JP2002141126A - Connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a connector capable of decreasing the cross section area in the periphery of a pressure part while the mechanical strength of an actuator is kept, and realizing decrease in height of the connector. SOLUTION: In this connector, a contact has elastic springs 11, 12 each having almost a U shape, and contact parts 14, 15 being connected to an FPC/ FFC 50, and a projecting part 16 coming in contact with the end part 23 of the actuator 2 are installed in the elastic spring 12. A turning fulcrum 13 of the actuator 2 is installed in the elastic spring 11. The actuator 2 has the pressure part 22 pressing the FPC/FFC 50, the end part 23 coming in contact with the projecting part 16, and the turning fulcrum 21. When the actuator 2 is in the opened position, the projection part 16 of the elastic spring 12 comes in contact with the end part 23 of the actuator 2, the opened position of the actuator 2 is kept, and the actuator 2 is turned from the opened position toward the insertion direction of the FPC/FFC 50 to make the actuator in a state of a closed position.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a flexible wiring board or a flexible flat cable (FPC / FF).
C) and a connector for connecting to the connector.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a connector of this type, FIG.
0 to 11 (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-114820). Referring to FIGS. 10 and 11, a connector 100 is a flat cable connector including a combination of a housing 102 and a pressing member 105. The housing 102 is made of an electric insulator, and is provided with electric contacts 103 which are electrically and mechanically connected to a cable (not shown) at regular intervals. The pressing member 105 is rotatably supported by the housing 102 via respective rotation supporting portions 105c and 103c, and a cable is provided between the electric contact 103 near the rotation center of the shaft portion 5b. Pressurizing unit 10 for pressurizing / clamping
5d. A cable insertion port 105g is arranged on the front side of the rotation center. Also, the cable insertion port 10
An operation unit 105f extending on the opposite side to 5g is arranged. Each of the electric contacts 103 is mounted on the housing 102 and includes an engaging portion 103a for engaging with the engaging portion 102a of the housing. A terminal portion 103e is formed at one end. Further, on both sides, a metal fitting 104 having a locking portion 104a for fixing to the housing 102 is provided.

[0003]

However, a pressing member 10 for connecting the above-mentioned flexible wiring board or flexible flat cable (FPC / FFC, hereinafter collectively referred to as FPC) to a contact of a connector.
The side facing the pressing unit for pressing the FPC 5 through the substrate is penetrated in the longitudinal direction because of the configuration of the inflator, and the pressing unit 105d and the operation unit 105f are
In this configuration, the pressure member 105 is connected only at both ends.

[0004] For this reason, during operation, there is a case where it is difficult to transmit the operation force to the central portion of the pressurizing portion 105d during the operation. In order to prevent this, it is necessary to increase the cross-sectional area around the pressing portion 105d, and the connector becomes large.

[0005] Further, the insulator or the pressing member 1
If 05 is warped, the size of the FPC insertion opening 105g may be reduced, and it may be difficult to insert the FPC. Further, it is difficult for the pressing member 105 to be held in a state before the FPC is inserted.

Accordingly, a first technical problem of the present invention is to reduce the cross-sectional area around the pressurizing portion while maintaining the mechanical strength of the actuator, thereby realizing a low-profile connector. It is to provide a connector which can be used.

A second technical problem of the present invention is that even if the insulator or the pressing member is warped, the size of the FPC insertion opening is forced by the actuator.
An object of the present invention is to provide a connector into which a PC can be easily inserted.

A third technical problem of the present invention is that a part of the actuator is brought into contact with or interferes with the inside of the U-shaped contact so as to maintain the insertion dimension before FPC insertion and the position of the actuator. It is to provide a connector capable of.

Another technical object of the present invention is to provide a connector which can prevent a short circuit between a contact and a pattern of a substrate with a low profile.

[0010]

According to the present invention, a contact, an insulator for holding the contact,
Opening position in which FPC / FFC can be inserted and said FPC / F
In a connector comprising an actuator rotatably held between a closed position for connecting the FC and the contact, the contact has a pair of elastic members each having one end connected to each other and substantially U-shaped. One of the elastic springs is provided with a contact portion for connecting to an FPC / FFC, and is in contact with an end of the actuator; the other of the elastic springs is provided with a pivot point of the actuator; Has a pressing portion for pressing the FPC / FFC, the end portion abutting on one of the elastic springs, and the rotation fulcrum. When the actuator is at the open position, one of the elastic springs has The end of the actuator comes into contact with the actuator to maintain the open position of the actuator, and the actuator is moved from the open position to the FPC.
A connector characterized by being turned to the closed position by rotating it toward the insertion direction of the / FFC.

