Electrical connector for flexible flat cable

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

1999-11-29

2001-05-29

Paumen, Gary F. (Department: 2833)

Electrical connectors

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

Having open slot for receiving preformed panel circuit...

C439S607070, C439S497000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06238227

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and particularly to an electrical connector for a flexible flat cable having a stuffer with latching members formed thereon for guiding and locking the stuffer into a dielectric housing of the connector.
An electrical connector for a flexible flat cable, i.e. an FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit) connector, includes a dielectric housing with a plurality of terminals received therein. The housing has an elongate slot for receiving the flexible flat cable. An actuator is movably mounted on the housing for retaining the inserted cable in position and for biasing signal conductors of the cable against the terminals. There are various types of actuators, such as actuators pivotally mounted on the housing by an integral hinge portion of plastic material. Other actuators are separate or independent of the housing, such as a sliding type actuator that moves in and out of the slot in the housing along the flat cable. Pertinent prior art references are disclosed in Taiwan Patent Application Nos. 84218005, 85210257 and 83208118.
In the conventional sliding type actuator design, hook-like latches are provided for securing the actuator to the housing. Referring to
FIG. 6
, a conventional electrical connector for a flexible flat cable (not shown) comprises a dielectric housing
61
, a plurality of terminals
62
received in the housing
61
, and an actuator
63
. The housing
61
defines an elongate slot
611
for receiving the flexible flat cable. A pair of receiving holes
612
are defined in opposite ends of the housing
61
in communication with a pair of locking holes
613
defined in opposite sides of the housing
61
. The actuator
63
comprises a pair of forwardly extending latches
631
for being inserted into the receiving holes
612
. Each latch
631
has a hook
632
perpendicularly and outwardly extending from a free end thereof for engaging with the locking hole
613
thereby biasing the inserted cable in contact with the terminals
62
retained in the housing
61
. However, due to the miniaturization of the electrical connectors, the mechanical strength of the hook-like latches is marginal and thus the latches may break easily during assembly. Furthermore, such conventional latches also require that a great force be applied to mount the actuator to the housing, and this increases the time required for the assembly process.
The present invention is directed at solving these problems by providing an electrical connector for a flexible flat cable having a stuffer with latching members formed thereon which facilitate assembly and have increased strength.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector for a flexible flat cable having a stuffer with latching members formed thereon for facilitating assembly to a housing thereof thereby increasing assembly efficiency.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector for a flexible flat cable having a stuffer with increased strength for preventing the stuffer from breaking thereby ensuring a reliable connection with the inserted flexible flat cable.
To fulfill the above-mentioned objects, an electrical connector for a flexible flat cable comprises a dielectric housing defining an elongate slot, a plurality of terminals retained in the housing, a shield enclosing the housing, and a stuffer received in the elongate slot of the housing. The housing has a pair of receiving cavities defined on opposite ends of the elongate slot. Each terminal has a tail portion including upper and lower fingers for connecting with signal conductors of the inserted cable. The shield comprises a pressing plate connecting with a bottom wall thereof via a pair of linkers and parallel to the bottom wall. The pressing plate extends into the elongate slot of the housing for biasing the flexible flat cable in contact with the terminals retained in the housing.
The stuffer comprises a body and a pair of spring latch arms formed on opposite ends thereof. A latching member is formed on an outer surface of each latch arm for guiding and locking the stuffer into the housing. The latching member includes a lead-in ramp outwardly projecting from the latch arm, a locking section defined at a rear end of the lead-in ramp, and a guiding rib extending rearward from an upper edge of the lead-in ramp. The lead-in ramp and the guiding rib sequentially guide the latch arm into a corresponding receiving cavity of the housing thereby facilitating assembly of the stuffer to the housing. The locking section snaps over a locking member formed on an inner side surface of the receiving cavity thereby engaging the stuffer with the housing. The latching members have certain minimum dimensions further designed to ensure the strength of the latch arm thereby preventing the latch arm from breaking.
The stuffer is first assembled to the shield. The stuffer-shield subassembly is then engaged with the housing in a first, loading position. After the flexible flat cable is inserted into a gap defined between the pressing plate of the shield and the upper fingers of the terminals retained in the housing, the stuffer is further pushed inward to a final, terminating position. In the final, terminating position, the stuffer presses against the pressing plate of the shield to force the pressing plate into contact with grounding conductors of the inserted cable thereby forcing the upper fingers of the tail portions of the terminals into contact with signal conductors of the cable.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5370552 (1994-12-01), Chishima et al.
patent: 5401186 (1995-03-01), Nozaki et al.
patent: 5474468 (1995-12-01), Chishima et al.
patent: 5580272 (1996-12-01), Yamaguchi et al.
patent: 5738545 (1998-04-01), Igarashi et al.

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