Out of plane integral conductive arms and methods for manufacturing the same
First Claim
1. A structure comprising:
- a circuit board having at least one conductive arm, wherein the conductive arm has an unconnected end located opposite to a connected end of the conductive arm that is connected to the circuit board, wherein the conductive arm has a front side and a back side located opposite to the front side of the conductive arm, wherein the backside of the conductive arm is located adjacent to the circuit board, and wherein the unconnected end of the conductive arm includes a dimple portion formed integrally with and as a unitary part of a remaining portion of the conductive arm, the dimple portion being out of plane with in plane portions of the connected end of the conductive arm so that the dimple portion is at a greater distance from the circuit board than the in plane portions of the conductive arm, the dimple portion being connected to the in plane portions of the conductive arm via an integrally formed and unitary riser portion, the riser portion being out of plane with the connected end of the conductive arm, andan air gap formed between the back side of the conductive arm at least at the dimple portion and the circuit board, permitting the conductive arm to flex into a space of the air gap.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A printed circuit board includes a multiple-layer electrical circuit board and a conductive arm, wherein the conductive arm has an unconnected end located opposite to the connected end of the conductive arm, wherein the conductive arm has a front side and a backside located opposite to the front side of the conductive arm, wherein the backside of the conductive arm is located adjacent to the multiple layer electrical circuit board. The unconnected end of the conductive arm includes a dimple portion formed integrally with and as a unitary part of a remaining portion of the conductive arm, the dimple portion being out of plane with in plane portions of the connected end of the conductive arm so that the dimple portion is at a greater distance from the circuit board than the in plane portions of the conductive arm, the dimple portion being connected to the in plane portions of the conductive arm via an integrally formed and unitary riser portion. An air gap is formed between the backside of the arm and the multiple layer electrical circuit board, wherein the air gap permits the arm to flex within the air gap. An ink jet component is laminated to the printed circuit board, wherein the dimple on the front side of the arm contacts a surface of the component, wherein a restoring spring force of the conductive arm maintains electrical contactivity between the dimple and the component.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A structure comprising:
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a circuit board having at least one conductive arm, wherein the conductive arm has an unconnected end located opposite to a connected end of the conductive arm that is connected to the circuit board, wherein the conductive arm has a front side and a back side located opposite to the front side of the conductive arm, wherein the backside of the conductive arm is located adjacent to the circuit board, and wherein the unconnected end of the conductive arm includes a dimple portion formed integrally with and as a unitary part of a remaining portion of the conductive arm, the dimple portion being out of plane with in plane portions of the connected end of the conductive arm so that the dimple portion is at a greater distance from the circuit board than the in plane portions of the conductive arm, the dimple portion being connected to the in plane portions of the conductive arm via an integrally formed and unitary riser portion, the riser portion being out of plane with the connected end of the conductive arm, and an air gap formed between the back side of the conductive arm at least at the dimple portion and the circuit board, permitting the conductive arm to flex into a space of the air gap. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A structure comprising:
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a printed circuit board including a multiple layer electrical circuit board having at least one conductive arm, wherein the conductive arm has an unconnected end located opposite to a connected end of the conductive arm that is connected to the multiple layer electrical circuit board, wherein the conductive arm has a front side and a back side located opposite to the front side of the conductive arm, wherein the backside of the conductive arm is located adjacent to the multiple layer electrical circuit board, and wherein the unconnected end of the conductive arm includes a dimple portion formed integrally with and as a unitary part of a remaining portion of the conductive arm, wherein prior to connection to an ink jet printhead component, the dimple portion is out of plane with in plane portions of the connected end of the conductive arm so that the dimple portion is at a greater distance from the circuit board than the in plane portions of the conductive arm, the dimple portion being connected to the in plane portions of the conductive arm via an integrally formed and unitary riser portion, the riser portion being out of plane with the connected end of the conductive arm, and an air gap formed between the back side of the conductive arm at least at the dimple portion and the multiple layer electrical circuit board, permitting the conductive arm to flex into the space of the air gap; and an ink jet printhead component laminated to the printed circuit board, wherein following connection of the printed circuit board to the ink jet printhead component, the dimple portion contacts the component, the conductive arm is flexed into the air gap, and a restoring spring force is exerted by the conductive arm to maintain electrical contactivity between the dimple portion and the component. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method comprising:
forming a circuit board having at least one conductive arm, wherein the conductive arm has an unconnected end located opposite to a connected end of the conductive arm that is connected to the circuit board, wherein the conductive arm has a front side and a back side located opposite to the front side of the conductive arm, wherein the back side of the conductive arm is located adjacent to the circuit board, and wherein the unconnected end of the conductive arm includes a dimple portion formed integrally with and as a unitary part of a remaining portion of the conductive arm, the dimple portion being out of plane with in plane portions of the connected end of the conductive arm so that the dimple portion is at a greater distance from the circuit board than the in plane portions of the conductive arm, the dimple portion being connected to the in plane portions of the conductive arm via an integrally formed and unitary riser portion, the riser portion being out of plane with the connected end of the conductive arm, and an air gap formed between the back side of the conductive arm at least at the dimple portion and the circuit board, permitting the conductive arm to flex into the space of the air gap, the forming comprising on a circuit board substrate, forming a sacrificial underlying layer including a bump of greater thickness than other portions of the sacrificial underlying layer, wherein the bump is located on the circuit board substrate where the dimple portion of the arm will be formed; forming a via through the circuit board substrate; patterning a resist onto portions of the sacrificial underlying layer not to have conductive plated thereon, the resist covering a portion of the bump; plating a conductive layer onto the exposed portions of the sacrificial underlying layer and into the via; removing the resist following the plating of the conductive layer; and etching to remove at least a portion of the sacrificial underlying material located between the plated conductive layer and the circuit board substrate to form the unconnected end of the conductive arm and the air gap between the back side of the conductive arm and the circuit board substrate. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
Specification