Flexible substrate and electronic equipment

Abstract

The utility model provides a flexible substrate and an electronic device, which can restrain oblique bending even under the condition that the widths of a plurality of conductive patterns are not uniform. The base material (610) extends from the first end portion toward the second end portion. The first conductive pattern (630) is formed on the surface of the base material from the first end portion side to the second end portion side. The second conductive pattern (3.3 V) (632) and the second conductive pattern (1.8 V) (634) are formed on the surface of the base material from the first end portion side to the second end portion side, and have a shape that is wider than the first conductive pattern. The base material can be bent along a bending line (C) crossing the base material at a position between the first end portion and the second end portion. A slit (640) is disposed inside the second conductive pattern (3.3 V) (632) and the second conductive pattern (1.8 V) (634), and the slit intersects the fold line and is shorter than the distance between the first end portion and the second end portion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a flexible substrate, in particular to a bent flexible substrate and an electronic device. Background Art

[0002] As electronic devices become smaller in size, there is an increasing demand for flexible substrates that can be folded and stored (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] [Prior art literature]

[0004] [Patent Document]

[0005] Patent Document 1: International Publication No. 22 / 181764 Utility Model Content

[0006] [Problems to be solved by the utility model]

[0007] In a flexible substrate, a plurality of conductive patterns are formed on the surface of a flexible substrate. Therefore, when the substrate is bent, the plurality of conductive patterns are also bent. Generally, the greater the width of the conductive pattern, the more difficult it is to bend. In the case where the widths of the plurality of conductive patterns formed on the substrate are uneven, there will be portions that are easy to bend and portions that are difficult to bend. When there are portions that are easy to bend and portions that are difficult to bend, the substrate will be prone to oblique bending (original text: oblique bending). Due to the oblique bending of the substrate, the end of the flexible substrate will be difficult to be inserted into the connector.

[0008] The present disclosure has been made in view of such a situation, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide a technology for suppressing the occurrence of oblique bending even when the widths of a plurality of conductive patterns are non-uniform.

[0009] [Technical solutions for solving technical problems]

[0010] In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, a flexible substrate of one embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a substrate extending from a first end portion to a second end portion; a first conductive pattern formed on a surface of the substrate from the first end portion side to the second end portion side; and a second conductive pattern formed on a surface of the substrate from the first end portion side to the second end portion side and having a shape wider than the first conductive pattern. The substrate can be bent along a bending line that crosses the substrate at a position between the first end portion and the second end portion, and a slit is arranged inside the second conductive pattern, the slit intersecting the bending line and being shorter than the distance between the first end portion and the second end portion.

[0011] Preferably, the present invention comprises: a substrate extending from a first end portion to a second end portion; a first conductive pattern formed on a surface of the substrate from the first end portion to the second end portion; and a second conductive pattern formed on a surface of the substrate from the first end portion to the second end portion and having a shape wider than the first conductive pattern. The substrate can be bent along a bending line crossing the substrate at a position between the first end portion and the second end portion, and the second conductive pattern is narrowed in width at a portion intersecting the bending line.

[0012] Preferably, the substrate is bent at a portion between the first end and the second end; the substrate has the bending line at the bent portion; the first conductive pattern is bent along the bent shape of the substrate; and the second conductive pattern has a straight line shape at a portion of the interval sandwiching the bending line.

[0013] An electronic device according to another aspect of the present disclosure includes: the flexible substrate as described above, a first substrate connected to the first end of the flexible substrate, and a second substrate connected to the second end of the flexible substrate.

[0014] Utility Model Effect

[0015] According to the present disclosure, even when the widths of the plurality of conductive patterns are non-uniform, occurrence of oblique bending can be suppressed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 It is an exploded perspective view showing the structure of an electronic device according to an embodiment.

[0017] Figure 2 Observed from the front Figure 1 Front view of an electronic device case.

[0018] Figure 3 Yes means Figure 1 A front view of the structure of the antenna module.

[0019] Figure 4 (a) - Figure 4 (d) is a diagram showing the structure of a flexible substrate mounted on an electronic device.

