Electrical connectors – Including or for use with tape cable – With mating connection region formed by bared cable
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-02
2004-06-01
Prasad, Chandrika (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
Including or for use with tape cable
With mating connection region formed by bared cable
C439S492000, C439S497000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06743045
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a flexible connector for connecting two connection objects such as printed circuit boards to each other and, in particular, to a flexible connector having a flexible portion or part between the connection objects.
Various flexible connections have been disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Registration (JP-Y2) No. 2511926 and Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication (JP-U) No. H05-65066.
With reference to
FIG. 1A
at first, an example of the flexible connections will be described. To provide flexible connection between a first printed circuit board
21
and a second printed circuit board
22
, a flexible printed circuit (hereinafter referred to as “FPC”) member
23
is interposed between the printed circuit boards
21
and
22
. At this point, FPC connectors
24
and
25
are mounted on the printed circuit boards
21
,
22
, respectively. One end of the FPC
23
is connected to the FPC connector
24
and the other end of the FPC
23
is connected to the FPC connector
25
.
In the flexible connector, when the FPC connectors
24
,
25
are of zero-insertion-force type (hereinafter referred to as “ZIF type”), members such as sliders for the fitting/removing operation of the connectors are required and the operation of such members such as sliders is complex. When the FPC connectors
24
,
25
are of Non-ZIF type, such members such as sliders and its operation are not required, but the fitting portions of the FPC
23
with the FPC connectors
24
,
25
are easy,to be broken during the fitting/removing operation. Further, the FPC
23
should be manufactured as a separate part, thus increasing the cost. Moreover, since the FPC
23
and the FPC connectors
24
,
25
are normally manufactured by different manufacturers, it is difficult to provide assurance for the electrical performance (for example, impedance matching).
With reference to
FIG. 1B
, another example of such a flexible connector will be described. To provide flexible connection between a first printed circuit board
21
and a second printed circuit board
22
, a FPC
23
and two FPC relay connectors
26
,
27
are interposed between the printed circuits
21
and
22
. At this point, plug or receptacle connectors
28
,
29
are mounted on the printed do circuit boards
21
,
22
, respectively. One end of the FPC
23
is connected to the plug connectors or receptacle connector
28
via the FPC relay connector
26
and the other end of the FPC
23
is connected to the plug or receptacle connector
29
via the FPC relay connector
27
.
With the flexible connector, since the number of contact points is large, the possibility of malfunction and deterioration of transmission characteristics is high. The number of parts is large, thus increasing the cost. The FPC
23
should be manufactured as a separate part, thus further increasing the cost. Moreover, since the FPC
23
, the FPC relay connectors
26
,
27
, and the plug or receptacle connectors
28
,
29
are normally manufactured by different manufacturers, it is difficult to provide assurance for the electrical performance.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a flexible connector integrally having a transmission line, which has a reduced number of parts, does not require complex operation, and has reduced cost, and easily allows assurance for the electrical performance.
Other objects of the present invention will become clear as the description proceeds.
A flexible connector to which the present invention is applicable has a fitting portion for being connected with a counterpart connector. The flexible connector comprises a plurality of flexible conductive wires arranged on a plane in parallel to each other and extending in a predetermined direction to have end portions, a flexible reinforcing member placed at one side of the plane to reinforce the flexible conductive wires, an insulator holding the flexible conductive wires to make the fitting portion in cooperation with the end portions of the flexible conductive wires, and coupling means connected to the insulator and the flexible reinforcing member for mechanically coupling the insulator to the flexible reinforcing member.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3728661 (1973-04-01), Kassabgi
patent: 4812135 (1989-03-01), Smith
patent: 5037314 (1991-08-01), Bricaud et al.
patent: 5408050 (1995-04-01), Kashio et al.
patent: 6062900 (2000-05-01), Juntwait
patent: 6066000 (2000-05-01), Masumoto et al.
patent: 6302705 (2001-10-01), Yatskov et al.
patent: 0 476 355 (1992-03-01), None
patent: 5-65066 (1993-08-01), None
patent: 2511926 (1996-07-01), None
N. Kato, “One-Touch Connectors Assure Improved Operability with Flexible Printed Circuits”, Journal of Electronic Engineering, vol. 31, No. 327, Mar. 1994, pp. 94-97, XP000429336, Tokyo, JP.
Endo Akihisa
Hayashi Koji
Hisatomi Kazukuni
Kato Nobukazu
Japan Aviation Electronics Industry Limited
Michael & Best & Friedrich LLP
Prasad Chandrika
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