TWI425724B - Connector - Google Patents

Description

Connector

The present invention relates to a connector that is connected to a plate-like or sheet-like connection object such as an FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit) or an FFC (Flexible Flat Cable).

For example, the article of the patent document 1 (JP-A-2004-71314) or the patent document 2 (JP-A-2009-283309) is disclosed.

The connector of Patent Document 1 has an actuator having a protrusion, and a casing rotatably supporting the actuator. A receiving hole corresponding to the actuator protrusion is formed in the sleeve. When the insertion port of the front end of the connector is inserted into the FPC/FFC so that the actuator is turned forward, the protrusion of the actuator is inserted into the casing receiving hole through the hole of the FPC/FFC. Thereby, the FPC/FFC is prevented from falling off.

However, in the connector of Patent Document 1, when the FPC/FFC or the FPC/FFC is blown by the ratcheting, the actuator is opened and the FPC/FFC is detached. In order to prevent undesired falling off, although the protrusion must be lengthened, when the protrusion is long, there is a problem that the FPC/FFC is prevented from being inserted into the connector.

The connector of Patent Document 2 has a casing including a locking arm provided with a locking portion, and an actuator rotatably supported by the casing. The actuator is provided with a cam portion that flexes the locking arm. When the actuator is opened, the cam portion flexes the locking arm to displace the locking portion upward. Thereby, the FPC/FFC can be inserted into the connector. In a state where the FPC/FFC is inserted into the connector, when the actuator is pushed down, the locking portion returns to the predetermined position. At this time, the locking portion is located in the locking hole of the FPC/FFC. Thereby, the FPC/FFC is prevented from falling off.

The connector of this Patent Document 2 has a problem in strength because it flexes the lock arm by the operation of the actuator.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a connector which can be pulled out or blown in accordance with a random object to be connected, and which has no problem in strength.

One aspect of the invention provides a connector. The aforementioned connector has an insertion port at the front end. The connector is an object that is connected to the connection object inserted from the insertion port to the rear end. The object to be connected is a plate-like or sheet-like object. The connection object has a contact portion and a locked portion. The aforementioned connector includes: a contact member having a contact portion; a casing that holds the aforementioned contact member; and an actuator supported by the aforementioned casing so as to be rotatable between a closed position and an open position. The actuator is configured to rotate the actuator from the open position to the closed position to rotate the contact portion of the contact member to the object of the contact portion of the connection object. The actuator includes a locking portion and an abutting portion. The abutting portion is configured to be located rearward of the locking portion when the actuator is in the closed position, and at least when the locking portion is locked to the engaged portion of the connection object And abutting against the main surface of the object to be connected.

When the present invention is used, even if the object to be connected (for example, FPC/FFC) is pulled out or the object to be connected is blown, the locking portion provided in the actuator is locked to the engaged portion of the object to be connected, and is simultaneously actuated. Since the abutting portion of the device abuts on the main surface of the object to be connected, it is possible to prevent the actuator from being accidentally opened without lengthening the length of the locking portion.

The object of the present invention can be correctly understood by reviewing the description of the preferred embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings,

When the first to seventh embodiments are referred to, the connector 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention is attached to a circuit board (not shown) and connected to an FPC/FFC (connection object) 50. Here, the FPC/FFC 50 that can be connected to the connector 1 of the present embodiment has the upper surface as the two main faces as shown in FIGS. 3, 4, 6, 7, and 11. In the 50a and lower surface 50b, a plurality of contact portions (complex signal terminals) 52 are formed in the vicinity of the edge portion (the X-direction end portion, the third figure right end) 51 of the lower surface 50b. Further, recesses 53 recessed inward in the Y direction are formed at both ends of the FPC/FFC 50 in the left-right direction (Y direction). That is, the recess 53 is provided to sandwich the plurality of contact portions 52 from the Y direction. The edge of the edge portion 51 of the concave portion 53 functions as the engaged portion 54 as will be described later.

