A flip cover type electrical connector

Abstract

The application discloses a flip type electric connector, which comprises an insulating base, a plurality of terminals arranged in the insulating base and a top cover arranged on the insulating base; fixing pieces are embedded on the left and right sides of the insulating base, sliding grooves are arranged on the fixing pieces, rotor parts are arranged on the two sides of the top cover and slide and rotate in the sliding grooves, stopper hooks are arranged on the two sides of the top cover and are folded inward, stopper protrusions are arranged on the lower surface of the top cover and protrude downward, stopper gaps are arranged on the insulating base and cooperate with the stopper hooks to limit the upward and backward movement of the top cover, and stopper surfaces are arranged on the insulating base and cooperate with the stopper protrusions to limit the forward movement of the top cover. The application is convenient for the smooth insertion of an FPC board, can stably and reliably fix and limit the FPC board after the FPC board is inserted in place, effectively prevents the FPC board from loosening, and improves the reliability and stability of the connector connection.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the technical field of connector manufacturing equipment, and in particular relates to a flip-type electrical connector. Background Technology

[0002] Connectors are essential components in various electrical devices and electronic facilities, enabling circuit connections and signal transmission. Connectors that achieve electrical connections between FPC circuit boards and PCB circuit boards typically use BTB connectors or ZIF connectors.

[0003] BTB connectors consist of a male connector and a female connector. The male connector needs to be soldered onto the FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit) and the female connector is soldered onto the PCB (Printed Circuit Board). Connection is achieved by mating the male connector and the female connector. BTB electrical connection structures have many components, complex manufacturing processes, and high production costs.

[0004] Zero Insertion Force (ZIF) connectors are a commonly used type of FPC connector. They typically consist of a plastic body, a flip cover, and conductive terminals housed within the plastic body. One end of the flip cover is fitted onto the plastic body or terminals and can rotate relative to the plastic body. In practical applications, ZIF connectors can be soldered onto a PCB board. The gold fingers of the FPC board can be directly inserted into the plastic body of the ZIF connector and contact the conductive terminals. The flip cover can rotate, pressing the gold fingers of the FPC board firmly against the conductive terminals, causing deformation of the conductive terminals and thus achieving electrical connection. Because the flip cover can be lifted upwards, there is no insertion resistance when inserting the FPC board, preventing deformation due to insertion resistance; hence the name "zero insertion force connector." ZIF connectors have some structural drawbacks that require technical solutions. One is the issue of the flip cover lifting upwards after clamping the FPC board; the other is the stability and reliability of the flip cover's clamping effect on the FPC board.

[0005] The prior art patent publication number CN217182458U discloses a flip-top press-down FPC connector, which has a flip-top end cover. Before inserting the FPC, the flip-top end cover is flipped up to allow the FPC board to be inserted smoothly. After the FPC board is inserted, the flip-top end cover is pulled forward and then flipped down to lock it in place, so as to press the FPC board firmly. Although this achieves anti-retraction, this structure has the following disadvantages: 1) The flip end cap is formed by plastic parts. The flip end cap is equipped with a plastic limiting block, which rotates in conjunction with the groove on the plastic insulating base to press the FPC board. The plastic parts are prone to deformation, causing the limiting block to fail. They are also not wear-resistant and have a short service life. 2) The front and rear directions are stopped by the contact between the limiting block and the front surface of the insulating base. However, the flip end cover has no stop in the upward lifting direction. There is a risk that the flip end cover will be flipped up, causing the FPC board to loosen and detach. 3) In order to facilitate the insertion of the FPC board, the connector has a fully open slot structure on the insertion side. There is no anti-reverse design after the FPC board is inserted, and there is a risk that the FPC board may be pulled backward and detached from the connector. 4) The connector has a single row of terminals and a relatively wide overall width, which is not conducive to miniaturization design.

