Flexible Printed Circuit Film With Stiffener Alignment Feature
Solution Overview
Problem
The assembly quality of display apparatuses deteriorates due to misalignment of flexible printed circuit films, particularly as they become thinner and longer, leading to manufacturing inefficiencies and potential interference during assembly of components like the cover window and storage containers.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a flexible printed circuit film design with a horizontal and vertical portion, a protruding portion, and a stiffener connected to the protruding portion, which allows for easy alignment using a jig, thereby preventing misalignment and improving assembly quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the flexible printed circuit film becomes thinner and longer to reduce weight and improve flexibility, then the adaptability and flexibility improve, but the manufacturing precision and assembly quality deteriorate due to misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
A stiffener is introduced as an intermediary component attached to the flexible printed circuit film. This stiffener acts as a mediator that provides rigidity for precise alignment during assembly while the flexible circuit film itself maintains its flexibility for weight reduction and adaptation. The stiffener enables accurate positioning without compromising the inherent flexibility of the circuit film.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible printed circuit film is segmented into different functional regions: a flexible circuit portion for electrical connections and a stiffened portion with attached stiffeners for structural support and alignment. This segmentation allows different parts of the same component to have different mechanical properties - flexibility where needed and rigidity where alignment is critical.
2Weight of moving object
If the flexible printed circuit film becomes thinner and longer to reduce weight, then the weight decreases, but the assembly quality deteriorates due to misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The stiffener serves as a mediator that decouples the weight reduction function from the alignment function. The thin flexible circuit film provides weight reduction while the attached stiffener provides alignment precision, allowing both requirements to be satisfied simultaneously through a composite structure.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the flexible printed circuit film is made longer to improve functionality, then the adaptability improves, but misalignment occurs during assembly reducing manufacturing precision
Solution Approach 1:
The stiffener acts as a reference intermediary that provides stable geometric features for alignment regardless of the overall length of the flexible circuit film. This allows the film to be extended for enhanced functionality while the stiffener maintains consistent alignment characteristics.
Data Source
AI summary
A display apparatus includes a display panel that displays an image, a first flexible printed circuit film disposed on a rear surface of the display panel, and a cover window disposed on the display panel. The first flexible printed circuit film includes a first horizontal portion electrically connected to the display panel and extending in a first direction, a first vertical portion electrically connected to the first horizontal portion and extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and a protruding portion that protrudes from a side surface of the first vertical portion.