JP2548075Y2 - Flexible printed wiring board connectors - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a connector for a flexible printed wiring board which is mainly used for wiring in automobiles and OA equipment.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A flexible printed wiring board in which a strip-shaped circuit conductor is provided on one or both sides of an insulating layer such as an insulating film is conventionally used for wiring for a minute current such as a signal line. General. A connector for connecting a circuit conductor of a flexible printed wiring board used for such a small current wiring to another conductor is:
For example, it is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 55-136183. The conventional connector for a flexible printed wiring board disclosed in the above-mentioned publications has a plurality of cavities formed in a housing, and these cavities receive and hold terminals electrically connected to circuit conductors of the flexible printed wiring board. The terminal is connected to a terminal of a mating connector to which another conductor is connected.

In general, the cavities of such a connector for a flexible printed wiring board are all arranged at an equal pitch and can accommodate and hold terminals of the same shape.

[0004]

[Problem to be solved by the invention] As described above,
The flexible printed wiring board is generally used for wiring for a minute current, and is hardly used as a wiring such as a power supply line through which a large current flows. However,
In recent years, for example, a flexible printed wiring board having the same structure as described above has been used as a power supply line in a wire harness for an automobile or the like.

As described above, when the flexible printed wiring board is used for a large current circuit, the circuit conductor through which the large current flows becomes wide. When connecting a flexible printed wiring board having such a wide circuit conductor to another wiring member such as an electric wire, the following problems occur when the above-described conventionally known connector is used.

First, as described above, in this type of connector for a flexible printed wiring board, the cavities for accommodating and holding the terminals are arranged at an equal pitch. In order to be able to match the pitch of the cavities, it is necessary to reduce the width of the front end of the flexible printed wiring board F as shown in FIG. However, producing a flexible printed wiring board having a narrowed end portion only for the purpose of coupling with a connector as described above has a problem that the manufacturing cost is increased.

When the width of the tip of the flexible printed wiring board F is reduced as shown in FIG. 9, the width of the circuit conductor C of the flexible printed wiring board F is also reduced. The distal end of the circuit conductor C is easier to dissipate heat than other portions of the circuit conductor C. However, depending on the magnitude of the current, the width of the circuit conductor C must be secured to some extent even at the tip. That is, FIG.
As described in (1), there is a limit in reducing the width of the front end of the flexible printed wiring board, and there is a case where it is impossible to cope with a case where a circuit conductor through which a large current flows is provided.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and does not increase the manufacturing cost of a flexible printed wiring board, and can be used for a flexible print which can be used regardless of the magnitude of current. An object of the present invention is to provide a connector for a wiring board.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A connector for a flexible printed wiring board according to the present invention, which achieves the above object, comprises:
A strip-shaped circuit conductor is provided on at least one surface of the insulating layer
At the end, a wide circuit conductor and a narrow circuit
A connector for a flexible printed wiring board having a plurality of types of circuit conductors with a circuit conductor, wherein a plurality of cavities are provided.
Connector housings arranged at equal pitches along one direction
At each end with a pitch corresponding to the pitch of the cavity.
Terminals are placed and each terminal is on its side and
Integrally connected to each other laterally in a non-contact position with the body
Articulated connected by shaped severable tie bars
And a status of the terminal, to the each cavity, wherein in contact with each circuit conductor of the flexible printed wiring board each <br/> terminals are held respectively adjacent in contact with the same circuit conductor Each arranged terminal is connected by the tie bar.
Adjacent arrangements connected to each other and in contact with different circuit conductors
The tie bars between the placed terminals are cut off.

[0010]

According to the flexible printed circuit board connector comprising as [action] above, each terminal are housed and held in placed cavity at the same pitch, to each circuit conductor of the flexible printed circuit board, the respective circuits The number of terminals corresponding to the width of the conductor is in contact. Each terminal in contact with the same circuit conductors are connected to each other by tie bars.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A connector for a flexible printed wiring board according to an embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is configured such that circuit conductors 103 to 105 of a flexible printed wiring board 1 are connected to electric wires E1 to E3 connected to a mating connector CM as shown in FIG. This is a connector for connecting to a conductor. The connector for a flexible printed wiring board shown in FIG.
3F is provided.

The flexible printed wiring board 1 is used for, for example, a door harness of an automobile and the like.
3 different widths between the insulating films 101 and 102
It is provided with three strip-shaped circuit conductors 103 to 105. The circuit conductor of the flexible printed wiring board 1 shown in FIG.
The width of the circuit conductor 105, the circuit conductor 103, and the circuit conductor 104 is increased in this order. As shown in FIG. 2, the insulating film 102 on one side of the flexible printed wiring board 1 is cut off at the end of the flexible printed wiring board 1, and the circuit conductors 103 to 105 are removed.
Is exposed. The distal end of the flexible printed wiring board 1 is inserted into a housing 2 described later, and the circuit conductors 103 to 105 come into contact with at least one of terminals 3A to 3F described later in the housing 2.

