Bending method for printed circuit board

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10237970-B2
Application number	US-201715434176-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 16, 2017
Priority date	Feb 16, 2017
Publication date	Mar 19, 2019
Grant date	Mar 19, 2019

Abstract

A bendable printed circuit board is provided. The bendable circuit board may include a circuit board having first and second sections and at least one plated wire that electrically connects and mechanically joins the first and second sections together. The first section may be pivotable with respect to the second section through the at least one plated wire.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of making a bendable printed circuit board comprising:
placing a plated wire, on at least one solder pad disposed on each of the sections;
soldering the plated wire to the at least one solder pad on each of the sections; and
after the soldering, removing a predetermined amount of substrate within a circuit board to define a weakened portion dividing the circuit board into a first and second section.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the soldering step is accomplished by heating a portion of the plated wire and a portion of the soldering pad.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying a force to either the first section or second section to bend the circuit board to a desired angle.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the removing step is accomplished by applying a triangular cutting roller to at least one side of the circuit board.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the removing step is accomplished by scoring at least one side of the circuit board.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising separating the first and second sections of the circuit board by positioning the weakened portion of the circuit board above a bottom anvil and below a top anvil and displacing the top anvil towards the bottom anvil to break weakened portion without damaging the plated wire.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the top anvil has a triangular tip and the bottom anvil has a recessed portion corresponding to the triangular tip of the top anvil and is configured to allow the circuit board to be displaced within the recessed portion until a desired angle between the first and second sections is achieved.

8. A method of producing an angled circuit board comprising:
placing an elongated plated wire, on at least two solder pads attached to a circuit board substrate;
soldering the plated wire to the at least one solder pad on each of the sections;
after the soldering, removing a predetermined amount of substrate within a circuit board to define a weakened portion dividing the circuit board into a first and second section; and
separating the first and second sections from one another.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising applying a first and second solder pads to the circuit board substrate.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the separating step is accomplished by applying a force to either the first or second section by a hand brake to separate the first and second sections from each other.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein soldering step is accomplished by directing a laser beam to the plated wire.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the removing step is accomplished by routing a portion of the circuit board with a router.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Salter Stuart C
• Surman James J
• Konet Todd Jared

Classifications

• H05K3/34

  by soldering · CPC title

• H05K3/0044

  Mechanical working of the substrate, e.g. drilling or punching (H05K3/0008 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H05K1/111

  Pads for surface mounting, e.g. lay-out · CPC title

• H05K1/0278 Primary

  Rigid circuit boards or rigid supports of circuit boards locally made bendable, e.g. by removal or replacement of material · CPC title

• H05K2203/107

  Using laser light · CPC title