Abstract:
A connecting tool for guiding a flexfoil into a connector element. The tool includes a guiding part that directs the flexfoil into the opening in the connector element. The tool also includes a crimping part that urges the clamps of the connector element against the flexfoil. The guiding part and the crimping part of the tool are movable relative to each other.

Description:
This application is a division of application Ser. No. 08/613,218 filed Mar. 8, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,733,154. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a connector element for connecting a flexfoil and a pin-like contact member. As far as applicant is aware of no such connector element does exist in practice. Flexfoils are widely used for interconnecting electronic components. However, no means are available yet to connect such flexfoils to pin-like contact members, e.g. of connectors, in a releasable way. 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a connector element for connecting a flexfoil and a pin-like contact member able to provide as many interconnecting and disconnecting operations as possible. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Therefore, the present invention provides a connector element for connecting a flexfoil and a pin-like contact member, the connector element being made of a conducting material and comprising a base part, at least one clamping means extending from a first side of the connector element for clamping said flexfoil and at least one further clamping means extending from a second opposing side of the connector element for clamping said flexfoil, and wall means arranged relative to said base part to form an opening for receiving said pin-like contact member. Such a connector element is, in use, connected to the flexfoil by the action of the at least one clamping means, whereas the pin-like contact member may be inserted in the opening defined by the base part and the wall means arranged relative to said base part to form that opening. When inserted the pin-like contact member electrically contacts an exposed conducting path of the flexfoil. 
     Preferably the connector element comprises a back side provided with at least one clamping lip for clamping said flexfoil. This at least one clamping lip enhances the robustness of the clamping between the connector element and the flexfoil. 
     The connector element preferably comprises at least one opening in the base part adjacent to the at least one clamping lip. In use the at least one clamping lip is bent inward in the direction of the opening and pushes the rear side of the flexfoil into the opening thereby preventing any relative movement between the flexfoil and the connector element when a pin-like contact member is inserted into the connector element. 
     In order to further reduce any possibility of relative movement between the flexfoil and the connector element the latter may be provided with an eye in the base part for receiving a lip-like extension of the flexfoil. 
     At least one further opening may be provided in the base part below at least one of the clamping means for providing the same purpose as the at least one opening in the base part mentioned above. 
     The wall means arranged relative to said base part to form an opening for receiving the pin-like contact member preferably comprise two opposing, inward bent ears extending form opposite sides from the connector element. Such a connector element, then, may be integrally made by stamping from a thin sheet of metal and be bending the ears and the clamping means, as well as the clamping lip(s) if provided, into the proper position. This kind of connector elements can be easily and inexpensively produced. 
     The clamping means may be fingers cut out from the ears. Cutting out from the ears may be easily carried out after the stamping operation mentioned above. 
     Preferably the ears are arranged at the extremity of the connector designed for receiving the pin-like contact member and are provided with a beveled edge for supporting lead-in of the pin-like contact member. By providing these beveled edges insertion of a pin-like member into the connector element is an easy operation. 
     The present invention is, moreover, directed to a set of the flexfoil and the connector element being connected together, the clamping means being bent inward to clamp the flexfoil and to electrically contact an exposed conducting path of said flexfoil. 
     The connector element in such a set preferably comprises a back side provided with at least one clamping lip for clamping the flexfoil, each of the lips being bent inward and clamping the flex-foil by a crimping operation. Such a crimping operation is, preferably, carried out in such a way that the lips will be provided with dimples above corresponding openings within the base of the connector element in order to create a strain-relief. Then, it is impossible to establish a relative movement between the flexfoil and the connector element by inserting a mating pin-like contact member into the connector element. 
     The present invention is also related to a connecting tool for guiding a flexfoil into a connector element defined above and for crimping said flexfoil to said connector, comprising a crimping part at least provided with extensions for crimping the clamping means, and a guiding part for guiding the flexfoil into connector, the crimping part and the guiding part being slidable relative to one another. 
     In such a connecting tool for guiding a flexfoil into a connector element and for crimping said flexfoil to said connector, the guiding part of the connecting tool may be provided with a slanted wall extending somewhat from its bottom side and suitable to be inserted into the eye of the connector for guiding a lip-like extension of the flexfoil into said eye. 
