Apparatus for manufacturing flexible printed wiring board, apparatus for manufacturing wiring board, and applying device

Abstract

According to one embodiment, an apparatus includes: a device configured to partially provide a second conductor layer on a surface of a first conductor layer; a device configured to partially provide a first insulating layer on the surface of the first conductor layer; a device configured to integrate the first conductor layer, the second conductor layer, the first insulating layer, and a third conductor layer, in a state in which the second conductor layer and the first insulating layer provided on the surface of the first conductor layer are covered with the third conductor layer from a side opposite the first conductor layer; a device configured to form a conductor pattern by partially removing at least one of the first conductor layer and the third conductor layer in a structure obtained by the integrating; and a device configured to cover both sides of the structure.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for manufacturing a flexible printed wiring board, the method comprising:
 selectively providing a second conductor layer on a surface of a first conductor layer by selectively applying an electrically conductive paste onto the surface of the first conductor layer with use of screen printing or ink jet printing;   selectively providing a first insulating layer on the surface of the first conductor layer by selectively applying an insulating resin onto the surface of the first conductor layer with use of screen printing or ink jet printing;   integrating the first conductor layer, the second conductor layer, the first insulating layer, and a third conductor layer, in a state in which the second conductor layer and the first insulating layer provided on the surface of the first conductor layer are covered with the third conductor layer from a side opposite the first conductor layer by pressing and heating in a state in which the second conductor layer and the first insulating layer provided on the surface of the first conductor layer are covered with the third conductor layer from the side opposite the first conductor layer and in which the first conductor layer and the third conductor layer are sandwiched between presses;   forming a conductor pattern by selectively removing at least one of the first conductor layer and the third conductor layer in a structure obtained by integrating the first conductor layer, the second conductor layer, the first insulating layer, and the third conductor layer; and   covering both sides of the structure in which the conductor pattern is formed with second insulating layers, wherein before the integrating the first conductor layer, the second conductor layer, the first insulating layer, and the third conductor layer, the height of the second conductor layer becomes higher than the height of the first insulating layer, and before the integrating the first conductor layer, the second conductor layer, the first insulating layer, and a third conductor layer, a gap is provided between the second conductor layer and the first insulating layer.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein
 the selectively providing of the second conductor layer includes selectively applying the electrically conductive paste to the surface of the first conductor layer in a state in which the electrically conductive paste has fluidity,   the selectively providing of the first insulating layer includes selectively applying the insulating resin to the surface of the first conductor layer in a state in which the insulating resin has fluidity, and   the applying of the electrically conductive paste and the applying of the insulating resin are performed simultaneously.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the providing of the second conductor layer is performed before the providing of the first insulating layer. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the integrating includes providing the structure on a strip-shaped body. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the providing of the second conductor layer includes providing a plurality of the second conductor layers with physical properties different from each other on the surface. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the providing of the first insulating layer includes providing a plurality of the first insulating layers with physical properties different from each other on the surface. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the providing of the first insulating layer includes providing a plurality of the first insulating layers with heights different from each other. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising
 sandwiching and pressing the structure in a thickness direction of the structure, wherein   before the pressing, the structure has different thicknesses depending on a position of the structure.   
     
     
         9 . An apparatus for manufacturing a flexible printed wiring board, the apparatus comprising:
 a device configured to selectively provide a second conductor layer on a surface of a first conductor layer by selectively applying an electrically conductive paste onto the surface of the first conductor layer by screen printing or ink jet printing;   a device configured to selectively provide a first insulating layer on the surface of the first conductor layer by selectively applying an insulating resin onto the surface of the first conductor layer by screen printing or ink jet printing;   a device configured to integrate the first conductor layer, the second conductor layer, the first insulating layer, and a third conductor layer, in a state in which the second conductor layer and the first insulating layer provided on the surface of the first conductor layer are covered with the third conductor layer from aside opposite the first conductor layer by pressing and heating in a state in which the second conductor layer and the first insulating layer provided on the surface of the first conductor layer are covered with the third conductor layer from the side opposite the first conductor layer and in which the first conductor layer and the third conductor layer are sandwiched between presses;   a device configured to form a conductor pattern by selectively removing at least one of the first conductor layer and the third conductor layer in a structure obtained by integrating the first conductor layer, the second conductor layer, the first insulating layer, and the third conductor layer;   a device configured to cover both sides of the structure in which the conductor pattern is formed with second insulating layers; and   a device configured to sandwich the structure in a thickness direction of the structure via cushion materials and press the structure in the thickness direction, wherein   the device configured to press the structure sandwiches the structure to different thicknesses depending on a position in the structure, by varying a thickness of the cushion materials at different positions in the cushion materials.   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus for manufacturing a flexible printed wiring board of  claim 9 , wherein
 the device configured to selectively provide the second conductor layer comprises a first ink jet printing device configured to apply the electrically conductive paste to the surface of the first conductor layer by selectively applying the electrically conductive paste to the surface of the first conductor layer in a state in which the electrically conductive paste has fluidity, the device configured to selectively provide the first insulating layer comprises a second ink jet printing device configured to apply the insulating resin to the surface of the first conductor layer by selectively applying the insulating resin to the surface of the first conductor layer in a state in which the insulating resin has fluidity, and   the first ink jet printing device and the second ink jet printing device simultaneously apply the electrically conductive paste and the insulating resin, respectively, onto the surface of the first conductor layer.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus for manufacturing a flexible printed wiring board of  claim 9 , wherein the device configured to provide the second conductor layer provides the second conductor layer on the surface before the device configured to provide the first insulating layer provides the first insulating layer on the surface. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus for manufacturing a flexible printed wiring board of  claim 9 , wherein the device configured to integrate the first conductor layer, the second conductor layer, the first insulating layer, and the third conductor layer provides the structure on a strip-shaped body. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus for manufacturing a flexible printed wiring board of  claim 9 , further comprising a conveying device configured to convey a pallet between the devices, the first conductor layer being placed on the pallet. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus for manufacturing a flexible printed wiring board of  claim 9 , wherein the device configured to provide the second conductor layer provides a plurality of the second conductor layers with physical properties different from each other on the surface. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus for manufacturing a flexible printed wiring board of  claim 9 , wherein the device configured to provide the first insulating layer provides a plurality of the first insulating layers with physical properties different from each other on the surface. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus for manufacturing a flexible printed wiring board of  claim 9 , wherein the device configured to provide the first insulating layer provides a plurality of the first insulating layers with heights different from each other on the surface.