Electrical connector with improved actuator

Details Electrical connector with improved actuator Electrical connector with improved actuator

2001-03-20

2001-11-20

Patel, Tulsidas (Department: 2839)

Electrical connectors

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

Having open slot for receiving preformed panel circuit...

C439S495000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06319033

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a flexible printed circuit (FPC) connector, and particularly to an FPC connector having an improved actuator permitting insertion of an FPC to the FPC connector by Zero Insertion Force and firm securement of the FPC to the FPC connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,401,186, 5,474,468 and 5,695,359 each disclose a flexible printed circuit (FPC) connector for electrically connecting an FPC to a printed circuit board (PCB). The FPC connector includes an insulative housing mounted on the PCB and a plurality of contacts received in cavities of the housing. The housing defines a mating port communicating the cavities for receiving an end of the FPC so that conductive trails of the FPC may electrically connect the contacts. Furthermore, the connector includes an actuator near the mating port. The actuator has two engaging arms near two opposite ends thereof which pivotably engage with the housing such that the actuator is upwardly and downwardly movable to lock the FPC to the connector.
Usually, to facilitate assembling the actuator to the housing, the engaging arms of the actuator are elastic. The elasticity of the engaging arms, however, weakens the securement of the engagement of the engaging arms with the housing. In other words, the engaging arms of the actuator of the conventional connector are likely to disengage from the housing, which may result in disengagement of the FPC from the conventional connector.Hence, an improved electrical connector is required to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector having an improved actuator permitting insertion of an FPC to the FPC connector by Zero Insertion Force and firm securement of the FPC to the FPC connector.
To realize the above object, a flexible printed circuit connector includes an insulative housing defining a chamber, a number of contacts received in the housing and partially extending into the chamber and an actuator pivotably assembled to the housing for accommodating a flexible printed circuit (FPC) by Zero Insertion Force and retaining the FPC in the chamber.
The housing has a top wall, a bottom wall, two opposite side walls and the chamber is defined between the top wall, the bottom wall and the side walls. The chamber includes a mating port at a front section thereof which is defined between the bottom wall, the actuator and the two side walls for insertion of the FPC into the chamber. The side walls each define a guiding slot near the mating port for slidably engaging with a corresponding engaging arm of the actuator. The guiding slot has an upper segment and a lower segment separated by a rib. Each engaging arm has a pivot slidably received in the guiding slot of the housing to be located either in the upper segment of the guiding slot in which the FPC is insertable into the chamber by Zero Insertion Force or in the lower segment of the guiding slot in which the FPC is firmly secured in the chamber by the actuator.
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: 5695359 (1997-12-01), Fujikura et al.
patent: 5842883 (1998-12-01), Igarashi et al.
patent: 6089905 (2000-07-01), Shimmyo et al.
patent: 6203345 (2001-03-01), Roque et al.

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