Connector for a flexible printed circuit board

A connector including pivoting parts at both ends of a locking part to be connected and pivoted to the main body of the connector. A through hole is installed at the corresponding location of a supporting arm of a terminal. A pivoting and rotating part is installed at the inner wall of said hole. The front end of the supporting arm of the terminal is installed with a through-hole-penetrating elastic compression part and a dented part accompanied with a pivoting, part. At the front end of the contact arm of the terminal is installed with a guiding arm. First and second protruding parts are installed respectively on the guiding arm allowing the elastic compression part and dented part to tightly compress the pivoting and rotating part of the locking part when the locking part is locked. The first protruding part and FPCB form a compressing and holding action to each other.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a connector, it relates specifically a connector, which can effectively prevent Flexible Printed Circuit Board (abbreviated as FPCB) from getting loose.

2. Description of the Related Art

Printed circuit board is an indispensable basic component for electronic product, it needs to possess flexible characteristics when it is used in circuit where “moving function” is necessary, therefore, flexible printed circuit board with light weight and small form factor has been invented for this industry, it allows three dimensional circuit layout possible due to limited space and size in the product, therefore, electronic, communication or military application, where light weight, thin profile, and small size are important, will need FPCB.

Since FPCB is of light weight and thin and flexible, therefore, when it is used in the connection in electronic circuit, as shown inFIG. 1, the connection end of FPCB1′ has to be connected by connector2′ in order to enhance its mechanical strength, on the main body of connector2′ is installed with slot21′ for the fixing of terminal22′, furthermore, FPCB1′ is inserted into slot21′, a locking part23′ is used to form a close contact between FPCB1′ and the contact arm221′ of terminal22′, terminal22′ further forms connection between flexible printed circuit1′ and the electronic circuit designed and installed in connector2′. Moreover, when FPCB1′ operates and moves along with the electronic circuit it is connected to, certain degree of teasing and pulling actions are going to appear between FPCB1′ and connector2′ and the connection could thus gets loose; therefore, the terminal22′ of connector2′ is a structure comprising a protruding part222′ located at the contact side of its contact arm221′ which is in contact with FPCB1′, this structure allows FPCB1′ to be inserted in between contact arm221′ and locking part23′ when the locking part23′ of connector2′ has not been locked toward contact arm221′, furthermore, contact arm221′ can generate an elastic distortion when the locking part23′ compresses and locks toward contact arm221′ such that locking part23′ can compresses, locks and positions, the elastic force from the contact arm221′ can force protruding part222′ compresses to ward FPCB1′ in order to increase the combining strength between FPCB1′ and terminal22′.

Nevertheless, in the prior art connector2′, the supporting arm223′ of terminal22′ forms a pivoting and limiting action on the locking part, although the protruding part222′ of the contact arm221′ of the terminal22′ can form a compression action on the FPCB1′ when locking part23′ is completely locked and compressed, but this compression action comprising of only the spring force coming from contact arm221′, this seems to be not enough to hold tight the FPCB1′, moreover, the elastic force of contact arm221′ will decay with time, the compression force between contact arm221′ and FPCB1′ will then be reduced, bad connection can thus happen unpredictably between FPCB1′ and the electronic circuit, or FPCB1′ can even get loose.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention aims at improving the drawbacks of the prior art connector and it fits the real application demand, a connector to be applied in the flexible printed circuit is invented for industrial application.

Technical means is adopted in this invention, a supporting arm which extends into the slot is installed at the base of the terminal, furthermore, at both ends of the locking part are installed with pivoting parts to be connected to the main body of the connector, in the mean time, through hole is installed at the corresponding location to the supporting arm of the terminal, the inner wall of the through hole is a pivoting and rotating part which is of floating and protruding shape, moreover, the front end of the supporting arm of the terminal is installed with a curved and through-hole-penetrating elastic compression part and a dented part accompanied with a pivoting part, therefore, when the locking part is in action, the pivoting and rotating part of locking part face directly the dented part of supporting arm, it allows the curved elastic compression part and dented part in the front end of supporting arm to form a tight compression and liming action such that bouncing away of locking part can be well prevented and in turn it can further prevent FPCB from getting loose, this is the main purpose of the current invention.