[0006] A connector structure disclosed in existing patent publication number CN113809569A includes an insulating base, terminals, and a housing, with a receiving cavity formed between the housing and the insulating base for inserting an FPC board. However, due to the fixed housing, there is a risk of the terminals being flipped during insertion. Although the optimized design of the terminal structure can reduce the risk of pin breakage due to terminal flipping to some extent, other drawbacks still exist: Firstly, the FPC board is a flexible board, and in order to reliably connect the FPC board with the connector terminals, the contact points of the connector terminals extend upward into the receiving cavity. This results in insertion and removal resistance for the FPC board, posing a risk of FPC board deformation. Secondly, the FPC board cannot be locked after insertion, making it prone to loosening and causing unstable contact.

[0007] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a new flip-type electrical connector to solve the above-mentioned technical problems. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The main objective of this invention is to provide a flip-type electrical connector that facilitates the smooth insertion of an FPC board and can stably and reliably fix and limit the FPC board after it is inserted into place, effectively preventing the FPC board from loosening and improving the reliability and stability of the connector connection.

[0009] The present invention achieves the above-mentioned objective through the following technical solution: a flip-type electrical connector, comprising an insulating base, a plurality of terminals disposed within the insulating base, and a top cover disposed on the insulating base; fixing plates are embedded on the left and right sides of the insulating base, and sliding grooves are provided on the fixing plates; rotor portions that slide and rotate within the sliding grooves are provided on the rear sides of the top cover, and inwardly folded stop hooks are provided on the front sides; a downwardly protruding anti-reverse protrusion is provided on the lower surface of the top; the insulating base is provided with a stop notch that cooperates with the stop hooks to restrict the top cover from moving upward and backward, and a stop surface that cooperates with the anti-reverse protrusion to restrict the top cover from moving forward.

[0010] Furthermore, the upper surface of the insulating base is recessed downward to form a receiving groove for inserting the FPC board, and the top cover is placed on the receiving groove and together with the receiving groove forms a receiving cavity.

[0011] Furthermore, the bottom of the receiving groove is provided with a plurality of terminal storage grooves, the terminals are assembled and fixed in the terminal storage grooves, and the terminals have contact portions that extend upward into the receiving grooves.

[0012] Furthermore, a portion of the front enclosure is retained on the front side of the receiving groove to form a pair of blocking parts, and a clearance channel for the FPC board to pass through is formed between the two blocking parts. The FPC board has a width variation gap that cooperates with the blocking parts to achieve backlash prevention.

[0013] Furthermore, a pair of limiting grooves are formed on the left and right sides of the receiving groove, the limiting grooves are connected to the receiving groove, and a locking piece portion extending into the limiting groove is correspondingly formed on the FPC plate.

[0014] Furthermore, the fixing piece has a reinforcing notch, and the plastic material filling the reinforcing notch on the left and right sides of the insulating base forms a reinforcing protrusion; the lower edge of the fixing piece is horizontally folded outward to form a first welding part, which is welded to the PCB board; the fixing piece is bent at the edge away from the slide groove to form a hook part that is embedded in the insulating base.

[0015] Furthermore, the chute includes a sliding section and a rotating section from back to front, and the groove width of the sliding section is smaller than the groove width of the rotating section.

[0016] Furthermore, the stop notch is recessed upward from the lower side surface of the insulating base, having a downward first surface and a forward-facing second surface. The first surface constitutes a stop for the stop hook in the upward direction; the second surface constitutes a stop for the stop hook in the rearward direction; the stop surface is a rearward-facing surface on the rear side of the insulating base; the insulating base is also provided with a clearance notch to avoid the anti-reverse protrusion when the top cover is flipped downward from the lifted state and covered on the insulating base, the clearance notch having a forward-facing third surface, the third surface being an inclined surface.

[0017] Furthermore, the stop hook is formed by folding horizontally inward from the bottom of the side enclosure of the top cover.

[0018] Furthermore, an independent sheet is formed on the side enclosure of the top cover, and the independent sheet is bent inward and extends into the groove to form the rotor part.

