Having Flexible Connector Patents (Class 361/789)
  • Patent number: 6292073
    Abstract: A spring acts as a central conductor of a fifty ohm RF coax connector, while an aluminum backing of a microstrip module has a hole coaxially surrounding the spring. The resulting annular hole in the aluminum backing represents the outer coax conductor and the initial portion of a stripline circuit board. The machining of the aluminum backing creates a continuous ground path through the transition, thereby reducing the effects of radiation loss, and the need is fulfilled for a low loss, broadband RF solderless interconnect for solid-state systems requiring the quick removal and replacement of microstrip or stripline circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2001
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventor: Stephen P. Egolf
  • Patent number: 6282098
    Abstract: An electronic circuit module has an electronic circuit module main body and two signal pedestals, one on each side of the main body. The first signal pedestal is formed at a level higher than the second signal pedestal by an amount equal to the vertical thickness of the second signal pedestal. Signal lines are formed on a bottom surface of the first signal pedestal and on a top surface of the second signal pedestal. When connected to adjacent electronic circuit modules, the first signal pedestal of the electronic circuit module overlaps a second signal pedestal of one adjacent electronic circuit module, and the second signal pedestal underlaps a first signal pedestal of another adjacent electronic circuit module to electrically connect electronic circuit modules in multiple stages, improving signal connections and reducing the size of the electronic circuit module package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2001
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Makoto Totani, Yasuhide Kuroda, Masaki Ono, Takayoshi Tanemura, Tetsuya Kiyonaga
  • Patent number: 6271477
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for extending the durability and life span of flexible circuitry by limiting the bend radius of the flexible circuitry and distributing the flexure point about an extended portion of the circuitry. The assembly includes one or more flex-limiting members associated with and integrated between the layers of flexible circuitry laminate. A fastener is affixed to the flexible circuitry laminate, operatively coupling the one or more flex-limiting members in position adjacent the flexible circuitry laminate. The flex-limiting member limits flexure of the circuitry, during each individual bend, to or below a predetermined angle, thereby decreasing the rate of failure in the circuitry, for example via short circuit, as a result of repeated or excessive bending.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2001
    Assignee: ViA, Inc.
    Inventors: David W. Carroll, Terry L. Travis
  • Patent number: 6255587
    Abstract: Electronic devices include at least two electronic components in electrical contact by a connector, the components being at least partially encased by a molded resin. Preferably, the connector is a compression connector and the molded resin maintains a compressive force on the connector to ensure that reliable contact is maintained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2001
    Assignee: AT&T Corporation
    Inventors: William Roger Lambert, John David Weld
  • Patent number: 6235995
    Abstract: An FPC assembly (10) includes a circuit unit (12) with two different pitch arrangement connectors (14, 16) at two opposite ends. The circuit unit (12) includes a signal FPC (18) and a grounding FPC (20). A buffer layer (22) with adhesives on two opposite surfaces (24, 26) is sandwiched between the signal FPC (18) and the grounding FPC (20), and thus the signal FPC (18), the buffer layer (22) and the grounding FPC (20) are adhesively fastened with one another as one circuit unit (12). The signal FPC (18), the buffer layer (22) and the grounding FPC (20) respectively include contact tail holes (34, 35) at two opposite ends for receivable engagement with the corresponding contact tails (36, 37) of the connectors (14, 16).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2001
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Ind. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ken Cheng, Chih-Hsien Chou, Eric Juntwait
  • Patent number: 6211457
    Abstract: A shielded communications interface located within an electronic device is disclosed. The shielded communications interface is adapted to be connected to a plug of a peripheral external device and is subject to electromagnetic emissions (EMI) from electronic circuits which are grounded in the electronic device. The electronic device includes an enclosure having an opening through which the electronic circuits are accessed and a conductive inner wall surface that is connected to the ground of the electronic circuits. The shielded communications interface comprises a connector including a conductive housing and a plurality of pins which establish electrical connection between the plug and the electronic circuits, and a conductive EMI shield extending at least partially around the conductive housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2001
