Abstract:
The present invention provides a connector able to be made thin so as to satisfy the needs of making an electronic device further light in weight, thin, short and compact. Therefore, the connector has a connector main body having a housing for storing a contactor and having an opening portion, and an actuator rotatably supported with respect to the connector main body. A flexible cable inserted into the opening portion and the contactor come in press contact with each other by the actuator and are electrically connected to each other in the rotation of the actuator. A metallic cover for covering a portion of the housing and having a receiving portion is arranged in the connector main body. When the actuator makes the flexible cable inserted into the opening portion come in press contact with the contactor, the receiving portion receives reaction force of the press contact. Thus, the thin type connector can be provided.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to a connector of a ZIF (Zero Insertion Force) type for a flexible cable as in FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit) and FFC (Flexible Flat Cable). 
   DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART 
   Connectors of various forms are used in connecting the flexible cable to a circuit substrate. The connector of the zero insertion force type (ZIF type) as one of these connectors is very widely utilized. 
   For example, as shown in  FIG. 7 , there is a conventional connector having a housing  100  and an actuator  300  (see patent literature 1). The housing  100  stores a contactor  101  thereto and has an opening portion  102  and is constructed by an insulating material. The actuator  300  is rotatably supported by a rotating support portion  101   b  formed integrally with the contactor  101  and is constructed by an insulating material. 
   In such a conventional connector, in a state in which the actuator  300  is located in the position shown by the two-dotted chain line and the opening portion  102  is greatly opened, a flexible cable  500  is inserted into the opening portion  102  from the direction of the arrow X. Subsequently, the actuator  300  is rotated until a lock position for making the actuator  300  fall down. Thus, the cable  500  comes in press contact with a contact portion  101   a  of the above contactor  101  by a pressing portion  301  of the actuator  300 , and the cable  500  and the contactor  101  are electrically connected to each other. 
   In this example, the rotating support portion  101   b  and the contact portion  101   a  are formed so as to fork into two branches from one contactor  101 . The flexible cable  500  and the pressing portion  301  of the actuator  300  are structurally nipped and supported between the rotating support portion  101   b  and the contact portion  101   a.    
   [Patent Literature 1] 
   JP-UM-A-6-77186 (Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 6-77186) 
   The needs of high performance, lightness, thinness, shortness and smallness of various kinds of electronic devices are unceasingly required. The requests with respect to multiple functions, high density, compactness, lightness, thinness and shortness are more and more strengthened. In accordance with these requests, the compactness, thinness and shortness of the connector and its multipolar change are simultaneously required. 
   However, in the conventional connector as mentioned above, it was difficult to make the connector thin in accordance with the needs of markets. This is because the above conventional connector requires at least six members of different roles constructed by a bottom plate portion  103 , the contact portion  101   a , the flexible cable  500 , the pressing portion  301 , the rotating support portion  101   b  and an upper plate portion  104  in the thickness direction of the connector so that the connector has a thickness obtained by summing the respective thicknesses of at least these members as a whole. 
   The respective heights of the above members are tried to be lowered to make the above conventional connector thin (in this case, the thickness of the flexible cable  500  is determined by standards, and there is no degree of freedom in design in making the connector thin). However, when the respective members are made thin, their rigidities are naturally reduced. Therefore, there was naturally a limit in making the respective members thin. 
   In particular, when the actuator  300  is rotated in the connector of such a type, the pressing portion  301  of the actuator  300  is forcibly intended to enter between the flexible cable  500  and the rotating support portion  101   b.  Therefore, a large stress is applied to the rotating support portion  101   b  for receiving reaction force from the contact portion  101   a  caused at this entering time. 
   However, the rotating support portion  101   b  of the above conventional connector is formed integrally with the contact portion  101   a  constructed by an electrically conductive metal such as phosphor bronze, etc. having no high rigidity. Therefore, it was necessary to secure a considerable thickness so as to have a strength resisting the above stress caused by rotating the actuator  300 . 
   Further, the above stress caused in the above conventional connector is also transmitted to the housing  100  constructed by an insulating material such as synthetic resin, etc. having a low strength. Therefore, the bottom plate portion  103  and the upper plate portion  104  of the housing  100  covering the upper and lower portions of the rotating support portion  101   b  and the contact portion  101   a  had to have considerable thicknesses. 
