Patent US5144742A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5144742A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method of making rigid-flex printed circuit boards
Assignee: Hadco Santa Clara Inc
•
Filing: 1991-02-27
•
Granted: 1992-09-08
•
Expires: 2011-02-27
Abstract
Abstract Rigid-flex printed circuit boards (PCBs) are fabricated by an improved and simplified process to form the PCBs from rigid-flex PCB subassemblies with both rigid and flex sections incorporating suitable insulator materials. The flex sections of the PCB subassemblies are protectively covered by insulating layers formed by deposition of a liquid precursor for the insulator material and curing of the liquid precursor to form the insulating layers.
Inventors
- 👤 Gregory L. Lucas
- 👤 Scott K. Bryan
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 14:05
CPC Classifications
H; H05; H05K; H05K3/00; H05K3/46; H05K3/4688; H05K3/4691; H05K2201/00; H05K2201/01; H05K2201/0183; H05K2201/0187; H05K2203/00; H05K2203/07; H05K2203/0756; H05K2203/0759; H05K3/22; H05K3/28; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T156/00; Y10T156/17; Y10T156/1798; Y10T29/00; Y10T29/49; Y10T29/49002; Y10T29/49117; Y10T29/49124; Y10T29/49126; Y10T29/49155
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
109 words
A method of making a rigid-flex printed circuit board (PCB) having both flexible and rigid sections, comprising the steps of forming circuitry components on a rigid-flex PCB subassembly including laminated conductive layers on opposite sides of a central insulating layer, depositing a liquid precursor of flexible insulating layers over the circuitry components in portions of the PCB subassembly corresponding to flexible sections in the rigid-flex PCB, curing the liquid precursor to form the insulating layers as protective coatings over the circuitry components in the flexible sections, and finally laminating a plurality of components including at least one rigid-flex PCB subassembly and rigidizing insulating layers to form the rigid-flex PCB.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
109 words
A method of making a rigid-flex printed circuit board (PCB) having both flexible and rigid sections, comprising the steps of forming circuitry components on a rigid-flex PCB subassembly including laminated conductive layers on opposite sides of a central insulating layer, depositing a liquid precursor of flexible insulating layers over the circuitry components in portions of the PCB subassembly corresponding to flexible sections in the rigid-flex PCB, curing the liquid precursor to form the insulating layers as protective coatings over the circuitry components in the flexible sections, and finally laminating a plurality of components including at least one rigid-flex PCB subassembly and rigidizing insulating layers to form the rigid-flex PCB.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of forming rigid insulating layers generally coextensive with the rigid-flex PCB subassembly with cutouts corresponding to the flexible sections and arranging the rigid insulating layers on opposite sides of each rigid-flex PCB subassembly in the final lamination step.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 2 wherein edge surfaces of each flexible insulating layer and cutout edge surfaces of the corresponding rigid insulating layer are in abutting relation with each other to form butt-joint therebetween.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method of claim 2 wherein edge surfaces of each flexible insulating layer extend slightly past corresponding edge surfaces in the rigid insulating layer cutout to form the flexible insulating layer in underlapping relation to the cutout edge surfaces of the rigid insulating layer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
55 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of forming rigid insulating layers generally coextensive with the rigid-flex PCB subassembly with cutouts corresponding to the flexible sections, laminating the rigid insulating layers to opposite sides of each rigid-flex PCB subassembly, and then depositing and curing the liquid precursor to form the flexible insulating layers.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method of claim 5 wherein edge surfaces of each flexible insulating layer extend slightly past corresponding edge surfaces in the rigid insulating layer cutout to form the flexible insulating layer in overlapping relation to the cutout edge surfaces of the rigid insulating layer.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1 wherein multiple rigid-flex PCB subassemblies are finally laminated to form the rigid-flex PCB.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the liquid insulating layer precursor is selected from the class consisting of acrylics, epoxys, urethanes, copolymers including at least one of the above, mixtures and/or oligomers thereof.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 8 wherein the flexible insulating layers are formed by liquid deposition and curing to have a thickness in the range of about 0.0005 to about 0.003 inches.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the flexible insulating layers are formed by liquid deposition and curing to have a thickness in the range of about 0.0005 to about 0.003 inches.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
102 words
A method for making a rigid-flex printed circuit board (PCB) subassembly as a component for lamination into a rigid-flex PCB having both flexible and rigid sections, comprising the steps of forming circuitry components on a rigid-flex PCB subassembly including laminated conductive layers on opposite sides of a central insulating layer, depositing a liquid precursor of flexible insulating layers over the circuitry components in portions of the PCB subassembly corresponding to flexible sections in the rigid-flex PCB, and curing the liquid precursor to form the insulating layers as protective coatings over the circuitry components in the flexible sections of the rigid-flex PCB subassembly.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
102 words
A method for making a rigid-flex printed circuit board (PCB) subassembly as a component for lamination into a rigid-flex PCB having both flexible and rigid sections, comprising the steps of forming circuitry components on a rigid-flex PCB subassembly including laminated conductive layers on opposite sides of a central insulating layer, depositing a liquid precursor of flexible insulating layers over the circuitry components in portions of the PCB subassembly corresponding to flexible sections in the rigid-flex PCB, and curing the liquid precursor to form the insulating layers as protective coatings over the circuitry components in the flexible sections of the rigid-flex PCB subassembly.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
55 words
The method of claim 11 further comprising the steps of forming rigid insulating layers generally coextensive with the rigid-flex PCB subassembly with cutouts corresponding to the flexible sections, laminating the rigid insulating layers to opposite sides of each rigid-flex PCB subassembly, and then depositing and curing the liquid precursor to form the flexible insulating layers.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 11 wherein the liquid insulating layer precursor is selected from the class consisting of acrylics, epoxys, urethanes, copolymers including at least one of the above, mixtures and/or oligomers thereof.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 13 wherein the flexible insulating layers are formed by liquid deposition and curing to have a thickness in the range of about 0.0005 to about 0.003 inches.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3546775A
Cited
US3409732A
Cited
US4075420A
Cited
US4496794A
Cited
US4562119A
Cited
EP0195935A2
Cited
JPS6453591A
Cited
US4800461A
Cited
US4931134A
Cited
US5004639A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1995-09-08 | 1996-03-09 | 1996-09-08 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1999-09-08 | 2000-03-09 | 2000-09-08 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2003-09-08 | 2004-03-09 | 2004-09-08 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |