Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-09
2001-10-02
Gandhi, Jayprakash N. (Department: 2841)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C361S749000, C361S784000, C361S785000, C361S807000, C439S493000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06297968
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mounting structure for mounting a flexible printed circuit board (hereinafter referred to simply as “FPC”) which performs the transfer of signals to a recording head in a recording/reproducing apparatus using a recording/reproducing disk such as a floppy disk or a hard disk, as well as a recording/reproducing apparatus using the mounting structure.
2. Description of the Related Art
A recording/reproducing apparatus (hereinafter referred to simply as “apparatus”) using a conventional flexible printed circuit board (“FPC” hereinafter) will be described below in connection with an example of a magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus. The conventional apparatus, is partially illustrated in
FIG. 8
, which shows a carriage
8
that can reciprocate in arrow A directions.
The carriage
8
is provided with a head mount
8
a
at a lower position and a pivotable head supporting arm
11
at an upper position. A pair of magnetic heads as recording heads (not shown) are mounted respectively to tip ends of the head mount
8
a
and the head supporting arm
11
in an opposed relation to each other.
The paired recording heads are brought into elastic contact respectively with the upper and lower sides of a recording disk such as a floppy disk (not shown). The recording disk is rotated at a high speed while the carriage
8
is allowed to reciprocate in the arrow A directions, whereby information can be recorded, reproduced, or erased, with respect to the upper and lower sides of the recording disk.
In an apparatus of this type, one end of each of the FPCs
21
and
22
is connected to one of a pair of recording heads (not shown), while the opposite ends thereof are connected through an FPC holder
23
to circuit patterns
25
b
formed on a printed circuit board
25
(as shown in FIG.
9
).
In the conventional mounting structure for mounting the conventional FPCs
21
and
22
, the FPCs
21
and
22
that are connected to the paired recording heads extend outwardly from the exterior of the carriage
8
and are attached to the FPC holder
23
.
The FPCs
21
and
22
are, respectively, each provided on an end in its place thereof with terminals-formed portions
21
b
and
22
b
, on which are formed terminals
21
a
and
22
a
in an exposed state. Using a double-coated adhesive tape, the terminals-formed portions
21
b
and
22
b
are affixed, respectively, to FPC mounting portions
23
a
and
23
b
which are integral with the FPC holder
23
. The FPC holder is formed in a general U shape.
The FPC holder
23
, with the two FPCs
21
and
22
affixed thereto, is inserted through an aperture
24
a
formed in a chassis
24
. The lower end portions
23
c
of the FPC holder
23
are inserted into mounting apertures
25
a
formed in the printed circuit board
25
.
The terminals
21
a
and
22
a
of the FPCs
21
and
22
, respectively and the circuit patterns
25
b
on the printed circuit board
25
are rendered conductive with each other electrically by solder
26
.
In a recording/reproducing apparatus using such an FPC mounting structure, wherein the FPCs
21
and
22
are mounted to the printed circuit board
25
through the FPC holder
23
, the FPCs
21
and
22
are not likely to fall down nor is there any fear that the terminals mounted on the printed circuit board
25
may become non-conductive, even if the carriage
8
is reciprocated in the arrow A directions at high speed, thus ensuring high reliability.
However, in the above conventional mounting structure for the FPCs
21
and
22
, since the FPCs
21
and
22
are mounted to the FPC mounting portions
23
a
and
23
b
, which are integral with a single FPC holder
23
, if there arises the necessity of repairing one of the paired recording heads due to failure thereof it has been impossible to remove the FPCs
21
and
22
the FPC holder
23
from the printed circuit board
25
unless the solders
26
of both FPCs are removed. Consequently, repairing the apparatus is difficult and time consuming (i.e., the repair efficiency is low).
In addition there often occurs wobbling in the FPC holder at the time of soldering the FPCs
21
and
22
to the printed circuit board
25
. The terminals
21
a
and
22
a
on the FPCs
21
and
22
may be displaced from the circuit patterns
25
b
on the printed circuit board
25
, which may result in one or both of the FPCs
21
and
22
being soldered in an unsatisfactory state.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to solve the above-mentioned problems and provide an FPC mounting structure which permits work, including repair work, to be done easily, as well as a recording/reproducing apparatus using an improved mounting structure.
According to a first embodiment adopted by the present invention for solving the foregoing problems there is provided a mounting structure for mounting a flexible printed circuit board. The mounting structure comprises a flexible printed circuit board which has a terminals-formed portion on one side thereof with terminals being formed thereon in an exposed state, an FPC holder with the terminals-formed portion of the printed circuit board attached thereto, a printed circuit board having a mounting hole for mounting the terminals, and a chassis disposed above the printed circuit board. The chassis has a guide hole for guiding the terminals attached to the FPC holder into the mounting hole, wherein an inner surface of the guide hole is partially cut and raised to form a support projection. A holding portion which permits the support projection to be fitted therein is formed on the FPC holder. The FPC holder with the terminals-formed portion attached thereto is inserted into the guide hole formed in the chassis, and the holding portion of the FPC holder is fitted on the support projection, thereby allowing the FPC holder to be supported by the chassis and allowing the terminals and circuit patterns formed on the printed circuit board to be rendered conductive with each other.
According to a second embodiment adopted by the present invention for solving the foregoing problems, a retaining portion is provided in the FPC holder to fix the FPC holder to the mounting hole formed in the printed circuit board or to the guide hole formed in the chassis in a dislodgment preventing manner.
According to a third embodiment adopted by the present invention for solving the foregoing problems, a plural number of the FPC holders are disposed, a corresponding number of the guide holes to the plural number of the FPC holders are formed in an adjacent relation to each other, and the support projections in the adjacent guide holes are formed displacedly from each other so that extension lines of the support projections before being cut and raised do not overlap each other.
According to a fourth embodiment adopted by the present invention for solving the foregoing problems there is provided a recording/reproducing apparatus using the above flexible printed circuit board mounting structure.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5305167 (1994-04-01), Nagase et al.
patent: 5694272 (1997-12-01), Bang
patent: 5838519 (1998-11-01), Takizawa et al.
patent: 6146189 (2000-11-01), Nomura et al.
Alps Electric Co. ,Ltd.
Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione
Gandhi Jayprakash N.
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