   Accordingly, for example, when the flexible cable of 0.3 mm in thickness is used, a clearance required to set the flexible cable to the ZIF must be also prepared with respect to the entire thickness of the above conventional connector. Therefore, the entire thickness becomes about 2 mm, which is difficult to satisfy the needs of markets. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   In consideration of such points, an object of the present invention is to provide a connector able to be made thin so as to satisfy the needs of making an electronic device further light in weight, thin, short and compact. 
   To achieve the above object, the present invention resides in a connector comprising a connector main body having a housing for storing plural contactors and an opening portion and constructed by an insulating material, and an actuator rotatably supported with respect to the connector main body and constructed by an insulating material, wherein a flexible cable inserted into the opening portion and the contactors come in press contact with each other by the actuator and are electrically connected to each other in the rotation of the actuator; the connector main body has a metallic cover for covering a portion of the housing and having a holding portion for holding the housing, a fixing portion fixed to a circuit substrate and one or more engagement receiving portions; the actuator has one or more engaging portions engaged with the engagement receiving portions in the rotation; and the metallic cover has a receiving portion for receiving reaction force of the press contact when the actuator makes the flexible cable come in press contact with the contactors. Since the rigid metallic cover has the function of the receiving portion, a thin type connector can be provided. 
   Further, the connector can be made thinner if the engagement receiving portion is an engagement through hole extending through the metallic cover. 
   Further, if the metallic cover has a lock portion and the actuator has a locked portion corresponding to the lock portion, a click feeling can be provided at the lock time. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the external appearance of a connector in one embodiment mode of the present invention and shows an unlock state in which an actuator stands erect. 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the external appearance showing a lock state in which the actuator of the connector of  FIG. 1  falls down. 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the external appearance of a metallic cover. 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the external appearance of the actuator. 
       FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A′ of FIG.  1  and shows the unlock state in which the actuator stands erect. 
       FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view showing the lock state in which the actuator of the connector of  FIG. 5  falls down. 
       FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a conventional connector. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   The preferred embodiment mode examples of a connector for a flexible cable in the present invention will next be explained with reference to  FIGS. 1  to  6 . 
   Each of  FIGS. 1 and 2  is a perspective view of the external appearance of a connector  1  in the present invention.  FIG. 1  shows an unlock state in which an actuator  30  rises.  FIG. 2  shows a lock state in which the actuator  30  falls down. 
   The connector  1  has a connector main body having a housing  10  and a metallic cover  20 . Plural contactors  11  constructed by an electrically conductive metal are implanted into the housing  10 . The housing  10  has an opening portion  12  and is constructed by an insulating material. The metallic cover  20  is arranged so as to cover a portion of the housing  10  and is constructed by a steel plate, etc. The connector  1  also has the actuator  30  rotatably supported by the connector main body and constructed by an insulating material. 
   The opening portion  12  is opened and closed by rotating the actuator  30 , and receives a flexible cable  2  such as FPC and FFC having an electrically conductive portion only on its lower face. 
   The flexible cable  2  is inserted into the opening portion  12  from the direction of the arrow X in the unlock state, and comes in press contact with the above contactor  11  by the actuator  30  in the rotation of the actuator  30 . As its result, the cable  2  and the contactor  11  are electrically connected to each other in the lock state. 
     FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the external appearance of the metallic cover  20 .  FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the external appearance of the actuator  30 . 
   The metallic cover  20  has an upper face portion  27 , a reinforcing rib  26 , a pair of holding portions  21  of a tongue piece shape, a pair of fixing portions  22  of a tongue piece shape, an engagement receiving portion  24 , a receiving portion  25 , a lock portion  23 , etc. The upper face portion  27  covers a portion of the housing  10  except for a part in which the actuator  30  is located. The reinforcing rib  26  is moderately recessed from the upper face portion  27  and is extended in the longitudinal direction to raise rigidity of the cover  20 . The holding portions  21  are arranged so as to hold the vicinity of an end portion of the housing  10  in its longitudinal direction and unite the cover  20  and the housing  10 . The fixing portions  22  are extended out so as to cover both side end face portions of the housing  10 , and are fixed to an unillustrated circuit substrate. The engagement receiving portion  24  receives an engaging portion  33  of the actuator  30  in the rotation of the actuator  30 . The receiving portion  25  is located at the outer edge of the engagement receiving portion  24 , and when the actuator  30  is engaged with this receiving portion  24  and the flexible cable  2  is pressed against the contactor  11  as the actuator  30  is rotated the receiving portion  25  receives reaction force from the contactor  11 . The lock portion  23  fixes the actuator  30  in a lock position in cooperation with a locked portion  32  of the actuator  30 . 