The housing 2 has a total of twelve cavities 2A to 2L, six in the horizontal direction and two in the vertical direction. The cavities 2A to 2F and 2G to 2L arranged in the lateral direction are arranged at an equal pitch. As shown in FIG. 3, a connection port 21 of a mating connector is opened on the front surface of the housing 2. The cavity 2
A to 2L penetrate the housing 2 in the front-rear direction, respectively, and the front openings of the cavities 2A to 2L communicate with the insertion port 21. Upper cavities 2A-2F
Are the terminals 3A to 3A inserted from the rear side openings, respectively.
F can be stored and held. Although the corresponding terminals are not shown in FIG. 1, the lower cavities 2G to 2G are not shown.
L can also accommodate and hold a terminal having the same shape as the terminals 3A to 3F. In order to hold the terminals 3A to 3F, each cavity 2A to 2F has a recess 2Aa to 2Fa on its bottom surface.
(Only the recess 2Aa is shown in FIG. 3). These recesses 2Aa to 2Fa are engaged with protrusions 3Aa to 3Fa of terminals 3A to 3F described later, so that the terminal 3A
３3F is maintained. The cavities 2G to 2L are also provided with recesses 2Ga to 2La (recess 2) similar to the recesses 2Aa to 2Fa.
Needless to say, only Ga is shown in FIG. 3).

On the rear side of the housing 2, above the cavities 2A to 2F and the cavities 2G to 2G.
Insertion portions 23A, 23 for flexible printed wiring board 1 each extending laterally above 2L
B is formed. When the distal end of the flexible printed wiring board 1 is inserted into the insertion portion 23A, the circuit conductors 103 to 105 exposed at the distal end face the cavities 2A to 2F.

The terminals 3A to 3F are housed and held in the cavities 2A to 2F of the housing 2 as described above.
These terminals 3A to 3F are male terminals and all have the same shape. Also, these terminals 3A~3F, in before being inserted into the cavity 2A~2F, as shown in FIG. 4, the pitch of the cavity 2A~2F
When the terminals 3A to 3F are arranged at corresponding pitches,
In addition, each of the terminals 3A to 3F is a side portion thereof and the circuit conductor 103
To connect to each other laterally at a non-contact position with
Adjacent terminals 3A to 3F are all connected by tie bars 31 to 35 that can be cut . That is, the terminals 3A to 3F before being inserted into the cavities 2A to 2F.
Is an integrally molded product formed by punching a metal plate into a predetermined shape and then bending the metal plate. In this embodiment, a tie bar 32 connecting the terminals 3B and 3C and a tie bar 33 connecting the terminals 3C and 3D insert these terminals 3A to 3F into the cavities 2A to 2F of the housing 2. Before being resected. Next, terminal 3A
3F will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 5 showing the terminal 3A.

The terminal 3A is formed by bending a metal plate punched into a predetermined shape, and includes a first contact piece 3AA, a fitting part 3AB, and a second contact piece 3AC.
It has.

The first contact piece 3AA is a portion that comes into contact with the terminal of the mating connector, and is formed in a flat plate shape in this embodiment.

The fitting portion 3AB is formed in a box shape, and is formed into a shape to be fitted and engaged with the cavities 2A to 2L of the housing 2. Specifically, as described above, the projection 3Aa formed on the fitting portion 3AB engages with the concave portion 2Aa formed on the inner wall surface of the cavity 2A (see FIG. 3), whereby the fitting portion 3AB is formed. Is held in the cavity 2A so as not to fall off.

The second contact piece 3AC is formed by bending a metal plate, and the circuit conductor 10 of the flexible printed wiring board 1 is
3 is formed. The contact 3ACa is provided with a preload so as to be crimped to the opposing circuit conductor 103.

In the connector for a flexible printed wiring board configured as described above, the number of terminals corresponding to the width of the circuit conductors 103 to 105 of the flexible printed wiring board 1 is
It is in contact with the circuit conductors 103 to 105 in the housing 2. That is, the terminals 3A and 3B connected by the tie bar 31 contact the circuit conductor 103, and the terminal 3C that is not connected to any other terminal is the circuit conductor 1
The terminals 3 </ b> D to 3 </ b> F that are in contact with the circuit conductor 105 and are connected by the tie bars 34 and 35 are in contact with the circuit conductor 105.

FIG. 8 shows electric wires E1 to E1 connected to the connector for a flexible printed wiring board constructed as described above.
The connector CM for E3 is shown. This connector CM
Forms a plurality of cavities 501A to 501L arranged at the same pitch as the cavities 2A to 2L of the connector for a flexible printed wiring board in a housing 501, and a predetermined cavity selected from these cavities 501A to 501L. 501A, 501C, 50
Female terminals 502A, 502C, 502 on 1E, 501F
E, 502F. The female terminal 50
The conductor of the electric wire E1 is connected to 2A (see FIG. 3). Although not shown, the conductor of the electric wire E2 is connected to the female terminal 502C.
F is connected to two branched conductors of the electric wire E3. These female terminals 502A, 502C,
The terminals 501A, 3C, and 3E are formed by inserting a housing 501 into connection holes 21 formed in the housing 2 of the connector for a flexible printed wiring board, as indicated by phantom lines in FIG. ,
3F and these terminals 3A, 3C, 3E,
It is electrically connected to 3F.

