JP3168413B2 - Flexible printed circuit connectors and printed circuit boards - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a low-profile (low profile) flexible printed circuit (hereinafter referred to as "F").
PC ". ) Connectors and printed circuit boards.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Key points of a conventional FPC connector will be described with reference to FIGS.

A contact 60 is formed on a printed circuit board 90.
A plurality of the contacts 60 are soldered in parallel, and the contacts 60 are housed in the base insulator 70. The FPC (not shown) is arranged parallel to the printed circuit board 90, and the contact force of the contact 60 works in the height direction of the connector. The slider 80 can be inserted into and removed from the base insulator 70. When the slider 80 is slid from the position shown in FIG. 17 to the position shown in FIG. 18, the contact 60 is pressed against the FPC.

Accordingly, the contact 60 has a spring portion 61 for obtaining an effective contact force with the FPC, and a fixing portion 62 for preventing the contact 60 from moving within the base insulator 70 when receiving the contact force.

[0005]

In the above-mentioned conventional FPC connector, since the contacts need to have a required strength, the base insulator and the slider are not deformed when receiving the contact force. Since it is necessary to maintain strength, the dimension of the connector in the height direction must be considerably increased.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to improve the drawbacks of the conventional FPC connector and to provide a low-profile FPC connector and a printed circuit board.

[0007]

The present invention employs the following means to solve the above-mentioned problems.

(1) a flexible print circuit;
An elastic body fixed to be wound around the flexible print circuit, an insulator having a receiving hole of the elastic body and the flexible print circuit, and a contact fixed to the insulator, wherein the shape of the elastic body is a cylinder. The width of the insertion hole side of the receiving hole is formed to be narrower than the diameter of the elastic body, and when the flexible printed circuit and the elastic body are inserted into the receiving hole, the elastic body is more than half in the receiving hole. A connector for a flexible printed circuit, wherein the connector is inserted and an electrode of the flexible printed circuit is pressed against the contact by elastic deformation of the elastic body.

(2) A flexible print circuit, an elastic body separate from the flexible print circuit, an insulator having a receiving hole for the elastic body and the flexible print circuit, and a contact fixed to the insulator, The shape of the elastic body is a column, the width of the receiving hole side of the receiving hole is formed smaller than the diameter of the elastic body, and when the flexible printed circuit and the elastic body are inserted into the receiving hole, the elastic body becomes A connector for a flexible printed circuit, wherein more than half of the flexible printed circuit is inserted into the receiving hole and an electrode of the flexible printed circuit is pressed against the contact due to elastic deformation of the elastic body.

(3) A flexible printed circuit, an elastic body fixed to be wound around the flexible printed circuit, a printed board having a receiving hole for the elastic body and the flexible printed circuit, and fixed to the printed board. Composed of electrodes
The shape of the elastic body is a column, the width of the receiving hole side of the receiving hole is formed smaller than the diameter of the elastic body, and when the flexible printed circuit and the elastic body are inserted into the receiving hole, the elastic body becomes A printed circuit board which is inserted into the receiving hole by half or more, and the electrodes of the flexible printed circuit and the electrodes of the printed circuit board are pressed against each other by elastic deformation of the elastic body.

(4) A flexible printed circuit, an elastic body separate from the flexible printed circuit, a printed board having a receiving hole for the elastic body and the flexible printed circuit, and an electrode fixed to the printed board. The shape of the elastic body is a column, the width of the receiving hole on the insertion port side is formed smaller than the diameter of the elastic body, and when the flexible printed circuit and the elastic body are inserted into the receiving hole, the elasticity is increased. A printed circuit board wherein a body is inserted into the receiving hole at least halfway, and the electrodes of the flexible printed circuit and the electrodes of the printed circuit board are pressed against each other by elastic deformation of the elastic body.

[0012]

[0013]

[0014]

[0015]

[0016]

[0017]

According to the present invention, the contact and the printed circuit board are
Since no elastic deformation is required, the connector can be made smaller.

The direction in which the contact force acts between the electrode of the FPC and the contact or the contact portion of the printed circuit board is parallel to the surface of the printed circuit board, so that the contact or the printed circuit board has a required strength in the direction of the contact force. Need dimensions to hold However, the size of the mounting height of the connector can be reduced.

Further, by separately configuring the FPC and the elastic body, when the FPC is inserted into or removed from the contact or the printed circuit board, sliding between the electrode of the FPC and the contact portion of the printed circuit board is reduced.

[0020]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS First, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

Flexible Print Circuit (FP)
As shown in FIGS. 1, 5 and 6, the distal end of C) 30 holds a cylindrical elastic body 40 made of silicon rubber or the like so as to wind around the FPC 30, and the FPC 30 and the elastic body 40 are bonded together. It is fixed with an agent.

