GB2048585A

GB2048585A - Electric connector using flexible printed circuit sheet

Info

Publication number: GB2048585A
Application number: GB8011900A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Nissan Motor Co Ltd
Current assignee: Nissan Motor Co Ltd
Priority date: 1979-04-10
Filing date: 1980-04-10
Publication date: 1980-12-10
Also published as: FR2454199A1; JPS55136475A; GB2048585B; FR2454199B1; DE3013507C2; DE3013507A1

Abstract

A socket (38) of the electric connector includes a housing (40) and a flexible printed circuit sheet (48) containing foil contact elements (48a). The housing has two slits (40a, 40b) through which, on assembly, a mating portion of the sheet (48) is inserted to cause exposed foils of the mating portion thus located in the housing to face inwardly. The plug (18) which contains contact elements (26) may be snugly inserted into said socket in a manner such that mating sections of said contact elements 26 are respectively mated with the exposed foils (48a) of the mating portion of the sheet contained in the socket. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Electric connector using flexible printed circuit sheet The present invention relates to an electric connector comprising a plug member and a socket member which are connectable with each other for electrical connection therebetween. More particularly, the present invention is concerned with an electric connector which is most suitable for connecting automotive instruments (such as car radios, car stereos and meters) mounted on an instrument panel to an electric device (such as a junction block) located at the rearofthe instrument panel.

In electrically connecting automotice instruments such as car radios, car stereos and meters mounted on the instrument panel to a junction block located behind the panel, it has been a common practice to use plug-mounted connecting wires and socketmounted connecting wires, the plug-mounted connecting wires leading from the junction block (or the instruments) and the socket-mounted connecting wires from the instruments (or the junction block).

The plugs and the sockets mounted on the corresponding wires are coupled after mounting of the instruments on the instrument panel is completed.

However, in this case, the manual operation for connecting the plugs and the sockets is troublesome because of the unfixed arrangements of the connecting wires. In fact, such an operation is quite troublesome when it is performed in a limited space defined in the instrument panel.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved electric connector which is particularly applicable to an automotive electric devices, such as car radios, car stereos and meters, mounted on an instrument panel for connecting these devices to another electric device, such as a junction block, located behind the instrument panel.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved electric connector which uses a flexible printed circuit sheet as a mating member of a socket.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an electric connector which is simple in construction and economical to manufacture.

According to the present invention, there is provided an electric connector for use with a first and second device which are lockingly connectable with each other, the electric connector comprising: a plug mounted on the first device, the plug including a first insulating housing and a plurality of contact elements in the housing, each contact element having at one end a mating section which is exposed from a head portion ofthe housing; and a socket mounted on the second device, the socket including a second insulating housing of a size to snugly receive therein the head portion of the plug, and a flexible printed circuit sheet having a mating portion where conductive foils of the sheet are exposed, the second insulating housing having at a wall section thereof a slit through which the mating portion of the sheet is inserted into the second insulating housing in a manner to cause the exposed foils thus located in the housing to face inwardly; the head portion of the plug being snugly inserted into the second insulating housing of the socket, upon locking connection between the first and second devices, in a manner such that the mating sections of the contact elements of the plug are respectively mated with the exposed foils of the mating portion of the sheet.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become clear from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is an exploded view of an electric connector of the present invention, as being incorporated with an instrument panel and a switch assembly; Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the electric connector, but showing a condition wherein a socket mounted on the switch assembly is about to be coupled with a plug mounted on the instrument panel; Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the electric connector, but showing a condition wherein the socket is finally coupled with the plug; and Figs. 4 and 5 are partially sectional views of a car radio and a meter to which the present invention is applied.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3, there is shown an electric connector of the present invention, as being incorporated with an automative instrument panel 10 and a window wiper switch assembly 12 which is mounted on the instrument panel 10.

As will be understood from Figs. 2 and 3, the instrument panel 10 is formed with a pocket 14 of which one end is closed by a supporting plate 16 secured to the rearofthe panel 10.

A plug 18 of the connector is fixed to the supporting plate 16 in a manner so as to project at its head portion into the pocket 14, as shown. The plug 18 comprises an insulating housing 22 fixed by screws 20 to the supporting plate 16, and a plurality (six in the illustrated plug) of contact elements 26 accommodated within the housing 22. The contact elements 26 are arranged on opposite sides of a center wall 24 of the housing 22 to form two rows of contact elements in the housing 22. As shown in the drawings, each contact element 26 has a looped head section or mating section (no numeral). Designated by numerals 28 are wire harnesses which lead from the contact elements 26 to a known electric device such as a junction block located behind the instrument panel 10.

The window wiper switch assembly on which the after-mentioned socket is mounted comprises an insulating rectangular housing 30 in which known switching elements (not shown) are housed. Designated by numeral 32 is a knob for operating the switching elements. As is best seen from Fig. 2, the housing 30 is provided at its front-upper and frontlower sections with locking lugs 34, and the instrument panel 10 is formed at the entrance section of the pocket 14 with two locking recesses 36. As will be seen from Fig. 3, the locking lugs 34 are brought into locking engagement with the locking recesses 36 when the switch assembly 12 or the housing 30 is properly and finally disposed in the pocket 14.

