Flexible printed circuit
View Patent ↗A flexible printed circuit (FPC) is provided comprising a base plate and a pair of elongated resin strips disposed on the base plate. The resin strips comprise conductive traces embedded between the resin strips and configured to electrically couple a first unit of an electronic device at a tail end of the resin strips with a second unit of the electronic device at an opposing end of the resin strips. The resin strips have edges having cutouts formed therein adjacent to the tail end.
1. A flexible printed circuit (FPC), comprising:
a base plate with entirely one straight edge from one end to another end and
a pair of resin strips disposed on a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface of the base plate, comprising:
a first conductive trace embedded between the base plate and a first resin strip of the pair of resin strips and configured to electrically couple a first unit of an electronic device at a tail end of the resin strips with a second unit of the electronic device at an opposing end of the resin strips;
a second conductive trace embedded between the base plate and a second resin strip of the pair of resin strips and configured to electrically couple the first unit of electronic device with the second unit of electronic device; and
a first edge of the first resin strip having a first cutout overlap with the base plate on the first surface and a second edge of the second resin strip having a second cutout overlap the base plate on the second surface formed therein adjacent to the tail end.
2. The FPC of claim 1 , further comprising a water-tight film overlaying the resin strips at the tail end.
3. The FPC of claim 1 , wherein the cutouts have a notch shape.
4. The FPC of claim 3 , wherein the cutouts are about 6 millimeters (mm) wide, about 6 mm deep, and spaced about 3 mm apart along each edge.
5. The FPC of claim 1 , wherein the cutouts have an oblong shape with a narrow opening.
6. The FPC of claim 5 , wherein the cutouts are about 3 mm wide, about 5 mm deep, and the openings are spaced about 5 mm apart along each edge.
7. The FPC of claim 1 , wherein the cutouts comprise a pattern of cutouts having a notch shape alternating with cutouts having an oblong shape with a narrow opening.
8. A method of manufacturing a flexible printed circuit (FPC), comprising:
providing a pair of resin strips having a tail end;
embedding conductive traces between the resin strips configured to electrically couple a first unit of an electronic device at the tail end of the resin strips with a second unit of the electronic device at an opposing end of the resin strips;
forming cutouts in edges of the resin strips adjacent to the tail end configured to increase the effective length of the edges;
bonding a first resin strip of the pair of resin strips to a first surface of a baseplate, and a second resin strip of the pair of resin strips to a second surface opposite to the first surface of the baseplate, wherein the baseplate has entirely one straight edge from one end to another end, a first edge of the first resin strip has a first cutout overlap with the base plate on the first surface, and a second edge of the second resin strip has a second cutout overlap with the base plate on the second surface;
one of the conductive traces is embedded between the base plate and the first resin strip;
another of the conductive traces is embedded between the base plate and the second resin strip; and
overlaying a water-tight film on the resin strips at the tail end.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the cutouts have a notch shape.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the cutouts are about 6 millimeters (mm) wide, about 6 mm deep, and spaced about 3 mm apart along each edge.
11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the cutouts have an oblong shape with a narrow opening.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the cutouts are about 3 mm wide, about 5 mm deep, and the openings are spaced about 5 mm apart along each edge.
13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the cutouts comprise a pattern of cutouts having a notch shape alternating with cutouts having an oblong shape with a narrow opening.
14. An electronic device, comprising:
a first unit;
a second unit pivotally connected to the first unit; and
a flexible printed circuit (FPC) disposed to electrically couple the first unit with the second unit, comprising:
base plate with edges formed in a first shape;
a pair of resin strips, wherein a first resin strip of the pair of resin strips is disposed on a first surface of the baseplate, and a second resin strip of the pair of resin strips is disposed on a second surface opposite to the first surface of the baseplate;
a first conductive trace is embedded between the base plate and a first resin strip of the pair of resin strips and configured to electrically couple the first unit at a tail end of the pair of resin strips with the second unit at an opposing end of the pair of resin strips,
a second conductive trace is embedded between the base plate and a second resin strip of the pair of resin strips and configured to electrically couple the first unit with the second unit;
the pair of resin strips having edges with a second shape different from the first shape, a first edge of the first resin strip having a first cutout overlap with the base plate on the first surface and a second edge of the second resin strip having a second cutout overlap with the base plate on the second surface formed therein configured to increase the effective length of the edges; and
a water-tight film overlaying the resin strips at the tail end and further in touch with the base plate.
15. The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the cutouts have a notch shape.
16. The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the cutouts are about 6 millimeters (mm) wide, about 6 mm deep, and spaced about 3 mm apart along each edge.
17. The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the cutouts have an oblong shape with a narrow opening, wherein the cutouts are about 3 mm wide, about 5 mm deep, and the openings are spaced about 5 mm apart along each edge.
18. The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the cutouts comprise a pattern of cutouts having a notch shape alternating with cutouts having an oblong shape with a narrow opening.
19. The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the first unit is a keyboard unit and the second unit is a main computer system unit.
20. The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the first unit comprises a keyboard unit of a notebook computer and the second unit comprises a display unit of the notebook computer.