阅读说明：本技术 可移除电连接器和设备 (Removable electrical connector and apparatus ) 是由 凯拉·C·尼坤 安基特·马哈詹 米哈伊尔·L·佩库罗夫斯基 尼古拉斯·T·加布里埃尔 罗杰· 于 2020-05-01 设计创作，主要内容包括：提供柔性电连接器以电连接电子设备。柔性电连接器包括具有其粘合表面的可移除粘合胶带条和设置在粘合胶带条上的导电迹线。柔性电连接器接合电子设备以形成电触点,其中粘合胶带条具有可移除地粘结到电子设备的基板的粘合表面以至少部分地覆盖电触点。(A flexible electrical connector is provided for electrically connecting an electronic device. The flexible electrical connector includes a removable adhesive tape strip having an adhesive surface thereof and conductive traces disposed on the adhesive tape strip. The flexible electrical connector engages the electronic device to form the electrical contacts, wherein the adhesive tape strip has an adhesive surface removably adhered to a substrate of the electronic device to at least partially cover the electrical contacts.)

1. A method of removably connecting electronic devices, the method comprising:

providing a first electronic device comprising a first conductive trace disposed at least partially on an adhesive tape strip thereof, the first conductive trace having a first exposed contact surface;

providing a second electronic device comprising a receiving conductive trace disposed on a substrate thereof, the receiving conductive trace having a receiving contact surface; and

engaging the first and second electronic devices such that the first exposed contact surface of the first conductive trace and the receiving contact surface of the receiving conductive trace at least partially contact one another to form an electrical contact, and the adhesive tape strip having an adhesive surface that is removably adhered to the substrate of the second electronic device to at least partially cover the electrical contact.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: disengaging the first electronic device and the second electronic device by removing the adhesive tape strip from the second electronic device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein removing the adhesive tape strip from the second electronic device comprises stretch peeling the adhesive tape strip via a shear mechanism.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the stretch releasing of the adhesive tape strip has a stretch angle of no greater than about 35 ° from the substrate of the second electronic device.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the second electronic device remains substantially intact after disengaging the first and second electronic devices.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first electronic device is a disposable electronic device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second electronic device is a non-disposable electronic device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the adhesive tape strip is a stretch releasing tape comprising a pressure sensitive adhesive.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the stretch releasing adhesive tape comprises a flexible backing layer having the pressure sensitive adhesive on the adhesive surface thereof.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising: a non-adhesive pull tab is provided at one end of the adhesive tape strip.

11. A flexible electrical connector, comprising:

a removable adhesive tape strip having an adhesive surface thereof; and

one or more conductive traces disposed on the adhesive tape strip,

wherein the adhesive tape strip extends between a first end and a second end thereof, the adhesive surface has an exposed portion adjacent the first end, and the conductive trace has an exposed contact surface adjacent the first end, the exposed contact surface being configured to contact another exposed contact surface to form an electrical contact.

12. The flexible electrical connector of claim 11, wherein the strip of removable adhesive tape is stretch releasing adhesive tape.

13. The flexible electrical connector of claim 12, wherein the stretch releasable adhesive tape comprises a flexible backing layer having a pressure sensitive adhesive on a major surface thereof.

14. The flexible electrical connector of claim 11, wherein the adhesive tape strip further comprises a non-adhesive pull tab at the first end thereof.

15. The flexible electrical connector of claim 11, further comprising a substrate, wherein the adhesive tape strip has the second end attached to the substrate.

16. The flexible electrical connector of claim 11, further comprising an adhesive tape structure comprising one or more second conductive traces electrically connected to the conductive traces of the adhesive tape strip.

17. An electronic device assembly, the electronic device assembly comprising:

the removable electrical connector of claim 11; and

a first electronic device including a receiving conductive trace disposed on a substrate thereof, the receiving conductive trace having a receiving contact surface,

wherein the exposed contact surface of the electrical connector and the receiving contact surface of the conductive trace are at least partially in contact with each other to form an electrical contact, and the exposed portion of the adhesive surface is removably adhered to the substrate of the electronic device to at least partially cover the electrical contact.

18. The electronic device assembly of claim 17, further comprising a second electronic device electrically connected to the second end of the removable electrical connector such that the first electronic device and the second electronic device are electrically connected.

