EP0954058A2 - Assemblage de connecteur électrique pour des circuits flexibles - Google Patents

Assemblage de connecteur électrique pour des circuits flexibles Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0954058A2
EP0954058A2 EP99106220A EP99106220A EP0954058A2 EP 0954058 A2 EP0954058 A2 EP 0954058A2 EP 99106220 A EP99106220 A EP 99106220A EP 99106220 A EP99106220 A EP 99106220A EP 0954058 A2 EP0954058 A2 EP 0954058A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
ffc
terminal
section
terminals
connector assembly
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP99106220A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP0954058A3 (fr
Inventor
Maganlal Mistry
Michael Joseph Gerard Whelan
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Whitaker LLC
Original Assignee
Whitaker LLC
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Whitaker LLC filed Critical Whitaker LLC
Publication of EP0954058A2 publication Critical patent/EP0954058A2/fr
Publication of EP0954058A3 publication Critical patent/EP0954058A3/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R12/00—Structural associations of a plurality of mutually-insulated electrical connecting elements, specially adapted for printed circuits, e.g. printed circuit boards [PCB], flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures, e.g. terminal strips, terminal blocks; Coupling devices specially adapted for printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures; Terminals specially adapted for contact with, or insertion into, printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures
    • H01R12/50—Fixed connections
    • H01R12/59—Fixed connections for flexible printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables or like structures
    • H01R12/65—Fixed connections for flexible printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables or like structures characterised by the terminal
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R12/00—Structural associations of a plurality of mutually-insulated electrical connecting elements, specially adapted for printed circuits, e.g. printed circuit boards [PCB], flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures, e.g. terminal strips, terminal blocks; Coupling devices specially adapted for printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures; Terminals specially adapted for contact with, or insertion into, printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures
    • H01R12/50—Fixed connections
    • H01R12/59—Fixed connections for flexible printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables or like structures
    • H01R12/592—Fixed connections for flexible printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables or like structures connections to contact elements
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R43/00—Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining, or repairing of line connectors or current collectors or for joining electric conductors
    • H01R43/02—Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining, or repairing of line connectors or current collectors or for joining electric conductors for soldered or welded connections
    • H01R43/0256—Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining, or repairing of line connectors or current collectors or for joining electric conductors for soldered or welded connections for soldering or welding connectors to a printed circuit board
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R43/00—Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining, or repairing of line connectors or current collectors or for joining electric conductors
    • H01R43/20—Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining, or repairing of line connectors or current collectors or for joining electric conductors for assembling or disassembling contact members with insulating base, case or sleeve
    • H01R43/205—Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining, or repairing of line connectors or current collectors or for joining electric conductors for assembling or disassembling contact members with insulating base, case or sleeve with a panel or printed circuit board

