KR20190069276A - Electrical connector assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electric connector assembly which is structurally simple. The electric connector assembly comprises: a first connector mounted on a circuit board; and a second connector configured to be coupled to the first connector in a direction perpendicular to the circuit board. The first connector includes: a wafer having a housing accommodation unit formed in the perpendicular direction; and a terminal which is electrically connected to the circuit board, and protrudes to the housing accommodation unit. The second connector includes: a flexible circuit accommodation unit extended downwards from an upper portion; a housing having an opening part on a lower portion thereof to expose a terminal unit of a flexible circuit accommodated in the flexible circuit accommodation unit to bring the terminal unit into contact with the terminal; and a retainer inserted into the flexible circuit accommodation unit to fix the flexible circuit accommodated in the flexible circuit accommodation unit.

Description

[0001] ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY [0002]

The present invention relates to an electrical connector assembly for connecting electrical power between a power source and a device, a device and a device, or between internal units of the device.

An electrical connector assembly is a connection mechanism that constitutes an electric circuit by connecting between a power source and a device, a device and a device, or internal windings of the device. Generally, the electrical connector assemblies are correspondingly configured with female / male connectors so as to be mutually engageable.

The terminal, terminal pin, and flexible circuit of the male connector are connected to the terminals of the female connector to transmit signals or supply power.

Here, the flexible circuit is also referred to as a flexible cable, and can be largely divided into an FFC (Flexible Flat Cable) type and an FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit) type. That is, the electrical connector assembly may be used to connect such a flexible circuit to the device.

On the other hand, the flexible circuit must be inserted in the correct position and in a certain direction in the receptacle. The conventional electrical connector assembly has a structure in which a flexible circuit is inserted into a receiving portion to connect a flexible circuit to a terminal disposed in the receiving portion. As a result, a gap is formed between the receiving portion and the flexible circuit, so that the flexible circuit is not easily pulled out from the accommodating portion or inserted into the correct position during the assembling process, so that the connection with the terminal may be incomplete.

Conventionally, efforts have been made to reduce the above-mentioned gap, but the structure of the electrical connector assembly is complicated correspondingly, so that a lot of time and efforts are required in the manufacturing process.

On the other hand, the electrical connector assembly needs to be miniaturized so as not to limit the mounting space of other electronic components in electronic devices, for example, display devices, as well as performing signal transmission, power supply, etc. as a connection mechanism.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-043918 (Feb.

A first object of the present invention is to provide a new structure of an electrical connector assembly that is structurally simple and easy to assemble.

A second object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector assembly having a structure that can prevent the flexible circuit from being drawn out from the flexible circuit accommodating portion after assembly process or assembly while being inserted into the flexible circuit accommodating portion more easily .

In order to solve the above problems, an electrical connector assembly of the present invention includes: a first connector mounted on a circuit board; And a second connector configured to be engageable with the first connector in a direction perpendicular to the circuit board, the first connector including: a wafer having a housing receiving portion formed in the vertical direction; And a terminal electrically connected to the circuit board and projecting to the housing receiving portion, wherein the second connector includes: a flexible circuit accommodating portion formed to extend downward from an upper portion; and a flexible circuit accommodating portion accommodated in the flexible circuit accommodating portion A housing having an opening at a bottom so that the terminal portion is exposed and in contact with the terminal; And a retainer that is inserted into the flexible circuit receiving portion and fixes the flexible circuit received in the flexible circuit receiving portion.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a coupling protrusion is protruded from the inner surface of the flexible circuit receiving portion at both left and right ends of the flexible circuit receiving portion, and the coupling protrusion is formed to cover the upper portion of the coupling portion formed at the end of the flexible circuit So that the flexible circuit can be prevented from being drawn upward.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, an inclined surface for guiding insertion of the flexible circuit may be formed on the inner surface to extend to the latching protrusion.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the retainer may be disposed so as to cover one surface of the flexible circuit and the latching jaw so as to limit the pull-out of the flexible circuit caught by the latching jaw.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the retainer includes: a plate portion disposed to cover the flexible circuit; And a fastening portion protruding from both left and right sides of the plate portion so as to be elastically deformable inwardly and outwardly and having a retaining hook formed in left and right inner side walls of the flexible circuit receiving portion.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the retainer retaining portion includes a first retaining groove and a second retaining groove formed in a lower portion of the first retaining groove, wherein when the retaining hook is engaged with the first retaining groove The flexible circuit may be inserted into the flexible circuit accommodating portion, and the flexible circuit may be fixed to the flexible circuit accommodating portion in a state where the engagement hook is engaged with the second engagement groove.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, in a state in which the retaining hook is engaged with the first retaining groove, the retainer protrudes from the upper surface of the housing, and when the retaining hook is engaged with the second retaining groove, The retainer may be flush with the upper surface of the housing.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a guide slot extending along a moving direction of the retainer may be formed in the housing, and a guide rib corresponding to the guide slot may be protruded from the retainer.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the housing is formed with an elastic arm extending upwardly and having a locking protrusion on one side thereof, and the wafer may be provided with a locking groove for engaging the locking protrusion.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the opening is formed on one side of the housing, and the elastic arm may be formed on the other side of the housing opposite to the one side.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the terminal may include a first connection portion disposed to face the opening portion and electrically connected to the terminal portion.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the terminal may include a second connection portion extending in the same direction as the first connection portion and extending on the other side of the housing opposite to the opening portion.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the terminal may be arranged to cover a lower end portion of the housing received in the housing receiving portion.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the housing may be arranged to cover a part of the upper surface of the wafer.

