Flex circuit, an information handling system, and a method of manufacturing a flexible circuit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9781825-B2
Application number	US-201313769592-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 18, 2013
Priority date	Feb 18, 2013
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

A flex circuit including a plurality of layers folded on a first fold line and folded on a second fold line is disclosed. The plurality of layers may include a first conductive layer, an insulating layer adjacent the first conductive layer, and a second conductive layer adjacent the insulating layer. The flex circuit may include a plurality of slits extending through each layer of the plurality of layers, the plurality of slits disposed on the first fold line and the second fold line.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A flex circuit, comprising:
a plurality of layers folded on a first fold line and folded on a second fold line, the plurality of layers including:
a first conductive layer including a first signal transmission portion parallel to the first fold line and a first ground portion;
an insulating layer adjacent the first conductive layer;
a second conductive layer adjacent the insulating layer including a second signal transmission portion parallel to the second fold line and a second ground portion; and
a plurality of slits extending through each layer of the plurality of layers, the plurality of slits disposed on the first fold line and the second fold line;
wherein the plurality of layers are folded such that a first portion of the insulating layer is located on a first plane, and a second portion of the insulating layer is located on a second plane parallel to the first plane;
wherein the plurality of layers further comprise:
a first cover layer adjacent the first conductive layer; and a second cover layer adjacent the second conductive layer; and
wherein the plurality of slits comprises:
a first set of slits formed on the first fold line, the first set of slits occupying greater than approximately 10% of a total length of the first fold line; and
a second set of slits formed on the second fold line; the second set of slits occupying greater than approximately 10% of a total length of the second fold line.

2. The flex circuit of claim 1 , wherein:
a first portion of the first cover layer is separated from a second portion of the first cover layer by a distance, the first cover layer folded on the first fold line such that the first portion and the second portion of the first cover layer are adjacent one another; and
a first portion of the second cover layer is separated from a second portion of the second cover layer by the distance, the second cover layer folded on the second fold line such that the first portion and the second portion of the second cover layer are adjacent one another.

3. The flex circuit of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first adhesive material disposed on a first portion of the first cover layer and configured to adhere to a second portion of the first cover layer, the first cover layer folded on the first fold line such that the first portion and the second portion of the first cover layer are adjacent one another; and
a second adhesive material disposed on to a first portion of the second cover layer and configured to adhere to a second portion of the second cover layer, the second cover layer folded on the second fold line such that the first portion and the second portion of the second cover layer are adjacent one another.

4. The flex circuit of claim 1 , wherein the distance corresponds to a desired impedance the plurality of layers.

5. An information handling system comprising:
a first information handling component;
a second information handling component; and
a flex circuit configured to communicatively couple the first information handling component to the second information handling component, the flex circuit including:
a plurality of layers including:
a first conductive layer including a first signal transmission portion and a first ground portion; and
a second conductive layer including a second ground portion and a second signal transmission portion;
the plurality of layers folded on a first fold line parallel to the first signal transmission portion and folded on a second fold line parallel to the second signal transmission portion; and
a plurality of slits extending through each layer of the flex circuit, the plurality of slits disposed on the first fold line and the second fold line;
wherein the plurality of layers are folded such that a first portion of one layer of the plurality of layers is located on a first plane, and a second portion of the one layer of the plurality of layers is located on a second plane parallel to the first plane;
the plurality of layers further comprising:
a first cover layer adjacent the first conductive layer;
an insulating layer adjacent the first conductive layer and adjacent the second conductive layer; and
a second cover layer adjacent the second conductive layer; and
wherein the plurality of slits comprises:
a first set of slits formed on the first fold line, the first set of slits occupying greater than approximately 10% of a total length of the first fold line; and
a second set of slits formed on the second fold line; the second set of slits occupying greater than approximately 10% of a total length of the second fold line.

6. The information handling system of claim 5 , the flex circuit further comprising:
a first adhesive material piece disposed on a first portion of a first cover layer of the plurality of layers and configured to adhere to a second portion of the first cover layer, the first cover layer folded on the first fold line such that the first portion and the second portion of the first cover layer are adjacent one another; and
a second adhesive material piece disposed on a first portion of a second cover layer of the plurality of layers and configured to adhere to a second portion of the second cover layer, the second cover layer folded on the second fold line such that the first portion and the second portion of the second cover layer are adjacent one another.

7. The information handling system of claim 5 , wherein:
a first portion of a first cover layer of the plurality of layers is separated from a second portion of the first cover layer by a distance, the first cover layer folded on the first fold line such that the first portion and the second portion of the first cover layer are adjacent one another; and
a first portion of a second cover layer of the plurality of layers is separated from a second portion of the second cover layer by the distance, the second cover layer folded on the second fold line such that the first portion and the second portion of the second cover layer are adjacent one another.

8. The information handling system of claim 7 , wherein the distance is selected based on a desired impedance of the plurality of layers.

9. A method of manufacturing a flex circuit, comprising: forming a plurality of layers the plurality of layers including:
a first conductive layer including a first set of signal traces and a first ground portion;
an insulating layer adjacent the first conductive layer; and
a second conductive layer adjacent the insulating layer including a second set of signal traces and a second ground portion;
forming a plurality of slits extending through each layer of the plurality of layers, the plurality of slits disposed on a first fold line parallel to the first set of signal traces and a second fold line parallel to the second set of signal traces: folding the plurality of layers on the first fold line; and folding the plurality of layers on the second fold line;
wherein the plurality of layers are folded such that a first portion of the insulating layer is located on a first plane, and a second portion of the insulating layer is located on a second plane parallel to the first plane;
wherein the plurality of layers comprises: a first cover layer adjacent the first conductive layer; and
a second cover layer adjacent the second conductive layer; and
wherein the plurality of slits comprises:
a first set of slits disposed on the first fold line, the first set of slits occupying greater than approximately 10% of a total length of the first fold line; and
a second set of slits disposed on the second fold line; the second set of slits occupying greater than approximately 10% of a total length of the second fold line.

10. The m

Assignees

• Farkas Sandor
• Singh Girish Kumar
• Mutnury Bhyrav M
• Dell Products Lp

Inventors

• Farkas Sandor
• Singh Girish Kumar
• Mutnury Bhyrav M

Classifications

• H05K2201/051

  Rolled · CPC title

• H05K2201/055

  Folded back on itself · CPC title

• H05K1/0225

  Single or multiple openings in a shielding, ground or power plane (H05K1/0227 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H05K1/0298

  Multilayer circuits · CPC title

• H05K1/028 Primary

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