Modular deformable platform

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10631401-B2
Application number	US-201515535293-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2015
Priority date	Dec 15, 2014
Publication date	Apr 21, 2020
Grant date	Apr 21, 2020

Abstract

A modular deformable electronics platform is attachable to a deformable surface, such as skin. The platform is tolerant to surface deformation and motion, can flex in and out of a plane of the platform without hindering operability of electrical components included on the platform, and is formed via arrangement of discrete flexible tiles, with corners of adjacent tiles connected by a flexible connection material so that individual tiles can translate and rotate relative to each other. Interconnects disposed on bases of separate tiles electrically connect adjacent tiles via their connected corners, and electrically connect components disposed on different tiles. Each pair of adjacent corner connections defines an axis about which at least a portion of the platform can flex without deformation and without hindering connections between tiles. The flexible material and/or bases of the tiles can include Parylene.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A modular deformable electronics platform for supporting electronics on a surface, comprising:
a plurality of discrete flexible tiles, each tile defining at least one corner, and each tile configured to be separately attached to the surface;
a plurality of flexible corner connections that connect corners of adjacent members of the plurality of discrete tiles, and that enable the discrete tiles to at least one of translate and rotate relative to each other while maintaining connections between adjacent tiles;
at least one electrical component disposed on one of the plurality of discrete tiles;
at least one further electrical component disposed on another of the plurality of discrete tiles; and
a plurality of interconnects disposed on the plurality of discrete tiles, such that the at least one electrical component is electrically in communication with the at least one further electrical component,
wherein the plurality of flexible corner connections are positioned such that each flexible corner connection covers a respective set of adjacent interconnects.

2. The electronics platform according to claim 1 , wherein:
each tile includes a base; and
each interconnect is disposed on the base of a respective tile in a region of the at least one corner, such that interconnects of adjacent tiles are configured to electrically connect the adjacent tiles.

3. The electronics platform according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one electrical component includes at least one of a sensor, a battery, an indicator, an antenna, a photocell, and an integrated circuit.

4. The electronics platform according to claim 1 , wherein a first subset of the plurality of discrete tiles are extension tiles that do not include an electrical component, the extension tiles distributed radially around a second subset of the plurality of discrete tiles that has at least one electrical component.

5. The electronics platform according to claim 1 , wherein each pair of adjacent corner connections defines an axis about which at least a portion of the platform is configured to flex without deformation.

6. The electronics platform according to claim 2 , wherein the base includes a Parylene.

7. The electronics platform according to claim 3 , wherein the sensor is configured to detect at least one of temperature, humidity, motion, pressure, toxicity, sound, vibrations, and a medical condition of a user.

8. The electronics platform according to claim 5 , wherein the plurality of flexible corner connections are formed by a passivation layer disposed over the plurality of tiles, the passivation layer separated into the plurality of flexible corner connections and a discrete layer over each tile via the gaps.

9. A method of producing a modular deformable electronics platform, comprising:
disposing a plurality of interconnects on a flexible substrate at locations corresponding to an arrangement of discrete flexible tiles;
disposing at least one die corresponding to at least one electrical component onto the substrate at a location corresponding to one of the discrete tiles, and so as to be electrically connected to the plurality of interconnects;
disposing at least one further die corresponding to at least one further electrical component onto the substrate at a location corresponding to another one of the discrete tiles, and so as to be electrically connected to the plurality of interconnects;
applying a layer of flexible material over the interconnects and the at least one die on the substrate;
forming the discrete tiles by punching out regions of the flexible material and the substrate that correspond to gaps between edges of the discrete tiles, adjacent tiles being electrically connected via the interconnects, and having corners connected via the flexible material; and
removing a remainder of the substrate and flexible material surrounding the arrangement of discrete tiles to form a modular deformable electronics platform.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
applying an adhesive to a side of the substrate facing away from the flexible material.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein each pair of adjacent corner connections defines an axis about which at least a portion of the platform is configured to flex without deformation.

Assignees

• Bosch Gmbh Robert
• Yee Seow Yuen
• Yama Gary
• Kim Bongsang
• Samarao Ashwin

Inventors

• Yee Seow Yuen
• Yama Gary
• Kim Bongsang
• Samarao Ashwin

Classifications

• H05K1/028 Primary

  Bending or folding regions of flexible printed circuits (H05K1/0283 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H05K3/1216

  by screen printing or stencil printing · CPC title

• A61B2562/0247

  Pressure sensors · CPC title

• H05K1/118

  specially for flexible printed circuits, e.g. using folded portions · CPC title

• A61B2562/0204

  Acoustic sensors · CPC title