A stacked FPC connector

Abstract

The present invention relates to a stacked FPC connector, comprising a shell and an FPC terminal assembly, wherein the shell comprises a multi-layer stacked structure consisting of a substrate, one or more layers of intermediate plates, and a top plate, the two adjacent layers of the shell are detachably snapped together and fixed, the top plate and the substrate are detachably snapped together and fixed, and a positioning area and a terminal plug-in channel are provided between the two adjacent layers. The FPC terminal assembly comprises an FPC soft board and a piercing terminal connected to the end of the FPC soft board, the piercing terminal can be loaded into the plug-in channel in the horizontal direction, and after the two adjacent layers of the shell and the top plate and the substrate are snapped together and fixed, the FPC terminal is fixed and limited by the positioning area. Compared with the prior art, the design of the layered vertical stacking structure in the present invention reduces its own weight and its own space occupancy, compresses the vertical design space, and at the same time, the vertically compressed structure not only constitutes a stable compression structure, but also significantly improves the stability of the connection.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of connectors, and in particular to a stacked FPC connector. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid increase of electronic equipment in cars and appliances, the number of connectors used in each component has increased from dozens to hundreds, and micro connectors have gradually come into our sight. Micro connectors have smaller size, thinner wall thickness, and lighter weight, becoming an important part of lightweight wiring harnesses.

[0003] Especially in the battery pack, the internal connectors are becoming more and more miniaturized and lightweight. In the past, the cost and weight of the wires limited the development of the internal connectors of the battery pack towards miniaturization and lightweight. Currently, the line connections are all realized by FPC boards to control the cost and weight of the product.

[0004] There are common problems with FPC connectors on the market: 1. The current FPC connectors themselves account for a large proportion of the volume. When more FPC terminals need to be connected at the same time, the connector needs to expand the width to build more plug-in channels, but this will significantly increase the volume of the overall structure; 2. The FPC connectors of existing products are mostly pre-assembled connector shell components. When multiple FPC terminals need to be plugged and assembled at the same time, a large insertion force is required to insert them one by one, and the FPC soft board is easy to bend, resulting in low assembly efficiency; 3. The FPC and terminal crimping position swings and is prone to breakage and other abnormalities, especially in usage scenarios with vibration, which will significantly reduce the stability of the connection. Summary of the invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a stacked FPC connector in order to overcome the defects of the above-mentioned prior art. The overall structure is compact, and the layered vertical stacking structure design reduces its own weight and its own space occupancy, compresses the vertical design space, and at the same time, the vertical compression structure not only constitutes a stable compression structure, but also significantly improves the stability of the connection.

[0006] The purpose of the present invention can be achieved by the following technical solutions:

[0007] The stacked FPC connector of the present invention comprises a housing and an FPC terminal assembly, wherein:

[0008] The shell comprises a multi-layer stacked structure consisting of a base plate, one or more intermediate plates and a top plate. Two adjacent layers of the shell are detachably fastened and fixed, the top plate and the base plate are detachably fastened and fixed, and a positioning area and a terminal insertion channel are provided between two adjacent layers.

[0009] The FPC terminal assembly includes an FPC soft board and a piercing terminal connected to the end of the FPC soft board. The piercing terminal can be inserted into the plug-in channel in the horizontal direction. After the two adjacent layers of the shell and the top plate and the base plate are buckled and fixed, the FPC terminal is fixed and limited in the positioning area.

[0010] Furthermore, the FPC connector further comprises a cover body, and the cover body is detachably covered on one end of the housing close to the positioning area.

[0011] Furthermore, the cover body is an arc-shaped shielding cover, and the shielding thickness d1 of the arc-shaped shielding cover is greater than the thickness d2 of the shell.

[0012] Furthermore, the cover body includes a cover body main body and a movable cover plate, one side of the movable cover plate is hinged to the cover body main body, and after the FPC terminal assembly is installed in the housing, the FPC soft board is connected through the movable cover plate. That is, the FPC soft board pushes the movable cover plate open and passes through, thus realizing the protection of the connection.

