WO2018044536A1

WO2018044536A1 - Ffc/fpc connector for high speed signal transmission

Info

Publication number: WO2018044536A1
Application number: PCT/US2017/046693
Authority: WO
Inventors: Suk Min Kim
Original assignee: Molex, Llc
Priority date: 2016-08-30
Filing date: 2017-08-14
Publication date: 2018-03-08
Also published as: KR101862009B1; KR20180024511A; CN109643861A; CN109643861B

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an FFC/FPC connector which can achieve slimness by minimizing thickness of a contact terminal, and enables high speed transmission by minimizing generation of a vortex of signals transmitted through the contact terminal. The FFC/FPC connector for high speed signal transmission of the present disclosure includes: a housing which has a cable insertion port formed at a front portion thereof and has a plurality of terminal insertion ports formed at a rear portion thereof; a plurality of contact terminals which are inserted into the terminal insertion port, and electrically connect a cable inserted into the cable insertion port and a substrate to transmit signals; a pair of fitting nails which fix the housing to the substrate while being soldered to the substrate at both sides of the housing; an actuator which is disposed on an upper portion of the housing, and includes a body portion for pressing the cable and a rotation portion for rotating the body portion at the rear portion of the body portion, thereby fixing/unfixing the cable inserted into the housing by performing a rotation; and a metal shell which is coupled to the housing at a rear portion of the actuator to prevent a movement of the actuator caused by a rotation, wherein the cable and the contact terminals are brought into contact with/released from each other by the rotation of the actuator, such that signals are transmitted between the cable and the substrate.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to Korean Application No. 10-2016-0110854, filed August 30, 2016, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety,

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a flexible flat cable (FFCVflexible printed circuit (FPC) connector, and more particularly, to an FFC/FPC connector which can achieve slimness by minimizing thickness of a contact terminal, and enables high speed transmission by minimizing generation of a vortex of signals transmitted through the contact terminal.

BACKGROUND ART

[0003] As recent electronic products are miniaturized and developed to enhance performance, a larger number of electronic elements are arranged on a printed circuit board (PCB), and accordingly, a pluralit of signals are inputted to or outputted from products in parallel. To electrically connect such elements, a soft flexible flat cable (FFC), a flexible printed circuit (FPC), or the like is widely used. The FFC or FPC (hereinafter, referred to as a "cable") forms one cable by having a plurality of electrodes arranged in parallel, and has a characteristic of a high degree of freedom of design compared to a hard PCB. Such cable is removably connected to a connector mounted on a substrate, and is electrically connected with the substrate via the connector,

[0004] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a related-art connector, and FIG. 2 is a cross- sectional view showing a coupling structure of a contact terminal of the connector shown in FIG, I .

[0005] As shown in FIG. 1, the connector 1 is mounted on a substrate 3 of an electronic element, and has a cable 2 inserted into one side thereof to electrically connect the cable 2 and the substrate 3. Such connector 1 includes a housing 10 having terminal insertion ports formed at one side thereof, a plurality of contact terminals 20 arranged at regular intervals in a lengthwise direction of the housing to be coupled to the terminal insertion ports , an actuator 30 which fixes/unfixes the cable to/from the housing and simultaneously brings the cable into contact with/releases the cable from the contact terminals by performing a rotation, and a fitting nail 40 for fixing the housing to the substrate.

[0006] As shown in FIG. 2, each of the contact terminals 20 has a front portion which is divided into a lower contact portion 21 brought into contact with the cable 2 and an upper support portion 22 for fixing a rotary shaft 31 of the actuator 30, and a rear portion which has a substrate contact point portion 23 protruding therefrom to a lower side to be in contact with the substrate 3. The substrate contact point portion 23 forms a contact point (s) with the substrate 3 in a method such as surface mount technology or the like, thereby fixing the contact terminal 20 to the substrate 3.

[0007] The contact terminal 20 having the above-described configuration electrically connects the cable 2 and the substrate 3 through the lower contact portion 21 and the substrate contact point portion 23, such that signals are transmitted. However, since the lower contact portion 21 and the upper support portion 22 of the contact terminal 20 have complicated shapes, signals inputted to the substrate contact point portion 23 are not directly transmitted to the cable 2 through the lower contact portion 21 and pass through the upper support portion 22, causing signal reflection. The signal reflection phenomenon caused by the upper support portion 22 interferes with high speed transmission of signals, and has a problem that the contact terminal 20 having the above-described shape is not applied to a connector for high speed transmission.

