An FPC connector with side pressure unlocking function

Abstract

The present invention relates to an FPC connector with a side pressure unlocking function, comprising an FFC cable, an insulating rubber seat, an outer shell and a wiring terminal. The outer shell comprises a top plate, a bottom plate, a connecting plate, a left side plate and a right side plate. The connecting plate is connected between the top plate and the bottom plate. A plug-in limit arm extends downward from the top plate to realize the hooking limit of the FFC cable. A left pressure arm extends to the right from the side wall of the left side plate, which comprises a left connecting transition portion and a left top supporting protrusion. The left top supporting protrusion is formed by extending upward from the free end of the left connecting transition portion. A right pressure arm extends to the left from the side wall of the right side plate, which comprises a right connecting transition portion and a right top supporting protrusion. The right top supporting protrusion is formed by extending upward from the free end of the right connecting transition portion. In this way, the FPC connector is effectively prevented from being damaged by pressure. More importantly, the thickness of the FPC connector is also effectively reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of manufacturing flexible flat cable FPC connectors, in particular to an FPC connector with a side pressure unlocking function. Background Art

[0002] Flexible Flat Cable (FFC) is a signal transmission component that has the advantages of being able to bend arbitrarily and transmitting high signals, so it is widely used in many electronic products. The flexible flat cable is used with the help of FPC connectors and electronic connectors to transmit signals from one end to the other to achieve the purpose of signal transmission. It is usually used in various digital communication products, portable electronic products, computer peripherals, measuring instruments, automotive electronics and other fields.

[0003] At present, most FPC connectors on the market adopt a press-type structure. For example, Chinese invention patent CN209641890U discloses an elastic press-type FPC connector, which is mainly composed of an insulating rubber seat, an outer shell, and a terminal block (such as Figure 1 ). Wherein, the outer shell includes a top plate, a bottom plate, and a C-shaped elastic connecting plate. A left connecting arm and a right connecting arm extend upward from the left and right ends of the bottom plate. A left U-shaped clamping arm and a right U-shaped clamping arm extend downward along the left and right ends of the top plate, and clamping protrusions are provided at the free ends of both, which are adapted to the mounting groove of the FFC cable. A rotating support protrusion extends upward from the top surface of the insulating rubber seat, which always rests against the bottom surface of the top plate. When the front end of the top plate is pressed, it rotates around the rotating support protrusion, thereby completing the unlocking operation of the FFC cable. However, in the process of disassembling and assembling the FFC cable, force needs to be applied to the top plate. When the pressing pressure applied is large or the force is unbalanced, it is very easy to cause the outer shell to be compressed and deformed, thereby affecting the stability of the FPC connector function. In addition, in order to ensure the smooth progress of the elastic pressing process, a certain spacing distance must be ensured between the outer shell and the insulating rubber seat, thereby increasing the overall thickness of the FPC connector, which is not conducive to the layout and design of its assembly space. Therefore, it is urgent for technicians to solve the above problems. Summary of the invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an FPC connector with a side pressure unlocking function, which has a simple structural design, is convenient for installation and removal of FFC cables, and avoids pressure damage to the FPC connector itself.

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention relates to an FPC connector with a side pressure unlocking function, comprising an FFC cable, an insulating rubber seat, an outer shell and a terminal. An FFC cable plug-in slot is arranged in the insulating rubber seat for plugging the above FFC cable. A series of terminal plug-in slots are evenly distributed along the length direction of the FFC cable plug-in slot for inserting and fixing the above terminal. The outer shell comprises a top plate, a bottom plate, a connecting plate, a left side plate and a right side plate. The connecting plate is connected between the top plate and the bottom plate. A plug-in limit arm extends downward from the top plate, and correspondingly, a plug-in limit groove adapted to the above plug-in limit arm is provided on the FFC cable. A left side pressure arm extends to the right from the side wall of the left side plate, which comprises a left connection transition portion and a left top-retaining protrusion. The left top-retaining protrusion is formed by extending upward from the free end of the left connection transition portion, and a left guide inclined surface is arranged on it. A right side pressure arm extends to the left from the side wall of the right side plate, which comprises a right connection transition portion and a right top-retaining protrusion. The right supporting protrusion is formed by extending upward from the free end of the right connecting transition portion, and a right guiding inclined surface is arranged on the right supporting protrusion.

