Patent Abstract:
A connector to be detachably fitted with a flexible printed circuit board or a flexible flat cable includes a required number of contacts, a housing for holding and fixing therein the contacts, and a slider for pressing the circuit board or flat cable against the contacts. The housing is provided with anchoring portions at locations corresponding to connection portions of the contacts. Connection portions of the contacts are each formed with an oblique recess to engage the anchoring portion of the housing. When the contact is being inserted into an insertion groove of the housing, a contact portion of the contact comes into contact with an upper wall of the insertion groove, but on proceeding of the insertion, the contact portion of the contact will return into parallel with the insertion groove with the aid of guidance of the engagement of the oblique recess with the anchoring portion of the housing without any oblique positioning of contacts, thereby achieving stable electrical connection of the connector.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to a connector having a mechanism for pressing contacts against a flexible printed circuit board or flexible flat cable for use in a mobile phone or cellular phone, notebook personal computer, digital camera and the like, and more particularly to a connector capable of inserting contacts in parallel with insertion grooves of its housing. 
   Among the connectors for use in mobile phones, charge couples device (CCD) cameras and the like, connectors of one kind mainly comprise a housing and contacts, and a flexible printed circuit board is inserted into the housing to be brought into contact with contact portions of the contacts. This type of connectors is so-called “non-zero-insertion force” (NZIF) type. The connectors of the other kind mainly comprise a housing, contacts and a slider so that a flexible printed circuit board is embraced by the housing and the slider. The connectors of this type are so-called “zero-insertion force” (ZIF) type or “piano touch” type. There may be various methods for holding the flexible printed circuit board by the housing and the slider. In many cases, after a flexible printed circuit board has been inserted into the housing, the slider is inserted to press the board against the contacts, or after a flexible printed circuit board has been inserted, the slider is pivotally moved to press the board against the contacts. 
   The housing is formed with a required number of insertion grooves into which the contacts are inserted and further formed with a fitting opening into which a flexible printed circuit board is inserted. 
   The contacts each mainly comprise a contact portion adapted to contact a flexible printed circuit board, a connection portion to be connected to a hard board or the like, and a fixed portion to be fixed to the housing. These contacts are fixed to the housing as by press-fitting. 
   Typically shown are a patent literature 1 (Japanese Utility Model Application Opened No. H6-60,983/1994) for the Z 1 F type connector and a patent literature 2 (Japanese Patent Application Opened No. H13-257,020/2001) for the piano touch type connector. The applicant of the present application has proposed a connector disclosed in a patent literature 3 (Japanese Patent Application No. 224,340/2002) which is capable of securely pressing a flexible printed circuit board or flexible flat cable against contact portions of contacts and is able to achieve even narrower pitches of contacts and minimization of height or lower geometry. 
   Patent Literature 1 
   Japanese Utility Model Application Opened No. H6-60,983/1994 discloses one example of the “zero-insertion force” type connectors. As can be seen from the “Abstract” of the Japanese Utility Model, this invention relates to a connector with a slider for a print board for use in a narrow space in an electronic or communication appliance. The slider is formed at the ends on both sides with U-shaped arms with their proximal ends fixed to the slider as guiding means when being inserted into a housing. The U-shaped arms are each provided on its opening side with a projection and formed with a notch such that the opening end is visible from the inserting side. The housing is provided at both the ends with projections having an oblique surface adapted to engage the projection of the slider. When the slider together with connection terminals of a flexible printed circuit board is inserted into the housing, the projections of the slider ride over the projections having the oblique surface of the housing so that the opening ends of the U-shaped arms of the slider are temporarily spread outwardly and then returned to their normal positions when the insertion has been completed. 
   Patent Literature 2 
   Japanese Patent Application Opened No. H13-257,020/2001 discloses one example of the so-called “piano touch” type connectors. With a view to obtaining an accurate positioning of a flexible printed circuit board or flexible flat cable relative to contacts of the disclosed connector, projections are provided in a row on a line on a terminal block between the contacts. After the flexible printed circuit board or flexible flat cable has been inserted into the terminal block, a slider is moved to press the circuit board or flat cable against the contacts. At the moment when the circuit board or flat cable is thus electrically connected to the contacts with the aid of the slider in this manner, the projections snap into recesses between patterns of the circuit board or flat cable, thereby ensuring positional coincidence between the contacts and patterns of the circuit board or flat cable. 
