Connector and terminal member

Abstract

[Task] To provide a connector and a terminal member capable of connecting a flat cable and a double-sided circuit board even when the pitch of the flat cable is smaller than the pitch of the double-sided circuit board. [Solution] A connector 1 for connecting a circuit board 2 and a flat cable 3 includes a housing 11 including a board insertion portion 15, a cable insertion portion 31, a plurality of upper terminal accommodating cavities 42U arranged above the board insertion portion, and a plurality of lower terminal accommodating cavities 42D arranged below the board insertion portion, a plurality of upper terminal members 12U each accommodated in the plurality of upper terminal accommodating cavities, and a plurality of lower terminal members 12D each accommodated in the plurality of lower terminal accommodating cavities. Each of the plurality of upper terminal members and the plurality of lower terminal members includes a board connecting portion 51 connected to a board-side electrode 4 and a cable connecting portion 52 connected to a cable-side electrode 9, the cable connecting portion is formed narrower than the board connecting portion in a lateral direction, and the upper terminal members and the lower terminal members adjacent to each other are arranged such that their board connecting portions overlap each other in a vertical direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a connector for connecting a flexible flat cable (FFC) or a flexible printed circuit board (FPC) to a circuit board, and terminal components disposed in the connector. Background Technology

[0002] Flexible flat cables (FFCs) and flexible printed circuit boards (FPCs) are widely used in various electronic devices to connect printed circuit boards. By using FFCs or FPCs, wiring within limited space and wiring of moving parts can be achieved. Hereinafter, as needed, flexible flat cables (FFCs) and flexible printed circuit boards (FPCs) will be collectively referred to as flat cables.

[0003] Patent document 1 discloses a card edge connector capable of connecting to an FFC. The card edge connector in Patent document 1 includes a body and terminals. The body includes an insertion opening for the FFC and a receiving space for accommodating an edge portion of a circuit board. The terminals contact the FFC inserted into the insertion opening and the circuit board accommodated within the receiving space.

[0004] Existing technical documents Patent documents

[0005] Patent document 1: Japanese Utility Model No. 3236706 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The task to be accomplished by this invention

[0007] In circuit boards, from the perspectives of thermal management, signal quality improvement, and ease of mounting electronic components, the wiring spacing tends to be set larger than that of FFC or FPC. On the other hand, in FFC and FPC, from the perspectives of flexibility and ease of wiring within limited space, it is preferable to set the wiring spacing smaller.

[0008] When the spacing of the FPC is set smaller than the spacing of the circuit board, connecting the FPC to the circuit board is not easy. Patent document 1 discloses terminals for electrodes disposed on the circuit board and electrodes disposed on the FFC or FPC. However, when the electrode spacing differs between the circuit board and the FFC, applying the edge connector of patent document 1 is difficult.

[0009] In view of the above background, the object of the present invention is to provide a connector and terminal component that can connect a flat cable to a double-sided circuit board even when the spacing of the flat cable is smaller than the spacing of the double-sided circuit board.

[0010] means of completing the task

[0011] To achieve the above objectives, one aspect of the present invention provides a connector (1) for connecting a circuit board (2) and a flat cable (3), the circuit board having board-side electrodes (4) on each of a top surface and a bottom surface, the flat cable being flexible and having cable-side electrodes (9), the connector (1) comprising: a housing (11) including: a board insertion portion (15) into which the circuit board is inserted from the front; a cable insertion portion (31) into which the flat cable is inserted from the rear, the cable insertion portion being disposed opposite to the board insertion portion; a plurality of upper terminal receiving cavities (42U) including portions disposed above the board insertion portion; and a plurality of lower terminal receiving cavities (42D) including portions disposed below the board insertion portion; a plurality of upper terminal members (12U) respectively received in the plurality of upper terminal receiving cavities; and a plurality of lower terminal members (12D) respectively received in the plurality of lower terminal receiving cavities. Each of the plurality of upper terminal members and the plurality of lower terminal members includes a plate connection portion connected to the plate-side electrode and a cable connection portion (52) connected to the cable-side electrode, the cable connection portion being narrower than the plate connection portion in the lateral direction, and the upper and lower terminal members adjacent to each other being arranged such that their plate connections portions overlap each other in the vertical direction.

