27 patents currently held

1 more in force is now held by another company

Held is read from USPTO's recorded assignments; a transfer never recorded there does not appear.

2 more records may belong here and await a decision; they are not counted.

The next term ends in Jan 2027. from the record

Free plan: 3 watched companies. Pro: unlimited.

Alerts on its grants, lapses and transfers.

Ending by 2030

Jan 2027

Next term end

Patent families

When these terms end

5 yrs10 yrs20 yrs

Held patents by the year their term ends

2026202720282029 203020312032 2033 2034 2035 2036 2037 2038 2039204020412042204320442045

notable patents all others Updated Nov 14, 2026 · includes USPTO assignment & status data published Nov 14, 2026 and grant & fee data published Nov 10, 2026 (weekly) · how we know

Notable: the highest-ranked patents in this portfolio by citations and family size.

Notable patents

Ranked by citations and family size, against patents of the same kind granted the same year. How we rank

Notable

Pick and Place Head with Internal Vaccum and Air Pressure Supply, System and Method US 9,955,618

The most cited patent in this portfolio, cited by 15 later US patents, top 25% of utility patents granted in 2018 in our data. Protection runs to 2034.

Ends May 2034 · High confidence Also notable

Spindle Module, Bank, and Method US 11,457,549

Cited by 6 later US patents, top 25% of utility patents granted in 2022 in our data. Protection runs to 2038.

Ends May 2038 · High confidence Also notable

Flexible Substrate Tensioner US 8,490,271

Renewed at every maintenance window since the 2013 grant; no more fees are due before its term ends in 2032.

Ends Apr 2032 · High confidence

Fee deadlines

Maintenance fees fall due 3.5, 7.5 and 11.5 years after grant. A missed fee ends a patent at the end of the six month grace period that follows, not on the due date.

1 fee due Aug 13, 2027
The maintenance fee for Clinch Mechanism for Assembling a Printed Circuit Board with Electronic Components (US 11,903,137) comes due Aug 13, 2027. Unpaid by Feb 14, 2028, it lapses early.

Which patents, and when each one lapses · Pro

Recent changes

Nothing was recorded against this company's patents in the last 90 days.

What they patent

The 5 largest of its 19 families, grouped by real patent family and labeled by the earliest filing in each. No technology classification is inferred from titles.

Dispensing Head, Nozzle and Method	6 in force	to May 2038
Flexible Assembly Machine, System and Method	4 in force	to May 2034
Fixture to Hold Part Before and After Reflow, and Method	1 in force	to May 2039
Improved Printed Circuit Board Transport	1 in force	to Mar 2039
Improved Lead Tip Illumination Device, System, and Method	1 in force	to Dec 2038

Patents held now

Soonest term end first.

Patent	Title	Status	Expires	Confidence
US 8,151,449	Component Placement Machine In force Term ends Jan 15, 2027 · High confidence	In force	Term ends Jan 15, 2027	High confidence
US 7,836,582	Printed Circuit Board Assembly Machine In force Term ends Feb 6, 2029 · High confidence	In force	Term ends Feb 6, 2029	High confidence
US 8,234,780	Substrate Carrier System In force Term ends Dec 25, 2030 · High confidence	In force	Term ends Dec 25, 2030	High confidence
US 8,490,271	Flexible Substrate Tensioner In force Term ends Apr 30, 2032 · High confidence	In force	Term ends Apr 30, 2032	High confidence
US 8,898,893	Method and Apparatus for Applying Fluid During a Placement Cycle In force Term ends Aug 6, 2032 · High confidence	In force	Term ends Aug 6, 2032	High confidence
US 9,814,170	Flexible Assembly Machine, System and Method In force Term ends Jun 27, 2033 · High confidence	In force	Term ends Jun 27, 2033	High confidence
US 9,918,419	Flexible Assembly Machine, System and Method In force Term ends Jun 27, 2033 · High confidence	In force	Term ends Jun 27, 2033	High confidence
US 10,052,705	3D TSV Assembly Method for Mass Reflow In force Term ends Oct 10, 2033 · High confidence	In force	Term ends Oct 10, 2033	High confidence
US 10,058,018	Flexible Assembly Machine, System and Method In force Term ends Mar 12, 2034 · High confidence	In force	Term ends Mar 12, 2034	High confidence
US 9,955,618	Pick and Place Head with Internal Vaccum and Air Pressure Supply, System and Method In force Term ends May 3, 2034 · High confidence	In force	Term ends May 3, 2034	High confidence

10 of 27 patents shown.

Pro members see all 27.

Pro members: see all 27 patents

Also on record, not counted in the 27: 1 patent in force now held by others · 11 patents ended · 3 applications pending · 17 applications abandoned. List them

Sources and methods

Compiled from USPTO application file histories, grants and recorded assignments, with the company's own names reviewed by hand. How this record was built

Portfolio grouped automatically from ownership conveyances to the names matched to this company, usually every name that begins with its own, so it counts patents an affiliate holds; each list row names the holder of record. Security interests are excluded and ambiguous records are not reviewed by hand.

Computed patent terms end on the dates shown. Related patents and pending applications may cover overlapping subject matter.

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Universal Instruments Corporation