Connector and connector assembly

Abstract

The connector comprises a shell, a first terminal and a second terminal, the shell comprises a first side plate, a bottom plate, a top plate, a tail plate and a base station, the shell is provided with a containing cavity with an opening, the base station is arranged in the containing cavity, and a protruding block is arranged at the position, close to the opening, of the base station; the first terminal comprises a first elastic arm and a first contact part; the second terminal is provided with a second contact part; the flexible flat cable is installed in the connector through the pressing piece, the flexible flat cable comprises an inserting part, a golden finger and a through hole, the inserting part passes through the opening and is installed on the base station after being lifted by the first contact part, the pressing piece is inserted into or pulled out of the containing cavity in the longitudinal direction and enables the inserting part to be connected to the first contact part in a pressing mode in the thickness direction, and the protruding block penetrates into the through hole. The second contact part is in electrical contact connection with the golden finger. According to the connector, the flexible flat cable is compressed and contacted after being installed in place, so that the problem that a golden finger in the existing connector is scratched and damaged due to plugging is solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of connectors, and in particular relates to a connector and a connector assembly. Background Art

[0002] Wire-to-board connectors are widely used in electronic office equipment, power systems, industrial automation systems, battery management systems, energy storage systems, etc. due to their good transmission performance, flexible assembly and convenient installation. Common wire-to-board connectors on the market mainly include female connectors connected to cables or flat cables, and male connectors fixed to circuit boards.

[0003] In the female connector, the flexible cable (including FFC and FPC) needs to be installed in the female housing with a crimping terminal, and then the female connector is plugged into the male connector to achieve current and / or signal transmission. During the plugging process, the flexible cable is inserted or pulled out of the male connector under a certain squeezing force, and then it is connected with the connection terminal. During the plugging process, it is inevitable that the gold fingers (metal strips or metal plating used for contact) of the flexible cable will be scratched and worn, and there is a risk of bringing foreign matter into the contact area, and these connectors cannot be hot-plugged normally. Summary of the invention

[0004] In order to solve the deficiencies of the prior art, the present invention provides a connector and a connector assembly, so that the gold fingers of the flexible cable can be pressed and contacted after being plugged in and out, thereby solving the problem that the gold fingers in the existing wire-to-board connector are scratched and damaged due to plugging and unplugging, and cannot be hot-plugged.

[0005] The technical effects to be achieved by the present invention are achieved through the following technical aspects: In a first aspect, the present invention provides a connector for connecting to a flexible flat cable, the connector comprising: The housing comprises a pair of first side plates arranged opposite to each other in the transverse direction, a bottom plate and a top plate arranged opposite to each other in the thickness direction, a tail plate and a base, wherein the bottom plate, the top plate, the first side plate and the tail plate together surround a receiving cavity having an opening, the base is arranged in the receiving cavity, and the base is provided with a protrusion near the opening; A first terminal is disposed in the base, wherein the first terminal comprises a first elastic arm and a first contact portion disposed on the first elastic arm; and A second terminal is provided between the first terminals on both sides, and the second terminal is provided with a second contact portion; The base is provided with a base surface, and the distances between the vertices of the bump, the first contact portion and the second contact portion and the base surface are H1, H2, and H3, respectively, and have a relationship: H2≥H1>H3; The flexible flat cable is installed in the connector through a clamping piece. The flexible flat cable includes a plug-in portion and a gold finger and a through hole provided on the plug-in portion. The plug-in portion passes through the opening and is installed on the base after being lifted by the first contact portion. The clamping piece is inserted into or pulled out of the accommodating cavity in the longitudinal direction, and presses the plug-in portion to the first contact portion in the thickness direction. The protrusion penetrates the through hole, and the second contact portion is electrically connected to the gold finger.

[0006] In some embodiments, the base extends from the tail plate to the opening; in the longitudinal direction, the base is provided with a first slot for mounting a first terminal, the protrusion is provided at the end of the first slot, the first contact portion is adjacently connected to the protrusion, and the first contact portion protrudes toward the top plate or the bottom plate in a manner of elastically retracting from the first slot.

[0007] In some embodiments, the first terminal also includes a first fixing portion fixedly connected to the tail plate, the first elastic arm extends from the first fixing portion, is first bent toward the base in the thickness direction, and then is bent toward the top plate or the bottom plate for a second time; when the flexible cable is not squeezed in the thickness direction, the end of the first elastic arm abuts against the bottom of the protrusion.

[0008] In some embodiments, the base is further provided with a second slot body for mounting the second terminal, and the second slot body is located between the first slot bodies; The second terminal includes a second fixing portion and a second elastic arm extending from the second fixing portion and bent, the second contact portion is arranged on the second elastic arm, and the second contact portion protrudes toward the top plate or the bottom plate in a manner of elastically retracting in the second slot body.

