Connection for flexible apparatus

• US 4,714,435 A
• Filed: 03/05/1987
• Issued: 12/22/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Molex Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Molex Incorporated
• Inventors: Stipanuk, John M., Yun, John M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Abrams, Neil
• Application Number:
  US07/023,936
• Time in Patent Office: 292 Days
• Field of Search: 339/14 R, 339/17 F, 339/143 R, 339/147 R, 339/176 MF, 361/398, 361/401, 439/67, 439/77, 439/59-62, 439/326, 439/495, 439/496, 439/497, 439/620
• US Class Current: 439/496
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/523 by an interconnection through aligned holes in the boards or multilayer board
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/62 connecting to rigid printed circuits or like structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/04 using electrically conductive adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/118 specially for flexible printed circuits, e.g. using folded portions
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/141 One or more single auxiliary printed circuits mounted on a main printed circuit, e.g. modules, adapters H05K1/142 and H05K1/147 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/16 incorporating printed electric components, e.g. printed resistor, capacitor, inductor
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/056 Folded around rigid support or component
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09109 Locally detached layers, e.g. in multilayer
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/1006 Non-printed filter
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10189 Non-printed connector
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/2009 Reinforced areas, e.g. for a specific part of a flexible printed circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/0058 Laminating printed circuit boards onto other substrates, e.g. metallic substrates H05K1/0281 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/361 Assembling flexible printed circuits with other printed circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/4611 by laminating two or more circuit boards H05K3/4652 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/4691 Rigid-flexible multilayer circuits comprising rigid and flexible layers, e.g. having in the bending regions only flexible layers

Abstract

A connection for flexible circuits permits one or more flexible circuits such as flat flexible cables to be connected to a standard and widely used electrical connector such as a printed circuit board edge connector. The connection includes a substantially rigid flexible circuit structure having a carrier of flat planar configuration with opposed surfaces. A flexible circuit is adhesively bonded to at least one surface with conductive traces of the circuit exposed. Electrical connections are made to the traces by inserting the carrier with attached flexible circuit into a connector having a housing supporting a plurality of terminals with contact portions in a linear array engageable with the exposed conductive traces of the flexible circuit.

Claims

1. In an edge card arrangement for electrically connecting conductors of a flat flexible circuit member to a second circuit member including

an edge card connector connected to said second circuit member including an elongated dielectric housing with an edge card socket defined therein and a plurality of terminals having one end adapted to electrically mate with the second circuit member and another end adapted to electrically mate with circuits in said flexible circuit member, and

a rigidized flexible circuit assembly adapted to be received in said edge card socket including a rigid carrier, a flexible circuit member including a first insulative layer and a plurality of exposed conductors disposed thereon, the flexible circuit member being bonded on said carrier so that the first insulative layer is disposed adjacent a carrier surface and the exposed conductors face away from the carrier, wherein the improvement comprises:

an in-line filtered interconnect including;

said carrier including a filter circuit having spaced apart first and second contact pads disposed on a major surface thereof;

at least one of said flexible circuit conductors overlying and aligned with said first and second contact pads and a portion of said conductor extending between said first and second contact pads being discontinuous;

means for electrically connecting said overlying conductor to the first and second contact pads; and

at least one of the terminals of the connector electrically engaged to the conductor,

whereby a signal travelling along the conductor is transmitted through electrical connecting means to said first contact pad, through the filter circuit to said second contact pad, through connecting means and emerges at the exposed conductor for engagement by the terminal.

2. The filtered interconnect arrangement of claim 1 further including a grounded interconnect including:

grounding means including a ground plane in said rigidized assembly and at least one of said terminals connected to said ground plane.