[0008] In addition, the related-art connector 1 regulates the actuator 30 for fixing or unfixing the cable 2 at the contact terminal 20. As shown in the drawing, the rotary shaft 31 of the actuator 30 is secured to an insertion recess 24 formed on the upper support portion 22 of the contact terminal 20, and the cross section of the rotary shaft 31 forms a cam structure, such that a rotation in a horizontal or vertical direction is regulated by the upper support portion

22 providing an applied pressure to the lower side. However, the above-described related-art connector 1 has problems that a contact force applied from the rotary shaft 31 to the upper support portion 22 is transmitted to the substrate contact point portion 23 according to the rotation of the actuator 30, and the contact point (s) between the substrate contact point portion

23 and the substrate 3 is influenced by the contact force according to the repetitive rotation of the actuator 30, and thus a contact point defect occurs or the contact point is even destroyed.

[0009] Patent Document 0001 : Korean Utility Model Registration No. 20-0460172 (registered on April 27, 2012, titled "Connector For High Speed Signal Transmission")

[0010] Patent Document 0002: Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1378702 (registered on March 20, 2014, titled "Electric Connector")

SUMMARY

[0011] The present disclosure has been suggested to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide an FFC FPC connector for high speed signal transmission, which enables high speed transmission by preventing a signal reflection phenomenon in a process of transmitting signals between a cable and a substrate.

[0012] In addition, another object of the present disclosure is to provide an FFC/FPC connector for high speed signal transmission, which is advantageous to slimness by minimizing heights of a contact terminal and a ground terminal for transmitting signals and reducing noise.

[0013] Still another object of the present disclosure is to provide an FFC/FPC connector for high speed signal transmission, which can prevent a contact point defect or a contact point damage of a contact terminal caused by a rotation of an actuator by preventing the rotation of the actuator for fixing or unfixing a cable from influencing the contact terminal.

[0014] To achieve the above-described objects, an FFC/FPC connector for high speed signal transmission of the present disclosure includes: a housing which has a cable insertion port formed at a front portion thereof and has a plurality of terminal insertion ports formed at a rear portion thereof; a plurality of contact terminals each of which includes a cable contact point portion inserted into the terminal insertion port at the rear portion of the housing and brought into contact with a signal pad of a cable, and a substrate contact point portion extending to a rear portion of the cable contact point portion and soldered to a substrate, the plurality of contact terminals electrically connecting the cable inserted into the cable insertion port and the substrate to transmit signals, a pair of fitting nails which fix the housing to the substrate while being soldered to the substrate at both sides of the housing; an actuator which is disposed on an upper portion of the housing, and includes a body portion for pressing the cable and a rotation portion including a plurality of shell insertion ports formed on a lower portion of the body portion, and a rotary shaft formed in each of the shell insertion ports in a lengthwise direction and forming a rotation center of the body portion, the actuator fixing/unf xing the cable inserted into the housing by performing a rotation; a metal shell which is coupled to the housing at a lower portion of the actuator, and includes: a frame portion formed in a lengthwise direction; shell fixing portions extending from both ends of the frame portion to a lower portion while forming a stepped portion, and soldered to the substrate; and a plurality of regulation portions protruding to the front portion of the frame portion while forming a gap therebetween in the lengthwise direction, and inserted into the respective shell insertion ports of the actuator to press the rotary shaft, the metal shell for preventing a movement of the actuator caused by a rotation; and ground terminals which are inserted into the terminal insertion ports at the rear portion of the housing, and are brought into contact with the cable inserted into the cable insertion port to discharge abnormal signals through the substrate.

[0015] In this example, each of the regulation portions of the metal shell may include: a regulation arm which protrudes and extends to the front portion of the frame portion; a locking piece which is bent downwardly from a front end of the regulation arm; and a support piece which extends to one side of the regulation arm in a position in which the support piece guarantees a space with the locking piece, and has an end bent downwardly. Each of the regulation portions may be configured to regulate upward, forward, and backward movements of the rotary shaft which is positioned on the regulation arm and the space between the locking piece and the support piece.