Moreover, when referring to FIGS. 1 to 7, the connector 1 has the front end 2 and the rear end 3, and the front end 2 has an insertion opening 4 for inserting the FPC/FFC 50. The connector 1 is connected to the FPC/FFC 50 inserted from the aforementioned insertion port 4 to the rear end 3. Hereinafter, the structure of the connector 1 and the method of connecting to the FPC/FFC 50 will be described in detail.

The connector 1 of the present embodiment has a casing 10 made of an insulating material, a plurality of contacts 20 made of metal, an actuator 30 made of an insulating material, and a lock 40. Made of metal, it is connected and fixed to a circuit board (not shown).

When referring to Figs. 3, 4, and 6 to 8, an opening portion 11 is formed in the front end 10a of the casing 10. The opening portion 11 penetrates the casing 10 in the X direction, and has an elongated shape in the Y direction when the front end 10a of the casing 10 is viewed in the X direction. The opening portion 11 of the present embodiment defines the insertion port 4 of the connector 1. The bottom surface of the opening portion 11 (that is, the insertion port 4) functions as a receiving surface 12 for receiving the FPC/FFC 50 inserted through the insertion opening 4. As best shown in Fig. 8, the escape holes 13 recessed in the -Z direction (downward) are formed in the vicinity of both ends of the receiving surface 12 in the Y direction. A holding portion 14 as a hole for holding the contact member 20 is formed at the rear end 10b of the casing 10. These holding portions 14 reach the receiving surface 12. Further, the bearing portion 15 is formed such that the receiving surface 12 is sandwiched in the Y direction. The bearing portion 15 is a groove recessed to the outside in the Y direction, and is a groove extending in the Z direction (upward).

Referring to FIGS. 3, 4, 6, and 7, each contact member 20 has a lower jaw portion 22, a contact portion 21, an upper jaw portion 23, and a coupling portion 24 that connects the lower jaw portion 22 with the upper jaw. The portion 23; the held portion 25, the elastic support connecting portion 24; and the fixed end portion 26 extend from the held portion 25 to the lower rear side (the X direction and the -Z direction). The connecting portion 24 connects the lower jaw portion 22 and the upper jaw portion 23 so as to have a tuning fork shape. The held portion 25 is protected by the holding portion 14 hold. The fixed end portion 26 is connected to a corresponding signal terminal (not shown) fixed to a circuit board (not shown).

In the present embodiment, since the connecting portion 24 is elastically supported by the holding portion 25, the upper jaw portion 23 and the lower jaw portion 22 have a portion where the connecting portion 24 is supported by the holding portion 25 as a center to perform a similar rotation operation. Therefore, when the upper jaw portion 23 is to be lifted up, the lower jaw portion 22 is also lifted up, and the contact portion 21 is moved upward.

The actuator 30 is held by the casing 10 so as to be rotatable between an open position (see FIGS. 1 to 4) and a closed position (see FIGS. 5 to 7). The aforementioned actuator 30 is for connecting the contact portion 21 of the contact member 20 to the member of the FPC/FFC 50 contact portion 52 when being rotated from the open position to the closed position.

The actuator 30 of the present embodiment is rotated from the open position to the closed position by falling backward (X direction). That is, the rotation direction from the open position to the closed position of the actuator 30 of the present embodiment is opposite to the direction of rotation of the actuator in the connector of Patent Document 1.

Further, when referring to the ninth and tenth drawings, the actuator 30 of the present embodiment has the rotating shaft 31 which protrudes outward in the left and right end portions (the both end portions in the Y direction); the locking portion 32 is offset. The connecting portion 33 is located near the left and right ends; the receiving portion 34 is formed corresponding to the contact member 20; the raised portion 35 is disposed in the receiving portion 34; and the surrounding portion 36.