Background

Electrical connectors are widely used to engage electrical terminals or contacts and form electrical devices. For example, an Integrated Circuit (IC) socket or electrical connection may be formed by mechanical or friction based contacts such as springs or clips. Zero Insertion Force (ZIF) is an Integrated Circuit (IC) socket or electrical connector that requires little force to insert. Commercially available electrical connectors typically form a robust, hard and rigid connection.

Disclosure of Invention

It is desirable to removably connect a flexible/rigid circuit to another flexible/rigid circuit. Removable electrical connectors and devices and methods of making and using the same are provided. Briefly, in one aspect, a method of removably connecting electronic devices is provided. The method includes providing a first electronic device including a first conductive trace disposed at least partially on a strip of adhesive tape, the first conductive trace having a first exposed contact surface; providing a second electronic device comprising a second conductive trace disposed on a substrate thereof, the second conductive trace having a receiving contact surface; and joining the first electronic device and the second electronic device such that the first exposed contact surface of the first conductive trace and the receiving contact surface of the second conductive trace at least partially contact each other to form an electrical contact, and the adhesive tape strip has an adhesive surface that is removably adhered to the substrate of the second electronic device to at least partially cover the electrical contact.

In another aspect, a flexible electrical connector is provided. The flexible electrical connector includes a strip of removable adhesive tape including a flexible backing layer and an adhesive surface on the flexible backing layer; and one or more conductive traces disposed on the adhesive tape strip. The adhesive tape strip extends between a first end and a second end thereof, the adhesive surface has an exposed portion adjacent the first end, and the conductive trace has an exposed electrical contact surface adjacent the first end.

In another aspect, an electronic device assembly is provided. The assembly includes a flexible electrical connector. The flexible electrical connector includes a strip of removable adhesive tape including a flexible backing layer and an adhesive surface on the flexible backing layer; and one or more conductive traces disposed on the adhesive tape strip. The adhesive tape extends between a first end and a second end thereof, the adhesive surface has an exposed portion adjacent the first end, and the conductive trace has an exposed electrical contact surface adjacent the first end. The assembly also includes a first electronic device including a receiving conductive trace disposed on a substrate thereof, the receiving conductive trace having a receiving contact surface. The exposed contact surfaces of the electrical connector and the receiving contact surfaces of the conductive traces are at least partially in contact with each other to form electrical contacts, and the exposed portions of the adhesive surfaces are removably adhered to a substrate of the electronic device to at least partially cover the electrical contacts.

Various unexpected results and advantages are achieved in exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. One such advantage of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is that the flexible electrical connector described herein may be removably adhered to a substrate surface of another electronic device to cover, retain, and protect electrical contacts formed between the connector and the electronic device. In some embodiments, the connector may be stretch peeled away from the substrate surface, thereby leaving the electronic device intact after removal. The connector may also be used to removably connect a plurality of electronic devices.

Various aspects and advantages of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure have been summarized. The above summary is not intended to describe each illustrated embodiment or every implementation of the present disclosure. The following drawings and detailed description more particularly exemplify certain preferred embodiments using the principles disclosed herein.

Drawings

The disclosure may be more completely understood in consideration of the following detailed description of various embodiments of the disclosure in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

fig. 1A is a top view of a flexible electrical connector according to one embodiment.

FIG. 1B is a side view of the flexible electrical connector of FIG. 1A;

fig. 1C is a cross-sectional view of the flexible electrical connector of fig. 1B.

Fig. 2A is a top view of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

Fig. 2B is a side view of the electronic device of fig. 2A.

Fig. 2C is a cross-sectional view of the electronic device of fig. 2B.

Fig. 3A is a top view of an electronic assembly in which the flexible electrical connector of fig. 1A is removably connected to the electronic device of fig. 2A, according to one embodiment.

Fig. 3B is a side view of the electronic assembly of fig. 3A.

Fig. 3C is a cross-sectional view of the electronic assembly of fig. 3B.

Fig. 4A is a top view of the electronic assembly of fig. 3A with the flexible electrical connector and the electronic device disengaged, according to one embodiment.

Fig. 4B is a side view of the electronic assembly of fig. 4A.