   Patent Literature 3 
   The Japanese Patent Application Opened No. 224,340/2002 discloses a connector which is capable of securely pressing a flexible printed circuit board or flexible flat cable against contact portions of contacts by a slider without degrading strength of respective parts and without detracting specifications, and which is superior in operationality or easy to use and easy to achieve narrower pitches of contacts and minimization of height or lower geometry of the connector. For the purpose of the lower geometry of the connector, the contacts each comprise an elastic portion and a fulcrum portion between the contact portion and a connection portion, and a pressure receiving portion at a position opposite to the connection portion and extending from the elastic portion, and the contact portion, the elastic portion, the fulcrum portion and the connection portion are arranged in the form of a crank. Moreover, the slider is provided with urging portions continuously in its longitudinal direction and is fitted in a housing so that the urging portions can be pivotally movable between the connection portions and the pressure receiving portions of the contacts. 
   In recent years, with miniaturization of electrical and electronic appliances, the requirement for the lower vertical geometry or minimization of height has put even more severe requirement on the connectors of this kinds using the flexible printed circuit board or flexible flat cable. With the connectors having the general construction, as is found in the patent literature 3, there are six layers in height, that is, the upper and lower walls of the housing, the contact portion and the pressure receiving portion of each of the contacts, the urging portion of the slider and the flexible printed circuit board or flexible flat cable. In order to reduce the connector&#39;s height as much as possible, it is possible to omit the pressure receiving portion of each of the contacts to obtain five layers in height (the upper and lower walls of the housing, the contact portion of each of the contacts, the urging portion of the slider and the flexible printed circuit board or flexible flat cable). It is however impossible to more reduce the height of the connector in consideration of strength of the respective members and specifications or customer&#39;s demands. Moreover, the insertion of the circuit board or flat cable and urging of the contact portions of the contacts against the circuit board or flat cable take place only on the side of the fitting opening of the housing for the circuit board or flat cable, so that as the connector is miniaturized, such operations would become more difficult. In order to overcome such problems, the applicant has proposed the connector disclosed in the patent literature 3, which is capable of securely pressing the contact portions of the contacts against the flexible printed circuit board or flat cable without degrading the strength of the respective members and without detracting specifications and is superior in operationality or easy to use and easy to achieve narrower pitches of contacts and minimization of height or lower geometry of the connector. 
   With the construction of the connector as disclosed in the patent literature 3, however, when the contacts are inserted into the housing, the contacts are obliquely inserted with their contact portions relative to the wall of the housing in amount corresponding to clearances between the contacts and insertion grooves of the housing, resulting in irregular contact pressures, making the contact between the contacts and the board unstable. This problem remains to be solved. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is an object of the invention to provide an improved connector which overcomes the above problems of the prior art and which can achieve stable connection between contacts and a flexible printed circuit board or flat cable without obliquely inserting the contacts into the housing of the connector. 
   The above object can be achieved by the connector to be detachably fitted with a flexible printed circuit board or a flexible flat cable according to the invention, comprising a required number of contacts having a contact portion to contact the flexible printed circuit board or flexible flat cable, a housing for holding and fixing therein the contacts and having a fitting opening for inserting the flexible printed circuit board or flexible flat cable, and a slider for pressing the flexible printed circuit board or flexible flat cable against the contacts, the contacts each having an elastic portion and a fulcrum portion between the contact portion and a connection portion, and a pressure receiving portion at a location opposite to the connection portion and extending from the elastic portion, and the contact portion, the elastic portion, the fulcrum portion, and the connection portion being arranged in the form of a crank, and the slider being provided with urging portions continuously in its longitudinal direction and being fitted in the housing so that the urging portions are pivotally movable between the connection portions and the pressure receiving portions of the contacts, wherein the housing comprises anchoring portions at locations corresponding to the connection portions of the contacts, and the connection portions of the contacts each comprise an oblique recess to engage the anchoring portion. 