[0006] As a further improvement of the technical solution of the present invention, a left guide inclined surface is provided on the left top-supporting protrusion, just corresponding to the left side wall of the top plate. A right guide inclined surface is provided on the right top-supporting protrusion, just corresponding to the right side wall of the top plate.

[0007] As a further improvement of the technical solution of the present invention, the inclination angles α of the left guiding inclined surface and the right guiding inclined surface relative to the horizontal plane are less than 45°.

[0008] As a further improvement of the technical solution of the present invention, a left columnar raised portion extends downward along the bottom wall of the top plate, just corresponding to the position of the left top-supporting protrusion. The left columnar raised portion is tangent to the left side wall of the top plate. A right columnar raised portion extends downward along the bottom wall of the top plate, just corresponding to the position of the right top-supporting protrusion. The right columnar raised portion is tangent to the right side wall of the top plate.

[0009] As a further improvement of the technical solution of the present invention, the number of the left supporting protrusions is at least 2, and they are arranged in a linear array along the width direction of the left connecting transition portion. The number of the right supporting protrusions is at least 2, and they are arranged in a linear array along the width direction of the right connecting transition portion.

[0010] As a further improvement of the technical solution of the present invention, the left side plate and the right side plate are both extended from the top plate; or the left side plate and the right side plate are both extended from the bottom plate; or the left side plate and the right side plate are both extended from the connecting plate.

[0011] As a further improvement of the technical solution of the present invention, the left side plate includes a left anti-slip portion. The left anti-slip portion is formed by bending the free end of the left side plate to the right, and correspondingly, a left anti-slip groove adapted to the left anti-slip portion is provided on the left side wall of the insulating rubber seat. The right side plate includes a right anti-slip portion. The right anti-slip portion is formed by bending the free end of the right side plate to the left, and correspondingly, a right anti-slip groove adapted to the right anti-slip portion is provided on the right side wall of the insulating rubber seat.

[0012] As a further improvement of the technical solution of the present invention, a left anti-scratch transition portion is provided on the above-mentioned left anti-slip portion, corresponding to the left anti-slip groove. The left anti-scratch transition portion is formed by bending the free end of the left anti-slip portion in an arc shape. A right anti-scratch transition portion is provided on the above-mentioned right anti-slip portion, corresponding to the right anti-slip groove. The right anti-scratch transition portion is formed by bending the free end of the right anti-slip portion in an arc shape.

[0013] As a further improvement of the technical solution of the present invention, a bevel transition is provided on the front side wall of the above-mentioned plug-in limit arm, and the inclination direction of the bevel transition is consistent with the insertion direction of the FFC cable.

[0014] Compared with the traditional top-down press-to-unlock FPC connector, in the technical solution disclosed in the present invention, the FFC cable can be unlocked by pressing from the side. When the operator removes the outer shell from the left and right sides at the same time, the left pressure arm and the right pressure arm are driven to move toward each other, and then the top plate is lifted with the help of the left top protrusion and the right top protrusion respectively. At the same time, the plug-in limit arm set on the top plate gradually disengages from the plug-in limit groove on the FFC cable, and the unlocking operation of the FFC cable is completed. In this way, the FPC connector is effectively prevented from being damaged by pressure, ensuring the stability of its product function; more importantly, the outer shell can be directly attached and fixed to the upper surface of the insulating rubber seat without reserving movable space, thus effectively reducing the thickness of the FPC connector, which is conducive to the layout and design of its assembly space in the later stage. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0016] Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of an FPC connector in the prior art.

[0017] Figure 2It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the FPC connector with the side pressure unlocking function in the present invention.

[0018] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Top view of the .

[0019] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 AA section view.

[0020] Figure 5 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the outer shell of the FPC connector with the side pressure unlocking function of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 A partial enlarged view of I.

[0022] Figure 7 yes Figure 5 A partial enlarged view of II.

[0023] Figure 8 yes Figure 5 main view.

[0024] Fig. 9 yes Figure 8 A partial enlarged view of III.

[0025] Fig.10 yes Figure 8 A partial enlarged view of IV.

[0026] Fig.11 yes Figure 8 Top view of the .