Fig. 4C is a cross-sectional view of the electronic assembly of fig. 4B.

In the drawings, like numbering represents like elements. While the above-identified drawing figures, which may not be drawn to scale, illustrate various embodiments of the disclosure, other embodiments are also contemplated, as noted in the detailed description. In all cases, this disclosure describes the presently disclosed disclosure by way of representation of exemplary embodiments and not by express limitations. It should be understood that numerous other modifications and embodiments can be devised by those skilled in the art that will fall within the scope and spirit of the principles of this disclosure.

Detailed Description

For the glossary of defined terms below, these definitions shall prevail throughout the application, unless a different definition is provided in the claims or elsewhere in the specification.

Glossary

Certain terms are used throughout the description and claims, and although mostly known, some explanation may be required. It should be understood that:

the term "stretch releasable" refers to the property of an extensible adhesive, tape, film, or other suitable structure. The stretch releasable structure has an adhesive surface configured to form a bond with the substrate and then release from the substrate via a shearing mechanism when stretched. Generally, the stretch releasable structures are cleanly removable from one or more substrates with little or no visible residue remaining on the substrate and without causing visible damage to the substrate.

The term "flexible" refers to a property, and materials having such a property typically lack rigidity or rigidity under ambient conditions or are capable of being formed into rolls. In some embodiments, the term "flexible" refers to being able to bend around a core having a radius of curvature of up to 7.6 centimeters (cm) (3 inches), in some embodiments up to 6.4cm (2.5 inches), 5cm (2 inches), 3.8cm (1.5 inches), or 2.5cm (1 inch). In some embodiments, the flexible component may be bent around a radius of curvature of at least 0.635 cm (1/4 inches), 1.3 cm (1/2 inches), or 1.9 cm (3/4 inches).

The term "rigid" refers to a property, and a material having such a property tends to retain a given shape at ambient temperature without excessive heat or external forces exerted on the material. The rigid material may not be completely inflexible. Some rigid materials may bend or otherwise deform when heated, processed, or the like. It should be understood that in some cases, the difference between the rigid material and the flexible material may be provided by using different materials, different structures, or by varying the thickness of the same or similar materials (e.g., increasing the thickness of the material may provide rigidity).

The term "disposable" refers to an electrical connector, an electronic device, or a component or combination thereof that is not intended to be reused, reconstituted or reused after a single use.

The term "non-disposable" refers to an electrical connector, an electronic device, or a component or combination thereof that is intended to be reused, reconstituted or reused after a single or multiple uses.

The term "metal" refers to an opaque, fusible, ductile and generally glossy substance that is a good conductor of electricity and heat, forms cations through electron loss, and produces basic oxides and hydroxides.

As used herein, the term "plastic" refers to any of the rigid organic materials that are typically high molecular weight thermoplastic or thermoset polymers and can be made into an object (e.g., layer or core).

The term "polymer" or "polymers" includes homopolymers and copolymers, as well as homopolymers or copolymers that may be formed in a miscible blend, for example, by coextrusion or by reaction including, for example, transesterification. The term "copolymer" includes random copolymers, block copolymers, and star (e.g., dendritic) copolymers.

As used in this specification and the appended embodiments, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" include plural referents unless the content clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to a layer containing "a metal" includes mixtures of two or more metals. As used in this specification and the appended embodiments, the term "or" is generally employed in its sense including "and/or" unless the content clearly dictates otherwise. As used in this specification, the recitation of numerical ranges by endpoints includes all numbers subsumed within that range (e.g. 1 to 5 includes 1, 1.5, 2, 2.75, 3, 3.8, 4, and 5).

Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing quantities or ingredients, measurement of properties, and so forth used in the specification and embodiments are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term "about". Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in the foregoing specification and attached list of embodiments can vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by those skilled in the art utilizing the teachings of the present disclosure. At the very least, and not as an attempt to limit the application of the doctrine of equivalents to the scope of the claimed embodiments, each numerical parameter should at least be construed in light of the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques.

Various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described with particular reference to the accompanying drawings. Various modifications and alterations may be made to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the embodiments of the present disclosure are not to be limited to the exemplary embodiments described below, but are to be controlled by the limitations set forth in the claims and any equivalents thereof.

