Rigid circuit board with flexibly attached module

Abstract

An electrical interconnection system comprises a bifurcated, multilayer flex circuit having electrode pads on the inner surfaces of the bifurcation. Electronic components are mounted on one or both sides of the flex circuit by conventional means. When the bifurcation is spread apart, the electrode pads are alignable with respective contacts on a printed circuit board. After bonding the pads to the contacts by soldering, conductive adhesive, or other means, a secure electrical connection is maintained while still allowing the flex circuit to bend somewhat from side to side, creating additional design options not available with rigidly mounted components and modules.

We claim: 
     
         1 . An electrical circuit comprising:
 a rigid printed circuit board having a plurality of electrical contacts on at least one surface thereof;   a multilayer flexible circuit board having a plurality of electrical components on at least one surface thereof, and further having a bifurcated area along one edge thereof;   electrode pads functionally connected to said electrical components and positioned on selected surfaces of said bifurcated area of said flexible circuit board and alignable respectively with said electrical contacts on said rigid circuit board when the two legs of said bifurcated area are spread apart by about 180°; and,   electrical connections between said electrode pads on said flexible circuit board and said respective electrical contacts on said rigid printed circuit board sufficient to maintain electrical continuity between said rigid printed circuit board and said flexible circuit board.   
     
     
         2 . The electrical circuit of  claim 1  wherein said electronic components are selected from the group consisting of: logic devices; memory devices; buffer circuits; timing circuits; analog, digital and mixed-mode circuits; optoelectronic devices; RF devices; resistors; capacitors; inductors; and antennas. 
     
     
         3 . The electrical circuit of  claim 1  wherein said bifurcated area is spread apart by about 180° with each of said two legs of said bifurcation respectively forming a selected angle with the plane of the non-bifurcated portion of said flex circuit so that said flex circuit may be mounted at a selected angle to said motherboard. 
     
     
         4 . The electrical circuit of  claim 1  wherein said motherboard is part of a computing device and said multilayer flex circuit comprises a memory module. 
     
     
         5 . The electrical circuit of  claim 4  wherein said computing device is selected from the group consisting of: desktop computers; mobile computers; tablet computers; smart phones; and servers. 
     
     
         6 . The electrical circuit of  claim 1  wherein each of said electrode pads further contains a pierced area to enhance mechanical engagement with its respective contact on said motherboard. 
     
     
         7 . The electrical circuit of  claim 6  wherein said pierced area comprises one or more features selected from the group consisting of: apertures and slits. 
     
     
         8 . An electrical circuit comprising:
 a rigid printed circuit board;   a multilayer flexible circuit board having a plurality of electrical components on at least one surface thereof, and further having a bifurcated area along one edge thereof;   electrode pads functionally connected to said electrical components and positioned on selected surfaces of said bifurcated area of said flexible circuit board and aligned respectively with electrical contacts on a mechanical clamping device, said clamping device securing said bifurcated area to said rigid printed circuit board when the two legs of said bifurcated area are spread apart by about 180°; and,   electrical connections between said contacts on said mechanical clamping device and respective lines on said rigid printed circuit board so that said rigid printed circuit board is functionally connected to said flexible circuit board.   
     
     
         9 . The electrical circuit of  claim 8  wherein said electronic components are selected from the group consisting of: logic devices; memory devices; buffer circuits; timing circuits; analog, digital and mixed-mode circuits; optoelectronic devices; RF devices; resistors; capacitors; inductors; and antennas. 
     
     
         10 . The electrical circuit of  claim 8  wherein said bifurcated area is spread apart by about 180° with each of said two legs of said bifurcation respectively forming a selected angle with the plane of the non-bifurcated portion of said flex circuit so that said flex circuit may be mounted at a selected angle to said motherboard. 
     
     
         11 . The electrical circuit of  claim 8  wherein said motherboard is part of a computing device and said multilayer flex circuit comprises a memory module. 
     
     
         12 . The electrical circuit of  claim 11  wherein said computing device is selected from the group consisting of: desktop computers; mobile computers; tablet computers; smart phones; and servers. 
     
