Flat flex cable (FFC) with embedded spring contacts for connecting to a PCB or like electronic device

Abstract

This invention pertains to flat flex cable (FFC) with embedded spring contacts at one or both ends, and in between the ends as needed, to engage electrical devices by inserting the spring contacts on an end of the FFC into a clamp or receptacle that secures the spring contacts into engagement with electrical contacts on the electrical device and with electrical contacts on a camera module as used in cell phones.

1 . A flat flex cable (FFC) comprising: 
 one or more electrical traces embedded in flexible insulating material;    one or more spring contacts electrically connected at one end of the FFC to one or more electrical traces; and    one or more electrical contacts electrically connected to electrical traces at the other end of the FFC.    
   
   
       2 . The FFC of  claim 1  further comprising the spring contacts attached to the electrical traces by metallurgical bonding.  
   
   
       3 . The FFC of  claim 1  further comprising the spring contacts formed on one or more electrical traces in a unitary metallurgical structure by laminating the spring contacts onto the electrical traces.  
   
   
       4 . The FFC of  claim 1  further comprising one or more exposed electrical traces as the electrical contacts.  
   
   
       5 . The FFC of  claim 1  further comprising spring contacts that are hinged flanges.  
   
   
       6 . The FFC of  claim 1  further comprising spring contacts that are helical.  
   
   
       7 . The FFC of  claim 1  further comprising spring contacts that are spirals.  
   
   
       8 . The FFC of  claim 1  in which the spring contacts are deformable.  
   
   
       9 . The FFC of  claim 1  further comprising spring contacts attached to the electrical traces at one or more intervals between the ends of the FFC.  
   
   
       10 . The steps of making a FFC having spring contacts on an end comprising: 
 exposing electrical traces in a FFC;    bonding a sheet of conductive material to the exposed electrical traces;    masking the sheet of conductive material to define shapes of contacts; and    etching the conductive material to singulate the shaped contacts.    
   
   
       11 . The FFC of  claim 10  further comprising the step of metallurgically bonding the singulated contacts to the electrical traces.