[0019] The beneficial effects of this flip-type electrical connector are: it facilitates the smooth insertion of the FPC board, and after the FPC board is inserted into place, it can stably and reliably fix and limit its position, effectively preventing the FPC board from loosening and improving the reliability and stability of the connector connection. Specifically: 1) By rotating the top cover on the insulating base, a flip-top type FPC connector is formed, achieving zero insertion and extraction force and facilitating the smooth insertion of the FPC board; 2) By setting stop hooks on both sides of the top cover at the front position and setting anti-reverse protrusions on the lower surface of the top, and setting stop notches on the insulating base to cooperate with the stop hooks to achieve upward and backward stopping, and stop surfaces to cooperate with the anti-reverse protrusions to achieve forward stopping, the top cover achieves self-locking after being pushed backward to the locking position, and there is no risk of flipping up or retracting forward. This effectively avoids the FPC board from loosening or being pulled forward and ensures the connection reliability of the FPC board. 3) The insulating base is provided with a blocking part or limiting groove to prevent the FPC board from falling out. Combined with the structural design of the FPC board, this further enhances the connection reliability of the FPC board and effectively avoids the occurrence of FPC board loosening. 4) Fixing plates are embedded and molded on both sides of the insulating base. Taking advantage of the structural strength of the metal material, sliding grooves are set on the fixing plates to provide a structural basis for the flipping and sliding of the top cover. At the same time, the top cover also adopts a metal shell structure, which greatly improves the structural strength of the connector, ensures the positional stability of the top cover and the fixing plates, and improves the service life of the connector. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention with the FPC board inserted when the top cover is lifted in an embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly of the insulating base, fixing plate and terminal in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is one of the schematic diagrams of the state structure of the top cover and the fixing piece in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 This is the second schematic diagram of the structure of the top cover and the fixing piece in cooperation in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 This is one of the schematic diagrams of the state structure in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a second schematic diagram of the state structure of an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the top cover in the locked state according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the terminal structure in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of another terminal structure in an embodiment of the present invention; The numbers in the diagram represent: 100-Flip-type electrical connector; 200-FPC board, 201-Width variation section, 202-Locking plate section; 300-PCB board; 1-Insulating base, 11-Stop notch, 111-First surface, 112-Second surface, 12-Allowance notch, 13-Accommodation groove, 14-Terminal storage groove, 15-Blocking part, 16-Allowance channel, 17-Limiting groove, 18-Reinforcing protrusion, 19-Stop surface; 2-Terminal, 21-Contact part, 22-Second welding part, 23-Vertical connection section, 24-Power arm section, 25-Lower support section, 26-Hook section, 27-Serpentine bending section; 3-Top cover, 31-Rotor section, 32-Stop hook, 33-Anti-reverse protrusion; 4-Fixing plate, 41-Sliding groove, 411-Sliding section, 412-Rotating section, 42-Reinforcing notch, 43-First welding part, 44-Hook part. Detailed Implementation

[0021] Example

[0022] Please refer to Figures 1-10 This embodiment is a flip-type electrical connector 100, which includes an insulating base 1, a plurality of terminals 2 disposed in the insulating base 1, and a top cover 3 disposed on the insulating base 1. The insulating base 1 is an injection molded part and has fixing plates 4 embedded on its left and right sides. The fixing plates 4 are provided with sliding grooves 41. The top cover 3 has rotor parts 31 that slide and rotate in the sliding grooves 41 at the rear position on both sides, and stop hooks 32 that fold inward at the front position on both sides. The inner wall surface of the top cover is provided with downward protruding anti-reverse protrusions 33. The insulating base 1 is provided with stop notches 11 that cooperate with the stop hooks 32 to restrict the top cover 3 from moving upward and backward, and stop surfaces 19 that cooperate with the anti-reverse protrusions 33 to restrict the top cover 3 from moving forward.

[0023] The upper surface of the insulating base 1 is recessed downwards to form a receiving groove 13 for the FPC board 200 to be placed in. The top cover 3 is placed on top of the receiving groove 13, forming a receiving cavity together with the receiving groove 13. Several terminal receiving grooves 14 are provided at the bottom of the receiving groove 13. Terminals 2 are assembled and fixed in the terminal receiving grooves 14, and contact portions 21 extending upwards into the receiving groove 13 are formed on the terminals 2. In use, the FPC board 200 is placed in the receiving cavity, and its gold fingers contact the contact portions 21 of the terminals 2 on its lower surface to achieve electrical connection.