     The invention also relates to a method of producing a set of a flexfoil and a connector element as defined above by using a connecting tool defined above, including the following steps: 
     a. locating said connecting tool and said connector in a predefined relation to one another in which the guiding part abuts the connector; 
     b. inserting the flexfoil into the connector; 
     c. pushing the connecting tool against the connector with a predefined force and crimping at least the clamping fingers by means of the extensions. 
     In step a of such a method of producing a set of a flexfoil and a connector element the slanted wall may be partly inserted into the eye of the connector. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The present invention will be explained by referring to the annexed drawings showing some preferred embodiments of the present invention. It is observed that the drawings only disclose preferred embodiments and are not meant in any way to limit the scope of the present invention. In the drawings: 
     FIGS. 1 a,    1   b,  and  1   c  show a connector element according to the invention and a flexfoil, in which FIG. 1 a  shows them in a disconnected state, whereas FIGS. 1 b  and  1   c  show them in a connected state; 
     FIG. 2 shows schematically a top view of a connector connected to a flexfoil and a pin-like contact member inserted into the connector element; 
     FIG. 3 shows a cross section along line III—III of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 4 shows a cross section along line IV—IV of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 5 shows a cross section along line V—V of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 6 shows schematically an alternative connector element for connecting a flexfoil and a pin-line contact member; 
     FIG. 7 a  schematically shows a bottom view of a connecting tool for interconnecting the flexfoil and the connector element according to FIGS. 1 a  through  5  and carrying out a crimping operation on the connector element for rigidly clamping action between the connector element and the flexfoil; 
     FIGS. 7 b  through  7   d  show in side views subsequent steps of connecting the flexfoil and the connector element according to FIGS. 1 a  through  5  using the connecting tool of FIG. 7 a.    
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 1 a  shows a flexfoil  1  provided with a contact terminal  3 . The contact terminal  3  comprises an exposed conducting path  4 . Reference L denotes the length of the contact terminal  3 , which preferably corresponds with the length of the connector element  6 . Preferably, the flexfoil comprises a lip-like extension  5 , the purpose of which will be explained below. Except the contact terminal  3  and the lip-like extension  5 , usually, the conducting path  4  is covered with an insulating layer  2 . The conducting path may be made of copper. 
     The connector element  6  comprises at least one clamping means  10 , for example a finger as shown in FIG. 1 a,  extending from one side of the connector element  6 . At least one other clamping means  10  may extend from an opposing side of the connector element  6  for clamping the flexfoil  1 . In the arrangement shown in FIG. 1 a  the connector element  6  comprises two ear-like wall means  11  extending from opposing sides of connector element  6 . These ears  11  are bent inward to form an opening for receiving a mating pin-like contact member  17  (FIG. 1 b ). The ears  11  and the clamping fingers  10  are arranged at a front side  8  of the connector element  6 , which front side  8  is designed to receive the contact pin  17 . At the side designed to receive the contact pin  17  the contact element  6  may be provided with an eye  14  for receiving the lip-like extension  5  of the flexfoil  1 . This eye  14  may be provided in a separate extension  16  extending from a base part  13  of the connector element  6 . 
     In order to further enhance the clamping action between the flexfoil  1  and the connector element  6  the latter is preferably provided with a back side  7  provided with at least one clamping lip  9  for clamping the flexfoil  1  to the base part  13 . 
     The base part  13  may be provided with openings  15  both in the front side  8  and the back side  7 . Their purpose will be explained below. The openings  15  in the front side  8  are preferably adjacent to or below each of the clamping fingers  10 . 
     Each of the ears  11  may be provided with a beveled edge  12  in order to support the insertion of the pin-like contact member  17  into the connector element  6 . 
     In the arrangement shown in FIG. 1 a  the clamping fingers  10  are cut out from the ears  11 . However, the clamping fingers  10  may be provided separately adjacent to the ears  11 . The ears  11  are shown adjacent to the extension  16 . However, alternatively clamping fingers  10  may be provided adjacent to the extension  16 . If no extension  16  is present clamping fingers  10  may be provided directly adjacent to the front edge of the connector element  6 . Then, instead of, or additional to, the beveled edges  12  of the ears  11 , the clamping fingers  10  may be provided with beveled edges (not shown) to support insertion of the pin-like contact member  17 . Of course, also in the arrangement shown in FIG. 1 a,  the clamping fingers nearest to the front edge of the connector element  6  may be provided with such beveled edges (not shown). 