Fig. 1 is a top view of a flexible electrical connector 10 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 1B-1C are side and cross-sectional views, respectively, of the flexible electrical connector 10. The flexible electrical connector 10 includes an adhesive tape strip 12, the adhesive tape strip 12 having a flexible backing layer 122 and an adhesive surface 124 on the flexible backing layer 122. In the embodiment shown in fig. 1A-1C, adhesive tape strip 12 has one end 121 attached to side 161 of substrate 16 of flexible electrical connector 10. A non-adhesive pull tab 126 is provided at the end of adhesive tape strip 12 opposite end 121. It should be understood that the adhesive tape strip 12 may have any suitable configuration, shape or size for the desired application.

The flexible electrical connector 10 also includes one or more conductive traces 14. In the embodiment shown in fig. 1A-1C, conductive trace 14 has a first portion 142 disposed on adhesive tape strip 12 and a second portion 144 embedded in substrate 16. The first portion 142 of the conductive trace 14 has an exposed contact surface 143, the exposed contact surface 143 being configured to contact another exposed contact surface to form an electrical contact. The thicknesses of the various layers of the figure are not drawn to scale relative to each other. It should be understood that a liner (not shown) may be provided to cover and protect the exposed surface of the adhesive surface 124 and/or the exposed contact surface 143 prior to use.

The conductive traces 14 may comprise any suitable conductive material, such as a metal (e.g., copper, silver), metal alloy, or the like. The conductive traces 14 can be disposed on the flexible electrical connector 10 by any suitable process (e.g., printing, laminating, depositing, evaporating, etc.). In the embodiment shown in fig. 1A-1C, portion 142 of conductive trace 14 is bonded to adhesive surface 124. In some embodiments, the conductive traces 14 may be bonded to an adhesive surface of a flexible backing, and a portion of the traces may be covered by a protective layer such as, for example, a liner.

Substrate 16 may be any flexible circuit. In some embodiments, the substrate 16 may include a thin insulating polymer film onto which the conductive circuit pattern may be attached. A thin polymer coating may be provided to protect the conductive circuit pattern. In some embodiments, adhesive tape strip 12 and substrate 16 may form a unitary adhesive tape structure, and the conductive traces on substrate 16 may be covered by a liner. It should be understood that the integral adhesive tape structure may include a plurality of adhesive tape strips 12 configured to be removably attached to a plurality of electronic devices, respectively.

In some embodiments, the substrate 16 of the flexible electrical connector 10 may support a flexible circuit thereon that is electrically connected to the conductive traces 14. In some embodiments, one or more second adhesive tape strips may be provided to attach to side 163 or other side different from or the same as side 161 of substrate 16. One or more second adhesive tape strips may have a similar configuration as adhesive tape strip 12 with corresponding conductive traces formed thereon. The conductive traces of the individual adhesive tape strips may be electrically connected as desired, such that the flexible electrical connector 10 may be employed to electrically connect a plurality of electronic devices via the respective adhesive tape strips of the flexible electrical connector 10.

In some embodiments, the flexible electrical connector 10 can be made of one or more adhesive tape structures having one or more exposed adhesive surfaces (e.g., adhesive surface 124), wherein one or more exposed contact surfaces (e.g., contact surface 143) are provided to contact another exposed contact surface to form a respective electrical contact. The adhesive tape structure may be formed in various configurations to electrically connect a plurality of electronic devices.

The flexible electrical connector 10 can be used to electrically connect various electronic devices. Fig. 2A is a top view of an exemplary electronic device 20, according to one embodiment. Fig. 2B to 2C are a side view and a sectional view of the electronic apparatus 10, respectively. The electronic device 20 may be a rigid or flexible circuit that includes a substrate 22 and one or more conductive traces 24 disposed on the substrate 22. In the embodiment shown in fig. 2A-2C, the conductive trace 24 has a first portion 242 disposed on the substrate surface 221 and a second portion 244 embedded in the substrate body 222. The first portion 242 of the conductive trace 24 has a contact face 243, the contact face 243 being configured to contact the contact surface 143 of the electrical connector 10 to form an electrical contact. It should be understood that electronic device 20 may be any suitable rigid or flexible circuit having one or more conductive traces or electrical contact pads disposed on a surface of its substrate. The traces or pads may be electrically connected to one or more circuit components of the circuit. The circuit may be, for example, a single or multi-layer board with IC components, resistor and capacitor chips, battery components, and the like.

