Connector for flat cables

A connector for a flat cable made up of a plurality of electrically conductive wires located side-by-side. The connector is provided with a receiving chamber within which electrodes intended to be connected to the cable are located. Additional contacts are located on one of the internal walls of the receiving chamber. A generally planar retainer enters into a second space between the electrodes and the wall of the receiving chamber remote from the contacts. The retainer is provided with a rib which extends into a first space between the conductors and the contacts. The retainer is partially inserted into the first space and the leading end of the cable is thereafter introduced. The rib guides the leading end into the first space and prevents it from entering the second space. The flat cable is provided with two groups of conductive wires, spaced laterally from each other. The cable is folded longitudinally so that one of the groups is on each side, thereby permitting an increase in the number of conductive wires without a corresponding increase in the width of the cable or the size of the connector.

The present Invention relates to a connector for flat cables, more 
particularly, to such a connector for connecting the ends of the flat 
cable to other electrical contacts. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
A prior art connector is shown in FIG. 4. Housing 1, with a slit opening, 
has a plurality of electrodes 3 on one inner peripheral surface 2. 
Retainer 4, in thin plate form and wedge-shaped in cross section, can be 
inserted into housing 1. Flat cable 5 is formed by securing a plurality of 
electrically conductive wires in a film. At the leading end, one surface 
of the wire is exposed by peeling off the film. 
With the exposed wire facing electrodes 3, flat cable 5 is inserted into 
housing 1, and retainer 4 is inserted on the surface away from flat cable 
5. Then, as wedge-shaped retainer 4 is pushed in, flat cable 5 is pressed 
against electrode 3 and electrically connected under a predetermined 
contact pressure. 
In the conventional connector described above, electrode 3 faces only one 
surface of flat cable 5, and the number of wires therein is limited by the 
width thereof. To increase the number of wires, the width of the flat 
cable 5 has to be increased. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is the object of the present Invention to provide a connector for flat 
cable wherein the number of wires can be increased without broadening 
thereof. 
The present Invention comprises a connector which includes a receiving 
chamber having a floor and a ceiling. At least one electrode, intended to 
be electrically connected to the flat cable, is located in the chamber 
between the floor and the ceiling. There is at least one contact for 
electrical connection to the cable on the floor, there being a first space 
between the electrode and the floor and a second space between the 
electrode and the ceiling. The leading end of the cable is inserted into 
the first space. 
A retainer is provided, having a generally planar configuration, which is 
introduced into the second space. The retainer carries a rib which is 
perpendicular to its plane and extends toward the floor. This rib, when 
the retainer is partly introduced into the chamber, contacts the leading 
end of the cable and deflects it into the first space. In this way, the 
cable is prevented from entering into the second space between the 
electrode and the ceiling. 
In a preferred form of the device, the cable comprises a first group of 
wires and a second group of wires. The two groups are located side-by-side 
and spaced apart laterally. The flat cable is then folded longitudinally 
between the two groups so that one group of wires is on each side of the 
folded cable. Thus, one group can contact the electrode and the other 
group contacts the contact. Hence, the retainer bears against the 
electrode and presses it firmly toward the contact. The leading end of the 
cable is secured therebetween under a pressure which can be predetermined. 
In this way, the desired circuit is formed. 
Since it is preferred that there be a plurality of electrodes, as well as 
the plurality of conductive wires, the assembly of the connector will be 
described with respect thereto. However, it is understood that the device 
is equally useful when only a single electrode is provided. 
In a further modification of the Invention, a number of recesses, 
corresponding to the number of electrodes, is provided on the retainer. 
Therefore, when the retainer is inserted, the electrodes are securely held 
and the rib projects into the first space. This eliminates any opportunity 
for misassembly resulting from the leading end of the cable entering the 
second space rather than the first space. 
Thus, in accordance with the present Invention, both surfaces of the flat 
cable can be used for electrical connections. As a result, compared to the 
single surface cable, the number of conductive wires can be substantially 
increased without any increase in width. At the same time, entry of the 
cable into the wrong space is prevented by the design of the retainer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
The inventive connector comprises housing 10 having receiving chamber 11 
defined by floor 11a and ceiling 11b. Contact 12 is located on floor 11a 
and faces electrodes 13. Chamber 11 is divided by electrodes 13 into a 
first space, between electrodes 13 and contacts 12, and a second space, 
between electrodes 13 and ceiling 11b. 
Retainer 20 is provided with thin plate 21 having recesses 21a. The 
recesses are defined by side ridges 21b, rear ridge 21c, and rib 21d. 
Retainer 20 is also provided with locking arms 22 to stop retainer 20 at 
the intermediate position shown in FIG. 1. 
Retainer 20 is first partially introduced into chamber 11 (see FIG. 1), 
thereafter the leading end of flat cable 30 is inserted into the first 
space between electrodes 13 and contacts 12. Rib 21d projects from thin 
plate 21. Thus, as flat cable 30 is inserted, rib 21d guides the leading 
end into the first space between electrodes 13 and contacts 12 and 
prevents it from entering the second space between electrodes 13 and 
ceiling 11b. 
Retainer 20 is then pushed completely into receiving chamber 11 as shown in 
FIG. 3. Thin plate 21 of retainer 20 presses electrode 13 toward contact 
12 and thereby holds cable 30 securely therebetween. Moreover, each of 
electrodes 13 enters into one of recesses 21a and rear ridge 21c acts as a 
stop therefor. As a result of the pressure on electrodes 13 exerted by 
thin plate 21 of retainer 20, the leading end of cable 30 is firmly 
gripped between electrodes 13 and contact 12. 
To assemble the connector of the present Invention, the leading edge of 
plate 21 of retainer 20 is inserted between electrode 13 and ceiling 11. 
In this position, locking arms 22 abut stops on the outer lateral surface 
of housing 10, thereby holding retainer 20 in the position shown in FIG. 
1. The leading edges of electrodes 13 are partially within recesses 21a, 
and rib 21d projects between electrodes 13 into the first space between 
electrodes 13 and contacts 12. 
The leading end of cable 30 is inserted into chamber 11 beneath retainer 
20. Thus, even though it is possible that the leading end of cable 30 
curls upwardly or that the operator has misdirected it, rib 21d will 
deflect the end into the first space between electrodes 13 and contacts 
12. Hence, cable 30 will not be incorrectly inserted into the second space 
between electrodes 13 and ceiling 11b. 
After cable 30 has been inserted, retainer 20 is pushed into its fully 
closed position as shown in FIG. 3. As can be seen therefrom, retainer 20 
exerts substantial force on electrodes 13, thereby pressing them firmly 
toward contacts 12. This secures cable 30 in good electrical contact 
between electrodes 13 and contacts 12. 
As shown in FIG. 5, cable 30 is folded longitudinally at 31, thereby 
providing one group 32 of conductor wires which will be in contact with 
contact 12, and a second group 33 of conductive wires which will contact 
electrodes 13. This permits an increase in the number of conductive wires 
without increasing the width of the cable or the connector. 
Although only certain embodiments of the present Invention have been 
expressly disclosed, it is, nonetheless, to be broadly construed and not 
to be limited except by the character of the claims appended hereto. 
FIG. 6 is a front view of the housing of another embodiment of the 
invention showing a plurality of electrodes mounted therein; and 
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the retainer used in FIG. 6.