[0012] Based on this aspect, the board connectors located above and below the circuit board are arranged to overlap each other in the vertical direction. Furthermore, since the cable connectors are formed to be narrower than the board connectors in the horizontal direction, they can be arranged closer together than if they did not overlap. Therefore, even when the spacing between the flat cables is smaller than the spacing between the double-sided circuit boards, it is possible to connect the flat cables to the double-sided circuit boards.

[0013] In the above aspects, preferably, the plurality of upper terminal receiving cavities and the plurality of lower terminal receiving cavities are arranged in an alternating manner above and below the plate insertion portion.

[0014] Based on this, it is easy to make the spacing of the board-side electrodes on the top and bottom surfaces of the circuit board equal.

[0015] In the above aspects, preferably, the plate connection includes a housing (55) and a spring (56) supported by the housing and extending from the housing, each of the plurality of upper terminal members being supported by the housing such that the spring extends downward from the housing, and each of the plurality of lower terminal members being supported by the housing such that the spring extends upward from the housing.

[0016] Based on this aspect, the terminal components can be arranged to be connected to the top and bottom surfaces of the circuit board.

[0017] In the above aspects, preferably, the spring is pivotally supported on the left and right sides of the housing and includes two contact portions arranged in the front-rear direction.

[0018] Based on this aspect, the terminal components can be connected to the circuit board more reliably.

[0019] In the above aspects, preferably, when viewed in the front-rear direction, the cable connector is located at the lateral center of the housing.

[0020] Based on this, the spacing between adjacent cable connections can be made equal.

[0021] In the above aspects, preferably, when viewed in the lateral direction, the cable connector has a U-shape and its ends are close to each other to clamp the flat cable.

[0022] Based on this aspect, while the flat cable is well held by the cable connector, the cable connector can be electrically connected to the cable side electrode.

[0023] In the above aspects, preferably, the housing includes a rear portion (11R) constituting the rear part of the housing and a front portion (11F) constituting the front part of the housing, the rear portion of the housing is provided with the cable insertion portion, the front portion of the housing is provided with the plate insertion portion, and the plurality of upper terminal receiving cavities and the plurality of lower terminal receiving cavities are defined by connecting the front portion of the housing and the rear portion of the housing.

[0024] Based on this aspect, terminal receiving cavities can be easily formed.

[0025] In the foregoing, preferably, the connector further includes a retainer (13) that engages with the housing to retain the flat cable in the cable insertion portion, the flat cable being provided with a through hole (88), and the retainer including a cable retention portion (92) passing through the through hole.

[0026] Based on this, it is possible to prevent the cable from coming off the casing.

[0027] Another aspect of the invention provides a terminal component (12) disposed in a connector, the terminal component comprising: a housing (55) having a generally cuboid shape and constituting the plate connection portion; a connecting piece (78) constituting the cable connection portion; and a connecting portion (53) connecting the connecting piece to the housing.

[0028] Based on this aspect, the plate connection part and the cable connection part can be connected to each other through the connecting part.

[0029] In the above aspects, preferably, when viewed from the front, the connecting portion positions the connecting piece at the lateral center of the housing.

[0030] Based on this, when viewed in the front-back direction, the cable connection can be positioned at the lateral center of the housing.

[0031] Invention Effects

[0032] Therefore, based on the above aspects, it is possible to provide connectors and terminal components that can connect flat cables to double-sided circuit boards even when the spacing of the flat cables is smaller than the spacing of the double-sided circuit boards. Attached Figure Description

[0033] [Figure 1]: A perspective view of the connector, the circuit board connected to the connector, and the flexible printed circuit board connected to the connector according to the present invention, as viewed from the left rear. [Figure 2]: A perspective view of the connector, the circuit board connected to the connector, and the flexible printed circuit board connected to the connector according to the present invention, as viewed from the front right. [Figure 3]: Exploded perspective view of the connector when viewed from the front right; [Figure 4]: Perspective view of the front of the housing and terminal components when viewed from the left rear; [Figure 5]: Front view of the connector; [Figure 6]: (A) shows a top view of the circuit board being inserted into the connector with the correct orientation, and (B) shows a top view of the circuit board being inserted with the orientation reversed; [Figure 7]: Rear view of the connector; [Figure 8]: (A) Rear view of the connector, and (B) Schematic diagram showing the front of the connector viewed from the rear; [Figure 9]: Vertical sectional view of the connector; [Figure 10]: (A) perspective view of the terminal component, and (B) top view of the terminal component; [Figure 11]: Vertical sectional view of the connector, showing the state of insertion into the circuit board and flat cable; [Figure 12]: A cross-sectional view of the rear of the connector with the flat cable inserted and the retainer fully inserted; [Figure 13]: A cross-sectional view of the rear of the connector with the flat cable inserted and the retainer in the preset position. Detailed Implementation

[0034] The connector and terminal components according to embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0035] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, connector 1 connects circuit board 2 to flat cable 3, such as flexible flat cable (FCC) or flexible printed circuit board (FPC). Circuit board 2 and flat cable 3 are electrically connected by being inserted into connector 1.

[0036] For ease of explanation, the insertion direction from circuit board 2 to connector 1 will be defined as the rearward direction, and the direction of the main surface of circuit board 2 will be defined as the up-down direction. However, this description of directions is for illustrative purposes only, and the present invention is not limited to this definition.

[0037] Circuit board 2 is a double-sided board and is composed of a printed circuit board (PCB) with wiring patterns (not shown) formed on both surfaces. At the rear end of circuit board 2, a plurality of board-side electrodes 4 are provided on both the top surface (upper surface) and the bottom surface (lower surface). The board-side electrodes 4 are formed of plate-shaped metal and are connected to the wiring patterns provided on the front and rear surfaces of circuit board 2.

[0038] The board-side electrodes 4 disposed on the top surface and the board-side electrodes 4 disposed on the bottom surface are arranged at approximately equal intervals along the edge of the circuit board 2. The board-side electrodes 4 disposed on the top surface and the board-side electrodes 4 disposed on the bottom surface have approximately the same shape. The intervals between the individual board-side electrodes 4 disposed on the top surface and the intervals between the individual board-side electrodes 4 disposed on the bottom surface are set to be approximately equal. However, the individual board-side electrodes 4 disposed on the top surface and the adjacent board-side electrodes 4 disposed on the bottom surface are offset from each other by half the distance, and form an staggered arrangement when viewed in the direction opposite to the insertion direction (when viewed from the rear).

[0039] In this embodiment, forward-cut notches 5 are provided at both the left and right rear edges of the circuit board 2. The circuit board 2 also has auxiliary notches 6 that are cut inward in the lateral direction from the front of each of the notches 5. The positions of the front edges of the notches 5 on the left and right sides of the circuit board 2 are different from each other in the front-rear direction. In this embodiment, the front edge of the notch 5 on the left side is positioned in front of the front edge of the notch 5 on the right side.

[0040] The flat cable 3 is composed of a flexible cable or a flexible plate. The flat cable 3 includes a flexible film 7 formed of an insulating material and a wiring pattern 8 formed of a metal such as copper foil, disposed on the surface of the film 7. Cable-side electrodes 9 connected to the wiring pattern 8 are provided at the ends of the flat cable 3. The cable-side electrodes 9 are formed of a metal plate such as copper foil. The flat cable 3 can be configured such that, except for the portion corresponding to the cable-side electrodes 9, the surface of the wiring pattern 8 is covered with the film 7 formed of an insulating material.

[0041] As shown in Figure 3, the connector 1 includes a housing 11, a plurality of terminal members 12 disposed inside the housing 11, and a retainer 13.

[0042] The housing 11 includes a front housing portion 11F (also called the front housing or front half) constituting its front half and a rear housing portion 11R (also called the rear housing or rear half) constituting its rear half. The front housing portion 11F and the rear housing portion 11R are each formed of resin material.

[0043] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the front portion 11F of the housing includes: a board insertion portion 15 into which the circuit board 2 is inserted from the front side, and a plurality of terminal receiving recesses 16 recessed from the rear surface to the front and into which the terminal member 12 is inserted.