Fig. 3A is a top view of an electronic assembly 100 in which the flexible electrical connector 10 of fig. 1A-1C is removably connected to the electronic device 20 of fig. 2A-2C, according to one embodiment. Fig. 3B to 3C are a side view and a cross-sectional view of the electronic component 100, respectively. The flexible electrical connector 10 and the electronic device 20 are engaged such that the exposed contact surfaces 143 of the conductive traces 14 of the flexible electrical connector 10 and the exposed contact surfaces 243 of the conductive traces 24 of the electronic device 20 form the electrical contacts 11. As shown in fig. 3C, adhesive surface 124 of adhesive tape strip 12 is removably adhered to substrate surface 221 of electronic device 20 to at least partially cover electrical contacts 11. Suitable pressure may be applied to press the adhesive tape strip 12 against the substrate surface 221 to form an adhesive bond. It should be appreciated that the respective traces 14 and 24 of the electrical connector 10 and the electronic device 20 may be aligned by any suitable process when pressure is applied.

When the flexible electrical connector 10 is removably connected to the electronic device 20, the adhesive surface 124 of the flexible electrical connector 10 adheres to the substrate surface 221 of the electronic device 20. In one aspect, the adhesive bond between the adhesive surface 124 and the substrate surface 221 may be strong enough to substantially maintain the mechanical and electrical properties of the electrical contact 11, for example, when bent. On the other hand, the adhesive surface 124 may include a surface that allows the adhesive tape strip 12 to be removed from the substrate surface 221 of the electronic device 20 while leaving little or no adhesive residue and no physical damage on the substrate surface 221 and the conductive traces 24 thereon. In other words, the electronic device 20 may remain substantially intact after the adhesive tape strip 12 is removed therefrom. It should be appreciated that the non-disposable electronic device may remain substantially intact, i.e., without any significant damage to its functional components, even after multiple bonding and debonding events between the flexible electrical connector and the non-disposable electronic device.

In some embodiments, the substrate 22 of the electronic device 20 may be made of, for example, a web of indefinite length material that is conveyed through a web path in a roll-to-roll process. The flexible substrate may include, for example, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene, polystyrene, polyurethane, and the like. The process of connecting the flexible electrical connector 10 to the electronic device 20 may be performed by applying pressure using one or more rollers or by any other suitable process. In some embodiments, substrate 22 or a portion of substrate 22 may be rigid, made of materials including, for example, bakelite, Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), cured epoxy systems, and the like.

In some embodiments, the electronic device 20 may be a non-disposable electronic device, such as, for example, a multi-component PCB board, a multi-component flexible board, or the like. The flexible electrical connector 10 may be a disposable electronic device that is removably connectable to one or more non-disposable electronic devices to provide an electrical connection therebetween.

The flexible adhesive tape strips 12 of the flexible electrical connector 10 may be produced by any conventional adhesive tape preparation method. In one embodiment, the adhesive surface 124 may be prepared by directly applying an adhesive to the flexible backing layer 122. In another embodiment, the adhesive surface 124 may be formed as a separate layer and then subsequently laminated to the flexible backing layer 122. In some embodiments, two or more sublayers may be coextruded to provide the flexible backing layer 122. The flexible backing layer may have an overall thickness in a range of, for example, about 0.5mm to about 50mm, or about 1.0mm to about 25 mm.

In some embodiments, adhesive tape strip 12 may be stretchable to enable removal. The adhesive surface 124 may include a pressure sensitive adhesive on one or both major surfaces thereof, and the flexible backing layer 122 may include a highly extensible material. In some embodiments, the adhesive tape strip 12 may comprise a solid adhesive material that provides one or two adhesive surfaces on its own and is sufficiently extensible.

In some embodiments, the adhesive tape strip 12 may be a stretch releasable adhesive strip, including any conventionally known stretch releasable adhesive, such as, (i) a pressure sensitive adhesive tape with an elastic backing, (ii) a pressure sensitive adhesive tape with a highly extensible and substantially inelastic backing, (iii) a solid elastic pressure sensitive adhesive that itself provides one or both adhesive surfaces and is sufficiently extensible, and the like.

