Flexible circuit board, electronic circuit device, and mobile communication terminal

• US 7,551,449 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2005
• Issued: 06/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Yasui, Kenichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Reichard, Dean A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chen, XiaoLiang
• Application Number:
  US11/299,816
• Publication Number:
  US 20060128346A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,288 Days
• Field of Search: 361/749, 361/794, 361/796, 361/803, 361/804, 257/686
• US Class Current: 361/749
• 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 2201/2009 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

Abstract

The flexible circuit board according to the present invention includes a plurality of mounting portions which are mounted with electronic circuits respectively, a connector portion that performs signal transmission between the electronic circuit mounted on each of the mounting portions and the electronic circuit device, and coupling portions that couple the respective mounting portions to the connector portion in different directions. The flexible circuit board is mounted on the electronic circuit device in a state of being folded at a predetermined part of one of the coupling portions.

Claims

1. A flexible circuit board mounted on an electronic circuit device, comprising:

a plurality of mounting portions which are mounted with electronic circuits;

a connector portion that performs signal transmission between the electronic circuits mounted on each of the mounting portions and the electronic circuit device;

coupling portions that couple the mounting portions to the connector portion in different directions,

wherein one of the mounting portions is coupled to a coupling portion including a predetermined part, and the predetermined part is provided with a notch or notches to move said one of the mounting portions in a parallel direction with respect to the other mounting portions in a state that said one of the mounting portions is bent around the predetermined part,

wherein the coupling portion which includes the predetermined part has a longitudinal dimension longer than the longitudinal dimension of the connector portion such that when the connector portion is bent at the notch or notches of the predetermined part to a position where the longitudinal dimensions are about parallel, the connector portion does not overlap the mounting portion coupled to the coupling portion which includes the predetermined part, and

wherein the flexible circuit board is mounted on the electronic circuit device in a state of being bent at the predetermined part.

2. The flexible circuit board according to claim 1, wherein the flexible circuit board is mounted on the electronic circuit device in a state in which the predetermined part is bent such that the electronic circuits are overlapped with each other in a two-dimensional manner.

3. The flexible circuit board according to claim 1, wherein the flexible circuit board is received in the electronic circuit device in a state in which the predetermined part is bent such that the electronic circuits are overlapped with each other in a three-dimensional manner.

4. The flexible circuit board according to claim 1, wherein reinforcing members are bonded to each of the mounting portions.

5. The flexible circuit board according to claim 1, wherein the electronic circuits are mounted only on one surface of the flexible circuit board.

6. An electronic circuit device mounted with electronic circuits using the flexible circuit board according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.

7. A mobile communication terminal mounted with electronic circuits using the flexible circuit board according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.

8. A method of mounting a flexible circuit board, comprising:

mounting a plurality of mounting portions with electronic circuits, a connector portion that performs signal transmission between the electronic circuits mounted on each of the mounting portions and an electronic circuit device, and coupling portions that couple the mounting portions to the connector portion in different directions;

bending the flexible circuit board at a predetermined part of one of the coupling portions wherein the coupling portion which includes the predetermined part has a longitudinal dimension longer than the longitudinal dimension of the connector portion such that when the connector portion is bent at the notch or notches of the predetermined part to a position where the longitudinal dimensions are about parallel, the connector portion does not overlap the mounting portion coupled to the coupling portion which includes the predetermined part, and

mounting the flexible circuit board on the electronic circuit device while moving the flexible circuit board in a rotational direction thereof with the predetermined part as a starting point and moving one of said plurality of mounting portions in a parallel direction with respect to another one of said plurality of mounting portions.

9. A flexible circuit board mounted on an electronic circuit device, comprising:

a plurality of mounting portions which are mounted with electronic circuits;

a connector portion that performs signal transmission between the electronic circuits mounted on each of the mounting portions and the electronic circuit device; and

coupling portions that couple the mounting portions to the connector portion in different directions,

wherein one of the coupling portions is coupled to one of the mounting portions and includes a predetermined part being provided with a notch or notches to move said one of the mounting portions in a parallel direction with respect to the other mounting portions in a state that said one of the mounting portions is bent around the predetermined part,

wherein the coupling portion which includes the predetermined part has a longitudinal dimension longer than the longitudinal dimension of the connector portion such that when the connector portion is bent at the notch or notches of the predetermined part to a position where the longitudinal dimensions are about parallel, the connector portion does not overlap the mounting portion coupled to the coupling portion which includes the predetermined part, and

wherein the flexible circuit board is mounted on the electronic circuit device while said one of the mounting portions is moved in a rotational direction centering around the bent predetermined part.