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US 10,856,416 B2Granted
Flexible printed circuit electrical connector
AssigneeAtl Technology, LLC
InventorKelly Rasmussen
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AssigneeAtl Technology, LLC
InventorKelly Rasmussen
Estimating the term…
Disclosed herein is an electrical connector. The electrical connector comprises a flexible printed circuit comprising electrical elements on a flexible substrate. The electrical elements each comprises a solder pad and contact pad connected by a link. The electrical connector also comprises a base to at least partially surround the flexible printed circuit. The base comprises a connection interface to facilitate electrical connection with the flexible printed circuit through the base. The electrical connector further comprises a receptacle to couple to the base to partially enclose the flexible printed circuit. The receptacle exposes a portion of the flexible printed circuit to facilitate selective electrical connection with the flexible printed circuit through the receptacle.
An electrical connector, comprising:
An electrical connector, comprising:
An electrical connector, comprising:
An electrical connector, comprising:
An electrical connector system, comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.
Printed elements for providing electric connections to or between printed circuits: specially for flexible printed circuits, e.g. using folded…
For flexible printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables or like structures: connections to contact elements
For flexible printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables or like structures: connecting to another shape cable
Bending or folding regions of flexible printed circuits: reinforcement details thereof
About 13 years 4 months of term left · ends 13 Feb 2040 (estimated)
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This disclosure relates generally to electrical connectors, and more particularly to high-density electrical connectors and associated electrical connector systems that employ a flexible printed circuit.
High-density electrical connectors are used to establish multiple electrical connections with a single connector. However, the design and manufacturing of such high-density electrical connectors can be difficult and expensive. Conventionally, individually machined or stamped electrical contacts must be precisely sized, spaced, and located due to tolerance stacking of multiple mating parts. Such precision often requires expensive equipment, materials, and assembly techniques.
The subject matter of the present application has been developed in response to the present state of the art, and in particular, in response to the problems and needs of conventional devices or products for providing a high-density electrical connection between systems that have not yet been fully solved. The subject matter of the present application has been developed to provide an electrical connector that facilitates a high-density electrical connection that overcomes many of the shortcomings of the prior art.
In order that the advantages of the subject matter may be more readily understood, a more particular description of the subject matter briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments that are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the subject matter and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the subject matter will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 illustrates an exploded view of a flexible printed circuit electrical connector, according to one or more examples of the present disclosure;
FIG. 2 illustrates an exploded view of a complement electrical connector, according to one or more examples of the present disclosure;
Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” or similar language means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment,” “in an embodiment,” and similar language throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the same embodiment. Similarly, the use of the term “implementation” means an implementation having a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, however, absent an express correlation to indicate otherwise, an implementation may be associated with one or more embodiments.
Referring to FIG. 1, an electrical connector 100 which includes a flexible printed circuit (FPC) 102, a base 104, and a receptacle 106 is shown. The electrical connector 100 is considered a high-density electrical connector because the electrical connector 100 has a high density of electrical elements each configured to transmit electrical signals which may be power or communication signals.
The base 104 couples to the receptacle 106 to enclose the FPC 102 within the electrical connector 100. In the illustrated arrangement, the FPC 102 surrounds a portion of the receptacle 106 and the FPC 102 is surrounded partially by the receptacle 106 and partially by the base 104. In the illustrated embodiment, a single FPC 102 is shown. Alternatively, more than one FPC 102 may be incorporated in a nested, side-by-side, layered, or similar arrangement.