[0013] Further, the substrate comprises a substrate body, a primary lateral buckle, a primary terminal positioning groove, a primary crimping area, and a primary positioning column, wherein specifically:

[0014] The first-level lateral buckle is arranged on the side of the base plate body;

[0015] The first-level terminal positioning groove is arranged on the upper surface of the substrate body.

[0016] The primary crimping area is arranged on the upper surface of the substrate body and is connected with the primary terminal positioning groove;

[0017] The first-level positioning column is arranged on the first-level crimping area and cooperates with the positioning hole arranged on the FPC soft board.

[0018] Further, the intermediate plate includes an intermediate plate body, a secondary lateral buckle, a secondary terminal positioning groove, a secondary crimping area, a secondary positioning column, and a secondary locking groove, wherein specifically:

[0019] The lower surface of the middle plate body is pressed on the primary crimping area, and together with the FPC soft board and the upper surface of the primary crimping area, an interference fit is formed to achieve the compression and fixation of the FPC soft board. The lower surface of the middle plate body cooperates with the primary terminal positioning groove to form a terminal plug-in channel;

[0020] The secondary lateral buckle is arranged on the side of the middle plate body;

[0021] The secondary terminal positioning grooves are arranged on the upper surface of the middle plate body, and the adjacent secondary terminal positioning grooves and the lower surface of the middle plate body or the secondary terminal positioning grooves and the lower surface of the top plate body together form an interference fit to form a terminal plug-in channel and realize the compression and fixation of the FPC soft board.

[0022] The secondary crimping area is arranged on the upper surface of the middle plate body and is connected with the secondary terminal positioning groove;

[0023] The secondary positioning column is arranged on the secondary crimping area and cooperates with the positioning hole arranged on the FPC soft board;

[0024] The secondary locking groove is locked with the secondary lateral buckle or the primary lateral buckle.

[0025] Furthermore, the top plate includes a top plate body, a three-level locking groove, and a drooping elastic arm, wherein:

[0026] The lower surface of the top plate body is pressed on the secondary crimping area, and together with the FPC soft board and the upper surface of the secondary crimping area, an interference fit is formed to achieve the compression and fixation of the FPC soft board. The lower surface of the top plate body cooperates with the primary terminal positioning groove to form a terminal plug-in channel;

[0027] The third-level locking slot is locked with the second-level lateral buckle;

[0028] The drooping elastic arm is arranged on the top plate body and is buckled and locked on the base plate body.

[0029] Furthermore, a locking protrusion is provided on the base plate body, and a locking hole matching the locking protrusion is provided on the drooping elastic arm.

[0030] Furthermore, there are four of the primary lateral buckles and the secondary lateral buckles distributed on each corresponding layer.

[0031] Furthermore, the primary lateral buckle and the secondary lateral buckle are both trapezoidal bifurcated buckles, including two right-angled trapezoidal blocks and elastic seams located between them. The configuration of the right-angled trapezoidal blocks plays a significant guiding role, and the design of the elastic seam provides sufficient reserved elasticity for the clamping.

[0032] One of the right-angle trapezoidal blocks is provided with a snap-fit ​​protrusion.

[0033] Furthermore, the secondary locking groove and the tertiary locking groove are both provided with a buckle limiting groove matching the buckle protrusion.

[0034] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0035] 1. The design of the layered vertical stacking structure in the present invention reduces its own weight and its own space occupation, compresses the vertical design space, and at the same time, the vertical compression structure not only forms a stable compression structure, but also significantly improves the stability of the connection.

[0036] 2. The layered stacking structure of the present invention can realize concealed rotation and snap-fit ​​positioning layer by layer, so that the FPC terminal can be installed into the plug-in channel from the front, and then the side buckle and the drooping elastic arm are pressed to complete the overall fixation, completely avoiding the unsmooth assembly caused by the soft FPC.

[0037] 3. The present invention uses a layer-by-layer vertical stacking structure to fix the FPC. The cooperation between the crimping area and the positioning column prevents the FPC from transmitting force to the inside of the sheath and the terminal when shaking, thereby solving the poor connection between the terminal and the FPC caused by shaking.