[0009] In a second aspect, this embodiment provides a connector assembly, including: connectors, and A mating connector, matingly connected to the connector, wherein the flexible flat cable is disposed in the mating connector; Wherein, the plug-in portion is provided with a reinforcement layer and a local thinning structure opened in the reinforcement layer.

[0010] In some embodiments, the local thinning structure is a groove, and the groove is a single or multiple independent groove bodies, or a continuous groove body that passes through the plug-in portion in the transverse direction.

[0011] In some embodiments, in the flexible flat cable, the through hole is partially located at the front end of the plug-in portion, and partially located at the local thinning area.

[0012] In some embodiments, the mating connector includes: The matching shell comprises a matching bottom plate and a matching top plate which are arranged opposite to each other in the thickness direction, a pair of second side plates which are arranged opposite to each other in the transverse direction, and a separator; the side plates and the separator respectively surround the matching top plate or the matching bottom plate to form a receiving groove, and the pressing member is pre-installed in the receiving groove; the matching top plate and the matching bottom plate are respectively provided with a first limiting groove and a second limiting groove; A first locking member, pre-installed in the first limiting groove, for connecting with the top plate; and The second locking member is inserted into the second limiting groove along the thickness direction and is used to limit the installation of the flexible cable in the matching housing.

[0013] In some embodiments, the mating connector further includes a panel, the panel is provided with a slot communicating with the receiving slot, and the flexible cable is inserted into the receiving slot through the slot.

[0014] In some embodiments, the pressing member, the first locking member, and the panel form an integral injection-molded member, and the pressing member and the first locking member are extended from the same side of the panel.

[0015] In some embodiments, the second side plate is provided with a limit block protruding toward the receiving groove, and the limit block is provided with a guide portion and a stop portion; The clamping member is provided with a first clamping block and a second clamping block on the side wall, and a limiting groove located between the first clamping block and the second clamping block; when the clamping member is pre-locked in the matching shell, the limiting block is engaged and connected in the limiting groove, and the first clamping block is limited to the stop portion.

[0016] In some embodiments, when the pressing member moves forward in the longitudinal direction and pushes the forward end of the flexible cable in the thickness direction to squeeze the second contact portion, the second clamping block passes through the guide portion and is finally limited at the stop portion.

[0017] In some embodiments, the pressing member is provided with a reinforcing rib facing the matching top plate or the matching bottom plate, and the reinforcing rib is connected to the panel and extends in the longitudinal direction; The pressing member is provided with a slot in the longitudinal direction at a position adjacent to the first clamping block and the second clamping block; The top plate is provided with a locking groove toward the accommodating cavity, and the first locking member moves synchronously with the pressing member and is inserted and fixed in the locking groove.

[0018] In summary, the present invention has at least the following benefits: 1. In the connector provided by the present invention, when the plug-in portion of the flexible cable is installed on the base through the opening, the plug-in portion is guided forward by the protrusion and lifted by the first contact portion with the largest protrusion height; after reaching the predetermined position, the pressing member is further inserted into the accommodating cavity and pushes the plug-in portion in the thickness direction to press the first contact portion, the protrusion penetrates and connects to the through hole for limiting, and the gold finger abuts against the second contact portion to realize electrical contact connection, that is, the gold finger contacts the second terminal only after the flexible cable is installed in place, which can avoid scratching and wear of the plating of the gold finger during the plug-in and pull-out process, and reduce the situation of introducing foreign matter to damage the gold finger.

[0019] 2. In the connector assembly provided by the present invention, the connector and the mating connector are connected to each other in a cooperative manner, and the flexible flat cable has a locally thinned structure, which is also conducive to being lifted in the thickness direction and finally being compressed by the clamping member when being smoothly inserted into the accommodating cavity, thereby improving the connection stability between the flexible flat cable and the second terminal and improving the transmission efficiency.

[0020] 3. The connector assembly provided by the present invention, through the cooperation between the first terminal and the front end of the flexible cable, when the clamping member is pulled out, the first contact portion will bounce the front end in the thickness direction to separate the gold finger from the second contact portion, thereby meeting the requirements of hot plugging. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the connector according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of the connector of Example 1 of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the structure of the flexible cable according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 4 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of the connector after sectioning along line AA.

[0025] Figure 5 for Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the enlarged portion B.

[0026] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the connection between the connector plug and the mating connector of Example 1 of the present invention Figure 1 .

[0027] Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the connection between the connector plug and the mating connector of Example 1 of the present invention Figure 2 .

