Protective cover for a flexible printed circuit board

A protective arrangement for protecting and supporting a flexible printed circuit board during manufacturing or processing thereof, wherein the flexible printed circuit board includes flexible circuit conductors on a flexible carrier film, and has a selected surface that includes a contact surface area which is to be subjected to further processing, and wherein said protective arrangement comprises:

• a support plate configured and adapted to support at least a portion of the flexible carrier film on a planar support surface of said support plate such that the selected surface of the flexible printed circuit board faces away from said planar support surface;
• and a protective cover configured to be removably engaged onto a combination including the flexible printed circuit board supported on said support plate, and to protect the selected surface while leaving the contact surface area of the flexible printed circuit board accessible for the further processing;
• wherein said protective cover comprises:
• a planar base plate configured to extend along and cover portions of the selected surface of the flexible printed circuit board, with at least a portion of the flexible carrier film received between said base plate and said support plate, and wherein said base plate has a protective opening located and configured to expose and leave accessible the contact surface area of the flexible printed circuit board for the further processing, two oppositely located latching side walls that project from said planar base plate away from a plane of said planar base plate, and that respectively extend along two opposite sides of said support plate, with said support plate and at least the portion of the flexible carrier film received between said latching side walls, two latching projections that respectively extend toward each other from respective free ends of said latching side walls, and that engage over a back surface of said support plate opposite said planar support surface, wherein said latching side walls are flexibly deflectable to allow said latching side walls and therewith said latching projections to be flexibly deflected away from and out of engagement with said support plate, and two oppositely located lateral guide walls that project from said planar base plate away from said plane of said planar base plate, and that respectively extend along two opposite lateral edges of the flexible carrier film, with the flexible carrier film received between said lateral guide walls.

A protective arrangement for protecting and supporting a flexible printed circuit board during manufacturing or processing thereof, wherein the flexible printed circuit board includes flexible circuit conductors on a flexible carrier film, and has a selected surface that includes a contact surface area which is to be subjected to further processing, and wherein said protective arrangement comprises:

• a support plate configured and adapted to support at least a portion of the flexible carrier film on a planar support surface of said support plate such that the selected surface of the flexible printed circuit board faces away from said planar support surface;
• and a protective cover configured to be removably engaged onto a combination including the flexible printed circuit board supported on said support plate, and to protect the selected surface while leaving the contact surface area of the flexible printed circuit board accessible for the further processing;
• wherein said protective cover comprises:
• a first partial cover comprising a first end wall, two mutually parallel first side walls, and a first connecting web that extends parallel to and beyond said first side walls and that has a first connecting element thereon, and a second partial cover comprising a second end wall, two mutually parallel second side walls, and a second connecting web that extends parallel to and beyond said second side walls and that has a second connecting element thereon;
• and wherein:
• said first and second connecting webs extend toward one another, said first and second connecting elements are releasably coupled with one another, said support plate and at least the portion of the flexible carrier film on said support plate are received between said first and second end walls, between said first side walls, and between said second side walls, the selected surface of the flexible printed circuit board faces opposite away from said first and second connecting elements, the contact surface area of the flexible printed circuit board is exposed and accessible, and said side walls and said end walls protrude higher than the selected surface of the flexible printed circuit board so as to protect the selected surface while leaving the contact surface area exposed.