Flexible printed circuit board and foldable cell phone terminal

• US 20020135993A1
• Filed: 02/27/2002
• Published: 09/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation), Tottori Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ueyama, Tomoki, Osaki, Jiro
• Granted Patent: US 6,990,355 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/814
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0216 Foldable in one direction, i.e. using a one degree of freedom hinge
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0218 by printed shielding conductors, ground planes or power plane H05K1/0236 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/028 Bending or folding regions of flexible printed circuits H05K1/0283 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/055 Folded back on itself
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/2027 Guiding means, e.g. for guiding flexible circuits

Abstract

A flexible printed circuit board has first and second connection portions 18 and 19 where contacts are exposed and first and second path portions 16 and 17 where conductor patterns 11 are arranged that connect the contacts 11a and 11b of the first and second connection portions 18 and 19 together. The first and second path portions 16 and 17 are formed so as to have substantially symmetrical shapes with each other about a predetermined straight line, and the flexible printed circuit board is folded up along the straight line C1 and C2. Alternatively, a flexible printed circuit board has a conductor pattern 11 formed between first and second insulating sheets 12 and 13, and has a shielding conductor 14 fixed to the second insulating sheet 13. The flexible printed circuit board is folded up with the second insulating sheet 13 outside so that the conductor pattern 11 is enclosed inside the shielding conductor 14.

Claims

1. A flexible printed circuit board comprising first and second insulating sheets, a conductor pattern formed between the first and second insulating sheets, and a shielding conductor fixed to the second insulating sheet, wherein the flexible printed circuit board is folded up with the second insulating sheet outside so that the conductor pattern is enclosed inside the shielding conductor.

2. A flexible printed circuit board comprising first and second connection portions where contacts are exposed and first and second path portions where conductor patterns are arranged that connect the contacts of the first and second connection portions together, wherein the first and second path portions are formed so as to have substantially symmetrical shapes with each other about a predetermined straight line, and the flexible printed circuit board is folded up along the straight line.

3. A folding-type cellular telephone terminal comprising:

first and second body casings;

a hinge portion that pivotably couples the first and second body casings together; and

a flexible printed circuit board comprising first and second insulating sheets, a conductor pattern formed between the first and second insulating sheets, and a shielding conductor fixed to the second insulating sheet, the flexible printed circuit board being arranged so as to bridge between the first and second body casings,

wherein the flexible printed circuit board is folded up with the second insulating sheet outside so that the conductor pattern is enclosed inside the shielding conductor.

4. A folding-type cellular telephone terminal comprising:

first and second body casings;

a hinge portion that pivotably couples the first and second body casings together; and

a flexible printed circuit board comprising first and second connection portions where contacts are exposed and first and second path portions where conductor patterns are arranged that connect the contacts of the first and second connection portions together, the first and second path portions being formed so as to have substantially symmetrical shapes with each other about a predetermined straight line, the flexible printed circuit board being folded up along the straight line,

wherein an overlapping portion of the flexible printed circuit board which is formed as a result of the flexible printed circuit board being folded up is arranged so as to form a helical shape in the hinge portion.

5. A folding-type cellular telephone terminal as claimed in claim 4,

wherein the straight line along which the flexible printed circuit board is folded up is arranged outside the hinge portion, and displacement preventing means for preventing displacement along the straight line is provided only at one end of the first and second path portions.