Further, according to the present invention, in the connector, there is obtained the connector in which one of the elastic springs of the contact is provided with a protruding portion which engages with the end of the actuator. .

Further, according to the present invention, in the connector, the connector further includes reinforcing metal fittings provided on both sides, and has protrusions formed at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the actuator. A connector is obtained, wherein the connector cooperates with at least the actuator to prevent the actuator from moving in the direction opposite to the insertion direction of the FPC / FFC.

Further, according to the present invention, a contact and
An insulator for holding the contact, and an FPC /
In a connector including an actuator rotatably held between an open position in which an FFC can be inserted and a closed position for connecting the FPC / FFC and the contact, the contacts have one ends connected to each other. A U-shaped elastic spring combined with the elastic spring, one of the elastic springs is provided with a contact portion for connection to an FPC / FFC, and the other of the elastic springs is provided with a pivot point of an actuator;
The actuator has a pressing portion for pressing the FPC / FFC, and the rotation fulcrum. When the actuator is in the closed position, a line connecting the pressing portion of the actuator and the rotation fulcrum is formed by a line. The connector is characterized in that the connector is configured to be inclined toward the insertion port side of the FPC / FFC with respect to the mounting surface of the connector.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a view showing a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein (a) is a plan view of the connector, (b) is a front view of the connector, and (c) is a side view of the connector.
FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. FIG.
FIG. 3A is a sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. 1A when the actuator of the connector is closed, and FIG.
FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II, showing a state in which an actuator is closed when an FPC is inserted.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line IV-IV of FIG.
FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line VV of FIG. 6 and 7 are partially exploded perspective views showing the end of the connector shown in FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the connector of FIG. 1 before inserting the FPC, and FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the connector of FIG. 1 before inserting the FPC.

Referring to FIGS. 1 (a), 1 (b) and 1 (c), a connector 10 comprises a plurality of contacts 1 arranged in the width direction, an insulator 3 holding the contacts 1, and an actuator 2 And The connector 10 has a fitting portion 6 on one side for fitting a flexible wiring board or a flexible flat cable (FPC / FFC, hereinafter, collectively referred to as FPC), and a connector 10 for mounting on a surface of a board (not shown). And a substrate connection part 5 of the above.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the insulator 3 has a housing 31 for holding the contact 1.

The contact 1 has a substantially U-shape, and has a central portion 18, first and second elastic spring portions 11 and 12 branched into a U-shape at one end of the central portion 18, and a central portion 18. On the other end side, there are provided first and second support portions 17 and 19 which are branched in two rows in the upper and lower directions and extend in the length direction.

The first elastic spring portion 12 includes first and second contact points 14 and 15 provided in the inner portion in order from the tip.
And a protruding portion 16, which is slightly curved so that the inside is concave.

The second elastic spring portion 11 has a pivotally supporting point 13 which is round and concave at its tip.

The first and second support portions 17 and 19 extend in the length direction, and the first support portion has a terminal portion 19 connected to the substrate at the tip. The second support portions 17 and 19 are provided with retaining members 17a on the inside, and are housed in the housing portion 31 of the insulator 3.

The actuator 2 is provided with the first contact 1
A rotation fulcrum 21 rotatably engaged with the rotation fulcrum 13 of the elastic spring 11, and a pressing portion 22 protrudingly provided on the opposite side through the rotation fulcrum 21 and the thickness of the actuator 2.
And the end 2 engaging with the protrusion 16 of the second elastic spring 12
3 and a connection unit 25 corresponding to a lever for operating the connection operation unit 24
And The connection operation portion 24 is provided with a spring escape groove 26 on the contact side corresponding to each contact 1. When the FPC 50 is inserted and the operation unit 24 is rotated about the rotation fulcrum 21, the pressing unit 22
Is pressed toward the second elastic spring portion 12.

When the actuator 2 is rotated from the closed state shown in FIG. 3 to the open state shown in FIG. 2, the end 23 rides over the protrusion 16 and the end 23 and the protrusion 16 are engaged.
In FIG. 2, the position of the actuator 2 is maintained so that the clockwise rotation of the actuator 2 is difficult.

