Electrical connector assembly for flexible flat cable

Details Electrical connector assembly for flexible flat cable Electrical connector assembly for flexible flat cable

2002-04-24

2004-02-24

Nasri, Javaid H. (Department: 2839)

Electrical connectors

Including or for use with tape cable

With mating connection region formed by bared cable

Reexamination Certificate

active

06695642

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector assembly for electrically connecting a flexible printed wiring board which is called FFC (Flexible Flat Cable) or FPC (Flexible Printed Cable).
2. Description of the Prior Art
An electrical connector assembly for flexible flat cable used to electrically connect a flexible printed wiring board which is called FFC or FPC is generally known which typically comprises a housing having an opening and contacts engaged in the opening and a rotary portion designed to freely open and close the opening of the housing by its rotational motion and hold the flexible flat cable in a sandwich relation when it is in its dosed position. For example, this conventional type of electrical connector assembly for flexible flat cable is disclosed by Japanese Laid-open (Unexamined) Patent Publications No. Hei 9 (1997)-17528 and No. Hei 9 (1997)-134763, for example.
These proposed ones have a temporary holding structure to locate the flexible flat cable in position and a rotary structure to make it hard for the rotary portion to slip off.
However, in the conventional type of electrical connector assembly for flexible flat cable mentioned above, the flexible flat cable is solely held by a frictional force caused by holding the flexible flat cable in sandwich relation between the rotary portion and the housing. Consequently it can be hardly said that the holding structure fully serves to prevent the flexible flat cable from slipping off. Thus, the conventional electrical connector assemblies have problems in keeping the flexible flat cable in its connected and held state, such as the problem that the flexible flat cable slips off relatively easily when used in an environment subjected to vibration and external force.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the object of the present invention to provide an electrical connector assembly for flexible flat cable designed to prevent the flexible flat cable from slipping off so as to surely keep it in its connected and held state even when used in an environment subjected to vibration and external force.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided an electrical connector assembly for flexible flat cable used for electrically connecting a plurality of contacts and a flexible flat cable, the electrical connector assembly comprising (1) a housing including a contact holding portion in which the contacts are inserted and held; a guide portion in which the flexible flat cable is inserted and guided, to locate the flexible flat cable in the position in which the flexible flat cable is contactable with the contacts; and a concave portion formed to be recessed with respect to the guide portion, and (2) a housing lock to be freely rotatably engaged in the housing, the housing lock including a pressing portion to press the flexible flat cable for the holding in such a manner that the flexible flat cable as was inserted into the guide portion can be bent along the concave portion by a turning of the housing lock with respect to the housing, whereby the turning of the housing lock after the flexible flat cable is inserted and guided into the guide portion permits the contacts and the flexible flat cable to be electrically connected and also permits the flexible flat cable to be fixed in position.
With this construction, the combination of the housing having the concave portion and the housing lock to freely rotatably engage in the concave portion of the housing permits the flexible flat cable to be held in a bending manner. This can permit the contacts and the flexible flat cable to be kept in their connected and held state even when used in an environment subjected to vibration and external force.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent upon a reading of the following detailed specification with reference to the accompanying drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5839916 (1998-11-01), Chishima
patent: 5904586 (1999-05-01), Takayasu
patent: 6056572 (2000-05-01), Matsumoto et al.
patent: 6116947 (2000-09-01), Takayasu
patent: 6171137 (2001-01-01), Hatakeyama
patent: 6428345 (2002-08-01), Sawayanagi et al.
patent: 6454594 (2002-09-01), Sawayanagi
patent: 6471541 (2002-10-01), Kunishi et al.
patent: 79 05 611 (1980-11-01), None
European Search Report, 3 pages, Aug. 27, 2002 EP 02 29 1036.

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