In one variant for solving the above-mentioned problem, the electrical connector assembly of the present invention comprises: a first connector mounted on a circuit board; And a second connector configured to be able to engage with the first connector in a horizontal direction while being disposed to cover the circuit board, wherein the first connector includes: a wafer having the housing accommodating portion formed in the horizontal direction; And a terminal electrically connected to the circuit board and projecting to the housing receiving portion, wherein the second connector includes: a flexible circuit accommodating portion extended from the front to the back; and a flexible circuit accommodating portion accommodated in the flexible circuit accommodating portion A housing having an opening at a bottom so that the terminal portion is exposed and in contact with the terminal; And a retainer inserted in the flexible circuit receiving portion and fixing the flexible circuit received in the flexible circuit receiving portion.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a coupling protrusion is protruded from the inner surface of the flexible circuit receiving portion at both left and right ends of the flexible circuit receiving portion, and the coupling protrusion is formed to cover the upper portion of the coupling portion formed at the end of the flexible circuit So that lateral extraction of the flexible circuit can be prevented.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, an inclined surface for guiding insertion of the flexible circuit may be formed on the inner surface to extend to the latching protrusion.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the retainer may be disposed so as to cover one surface of the flexible circuit and the latching jaw so as to limit the pull-out of the flexible circuit caught by the latching jaw.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the latching jaw may be formed on one surface of the flexible circuit receiving portion in which the opening is formed.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the terminal may be arranged to cover the side end portion of the housing received in the housing receiving portion.

Effects of the present invention obtained through the above-mentioned solution are as follows.

First, when the housing is coupled to the wafer, the terminal portion of the flexible circuit inserted in the housing is exposed through the opening, and the terminal of the wafer is connected to the terminal portion so that the electrical connection between the first connector and the second connector can be smoothly performed .

In addition, since one end of the housing is housed in the housing receiving portion of the wafer, and the locking protrusion of the housing is engaged with the locking groove of the wafer, the fastening between the first connector and the second connector can be firmly established.

Secondly, when the flexible circuit is inserted into the flexible circuit receiving portion, the flexible circuit is moved along the inclined surface of the housing, the retaining portion of the flexible circuit is caught by the retaining jaw of the housing, the retainer is moved to the inside of the housing, By covering at least a part of the one surface, the flexible circuit can be inserted into the housing more easily, and the flexible circuit can be prevented from being pulled out of the housing by an unexpected situation (for example, when the flexible circuit is picked up) .

Thirdly, according to the present invention, the assembling of the second connector is completed by receiving and fixing the flexible circuit in the housing, and the second connector is accommodated in the first connector and fastened, thereby completing assembly of the electrical connector assembly. As the assembling process of the connector proceeds stepwise as described above, the number of assembling members of the assembler can be reduced, and the assembling between the first and second connectors is easy, so that the time and effort required for the assembling process can be reduced.

1 is a perspective view showing an example in which an electrical connector assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention is mounted on a circuit board.
FIG. 2 is a conceptual view showing the first connector and the second connector shown in FIG. 1 separated; FIG.
Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the main structure of the first connector separated; Fig.
4 is an exploded perspective view showing the main structure of the second connector separated;
5 is a perspective view showing a second connector accommodating a flexible circuit;
Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the opening of the second connector shown in Fig. 5 being seen. Fig.
7 is a plan view of Fig.
8 is a conceptual view showing in detail the coupling structure between the housing and the flexible circuit;
9 is a conceptual view showing in detail the coupling structure between the housing and the retainer;
10 (a) to 10 (c) are cross-sectional views taken along line BB in FIG. 7, showing a process of assembling a flexible circuit to a second connector through a connector process.
11 is a cross-sectional view taken along AA shown in Fig.
12 is a perspective view showing a modification of the electrical connector assembly.
13 is an exploded perspective view showing the main components shown in Fig. 12 separated;
14 is a cross-sectional view taken along CC shown in Fig. 12; Fig.