[0024] To prevent the FPC board 200 from being pulled outwards after being placed into the receiving groove 13, this embodiment retains a front enclosure on the front side of the receiving groove 13 to form a pair of blocking parts 15. A clearance channel 16 for the FPC board 200 to pass through is formed between the two blocking parts 15. The FPC board 200 has a width variation gap 201. This width variation gap 201, in cooperation with the blocking parts 15, restricts the degree of freedom of the FPC board in the front-back direction, thus preventing it from retracting. In another embodiment, a pair of limiting grooves 17 extend outwards from the left and right sides of the receiving groove 13. The limiting grooves 17 communicate with the receiving groove 13. A locking piece 202 extending into the limiting groove 17 is correspondingly formed on the FPC board 200. The limiting grooves 17 restrict the degree of freedom of the locking piece 202 in the front-back direction, thus preventing it from retracting.

[0025] The fixing plate 4 is integrally formed with the insulating base 1 through embedded injection molding. The fixing plate 4 is a three-dimensional metal sheet structure. The section of the fixing plate 4 with the groove 41 is located outside the insulating base 1, providing sufficient space for the insertion, sliding, and rotation of the rotor 31. In this embodiment, the groove 41 on the fixing plate 4 provides reliable support for the sliding and flipping of the top cover 3. Compared with the support reliability of plastic parts, it has higher reliability, and the wear resistance and deformation resistance of the metal material are better, improving the structural integrity and service life of the connector. The fixing plate 4 also has a reinforcing notch 42, which is filled with the plastic material of the insulating base 1. The plastic material filled in the reinforcing notch 42 on the left and right surfaces of the insulating base 1 forms reinforcing protrusions 18. Through the cooperation of the reinforcing protrusions 18 and the reinforcing notch 42, the connection between the fixing plate 4 and the insulating base 1 can be improved. Specifically, it can effectively control the degree of freedom of the fixing plate 4 in the front-back direction on the insulating base 1 and prevent its displacement. The lower edge of the fixing piece 4 is horizontally folded outward to form a first welding part 43, which is used to weld onto the PCB board 300 to improve the installation firmness and stability of the connector 100 on the PCB board 300.

[0026] Since the top cover 3 is essentially rotated and assembled on the fixing plate 4 to achieve assembly with the insulating base 1, in order to ensure the positional stability of the top cover 3 and the service life of the connector, the connection of the fixing plate 4 on the insulating base 1 must be firm. In order to further improve the connection firmness of the fixing plate 4 on the insulating base 1, the fixing plate 4 has a hook portion 44 embedded in the insulating base 1 by bending the edge on the side away from the slide groove 41. The hook portion 44 is embedded in the insulating base 1, which further improves the positional stability of the fixing plate 4 in the front-back direction and the performance of resisting pulling and displacement, effectively preventing the top cover 3 from moving the fixing plate 4 and causing the fixing plate 4 to loosen during the front-back sliding process.

[0027] To improve the positional stability of the top cover 3 in the closed state and prevent vertical movement of the rear side of the top cover 3, the slide groove 41 includes a sliding section 411 and a rotating section 412 from back to front. The width of the slot in the sliding section 411 is smaller than the width of the slot in the rotating section 412. The sliding section 411 is a straight slide groove, and its slot width only allows the rotor part 31 to slide but not to rotate. Its vertical width is equivalent to the corresponding dimension of the rotor part 31, so that when the top cover 3 is pushed back to the locked state in the closed state, the rotor part 31 remains in the sliding section 411 and cannot wobble in the vertical direction, thereby improving its positional stability in the closed state. The rotating section 412 has a circular structure so that the rotor part 31 can rotate smoothly and without obstruction within the slot of the rotating section 412.

