Patent Publication Number: US-7708588-B2

Title: Electrical connector

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and more particularly to an electrical connector capable of being connected with a flexible printed circuit board and a printed circuit board stably. 
   2. The Related Art 
   In general, two methods are known to obtain an electrical connection between a printed circuit board (PCB) and a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB). One is employing a receptacle connector electrically connected to a plug connector. The receptacle connector is mounted on the PCB (or FPCB) and the plug connector is connected to the FPCB (or PCB). The electrical connection between the PCB and the FPCB is achieved when the receptacle connector is mated with the plug connector. The other one is forming a folding cover at a conventional electrical connector mounted on the PCB for keeping the FPCB in the conventional electrical connector to obtain the electrical connection between the PCB and the FPCB. 
   However, disadvantages of the above-mentioned manners are exposed. The former connection structure is complex and the latter causes the conventional electrical connector to occupy much space when the folding cover is unfolded. Moreover, the plug connector would likely depart from the receptacle connector when the assembly thereof suffers an outside force to bring about a disconnection between the PCB and the FPCB, also the folding cover is easily opened which results in a same consequence if the conventional electrical connector suffers a force from outside. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is an object of the present invention to provide an electrical connector capable of being connected with a FPCB and a PCB stably, and the electrical connector has simple structure and reduced height. In order to achieve this object, the electrical connector includes an insulating housing and a plurality of terminals received in the insulating housing. The insulating housing has a receiving space at a top portion thereof and each terminal has a contacting portion projecting into the receiving space for being connected with the FPCB. A reinforcement board is received in the receiving space for being fastened together with the FPCB. A slide cover slidably covers on the insulating housing and presses against the reinforcement board. When the electrical connector is soldered to the PCB, the FPCB is electrically connected with the PCB stably because of the slide cover pressing against reinforcement board to make FPCB connected with the contacting portions of the terminals steadily. 
   As described above, by the reinforcement board being fastened together with the FPCB and the slide cover pressing against the reinforcement board to make the FPCB connected with the contacting portions of the terminals stably, then the PCB can be electrically connected with the FPCB steadily by the terminals. Moreover, the FPCB is disposed between the insulating housing and the slide cover, so the total height thereof is not increased. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art by reading the following description of an embodiment thereof, with reference to the attached drawings, in which: 
       FIG. 1  is an assembly perspective view of an electrical connector in accordance with the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the electrical connector; 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing an insulating housing of the electrical connector; 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view showing a guiding member of the electrical connector; 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a slide cover of the electrical connector; 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the electrical connector and a flexible printed circuit board, showing a state that a reinforcement board of the electrical connector is fastened together with the flexible printed circuit but not assembled to the insulating housing of the electrical connector; and 
       FIG. 7  is an assembly view showing the flexible printed circuit board has been assembled to the electrical connector. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   With reference to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , an electrical connector  100  according to the invention is shown. The electrical connector  100  includes an insulating housing  10 , a plurality of terminals  20 , a pair of guiding members  30 , a reinforcement board  40  and a slide cover  50 . 
   Please refer to  FIGS. 2 to 5 . The insulating housing  10  has a substantially flat basic body  11 . The basic body  11  defines two groups of terminal grooves  12  symmetrically disposed at a top surface thereof. A bottom surface of the basic body  11  defines two welding recesses  15  at two opposite edges thereof respectively. Each of the terminal grooves  12  has an engaging trough  121 . One end of the engaging trough  121  defines an opening  122  and a through hole  123  depart from each other and communicating with the lateral recess  15 , and the other end of the engaging trough  121  defines a containing hole  124  penetrating through the basic body  11 . 
   Four retaining projections  13  extend upward along the outsides of four corners of the basic body  11  respectively and are higher than the top surface of the basic body  11 , so that the four retaining projections  13  and the top surface of the basic body  11  collectively define a receiving space  16  therebetween for receiving the reinforcement board  40  therein. Each of the retaining projections  13  includes a transverse portion  131  and a longitudinal portion  132  connected to one end of the transverse portion  131  to make the retaining projection  13  have a substantially L-shaped structure. A fixing trough  14  for receiving a guiding member  30  is formed between one side of the basic body  11  and two corresponding longitudinal portions  132  because a space exists between end portions of the longitudinal portions  132  and the basic body  11 . 
   Each of the terminals  20  has a base portion  21 , a welding tail  22 , a soldering portion  23  and a contacting portion  24 . The welding tail  22  extends downward and then extends forward from a front end of the base portion  21  and the contacting portion  24  extends rearward from a rear end of the base portion  21 . A free end of the contacting portion  24  bends downward slightly. The soldering portion  23  extends downward from a right side of the base portion  21 . 
   The pair of guiding members  30  is made of metal, and each of the guiding members  30  has a substantially rectangular main portion  31 . The main portion  31  has a guiding portion  32  extending sideward from a top thereof. Two ends of the main portion  31  protrude downward to form two supporting nails  33 . Adjacent to the supporting nails  33 , the guiding member  30  defines two connecting portions  34  extending sideward from a bottom of the main portion  31  and towards the same side as the guiding portion  32 . 
   The slide cover  50  is made of metal and has a substantially flat base board  51 . Two transversely parallel pressing ribs  52  are shaped from the base board  51  and projecting out of the bottom of the base board  51 . Opposite sides of the base board  51  curl downward and then extend towards each other to form a bending portion  53  respectively, and a sliding passageway  54  is formed between the base board  51  and the bending portion  53 . A front end of a free edge of the bending portion  53  extends and bends downward to form a withstanding portion  55 . The base board  51  defines a pair of limitative slices  56  at a rear end thereof and adjacent to two opposite sides of the base board  51 . 
   In assembly, the plurality of terminals  20  are divided into two groups and received in the corresponding terminal grooves  12  symmetrically. The base portions  21  are located in the engaging troughs  121 . The welding tails  22  and the soldering portions  23  pass through the openings  122  and the through holes  123  and extend into the welding recesses  15  for being soldered to a PCB (not shown). The contacting portions  24  project out of the engaging troughs  121 . The pair of guiding members  30  is disposed at opposite sides of the base body  11  with the two ends of the main portion  31  are tightly against the two sides of the fixing trough  14 . The slide cover  50  is slidably assembled to the guiding members  30 . The guiding portions  32  are retained in the sliding passageways  54 , and the slide cover  50  can slide along the guiding portions  32 . The limitative slices  56  are positioned at the outsides of the retaining projections  13  to protect the slide cover  50  from moving. 
   When the electrical connector  100  is mounted on the PCB, both the welding tails  22  and the soldering portions  23  are soldered to the PCB. In this case, each terminal  20  has two portions soldered with the PCB, which ensures the electrical connection between the terminals  20  and the PCB more stable. The supporting nails  33  of the guiding members  30  are fixed on the PCB. The connecting portions  34  are electrically connected to ground wires which are formed on the PCB for shielding an EMI between the electrical connector  100  and the PCB. 
   Refer to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , a flexile printed circuit board (FPCB)  80  adapted for being connected to the electrical connector  100  which is mounted to the above-mentioned PCB is shown. One end of the FPCB  80  is fastened together with the reinforcement board  40  before assembled to the electrical connector  100 . In assembly, firstly, pull the slide cover  50  back until the withstanding portions  55  are stopped by two longitudinal portions  132  which are placed at a rear portion of the insulating housing  10 . Then, put the reinforcement board  40  in the receiving space  16  and push the slide cover  50  forward until the withstanding portions  55  are blocked by two longitudinal portions  132  which are positioned at a front portion of the insulating housing  10 . In this case, the pressing ribs  52  of the slide cover  50  provide a pressing force to the reinforcement board  40 , and the FPCB  80  is electrically connected with the contacting portions  24  of the terminals  20  stably. Meanwhile, the free ends of the contacting portions  24  are inserted into the containing holes  124  because of the pressure from the pressing ribs  52 . With the slide cover  50  pressing against the reinforcement board  40  strongly, the reinforcement board  40  can not easily be released out of the receiving space  16  of insulating housing  10 . Even if the electrical connector  100  suffers an outside force and makes the slide cover  50  moving, because of the corporation of the withstanding portions  55  and the longitudinal portions  132 , the slide cover  50  can not slip out of the insulating housing  10 . One of the pressing ribs  52  still can supply a pressing force to the reinforcement board  40 . Thus, the FPCB  80  is stably electrically connected with the PCB by the reinforcement board  40  being fastened together with the FPCB  80  and the slide cover  50  pressing against the reinforcement board  40 . 
   As the above description, by the reinforcement board  40  being fastened together with the FPCB  80  and the slide cover  50  pressing against the reinforcement  40  to make the FPCB  80  stably connect with the contacting portions  24  of the terminals  20 , then the PCB can be electrically connected with the FPCB  80  steadily. Moreover, the FPC  80  is disposed between the insulating housing  10  and the slide cover  50 , so the total height thereof is not increased. 
   The foregoing 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.