Patent Publication Number: US-7914321-B2

Title: Connector for flexible printed circuit board

Description:
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 
     Referring to  FIG. 9 , a conventional FPC connector  7  adapted for receiving an FPC board (not shown) therein is shown. The FPC connector  7  includes an insulating housing  71  defining a mouth  711  in a front thereof, an actuator  72  pivoted to the mouth  711  of the insulating housing  71 , and a plurality of electric terminals  73  disposed in the insulating housing  71 . When the FPC connector  7  is in use, the actuator  72  will open rearward to make the FPC board be inserted rearward into the mouth  711  of the insulating housing  71  and electrically contact the electric terminals  73 . Then the actuator  72  will close forward to be mounted into the mouth  711  to press the FPC board and ensure an electrical connection between the electric terminals  73  and the FPC board. However, the FPC board is held between the insulating housing  71  and the actuator  72  without any fixtures, so the FPC board may slide out of the mouth  711  when the FPC connector  7  is under shaking. As a result, the electrical connection between the FPC board and the electric terminals  73  is not steady. 
     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 having a base board, a plurality of electric terminals disposed in the insulating housing in a transverse row and a shell slidably mounted onto the insulating housing along the insertion direction and withdrawal of the flexible printed circuit board. A rear end of the base board protrudes upward to form a preventing wall extending transversely. A top of the preventing wall extends forward to form an elastic board suspended over the base board with a receiving recess formed therebetween for receiving the flexible printed circuit board therein. Each of the electric terminals has a lying-U shaped base frame which has a lower arm defined as a base arm and an upper arm defined as an elastic arm. The base arm is disposed in the base board and the elastic arm stretches into the receiving recess under the elastic board. The flexible printed circuit board is inserted between the base arms and the elastic arms for electrically connecting the electric terminals. The shell has a top board. A portion of the top board protrudes downward to form at least one pressing portion slidably moving along the top surface of the elastic board from the preventing wall for pressing the elastic board downward so as to further press the elastic arms against the flexible printed circuit board. 
     As described above, the elastic board of the insulating housing is pressed downward by the pressing portion of the shell so as to further press the elastic arms against the flexible printed circuit board for ensuring a steady electrical connection between the flexible printed circuit board and the electric terminals. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art by reading the following description, with reference to the attached drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an FPC connector in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the FPC connector of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a shell of the FPC connector of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the FPC connector of  FIG. 1 , in which an FPC board is inserted; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the FPC connector with the FPC board of  FIG. 4  along line V-V; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a first electric terminal of the FPC connector of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a second electric terminal of the FPC connector of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a fastening member of the FPC connector of  FIG. 2 ; and 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a prior FPC connector. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , an FPC connector  1  in accordance with the present invention includes an insulating housing  10 , a shell  20  mated onto the insulating housing  10 , a plurality of first electric terminals  30 , a plurality of second electric terminals  40  and two fastening members  50  disposed in the insulating housing  10  respectively. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 5 , the insulating housing  10  has a rectangular flat base board  11 . Two opposite ends of the base board  11  protrude upward to form a pair of sidewalls  12  each extending longitudinally beyond a rear edge of the base board  11 . A rear end of the base board  11  protrudes upward to form a preventing wall  13  extending transversely to be perpendicularly connected with the two sidewalls  12 . A front end of a top of the preventing wall  13  extends forward to form an elastic board  14  suspended over the base board  11  and extending transversely to be adjacent to the two sidewalls  12 . A receiving recess  15  is defined by the base board  11 , the preventing wall  13 , the elastic board  14  and the two sidewalls  12  for receiving an FPC board  6  therein. The elastic board  14  has a top surface  16  opposite to the base board  11  and higher than the preventing wall  13 . A guiding slope  17  is formed to smoothly connect a top of the preventing wall  13  and the top surface  16  of the elastic board  14 . A front edge of a bottom of the elastic board  14  protrudes downward to form a holding portion  18  extending transversely. 
