Printed circuit board

• US 8,659,906 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2012
• Issued: 02/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: McClure, Stephen R., Banko, Joshua D., Ternus, John P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Hung S
• Application Number:
  US13/442,801
• Publication Number:
  US 20120195008A1
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• Field of Search: 361/720, 361/726, 361/748, 361/760, 361/749, 174260-262
• US Class Current: 361/749
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1613 for portable computers cooling arrangements therefor G06F1/203; constructional details or arrangements for pocket calculators, electronic agendas or books G06F15/0216; constructional details of portable telephone sets: with several bodies H04M1/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0252 by means of a snap-on mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0266 for a display module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0277 for a printed circuit board assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0281 Reinforcement details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/118 specially for flexible printed circuits, e.g. using folded portions
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/147 at least one of the printed circuits being bent or folded, e.g. by using a flexible printed circuit H05K1/148 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09727 Varying width along a single conductor; Conductors or pads having different widths
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49124 On flat or curved insulated base, e.g., printed circuit, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49126 Assembling bases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49128 Assembling formed circuit to base
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49135 and shaping, e.g., cutting or bending, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4914 with deforming of lead or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49155 Manufacturing circuit on or in base
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49169 Assembling electrical component directly to terminal or elongated conductor

Abstract

A methodology for connecting device components with circuitry located at different levels and orientations relative to one another is described. First circuitry can be located on a multi-plane rigid circuit board where the multi-plane rigid circuit board can include at least one flexible member sharing a common substrate with the multi-plane rigid circuit board that extends from a body portion of the multi-plane rigid circuit board. The flexible member can include traces used to convey power and/or data and an interface coupled to the power and/or data traces. The flexible member can be deflected or twisted to connect first circuitry on the body portion of the multi-plane rigid circuit board to second circuitry associated with another device component.

Claims

1. A printed circuit board comprising:

a body portion of the printed circuit board;

a flexible portion of the printed circuit board that extends from the body portion of the printed circuit board, comprising a plurality of traces; and

an end portion of the printed circuit board including an interface to the plurality of traces, wherein the flexible portion is proximately located in a first plane at a first depth level within an enclosure, wherein the body portion of the printed circuit board is proximately located in a second plane at a second depth level within the enclosure, wherein the plurality of traces includes thicker traces and thinner traces and wherein the thicker traces are located in a first region of the flexible portion that is near a side edge of the flexible portion, wherein the thinner traces are located in a second region of the flexible portion that is farther from the side edge of the flexible portion than the first region, wherein the first region of the flexible portion is devoid of thinner traces and the second region of the flexible portion is devoid of thicker traces.

2. The printed circuit board as recited in claim 1, wherein the printed circuit board is secured by a first fastener placed across the printed circuit board proximate to where the flexible portion of the printed circuit board extends from the body portion of the printed circuit board and is secured by a second fastener placed across the printed circuit board proximate to an end of the flexible portion of the printed circuit board.

3. The printed circuit board of claim 2 wherein the first fastener includes a rounded surface configured to increase a bending radius of the printed circuit board proximate to the first fastener.

4. The printed circuit board of claim 3 wherein the first fastener and the second fastener are configured to concentrate bending stress in an area of the printed circuit board between the two fasteners.

5. A printed circuit board, comprising:

a body portion of the printed circuit board;

a flexible portion of the printed circuit board, comprising a plurality of traces and an end portion of the printed circuit board including an interface to the plurality of traces, wherein the flexible portion is proximately located in a first plane at a first depth level within an enclosure, wherein the body portion of the printed circuit board is proximately located in a second plane at a second depth level within the enclosure, wherein the plurality of traces includes thicker traces and thinner traces, wherein the thicker traces are located closer to a side edge of the flexible portion than the thinner traces; and

a second circuit board secured within the enclosure and couple to the interface on the end portion of the printed circuit board such that power and data are communicated between the second circuit board and a main logic board via the plurality of traces on the flexible portion of the printed circuit board.

6. The printed circuit board as recited in claim 5, wherein the second plane is rotated at an angle relative to the first plane.

7. The printed circuit board as recited in claim 6, wherein the printed circuit board and the main logic board share a common substrate.

8. A multi-plane printed circuit board for use in computing device, comprising:

an integrally formed portion, comprising a rigid body portion and a flexible portion integrally formed with the rigid body portion, wherein a free end of the flexible portion is arranged to be deflected and rotated as needed and secured at a location that is displaced in a different plane from the rigid body portion of the multi-plane rigid PCB; and

an interface at the free end of the flexible portion, the interface on the free end of the flexible portion suitable for being coupled to another printed circuit board in place of a flexible cable.

9. The multi-plane PCB as recited in claim 8, further comprising:

a plurality of traces organized in layers comprising a first layer of traces and a second layer of traces that experience stress concurrently.

10. The multi-plane PCB as recited in claim 9, wherein the first of traces in the flexible portion located at a bottom part of the flexible portion of the multi-plane PCB experiences a tensile force when the free end of the flexible portion is bent in an up-ward direction.

11. The multi-plane PCB as recited in claim 10, wherein the second layer of traces in the flexible portion located at a top part of the flexible portion of the multi-plane PCB experiences a compressive force when the free end of the flexible portion is bent in the up-ward direction.

12. The multi-plane PCB as recited in claim 11, wherein the compressive force at the top part of the upwardly bent multi-plane PCB and the tensile force at the bottom part of the upwardly bent PCB are balanced at a neutral axis of the multi-plane PCB.

13. The multi-planned PCB as recited in claim 12, wherein the location of the neutral axis of the multi-plane PCB is based upon a location, number, and thickness of the first and second plurality of traces.

14. The multi-plane PCB an recited in claim 13, wherein the plurality of traces in a high stress portion of the multi-plane PCB are thick traces.

15. The multi-plane PCB as recited in claim 13, wherein the plurality of traces in a low stress portion of the multi-plane PCB are thin traces.

16. The multi-plane PCB as recited in claim 8, further comprising:

a stress isolator, the stress isolator arranged to reduce an amount of stress in the multi-plane PCB.

17. The multi-plane PCB as recited in claim 16, wherein the stress isolator is configured as a fastener.

18. The multi-plane PCB as recited in claim wherein the flexible bed portion comprises a plurality of traces including thicker traces and thinner traces and wherein at least some of the thicker traces are routed across areas on the flexible portion with stress values that are higher than the stress values where at least some of the thinner traces are routed on the flexible portion.

19. A printed circuit board, comprising:

a flexible portion;

a plurality of thicker traces in the flexible portion, wherein at least some of the thicker traces are located in one or more first regions of the flexible portion; and

a plurality of thinner traces in the flexible portion, wherein at least some of the thinner traces are located in one or more second regions of the flexible portion, wherein the one or more first regions of the flexible portion experiences more stress than the one or more second regions of the flexible portion.

20. The printed circuit board defined in claim 19 wherein at least some of the thicker traces are located closer to a side edge of the flexible body portion than at least some of the thinner traces.

21. The printed circuit board defined in claim 19 wherein at least some of the thicker traces are routed across areas on the flexible portion with stress values that are higher than the stress values where at least some of the thinner traces are routed on the flexible portion.