As best shown in FIG. 2, the pressurizing portion 22 of the actuator 2 is connected to the operating portion 24 at the portion between the contacts 1, so that even if the cross-sectional area near the pressurizing portion 22 is small, The portion between the contacts 1 and the operation unit 24
Thus, the strength of the actuator 2 itself can be improved. In addition, the rotation fulcrum 21 of the actuator 2
And the end 23 have such a size as to abut or interfere with the inside of the U-shape of the contact 1, so that even if the insulator 3 or the actuator 2 is warped, the dimension of the insertion opening which is the opening of the FPC 50 is Since the actuator 1 and the actuator 2 work so as to follow each other, the dimension becomes stable over the entire length, and the FPC 50 can be easily inserted.

As shown in FIGS. 4, 6, 7, 8, and 9, the corners of the actuator 2 are overlapped with the plate-like corners 33 provided at the end of the insulator 3. The reinforcing brackets 4 are mounted in the bracket mounting holes 32 of the insulators 3 and assembled. Here, as shown best in FIG. 4, the reinforcing bracket 4 is soldered to the board to be mounted together with the terminal portion 19a of the contact 1, and serves as reinforcement at that time, and both end pieces 4c, 4e.
The portion provided with the hole 32 of the insulator 3 is mounted therebetween, and the fixing piece 4a provided with a retaining member is mounted therein.

As best shown in FIG. 5, the reinforcing bracket 4 rotatably supports rotating shafts 27 projecting from both ends of the insulator 3 so as to be located at substantially the same position as the rotating fulcrum 21 of the insulator 3. And so on.

As best shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, when mounted, the second elastic spring 12 of the contact 1 projects from the hole. In addition, the protruding portion on the inner side of the reinforcing metal member 4b prevents the actuator 2 from being detached in a direction opposite to the insertion direction of the FPC 50.

Next, the operation of connecting the connector to the FPC according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, and 9. FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 3A and 7, the FPC 5
In a state in which the actuator 2 is horizontal (referred to as a closed state) without inserting 0, the end portion 23 and the protruding portions 14 and 15 are in a state of meshing with each other.

As shown in FIG. 3B, in the state shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 4, FIG. 5, FIG.
And the protruding portion 16 engages to restrict the actuator 2 from rotating further and closing. In this state,
After the FPC 50 is inserted, when the actuator 2 is turned around the turning fulcrum, the FPC 50 is sandwiched between the end portion 23 and the protrusions 14 and 15 of the second elastic spring 1, and The first elastic spring presses upward, and the pattern or pad (not shown) of the FPC 50 is pressed by the second elastic spring to come into contact therewith. Here, the dimension a in the thickness direction of the elastic spring 13 at the rotation fulcrum and the dimension b outside the rotation fulcrum and the insulator are a <b. For this reason, since the actuator 2 which is an insulator contacts the substrate surface first, even if a force is applied from above the connector 10 in the mounted state, the contact 1 and the pattern of the substrate are not short-circuited.

Conversely, from this state, as shown in FIG. 2, when the operation unit 25 of the actuator 2 is raised toward the user, the actuator 2 is opened, and the FPC 50 can be pulled out.

In the conventional connector, the line 38 connecting the rotation fulcrum 21 of the actuator 2 and the pressing portion 22 is perpendicular to the board surface on which the connector 10 is mounted. Here, the angle of the actuator 2 when the FPC 50 is inserted is set in accordance with the angle of a line connecting the rotation fulcrum 21 and the pressing unit 22 in consideration of the insertability of the FPC 50.

However, as shown in FIG.
In the embodiment of the present invention, when the actuator 2 is in the closed position during insertion, the pressing portion 2
A line 38 connecting the rotation support 2 and the rotation fulcrum 21 is
Is inclined toward the insertion port side of the FPC 50 by an angle θ with respect to the board surface on which the FPC 50 is mounted.

Accordingly, the angle θ of the actuator 2 when the FPC 50 is inserted occurs by that amount, that is, the actuator 2 rotates to the left in the drawing. Here, from the state of FIG.
The rotation angle required for the connection state of C50 is FPC
It is determined by the thickness of 50 and the dimensions of the actuator and the contact.

