Injection molded printed circuits

• US 5,220,488 A
• Filed: 04/27/1992
• Issued: 06/15/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: UFE, Inc.
• Original Assignee: UFE, Inc.
• Inventors: Denes, Oscar L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SPARKS, DONALD ALAN
• Application Number:
  US07/875,561
• Time in Patent Office: 414 Days
• Field of Search: 29/846, 29/848, 29/849, 174/250, 174/254, 174/255, 174/256, 174/257, 174/258, 174/261, 228/180.1, 228/180.2, 357/80, 361/397, 361/398, 361/402, 361/406, 361/408, 361/409, 361/411, 439/77
• US Class Current: 361/749
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/78 Moulding material on one side only of the preformed part
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0284 Details of three-dimensional rigid printed circuit boards H05K1/119 takes precedence; shaping of the substrate H05K3/0014
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/095 for polymer thick films, i.e. having a permanent organic polymeric binder
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/162 incorporating printed capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/165 incorporating printed inductors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/189 characterised by the use of a flexible or folded printed circuit H05K3/326 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0129 Thermoplastic polymer, e.g. auto-adhesive layer; Shaping of thermoplastic polymer
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0187 with regions of different dielectrics in the same layer, e.g. in a printed capacitor for locally changing the dielectric properties
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0376 Flush conductors, i.e. flush with the surface of the printed circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/042 Stacked spaced PCBs; Planar parts of folded flexible circuits having mounted components in between or spaced from each other
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/046 Planar parts of folded PCBs making an angle relative to each other assembling printed circuits perpendicularly to each other H05K3/366
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/086 for inductive purposes, e.g. printed inductor with ferrite core
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09018 Rigid curved substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/097 Alternating conductors, e.g. alternating different shaped pads, twisted pairs; Alternating components
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09763 Printed component having superposed conductors, but integrated in one circuit layer
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09809 Coaxial layout reduction of cross-talk, noise or interference by printed shielding conductors for shielding around a single via or around a group of vias H05K1/0222
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0999 Circuit printed on or in housing, e.g. housing as PCB; Circuit printed on the case of a component; PCB affixed to housing
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/2009 Reinforced areas, e.g. for a specific part of a flexible printed circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/0156 Temporary polymeric carrier or foil, e.g. for processing or transferring
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/1327 Moulding over PCB locally or completely applying non-metallic protective coatings for encapsulating mounted components H05K3/284
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/0014 : Shaping of the substrate, e.g. by moulding
• 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 3/007 : Manufacture or processing of a substrate for a printed circuit board supported by a temporary or sacrificial carrier H05K1/187, H05K3/20 and H05K3/4682 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/02 : in which the conductive material is applied to the surface of the insulating support and is thereafter removed from such areas of the surface which are not intended for current conducting or shielding
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49155 : Manufacturing circuit on or in base
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49158 : with molding of insulated base
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4916 : Simultaneous circuit manufacturing

Abstract

An electrical circuit package wherein a flexible support member having conductive materials and electronic components thereon is fused with a substrate which acts as a support for the film. This results in a unitary packaged circuit. In one embodiment the film is a decal on which certain portions have a substrate fused thereto. In other embodiments, various layers of conductive materials are applied and molded into the substrate to form a variety of electronic functions. The circuit package lends itself to high production and reliability as well as cost savings.

Claims

1. A moulded electrical circuit package wherein an entire support member is secured to a substrate comprising:

a support member composed of a thin flexible film material having an electrically conductive circuit trace material disposed on one side of said support member;

an electrical component unitarily disposed on said flexible support member, said electrical component having at least two layers of conductive material;

a substrate material; and

said substrate material and said flexible support member being moulded directly together to form a unitary structure, with said support member and said substrate material defining separate portions in said moulded circuit package and said electrically conductive circuit trace material being embedded in said thin flexible support member and flush with the surface thereof when disposed on a surface opposite said substrate material.

2. The electrical circuit package as defined in claim 1 wherein said electrical component is a capacitor.

3. The electrical circuit package as defined in claim 1 wherein said electrical component is a filter.

4. The electrical circuit package as defined in claim 1 wherein said electrical component is an inductor.

5. The electrical circuit package as defined in claim 1 wherein said unitary structure has a three-dimensional configuration.