JPH07282915A - Connector for flexible board - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily and surely connect a flexible board such as an FPC board to a partner terminal. CONSTITUTION:A connector 10 for a flexible board is provided with an insulating housing 13, a flat plate-like presser plate 14 placed thereon, and a cover plate 15 of nearly U-shape. A terminal 17 is retained by an insulating housing 13 and an end thereof is exposed from a placing surface 12. An FPC (flexible printed circuit) is placed on the placing surface 12 of the insulating housing 13, the presser plate 14 is placed thereon, and then the cover plate 15 is fitted. The FPC is pressed by the cover plate 15 to the insulating housing 13 via the presser plate 14 and nipped between the insulating housing 13 and the presser plate 14.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to electrical connectors, especially FPs.
The present invention relates to a flexible substrate connector for electrically connecting a flexible flat electric wire (hereinafter, referred to as “flexible substrate”) such as C (Flexible Printed Circuit) to a counterpart terminal.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a connector for a flexible substrate of this type has a terminal, one end of which is connected to a counterpart terminal, in an insulating housing, and the other end of the terminal has a connecting portion of the flexible substrate. It is known to be configured for soldering. However, the flexible substrate usually has many connecting portions, and it is very troublesome to solder these many connecting portions to the corresponding terminals.

Therefore, in general, JP-A-60-1018 is used.
As shown in Japanese Patent Publication No. 86, a method of directly connecting a flexible substrate to a counterpart terminal is adopted. In the case of this method, a slide member for inserting the flexible substrate is usually used in the insertion hole formed in the mating insulating housing holding the mating terminal. As described in the above publication, this slide member is attached to a counterpart insulating housing so as to be slidable in the insertion direction of the flexible board, and supports the flexible board from the back during insertion and inserts it. It has a tongue portion for pressing the rear flexible substrate toward the other terminal.

[0004]

However, when the flexible substrate is directly connected to the counterpart terminal by using this type of slide member, the following problems are likely to occur. That is, when the flexible substrate is inserted by using the slide member, the flexible substrate comes into sliding contact with the counterpart terminal while being pressed against the counterpart terminal by the tongue portion, so that the flexible substrate is easily damaged. In addition, when the flexible substrate is inserted, a biased resistance is applied, and the flexible substrate may be obliquely inserted, so that a sufficient connection with the counterpart terminal may not be achieved.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a connector for a flexible substrate that allows the flexible substrate to be easily and surely connected to the other terminal. It is in.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, a flexible substrate connector according to the present invention is mounted on a flexible substrate having a connecting portion on one surface thereof with the one surface in contact. And an insulating housing having a mounting surface, one end of which is exposed from the mounting surface and which is connected to a connecting portion of a flexible substrate mounted on the mounting surface, and the other end of which is mounted. Has a terminal connected to the other terminal and a pressing surface, and the pressing surface is on the other surface of the flexible substrate placed on the mounting surface with the connecting portion being connected to one end of the terminal. And an insulating pressing member placed in contact with each other, the insulating housing and the insulating pressing member are coupled in a state in which a flexible substrate is interposed between the insulating housing and the insulating pressing member, and the insulating pressing member, And a connecting means for applying a pressing force for pressing the flexible member toward the mounting surface. The one in which the features.

The coupling means may be formed separately from the insulating housing and the insulating pressing member, or may be integrally formed with one of the insulating housing and the insulating pressing member.

Further, the pressing force applied to the insulating pressing member by the connecting means when connecting the insulating housing and the pressing member accounts for at least a part of the total pressing force of the insulating pressing member pressing the flexible substrate. Just do it. This is because the insulating pressing member may press the flexible substrate by its own weight.

The insulating pressing member may be constructed separately from the insulating housing or may be integrally assembled with the insulating housing.

[0010]

According to the connector for a flexible substrate of the present invention, the flexible substrate is placed on the placement surface of the insulating housing, the insulating pressing member is placed on the flexible substrate, and then the connecting means is provided. By connecting the insulating housing and the insulating pressing member with each other, the connecting portion of the insulating housing can be connected to one end of the terminal. Therefore, troublesome work such as soldering becomes unnecessary. Moreover, since it is not necessary to slidably contact the flexible substrate with the terminal when connecting to the terminal, the flexible substrate can be reliably connected to one end of the terminal without damaging the flexible substrate.

Electrical connection between the mating terminal and the flexible substrate is made via the terminal held in the insulating housing. Therefore, as in the case of directly connecting the flexible board to the other party's terminal by using the slide member, the other party's terminal may damage the flexible board, or the flexible board and the other party's terminal may be sufficiently connected. There is nothing that cannot be done.

As described above, according to the connector for a flexible substrate of the present invention, the flexible substrate can be easily and reliably electrically connected to the counterpart terminal.

[0013]

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

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic structure of a flexible board connector according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing an internal structure of the flexible board connector shown in FIG. The flexible substrate connector is connected to the mating connector.

As shown in FIG. 1, the flexible substrate connector 10 of this embodiment has two mounting surfaces separated by a groove 11.
Insulating housing 13 having 12, pressing plate 14 as an insulating pressing member, insulating housing 13 and pressing plate 14
And a cover plate 15 having a substantially U-shaped cross section as a coupling means for coupling the. Mounting surface on the insulating housing 13
A large number of slit-shaped terminal accommodating chambers 16 (partly not shown) extending downward from 12 are formed. The terminal accommodating chamber 16 formed on the left side of the figure with the groove 11 interposed therebetween and the terminal accommodating chamber 16 formed on the right side of the figure with respect to the groove 11 are displaced in the longitudinal direction of the insulating housing so as not to face each other. They are formed in different positions, and are arranged in a so-called staggered pattern.