[0016] In addition, each of the shell insertion ports of the actuator may include a support piece hiding recess formed by depressing a part of the body portion to prevent the support piece and the body portion from colliding with each other.

[0017] In addition, each of the fitting nails may include: a nail fixing portion which horizontally extends from a lower end of a vertical connection portion to an outer side; a pressing portion which horizontally extends from an upper end of the vertical connection portion to an inner side; a first locking portion which extends from an end of an inner side of the pressing portion to a lower side while being bent, and maintains a closed state of the actuator; and a second locking portion which horizontally extends from a rear end of the pressing portion to a rear portion, and maintains an opened state of the actuator. [0018] In addition, each of the ground terminal may include: a shield contact point portion which is inserted into the terminal insertion port of the rear portion of the housing, and is brought into contact with a shield pad on an upper portion of the cable; a hook portion which protrudes to a front portion at a lower portion spaced apart from the shield contact point portion, and is coupled to the housing, and a ground contact point portion which extends from a connection portion of the shield contact point portion and the hook portion to a rear portion, and is soldered to the substrate. The actuator may have a terminal hiding recess formed by depressing a part of the body portion so as to prevent the shield contact point portion from colliding when the ground terminal is inserted at the rear portion of the housing.

[0019] The present disclosure gives the following effects.

[0020] According to the present disclosure having the above-described configuration, the contact terminal formed between the cable and the substrate to transmit signals is formed in a linear shape, extending lengthways from the front portion to the rear portion, such that there are effects of removing and minimizing a reflection or vortex phenomenon of signals transmitted inside the contact terminal, and enabling high speed signal transmission.

[0021] In addition, according to the present disclosure, the contact terminal forms a linear shape, extending lengthways from the front portion to the rear portion, and thus the height of the terminal can be reduced, and eventually, the whole thickness of the connector can be reduced. Therefore, a slim cable connector can be realized.

[0022] In addition, the present disclosure has an effect of easily assembling the connector since the contact terminal and the ground terminal are coupled at the rear portion of the housing.

[0023] In addition, according to the present disclosure, a contact point defect does not occur between the contact terminal and the substrate since the contact terminal is not influenced by the rotation of the actuator.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] The above and other obj ects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by describing in detail exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [0025] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a related-art connector;

[0026] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a coupling structure of a contact terminal of the connector shown in FIG. 1 ;

[0027] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a connector in a coupled state according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure,

[0028] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the connector shown in FIG. 3;

[0029] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a coupling structure of a contact terminal of the connector according to an exemplaiy embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0030] FIG 6 is a cross-sectional view partially showing a coupling structure of an actuator and a metal shell of the connector according to an exemplar}' embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0031] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the metal shell of the connector according to an exemplar}' embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0032] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view partially showing the coupling structure of the actuator and the metal shell of the connector as viewed in a different direction according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0033] FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a fitting nail of the connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0034] FIGS. 10A and 10B are enlarged views showing a first locking structure of the actuator of the connector according to an exemplaiy embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0035] FIG. 11 is an enlarged view showing a second locking structure of the actuator of the connector according to an exemplaiy embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0036] FIG. 12 is an enlarged view showing a coupling structure of a ground terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0037] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing the coupling structure of the contact terminal of the connector according to an exemplaiy embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIM ENTS

[0038] The technical objects achieved by the present disclosure and embodiments of the present disclosure will be obvious by preferred embodiments which will be described below. Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0039] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a connector in a coupled state according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the connector shown in FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the connector shown in FIG. 3 in the coupled state.

[0040] First, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the FFC connector of the present disclosure includes a housing 100, contact terminals 200, ground terminals 300, fitting nails 400, an actuator 500, and a metal shell 600. The connector having the above-described configuration may be mounted on a substrate 3 having a predetermined circuit printed thereon, and may connect a cable 2 inserted at one side thereof and the substrate 3, while fixing a connection of the cable 2, so as to allow various signals to be transmitted therebetween (hereinafter, one side to which the cable is connected will be referred to as a "front portion" and the opposite side thereof will be referred to as a "rear portion").