Specific stretch releasable adhesive strips suitable for use in various embodiments of the present disclosure include Pressure Sensitive Adhesives (PSAs) with elastic backings such as described in U.S. patent No. 4,024.312(Korpman), U.S. patent No. 5,516,581(Kreckel et al) and U.S. patent No. 6,231,962(Bries et al) with highly extensible and substantially inelastic backings, and solid elastic pressure sensitive adhesives such as described in german patent No. 3331016, which are incorporated herein by reference.

Representative examples of materials suitable for the flexible backing layer 122 can include, for example, polyolefins such as polyethylene (including high density polyethylene, low density polyethylene, linear low density polyethylene, and linear ultra low density polyethylene), polypropylene, and polybutylene; ethylene copolymers such as polyvinyl chloride (both plasticized and unplasticized) and polyvinyl acetate; olefin copolymers such as ethylene/ethylene methacrylate copolymers, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymers, and ethylene/propylene copolymers; acrylic polymers and copolymers; a polyurethane; and combinations of the foregoing. Any plastic material or mixture or blend of plastic and elastomeric materials such as polypropylene/polyethylene, polyurethane/polyolefin, polyurethane/polycarbonate, polyurethane/polyester may also be used.

In some embodiments, the flexible backing layer 122 may comprise a syntactic foam having a flexible polymeric foam layer, a first film laminated to a first major surface of the foam layer, and/or a second film laminated to an opposing second major surface of the foam layer. The adhesive may be attached to the film to form a structure of one or both adhesive surfaces, such as adhesive-film-foam or adhesive-film-foam-film-adhesive. The flexible polymer foam layer may be selected to optimize conformability and resiliency characteristics, which may be helpful when adhering the adhesive tape strip 12 to a surface having surface irregularities, such as the substrate surface 221 having conductive traces 24 or other circuit elements thereon.

In some embodiments, the flexible polymer foam layer of the flexible backing layer 122 may comprise a polyolefin foam available under the trade names "Volextra" and "Volara" from Voltek, Division of Sekisui America Corporation, Lawrence, Mass.

The adhesive of the stretch releasable adhesive tapes described herein may comprise any pressure sensitive adhesive, with the specific adhesive properties depending on the use of the tape, the adhesive properties typically being in the range of, for example, about 4N/dm to about 200N/dm, or about 25N/dm to about 100N/dm, measured at a peel angle of 180 ℃ at a peel rate of 12.7cm/min according to PSTC-1 and PSTC-3 and ASTM D903-83. Adhesives with higher peel adhesion levels may generally require a backing with higher tensile strength.

The thickness of each adhesive layer can range, for example, from about 0.6 mil to about 40 mils (about 0.015 to about 1.0 mm) or from about 1 mil to about 16 mils (about 0.025 to about 0.41 mm). Within a suitable thickness range, a thicker adhesive layer may make the stretch releasable tape easier to remove than a thinner layer. This is in contrast to conventional removal methods, such as removal by peeling at a peel angle of 90 or greater, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,403,206(Bries et al), which is incorporated herein by reference.

The overall thickness of the flexible adhesive tape strip 12 may vary so long as (i) it has sufficient integrity to be processed, and (ii) it provides the desired performance in terms of adhesion characteristics with respect to adhesion to and removal from the mounting substrate surface of an electronic device (e.g., via stretch peeling).

Suitable stretch releasable adhesive strips include single or double sided stretch releasable adhesive strips available under the trade designation COMMAND from 3M Company of St.Paul, Minn, St.Su.. Currently, commercially available COMMAND adhesive strips are manufactured as discrete strips, with one end of the strip including a non-adhesive pull tab to facilitate stretching of the strip in a stretch removal process.

