Electrical connectors – Including or for use with tape cable – For connection to rigid preformed panel circuit arrangement,...
Reexamination Certificate
1997-09-24
2001-02-20
Sircus, Brian (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
Including or for use with tape cable
For connection to rigid preformed panel circuit arrangement,...
C439S076100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06190196
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to cable connector assemblies connected to flat cables and to a method of the fabrication of such assemblies.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Cable connector assemblies are known, such as, for example, cable connector assemblies described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 114475/90, 117074/90 and 181373/90. In such cable connector assemblies, a flat cable having both signal conductors and ground conductors is connected to a connector so that the signal conductors of the flat cable are connected to signal contacts and the ground conductors are connected to the ground bus bar or the ground contact by compression.
Due to recent trends toward miniaturization of connectors and reduction of the pitch of conductors in flat cables, it is also desirable to reduce the size of the cable connector assemblies mentioned above. However, in the cable connector assemblies described in the above patent publications, all conductors are connected to signal contacts, ground terminal or bus bar by compression or insulation displacement that makes them unsuitable for miniaturization and small-pitch cables. Therefore, the goal of this invention is to provide a cable connector assembly that is suitable for miniaturization and easy to assemble, and a method of fabrication of such an assembly.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
This invention relates to a flat cable connector assembly that is used to electrically connect a flat cable having multiple conductors to multiple contacts arranged in an insulating housing by exposing conductors of the flat cable in a widthwise direction at a location distal from a cable end, placing the flat cable nearly parallel and on the surface of a printed circuit board, by connecting the exposed conductor portions to conductive pads on the printed circuit board and by connecting the printed circuit board to multiple electrical contacts arranged in the insulating housing.
It is preferable that the circuitry is provided on one side of the printed circuit board, while a commoning ground plane is located on the other side, and that the solder connections of the multiple contacts and the flat cable conductors are located on the one side of the circuit board. In such a case, a part of the conductors of the flat cable and the contacts will be connected to the ground conductors.
In addition, a pair of prepared printed circuit boards with flat cables connected to them can be arranged against each other and multiple contacts corresponding to the flat cable can be located in a mutually opposed pattern in the insulating housing.
Moreover, this invention relates to a method of fabrication of a cable connector assembly in that it comprises the steps of exposing portions of multiple conductors of a flat cable at a location distal from a cable end by stripping a portion of the insulating coating, connecting to a printed circuit board multiple electrical contacts having contact sections for the connection to mating contacts along a mating face, and board-connection sections for the connection to the printed circuit board, placing the flat cable on the printed circuit board nearly parallel to the surface of the circuit board and connecting the exposed portions of the multiple conductors to the printed circuit board, and arranging the contact sections of the multiple contacts in an insulating housing.
It is desirable that the step of connecting the multiple contacts to the printed circuit board comprise a step of securing the multiple contacts to a supporting structure so that connecting sections of the contacts intended for connection to the printed circuit board are positioned for connection to the printed circuit board.
It is desirable that the step of connecting the exposed portions of the conductors to the printed circuit board comprise a step of forming the exposed portions and another step of soldering the formed exposed portions to the printed circuit board.
It is desirable that the step of arranging the contact sections inside the insulating housing comprise placing a central insulating divider between two printed circuit boards connected to two different flat cables, arranging the printed circuit boards on top and bottom surfaces of the central insulating divider and arranging the multiple contacts connected to the printed circuit boards in an inversely symmetrical pattern, and placing the contact sections inside the insulating housing.
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patent: 4655515 (1987-04-01), Hamsher, Jr. et al.
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patent: 4682828 (1987-07-01), Piper et al.
patent: 4722580 (1988-02-01), Kocher et al.
patent: 4871319 (1989-10-01), Babow
patent: 4892489 (1990-01-01), Hirai
patent: 4902242 (1990-02-01), Davis et al.
patent: 5190473 (1993-03-01), Mroczkowski et al.
patent: 5556300 (1996-09-01), Parker
patent: 5855493 (1999-01-01), Shelly
patent: 63-270216 (1990-04-01), None
patent: 63-266549 (1990-04-01), None
patent: 63-334994 (1990-06-01), None
Prasad Chandrika
Sircus Brian
The Whitaker Corporation
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