     
         13 . The electrical circuit of  claim 8  wherein each of said electrode pads further contains a pierced area to enhance mechanical engagement with its respective contact on said motherboard. 
     
     
         14 . The electrical circuit of  claim 13  wherein said pierced area comprises one or more features selected from the group consisting of: apertures and slits. 
     
     
         15 . An electrical circuit comprising:
 a first rigid printed circuit board having a plurality of electrical contacts on at least one surface thereof;   a second rigid printed circuit board having a plurality of electrical components on at least one surface thereof, and further having two flexible circuits along one edge thereof;   electrode pads on said flexible circuits functionally connected to said electrical components on said second circuit board and positioned on selected surfaces of said flexible circuits and alignable respectively with said electrical contacts on said first rigid circuit board when said two flexible circuits area are spread apart by about 180°; and,   electrical connections between said electrode pads on said flexible circuits and said respective electrical contacts on said first rigid printed circuit board sufficient to maintain electrical continuity between said first rigid printed circuit board and said second rigid printed circuit board.   
     
     
         16 . The electrical circuit of  claim 15  wherein said electronic components are selected from the group consisting of: logic devices; memory devices; buffer circuits; timing circuits; analog, digital and mixed-mode circuits; optoelectronic devices; RF devices; resistors; capacitors; inductors; and antennas. 
     
     
         17 . The electrical circuit of  claim 15  wherein said two flexible circuits are spread apart by about 180° with each of said two flexible circuits respectively forming a selected angle with the plane of said second rigid circuit board so that said second rigid circuit board may be mounted at a selected angle to said first rigid circuit board. 
     
     
         18 . The electrical circuit of  claim 15  wherein said first rigid circuit board is part of a computing device and said second circuit board comprises a memory module. 
     
     
         19 . The electrical circuit of  claim 18  wherein said computing device is selected from the group consisting of: desktop computers; mobile computers; tablet computers; smart phones; and servers. 
     
     
         20 . The electrical circuit of  claim 15  wherein each of said electrode pads further contains a pierced area to enhance mechanical engagement with its respective contact on said motherboard. 
     
     
         21 . The electrical circuit of  claim 20  wherein said pierced area comprises one or more features selected from the group consisting of: apertures and slits. 
     
     
         22 . An electrical circuit comprising:
 a first rigid printed circuit board;   a second rigid printed circuit board having a plurality of electrical components on at least one surface thereof, and further having two flexible circuits along one edge thereof;   electrode pads on said two flexible circuits functionally connected to said electrical components on said second circuit board, said electrode pads positioned on selected surfaces of said flexible circuits and aligned respectively with electrical contacts on a mechanical clamping device, said clamping device securing said flexible circuits to said first rigid printed circuit board when said two flexible circuits are spread apart by about 180°; and,   electrical connections between said contacts on said mechanical clamping device and respective lines on said first rigid printed circuit board so that said first rigid printed circuit board is functionally connected to said second rigid printed circuit board.   
     
     
         23 . The electrical circuit of  claim 22  wherein said electronic components are selected from the group consisting of: logic devices; memory devices; buffer circuits; timing circuits; analog, digital and mixed-mode circuits; optoelectronic devices; RF devices; resistors; capacitors; inductors; and antennas. 
     
     
         24 . The electrical circuit of  claim 22  wherein said two flexible circuits are spread apart by about 180° with each of said two flexible circuits respectively forming a selected angle with the plane of said second rigid circuit board so that said second rigid circuit board may be mounted at a selected angle to said first rigid circuit board. 
     
     
         25 . The electrical circuit of  claim 22  wherein said motherboard is part of a computing device and said multilayer flex circuit comprises a memory module. 
     
     
         26 . The electrical circuit of  claim 25  wherein said computing device is selected from the group consisting of: desktop computers; mobile computers; tablet computers; smart phones; and servers. 
     
     
         27 . The electrical circuit of  claim 22  wherein each of said electrode pads further contains a pierced area to enhance mechanical engagement with its respective contact on said motherboard. 
     
     
         28 . The electrical circuit of  claim 27  wherein said pierced area comprises one or more features selected from the group consisting of: apertures and slits.