   On the other hand, the actuator  30  has the engaging portion  33 , the locked portion  32 , a rotation support portion  31 , etc. The engaging portion  33  is formed in a projection shape and is engaged with the engagement receiving portion  24  in a position corresponding to the engagement receiving portion  24  of the metallic cover  20 . The locked portion  32  is arranged so as to be locked together with the lock portion  23  in a position corresponding to the lock portion  23  of the metallic cover  20 . Further, the rotation support portion  31  supports the rotation of the actuator  30  correspondingly to a rotation receiving portion  13  of the housing  10  in this rotation. 
   Each of  FIGS. 5 and 6  is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A′ of FIG.  1 .  FIG. 5  shows the unlock state and  FIG. 6  shows the lock state. 
   The contactor  11  is implanted by press-fitting a base portion  11   e  into a contactor groove  14  formed in the housing  10 . Further, the contactor  11  is electrically connected to an unillustrated circuit substrate by soldering a tail portion  11   d  to this circuit substrate. 
   A lower arm portion  11   b  of the contactor  11  is extended so as to be long in the inlet direction of the opening portion  12  from the base portion  11   e . The lower arm portion  11   b  has a contact portion  11   a  near its tip to come in contact with an electrically conductive portion on the lower face of the flexible cable  2  inserted into the opening portion  12 . 
   On the other hand, an upper arm portion  11   c  formed continuously to the lower arm portion  11   b  through the base portion  11   e  is shorter than the lower arm portion  11   b  and is merely slightly extended in the direction of the opening portion  12 . 
   The metallic cover  20  covers the upper arm portion  11   c  of the contactor  11  and the vicinity of the upper face of a middle plate portion  16  of the housing  10  by the upper face portion  27  of the metallic cover  20 . The metallic cover  20  is further extended from the upper face portion  27  toward the direction of the opening portion  12  until the vicinity located above the contact portion  11   a.  The engagement receiving portion  24  having an engagement through hole, and the receiving portion  25  adjacent to the engagement receiving portion  24  are formed near the tip of the metallic cover  20  extended in the direction of the opening portion  12 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 5 , the flexible cable  2  is inserted into the housing  10  from the direction of the arrow X through the opening portion  12  in the unlock state, and is arranged between the contact portion  11   a  and the metallic cover  20 . 
   At this time, in comparison with the thickness of the flexible cable  2 , a sufficient clearance is prepared between the contact portion  11   a  and the metallic cover  20 , or between the contact portion  11   a  and the actuator  30 . Accordingly, the insertion resistance of the cable  2  is basically zero (ZIF). 
   After the flexible cable  2  is inserted into the opening portion  12 , the tip of the actuator  30  is rotated around the receiving portion  25  in the rotation until the lock state as shown in  FIG. 6 , and the cable  2  is pressed against the contact portion  11   a  side by a pressing portion  34  of the actuator  30 . 
   At this time, the thickness from the engaging portion  33  to the pressing portion  34  is adjusted such that the distance from the contact face of the actuator  30  and the flexible cable  2  to the rotation center of the receiving portion  25  is increased in the lock state in comparison with the unlock state. Therefore, as the actuator  30  is rotated, the pressing portion  34  presses downward the above flexible cable  2  and the contact portion  11   a  with the receiving portion  25  as the fulcrum of a lever, and flexes and deforms the lower arm portion  11   b  of the contactor  11 . The pressing portion  34  is then forcibly slipped between the receiving portion  25  and the cable  2  by utilizing the downward displacement of the contact portion  11   a.    
   In parallel with this slipping, the engaging portion  33  of the actuator  30  enters the engagement receiving portion  24  of the metallic cover  20  and prevents the actuator  30  from being separated from the connector main body. 
   In the lock state, the lock is completed between the lock portion  23  of the metallic cover  20  and the locked portion  32  of the actuator  30 . The flexible cable  2  is nipped and supported by the reaction force of the contactor  11  between the actuator  30  and the contact portion  11   a  so that the cable  2  is completely connected to the connector  1 . 
   As shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the connector  1  of this embodiment mode has the metallic cover  20  having the receiving portion  25 . Thus, the rotating support portion  101   b  shown in  FIG. 7  in the above conventional connector is omitted and the number of members in the thickness direction of the connector is reduced to five members constructed by the bottom plate portion  15  of the housing  10 , the contact portion  11   a,  the flexible cable  2 , the pressing portion  34  and the receiving portion  25  so that the connector  1  can be correspondingly made thin. 