[0041] Specifi cally, the housing 100 is confi gured to form a body of the connector, and i s provided with a plurality of terminal insertion ports 110 into which the contact terminals 200 are inserted. The terminal insertion ports 110 may be formed to be spaced apart from one another by a predetermined distance in the horizontal direction so as to allow the respective contact terminals 200 to be coupled thereto, and the ground terminals 300 may be coupled to the outermost terminal insertion ports 110. The rear portion of the housing 100 is opened and the terminal insertion ports 110 are configured to allow the contact terminals 200 and the ground terminals 300 to be coupled thereto through the rear portion of the housing 100. Such housing 100 is formed of a non-conductive synthetic resin to electrically insulate the respective contact terminals 200.

[0042] In addition, the housing 100 may include a guide cover (not shown) formed at the front portion into which the cable 2 is inserted to guide insertion of the cable.

0043] The contact terminals 200 are configured to electrically connect the cable 2 and the substrate 3 and transmit signals therebetween, and are inserted into the respective terminal insertion ports 110 of the housing 100 and arranged thereon. The contact terminals 200 are formed of conductive metal, and a front terminal of each contact terminal 200 forms a cable contact point portion 210 which is brought into contact with a signal pad of a lower surface of the cable 2, and a rear terminal forms a substrate contact point portion 220 which is brought into contact with a signal electrode of the substrate 3. Accordingly, the contact terminals 200 electrically connect the cable 2 and the substrate 3 and serve as a passage to transmit signals therebetween.

[0044] The ground terminals 300 are configured to discharge abnormal signals generated in the cable 2, such as electro-magnetic interference (EMI), noise, and the like, to the substrate 3, and are inserted into the terminal insertion ports 110 formed at both sides of the housing 100 and coupled thereto. The ground terminals 300 are formed of conductive metal, and a front terminal of each ground terminal 300 forms a shield contact point portion 310 which is brought into contact with a shield pad of an upper surface of the cable 2, and a rear terminal forms a ground contact point portion 320 which is brought into contact with a ground electrode of the substrate 3. Such ground terminals 300 absorb abnormal signals generated in the cable 2 and discharge the same through the substrate 3.

[0045] The fitting nails 400 are configured to fix the housing 100 to the substrate 3 and eventually fix the connector to the substrate 3 since the housing 100 forms the body of the connector. Each of the fitting nails 400 includes a nail fixing portion 420 formed at a lower end of an outer side thereof to be fixed to the substrate 3, and a pressing portion 430 formed at an upper end of an inner side thereof to press the housing 100. In addition, the fitting nail 400 may maintain the actuator 500 closed or opened so as to allow the cable to be stably brought into the contact terminals 200 and the ground terminals 300 or allow the cable to be easily inserted into the housing. To achieve this, the fitting nail 400 further includes a first locking portion 440 and a second locking portion 450 for fixing the actuator 500.

[0046] The fitting nails 400 having the above-described configuration are coupled to the substrate 3 at both sides of the housing 100 by soldering, thereby fixing the housing 100.

[0047] The actuator 500 is configured to fix/unfix the cable 2 to/from the housing 100 and simultaneously bring the cable 2 into contact with/release the cable 2 from the contact terminals 200 by performing a rotation, and is coupled to an upper portion of the housing 100 with a rear end serving as a rotary shaft. Such actuator 500 includes a body portion 510 formed at a front portion thereof to press the cable, and a rotation portion 520 formed at a rear portion thereof to rotate the body portion 510, and the rotation portion 520 includes a plurality of sh ell insertion ports 521 to which the metal shell 600 is coupled and a rotary shaft 522.

[0048] The metal shell 600 is configured to fix the actuator 500 to the housing 100, and includes a frame portion 610 formed in a lengthwise direction facing both sides of the housing, shell fixing portions 620 formed at both ends of the frame portion 610 to be soldered to the substrate 3, and regulation portions 630 protruding to the front portion of the frame portion 610 to regulate the actuator 500. The plurality of regulation portions 630 are spaced apart from one another by a predetermined distance in the lengthwise direction, and are inserted into the shell insertion ports 521 of the actuator 500, respectively, to prevent a movement of the actuator 500.