Definitions

  • This invention relates to an electrical connector assembly for a flat flexible circuit, the assembly comprising an electrical terminal mountable on the flexible circuit.
  • Flexible circuits are used in a wide variety of electrical and electronic applications, the flexible circuit typically comprising a thin flexible substrate (e.g. of plastic material) on which are deposited conductive tracks or traces for interconnecting electrical components mounted on the flat flexible circuit (FFC) or interconnected thereto via connectors mounted on the FFC.
  • Connectors may either comprise individual contacts that are soldered or crimped to the FFC, or a plurality terminals mounted in an insulative housing, each terminal comprising a connection section tail that is crimped or soldered to the FFC.
  • the connection of connectors to FFC differs from certain connection techniques employed with substantially rigid circuit boards.
  • PCB printed circuit boards
  • plated through-holes for reception of compliant pin connection sections of terminals, which do not need to be subsequently soldered.
  • the latter connections are robust and durable.
  • certain compliant pins provide good electrical contact without requiring soldering, and enable simple press-fit assembly.
  • a FFC electrical connector assembly comprising a FFC terminal mountable on the FFC, the FFC terminal comprising a connection section for connection to the FFC, a base, and a contact section for receiving a compliant pin terminal contact section, wherein the base has a surface for resting against the FFC and the connection section extends therefrom and has a contact tail for electrically engaging circuit traces on the FFC, and the contact section extends substantially orthogonally from the base in the form of a tube defining a cavity therein for receiving in an interference fit the compliant pin terminal contact section.
  • the contact section tube may advantageously be of substantially cylindrical shape.
  • the contact section tube may be open at an end proximate the base section in order to allow the pin terminal to project through the FFC.
  • the FFC may be provided with a hole having a diameter smaller than the cavity of the contact section in order to prevent flux of solder into the contact section cavity.
  • the connection section may be provided in the form of a contact tail provided with retention barbs for insertion and retention through holes of the FFC, the contact tail subsequently soldered to the FFC on a side thereof opposite to the contact section. Two or more contact tails of the connection section may be provided around the periphery of the base section for secure mechanical support to the FFC.
  • the base section may be provided with a substantially flat surface for abutment against the FFC, thereby providing, inter alia, a rest surface for abutment of a tool thereagainst during insertion of the compliant pin terminal sections into the cavities of the FFC terminals.
  • the FFC terminals may thus be assembled and soldered to the FFC and subsequently pressed onto the compliant pin terminal contact sections of a connector in simple assembly steps.
  • a simple die against which the FFC terminal base sections rest (via the FFC) provides a support against the force of insertion of the multiple pin terminals into the FFC terminals during assembly.
  • the pin terminals may thus be pre-assembled (for example moulded or stitched) onto a connector housing and subsequently the FFC with the pre-assembled (soldered) FFC terminals connected to the compliant sections of the pin terminals.
  • compliant pin terminals in particular durability robustness and final assembly without soldering, are thus maintained.
  • the latter also enables the FFC to be assembled within an enclosure of the connector assembly that may be difficult to access with soldering techniques.
  • a flat flexible circuit or cable (FFC) connector assembly 2 comprises a housing 4 and a plurality of terminals 6 mounted in the housing, and a FFC 8 connected to the connector terminals 6 via FFC terminals 10.
  • the connector terminals 6 in this embodiment are pin terminals that may be mounted or stitched through a base wall 12 of the housing 4 which separates the connector mating section 14 from the connector FFC connection section 16.
  • the mating section 14 comprises a mating section housing 18 defining a cavity 19 for receiving a complementary connector therein having terminals for engaging mating sections 20 of the connector terminals 6.
  • terminals 6 are preferably pin terminals, it is also possible to provide such terminals with mating sections in the form of conventional receptacle terminals matable with prior tab terminals.
  • the terminals further comprise compliant pin terminal contact sections 22 extending into the FFC section 16 of the housing 4, which defines an enclosure 24 receiving the FFC 8 therein for enclosing and protecting the FFC.
  • the FFC may be further connected to other electrical devices or connectors.
  • the compliant pin terminal contact sections in this embodiment advantageously comprise a pair of arcuate or outwardly bowed spring beams 26, 27 stamped in opposite directions from adjacent halves of a substantially square cross-section pin, as best seen in figure 3.
  • This known compliant contact section for pin terminals is advantageously used for insertion through plated through-holes of substantially rigid printed circuit boards.
  • Other conventional compliant contact sections formed from pin terminals are however known and could also be employed n the present invention.
  • the FFC terminal 10 comprises an FFC connection section 28 interconnected to a pin terminal contact section 30 via a base section 32.
  • the base section 32 has a substantially planar FFC support or bearing surface (see figure 5) 34 mountable contiguous the upper side 9 of the FFC 8, and extends between an inner periphery 35 to an outer periphery 37 which in this embodiment are substantially circular but which could also have other shapes (for example polygonal or rectangular).
  • the FFC connection section 28 extends from the outer periphery 37 and comprises a contact tail 38 provided with retention barbs 40, the contact tails 38 for insertion through a hole 42 in the FFC 8, the contact tail 38 being soldered (see figure 5) with a solder fillet 44 to an underside 11 of the FFC 8.
  • the retention barbs 40 secure and position the contact tails 38 to the FFC prior to soldering, as best seen in figure 4.
  • the contact tails 38 extend substantially perpendicularly to the base section plane 34 and are interconnected to the outer periphery 37 of the base section through a U-shaped bridging portion 46 that loops over the upper side 9 of the FFC 8 in order to provide clearance between the base support surface 34 and the solder fillet 44 such that a stable close seating of the base section against the FFC is ensured, taking into account the flux action of molten solder.
  • the contact section 30 of the FFC terminal extends from the inner periphery 35 of the base section 32 in the form of a tube extending orthogonally to the base section 32 and defining a pin receiving cavity 48 receiving the compliant contact section 22, and in particular the compliant beams 26, 27 thereof in an interference fit therein.
  • the tubular cross-sectional profile is circular, but could also be provided in other cross-sectional shapes, for example polygonal or rectangular or elliptical.
  • the circular shape is the simplest and enables the pin to be oriented in any angular position about its axis with respect to the FFC terminal.
  • the FFC terminal 10 may be stamped and formed from sheet metal whereby the tubular pin terminal contact section 30 is deep drawn.
  • the end of the tubular contact section 30 proximate the base section 32 is open and allows the tip 49 of the pin terminal 6 to project through the FFC 8 whereby the FFC is provided with a small hole 50 at the position of the pin terminal tip for this purpose.
  • the hole 50 is small, in particular smaller than the cross-section of the pin terminal or the contact section cavity 48 in order to prevent flux of solder into the FFC contact section 48.
  • the hole 50 is subsequently enlargend when the pin terminal tip 49 is pierced therethrough.
  • the FFC 8 can thus be pre-assembled with a plurality of the FFC terminals 10 which are then soldered to the FFC, and subsequently the FFC may be connected to the plurality of compliant contact sections 22 of the terminal 6 pre-mounted to the housing 4, in a single assembly step. No soldering thereafter is required however in certain application this is possible if desired. A robust and durable connection between FFC and terminals of a connector is thus provided, and in addition no soldering is required, in the final assembly of the connector.

