Electrical connectors – Including or for use with tape cable – With mating connection region formed by bared cable
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-18
2002-04-30
Bradley, P. Austin (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Including or for use with tape cable
With mating connection region formed by bared cable
C439S074000, C439S329000, C439S066000, C439S862000, C439S260000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06379176
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a connector for attaching a flexible printed board to a printed circuit board. The flexible printed board is connected to electronic components such as a liquid crystal display and the like. More specifically, the present invention provides a connector having positioning and anchoring means which enable attachment of a component and a printed circuit board without having to simultaneously maintain the positions of the electronic component and the main printed circuit board.
A flexible printed board is made of a flexible connection cable and a board having a plurality of connection terminals formed on one end of the board. The flexible printed board is connected to electronic components, such as liquid crystal displays and the like, via a number of connection wires. The flexible printed board connects the electronic component and the main printed circuit board using a variety of connection terminals formed on the end part of the flexible printed board. For example, in cellular telephones, to attach a small liquid crystal display to a main printed circuit board, a flexible printed board comes out of the liquid crystal display and is inserted into a flat cable connector, which has been soldered in advance to a main printed circuit board. Next, the liquid crystal display and the main printed circuit board are connected electrically. Finally, the liquid crystal display is anchored to the main printed circuit board.
Referring to
FIG. 12
, a prior art example is shown. In the prior art, a flexible printed board
100
is made of a flexible material that can be bent without breaking. One end is anchored by soldering or the like to an electronic component (not shown), such as a small liquid crystal display and the like. A connection terminal part
101
is formed on the other end of the flexible printed board.
A flat cable connector
102
includes: a housing
103
, a contact
104
and a cover
105
. The housing
103
is a case. The contact
104
is inserted inside the housing
103
in advance. The cover
105
is attached to one side of the housing. An opening
109
is made on one side of the housing
103
. The cover
105
is inserted into the opening
109
and is freely detachable therefrom.
On one end of the contact
104
is a terminal
107
, which can be soldered to a main printed circuit board
106
. A terminal part
108
is located on the other end of contact
104
and contacts connection terminal part
101
of flexible printed board
100
inside housing
103
. As a result, main printed circuit board
106
and flexible printed board
100
are connected at contact
104
. A plurality of contacts
104
may be arranged in a row and anchored inside the housing
103
such that a terminal part
108
is positioned on an opening
109
side of the housing
103
and the terminal
107
protrudes from the side opposite the opening
109
side. Terminals
107
of contacts
104
arranged in a row and anchored inside flat cable connector
102
in this way, are soldered onto a specified position on the main printed circuit board
106
. As a result, a flat cable connector
102
is anchored to the main printed circuit board
106
.
Next, the connection terminal part
101
of flexible printed board
100
is inserted from opening
109
of flat cable connector
102
, and cover
105
is pushed inside opening
109
. The connection terminal part
101
is pressed against terminal part
108
of contact
104
by cover
105
. As a result, the connection terminal part
101
of the flexible printed board and the terminal part
108
of the contact
104
are pushed into contact and anchored and connected. Terminal
107
of contact
104
is attached to main printed circuit board
106
by soldering. As a result, flat cable connector
102
and main printed circuit board
106
become connected.
In this configuration, the top of the main printed circuit board
106
is crowded. In addition, many other components are attached at the position where the liquid crystal display (not show) is to be anchored. As a result, the prior art configuration poses problems such as a small working space and difficulty in attaching a flexible printed board
100
to a flat cable connector
102
of a main printed circuit board
106
by pushing in cover
105
.
Furthermore, inserting flexible printed board
100
into flat cable connector
102
of main printed circuit board
106
must be conducted without moving the position of the liquid crystal display (not shown). As a result, the liquid crystal display (not shown) and the main printed circuit board
106
must be handled simultaneously. This makes the connection difficult and time consuming.
OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Considering these problems, the object of the present invention is to provide a connector, wherein, connecting electronic components having flexible printed board components such as liquid crystal displays and the like to a main printed circuit board, is made easier. The attachment operation is conducted without spending a large amount of operation time.
Briefly stated, the present invention is a flat cable connector having at least one contact body. Each contact body is formed from a bent plate body and has a terminal part and a circuit board contact part. The terminal part of the contact has a u-shape for contacting a flexible circuit board. The circuit board contact part has a flexible curved end for contacting a main circuit board. A housing case is positioned around the at least one contact body and has openings on at least one side. The openings are positioned to expose part of the contact body and include an insertion hole and a contact hole. The insertion hole provides access for a connection terminal part of a main circuit board to the circuit board contact parts of the contact body. The contact hole provides access for a flexible circuit board to the terminal parts of the contact body. A moveable cover fits loosely in the insertion hole and anchors the flexible circuit board to the terminal parts of the contact body to form an electrical connection. A device on the side of the housing facing the main circuit board positions the flat cable connector with the main circuit board to enable the circuit board contact part of the contact body to make electrical contact with connection terminal parts of the main circuit board. A device on the component side of the housing positions and anchors the flat cable connector to the component.
In an embodiment of the invention, the curved end of the circuit board contact bodies have curved ends which protrude from the insertion hole and are deformed when the main circuit board is pressed against them.
In another embodiment of the invention, a flat cable connector is provided where the devices on the side of the housing used to position the flat cable connector with the main circuit board or the component is a boss designed to fit a corresponding boss hole on the main circuit board or component, respectively.
The action of the present invention is described below.
A flexible printed board is inserted into the flat cable connector through an insertion hole of a housing. When the flexible printed board is inserted a cover is pushed into the insertion hole. The cover being pushed into the insertion hole forces the flexible printed board and the terminal part of the contact to come into contact.
A positioning means provided on the housing and a positioning means provided on a main printed circuit board are joined. Once the main printed circuit board and the housing are in position, a circuit board contacting part of the contact which protrudes from the contact hole of the housing can contact the main printed circuit board at a specified position.
The positioned housing is pushed against the main printed circuit board. The circuit board contact part, which protrudes from the housing, has elastic properties. While being pressed into contact with the main printed circuit board, the circuit board contact part recedes so that it is flush with the housing. After being joined
Miyoshi Osamu
Ohsawa Fumio
Bradley P. Austin
Morrison Law Firm
Nguyen Truc
SMK Corporation
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