Method of making printed circuits

• US 4,682,415 A
• Filed: 10/28/1985
• Issued: 07/28/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Adell Corporation
• Original Assignee: Apex Product Development LLC
• Inventors: Adell, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Goldberg, Howard N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Arbes, Carl J.
• Application Number:
  US06/791,841
• Time in Patent Office: 638 Days
• Field of Search: 29/846, 29/848, 29/849, 156/233, 174/68.5, 228/180.2
• US Class Current: 29/846
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0393 Flexible materials H05K1/038 takes precedence; specific organic compositions are classified in H05K1/0313 and subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/095 for polymer thick films, i.e. having a permanent organic polymeric binder
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/0113 Female die used for patterning or transferring, e.g. temporary substrate having recessed pattern
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/0143 Using a roller; Specific shape thereof; Providing locally adhesive portions thereon
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/1173 Differences in wettability, e.g. hydrophilic or hydrophobic areas
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/1545 Continuous processing, i.e. involving rolls moving a band-like or solid carrier along a continuous production path
• 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 3/0097 Processing two or more printed circuits simultaneously, e.g. made from a common substrate, or temporarily stacked circuit boards H05K3/0052 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/12 using thick film techniques, e.g. printing techniques to apply the conductive material or similar techniques for applying conductive paste or ink patterns
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/1275 by other printing techniques, e.g. letterpress printing, intaglio printing, lithographic printing, offset printing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49155 Manufacturing circuit on or in base
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49158 with molding of insulated base

Abstract

A method of making printed circuits which comprises passing a non-conductive strip of material past a device which repeatedly imparts a desired circuit pattern onto the passing strip so that a succession of identical printed circuit zones are created along the length of the strip. The strip is subsequently wound into a coil which can be stored for use as desired when printed circuit assemblies are to be fabricated. Fabrication of an assembly comprises unwinding the strip from the coil and severing of the strip between the individual printed circuit zones. A backing can be joined to the unwound strip before severing.

Claims

1. A method of fabricating printed circuits comprising providing a conductive pattern producing means which can impart electrically conductive material in a given circuit pattern composed of a plurality of independent conductive paths, passing a strip of electrically nonconductive material in cooperative association with said means to cause said given pattern to be repeatedly imparted to separate successive zones of the strip thereby forming a succession of identical printed circuit zones separated from each other along said strip, and then coiling the strip to form a coiled supply of printed circuits for subsequent use as desired, and further including the steps of uncoiling the coiled strip and joining it to a more rigid backing, creating a desired hole pattern in each printed circuit passing through both the strip and the backing, and of severing the strip between successive zones to form separated individual printed circuits.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1 in which said means comprises means for imparting circuit patterns to opposite sides of the strip.

3. A method as set forth in claim 1 including the step of introducing a further strip in cooperative association with the first-mentioned strip before coiling so that said further strip separates individual convolutions of the first-mentioned strip from each other in the coil.

4. A method as set forth in claim 3 including the steps of uncoiling the two overlying strips from the coil and joining the first-mentioned strip to a backing while the further strip remains overlying the first-mentioned strip, and then removing the further strip from the first-mentioned strip after said joining.

5. A method as set forth in claim 1 in which said strip is pulled from a coil located forwardly of said means by a pulling force applied from a device in which the strip is coiled.

6. A method of fabricating printed circuits comprising providing a conductive pattern producing means which can impart electrically conductive material in a given circuit pattern composed of a plurality of independent conductive paths, passing a strip of electrically non-conductive material in cooperative association with said means to cause said given pattern to be repeatedly imparted to separate successive zones of the strip thereby forming a succession of identical printed circuit zones separated from each other along said strip, and then coiling the strip to form a coiled supply of printed circuits for subsequent use as desired, and in which said non-conductive material is plastic and said conductive material is an electroconductive ink.

7. A method of fabricating printed circuits comprising providing a conductive pattern producing means which can impart electrically conductive material in a given circuit pattern composed of a plurality of independent conductive paths, passing a strip of electrically non-conductive material in cooperative association with said means to cause said given pattern to be repeatedly imparted to separate successive zones of the strip thereby forming a succession of identical printed circuit zones separated from each other along said strip, and then coiling the strip to form a coiled supply of printed circuits for subsequent use as desired, and in which said means comprises a wheel which rotates in synchronism with the strip as the strip passes in cooperative association across the wheel.