JPH05114774A - Fpc and fpc connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To decrease the number of FPC connectors used when circuit boards are interconnected by a method wherein contact lands connected to the contacts of a connector are provided to the intermediate part other than the end of the FPC connector. CONSTITUTION:An FPC connector is provided with contacts 4a-4e which are brought into contact with contact lands 2a-2e, flexible printed circuit, FPC insertion openings located at both its ends, and a through-hole through which an FPC is able to penetrate. The FPC is made to penetrate through the connector and slide to enable the contacts of the connector to be positioned to contact lands, and a fixing part 3 of the FPC is closet, whereby the FPC is pressed down by the fixing part 3 to surely bring the lands 1a-1e of the FPC into contact with the contacts 4a-4e of the FPC connector. By this setup, a circuit board can be enlarged in mounting area and enhanced in utilization of mounting area.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an FPC (flexible printed circuit) and an FPC connector suitable for connecting electronic circuit boards to each other.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a conventional technique relating to this type of FPC and FPC connector, for example, JP-A-55-88384.
The techniques described in Japanese Patent Publications and the like are known.

This prior art relates to a structure for fitting an FPC and a connector, and a land for connecting to a contact of the connector is provided at the end of the FPC, and the FPC and the connector are connected via this land. Is to do.

FIG. 11 shows the conventional FPC and FP.
It is a figure showing the state where four circuit boards were connected using a C connector. In FIG. 11, 5a to 5d are circuit boards.

In the case of the above-mentioned prior art, FPC and FPC
The connection with the connector can be made only at the end of the FPC. Therefore, when a plurality of circuit boards are connected to each other by using such an FPC and an FPC connector, as shown in FIG. It was necessary to mount at least two connectors to make connections.

[0006]

In the prior art, when a large number of boards are connected in series using FPCs and FPC connectors, at least two FPC connectors are provided on each board other than the boards at both ends. There is a problem in that it is necessary to mount individual pieces, an extra mounting area is required, and the board cannot be effectively used.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art and to reduce the number of FPC connectors used even in the above-mentioned case, so that the circuit board can be effectively used. To provide an FPC and an FPC connector.

[0008]

According to the present invention, the object is to provide a large number of lands for contacting the contacts of the connector in the middle portion of one FPC, and allow the FPC connector to penetrate the FPC therein. This is achieved by providing a through hole that can be fitted and having a structure in which the FPC can be fitted in this hole.

[0009]

Since the FPC connector can be fitted in the middle of the FPC, when connecting a plurality of circuit boards in series, the required number of FPC connectors mounted on the circuit boards other than both ends is one. can do. Therefore, F
The number of PC and FPC connectors used can be reduced, and high-density mounting of the circuit board can be achieved.

[0010]

Embodiments of the FPC and FPC connector according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the structure of an FPC according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an FPC according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a perspective view showing the structure of the connector, FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which the FPC is passed through the FPC connector, FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view in the state of FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is a horizontal sectional view in the state of FIG. .. 1 to 5, 1a to 1c are lands,
2a to 2e are conductor patterns, 3 is a fixing portion of the connector, 4
a to 4e are contacts of the connector.

As shown in FIG. 1, an FPC according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of conductor patterns 2a to 2e, and contact lands 1a for connecting to contacts of a connector are provided at both ends of the conductor patterns 2a to 2e as in the prior art. The contact lands 1b and 1c are provided on the intermediate portion of the FPC other than the end portions of the FPC and are connected to the contacts of the connector according to the present invention.

In the illustrated embodiment, the contact land 1b is
The contact lands are provided for all the conductor patterns 2a to 2e of the FPC, and the contact lands 1c are contact lands provided for the conductor patterns 2c, 2d of the FPC. The contact land provided in the middle of the FPC is not limited to the illustrated example, and can be provided for any conductor pattern.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the connector having contacts for contacting the contact lands provided in the middle portion of the above-mentioned FPC is provided with contacts 4a-4e for contacting the contact lands 2a-2e. In addition, it has an FPC insertion port on both sides thereof and is provided with through holes through which the FPC can pass.

Therefore, by sliding the FPC of FIG. 1 through the connector, aligning the contact of the connector with the contact land, and closing the fixing portion 3 of the FPC, the fixing portion 3 of the FPC fixes the FPC. The contacts 4a to 4e of the FPC connector and the lands 1a to 1e of the FPC are securely brought into contact with each other.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show vertical and horizontal cross sections in the state where the contacts 4a to 4e of the FPC connector and the lands 1a to 1e of the FPC are in contact with each other. This connector is one in which the present invention is applied to a board insertion type connector, and pins corresponding to contacts for connecting to a board are provided on the lower portion of the connector. 9 is a perspective view showing a configuration of an FPC connector according to an embodiment, FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a state in which an FPC is penetrated through an FPC connector, FIG. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view in the state of FIG. 7, and FIG.
FIG. 8 is a transverse sectional view in the state of FIG. 7. The connector of the illustrated embodiment is one in which the present invention is applied to a board surface type connector, and the reference numerals in FIGS. 6 to 9 are the same as those in FIGS. 1 to 5.

This connector has contacts 4c and 4d.
The present invention is applied to a connector whose connection with a substrate is a surface-mounted type, and other configurations are similar to those of the embodiment described with reference to FIGS. That is, this connector has two contacts with the FPC conductor pattern 2
This corresponds to the contact lands 1c of only c and 2d, and the contact can be obtained by fitting the FPC in the same manner as described above. Of course, the contacts can be provided corresponding to all conductor patterns.

FIG. 10 shows the F according to the embodiment of the present invention described above.
FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a state in which four circuit boards are connected using a PC and an FPC connector, and the reference numerals in the figure are the same as those in FIG. 11.

As can be seen from FIG. 10 and the above-mentioned FIG. 11, in the case of the prior art, the intermediate boards 5b and 5c, which had to be equipped with two FPC connectors, have one board according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is only necessary to mount the FPC connector of No. 3, so that a plurality of boards can be connected to each other with a small number of connectors, and the mounting area on the board can be increased.

[0020]

As described above, according to the present invention, F
Since it is possible to make contact with the FPC connector in the middle portion of the PC, it is possible to reduce the number of FPC connectors used when a plurality of circuit boards are interconnected.
The mounting area of the circuit board can be expanded and effectively utilized.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the configuration of an FPC according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration of an FPC connector according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state where an FPC is passed through an FPC connector.

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view in the state of FIG.

5 is a cross-sectional view in the state of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a configuration of an FPC connector according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a state in which an FPC is passed through an FPC connector.

8 is a vertical cross-sectional view in the state of FIG.

9 is a transverse cross-sectional view in the state of FIG.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which four circuit boards are connected using an FPC and an FPC connector according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a state in which four circuit boards are connected using an FPC and an FPC connector according to a conventional technique.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1a to 1c Land 2a to 2e Conductor pattern 3 Connector fixing part 4a to 4e Connector contact 5a to 5d Connector mounting board

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor, Go Tsuyoshi Kawahara, 1 Horiyamashita, Hinoyama, Hadano, Kanagawa Pref., Kanagawa Factory, Hitate Co., Ltd. (72) Yasuo Toi, 1 Horiyamashita, Hadano, Kanagawa Factory Kanagawa factory

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An FPC for connecting a plurality of substrates to each other, characterized in that a contact land for connecting to a contact of a connector is provided in an intermediate portion other than an end portion of the FPC. 2. A connector for connecting an FPC, comprising:
It has a through hole for penetrating the PC, and the FPC is
An FPC connector, characterized in that a contact land provided in the middle of is connected to a contact of the connector.