[0020] Figure 5 (a) - Figure 5 (b) means Figure 4 (d) An enlarged view of the structure of the bending portion.

[0021] Figure 6 (a) - Figure 5 (c) means Figure 4 (d) is an enlarged view of another structure of the bending portion.

[0022] [Explanation of Reference Numerals]

[0023] 100 housing, 110 opening, 150 substrate, 160 second connector, 200 front plate, 210 fixing portion, 220 through hole, 300 antenna module, 310 resin plate, 350 antenna, 360 cable, 362 cable connecting portion, 364 cable terminal, 370 mounting claw, 400 communication substrate, 410 first connector, 500 front side cover, 600 flexible substrate, 610 base material, 612, 614 180° bending portion, 61690° bending portion, 618 bent portion, 619 bent portion, 620 first end portion, 622 second end portion, 624 first region, 626 second region, 630 first conductive pattern, 632 second conductive pattern (3.3 V), 634 second conductive pattern (1.8 V), 636 straight portion, 640 slit, 642 narrow width portion, 1000 electronic device, C bending line. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] Before describing the present disclosure in detail, an overview is described. The present embodiment relates to an electronic device having a plurality of substrates in a housing. An example of an electronic device is a vehicle-mounted device that can be mounted on a vehicle, etc. When a plurality of substrates are provided in a housing, it is necessary to electrically connect the plurality of substrates. On the other hand, in electronic devices such as vehicle-mounted devices, miniaturization is required, so the space in the housing becomes smaller. In a situation where the space in the housing is small, when electrically connecting a plurality of substrates, it is preferred to use a bendable flexible substrate.

[0025] As mentioned above, when the widths of the plurality of conductive patterns formed on the flexible substrate are uneven, oblique bending is likely to occur when the flexible substrate is bent. Due to the oblique bending, the end of the flexible substrate will be difficult to insert into the connector. Even in the case where the width of the conductive pattern is uneven, it is necessary to suppress the occurrence of oblique bending. In the flexible substrate of the present embodiment, a conductive pattern of a predetermined width (hereinafter referred to as the "first conductive pattern") and a conductive pattern wider than the width of the first conductive pattern (hereinafter referred to as the "second conductive pattern") are formed, and a slit is provided in the second conductive pattern in the area crossing the bending line. With such a configuration, even if the width of the second conductive pattern is large, it is easy to bend due to the slit, so the occurrence of oblique bending is suppressed.

[0026] In the following description, "parallel" and "orthogonal" include not only completely parallel or orthogonal situations, but also situations that deviate from parallel or orthogonal within the range of error. In addition, "substantially" means the same within an approximate range.

[0027] Figure 1 It is an exploded perspective view showing the structure of the electronic device 1000 . Figure 2 This is a front view of the electronic device 1000 as viewed from the front. Figure 1 As shown in FIG. 1 , an orthogonal coordinate system consisting of an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis is defined. The x-axis and the y-axis are orthogonal to each other. The z-axis is perpendicular to the x-axis and the y-axis and extends in the height direction of the electronic device 1000. In addition, the positive directions of the x-axis, the y-axis, and the z-axis are defined as Figure 1 In the arrow direction, the negative direction is defined as the opposite direction to the arrow. Here, the positive direction of the x-axis is sometimes referred to as "front" or "front side", the negative direction of the x-axis is sometimes referred to as "back" or "back side", the positive direction of the y-axis is sometimes referred to as "right" or "right side", the negative direction of the y-axis is sometimes referred to as "left" or "left side", the positive direction of the z-axis is sometimes referred to as "above" or "upper side", and the negative direction of the z-axis is sometimes referred to as "below" or "lower side". Therefore, it can be said that the x-axis extends in the front-to-back direction, the y-axis extends in the left-to-right direction, and the z-axis extends in the up-down direction.

