Multi-part Substrate Assembly for Low Profile Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge in portable electronic devices is to reduce the overall thickness of printed circuit boards while maintaining functionality, as secondary circuit boards increase the height when stacked, making it difficult to achieve thinner devices.
Innovation Solution
A multi-part substrate arrangement is used, where a printed circuit board with recessed portions is combined with flexible circuits and anisotropic conductive films to create a low-profile configuration, allowing for thinner and more compact devices without increasing the overall height.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If secondary circuit boards are stacked on the main printed circuit board, then more functionality is achieved, but the overall height increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible circuit board is placed within a recessed portion of the rigid circuit board, nesting one substrate inside the structural profile of the other. This allows the flexible circuit to be housed within the thickness of the rigid board rather than adding to it, achieving multi-functionality without increasing overall height
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a vertical stacking arrangement (increasing height in the Z-dimension) to a planar integration approach where the flexible circuit is positioned within the recessed area of the rigid board. This redistributes the functional capacity across the surface area and thickness utilization rather than adding vertical layers
2Reliability
If connectors or soldered connections are used to interconnect stacked circuit boards, then electrical interconnection is achieved, but the assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention combines the flexible circuit board directly with the rigid circuit board within the recessed portion, eliminating the need for separate connectors or soldered interconnections between stacked boards. The direct integration simplifies the assembly process while maintaining reliable electrical connections
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts and eliminates the intermediate connector components that would normally be required between stacked circuit boards. By placing the flexible circuit directly within the recessed portion of the rigid board, the connection interface is simplified to direct contact or minimal bonding without complex connector assemblies
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
This approach enables portable electronic devices to be dramatically thinner and more compact by integrating flexible circuits within recessed regions of printed circuit boards, reducing the combined thickness and enhancing mechanical and electrical bonding.
Implementation Method 1
a flexible circuit placed within the recessed portion and attached and operatively coupled to the printed circuit board via an anisotropic conductive film disposed between the flexible circuit and the printed circuit board
Data Source
AI summary
Multi-part substrate arrangements that yield low profile configurations are disclosed. One aspect pertains to portable electronic devices are able to have low profiles through use of multi-part substrate arrangements. Another aspect pertains to methods for assembling two or more separate substrates into a multi-part substrate. By use of multi-part substrate arrangements according to the invention, portable electronic devices are able to be thinner and more compact.