Flexible circuit board assembly and method

A method for providing a flexible circuit board assembly comprising the steps of:

• providing a flexible substrate of electrically insulating material having a predetermined thickness and a top surface extending between first and second end portions of said flexible substrate with an intermediate portion of said flexible substrate located therebetween;
• providing a plurality of conductive metalization interconnect paths, fixed to said flexible substrate, each of said interconnect paths extending from at least said substrate first end portion, across said substrate intermediate portion, to said substrate second end portion;
• providing first and second end portions of a rigidizer plate;
• mounting said first and second substrate end portions to said first and second end portions of said rigidizer plate, respectively, with said substrate intermediate portion comprising an unmounted portion of said flexible substrate between said first and second end portions of said rigidizer plate;
• and
• selectively providing stiffening material on said substrate intermediate portion to define varying areas of stiffness for the flexible substrate intermediate portion which varying areas of stiffness define at least 2 stiff paths for the flexible substrate intermediate portion, with a less stiff path for the flexible substrate intermediate portion between the stiff paths, said stiff and less stiff paths extending across the flexible substrate intermediate portion and across the conductive metalization interconnect paths, said stiff and less stiff paths defining desired bend curvature characteristics for the flexible substrate intermediate portion.