[0027] Fig.12 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of an insulating rubber seat in an FPC connector with a side pressure unlocking function of the present invention.

[0028] 1-FFC cable; 11-plug-in limit groove; 2-insulating rubber seat; 21-FFC cable plug-in groove; 211-terminal plug-in groove; 22-left anti-slip groove; 23-right anti-slip groove; 3-outer shell; 31-top plate; 311-plug-in limit arm; 3111-bevel transition; 312-left columnar heightening part; 313-right columnar heightening part; 32-bottom plate; 33-connecting plate; 34-left side plate; 341-left Side pressure arm; 3411-left connecting transition part; 3412-left supporting protrusion; 34121-left guiding inclined surface; 342-left anti-slip part; 3421-left anti-scratch transition part; 35-right side plate; 351-right pressure arm; 3511-right connecting transition part; 3512-right supporting protrusion; 35121-right guiding inclined surface; 352-right anti-slip part; 3521-right anti-scratch transition part; 4-connecting terminal. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] In the description of the present invention, it is necessary to understand that the terms "left", "right", "up", "down", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0030] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments. Figure 2 , Figure 3 The three-dimensional schematic diagram and the top view of the FPC connector with the side pressure unlocking function of the present invention are respectively shown. It can be seen that it is mainly composed of the FFC cable 1, the insulating rubber seat 2, the outer shell 3 and the terminal 4. Among them, the FFC cable plug-in slot 21 is provided in the insulating rubber seat 2 for inserting the above-mentioned FFC cable 1. A series of terminal plug-in slots 211 are evenly distributed along the length direction of the FFC cable plug-in slot 21 for inserting and fixing the above-mentioned terminal 4. It should be emphasized that, as Figure 5 As shown in the figure, the outer shell 3 includes a top plate 31, a bottom plate 32, a connecting plate 33, a left side plate 34 and a right side plate 35. The connecting plate 33 is connected between the top plate 31 and the bottom plate 32. The left side plate 34 and the right side plate 35 are both formed by extending from the connecting plate 33. A plug-in limit arm 311 extends downward from the top plate 31. Correspondingly, a plug-in limit groove 11 (such as the plug-in limit arm 311) is provided on the FFC cable 1. Figure 4 The number of the plug-in limit arms 311 is set to at least 2, and they are symmetrically distributed along the length direction of the top plate 31 (as shown in Figure 8 ). A left pressure arm 341 extends to the right from the side wall of the left side plate 34, and includes a left connection transition portion 3411 and a left top-resting protrusion 3412. The left top-resting protrusion 3412 is formed by the free end of the left connection transition portion 3411 extending upward. A right pressure arm 351 extends to the left from the side wall of the right side plate 35, and includes a right connection transition portion 3511 and a right top-resting protrusion 3512. The right top-resting protrusion 3512 is formed by the free end of the right connection transition portion 3511 extending upward. In this way, the FPC connector is effectively prevented from being damaged by pressure during the process of disassembling the FFC cable, thereby ensuring the stability of its product function; more importantly, the outer shell 3 can be directly attached and fixed to the upper surface of the insulating rubber seat 2 without reserving a movable space, thereby effectively reducing the thickness of the FPC connector, which is conducive to the layout and design of its assembly space in the later stage.

[0031] The operating principle of the above-mentioned FPC connector with side pressure unlocking function is as follows: when the operator presses the left side plate 34 and the right side plate 35 of the outer shell 3 from the left and right sides at the same time, the left pressure arm 341 and the right pressure arm 351 are driven to move toward each other, and then the left supporting protrusion 3412 and the right supporting protrusion 3512 thereon are used to lift the top plate 31 respectively. At the same time, the plug-in limit arm 311 arranged on the top plate 31 gradually disengages from the plug-in limit groove 11 on the FFC cable 1, thereby completing the unlocking operation of the FFC cable.

[0032] It should be noted that the left side plate 34 and the right side plate 35 can be formed by extending the connecting plate 33 described in the above technical solution (such as Figure 5 , 6 , 7 ), and can also extend from the top plate 31 or the bottom plate 32 according to circumstances (not shown in the figures).

