# US 2014/0154899 A1 · Flexible direct or usb plug-in platform for foldable or flexible electronics > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0154899 A1 - Document ID: US20140154899A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/093,726 - Filed: 2013-12-02 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-11-30 - Assignees: The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York - Inventors: Shyuan Yang; Ioannis Kymissis - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140154899A1 ## CPC - H05K 3/32: electrically connecting electric components or wires to printed circuits - H01R 12/79: connecting to rigid printed circuits or like structures - H05K 1/118: {specially for flexible printed circuits, e.g. using folded portions} - H01R 12/721: {cooperating directly with the edge of the rigid printed circuits} - H05K 1/028: {Bending or folding regions of flexible printed circuits (H05K1/0283 takes precedence)} - H05K 3/326: {the printed circuit having integral resilient or deformable parts, e.g. tabs or parts of flexible circuits (H05K3/365 takes precedence)} - H05K 2201/051: Rolled - H05K 2201/052: Branched - H05K 2201/053: Tails - H05K 2201/055: Folded back on itself - H05K 2201/09754: Connector integrally incorporated in the printed circuit board [PCB] or in housing - Y10T 29/4913: Assembling to base an electrical component, e.g., capacitor, etc. - H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS - H01R: ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract An apparatus comprises a flexible circuit substrate that includes a body portion and at least one connector portion formed monolithically with the body portion. The connector portion is shaped by at least one of one or more bends of the flexible circuit substrate or one or more folds of the flexible circuit substrate, and the connector portion is configured to be received in a receptacle of a connector device. The apparatus also includes at least one electrode formed on the connector portion and configured to make electrical contact with an electrical conductor of the receptacle of the connector device, at least one electronic component on the flexible circuit substrate, and interconnect to provide electrical continuity from the electrode to the electronic component. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus comprising: a flexible circuit substrate including a body portion and at least one connector portion formed monolithically with the body portion, wherein the connector portion is shaped by at least one of bending the flexible circuit substrate, folding the flexible circuit substrate, or rolling the flexible circuit substrate, and wherein the connector portion is configured to be received in a receptacle of a connector device; at least one electrode formed on the connector portion and configured to make electrical contact with an electrical conductor of the receptacle of the connector device; at least one electronic component on the flexible circuit substrate; and interconnect to provide electrical continuity from the electrode to the electronic component. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the bending the flexible circuit substrate, folding the flexible circuit substrate, or rolling the flexible circuit substrate provides a restoring force to bias the at least one electrode to the electrical conductor of the receptacle of the connector device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electronic component is an active electronic component that is monolithic to the flexible circuit substrate. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flexible circuit substrate includes a plurality of connector portions, wherein a connector portion includes a fold to configure the connector portion as an appendage that extends outward from the body portion to be received in the receptacle of the connector device, and includes at least one electrode configured to make electrical contact with an electrical conductor of the receptacle of the connector device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the appendage is not coplanar with the body portion of the flexible circuit substrate. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the plurality of connector portions are configured as appendages to be received in the receptacle of an alternating current (AC) outlet connector device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the appendage includes a first section and a second section, wherein the first section extends away from the body portion of the flexible substrate and the second section is folded back towards the body portion of the flexible substrate. ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the plurality of connector portions are configured as appendages to be received in the receptacle of a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flexible circuit substrate includes a plurality of connector portions, wherein a connector portion includes a lateral bend about a longitudinal axis of the connector portion to form a substantially cylindrical shape, wherein the cylindrical shape is configured to be received over a receptacle of a plurality of receptacles of the connector device. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flexible circuit substrate includes a plurality of connector portions extending away from the flexible circuit substrate, and wherein the flexible circuit substrate includes one or more lateral bends about a longitudinal axis of the flexible circuit substrate to position the plurality of connector portions to be received by a plurality of receptacles of the connector device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 including the connector portion having at least one bend to form the connector portion into a substantially cylindrical shape configured to be received into a receptacle for an audio or video jack plug connector, wherein the connector portion includes a plurality of electrodes arranged along the length of the substantially cylindrical shape. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the connector portion includes a plurality of folds to form an appendage that extends outward from the body portion of the flexible circuit substrate for arrangement over a center post receptacle of the connector device, wherein the connector portion includes a plurality of electrodes configured for electrical contact with a plurality of electrodes arranged on the center post receptacle of the connector device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the connector portion includes a plurality of electrodes configured for electrical contact with a plurality of electrodes arranged on multiple sides of the center post receptacle of the connector device. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the connector portion of the flexible circuit substrate includes at least one bend to form an appendage that extends outward from the flexible circuit substrate and is configured to be received by a rectangular volume receptacle of the connector device, wherein the connector portion includes a plurality of electrodes configured for electrical contact with a plurality of electrodes arranged on inside periphery of the rectangular volume receptacle of the connector device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the connector portion of the flexible circuit substrate includes a plurality of lateral folds to configure the connector portion to be received by a receptacle having a center post and an inside periphery, and wherein the connector portion includes a plurality of electrodes arranged to provide electrical contact with a plurality of contacts arranged on the center post and the inside periphery of the receptacle of the connector device. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electronic component is a light emitting electronic component. ### Claim 17 A method comprising: forming a monolithic flexible circuit substrate having a body portion and at least one connector portion; forming at least electrode on the at least one connector portion, wherein the electrode is configured to provide electrical contact with an electrical conductor of a receptacle of a connector device; forming interconnect on the flexible circuit substrate to provide electrical continuity from the electrode to an electronic component provided on the flexible circuit substrate; shaping the at least one connector portion, by at least one of bending the flexible circuit substrate, folding the flexible circuit substrate, or rolling the flexible circuit substrate, for receiving by the receptacle of the connector device; and and arranging an electronic component on the flexible circuit substrate. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein forming a monolithic flexible circuit substrate includes forming a monolithic flexible circuit substrate having a body portion, at least one connector portion, and at least one active electronic component. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein arranging an electronic component on the flexible circuit substrate includes mounting a light emitting electronic component on the flexible circuit substrate. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein shaping the at least one connector portion includes shaping a plurality of connector portions into a plurality of appendages configured to be received in a receptacle of an alternating current (AC) outlet connector device. ### Claim 21 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein shaping the at least one connector portion includes folding a plurality of connector portions to form a plurality of appendages that extend outward from the body portion, wherein the appendages are configured to be received in the receptacle of the connector device. ### Claim 22 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein shaping the at least one connector portion includes laterally bending a plurality of connector portions about a longitudinal axis of the connector portions to form a plurality of substantially cylindrical shaped connector portions, wherein the plurality of substantially cylindrical shaped connector portions are configured to be received over a plurality of receptacles of the connector device. ### Claim 23 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein shaping the at least one connector portion includes forming the connector portion into a substantially cylindrical shape configured to be received into a receptacle for an audio or video jack plug connector, wherein forming at least one electrode includes forming plurality of electrodes arranged along the length of the substantially cylindrical shape. ### Claim 24 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein shaping the at least one connector portion includes forming a plurality of folds in the connector portion to produce an appendage that extends outward from the body portion of the flexible circuit substrate, wherein the produced appendage is configured for arrangement over a center post receptacle of the connector device, wherein forming at least one electrode includes forming plurality of electrodes configured for electrical contact with a plurality of electrodes arranged on the center post receptacle of the connector device. ### Claim 25 An apparatus comprising: a flexible circuit substrate including a body portion and a plurality of connector portions formed monolithically with the body portion, wherein the connector portions are folded to configure the plurality of connector portions as a plurality of appendages that extend outward from the body portion, wherein the appendages are configured to be received in a receptacle of a connector device; at least one electrode formed on an appendage and configured to make electrical contact with an electrical contact of the receptacle of the connector device; at least one active electronic component that is monolithic to the flexible circuit substrate; and interconnect to provide electrical continuity from the electrode to the active electronic component. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the plurality of appendages are configured to be received in the receptacle of a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector device. ### Claim 27 (depends on 25) The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the at least one active electronic component includes at least one of an organic transistor or a light emitting electronic device.