[0028] The stop notch 11 is recessed upward from the lower side surface of the insulating base 1, and has a downward-facing first surface 111 and a forward-facing second surface 112. The stop hook 32 is horizontally folded inward from the bottom of the side enclosure of the top cover 3. The first surface 111 constitutes a stop for the stop hook 32 in the upward direction; the second surface 112 constitutes a stop for the stop hook 32 in the rearward direction. Through the structural design and mutual cooperation of the stop notch 11 and the stop hook 32, the distance the top cover 3 is pushed backward is limited, and the top cover 3 is prevented from being lifted upward after being pushed backward to the locking position.

[0029] The stop surface 19 is a rearward-facing surface on the rear side of the insulating base 1, which forms a stop for the anti-reverse protrusion 33 in the forward direction. Through the structural design and mutual cooperation of the stop surface 19 and the anti-reverse protrusion 33, the top cover 3 is prevented from sliding forward and loosening after being pushed backward into place.

[0030] The upper surface of the insulating base 1 is also provided with a clearance notch 12 to avoid the anti-reverse protrusion 33 when the top cover 3 is flipped down from the lifted state and closed on the insulating base 1. The clearance notch 12 is used to avoid the anti-reverse protrusion 33 when the top cover 3 is flipped down and closed, preventing the top cover 3 from being slightly pushed upward due to interference between the surface of the insulating base 1 and the anti-reverse protrusion 33, so that the stop hook 32 cannot descend smoothly below the first surface and thus cannot enter the stop notch 11, and the top cover 3 cannot be pushed backward, resulting in failure to close. The clearance notch 12 has a forward-facing third surface (not shown in the figure), which is an inclined surface to reduce the resistance encountered by the top cover 3 during the backward pushing process due to interference with the insulating base 1.

[0031] In the initial state, the rotor 31 remains in the rotating section 412. At this time, the top cover 3 can be flipped up and closed on the insulating base 1. After the FPC board 200 is placed into the receiving groove 13, the top cover 3 closes downwards, and the anti-reverse protrusion 33 falls into the clearance notch 12, so that the stop hook 32 can smoothly descend to the height corresponding to the stop notch 11. Then, the top cover 3 is pushed backwards, pushing the rotor 31 backwards to the sliding section 411. After the anti-reverse protrusion 33 slides into the rear side of the stop surface 19, the stop hook 32 moves backwards. When the top cover 3 moves into the stop notch 11, it is pushed backward into the locking position. At this time, the top cover 3 is restricted by four structures: 1) the sliding section 411 restricts the rotor part 31 in the vertical direction; 2) the stop notch 11 restricts the stop hook 32 in the upward and backward directions; 3) the stop surface 19 restricts the anti-reverse protrusion 33 in the forward direction; 4) the insulating base 1 supports the inner wall surface of the top of the top cover 3 around the periphery of the receiving groove 13, thereby restricting the top cover 3 in the downward direction. By restricting the degree of freedom of the top cover 3 through the above structures, the top cover 3 can maintain a stable and reliable position in the locking position, and there will be no loosening or detachment, ensuring a reliable connection between the FPC board 200 and the PCB board 300.

[0032] In this embodiment, to simplify the manufacturing process of connector 100, firstly, the rotor portion 31 is formed by bending a sheet on the side enclosure of the top cover 3. Specifically, the side enclosure of the top cover 3 has a vertical independent sheet, which is bent inward to form the rotor portion 31. When assembling the top cover 3 with the insulating base 1, the independent sheet is bent inward and inserted into the groove 41, thus forming the rotor portion 31 while simultaneously assembling the top cover 3 with the insulating base 1. Secondly, the stop hook 32 is formed by bending inward at the bottom of the side enclosure of the top cover 3. Finally, the anti-reverse protrusion 33 is formed by piercing the top of the top cover 3. Specifically, a piercing protrusion is formed by piercing the top surface of the top cover 3, and this piercing protrusion extends downward into the receiving cavity to form the anti-reverse protrusion 33.