     The base board  11  defines a plurality of first terminal passageways  19  and second terminal passageways  101  alternately arranged at regular intervals along a transverse direction thereof and communicating with the receiving recess  15 . Each of the terminal passageways  19 ,  101  extends longitudinally to pass through the preventing wall  13 . The outmost two of the terminal passageways  19 ,  101  are acted as two inserting grooves  102  each having the same structure as the second terminal passageway  101 . A bottom of an outside of each of the sidewalls  12  defines an assisting channel  103  extending longitudinally to pass through a rear edge of the sidewall  12 . A rear end of the outside of the sidewall  12  defines a first positioning groove  104  and a second positioning groove  105  adjacent to and in front of the first positioning groove  104 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , the shell  20  has a rectangular flat top board  21 . A middle of a front of the top board  21  protrudes downward to form a pressing rib  22  extending transversely. Two opposite end edges of the top board  21  extend downward to form a pair of sideboards  23  each having a free rear end disconnected with the top board  21  and defined as an elastic piece  24 . A rear end of each of the elastic pieces  24  protrudes inward to form a positioning lump  25 . A portion of a bottom edge of each of the sideboards  23  extends downward and then is bent inward to form a buckling portion  26  substantially adjacent to the elastic piece  24 . Both a rear edge and a front edge of the top board  21  extend downward to form a pair of preventing boards  27 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 6 , each of the first electric terminals  30  has a substantially lying-U shaped base frame which has a lower arm defined as a first base arm  31  and an upper arm defined as a first elastic arm  32  slightly longer than the first base arm  31 . A free end of the first base arm  31  protrudes toward the first elastic arm  32  to form a first interference portion  33 , and a free end of the first elastic arm  32  protrudes downward to form a first contact portion  34 . The first base arm  31  further extends toward an opposite direction to the base frame and then is protruded downward to form a first soldering portion  35 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 7 , each of the second electric terminals  40  has a substantially lying-U shaped base frame which has a lower arm defined as a second base arm  41  and an upper arm defined as a second elastic arm  42  shorter than the second base arm  41 . A substantial middle of the second base arm  41  protrudes toward the second elastic arm  42  to form a second interference portion  43 , and a free end of the second elastic arm  42  protrudes toward the second base arm  41  to form a second contact portion  44 . A free end of the second base arm  41  is protruded toward an opposite direction to the second interference portion  43  to form a second soldering portion  45 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 8 , each of the fastening members  50  has a substantially lying-U shaped base frame which has a lower arm defined as a support bar  51  and an upper arm defined as a bearing arm  52  shorter than the support bar  51 . A free end of the bearing arm  52  protrudes toward the support bar  51  to form a holding lump  53 . A portion of the support bar  51  defines a notch  54  facing the holding lump  53 . A free end of the support bar  51  is protruded downward to form a soldering tail  55 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 8 , in assembly, the first electric terminals  30  are inserted forward with the first base arms  31  fastened in the corresponding first terminal passageways  19  and the first elastic arms  32  stretching into the receiving recess  15 . The first soldering portions  35  are exposed out of the rear edge of the base board  11  of the insulating housing  10  for being soldered with a printed circuit board (not shown). The second electric terminals  40  are inserted rearward with the second base arms  41  fastened in the corresponding second terminal passageways  101  and the second elastic arms  42  stretching into the receiving recess  15 . The fastening members  50  are inserted rearward with the support bars  51  fastened in the corresponding inserting grooves  102  of the insulating housing  10  and the bearing arms  52  stretching into the receiving recess  15 . The elastic arms  32 ,  42  and the bearing arms  52  are further located under the elastic board  14  and the holding portion  18  leans upon the front of the elastic arms  32 ,  42  and the bearing arms  52 . The soldering tails  55  and the second soldering portions  45  are exposed out of a front edge of the base board  11  of the insulating housing  10  for being soldered with the printed circuit board respectively. The first soldering portions  35  and the second soldering portions  45  are set at two opposite sides of the base board  11  of the insulating housing  10  and alternately arranged for strengthening the soldering between the FPC connector  1  and the printed circuit board. The shell  20  is mounted onto the insulating housing  10  by means of the buckling portions  26  being located into and then sliding forward along the corresponding assisting channels  103  until the positioning lumps  25  are positioned into the corresponding first positioning grooves  104 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 8  again, in use, when the FPC board  6  is fully inserted into the receiving recess  15  of the insulating housing  10  between the base arms  31 ,  41  and the elastic arms  32 ,  42  for electrically contacting the contact portions  34 ,  44 , the shell  20  is further pushed forward until the positioning lump  25  is positioned in the second positioning groove  105 . In process of the shell  20  being pushed forward, the pressing rib  22  of the shell  20  slides along the guiding slope  17  onto the top surface  16  of the elastic board  14  and presses the elastic board  14  downward to make the holding portion  18  further press the elastic arms  32 ,  42  downward so as to firmly clip the FPC board  6  by means of the contact portions  34 ,  44  and the interference portions  33 ,  43  and further ensure a steady electrical connection between the FPC board  6  and the electric terminals  30 ,  40 . When the shell  20  is fully mounted onto the insulating housing  10 , the preventing boards  27  are set at two opposite sides of the insulating housing  10  for avoiding electromagnetic interference from external environment. Furthermore, the bearing arms  52  of the two fastening members  50  are also pressed downward by the holding portion  18  so as to further firmly clip the FPC board  6  by means of the holding lumps  53  and the notches  54 . When the FPC board  6  is drawn out of the receiving recess  15  of the insulating housing  10 , the shell  20  will push rearward to make the pressing rib  22  away from the top surface  16  of the elastic board  14  and the positioning lump  25  repositioned in the corresponding first positioning groove  104 . At this moment, the elastic board  14  and the elastic arms  32 ,  42  are released with their own flexibilities so that facilitates the FPC board  6  to be drawn out. Moreover, the buckling portions  26  are slidably located in the corresponding assisting channels  103  so that can prevent the shell  20  from overturning in process of the shell  20  sliding. 
     As described above, the elastic board  16  of the insulating housing  10  is pressed downward by the pressing rib  22  of the shell  20  so as to further press the elastic arms  32 ,  42  against the FPC board  6  for ensuring a steady electrical connection between the FPC board  6  and the electric terminals  30 ,  40 . 
     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.