A socket 38 engageable with the plug 18 is mounted on the rear of the switch housing 30. As is best shown in Fig. 1. The socket 38 comprises an insulating rectangular housing 40 which is mounted on a plate 42 of the housing 30 in a manner to align with a rectangular opening 44 formed in the back plate 42. Preferably, the housing 40 and the back plate 42 may be constructed of plastics and may be moulded into a one-piece construction. The back plate 42 is formed at its upper section with a lug 42a and at its lower section with two lugs42b and 42c.

These lugs are snugly received in openings 30a, 30b and 30c formed at the corresponding portions of the housing 30, upon mounting the back plate 42 on the housing 30. The housing 40 is formed at its upper and lower walls (no numerals) with elongate slits 40a and 40b for the reason which will be apparent hereinafter. An insulating support plate 46 on which a flexible printed circuit sheet (FPC) 48 is affixed is mounted in the housing 40. As will be understood from Fig. 1, the middle portion of the sheet 48 is fixed to the support plate 46 leaving the opposed end portions (or mating portions) of the sheet 48 extending toward the back plate 42. Although not shown in the drawings, a known wiring is arranged to electrically connect the printed foils 48a of the sheet 48 with the switching elements installed in the housing 30.The support plate 46 is formed at its upper and lower sections with lugs 46a and 46b (the lug 46b being not shown). These lugs 46a and 46b are snugly received in openings 30d and 30e formed at the corresponding portions of the housing 30, upon mounting the support plate 46 in the housing 30. Upon assemblage of the back plate 42 and the support plate 46 on the housing 30, the free opposed end portions of the sheet 48 are inserted into the housing 40 through the elongate slits 40a and 40b respectively in a manner as is disclosed in Fig. 2. It should be noted that the free ends of the circuits 48 thus located in the housing 40 are enfolded to permit exposed printed foils on the free end portions to face one another.

Upon inserting the switch assembly 12 into the pocket 14 of the instrument panel 10 and finally bringing the engaging lugs 34 of the housing 30 into locking engagement with the locking recesses 36 of the panel 10, the plug 18 is received in the socket 38 so that the looped head portions of the contact elements 26 are mated with the exposed printed foils of the free ends of the flexible printed circuit sheet 48, establishing electrical connection the rebetween. The final setting position of the switch assembly 12 with respect to the instrument panel 10 is shown in Fig. 3.

Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, there are respectively shown a car radio 50 and a meterto which the present invention is applied. For ease of drawing, the plug 18 mounted on the instrument panel 10 is omitted from the drawings. As shown, both the car radio 50 and the meter 52 have respective sockets 38' and 38" each being substantially the same in construction as the aforementioned socket 38 mounted to the switch assembly 12. Thus, substantially the same parts and constructions as the socket 38 are denoted by the same numerals. In the socket 38' shown in Fig. 4, however, two flexible printed circuit sheets 48 are employed.

With the above, twill be appreciated that according to the present invention, simplification in construction of the socket mounted on the electric device is performed because of its inherent construction using the flexible printed circuit sheet. Such simplification induces not only a reduction in the number of parts ofthe socket but also an easy operation for wiring between the socket and the electric device on which the socket is mounted.

Claims

1. An electric connector for use with a first and second device which are lockingly connectable with each other, said electric connector comprising: a plug mounted on said first device, said plug including a first insulating housing and a plurality of contact elements in said housing, each contact element having at one end a mating section which is exposed from a head portion of said housing; and a socket mounted on said second device, said socket including a second insulating housing of a size to snugly receive therein said head portion of said plug, and a flexible printed circuit sheet having a mating portion where conductive foils of said sheet are exposed, said second insulating housing having at a wall section thereof a slit through which said mating portion of the sheet is inserted into said second insulating housing in a manner to cause the exposed foils thus located in said housing to face inwardly; said head portion of said plug being snugly inserted into said second insulating housing of said socket, upon locking connection between said first and second devices, in a manner such that the mating sections of said contact elements of said plug are respectively mated with the exposed foils of the mating portion of said sheet.

2. An electric connector as claimed in Claim 1, in which said contact elements of said plug are arranged to form two rows of contact elements in said housing, and in which said second insulating housing of said socket has at an opposed wall section of the previously mentioned wall section another slit through which another mating portion of said sheet is inserted into said second insulating housing with the exposed conductive foils on said another mating portion facing inwardly, so that upon locking connection between said first and second devices, said two rows of contact elements are respectively mated with the previously mentioned mating portion and said another mating portion of said sheet.

3. An electric connector as claimed in Claim 2, in which said first insulating housing is formed with a center wall having opposite sides on which said contact elements are arranged to form said two rows of contact elements in said first insulating elements.

4. An electric connector as claimed in Claim 1, in which each of said mating sections of said contact elements is looped.

5. An electrical connector constructed and arranged substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.