Stretchable Wiring Board with Stopper Layer Against Wiring Breaks

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Solution Overview

Problem

Excessive stretching of substrates in deformable electronic devices leads to breaks in the wiring, which is a common issue in existing technologies.

Innovation Solution

A wiring board design incorporating a stretchable substrate with a stopper layer having higher flexural rigidity than the substrate, which suppresses excessive stretching and includes undulating wiring to manage tension and resistance changes during deformation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the substrate is stretched to increase the stretch length, then the adaptability of the wiring board is improved, but the wiring may break due to excessive stretching

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovestretchabilityVSAvoidwiring integrity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The stopper is disposed on the substrate before the wiring is formed, establishing a predetermined stretching limit. This preliminary placement of the stopper prevents the substrate from being stretched beyond a safe length, thereby avoiding wiring breaks while still allowing controlled stretchability for adaptability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If the stopper is disposed to prevent excessive stretching, then the reliability of the wiring is improved, but the stretch length of the wiring board is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewiring integrityVSAvoidstretch length
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The stopper is disposed at a specific location (adjacent to the first surface or second surface of the substrate) rather than uniformly across the entire substrate. This localized placement provides mechanical support and prevents excessive stretching at critical areas while still allowing the rest of the substrate to maintain its stretchability for necessary adaptability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Adaptability or versatility

If the substrate is stretched beyond the second stretch length, then the tension increase rate becomes very high, but this may cause wiring breaks

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestretch rangeVSAvoidwiring tensile strength
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The stopper provides preliminary counter-action by physically blocking further stretching of the substrate before the tension becomes excessively high. By preventing the substrate from reaching stretch lengths beyond the second stretch length, the stopper counteracts the harmful high tension that would otherwise develop and cause wiring breaks.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

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 design effectively reduces the risk of wiring breaks by managing tension and resistance changes, ensuring durability and reliability of the wiring board under stretch conditions.

Implementation Method 1

a first substrate having stretchability... While stretch length of the wiring board is being increased in a first direction, electrical resistance of the wiring exhibits a first turning point at a first stretch length and tension applied to the wiring board exhibits a second turning point at a second stretch length

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP3883352B1Wiring board, and method for manufacturing the wiring board
Publication Date: 2026.01.14 DAI NIPPON PRINTING CO LTD
  • EP3883352B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3883352B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3883352B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

A wiring board includes a first substrate having stretchability, wiring disposed adjacent to a first surface of the first substrate and extending in a first direction, and a stopper disposed adjacent to the first surface or second surface of the first substrate. While stretch length of the wiring board is being increased in the first direction, electrical resistance of the wiring exhibits a first turning point at a first stretch length and tension applied to the wiring board exhibits a second turning point at a second stretch length smaller than the first stretch length. The first turning point is a point at which an increase in electrical resistance per unit stretch length changes. The second turning point is a point at which an increase in tension per unit stretch length changes.