   Moreover, the above object can also be accomplished by the connector to be detachably fitted with a flexible printed circuit board or a flexible flat cable, comprising a required number of contacts having a contact portion to contact the flexible printed circuit board or flexible flat cable, a housing for holding and fixing therein the contacts and having a fitting opening for inserting the flexible printed circuit board or flexible flat cable, and a slider for pressing the flexible printed circuit board or flexible flat cable against the contacts, the contacts consisting of two kinds of contacts which are arranged alternately staggered, the contacts of the one kind each having an elastic portion and a fulcrum portion between the contact portion and a connection portion, and a pressure receiving portion at a location opposite to the connection portion and extending from the elastic portion, and the contact portion, the elastic portion, the fulcrum portion, and the connection portion being arranged in the form of a crank, and the contacts of the other kind each having an elastic portion and a fulcrum portion between the contact portion and a connection portion, and a pressure receiving portion extending from the elastic portion in an opposite direction to the contact portion, and the contact portion, the elastic portion, the fulcrum portion and the connection portion being arranged in the form of a U-shape, and the slider being provided with urging portions continuously in its longitudinal direction and being fitted in the housing so that the urging portions are pivotally movable between the connection portions and the pressure receiving portions of the contacts of the one kind and between the housing and the pressure receiving portions of the contacts of the other kind, wherein according to the invention the housing comprises anchoring portions at locations corresponding to the connection portions of the contacts, and the connection portions of the contacts each comprise an oblique recess to engage the anchoring portion. 
   According to the invention, the contacts are installed in the connector in the manner that when the contacts are inserted into the housing from the opposite side of the fitting opening, the contact portions of the contacts are substantially parallel to insertion grooves of the housing during a stage at the beginning of engagement of the anchoring portions of the housing with the recesses, but on proceeding of the insertion the contacts are obliquely inclined so that the contact portions contact upper walls of the insertion grooves, and when the insertion has been completed, the contact portions return into parallel with the insertion grooves with the aid of said oblique recesses. 
   With the connector according to the invention, after a flexible printed. circuit board has been inserted into the housing of the connector, the slider is pivotally moved in the insertion direction of the circuit board to raise the pressure receiving portions of the contacts by the urging portions of the slider so that the elastic portions of the contacts are tilted toward the contact portions about the fulcrum portions of the contacts, thereby securely pressing the contact against the flexible printed circuit board or flat cable. 
   The connector according to the invention can bring about the following significant functions.
     (1) According to the invention, the connector to be detachably fitted with a flexible printed circuit board or a flexible flat cable comprises a required number of contacts having a contact portion to contact the flexible printed circuit board or flexible flat cable, a housing for holding and fixing therein the contacts and having a fitting opening for inserting the flexible printed circuit board or flexible flat cable, and a slider for pressing the flexible printed circuit board or flexible flat cable against the contacts, the contacts each having an elastic portion and a fulcrum portion between the contact portion and a connection portion, and a pressure receiving portion at a location opposite to the connection portion and extending from the elastic portion, and the contact portion, the elastic portion, the fulcrum portion, and the connection portion being arranged in the form of a crank, and the slider being provided with urging portions continuously in its longitudinal direction and being fitted in the housing so that the urging portions are pivotally movable between the connection portions and the pressure receiving portions of the contacts, wherein the housing comprises anchoring portions at locations corresponding to the connection portions of the contacts, and the connection portions of the contacts each comprise an oblique recess to engage the anchoring portion. With this construction, the connector according to the invention achieves its remarkable minimization in height less than 0.9 mm. Moreover, even if there are clearances between the contacts and the insertion grooves of the housing, the contacts are inserted and fixed in the insertion grooves in parallel therewith without any inclination, thereby achieving stable connection between the contacts and a flexible printed circuit board or flat cable.   (2) According to the invention, the connector to be detachably fitted with a flexible printed circuit board or a flexible flat cable, comprises a required number of contacts having a contact portion to contact the flexible printed circuit board or flexible flat cable, a housing for holding and fixing therein the contacts and having a fitting opening for inserting the flexible printed circuit board or flexible flat cable, and a slider for pressing the flexible printed circuit board or flexible flat cable against the contacts, the contacts consisting of two kinds of contacts which are arranged alternately staggered, the contacts of the one kind each having an elastic portion and a fulcrum portion between the contact portion and a connection portion, and a pressure receiving portion at a location opposite to the connection portion and extending from the elastic portion, and the contact portion, the elastic portion, the fulcrum portion, and the connection portion being arranged in the form of a crank, and the contacts of the other kind each having an elastic portion and a fulcrum portion between the contact portion and a connection portion, and a pressure receiving portion extending from the elastic portion in an opposite direction to the contact portion, and the contact portion, the elastic portion, the fulcrum portion and the connection portion being arranged in the form of a U-shape, and the slider being provided with urging portions continuously in its longitudinal direction and being fitted in the housing so that the urging portions are pivotally movable between the connection portions and the pressure receiving portions of the contacts of the one kind and between the housing and the pressure receiving portions of the contacts of the other kind, wherein the housing comprises anchoring portions at locations corresponding to the connection portions of the contacts, and the connection portions of the contacts each comprise an oblique recess to engage the anchoring portion. With this construction, therefore, the connector according to the invention achieves its remarkable minimization in height less than 0.9 mm and also achieves even narrower pitches of the contacts. Moreover, even if there are clearances between the contacts and the insertion grooves of the housing, the contacts are inserted and fixed in the insertion grooves in parallel therewith without any inclination, thereby achieving stable connection between the contacts and a flexible printed circuit board or flat cable.   (3) According to the invention, the contacts are inserted into the housing from the opposite side of the fitting opening, the contact portions of the contacts are substantially parallel to insertion grooves of the housing during a stage at the beginning of engagement of the anchoring portions of the housing with the recesses, but on proceeding of the insertion the contacts are obliquely inclined so that the contact portions contact upper walls of the insertion grooves, and when the insertion has been completed, the contact portions return into parallel with the insertion grooves with the aid of the oblique recesses. With such a construction of the connector according to the invention, even if the contacts are obliquely inserted into the insertion grooves of the housing due to clearances between the contacts and the insertion grooves, the contacts finally return to parallel position to the insertion grooves, thereby obtaining stable connection between the contacts and a flexible printed circuit board or flat cable.   

   The invention will be more fully understood by referring to the following detailed specification and claims taken in connection with the appended drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1A  is a perspective view of a connector of one embodiment according to the invention viewed from the side of its fitting opening for inserting a flexible printed circuit board or flat cable; 
       FIG. 1B  is a perspective view of a connector with contacts arranged in staggered or zigzag fashion of another embodiment according to the invention viewed from the side of its fitting opening; 
       FIGS. 2A to 2D  are views for explaining successive steps when contacts are inserted into the housing of the connector according to the invention;  FIG. 3A  is a partly sectional perspective view of the connector according to the invention before the contacts are inserted into the housing; and 
       FIG. 3B  is a partly sectional perspective view of the connector according to the invention after a flexible printed circuit board has been inserted into the housing and the slider has been pivotally moved. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   A connector  10  according to the invention will be explained with reference to the drawings.  FIG. 1A  is a perspective view of the connector according to the invention viewed from the side of its fitting opening, and  FIG. 1B  is a perspective view of the connector with contacts arranged in staggered or zigzag fashion, viewed from the fitting opening.  FIGS. 2A to 2D  are explanatory views for mounting contacts in its housing.  FIG. 3A  is a partly sectional perspective view of the connector before a flexible printed circuit board is inserted therein and  FIG. 3B  is a partly sectional perspective view of the connector after the flexible printed circuit board has been inserted and a slider has been pivotally moved. The connector  10  according to the invention mainly comprises the housing  12 , the slider  16  and the contacts  14 . 
