IP Library › Granted Patent US 7,429,177
Granted Patent B2
US 7,429,177 · App. 12/005,704 · Granted Sep 30, 2008

Flexible printed circuit board with contoured conductive lines

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,429,177
App. No.
12/005,704
Granted
Sep 30, 2008
Kind
B2
Abstract

An exemplary flexible printed circuit board ( 2 ) includes a wiring layer ( 21 ). The wiring layer includes a number of conductive lines ( 211 ). Each of the conductive lines includes a finger ( 213 ), a line portion ( 212 ) and a junction portion ( 214 ) between the finger and the line portion. A width of the finger is greater than a width of the line portion, a width of the junction portion gradually changes from the width of the line portion to the width of the finger. The flexible printed circuit board has high reliability.

Claims (22)

1. A flexible printed circuit (FPC) board, comprising:

a wiring layer comprising a plurality of conductive lines, each of the conductive lines comprising a finger, a line portion, and a junction portion between the finger and the line portion, a width of the finger being greater than a width of the line portion, a width of the junction portion gradually changing from the width of the line portion to the width of the finger to prevent overstress or break at the junction when the flexible printed circuit board is bent, two edges of the junction portion being curved lines; the junction portion comprising a first end and a second end, the first end connecting with the line portion, and the second end connecting with the finger; a width of the first end being equal to the width of the line portion, and a width of the second end being equal to the width of the finger;

an insulating layer, the insulating layer covering most of the wiring layer; the insulating layer being made from polyimide (PI);

a reinforcing layer, the reinforcing layer covering part of the insulating layer to reinforce the mechanical strength of the FPC board an edge portion of the reinforcing layer at a middle portion of the FPC board being wedge-shaped; the reinforcing layer being made from aluminum (Al);

the line portions of the conductive lines being made from copper foil, the fingers of the conductive lines being made from gilded copper; the wiring layer further comprising a base, a thickness of the base being in the range from 10 gm to 100 gm.

2. The flexible printed circuit board as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the FPC board is a nonuniform FPC board.

3. The flexible printed circuit board as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the base is made from a material selected from the group consisting of polyimide (PI), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyester, and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).

4. A flexible printed circuit board, comprising:

a wiring layer comprising a plurality of conductive lines, each of the conductive lines comprising a pad, a line portion, and a junction portion connecting the pad and the line portion, a width of the junction portion progressively increasing from a width of the line portion to a width of the pad to prevent overstress or break at the junction when the flexible printed circuit board is bent, two edges of the junction portion being curved lines;

an insulating layer, the insulating layer covering most of the wiring layer; and

a reinforcing layer, the reinforcing layer covering part of the insulating layer to reinforce the mechanical strength of the FPC board; an edge portion of the reinforcing layer at a middle portion of the FPC board being wedge-shaped; the reinforcing layer being made from aluminum (Al);

a thickness of a middle portion of the flexible printed circuit board gradually changing at an edge portion of the reinforcing layer at the middle portion forming a combined thickness of the wiring layer, the insulating layer, and a main portion of the reinforcing layer to a combined thickness of the wiring layer and the insulating layer only;

the line portions of the conductive lines being made from copper foil; the fingers of the conductive lines being made from gilded copper; the wiring layer further comprising a base, a thickness of the base being in the range from 10 gm to 100 gm.

5. The flexible printed circuit board as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the FPC board is a nonuniform FPC board.

6. A flexible printed circuit board, comprising:

a wiring layer comprising a plurality of conductive lines, each of the conductive lines comprising a pad, a line portion, and a junction portion connecting the pad and the line portion, a width of the junction portion progressively increasing from a width of the line portion to a width of the pad to prevent overstress or break at the junction when the flexible printed circuit board is bent;

a reinforcing layer, the reinforcing layer covering part of the wiring layer to reinforce the mechanical strength of the FPC board; a thickness of a middle portion of the flexible printed circuit board gradually changing at an edge portion of the reinforcing layer at the middle portion; the edge portion of the reinforcing layer at a middle portion of the FPC board being wedge-shaped;

an insulating layer disposed between the wiring layer and the reinforcing layer, the insulating layer covering most of the wiring layer.

7. The flexible printed circuit board as claimed in claim 6 , wherein two edges of the junction portion are curved lines.

8. The flexible printed circuit board as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the FPC board is a nonuniform FPC board.

9. The flexible printed circuit board as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the insulating layer is made from polyimide (PI).

10. The flexible printed circuit board as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the reinforcing layer is made from aluminum (AI).