In detail, the rotary shaft 31 of the present embodiment is located at the foremost end of the actuator 30 when the actuator 30 is in the closed position, and is held by the bearing portion 15 of the casing 10 so as to be rotatable and movable in the up and down direction (Z Direction) move.

The locking portion 32 has a protruding shape, and when the actuator 30 is in the open position, it protrudes downward (in the -Z direction), and moves in response to the rotation of the actuator 30. The escape hole 13 provided in the casing 10 is for moving the locking portion 32 to a smooth object, and the escape hole 13 itself does not necessarily have to be locked with the locking portion 32. Therefore, the escape hole 13 may not be as deep as the object of the connector of Patent Document 1.

In detail, it can be understood from FIGS. 3 and 4 that the configuration of the locking portion 32 of the present embodiment is located at a position where the insertion of the FPC/FFC 50 is not hindered when the actuator 30 is in the open position. Further, as shown in Fig. 7, in the state in which the FPC/FFC 50 is inserted, when the actuator 30 is in the closed position, the configuration of the locking portion 32 of the present embodiment is located at the locked portion of the FPC/FFC 50. 54 still has a position ahead. That is, in the state in which the FPC/FFC 50 is inserted, when the actuator 30 is in the closed position, the locking portion 32 of the present embodiment is located in the recess 53. Therefore, when the FPC/FFC 50 is to be moved forward (that is, when the FPC/FFC 50 is to be pulled out), the locked portion 54 is locked to the locking portion 32.

In particular, the locking portion 32 of the present embodiment is located in the vicinity of the rotating shaft 31. Therefore, the size in the front-rear direction (X direction) of the connector 1 can be reduced. Further, it can be understood from FIGS. 7 and 10 that 2/3 or more of the locking portion 32 in the cross section along the XZ plane is located at the center 31c of the rotating shaft 31 when the actuator 30 is in the closed position. Also need to be behind. When constructed in this way, when the actuator 30 is in the open position, the probability of obstructing the insertion of the FPC/FFC 50 into the insertion port 4 can be reduced. When considering the relevant effects, it can be understood that almost all (and preferably the whole) of the locking portions 32 are preferably located rearward of the center 31c of the rotating shaft 31 when the actuator 30 is in the closed position. .

When referring to FIGS. 7 and 10, the abutting portion 33 has a surface parallel to the YX plane when the actuator 30 is in the closed position, and is located rearward (X direction) from the locking portion 32. In particular, in the present embodiment, the abutting portion 33 is located further rearward than the rotating shaft 31 when the actuator 30 is in the closed position. The abutting portion 33 is configured such that when the FPC/FFC 50 or the like is pulled out, the at least the locking portion 32 locks the locked portion 54 of the FPC/FFC 50, and abuts against the upper surface 50a of the FPC/FFC 50. Therefore, when the force to be pressed in the -X direction (front) is applied to the locking portion 32 from the engaged portion 54, the abutting portion 33 is pressed against the upper surface 50a of the FPC/FFC 50, so that it is not necessary to lengthen the locking The protruding length of the portion 32, while the FPC/FFC 50 is not offset from the locking portion 32. Also, since the actuator 30 is pushed in the direction of the closed position, the actuator 30 does not open (does not move to the open position). In particular, since the contact portion 33 of the present embodiment is configured to sandwich the contact portion 21 of the contact member 20 and the FPC/FFC 50 at the same time, not only when the locking portion 32 is locked to the locked portion 54 of the FPC/FFC 50, When the actuator 30 is in the closed position, it also abuts the upper surface 50a of the FPC/FFC 50 for a long time.

When referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, the accommodating portion 34 has a slit shape parallel to the XZ plane. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6 , the accommodating portion 34 partially houses the upper portion 23 of the contact member 20 .

