Flexible circuit board connector

A flexible circuit board connector includes a dielectric housing having receiving slots for receiving terminals. Each of the terminals includes first and second contact arms, a biasing arm, a fixing arm, and a linking arm. A pressing element pivots on the fixing arm against the biasing arm so as to tilt the first contact arm towards the second contact arm to clamp a flexible circuit board, wherein each of the receiving slots is formed with a retention wall, each of the terminals includes a first engaging portion formed on the junction of the first contact arm and the biasing arm or on the junction of the second contact arm and the fixing arm, the first engaging portion is located in alignment with an axis of the linking arm, whereby the terminal is secured in the receiving slot by the first engaging portion and the retention wall.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a flexible circuit board connector, and particularly to a terminal which is configured to be securely mounted in a connector having a thin-type structure so as to prevent the terminal from being coming off a dielectric house and therefore provide a stable transmission of electronic signals or data.

2. Related Art

A conventional connector for a flexible circuit board includes multiple terminals mounted in a dielectric housing. Each terminal has a first contact arm and a second contact arm for clamping the flexible circuit board, a driving arm and a soldering arm respectively connecting the first and second contact arms at ends thereof, and a support arm disposed among and connecting with the first and second contact arms and the driving and soldering arms, wherein the first and second arms and the support arm cooperatively form a clamping opening. The driving arm is disposed at a rear portion of the connector and is capable of being driven by a pressing element rotatably supported by the connector so as to tilt the first contact towards the second contact arm such that the first contact arm and the driving arm are operated as a lever, whereby the first and second contact arms narrow the clamping opening in order to clamp the flexible circuit board therebetween.

The terminals are mounted in the dielectric housing with the first and second contact arms in contact with an interfering element of the dielectric housing in order to prevent disengagement from the dielectric housing. The interfering element is located with respect to the clamping opening and on the way where the flexible circuit board is being inserted. As a result, the overall thickness of the dielectric housing has to be increased to allow the insertion of the flexible circuit board. However, a connector of large thickness does not keep up with the trend toward thin-type structure for most applied electronic products. Although the terminals can be produced and assembled with the connector through the insert molding technology, the cost for insert molding is rather high and the manufacturing process thereof is limited as well. Hence it is imperative to improve the structure of the connector for a flexible circuit board to meet the requirements for thin-type assembly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a flexible circuit board connector having a plurality of terminals which are fixed in a dielectric housing not only by being soldered onto a printed circuit board but also by an auxiliary position structure to allow the terminals to be securely mounted in a dielectric housing of a thin-type structure without concerns of being coming off or disengaged from the dielectric housing, whereby providing a stable transmission of electronic signals and data.

To achieve the above-mentioned object, the electrical connector comprises a dielectric housing defining a mating end and a connecting end, a plurality of receiving slots formed in the dielectric housing. A plurality of terminals are mounted in the corresponding receiving slots from the connecting end to the mating end. Each of the terminals comprises a first contact arm and a second contact arm disposed in opposition to the first contact arm, the first and second contact arms respectively having contact portions. A biasing arm and a fixing arm respectively integrally connect with ends of the first and second contact arms. A linking arm is disposed between and connected to a junction of the first contact arm and the biasing arm and a junction of the second contact arm and the fixing arm. A pressing element rotatably is supported by the dielectric housing and pivoting on the fixing arm against the biasing arm so as to tilt the first contact arm towards the second contact arm to clamp a flexible circuit board in place; wherein each of the receiving slots is formed with a retention wall projecting outward of an inner wall of the receiving slot, each of the terminals comprises a first engaging portion formed on the junction of the first contact arm and the biasing arm or on the junction of the second contact arm and the fixing arm, wherein the first engaging portion is located in alignment with an axis of the linking arm.

With the above-mentioned structure, the terminal is being jammed against the receiving slot by the first engaging portion and the retention wall at the time when the first engaging portion travels over the retention wall so as to prevent the terminal from being disengaged in a direction of the insertion of the terminal.

According to an embodiment of this invention, the first engaging portion is integrally formed on the junction of the first contact arm and the biasing arm, and projects upwards from the first contact arm.

According to another embodiment of this invention, a second engaging portion is formed opposite to the first engaging portion on the junction of the second contact arm and the fixing arm for further securing the terminal in the receiving slot.