[0028] Figure 8 This is a schematic structural diagram of the connector assembly of Example 2 of the present invention before assembly.

[0029] Fig. 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the connector assembly of Example 2 of the present invention after assembly.

[0030] Fig.10 This is a schematic diagram showing that the plug-in portion of the flexible flat cable according to the second embodiment of the invention is lifted by the first contact portion.

[0031] Fig.11 This is an exploded view of the mating connector and the flexible cable of Example 2 of the present invention.

[0032] Fig.12 for Figure 8 Cross-sectional view of the mating connector and flexible cable along line CC.

[0033] Fig.13 for Fig. 9 Cross-section of the mating connector and flexible cable along the DD line.

[0034] Fig.14 This is a schematic diagram of hot plugging operation of the connector assembly according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

[0035] Fig.15 for Fig.14 Schematic diagram of the connection between the second terminal corresponding to B in FIG. 1 and the flexible cable.

[0036] Markings in the figure: 100-connector; 1-housing, 2-first terminal, 3-second terminal, 4-fixing plate, 5-circuit board; 10-accommodating cavity, 11-first side plate, 12-bottom plate, 13-top plate, 14-tail plate, 15-base, 16-opening; 111-fixing groove, 131-locking groove, 151-bump, 152-first groove body, 153-second groove body, 21-first elastic arm, 22-first contact portion, 23-first fixing portion; 31-second contact portion, 32-second fixing portion, 33-second elastic arm; 200-pair connector; 6-matching housing, 7-first locking member, 8-second locking member; 60-accommodating groove, 61-matching bottom plate, 62-matching top plate, 63-second side plate, 64-separator, 65-panel; 621-first limiting groove, 622-guide groove, 611-second limiting groove, 631-limiting block, 632-guide part, 633-stop part, 651-slot; 300-Flexible cable; 301-plug-in part, 302-gold finger, 303-through hole, 304-reinforcement layer, 305-local thinning structure, 306-front end; 400-Compression piece; 401-first clamping block, 402-second clamping block, 403-limiting groove, 404-reinforcement rib, 405-slot; 500-injection molded parts; X-horizontal direction, Y-vertical direction, Z-thickness direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] In order to facilitate the understanding of the present invention, the present invention will be described more comprehensively in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. The preferred embodiments of the present invention are provided in the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. On the contrary, the purpose of providing these embodiments is to make the disclosure of the present invention more thoroughly understood.

[0038] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" another element, it may be directly on the other element or there may be an intermediate element. When an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it may be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intermediate element at the same time.

[0039] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inside", "outside", etc. indicate positions or positional relationships based on the positions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, or the positions or positional relationships in which the product of the invention is usually placed when in use. They are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific position, be constructed and operated in a specific position, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. are only used to distinguish the description, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0040] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art of the present invention. The terms used in the specification of the present invention herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0041] Embodiment 1: refer to Figure 1-Figure 7, this embodiment provides a connector 100 for connecting with a flexible flat cable 300, the connector 100 includes a housing 1, a first terminal 2 and a second terminal 3, the first terminal 2 and the second terminal 3 are installed in the housing 1. The housing 1 includes a pair of first side plates 11 arranged opposite to each other in the transverse direction X, a bottom plate 12 and a top plate 13 arranged opposite to each other in the thickness direction Z, a tail plate 14 and a base 15. The bottom plate 12, the top plate 13, the tail plate 14 and the first side plates 11 on the left and right sides together surround to form a receiving cavity 10, and the receiving cavity 10 is provided with an opening 16. The opening 16 is arranged opposite to the tail plate 14 in the longitudinal direction Y. The base 15 is arranged in the receiving cavity 10, and the base 15 is provided with a protrusion 151 near the opening 16.

[0042] The first terminal 2 is disposed in the base 15 , and includes a first elastic arm 21 and a first contact portion 22 disposed on the first elastic arm 21 .

[0043] The second terminal 3 is disposed between the first terminals 2 on both sides, and the second terminal 3 is provided with a second contact portion 31 .

[0044] The base 15 is provided with a base surface 150, which is a plane. The distances between the vertices of the bump 151, the first contact portion 22 and the second contact portion 31 and the base surface 150 are H1, H2 and H3 respectively.

[0045] H1, H2 and H3 have the relationship: H2≥H1>H3.

[0046] H1: the distance between the vertex and the base of the bump; H2: distance between the vertex (contact point) of the first contact portion and the base surface; H3: The distance between the vertex (contact point) of the second contact portion and the base surface.

