Patent Application

App. No. 14/281,917

Abstract

Claims (43)

1 . A method of manufacturing an electronic device, the method comprising:

(a) forming a housing having an interior surface and an exterior surface, wherein a portion of the interior surface has traces formed thereon; and

(b) mounting electronic components on the portion of the interior surface so that the electronic components are electrically connected to the traces.

2 . An electronic device formed by the method of manufacture of claim 1 .

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the housing comprises a substrate and a flexible printed circuit board (PCB) film mounted on the substrate, wherein the flexible PCB film forms the portion of the interior surface;

the flexible PCB film has the traces formed thereon; and

step (b) comprises mounting the electronic components on the flexible PCB film so that the electronic components are electrically connected to the traces of the flexible PCB film.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein:

the substrate is made of plastic; and

further comprising vacuum molding the plastic substrate to form a portion of the housing for the electronic device.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the vacuum molding is performed after step (b).

6 . An electronic device formed by the method of manufacture of claim 5 .

7 . The method of claim 3 , wherein step (a) comprises:

placing the flexible PCB film in a mold; and

injection molding substrate material into the mold to form a portion of the housing for the electronic device, wherein the portion comprises the substrate with the flexible PCB film mounted thereon.

8 . An electronic device formed by the method of manufacture of claim 7 .

9 . The method of claim 3 , wherein:

the substrate is made of metal; and

step (a) comprises:

laminating the flexible PCB film onto the metal substrate to form the housing material; and

punching the housing material to form a portion of the housing for the electronic device, the portion comprising the substrate with the flexible PCB film mounted thereon.

10 . An electronic device formed by the method of manufacture of claim 9 .

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein step (a) comprises:

applying conductive material to a substrate; and

sintering or melting selected portions of the conductive material to form the traces directly on the substrate.

12 . An electronic device formed by the method of manufacture of claim 11 .

13 . A method of manufacturing an electronic device, the method comprising:

mounting electronic components upside-down on a substrate;

placing conductive material over the electronic components; and

sintering or melting selected portions of the conductive material to form traces that electrically connect the electronic components.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

forming a housing from the substrate, wherein the housing has an interior surface and an exterior surface and the electronic components are mounted on a portion of the interior surface.

15 . An electronic device formed by the method of claim 14 .

16 . An electronic device, comprising:

a housing having an interior surface and an exterior surface;

a flexible printed circuit board (PCB) forming a portion of the interior surface of the housing, wherein the flexible PCB has traces formed thereon; and

electronic components mounted on and electrically connected to the traces,

wherein the housing and the PCB are shaped one to the other.

17 . The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the housing and the PCB are shaped one to the other via vacuum.

18 . The electronic device of claim 17 , wherein the housing and the PCB are shaped one to the other via punching.

19 . The electronic device of claim 17 , wherein the PCB comprises a film.

20 . The electronic device of claim 19 , wherein the film is attached to the housing with an adhesive.

Assignments (26)