Electrical connectors – Including or for use with tape cable
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-04
2001-02-27
Bradley, Paula (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Including or for use with tape cable
C439S499000, C174S1170FF, C029S847000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06193544
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A flexible or “flex” circuit is a laminate of flexible polyimide film, such as KAPTON®, and a thin sheet of copper etched to produce a pattern of traces and contact pads. An overlying insulation layer is typically used to insulate the copper and environmentally seal the circuit. Flexible circuits include flexible flat cable (FFC) and flexible printed circuits (FPC). The FFC was originally designed as a compact and light-weight interconnect to replace bulky wire harnesses. With the advent of surface-mount electronic components, FPC technology evolved, creating a thin, flexible replacement for conventional rigid printed circuit boards. Flexible circuits provide multiple benefits. A flexible circuit can bend, fold, twist, and be rolled, providing almost unlimited freedom for locating parts and subassemblies. Further, the polyimide film can survive vibration and shock that would damage a rigid board. As a result, design engineers can utilize flexible circuits to solve space, configuration and weight problems that cannot be addressed with conventional wiring or rigid circuit technologies.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1
schematically depicts a prior art electrical or electronic system
100
utilizing a conventional FFC
102
to interconnect device A
104
and device B
106
to a backplane
108
. A failure of device A
104
, device B
106
or the backplane
108
would require replacement of the entire system
100
. Unlike wiring harnesses, a conventional FFC cannot be cut and spliced in order to replace an interconnected circuit, module or device that has failed. As a result, complete systems must be replaced when any attached component fails, increasing maintenance costs. Alternatively, a connector must be used at each circuit, module or device interface, increasing production costs and reducing reliability. Neither of these alternatives are desirable.
The present invention provides an apparatus and method to cut and splice a flexible circuit, combining the servicing advantages of a wiring harness without the associated weight and bulk disadvantages. The flexible circuit service connector according to the present invention provides one or more service segments integrated into a flexible circuit. The service segments can be cut and spliced to remove and replace a flexible circuit portion that is connected to a faulty component, module or device. The service segment functions in conjunction with a slider assembly and contact assembly. The slider assembly attaches to the service segment to create a splice plug from the severed end of the cut flexible circuit. The contact assembly attaches to a replacement circuit and has a socket that mates with the splice plug to complete a splice.
One aspect of the flexible circuit service connector is a cut zone portion of the service segment. Advantageously, any cut within the cut zone boundaries, whether straight, crooked or curved, will allow a successful splice. Therefore, it is not critical how the flexible circuit is severed or the tool used to perform the cut. To facilitate detaching a portion of the flexible circuit, however, a portion of the attached slider assembly functions as a straightedge cutting guide situated within the cut zone. An advantageous aspect of the slider assembly is that it requires no special installation tools to attach it to the service segment. The slider assembly simply snaps onto a notched portion of the service segment. The slider assembly is also removable and reusable. An advantageous aspect of the contact assembly is that it removably locks to the slider assembly, increasing splice reliability yet allowing the splice to be disconnected. Further, retaining tabs on the contact assembly secure together the snap-on portions of the slider assembly when the slider assembly is locked to the contact assembly, also insuring a reliable splice.
Another aspect of the present invention is a service connector utilizing a flexible circuit having a thin layer of conductive material. The service connector includes a service segment portion of the flexible circuit. Within the service segment, the flexible circuit conductive material is patterned as a plurality of contact pads. The service segment divides the flexible circuit into a removable portion and a remaining portion. The flexible circuit can be severed within the service segment in order to detach the removable portion. This creates a severed end terminating the remaining portion of the flexible circuit. At least a portion of each of the contact pads is located on the remaining portion near the severed end. A slider attaches to the service segment to support the remaining portion severed end and the associated contact pads. An insulator provides a socket that is configured for insertion of the slider. A plurality of contacts are installed within the socket. Each of the contacts connect to a replacement circuit and, when the slider is inserted into the socket, also to a corresponding one of the contact pads.
Yet another aspect of the present invention is a method of cutting off a removable portion of a flexible circuit and splicing a replacement circuit to a remaining portion of the flexible circuit. This cut and splice method comprises the step of providing a service segment between the removable portion and the remaining portion of the flexible circuit, with the remaining portion having a plurality of contact pads. Another step is attaching a support to the remaining portion within the service segment. Yet another step is severing the flexible circuit within the service segment so as to detach the removable portion from the remaining portion. Further steps are installing a plurality of contacts within an insulator and electrically connecting the plurality of contacts to the replacement circuit. One other step is mating the support to the insulator so as to provide electrical communication between each of the contacts and a corresponding one of the contact pads.
A further aspect of the present invention is a service connector for severing a flexible circuit to detach a removable portion of the flexible circuit from a remaining portion of the flexible circuit and for creating a splice between a replacement circuit and a severed end of the remaining portion. The service connector has a service segment means for providing a plurality of contact pads on the remaining portion. The assembly also has a splice plug means for supporting the severed end and the contact pads, where the splice plug means is attachable to the service segment means. Further elements of the service connector are a socket means for engaging the splice plug means and a contact means installed within the socket means for providing electrical connection to the contact pads when the splice plug means engages the socket means. The contact means is connectable to the replacement circuit so as to provide electrical communications between the replacement circuit and the remaining portion when the splice plug engages the socket means, thereby completing the splice.
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Bradley Paula
JAE Electronics, Inc.
Smith Glenn R.
Ta Tho D.
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