Apple Wants to Get Rid of Motherboard Cables
A substantial number of Apple patents filed these days deal with changes to the miniaturization of components that allow Apple to shrink the size of its mobile devices.
There have been some rather wacky ideas such as cutting the audio plug in half, but there have been rather ingenious thoughts that prove how serious Apple is about its product design as well. Most of these approaches relate to ideas that apparently have been sparked by the need of a more compact design, even if a specialized manufacturer does not offer it.
A new patent application that describes a multi-pane circuit board may be one such example. To save space, Apple seems to be thinking about replacing traditional cables that connect circuit boards with flexible circuit boards. The purpose of these flexible boards is to transmit data and power between two boards - and to reduce the bill of materials and assembly cost of the circuit boards in its mobile devices.
From the patent application: "The flexible [board] can be deflected or twisted to connect first circuitry on the multi-plane rigid circuit board to second circuitry associated with another device component. The flexible member can be formed as an integral component of the multi-plane rigid circuit board, i.e., the flexible member and the multi-plane rigid circuit and the flexible member share a common substrate."
The document frequently refers to design advantages and mentions specifically that "the advantages of the invention are numerous." However, Apple refers to only one particular advantage: replacing flex cables.
- Apple,
- Build Your Own,
- motherboard ,
- flex ,
- cable ,
- patent ,
- mobo
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Where's this article?
Is Tom's baiting us now?
"The advantages of the invention are numerous" encompasses anything and everything. You just wait... Someone's going to slip up and apple's going to cite this.
Good ideas and great ones at that but for the wrong purpose though to maintain high prices while extracting ever greater profits.
"The advantages of the invention are numerous" encompasses anything and everything. You just wait... Someone's going to slip up and apple's going to cite this.
well they just filed the patent, its gonna be years befor etheyre actually granted it. it's a good idea nonetheless, apple is good at brining innovation to the table, even though its at a very high price
I can't wait for one of these multi-plane circuit boards to be left in a bar.
flex connectors has been existing for a long time. even my old calculator had flex connectors.
It's Apple, so the Patent Office is just waiting to rush it through. Never mind that these flexible boards exist today- and they can be off to sue people who think up flexible e-reader displays without a hiccup.
Now that that's out of the way:
It's a good idea. I hate having to buy new screens when the flexible cable breaks on an iPod touch while you're trying to fix it.
I can't wait for one of these multi-plane circuit boards to be left in a bar.
LOL
flex connectors has been existing for a long time. even my old calculator had flex connectors.
Doesn't matter, it could be 40 years ago, if Apple patents it first then the 100 billion calculators sold in that time don't count - that's how the law has been twisted.
Doesn't matter, it could be 40 years ago, if Apple patents it first then the 100 billion calculators sold in that time don't count - that's how the law has been twisted.
Are the newer style SLI/Crossfire connectors considered a flexible circuit board?
Nothing new here. Flexible circuit boards are old news. Using one in a computer, maybe not. Possible advantage would be greater bandwith and higher frequency. Also higher cost.
Not like we, the consumer, will see any of these savings.
I've seen flexible circuit boards used to connect screens and drives in laptops. They connect the scanner on my printer to the rest of the unit, they are frickin everywhere. And multi-plane circuit boards? I'm not sure how a plane differs from a layer, and there are multi-layer boards all over the place (16+ layers). So what exactly did apple patent here, the wheel?
So they want the circuit board to be a moving part, which means it will be a breakable part. Is a patent really needed for this? To have a computer with no internal wires, they would just need to integrate all the components to the board.
These companies now days churning out one ridiculous patent after another just to keep the patent trolling wheel rolling.
I just hope they aren't as hard to manage as the low profile foxconn connectors in the old Powerbooks. I remember trying to line them up and then screw together the case as fast as possible since they were held on by the pressure of the casing.
This is apple we are talking about, they obviously invented the wheel. Any use of the wheel before they existed are mere fairy tales.
The technology in the patent has been in use for at least 30 years in modern electronics.
So what exactly did apple patent here, the wheel?....
flexcables are long been used, but this patent seems to do with no extra connectors,looks like the copper layer and the board material are the connectors,and can be interconnected without the need of a separate connector.
I SO prefer the normal cables to these flexible BS ones, they're a PAIN to manage and insert. Let Apple patent this junk all they want, we don't need it.
So they want to patent the idea of using flexible copper wiring within a flexible PCB? Where's the flexible PCB, or at least its proof of concept? Oh! Silly me... They don't need either one to get a patent for the use of something that may or may not exist. All they need to prove is they have an idea on how to implement it.
Jeez our patent system is broken.
Jeez our patent system is broken.
But we just signed patent reform!!!!
/s
Apple should patent the patenting of things that have been in use for 10+ years.
Thats funny, I want to get rid of Apple because their products are not flexible. Jeez, flexible interconnect circuit boards....isnt that just a type of flat cable?? http://www.google.com.au/search?q= [...] CCYQ_AUoAQ maybe you should do a google search before you patent something that already exists apple.
http://www.google.com.au/search?hl [...] l2-2.1l3l0
Hmm the instrument cluster of my 1969 Mustang had a flexible circuit board on the back of it. It amazes me Apple gets away with this stuff
Its not the flexible cable but the flexible board that Apple is patenting. But as has been previously stated the flexible board which you can mount components on has been around for years. Nothing new here.
The "new" reality is where folks like Apple can "create" a reality to suit their needs. i'Mnotbuyingit.
The "new" definition of "reality" is where folks like Apple can craft it to THEIR needs and call it reality. i'Mnotbuyingit.
The "new" definition of "reality" is where folks like Apple can craft it to THEIR needs and call it reality. i'Mnotbuyingit.
The "new" definition of "reality" is where folks like Apple can craft it to THEIR needs and call it reality. i'Mnotbuyingit.
The "new" definition of "reality" is where folks like Apple can craft it to THEIR needs and call it reality. i'Mnotbuyingit.
First thing I thought of...
"What do consumers want to do with our product?"
*crumple up Apple product--toss in trash*
When apple comes up with flexible PCB, I will pitch to them my own invention. It is truly innovative.
I take a block of copper and extrude it into a very thin cylindrical shape then dip it in some molten rubber
The amazing thing about this is that the copper not only conducts electricity but it can also be used to send data and is flexible and the rubber prevents it from being shorted.
If you make the board flexible, you may end up with a layout that only supports 1 or 2 devices and if too much flexing causes wear and tear, you may end up having to replace the entire motherboard.
But if the same thing happens to a object made out of copper and rubber, you will have a significantly cheaper fix.
PS I have made flexible circuit boards, it is called the poor mans motherboard, you take small wires and solder them to all of the needed components, then you cover everything in clear tape, you now have a flexible board