Patent ID: 7690104

Claim:
A method for assembling a rigid-flex printed circuit board (PCB), comprising: receiving at least two rigid-flex PCBs that are to be coupled together, wherein each of the rigid-flex PCBs includes at least one flexible PCB coupled to at least one rigid PCB; placing the at least two rigid-flex PCBs onto a carrier which is configured to: align the at least two rigid-flex PCBs so that bond regions located on the flexible PCBs of each of the at least two rigid-flex PCBs overlap, and apply pressure to the overlapped bond regions; placing components at specified locations on the at least two rigid-flex PCBs; and sending the carrier through a reflow oven which is configured to generate a temperature profile that reflows solder on the at least two rigid-flex PCBs so that the components become mechanically and electrically coupled to the at least two rigid-flex PCBs; wherein the temperature profile generated by the reflow oven and the pressure applied by the carrier cures and sets an anisotropic conductive film (ACF) located in the bond regions so that the overlapped flexible PCBs become mechanically and electrically coupled together.