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: David M. Cama, Anthony G. Chinnici
  • Patent number: 6201689
    Abstract: A flexible printed substrate is connected to an LCD at one end thereof. To the other end, a thermocompression bonding terminal and a repair terminal (thermocompression bonding terminal for use in repairing) are arranged side by side and connected by means of thermocompression bonding with an anisotropic conductive bond interposed between them. On the other hand, a thermocompression bonding terminal of the main substrate is formed on an end of the main substrate so as to face the thermocompression bonding terminal of the flexible substrate. In addition, a repair terminal (a thermocompression bonding terminal for use in repairing) is formed in a close proximity to the thermocompression bonding terminal of the main substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2001
    Assignee: Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroaki Miyasyo
  • Patent number: 6195261
    Abstract: Various devices are known for positioning and aligning direction-sensitive components. It is a disadvantage with these devices that either additional mechanical aids are required or in each case only one component is aligned and positioned in the housing. In the device according to the invention, a movable or elastic printed circuit board is attached to a housing which is shaped in such a way that the direction-sensitive components, modules or function groups affixed to the printed circuit board are positioned and aligned. With this device, even more than one direction-dependent component can be positioned in a housing by simple means and at low cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2001
    Assignee: Temic Telefunken Microelectronic GmbH
    Inventors: Wilfried Babutzka, Oliver Bunz, Thomas Ohgke
  • Patent number: 6191368
    Abstract: A lead element for a microelectronic connection has a rigid body section connected to two parallel strip-like flexible leg sections. The leg sections each have tip ends that are offset from the rigid body section in a horizontal direction. The tip end of one leg section is permanently connected to a first microelectronic element. The tip end of the other leg section is releasably connected to the first microelectronic element and permanently connected to a second microelectronic element. Moving the first tip end relative to the second tip end in a vertical direction causes flexure of the leg sections in opposite directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: Tessera, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Di Stefano, John W. Smith
  • Patent number: 6172308
    Abstract: A terminal attachment structure includes a circuit assembly and a terminal attached to the circuit assembly. The circuit assembly has an insulating substrate and a circuit printed on the insulating substrate. The terminal is composed of a circuit-contact part, a connecting part to be connected with a mating terminal and a cradle part arranged between the circuit-contact part and the connecting part. When a force directing the insulating substrate is applied on the connecting part, the cradle part operates to receive the force. Accordingly, the circuit-contact part does not rise from the insulating substrate, so that clattering of the terminal against the circuit assembly can be prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2001
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Katsumata, Toshiyuki Mori, Hitoshi Ushijima
  • Patent number: 6154372
    Abstract: A ceramic substrate secured with a flexible adhesive to a first side of a printed circuit board that belongs to a module and has circuit structures is provided. The ceramic substrate is contacted to the circuit structures with bond connections. The terminal elements are formed by approximately spherical accumulations of solder attached on the backside of the printed circuit board, these solder accumulations being connected to the circuit structures on the first side of the printed circuit board via through-contactings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2000
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Vassilios Kalivas, Alois Nitsch, Heinz Peters
  • Patent number: 6097607
    Abstract: A computing device unit includes an upper casing, at least one integrated chip module electrically mounted on an interior side of the upper casing, a lower casing selectively engageable with the upper casing, and a flexible circuity ribbon extending through the upper casing and the lower casing, and being electrically connected to the at least one chip module within the lower and upper casing. Related devices and methods provide similar advantages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2000
    Assignee: ViA, Inc.