[0047] The flexible flat cable 300 is an FPC or FFC, which is installed in the connector 100 through a clamping member 400. Figure 2 As shown, the flexible flat cable 300 includes a plug-in portion 301, a gold finger 302 and a through hole 303. The gold finger 302 is a metal plating layer arranged along the longitudinal direction Y, and the through hole 303 is an avoidance hole. The gold finger 302 and the through hole 303 are arranged on the plug-in portion 301. The plug-in portion 301 passes through the opening 16 and is lifted by the first contact portion 22 and then installed on the base 15. The pressing member 400 is inserted into or pulled out of the accommodating cavity 10 in the longitudinal direction Y, and the pressing member 400 presses the plug-in portion 301 on the first contact portion 22 in the thickness direction Z. The bump 151 penetrates the through hole 303, and the second contact portion 31 is electrically connected to the gold finger 302.

[0048] Specifically, the flexible flat cable 300 is connected to the connector 100 through the plug-in portion 301, and after passing through the opening 16 and entering the accommodating cavity 10, it is guided to the first contact portion 22 by the protrusion 151 having an oblique upward arc structure for lifting. The distance H2 between the vertex and the base surface of the first contact portion 22 is greater than the distance H3 between the vertex and the base surface of the second contact portion 31, so that the front end of the plug-in portion 301 is lifted as a whole, and the gold finger 302 does not contact the second contact portion 31, that is, the gold finger 302 will not be scratched and worn by the second contact portion 31 during the process of the flexible flat cable 300 being inserted into the accommodating cavity 10.

[0049] It can be understood that the relationship “H2 ≥ H1 > H3” is a relationship of the connector when the plug-in portion 301 does not press the first contact portion 22 .

[0050] After the flexible cable 300 is installed in place, the pressing member 400 is inserted into the accommodating cavity 10 from the opening 16 to press the plug-in portion 301 against the first contact portion 22 along the thickness direction Z. At this time, the distance H2 between the vertex and the base surface of the first contact portion becomes smaller, and can be H2≥H3.

[0051] The connector 100 of this embodiment is a board-end connector, which is mounted on a hard circuit board 5 through a fixing plate 4. Specifically, the housing 1 has fixing grooves 111 on the first side plates 11 on both sides, and the fixing plates 4 pass through the fixing grooves 111 and are fixed on the circuit board 5, which is also called a PCB board.

[0052] like Figure 1 As shown, the connector 100 is provided with a locking groove 131 on the top plate 13 facing the accommodating cavity 10 for locking connection with a mating connector.

[0053] The base 15 extends from the tail plate 14 to the opening 16, but the end of the base 15 does not completely extend to the opening 16. It can be understood that one end of the base 15 is connected to the tail plate 14, and the other end extends to the opening 16, but there is a certain distance from the opening 16, which can ensure that the connection process between the cable and the first terminal and the second terminal is carried out in the accommodating cavity 10.

[0054] Combined with reference Figure 4 and Figure 6 In the longitudinal direction Y, the base 15 is provided with a first slot 152 for mounting the first terminal 2, and a second slot 153 for mounting the second terminal 3. The protrusion 151 is arranged at the end of the first slot 152; the first contact portion 22 of the first terminal 2 is adjacently connected to the protrusion 151, and the first contact portion 22 protrudes toward the top plate 13 or the bottom plate 12 in a manner of elastically retracting from the first slot 152. In some embodiments, the projection of the vertex of the protrusion 151 on the base surface 150 and the projection of the vertex of the first contact portion 22 on the base surface 150 are on the same straight line.

[0055] The first terminal 2 includes a first fixing portion 23 fixedly connected to the tail plate 14, and the first elastic arm 21 extends from the first fixing portion 23, is first bent toward the base 15 in the thickness direction Z, and then is secondarily bent toward the top plate 13 or the bottom plate 12. When the flexible cable 300 is not pressed by the pressing member 400 in the thickness direction Z, the end of the first elastic arm 21 abuts against the bottom of the protrusion 151.

[0056] Combined with reference Figure 4 and Figure 7 , the second slot 153 is located between the first slots 152. In this embodiment, the base 15 is provided with three first slots 152, two of which are close to the first side plate 11, and the other first slot 152 is arranged in the middle of the base 15 in the longitudinal direction Y. In other embodiments, the number and length of the first slots 152 can be optimized according to the width of the flexible flat cable 300, for example, only two first slots 152 close to the first side plate 11 can be arranged, or more than four first slots 152 can be arranged. The second slot 153 is located between the first slots 152 on both sides, that is, the first slots 152 separate or surround the second slots 153 in the transverse direction X.