As is clear from the above, in the configuration of the connector for a flexible printed wiring board described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5, terminals 3A to 3F connected in advance by tie bars 31 to 35 are prepared. Only when the adjacently arranged terminals contact different circuit conductors, the tie bars connecting these adjacent terminals may be cut off.

According to the connector for a flexible printed wiring board, as shown in FIG. 1, the connector for connecting a flexible printed wiring board in which circuit conductors 103 to 105 having greatly different widths coexist is connected. The pitch can be a pitch between cavities at equal intervals that can correspond to the circuit conductor 14 having a small width. That is,
With the above configuration, the pitch between cavities of this type of connector for a flexible printed wiring board can be easily adjusted to the pitch between cavities of the mating connector. This is a great advantage particularly when the mating connector is a conventionally used connector for electric wires.

The terminal 3A 'shown in FIG. 6 is a modified example of the terminal used for the connector for a flexible printed wiring board according to the invention. However, in FIG. 6, only the second contact piece 3AC 'of the terminal 3A' is shown, and portions corresponding to the first contact piece 3AA and the fitting part 3AB of the terminal 3A shown in FIG. 5 are omitted. ing. The second contact piece 3A shown in FIG.
C 'includes a claw 3ACa integrally formed on one side and claws 3ACb and 3ACc integrally formed on the other side.

FIG. 7 shows a terminal 3A 'shown in FIG. 6 and a terminal 3A' having the same shape as the terminal 3A 'and a tie bar 31'.
2 shows a state in which the terminals 3B 'connected by a circle are connected to the circuit conductor 103 of the flexible printed wiring board 1. As shown in FIG. 7, the terminal 3A 'is located at a position corresponding to the circuit conductor 103 of the flexible printed wiring board 1,
The claws 3ACa, 3ACb, 3ACc penetrate the flexible printed wiring board 1 and the claws 3ACa, 3AC
b, 3ACc is bent by swaging or the like,
It is connected to the flexible printed wiring board 1 while being electrically connected to the circuit conductor 103. The same applies to the terminal 3B '.

In the above embodiment, the case where the terminal accommodated in the housing is a male terminal has been described. However, it goes without saying that the same configuration can be adopted even if the terminal is a female terminal.

The mating connector connected to the connector for a flexible printed wiring board according to the present invention is not necessarily the connector for an electric wire as described above, and may be, for example, the connector for a flexible printed wiring board according to the present invention.

As described above, according to the connector for a flexible printed wiring board of the present invention, even if the flexible printed wiring board has a wide circuit conductor, it can be connected to another conductor without reducing the width of the tip. Therefore, there is an effect that the manufacturing cost of the flexible printed wiring board is not increased. Further, for the same reason, there is an effect that it can be used regardless of the magnitude of the current. In addition, it can be cut
Tie bars of each terminal connected to each other by
It is only necessary to cut off according to the width of the circuit conductor to be connected,
It can be easily adapted to various widths of circuit conductors and has excellent versatility.
In addition, tie bars are provided on the sides of each terminal.
The length of the connector itself does not increase, and the size of the connector can be increased effectively
This has the effect that it can be prevented.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a connector for a flexible printed wiring board according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the flexible printed wiring board.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the flexible printed wiring board connector of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing terminals connected by tie bars before being mounted on a housing.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a terminal.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a main part of a modified example of a terminal.

7 is a diagram showing a connection state between the terminal of FIG. 6 and a flexible printed wiring board.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a mating connector.

FIG. 9 is a view showing a tip portion of a flexible printed wiring board connected to a conventional connector for a flexible printed wiring board.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Flexible printed wiring board 101,102 Insulating film 103-105 Circuit conductor 2 Housing 2A-2L Cavity 3A-3F Terminal 31-35 Tie bar

Claims (1)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] An insulating layer includes a band-shaped circuit conductor on at least one surface thereof, and a wide circuit conductor is provided at a terminal portion thereof.
A connector for a flexible printed wiring board having a plurality of types of circuit conductors including a body and a narrow circuit conductor , wherein a plurality of cavities are juxtaposed at equal pitches in one direction.
Connector housing and the pitch of the cavity
Each terminal is arranged at a corresponding pitch, and each terminal is
Laterally at the sides of the
For connection, an integrally formed cuttable tie bar is used.
And a terminal of the connected coupled state Te, the each cavity, wherein each pin is in contact with the respective circuit conductors of the flexible printed wiring board are respectively held in contact with the same circuit conductor Each terminal arranged adjacently
Different circuit conductors connected to each other by the tie bars
A tie bar between adjacently disposed terminals that is in contact with the connector, the connector being used for a flexible printed wiring board.