Patent Publication Number: US-8529286-B2

Title: Detachment and displacement protection structure for insertion of flexible circuit flat cable

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an insertion structure of flexible flat cable, and in particular to a flexible circuit flat cable having a detachment and displacement protection structure for insertion, which allows an inserter, when positioned in an inserter positioning zone defined in a flexible circuit flat cable, to be protected against detachment and displacement caused by being acted upon by an external force. 
     2. The Related Arts 
     A flexible flat cable is commonly used in various electronic products, such as notebook computers, personal digital assistants, and mobile phones. A conventional structure of flexible flat cable is such that a plurality of conductors that are each enclosed by an insulation layer is juxtaposed to form a flat cable structure, which is combined with connectors or circuit soldering for realizing transmission of electronic signals. 
     The flexible circuit flat cable has the general features of small thickness and flexibility and thus, when a flexible circuit flat cable is inserted into a corresponding slot, it is quite often that the insertion is not firm and stability is poor. To cope with such a problem, some manufacturers attempt to provide an inserter at a leading end of a flexible circuit flat cable to improve mechanical stability and also improve the stability of electrical engagement for the insertion. The inserter generally comprises a metal member and a plastic member. 
     In assembling, the metal member is first fit to a flexible circuit flat cable and the plastic member is set on a predetermined zone on the flexible circuit flat cable. And then, the metal member is moved frontward to fit over the plastic member. Under this condition, the flexible circuit flat cable can be inserted into a slot with the insertion section thereof. 
     However, conventionally, no detachment and displacement protection structure is provided and when a user pushes the metal member rearward with a hand, the inserter may be separated from the plastic member in the direction of extension of the flat cable. The plastic member is no longer enclosed by and coupled with the metal member so that the plastic member cannot be properly positioned on the predetermined zone of the flexible circuit flat cable. As such, the function that is supposed to be obtained by the disposition of the metal member and the plastic member is completely lost and it is no longer possible to improve the mechanical stability and the electrical contact stability for the insertion as originally desired. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Thus, an objective of the present invention is to provide a detachment and displacement protection structure for insertion of flexible circuit flat cable, which allows an inserter, when coupled to a flexible circuit flat cable, to be protected against detachment and displacement from an originally-set predetermined zone of the flexible circuit flat cable due to a force applied by the operation of a user. 
     To achieve the objective, the present invention provides a detachment and displacement protection structure for insertion of flexible circuit flat cable. An inserter positioning section is formed on a flexible circuit flat cable and coupled with an inserter, which comprises a metal member and a plastic member. In assembling, the plastic member is first positioned on a first surface of the inserter positioning section of the flexible circuit flat cable, and then the metal member is fit over the plastic member. A detachment and displacement protection structure is provided on the inserter positioning section to constrain the inserter from displacing and detaching in a flat cable extension direction due to being acted upon by an external force when the inserter is positioned on the inserter positioning section. 
