Electrical connectors – Coupling part with actuating means urging contact to move... – Having open slot for receiving preformed panel circuit...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-29
2001-04-03
Paumen, Gary F. (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Coupling part with actuating means urging contact to move...
Having open slot for receiving preformed panel circuit...
C439S495000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06210190
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a flexible board connector, and particularly to a compact flexible board connector for retaining a flexible circuit board in electrical connection with the terminals thereof.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,458,506 discloses a prior art flexible board connector (see
FIG. 11
) having an elongated pressure member
147
attached to a housing
160
and a plurality of contact elements
135
received in the housing
160
. The pressure member
147
is adapted to rotate around a turning center
145
of a fulcrum portion
137
of the contact element
135
from a closed position to an open position. A pressure edge
152
is provided on the pressure member
147
. When the pressure member
147
is in the closed position, the pressure edge
152
is inside a line including the turning center
145
and a contact portion
140
of the contact element
135
and presses a flexible circuit board F (shown in phantom) against the contact portion
140
. When the pressure member
147
is in the open position, the pressure edge
152
is outside the line and the flexible circuit board F is ready to be extracted. The pressure member
147
is designed to self-retain in the closed position and to apply enough torque to constrain the flexible circuit board. The flexible board connector therefore, requires enough space for the elongated pressure member
147
to rotate therein. What is more, the length of the pressure member
147
must be long enough for operation and retention purposes. The contact elements
135
further require link portions
138
and connection portions
139
for connecting to a printed circuit board (not shown). Thus, further minimization of the width of the connector is limited.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,647,131 describes another prior art connector (see
FIG. 12
) with conductor retention means. The connector has a retaining element which includes a projecting part
213
and a counter element
216
. The projecting part
213
defines a toothed surface
214
on a top end thereof for cooperating with a friction surface
215
on the counter element
216
to fix a flexible circuit board
210
therebetween, whereby the flexible circuit board
210
makes electrical contact with contact surfaces
225
,
226
of a plurality of terminals
220
. The retaining element further provides a spindle
211
coupled to a lever
217
for swiveling the projecting part
213
. The spindle
211
then rotates in a clockwise direction to swivel the projection part
213
from a position of pressing against the flexible circuit board
210
to a position where the upper contact surface
225
of the terminal
220
is lifted by a protrusion surface
219
of the projecting part
213
to release the flexible circuit board
210
. The toothed surface
214
must be precisely manufactured to securely press on the flexible circuit board
210
without scraping circuit traces on the flexible circuit board
210
. Production cost of the connector is consequently high.
Other prior art connectors are disclosed in Taiwan Patent Application Nos. 83102251, 83112042, and 86203032.
An improved flexible board connector is required to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A first object of the present invention is to provide a compact flexible board connector;
A second object of the present invention is to provide a compact flexible board connector which is more reliable; and
A third object of the present invention is to provide a compact flexible board connector which is easy to assemble.
To achieve the above objects, a compact flexible board connector of the present invention comprises a dielectric housing, a plurality of conductive terminals being received in a plurality of receiving passageways of the housing, an elongated cylindrical spindle, and a pressure body enclosing the spindle. The housing has a flat base, a pair of side walls upwardly depending from opposite ends of the base, a beam formed between the side walls and a plurality of receiving passageways defined in a bottom surface of the beam. The side walls each define an opening extending downwardly from a top edge thereof. Each of the openings is flanked by a pair of lead-ins and communicates with a receiving hole for receiving the spindle. A retaining stop is formed on an upper inside corner of each side wall and includes a wedge and a block for retaining the pressure body in a closed position.
The pressure body has an oval cross-section and defines a central longitudinal cavity for receiving the spindle. An elongate retention ridge is formed along the length of the outside of the pressure body which is used as a handle to rotate the pressure body about the spindle. The retention ridge is small but adapted for easily operating the pressure body. Furthermore, the retention ridge and the retaining stops fit in the space between the side walls so the connector size is minimized.
In assembly, the plurality of terminals is received in the receiving passageways of the housing. The spindle is inserted in the cavity of the pressure body and both ends of the spindle are received in the receiving holes of the housing. The pressure body is placed in an open position where the major axis of the cross-section of the pressure body is nearly parallel to the base. A flexible circuit board is then inserted between the terminals and the pressure body. The retention ridge is subsequently rotated until it clamps between the wedges and the blocks, whereby the pressure body is in a closed position and the major axis is then nearly perpendicular to the base. The flexible circuit board is thereby pressed against the terminals by the pressure body.
In an alternative embodiment, the spindle is integrally formed with the housing and extends between the side walls. The pressure body defines a gap through which the spindle is press-fitted into the cavity thereof. The pressure body is adapted for rotating around the spindle from an open position, where a flexible circuit board is permitted to be extracted, to a closed position, where the pressure body presses the flexible circuit board against the terminals.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4420206 (1983-12-01), Martyniak
patent: 4647131 (1987-03-01), Van Woensel
patent: 5458506 (1995-10-01), Yamaguchi
patent: 5580272 (1996-12-01), Yamaguchi et al.
patent: 5695360 (1997-12-01), Seto et al.
Huang Nan-Tsung
Wu Kun-Tsan
Hon Hai - Precision Ind. Co., Ltd.
Paumen Gary F.
TeChung Wei
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