Pop-Up Laminate Structures with Integrated Electronics

Abstract

A multi-layer, super-planar laminate structure can be formed from distinctly patterned layers. The layers in the structure can include at least one rigid layer and at least one flexible layer; the rigid layer includes a plurality of rigid segments, and the flexible layer can extend between the rigid segments to serve as a joint. The layers are then stacked and bonded at selected locations to form a laminate structure with inter-layer bonds, and the laminate structure is flexed at the flexible layer between rigid segments to produce an expanded three-dimensional structure, wherein the layers are joined at the selected bonding locations and separated at other locations. A layer with electrical wiring can be included in the structure for delivering electric current to devices on or in the laminate structure.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A pop-up laminate device with integrated electronics, comprising:
 at least one segmented rigid layer with gaps between segments of the rigid layer;   at least one flexible layer laminated to the rigid layer and extending across the gaps that separate the segments of the rigid layer to form hinges, wherein the flexible layer is less rigid than the rigid layer; and   a plurality of layers of electrically conductive wiring extending across or through the rigid segments, wherein at least one of the layers of electrically conductive wiring extends from rigid segments to form at least one of the following: (a) a bridge across the hinges and (b) a via structure separating layers in the pop-up laminate.   
     
     
         2 . A laminate device for manipulating or altering structures, the device comprising:
 a laminate stack comprising two sub-modules, each comprising at least one rigid substrate laminated to a less-rigid flexible layer, wherein each sub-module includes a body and a jaw extending from the body, and wherein the sub-modules are joined at the body and biased so that the jaws are in contact (closed) or spread apart (open); and   an actuation device incorporated into or coupled with the jaws and configured to overcome the bias and open or close the jaws when actuated.   
     
     
         3 . A laminate precursor for a three-dimensional structure, comprising an aligned stack of layers including:
 a plurality of rigid layers, wherein the rigid layers include cuts extending therethrough to form a plurality of rigid segments separated by the cuts; and   a plurality of flexible layers that are substantially less rigid than the rigid segments, wherein each flexible layer is bonded to at least one of the rigid layers such that the flexible layer is exposed at the cuts in the rigid layer to form joints for folding,   wherein at least some of the layers are bonded to adjacent layers only at selected locations forming islands of inter-layer bonds to allow expansion of the laminate into an expanded three-dimensional structure when the laminate is folded at the joints.