Hereinafter, an electrical connector assembly according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

In the present specification, the same or similar reference numerals are assigned to the same or similar components in different embodiments, and redundant explanations thereof will be omitted.

In the following description of the embodiments of the present invention, a detailed description of related arts will be omitted when it is determined that the gist of the embodiments disclosed herein may be blurred.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. , ≪ / RTI > equivalents, and alternatives.

Terms including ordinals, such as first, second, etc., may be used to describe various elements, but the elements are not limited to these terms. The terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

In the following description, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

In the present application, the terms "comprises", "having", and the like are used to specify that a feature, a number, a step, an operation, an element, a component, But do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof.

A flexible circuit can be understood as a general concept including an FFC (Flexible Flat Cable) and an FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit).

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an example in which an electrical connector assembly 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention is mounted on a circuit board 1. Fig. FIG. 2 is a conceptual view showing the first connector 100 and the second connector 200 shown in FIG. 1 separated.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an electrical connector assembly 10 connects an electric power source, a device, a device and a device, or internal units of the device to constitute an electric circuit.

The electrical connector assembly 10 may include a first connector 100 and a second connector 200. The electrical connector assembly (10) is configured to correspond to an arm / male connector so as to be mutually engageable. In this figure, the first connector 100 can be understood as a female connector and the second connector 200 as a male connector.

The first connector 100 may be mounted on the circuit board 1. [ An electronic element (not shown) is mounted on the circuit board 1 and can be configured to be driven by an electrical connection between the first connector 100 and the second connector 200. [ For example, the light emitting device may be mounted on the circuit board 1 and may be configured to output light according to a control signal.

The second connector 200 is configured to be able to engage with the first connector 100 and can be configured to receive and couple the flexible circuit 2. [ Specifically, the second connector 200 can be coupled to the first connector 100 in a direction perpendicular to the circuit board 1.

Hereinafter, the coupling structure between the respective components of the electrical connector assembly 10 will be described in more detail.

3 is a conceptual view showing the main structure of the first connector 100 separated from the first connector 100 and showing a coupling method between the first connector 100 and the circuit board 1. FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing the main structure of the second connector 200 in a separated manner and showing a coupling method between the second connector 200 and the flexible circuit 2. FIG.

Fig. 5 is a conceptual diagram showing a state in which the flexible circuit 2 is housed in the second connector 200. Fig. 6 is a conceptual diagram showing the opening 212 of the second connector 200 shown in FIG. Fig. 7 is a plan view of Fig. 5. Fig.

A first connector 100 is mounted on a circuit board 1 and includes a wafer 110 and a terminal 120.

The wafer 110 forms the body of the first connector 100 and is formed of a synthetic resin material. The wafer 110 may be formed by injection molding, 3D printing, or the like.

The wafer 110 is formed with a housing receiving portion 111 for housing one end of a second connector 200 to be described later. The housing receiving portion 111 extends downward from the upper portion and has a recessed recessed shape.

The wafer 110 may be provided with a boss 112 for guiding the first connector 100 to the correct position of the circuit board 1 corresponding to the boss hole 1a formed in the circuit board 1. [ According to the above structure, the wafer 110 is seated in the correct position on the circuit board 1 and the terminal 120 to be described later is properly brought into contact with the electrical contact 1b formed on the circuit board 1, And can be electrically connected.

Hooks 113 formed of metal may be provided on both sides of the wafer 110, respectively. The hook 113 may be soldered or mounted on the circuit board 1 to firmly fix the wafer 110 to the circuit board.

The wafer 110 is mounted with a terminal 120 for electrical connection between the circuit board 1 and the flexible circuit. The terminal 120 is electrically connected to the circuit board 1. The terminals 120 are disposed along the front-rear direction of the wafer 110, and are provided at a plurality of spaced apart from each other at predetermined intervals along the lateral direction.

The terminal 120 is mounted on the wafer 110 and is electrically connected to the flexible circuit 2 when the first connector 100 and the second connector 200 are coupled. Specifically, the terminal 120 is mounted on the wafer 110, inserted into the wafer 110, and installed at an end of the terminal 120 so as to protrude into the housing receiving portion 111. This will be described in detail later.

The terminal 120 may be disposed corresponding to the terminal portion 2b of the flexible circuit 2 and the pitch P of the circuit board. For example, the terminals 120 may be spaced corresponding to 0.5 mm, 1.0 mm, 1.25 mm, and 1.5 mm pitches or the like.

The second connector 200 includes a housing 210 and a retainer 220.