[0044] The plate insertion portion 15 is a recessed portion disposed in the front surface of the housing 11 and recessed rearward, and includes a plate opening 18 that opens forward. As shown in FIG5, the plate opening 18 has a generally rectangular shape extending in the lateral direction. The left edge of the plate insertion portion 15 is defined by a left wall 19, and the right edge of the plate insertion portion 15 is defined by a right wall 20. Each of the left wall 19 and the right wall 20 extends in the front-rear direction and has a plate shape having a surface facing the lateral direction. The upper edge of the plate insertion portion 15 is defined by an upper wall 21, and the lower edge of the plate insertion portion 15 is defined by a lower wall 22. Each of the upper wall 21 and the lower wall 22 has a main surface facing the vertical direction and has a plate shape extending in the lateral direction. The rear edge of the plate insertion portion 15 is defined by a bottom wall 23 having a surface facing the front-rear direction. The bottom wall 23 has a plate shape having a surface facing the front-rear direction.

[0045] In the front portion 11F of the housing, the board insertion portion 15 is formed by an upper wall 21, a lower wall 22, a left wall 19, a right wall 20, and a bottom wall 23. Within the board insertion portion 15, a board receiving cavity 25 is defined into which the rear end of the board 2 will be inserted. The board insertion portion 15 may be provided with protrusions and / or locking claws, which enter the auxiliary notch 6 when the board 2 is correctly inserted and prevent the board 2 from dislodging.

[0046] As shown in Figure 6(A), the front edges of the left wall 19 and the right wall 20 are positioned at different locations in the front-rear direction. In this embodiment, the front edge of the left wall 19 is positioned in front of the front edge of the right wall 20. Furthermore, the front edge of the notch 5 on the left side of the circuit board 2 is positioned in front of the front edge of the notch 5 on the right side. Therefore, as shown in Figure 6(B), when the circuit board 2 is inverted, the circuit board 2 cannot be fully inserted into the board insertion portion 15 (in the final position, the front end of the right wall 20 abuts against the front edge of the defining notch 5). Therefore, it is possible to prevent the circuit board 2 from being inserted into the connector 1 in an inverted state.

[0047] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, terminal receiving recesses 16 are provided in the upper wall 21 and the lower wall 22. In the following text, the terminal receiving recess 16 provided in the upper wall 21 is referred to as the upper terminal receiving recess 16U, and the terminal receiving recess 16 provided in the lower wall 22 is referred to as the lower terminal receiving recess 16D.

[0048] Each upper terminal receiving recess 16U is arranged at equal intervals in the lateral direction. Each upper terminal receiving recess 16U is recessed forward from the upper half of the bottom wall 23 and extends into the interior of the upper wall 21. The upper wall 21 is provided with a plurality of through holes 26, which communicate the interior of each upper terminal receiving recess 16U with the interior of the plate insertion portion 15.

[0049] Each lower terminal receiving recess 16D is arranged at equal intervals in the lateral direction. Each of the lower terminal receiving recesses 16D is recessed forward from the lower half of the bottom wall 23 and extends into the interior of the lower wall 22. The lower wall 22 is provided with a plurality of through holes 26, which communicate the interior of each lower terminal receiving recess 16D with the interior of the plate insertion portion 15.

[0050] The lateral spacing (hereinafter referred to as the pitch) of the upper terminal receiving recess 16U is set to be equal to the lateral spacing of each lower terminal receiving recess 16D. However, the lower terminal receiving recess 16D located at the left end is offset from the upper terminal receiving recess 16U located at the left end by half of the pitch in the vertical direction. Therefore, the upper terminal receiving recess 16U and the lower terminal receiving recess 16D are arranged in an alternating manner. When viewed in the vertical direction, the upper terminal receiving recess 16U and the lower terminal receiving recess are formed to at least partially overlap each other.

[0051] As shown in Figure 7, the rear portion 11R of the housing includes a cable insertion portion 31 recessed from the rear surface to the front and a plurality of terminal receiving recesses 32 recessed from the front surface to the rear.

