Signal transmission device having flexible printed circuit boards Number:7,090,506 from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) owispatent A signal transmission device. The signal transmission device comprises a first and a second flexible printed circuit boards, connecting an display module and a system. The first flexible printed circuit board electrically connects the display module and the system. The second flexible printed circuit board electrically connects the display module and the first flexible printed circuit board, wherein the first and second flexible printed circuit boards are joined by hot bar soldering or anisotropic conductive film (ACF) bonding.<H transmission, flexible, Signal, transmis, 7090506.html, Patent, pto, 7090506

Title: Signal transmission device having flexible printed circuit boards

Abstract: A signal transmission device. The signal transmission device comprises a first and a second flexible printed circuit boards, connecting an display module and a system. The first flexible printed circuit board electrically connects the display module and the system. The second flexible printed circuit board electrically connects the display module and the first flexible printed circuit board, wherein the first and second flexible printed circuit boards are joined by hot bar soldering or anisotropic conductive film (ACF) bonding.

Patent Number: 7,090,506 Issued on 08/15/2006 to Sung, et al.

Inventors: Sung; Kuang-Tao (Fongyuan, TW), Lao; Jun-Hsian (Keelung, TW)
Assignee: Au Optronics Corp. (Hsinchu, TW)

Appl. No.: 10/921,462

Filed: August 19, 2004

Foreign Application Priority Data


Apr 19, 2004 [TW]			93110823 A

Current U.S. Class: 439/67 ; 439/581

Current International Class: H01R 12/00 (20060101); H05K 1/00 (20060101)

Field of Search: 439/67,581

References Cited [Referenced By]

U.S. Patent Documents


5418691	May 1995	Tokura
5592365	January 1997	Sugimoto et al.
5684550	November 1997	Shibata et al.
6045368	April 2000	Cadenhead et al.
2005/0185127	August 2005	Fujiyama et al.

Primary Examiner: Hyeon; Hae Moon
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Thomas, Kayden, Horstemeyer & Risley

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A signal transmission device, connecting a display module and a system, comprising: a first flexible printed circuit board, electrically connecting the display module and the system and a second flexible printed circuit board, electrically connecting the display module and the first flexible printed circuit board, wherein the first and second flexible printed circuit boards are joined by hot bar soldering.

2. The signal transmission device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a first alignment mark of the first flexible printed circuit board is aligned with a second alignment mark of the second flexible printed circuit board.

3. The signal transmission device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first flexible printed circuit board has a first alignment hole, and the second flexible printed circuit board has a second alignment hole aligned to the first alignment hole.

4. The signal transmission device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second flexible printed circuit board has an opening adjacent to the connection of the first and second flexible printed circuit boards.

5. The signal transmission device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first flexible printed circuit board transmits an display panel signal.

6. The signal transmission device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second flexible printed circuit board transmits a touch panel signal.

7. The signal transmission device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second flexible printed circuit board transmits a light source signal.

8. The signal transmission device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a third flexible printed circuit board electrically connecting the display module and the first flexible printed circuit board.

9. A signal transmission device, connecting an display module and a system, comprising: a first flexible printed circuit board, electrically connecting the display module and the system; and a second flexible printed circuit board, electrically connecting the display module and the first flexible printed circuit board, wherein the first and second flexible printed circuit boards are joined by anisotropic conductive film (ACF) bonding.

10. The signal transmission device as claimed in claim 9, wherein a first alignment mark of the first flexible printed circuit board is aligned with a second alignment mark of the second flexible printed circuit board.

11. The signal transmission device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first flexible printed circuit board has a first alignment hole, and the second flexible printed circuit board has a second alignment hole aligned to the first alignment hole.

12. The signal transmission device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the second flexible printed circuit board has an opening adjacent to the connection of the first and second flexible printed circuit boards.

13. The signal transmission device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first flexible printed circuit board transmits a display panel signal.

14. The signal transmission device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the second flexible printed circuit board transmits a touch panel signal.

15. The signal transmission device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the second flexible printed circuit board transmits a light source signal.

16. The signal transmission device as claimed in claim 9 further comprising a third flexible printed circuit board electrically connecting the display module and the first flexible printed circuit board.

17. A signal transmission device, connecting an display module and a system, comprising: a first flexible printed circuit board, electrically connecting the display module and the system; and a second flexible printed circuit board, electrically connecting the display module and the first flexible printed circuit board, wherein the first flexible printed circuit board has a first alignment mark, and the second flexible printed circuit board has a second alignment mark overlapped with and aligned to the first alignment mark.

18. The signal transmission device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the first flexible printed circuit board further has a first alignment hole, and the second flexible printed circuit board further has a second alignment hole aligned to the first alignment hole.

19. The signal transmission device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the second flexible printed circuit board further has an opening adjacent to the connection of the first and second flexible printed circuit boards.

20. The signal transmission device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the first flexible printed circuit board transmits an display panel signal.

21. The signal transmission device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the second flexible printed circuit board transmits a touch panel signal.

22. The signal transmission device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the second flexible printed circuit board transmits a light source signal.