The housing 210 forms the body of the second connector 200 and is formed of a synthetic resin material. The housing 210 may be formed by injection molding, 3D printing, or the like.

The housing 210 is moved in the vertical direction to the circuit board 1 and is accommodated in the housing receiving portion 111 of the first connector 100 and the locking protrusion 230 for coupling with the second connector 200 '). This will be described in more detail later.

A flexible circuit (2) is inserted into the housing (210). To this end, a flexible circuit receiving portion 211 for receiving the flexible circuit 2 is formed in the housing 210. The flexible circuit receiving portion 211 may extend downward from the upper portion and have a recessed recessed shape.

The terminal portion 2b of the flexible circuit 2 is provided with an opening portion for exposing the terminal portion 2b of the flexible circuit 2 housed in the flexible circuit accommodating portion 211 for electrical connection with the terminal 120 212 are formed. In other words, the opening 212 allows the housing accommodating portion 111 and the flexible circuit accommodating portion 211 to communicate with each other. The circuit board 1 can be electrically connected to the flexible circuit 2 by allowing the terminal 120 to contact the terminal portion 2b of the flexible circuit 2 through the opening 212. [

In this figure, the opening 212 is formed on one side of the lower end of the housing 210, and the elastic arm 230 is provided on the other side of the housing 210 opposite to the one side.

The housing 210 is inserted into the wafer 110 and mounted thereon. The housing 210 may be disposed to cover at least one surface of the wafer 110 so as to be supported on the wafer 110. In this figure, one end of the housing 210 is inserted into the wafer 110, and the lower surface of the housing 210 is seated on one side of the wafer 110. The coupling relationship between the housing 210 and the wafer 110 will be described later in detail.

The retainer 220 is formed in a plate shape and is inserted and fixed in the flexible circuit receiving portion 211.

At the upper portion of the retainer 220, a locking protrusion 223 is formed to cover one side of the top of the housing 210. It is advantageous that the assembler can confirm how much the retainer 220 is accommodated in the flexible circuit receiving portion 211 depending on whether or not the latch projection 223 touches one side of the housing 210. [

When the reassembly is necessary due to a problem (for example, incomplete insertion, finishing failure, or the like) in inserting the retainer 220, the assembler grips and lifts the engaging protrusion 223, It is possible to easily separate the retainer 220 from the retainer 220.

The retainer 220 is configured to fix the flexible circuit 2 interposed between the flexible circuit accommodating portion 211 and the one side of the flexible circuit accommodating portion 211 facing the flexible circuit 2 and inserted into the flexible circuit accommodating portion 211. The detailed structure in which the retainer 220 fixes the flexible circuit 2 will be described later.

Hereinafter, the coupling structure between the housing 210, the retainer 220 and the flexible circuit 2 will be described in detail.

8 is a conceptual diagram showing in detail the coupling structure between the housing 210 and the flexible circuit 2. As shown in FIG. 9 is a conceptual view showing in detail the coupling structure between the housing 210 and the retainer 220. As shown in FIG.

First, a coupling structure between the housing 210 and the flexible circuit 2 will be described.

The housing 210 forms an inner surface defining the flexible circuit receiving portion 211, and a latching protrusion 213 protrudes from the inner surface of the housing 210.

The latching jaws 213 may be formed on both left and right ends of the inner surface so as to face one surface of the flexible circuit 2 accommodated in the flexible circuit accommodating portion 211.

The latching jaw 213 may be formed to cover at least one surface of the latching portion 2a provided in the flexible circuit 2. [ Referring to this figure, the latching portion 2a is protruded from both sides of the flexible circuit 2, and the latching jaw 213 can cover the upper surface of the latching portion 2a.

According to the above structure, the movement of the flexible circuit 2 is restricted by the engagement of the engagement portion 2a with the engagement step 213. [ Thus, the latching jaw 213 can restrict the flexible circuit 2 from being pulled out from the flexible circuit receiving portion 211. [

An inclined surface 214 is formed on the inner surface of the housing 210. The inclined surface 214 is formed to protrude so as to be inclined upward, and extends to the engaging step 213. According to the above structure, the flexible circuit 2 moves along the inclined surface 214 and can be easily inserted into the flexible circuit receiving portion 211, and the engagement portion 2a of the flexible circuit 2 is inserted into the engagement step 213 As shown in Fig.

The flexible circuit 2 is moved along the inclined surface 214 of the housing 210 when the flexible circuit 2 is inserted into the flexible circuit accommodating portion 211. When the flexible circuit 2 is inserted into the flexible circuit accommodating portion 211, The flexible circuit 2 can be inserted into the housing 210 more easily and the flexible circuit can be prevented from being withdrawn from the housing during the connector assembly process by the housing 2a being hooked by the latching jaws 213 of the housing 210. [ Be able to

Next, a coupling structure between the retainer 220 and the housing 210 will be described.

