Patent Publication Number: US-6669503-B2

Title: Connector having a function of reliably correcting the position of an object to be connected

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a connector for connecting an object such as a circuit board called a flexible printed circuit (FPC) and a cable called a flexible flat cable (FFC). 
     At first referring to FIGS. 1A to  1 C, description will be made of a conventional technique (hereinafter referred to as a “first conventional technique”) disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-299153 (JP 2000-299153 A). 
     As illustrated in FIG. 1B, a connector  11  comprises a connector housing  12  attached to a printed wiring board by soldering or the like, a connector locking portion  13  having one end pivotably supported by the connector housing  12  and the other end rotatable in directions X and Y, and a pair of connector locking members  14  protruding from the other end of the connector locking portion  13  at opposite sides thereof. As illustrated in FIG. 1C, a FFC  16  comprises a cable body  17 , a cable connecting portion  18  formed at an end of the cable body  17 , and a cable locking protrusion  19  formed at a rear part of the cable connecting portion  18 . The cable locking protrusion  19  has a trapezoidal shape as a whole with a pair of triangular portions protruding laterally outward from the cable body  17  at opposite sides thereof. 
     Description will be made of a method of connecting the connector  11  and the FFC  16 . 
     At first, the connector locking portion  13  of the connector  11  is rotated in the direction X to be put into an opened state, as illustrated in FIG.  1 B. Next, the cable connecting portion  18  of the FFC  16  is connected to a connection terminal formed between the connector housing  12  and the connector locking portion  13 . It is noted here that the connector  11  and the FFC  16  is connected when the cable connecting portion  18  is completely inserted into the connector  11  to reach a possible innermost position. If the cable connecting portion  18  is not completely inserted into the connector  11  and does not reach the innermost position, i.e., if the cable connecting portion  18  is in a semi-inserted state, the connector  11  is not connected to the FFC  16 . 
     Subsequently, the connector locking portion  13  is rotated in the direction Y to a closed state, as illustrated in FIG.  1 A. As a consequence, the connector  11  and the FFC  16  are fixed and the connection therebetween is completed. At this time, if the cable connecting portion  18  is connected to the connection terminal, the connector locking portion  13  can be closed and the connector locking members  14  are engaged with a bottom edge of the cable locking protrusion  19  at opposite sides thereof. Therefore, even if the FFC  16  is applied with an unexpected force, the FFC  16  is not released from the connector  11 . On the other hand, if the cable connecting portion  18  is not connected to the connection terminal, the connector locking members  14  are brought into contact with upper surfaces of the triangular portions at the opposite sides of the cable locking protrusion  19  when the connector locking portion  13  is rotated towards the closed state. Thus, in the semi-inserted state, the connector locking portion  13  can not be closed. 
     In the first conventional technique, however, it is impossible to correct the semi-inserted state into a completely-inserted state although the completely-inserted state can be confirmed. Furthermore, it is impossible to protect a forward end portion of the FFC  16  from an unexpected external force. 
     Next referring to FIG. 2, description will be made of another conventional technique (hereinafter referred to as a “second conventional technique”) disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No.19978/1995 (JP 7-19978 U). 
     A connector  21  comprises a housing  22  and a locking member  23 . The housing  22  is provided with an opening  22   a  and an internal cavity  22   b . The housing  22  holds a plurality of contacts  24  having one ends protruding into the internal cavity  22   b  and the other ends protruding outward. 
     The locking member  23  has a forward end provided with a ridge portion  23   a  and a rear end provided with a pair of pressing portions  23   b  formed at opposite sides thereof to protrude outward in a widthwise direction. 
     An FPC  26  comprises a base film  26   a , a plurality of lead wires  26   b  formed on the base film  26   a  and arranged in parallel to one another, a connecting end  26   c  formed at one end thereof, an overcoat layer  26   d  covering the lead wires  26   b  except the connecting end  26   c , a reinforcing plate  26   e  adhered to a back surface of the base film  26   a  to reinforce the connecting end  26   c , and a pair of widthwise protrusions  26   f  formed at opposite sides in the vicinity of the connecting end  26   c.    
     Description will be made of a method of connecting the connector  21  and the FPC  26 . 