[0028] The housing 100 has a hollow box shape. Inside the housing 100, a circuit (not shown) is arranged, and the circuit is used to perform various functions of the electronic device 1000. On the front side of the housing 100, an opening 110 is provided, and the opening 110 is covered by a front plate 200 having a plate shape. In the central part of the surface of the front side of the front plate 200, a fixing portion 210 is provided, and the fixing portion 210 is a recess that can fix the antenna module 300 from the front side. On the upper side of the fixing portion 210 in the front plate 200, a through hole 220 that penetrates the front plate 200 is provided. The structure of the antenna module 300 will be described later, but the antenna module 300 has a shape that does not close the through hole 220. On the front side of the antenna module 300, a communication substrate 400 is installed. On the communication substrate 400, a circuit (not shown) is installed, and the circuit is used to perform communication between wireless LAN and Bluetooth (registered trademark). When the communication board 400 is mounted on the antenna module 300, the communication board 400 closes the through hole 220 of the front plate 200. A first connector 410 is disposed on the front surface of the communication board 400. The communication board 400 is covered from the front by a front cover 500.

[0029] The dual-band antenna supporting 2.4GHz / 5GHz is used for communication in the 2.4GHz band for Bluetooth (registered trademark) and communication in the 2.4GHz / 5GHz band for wireless LAN. So far, antennas for Bluetooth (registered trademark) and wireless LAN in the 5GHz band, and antennas for wireless LAN in the 2.4GHz band and 5GHz band have been separately mounted. In the case of this structure, the antenna unit is a plate-shaped component that is easily deformed, and the transportation is carried out in two packages. In addition, after each antenna is installed, the wiring operation of the cable will be required, and if the installation is not completed, it is difficult to evaluate the antenna performance. Furthermore, when each antenna is installed on the front side of the shell, a mounting claw for fixing the cable should be provided on the shell. The mounting claw is provided on the shell by punching, thereby generating a through hole in the shell. Due to the through hole, the interference radio waves generated in the car may affect the circuit inside the shell.

[0030] In this embodiment, two antennas are mounted on a resin plate, and an antenna module 300 is provided, in which a cable connected to each antenna is mounted on the antenna or the resin plate. By modularization, the strength of the antenna is increased, and the transportation becomes one package. In addition, the wiring operation of the cable after the antenna module 300 is mounted on the housing 100 is not required. The performance evaluation of the antenna under the antenna module 300 alone becomes possible. Furthermore, since the cable is mounted on the resin plate, the through hole disappears in the housing 100, so the circuit inside the housing 100 is less likely to be affected by the interference radio waves generated in the vehicle cabin.

[0031] Figure 3 3 is a front view showing the structure of the antenna module 300. The resin plate 310 has a shape that is longer in the left-right direction than in the up-down direction. The resin plate 310 can be attached to the fixing portion 210 ( Figure 1 ). A first antenna 350a is provided at the right end of the front surface of the resin plate 310. The first antenna 350a and the communication substrate 400 ( Figure 1 ) is connected by the first cable 360a. Specifically, at both ends of the first cable 360a, a first cable connection portion 362a and a first cable terminal 364a are provided, the first cable connection portion 362a is connected to the first antenna 350a, and the first cable terminal 364a is connected to the communication substrate 400. The first cable 360a is mounted on the first mounting claw 370a between the first cable connection portion 362a and the first cable terminal 364a.

[0032] A second antenna 350b is provided at the left end portion of the front surface of the resin plate 310. The second antenna 350b is connected to the communication substrate 400 ( Figure 1) is connected by a second cable 360b. Specifically, a second cable connection portion 362b and a second cable terminal 364b are provided at both ends of the second cable 360b, the second cable connection portion 362b is connected to the second antenna 350b, and the second cable terminal 364b is connected to the communication substrate 400. The second cable 360b is mounted on the second mounting claw 370b between the second cable connection portion 362b and the second cable terminal 364b.

[0033] Since the antenna is modularized by the antenna module 300 , wiring work is performed in the electronic device 1000 in order to connect the communication board 400 to a board (not shown) in the housing 100 . Figure 4 (a) - Figure 4 (d) shows the structure of the flexible substrate 600 mounted on the electronic device 1000 . Figure 4 (a) represents the structure when viewed from the inside of the housing 100 to the front side. Inside the housing 100, a substrate 150 extending on the x-y plane is arranged. On the upper surface of the substrate 150, a circuit (not shown) for executing processing of the electronic device 1000 is installed, and a second connector 160 is arranged. As described above, on the front side of the housing 100, a front plate 200 is arranged, and on the front side of the front plate 200, a communication substrate 400 is arranged in a manner to close the through hole 220. The communication substrate 400 and the substrate 150 are connected by a flexible substrate 600. When the communication substrate 400 is referred to as the "first substrate", the substrate 150 is referred to as the "second substrate".

