Connecting structure, electro-optical device, and electronic apparatus

• US 6,729,888 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2000
• Issued: 05/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Imaeda, Chiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Abrams, Neil
• Assistant Examiner(s): DINH, PHUONG K
• Application Number:
  US09/730,382
• Publication Number:
  US 20010012706A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,246 Days
• Field of Search: 439/66, 439/67, 439/70, 349/149, 349/150, 349/58, 361/400
• US Class Current: 439/66
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13452 Conductors connecting driver circuitry and terminals of panels
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/24 resilient; resiliently-mounted
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/16 for telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/04 using electrically conductive adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0314 Elastomeric connector or conductor, e.g. rubber with metallic filler
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10393 Clamping a component by an element or a set of elements
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/321 by conductive adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/323 by applying an anisotropic conductive adhesive layer over an array of pads
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/361 Assembling flexible printed circuits with other printed circuits

Abstract

A connecting structure includes a substrate board 104 provided with terminals 117, an elastic conductive member 116 provided with conductive sections 116b connected to the terminals 117. The conductive sections 116b are connected to the conductive terminals 117 with a hardened conductive paste therebetween, and when the conductive member 116 are interposed between the substrate 104 and a flexible wiring board 115 provided with the terminals 115a, the conductive sections 116b are pressed onto the terminals 115a by resilience due to elastic deformation of the conductive members 116, thereby electrically connecting the terminals 117 and the terminals 115a to each other.

Claims

1. A connecting structure comprising:

a first substrate provided with a first terminal;

a second substrate provided with a second terminal;

an elastic conductive member interposed between the first substrate and the second substrate;

the elastic conductive member including;

a pair of flexible, spaced apart side sections extending in a longitudinal direction of the elastic conductive member;

a plurality of spaced apart conductive sections axially aligned between the side sections; and

a plurality of insulating sections interspaced between said conductive sections and axially aligned between the side sections; and

a conductive adhesive disposed between the first terminal and the elastic conductive member, the conductive adhesive including at least one of a hardened conductive paste and an anisotropic conductive film;

wherein one of the conductive sections is connected to the first terminal via the conductive adhesive; and

wherein one of the conductive sections is pressed onto the second terminal by resilience due to elastic deformation of the elastic conductive member so that one of the conductive sections is connected to the second terminal.

2. The connecting structure according to claim 1, wherein the conductive member comprises an elastic insulating section, and the insulating section is provided on the periphery of the conductive section.

3. The connecting structure according to claim 1, wherein the conductive member comprises an elastic insulating section, and the conductive section is embedded in the insulating section.

4. The connecting structure according to claim 1, wherein the conductive adhesive is a hardened conductive paste.

5. The connecting structure according to claim 4, wherein the conductive paste is an isotropic conductive paste.

6. The connecting structure according to claim 4, wherein the conductive paste is an anisotropic conductive paste.

7. The connecting structure according to claim 4, wherein the connecting structure is fabricated by a method comprising the steps of applying the conductive paste on the first terminal;

and hardening the conductive paste while the conductive member is pressed onto the first terminal.

8. The connecting structure according to claim 1, wherein the conductive adhesive is an anisotropic conductive film.

9. The connecting structure according to claim 8, wherein the connecting structure is fabricated by a method comprising the steps of placing the conductive film on the first terminal;

and hardening or curing the anisotropic conductive film while the conductive member is pressed onto the first terminal with the anisotropic conductive film therebetween.

10. The connecting structure according to claim 1, wherein the first substrate is a substrate constituting an electro-optical panel.

11. An electro-optical device comprising:

a first substrate constituting an electro-optical panel provided with a first terminal;

a second substrate provided with a second terminal; and

an elastic conductive member interposed between the first substrate and the second substrate;

the elastic conductive member including;

a pair of flexible, spaced apart side sections extending in a longitudinal direction of the elastic conductive member;

a plurality of spaced apart conductive sections axially aligned between the side sections; and

a plurality of insulating sections interspaced between said conductive sections and axially aligned between the side sections; and

a conductive adhesive disposed between the first terminal of the first substrate and the elastic conductive member, the conductive adhesive including at least one of a hardened conductive paste and an anisotropic conductive film;

wherein one of the conductive sections is connected to the first terminal via the conductive adhesive; and

wherein one of the conductive sections is pressed onto the second terminal of the second substrate by resilience due to elastic deformation of the elastic conductive member so that one of the conductive sections is connected to the second terminal.

12. The electro-optical device according to claim 11, wherein the conductive section is pressed onto the second terminal by resilience due to elastic deformation of the conductive member so that the conductive section is connected to the second terminal, thereby electrically connecting the first terminal and the second terminal to each other.

13. The electro-optical device according to claim 11, wherein the conductive member comprises an elastic insulating section, and the insulating section is provided on the periphery of the conductive section.

14. The electro-optical device according to claim 11, wherein the conductive member comprises an elastic insulating section, and the conductive section is embedded in the insulating section.

15. The electro-optical device according to claim 11, wherein the conductive adhesive is a hardened conductive paste.

16. The electro-optical device according to claim 15, wherein the conductive paste is an isotropic conductive paste.

17. The electro-optical device according to claim 15, wherein the conductive paste is an anisotropic conductive paste.

18. The electro-optical device according to claim 15, wherein the electro-optical device is fabricated by a method comprising the steps of applying the conductive paste on the first terminal;

and hardening the conductive paste while the conductive member is pressed onto the first terminal.

19. The electro-optical device according to claim 11, wherein the conductive adhesive is an anisotropic conductive film.

20. The electro-optical device according to claim 19, wherein the electro-optical device is fabricated by a method comprising the steps of placing the conductive film on the first terminal;

and hardening or curing the anisotropic conductive film while the conductive member is pressed onto the first terminal with the anisotropic conductive film therebetween.

21. An electronic apparatus comprising an electro-optical device according to claim 11.