[0052] The cable insertion portion 31 is a recessed portion that is recessed forward from the rear surface and includes a rearwardly opening cable insertion opening 33. As shown in FIG7, the cable insertion opening 33 has a generally rectangular shape extending in the lateral direction. The left edge of the cable insertion portion 31 is defined by a left wall 35, and the right edge of the cable insertion portion 31 is defined by a right wall 36. Each of the left wall 35 and the right wall 36 extends in the front-rear direction and has a plate shape having a surface facing the lateral direction. The upper edge of the cable insertion portion 31 is defined by an upper wall 37, and the lower edge of the cable insertion portion 31 is defined by a lower wall 38. Each of the upper wall 37 and the lower wall 38 has a main surface facing the vertical direction and has a plate shape extending in the lateral direction. The front edge of the cable insertion portion 31 is defined by a bottom wall 39 (see FIG3) having a surface facing the front-rear direction. The bottom wall 39 has a plate shape having a surface facing the front-rear direction.

[0053] In the rear portion 11R of the housing, the cable insertion portion 31 is formed by an upper wall 37, a lower wall 38, a left wall 35, a right wall 36, and a bottom wall 39. Within the cable insertion portion 31, a cable insertion cavity 40 is defined, into which the front end of a flat cable 3 is inserted.

[0054] Each terminal receiving recess 32 is recessed rearward from the front surface of the bottom wall 39 and opens at the front surface of the bottom wall 39. The rear portion 11R of the housing has the same number of terminal receiving recesses 32 as the number of terminal receiving recesses 16 provided in the front portion 11F of the housing. The terminal receiving recesses 32 are arranged at equal intervals in the lateral direction in the rear portion 11R of the housing. Figure 8 As shown in (A) and (B), the spacing in the lateral direction of the terminal receiving recesses 32 is set to half the spacing of the upper terminal receiving recesses 16U. Each of the terminal receiving recesses 32 is connected to the cable insertion portion 31 at its rear end.

[0055] As shown in Figure 3, the housing 11 is formed by connecting the rear surface of the front portion 11F and the front surface of the rear portion 11R. When the front portion 11F and the rear portion 11R are connected, the opening of the terminal receiving recess 16 and the opening of the terminal receiving recess 32 are arranged to overlap each other in the front-rear direction, and the terminal receiving recess 16 and the terminal receiving recess 32 are in communication with each other.

[0056] Therefore, as Figure 9As shown, the front portion 11F and the rear portion 11R of the housing are connected to define a terminal receiving cavity 42 (hereinafter referred to as the upper terminal receiving cavity 42U) formed by the upper terminal receiving recess 16U and the terminal receiving recess 32, and a terminal receiving cavity 42 (hereinafter referred to as the lower terminal receiving cavity 42D) formed by the lower terminal receiving recess 16D and the terminal receiving recess 32. Figure 5 As shown, the housing 11 is provided with a plurality of upper terminal receiving cavities 42U and a plurality of lower terminal receiving cavities 41D. The plurality of upper terminal receiving cavities 42U include portions located above the plate insertion portion 15, and the plurality of lower terminal receiving cavities 42D include portions located below the plate insertion portion 15. Figure 5 As shown, the upper terminal receiving cavity 42U and the lower terminal receiving cavity 41D are arranged in an alternating manner centered on the plate insertion portion 15. Each of the adjacent upper terminal receiving cavities 42U and each of the lower terminal receiving cavities 41D are formed to at least partially overlap each other in the vertical direction (when viewed in the vertical direction).

[0057] As shown in Figure 2, the outer casing 11 is provided with a connecting structure 45 for connecting the front portion 11F and the rear portion 11R of the outer casing. In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the connecting structure 45 includes: a plurality of (four in this embodiment) protrusions 46 (see Figure 3) projecting forward from the front surface of the rear portion 11R of the outer casing, and a plurality of receiving portions 47 (see Figure 4) recessed in the rear surface of the front portion 11F of the outer casing to receive each protrusion 46. The front portion 11F of the outer casing and each protrusion 46 are provided with a mounting hole 48, and the mounting hole 48 passes through the front portion 11F and the rear portion 11R of the outer casing when the protrusion 46 is received in the receiving portion 47. The front portion 11F and the rear portion 11R of the outer casing are connected to each other by inserting a mounting pin 49 (see Figure 3) into the mounting hole 48. However, the method of connecting the front part 11F of the housing to the rear part 11R of the housing is not limited to this embodiment, and various known connection methods such as bonding and welding can be used.

