Inductive devices for printed wiring boards
First Claim
1. An inductive device comprising:
- an electrically nonconductive flexible substrate having a first end longitudinally spaced from a second end;
first electrically conducting circuit trace means having an input section at said first end and extending longitudinally a preselected distance along said substrate, said first circuit trace means terminating at a first electrically conducting connecting site;
second electrically conducting circuit trace means, said second circuit trace means having an output section at said first end electrically connected to a second connecting site;
said substrate including extension means extending laterally from at least one location along said substrate, said extension means defining connection tab means, said first connecting site being positioned on said connection tab means; and
said substrate being rolled beginning at said second end to form a plurality of internally rolled layers terminating at an outer rolled layer and wherein during rolling, said connection tab means is folded over so that first and second connecting sites electrically mate at one of said internally rolled layers to interconnect said first and second circuit trace means to define a single, continuous, rolled circuit trace.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Inductive devices, i.e., transformers, coils, inductors, etc. are produced from a rolled flexible circuit. The flexible circuit is comprised of a dielectric substrate having a circuit pattern thereon. The circuit pattern is configured such that, upon rolling, one or more coils is formed thereby defining an inductor, transformer, etc. Additionally, these inductive devices may be easily shielded using a ground plane in the flexible circuit. The rolled flexible circuit may be secured in several ways including an adhesive or by using a thermoplastic bonding layer which acts to heat seal the circuit together. The inductive devices of the present invention may be wrapped or rolled about a permeable core which improves inductance. Inductor devices manufactured in accordance with the present invention have the advantages of being small, surface mountable, inexpensive to manufacture and being capable of insertion onto printed wiring boards using automated insertion equipment. The small size of the inductor devices permit the present invention to take up only small areas on the circuit board thereby conserving valuable "real estate" on the printed wiring board.
42 Citations
40 Claims
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1. An inductive device comprising:
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an electrically nonconductive flexible substrate having a first end longitudinally spaced from a second end; first electrically conducting circuit trace means having an input section at said first end and extending longitudinally a preselected distance along said substrate, said first circuit trace means terminating at a first electrically conducting connecting site; second electrically conducting circuit trace means, said second circuit trace means having an output section at said first end electrically connected to a second connecting site; said substrate including extension means extending laterally from at least one location along said substrate, said extension means defining connection tab means, said first connecting site being positioned on said connection tab means; and said substrate being rolled beginning at said second end to form a plurality of internally rolled layers terminating at an outer rolled layer and wherein during rolling, said connection tab means is folded over so that first and second connecting sites electrically mate at one of said internally rolled layers to interconnect said first and second circuit trace means to define a single, continuous, rolled circuit trace. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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25. The device of claim 25 wherein:
said polymeric substrate is comprised of a thermoplastic material. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28)
Specification