    Inventors: David W. Carroll, Wendell L. Carroll, James L. Carroll
  • Patent number: 6094359
    Abstract: The invention relates to a HF housing comprising an arrangement for electrically interconnecting at least two HF conductor tracks (18, 19) which are formed on adjacent printed circuit boards (13, 15), which are separated from each other by a slit (17), and whose ends are situated opposite each other in the region of the slit. A simple way of interconnecting the conductor tracks (18, 19) situated opposite each other in the slit region is achieved in accordance with the invention by an auxiliary printed circuit board (20) which bridges the slit region and is pressed against the printed circuit boards (13, 15), the lower side of said auxiliary printed circuit board being provided with auxiliary contact bridges (21) in the region of the HF conductor tracks (18, 19) to be interconnected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2000
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventors: Evangelos Avramis, Peter Matuschik, Ronald Schiltmans
  • Patent number: 6088241
    Abstract: A connector for interconnecting a plurality of spaced electrical subassemblies in a motor-vehicle door has a basically rectangular flexible foil having a core part and formed with a plurality of strips extending from the part and carrying conductive paths. The strips are separable from one another and foldable to extend to the different subassemblies. The conductive strips and the core part are formed of a flexible and conductive material or of an insulating synthetic resin provided with the conductive paths. This core part has a plurality of different fields each provided with electronic circuit components, for instance a key-pad field, a decoding field, a processing field, an H-bridge field, and a transfer field. The circuit components can be passive or active, for instance whole integrated circuits can be mounted on the core part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2000
    Assignee: Kiekert AG
    Inventors: Thomas Hulsmann, Damien Labonde, Lothar Patzelt
  • Patent number: 6075708
    Abstract: A partly bent electric circuit is formed including a main circuit substrate in which electric parts such as IC are carried to form an electric circuit, a sub-circuit substrate in which electric parts such as LED which can be recognized from the surface of the set, and a ribbon form metal piece for electrically connecting the main circuit substrate with the sub-circuit substrate, so that, due to the metal piece being bent, the sub-circuit substrate is bent against the above main circuit substrate. As a result, there is obtained an electric circuit substrate wherein the main circuit substrate can be inserted in a narrow place and the sub-circuit substrate part provided with the predetermined parts can be bent to arrange the predetermined parts in an accurate place at a low cost using a low priced print substrate or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2000
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Satoshi Nakamura
  • Patent number: 6031730
    Abstract: Connector for electrically connecting generally rigid circuit boards together comprises at least one electrically conductive member having opposing ends and a connection lead at each end thereof. Each lead is constructed and arranged to be connected to a connection location of an associated circuit board using a surface mounting technique, for example re-flow soldering. The conductive member has a flexible bridging portion between the leads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 29, 2000
    Assignee: Siemens Automotive Corporation
    Inventor: Scott B. Kroske
  • Patent number: 6025618
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a complex IC in two parts and making the electrical connections between them afterwards is described. By this method, a ferroelectric RAM is fabricated in two parts, where the first part has an array of unit cells each of those has a transistor or a group of transistors serving the purpose of selecting one address for data recording and has an array of electrically conductive pads facing upward, protruding out from the surface of the first part, where the second part consists of a data-recording layer on another substrate. The data-recording layer consists of ferroelectric material and is pressed on the first part during data writing and reading.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2000
    Inventor: Zhi Quan Chen
  • Patent number: 6002595
    Abstract: A cable-to-board assembly configured to nondetachably couple wires of a cable to surface-mounted pads on a circuit board. The cable-to-board assembly includes a first nonconductive housing and a flexible board having thereon a plurality of conductive traces. The conductive traces have first ends and second ends opposite the first ends with the first ends being electrically coupled to the wires. The first nonconductive housing encapsulates a first portion of the flexible board including the first ends. The cable-to-board assembly further includes a plurality of conductive legs configured for coupling with the surface-mounted pads on the board. The plurality of conductive legs are electrically coupled to the second ends of the conductive traces. There is also included a second nonconductive housing encapsulating a second portion of the flexible board including the second ends of the conductive traces and a portion of the conductive legs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1999
    Assignees: DiCon Connectors, Inc., DiCon (S) PTE Ltd.
