# US 12,010,808 B2 · FPC/FFC tension keeping device and electronic apparatus having the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,010,808 B2 - Document ID: US12010808B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/078,674 - Filed: 2022-12-09 - Published: 2024-04-25 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2022-10-25 - Assignees: Fositek Corporation - Applicants: Fositek Corporation - Inventors: Wen-Yen Lin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12010808B2 ## CPC - H05K 7/1422: {Printed circuit boards receptacles, e.g. stacked structures, electronic circuit modules or box like frames} - G06F 1/1679: {for locking or maintaining the movable parts of the enclosure in a fixed position, e.g. latching mechanism at the edge of the display in a laptop or for the screen protective cover of a PDA (G06F1/1681 takes precedence)} - G06F 1/1681: {Details related solely to hinges (hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683)} - G06F 1/1683: {for the transmission of signal or power between the different housings, e.g. details of wired or wireless communication, passage of cabling} - H05K 1/0277: {Bendability or stretchability details (H05K1/038, H05K3/4691 take precedence)} - H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract An FPC/FFC tension keeping device is adapted to be mounted to an electronic apparatus, and includes a tension keeping unit that includes a base seat module and a sliding module. The base seat module includes a base seat and two guide members. The base seat has two guiding slots. The guide members are respectively inserted in the guiding slots and fixedly connected to the base seat. The sliding module includes a sliding member and two resilient members. The sliding member is slidably connected to the guide members. The resilient members are respectively disposed in the two guiding slots and are respectively sleeved on the guide members. The resilient members are configured to maintain, during movement of the sliding member, contact between the sliding member and an FPC/FFC board of the electronic apparatus that wraps around the sliding member, and to conserve tension of the FPC/FFC board. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An FPC/FFC tension keeping device adapted to be mounted to an electronic apparatus, the electronic apparatus including a first device part, a second device part that is rotatably connected to the first device part, and a first FPC/FFC board, the first FPC/FFC board having two opposite first and second ends that are respectively located within the first device part and the second device part, said FPC/FFC tension keeping device comprising: at least one tension keeping unit including a base seat module that includes a base seat and two guide members, said base seat having a first surface, a second surface that is opposite to said first surface, and two guiding slots that extend in a first direction, said two guide members being respectively inserted in said guiding slots and fixedly connected to said base seat, and a sliding module that includes a sliding member being elongated in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction, being connected to said guide members, and being slidable along an axis that extends in the first direction, and two resilient members being respectively disposed in said two guiding slots and respectively sleeved on said guide members; wherein said second surface of said base seat is adapted to be connected to the first end of the first FPC/FFC board, said first surface of said base seat is adapted to be in contact with a first portion of the first FPC/FFC board that is between the first and second ends of the first FPC/FFC board, and said sliding member (51) is in contact with a second portion of the first FPC/FFC board that is between the first end and the first portion of the first FPC/FFC board; and wherein said sliding member is driven to move along the axis toward said base seat when the second end of the first FPC/FFC board is pulled against a resilient force of said resilient members, and is urged by the resilient force of said resilient members to maintain contact between the first FPC/FFC board and said sliding member and conserve tension of the first FPC/FFC board. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The FPC/FFC tension keeping device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sliding member has a contact portion that is adapted to be in contact with the first FPC/FFC board, and two slide portions that are annular, that are respectively connected to two ends of said contact portion opposite in the second direction, that are respectively slidably sleeved on said guide members, and that respectively abut against said resilient members. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The FPC/FFC tension keeping device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said base seat includes a connecting plate that has said first and second surfaces, and two lateral blocks that are respectively connected to two ends of said connecting plate opposite in the second direction, and that are respectively formed with said two guiding slots. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The FPC/FFC tension keeping device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said base seat further has two threaded holes that are respectively in spatial communication with said guiding slots, each of said two guide members having a head portion, a guide rail portion that is connected to said head portion and that extends in the first direction, and a threaded portion that extends from said guide rail portion and that is threadedly connected to a respective one of said threaded holes, said slide portions of said sliding member being respectively slidably sleeved on said guide rail portions of said guide members, said head portion of each of said guide members restraining the respective one of said two slide portions and preventing said slide portion from sliding out of the respective one of said guiding slots. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The FPC/FFC tension keeping device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said at least one tension keeping unit includes two tension keeping units adapted to be connected respectively to the first FPC/FFC board and a second FPC/FFC board of the electronic apparatus, said base seats of said tension keeping units being juxtaposed with each other, one of said lateral blocks of one of said base seats and an adjacent one of said lateral blocks of the other one of said base seats being conjoined in one piece. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) An electronic apparatus comprising: a first device part; a second device part rotatably connected to said first device part; a first FPC/FFC board having two opposite first and second ends that are respectively located within said first device part and said second device part; and an FPC/FFC tension keeping device as claimed in claim 1, said first FPC/FFC board wrapping around said first surface of said base seat, said sliding member, and said second surface of said base seat. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein said sliding member has a contact portion that is in contact with said first FPC/FFC board, and two slide portions that are annular, that are respectively connected to two ends of said contact portion opposite in the second direction, and that are respectively slidably sleeved on said guide members, and that respectively abut against said resilient members. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said base seat includes a connecting plate that has said first and second surfaces, and two lateral blocks that are respectively connected to two ends of said connecting plate opposite in the second direction, and that are respectively formed with said two guiding slots. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said base seat further has two threaded holes that are respectively in spatial communication with said guiding slots, each of said two guide members having a head portion, a guide rail portion that is connected to said head portion and that extends in the first direction, and a threaded portion that extends from said guide rail portion and that is threadedly connected to a respective one of said threaded holes, said slide portions of said sliding member being respectively slidably sleeved on said guide rail portions of said guide members, said head portion of each of said guide members restraining the respective one of said two slide portions and preventing said slide portion from sliding out of the respective one of said guiding slots. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a second FPC/FFC board, said at least one tension keeping unit includes two tension keeping units connected respectively to said first and second FPC/FFC boards, said base seats of said tension keeping units being juxtaposed with each other, one of said lateral blocks of one of said base seats and an adjacent one of said lateral blocks of the other one of said base seats being conjoined in one piece.