Electrical connectors – With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in... – For direct connection to a flexible tape or printed circuit...
Patent
1987-07-02
1988-03-29
McQuade, John
Electrical connectors
With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in...
For direct connection to a flexible tape or printed circuit...
439494, H01R 907
Patent
active
047340533
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to an electrical connector to be mounted on a printed circuit board, and more particularly an electrical connector for a resilient flat cable.
Recently, there has been increased usage for a resilient flat cable which can be connected to electrical wiring for high density equipment usage so as to make small-sized and light-weight electrical equipment. Along with this increased use, since several electrical connectors need to be mounted in a printed circuit board in a high density fashion, it is required to provide a smaller-sized electrical connector. As an electrical connector for a resilient flat cable to be mounted to a printed circuit board, a known electrical connector comprises an insulating housing having a plurality of contact elements with contact arms contacting with the conductor parts within the opening so as to receive the conductor part of the flat cable and a plug member is hingedly connected to the housing and having a projection capable of being fitted into said opening.
In order to connect the flat cable by using this connector, the conductor part of the flat cable is inserted into the opening with the projection being fitted into the opening. Thus, the conductor part is pushed by the projection into contact with the contact arms so as to accomplish the electrical connection. However, in the case where flat cable is to be connected to a connector on a printed circuit board, other components mounted under high density conditions on the printed circuit board may hinder the flat cable, with the result that it sometimes is difficult to move the plug member relative to the housing and, further, it is hard to connect the flat cable or remove it from the connector.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide an electrical connector for a flat cable in which the flat cable can be connected or removed without being hindered by other components on the printed circuit board.
The present invention comprises an electrical connector comprising an insulating housing provided with an opening opened to face upward for use in receiving exposed conductors of a resilient flat cable, a plurality of contact elements having resilient contact arms arranged in said opening and contact legs passing through the bottom part of the insulating housing and projecting downwardly and fixed in a row in the insulating housing, and a plug member having a projection inserted into said opening to cause the exposed conductors of the flat cable received in said opening to be contacted with the resilient contact arms and is characterized in that guide grooves are formed at both sides of one of the insulating housing or plug member, guide projections are located at both sides of the other member, the guide grooves and the guide projections cooperate so as to cause the plug member to be slidable relative to the housing. The guide projections are slidably and forcedly mated with the guide grooves at the cable receiving position where the plug member is moved upwardly and the plug member is held stationary at this position and the exposed conductors of the flat cable can be received in the opening in the insulating housing whereby the projection of the plug member is inserted into the opening as the plug member is moved downwardly causing the exposed conductors to be electrically engaged with the resilient contact arms of the contact elements.
FIGS. 1 and 2 are perspective views showing the electrical connector of the present invention, respectively, wherein FIG. 1 shows a condition in which a plug member is located at a cable receiving position, and FIG. 2 shows a condition in which a plug member is located at the cable connecting position;
FIGS. 3 to 5 are perspective views showing a plug member, contact element and insulating housing having contact elements therein for forming an electrical connector of the present invention;
FIGS. 6 and 7 are a perspective view and a side elevational view when the electrical connector of the present invention is located at the cable receivi
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"Connectors for Dense PCB Packaging" (Electronic Product News, 7/84).
"ZIF Connector for .049" Pitch FFC/FPC (5597/5598 Series)"-Molex Catalog, p. 2K.
Flat Flex Connector (7583-CN)"-Molex Catalog, p. 6K.
"Flat Flex Connector (4850)"-Molex Catalog, p. 8K.
"ZIF Flat Flex Connector (90067)"-Molex Catalog, p. 12K.
"FLEXLOK CIC Series Conductive Ink Circuitry Connector"-Burndy Catalog, p. 2.
"FLEXLOK FC Series"-Burndy Catalog, p. 28.
"FLEXLOK Type HBLB-R and HBLB-S"-Burndy Catalog, p. 29.
AMP Incorporated
Groen Eric J.
McQuade John
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