   The components of the connector  10  according to the invention will be explained by referring to the drawings. First, the contacts  14  forming one important aspect of the invention will be explained. The contacts  14  are formed by the known press-working from a metal. Preferred metals from which to form the contacts  14  include brass, beryllium copper, phosphor bronze and the like to fulfil the requirements imposed thereon such as springiness, conductivity and the like. 
   As shown in  FIG. 3A , the contact  14  is substantially “H-shaped” and mainly composed of an upper contact portion  22  adapted to contact the flexible printed circuit board  40  or a flexible flat cable, a connection portion  24  adapted to be connected to a board or substrate, a fixed portion to be fixed to the housing  12 , an elastic portion  34  and a fulcrum portion  32  provided between the contact portion  22  and the connection portion  24 , a pressure receiving portion  20  positioned opposite to the connection portion  24  and extending from the elastic portion  34 , and a further or lower contact portion  22  extending from the fulcrum portion  32  and adapted to contact the flexible printed circuit board  40  or the flexible flat cable. The upper contact portion  22  (positioned on the upper side viewed in  FIG. 3A ), the elastic portion  34 , the fulcrum portion  32  and the connection portion  24  are arranged substantially in the form of a crank. The contact portions  22  are each formed with a protrusion at a free end to facilitate contacting with the flexible circuit board  40  or flat cable. Although the connection portions  24  are shown as a surface mounting type (SMT) in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , it will be apparent that they may be of a dip type. In the illustrated embodiment, there are provided the two contact portions  22  to embrace therebetween a flexible printed circuit board  40  or a flexible flat cable. In more detail, by providing the two contact portions  22  on each contact on both the sides of the insertion direction of the flexible printed circuit board or flexible flat cable to embrace the board or cable therebetween, thereby achieving a reliable connection therebetween. 
   The contacts  14  are each formed in its connection portion with an oblique recess  42  adapted to engage an anchoring portion  44  (later described) formed on the housing  12 . The oblique recess  42  serves as a guide when the contact  14  is mounted in the housing  12 . The shape and size of the recess  42  may be suitably designed so that it operates in a manner described below. In the illustrated embodiment, the recess is an oblique notch and 0.08 mm in size. 
   The contacts  14  are mounted in the housing  12  in the following manner which will be explained by referring to  FIGS. 2A to 2D . The contact  14  is inserted into the housing  12  in the direction shown by an arrow B from the opposite side of the fitting opening  18  as shown in  FIG. 2A . At the commencement of the engagement of the anchoring portion  44  of the housing  12  with the oblique recess  42  of the contact  14 , the contact portions  22  of the contact  14  is substantially in parallel with an inserting hole  38  of the housing  12  as shown in  FIG. 2B . When the contact  14  is further inserted into the housing  12 , the contact will be tilted by clearances between the contact  14  and the inserting hole  38  of the housing  12  so that the upper contact portion  22  of the contact  14  comes into contact with the upper wall of the inserting hole  38  as shown in  FIG. 2C . When the insertion of the contact has been completed, the upper contact portion  22  of the contact has returned into parallel with the inserting hole  38  because the contact  14  has been guided by its oblique recess  42  as shown in  FIG. 2D . 
   The fulcrum portion  32 , the elastic portion  34  and the pressure receiving portion  20  will achieve the following functions when a flexible printed circuit board  40  or flexible flat cable is inserted into the connector. After the flexible printed circuit board  40  or flexible flat cable has been inserted into the fitting opening  18  of the housing  12 , urging portions  36  of a slider  16  are pivotally moved between the connection portions  24  and the pressure receiving portions  20  of the contacts  14  to raise the pressure receiving portions  20  by the urging portions  36  so that the elastic portions  34  of the contacts  14  are tilted toward the contact portions  22  about the fulcrum portions  32 , thereby pressing the contact portions  22  against the flexible printed circuit board  40  or flexible flat cable (the slider  16  having the urging portions  36  being explained in detail later). The sizes and shapes of the fulcrum portion  32 , the elastic portion  34  and the pressure receiving portion  20  are suitably designed to perform their functions described above. 
