US4081898A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method of manufacturing an electronic calculator utilizing a flexible carrier
Assignee: Texas Instruments Inc
•
Filing: 1976-05-05
•
Granted: 1978-04-04
•
Expires: 1996-05-05
Abstract
Abstract Electronic calculators are manufactured by use of a flexible insulative carrier, the carrier being a tape-like-plastic substrate a single length of which is sufficient to manufacture a plurality of the electronic calculators, wherein conductor patterns are formed on the carrier, a keyboard is formed on the carrier using selected portions of the aforementioned conductors as keyboard switch contacts and semiconductor devices are interconnected with selected conductors formed on the carrier.
Inventors
- 👤 James B. Taylor, Jr.
- 👤 Galen F. Fritz
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 18:28
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01H; H01H13/00; H01H13/70; H01H13/702; G; G06; G06F; G06F3/00; G06F3/01; G06F3/02; G06F3/0202; H01H2207/00; H01H2207/016; H01H2229/00; H01H2229/008; H01H2229/018; H01H2229/024; H01H2229/028; H01H2229/034; H01H2229/038; H01H2229/05; H01H2231/00; H01H2231/002; H01H2239/00; H01H2239/01; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T29/00; Y10T29/49; Y10T29/49002; Y10T29/49004; Y10T29/49105
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 29
Claim 1
Independent Claim
77 words
A method of manufacturing an electronic calculator comprising: (a) forming a pattern of conducting stripes on a flexible substrate; (b) forming a plurality of indentations in said substrate intersecting selected portions of said conducting stripes in said pattern; (c) folding a portion of said substrate back on itself to form a keyboard utilizing the indentations and selected conducting stripes as keyboard switches; and (d) connecting a tape-mounted semiconducting device and a display device to said flexible substrate.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
77 words
A method of manufacturing an electronic calculator comprising: (a) forming a pattern of conducting stripes on a flexible substrate; (b) forming a plurality of indentations in said substrate intersecting selected portions of said conducting stripes in said pattern; (c) folding a portion of said substrate back on itself to form a keyboard utilizing the indentations and selected conducting stripes as keyboard switches; and (d) connecting a tape-mounted semiconducting device and a display device to said flexible substrate.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the pattern of conducting stripes is formed on the flexible substrate by hot die stamping.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein the flexible substrate comprises polyester film.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein the flexible substrate comprises polyimide film.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein the flexible substrate includes a series of registration holes disposed along at least one of the margins thereof.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein the pattern of conducting stripes is formed on the flexible substrate by selectively screening a conductive ink on the flexible substrate.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of indentations are formed in the substrate by thermally stamping the substrate.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of indentations are formed in the substrate by vacuum forming.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method according to claim 1 wherein a plurality of substantially identical patterns of conducting stripes are formed on the flexible substrate.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method according to claim 9, further including the step of separating said patterns including keyboards and semiconducting devices one from another after the step of folding a portion of the substrate back on itself.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein the portions of the substrate folded back contain at least one of the indentations formed in the flexible substrate.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method according to claim 1 wherein the display device connected to the flexible substrate is also tape mounted.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method according to claim 1, further including the step of affixing an apertured insulating sheet to said substrate in areas where said substrate is folded back upon itself.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method according to claim 13 wherein said apertured insulating sheet is affixed to said substrate by adhesive bonding.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein the semiconducting devices and the display device are connected to the flexible substrate by soldering the leads from said semiconducting device and said display device is selected conducting stripes formed on said flexible substrate.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein said semiconducting device and said display device are connected to said flexible substrate by adhesively bonding the leads of said semiconducting device and said display device to selected conducting stripes formed on said flexible substrate using an electrically conductive cement.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method according to claim 1 further including the steps of testing the partially assembled electronic calculator and of marking partially assembled electronic calculators failing a test.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
93 words
A method of manufacturing an electronic calculator comprising: (a) forming a pattern of conducting stripes on a flexible substrate; (b) forming another pattern of conducting stripes on an insulating sheet; (c) forming a plurality of indentations in at least one of said substrate and said sheet, said indentations intersecting selected portions of said conducting stripes; (d) bonding said sheet to said substrate, selected conducting stripes on said substrate being registered with selected conducting stripes on said sheet; and (e) connecting a tape-mounted semiconducting logic device and a display device to said flexible substrate.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
93 words
A method of manufacturing an electronic calculator comprising: (a) forming a pattern of conducting stripes on a flexible substrate; (b) forming another pattern of conducting stripes on an insulating sheet; (c) forming a plurality of indentations in at least one of said substrate and said sheet, said indentations intersecting selected portions of said conducting stripes; (d) bonding said sheet to said substrate, selected conducting stripes on said substrate being registered with selected conducting stripes on said sheet; and (e) connecting a tape-mounted semiconducting logic device and a display device to said flexible substrate.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
64 words
A method of manufacturing an electronic calculator comprising the steps of: (a) forming a pattern of conductive stripes on a flexible substrate; (b) connecting the leads from a tape-mounted semiconducting logic device to selected conducting stripes on said substrate; (c) connecting selected conducting stripes on said substrate to a keyboard means; and (d) connecting selected conducting stripes on said substrate to a display device.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
64 words
A method of manufacturing an electronic calculator comprising the steps of: (a) forming a pattern of conductive stripes on a flexible substrate; (b) connecting the leads from a tape-mounted semiconducting logic device to selected conducting stripes on said substrate; (c) connecting selected conducting stripes on said substrate to a keyboard means; and (d) connecting selected conducting stripes on said substrate to a display device.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method according to claim 19, wherein said flexible substrate is a plastic material selected from the group consisting of a polyester and polyimide plastics.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method according to claim 19, wherein said display device is also tape-mounted.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
52 words
The method according to claim 19, wherein said flexible substrate is provided by flexible plastic material and the pattern of conducting stripes is formed on said flexible material at a plurality of locations along a length of said flexible material, whereby said pattern repeats along the length of said flexible plastic material.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method according to claim 22, wherein said display device is also tape-mounted.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
51 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein said flexible substrate is provided by a length flexible material and the pattern of conducting stripes is formed on said flexible material at a plurality of locations along said length of flexible material, whereby said pattern repeats along the length of said flexible material.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method according to claim 24, further including the step of severing said substrate between said patterns and wherein the step of folding said portion is accomplished prior to said severing step.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method according to claim 25, wherein said display device is also tape-mounted.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3722086A
Cited
US3810301A
Cited
US3898421A
Cited
US3911234A
Cited
US3860771A
Cited
US3971127A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1981-04-03 | 1981-10-03 | 1982-04-04 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1985-04-03 | 1985-10-03 | 1986-04-04 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1989-04-03 | 1989-10-03 | 1990-04-04 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |