Connector for flexible printed circuit board

A connector adapted for receiving a flexible printed circuit board therein includes an insulating housing defining a mouth, a plurality of electric terminals each having a base portion and an actuator pivoted in the mouth. Each side wall of the mouth defines a first locating trough and a second locating trough. The electric terminal has a contacting arm and a connecting arm respectively extended from the base portion, and a bearing arm and a holding arm respectively extended from the base portion. The actuator has a pressing bar at an edge thereof and two piloting portions. The pressing bar is located between the bearing arms and the holding arms. The piloting portions are slid into the corresponding second locating troughs from the first locating troughs to act on the bearing arms so as to make the contacting arms incline toward the corresponding connecting arms for further clipping the flexible printed circuit board therebetween.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to an electrical connector, and more particularly to a connector for a flexible printed circuit (FPC hereinafter for simplification) board.

2. The Related Art

A conventional FPC connector adapted for receiving an FPC board therein includes an insulating housing, a plurality of electric terminals disposed in the insulating housing and an actuator pivoted to the insulating housing. The insulating housing defines a mouth at an end thereof for receiving the actuator therein. Each of the electric terminals has a base portion. A contacting portion and a connecting portion are extended from the base portion at an upper portion and a lower portion respectively. The FPC board is inserted between the contacting portions and the connecting portions to form an electrical connection between the FPC board and the electric terminals. Then the actuator can pivot from an open position to a closed position. While the insulating housing is at the closed position, the FPC board is held between the contacting portions and the connecting portions under a pressure from the actuator. However, the pressure from the actuator cannot hold the FPC board firmly, so that the electrical connection between the FPC board and the electric terminals is not stable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a connector adapted for receiving a longitudinally inserted flexible printed circuit board therein. The connector includes an insulating housing, a plurality of electric terminals disposed in the insulating housing in a transverse row and an actuator. The insulating housing defines a mouth at a rear thereof and a receiving recess at a front thereof for receiving the flexible printed circuit board therein. A front wall of the mouth protrudes rearward to form a tongue board. Each side wall of the mouth defines a first locating trough and a second locating trough in front of the first locating trough. A projection is formed between the first locating trough and the second locating trough. Each of the electric terminals has a lying-H shaped base frame which has a base portion. The electric terminal further has a contacting arm and a connecting arm extended frontward from the base portion and spaced from each other, and both a bearing arm and a holding arm extended from an upper portion and a lower portion of the base portion respectively and spaced from each other. The contacting arm and the connecting arm are disposed in the inner surfaces of the receiving recess. The holding arm is disposed in the tongue board and the bearing arm stretches into the mouth. The flexible printed circuit board is inserted between the contacting arms and the connecting arms for electrically connecting the electric terminals. The actuator is pivoted in the mouth of the insulating housing above the tongue board. The actuator has a pressing bar transversely formed at an edge thereof and two piloting portions protruded oppositely from two opposite ends of the pressing bar. The pressing bar is located between the bearing arms and the holding arms. The piloting portions are slid into the corresponding second locating troughs from the first locating troughs pivoted with the piloting portions by way of the projections to act on the bearing arms by the pressing bar so as to make the contacting arms incline toward the corresponding connecting arms for further clipping the flexible printed circuit board therebetween after the actuator is closed.

As described above, the pressing bar of the actuator are located between the bearing arms and the holding arms to make the flexible printed circuit board be tightly clipped between the contacting arms and the connecting arms by means of a fulcrum function of the corresponding base portions so as to ensure a more steady electrical connection between the electric terminals and the flexible printed circuit board.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring toFIG. 1andFIG. 2, an FPC connector1in accordance with the present invention includes an insulating housing10, an actuator20pivoted to the insulating housing10between an open position and a closed position, a plurality of first electric terminals30and a plurality of second electric terminals40disposed in the insulating housing10respectively.

Referring toFIGS. 2-4, the insulating housing10is of rectangular shape and disposed levelly. A rear of the insulating housing10defines a rectangular mouth11opened freely. A bottom of a front wall of the mouth11extends rearward to form a tongue board12extending transversely. Each of two side walls13of the mouth11defines a guiding channel14at a rear thereof extending longitudinally to penetrate through a rear surface of the insulating housing10, a second locating trough16at a front thereof, and a first locating trough15located between the second locating trough16and the guiding channel14. The guiding channel14, the first and the second locating troughs15,16are substantially aligned with one another along a longitudinal direction. A semi-columned projection17extending vertically is formed between the first locating trough15and the second locating trough16, and a prop lump18is formed between the first locating trough15and the guiding channel14. The insulating housing10further defines a rectangular receiving recess101extending transversely and passing through a front surface19thereof to receive an FPC board5therein shown inFIGS. 7-8. A bottom surface of the receiving recess101defines a plurality of first passageways102and a plurality of second passageways103alternately arranged at regular intervals along a transverse direction thereof. A top surface of the receiving recess101defines a plurality of first receiving grooves104and a plurality of second receiving grooves105alternately arranged at regular intervals along a transverse direction thereof to respectively correspond to the second passageways103and the first passageways102. A plurality of connecting slots106are formed in the front wall of the mouth11to further communicate with the receiving recess101, and each extend vertically to connect the first/second passageway102/103and the corresponding second/first receiving groove105/104.