[0058] Each of the terminal components 12 is integrally formed by subjecting a sheet material made of a conductive material (e.g., a metal or alloy material such as copper or brass) to known stamping, bending, or other processes. Each of the terminal components 12 has a substantially identical shape.

[0059] As shown in Figure 9, each of the terminal components 12 is housed in a terminal receiving cavity 42. Hereinafter, the terminal component 12 housed in the upper terminal receiving cavity 42U is referred to as the upper terminal component 12U, and the terminal component 12 housed in the lower terminal receiving cavity 42D is referred to as the lower terminal component 12D. Each of the upper terminal components 12U is housed in its corresponding upper terminal receiving cavity 42U, and each of the lower terminal components 12D is housed in its corresponding lower terminal receiving cavity 42D. The upper terminal components 12U and the lower terminal components 12D have the same shape. However, compared to the lower terminal component 12D, the upper terminal component 12U is in a vertically inverted state.

[0060] In the following description, the details of the terminal member 12 will be based on the state in which the terminal member 12 is housed in the lower terminal receiving cavity 42D (i.e., the lower terminal member 12D).

[0061] As shown in Figures 10(A) and 10(B), the terminal member 12 includes a plate connecting portion 51 constituting the front part of the terminal member 12, a cable connecting portion 52 constituting the rear part of the terminal member 12, and a connecting portion 53 connecting the plate connecting portion 51 and the cable connecting portion 52.

[0062] The board connection portion 51 constitutes the part of the terminal member 12 that is connected to the circuit board 2. The board connection portion 51 includes a housing 55 having a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape and a spring piece 56 supported by the housing 55.

[0063] The housing 55 includes a rectangular base plate 58 extending in a front-rear direction, a left side plate 59 rising from the left edge of the base plate 58, and a right side plate 60 rising from the right edge of the base plate 58. The housing 55 is provided with a groove-shaped cross-section 62, which opens upward and is defined by the base plate 58, the left side plate 59, and the right side plate 60. The upper edge of the left side plate 59 and the upper edge of the right side plate 60 may each be provided with a connecting piece 63 extending in a direction facing each other and connected at their distal ends.

[0064] In this embodiment, the front edges of the left side plate 59 and the right side plate 60 each form a triangular plate shape, having end surfaces that slope downwards towards the front when viewed from the left and right sides. Each end surface of the left side plate 59 and the right side plate 60A is provided with a connecting piece 63 extending in a direction facing the other. Therefore, a tip 64 is formed at the front end of the groove-shaped cross-section portion 62, the tip 64 being made of curved plate material and gradually tapering towards the front.

[0065] The spring clip 56 includes: a lower piece 66 extending rearward from the lower front edge of the left piece 59 or the right piece 60 above the base piece 58; a folding portion 67 bending upward at approximately 180 degrees at the distal end of the lower piece 66; and an upper piece 68 folding back forward from the folding portion 67 and extending forward above the folding portion 67. The spring clip 56 is provided with a hairpin-shaped portion 70 formed by the lower piece 66, the folding portion 67, and the upper piece 68. The spring clip 56 is disposed between the housing 55 (specifically, the left piece 59 and the right piece 60) and protrudes upward (towards the opening) from the housing 55.

[0066] A first contact portion 71 protruding upwards is formed on the upper surface of the folded portion 67 by embossing. The distal end of the upper piece 68 is a free end, and a second contact portion 72 protruding upwards is formed in the vicinity of the distal end by embossing. The terminal member 12 and the board-side electrode 4 are electrically connected to each other by contacting the board-side electrode 4 of the circuit board 2 through the first contact portion 71 and / or the second contact portion 72. That is, the spring piece 56 is provided with two contact portions, which act as contact points for contacting the board-side electrode 4, and the two contact portions are arranged in the front-rear direction. The spring piece 56 is provided with two contact portions, which allows the terminal member 12 to contact the board-side electrode 4 more reliably. Therefore, the terminal member 12 and the board-side electrode 4 can be electrically connected more reliably.