The retainer 220 is disposed so as to cover one surface of the flexible circuit 2 and the latching jaw 213 so as to prevent the flexible circuit 2 from being pulled out of the flexible circuit receiving portion 211, 211 and is coupled to and fixed to the housing 210.

To this end, the retainer 220 includes a plate portion 221 and a retainer engagement portion 222.

The plate portion 221 may be formed in a rectangular shape so as to cover at least a part of one surface of the flexible circuit 2 disposed in the flexible circuit receiving portion 211.

The retainer fastening portions 222 may protrude from both the left and right sides of the plate portion 221 and may be elastically deformed inward. Specifically, the retainer fastening portion 222 may have a cantilever shape that can be elastically deformed inward. Accordingly, in a state where the retainer engagement portion 222 is elastically deformed inward by an external force, the retainer engagement portion 222 can be restored to the outside when the external force is removed.

The retainer engagement portion 222 may include a retaining hook 222 'formed on left and right inner side walls of the flexible circuit receiving portion 211 and engaged with a retainer retaining portion 215 described later.

The housing 210 includes a retainer retaining portion 215 to which the retaining hook 222 'is caught. More specifically, the retainer retaining portion 215 may include a first retaining groove 215a and a second retaining groove 215b.

The first latching grooves 215a may be formed on the left and right inner side walls of the flexible circuit receiving portion 211, respectively. Specifically, the first latching groove 215a may be formed by a retainer first latching stitch ST1 that defines an upper portion.

The retainer first inclined surface S1, which is formed so as to project from the inner side wall in an inclined manner, can be extended to the retainer first stopping step ST1. The retainer first inclined surface S1 guides the movement of the retainer 220 so that the retaining hook 222 'can be fitted into the first retaining groove 215a, So that it can be elastically deformed inward.

The second latching groove 215b may be spaced from the lower portion of the first latching groove 215a and may be formed on the left and right inner walls of the flexible circuit receiving portion 211, respectively.

Referring to this figure, the second retaining groove 215b is formed between the first retaining groove 215a and the second retaining groove 215b by a retainer second retaining tab ST2 that defines the upper portion of the second retaining groove .

The retainer second hooking step ST2 can be extended with the retainer second inclined surface S2 projecting obliquely from the inner side wall.

The retainer second inclined surface S2 is configured such that the retaining hook 222 'is released from the first retaining groove 215a by an external force applied in one direction (for example, the figure is joined downward) The engaging portion 222 can be elastically deformed by being pressed inward. Accordingly, the retainer 220 can be moved downward, and the engaging hook 222 'can be fitted in the second engaging groove 215b.

According to the retainer retaining portion 215, the retainer 220 can be fixed to the housing 210 by engaging the retaining hook 222 'with the retainer retaining portion 215, and the height of the retainer 220 Can be adjusted stepwise.

Meanwhile, a guide slot 217 may be formed in the housing 210 to extend along the moving direction of the retainer 220. A guide rib 224 may be formed on the retainer 220 so as to be inserted into the guide slot 217.

FIGS. 10A to 10C are cross-sectional views taken along line B-B shown in FIG. 7, and are a conceptual diagram showing a process of assembling the flexible circuit 2 to the second connector 200 through a connector process.

10 (a), the flexible circuit 2 may be configured to be insertable into the flexible circuit accommodating portion 211 in a state in which the interlocking hook 222 'is engaged with the first interlocking recess 215a have. A space S is formed between the retainer 220 and the stopping protrusion 213 formed in the housing 210 so that the terminal portion 2b of the flexible circuit 2 can pass therethrough.

10 (b), the retaining portion 2a of the flexible circuit 2 is moved downward along the inclined surface 214, the flexible circuit is passed through the spacing space S, Can be accommodated in the flexible circuit receiving portion 211. [ At this time, the retainer 220 is shown protruding from the upper surface of the housing 210.

10 (c), in the state in which the engagement portion 2a of the flexible circuit 2 is covered by the engagement protrusion 213, the engagement hook 222 'engaged in the first engagement recess 215a And may be moved by a downward external force to be caught in the second latching groove 215b. On the other hand, the retainer 220 may be moved downward to be coplanar with the upper surface of the housing 210 as the retainer 220 is hooked on the retainer second stopping step ST2.

Thus, the spacing space S is filled by the plate portion 221, and the retainer 220 is fixed to the housing 210 by being caught by the second latching groove 215b, The process of assembling to the main body 200 is completed.