[0057] The second terminal 3 includes a second contact portion 31, a second fixing portion 32, and a second elastic arm 33. The second elastic arm 33 extends from the second fixing portion 32 and is bent. The second contact portion 31 is arranged on the second elastic arm 33, and the second contact portion 31 protrudes toward the top plate 13 or the bottom plate 12 in a manner of elastically retracting from the second slot 153. In this embodiment, the second terminals 3 are arranged in two rows, upper and lower; and the second terminals 3 are double elastic arm double contact structure, that is, each second terminal 3 has two second elastic arms 33 and two second contact portions 31.

[0058] Further references Figure 6 and Figure 7 During the process of the plug-in portion 301 of the flexible cable 300 being installed on the base 15 through the opening 16, the plug-in portion 301 is guided forward by the protrusion 151 and is lifted by the first contact portion 22 with the largest protrusion height relative to the base surface 150. After the plug-in portion 301 reaches the predetermined position, the pressing member 400 is further inserted into the accommodating cavity 10 in the longitudinal direction Y, and pushes the plug-in portion 301 to press the first contact portion 22 in the thickness direction Z. The protrusion 151 of the base 15 penetrates and connects to the through hole 303 for limiting, and the gold finger 302 of the flexible cable 300 abuts against the second contact portion 31 to achieve electrical contact connection.

[0059] The connector provided in this embodiment, during the process of connecting with the flexible cable, needs to install the flexible cable in place and push the clamping piece forward in the longitudinal direction before the gold finger contacts the second terminal. This can avoid scratching and wear of the gold finger coating during the plugging and unplugging process and reduce the situation of foreign matter damaging the gold finger.

[0060] Embodiment 2: exist Figure 1-Figure 7 Based on the reference Figure 8-Figure 12 This embodiment provides a connector assembly, including the connector 100 of embodiment 1 and a mating connector 200 matingly connected to the connector 100, the flexible cable 300 is installed in the mating connector 200 and plugged into the connector 100 through the mating connector 200, so as to realize electrical contact connection between the gold finger 302 of the flexible cable 300 and the second contact portion 31 of the second terminal 3.

[0061] Further references Figure 3 In the flexible flat cable 300, the plug-in portion 301 is provided with a reinforcing layer 304 and a local thinning structure 305. The reinforcing layer 304 is a plate-shaped or film-shaped structure, which is used to enhance the structural strength of the plug-in portion 301 and facilitate insertion into the accommodating cavity 10 of the connector 100. In this embodiment, the reinforcing layer 304 is provided on the side of the flexible flat cable 300 facing the bottom plate 12 or the top plate 13, and the gold finger 302 is provided on the side of the flexible flat cable 300 facing the base 15.

[0062] It should be noted that the local thinning structure 305 is provided on the reinforcing layer 304 to ensure that the plug-in portion 301 has both structural strength and good flexibility, so that the leading end 306 of the plug-in portion 301 can be lifted by the first contact portion 22 and reach the installation position during the plug-in process.

[0063] Furthermore, the local thinning structure 305 is a groove formed by being sunken from the reinforcing layer 304 along the thickness direction Z. In some embodiments, the groove may be a single or multiple independent grooves, and the multiple independent grooves are not connected to each other; in other embodiments, the groove is a continuous groove that penetrates the plug-in portion 301 in the horizontal direction X. Based on the continuous groove structure, the plug-in portion 301 is more conducive to being guided by the protrusion 151 as a whole and lifted up by the first contact portion 22 during the process of being inserted into the accommodating cavity 10 and installed on the base 15, so as to prevent the gold finger from being scratched and worn.

[0064] The through hole 303 with the avoidance function is a strip hole or an elliptical hole opened along the longitudinal direction Y. Part of the through hole 303 is located at the front end 306 , and part of it is located in the groove of the local thinning structure 305 .

[0065] like Fig.10As shown, after the leading end 306 is guided by the protrusion 151 and lifted by the first contact portion 22, the top of the protrusion 151 first penetrates into the through hole portion located at the leading end 306, and then penetrates into the through hole portion located at the local thinning structure 305. At this time, by pushing the pressing member 400, the leading end 306 can be pressed against the first contact portion 22, the first elastic arm 21 is elastically deformed, and the end of the first elastic arm 21 originally abutting against the bottom of the protrusion 151 will move toward the first groove body 152, and the protrusion 151 completely penetrates into the through hole 303 for avoidance and limiting.

[0066] The mating connector 200 includes a mating housing 6, a first locking member 7 and a second locking member 8. The mating housing 6 includes a mating bottom plate 61 and a mating top plate 62 that are arranged opposite to each other in the thickness direction Z, a pair of second side plates 63 that are arranged opposite to each other in the transverse direction X, and a separator 64. The second side plates 63 and the separator 64 on both sides and the mating top plate 62 on the top form a receiving groove 60, or the second side plates 63 and the separator 64 on both sides and the mating bottom plate 61 on the bottom form a receiving groove 60. That is, two receiving grooves 60 are separated by the separator 64 in the cavity of the mating housing 6 for pre-installing the pressing member 400 and the flexible flat cable 300. The mating top plate 62 is provided with a first limiting groove 621, and the mating bottom plate is provided with a second limiting groove 611.