[0038] 4. The matching structure of the crimping area, positioning column, locking groove and forked buckle together constitutes a stable limit for the FPC between two adjacent shells, providing a stable working environment for the FPC terminal.

[0039] 5. The design adds a cover structure to protect the connection. The main body of the cover is an arc-shaped shielding cover. The shielding thickness d1 of the arc-shaped shielding cover is greater than the thickness d2 of the shell. That is, the larger arc-shaped shielding cover of the main body of the cover achieves full coverage of the connection part, which significantly improves the anti-drip and anti-dust performance. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of the stacked FPC connector in the present invention;

[0041] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of the FPC terminal assembly in the present invention;

[0042] Figure 3 It is a schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of the crimping structure in the present invention;

[0043] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the overall front structure of the FPC connector in the present invention;

[0044] Figure 5 It is a structural schematic diagram of the cover body in the present invention;

[0045] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the overall back structure of the FPC connector in the present invention.

[0046] In the figure, 1, substrate, 2, middle plate, 3, top plate, 4, FPC terminal assembly, 5, cover body, 11, substrate body, 12, primary positioning column, 13, primary lateral buckle, 14, primary terminal positioning groove, 15, primary crimping area, 16, buckle protrusion, 21, middle plate body, 22, secondary positioning column, 23, secondary lateral buckle, 24, secondary terminal positioning groove, 25, secondary crimping area, 26, secondary locking groove, 31, top plate body, 32, tertiary locking groove, 33, drooping elastic arm, 41, FPC soft board, 42, piercing terminal, 51, cover body, 52, movable cover plate, 331, buckle hole, 411, positioning hole. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0047] The present invention is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0048] Example 1

[0049] The stacked FPC connector of the present invention comprises a housing and an FPC terminal assembly 4, wherein the housing comprises a multi-layer stacked structure consisting of a substrate 1, one or more layers of intermediate plates 2, and a top plate 3, the two adjacent layers of the housing are detachably fastened and fixed, the top plate 3 and the substrate 1 are detachably fastened and fixed, and a positioning area and a terminal insertion channel are provided between the two adjacent layers, see Figure 1 The layered vertical stacking structure design reduces its own weight and space occupation, compresses the vertical design space, and at the same time, the vertical compression structure not only forms a stable compression structure, but also significantly improves the stability of the connection.

[0050] The FPC terminal assembly 4 includes an FPC soft board 41 and a piercing terminal 42 connected to the end of the FPC soft board 41. Figure 2 The piercing terminal 42 can be inserted into the plug-in channel in the horizontal direction. After the two adjacent layers of the housing and the top plate 3 and the base plate 1 are fastened and fixed, the FPC terminal is fixed in the positioning area. Figure 3 .

[0051] The FPC connector also includes a cover 5, which is detachably covered on one end of the housing near the positioning area. The cover 5 includes a cover body 51 and a movable cover plate 52, one side of the movable cover plate 52 is hinged to the cover body 51, see Figure 4 and Figure 5 After the FPC terminal assembly 4 is installed in the housing, the FPC soft board 41 is connected to the movable cover 52. That is, the FPC soft board 41 pushes the movable cover 52 and passes through, thus protecting the connection. The cover body 51 is an arc-shaped shielding cover, and the shielding thickness d1 of the arc-shaped shielding cover is greater than the thickness d2 of the housing, see Figure 6That is, the larger arc-shaped shielding cover of the cover body 51 achieves full coverage of the connection part, which significantly improves the anti-drip and anti-dust performance.

[0052] The substrate 1 includes a substrate body 11, a primary lateral buckle 13, a primary terminal positioning groove 14, a primary crimping area 15, and a primary positioning column 12. The primary lateral buckle 13 is arranged on the side of the substrate body 11. The primary terminal positioning groove 14 is arranged on the upper surface of the substrate body 11. The primary crimping area 15 is arranged on the upper surface of the substrate body 11 and connected with the primary terminal positioning groove 14. The primary positioning column 12 is arranged on the primary crimping area 15 and cooperates with the positioning hole 411 arranged on the FPC soft board 41. The substrate body 11 is provided with a locking protrusion 16, and the drooping elastic arm 33 is provided with a locking hole 331 matching the locking protrusion 16.

