A sunken FPC connector installation structure

Abstract

The present invention relates to a sunken FPC connector installation structure, which is composed of an FPC connector and a circuit board that are fixedly connected to each other. The FPC connector includes an insulating rubber seat, an outer shell, a wiring terminal and an FFC cable. The outer shell includes a top plate, a bottom plate and a connecting plate. An installation slot that matches the appearance of the FPC connector is provided on the circuit board. A left bent fixed arm and a right bent fixed arm extend upward from the left and right ends of the bottom plate, respectively. When the FPC connector is placed in place relative to the installation slot, the left bent fixed arm and the right bent fixed arm are used to weld and fix it to the circuit board. In this way, on the one hand, the overall height value of the FPC connector installation structure is effectively reduced, which is conducive to the miniaturization and integrated design of its upper components; on the other hand, sufficient space is reserved to facilitate the installation and disassembly operations of the FFC cable.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of flexible flat cable FPC connector manufacturing, in particular to a sinking type FPC connector installation structure. 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 of the FPC connector installation structures on the market adopt an upper structure, that is, the FPC connector is directly welded and fixed on the upper surface of the circuit board (such as Figure 1 As shown in ), the height dimension of the FPC connector installation structure is increased, which inevitably increases the demand for installation space, which is not conducive to the miniaturization and integrated design of electronic products; in addition, generally speaking, in existing connectors, most of them adopt a flip-cover or press-type structure to achieve the installation and removal of the flexible cable. Therefore, due to the influence of the height dimension factor, it is not conducive to the installation and removal of the soft cable relative to the FPC connector. 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 a sinking FPC connector installation structure which has a simple structural design, is convenient for installation and disassembly of FFC cables, and is conducive to achieving the overall miniaturization and integrated design goals of electronic components.

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention relates to a sunken FPC connector installation structure, which is composed of an FPC connector and a circuit board that are fixedly connected to each other. Among them, the FPC connector includes an insulating rubber seat, an outer shell, a terminal and an FFC cable. An FFC cable plug-in slot is arranged in the insulating rubber seat for inserting 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 includes a top plate, a bottom plate, and a connecting plate connected between the rear ends of the top plate and the bottom plate. An installation slot that is compatible with the shape of the FPC connector is opened on the circuit board. A left bent fixed arm and a right bent fixed arm extend upward from the left and right ends of the bottom plate respectively. When the FPC connector is placed in place relative to the installation slot, the left bent fixed arm and the right bent fixed arm are used to achieve welding and fixation with the circuit board.

[0006] As a further improvement of the technical solution of the present invention, a series of grounding springs are evenly distributed along the length direction of the bottom plate, which are used to be welded and fixed with the above-mentioned FFC cable. At the left and right ends of the bottom plate, grounding welding pieces extend outward from the rear wall thereof. The grounding welding pieces are welded and fixed to the circuit board.

[0007] As a further improvement of the technical solution of the present invention, the grounding welding piece includes an elastic bending portion, which is formed by folding the free end of the grounding welding piece along the left-right direction.

[0008] As a further improvement of the technical solution of the present invention, a left U-shaped clamping arm and a right U-shaped clamping arm are extended downward from the left and right end positions near the top plate. An upwardly extending clamping portion is provided at the free ends of the left U-shaped clamping arm and the right U-shaped clamping arm, which is adapted to the mounting groove provided on the bottom surface of the FFC cable. The clamping portion is formed by folding the free end of the left U-shaped clamping arm or the right U-shaped clamping arm in half. A top flange is extended downward from the rear side wall of the top plate. When the front end of the top plate is pressed, it rotates around the central axis of the top flange, so that the clamping portion moves downward relative to the mounting groove on the bottom surface of the FFC cable until it is out of the groove, thereby completing the unlocking operation of the FFC cable.

[0009] 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 clamping portion, and the inclination direction of the bevel transition is consistent with the insertion direction of the FFC cable.

[0010] As a further improvement of the technical solution of the present invention, a plurality of fixing claws are evenly extended from the front side wall of the base plate along its length direction. Correspondingly, a slide groove adapted to the fixing claws is provided at the bottom of the insulating rubber seat, and a slide groove closing portion is provided at the end of the slide groove.

[0011] As a further improvement of the technical solution of the present invention, clamping protrusions are provided on both sides of the above-mentioned fixing claws.

[0012] As a further improvement of the technical solution of the present invention, there are limit hook portions extending downward along the left and right ends of the top plate, and correspondingly, there are hook grooves matching the limit hook portions extending downward from the top wall of the insulating rubber seat.