[0067] The first locking member 7 is pre-installed in the first limiting groove 621 , and the first locking member 7 is used to cooperate with and connect with the top plate 13 of the connector 100 .

[0068] The second locking member 8 is inserted and installed in the second limiting groove 611 along the thickness direction Z. The second locking member 8 is used to limit the flexible cable 300 and install it in the matching housing 6 .

[0069] Furthermore, the mating connector 200 further includes a panel 65 , and the panel 65 is provided with a slot 651 communicating with the receiving slot 60 , and the flexible cable 300 is plugged into the receiving slot 60 through the slot 651 .

[0070] The pressing member 400, the first locking member 7 and the panel 65 may be a split or integrated structure. In some embodiments, the pressing member 400, the first locking member 7 and the panel 65 are a split structure, the pressing member 400 and the first locking member 7 are first inserted and installed in the receiving groove 60 and the first limiting groove 621 respectively, the panel 65 and the matching housing 6 have a preset push-in distance, the flexible cable 300 is inserted into the receiving groove 60 through the slot 651 and is limited in the thickness direction by the second locking member 8. The flexible cable 300 is flatly pressed and connected to the partition 64 by the pressing member 400, but the pressing member 400 can move forward relative to the flexible cable 300.

[0071] In some embodiments, the pressing member 400, the first locking member 7 and the panel 65 are an integrated structure. In this case, the pressing member 400, the first locking member 7 and the panel 65 form an integrated injection molded part 500. In the injection molded part 500, the pressing member 400 and the first locking member 7 extend from the same side of the panel 65. During the installation process, the injection molded part 500 is plugged into the matching housing 6. At this time, the pressing member 400 and the first locking member 7 move synchronously and are respectively inserted and installed in the receiving groove 60 and the first limiting groove 621. Figure 8 As shown, there is a certain distance between the slot 651 of the panel 65 and the receiving slot 60 before they are fully connected, and the flexible cable 300 is inserted into the receiving slot 60 through the slot 651 .

[0072] On the connection structure between the pressing member 400 and the second side plate 63. The second side plate 63 is provided with a limit block 631 protruding toward the receiving groove 60, and the limit block 631 is provided with a guide portion 632 and a stop portion 633, wherein the guide portion 632 is closer to the panel 65 than the stop portion 633. The guide portion 632 is a curved surface structure, and the stop portion 633 is a right angle structure.

[0073] Correspondingly, combined with reference Fig.11 and Fig.12 , the pressing member 400 is provided with a first clamping block 401, a second clamping block 402 and a limiting groove 403 on the side wall. The second clamping block 402 is closer to the panel 65 than the first clamping block 401. The second clamping block 402 is a curved surface structure, and the first clamping block 401 is a right-angle structure. The limiting groove 403 is arranged between the first clamping block 401 and the second clamping block 402, and the shape of the groove body thereof is adapted to the shape of the limiting block 631. When the pressing member 400 is pre-locked in the matching housing 6, the limiting block 631 is engaged and connected in the limiting groove 403, and the first clamping block 401 is limited to the stop portion 633. Since the first clamping block 401 and the stop portion 633 both have a right-angle structure, the first clamping block 401 cannot escape from the accommodating groove in the longitudinal direction Y, and at this time, the second clamping block 402 abuts against the guide portion 632. The front end of the pressing member 400 reaches the local thinning structure of the flexible flat cable 300 but does not reach the front end.

[0074] Combined with reference Figure 6-Figure 7 ,as well as Fig.12 and Fig.13 When the pressing member 400 moves forward in the longitudinal direction Y and pushes the front end 306 of the flexible cable 300 in the thickness direction Z to squeeze the first contact portion 22, the limiting groove 403 leaves the limiting block 631, and the second clamping block 402 passes through the guide portion 632 and is finally limited to the stop portion 633. The front end of the pressing member 400 reaches the front end of the flexible cable 300. After being plugged in place, there is tactile and sound feedback.

[0075] In the mating connector 200 , the front end 306 of the flexible cable 300 is retracted into the mating housing 6 to prevent accidental touch and collision.

[0076] In addition, the clamping member 400 is provided with a reinforcing rib 404. In the thickness direction Z, the reinforcing rib 404 faces the matching bottom plate 61 or the matching top plate 62; and the reinforcing rib 404 is connected to the panel 65 and extends in the longitudinal direction Y, which can prevent the clamping member 400 from deforming in the thickness direction; correspondingly, the matching housing 6 is provided with a guide groove 622 on the matching top plate 62, and the guide groove 622 and the reinforcing rib 404 cooperate with each other to have a limiting and guiding function. The clamping member 400 is also provided with a slot 405 along the longitudinal direction Y at the position adjacent to the first clamping block 401 and the second clamping block 402, so that the first clamping block 401 and the second clamping block 402 can be elastically deformed when passing through the limiting block 631.

[0077] In the connector 100, a locking groove 131 is opened on the top plate 13 toward the accommodating cavity 10. Since the clamping member 400, the first locking member 7 and the panel 65 are an integrally formed injection molded part 500, when the clamping member 400 moves, the first locking member 7 also moves synchronously with the clamping member 400 and is inserted and fixed in the locking groove 131.

[0078] In the connector assembly provided in this embodiment, the connector and the mating connector are connected to each other in cooperation, and the flexible cable has a locally thinned structure. When it is smoothly inserted into the accommodating cavity, it is also beneficial to be lifted by the first contact portion in the thickness direction and finally compressed by the clamping member, so that the gold finger is electrically contacted and connected with the second contact portion, thereby improving the connection stability between the flexible cable and the second terminal and improving the transmission efficiency.

[0079] Embodiment 3: exist Figure 1-Figure 13 Based on the reference Fig.14 and Fig.15 , this embodiment illustrates the operation of hot plugging of the connector assembly.

[0080] like Fig.14 As shown, in Fig.14 In A, the injection molded part 500 is inserted into the matching shell 6, the clamping part 400 and the first locking part 7 are first inserted and installed in the accommodating groove 60 and the first limiting groove 621 respectively, the panel 65 has a certain distance from the matching shell, the flexible cable 300 is inserted into the accommodating groove 60 through the slot and is locked by the second locking part 8 in the thickness direction; the flexible cable 300 is flatly pressed by the clamping part 400 and connected to the partition 64.

[0081] Next, the mating connector 200 is inserted into the accommodating cavity 10 of the connector 100, and the plug-in portion 301 of the flexible flat cable 300 is installed on the base 15 through the opening 16, and the forward end 306 of the plug-in portion 301 is guided forward by the protrusion 151; the local thinning structure 305 provided in the reinforcement layer 304 ensures that the plug-in portion 301 has structural strength and good flexibility, so that the forward end 306 of the plug-in portion 301 is lifted by the first contact portion 22 and reaches the installation position after being guided forward by the protrusion 151. The first locking member enters the locking groove for pre-locking.

[0082] refer to Fig.10 , the second contact portion 31 of the second terminal 3 does not contact the gold finger of the flexible cable.

[0083] exist Fig.14 In B, at the pressing hand position of the injection molded part, by pushing the pressing member 400 and the first locking member 7 in the longitudinal direction Y, the pressing member 400 is further inserted into the accommodating cavity 10 in the longitudinal direction Y, so that the front end 306 can press the first contact portion 22, the first elastic arm 21 is elastically deformed, and the end of the first elastic arm 21 originally abutting against the bottom of the protrusion 151 will move toward the first groove body 152, and the protrusion 151 completely penetrates the through hole 303 for avoidance and limiting. The first locking member completely enters the locking groove, so that the connector and the mating connector are locked together.

[0084] Correspondingly, refer to Fig.15 , the front end 306 of the plug-in portion 301 approaches the base 15 , and the gold finger 302 of the flexible cable 300 abuts against the second contact portion 31 to achieve electrical contact connection.

[0085] exist Fig.14 In C, even when power is on, the injection molded part is pulled out in the longitudinal direction Y, so that the first locking part and the pressing part are partially withdrawn from the accommodating cavity. At this time, the first elastic arm moves toward the base, lifting the plug-in part, so that the gold finger of the flexible cable is separated from the second contact part, that is, the mating connector and the connector can be plugged in and out when power is on, realizing hot plugging.

