The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 05, 1991
Filed:
Nov. 21, 1988
Gerold Firl, Poway, CA (US);
Stuart D Asakawa, San Diego, CA (US);
Hewlett-Packard Company, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Abstract
A flexible interconnect circuit having at least two connected components within its periphery is formed with electrically conductive traces on a nonconductive plastic support. The components are interconnected to each other, and to external locations, with the interconnect circuit. As part of the manufacturing process, the conductive traces are typically electroplated with gold. The traces must be contacted as electrodes during electrodeposition, and the contacting is done using bus connectors along the periphery of the support. Isolated traces, not contacting the periphery and typically extending only between the components within the periphery, are contacted by providing removable bus connectors on the nonconductive support. When plating is complete, the removable bus connectors are removed, preferably by die cutting away those portions of the support having the unneeded bus connectors.