Electrical connectors – Coupling part with actuating means urging contact to move... – Having open slot for receiving preformed panel circuit...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-18
2001-03-13
Abrams, Neil (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
Coupling part with actuating means urging contact to move...
Having open slot for receiving preformed panel circuit...
Reexamination Certificate
active
06200150
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is related to a connector, and more particular to a connector structure having high connecting performance with a flat cable to improve signal transmission.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A conventional connector
11
includes a clamp-type socket as a connecting member with a flat cable
12
, as shown in FIG.
1
. The clamp-type socket
101
includes two rows of elastic metal strips
102
arranged on inner surfaces thereof in a manner corresponding to a plurality of pins
103
of the flat cable
12
, respectively, so as to permit mechanical and electric connection between the elastic metal strips
102
and the pins
103
after the flat cable
12
is inserted into the connector
11
. Thereby, the connector can transmit a signal from an element connected therewith to another element connected with the flat cable. For example, the connector
11
can obtain power from a power supply
13
through wires (not shown), and transmit the power to a circuit board
14
through the combination of the metal strips
102
and the pins
103
.
It is apparent, however, that in the conventional connector
11
, the metal strips
102
clamp and secure the pins
103
therein only by elastic force of themselves. Consequently, the mechanical connection between the elastic metal strips
102
and the pins
103
is likely to be released owing to the weakening of the elastic force of the metal strips
102
so as to result in poor electric connection between the power supply
13
and the circuit board
14
. The elastic force can be weakened for many reasons, such as natural decay or frequent plugged and unplugged operations.
Another kind of signal transmission is conducted by conductive layers as shown in
FIG. 2
rather than the metal strips and wires as mentioned above. In
FIG. 2
, two conductive pieces
201
and
202
having therebetween an insulating layer
203
are connected to a power supply (not shown) by one end and to a connector
21
by another end. The two conductive pieces
201
and
202
are connected to two plates
211
and
212
of the connector
21
, respectively, and the relative position of the two plates
211
and
212
are flexibly adjusted by a spring element
213
. When a flat cable
22
of a circuit board
24
is inserted into the connector
21
from the entrance between the two plates
211
and
212
by a bare metal end
221
thereof, the spring element
213
props open the entrance to allow the flat cable
22
to enter the connector
21
, and the flat cable
22
is able to be clamped between the two conductive pieces
201
and
202
by the elastic force of the spring element
213
. Accordingly, power can be transmitted from the power supply to the circuit board. Such power transmission means has an advantage of eliminating the induction effect of wires. In other words, power can be transmitted in a condition of almost no induction so that a voltage drop (&Dgr;V=L(di/dt)) resulting from an instantaneous high current owing to a power-on or wake-up operation will not occur, and thus the quality of power supplying can be maintained. Such means is especially preferably applied to an electronic circuit of low voltage, e.g. a microprocessor of 3.3 volts or less.
The power transmission means as mentioned above, however, maintains the clamp relationship between the conductive pieces and the flat cable only by elastic force of the spring element. Therefore, the close contact between the conductive pieces and the flat cable is subject to change with the weakening of the elastic force of the spring element. Also, the elastic force can be weakened for many reasons, such as natural decay or frequent plugged and unplugged operations.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a connector allowed to be in good mechanical connection with a flat cable.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a connector for improving electric connection between a flat cable and wires or conductive pieces.
The present invention is related to a connector for connecting a first device with a second device through a combination thereof with a flat cable of the second device. The connector includes a connecting head for receiving the flat cable therefrom; and an auxiliary device, located outside the connecting head for being exerted thereon a first directional force to clamp the flat cable in the connecting head, and a second directional force to release the flat cable from the connecting head.
Preferably, the auxiliary device includes a pillar element movably located on the connecting head; and a draw bar connected to the pillar element for being exerted thereon the first directional force to make a surface of the pillar element depress and sustain against the connecting head, and being exerted thereon the second directional force to make the surface of the pillar element rise and become away from the connecting head.
The draw bar preferably further includes a shaft penetrating through the pillar element; and a handle being a bent portion from a first end of the shaft outside the pillar element, and exerted thereon the first and the second directional forces to pivotally rotating the pillar element via the shaft.
In an embodiment, when the connector is assembled, the pillar element is located above the connecting head, and the auxiliary device further includes a base located below the connecting head and combined with the pillar element to clamp the connecting head therebetween.
For achieving this purpose, the base may include a base plate; a first post protruding from a first side of the base plate, and having a through hole for being inserted therethrough the shaft at a second end; and a second post protruding from a second side of the base plate, and having a hooked trench for being inserted therefrom and receiving therein the shaft at the first end. On the other hand, the connecting head may include a lower plate coupled to the first and the second posts by respective two sides thereof to be placed between the base plate and the pillar element; an upper plate engaged with the lower plate, and coupled to the first and the second posts by respective two sides thereof to be placed between the base plate and the pillar element; and an elastic element mounted between the upper and lower plates to adjustably engage the upper plate with the lower plate.
Preferably, the elastic element includes two springs arranged between the upper and lower plates at the two sides of the upper and lower plates to be coupled to the first and the second posts, respectively.
For transmitting signals between the first and the second devices, the connecting head may include two rows of elastic metal strips electrically connected to the first device through wires, and arranged on opposite surfaces of the upper and the lower plates, respectively. Accordingly, when the flat cable is inserted into the connecting head, the flat cable will be clamped between the two rows of elastic metal strips so as to allow signals to be transmitted between the first and the second devices.
Alternatively, the connecting head may be connected to the first device through two conductive pieces coupled to the upper and the lower plates, respectively, so that the flat cable is clamped between the two conductive pieces to transmit signals between the first and the second devices when the flat cable is inserted into the connecting head.
On the other hand, the auxiliary device preferably further includes a force-dispersion plate coupled to the first and the second posts by respective two sides thereof, and arranged between the upper plate and the pillar element to assure of an even depression force transmitted from the pillar element to the upper plate when the first directional force is exerted.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3114587 (1963-12-01), Herrmann
patent: 5402316 (1995-03-01), Volz et al.
patent: 5904586 (1999-05-01), Takayasu
Abrams Neil
Delta Electronics , Inc.
Nasri Javaid
LandOfFree
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