Connection for flexible apparatus

Claim 1

In an edge card arrangement for electrically connecting conductors of a flat flexible circuit member to a second circuit member including an edge card connector connected to said second circuit member including an elongated dielectric housing with an edge card socket defined therein and a plurality of terminals having one end adapted to electrically mate with the second circuit member and another end adapted to electrically mate with circuits in said flexible circuit member, and a rigidized flexible circuit assembly adapted to be received in said edge card socket including a rigid carrier, a flexible circuit member including a first insulative layer and a plurality of exposed conductors disposed thereon, the flexible circuit member being bonded on said carrier so that the first insulative layer is disposed adjacent a carrier surface and the exposed conductors face away from the carrier, wherein the improvement comprises: an in-line filtered interconnect including: said carrier including a filter circuit having spaced apart first and second contact pads disposed on a major surface thereof; at least one of said flexible circuit conductors overlying and aligned with said first and second contact pads and a portion of said conductor extending between said first and second contact pads being discontinuous; means for electrically connecting said overlying conductor to the first and second contact pads; and at least one of the terminals of the connector electrically engaged to the conductor, whereby a signal travelling along the conductor is transmitted through electrical connecting means to said first contact pad, through the filter circuit to said second contact pad, through connecting means and emerges at the exposed conductor for engagement by the terminal.