[0049] The FFC connector having the above-described configuration allows the cable 2 to be fixed to or unfixed from the housing 100 and simultaneously allows the cable 2 to be brought into contact with or to be released from the contact terminals 200 and the ground terminals 300 according to whether the actuator 500 is rotated. In this case, a signal pad 2a is formed on a lower surface of the cable 2 to transmit signals, and a shield pad 2b is formed on an upper surface of the cable 2 to block EMI or noise, and the contact terminals 200 and the ground terminals 300 are brought into contact with or released from the signal pad and the shield pad, respectively. Hereinafter, a coupling structure and operations of each of the elements will be described in detail.

[0050] FIG 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a coupling structure of the contact terminal of the connector according to an exemplar}' embodiment of the present disclosure,

[0051] As shown in the drawing, the contact terminal 200 of the present disclosure is formed of conductive metal, and the cable contact point portion 210 at the front end and the substrate contact point portion 220 at the rear end are configured to have a predetermined length from the front portion to the rear portion via a connection portion 230 at the center. The cable contact point portion 210 may include one or more contact protrusions 21 1 protruding upwardly from the front end in order to enhance a contact rate with the signal pad 2a.

[0052] The contact terminal 200 forms a substantially linear shape with the cable contact point portion 210 and the substrate contact point portion 220 forming a predetermined stepped portion in the vertical direction, and the cable contact point portion 210 is inserted into the terminal insertion port 110 of the housing 100 to face the front portion, and the substrate contact point portion 220 at the rear portion is brought into contact with the substrate 3 and fixed thereto.

[0053] The connector having the contact terminal 200 having the above-described configuration fixes the cable 2 and simultaneously brings the contact terminal 200 into contact with the signal pad 2a by rotating the actuator 500 to the front portion (that is, a transverse rotation) with the cable 2 being inserted into the housing 100. In this state, the substrate 3 and the cable 2 are electrically connected with each other, transmitting signals, and the signal of the substrate 3 is transmitted to the cable 2 by passing through the contact terminal 200. In this case, since the contact terminal 200 forms a signal moving path in a substantially linear shape, a signal reflection or vortex phenomenon does not appear in the contact terminal 200 such that high speed signal transmission may be enabled,

[0054J In addition, since the contact terminal 200 having the above-described configuration is substantially linearly formed with the cable contact point portion 210 and the substrate contact point portion 220 forming a minimum stepped portion, the height of the contact terminal is minimized and the whole thickness of the connector can be reduced.

[0055] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view partially showing a coupling structure of the actuator and the metal shell of the connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the metal shell of the connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 8 is a cross- sectional view partially showing the coupling structure of the actuator and the metal shell of the connector as viewed in a different direction according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0056] Referring to these drawings, the actuator 500 of the present disclosure includes the body portion 510 formed at the front portion thereof lengthways in the lengthwise direction of the housing 00 to press the cable 2, and the rotation portion 520 formed at the rear portion thereof to rotate the body portion 5 10 at the rear end of the body portion. The rotation portion 520 of the actuator has the plurality of shell insertion ports 521 arranged at predetermined intervals to allow the regulation portions 630 of the metal shell 600 to be inserted thereinto, and the rotary shaft 522 is connected to the respective shell insertion ports 521 and is formed in the lengthwise direction (y direction).

[0057] The metal shell 600 of the present disclosure includes the frame portion 610 formed in the lengthwise direction (y direction), the shell fixing portions 620 extending downwardly from both ends of the frame 610 and bent in the horizontal direction to be soldered to the substrate 3, and the plurality of regulation portions 630 arranged at predetermined intervals in the lengthwise direction and protruding to the front portion (x direction) of the frame portion 610.

[0058] The frame portion 610 is formed to have a predetermined length in the lengthwise direction (y direction) of the housing 100, and connects the plurality of regulation portions 630 with one another. The shell fixing portions 620 have the lower surfaces in the horizontal direction soldered to the substrate 3, thereby fixing the metal shell 600 to the substrate, and the regulation portions 630 are inserted into the shell insertion ports 521 of the actuator 500 to prevent a movement of the actuator 500 caused by a rotation,

[0059J The plurality of regulation portions 630 may be formed at predetermined intervals so as to correspond to positions of the shell insertion ports 521 of the actuator 500, and each of the regulation portions 630 may include a regulation arm 631 protruding and extending to the front portion of the frame portion 610, a locking piece 632 bent downwardly from the front end of the regulation arm 631, and a support piece 633 extending to one side of the regulation arm 631 and having an end thereof bent downwardly. In this case, the support piece 633 is formed on a position in which a predetermined space (g) is guaranteed with the locking piece 632, and the rotary shaft 522 is inserted into the space (g).

