Electrical connectors – Including or for use with tape cable – With mating connection region formed by bared cable
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-27
2002-04-16
Bradley, P. Austin (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Including or for use with tape cable
With mating connection region formed by bared cable
C439S067000, C439S495000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06371797
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a connector device for use in connecting a sheet-like connecting member such as a flexible printed circuit (FPC) and a flexible flat cable (FFC) of a flat plate shape. The connector device is usable to connect a key board and a mother board in a personal computer to each other.
With reference to
FIGS. 5 and 6
, a description will be made as regards a connector according to a first earlier technology. The connector comprises an insulator
101
, a conductive contact
103
held in the insulator
101
, and a slidably arranged slider member
105
which introduces an end of a sheet-like connecting member
120
into the insulator
101
and brings the connecting member
120
into contact with the contact
103
.
The slider member
105
has a working portion
107
. The insulator
101
has a receiving space
101
a
which receives an end of the connecting member
120
and the working portion
107
. The contact
103
comprises a fixed portion
103
a
held in the insulator
101
, a retaining portion
103
b
extending from the fixed portion
103
a
along the upper wall of the insulator
101
, a contact spring
103
c
extending from the fixed portion
103
a
in the same direction as retaining portion
103
b
, and a terminal
103
d
extending from the fixed portion
103
a
to the outside of the insulator
101
mounted onto a circuit board
130
. The terminal
103
d
Is connected to an electric circuit on the circuit board
130
. A contact portion
103
g
is formed at an end of the contact spring
103
f
.
As shown in
FIG. 5
, the working portion
107
of the slider member
105
is inserted between the retaining portion
103
b
and the contact spring
103
c
together with the connecting member
120
. When the end of the inserted connecting member
120
bears on the working portion
107
, the contact portion
103
f
of the contact spring
103
c
is pressed against the conductive portion of the connecting member
120
to make electric contact with it.
The connecting member
120
can be pulled out of the insulator
101
by withdrawing the slider member
105
from the receiving space
101
a
of the insulator
101
, thereby relieving the pressing force of the working portion
107
, as shown in
FIG. 6
(see, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication H10-22010).
However, the connector requires handling of the slider member
105
every time the connecting member
120
is inserted and pulled out. Also, it has a problem that the flexible conductive portions of the connecting member
120
can be damaged by repeated inserting and pulling out of the connection member, leading to a deteriorated electric contact. This especially applies to a contact processed by press punching, since the rupture surface by punching which in this case serves as the contact surface will easily damage the conductive portions.
With reference to
FIG. 7
, a second earlier technology will be described. The second earlier technology comprises a plug connector
150
and a receptacle connector
160
. The plug connector
150
is connected by soldering to an end of a connecting member
120
which is the same as the connecting member
120
shown as the first earlier technology. The plug connector
150
comprises an insulator
151
and a conductive contact assembled with the insulator
151
. In the illustrated example, contact portions of the contact are arranged at a fitting portion
151
a
of the insulator
151
, terminals
155
of the contact being soldered to conductive portions of the connecting member
120
.
The receptacle connector
160
is mounted onto a circuit board which is not shown. The receptacle connector
160
comprises a mating insulator
161
and a conductive mating contact
163
assembled with the mating insulator
161
. In the illustrated example, mating terminals
164
of the mating contact
163
are soldered to conductive portions of a circuit board which are not shown.
The plug connector has a problem that it requires much man-hour in connecting operation, since the terminals
155
have to be soldered to the conductive portions of the connection member
120
. Further, it has problem that pulling out of the plug connector from the receptacle connector
160
by hand severely stresses the terminals
155
of the plug connector
150
, giving rise to a damage in the connecting portions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a connector device which has an increased reliability and improved operation properties.
Other objects of the present invention will become clear as the description proceeds.
According to the present invention, there is provided a connector device for use in connecting a connecting member which is of a flat plate shape and has an end portion provided with a conductive portion. The connector device comprises a receptacle connector including a receptacle-side contact and a plug connector removably coupled to the receptacle connector by fitting therebetween for electrically connecting the connecting member with the receptacle connector. The plug connector comprises an insulator defining a receiving space for receiving the end portion of the connecting member, a conductive contact held in the insulator and formed to become in contact with the receptacle-side contact when the plug connector is coupled to the receptacle connector, and a slider member slidably inserted in the receiving space to make the conductive portion be brought in contact with the conductive contact in the receiving space.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4449773 (1984-05-01), Esser et al.
patent: 5620329 (1997-04-01), Kidd et al.
patent: 5906504 (1999-05-01), Igarashi et al.
patent: 6000950 (1999-12-01), Kajinuma
patent: 10-22010 (1998-01-01), None
patent: 10-277416 (1998-09-01), None
Kikuchi Masayuki
Tamada Tomohiko
Bradley P. Austin
Japan Aviation Electronics Industry Limited
McCamey Ann
Michael Best & Friedrich LLC
Whitesel J. Warren
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