    Inventors: Steven Paul Gasparovic, Lee Hock Eng, Ng Lea Swee
  • Patent number: 6002589
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for an integrated circuit package is provided. The integrated circuit package is designed for coupling an integrated circuit to a printed circuit board. The integrated circuit package includes a base having a bottom and a side. A flex circuit having traces therein is coupled to the base. The traces in the flex circuit are designed to couple to the leads of the integrated circuit. The traces further are designed to couple to traces on the printed circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1999
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Donald V. Perino, John B. Dillon, deceased
  • Patent number: 5999414
    Abstract: A multi-board module provides high density electronic packaging in which multiple printed circuit boards are stacked. Electrical power, or signals, are conducted between the boards through a resilient contact. One end of the contact is located at a via in the lower circuit board and soldered to a pad near the via. The top surface of the contact rests against a via of the facing printed circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1999
    Assignee: California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: John D. Baker, Alberto Montalvo
  • Patent number: 5974662
    Abstract: A probe card assembly includes a probe card, a space transformer having resilient contact structures (probe elements) mounted directly to (i.e., without the need for additional connecting wires or the like) and extending from terminals on a surface thereof, and an interposer disposed between the space transformer and the probe card. The space transformer and interposer are "stacked up" so that the orientation of the space transformer, hence the orientation of the tips of the probe elements, can be adjusted without changing the orientation of the probe card. Suitable mechanisms for adjusting the orientation of the space transformer, and for determining what adjustments to make, are disclosed. The interposer has resilient contact structures extending from both the top and bottom surfaces thereof, and ensures that electrical connections are maintained between the space transformer and the probe card throughout the space transformer's range of adjustment, by virtue of the interposer's inherent compliance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignee: FormFactor, Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin N. Eldridge, Gary W. Grube, Igor Y. Khandros, Gaetan L. Mathieu
  • Patent number: 5945637
    Abstract: A terminal attachment structure includes a circuit assembly and a terminal attached to the circuit assembly. The circuit assembly has an insulating substrate and a circuit printed on the insulating substrate. The terminal is composed of a circuit-contact part, a connecting part to be connected with a mating terminal and a cradle part arranged between the circuit-contact part and the connecting part. When a force directing the insulating substrate is applied on the connecting part, the cradle part operates to receive the force. Accordingly, the circuit-contact part does not rise from the insulating substrate, so that tottering of the terminal against the circuit assembly can be prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 31, 1999
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Katsumata, Toshiyuki Mori, Hitoshi Ushijima
  • Patent number: 5936850
    Abstract: A circuit board connection structure is formed by a first substrate having a first electrode pattern, a second substrate having a second electrode pattern, and a film circuit member electrically connecting the first and second electrode patterns. The film circuit member includes lead electrodes having an exposed portion partly connected to the first electrode pattern at a part of the exposed portion closer to an edge of the film circuit member. The film circuit member may further includes lead electrodes having an exposed portion partly connected to the second electrode pattern at a part of the exposed portion closer to an edge of the film circuit member. The circuit board connection structure may be incorporated in various electronic devices, including a liquid crystal display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 10, 1999
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masanori Takahashi, Riichi Saito, Toshimichi Ouchi
  • Patent number: 5917709
    Abstract: A multiple circuit board assembly comprising: a first circuit board having a first predetermined set of conductive traces on a surface; a second circuit board having a second predetermined set of conductive traces on a surface; an interconnect mechanism having a third set of traces that mate the first and second set of traces when sandwiched between the first circuit board and the second circuit board in a predetermined manner; and fastened to the first and second circuit boards together with the interconnect mechanism sandwiched between such that there is electrical contact between the first and second predetermined set of conductive traces. The interconnect mechanism can be either single sided flex connector cable, double sided flex connector cable, or Cinch connectors. The fastening mechanism can be snaps fittings or screw setups without or without resilient washers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1999
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Dean A. Johnson, William R. Laubengayer, Stephen G. Richardson