[0053] The middle plate 2 includes a middle plate body 21, a secondary lateral buckle 23, a secondary terminal positioning groove 24, a secondary crimping area 25, a secondary positioning column 22, and a secondary locking groove 26. The lower surface of the middle plate body 21 is pressed on the primary crimping area 15, and together with the FPC soft board 41 and the upper surface of the primary crimping area 15, an interference fit is formed to achieve the pressing and fixing of the FPC soft board 41. The lower surface of the middle plate body 21 cooperates with the primary terminal positioning groove 14 to form a terminal plug-in channel. The secondary lateral buckle 23 is arranged on the side of the middle plate body 21. The secondary terminal positioning groove 24 is arranged on the upper surface of the middle plate body 21. Adjacent secondary terminal positioning grooves and the lower surface of the middle plate body 21 or the secondary terminal positioning groove 24 and the lower surface of the top plate body 31 together form an interference fit to form a terminal plug-in channel, and the pressing and fixing of the FPC soft board 41 is achieved. The FPC is fixed by a layer-by-layer vertical stacking structure. The cooperation between the crimping area and the positioning column prevents the FPC from transmitting force to the inside of the sheath and the terminal when it shakes, thereby solving the poor connection between the terminal and the FPC caused by shaking. The secondary crimping area 25 is arranged on the upper surface of the middle plate body 21 and is connected with the secondary terminal positioning groove 24. The secondary positioning column 22 is arranged on the secondary crimping area 25 and cooperates with the positioning hole 411 arranged on the FPC soft board 41. The secondary locking groove 26 is locked with the secondary lateral buckle 23 or the primary lateral buckle 13. The layered stacking structure can realize the concealed rotation and snap-fit ​​positioning layer by layer, so that the FPC terminal can be loaded into the plug-in channel from the front, and then the lateral buckle and the drooping elastic arm are pressed to complete the overall fixation, completely avoiding the unsmooth assembly caused by the soft FPC.

[0054] The top plate 3 includes a top plate body 31, a three-level locking groove 32, and a drooping elastic arm 33. Specifically, the lower surface of the top plate body 31 is pressed on the secondary crimping area 25, and together with the FPC soft board 41 and the upper surface of the secondary crimping area 25, an interference fit is formed to achieve the compression and fixation of the FPC soft board 41. The lower surface of the top plate body 31 cooperates with the primary terminal positioning groove 14 to form a terminal insertion channel. The three-level locking groove 32 and the secondary lateral buckle 23 are locked and matched. The drooping elastic arm 33 is arranged on the top plate body 31 and locked on the substrate body 11.

[0055] There are four primary lateral buckles 13 and four secondary lateral buckles 23 on each corresponding layer. Both the primary lateral buckle 13 and the secondary lateral buckle 23 are trapezoidal forked buckles, including two right-angled trapezoidal blocks and elastic seams located between them. The configuration of the right-angled trapezoidal blocks plays a significant guiding role, and the design of the elastic seams provides sufficient reserved elasticity for the snap connection. A buckle protrusion is provided on one of the right-angled trapezoidal blocks. The secondary locking groove 26 and the tertiary locking groove 32 are both provided with buckle limit grooves that match the buckle protrusion. The matching structure of the crimping area, the positioning column, the locking groove, and the forked buckle together constitutes a stable limit of the FPC between two adjacent layers of the shell, providing a stable working environment for the FPC terminal.