     The efficacy of the present invention is that the present invention provides a structure of inserter of flexible circuit flat cable that realizes stable and secure insertion function. The present invention allows the inserter, once properly coupled to and positioned on a predetermined zone of the flexible circuit flat cable, to resist against detachment and displacement from the original location even being acted upon by an external force, thereby increasing mechanical stability and improving electrical contact stability for insertion. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art by reading the following description of preferred embodiments of the present invention, with reference to the attached drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic view illustrating a first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a front-side schematic view illustrating a condition where a metal member and a plastic member of the first embodiment of the present invention are arranged on a flexible circuit flat cable but not assembled together; 
         FIG. 4  is a rear-side schematic view illustrating the condition where the metal member and the plastic member of the first embodiment of the present invention are arranged on the flexible circuit flat cable but not assembled together; 
         FIG. 5  is a front-side perspective view illustrating the flexible circuit flat cable of the first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a rear-side perspective view illustrating the flexible circuit flat cable of the first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a top plan view illustrating the plastic member of the first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view showing the plastic member assembled to the flexible circuit flat cable according to the first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 9  is a schematic view illustrating a flexible circuit flat cable according to a second embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 10  is a front-side schematic view illustrating a condition where a metal member and a plastic member of the second embodiment of the present invention are arranged on the flexible circuit flat cable but not assembled together; 
         FIG. 11  is a front-side schematic view illustrating a condition where the metal member and the plastic member of the second embodiment of the present invention are arranged on the flexible circuit flat cable and are assembled together; 
         FIG. 12  is a schematic view illustrating a third embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 13  is a schematic view illustrating a plastic member forming a locking section and a metal member forming a counterpart locking section according to the third embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 14  is a schematic view illustrating an alternative way that the plastic member forms the locking section and the metal member forms the counterpart locking section according to the third embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 15  is a schematic view illustrating a fourth embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     With reference to the drawings and in particular to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , which are schematic views showing a first embodiment of the present invention, a flexible circuit flat cable  1  has a first surface  11  and a second surface  12 . The flexible circuit flat cable  1  extends in a flat cable extension direction I and forms an insertion section S 1  at a free end of the flexible circuit flat cable  1 . An area adjacent to the insertion section S 1  is defined as an inserter positioning section S 2 . 
     The flexible circuit flat cable  1  is provided, on the first surface  11 , with a plurality of conductive traces  2  parallel to and spaced from each other. Each of the conductive traces  2 , after extending through the inserter positioning section S 2 , reaches the insertion section S 1  of the flexible circuit flat cable  1  so as to form a plurality of the conductive terminals  13  on the insertion section S 1 . 
     An insulation cover layer  3  is formed on the first surface  11  and the conductive traces  2  of the flexible circuit flat cable  1 . An inserter  4  is positioned on the inserter positioning section S 2 . The inserter  4  is composed of a metal member  41  and a plastic member  42 , wherein the metal member  41  forms a predetermined hollow section  411  and the plastic member  42  has a plate like configuration. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2-4 , in assembling, the conductive terminals  13  of the flexible circuit flat cable  1  are first inserted through a hollow section  411  (see  FIG. 2 ) formed in a rear end of the metal member  41  of the inserter  4 , and then, the plastic member  42  is positioned on the first surface  11  of the flexible circuit flat cable  1  at a location corresponding to the inserter positioning section S 2 . Afterwards, the metal member  41  is moved frontward in a slide direction II to fit over and enclose and couple to the plastic member  42 . 
     After the above described assembling operation, the insertion section S 1  of the flexible circuit flat cable  1  may then be inserted into a slot  51  mounted on a circuit board  5  to have the conductive terminals  13  of the insertion section S 1  of the flexible circuit flat cable  1  respectively contacting and engaging corresponding conductive terminals of the slot  51 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 5-8 , the flexible circuit flat cable  1  is provided with a detachment and displacement protection structure  6  in the inserter positioning section S 2 . In the first embodiment of the present invention, the detachment and displacement protection structure  6  comprises a pair of projecting lug sections  61 , which project sideways beyond opposite side edges of the inserter positioning section S 2  of the flexible circuit flat cable  1 , and recesses  62  are formed in the side edges of the flexible circuit flat cable  1  respectively at locations adjacent to the projecting lug sections  61 . In a preferred embodiment, a shielding layer  14  made of a conductive material is formed on the second surface  12  of the flexible circuit flat cable  1 , and portions of the shielding layer  14  that are adjacent to the projecting lug sections  61  are hollowed to form the recesses  62 . Besides being made of a conductive material, the shielding layer  14  can also be made of an insulation material to serve as a strength-reinforcing layer. The recesses  62  may be alternatively be hollow zones formed in the side edges of the flexible circuit flat cable  1 . 