As shown in FIGS. 3, 6 and 10, the lift portion 35 has an eccentric shape, and the inner walls constituting the accommodating portion 34 are connected to each other in the accommodating portion 34 in the Y direction. That is, the lift portion 35 is located in the housing portion 34. The lifter 35 is operated by the rotation of the rotary actuator 30 from the open position to the closed position, and the upper portion 23 of the contact member 20 is lifted by the accommodating portion 34 (see FIG. 6). When the lifting portion 35 raises the upper jaw portion 23, the contact portion 21 provided on the lower jaw portion 22 is displaced upward as described above.

As shown in Figs. 6 and 10, the surrounding portion 36 constitutes the rear portion of the actuator 30 when the actuator 30 is in the closed position, and surrounds the upper portion of the rear end 10b of the casing 10. By this enclosing, the upper portion of the held portion 25 of the connector 20 is also protected and surrounded.

In the connector 1 insertion port 4 having the above configuration, as shown in Fig. 3, when the actuator 30 is in the open position, the FPC/FFC 50 is inserted, and the state shown in Fig. 4 is obtained. At this time, the locking portion 32 is located above the recess 53 of the FPC/FFC 50. In this state, when the actuator 30 is rotated to the closed position, as shown in Fig. 6, the upper portion 23 of the contact member 20 is lifted by the lift portion 35, whereby the contact portion 21 is displaced upward. Thereby, the FPC/FFC 50 is sandwiched between the contact portion 33 and the contact portion 21, and the contact portion 21 and the contact portion 52 can be electrically connected. At this time, as shown in Fig. 7, since the locking portion 32 is located in the concave portion 53, it is possible to prevent the falling off as described above.

Hereinabove, the present invention has been specifically described with reference to the embodiments, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

For example, in the above embodiment, the FPC/FFC 50 is sandwiched between the contact portion 33 and the contact portion 21, so that when the actuator 30 is in the closed position, the abutment portion 33 abuts on the FPC/FFC 50. Upper surface 50a. However, it is also possible to provide a contact object other than the abutting portion 33 other than the contact member 20 such as the contact member 20, and in this case, when the abutting portion 33 prevents the undesired rotation of the actuator 30, As long as it is abutted on the FPC/FFC 50, it is not always necessary to abut the FPC/FFC 50 when the actuator 30 is in the closed position.

Further, the FPC/FFC 50 of the connector 1 may be connected to the FPC/FFC 50 having the concave portion 53 at the left and right ends. However, as shown in Fig. 12, for example, the FPC/FFC 50 having the convex portion 55 at the left and right ends may be used. 'As a connection object. In this case, the edge of the edge of the convex portion 55 away from the edge portion 51 functions as the locked portion 56.

While the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the invention may be practiced without departing from the scope of the invention.

1‧‧‧Connector

2‧‧‧ front end

3‧‧‧ Backend

4‧‧‧ insertion port

10‧‧‧shells

11‧‧‧ openings

12‧‧‧Enough face

13‧‧‧Escape

14‧‧‧ Keeping Department

15‧‧‧ Bearing Department

20‧‧‧Contacts

21‧‧‧Contact Department

22‧‧‧Lower Department

23‧‧‧Upper Department

24‧‧‧Connecting Department

25‧‧‧ Keeped Department

26‧‧‧Fixed end

30‧‧‧Actuator

31‧‧‧Rotary axis

32‧‧‧Cards

33‧‧‧Apartment

34‧‧‧ Housing Department

35‧‧‧ Lifting

36‧‧‧Encircling Department

40‧‧‧Locker

50‧‧‧FPC/FFC

51‧‧‧Edge

52‧‧‧Contacts

53‧‧‧ recess

54‧‧‧The locked part

55‧‧‧ convex

10a‧‧‧ front end

10b‧‧‧ backend

31c‧‧ Center

50’‧‧‧FPC/FFC

50a‧‧‧ upper surface

50b‧‧‧ lower surface

Fig. 1 is a front perspective view showing the connector of the embodiment of the present invention. Here, the actuator included in the connector is in the open position.