[0013] Compared with the FPC connector installation structure of the traditional design structure, in the technical solution disclosed in the present invention, a mounting slot is provided on the circuit board to sink the FPC connector, and the left bent fixing arm and the right bent fixing arm provided on the left and right sides of the FPC connector are subsequently used to realize welding and fixing with the circuit board. In this way, on the one hand, the overall height value of the FPC connector installation structure is effectively reduced, which is conducive to the miniaturization and integrated design of its upper components; on the other hand, sufficient space is reserved to facilitate the installation and removal of the FFC cable. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] 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.

[0015] Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of an FPC connector installation structure in the prior art.

[0016] Figure 2 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the installation structure of the sunken FPC connector in the present invention.

[0017] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 Top view of the .

[0018] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 AA section view.

[0019] Figure 5 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a circuit board in the installation structure of a sunken FPC connector of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 6 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the FPC connector in the sunken FPC connector installation structure of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 7 It is an exploded view of the FPC connector in the sunken FPC connector installation structure of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 8 yes Figure 6 Top view of the .

[0023] Fig. 9 yes Figure 8 BB cross-sectional view.

[0024] Fig.10 yes Figure 8 CC cross-sectional view.

[0025] Fig.11 yes Figure 8 DD cross-sectional view.

[0026] Fig.12 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of an insulating rubber seat in the installation structure of a sunken FPC connector of the present invention from one viewing angle.

[0027] Fig.13 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of another viewing angle of the insulating rubber seat in the sunken FPC connector installation structure of the present invention.

[0028] Fig.14 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of an outer shell in the installation structure of a sunken FPC connector of the present invention from one viewing angle.

[0029] Fig.15 yes Fig.14 A partial enlarged view of I.

[0030] Fig.16 yes Fig.14 Top view of the .

[0031] Fig.17 yes Fig.16 EE cross-sectional view.

[0032] Fig.18 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of another viewing angle of the outer shell in the sunken FPC connector installation structure of the present invention.

[0033] Fig.19 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the FFC cable in the sunken FPC connector installation structure of the present invention.

[0034] 1-FPC connector; 11-insulating rubber seat; 111-FFC cable plug-in slot; 112-terminal plug-in slot; 113-slide slot; 114-hook groove; 12-outer shell; 121-top plate; 1211-left U-shaped clamping arm; 12111-clamping part; 121111-bevel transition; 1212-right U-shaped clamping arm; 1213-top flange; 1214-limiting hook part; 122-bottom plate; 1221-left bent fixed arm; 1222-right bent fixed arm; 1223-grounding spring; 1224-grounding welding piece; 12241-elastic bending part; 1225-fixing claw; 12251-clamping protrusion; 123-connecting plate; 13-wiring terminal; 14-FFC cable; 141-installation slot; 2-circuit board; 21-installation notch. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] In the description of the present invention, it is necessary to understand that the terms "left", "right", "up", "down", "front", "back", etc., indicating directions or positional relationships, are based on the directions or positional relationships 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 direction, be constructed and operated in a specific direction, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0036] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments. Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 The three-dimensional schematic diagram, top view and AA cross-sectional view of the sunken FPC connector installation structure of the present invention are respectively shown. It can be seen that it is composed of an FPC connector 1 and a circuit board 2 that are fixedly connected to each other. Among them, a mounting notch 21 (such as Figure 5 The FPC connector 1 includes an insulating rubber seat 11, an outer shell 12, a connection terminal 13 and an FFC cable 14 (as shown in FIG. Figure 7 The outer shell 12 includes a top plate 121, a bottom plate 122, and a connecting plate 123 connected between the rear ends of the top plate 121 and the bottom plate 122 (as shown in FIG. Fig.14 , 18 A left bent fixed arm 1221 and a right bent fixed arm 1222 are extended upward from the left and right ends of the bottom plate 122 (as shown in Fig.14 , 18 ). When the outer shell 12 is placed in place relative to the installation slot 21, the left bent fixing arm 1221 and the right bent fixing arm 1222 thereon are used to weld and fix the outer shell 12 to the circuit board 2. In this way, on the one hand, the overall height of the FPC connector installation structure is effectively reduced, which is conducive to the miniaturization and integrated design of its upper components; on the other hand, sufficient space is reserved to facilitate the installation and removal of the FFC cable 14.