[0056] The above description of the embodiments is to facilitate the understanding and use of the invention by those skilled in the art. It is obvious that those skilled in the art can easily make various modifications to these embodiments and apply the general principles described herein to other embodiments without creative work. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and improvements and modifications made by those skilled in the art based on the disclosure of the present invention without departing from the scope of the present invention should be within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A stacked FPC connector, characterized in that: include: The housing comprises a multi-layered structure consisting of a base plate (1), one or more layers of intermediate plates (2), and a top plate (3); two adjacent layers of the housing are detachably fastened and fixed; the top plate (3) and the base plate (1) are detachably fastened and fixed; and a positioning area and a terminal insertion channel are provided between the adjacent layers; The FPC terminal assembly (4) comprises an FPC soft board (41) and a piercing terminal (42) connected to the end of the FPC soft board (41); the piercing terminal (42) can be inserted into the plug-in channel in a horizontal direction; after being fastened and fixed between two adjacent layers of the housing and between the top board (3) and the base board (1), the FPC terminal is fixed in position by the positioning area; The FPC connector further comprises a cover body (5), wherein the cover body (5) is detachably covered on one end of the housing close to the positioning area; The substrate (1) comprises: Substrate body (11); A primary lateral buckle (13) is arranged on the side of the base plate body (11); A primary terminal positioning groove (14) is provided on the upper surface of the substrate body (11); A primary crimping area (15) is provided on the upper surface of the substrate body (11) and is connected to the primary terminal positioning groove (14); A primary positioning column (12) is provided on the primary crimping area (15) and cooperates with a positioning hole (411) provided on the FPC soft board (41); The intermediate plate (2) comprises: The lower surface of the middle plate body (21) is pressed onto the primary crimping area (15), and together with the FPC soft board (41) and the upper surface of the primary crimping area (15) form an interference fit, thereby achieving compression and fixation of the FPC soft board (41), and the lower surface of the middle plate body (21) cooperates with the primary terminal positioning groove (14) to form a terminal plug-in channel; A secondary lateral buckle (23) is provided on the side of the middle plate body (21); A secondary terminal positioning groove (24) is provided on the upper surface of the middle plate body (21); A secondary crimping area (25) is provided on the upper surface of the middle plate body (21) and is connected to the secondary terminal positioning groove (24); A secondary positioning column (22) is provided on the secondary crimping area (25) and cooperates with a positioning hole (411) provided on the FPC soft board (41); The secondary locking groove (26) is locked with the secondary lateral buckle (23) or the primary lateral buckle (13); The top plate (3) comprises: The top plate body (31) has a lower surface pressed onto the secondary crimping area (25) to form an interference fit with the FPC soft board (41) and the upper surface of the secondary crimping area (25) to achieve compression and fixation of the FPC soft board (41); the lower surface of the top plate body (31) cooperates with the primary terminal positioning groove (14) to form a terminal plug-in channel; A third-level locking groove (32) is locked with the second-level lateral buckle (23); The drooping elastic arm (33) is arranged on the top plate body (31) and is buckled on the base plate body (11).

2. A stacked FPC connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cover body (5) comprises a cover body main body (51) and a movable cover plate (52); The cover body (51) is an arc-shaped shielding cover, and the shielding thickness d1 of the arc-shaped shielding cover is greater than the thickness d2 of the shell; One side of the movable cover plate (52) is hinged to the cover body (51); after the FPC terminal assembly (4) is installed in the housing, the FPC soft board (41) is connected out from the movable cover plate (52).

3. The stacked FPC connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The base plate body (11) is provided with a locking protrusion (16), and the drooping elastic arm (33) is provided with a locking hole (331) matching the locking protrusion (16).

4. The stacked FPC connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: Four of the first-level lateral buckles (13) and the second-level lateral buckles (23) are distributed on each corresponding layer.

5. The stacked FPC connector according to claim 4, characterized in that: The primary lateral buckle (13) and the secondary lateral buckle (23) are both trapezoidal bifurcated buckles, comprising two right-angled trapezoidal blocks and elastic seams located between them; One of the right-angle trapezoidal blocks is provided with a snap-fit ​​protrusion.

6. The stacked FPC connector according to claim 5, characterized in that: The secondary locking groove (26) and the tertiary locking groove (32) are both provided with a locking limit groove matching the locking protrusion.

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