Disposable portable electronic devices and method of making
First Claim
1. An improvement in a disposable portable electronic device having a body of prescribed length, width and thickness, a desired mechanical stiffness, and circuitry including conductors and components, the improvement comprising;
- an elongate, ribbon-like substrate of dielectric material, the substrate having a continuous length many times greater than the prescribed length of the body, a thickness many times less than the prescribed thickness of the body, and opposite faces;
at least some of the conductors and some of the components being formed on the substrate, the formed conductors and components being formed on only one of the faces of the substrate and extending along a length of the substrate many times greater than the prescribed length of the body of the electronic device;
the ribbon-like substrate of dielectric material having a high degree of flexibility such that at least the length of the substrate is folded tightly upon itself into at least several shorter lengths within the prescribed length of the body, with the at least several shorter lengths juxtaposed with one another for securement to one another over the shorter lengths within the prescribed thickness of the body and with the formed conductors and components including portions extending along each of at least several of the shorter lengths of the substrate so as to be juxtaposed with one another;
the juxtaposed shorter lengths of the substrate being secured together along the juxtaposed shorter lengths to establish a multiple-layered self-sustaining structure having a high degree of stiffness, as compared to the flexibility of the ribbon-like substrate, which structure, in and of itself, forms the body of the device, with the juxtaposed portions of the formed conductors and components electrically insulated from one another within the structure and the high degree of stiffness of the structure providing the desired mechanical stiffness of the body.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A disposable portable electronic device has a body of prescribed length and thickness and constructed of an elongate, ribbon-like substrate of dielectric material, the substrate having a continuous length much greater than the length of the body, and a thickness much less than the thickness of the body, with conductors and components formed on the substrate, the dielectric material of the substrate having a high degree of flexibility such that the substrate is folded upon itself into at least shorter lengths juxtaposed with one another within the thickness of the body, and the juxtaposed lengths of the substrate are secured together to establish a self-sustaining structure which forms the body of the device.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. An improvement in a disposable portable electronic device having a body of prescribed length, width and thickness, a desired mechanical stiffness, and circuitry including conductors and components, the improvement comprising;
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an elongate, ribbon-like substrate of dielectric material, the substrate having a continuous length many times greater than the prescribed length of the body, a thickness many times less than the prescribed thickness of the body, and opposite faces; at least some of the conductors and some of the components being formed on the substrate, the formed conductors and components being formed on only one of the faces of the substrate and extending along a length of the substrate many times greater than the prescribed length of the body of the electronic device; the ribbon-like substrate of dielectric material having a high degree of flexibility such that at least the length of the substrate is folded tightly upon itself into at least several shorter lengths within the prescribed length of the body, with the at least several shorter lengths juxtaposed with one another for securement to one another over the shorter lengths within the prescribed thickness of the body and with the formed conductors and components including portions extending along each of at least several of the shorter lengths of the substrate so as to be juxtaposed with one another; the juxtaposed shorter lengths of the substrate being secured together along the juxtaposed shorter lengths to establish a multiple-layered self-sustaining structure having a high degree of stiffness, as compared to the flexibility of the ribbon-like substrate, which structure, in and of itself, forms the body of the device, with the juxtaposed portions of the formed conductors and components electrically insulated from one another within the structure and the high degree of stiffness of the structure providing the desired mechanical stiffness of the body. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12)
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9. In a method for making a disposable portable electronic device having a body of prescribed length, width and thickness, a desired mechanical stiffness, and circuitry including conductors and components, the method comprising:
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forming at least some of the conductors and some of the components on an elongate, ribbon-like substrate of dielectric material, the ribbon-like substrate having a continuous length many times greater than the prescribed length of the body, a thickness many times less than the prescribed thickness of the body, opposite faces, and a high degree of flexibility, the formed conductors and components being formed on only one of the faces of the substrate and extending along a length of the substrate many times greater than the prescribed length of the body of the electonic device; folding the substrate tightly upon itself into at least several shorter lengths within the prescribed length of the body, with the at least several shorter lengths juxtaposed with one another for securement to one another over the shorter lengths within the prescribed thickness of the body and with the formed conductors and components including portions extending along each of at least several of the shorter lengths of the substrate so as to be juxtaposed with one another; and securing together the juxtaposed shorter lengths of the substrate along the juxtaposed shorter lengths to establish a multiple-layered self-sustaining structure having a high degree of stiffness, as compared to the flexibility of the ribbon-like substrate, which structure, in and of itself, forms the body of the device, with the juxtaposed portions of the formed conductors and components electrically insulated from one another within the structure and the high degree of stiffness of the structure providing the desired mechanical stiffness of the body. - View Dependent Claims (10, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification