Flexible Printed Circuit
AssigneeBose Corporation
InventorsDrew Stone Briggs, Scott C. Perzanoski
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A flexible printed circuit includes a first insulating substrate layer and a first electrically conductive layer located adjacent to a first side of the insulating substrate layer. The first conductive layer has a first portion that is substantially solid and a second portion having a multiplicity of voids in the first conductive layer in a pattern for providing a lower stiffness in the second portion relative to the first portion, thereby providing more flexibility in the second portion relative to the first portion.
Claims20
A flexible printed circuit, comprising:
- a first insulating substrate layer;
- and
- a first electrically conductive layer located adjacent to a first side of the insulating substrate layer, the first conductive layer having a first portion that is substantially solid and a second portion having a multiplicity of voids in the first conductive layer in a pattern for providing a lower stiffness in the second portion relative to the first portion, thereby providing more flexibility in the second portion relative to the first portion.
A method of manufacturing a flexible printed circuit , comprising:
- providing an insulating layer;
- supplying a first electrically conductive layer comprising a plurality of electrically conductive traces which will be used to conduct one or more of electrical signals and electrical power from a first portion of the flexible printed circuit to a second portion of the flexible printed circuit;
- securing the first conductive layer adjacent to a first side of the insulating layer;
- supplying a substantially solid second electrically conductive layer having a first portion and a second portion;
- creating a multiplicity of voids in the second portion of the conductive layer in a pattern for providing a lower stiffness in the second portion relative to the first portion;
- and
- securing the second conductive layer adjacent to a second side of the insulating layer, thereby controlling the flexibility of the flexible printed circuit.
An electrical apparatus that includes a flexible printed circuit, comprising:
- a first electrically conductive layer comprising a plurality of electrically conductive traces for conducting one or more of electrical signals and electrical power from a first portion of the flexible printed circuit to a second portion of the flexible printed circuit;
- a first insulating layer which substantially does not conduct electricity, the first conductive layer being located adjacent to a first side of the insulating layer;
- and
- a second electrically conductive layer located adjacent to a second side of the insulating layer, the second conductive layer having a first portion that is substantially solid and a second portion having a multiplicity of voids in the conductive layer in a pattern for providing a lower stiffness in the second portion relative to the first portion, a second portion of the flexible printed circuit that includes the second portion of the second conductive layer being bent relative to a first portion of the flexible printed circuit that includes the first portion of the second conductive layer, such that the first and second portions of the flexible printed circuit are located in different planes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.