[0034] Figure 4 (b) means Figure 4The flexible substrate 600 in the state of (a). The substrate 610 of the flexible substrate 600 is a flexible resin film extending from the first end 620 to the second end 622. The first end 620 is connected to the first connector 410 of the communication substrate 400, and the second end 622 is connected to the second connector 160 of the substrate 150. In the state where the first end 620 is connected to the first connector 410, the substrate 610 extends upward along the communication substrate 400, and is bent downward at the 180° bend 612. The bent substrate 610 passes through the through hole 220, extends downward and backward, and is bent upward at the 180° bend 614. The bent substrate 610 extends upward and backward, is bent backward at the 90° bend 616, and extends backward along the upper side of the substrate 150. The second end portion 622, which is the rear end of the base material 610, is connected to the second connector 160. As described above, the flexible substrate 600 needs to be accommodated in the space between the communication substrate 400 and the substrate 150, and is therefore bent by about 180° at the 180° bend portion 612 and the 180° bend portion 614, and is bent by about 90° at the 90° bend portion 616.

[0035] Figure 4 (c) is Figure 4 The first connector 410 of the communication substrate 400 is connected to the first end 620, and the second connector 160 of the substrate 150 is connected to the second end 622. Here, the first connector 410 and the second connector 160 are offset in the left-right direction. Figure 4 (d) is a top view showing the structure before the flexible substrate 600 is bent. The first connector 410 and the second connector 160 are arranged to be offset in the left-right direction, so the substrate 610 is bent at the bend 618 and the bend 619 between the first end 620 and the second end 622. In the substrate 610 having two bends, there is a possibility that the first end 620 and the second end 622 are offset due to dimensional accuracy. In addition, in the substrate 610 having three bends, there is a possibility that the first end 620 and the second end 622 are offset.

[0036] Figure 5 (a) - Figure 5 (b) is an enlarged view showing the structure of the bent portion 618. The bent portion 618 at a position between the first end 620 and the second end 622 of the substrate 610 is provided with a bending line C that crosses the substrate 610. The substrate 610 can be bent along the bending line C. The portion obtained by bending the substrate 610 along the bending line C included in the bent portion 618 is equivalent to Figure 4 (c) 180° bend 614. In addition, Figure 4 The portion obtained by bending the substrate 610 at the bending portion 619 of (d) is equivalent to Figure 4 The 180° bent portion 612 of (c).

[0037] Figure 5 (a) represents a structure as a comparison object of the present disclosure. On the surface of the substrate 610, from the first end 620 side to the second end 622 side, a plurality of conductive patterns are formed by copper foil or the like. The plurality of conductive patterns are arranged side by side. The plurality of conductive patterns include a first conductive pattern 730, a second conductive pattern (3.3V) 732, and a second conductive pattern (1.8V) 734. The second conductive pattern (3.3V) 732 is used to apply a voltage of 3.3V, and the second conductive pattern (1.8V) 734 is used to apply a voltage of 1.8V. The second conductive pattern (3.3V) 732 and the second conductive pattern (1.8V) 734 have a shape that is wider than the first conductive pattern 730. The larger the width of the conductive pattern, the more copper foil is used, and therefore the higher the hardness of the conductive pattern.

[0038] Therefore, the hardness of the second conductive pattern (3.3V) 732 and the hardness of the second conductive pattern (1.8V) 734 are higher than the hardness of the first conductive pattern 730. Due to such a hardness difference, when the substrate 610 is bent along the bending line C, it is easily bent obliquely due to bending away from the bending line C.

