Electrical connectors – Contact comprising cutter – Insulation cutter
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-20
2003-05-20
Bradley, P. Austin (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Contact comprising cutter
Insulation cutter
C439S442000, C439S877000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06565376
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a terminal for a flat cable which is excellent in electrical connectability, and can achieve an enhanced efficiency of a connecting operation.
The present application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-41500, which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various flat cable terminals have heretofore been proposed.
FIGS. 5 and 6
show one such terminal disclosed, for example, in Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei. 10-275642. This flat cable terminal
51
is formed by bending a single metal sheet, and includes a male terminal portion
52
, formed at one end of a base
53
a
of a strip-like shape, a bottom plate portion
53
, formed at the other longitudinal end portion of the base
53
a
so as to support a flat cable
40
thereon, and a plurality of barrels
54
which extend from opposite side edges of the bottom plate portion
53
in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of the length of the base
53
a,
and can be curved inwardly into a substantially-cylindrical shape so that these barrels
54
can press the flat cable
40
against the bottom plate portion
53
by their outer peripheral surfaces.
In this terminal
51
, recesses
55
are formed respectively in those portions of the bottom plate portion
53
corresponding respectively to the barrels
54
, and are recessed in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of the length of the base
53
a
as shown in
FIG. 6
, each of the recesses
55
having substantially the same curvature as that of the distal end portion of the curved barrel
54
. Thanks to the provision of these recesses
55
, the barrels
54
, pressed against the flat cable
40
, are kept retained respectively in the recesses
55
even when an external tensile load acts on the flat cable
40
in the longitudinal direction, and therefore the cable
40
is prevented from being disengaged from the terminal
51
. And besides, each recess
55
serves to increase the area of contact between the outer peripheral surface of the barrel
54
and the cable
40
, thereby enhancing the reliability of the electrical connection.
The flat cable
40
has a plurality of juxtaposed elongate conductors
41
(serving as circuit members) formed on a base sheet
42
which is comprised of, for example, an insulative resin film. For connecting the terminal
51
to the flat cable
40
, a distal end portion of the flat cable
40
to be connected to the terminals
51
is processed into juxtaposed rectangular sections by cutting off those portions of the base sheet
42
each disposed between the adjacent conductors
41
. Then, the distal end portion of the cable, thus divided into the sections each having the conductor
41
formed thereon, is placed on the bottom plate portions
43
of the terminals
51
, and in this condition the barrels
54
of each terminal are pressed to be deformed, thereby achieving the above connection. The flat cable
40
is pressed and held between each recess portion
55
, formed in the bottom plate portion
53
, and the outer peripheral surface of the corresponding barrel
54
, and therefore is electrically and mechanically connected to the terminal
51
.
In the above conventional flat cable terminal
51
, however, it is necessary to strictly control the curved shape and height of the barrels
54
in order that the contacted condition of the barrels
54
can always be made stable so as to achieve the good press-contact thereof with the flat cable
40
even when the conductor
41
and the base sheet
42
are changed in thickness. However, it has been difficult to strictly control the curved shape and height of the barrels
54
. Therefore, there was encountered a problem that the mechanical and electrical connection of the barrel to the cable
40
was weak, or was too strong, so that the cable was disengaged and damaged.
And besides, for connecting the terminals
51
to the distal end portion of the flat cable
40
, this distal end portion must be processed into the juxtaposed rectangular sections, and this invited a problem that the efficiency of the connecting operation was low.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made under the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a flat cable terminal which can always achieve a stable mechanical and electrical connection with a predetermined contact load, and can achieve an enhanced efficiency of a connecting operation.
To achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a terminal which comprises a bottom plate portion onto which a flat cable is attachable, at least one barrel formed on the bottom plate portion, and at least one resilient piece portion resiliently deformable on the bottom plate portion, wherein the bottom plate portion is partially cut to form the at least one resilient piece portion, wherein the at least one resilient piece portion is upwardly raised relative to the bottom plate portion, and wherein the at least one barrel pierces a base sheet of the flat cable in a thickness direction thereof, and is so folded that a conductor formed on the base sheet of the flat cable is pressed and held between the at least one barrel and the at least one resilient piece portion.
The flat cable is placed on the bottom plate portion, with the conductor of the flat cable opposed to the bottom plate portion. Then, when the flat cable is pressed toward the bottom plate portion, the barrel pierces the base sheet of the flat cable in the thickness direction thereof, and projects from the rear surface of the flat cable. Then, when the barrel is bent and folded inwardly relative to the bottom plate portion, the flat cable is resiliently held between the barrel and the corresponding resilient piece portion.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that a fine projection is formed on the at least one resilient piece portion in order to firmly press against the conductor of the flat cable. Accordingly, the terminal can be positively electrically connected to the conductor even if the bent barrel is not always held in substantially parallel relation to the bottom plate portion.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that a distal end of the at least one barrel is chamfered so as to facilitate penetration of the at least one barrel relative to the base sheet of the flat cable. That is, the barrel can easily pierce the base sheet of the flat cable.
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the at least one barrel has a substantially parabolic shape, so that the at least one barrel can more easily pierce the base sheet of the flat cable.
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the flat cable is held between the at least one barrel and the at least one resilient piece portion, so that the at least one resilient piece portion is electrically connected to the conductor of the flat cable.
According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the conductor of the flat cable may be arranged along a longitudinal direction of the bottom plate portion.
According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the at least one resilient piece portion is disposed correspondingly to the at least one barrel.
According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, a proximal end of the at least one resilient piece portion may be located adjacent to a proximal end of the at least one barrel.
According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the at least one resilient piece portion is formed on the bottom plate portion in a cantilever manner.
According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, the terminal may further comprises a terminal body, and a terminal portion formed at a first end portion of the terminal body, wherein the bottom plate portion is formed at a second end po
Bradley P. Austin
Gushi Ross
Yazaki -Corporation
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