   Further, in the connector of this kind in which a portion of the actuator  30  is inserted between the flexible cable  2  and the receiving portion  25  as the actuator  30  is rotated, the receiving portion  25  for receiving the reaction force from the contactor  11  must resist a very large stress. Further, in the conventional connector, a member corresponding to the receiving portion  25  was formed by an insulating material such as synthetic resin, etc. having low rigidity, and a metal such as phosphor bronze, etc. Therefore, it was necessary to set the member corresponding to the receiving portion  25  to a considerable thickness so as to obtain a predetermined desirable rigidity. In contrast to this, the receiving portion  25  of the connector  1  in the present invention is constructed by a steel plate having high strength, etc., and a sufficient strength can be shown by a thickness thinner than that of the above conventional member. Therefore, the connector  1  can be made thin in comparison with the conventional case. 
   Further, the metallic cover  20  approximately covers the half of the housing  10  and is arranged so as to hold the housing  10 , and is fixed to the circuit substrate by the fixing portion  22 . Accordingly, the strength conventionally imposed on the housing can be also obtained by this metallic cover  20  so that the connector can be made thinner. 
   Further, the rigidity of the metallic cover  20  can be improved and its thickness can be reduced by arranging the reinforcing rib  26  in the metallic cover  20 . 
   In particular, when the engagement receiving portion  24  has an engagement through hole extending through the metallic cover  20  and the receiving portion  25  is formed correspondingly to the engagement receiving portion  24  as in this embodiment, the engagement of the engaging portion  33  and the engagement receiving portion  24  can be completed in the range of the thickness of one sheet of the metallic cover  20  so that a much thinner connector can be provided. 
   Further, since the lock portion  23  is constructed as part of the metallic cover  20 , the lock portion  23  can be simply formed simultaneously at a press forming time of the cover  20 . Further, when the lock portion  23  and the locked portion  32  are locked to prevent the actuator from opening, a click feeling can be obtained. 
   Further, since the housing  10  is covered with the metallic cover  20 , a shield effect can be also obtained. 
   In accordance with the present invention, a thin type connector of 1.5 mm or less in thickness can be obtained by the characteristics explained above. 
   As described below in detail, the mode of each portion constituting the connector in the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. 
   Three engagement receiving portions  24  of the metallic cover  20  shown in  FIG. 3  are arranged at an equal interval in positions moderately separated in the longitudinal direction as long rectangular through holes in the longitudinal direction. However, the engagement receiving portion  24  is not limited to have the through hole, but may be also formed as a hollow having a moderate depth. Further, the number of the engagement receiving portion  24  may be one or more. 
   As shown in  FIG. 3 , the receiving portion  25  of the metallic cover  20  is formed like a frame projected forward along the shape of the engagement receiving portion  24 . However, the receiving portion  25  may not be formed in the projecting shape if the receiving portion  25  has a strength resisting the reaction force of the contactor  11 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 3 , the fixing portion  22  of the metallic cover  20  is bent toward the unillustrated circuit substrate while forming a smooth curved surface near the side end portion of the housing  10 . However, this construction is used to fix the connector  1  to the circuit substrate. Accordingly, the fixing portion  22  may thrust through the circuit substrate and bent on the rear face of the substrate to be fixed thereto, may be soldered on this rear face, or may be also fixed by using a screw, etc. Otherwise, the fixing portion  22  may be also formed in a shape in which the fixing portion  22  draws a curved surface and is not extended out. 
   Further, in this embodiment mode, the metallic cover  20  has the engagement through hole of the engagement receiving portion  24  and the receiving portion  25 , and the actuator  30  has the engaging portion  33  of a projecting shape as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, as the connector shown by JP-A-2000-106238, the following structure may be also used. Namely, a through hole and an engaging portion  33  having the function of a cam portion are arranged in the actuator  30 . In the rotation of the actuator  30 , the engaging portion  33  presses the flexible cable  2  against the contact portion  11   a , and its reaction force is received by the above receiving portion  25  of the metallic cover  20 . Further, the tip portion of the receiving portion  25  can be made so as to be inserted into/pulled out of the through hole. In this embodiment mode, the receiving portion  25  and the engagement receiving portion  24  become the same member. 
   As explained above, the connector  1  in the present invention can be made thin by arranging the metallic cover  20  covering a portion of the housing  10  and having the holding portion  21  for holding the housing  10 , the fixing portion  22  to be fixed to the circuit substrate, and the receiving portion  25  for receiving the reaction force of the press contact of the flexible cable  2  and the contactor  11  in the rotation of the actuator  30 .