[0039] In addition, the first conductive pattern 730, the second conductive pattern (3.3V) 732, and the second conductive pattern (1.8V) 734 extend in accordance with the shape of the substrate 610 and bend along the shape of the substrate 610. When the conductive pattern is bent at the bending portion 618, it is easy to bend further obliquely at the bending line C.

[0040] Figure 5 (b) shows the structure of the present disclosure. The substrate 610, the bending line C and Figure 5 The plurality of conductive patterns include a first conductive pattern 630, a second conductive pattern (3.3 V) 632, and a second conductive pattern (1.8 V) 634. The first conductive pattern 630 corresponds to the first conductive pattern 730, the second conductive pattern (3.3 V) 632 corresponds to the second conductive pattern (3.3 V) 732, and the second conductive pattern (1.8 V) 634 corresponds to the second conductive pattern (1.8 V) 734. Therefore, the second conductive pattern (3.3 V) 632 and the second conductive pattern (1.8 V) 634 have a wider shape than the first conductive pattern 630.

[0041] In order to suppress the occurrence of oblique bending, a plurality of slits 640 intersecting with the bending line C are arranged inside each of the second conductive pattern (3.3V) 632 and the second conductive pattern (1.8V) 634. The slits 640 are portions that are not formed by copper foil or the like, and are portions that have a lower hardness than copper foil or the like. Since the slits 640 are arranged in the second conductive pattern (3.3V) 632 and the second conductive pattern (1.8V) 634, the hardness of the second conductive pattern (3.3V) 632 and the second conductive pattern (1.8V) 634 is reduced compared to a case where the slits 640 are not arranged. As a result, the hardness difference between the first conductive pattern 630 and the second conductive pattern (1.8V) 634 is reduced. Since the hardness difference is reduced, the occurrence of oblique bending is suppressed.

[0042] On the other hand, the resistance of the second conductive pattern (3.3V) 632 and the second conductive pattern (1.8V) 634 increases due to the presence of the slit 640. Here, the length of the slit 640 is shorter than the distance between the first end 620 and the second end 622, and is set to, for example, one tenth or less of the distance between the first end 620 and the second end 622. Since the length of the slit 640 is limited, the increase in the resistance of the second conductive pattern (3.3V) 632 and the second conductive pattern (1.8V) 634 is suppressed.

[0043] The first conductive pattern 630 is similar to the first conductive pattern 730, and is bent along the shape of the substrate 610. On the other hand, the second conductive pattern (3.3V) 632 and the second conductive pattern (1.8V) 634 have a straight line shape in a portion of the interval sandwiching the bending line C, and cross the bending line C at approximately right angles. The length of the portion of the interval is set to be greater than the length of the slit 640. The second conductive pattern (3.3V) 632 and the second conductive pattern (1.8V) 634 are not inclined relative to the bending line C, so the occurrence of oblique bending is suppressed. The first conductive pattern 630, the second conductive pattern (3.3V) 632, and the second conductive pattern (1.8V) 634 at the bending portion 619 may also be the same as Figure 5 (d) The same structure.

[0044] Figure 6 (a) - Figure 6 (c) is an enlarged view showing another structure of the bending portion 618. Figure 6 (a) - Figure 6 (c) is Figure 5 (b) is shown similarly. Figure 6 (a) and Figure 5 Compared with (b), the number of slits 640 is different. Figure 6The second conductive pattern (1.8V) 634 of (b) does not have the slit 640, and a narrow width portion 642 is arranged at a portion intersecting with the bending line C, such as the aforementioned partial interval. The narrow width portion 642 is a portion with a smaller width than other portions. Alternatively, the narrow width portion 642 may be arranged at the second conductive pattern (3.3V) 632. In this case, the slit 640 may not be arranged. Figure 6 In (c), Figure 5 The multiple slits 640 in (b) are summarized into one.

