Flexible printed circuit connector

Details Flexible printed circuit connector Flexible printed circuit connector

2000-12-26

2001-11-20

Patel, Tulsidas (Department: 2839)

Electrical connectors

Including or for use with tape cable

With mating connection region formed by bared cable

C439S260000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06319052

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to an electrical connector and, more particularly, to a zero insertion force electrical connector for terminating a flexible printed circuit or the like.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A wide variety of flexible printed circuit (FPC) connectors are presently used in different environments. These FPC connectors conventionally have a housing mounting a plurality of terminals in a generally parallel array spaced along an elongated hollow portion thereof for receiving an end of a flexible printed circuit (FPC). Typically, the connector uses an actuator to press the FPC against the terminals.
The actuator of the FPC connector typically is movable between a first temporary position allowing free insertion of the FPC into the elongated cavity in the housing, and a second position wherein a pressure plate of the actuator biases the FPC against the terminals. Furthermore, the first temporary position usually is unstable and insecure, and inconvenient for manually manipulating the FPC connector.
One of the ever-increasing problems with FPC connectors of the character described above involves manually manipulating the housing, the actuator and the FPC to terminate the FPC. Simply put, there are three components that must be manipulated, and the operator has only two hands. In other words, to carry out a termination operation, the operator must hold the connector with one hand and insert and hold the FPC with the other hand while using one or both of the hands to move the actuator while the FPC is still held in the hollow portion of the housing. Quite often, the FPC moves or shifts while the actuator is being moved, resulting in an inadequate or defective termination. It can be understood that this problem is magnified as the connectors become longer to accommodate more terminals.
Hence, an improved FPC connector is needed to overcome the above-mentioned deficiencies of current FPC connectors.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved flexible printed circuit (FPC) connector which has an actuator preliminarily mounted on a housing for facilitating manipulation or insertion of a flexible printed circuit (FPC).
An FPC connector of the present invention comprises a substantially rectangular housing, a plurality of terminals received in the housing, an actuator and a pair of solder pads mounted on two sides of the housing for soldering the FPC connector to a circuit board.
The housing includes a front wall with a cavity exposed therein for receiving an end of the FPC, a top wall, a bottom wall, a rear wall and a pair of sidewalls opposite to each other. Each sidewall forms a first and a second bosses near the rear wall and defines a cutout between the first and second bosses.
The actuator comprises a main body with a pair of manual portions and a pair of locking arms formed at opposite sides of the main body for engaging the actuator with the housing. An elongated pressure plate extends rearward from the main body between the locking arms for biasing the FPC against the terminals. Each locking arm forms an upper protrusion on a top face thereof for securing the actuator to the housing at a first position, and a lateral protrusion at an inner side thereof for latching the first boss of the housing at the first position.
Each solder pad comprises a front part, a rear arm offset and spaced a distance apart from the front part, and a base connecting the front part with the rear arm for soldering to a circuit board.
When the FPC is inserted into the FPC connector, the actuator is at the first position. At the first position the actuator is preliminarily mounted on the housing with the upper protrusions being clamped by the front parts of the solder pads, and the lateral protrusions latching the first bosses of the housing. After the FPC is fully inserted into the FPC connector, the actuator is moved to a second position. In the second position, the actuator biases the FPC against the terminals while the front parts of the solder pad clamp the locking arms of the actuator, and the lateral protrusions of the actuator latch the rear wall of the housing. Thus, the FPC is secured.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 6015310 (2000-01-01), Tojo
patent: 6089904 (2000-07-01), Wu

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