Therefore, according to the conventional configuration, the actuator must be formed as shown by a two-dot chain line 110 so as not to interfere with the substrate. That is, the connector 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention corresponds to the difference between the dimension d and the dimension c.
0 can increase the wall thickness as compared with the conventional connector. Further, with the same strength of the actuator 2, the height can be reduced as compared with the conventional connector.

[0037]

As described above, according to the present invention,
While maintaining the mechanical strength of the actuator, the cross-sectional area around the pressurizing portion can be reduced, and the height of the connector can be reduced.

Further, according to the present invention, even if the insulator or the pressurizing member is warped, the connector can easily insert the FPC because the size of the FPC insertion opening is forced by the actuator. it can.

Further, according to the present invention, a part of the actuator abuts or interferes with the inside of the U-shaped contact,
A connector can be provided that retains the insertion dimensions before the FPC insertion and the position of the actuator.

Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a connector capable of preventing a short circuit between a contact and a pattern of a substrate with a low profile.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a view showing a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein (a) is a plan view, (b) is a front view, and (c) is a side view.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG.

FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in a state where an actuator of the connector of FIG. 1A is closed. (B)
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II of FIG. 1A, and shows a state where the actuator is closed when the FPC is inserted.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line IV-IV in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line VV of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a partially exploded perspective view showing an end of the connector of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a partially exploded perspective view showing an end of the connector of FIG.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the connector of FIG. 1 before FPC insertion.

9 is a perspective view showing the connector of FIG. 1 before FPC insertion.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a conventional FPC connector.

FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along line AA ′ of the connector of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of the connector of FIG. 10;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Contact 2 Actuator 3 Insulator 4a Fixing piece 4b Reinforcement metal fitting 4c, 4e End piece 5 Board connection part 6 Fitting part 10 Connector 11, 12 First and second elastic spring parts 13 Rotation fulcrum 14, 15 First, first 2 contacts 16 projecting part 17, 19 first and second support parts 17a retaining part 18 central part 19a terminal part 21 rotation fulcrum 22 pressurizing part 23 end part 24 connection operation part 25 operation part 26 relief groove 27 rotating shaft 31 accommodation part 32 metal fitting mounting hole 33 corner 50 FPC

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F term (reference) 5E023 AA04 AA16 AA18 BB09 BB22 BB23 CC02 CC22 CC26 DD03 DD06 DD11 DD28 EE12 GG02 GG08 HH01 HH05 HH08 HH16 HH18 HH22 HH30

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A contact, an insulator for holding the contact, and an open position in which an FPC / FFC can be inserted and a closed position for connecting the FPC / FFC to the contact. In the connector provided with an actuator, the contact has a pair of elastic springs each having one end connected to each other to form a substantially U-shape, and one of the elastic springs is provided with a contact portion connected to an FPC / FFC. And the other end of the elastic spring is provided with a pivot point of the actuator, and the actuator is provided with the FPC /
A pressurizing portion for pressing an FFC, the end portion in contact with one of the elastic springs, and the pivot point; and when the actuator is in an open position, one of the elastic springs and the end of the actuator. The actuator is turned to the closed position by rotating the actuator from the open position toward the insertion direction of the FPC / FFC while maintaining the open position of the actuator by contacting the actuator. connector. 2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein one of the elastic springs of the contact is provided with a protrusion that engages with the end of the actuator. 3. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the connector further includes reinforcing metal fittings provided on both sides, wherein the connector has convex portions formed at both ends in a longitudinal direction of the actuator, and the reinforcing metal fitting and the convexities are formed. A connector for preventing at least the actuator from moving in the direction opposite to the insertion direction of the FPC / FFC in cooperation with the connector. 4. A contact, an insulator for holding the contact, and an open position in which an FPC / FFC can be inserted and a closed position for connecting the FPC / FFC and the contact. A contact comprising:
One end of the elastic spring is connected to each other to form a substantially U-shaped elastic spring. One of the elastic springs is provided with a contact portion that connects to the FPC / FFC, and the other of the elastic springs is provided with a rotation fulcrum of an actuator. Wherein the actuator comprises:
A pressurizing section for pressurizing the FPC / FFC, and the rotation fulcrum, wherein when the actuator is in the closed position, a line connecting the pressurization section of the actuator and the rotation fulcrum is a line of the connector; The FPC / FFC for the mounting surface
A connector configured to be inclined toward the insertion port side of the connector.