A plurality of contacts 10 to be soldered in parallel on a printed circuit board 50 are fixed to an insulator 20, as shown in FIGS.
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the insulator 20 is provided with a receiving hole 21 of the elastic body 40. The width of the receiving hole 21 on the insertion port side (upper side) is formed smaller than the diameter of the elastic body 40. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, a plurality of the contacts 10 are arranged in parallel in the longitudinal direction of the elastic body 40, and the contact part 11 to the electrode 31 of the FPC 30, the connection part 12 to the printed circuit board 50, and the reception of the elastic body 40 It has a part 13.

The contact portion 11 is provided at least at one position on each contact 10 and is located on a side orthogonal to the direction in which the FPC 30 and the elastic body 40 are inserted into the receiving holes 21. In FIG. 5, the insertion direction of the FPC 30 and the elastic body 40 into the receiving hole 21 is downward, and the contact portions 11 are provided on both left and right sides of the contact 10, but are provided on one of the left and right sides. No problem. The receiving portion 13 of the contact 10 has a shape similar to the receiving hole 21, and the width on the insertion port side (upper side) is formed smaller than the diameter of the elastic body 40.

The FPC 30 includes a contact portion 1 of the contact 10.
1 has an electrode 31 in contact therewith, and the elastic body 40 is located on the opposite side of the electrode 31.

The fitting operation of the FPC connector will be described. In the state before the fitting shown in FIG.
The PC 30 is pushed into the receiving hole 21 of the insulator 20 and the receiving portion 13 of the contact 10. Then, the elastic body 40
Is pressed into the receiving hole 21 more than half, and reaches the fitting state of FIG. 6, the elastic body 40 and the FPC 30 are compressed,
The electrode 31 of the FPC 30 is
Press against. The width of the receiving hole 21 of the insulator 20 and the width of each of the insertion ports of the receiving portion 13 of the contact 10 is
The elastic body 40 and the FPC 30 maintain the insulator 2 even when the pushing force is removed.
The fitting state shown in FIG. 6 is maintained without falling out of the receiving hole 21 of No. 0 and the receiving portion 13 of the contact 10.

The detaching operation of the FPC connector will be described. In FIG. 4, a tapered jig such as a screwdriver is inserted into a notch 22 provided at an end of a receiving hole 21 of an insulator 20, and an elastic body is inserted. Lift 40. Then, the elastic body 40 and the FPC 30 move from the fitted state in FIG. 6 to the state before fitting in FIG.

In the first embodiment of the present invention described above, the FPC 30 and the elastic body 40 are fixed with an adhesive or the like. However, the FPC 30 and the elastic body 40 can be modified as follows by changing the design. That is, the FPC 30 and the elastic body 40 are separately configured, and the FPC 30 is first pushed into the receiving portion 13 of the contact 10 (in FIG. 6, the state where the elastic body 40 is not present). It is pushed into the hole 21 (the state of FIG. 6).

The fitting of the FPC connector is not limited to bringing all the electrodes 31 of the FPC 30 into contact with the contact portions 11 of all the contacts 10 at the same time, but may be carried out sequentially in the longitudinal direction of the elastic body 40. In this case, the operation of the connector can be performed with a small force even if the number of cores is large.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

As shown in FIGS. 7, 11 and 12, the distal end of the FPC 30 holds a cylindrical elastic body 40 made of silicon rubber or the like so as to be wound therearound. It is fixed with an adhesive or the like.

As shown in FIG. 11, the printed circuit board 5
0, a groove 51 having a trapezoidal cross-section having an entrance portion narrower than a depth portion.
Are formed. A plurality of electrodes 52 are provided on both sides of the entrance of the side wall of the groove 51. These electrodes 52
Are connected to the pattern 53 of the printed circuit board 50 to form a circuit. A plurality of electrodes 52 may be provided on only one of the side walls, and a single electrode 52 may be provided in the groove 51.
Can also be provided continuously on the entire inner surface of the. In the left-right direction in FIG. 10, the plurality of electrodes 52 are separated to form a plurality of circuits.

When the FPC 30 and the elastic body 40 are pushed into the groove 51, the elastic body 40 is pushed more than half into the groove 51.
As a result, the electrode 31 of the FPC 30 and the electrode 52 of the printed circuit board 50 are pressed and connected by the elastic deformation of the elastic body 40 as shown in FIG. The electrode 31 of the FPC 30 is
It is connected to the pattern 32 of the PC 30, and the pattern 32 is connected to the pattern 53 of the printed circuit board 50. Since the width of the entrance portion of the groove 51 is formed smaller than the diameter of the elastic body 40, the elastic body 40 and the FPC 30 do not escape from the groove 51 even if the pushing force is removed.
Is maintained.

The detaching operation of the FPC connector will be described. Referring to FIG. 10, a thin jig such as a driver is inserted into a notch 54 provided at the end of the groove 51 of the printed circuit board 50, and an elastic body is inserted. Lift 40. Then, the elastic body 4
0 and the FPC 30 move from the fitted state in FIG. 12 to the state before fitting in FIG.