[0033] To improve the elastic deformation performance of terminal 2 and ensure contact stability with the FPC board, terminal 2 can adopt a bent structure, combined with a longer elastic arm structure design, thus achieving a reliable terminal structure design. Specifically, in this embodiment, terminal 2 is an integrally bent structure and sequentially includes a second welding part 22, a vertical connecting section 23, a strong arm section 24, a contact part 21, a lower support section 25, and a hook section 26. The second welding part 22 is a horizontal structure, the vertical connecting section 23 is a vertical structure, the strong arm section 24 is an upwardly sloping structure, the contact part 21 protrudes upward from the end of the strong arm section 24 and then bends downward from the beginning of the lower support section 25, the lower support section 25 is a downwardly sloping and inwardly folded section, and the hook section 26 bends upward from the end of the lower support section 25 to form a support protrusion that abuts against the surface of the PCB board 300. Through the above terminal structure design, terminal 2 has a longer lever arm, better elasticity, and no burrs are generated at the contact point, resulting in good contact performance.

[0034] In another embodiment, terminal 2 is an integrally bent structure and sequentially includes a second welding portion 22, a vertical connecting section 23, a serpentine bending section 27, a contact portion 21, a lower support section 25, and a hook section 26. This terminal structure has a long lever arm, good elasticity, and will not undergo permanent deformation, resulting in more reliable contact.

[0035] The top cover 3 is a metal shell.

[0036] For those skilled in the art, various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the inventive concept of this invention, and these all fall within the protection scope of this invention.

Claims

1. A flip-type electrical connector, characterized in that: It includes an insulating base, several terminals disposed within the insulating base, and a top cover disposed on the insulating base; fixing plates are embedded on the left and right sides of the insulating base, and sliding grooves are provided on the fixing plates; rotor parts that slide and rotate within the sliding grooves are provided on the rear sides of the top cover, and inwardly folded stop hooks are provided on the front sides; a downwardly protruding anti-reverse protrusion is provided on the lower surface of the top; the insulating base is provided with a stop notch that cooperates with the stop hooks to restrict the top cover from moving upward and backward, and a stop surface that cooperates with the anti-reverse protrusion to restrict the top cover from moving forward; the sliding grooves include a sliding section and a rotating section from back to front, and the groove width of the sliding section is smaller than the groove width of the rotating section; The fixing piece has a reinforcing notch, and the plastic material filling the reinforcing notch on the left and right sides of the insulating base forms a reinforcing protrusion; the lower edge of the fixing piece is horizontally folded outward to form a first welding part, which is welded to the PCB board; the fixing piece is bent at the edge away from the slide to form a hook part that is embedded in the insulating base; The stop notch is recessed upward from the lower side surface of the insulating base, and has a first surface facing downward and a second surface facing forward. The first surface constitutes a stop for the stop hook in the upward direction; the second surface constitutes a stop for the stop hook in the rearward direction; the stop surface is a rearward surface of the insulating base; the insulating base is also provided with a clearance notch to avoid the anti-reverse protrusion when the top cover is flipped downward from the lifted state and covered on the insulating base, and the clearance notch has a third surface facing forward, and the third surface is an inclined surface.

2. The flip-type electrical connector as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The upper surface of the insulating base is recessed downward to form a receiving groove for inserting the FPC board, and the top cover is placed on the receiving groove and together with the receiving groove forms a receiving cavity.

3. The flip-type electrical connector as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The bottom of the receiving groove is provided with a plurality of terminal storage grooves, the terminals are assembled and fixed in the terminal storage grooves, and the terminals have contact portions that extend upward into the receiving grooves.

4. The flip-type electrical connector as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The front side of the receiving groove retains a portion of the front enclosure to form a pair of blocking parts, and a clearance channel for the FPC board to pass through is formed between the two blocking parts. The FPC board has a width variation section that cooperates with the blocking parts to achieve backlash prevention.

5. The flip-type electrical connector as described in claim 2, characterized in that: A pair of limiting grooves extend outward from the left and right sides of the receiving groove, and the limiting grooves are connected to the receiving groove. A locking piece portion extending into the limiting groove is correspondingly formed on the FPC board.

6. The flip-type electrical connector as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The stop hook is formed by folding horizontally inward from the bottom of the side enclosure of the top cover.

7. The flip-type electrical connector as described in claim 1, characterized in that: Independent sheets are formed on the side enclosure of the top cover, and the independent sheets are bent inward and extended into the groove to form the rotor part.

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