[0060] The metal shell 600 is coupled as the regulation portions 630 are inserted into the shell insertion ports 521 of the actuator 500, and is coupled so as to allow the rotary shaft 522 to be positioned in the space (g) between the locking piece 632 and the support piece 633 at the lower side of the regulation arm 631. In the above-described coupling structure, the rotary shaft 522 of the actuator 500 is pressed by the regulation arm 631 from the upper side and thus is prevented from moving upward (z direction), and is locked by the locking piece 632 at the front portion and thus is prevented from moving forward (x direction) and is supported by the support piece 633 at the rear portion and thus is prevented from moving backward (-x direction). Accordingly, the regulation portions 630 of the metal shell 600 regulate the rotary shaft 522 to be positioned in right position and prevent a movement of the actuator 500 caused by a rotation, and as a result, the regulation portions 630 may prevent a contact defect between the cable 2 and the contact terminals 200 which may be caused by a movement of the actuator 500, [0061] Meanwhile, the actuator 500 of the present disclosure is configured to be easily assembled with the metal shell 600 and to enable a smooth rotation.

[0062] Referring to FIG. 8, a support piece hiding recess 523 is formed in the shell insertion port 521 by depressing a part of the body portion 510 in a support pi ece direction (-y direction) so as to hide the support piece 633 of the regulation portion 630. In a state in which the actuator 500 is rotated to the front portion (that is, a closed state), the support piece 633 does not collide with the body portion 510 of the actuator, but, in a state in which the actuator 500 is rotated to the upper side (that is, an opened state), the support piece 633 protruding to the side portion of the regulation arm 631 collides with the rear end of the body portion 510 and interferes with the rotation of the actuator 500. Accordingly, since the support piece 633 is hidden in the support piece hiding recess 523 when the actuator 500 of the present disclosure is rotated to the upper side, the actuator 500 may be easily rotated without interference by the support piece 633.

[0063] FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the fitting nail of the connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIGS. 10 and 11 are enlarged views showing a locking structure of the actuator of the connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, and illustrate a structure of locking the actuator in a closed state and an opened state, respectively.

[0064] First, referring to FIG. 9, the fitting nail 400 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may be formed of a metal frame having a predetermined rigidity, and includes a connection portion 410 formed in the vertical direction, the nail fixing portion 420 horizontally extending from a lower end of the connection portion 410 to an outer side, the pressing portion 430 horizontally extending from an upper end of the connection portion 410 to an inner side, the first locking portion 440 extending downwardly from an end of an inner side of the pressing portion 430 while being bent, and the second locking portion 450 horizontally extending from a rear end of the pressing portion 430 to the rear portion.

[0065] In this example, the nail fixing portion 420 is configured to fix the fitting nail 400 to the substrate 3, and has a lower surface of a predetermined area soldered to the substrate 3, and the pressing portion 430 fixes the housing 100 to the substrate 3 by pressing an upper surface of a side portion of the housing 100 as the nail fixing portion 420 is soldered to the substrate. [0066] The first locking portion 440 is configured to lock the actuator 500 to maintain the closed state (that is, a transverse rotation state) of the actuator 500, and a guide protrusion 441 and a locking recess 442 are formed on a contact surface which extends from the front position of the pressing portion 430 to the lower side while being bent, and is in contact with the actuator 500. The guide protrusion 441 forms a curved shape which is curved to be convex with respect to a downward direction, and the locking recess 442 is continuous from the guide protrusion 441 and forms a relatively concave recess shape.

[0067] Meanwhile, as shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, the actuator 500 has a convex locking protrusion 530 formed on a side surface thereof. The locking protrusion 530 corresponds to the locking recess 442 of the first locking portion 440, and has an upper surface and a lower surface forming convexly curved surfaces or inclined surfaces.

[0068] In the present disclosure having the above-described configuration, as shown in FIG. 10B, the locking protrusion 530 is positioned in the locking recess 442 in the closed state of the actuator 500, and the locking protrusion 530 is prevented from moving upward by the guide protrusion 441 . Accordingly, the actuator 500 may be maintained in the closed state as long as a certain external force is not forcedly applied to the body portion 510 in the closed state.