   It is preferable to provide a projection  26  shown in  FIG. 2A  at the free end of the pressure receiving portion  20  of the contact  14  to prevent the slider  16  from being deformed at its center in the direction shown by an arrow A in  FIG. 1A  due to strong reaction against the pivotal movement of the slider  16  when causing its urging portions  36  to pivotally move between the connection portions  24  and the pressure receiving portions  20  of the contacts  14 . The projection  26  may be formed in any size so long as its can perform its function and may be so designed that the urging portion  36  of the slider  16  securely engages the projection  26 . 
   A contact (not shown) different from the contact  14  described above will be explained. The contact is substantially “h-shaped” which does not have the lower contact portion  22  of the contact  14 . 
   The housing  12  will then be explained. The housing  12  is injection-molded from an electrically insulating plastic material in the conventional manner. Preferred materials from which to form the housing  12  include polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyamide (66PA or 46PA), liquid crystal polymer (LCP), polycarbonate (PC) and the like and combination thereof in view of the requirements imposed on the housing  12  with respect to dimensional stability, workability, manufacturing cost and the like. 
   The housing  12  is formed with inserting holes  38  in which a required number of contacts  14  are inserted, respectively, and fixed thereat, by press-fitting, hooking (lancing), welding or the like. The housing  12  is formed with the anchoring portions  44  at locations corresponding to the connection portions  24  of the contacts  14 . The anchoring portions  44  serve as guides when the contacts are inserted into the inserting holes  38  of the housing  12  for mounting the contacts therein as described above. The size of the anchoring portions  44  may be suitably designed so as to achieve their function and is of the order of 0.1 mm in the embodiment. 
   The housing  12  is further provided in the proximity of the longitudinal ends with holes or bearings for rotatably supporting axles  28  of the slider  16 . The holes or bearing of the housing  12  may be in any shape and size so long as the slider  16  can be rotated and may be suitably designed in consideration of their functions and the strength and size of the housing  12 . The housing  12  is further provided at the longitudinal ends with anchoring portions at locations corresponding to locking portions (later described) of the slider  16 . 
   Finally, the slider  16  will be explained hereafter. The slider  16  is injection-molded from an electrically insulating plastic material in the conventional manner. Preferred materials from which to form the slider  16  include polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyamide (66PA or 46PA), liquid crystal polymer (LCP), polycarbonate (PC) and the like and combination thereof in view of the requirements imposed on the slider  16  with respect to dimensional stability, workability, manufacturing cost and the like. The slider  16  mainly comprises axles  28  adapted to be rotatably fitted in the housing  12 , the urging portions  36  for urging the pressure receiving portions  20  of the contacts  14 , and anchoring grooves  30  adapted to be engaged with the projections  26  of the contacts  14 . The axles  28  are fulcrums for the pivotal movement of the slider  16  and fitted in the holes or bearings in the housing  12  at the location in the proximity of its longitudinal ends. The slider  16  is further provided at the longitudinal ends with locking portions adapted to engage the housing  12  for preventing the slider  16  from being lifted (in the upward direction in the drawing) when the pressure receiving portions  20  of the contacts  14  are urged by the urging portions  36  of the slider  16 . The locking portions may be in any size and shape so long as they can engage the housing  12  and may be suitably designed in consideration of their function and the size and strength of the connector  10 . 
   The urging portions  36  serve to push the pressure receiving portions  20  of the contacts  14  and are preferably of an elongated shape, elliptical in the illustrated embodiment. With such an elliptical shape, when the slider is pivotally moved in the direction shown by an arrow C in  FIG. 3A  so as to rotate its urging portion in the space between the pressure receiving portions  20  and the connection portions  24  of the contacts  14 , the pressure receiving portions  20  of the contacts  14  are moved upward with variation in contacting height owing to the elliptical shape of the urging portions  36 , resulting in the reliable clamping of the flexible printed circuit board  40  or flat cable by the contact portions  24  of the contacts  14 . The urging portions  36  may be formed in any shape insofar as they can rotate between the pressure receiving portions  20  and the connection portions  24  of the contacts  14 , and the pressure receiving portions  20  of the contacts  14  can be raised with the aid of the variation in contacting height owing to, for example, difference in major and minor axes of an ellipse. 