[0086] The above contents are merely examples and illustrations of the structure of the present invention, and the description is relatively specific and detailed, but it cannot be understood as limiting the scope of the present invention. It should be pointed out that for ordinary technicians in this field, several modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these obvious replacement forms all belong to the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A connector for connecting with a flexible cable, characterized in that: The connector comprises: The housing comprises a pair of first side plates arranged opposite to each other in the transverse direction, a bottom plate and a top plate arranged opposite to each other in the thickness direction, a tail plate and a base, wherein the bottom plate, the top plate, the first side plate and the tail plate together surround a receiving cavity having an opening, the base is arranged in the receiving cavity, and the base is provided with a protrusion near the opening; A first terminal is disposed in the base, wherein the first terminal comprises a first elastic arm and a first contact portion disposed on the first elastic arm; and A second terminal is provided between the first terminals on both sides, and the second terminal is provided with a second contact portion; The base is provided with a base surface, and the distances between the vertices of the bump, the first contact portion and the second contact portion and the base surface are H1, H2, and H3, respectively, and have a relationship: H2≥H1>H3; The flexible flat cable is installed in the connector through a clamping piece. The flexible flat cable includes a plug-in portion and a gold finger and a through hole provided on the plug-in portion. The plug-in portion passes through the opening and is installed on the base after being lifted by the first contact portion. The clamping piece is inserted into or pulled out of the accommodating cavity in the longitudinal direction, and presses the plug-in portion to the first contact portion in the thickness direction. The protrusion penetrates the through hole, and the second contact portion is electrically connected to the gold finger.

2. The connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The base extends from the tail plate to the opening; in the longitudinal direction, the base is provided with a first slot for mounting a first terminal, the protrusion is provided at the end of the first slot, the first contact portion is adjacently connected to the protrusion, and the first contact portion protrudes toward the top plate or the bottom plate in a manner of elastically retracting from the first slot.

3. The connector according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first terminal also includes a first fixing portion fixedly connected to the tail plate, the first elastic arm extends from the first fixing portion, is first bent toward the base in the thickness direction, and then is bent toward the top plate or the bottom plate for a second time; when the flexible cable is not squeezed in the thickness direction, the end of the first elastic arm abuts against the bottom of the protrusion.

4. The connector according to claim 2, characterized in that: The base is also provided with a second slot body for mounting the second terminal, and the second slot body is located between the first slot bodies; The second terminal includes a second fixing portion and a second elastic arm extending from the second fixing portion and bent, the second contact portion is arranged on the second elastic arm, and the second contact portion protrudes toward the top plate or the bottom plate in a manner of elastically retracting in the second slot body.

5. A connector assembly, characterized in that: include: The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 4, and A mating connector, matingly connected to the connector, wherein the flexible flat cable is disposed in the mating connector; Wherein, the plug-in portion is provided with a reinforcement layer and a local thinning structure opened in the reinforcement layer.

6. The connector assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that: The local thinning structure is a groove, and the groove is a single or multiple independent groove bodies, or a continuous groove body that passes through the plug-in part in the transverse direction.

7. The connector assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that: In the flexible flat cable, the through hole is partially located at the front end of the plug-in portion, and partially located at the local thinning area.

8. The connector assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that: The mating connector comprises: The matching shell includes a matching bottom plate and a matching top plate which are arranged opposite to each other in the thickness direction, a pair of second side plates which are arranged opposite to each other in the transverse direction, and a separator; the second side plates and the separator respectively surround the matching top plate or the matching bottom plate to form a receiving groove, and the pressing member is pre-installed in the receiving groove; the matching top plate and the matching bottom plate are respectively provided with a first limiting groove and a second limiting groove; A first locking member, pre-installed in the first limiting groove, for connecting with the top plate; and The second locking member is inserted into the second limiting groove along the thickness direction and is used to limit the installation of the flexible cable in the matching housing.

9. The connector assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that: The mating connector further includes a panel, the panel is provided with a slot communicating with the receiving slot, and the flexible cable is inserted into the receiving slot through the slot.

10. The connector assembly according to claim 9, characterized in that The pressing member, the first locking member and the panel form an integral injection molded part, and the pressing member and the first locking member are extended from the same side of the panel.

11. The connector assembly according to claim 10, characterized in that The second side plate is provided with a limit block protruding toward the accommodating groove, and the limit block is provided with a guide portion and a stop portion; The clamping member is provided with a first clamping block and a second clamping block on the side wall, and a limiting groove located between the first clamping block and the second clamping block; when the clamping member is pre-locked in the matching shell, the limiting block is engaged and connected in the limiting groove, and the first clamping block is limited to the stop portion.

12. The connector assembly according to claim 11, characterized in that When the pressing member moves forward in the longitudinal direction and pushes the forward end of the flexible cable in the thickness direction to press the second contact portion, the second clamping block passes through the guide portion and is finally limited at the stop portion.

13. The connector assembly according to claim 11, characterized in that The pressing member is provided with a reinforcing rib facing the matching top plate or the matching bottom plate, and the reinforcing rib is connected to the panel and extends in the longitudinal direction; The pressing member is provided with a slot in the longitudinal direction at a position adjacent to the first clamping block and the second clamping block; The top plate is provided with a locking groove toward the accommodating cavity, and the first locking member moves synchronously with the pressing member and is inserted and fixed in the locking groove.

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