According to this structure, since the retainer 220 is moved to the inside of the housing 210 and the assembly of the second connector 200 is completed by covering at least a part of one surface of the inserted flexible circuit 2, The assembly process is simple. The flexible circuit 2 is prevented from being pulled out by the retaining jaws 213 while the flexible circuit 2 is being pulled out by the retainer 220, And the second connector 200 can be firmly coupled to each other.

Hereinafter, a coupling structure between the first connector 100 and the second connector 200 will be described in detail. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A shown in Fig.

With reference to FIG. 11, the wafer 110 is provided with a locking groove 114 which can be engaged with the housing 210. The locking groove 114 is formed on one side of the wafer 110 and is configured to engage with the locking protrusion 230 'of the housing 210.

Referring to this figure, in the state where the second connector 200 is housed in the housing receiving portion 111, the locking protrusion 230 'of the elastic arm 230, which will be described later, . ≪ / RTI > Accordingly, the locking groove 114 and the locking protrusion 230 'can firmly fix the second connector 200 to the first connector 100.

The housing 210 is formed with an elastic arm 230 that is elastically deformable at a position corresponding to the locking groove 114. The elastic arm 230 may have a cantilever shape that is elastically deformable inward.

A locking protrusion 230 'may be protruded on one surface of the elastic arm 230 facing the locking groove 114 of the housing 210. The elastic arm 230 is elastically deformed inward by the wafer 110 and the locking protrusion 230 'is caught in the locking recess 114 when the housing 210 is inserted into the housing receiving portion 111. [

One end of the elastic arm 230 is provided with a pressing part 230 "which can be pushed in. When the pressing part 230" is operated (referring to the drawing, when the pressing part 230 "is pressed inward) The first connector 230 is inclined downward and the locking protrusion 230 'is separated from the locking groove 114 so that the second connector 200 is detachable from the first connector 100. Accordingly, (200) can be easily separated from the first connector (100).

The housing 210 may be provided with a locking rib 216 for restricting movement of the elastic arm 230 to the outside. The latching rib 216 may be formed to cover at least a part of the elastic arm 230. In this figure, left and right projecting portions of the elastic arm 230 are formed and are formed so as to cover the protruding portion of the engagement rib 216.

11, the terminal 120 includes a base portion 121, a first connection portion 122 and a second connection portion 123 for electrical connection between the circuit board 1 and the flexible circuit ).

The base portion 121 is elongated in the front-back direction of the wafer 110 and is installed in the mounting portion of the terminal 120 of the housing 210. The base portion 121 is provided with a lower contact portion 121 'that protrudes below the wafer 110 and contacts the upper surface of the circuit board 1. [

The first connection part 122 extends from one side of the connection part and is configured to press at least one side of the terminal part of the flexible circuit 2 when the flexible circuit 2 is inserted into the flexible circuit accommodating part 211. Specifically, the first connection portion 122 may be formed so as to be bent at least at one point to elastically press the terminal portion 2b. Referring to the drawings, the first connection portion 122 is arranged to face the opening portion 212, and one end of the first connection portion 122 may be configured to pass through the opening portion 212 to press one side of the terminal portion 2b have.

The second connection part 123 may extend from the other side of the connection part and may be formed in parallel with the first connection part 122. In other words, the second connection portion 123 may be arranged to cover the other surface of the opposite housing 210 of the opening 212. Accordingly, the second connection part 123 may support one side of the housing 210 inserted into the flexible circuit receiving part 211.

The terminal 120 includes a first connection part 122 and a second connection part 123 which are spaced apart from each other at a predetermined interval along the left and right direction of the housing 210. The first connection part 122, 2 connecting portion 123 so as to surround the lower end portion of the housing 210.

On the other hand, according to the above-described coupling structure, it is possible to implement the electrical connector assembly 10 that forms a simple connection between the first connector 100 and the second connector 200, have.

Specifically, when the housing 210 is coupled to the wafer 110, the terminal portion 2b of the flexible circuit 2 inserted into the housing 210 is exposed through the opening 212, 120 are connected to the terminal portion 2b, electrical connection between the first connector 100 and the second connector 200 can be smoothly performed.

One end of the housing 210 is received in the housing receiving portion 111 of the wafer 110 and the locking protrusion 230 'of the housing 210 is engaged with the locking groove 114 of the wafer 110, The connection between the first connector 100 and the second connector 200 can be firmly established.

The connection between the flexible circuit 2 and the second connector 200 is completed when the flexible circuit 2 is received in the flexible circuit receiving portion 211 and fixed by the retainer 220, The assembly between the first connector 100 and the second connector 200 is completed by being received in the housing receiving portion 111 and fastened to the wafer by the locking groove 114 and the locking protrusion 230 '.

