least one element of the second element group is to be assembled and fit with at least one element of the first element group;
establishing a production plan information for each type of the integrated product; and
storing, in a third attributes information storage area of a third information processing device, the identifier and production yield for the corresponding product type;
wherein:
at a first production line owned by the second independent business entity, a first identifier is assigned to each of a first plurality of substrates and processing conditions for each of the first plurality of substrates are assigned in association with the first identifier;
information relating to the processing conditions is stored in the second attributes information storage area of a second information processing device;
one grouping comprising the first plurality of substrates is loaded onto a carrier;
a second identifier for distinguishing the one grouping is assigned to the carrier;
management information comprising an aggregate of processing conditions based on the first identifier is recorded in the second attributes information storage area of the second information processing device;
a manufacturing process is managed based on process progress information obtained on the basis of the second identifier and processing information obtained on the basis of the first identifier;
the first element group is formed to each of plural sections divided up on the first plurality of substrates;
at least one of a first quality information and first characteristic information relating to the first element group formed on the first plurality of substrates between specific processes in a first process is collected and associated with the first identifier and saved in the second information processing device,
a protective film is formed on a first substrate to prevent breakage of the first element group due to at least one of environmental pollution and static electricity, and
the protective film is removed from the first substrate in the third independent business entity,
at a second production line owned by the third independent business entity, after the protective film is removed, the first plurality of substrates is divided into a second plurality of substrates;
one grouping comprising a second substrate is treated as a second lot and is processed according to a second process;
the second element group is formed in correspondence with a plurality of sections divided up on the second plurality of substrates;
at least one of a second quality information, second characteristic information relating to the second element group between specific processes in the second process, a third quality information, and product information relating to where the first element group and the second element group have been composed is collected;
at least one of the first quality information and the first characteristic infonnation is collated with at least one of the second quality information, the second characteristic information, the third quality information, and the product information;
information specifying an address of a section of the second substrate recognized as a non-defective product is recorded in the third attributes information storage area in the third information processing device;
each of the second plurality of substrates is separated into the sections to generate single-unit functional members; and
only functional members which the address-specifying information indicates are non-defective products are selected and integrated with other functional members and modularized.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An electrical connector comprising;
a housing made of insulator to be mounted on a solid circuit board and provided thereon with an opening through which a flat circuit device is inserted into the housing and which opens on one of a first pair of opposite end portions of the housing,
a plurality of conductive contacts arranged on the housing, each of which has a contacting portion positioned in the housing and a connecting terminal portion projecting from the other of the first pair of opposite end portions of the housing to the outside of the housing and the contacting portion comes into contact with a connecting terminal provided on the flat circuit device inserted in the housing through the opening provided thereon, and
a shell member mounted on the housing for covering partially the same and provided with a holding portion formed in a body therein and operative to be put in engagement with the flat circuit device inserted in the housing for holding the same, a releasing portion formed in the body therein and operative to release the holding portion from the engagement with the flat circuit device inserted in the housing and a connecting portion formed in the body therein for connecting the releasing portion with the holding portion,
wherein the releasing portion extends from a portion of the shell member covering one of a second pair of opposite end portions of the housing to the outside of the housing on the side of said one of the first pair of opposite end portions of the housing, the connecting portion extends to be bent from the releasing portion, and the holding portion extends to be bent from the connecting portion toward the other of the first pair of opposite end portions of the housing, so that a U-shaped portion is constituted in the shell member with the releasing portion, the connecting portion and the holding portion.
2. An electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein each of the holding portion and the releasing portion constitutes a resilient movable arm-shaped portion.
3. An electrical connector according to claim 2, wherein the holding portion is provided thereon with an engaging end portion for engaging with an engaging portion provided on the flat circuit device inserted in the housing and operative to swing with a fulcrum placed at a root of the holding portion connected with the connecting portion, and the releasing portion is provided thereon with a manipulatable part on which manipulation for shifting the releasing portion toward the holding portion is exerted and operative to swing with a fulcrum placed at a root of the releasing portion connected with the shell member.
4. An electrical connector according to claim 3, wherein the holding portion is operative to come into contact with a positioning portion provided on the housing to be restricted in position thereby when the manipulatable part of the releasing portion is not manipulated to shift the releasing portion toward the holding portion and operative to come into contact with a contacting portion provided on the housing and move the engaging end portion provided on the holding portion to approach to the root of the releasing portion connected with the shell member when the manipulatable part of the releasing portion is manipulated to shift the releasing portion toward the holding portion.
5. An electrical connector according to claim 4, wherein the holding portion is operative to cause a top end part of the engaging end portion provided on the holding portion to be positioned at the inside of the opening provided on the housing when the holding portion is restricted in position by the positioning portion provided on the housing and then to cause the top end part of the engaging end portion provided on the holding portion to go away from the inside of the opening provided on the housing when the holding portion is operative to shift the engaging end portion provided on the holding portion so as to approach to the root of the releasing portion connected with the shell member.
6. An electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein a couple of sets of the holding portion and the releasing portion of the shell member are formed in a body respectively in a pair of portions of the shell member which cover the second pair of opposite end portions of the housing, respectively.