     FIG. 1 b  shows the flexfoil  1  and the connector  6  according to FIG. 1 a  in the connected state. The lips  9  are bent inward, and crimped afterwards, in order to rigidly clamp the flexfoil  1  against the back side of the contact terminal  3 . Reference sign  18  designates crimp dimples which are preferably located above corresponding openings  15 , the purpose of which will be explained below. FIGS. 1 b  and  1   c  (the latter showing essentially the same as FIG. 1 b  except that one of the ears  11  is broken away in order to more clearly show the contact fingers  10 ) both show the lip-like extension  5  being inserted into the eye  14  (FIG. 1 a ). Moreover, they show that the contact fingers  10  clamp the flexfoil  1 . Both the contact fingers  10  and the clamping lips  9  electrically contact the conducting path  4  of the flexfoil  1 . 
     FIG. 2 shows a top view of the connector element  6  connected to the flexfoil  1  at the back side  7  and accommodating a mating pin-like contact member  17  inserted into the front side  8 . The same parts as in FIGS. 1 a,    1   b,  and  1   c  are designated by the same reference signs. 
     FIG. 3 shows a cross section through the connector element according to FIG. 2 along line III—III. From FIG. 3 it can be deduced that the clamping fingers  10  are bent inward to the base part  13  of the connector element  6  in such a way that the flexfoil  1  is rigidly clamped between the base part  13  and the clamping fingers  10 . Moreover, it can be seen that the ears  11  are bent inward in the direction of the base part  13  to an extent to define an opening between their extremities and the base part  13 , suitable for receiving the mating pin-like contact member  17 . Moreover, the distance between two opposite clamping fingers  10  is designed in such a way that it corresponds to the width of the pin-like contact member  17 . When inserted, the pin-like contact member  17  electrically contacts the conducting path  4  of the flexfoil  1 . The conducting path  4  is supported by a flexfoil base  19 . 
     FIG. 4 shows a cross section through the connector element  6  according to FIG. 2 along line IV—IV. This line IV—IV intersects two opposing crimp dimples  18 . These crimp dimples  18  are the result of the crimping operation referred to above. It can be clearly seen from FIG. 4 that the clamping lips  9  are bent in the direction of the base part  13  to rigidly clamp the flexfoil  1  and that each of the lips  9  electrically contacts the conducting path  4  of flexfoil  1 . 
     FIG. 5 shows a cross section through the arrangement according to FIG. 2 in the lengthwise direction along line V—V. The same parts as in the preceding figures are designated by the same reference signs. They will not be repeated here. 
     From FIG. 5 it can be deduced that the eye  14  receiving the lip-like extension  5  of the flexfoil  1  is, preferably, not perpendicular to the surface of base part  13 , but has an angle of inclination relative to this surface substantially smaller than π/2. By the provision of this inclined eye  14  the inserted lip-like extension  5  abuts extension  16  of the connector element  6 . Therefore, the lip-like extension  5  cannot easily leave the eye  14  in a direction perpendicular to the surface of base part  13 . Still, the lip-like extension  5  does not substantially extend from the bottom side of the base part  13 , thereby keeping the space needed for the arrangement shown in FIGS. 2 to  5  as small as possible. 
     It can be clearly seen from FIG. 5 that the clamping fingers  10  are bent to the base part  13  to an extend that the flexfoil  1  below these clamping fingers  10  is somewhat forced into the openings  15 . Therefore, the possibility of sliding of the flexfoil in the longitudinal direction is reduced. Moreover, the lips  9  are crimped into the direction of the base part  13 . Crimp dimples  18  results from this crimping operation preferably in such a way that they are located above corresponding openings  15  thereby creating the same effect as clamping fingers  10  above corresponding openings  15 . 
     FIG. 6 shows an alternative embodiment of a connector element  6 ′ according to the invention. The same parts are designated with the same reference signs as in the preceding figures. 
     Instead of ears  11  the front side  8  of the connector element  6 ′ is provided with a box-type casing comprising a cover part  22  opposite to base part  13  and side walls  23  interconnecting the cover part  22  and the base part  13 . The cover part  22 , the side walls  23  and the base part  13  are designed in such a way as to define an opening for receiving a pin-like contact member  17 , as shown in FIG. 1 b.  The cover part  22  may be provided with one or more dimples  21  to provide a better clamping action between the mating pin-like contact member  17  and the connector element  6 ′ when the contact member  17  is inserted in the connector element  6 ′ . Like the connector element  6  in the preceding Figures, the clamping fingers  10  may be made by cutting out from the side walls  23 . Except for the amendments to the front side  8 , the connector element  6 ′ corresponds to all embodiments of the connector element  6  shown in the preceding Figures and/or described above. 
