Flexible circuit interconnector and method of assembly thereof

摘要

A flexible circuit interconnector connects a circuit board having a ceramic substrate to pin connectors at the connector end of a circuit board connector housing. The interconnect has a thin flexible sheet of polymeric, electrical insulating material with a mating end and a connector end. The mating end includes a plurality of spaced holes therethrough for receiving tail ends of the pin connectors. A plurality of electrically conductive runners provided on one side of the flexible sheet electrically connect the pin connectors to printed conductors on the ceramic substrate. The thin flexible sheet has a viewing slot at the connector end thereof which is bridged by the runners and it has a bend which accommodates differential thermal expansion in the circuit board and connector. The method of assembly includes prebending the interconnect to accommodate thermal expansion between the connector housing and the ceramic substrate; placing the slot over the ceramic substrate to view the conductor print pattern; aligning each of the runners with one conductor in the print pattern; one step soldering each of the runners to separate conductors in the print pattern to complete electrical circuits; cleaning flux from the soldered parts and thereafter connecting the mating end of the flexible circuit interconnector to the pin connectors of the circuit board connector housing.