In the above-described second embodiment of the present invention, the FPC 30 and the elastic body 40 are fixed with an adhesive or the like. However, the FPC 30 and the elastic body 40 can be modified as follows by changing the design. That is, the FPC 30 and the elastic body 40 are separately configured, and the FPC 30 is first pushed into the groove 51 of the printed board 50 (in a state where the elastic body 40 does not exist in FIG. 12). 51
(The state shown in FIG. 12).

The fitting of the FPC connector is not limited to bringing all the electrodes 31 of the FPC 30 into contact with all of the electrodes 52 of the printed circuit board 50 at the same time, but may be carried out sequentially in the longitudinal direction of the elastic body 40. In this case, the operation of the connector can be performed with a small force even if the number of cores is large.

Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

The present embodiment is different from the second embodiment in that the shape of the groove 51 is modified to a groove 55 having a convex cross section, and the other points are the same. The electrodes 56 are provided on both sides or one side of the entrance of the groove 55.

[0038]

As is apparent from the above description, the present invention has the following advantages.

(1) The FPC connector and the printed circuit board can be configured to have a low profile.

(2) By separately forming the FPC and the elastic body, the sliding between the electrode of the FPC and the contact or the contact portion of the printed circuit board is small, and the wear resistance is excellent.

(3) Since the fitting and disengagement of the connector are sequentially performed in the longitudinal direction of the elastic body, a small operating force is sufficient.

(4) Since the FPC and the printed circuit board can be directly connected and no solder mounting is required,
It is convenient.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a bottom view of an FPC and an elastic body in an FPC connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the FPC connector according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the FPC connector according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a top view of a contact and an insulator in the FPC connector according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a state before fitting of the FPC connector according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 2, showing a state in which the connector is fitted.

FIG. 7 is a bottom view of an FPC and an elastic body in a printed circuit board according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a front view of a printed circuit board according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a side view of a printed circuit board according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a plan view of a printed circuit board according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state before fitting of a printed circuit board according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 8, showing a state where the connector is fitted.

FIG. 13 is a sectional view of a printed circuit board according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a front view of a conventional FPC connector.

FIG. 15 is a side view of a conventional FPC connector.

FIG. 16 is a plan view of a printed circuit board in a conventional FPC connector.

17 is a sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. However, it shows a state before the connector is fitted.

18 is a sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. However, it shows a state after fitting of the connector.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Contact 11 Contact part 12 Connection part 13 Reception part 20 Insulator 21 Reception hole 22 Notch 30 Flexible printed circuit (FPC) 31 Electrode 32 Pattern 40 Elastic body 50 Printed circuit board 51 Groove 52 Electrode 53 Pattern 54 Notch 55 Groove 56 Electrode

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H01R 12/06 H01R 12/28

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] A flexible print circuit; an elastic body fixed to be wound around the flexible print circuit; an insulator having a receiving hole for the elastic body and the flexible print circuit;
It is composed of a contact fixed to the insulator, the shape of the elastic body is a column, the width of the receiving hole on the insertion port side is formed smaller than the diameter of the elastic body, and the flexible printed circuit and the elastic body are formed. When inserted into the receiving hole, the elastic body is inserted more than half into the receiving hole, and the electrode of the flexible printed circuit and the contact are pressed against each other by elastic deformation of the elastic body. Connector. A flexible printed circuit, an elastic body separate from the flexible printed circuit, an insulator having a receiving hole for the elastic body and the flexible printed circuit, and a contact fixed to the insulator; The shape of the elastic body is a column, the width of the receiving hole on the insertion opening side is formed smaller than the diameter of the elastic body, and when the flexible printed circuit and the elastic body are inserted into the receiving hole, the elastic body is Inserted more than half into the receiving hole,
A connector for a flexible printed circuit, wherein an electrode of the flexible printed circuit and the contact are pressed against each other by elastic deformation of the elastic body. 3. A flexible printed circuit, an elastic body fixed to be wound around the flexible printed circuit, a printed board having a receiving hole for the elastic body and the flexible printed circuit, and fixed to the printed board. It is composed of electrodes, the shape of the elastic body is a column, the width of the insertion hole side of the receiving hole is formed smaller than the diameter of the elastic body, and when the flexible printed circuit and the elastic body are inserted into the receiving hole. The printed circuit board, wherein the elastic body is inserted into the receiving hole by half or more, and the electrode of the flexible printed circuit and the electrode of the printed circuit board are pressed by elastic deformation of the elastic body. 4. A flexible printed circuit, comprising: an elastic body separate from the flexible printed circuit; a printed circuit board having receiving holes for the elastic body and the flexible printed circuit; and electrodes fixed to the printed circuit board. The shape of the elastic body is a column, and the width of the receiving hole on the insertion opening side is formed smaller than the diameter of the elastic body. When the flexible printed circuit and the elastic body are inserted into the receiving hole, the elastic body is formed. The printed circuit board is inserted half or more into the receiving hole, and the electrode of the flexible printed circuit and the electrode of the printed circuit board are pressed against each other by elastic deformation of the elastic body.