Multek Technologies Limited

Flex Ltd.

Invoy Holdings Inc.

Joan K Vrtis

Mark A Bergman

Michael James Glickman

Shurui Shang

Todd C Robinson

James A McIntyre

Paul E Cranley

Roberta Druyor-Sanchez

David Luttrull

J H Berkel

Shane Bravard

Hollese Galyon

A metal pallet is integrated within a circuit board using a process similar to a multilayer PCB, which integrates the metal pallet into the circuit board at the same time as the supporting layers are fabricated. The use of B-stage material provides a bonding mechanism for the metal pallet to be embedded within the circuit board, creating a cohesive integrated part. Embedding the pallet during the fabrication process, pre-lamination, generates a more robust construction and connection not impacted by post fabrication process in assembly. After assembly the circuit board with embedded metal pallet can be mounted directly on a heat sink, cool ribbon or other feature required to help remove heat. The planar back side surface provides a more robust mounting of the metal pallet than a post fabricated assembly as used in conventional techniques.

Circuit board with embedded metal pallet and a method of fabricating the circuit board

Some embodiments of the invention provide a mouthpiece for use with an electronic analyzer for breath analyte detection in an individual. The mouthpiece includes a biosensor and a hydration system. The biosensor includes a chemically active area where a chemical reaction takes place and the hydration system delivers a liquid to the chemically active area of the biosensor to at least one of enhance, enable, and facilitate the chemical reaction. The mouthpiece further includes hardware to transmit breath analyte data.

Breath delivery system and method

A mechanical strain reduction system include a flexible circuit section of a printed circuit board configured with a meandering shape while in a static state, and a compressible material having a cavity such that the meandering flexible circuit section is positioned within the cavity while the flexible circuit section is in the static state. The flexible circuit section can be part of a rigid-flexible printed circuit board or a flexible printed circuit board. The cavity can be shaped with the same meandering shape as the flexible circuit section in the static state. In general, the cavity is sufficiently shaped to allow positioning of the meandering flexible circuit section within the cavity. Support structures of the same, or different, compressible material can be interspersed within the meander of the flexible circuit section.

Mechanical strain reduction on flexible and rigid-flexible circuits

The luggage lighting system includes a piece of luggage and a lighting module coupled to the luggage. In some embodiments, the lighting module is a fiber-optic lighting module. The luggage includes an outer surface, and the lighting module includes a light diffuser coupled to the outer surface. In some embodiments, the light diffuser is a fiber-optic light diffuser. The lighting module also includes a light source, such as a laser or a light emitting diode (LED). When the light source is powered on, the output light is directed through the light diffuser. The light diffuser is configured to output single or multiple colors of light, easily observed by someone looking at the luggage. The luggage lighting system is particularly useful for identifying one's luggage from surrounding pieces of luggage lacking the luggage lighting system.

Diffuse fiber optic lighting for luggage

A rip stop material is attached at a stress area of a flexible circuit board in order to strengthen the flexible circuit board and minimize ripping and cracking in the polyimide and/or the copper conductors of the circuit. A rip stop transition layer is formed and deposited at a location on the flexible circuit in order to minimize, reduce, if not preventing cracking and ripping of the circuit as it is bent and flexed. The rip stop transition layer can be placed at different locations on and within the flexible circuit in order to minimize cracking and ripping as the flexible circuit is bent, flexed and twisted.

Rip stop on flex and rigid flex circuits

A hybrid PCB system has a hybrid redistribution layer that redistributes a large pad-to-pad pitch to a smaller, finer pad-to-pad pitch and applies hybrid materials to balance the thermal-mechanical stress. The hybrid PCB system combines wafer level packaging, IC substrate and high density PCB technologies within a single hybrid PCB. The hybrid PCB system addresses the opportunity for interconnect reliability, design and assembly of a electronic components with pad pitches less than 400 microns directly to a PCB without need of an IC substrate or interposer.

PCB hybrid redistribution layer

A process of constructing a filled via of a printed circuit board comprises drilling a via hole through a body of the printed circuit board, desmearing a barrel of the via hole, metallizing a outer surface of the via barrel, electroplating the via barrel, pushing nano-copper solder into the via hole and heating the circuit board in order to melt the nano-copper solder within the via hole. The nano-copper solder improves the thermal conductivity of the printed circuit board for applications when heat needs to be conducted from one side of the printed circuit board to another.

Nano-copper via fill for enhanced thermal conductivity of plated through-hole via

In order to limit the stress and strain applied to a printed circuit board while still maintaining flexibility, a flexible section of the printed circuit board is configured to have a non-linear portion that functions as a hinge when the flexible section is bent, flexed, twisted or otherwise subjected to a motion related force. The hinge configuration improves durability and flexibility while minimizing ripping and cracking of the printed circuit board, particularly interconnects within the flexible section and a transition region between the flexible section and a rigid section of the printed circuit board. The hinge is configured to have a non-linear shape, such as a serpentine or circuitous path that can include curved portions, different linear portions or some combination of curved and linear portions.

Flexible printed circuit board hinge

A flexible circuit board includes a center 'rigid' section, such as a printed circuit stack, and an adjoining flexible multi-layer body that are fabricated from a common interconnect layer. A transition material is included at the interface between the center rigid section and the flexible multi-layer body to minimize ripping and cracking of the interconnect layer. The transition material can also be added at stress areas not related to the interface. The transition material is attached at the interface and stress areas of the flexible circuit board in order to strengthen the flexible circuit board in general and in particular the transition material included therein. The transition material layer is formed and deposited at one or more locations on or within the flexible circuit board in order to minimize, reduce, if not prevent cracking and ripping of the flexible circuit board as it is bent, flexed and/or twisted.

Flexible circuit board and method of fabricating

A circuit board comprises one or more rigid sections, one or more flexible sections, and one or more transition areas where the circuit board transitions from the rigid section to the flexible section. One or more mechanically restrictive components are applied at a transition area to prevent failure and/or breakage of the circuit as it is bent and flexed. The mechanically restrictive components can be dispersed throughout the circuit as a coverlay, an underlay, and symmetrically positioned within the circuit board as an overlay and an underlay.

Rigid to flexible PC transition

An embedded component is formed in a PCB stack by applying an adhesive layer across an entire surface of a copper layer and selectively positioning the component on a portion of the adhesive layer. A B stage pre-preg layer having a component cut-out is added onto the adhesive layer such that the component adhered to the adhesive layer fits within the component cut-out of the B stage pre-preg layer. Another copper layer is added onto the B stage pre-preg layer and the PCB stack is laminated. Since B stage pre-preg is not fully cured, a gap between the component and a side wall of the component cut-out is filled by flow of the surrounding B stage pre-preg during the lamination step. One or more additional pre-preg and copper layers are added to the PCB stack with corresponding interconnects formed and coupled to the contact pads on the component.

Embedded components in a substrate

Mechanical measures strengthen a flexible circuit board or deformable electronic by manipulating the location and/or intensity of the stress concentration or to limit bending, torsion, and stretching. A material layer is patterned onto the flexible circuit board with a specific pattern and place of deposition in order to modify the stress concentration and profile of the circuit board and increase its overall strength. The material layer may be configured to modify the stress concentrations during bending away from the weak points in the assembly or to spread the stress during bending by increasing the radius of the bend curvature and therefore decreasing the chance of mechanical failure.

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Mesa, AZ, United States of America

Joan K Vrtis