Rounded Transition in Rigid-Flexible Component Carrier

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional partially rigid and partially flexible component carriers face mechanical stress and potential damage during bending, particularly at the transition between rigid and flexible portions, leading to reduced lifetime and risk of failure.

Innovation Solution

A component carrier design with a rounded transition portion between the rigid and flexible sections, reducing bending stress and peak mechanical load, which is achieved by forming a curved geometry at the interface, thereby enhancing mechanical reliability and preventing bending failure.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If a component carrier has a sharp transition between rigid and flexible portions, then manufacturing is simpler, but bending stress and risk of failure increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidmechanical reliability during bending

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The transition portion between the rigid and flexible portions is designed with a rounded geometry instead of a sharp transition. This curvature distributes the bending stress more evenly across the transition zone, preventing stress concentration that would occur at a sharp corner. The rounded transition maintains manufacturing feasibility while significantly improving mechanical reliability during bending operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

2Adaptability or versatility

If a component carrier is designed to be bendable, then flexibility and adaptability improve, but mechanical stress and lifetime are reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveflexibilityVSAvoidlifetime

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The rounded transition portion enables the component carrier to be bent without causing failure at the rigid-flexible interface. This curvature design allows the carrier to achieve the necessary flexibility for mounting and routing while distributing stresses to preserve the lifetime of the component carrier, resolving the contradiction between flexibility and durability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

3Reliability

If a component carrier has a rounded transition portion, then bending stress is reduced and reliability improves, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemechanical reliability during bendingVSAvoidstructural complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The transition portion is designed with specific geometric parameters (radius of curvature, transition length) that optimize the balance between stress reduction and manufacturability. By carefully selecting these parameters, the design achieves improved reliability without excessive manufacturing complexity, as the rounding can be integrated into existing manufacturing processes with minimal additional steps.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3893609A1Failure robust bending of component carrier with rigid and flexible portion connected with a rounding

Publication Date: 2021.10.13 AT & S AUSTRIA TECHNOLOGIE & SYSTEMTECHNIK AG

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AI summary

A partially rigid and partially flexible component carrier (100), wherein the component carrier (100) comprises a rigid portion (102) comprising a first stack (104) having at least one first electrically conductive layer structure (106) and/or at least one first electrically insulating layer structure (108), and a flexible portion (110) comprising a second stack (112) having at least one second electrically conductive layer structure (114) and/or at least one second electrically insulating layer structure (116), wherein a transition portion (118) at an interface between the rigid portion (102) and the flexible portion (110) is rounded for reducing bending stress.