Patent Abstract:
A stacked connector for flexible printed circuits (FPCs) includes a housing ( 1 ), two rows of terminals ( 20, 21 ) and an actuator ( 3 ) having a pressing portion ( 31 ). The housing defines a first and second receiving cavity ( 131,132 ) respectively for receiving one FPC in each cavity therein and a third receiving cavity ( 133 ) located between the first and the second receiving cavity. The terminal includes a contacting portion ( 203/213 ) with a contacting point ( 2031 ) and an actuating portion ( 2032/2132 ) thereon, the contacting points of two rows respectively project into the first and the receiving cavity and the actuating portions of the two rows both project into the third receiving cavity. The pressing portion is inserted into the third receiving cavity and presses the actuating portions of terminals to urge the contacting points to connect with the FPCs.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to a stacked electrical connector, and more particularly to a stacked electrical connector for a sheet-like connection member such as a flexible printed circuit or cable (FPC), a flexible flat cable (FFC), a thin layer printed circuit board (PCB) and so forth. All of these cables and circuit will be generally referred to as “FPC” for simplification. 
   2. Description of Related Art 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,589,068 with a same assignee of the present invention, discloses a stacked electrical connector, one above the other, for connection two FPCs thereto. The stacked connector includes an insulative housing with two longitudinal FPC-receiving slots, into which two rows of contacts protrude, and two actuators are inserted into the corresponding slots to press FPCs to engage contacts respectively. 
   Said stacked connector is of somewhat similar form to two conventional single connectors joined together by one above another and occupies a larger space (height direction) of object where the connector installed, such as PCB and electric component. Moreover, insertion of the lower FPC will interfere with the lower portion of the actuator, and insertion of the upper FPC will interfere with the upper portion of the actuator. 
   Hence, an improved stacked electrical connector is desired to overcome above problems. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   An object of the present invention is to provide a simply stacked electrical connector. 
   Another object of the present invention is to provide a stacked electrical connector for in a simple insertion manner of FPCs. 
   In order to achieve above-mentioned object, a stacked connector for flexible printed circuits (FPCs) in accordance with the present invention includes comprises: an insulative housing defining at least a first and second receiving cavity respectively for receiving one FPC in each cavity therein and a third receiving cavity located between the first and the second receiving cavity; at least two rows of terminals loaded in the insulative housing, each terminal comprising at least one contacting portion with a contacting point and an actuating portion thereon, the contacting points of one row projecting into the first receiving cavity and the contacting points of another row projecting into the second receiving cavity, the actuating portions of at least two rows both projecting into the third receiving cavity; and an actuator comprising a pressing portion insertable into the third receiving cavity and pressing the actuating portions of terminals to urge the contacting points to connect with the FPCs. 
   Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a stacked electrical connector in accordance with the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a housing of the stacked connector, left half cut away and exploded, mainly showing configuration of the housing; 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the housing with terminals therein, similar to  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 4  is a partly assembled, exploded perspective view of the stacked connector, left half cut away and exploded, wherein the actuator is at the open position; 
       FIG. 5  is a view similar to  FIG. 4 , but the actuator is at the close position; 
       FIG. 6  is a view of the housing with the terminals of  FIG. 3  but from another aspect, mainly showing the end wall of the housing; 
       FIG. 7  is an exploded perspective view of the connector showed in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the connector, left half cut way and exploded, mainly showing the actuator and housing. 
       FIG. 9  is a partly assembled, exploded perspective view of the stacked connector, left half cut away and exploded, wherein the actuator is at the open position, mainly showing the actuator. 
       FIG. 10  is a view similar to  FIG. 9 , but the actuator is at the close position. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Reference will now be made to the drawing figures to describe the preferred embodiment of the present invention in detail. 
   Referring to  FIG. 1 , a stacked electrical connector  100  for connecting FPCs  51 ,  52  (as shown in  FIG. 4 ) in accordance with the present invention comprises an elongate housing  1 , molded in one piece of insulative plastic, a series of terminals retained in the housing  1 , and an actuator  3  installed into the housing  1 . 