According to the above-described assembling structure, the fastening process of the connector is formed stepwise so that the number of assembling members of the assembler can be reduced, and the number of assembly cycles of the connector 2 - the second connector 200 and the second connector 200, 100 and the second connector 200 can be easily assembled, so that the time and effort required for the insertion can be reduced.

12 to 14 are modifications of the present invention. Specifically, the second connector 400 is disposed to cover the circuit board 1 and is coupled to the first connector 300 in the horizontal direction. Accordingly, a structure for narrowing the gap between the circuit board 1 and the second connector 400 can be realized. Hereinafter, the structure will be described in more detail.

12 is a conceptual view showing a modified example of the electrical connector assembly 20. FIG. 13 is a view showing the main components shown in FIG. 12 in isolation. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C shown in Fig.

Like the electrical connector assembly 10 of the previous embodiment, in this variation, the electrical connector assembly 20 includes a first connector 300 and a second connector 400. The first connector 300 includes the wafer 310 and the terminal 320 and the second connector 400 may include the housing 410 and the retainer 420. The description thereof is as described in the previous embodiment.

Hereinafter, a structure for coupling (or assembling) the first connector 300 and the second connector 400 will be described with reference to the drawings.

The housing receiving portion 311 may extend in the horizontal direction and have a recessed recessed shape.

The flexible circuit receiving portion 411 may extend in the horizontal direction (from front to back) to have a recessed recessed shape.

Meanwhile, the terminal 320 is mounted on the side surface of the wafer 310, and the terminal 320 is inserted into the inside of the terminal 310, and the end of the terminal 320 protrudes into the housing accommodating portion 311.

Specifically, the base portion 321 is elongated in the height direction of the wafer 310 and installed in the mounting portion of the terminal 320 of the housing 410. The base portion 321 protrudes to the side of the wafer 310 and has a lower contact portion 321 'which is in contact with the upper surface of the circuit board 1 at one end.

The first connection part 322 extends from one side of the base part 321 in a direction parallel to the circuit board 1 and is connected to the terminal part of the flexible circuit 2 when the flexible circuit 2 is inserted into the flexible circuit accommodating part 411 2b.

The second connection portion 323 extends from the other side of the base portion 321 and may be formed in parallel with the first connection portion 322.

That is, in this modification, the direction in which the second connector 400 is coupled to the first connector 300 is shifted from the vertical direction to the horizontal direction, compared to the previous embodiment. The flexible circuit 2 is horizontally inserted into the flexible circuit receiving portion 411 of the housing 410 and then fixed by the retainer 420 and the housing 410 is inserted into the housing accommodating portion 311 The assembly of the electrical connector assembly 20 is completed by being inserted into the wafer 310 in the horizontal direction.

The second connector 400 is mounted on the first connector 300 by the horizontal coupling method adopted in the electrical connector assembly 20 even if the assembly space is not secured on the circuit board 1 There is an advantage that it is advantageous in securing a work space.

The structure of the electrical connector assembly 20 in a state where the first connector 300 and the second connector 400 are assembled is as follows.

The second connector 400 is disposed adjacent to the circuit board 1, unlike the second connector 200 of the electrical connector assembly 10 of the previous embodiment. In other words, the second connector 400 is arranged to cover at least a part of the area of the circuit board 1.

According to the structure, the distance from the circuit board 1 to the upper portion of the electrical connector assembly 20 in a state where the first connector 300 is coupled with the second connector 400 is reduced. This has the advantage that the spatial usability inside the device is increased and a device with reduced thickness etc. can be realized.

Meanwhile, the electrical connector assembly of the present invention can be applied to a display device. For reference, as an example of the display device, a TV can be considered.

The display device includes a display unit for outputting visual information, a circuit board 1 for controlling the display unit, and an electrical connector assembly of the present invention mounted on the circuit board 1. [

For example, a plurality of light emitting elements are mounted on the circuit board 1 to output light according to a control signal. Each of the plurality of light emitting devices may be spaced apart from each other at predetermined intervals along the extending direction of the circuit board 1. The light emitting element may be, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode) or any other electronic element having a high brightness.