Yet another purpose of the current invention, the terminal structure comprising of a slot which can be inserted into a connector to be connected to FPCB, moreover, a guiding arm is installed at the front end of the contact arm of the terminal, first protruding part and second protruding part installed at the guiding arm and of fixed length are protruding toward FPCB and the inner wall of slot, respectively, through the guiding action of the guiding arm, it can lead FPCB to enter correctly the space between contact arm and the locking part, therefore, when the locking part locks, locking part compresses and positions by using the elastic distortion of contact arm and guiding arm, moreover, when the locking part locks completely, the first protruding part of the guiding arm can compress and hold tight FPCB, moreover, the second protruding part and the inner wall of slot can touch each other and form a supporting function ,this supporting function can limit the distortion of guiding arm in the reverse direction, therefore, the compression action put on FPCB by first protruding part can be maintained, and the combination strength between FPCB and terminal can be greatly enhanced, a loose connection of FPCB can thus be prevented.

Yet another purpose of the current invention, spring piece can be installed further at the slot of the connector, spring piece and the pivoting part of the locking part compresses to each other, in the mean time, protruding and dented lock which can hold and lock to each other when the locking part locks completely are installed at the contact location between the spring piece and the pivoting part, dented lock and protruding lock can further enhance the limiting function of the locking part, therefore, when the elastic distortion force of the contact arm and supporting arm of terminal disappears, locking part won't bounce away before it receives a reverse action force, locking part can still form a stable and tight compression between FPCB and terminal.

Further another purpose of the current invention, between the arm surface of the guiding arm and the wall of slot, a buffer zone is formed, when a thicker FPCB is inserted, it not only causes elastic distortion at the contact arm, but also causes a second elastic distortion at the buffer zone of contact arm, therefore, bouncing away or breaking of locking part can be prevented.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Please refer toFIGS. 2 and 3, the connector of the current invention is installed with a slot21on its main body2, terminal3is installed and fixed inside slot21such that FPCB1can be inserted into slot21to be connected to terminal3, and a locking part4which can compress terminal3and FPCB1is installed at one side of slot21, it is used to increase the combination strength between FPCB1and terminal3.

The above-mentioned terminal3has a base31which is installed with fixed length contact arm32and supporting arm33which are further inserted in the slot21of connector2, the front end of the supporting arm33is installed with curved and through-hole-penetrating elastic compression part331and a dented part332accompanied with a pivoting part, furthermore, a guiding arm34is installed in the front end of the contact arm32, first protruding part341and second protruding part342installed at the guiding arm34and of fixed length are protruding toward FPCB1and the inner wall of slot21respectively, guiding arm34can guide FPCB1to move correctly into the space between contact arm32and locking part22, moreover between the arm surface of the guiding arm33and the wall of slot21, a buffer zone is formed ,when a thicker FPCB1is inserted, it not only causes elastic distortion at the contact arm32, but also causes a second elastic distortion at the buffer zone of contact arm33, therefore, bouncing away or breaking of locking part22can be prevented.

The above-mentioned locking part4has pivoting part41installed at both ends of it in order to be connected to the main body2of the connector, in addition, through hole42is installed at the corresponding location to the supporting arm33of terminal3, the inner wall of through hole42is a pivoting and rotating part43which is protruding and floating.

Therefore, as shown inFIG. 4, when the locking part4is in action, the pivoting and rotating part43of locking part4face directly the dented part332of supporting arm33, furthermore, locking part4compresses and positions by using the elastic distortion of contact arm32and guiding arm34of terminal3, moreover, when the locking part4locks completely, it allows the curved elastic compression part331and dented part332in the front end of supporting arm33to form a tight compression and liming action such that bouncing away of locking part4can be well prevented and in turn it can further prevent FPCB from getting loose, in the mean time , the first protruding part341of the guiding arm34can compress and hold tight FPCB1, moreover, the second protruding part342and the inner wall of slot21can touch each other and form a supporting function, this supporting function can limit the distortion of guiding arm34in the reverse direction, therefore, the compression action put on FPCB1by first protruding part341can be maintained ,and the combination strength between FPCB1and terminal3can be greatly enhanced , a loose connection of FPCB1can thus be prevented.

Further as shown inFIG. 5, spring piece5is installed additionally in the slot21of the connector of the current invention, spring piece5compress to the pivoting part41of the locking part4, dented lock51and protruding lock411which can lock and hold to each other after locking pail4performs its locking action are installed at the contact location of spring piece5and pivoting part41, dented lock51and protruding lock411further enhances the limiting action of locking part4, therefore, when the elastic distortion force of the contact arm32and supporting arm33of terminal3disappears, locking part2won't bounce away before it receives a reverse action force, locking part2can still form a stable and tight compression between FPCB1and terminal3.

Summarize the above descriptions, the connector provided by this invention can not only greatly enhance the combination strength of FPCB1, but also remain the expected connection between FPCB1and electronic circuit, it can further prevent a loose connection of FPCB1when it moves frequently along with the electronic circuit it is connected to, this invention is of great industry utility value.