     At first, the connecting end  26   c  of the FPC  26  is inserted into the internal cavity  22   b  until the widthwise protrusions  26   f  are brought into contact with the housing  22 . Next, the locking member  23  is inserted into the internal cavity  22   b  of the housing  22  along a rear surface of the FPC  26 . In this event, the ridge portion  23   a  of the locking member  23  brings the lead wires  26   b  into press contact with the one ends of the contacts  24  through the reinforcing plate  26   e  and the base film  26   a . The pressing portions  23   b  of the locking portion  23  press the widthwise protrusions  26   f  of the FPC  26 . As a consequence, the FPC  26  is forced into the housing  22  so that the FPC  26  is connected to the connector  21 . 
     In the second conventional technique, however, it is impossible to protect a forward end portion of the FPC  26  from an unexpected external force although a semi-inserted state of the FPC  26  inserted into the connector  21  hardly occurs. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a connector capable of automatically correcting a semi-inserted state of an object to be connected and protecting a forward end portion of the object from an unexpected external force. 
     Other objects of the this invention will become clear as the description proceeds. 
     According to this invention, there is provided a connector adapted to be connected to an object having a pair of protruding portions protruding reverse to each other in a first direction. The connector comprises a housing for guiding the object to an inserted position in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, a contact held by the housing, and an actuator movable in a predetermined direction with respect to the housing so as to bring the object into press contact with the contact. The housing has a pair of receiving portions for receiving the protruding portions, respectively. The actuator has a pair of cover portions to face the receiving portions and to cover the protruding portions, respectively, when the object is brought into press contact with the contact. The cover portions respectively have slant surfaces to be engaged with the protruding portions of the object, when the object is located at a position deviated from the inserted position, to force the object towards the inserted position following the movement of the actuator to bring the object into press contact with the contact. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a first conventional connector together with a cable connected thereto; 
     FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the connector in FIG. 1A when the cable is not connected thereto; 
     FIG. 1C is a perspective view showing a characteristic part of the cable illustrated in FIG. 1A; 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a second conventional connector together with a printed board; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a connector according to one embodiment of this invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a plan view of the connector illustrated in FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along a line V—V in FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the connector in FIG. 3 together with a printed board; 
     FIG. 7 is a sectional side view of the connector illustrated in FIG. 6; 
     FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a characteristic part of the printed board used in FIGS. 6 and 7; 
     FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a connector according to another embodiment of this invention together with a printed board; and 
     FIG. 10 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 5 but showing the connector illustrated in FIG.  9 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to FIGS. 3 to  7 , description will be made of a connector according to one embodiment of this invention. 
     The connector illustrated in FIGS. 3 to  7  comprises an insulator housing  1  and a plurality of conductive receptacle contacts  2  held by the housing  1  and arranged in a first direction A 1  in a single array. The housing  1  is provided with an insulating actuator  3  which is rotatable between an opened position and a closed position. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the actuator  3  has a pair of axes  3   a  formed at opposite sides thereof to protrude outward in the first direction A 1 . The axes  3   a  are rotatably supported by bearings (not shown) formed at opposite sides of the housing  1 , respectively, and serve as the center of rotation of the actuator  3 . Thus, the actuator  3  is movable in a predetermined direction, i.e., a rotating direction A 0  (FIG.  7 ). The housing  1  has a bottom surface provided with a pair of hold-downs  4  attached to a center area at opposite sides thereof. 
     A flexible printed board  5  as an object to be connected is illustrated in FIG.  8 . In the state illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 where the actuator  3  is opened, the flexible printed board  5  is guided along the housing  1  towards an inserted position in a second direction A 2  perpendicular to the first direction A 1 . At the inserted position, a fitting portion  9  of each receptacle contact  2  is located. The flexible printed board  5  has an insert portion  5   b  provided with a plurality of contact points  5   c  formed at a plurality of positions on its surface. The flexible printed board  5  guided to the insert position is inserted into the fitting portion  9  of each of the receptacle contacts  2  so that the contact points  5   c  are brought into light contact with the receptacle contacts  2 , respectively. 
     The flexible printed board  5  is provided with a pair of widthwise protrusions  5   a  formed at opposite sides thereof in the first direction A 1 . In order to receive lower surfaces of the widthwise protrusions  5   a , the housing  1  has a pair of receiving portions  1   a  extending frontward from its bottom surface. Each of the widthwise protrusions  5   a  is substantially identical in shape with each of the receiving portions  1   a  but each receiving portion  1   a  is slightly greater in area than each widthwise protrusion  5   a.    