  • Patent number: 5905639
    Abstract: A three-dimensional circuit structure that interconnects an integrated circuit chip, along with additional active devices and passive components to a substrate by way of a high density multichip interconnect decal disposed on the integrated circuit chip. The three-dimensional circuit structure thus comprises the substrate, an integrated circuit attached to the top of the substrate, and the high density multichip interconnect decal attached to the integrated circuit. One or more passive components and relatively small active devices are attached to the top of the high density multichip interconnect decal. A plurality of three-bond, daisy-chained wedge bonds are used to interconnect the active devices and passive components to the substrate by way of the HDMI decal. Each wedge bond comprises a wire that initiates at an HDMI decal bond pad, an intermediate stitch bond at an integrated circuit bond pad, and terminates at a substrate bond pad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 18, 1999
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventor: Robert W. Warren
  • Patent number: 5889652
    Abstract: An integrated circuit package that contains an integrated circuit that is mounted to a bond portion of a substrate. The bond portion of the substrate is separated from a contact portion of the substrate by a flexible portion. The contact portion is attached to a printed circuit board by a plurality of solder joints. The flexible portion decouples the bond portion from the contact portion to allow relative movement between the package and the circuit board to minimize the strain on the solder joints. The package may also contain a spacer that separates a heat pipe from the integrated circuit and controls the thickness of a thermal grease located between the circuit and the pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 30, 1999
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: Gregory Turturro
  • Patent number: 5822197
    Abstract: An electrical connection system includes a frame, a main printed circuit "mother board", a series of secondary printed circuit "daughter boards", and interconnecting spacers formed of an insulative material plate with holes in it into each of which is inserted a buffer that is a good conductor of electricity. The frame includes a support plate with series of slides, the mother board resting on the support plate and receiving the interconnecting spacer. The daughter boards are slid into the slides and include, along an edge which cooperates with the interconnecting spacer, a heel-piece on which is mounted and to which is fixed a flexible printed circuit the tracks of which are connected to those of the daughter board and cooperate with the buffers. Arrangements are provided to fix the daughter boards to the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 13, 1998
    Assignee: Connecteurs Cinch
    Inventor: Michel Thuault
  • Patent number: 5808874
    Abstract: A microelectronic assembly including elements such as a semiconductor chip and substrate has electrical connections between the elements incorporating fusible conductive metal masses. The fusible masses are surrounded and contained by a compliant material such as an elastomer or gel. The fusible material may melt during operation or processing of the device to relieve thermal cycling stress in the electrical connections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 15, 1998
    Assignee: Tessera, Inc.
    Inventor: John W. Smith
  • Patent number: 5781414
    Abstract: A card stabilizer for stabilizing an expansion card inserted in a female edge connector. The card stabilizer consists of a frame member sized to extend around the female connector, locking device for locking the frame member relative to the female connector and a guide disposed on the frame member for receiving at least one end portion of the expansion card and to prevent movement and hence electrical disconnection of the expansion card in the female edge connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1998
    Assignee: Dell USA, L.P.
    Inventors: Richard S. Mills, Jerry D. Gandre, Steven L. Sands
  • Patent number: 5761052
    Abstract: An interconnection system is for interconnecting sensors, such as temperature gauges for controlling industrial processes, to a bus cable that interconnects the sensors to a central computation unit. The connection assembly comprises edge card connectors for connection to electronic modules having printed circuit boards. The plurality of modules are interconnected to the ribbon cable bus by a printed circuit board, and a connector mounted on the PCB and pluggable with a bus connector terminated to the cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation
    Inventors: Frank Michael Reginald Wheeler-King, Sally Elizabeth Warren, Robert William Baker
  • Patent number: 5754409
    Abstract: A foldable electronic assembly is provided with extending ears for protecting folded substrates in flexible areas and with elements between adjacent face-to-face boards to maintain selected spacing between the boards while mechanically holding adjacent boards together. Elements may also be provided in the area of the ears which are adapted to coact with a suitable tool to facilitate removal of the assembly from a mating connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1998
    Assignee: Dynamem, Inc.