[0045] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a slit 640 intersecting the bending line C is provided in the second conductive pattern (3.3V) 632 and the second conductive pattern (1.8V) 634 which are wider than the first conductive pattern 630, so that the hardness of the plurality of conductive patterns can be made close. In addition, since the hardness of the plurality of conductive patterns becomes close, the occurrence of oblique bending can be suppressed even when the width of the plurality of conductive patterns is uneven. In addition, since the slit 640 is made shorter than the distance between the first end 620 and the second end 622, the increase in resistance can be suppressed. In addition, since a narrow portion 642 is provided in the second conductive pattern (3.3V) 632 or the second conductive pattern (1.8V) 634 which are wider than the first conductive pattern 630, the hardness of the plurality of conductive patterns can be made close. Furthermore, the first conductive pattern 630 is bent along the shape of the substrate 610 , and the second conductive pattern (3.3V) 632 and the second conductive pattern (1.8V) 634 have a straight line shape in a portion of the section sandwiching the bending line C, thereby suppressing the occurrence of oblique bending.

[0046] The outline of one scheme of the present disclosure is as follows. A flexible substrate (600) of one scheme of the present disclosure includes: a substrate (610) extending from a first end (620) to a second end (622); a first conductive pattern (630) formed on the surface of the substrate (610) from the first end (620) side to the second end (622) side; and a second conductive pattern (632, 634) formed on the surface of the substrate (610) from the first end (620) side to the second end (622) side and having a shape wider than the first conductive pattern (630). The substrate (610) can be bent along a bending line C that crosses the substrate (610) at a position between the first end (620) and the second end (622), and a slit (640) is arranged inside the second conductive pattern (632, 634). The slit (640) intersects with the bending line C and is shorter than the distance between the first end (620) and the second end (622).

[0047] Another embodiment of the present disclosure is also a flexible substrate (600). The flexible substrate (600) includes: a substrate (610) extending from a first end (620) to a second end (622); a first conductive pattern (630) formed on the surface of the substrate (610) from the first end (620) side to the second end (622) side; and a second conductive pattern (632, 634) formed on the surface of the substrate (610) from the first end (620) side to the second end (622) side and having a shape wider than the first conductive pattern (630). The substrate (610) can be bent along a bending line C that crosses the substrate (610) at a position between the first end (620) and the second end (622), and the second conductive pattern (632, 634) becomes narrower in width at a portion intersecting the bending line C.

[0048] Alternatively, the substrate (610) is bent at a portion between the first end portion (620) and the second end portion (622), and the substrate (610) has a bending line C at the bent portion. Alternatively, the first conductive pattern (630) is bent along the shape of the bent substrate (610), and the second conductive pattern (632, 634) has a straight line shape in a portion of the section sandwiching the bending line C.

[0049] Alternatively, it may include: a flexible substrate (600); a first substrate (400) connected to a first end (620) of the flexible substrate (600); and a second substrate (150) connected to a second end (622) of the flexible substrate (600).

[0050] The present disclosure has been described above based on the embodiments. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments are merely illustrative, and that various modifications may exist in the combination of their constituent elements or processing flows, and such modifications are also within the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A flexible substrate, characterized in that: include: a substrate extending from the first end portion to the second end portion, a first conductive pattern formed on the surface of the substrate from the first end side to the second end side, and a second conductive pattern formed on the surface of the substrate from the first end side to the second end side and having a shape wider than the first conductive pattern; The substrate is bendable at a position between the first end and the second end along a bend line that crosses the substrate; A slit is disposed inside the second conductive pattern, the slit intersecting the bending line and being shorter than a distance between the first end and the second end.

2. A flexible substrate, characterized in that: include: a substrate extending from the first end portion to the second end portion, a first conductive pattern formed on the surface of the substrate from the first end side to the second end side, and a second conductive pattern formed on the surface of the substrate from the first end side to the second end side and having a shape wider than the first conductive pattern; The substrate is bendable at a position between the first end and the second end along a bend line that crosses the substrate; The second conductive pattern has a narrower width at a portion intersecting the bending line.

3. The flexible substrate according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The substrate is bent at a portion between the first end and the second end; The substrate has the bending line at the bent portion; The first conductive pattern is bent along the shape of the substrate; The second conductive pattern has a straight line shape in a portion of a section sandwiching the bending line.

4. An electronic device, characterized in that: include: The flexible substrate according to claim 1 or 2, a first substrate connected to the first end of the flexible substrate, and The second substrate is connected to the second end portion of the flexible substrate.

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