[0067] The upper piece 68 includes a pair of protruding pieces 74 at its center in the front-rear direction, which extend laterally from the left and right edges, respectively. Each of the protruding pieces 74 has a downwardly convex arc shape in the side view. Each of the left piece 59 and the right piece 60 is provided with an opening 75 that extends laterally and receives the corresponding protruding piece of the respective protruding piece 74. The protruding piece 74 contacts the opening 75 in a slidable and swingable manner. Therefore, the spring piece 56 is slidably supported in the opening 75 with the protruding piece 74 acting as a fulcrum.

[0068] The cable connector 52 includes a plate-shaped connecting piece 78 having a surface facing the lateral direction. The connecting piece 78 has a U-shape when viewed in the lateral direction. Figure 10 As shown in (B), the left and right width (more specifically, the maximum left and right width) of the cable connection portion 52 is smaller than the left and right width (more specifically, the maximum left and right width) of the plate connection portion 51, and the cable connection portion 52 is formed to be narrower than the plate connection portion 51 in the lateral direction.

[0069] As shown in Figure 10(A), the cable connector 52 includes a base 80 and a pair of upper and lower arms 81 extending rearward from the base 80. The base 80 extends in the vertical direction and has a plate shape, having a main surface facing the lateral direction. The arms 81 are arranged in pairs so as to face each other in the vertical direction. Each of the arms 81 is elastically deformable at its base end to the base 80. As a result, the distal ends of the arms 81 are deployable in the vertical direction in a direction that is far apart from each other.

[0070] Each of the arms 81 has a protruding tab 82 at the lower part of its end, which has a triangular shape in the side view and protrudes in a direction close to each other. When the flat cable 3 is inserted between the arms 81, the ends of the protruding tabs 82 approach each other and elastically contact the flat cable 3. Therefore, the flat cable 3 is clamped by the cable connector 52. In this way, by the flat cable 3 being clamped by the cable connector 52, the cable connector 52 can be electrically connected to the cable-side electrode 9, while the flat cable 3 is well held by the cable connector 152.

[0071] A connecting portion 53 is disposed between the plate connecting portion 51 and the cable connecting portion 52. As shown in FIG10(B), the connecting portion 53 includes: a rear extension 84 extending rearward from the left side plate 59 or the right side plate 60 constituting the housing 55, and a central extension 85 extending inward in the lateral direction from the lower edge of the rear extension 84 and engaging with the cable connecting portion 52. The distal end of the central extension 85 is located at approximately the lateral center of the housing 55. Therefore, when viewed in the front-rear direction (when viewed from the front), the cable connecting portion 52 (i.e., the connecting piece 78) is arranged at the lateral center of the housing 55 (i.e., the lateral center of the terminal member 12) via the connecting portion 53. In FIG10(B), a straight line along the lateral center of the housing 55 is represented by a double-dotted line.

[0072] As shown in Figure 9, terminal members 12 are respectively housed in the upper terminal receiving cavity 42U and the lower terminal receiving cavity 42D. The plate connecting portion 51 has a shape conforming to the terminal receiving recess 16, and the plate connecting portion 51 is respectively housed in the upper terminal receiving recess 16U and the lower terminal receiving recess 16D. The terminal receiving recess 32 houses the cable connecting portion 52.

[0073] As shown in Figure 11, the board connecting portion 51 housed in the upper terminal receiving recess 16U is positioned above the circuit board 2 inserted into the board insertion portion 15, and the board connecting portion 51 housed in the lower terminal receiving recess 16D is positioned below the circuit board 2 inserted into the board insertion portion 15. As shown in Figure 9, the terminal member 12 housed in the upper terminal receiving cavity 42U is supported by the housing 11, such that the spring piece 56 protrudes downward from the housing 55 and enters the board insertion portion 15 from above through the through hole 26. The terminal member 12 housed in the lower terminal receiving cavity 42D is supported by the housing 11, such that the spring piece 56 protrudes upward from the housing 55 and enters the board insertion portion 15 from below through the through hole 26.

[0074] As shown in Figure 11, when the circuit board 2 is inserted into the board insertion portion 15, the spring tab 56 of the terminal member 12 housed in the upper terminal receiving cavity 42U elastically contacts the board-side electrode 4 disposed on the top surface of the circuit board 2 at the first contact portion 71 and / or the second contact portion 72. Simultaneously, the spring tab 56 of the terminal member 12 housed in the lower terminal receiving cavity 42D (more specifically, the first contact portion 71 and / or the second contact portion 72) contacts the board-side electrode 4 disposed on the bottom surface of the circuit board 2. In this way, by providing the upper terminal receiving cavity 42U and the lower terminal receiving cavity 42D, the terminal member 12 can be arranged to be connectable to the top surface (upper surface) and the bottom surface (lower surface) of the circuit board 2.