Landscapes

  • Coupling Device And Connection With Printed Circuit (AREA)
EP99106220A 1998-04-27 1999-04-12 Assemblage de connecteur électrique pour des circuits flexibles Withdrawn EP0954058A3 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9808975A GB9808975D0 (en) 1998-04-27 1998-04-27 Flexible circuit electrical connector assembly
GB9808975 1998-04-27

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0954058A2 true EP0954058A2 (fr) 1999-11-03
EP0954058A3 EP0954058A3 (fr) 2000-02-23

Family

ID=10831055

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP99106220A Withdrawn EP0954058A3 (fr) 1998-04-27 1999-04-12 Assemblage de connecteur électrique pour des circuits flexibles

Country Status (3)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0954058A3 (fr)
JP (1) JPH11329628A (fr)
GB (1) GB9808975D0 (fr)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE102004044354A1 (de) * 2004-09-09 2006-03-16 Würth Elektronik GmbH & Co. KG Anschlusselement
WO2010020451A1 (fr) * 2008-08-20 2010-02-25 Robert Bosch Gmbh Elément de connexion électrique avec une pointe de contact intrinsèquement rigide
US10256719B2 (en) 2015-12-18 2019-04-09 Denso Corporation Power supply device
JP2020502765A (ja) * 2016-12-22 2020-01-23 シー・ピー・ティー ツヴァイ ゲー・エム・ベー・ハーＣＰＴ Ｚｗｅｉ ＧｍｂＨ フレキシブルプリント基板に設けられたコンタクト面を金属コンタクトに接触接続するための方法、圧着片、フレキシブルプリント基板と金属コンタクトとの接続部ならびに制御装置

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP4247798B1 (ja) 2008-05-15 2009-04-02 株式会社旭電化研究所 コネクタ構造

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3675180A (en) * 1969-11-06 1972-07-04 Amp Inc Flat cable connector
US3845456A (en) * 1971-09-28 1974-10-29 Molex Inc Clinchable terminals
US4357065A (en) * 1980-06-13 1982-11-02 Amp Incorporated Terminal for connection to a flat conductor
US4957453A (en) * 1989-11-06 1990-09-18 Amp Incorporated Electrical socket

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3675180A (en) * 1969-11-06 1972-07-04 Amp Inc Flat cable connector
US3845456A (en) * 1971-09-28 1974-10-29 Molex Inc Clinchable terminals
US4357065A (en) * 1980-06-13 1982-11-02 Amp Incorporated Terminal for connection to a flat conductor
US4957453A (en) * 1989-11-06 1990-09-18 Amp Incorporated Electrical socket

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE102004044354A1 (de) * 2004-09-09 2006-03-16 Würth Elektronik GmbH & Co. KG Anschlusselement
WO2010020451A1 (fr) * 2008-08-20 2010-02-25 Robert Bosch Gmbh Elément de connexion électrique avec une pointe de contact intrinsèquement rigide
CN102124610A (zh) * 2008-08-20 2011-07-13 罗伯特·博世有限公司 具有固有刚性触针的电气连接元件
CN102124610B (zh) * 2008-08-20 2014-03-05 罗伯特·博世有限公司 具有固有刚性触针的电气连接元件
US10256719B2 (en) 2015-12-18 2019-04-09 Denso Corporation Power supply device
JP2020502765A (ja) * 2016-12-22 2020-01-23 シー・ピー・ティー ツヴァイ ゲー・エム・ベー・ハーＣＰＴ Ｚｗｅｉ ＧｍｂＨ フレキシブルプリント基板に設けられたコンタクト面を金属コンタクトに接触接続するための方法、圧着片、フレキシブルプリント基板と金属コンタクトとの接続部ならびに制御装置

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB9808975D0 (en) 1998-06-24
EP0954058A3 (fr) 2000-02-23
JPH11329628A (ja) 1999-11-30

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