[0037] It should be noted here that Figure 6 , Figure 7 The three-dimensional schematic diagram and the exploded diagram of the FPC connector in the sinking FPC connector installation structure of the present invention are respectively shown. It can be seen that an FFC cable insertion slot 111 is provided in the insulating rubber seat 11 for inserting the above-mentioned FFC cable 14. A series of terminal insertion slots 112 are evenly distributed along the length direction of the FFC cable insertion slot 111 for inserting and fixing the above-mentioned terminal 13 (such as Fig.12 , 13 ).

[0038] In the prior art, in order to realize the grounding function of the FPC connector 1, a more common method is to add a grounding terminal, which is also inserted and fixed in the insulating plastic, and is placed side by side with the wiring terminal for conducting the signal. However, when assembling an FPC connector with this design structure, additional steps are required to complete the positioning and assembly of the grounding terminal, thereby greatly extending the assembly cycle of the FPC connector. In view of this, as a further optimization of the above-mentioned sunken FPC connector installation structure, a series of grounding springs 1223 are evenly distributed along the length direction of the above-mentioned base plate 122, which are used to be welded and fixed to the above-mentioned FFC cable 14. In addition, grounding welding plates 1224 (such as grounding welding plates 1224) can also be extended outward from the rear wall at the left and right ends of the base plate 122. Fig.14 , 18 The grounding welding piece 1224 is welded and fixed to the circuit board 2 (as shown in Figure 2 As shown in ). By adopting the above technical solution, on the one hand, the FPC connector 1 has an EMI function, which is beneficial to signal transmission; on the other hand, under the premise of satisfying the grounding function of the FPC connector 1, the grounding solder sheet 1224 is used to replace the traditional grounding terminal, so that the design structure of the FPC connector 1 is greatly simplified, and the assembly difficulty and assembly time are effectively reduced.

[0039] In actual use, when the FPC connector 1 is subjected to external force, it will inevitably be displaced or twisted relative to the circuit board 2, which can easily cause cracks along the root of the grounding welding piece 1224, thereby affecting its ultimate service life. In view of this, an elastic bending portion 12241 can be further provided on the grounding welding piece 1224. The elastic bending portion 12241 is formed by folding the free end of the grounding welding piece 1224 along the left and right directions (such as Fig.18 As shown in ). In this way, the elasticity of the grounding welding piece 1224 itself is increased to a certain extent, thereby improving its movable displacement and torsional resistance.

[0040] Furthermore, in order to improve the efficiency of disassembly and assembly of the FFC cable 14 as much as possible, a left U-shaped clamping arm 1211 and a right U-shaped clamping arm 1212 can be extended downward near the left and right end positions of the top plate 121. And the free ends of the left U-shaped clamping arm 1211 and the right U-shaped clamping arm 1212 are both provided with an upwardly extending clamping portion 12111, which is adapted to the installation groove 141 provided on the bottom surface of the FFC cable 14 (such as Fig.10 , 19 In addition, the clamping portion 12111 is formed by folding the free end of the left U-shaped clamping arm 1211 or the right U-shaped clamping arm 1212 in half. A supporting flange 1213 (as shown in FIG. 1 ) extends downward from the rear side wall of the top plate 121. Fig.11 , 14, 18). When the front end of the top plate 121 is pressed, it rotates around the central axis of the top flange 1213, so that the clamping portion 12111 moves downward relative to the mounting groove 141 on the bottom surface of the FFC cable 14 until it is out of the groove, thereby completing the unlocking operation of the FFC cable 14. Compared with the traditional push-pull or flip-up FPC connector, in the technical solution disclosed in the present invention, the push rod or flip cover action is omitted, and the installation and removal of the FFC cable 14 therein can be achieved by only pressing the outer shell 12. More importantly, the free end of the clamping portion 12111 is folded in half, that is, the force area of ​​the FFC cable 14 when it is acted upon by the clamping portion 12111 is increased in a redirected manner. When the FFC cable 14 is subjected to a pulling force, it is ensured that the stress value of the side wall of the mounting groove 141 thereon is reduced to prevent it from being damaged, thereby ensuring the reliability of the connection of the FFC cable 14.

[0041] In order to reduce the difficulty of inserting the FFC cable 14, a bevel transition 121111 can be set on the front side wall of the clamping portion 12111. The inclination direction of the bevel transition 121111 is consistent with the insertion direction of the FFC cable 14 (such as Fig.16 , 17 As shown in ), the FFC cable 14 can be effectively prevented from getting stuck during the insertion process, thereby greatly improving the insertion speed.

