Flexible PCB Grooves for LED Backlight Bending
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Solution Overview
Problem
The production of flexible printed circuit boards (PCBs) for LED backlight units is hindered by electrical short problems and increased production costs due to the requirement of two separate PCBs and the need for additional cover layers to prevent corrosion and facilitate bending.
Innovation Solution
A flexible PCB design featuring a flexible base film with metal lines, gold-plating patterns, and strategically formed grooves on both surfaces, allowing for reduced electrical resistance and corrosion protection while enabling easy bending and connection to both the rigid PCB and external driving circuits, thereby eliminating the need for additional cover layers and reducing production costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If two separate PCBs (rigid and flexible) are used for LED backlight units, then electrical connection reliability is improved, but production cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the rigid PCB and flexible PCB into a single integrated flexible PCB structure. The flexible PCB includes a flexible base film with metal lines that provide electrical connections, eliminating the need for separate rigid and flexible PCB assemblies. This integration reduces production costs while maintaining electrical connection reliability through the continuous metal line paths and gold-plating patterns on the flexible substrate.
2Reliability
If additional cover layers are added to prevent corrosion and facilitate bending, then corrosion protection and flexibility are improved, but production cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible PCB employs a composite structure consisting of a flexible base film (such as polyimide) with integrated metal lines and gold-plating patterns. The flexible base film itself provides both mechanical flexibility for bending and inherent corrosion resistance, eliminating the need for additional separate cover layers. The gold-plating patterns further enhance corrosion protection at electrical contact points while maintaining the flexible nature of the PCB.
3Ease of operation
If grooves are formed on the flexible PCB surface, then flexibility and ease of bending are improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible PCB incorporates grooves that segment the metal line patterns into distinct regions, allowing the PCB to bend more easily at specific locations without compromising electrical continuity. These grooves create flexible hinge points that facilitate bending while the metal lines are routed to maintain electrical connections across the bent regions. The segmentation approach simplifies the bending operation while the overall manufacturing process remains integrated with the PCB fabrication steps.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution prevents electrical shorts, reduces production costs, and enhances the flexibility and durability of the PCBs, ensuring efficient electrical connections and a compact LCD module assembly.
Implementation Method 1
a first gold-plating pattern on the metal lines and at both ends of the first surface of the flexible base film
Data Source
AI summary
A flexible printed circuit board (PCB) for a light emitting diode backlight unit includes a flexible base film; a plurality of metal lines on a first surface of the flexible base film; a cover layer on the metal lines and covering a center portion of the first surface of the flexible base film; a first gold-plating pattern on the metal lines and at both ends of the first surface of the flexible base film; a metal pattern on a second surface of the flexible base film and including a first sub-pattern at one end of the second surface, a second sub-pattern at the other end of the second surface and a plurality of third-sub patterns between the first and second sub-patterns of the metal pattern; and a second gold-plating pattern on the metal pattern and including a fourth sub-pattern on the first sub-pattern, a fifth sub-pattern on the second sub-pattern, and a plurality of sixth-sub patterns each on the third sub-patterns, wherein a first groove between a first double-layered pattern of the first sub-pattern and the fourth sub-pattern and a second double-layered pattern of the third sub-pattern and the sixth sub-pattern, a second groove between a third double-layered pattern of the second sub-pattern and the fifth sub-pattern and a second double-layered pattern of the third sub-pattern and the sixth sub-pattern, and a third groove between adjacent second double-layered patterns respectively expose a portion of the second surface of the flexible base film.