23. The signal transmission device as claimed in claim 17, further comprising a third flexible printed circuit board electrically connecting the display module and the first flexible printed circuit board.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates in general to a signal transmission device and in particular to a signal transmission device communicating multiple signals between a liquid crystal display (LCD) module and a system.

2. Description of the Related Art

Generally, a conventional touchscreen LCD module comprises an LCD panel, a touch panel and a light source. Referring to FIG. 1, the conventional touchscreen LCD module 10 communicates LCD panel, touch panel and light source signals to a system (not shown) through flexible printed circuit boards 102, 104 and 106. To receive the three types of signals, however, three connecting ports corresponding to the flexible printed circuit boards 102, 104 and 106 are required in the system, thus, it incurring additional fabrication cost and space.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a signal transmission device. The signal transmission device comprises a first and a second flexible printed circuit boards, connecting an LCD module and a system. The first flexible printed circuit board electrically connects the LCD module and the system. The second flexible printed circuit board electrically connects the LCD module and the first flexible printed circuit board, wherein the first and second flexible printed circuit boards are joined by hot bar soldering or anisotropic conductive film (ACF) bonding.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings, given by way of illustration only and thus not intended to be limitative of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective diagram of a conventional signal transmission device connecting an LCD module;

FIG. 2 is a perspective diagram of the signal transmission device in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3a is a perspective diagram of the first embodiment in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3b is a side view of the X direction corresponding to FIG. 3a;

FIG. 4a is a perspective diagram of the second embodiment in accordance with the present invention; and

FIG. 4b is a side view of the X direction corresponding to FIG. 3a.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

First Embodiment

Referring to FIG. 2, the signal transmission device of the present invention comprises first, second and third flexible printed circuit boards 102, 104 and 106 electrically connecting the touchscreen display module 10 and a system (not shown). The first flexible printed circuit board 102 communicates display panel signal between the touchscreen display module 10 and the system via the connector 1020. Specifically, the second and third flexible printed circuit boards 104 and 106 individually communicate a touch panel signal and a light source signal between the touchscreen display module 10 and the system through the first flexible printed circuit board 102.

As the areas A and B in FIG. 2, the second and third flexible printed circuit boards 104 and 106 are joined to the first flexible printed circuit board 102, thereby touch panel and light source signals from the touchscreen display module 10 can be collected in the first flexible printed circuit board 102 and communicated to the system via the connector 1020. That is, the display panel, touch panel and light source signals are integrated in the first flexible printed circuit board 102 and communicated to the system through a single connector 1020.

As shown in FIG. 3b, the first and second flexible printed circuit boards 102 and 104 are joined by hot bar soldering via corresponding soldering pads S. Thus, the touch panel signal of the second flexible printed circuit board 104 is collected in the first flexible printed circuit board 102. Referring to FIG. 3a, the second flexible printed circuit board 104 further comprises several longitudinal openings Hi adjacent to the soldering pads S preventing short circuits due to solder overflow. The opening H1, however, can be also disposed in the first flexible printed circuit board 102.

In FIG. 3a, the first flexible printed circuit board 102 defines a connection area 1021 with soldering pads S disposed thereon. Moreover, several alignment marks M are correspondingly disposed around the periphery of the connection area 1021 and the second flexible printed circuit board 104. Accurate positioning and connection is accomplished by aligning the alignment marks M on the first and second flexible printed circuit boards 102 and 104 during assembly. Similarly, the alignment marks M can also be applied to the third flexible printed circuit board 106 for accurate connection of the first flexible printed circuit board 102 as shown by the area B in FIG. 2.

Second Embodiment

Referring to FIGS. 4a and 4b, the first and second flexible printed circuit boards 102 and 104 are joined by anisotropic conductive film (ACF) bonding via corresponding soldering pads S. As shown in FIG. 4b, an anisotropic conductive film F is electrically bonded between the soldering pads S of the first and second flexible printed circuit boards 102 and 104. Thus, the touch panel signal of the second flexible printed circuit board 104 can be collected in the first flexible printed circuit board 102.

In FIG. 4a, the first and second flexible printed circuit boards 102 and 104 are aligned via alignment holes H2. Accurate positioning and connection is accomplished by aligning the alignment holes H2 of the first and second flexible printed circuit board 102 and 104. Similarly, the alignment hole H2 can also be applied to the third flexible printed circuit board 106 for accurate connection of the first flexible printed circuit board 102 as shown by the area B in FIG. 2.

In summary, the present invention provides a signal transmission device capable of collecting touch panel and light source signals together in the first flexible printed circuit board 102. Thus, touch panel, light source and display panel signals between the touchscreen display module 10 and the system can be communicated through a single connector 1020 of the flexible printed circuit board 102. As mentioned, each flexible printed circuit board can be joined by hot bar soldering or anisotropic conductive film (ACF) bonding. Moreover, the alignment marks M or openings H2 can be applied to each flexible printed circuit board for accurate positioning and connection. As only a single connector is required to communicate the multiple signals between the touchscreen display module 10 and the system, fabrication cost and space required for assembly can be reduced.

While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of the preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements (as would be apparent to those skilled in the art). Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.

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