[0069] In addition, the guide protrusion 441 and the locking protrusion 530 form the convexly curved surfaces or inclined surfaces in the vertical direction, such that the locking protrusion 530 can be easily inserted into or removed from the locking recess 442 along the curved surface of the guide protrusion 441 when the actuator 500 is closed or opened.

[0070] The second locking portion 450 is configured to lock the actuator 500 to maintain the opened state (that is, a longitudinal rotation state) of the actuator 500, and has a fixing end 451 formed at a front end thereof extending to the rear portion of the pressing portion 430 by a predetermined length and connected to the pressing portion 430, and a free end 452 formed at a rear end thereof. The free end 452 of such second locking portion 450 has a predetermined elasticity in the vertical direction with reference to the fixing end 451 serving as a shaft.

[0071] Meanwhile, the actuator 500 includes a locking shaft 540 extending from the rotary shaft 522 to a side portion, and the locking shaft 540 has a pair of shaft protrusions 541 spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance in a circumferential direction. The pair of shaft protmsions 541 are brought into contact with the lower surface of the second locking portion 450 and are elastically pressed by the free end 452 in the opened state of the actuator 500, and the actuator 500 is prevented from being rotated in the opened state due to the distance between the shaft protrusions 541. Accordingly, the actuator 500 may be maintained in the opened state as long as a certain external force is not forcedly applied to the body portion 510 in the opened state. In this case, the pair of shaft protrusions 541 spaced apart from each other may be connected to each other to be plane with each other.

[0072] The fitting nail 400 having the above-described configuration is coupled to the substrate 3 at both sides of the hou sing 100, and the actuator 500 is locked at both sides in the closed state or opened state.

[0073] FIG. 12 is an enlarged view showing a coupling structure of the ground terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 13 is a cross- sectional view showing a coupling structure of the contact terminal of the connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0074] As shown in these drawings, the ground terminal 300 of the present disclosure includes the shield contact point portion 310 which is brought into contact with the cable 2, a hook portion 330 which prevents releasing from the housing 100, the ground contact point portion 320 which is brought into contact with the substrate 3, and a connection portion 340 connecting the aforementioned portions.

[0075] The shield contact point portion 310 protrudes to the front portion and is brought into contact with the shield pad 2b of the cable 2, thereby discharging EMI and noise signals generated in the cable 2 to the substrate 3 through the ground contact point portion 320. The shield contact point portion 310 may include one or more contact protrusions 311 protruding to a lower portion of a front end thereof in order to enhance a contact rate with the shield pad 2b.

[0076] The hook portion 330 is spaced apart from the shield contact point portion 310 by a predetermined distance under the shield contact point portion 310, and protrudes to the front portion, and may include one or more hook protrusions 331 protruding to an upper portion of a front end thereof. The hook portion 330 is inserted into the outermost terminal insertion port 110 at both sides of the housing 100 by tight fitting, thereby fixing the ground terminal 300 to the housing 100 and preventing the ground terminal 300 from being removed. In this case, a hook recess 332 corresponding to the hook protrusion 331 is formed on the housing 100, such that the ground terminal 300 may be prevented from being removed by an engagement of the hook protrusion 33 1 and the hook recess 332.

[0077] The ground contact point portion 320 is formed by extending from the connection portion 340 of the shield contact point portion 3 10 and the hook portion 330 to the rear portion, and is soldered to a ground electrode of the substrate 3. j0078j Meanwhile, the actuator 500 has a shield insertion port 550 to allow the shield contact point portion 310 of the ground terminal 300 to be inserted thereinto, and a shield protrusion 551 is formed on the shield insertion port 550 to press the shield contact point portion 3 10 and bring the shield contact point portion 310 into contact with the upper surface of the cable 2 in the closed state. In addition, the actuator 500 has a terminal hiding recess 552 formed by depressing a part of the body portion 510 so as to prevent the shield contact point portion 3 0 from colliding when the ground terminal 300 is assembled at the rear portion of the housing 100 in the opened state. Accordingly, since the ground terminal 300 is not influenced by the actuator 500 when being assembled, and in particular, is easily assembled at the rear portion of the housing 100 with the assembly process of the contact terminal 200, assembiability can be enhanced.