Fig. 4A is a top view of the electronic assembly 100 of fig. 3A with the flexible electrical connector 10 and the electronic device 20 disengaged, according to one embodiment. Fig. 4B to 4C are a side view and a cross-sectional view, respectively, of the electronic assembly 100 of fig. 4A. In the depicted embodiment, the adhesive tape strip 12 is capable of securely bonding to the substrate surface 221 of the electronic device 20 and thereafter capable of being removed from the substrate surface 221 after being stretched at a stretch angle 51 relative to the substrate surface 221. A non-adhesive pull tab 126 is provided at the end of the adhesive tape strip 12 to facilitate stretching of the adhesive tape strip 12 during the stretch removal process. It should be understood that one or more non-adhesive pull tabs may be provided at each end of adhesive tape strip 12 to facilitate stretching. For example, in some embodiments, a non-adhesive pull tab may be provided at end 121 of substrate 16 adjacent electrical connector 10.

In some embodiments, adhesive tape strip 12 may be a stretch releasable adhesive strip having an elongation at break in the machine direction of, for example, from about 50% to about 1200%. The stretch angle 51 from the substrate surface 221 can be, for example, no greater than about 35 °, no greater than about 20 °, or no greater than about 10 °, without the strip breaking and leaving a substantial adhesive residue on the substrate surface prior to removal of the tape from the substrate. Removal at a suitable angle may result in no significant or noticeable adhesive residue being left and prevent the substrate surface from being damaged.

Without being bound by theory, it is believed that in some embodiments described herein, the stretch removal process involves debonding of a highly elongated adhesive tape at a low stretch angle, as characterized by "sharp" type crack propagation. Such a stretch removal process may be different from a peel removal process in which the adhesive tape is removed from the substrate surface by peeling the adhesive tape at a peel angle of, for example, 35 ° or higher. The peel-off removal process may leave adhesive residue on or cause damage to the substrate surface. The differences between typical stretch removal and peel removal processes are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,403,206(Bries et al), which is incorporated herein by reference.

The operation of the present disclosure will be further described with reference to the following embodiments relating to removable electrical connectors and devices and methods of making and using the same. These embodiments are provided to further illustrate various specific and preferred embodiments and techniques. It should be understood, however, that many variations and modifications may be made while remaining within the scope of the present disclosure.

List of exemplary embodiments

It is to be understood that any of embodiments 1 to 10 and 11 to 18 may be combined.

Embodiment 1 is a method of removably connecting electronic devices, the method comprising:

providing a first electronic device comprising a first conductive trace disposed at least partially on an adhesive tape strip thereof, the first conductive trace having a first exposed contact surface;

providing a second electronic device comprising a receiving conductive trace disposed on a substrate thereof, the receiving conductive trace having a receiving contact surface; and

engaging the first and second electronic devices such that the first exposed contact surface of the first conductive trace and the receiving contact surface of the receiving conductive trace at least partially contact one another to form an electrical contact, and the adhesive tape strip has an adhesive surface that is removably adhered to a substrate of the second electronic device to at least partially cover the electrical contact.

Embodiment 2 is the method of embodiment 1, further comprising: disengaging the first and second electronic devices by removing the adhesive tape strip from the second electronic device.

Embodiment 3 is the method of embodiment 2, wherein removing the adhesive tape strip from the second electronic device comprises stretch peeling the adhesive tape strip via a shearing mechanism.

Embodiment 4 is the method of embodiment 3, wherein the stretch releasing of the adhesive tape strip has a stretch angle of no greater than about 35 ° from the substrate of the second electronic device.

Embodiment 5 is the method of any of embodiments 2-4, wherein the second electronic device remains substantially intact after disengaging the first and second electronic devices.

Embodiment 6 is the method of any one of embodiments 1-5, wherein the first electronic device is a disposable electronic device.

Embodiment 7 is the method of any one of embodiments 1-6, wherein the second electronic device is a non-disposable electronic device.

Embodiment 8 is the method of any one of embodiments 1-7, wherein the adhesive tape strip is a stretch releasing tape comprising a pressure sensitive adhesive.

Embodiment 9 is the method of embodiment 8, wherein the stretch releasing adhesive tape comprises a flexible backing layer having a pressure sensitive adhesive on an adhesive surface thereof.

Embodiment 10 is the method of any one of embodiments 1-9, further comprising: a non-adhesive pull tab is provided at one end of the adhesive tape strip.

Embodiment 11 is a flexible electrical connector comprising:

a removable adhesive tape strip having an adhesive surface thereof; and

one or more conductive traces disposed on the adhesive tape strip,

wherein the adhesive tape strip extends between a first end and a second end thereof, the adhesive surface has an exposed portion adjacent the first end, and the conductive trace has an exposed contact surface adjacent the first end, the exposed contact surface being configured to contact another exposed contact surface to form an electrical contact.