     FIG. 7 a  shows a bottom view of an example of a special connecting tool  24  for guiding the flexfoil into the connector element  6  and to crimp the clamping fingers  10  and the clamping lips  9  on the flexfoil  1  in order to create a strain/relief, as described above. The connecting tool  24  comprises two parts: a crimping part  25  and a guiding part  26  (see also FIGS. 7 b  through  7   d ). 
     The crimping part  25  is provided with a first extension  28  at the bottom for crimping the clamping lips  9  as will be explained below. Extension  28  may cover the entire width of the crimping part  25 , as shown in FIG. 7 a.  Moreover, the crimping part  25  is provided with as many second extensions  29  as there are clamping fingers  10  for crimping these fingers  10  as will also be explained below. 
     The crimping part  25  comprises an opening  33  for receiving an extension  34  of the guiding part  26 . The extension  34  is slidable up and down within the opening  33  as will become more clear from the description of FIGS. 7 b  through  7   d  below. 
     From the side view of FIG. 7 b  it is evident that the bottom wall of the crimping part  25  is, preferably, subdivided into a first slanted wall  30 , a guiding wall  31  and a second slanted wall  32 . the second slanted wall  32  extends somewhat below the main bottom wall of guiding part  26  to cooperate with eye  14  of connector  6 . FIG. 7 b  shows the connecting tool  24  in its state before a guiding/crimping operation in which a spring  27  forces the guiding part  26  downward relative to the crimping part  25 . 
     FIG. 7 c  shows the connecting tool  24  in a guiding position for a flexfoil  1  relative to the connector  6 . In the situation of FIG. 7 c,  the ears  11 , the lips  9  and the clamping fingers  10  are already pre-bent but the spaces left between the lips  9  and the base part  13 , and between the fingers  10  and the base part  13  are large enough for the flexfoil  1  to be inserted and connected. 
     The connector  6  and the connecting tool  24  are moved relative to one another to the situation shown in FIG. 7 c,  i.e. the situation in which the connector  6  only abuts guiding part  26 . The extension  34  is thin enough to be received by the space available between the two opposing ears  11  of the connector  6 . The second slanted wall  32  is guided into the eye  14  to produce a predefined relation between the connecting tool  24  and the connector  6  before inserting the flexfoil  1 . 
     Then, the flexfoil  1  is inserted into the connector in the direction of arrow P: the front edge of the flexfoil  1  is guided between the lips  9  and the base part  13 . The flexfoil is guided by the first slanted wall  30  of the guiding part  26  and then further guided by the flat guiding wall  31  and the second slanted wall  32 . The lip-like extension  5  of the flexfoil  1  (see FIG. 1 a ) is automatically guided into eye  14  by the second slanted wall  32 . 
     Then, the connector  6  and the connecting tool  24  are further pushed towards one another by exerting a predefined force. The guiding part  26  is able to slide within the opening  33  of the crimping part  25  against the action of spring  27  and retains the same relative position to the connector  6 . The crimping part  25 , however, is pushed against the connector: its first extension  28  pushes the lips  9  against the flexfoil  1  whereas the second extensions  29  push the fingers  10  against the flexfoil  1 , as shown in FIG. 7 d.    
     By moving the connector  6  away from the connecting tool  24  the extension  34  of the guiding part  26  leaves the space between the ears  11  and the second slanted wall  32  leaves the eye  14 . 
     The connecting tool shown in FIGS. 7 a  through  7   d  is designed to be used with the connector  6  of FIGS. 1 through 5. However, a connecting tool suitable for use with a connector  6 ′ of FIG. 6 may be designed in accordance with the same principles. For the connector  6 ′ as shown in FIG. 6, of course, the extension  34  of the guiding part  26  must be omitted or, alternatively, the cover part  22  of connector  6 ′ must be provided with a notch to receive the extension  34  of the guiding part  26 . 
     While the present invention has been described in connection with the preferred embodiments of the various figures, it is to be understood that other similar embodiments may be used or modifications and additions may be made to the described embodiment for performing the same function of the present invention without deviating therefrom. Therefore, the present invention should not be limited to any single embodiment, but rather construed in breadth and scope in accordance with the recitation of the appended claims.