[0033] In order to prevent the left and right abutting protrusions 3412 and 3512 from being blocked by the top plate 31 when they move toward each other, left and right abutting protrusions 3412 and 3512 may be provided with left and right guide inclined surfaces 34121 and 35121 (such as Figure 6 , 7 As a further optimization of the above technical solution, the inclination angle α of the left guide inclined surface 34121 and the right guide inclined surface 35121 relative to the horizontal plane is less than 45°. A wear-resistant layer (not shown in the figure) can even be coated on the left guide inclined surface 34121 and the right guide inclined surface 35121 to reduce the friction coefficient relative to the left and right side walls of the top plate 31 and reduce the wear rate.

[0034] Furthermore, a left columnar raised portion 312 may be provided, corresponding to the position of the left top protrusion 3412, extending downward along the bottom wall of the top plate 31. The left columnar raised portion 312 is tangent to the left side wall of the top plate 31 (eg, Figure 8 , 9 ). A right columnar raised portion 313 extends downwardly from the bottom wall of the top plate 31, corresponding to the position of the right top protrusion 3512. The right columnar raised portion 313 is tangent to the right side wall of the top plate 31 (as shown in FIG. Figure 8 , 10 As shown in ). In this way, on the one hand, the existence of the left columnar raised portion 312 and the right columnar raised portion 313 can improve the smoothness of the left top support protrusion 3412 and the right top support protrusion 3512 moving toward each other relative to the top plate 31 to a certain extent, ensuring the smooth execution of the FFC cable unlocking operation; on the other hand, under the premise of reducing the thickness of the top plate 31 itself, the left top support protrusion 3412 and the right top support protrusion 3512 can achieve a large distance lifting of the top plate 31 by a small displacement movement.

[0035] Furthermore, as a further refinement of the above-mentioned design structure, the number of the above-mentioned left supporting protrusions 3412 is at least 2, and they are linearly arrayed along the width direction of the left connecting transition portion 3411 (such as Figure 6 The number of the right abutting protrusions 3512 is at least 2, and they are arranged in a linear array along the width direction of the right connecting transition portion 3511 (as shown in Figure 7 ).

[0036] In order to ensure the reliability of the connection between the outer shell 3 and the insulating rubber seat 2, a left anti-slip portion 342 can be further provided on the left side plate 34. Specifically, the left anti-slip portion 342 is formed by bending the free end of the left side plate 34 to the right (such as Figure 6 Correspondingly, a left anti-slip groove 22 (as shown in FIG. 2 ) is provided on the left side wall of the insulating rubber seat 2 and is adapted to the left anti-slip portion 342. Fig.12 The right side plate 35 may also be provided with a right anti-slip portion 352. Specifically, the right anti-slip portion 352 is formed by bending the free end of the right side plate 35 to the left (as shown in FIG. Figure 7 Correspondingly, a right anti-slip groove 23 (as shown in FIG. 2 ) adapted to the right anti-slip portion 352 is provided on the right side wall of the insulating rubber seat 2. Fig.12 As shown in ). In this way, on the one hand, the left plate 34 and the right plate 35 can be in an elastic deformation state when subjected to lateral pressing pressure, which is conducive to their immediate recovery to the initial state after the FFC cable is unlocked, so as to prepare for the next FFC cable insertion operation; on the other hand, the left plate 34 can effectively ensure the directionality of sliding along the left wall of the insulating rubber seat 2 and the right plate 35 can effectively ensure the directionality of sliding along the right wall of the insulating rubber seat 2, thereby preventing the occurrence of torsion and ensuring the smooth execution of the FFC cable unlocking operation.

[0037] It is known that in the process of performing the FFC cable unlocking operation, the left anti-slip portion 342 and the right anti-slip portion 352 will inevitably cause wear on the left and right side walls of the insulating rubber seat 2. After a period of use, as the amount of wear increases, it is very likely to cause the occurrence of a jamming phenomenon. In view of this, a left anti-slip transition portion 3421 can also be provided on the above-mentioned left anti-slip portion 342, corresponding to the left anti-slip groove 22. The left anti-scratch transition portion 3421 is formed by an arc-shaped bend of the free end of the left anti-slip portion 342. A right anti-scratch transition portion 3521 is provided on the above-mentioned right anti-slip portion 352, corresponding to the right anti-slip groove 23. The right anti-scratch transition portion 3521 is formed by an arc-shaped bend of the free end of the right anti-slip portion 352 (such as Fig.11 ).