Embodiment 12 is the flexible electrical connector of embodiment 11, wherein the strip of removable adhesive tape is stretch releasing adhesive tape.

Embodiment 13 is the flexible electrical connector of embodiment 12, wherein the stretch releasing adhesive tape comprises a flexible backing layer having the pressure sensitive adhesive on a major surface thereof.

Embodiment 14 is the flexible electrical connector of any one of embodiments 11-13, wherein the adhesive tape strip further comprises a non-adhesive pull tab at the first end thereof.

Embodiment 15 is the flexible electrical connector of any one of embodiments 11-14, further comprising a substrate, wherein the adhesive tape strip has the second end attached to the substrate.

Embodiment 16 is the flexible electrical connector of any of embodiments 11-15, further comprising an adhesive tape structure including one or more second conductive traces electrically connected to the conductive traces of the adhesive tape strip.

Embodiment 17 is an electronic device assembly, comprising:

the removable electrical connector of any one of claims 11-16; and

a first electronic device including a receiving conductive trace disposed on a substrate thereof, the receiving conductive trace having a receiving contact surface,

wherein the exposed contact surface of the electrical connector and the receiving contact surface of the conductive trace are at least partially in contact with each other to form an electrical contact, and the exposed portion of the adhesive surface is removably adhered to the substrate of the electronic device to at least partially cover the electrical contact.

Embodiment 18 is the electronic device assembly of embodiment 17, further comprising a second electronic device electrically connected to the second end of the removable electrical connector such that the first electronic device and the second electronic device are electrically connected.

Reference throughout this specification to "a select embodiment," "certain embodiments," "some embodiments," or "embodiments," whether or not including the term "exemplary" preceding the term "embodiment," means that a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention. Thus, the appearances of such phrases in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment of certain exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, materials, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

The operation of the present disclosure will be further described with reference to the embodiments detailed below. These examples are provided to further illustrate various specific and preferred embodiments and techniques. It should be understood, however, that many variations and modifications may be made while remaining within the scope of the present disclosure.

Examples

These examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to unduly limit the scope of the appended claims. Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope of the disclosure are approximations, the numerical values set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as possible. Any numerical value, however, inherently contains certain errors necessarily resulting from the standard deviation found in their respective testing measurements. At the very least, and not as an attempt to limit the application of the doctrine of equivalents to the scope of the claims, each numerical parameter should at least be construed in light of the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques.

Examples and comparative examples

Flexible electrical connectors are prepared by attaching conductive traces (i.e., copper foil) to various adhesive surfaces. A PET substrate with conductive traces (Ag or Cu) was prepared. The connector and the traces on the PET substrate are aligned and the adhesive surface is then pressed against the PET substrate via a roller to cover the electrical contacts formed by the respective traces. Then, after standing for 1 day, the electrical connector and the PET substrate were separated via peeling or stretch peeling. The materials used to make the examples are summarized in table 1 below. The configurations of the examples and their corresponding measured characteristics are listed in table 2 below.

Summary of materials

Table 1 provides abbreviations and sources for all materials used in the following examples:

TABLE 2

Examples 1-3 can hold traces together when bent. In addition, the stretch stripping process does not damage the traces on the PET substrate. Comparative examples 1-2 were not stretch peelable. In most cases, removal by peeling produces some damage. The only case where the peel did not cause any significant damage to the trace was comparative example 2, where the Post-it note adhesive was very weak. Such weak adhesives fail to provide a robust electrical contact between the two substrates, which is easily broken when bent, or the electrical tightness between the traces decreases over time due to the relaxation of the adhesive.

While this specification has described in detail certain exemplary embodiments, it will be appreciated that those skilled in the art, upon attaining an understanding of the foregoing, may readily conceive of alterations to, variations of, and equivalents to these embodiments. Accordingly, it should be understood that the present disclosure should not be unduly limited to the illustrative embodiments set forth hereinabove.

Moreover, all publications and patents cited herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety to the same extent as if each individual publication or patent were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. Various exemplary embodiments have been described. These and other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.