As shown in FIG. 2, one terminal 17 is accommodated in each terminal accommodating chamber 16. The terminal 17 is formed by punching out a metal plate, and has a base portion 17a bent in a U shape, a pin portion 17b bent downward from the base portion 17a, and a base portion 17a. And a bent portion 17c that extends upward while being bent.
The left and right terminals 17 shown in FIG. 2 are in a front-back relationship with each other.

The terminal 17 is the bottom surface of the groove portion 11 of the insulating housing 13.
The base portion 17a is press-fitted into the insertion hole 18 formed in the 11a to be held by the insulating housing 13. The pin portion 17b of the held terminal 17 projects into a concave receiving portion 19 formed on the lower surface of the insulating housing 13 and is fitted into the receiving portion 19 to be mated with a mating connector 20 (by soldering or the like to the circuit board 21). (Fixed) terminal (not shown). on the other hand,
The tip of the bent portion 17c of the terminal 17 is exposed from the mounting surface 12 of the insulating housing 13 as shown in FIG.

Next, the operation of mounting the flexible board on the flexible board connector 10 configured as described above will be described.

First, the insulating housing 13 in the state shown in FIG.
On the mounting surface 12 of the FPC (Flexible P
Place the riuted circuit) 22 (see Fig. 2). The FPC is a mounting surface with the surface on which conductive pads (not shown) are formed as connecting portions electrically connected to the terminals 17 facing the mounting surface 12.
Each conductive pad of the FPC 22 placed on and placed on 12 contacts the tip of the bent portion 17c of each terminal 17 exposed from the placing surface 12.

After mounting the FPC 22, the pressing plate 14 is mounted on the FPC 22. The pressing plate 14 has a lower surface as a pressing surface in the state shown in the drawing, and has two holes 23 for alignment with the insulating housing 13. Two posts 24 corresponding to the holes 23 are formed on the mounting surface 12 on the left side of the insulating housing 13 in the figure, and the pressing plate 14 is aligned so that the posts 24 are inserted into the holes 23. Done and placed on the FPC 22. The pressing plate 14 mounted on the FPC 22 presses the FPC 22 toward the mounting surface 12 to some extent by its own weight. The bent portion 17c of the terminal 17 has elasticity, and when the FPC 22 is pressed, it is bent and deformed downward,
This deformation ensures contact pressure with the conductive pads of the FPC 22.

After the pressing plate 14 is placed, the cover plate 15 is attached to the FPC 22 and the pressing plate 14 as shown in FIG.
And the insulating housing 13 so as to be sandwiched between them and the insulating housing 13. The cover plate 15 is placed on the pressing plate 14 in a state where the left and right side walls 15a and 15b are spread outward as shown by phantom lines in FIG. 2, and then the left and right side walls 15a and 15b are set as shown by solid lines. It is attached by being returned to the inside, and connects the pressing plate 14 and the insulating housing 13. Mounted cover plate
15 presses the pressing plate 14 toward the mounting surface of the insulating housing 13, so that the FPC 22 is sandwiched between the insulating housing 13 and the pressing plate 14. In addition, the sandwiched F
One end of the PC 22 extends outward from a cutout portion 15c formed in the right side wall 15a of the cover plate 15.

The flexible board connector 10 to which the FPC 22 is mounted as described above is a mating connector 20 as shown in FIG.
The FPC 22 and the terminal of the mating connector 20 are electrically connected to each other by connecting the FPC 22 to the circuit board 21.

As described above, according to the flexible board connector 10 of the present embodiment, it is possible to electrically connect the terminals of the mating connector 20 extremely easily and reliably without damaging the FPC. Although the insulating housing 13 and the pressing plate 14 are coupled by the cover plate 15 in the above-described embodiment, the insulating plate 13 is fixed to the insulating housing 13 by screws or the like without using the cover plate 15.
May be combined with. In this case, screws or the like serve as the connecting means.

The flexible board connector 10 shown in FIG.
As in A, the pressing plate 14A may be rotatably attached to the insulating housing 13A. In this modified example, a latch arm 25 as a coupling means is provided on the side of the pressing plate 14A, and an engagement portion for engaging the latch arm 25 on the side of the insulating housing 13A.
26 are formed respectively, and the latch arm 25 and the engaging portion are formed.
Insulation housing 13A
The pressing plate 14A and the pressing plate 14A are combined so that the pressing plate 14A can be pressed toward the mounting surface 12.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a flexible board connector according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the flexible board connector shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the flexible substrate connector shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10, 10A Flexible board connector 11 Groove 12 Mounting surface 13, 13A Insulation housing 14, 14A Pressing plate 15 Cover plate (coupling means) 16 Terminal accommodating chamber 17 Terminal 18 Insertion hole 19 Receptacle 20 Counter connector 21 Circuit board 22 FPC 23 hole 24 post 25 latch arm (coupling means) 26 engaging part

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An insulating housing having a mounting surface on which a flexible substrate having a connecting portion on one surface is placed with the one surface in contact, and one end held by the insulating housing. The terminal, which is exposed from the mounting surface and is connected to the connecting portion of the flexible substrate mounted on the mounting surface, and the other end of which is connected to the terminal of the counterpart, and the pressing surface, An insulating pressing member which is placed by bringing the pressing surface into contact with the other surface of the flexible substrate placed on the placing surface in a state where a portion is connected to the one end of the terminal; The flexible member is joined to the insulating housing and the insulating pressing member while the flexible substrate is interposed between the insulating housing and the insulating pressing member, and the flexible member is attached to the insulating pressing member. Flexibility, characterized in that it comprises a connecting means for applying a pressing force to press it against the mounting surface. Board connector.