Flexible circuit assembly

Claim 1

A method of making a flexible circuit connector assembly having rigid connectors and a flexible interconnecting cable in which there are no separate electrical connections therebetween, said method comprising: forming an opening in a rigid panel of circuit board material, said opening being in the shape desired for a flexible interconnecting cable; filling said opening with an intermediate member; placing a metallic clad insulating film on said panel and covering said intermediate member; bonding said insulating film only to said panel; forming a plurality of conductors on said insulating film, said conductors extending over said intermediate member and terminating at each end in the shape of enlarged contact pads arranged in a row on spaced preselected portions of said panel, said preselected portions to serve as rigid connectors for the flexible circuit connector assembly; bonding a cover layer to intermediate portions of the conductors, said cover layer being formed of a tri-layered laminate having a first outer layer of an insulating film, a second intermediate layer of a modified epoxy adhesive and a third layer of a phenolic resin adhesive which become bonded contiguous to said conductors; removing peripheral portions of said panel while leaving said preselected connector portions and the intermediate member bridging said connector portions, said peripheral portions being removed so that each connector portion has an edge adapted to receive a female-type socket, with the row of contact pads on each connector being located near the edge; and removing said intermediate member to leave a flexible cable interconnecting the connector portions, with said conductors providing an interfaceless electrically conductive path therebetween.

Claim 2

A method of making a flexible circuit connector assembly having rigid connectors and a flexible interconnecting cable in which there are no separate electrical connections therebetween, said method comprising: forming an opening in a rigid panel of circuit board material, said opening being in the shape desired for a flexible interconnecting cable; filling said opening with an intermediate member; placing a metallic clad insulating film on said panel and covering said intermediate member; bonding said insulating film only to said panel; forming a plurality of conductors on said insulating film, said conductors extending over said intermediate member and terminating at each end in the shape of enlarged contact pads arranged in a row on spaced preselected portions of said panel, said preselected portions to serve as rigid connectors for the flexible circuit connector assembly; bonding a cover layer to intermediate portions of the conductors, said cover layer being formed of a tri-layered laminate having a first outer layer of an insulating film, a second intermediate layer of a modified epoxy adhesive and a third layer of a phenolic resin adhesive which become bonded contiguous to said conductors; removing peripheral portions of said panel while leaving said preselected connector portions and the intermediate member bridging said connector portions, said peripheral portions being removed so that each connector portion has an edge adapted to receive a female-type socket, with the row of contact pads on each connector being located near the edge; and removing said intermediate member to leave a flexible cable interconnecting the connector portions, with said conductors providing an interfaceless electrically conductive path therebetween.

Claim 5

A method of making a flexible circuit connector assembly having two rigid connectors and a flexible interconnecting cable which does not require a separate electrical connection therebetween, said method comprising: forming an opening in a rigid panel of circuit board material having at least one flat major surface, said opening being in the shape of a flexible interconnecting cable desired to be formed; filling the opening with an intermediate member having a flat major surface so that said surfaces are mutually coplanar; placing a layer of adhesive onto the coplanar surfaces of said panel and intermediate member; placing a metallic clad insulating film on said adhesive layer, said insulating film covering the surfaces of said panel and said intermediate member; bonding said insulating film only to the panel with said adhesive layer; etching a plurality of spaced conductors on said insulating film, said conductors each having at one end an enlarged portion serving as a contact pad which is located on a first preselected portion of said panel, each conductor having an intermediate portion which extends from said contact pad over said intermediate member, each conductor having a second enlarged portion serving as a contact pad on a second preselected portion of said panel which is spaced from said first portion, the contact pads on each preselected portion being arranged in a row, said first and second portions being selected as portions which will serve as rigid connectors; bonding a cover layer to intermediate portions of the conductors, said cover layer being formed of a tri-layered laminate having a first outer layer of an insulating film, a second intermediate layer of a modified epoxy adhesive and a third layer of a phenolic resin adhesive which become bonded contiguous to said conductors; cutting away peripheral portions of said panel to form two connector members defined by said first and second portions, each connector member having an outer edge adapted to engage a female-type socket, with each row of said contact pads being located near said edge; and removing said intermediate member to leave a flexible cable interconnecting said two rigid connector members, said conductors providing a continuous interfaceless electrically conductive path from one contact pad on one rigid connector member extending over said flexible cable and terminating at the contact pad on the other connector member.

Claim 6

A method of making a flexible circuit connector assembly having two rigid connectors and a flexible interconnecting cable which does not require a separate electrical connection therebetween, said method comprising: forming an opening in a rigid panel of circuit board material having at least one flat major surface, said opening being in the shape of a flexible interconnecting cable desired to be formed; filling the opening with an intermediate member having a flat major surface so that said surfaces are mutually coplanar; placing a layer of adhesive onto the coplanar surfaces of said panel and intermediate member; placing a metallic clad insulating film on said adhesive layer, said insulating film covering the surfaces of said panel and said intermediate member; bonding said insulating film only to the panel with said adhesive layer; etching a plurality of spaced conductors on said insulating film, said conductors each having at one end an enlarged portion serving as a contact pad which is located on a first preselected portion of said panel, each conductor having an intermediate portion which extends from said contact pad over said intermediate member, each conductor having a second enlarged portion serving as a contact pad on a second preselected portion of said panel which is spaced from said first portion, the contact pads on each preselected portion being arranged in a row, said first and second portions being selected as portions which will serve as rigid connectors; bonding a cover layer to intermediate portions of the conductors, said cover layer being formed of a tri-layered laminate having a first outer layer of an insulating film, a second intermediate layer of a modified epoxy adhesive and a third layer of a phenolic resin adhesive which become bonded contiguous to said conductors; cutting away peripheral portions of said panel to form two connector members defined by said first and second portions, each connector member having an outer edge adapted to engage a female-type socket, with each row of said contact pads being located near said edge; and removing said intermediate member to leave a flexible cable interconnecting said two rigid connector members, said conductors providing a continuous interfaceless electrically conductive path from one contact pad on one rigid connector member extending over said flexible cable and terminating at the contact pad on the other connector member.