     The actuator  3  has a pressing surface portion  3   b  formed at the center of its lower surface. The actuator  3  has a pair of cover portions  3   c  integrally formed at its opposite sides. Each of the cover portions  3   c  has a lower surface portion  3   d , a first standing portion  3   e  perpendicularly protruding from one end face of the lower surface portion  3   d  to extend in a widthwise direction, and a second standing portion  3   f  perpendicularly protruding from another end face of the lower surface portion  3   d  to extend in a longitudinal direction and perpendicularly connected to the first standing portion  3   e . The first standing portion  3   e  has a slant surface  3   g  formed at its inner edge. The slant surface  3   g  in inclined with respect to the rotating direction A 0  and the second direction A 2 . The second standing portion  3   f  is provided with a tapered surface  3   h  formed at its inner edge. The tapered surface  3   h  is inclined with respect to the rotating direction A 0  and the first direction A 1 . Between the pressing surface portion  3   b  and each of the lower surface portions  3   d  at opposite sides thereof, a small step  3   i  is formed. 
     After the flexible printed board  5  is set in the housing  1 , the actuator  3  is rotated from the opened position illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 to the closed position illustrated in FIGS. 3 to  5  with respect to the axes  3   a  as the center of rotation. In this event, the cover portions  3   c  cover the widthwise protrusions  5   a  of the flexible printed board  5  and the receiving portions  1   a  of the housing  1  to protect a forward end portion of the flexible printed board  5  from an unexpected external force. Simultaneously, the pressing surface portion  3   b  presses an upper surface of the flexible printed board  5 . If the flexible printed board  5  is in a semi-inserted state with respect to the housing  1  (not completely inserted into the housing  1 ), i.e., if the flexible printed board  5  is offset or displaced or deviated from the inserted position, the slant surfaces  3   g  press the widthwise protrusions  5   a  in the second direction A 2  towards the inserted position so that the flexible printed board  5  is moved to the inserted position in a completely inserted state. Thus, the position of the flexible printed board  5  is automatically corrected in the second direction A 2 . 
     Furthermore, in case where the flexible printed board  5  is located at a position displaced or deviated leftward or rightward from a normal position with respect to the housing  1 , one of the tapered surfaces  3   h  forces one of the widthwise protrusions  5   a  rightward or leftward. Therefore, the flexible printed board  5  is moved to the normal position in the first direction A 1 . Thus, the position of the flexible printed board  5  is automatically corrected in the first direction A 1 . 
     The connector has a cavity  7  surrounded by the lower surface portions  3   d  of the cover portions  3   c , the first standing portions  3   e , the second standing portions  3   f , and the receiving portions  1   a  of the housing  1 . 
     Next referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, description will be made of a connector according to another embodiment of this invention. Similar parts to those of the connector illustrated in FIGS. 3 to  7  are designated by like reference numerals. 
     The connector illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10, no corresponding part equivalent to the step  3   i  in FIG. 6 is formed between the pressing surface portion  3   b  and each of the lower surface portions  3   d . The connector of this embodiment has a cavity  8  surrounded by the lower surface portions  3   d  of the cover portions  3   c , the first standing portions  3   e , and the second standing portions  3   f , and the receiving portions  1   a  of the housing  1 . The cavity  8  is smaller in depth in the vertical direction than the cavity  7  in FIG.  5 . 
     Each of the connectors described in conjunction with FIGS. 3 to  10  will be provided with following advantages. 
     1. In case where the object inserted into the housing is in a semi-inserted state, the slant surfaces of the actuator being operated press the widthwise protrusions of the object in an inserting direction to move the object towards the inserted position. In case where the object is located at a position deviated leftward or rightward from the normal position in the housing, one of the tapered surfaces forces one of the widthwise protrusions of the object rightward or leftward to move the object to the normal position. Thus, the position of the object is automatically corrected to the normal position. 
     2. Under the widthwise protrusions of the object, the receiving portions of the housing are located. Upper surfaces of the widthwise protrusions are protected by the cover portions of the actuator. Therefore, even if the object is applied with an unexpected force acting in the vertical direction, the object is reliably held. 
     3. The widthwise protrusions of the object are formed at positions such that the protrusions are not inserted into the interior of the housing. Therefore, the connector is not increased in size in the widthwise direction (perpendicular to the inserting direction of the object). Furthermore, if each of the widthwise protrusions of the object is substantially identical in shape to each of the receiving portions, it is possible for an operator to confirm the position of the object with respect to the housing. 
     While the present invention has thus far been described in connection with a few embodiments thereof, it will readily be possible for those skilled in the art to put this invention into practice in various other manners. For example, the actuator may be held to be linearly movable. The object may be a different type of printed board or a flexible flat cable.