Connector in which a FPC is tightly held between a housing...

Details Connector in which a FPC is tightly held between a housing... Connector in which a FPC is tightly held between a housing...

2000-08-04

2002-03-05

Ta, Tho D. (Department: 2833)

Electrical connectors

Coupling part with actuating means urging contact to move...

Having open slot for receiving preformed panel circuit...

C439S329000, C439S495000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06352442

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a connector for a flexible printed circuit (hereinafter referred to as “FPC”) and more particularly to a connector for a FPC, which is suitable for a high density packaging on a printed circuit board.
A conventional connector for a FPC disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (JP-A) No. H09-82427 will be described with reference to
FIGS. 1 through 4
. As shown in
FIG. 1
, a housing
15
includes a base portion
20
and side walls
21
disposed both ends of the base portion
20
and is configured to have an open top. The base portion
20
is provided with a large number of slits
20
a
formed in the front side and a large number of slits
20
b
formed in the rear side.
As shown in
FIGS. 1
,
2
A, and
2
B, first contacts
16
are inserted into the slits
20
a
at the front side of the housing
15
and second contacts
17
are inserted into the slits
20
b
at the rear side of the housing
15
. Each of the first contacts
16
includes a contact portion
16
a,
a fixing portion
16
b,
and a lead terminal portion
16
c
projecting outside the housing
15
.
As shown in
FIG. 3A
, in the state that the first contacts
16
are inserted into the housing
15
, the contact portion
16
a
and fixing portion
16
b
which form together a U-like section vertically sandwich a convex portion
20
c
projecting toward the front of the housing
15
. The each first contact
16
further has a contact point
16
d
which is provided on an end portion of the contact portion
16
a
so that the contact point
16
d
is in contact with a pad of a FPC
19
for electric continuity. In the state that the first contacts
16
are inserted into the housing
15
, the bottom level of the fixing portion
16
b
and the bottom level of the lead terminal portion
16
c
are flush with the bottom level of the housing
15
.
As shown in
FIG. 3B
, each of the second contacts
17
comprises a contact portion
17
a,
a fixing portion
17
b,
and a lead terminal portion
17
c
and further comprises a spring supporting portion
17
e
positioned above the contact portion
17
a.
As shown in
FIG. 3B
, in the state that the second contacts
17
are inserted into the housing
15
, the contact portion
17
a
and fixing portion
17
b
vertically sandwich a convex portion
20
d
projecting toward the rear of the housing
15
. The end portion of the spring supporting portion
17
e
is in a generally curved shape and this portion supports an actuator or a lever
18
described later. The each second contact
17
further has a contact point
17
d
which is provided on an end portion of the contact portion
17
a
so that the contact point
16
d
is in contact with a pad of a FPC
19
for electric continuity. In the state that the second contacts
17
are inserted into the housing
15
, the bottom level of the fixing portion
17
b
and the bottom level of the lead terminal portion
17
c
are the same as the bottom level of the housing
15
.
In the state that the first and second contacts
16
,
17
are inserted into the housing
15
, the contact portions
16
a,
17
a
are aligned to alternate to each other in the width direction of the housing without overlapping. Therefore, the contact points
16
d,
17
d
of the first and second contacts
16
,
17
are arranged in a zigzag configuration in the longitudinal direction and in the width direction. As shown in
FIGS. 3A through 3C
, the contact points
16
d,
17
d
of the first and second contacts
16
,
17
and the pivot portion (the ends of the spring supporting portions
17
e
) of the lever
18
are positioned to form together a phantom isosceles triangle.
The lever
18
has a pivot portion
18
c
supported pivotally about the ends of the spring supporting portions
17
e
and is positioned above the housing
15
as shown in FIG.
1
. After the FPC
19
is set to a predetermined position above the housing, the lever
18
is pivoted to press and fix the FPC
19
. In this state, the lever
18
functions as a lid of the housing
15
. As shown in
FIGS. 3A through 3C
, there is a curved engaging portion
18
a
at the pivot portion of the lever
18
. The engagement between the engaging portion
18
a
and the ends of the spring supporting portions
17
e
of the second contacts
17
allows the pivotal movement of the lever
18
about the ends of the spring supporting portions
17
e.
When the lever
18
is open (FIGS.
3
A and
3
B), the contact portion of the lever
18
relative to the FPC
19
is formed in a generally curved configuration. When the lever
18
is closed (FIG.
3
C), the contact portion of the lever
18
relative to the FPC
19
is formed like a flat surface.
As shown in
FIG. 1
, the opposite side walls of the lever
18
are provided with convex portions
18
b
near the ends thereof. When the lever
18
pivots about the ends of the spring supporting portions
17
e
and becomes lie down, the convex portions
18
b
are fitted or engaged into concave portions
21
a formed in inside faces of the side walls
21
of the housing
15
to hold the lever
18
in closing state.
On the other hand, as shown in
FIG. 4
, a number of contact pads
22
a,
22
b
are provided on the bottom surface of the FPC
19
so that these contact pads
22
a,
22
b
are aligned to alternate to each other in two lines of zigzag configuration. The contact pads
22
a
near a head edge of the FPC
19
come into contact with the contact points
17
d
of the second contacts
17
while the contact pads
22
b
far from the head edge of the FPC
19
come into contact with the contact points
16
d
of the first contacts
16
.
Since the conventional connector for a FPC described in the above with reference to
FIGS. 1 through 4
has the lever
18
which is structured to pivot for the opening and closing movement relative to the housing
15
, there is a possibility that the lever
18
is inadvertently opened when the FPC
19
is pulled with force exceeding a predetermined value in a direction of opening the lever
18
.
As described concretely, the distance between the pivot portion of the lever
18
(the ends of the spring supporting member
17
e
of the second contact
17
) and the concave portions
21
a,
formed on the opposite side walls
21
of the housing
15
, to be engaged with the convex portions
18
b
of the lever
18
, is shorter than the distance between the pivot portion of the lever
18
and a portion where tensile force in such a direction that the FPC
19
opens the lever
18
acts (the edge of the lever
18
far from the pivot portion of the lever
18
), so when the FPC
19
is pulled in the direction of opening the lever
18
, the lever
18
may be opened even with small force.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a connector for a FPC in which an actuator is hard to open even when the FPC is pulled in a direction of opening the actuator.
Other objects of the present invention will become clear as the description proceeds.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a connector for being connected to a FPC having a plurality of pads, the connector comprising a plurality of contacts for becoming in contact with the pads, respectively, a housing holding the contacts, and an actuator for holding the FPC in cooperation with the housing, the actuator including a pivot portion pivotally held to the housing and a locking portion spaced from the pivot portion with a first distance, the housing having a receiving portion for making engagement with the locking portion in a state of tightly holding the FPC, the actuator further including a particular portion received with release force of the engagement from the FPC, the particular portion being spaced from the pivot portion with a second distance therebetween, the first distance being determined greater than the second distance.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a connector for being connected to a FPC having a plurality of pads, the connector comprising a plurality of conta

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