    Inventor: Gary W. Smith
  • Patent number: 5742484
    Abstract: A surface mountable flexible interconnect (10) for connecting two circuit board (30, 32) consists of a flex circuit (12) with solderable runners (14) on one side, the runners traversing the flex circuit from one end to the other. There is a solderable pad (16) at the end of each runner, and each solderable pad has a solder bump (18) fused to it. A rigid carrier ring (20) is used to hold the flex circuit in position prior to placement on the PCB. The flex circuit is formed into a U-shaped loop (26), and the loop is aligned to the carrier so that the loop is situated in an aperture (24) in the carrier. The solder pads lie directly under the carrier ring and face away from it. An adhesive (22) bonds the flex circuit to the carrier ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 21, 1998
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph G. Gillette, Scott G. Potter, Pradeep Lall
  • Patent number: 5731956
    Abstract: An electronic assembly of two planar electronic devices for insertion into a shelf for back plane connection. Each device may be a printed circuit board or a circuit pack incorporating such a board. A flexible flat cable extends between front ends of the devices to interconnect their circuitry. This cable is torsionally flexible to allow relative pivoting movement of the electronic devices in their respective planes. The cable is also bendably flexible to allow movement towards each other or apart of the rears of the electronic devices. A movement limiting device restricts the degree of relative movement of the electronic devices. The relative movement overcomes tolerance issues between terminal positions of one device relative to the other during connection into the back plane and damage to terminals and connectors is avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1998
    Assignee: Northern Telecom Limited
    Inventor: Radu-Marko Nicolici
  • Patent number: 5686697
    Abstract: A device and method wherein electrical components are mechanically suspended and electrically interconnected in an insulative elastomeric body, such as silicone, thereby eliminating the need for a circuit board or other circuit substrate. The device can change shape through compression, distension, flexure, and other external forces while maintaining its electrical performance and mechanical integrity. The device can be compressed and deformed to fit snugly within another device, such as the shell of an electrical connector or a plastic clamshell, simultaneously creating spring forces for reliable electrical contacts and an environmental seal. Accordingly, the device and method can be used for a wide variety of purposes such as electrical filtering for avionics, computer or automotive connectors, or a non-intrusive manner to package electronics for medical implants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 11, 1997
    Assignee: Metatech Corporation
    Inventors: Paul J. Miller, Kevin G. Foreman
  • Patent number: 5650910
    Abstract: An electrical assembly which secures a detached cable/connector assembly to a substrate of a printed circuit board. The assembly has a printed circuit board that is mounted to a first surface of the substrate. The printed circuit board is coupled to an electrical connector assembly by a flexible cable. The electrical connector assembly can be plugged into an auxiliary device such as a CD-ROM. The electrical connector assembly has a tab that is inserted into an aperture located in the second surface of the substrate, to secure the connector assembly when the connector is not attached to the auxiliary device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 22, 1997
    Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
    Inventors: Lee Winick, Kenneth Kitlas, Myra Torres, Erich Selna, Clifford B. Willis
  • Patent number: 5592365
    Abstract: There is provided a display panel assembly structure capable of achieving a highly reliable connection even when fine-pitch electrode terminals are employed. A second electrode terminal is embedded in a flexible printed circuit board, and protrudes slightly from the flexible printed circuit board within a range of 0 to 2.times.10.sup.-3 mm. By embedding the second electrode terminal in the flexible printed circuit board, an apparent thickness of the second electrode terminal is reduced while keeping the rigidity of the second electrode terminal to thereby improve etching accuracy of a top surface thereof. With the reduction of the protrusion amount of the second electrode terminal, a ratio of a thickness of an anisotropic conductive film to a diameter of a conductive particle can be made to be approximately "1".
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 7, 1997
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takayuki Sugimoto, Yasunobu Tagusa, Hisao Kawaguchi
  • Patent number: 5586006
    Abstract: A multi-chip module includes a base board, a thin-film multi-layer circuit board which is provided on a first surface of the base board and has a multi-layer structure in which insulating layers and wiring conductors are stacked, circuit elements mounted on a main surface of the thin-film multi-layer circuit board, and terminals which are attached to the main surface of the thin-film multi-layer circuit board and electrically connect the wiring conductors to circuits formed on a wiring board on which the multi-chip module is mounted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 17, 1996
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Kiyotaka Seyama, Shunichi Kikuchi, Makoto Sumiyoshi, Naoki Yasuda, Minoru Hirano, Hitoshi Nori
  • Patent number: 5572407
    Abstract: Apparatus for interconnecting an integrated circuit device, such as an infrared device, having a plurality of leads to a multilayer printed wiring board having a plurality of interconnects. The apparatus comprises a flexprint circuit having a plurality of interconnects that are configured to mate with the plurality of interconnects on the printed wiring board. The flexprint circuit has wrinkles formed along its surface that form a spring, and a plurality of printed circuit leads that are coupled between the leads of the integrated circuit device and the interconnects. Fastening members is provided for forcibly interconnecting the respective pluralities of interconnects. Respective ends of the flexprint circuit may be folded so that the interconnects contact the interconnects disposed on the printed wiring board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 5, 1996
    Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company
    Inventor: Mohi Sobhani
  • Patent number: 5555159
    Abstract: An add-on module for a variable speed drive includes a casing containing an electronic circuit and a connector to plug into a corresponding connector on the variable speed drive. The casing is generally L-shaped with a front portion carrying the connector and positioned along the front of the variable speed drive and a side portion accommodated on one side of the variable speed drive. The electronic circuit includes front and side printed circuit boards electrically connected to each other and the angle between which is substantially equal to the angle between the two portions of the casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 10, 1996
    Assignee: Schneider Electric SA
    Inventor: Christophe Dore
  • Patent number: 5548486
    Abstract: An electrical connection pin blank having at least one compliant section is affixed to a first circuit board by compressive deformation in such a way that the compliant section of the pin blank projects outwardly from the surface of the first circuit board. The end of the pin projecting from the first circuit board is then inserted into a corresponding opening in a second circuit board and the two boards brought together until the second circuit board is firmly affixed to the complaint section of the pin by compliant pin connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 20, 1996
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen J. Kman, John A. Stubecki, William R. Sondej
  • Patent number: 5532906
    Abstract: A wiring substrate includes a ceramic substrate having a first conductive connection pattern on an lower surface of the ceramic substrate and a second conductive connection pattern on an upper surface or the lower surface of the ceramic substrate, a multilayered wiring portion arranged on the lower surface of the ceramic substrate through the first conductive connection pattern and including an insulating layer made of an organic polymer, on which an integrated circuit and/or a circuit part are/is mounted, and a flexible wiring substrate, connected to the second conductive connection pattern, for connecting the integrated circuit and/or the circuit part to an external circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 2, 1996
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Jun Hanari, Takeshi Miyagi, Kazuhiro Matsumoto, Ayako Tohdake, Yoshitaka Fukuoka
  • Patent number: 5525763
    Abstract: A printed circuit board arrangement and method of making the same are provided, the printed circuit board arrangement comprising a first printed circuit board having a component carrying side and an opposite printed circuit side, a second printed circuit board having a component carrying side and an opposite printed circuit side, and securing structure securing the second printed circuit board to the first printed circuit board, the securing structure comprising a plurality of conductive jumper wires each having a generally L-shaped configuration and having opposite ends one of which is secured to the printed circuit side of the second printed circuit board and the other of which is secured to the printed circuit side of the first printed circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 11, 1996
    Assignee: Robertshaw Controls Company
    Inventor: Keith A. Van Liere
  • Patent number: 5525953
    Abstract: In a multi-plate high frequency parallel strip-line cable including a strip-shaped dielectric body made of either an electrical insulating material having a flexibility or another electrical insulating material having a plasticity, the dielectric body is composed of a pair of dielectric layers. A pair of thin-film-shaped earth conductors is formed on both surfaces of the dielectric body so as to oppose to each other, and a thin-film-shaped center conductor is formed between the pair of dielectric layers in the dielectric body so as to be located between a pair of earth conductors. Further, a circuit device part such as an impedance adjusting circuit, a filter, an attenuator or the like is formed between a pair of dielectric layers in the dielectric body so as to be electrically connected with the center conductor, thereby the parallel strip-line cable having either a flexibility or a plasticity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 11, 1996
    Assignees: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takekazu Okada, Kazuya Sayanagi, Kiyoshi Nakanishi
  • Patent number: 5519578
    Abstract: A printed wiring board structure includes a printed wiring board and an electromagnetic shielding member. The printed wiring board has a part-mounted surface formed on one surface thereof, a ground surface formed on a reverse surface side to the part-mounted surface, and an exploded shape including at least a portion constituted by a flexible printed wiring board, and bottom and upper surface portions which are divided from each other by the flexible printed wiring board. The printed wiring board is folded at a portion constituted by the flexible printed wiring board to cause the part-mounted surface to face inside and to make the bottom surface portion parallel to the upper surface portion, thereby constituting a stereoscopic structure having two wiring layers. The electromagnetic shielding member is parallelly arranged between opposing part-mounted surfaces of the bottom and upper surface portions of the printed wiring board in which the stereoscopic structure is constituted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 21, 1996
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Masahiro Fujii
  • Patent number: 5519584
    Abstract: A laminated cylindrical backplane is constructed using disks with a conductive material mounted on a top surface, and a conductive material mounted on a second surface. Each disk and its conductive surfaces are separated from adjacent disks and their conductive surfaces by a dielectric material. The laminated structure forms a cylindrical backplane where circuit cards are radially mounted to the backplane by inserting the cards into slots in the perimeter of the cylindrical structure. The slots contain contacts where similarly positioned contacts of a particular disk are electrically connected to form a bus structure. As a result, similarly positioned conductive surfaces on circuit cards are electrically connected when the cards are inserted into the slots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 21, 1996
    Assignee: AT&T Corp.