   As shown in detail in  FIG. 2 , the housing  1  is of substantially rectangular shape, formed by an upper sidewall  101 , a lower sidewall  102 , joined by a rear wall  103  and a pair of end walls  104 . Two spaced tongue plate, an upper one  11  and a lower one  12 , parallel extend forwards from an inner face of the rear wall  103  and joined with the end walls  104 . The two tongue plates  11 ,  12  are aligned with the upper wall  101  and end walls  104  at front thereof, but the lower sidewall  102  protrudes forwards beyond them. A first receiving cavity  131  is defined between the upper sidewall  101  and the upper tongue plate  11  while a second receiving cavity  132  is defined between the lower tongue plate  12  and the lower sidewall  102  for respectively receiving one FPC in each cavity therein. Moreover, a third receiving cavity  133  is defined between the upper and the lower tongue plate  11 ,  12  for receiving the actuator  3 , which will be described hereafter. The upper and the lower tongue plate  11 ,  12  are provided with a plurality of passageways  142 ,  143  penetrating through an upper and lower surface thereof, and the inner surface of both the upper and the lower sidewalls  101 ,  102  are provided with a plurality of passageways  141 ,  144 . All of said passageways  141 ˜ 144  run through the front face of the housing and the rear wall  103 . And more, the rear wall  103  has a rib/partition  1031  projecting forward to the third receiving cavity  133 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the plurality of contacts  2  are formed with retaining portion or base portion  201 / 211  secured on rear wall  103  of the housing  1  and arranged into an upper row  20  and a lower row  21 . Each contact  2  further includes a pair of contacting portions  202 ,  203 / 212 ,  213  extending forward from the retaining portion  201 / 211  along the corresponding passageway  141 ,  142 / 144 ,  143  with a contacting point respectively (only one contacting point  2031  is numbered) protruding face to face at each free end thereof, and a solder leg  204 / 214  extending downward out the housing from the retaining portion  201 / 211 . Of the upper contact  20 , the upper contacting portion  202  is cantilevered in the passageway  141  of the upper sidewall  101  from an upper portion of the front edge of retaining portion  201  and the lower contacting portion  203  is cantilevered in the passageway  142  of the upper tongue plate  11  from an opposite, a lower portion of the front edge of the retaining portion  201 . The lower contacting portion  203  of the upper contact  20  has an actuating portion  2032  approximately in the middle thereof, which extrudes into the third receiving cavity  133 , while the contacting points  2031  extrudes into the first receiving cavity  131 . The lower contact  21  is similar to the upper contact  20  but an actuating portion  2132  is defined on the upper contacting portion  213  of the lower contact  21 , instead of the lower contacting portion  203  of the upper contact  20 , which also extrudes into the third receiving cavity  133 . The actuating portions  2032 ,  2132  of both upper and lower contact  20 ,  21  are arranged face to each other. Each pair of contacting portions  202 ,  203 / 212 ,  213  extends in substantially parallel, coplanar relation and at a predetermined separation. 
   As best shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , when two FPCs  51 ,  52  are inserted in the first and second receiving cavities respectively i.e. between the contacting portion  202 ,  203 / 212 ,  213 , a pressing portion  31  of the actuator  3  is inserted into the third cavity  133  and the pressing portion  31  presses the actuating portions  2032 ,  2132  respectively upwards and downward at same time, which will drive the contacting points  2031  upwards and downwards respectively to realize an engagement of terminals and electrical pads (not shown) of the FPCs. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , a sliding recess  15  is defined with the upper and lower sidewall  102 ,  103  and the end wall  104  thereby at each longitudinal end of the housing and a stop protrusion  151  projects outwards at a front of the sliding recess  151 . A guiding groove  16 , through an upper and lower surface of the lower sidewall  102 , is defined at the lower sidewall in front of the sliding recess  15  along the front-and-back direction since the lower sidewall  102  is beyond the upper sidewall  101  and the end walls  103 . The guiding groove  16  is divided into two portions, a open portion  161  opened to the front edge of the lower sidewall  102  and a final portion  162  with a partial cylindrical shape communicating with and behind the open portion  161 . 
   The actuator  3  is molded in one piece from insulating plastic with the central base portion  30  of predetermined length, the pressing portion  31  extending forwards from the base portion  30  and an arm portions  32  at respective opposite ends thereof. A pair of operating portions  33 , which define said predetermined length and form an entry there between, is formed on opposite ends of the base portion  30  and said arm portions  32  extend forwards from the operating portion  33 . Position protuberances  321 , which protrude inwardly towards each other, are formed on opposed inner faces of the arm portions  32 . A pair of guiding posts  34  with cylindrical shape extends downwards from operating portion  34 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 7 and 8 , the actuator  3  is assembled with the insulating housing  1  from the front face by receipt of the pressing portion  31  in an front open of the third receiving cavity  133  while the position protuberance  321  of the arm portion  32 , respectively are forced to ride over the stop protuberance  151  with resilient outward deformed of the arm portions  32  and the guiding post  34  are received in the open portion  161  of the guiding groove  16 . Presently the actuator  3  is in an open position relative to the housing  1  to receive the FPCs. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 9 and 10  combined with  FIGS. 4 and 5 , after the FPCs  51 ,  52  are inserted into the first and second receiving cavities wherein the FPCs are respectively supported by the base portion  30  and the lower sidewall  102  (clear shown in  FIG. 4 ), apply finger pressure to the operating portion  33  to urge the actuator  3  inwards until the pressing portion  31  is completely inserted into the third cavity  133 , i.e. the front of the pressing portion contacts the rib  1031  (clear shown in  FIG. 5 ), which is in a close position. In the close position, the guiding post  34  moves into the final portion  162  and the actuator is retained in the third cavity  133  by fiction between the pressing portion  31  and the contacting portions of the upper and lower contacts. The pressing portion  31  urges the contacting points of the contacts to engage the inserted FPCs as best shown in  FIG. 5 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the connector further includes a pair of retaining members  4 . The retaining member  4  has a solder tab  41  and retaining portions  42  used to be inserted into corresponding recess on the end wall of the housing. 
   Therefore the stacked connector  1  can receive two FPCs  51 ,  52 , and by pressing the actuator  3  inward, will establish electrical connection of the two FPC&#39;s and corresponding contacts simultaneously, which will save space and assembly process of the actuator. Moreover, the lower FPC is readily inserted into the receiving cavity. 
   However, the disclosure is illustrative only, changes may be made in detail, especially in matter of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention.

Technology Classification (CPC): 7