The power supply unit may be electrically connected to the circuit board 1 through an electrical connector assembly including the electrical connector of the present invention to supply power to the light emitting element.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. Accordingly, the detailed description of the mall is not to be construed in all aspects as limiting and should be considered illustrative. The scope of the present invention should be determined by rational interpretation of the appended claims, and all changes within the scope of equivalents of the present invention are included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims (20)

A first connector mounted on a circuit board; And
And a second connector configured to be engageable with the first connector in a direction perpendicular to the circuit board,
The first connector includes:
A wafer having a housing receiving portion formed in the vertical direction; And
And a terminal electrically connected to the circuit board and protruding into the housing receiving portion,
The second connector includes:
A housing having a flexible circuit accommodating portion formed to extend from an upper portion to a lower portion and having an opening at a lower side thereof so that a terminal portion of a flexible circuit accommodated in the flexible circuit accommodating portion is exposed to be in contact with the terminal; And
And a retainer inserted between one surface of the flexible circuit accommodated in the flexible circuit accommodating portion and an inner surface of the flexible circuit accommodating portion so that the flexible circuit restricts the flexible circuit from being drawn out from the flexible circuit accommodating portion. Lt; / RTI > The method according to claim 1,
Wherein both the left and right ends of the flexible circuit accommodating portion are formed with protruding engagement protrusions from the inner surface of the flexible circuit accommodating portion,
Wherein the latching jaw is disposed so as to cover an upper portion of the latching portion formed at the end of the flexible circuit to prevent the flexible circuit from being drawn out upwardly. 3. The method of claim 2,
And an inclined surface for guiding insertion of the flexible circuit is formed on the inner surface to extend to the engagement protrusion. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the retainer is disposed so as to cover one side of the flexible circuit and the latching jaw so as to limit the withdrawal of the flexible circuit caught by the latching jaw. The method according to claim 1,
The retainer
A plate portion disposed to cover the flexible circuit; And
And a fastening portion protruding from both left and right sides of the plate portion so as to be elastically deformable inwardly and outwardly and having a retaining hook formed in left and right inner side walls of the flexible circuit receiving portion. . The method of claim 5, wherein
Wherein the retainer retaining portion includes a first retaining groove and a second retaining groove formed in a lower portion of the first retaining groove,
Wherein the flexible circuit is insertable into the flexible circuit receiving portion in a state where the engagement hook is engaged with the first engagement groove,
And the flexible circuit is fixed to the flexible circuit receiving portion in a state where the engagement hook is engaged with the second engagement groove. The method of claim 6, wherein
The retainer protrudes from the upper surface of the housing in a state where the retaining hook is engaged with the first retaining groove,
Wherein the retainer is flush with an upper surface of the housing in a state where the retaining hook is engaged with the second retaining groove. The method according to claim 1,
The housing has a guide slot extending along the direction in which the retainer is moved,
And a guide rib corresponding to the guide slot is protruded from the retainer. The method according to claim 1,
The housing is formed with an elastic arm extending upward and having a locking protrusion on one surface thereof,
Wherein the wafer has a locking groove formed therein for engaging the locking protrusion. 10. The method of claim 9,
The opening is formed on one side of the housing,
Wherein the elastic arm is formed on the other surface of the housing opposite to the one surface. The method according to claim 1,
And the terminal includes a first connection portion disposed to face the opening portion and electrically connected to the terminal portion. 12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the terminal includes a second connection portion extending in the same direction as the first connection portion and extending the other side of the housing opposite to the opening portion. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the terminal is arranged to cover a lower end portion of the housing received in the housing receiving portion. The method according to claim 1,
And the housing is arranged to cover a part of the upper surface of the wafer. A first connector mounted on a circuit board; And
And a second connector configured to be able to engage with the first connector in a horizontal direction while being arranged to cover the circuit board,
The first connector includes:
A wafer having a housing receiving portion formed in the horizontal direction; And
And a terminal electrically connected to the circuit board and protruding into the housing receiving portion,
The second connector includes:
A housing having a flexible circuit accommodating portion formed to extend from a front side to a rear side and having an opening at a front lower portion so that a terminal portion of a flexible circuit accommodated in the flexible circuit accommodating portion is exposed to be in contact with the terminal; And
And a retainer inserted between one surface of the flexible circuit accommodated in the flexible circuit accommodating portion and an inner surface of the flexible circuit accommodating portion to restrict the flexible circuit from pulling out the flexible circuit from the flexible circuit accommodating portion, . 16. The method of claim 15,
Wherein both the left and right ends of the flexible circuit accommodating portion are formed with protruding engagement protrusions from the inner surface of the flexible circuit accommodating portion,
Wherein the latching jaw is disposed so as to cover an upper portion of the latching portion formed at an end portion of the flexible circuit to prevent lateral extraction of the flexible circuit. 17. The method of claim 16,
And an inclined surface for guiding insertion of the flexible circuit is formed on the inner surface to extend to the engagement protrusion. 17. The method of claim 16,
Wherein the retainer is arranged to cover the one side of the flexible circuit and the latching jaw so as to restrict the withdrawal of the flexible circuit caught by the latching jaw. 17. The method of claim 16,
And the latching jaw is formed on one surface of the flexible circuit receiving portion where the opening is formed. 16. The method of claim 15,
And the terminal is arranged to cover the side end portion of the housing received in the housing receiving portion.

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