Referring toFIG. 2again, the actuator20has a substantially rectangular base body21disposed levelly. A front of the base body21defines a plurality of holding slots22penetrating from top to bottom and arranged at regular intervals along a transverse direction thereof. Accordingly, a plurality of prop beams23are formed in front of the respective holding slots22. Each of the prop beams23has a substantially oval radial-section of which the major axis extends vertically to be perpendicular to the base body21and the minor axis extends longitudinally. The prop beams23are connected with one another to form a pressing bar24extending transversely. A pair of columned piloting portions25is formed by two opposite ends of the pressing bar24oppositely protruding. Two opposite sides of the actuator20oppositely protrude outward to form a pair of locking blocks26located behind and spaced from the corresponding piloting portions25.

Referring toFIG. 2andFIG. 5, each of the first electric terminals30is a lying-H shaped base frame and has a first base portion31extending vertically. A front edge of the first base portion31extends forward to form a first contacting arm32at a top thereof and a first connecting arm33shorter than the first contacting arm32at a bottom thereof. A rear edge of the first base portion31extends rearward to form a first bearing arm34at a top thereof and a first holding arm35at a bottom thereof. A free end of the first contacting arm32protrudes downward to form a first contacting portion36and a free end of the first connecting arm33protrudes upward to form a holding lump37. A free end of the first holding arm35protrudes downward to form a first soldering portion38.

Referring toFIG. 2andFIG. 6, each of the second electric terminals40is a lying-H shaped base frame and has a second base portion41extending vertically. A front edge of the second base portion41extends forward to form a second contacting arm42at a top thereof and a second connecting arm43longer than the second contacting arm42at a bottom thereof. A rear edge of the second base portion41extends rearward to form a second bearing arm44at a top thereof and a second holding arm45at a bottom thereof. A free end of the second contacting arm42protrudes downward to form a second contacting portion46. A portion of the second connecting arm43defines a notch47facing the second contacting portion46and a free end of the second connecting arm43protrudes downward to form a second soldering portion48. A free end of the second bearing arm44protrudes downward to form an interference portion49.

Referring toFIGS. 2-9, in assembly, the first electric terminals30are inserted forward with the first base portions31inserted in the corresponding connecting slots106of the insulating housing10, the first contacting arms32received in the corresponding second receiving grooves105, the first connecting arms33and the first holding arms35fastened in the corresponding first passageways102, and the first bearing arms34stretching into the mouth11. The first soldering portion38is exposed out of a rear edge of the tongue board12for being soldered with a printed circuit board (not shown). The second electric terminals40are inserted rearward with the second base portions41inserted in the corresponding connecting slots106of the insulating housing10, the second contacting arms42received in the corresponding first receiving grooves104, the second connecting arms43and the second holding arms45fastened in the corresponding second passageways103, and the second bearing arms44stretching into the mouth11. The second soldering portion48is exposed out of a front of the corresponding second passageway103for being soldered with the printed circuit board. The first soldering portion38and the second soldering portion48are set at two opposite sides of the insulating housing10and alternately arranged so as to strengthen the soldering between the FPC connector1and the printed circuit board. The actuator20is rotatablely mounted in the mouth11of the insulating housing10above the tongue board12with the piloting portions25pivoted in the corresponding first locating troughs15. The bearing arms34,44pass through the corresponding holding slots22to make the prop beams23locate under the corresponding bearing arms34,44in front of the corresponding interference portions49, so the actuator20can be prevented from falling off the insulating housing10while opened and closed.

When the FPC connector1is in use, the FPC board5is inserted rearward into the receiving recess101of the insulating housing10and located between the contacting arms32,42and the connecting arms33,43of the electric terminals30,40so as to electrically contact the contacting portions36,46. Then the actuator20is closed rearward in the mouth11on the tongue board12to make the prop beams23push the corresponding bearing arms34,44upward that drives the corresponding contacting arms32,42to incline downward and further drives the contacting portions36,46to move downward to electrically contact the FPC board5due to a fulcrum function of the corresponding base portions31,41. Then the actuator20is further pushed forward to make the piloting portions25slide into the corresponding second locating troughs16by way of the projections17, and the locking blocks26slid onto and abutted against the corresponding prop lumps18along the corresponding guiding channels14so that the actuator20is firmly clipped between the two prop lumps18. At this moment, the prop beams23are nearer to the base portions31,41so that further pushes the corresponding bearing arms34,44upward to further drive the corresponding contacting arms32,42to incline downward so as to further firmly clip the FPC board5by means of the contacting portions36,46, the holding lumps37and the notches47and further ensure a steady electrical connection between the FPC board5and the electric terminals30,40.

When the FPC board5is to be withdrawn from the FPC connector1, the actuator20is pulled rearward to make the piloting portions25slide into the corresponding first locating troughs15and the locking blocks26move off the corresponding prop lumps18, and then the actuator20is opened forward to drive the prop beams23rotate to make the bearing arms34,44move downward due to self-elasticity that further drives the contacting arms32,42and the contacting portions36,46to move upward due to the fulcrum function of the corresponding base portions31,41. When the actuator20is fully opened, the FPC board5can be easily withdrawn from the receiving recess101of the insulating housing10.

As described above, the prop beams23of the actuator20are located between the bearing arms34,44and the holding arms35,45to make the FPC board5be tightly clipped between the contacting arms32,42and the connecting arms33,43by means of the fulcrum function of the corresponding base portions31,41so as to ensure a more steady electrical connection between the electric terminals30,40and the FPC board5.

The forgoing description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. Such modifications and variations that may be apparent to those skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined by the accompanying claims, for example, the contacting portions for electrically an FPC board may be also disposed at the connecting arms of the electric terminals, correspondingly, the holding lumps and the notches may be disposed at the contacting arms of the electric terminals.