     As to the inserter  4 , the plastic member  42  forms a retention section  63  at a location corresponding to each of the projecting lug sections  61  of the flexible circuit flat cable  1  and also forms a retention slot  64  adjacent to the retention section  63 . The retention slot  64  is delimited by a wing plate  641  formed on the plastic member  42 . 
     When the plastic member  42  is coupled to the inserter positioning section S 2  of the flexible circuit flat cable  1 , the retention sections  63  of the plastic member  42  of the inserter  4  are exactly and respectively fit over the projecting lug sections  61  of the flexible circuit flat cable  1 , and the retention slots  64  of the plastic member  42  are respectively fit over the recesses  62  of the flexible circuit flat cable  1 . As such, when being acted upon by an external force, the inserter  4  does not displace and detach in the flat cable extension direction I, nor displacing and detaching in a direction perpendicular to the flat cable extension direction I. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 9-11 , a second embodiment of the present invention is schematically illustrated. In the instant embodiment, elements/components similar to those of the previously embodiment are designated with identical reference numerals for consistency and correspondence. In the instant embodiment, a detachment and displacement protection structure  6   a  comprises a pair of projecting lug sections  61 , which projects sideways beyond opposite side edges of the inserter positioning section S 2  of the flexible circuit flat cable  1 , and a pair of projecting wing sections  65  are respectively formed on the side edges of the flexible circuit flat cable  1  at locations adjacent to the projecting lug sections  61 , with a predetermined distance d formed therebetween. The plastic member  42  of the inserter  4  forms retention sections  63  at locations corresponding to the projecting lug sections  61  of the flexible circuit flat cable  1 . 
     When the plastic member  42  is coupled to the inserter positioning section S 2  of the flexible circuit flat cable  1 , the retention section  63  of the plastic member  42  of the inserter  4  are exactly and respectively fit over the projecting lug sections  61  of the flexible circuit flat cable  1 . When the metal member  41  of the inserter  4  is fit over and coupled to the plastic member  42 , a rear end face  412  of the metal member  41  is set in contact engagement with the projecting wing sections  65  so as to constrain any displacement of the metal member  41 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 12 and 13 , a third embodiment of the present invention is schematically illustrated. In the instant embodiment, a detachment and displacement protection structure  6   b  comprises at least one locking section  66  formed on a side edge of the plastic member  42  and a counterpart locking section  67  formed on a side edge of the metal member  41  at a corresponding location. When the metal member  41  is fit over and encloses the plastic member  42 , the counterpart locking section  67  of the metal member  41  engages and fixes the locking section  66  of the plastic member  42 . In the drawings, the locking section  66  is of a triangular configuration, but it can be of other configurations, such as a circular projection, and the counterpart locking section  67  of the metal member  41  is of a configuration corresponding to the locking section  66 . The locking section  66  can be made of plastic as a unitary structure and the counterpart locking section  67  can be made with a regular metal stamping operation. They are considered within the scope of the present invention if they are of configurations that are corresponding and engageable with each other. 
     Furthermore, besides being formed on a side edge of the plastic member  42 , the locking section  66  may alternatively formed on a top of the plate body of the plastic member  42  (see  FIG. 14 ), and the counterpart locking section  67  of the metal member  41  is formed on a bottom of a plate portion of the metal member  41  at a location corresponding to the locking section  66 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 15 , a fourth embodiment of the present invention is schematically illustrated. In the instant embodiment, a detachment and displacement protection structure comprises at least one stop section  7 , which is formed on the first surface  11  of the flexible circuit flat cable  1 . When the metal member  41  of the inserter  4  is fit over and coupled to the plastic member  42 , a rear end surface  412  of the metal member  41  is in contact engagement with the stop section  7  to constrain displacement of the metal member  41 . The stop section  7  may be alternatively set on the second surface  12  of the flexible circuit flat cable  1 . The stop section  7  is of a predetermined height and can be made of a regular insulation material. 
     Although the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, it is apparent to those skilled in the art that a variety of modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention which is intended to be defined by the appended claims.