According to another embodiment of this invention, the second engaging portion projects downwards from the second contact arm to form a barb for being engaged with the retention wall so as to prevent the terminal from being disengaged in a direction of the insertion of the terminal.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring toFIGS. 1 and 2, a flexible circuit board connector2of the present invention comprises a dielectric housing20and a plurality of terminals1mounted therein. The dielectric housing20defines a mating end21at a front thereof and a connecting end22at a rear thereof, a plurality of receiving slots211are formed and arranged in the dielectric housing20and pass through the connecting end22and the mating end21. Each of the receiving slots211is formed with a retention wall212projecting outward of an inner wall of the receiving slot211, a pressing element201(referring toFIG. 3) is rotatably supported at the connecting end22of the dielectric housing20, and the pressing element201is provided with a cam shaft202.

Each of the terminals1comprises a first contact arm10, a second contact arm11, a fixing arm12, and a biasing arm13, and a linking arm14, wherein the second contact arm11is disposed in opposition to and below the first contact arm10, the first and second contact arms10,11respectively having contact portions101,111at front ends thereof for electrically contacting a flexible circuit board (not shown).

The biasing arm13and the fixing arm12respectively integrally connect with the first and second contact arms10,11in a way such that the biasing arm13and the fixing arm12are disposed in a right part of the receiving slot211and the first and second contact arms10,11are disposed in a left part of the receiving slot211. The fixing arm12is intended to be soldered to a printed circuit board (not shown), and has a pivoting slot121formed thereon and disposed under the biasing arm13for enabling the cam shaft202of the pressing element201to pivot thereon (shown inFIG. 3). The fixing arm12further has a fixing leg122shaped as a barb to be hooked onto a rear side of the dielectric housing21at the connecting end22. Moreover, the first contact arm10and the second contact arm11slightly incline toward each other and therefore respectively remain a slight gap with inner walls of the receiving slot211.

The biasing arm13integrally connects with the first contact arm10such that an upper surface of the biasing arm13is slightly higher than an upper surface of the first contact arm10in the receiving slot211. An end portion of the biasing arm13is disposed on and abuts against the cam shaft202in order to be tilted upwards and downwards by the rotation of the pressing element201(as shown inFIGS. 3 and 4), with the linking arm14functioned as a fulcrum. As result, the first contact arm10is tilted upwards and downwards in conjunction with the biasing arm13.

The linking arm14is disposed between and connected to a junction of the first contact arm10and the biasing arm13and a junction of the second contact arm11and the fixing arm12. As described above, once the biasing arm13is driven by the pressing element201, the linking arm14is functioned as a fulcrum and slightly inclines toward the mating end21, and the first contact arm10is being tilted towards the second contact arm11, whereby the first and second contact arms10,11are operated as a clamp.

In particular, each of the terminals1comprises a first engaging portion30and a second engaging portion31located in opposition to the first engaging portion30about the linking arm14, wherein the first engaging portion30is formed on and projects upwards from the junction of the first contact arm10and the biasing arm13, while the second engaging portion31is formed on and projects downwards from the junction of the second contact arm11and the fixing arm12and has a barb-shape. A recessed portion (not labeled) is formed on the fixing arm12adjacent to the second engaging portion31. The retention wall212is disposed opposite to the first engaging portion30. Both the first and second engaging portions30,31are located in alignment with an axis of the linking arm14. In assembly, when the terminal1is inserted into the receiving slot211from the connecting end22to the mating end21, the second engaging portion31moves towards the retention wall212(as shown inFIG. 2) and then pass along it to be engaged with the retention wall212which is received in the recessed portion. At the time when the first engaging portion30travels over the retention wall212, the first engaging portion30is tightly abutted against an upper wall of the housing20(as shown inFIG. 3), and thus produces a pressing force towards the second engaging portion31. As a result, the terminal1is capable of being secured in place in the receiving slot211, and is further retained in the receiving slot211by the engagement of the second engaging portion31and the retention wall212. Therefore, the terminal1is not likely to be affected by the operation of the biasing arm46to be disengaged from the dielectric housing20in a direction of the insertion of the terminal1(as shown inFIG. 3).

Continuously referring toFIGS. 3 to 5, when the cam shaft202of the pressing element201pivots on the pivoting slot121against the biasing arm13, the biasing arm13is thus being tilted upwards or downwards and drives the first contact arm10to move towards or away the second contact arm11in order to clamp or release a flexible circuit board (not shown). In this manner, the first and second engaging portions30,31and the retention wall212are utilized to withstand the force from the rotation of the pressing element201so as to ensure a securely engagement of the terminal1and the receiving slot211and provide a stable transmission of electronic signals and data.

It is understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms within the scope of the claims. Thus the present examples and embodiments are to be considered in all respects as illustrative, and not restrictive, of the invention defined by the claims.