[0042] Furthermore, in order to improve the connection reliability between the outer shell 12 and the insulating rubber seat 11, a plurality of fixing claws 1225 (such as Fig.14 As shown in FIG. 1 , a slide groove 113 (as shown in FIG. 1 ) adapted to the fixing claw 1225 is provided at the bottom of the insulating rubber seat 11. Fig.12 ), and a slot closing portion (not shown in the figure) is provided at the end of the slot 113. When the outer shell 12 is inserted into the insulating adhesive 11, the fixing claw 1225 always slides along the slot 113, ensuring the smooth insertion of the outer shell 12. In addition, the fixing claw 1225 is inserted into the inner part of the slot closing portion, so that when the FPC connector 1 is subjected to a torsional force, the outer shell 12 can be effectively prevented from being separated from the insulating adhesive seat 11.

[0043] Furthermore, in order to further improve the reliability of the connection between the outer shell 12 and the insulating rubber seat 11, as an optimization, an extension protrusion 12251 (such as Fig.15 ), so as to improve the sliding fit accuracy between the fixing claw 1225 and the sliding groove 113.

[0044] Finally, in order to further improve the connection and fixing reliability between the outer shell 12 and the insulating glue 11, as an optimization, a limited hook portion 1214 can be extended downward along the left and right ends of the top plate 121, and accordingly, a hook groove 114 (such as a hook groove 114) adapted to the above-mentioned limited hook portion 1214 is extended downward from the top wall of the insulating glue seat 11. Figure 8 , 9 , 13, 14, and 17), thereby effectively preventing the outer shell 12 from being separated from the insulating rubber seat 11 during use.

[0045] 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. A sinking FPC connector installation structure, consisting of an FPC connector and a circuit board fixedly connected to each other; the FPC connector includes an insulating rubber seat, an outer shell, a terminal and an FFC cable; an FFC cable insertion slot is provided 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; the outer shell includes a top plate, a bottom plate, and a connecting plate connected between the top plate and the rear end of the bottom plate, characterized in that: The circuit board is provided with a mounting notch adapted to the shape of the FPC connector; a left bent fixing arm and a right bent fixing arm are respectively extended upward from the left and right ends of the bottom plate; when the FPC connector is placed in place relative to the mounting notch, the left bent fixing arm and the right bent fixing arm are used to weld and fix the FPC connector to the circuit board; A series of grounding springs are evenly distributed along the length direction of the bottom plate, which are used to be welded and fixed to the FFC cable; at the left and right ends of the bottom plate, grounding welding pieces extend outward from the rear wall thereof; the grounding welding pieces are welded and fixed to the circuit board; The grounding welding piece includes an elastic bending portion; the elastic bending portion is used to improve the movable displacement and anti-torsion performance of the grounding welding piece, and is formed by folding the free end of the grounding welding piece along the left and right directions; A left U-shaped clamping arm and a right U-shaped clamping arm are extended downwardly from the left and right end positions near the top plate; an upwardly extending clamping portion is provided at the free ends of the left U-shaped clamping arm and the right U-shaped clamping arm, which is adapted to the mounting groove provided on the bottom surface of the FFC cable; the clamping portion is formed by folding the free end of the left U-shaped clamping arm or the right U-shaped clamping arm; a top-resting flange is extended downwardly from the rear side wall of the top plate; when the front end of the top plate is pressed, it rotates around the central axis of the top-resting flange, so that the clamping portion moves downward relative to the mounting groove on the bottom surface of the FFC cable until it is out of the groove, thereby completing the unlocking operation of the FFC cable; A limit hook portion is extended downward along the left and right ends of the top plate, and correspondingly, a hook groove adapted to the limit hook portion is extended downward from the top wall of the insulating rubber seat; A plurality of fixing claws are uniformly extended from the front side wall of the bottom plate along its length direction. Correspondingly, a slide groove matched with the fixing claws is arranged at the bottom of the insulating rubber seat, and a slide groove closing portion is arranged at the end of the slide groove. In the process of inserting the outer shell into the insulating rubber, the fixing claws always slide along the slide groove until they are inserted into the interior of the slide groove closing portion.

2. The sinking type FPC connector installation structure according to claim 1 is characterized in that: A bevel transition is provided on the front side wall of the clamping portion; the inclination direction of the bevel transition is consistent with the insertion direction of the FFC cable.

3. The sinking type FPC connector installation structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: Clamping protrusions are arranged on both sides of the fixing claw.

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