   The slider  16  is further provided with the anchoring grooves  30  independently from each other, which are adapted to engage the projections  26  of the contacts  14  for the purpose of preventing the slider  16  from being deformed at the middle in the direction shown by the arrow A in  FIG. 1A  due to the reaction against the pivotal movement of the slider  16  when being pivotally moved. The independently provided anchoring grooves  30  serve to increase the strength of the slider  16  and to prevent its deformation when being pivotally moved. 
   Another embodiment of the invention will be explained with reference to  FIG. 1B . The connector  101  of this embodiment mainly comprises a housing  121 , contacts  14  and  141  and a slider  161  as is also the case in the connector  10  described above. The subject matter of the connector  101  of this embodiment lies in the fact that the two kinds of the contacts  14  and  141  are arranged to be alternately staggered by inserting the contacts into the housing in opposite directions alternately, thereby achieving narrower pitches of the contacts and lower geometry or minimization of height of the connector. The housing  121 , the slider  161  and the contacts  14  will not be described in further detail since these members are substantially similar to the corresponding members of the connector  10  described above. 
   The other contacts  141  are also formed by press-working from the metal similar to that of the contacts  14 . 
   Likewise, the contacts  141  have two types, “h-shaped” and “H-shaped”. The “h-shaped” contact  141  mainly composed of a contact portion  22  adapted to contact the flexible printed circuit board  40  or flexible flat cable, a connection portion  24  adapted to be connected to a board or substrate, a fixed portion to be fixed to the housing, an elastic portion  34  and a fulcrum portion  32  provided between the contact portion and the connection portion  24 , and a pressure receiving portion  20  extending from the elastic portion  34 . The contact portion  22 , the elastic portion  34 , the fulcrum portion  32  and the connection portion  24  are arranged in U-shape. In addition to the respective portions provided in the “h-shaped” contact, the “H-shaped” contact is provided with an extension portion extending from the fulcrum portion  32  in an opposite direction to the connection portion  24 . The contact portions  22  are each formed with a protrusion at a free end to facilitate contacting with the flexible printed circuit board  40  or flexible flat cable. Although the connection portions  24  are of a surface mounting type (SMT) in the embodiment as shown in  FIG. 1B , they may be of a dip type. 
   With the contacts  141  similarly to the contacts  14 , after the flexible printed circuit board  40  or flexible flat cable has been inserted into fitting opening of the housing, the urging portions  36  of a slider  161  are pivotally moved between the pressure receiving portions  20  of the contacts  141  and the housing  121  or between the pressure receiving portions  20  and the extension portions to raise the pressure receiving portions  20  by the urging portions  36  so that the elastic portions  34  of the contacts  141  are tilted toward the contact portions  22  about the fulcrum portions  32 , thereby pressing the contact portions  22  against the flexible printed circuit board  40  or flexible flat cable. The sizes and shapes of the fulcrum portion  32 , the elastic portion  34  and the pressure receiving portion  20  may be suitably designed to perform their functions described above. 
   Moreover, it is preferable to provide a projection  26  at the free end of the pressure receiving portion  20  of the contact  141  to prevent the slider  161  from being deform at its center in the connection direction (mounting direction of the slider) due to strong reaction against the pivotal movement of the slider  161  when causing its urging portion to pivotally move. However, it may be sufficient to provide the projections  26  only on one kind of the contacts  14  among the two kinds of contacts  14  and  141  because of the strength of the slider  161  improved by narrower pitches of the contacts. The projection  26  may be formed in any size so long as it can perform its function and may be so designed that the urging portion  36  of the slider  161  securely engages the projection  26 . 
   The present invention is preferably applicable to connectors for use in mobile phones or cellular phones, notebook personal computers, digital cameras and the like and having a mechanism for pressing contacts  14  and  141  against a flexible printed circuit board  40  or flexible flat cable. Particularly, the connector according to the invention is capable of inserting the contacts into a housing to be parallel to insertion grooves without obliquely positioning. 
   While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in form and details can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Technology Classification (CPC): 7