    Inventor: John Allen Siroky
  • Patent number: 5510958
    Abstract: An electronic circuit module, having a small total thickness and excellent heat dissipation efficiency, and comprising insulating containers for holding electronic components therein and arranged between a thin metal board and a printed circuit board; surface contact connectors mounted between first planar surface contact terminals formed in the containers, and second planar surface contact formed on the printed circuit board, to make electrical connections therebetween; and securing means for securing the surface contact connectors to the metal board so that the connectors are lightly pressed between each container and printed circuit board. Pipes are disposed in the metal board for carrying coolant therein. Thus, heat generated by the electronic components is conveyed to the board via the containers, and hence to the outside for dissipation. The foregoing structure is advantageous in reducing the thickness of the module substantially, and in increasing the heat dissipation efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 23, 1996
    Assignee: Yokogawa Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Norio Shimabara, Teruhiko Tokumo
  • Patent number: 5506756
    Abstract: A ball grid array (BGA) package which contains an integrated circuit die that is directly mounted to either a heat sink or a printed circuit board. In one embodiment, the package has an integrated circuit with surface pads that are coupled to a flexible circuit board. Solder balls are attached to the flexible circuit board and solder the BGA package to a printed circuit board. The flexible circuit has an opening that exposes the integrated circuit and allows the IC to be soldered to the printed circuit board by solder balls attached directly to the surface pads of the IC die. The direct attachment between the die and printed circuit board increases the number of IC output pins. The flexible circuit board and die are covered by a protective injection molded plastic housing. In a second embodiment, the integrated circuit die is flipped upside down and a surface of the die is exposed through the plastic housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 9, 1996
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: Kevin Haley
  • Patent number: 5502289
    Abstract: A circuit assembly which includes a semiconductor die having substantially parallel opposing first and second surfaces and at least one electrical contact mounted on the first surface. A first element having substantially parallel opposing first and second surfaces and at least one electrical contact mounted on one of its surfaces is mounted on and at least partially supported at its second surface by the first surface of the semiconductor die. The first element is positioned such that the semiconductor die electrical contact is exposed. A fine wire conductor having first and second ends is connected at its first end to either the semiconductor die electrical contact or the first element electrical contact. A method of manufacturing this circuit assembly is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 26, 1996
    Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Hem P. Takiar, Peng-Cheng Lin
  • Patent number: 5495398
    Abstract: A circuit assembly which includes a semiconductor die having substantially parallel opposing first and second surfaces and at least one electrical contact mounted on the first surface. A first element having substantially parallel opposing first and second surfaces and at least one electrical contact mounted on one of its surfaces is mounted on and at least partially supported at its second surface by the first surface of the semiconductor die. The first element is positioned such that the semiconductor die electrical contact is exposed. A fine wire conductor having first and second ends is connected at its first end to either the semiconductor die electrical contact or the first element electrical contact. A method of manufacturing this circuit assembly is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 27, 1996
    Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Hem P. Takiar, Peng-Cheng Lin
  • Patent number: 5495395
    Abstract: A module substrate consists of a substrate mounting electronic parts on one surface thereof, a conductor for electrically conducting the electronic parts mounted on the substrate to the other surface of the substrate, a conductive solder for attaching the conductor to a base substrate movably contacting the other surface of the substrate to electrically connect the electronic parts with the base substrate, and a deformable bushing for holding the conductor to maintain the attachment of the conductor to the base substrate regardless of whether the base substrate is moved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1992
    Date of Patent: February 27, 1996
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takehiko Yoneda, Masahiro Yoshimoto, Yoshihiko Takayama, Tetsjhi Tsujhi, Hiromitsu Taki