Methods and systems of preparing extended length flexible harnesses
AssigneeELF Technologies, Inc.
InventorsJoseph C. Fjelstad, Leo G. Svendsen, Gary I. Geschwind, Raymond J. Noel, Jr.
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention relates to systems and methods for the manufacture of flexible printed wiring (FPW) harnesses of unlimited length three dimensions. In preferred embodiments, in-line raster scanning (e.g., xerography or laser printing) is used to image continuously updated conductor patterns on an uninterrupted (i.e., seamless) web-fed base material, or substrate With in-line manufacturing, an FPW harness equivalent to a discrete RWH of unlimited dimension can be fabricated. For example, the substrate can be cut to form circuit layout branches which are subsequently folded to produce three-dimensional shapes of unlimited size
Claims28
An extended length printed harness according to claim 1, further comprising:
- perforations formed by electrically eroding the substrate.
An extended length printed harness formed on a flexible substrate, said harness comprising:
- a toner image of a continuously updated conductor pattern formed on a continuous flexible substrate;
- and
- a conductive path established as a harness branch on the continuous flexible substrate in accordance with the toner image of the conductor pattern.
An extended length printed harness formed on a flexible substrate said harness comprising:
- a seamless, continuously updated conductor pattern formed as a toner image on the flexible substrate;
- conductive paths established on the substrate in accordance with the conductor pattern;
- harness branches of the printed harness formed by cutting the flexible substrate after said conductive paths have been established;
- and at least one folded harness branch formed such that said at least one harness branch extends in a direction oriented at an angle with respect to at least one conductive path.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.