Patent ID: 7427211

Claim:
A connector for connecting contacts at an end of an object in the form of a flexible printed circuit board or a flexible flat cable to circuit board contacts, the object having openings on opposite longitudinal sides thereof, the contacts of the object being between the longitudinal sides, the connector comprising: an electric insulating body carrying plural electrically conducting terminals, each of the plural terminals including first and second structures for respectively electrically connecting one of the contacts of the object to one of the circuit board contacts, the first structure including a fixed portion and a flexible portion, the fixed and flexible portions having opposed surfaces forming a mouth for receiving the end of the object; the electric insulating body including non-elastic first and second lock portions for respectively and selectively engaging the openings on the object while the end of the object is in the mouth; a pressing member for selectively pushing the object into the mouth; the pressing member, lock portions and the fixed and flexible portions being arranged so that (a) while the pressing member is pushing the object into the mouth none of the contacts of the object contact any portions of the terminals, and (b) upon completion of the pushing by the pressing member of the object into the mouth that causes the lock portions to engage the openings and hold the object in place and while the pressing member is fully inserted in the mouth, the contacts at the end of the object engage and are electrically connected to the terminals.