Flexible Printed Circuit Routing in Glasses-Shaped Electronic Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Glasses-shaped electronic devices face challenges in routing and maintaining stable conductor wiring due to the thin structure of eyeglass frames, leading to potential breakage and complex wiring operations.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a flexible printed circuit with deformable bends within a compartment extending through the eyeglass frame's bridge, rims, hinges, and temples, along with positioning members and connectors, to facilitate conductor wiring and maintain stable connections between electronic components without exposure on the outside.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If electric wiring lines are arranged on the outside of the eyeglass frame, then wiring operation is simple, but the wiring lines may be broken when touched by users
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the electric wiring lines from the external environment and relocates them inside the eyeglass frame structure. The wiring lines are accommodated within the frame body, separating them from user contact zones while maintaining electrical connectivity between components.
Solution Approach 2:
The wiring lines are nested within the eyeglass frame structure, specifically routed through internal cavities and channels of the frame. This nesting approach protects the wiring lines from external damage while integrating them into the overall frame design.
2Reliability
If electric wiring lines are received in the eyeglass frame, then wiring line protection is improved, but the wiring operation becomes complicated due to the thin frame structure
Solution Approach 1:
The eyeglass frame is segmented into multiple functional zones including dedicated wiring cavities and channels. The frame structure is divided into sections that independently accommodate different wiring routes, simplifying the wiring operation by providing pre-defined pathways.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the third dimension (depth) of the frame structure by creating internal cavities and layered routing paths. Instead of complicating the two-dimensional surface wiring, the solution moves wiring into the vertical dimension within the frame thickness, providing protection without increasing surface complexity.
3Shape
If the eyeglass frame is made thin for aesthetic purposes, then design quality is improved, but arranging wiring lines inside the frame becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs flexible printed circuit boards (FPC) as the wiring medium, which can be bent and routed within thin frame structures. The FPC's flexibility allows it to conform to the thin frame geometry while maintaining electrical connectivity, solving the conflict between frame thinness and wiring arrangement.
Solution Approach 2:
The wiring system incorporates flexible and movable components that can adapt to the thin frame structure. The FPC can be dynamically routed through cavities and channels, allowing wiring arrangement in thin frames without compromising either aesthetics or manufacturability.
Data Source
AI summary
An FPC compartment in a left rim is slit-shaped. A left FPC positioning member supports a flexible printed circuit (FPC) in the FPC compartment such that a main surface of the FPC extends substantially horizontally. The FPC supported in the FPC compartment is twisted by substantially 90° at an entrance to a left hinge. The FPC extends around a hinge pin and is received in a left electronic-component compartment. The FPC is held in the left electronic-component compartment such that the main surface of the FPC extends substantially vertically. A left end piece located adjacent to the left hinge has a left cavity accommodating a left deformable bend of the FPC.