[0038] Finally, in order to ensure the smooth execution of the assembly process of the FFC cable 1 and the FPC connector and prevent the occurrence of a jamming phenomenon, a bevel transition 3111 can also be set on the front side wall of the above-mentioned plug-in limit arm 311. And the inclination direction of the bevel transition 3111 is consistent with the insertion direction of the FFC cable 1 (such as Figure 6 ).

[0039] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables one skilled in the art to implement or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be apparent to one skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention will not be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but rather to the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. An FPC connector with a side pressure unlocking function, comprising an FFC cable, an insulating rubber seat, an outer shell and a terminal; an FFC cable insertion slot is arranged in the insulating rubber seat for inserting the FFC cable; a series of terminal insertion slots are evenly distributed along the length direction of the FFC cable insertion slot for inserting and fixing the terminal, characterized in that: The outer shell includes a top plate, a bottom plate, a connecting plate, a left side plate and a right side plate; the connecting plate is connected between the top plate and the bottom plate; a plug-in limit arm is extended downward from the top plate, and correspondingly, a plug-in limit groove adapted to the plug-in limit arm is provided on the FFC cable; a left pressure arm is extended rightward from the side wall of the left side plate, which includes a left connecting transition portion and a left top-supporting protrusion; the left top-supporting protrusion is formed by extending upward from the free end of the left connecting transition portion, and a left guide inclined surface is provided thereon; A right pressure arm extends to the left from the side wall of the right side plate, which includes a right connecting transition portion and a right top-resting protrusion; the right top-resting protrusion is formed by extending upward from the free end of the right connecting transition portion, and is provided with a right guiding inclined surface; a left guiding inclined surface is provided on the left top-resting protrusion, corresponding to the left side wall of the top plate; a right guiding inclined surface is provided on the right top-resting protrusion, corresponding to the right side wall of the top plate; an inclination angle α of the left guiding inclined surface and the right guiding inclined surface relative to the horizontal plane is less than 45; a left columnar heightened portion extends downward along the bottom wall of the top plate corresponding to the position of the left top-resting protrusion, and the left columnar heightened portion is tangent to the left side wall of the top plate; a right columnar heightened portion extends downward along the bottom wall of the top plate corresponding to the position of the right top-resting protrusion, and the right columnar heightened portion is tangent to the right side wall of the top plate; The number of the left supporting protrusions is at least 2, and they are arranged in a linear array along the width direction of the left connecting transition portion; the number of the right supporting protrusions is at least 2, and they are arranged in a linear array along the width direction of the right connecting transition portion.

2. The FPC connector with side pressure unlocking function according to claim 1, characterized in that: The left side plate and the right side plate are both extended from the top plate; or the left side plate and the right side plate are both extended from the bottom plate; or the left side plate and the right side plate are both extended from the connecting plate.

3. The FPC connector with side pressure unlocking function according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that: The left side plate includes a left anti-slip portion; the left anti-slip portion is formed by bending the free end of the left side plate to the right, and correspondingly, a left anti-slip groove matched with the left anti-slip portion is opened on the left side wall of the insulating rubber seat; the right side plate includes a right anti-slip portion; the right anti-slip portion is formed by bending the free end of the right side plate to the left, and correspondingly, a right anti-slip groove matched with the right anti-slip portion is opened on the right side wall of the insulating rubber seat.

4. The FPC connector with side pressure unlocking function according to claim 3, characterized in that: A left anti-scratch transition portion is provided on the left anti-slip portion, corresponding to the left anti-slip groove; the left anti-scratch transition portion is formed by an arc-shaped bending of the free end of the left anti-slip portion; a right anti-scratch transition portion is provided on the right anti-slip portion, corresponding to the right anti-slip groove; the right anti-scratch transition portion is formed by an arc-shaped bending of the free end of the right anti-slip portion.

5. The FPC connector with side pressure unlocking function according to claim 3, characterized in that: A bevel transition is provided on the front side wall of the plug-in limiting arm; the inclination direction of the bevel transition is consistent with the insertion direction of the FFC cable.

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