[0079] The ground terminal 300 having the above-described configuration is assembled with the housing at both sides of the housing 100 to discharge EMI and noise signals of the cable 2 to the substrate 3, and may further be assembled at a predetermined position in the middle of the connector according to the length of the connector.

[0080] Although the present di sclosure has been described with reference to embodiments, it will be understood by an ordinary person skilled in the related art that various changes can be made therefrom and other equivalent embodiments are possible.

Claims

CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. An FFC/FPC connector for high speed signal transmission, comprising:

a housing which has a cable insertion port formed at a front portion thereof and has a plurality of terminal insertion ports formed at a rear portion thereof;

a plurality of contact terminals each of which comprises a cable contact point portion inserted into the terminal insertion port at the rear portion of the housing and brought into contact with a signal pad of a cable, and a substrate contact point portion extending to a rear portion of the cable contact point portion and soldered to a substrate, the plurality of contact terminals electrically connecting the cable inserted into the cable insertion port and the substrate to transmit signals;

a pair of fitting nails which fix the housing to the substrate while being soldered to the substrate at both sides of the housing;

an actuator which is disposed on an upper portion of the housing, and includes a body portion for pressing the cable and a rotation portion comprising a plurality of shell insertion ports formed on a lower portion of the body portion, and a rotary shaft formed in each of the shell insertion ports in a lengthwise direction and forming a rotation center of the body portion, the actuator fixing/unfixing the cable inserted into the housing by performing a rotation, a metal shell which is coupled to the housing at a lower portion of the actuator, and comprises: a frame portion formed in a lengthwise direction; shell fixing portions extending from both ends of the frame portion to a lower portion while forming a stepped portion, and soldered to the substrate; and a plurality of regulation portions protruding to the front portion of the frame portion while forming a gap therebetween in the lengthwise direction, and inserted into the respective shell insertion ports of the actuator to press the rotary shaft, the metal shell for preventing a movement of the actuator caused by a rotation; and

ground terminals which are inserted into the terminal insertion ports at the rear portion of the housing, and are brought into contact with the cable inserted into the cable insertion port to discharge abnormal signals through the substrate.

2. The FFC/FPC connector for high speed signal transmission of claim 1, wherein each of the regulation portions of the metal shell comprises:

a regulation arm which protrudes and extends to the front portion of the frame portion; a locking piece which is bent downwardly from a front end of the regulation arm; and a support piece which extends to one side of the regulation am in a position in which the support piece guarantees a space with the locking piece, and has an end bent downwardly.

3. The FFC/FPC connector for high speed signal transmission of claim 2, wherein each of the regulation portions is configured to regulate upward, fonvard, and backward movements of the rotary shaft which is positioned on the regulation arm and the space between the locking piece and the support piece.

4. The FFC/FPC connector for high speed signal transmission of claim 2, wherein each of the shell insertion ports of the actuator comprises a support piece hiding recess formed by d epressing a part of the body portion to prevent the support piece and the body portion from colliding with each other.

5. The FFC/FPC connector for high speed signal transmission of claim 1 , wherein each of the fitting nails comprises:

a nail fixing portion which horizontally extends from a lower end of a vertical connection portion to an outer side;

a pressing portion which horizontally extends from an upper end of the vertical connection portion to an inner side;

a first locking portion which extends from an end of an inner side of the pressing portion to a lower side while being bent, and maintains a closed state of the actuator, and

a second locking portion which horizontally extends from a rear end of the pressing portion to a rear portion, and maintains an opened state of the actuator.

6. The FFC/FPC connector for high speed signal transmission of claim 1, wherein each of the ground terminal comprises:

a shield contact point portion which is inserted into the terminal insertion port of the rear portion of the housing, and is brought into contact with a shield pad on an upper portion of the cable;

a hook portion which protrudes to a front portion at a lower portion spaced apart from the shield contact point portion, and is coupled to the housing; and

a ground contact point portion which extends from a connection portion of the shield contact point portion and the hook portion to a rear portion, and is soldered to the substrate.

7. The FFC/FPC connector for high speed signal transmission of claim 6, wherein the actuator has a terminal hiding recess formed by depressing a part of the body portion so as to prevent the shield contact point portion from colliding when the ground terminal is inserted at the rear portion of the housing.