Fig. 2 is a rear perspective view of the connector of Fig. 1. Here, the actuator is in the open position.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the connector of Fig. 2 taken along line III-III. Here, the actuator is in the open position and the FPC/FFC has not been inserted into the insertion port.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV of the connector of Fig. 2. Here, the actuator is in the open position and the FPC/FFC has been inserted into the insertion port.

Fig. 5 is a front perspective view showing the connector of Fig. 1. Here, the actuator is in the closed position.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI of the connector of Fig. 5. Here, the actuator is in the closed position and the FPC/FFC has been inserted into the insertion port.

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the connector of Fig. 5 taken along the line VII-VII. Here, the actuator is in the closed position and the FPC/FFC has been inserted into the insertion port.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing the casing of Fig. 1.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing the actuator of Fig. 1.

Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line X-X of the actuator of Figure 9.

Figure 11 is a bottom plan view showing the FPC/FFC connectable to the connector of Figure 1.

Fig. 12 is a bottom view showing a modification of the FPC/FFC of Fig. 11.

The present invention can be implemented by various modifications or various forms, but the specific embodiment shown as an example is described in detail above. The drawings and the embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the invention, and all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives within the scope of the appended claims.

2 (10a). . . front end

3(10b). . . rear end

4(11). . . Opening

10. . . Shell

12. . . Bear face

30. . . Actuator

31. . . Rotary axis

32. . . Clamping part

33. . . Abutment

40. . . Lock firmware

50. . . FPC/FFC

50a. . . Upper surface

50b. . . lower surface

53. . . Concave

54. . . Blocked part

Claims (8)

A connector having an insertion port at a front end and connecting with a connection object inserted from the insertion port to a rear end, wherein the connector includes: a contact member having a contact portion; and a sleeve that holds the contact member And an actuator supported by the sleeve so as to be rotatable between a closed position having at least a lower jaw portion, a contact portion, an upper jaw portion, and a connecting portion connecting the lower jaw portion And the upper portion and the held portion elastically supporting the connecting portion and held by the holding portion of the casing, wherein the actuator is configured to rotate the actuator from the open position to the closed position to rotate An object that connects the contact portion of the contact member to a contact portion formed on a lower surface of the connection object, the actuator includes a locking portion, an abutting portion, a receiving portion corresponding to the contact member, and a housing portion In the lifting portion in the accommodating portion, the abutting portion is configured to be located later than the locking portion when the actuator is in the closed position And when at least the locking portion is locked to the locked portion of the connection object, the protruding portion is in contact with the main surface of the connection object, and the lifting portion is rotated corresponding to the brake from the open position to the closed position. Rotating, lifting the upper jaw portion of the contact member in the accommodating portion, and lifting the upper jaw portion to be provided on the lower jaw portion The aforementioned contact portion is displaced upward. The connector according to the first aspect of the invention, wherein the abutting portion is configured to be in a state in which the connection object is inserted, and when the actuator is in the closed position, the connection object is The aforementioned main faces abut. The connector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the casing is formed with a bearing portion, the actuator having a rotating shaft housed in the bearing portion, when the actuator is in the closed position The abutting portion is located further rearward than the rotating shaft. The connector according to claim 3, wherein the locking portion is located in the vicinity of the rotation axis. The connector of claim 4, wherein in the cross section along a plane orthogonal to the left-right direction of the connector, when the actuator is in the closed position, the locking portion is located earlier than The position of the rotary axis is also behind. The connector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the actuator is configured to rotate from the open position to the closed position by tilting backward. The connector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the locking portion is provided in the vicinity of both ends of the actuator in the left-right direction. The connector of claim 1 or 2, wherein The locking portion is configured such that when the actuator is in the open position, it is located at a position that does not prevent the connection object from being inserted, and in a state in which the connection object is inserted, when the actuator is closed as described above At the time of the position, it is located further forward than the locked portion of the object to be connected, whereby the locking portion locks the locked portion even if the connecting object is to be moved forward.