Flexible printed circuit board and touch screen panel apparatus having the same

• US 20120057312A1
• Filed: 02/09/2011
• Published: 03/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yoo, Young-Seok, Cho, Hyun-Wook
• Granted Patent: US 8,283,567 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/749
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04111 Cross over in capacitive digitiser, i.e. details of structures for connecting electrodes of the sensing pattern where the connections cross each other, e.g. bridge structures comprising an insulating layer, or vias through substrate
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04164 Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/118 specially for flexible printed circuits, e.g. using folded portions
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/147 at least one of the printed circuits being bent or folded, e.g. by using a flexible printed circuit H05K1/148 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/053 Tails
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/056 Folded around rigid support or component
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/1572 Processing both sides of a PCB by the same process; Providing a similar arrangement of components on both sides; Making interlayer connections from two sides
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/166 Alignment or registration; Control of registration
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/361 Assembling flexible printed circuits with other printed circuits

Abstract

A flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) simultaneously coupled to both surfaces of a substrate structure, e.g., a touch screen panel is provided. The FPCB includes a main substrate unit having a first pad unit and an auxiliary substrate unit extending from the main substrate unit to one side of the first pad unit. The auxiliary substrate unit includes a first substrate unit positioned parallel with the first pad unit along a first direction, a second substrate unit including a second pad unit, the second substrate unit spaced apart from the first substrate unit in a second direction, orthogonal to the first direction, and a plurality of third substrate units extending along the second direction between the first and second substrate units.

Claims

1. A flexible printed circuit board (FPCB), comprising:

a main substrate unit having a first pad unit; and

an auxiliary substrate unit extending from the main substrate unit to one side of the first pad unit,

wherein the auxiliary substrate unit includes;

a first substrate unit positioned parallel with the first pad unit along a first direction;

a second substrate unit including a second pad unit, the second substrate unit spaced apart from the first substrate unit in a second direction, orthogonal to the first direction; and

a plurality of third substrate units extending along the second direction between the first and second substrate units.

2. The FPCB as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least two third substrate units are parallel with each other and symmetrical with each other.

3. The FPCB as claimed in claim 1, wherein the auxiliary substrate unit comprises openings formed between the plurality of third substrate units.

4. The FPCB as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second pad unit is configured to receive at least one driving wiring line from the main substrate unit via at least one third substrate unit of the plurality of third substrate units.

5. The FPCB as claimed in claim 4, wherein the second pad unit is configured to receive at least one driving wiring line from the main substrate unit via all of the plurality of third substrate units.

6. The FPCB as claimed in claim 1, wherein the main substrate unit and the first to third substrate units of the auxiliary substrate unit are integrally molded in one sheet.

7. A touch screen panel apparatus, comprising:

a touch screen panel including;

a transparent substrate,

a plurality of sensing electrodes on a first surface of the transparent substrate,

a front surface pad unit coupled to the sensing electrodes,

a non-sensing electrode on a second surface of the transparent substrate, the second surface being opposite the first surface; and

a rear surface pad unit coupled to the non-sensing electrode; and

a FPCB including a first pad unit coupled to the front surface pad unit of the touch screen panel and a second pad unit coupled to the rear surface pad unit of the touch screen panel,

wherein the FPCB includes;

a main substrate unit having the first pad unit; and

an auxiliary substrate unit having;

a first substrate unit extending from one side of the main substrate unit parallel with the first pad unit on the first surface of the touch screen panel,

a second substrate unit including the second pad unit, the second substrate unit on the second surface of the touch screen panel and facing the first substrate unit through the transparent substrate; and

a plurality of third substrate units extending between the first substrate unit and the second substrate unit to couple the first and second substrate units to each other.

8. The touch screen panel apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein third substrate units are parallel and symmetrical with each other.

9. The touch screen panel apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the auxiliary substrate unit comprises openings between adjacent third substrate units.

10. The touch screen panel apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein third substrate units are folded around the touch screen panel so that the first substrate unit and the second substrate unit overlap each other.

11. The touch screen panel apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein at least one driving wiring line from the main substrate unit is coupled to the second pad unit via at least one third substrate among the plurality of third substrate units.

12. The touch screen panel apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein at least one driving wiring line from the main substrate unit is coupled to the second pad unit via all of the plurality of third substrate units.

13. The touch screen panel apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the sensing electrodes are in an active touch region on the first one surface of the transparent substrate and are to be coupled in a first direction or a second direction.

14. The touch screen panel apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the non-sensing electrode is formed in an inactive touch region on the second surface of the transparent substrate.