[0075] When the flat cable 3 is inserted into the cable insertion portion 31, the arm portion 81 unfolds, and then the distal end of the protruding piece 82 elastically contacts the flat cable 3. That is, the cable insertion portion 31 has a so-called non-zero insertion force (Non-ZiF) structure, in which the insertion force applied to the flat cable 3 is not zero. Therefore, the flat cable 3 is clamped by the cable connection portion 52, and the cable connection portion 52 is electrically connected to the cable side electrode 9. In this embodiment, the protruding piece 82 is configured to contact the upper and lower sides of the flat cable 3 respectively, so that the terminal member 12 can be electrically connected to the flat cable 3 regardless of whether the cable side electrode 9 is provided on the upper or lower side of the flat cable 3. In this way, by providing the cable side electrode 9 on both the upper and lower sides of the flat cable 3, the flat cable 3 can still be electrically connected to the terminal member 12 even if the electrical connection between any one of the cable side electrodes 9 and the terminal member 12 is lost. Therefore, the reliability of the electrical connection can be improved.

[0076] As shown in Figure 5, the upper terminal receiving recess 16U and the lower terminal receiving recess 16D have portions that overlap each other in the vertical direction. Therefore, the adjacent upper terminal members 12U and lower terminal members 12D overlap each other in the vertical direction at their board connection portions 51. More specifically, the board connection portions 51 of the upper terminal member housed in the upper terminal receiving recess 16U and positioned above the circuit board 2, and the board connection portions 51 of the lower terminal receiving recess 16D, have portions that overlap each other in the vertical direction.

[0077] As shown in Figure 12, the rear portion 11R of the housing is provided with a downwardly recessed communication recess 86 (communication portion) that allows communication between the exterior of the rear portion 11R and the cable insertion portion 31. In this embodiment, the communication recesses 86 are respectively arranged on the left and right sides of the rear portion 11R of the housing. The flat cable 3 is provided with a plurality of through holes 88, which pass through in the vertical direction at a position aligned with the corresponding communication recess 86 (i.e., below the corresponding communication recess 86) when the flat cable 3 is inserted in the appropriate position.

[0078] The retainer 13 includes a plate-shaped retainer body 90, a pair of left and right retainer retaining portions 91 protruding from the lower surface of the retainer body 90, and a pair of left and right cable retaining portions 92. The retainer body 90 is arranged along the upper part of the rear portion of the housing 11. A locking claw 91A is provided at the distal end of the retainer retaining portion 91.

[0079] Retaining recesses 93 are provided at the left and right edges of the rear portion 11R of the housing. Each retaining recess 93 is recessed downwards, and the retainer retaining portion 91 is inserted into the retaining recess 93. A locking recess 94 is provided on the wall surface defining the inner side of the retaining recess 93 in the lateral direction. When the retainer retaining portion 91 is fully inserted into the retaining recess 93, the locking claw 91A is received in the locking recess 94 and hooks onto the wall surface defining the upper edge of the locking recess 94, thereby being locked. Therefore, the retainer 13 engages with the rear portion 11R of the housing and is locked to the housing 11.

[0080] A main body receiving portion 95 is provided at the rear part 11R of the housing, which receives the main body 90 of the retainer when each retainer retaining portion 91 is fully inserted into the corresponding retaining recess 93. The main body receiving portion 95 is recessed downward at the upper surface of the rear part 11R of the housing, and the retaining recess 93 is provided at the left and right edges of the main body receiving portion 95.

[0081] Furthermore, on the side surfaces defining the inner side of each retaining recess 93 in the lateral direction, auxiliary recesses 96 are provided for locking the locking claw 91A above the locking recess 94. As shown in FIG13, when the locking claw 91A enters the auxiliary recess 96, the retainer 13 is in a preset state relative to the housing 11, and the upper surface of the retainer body 90 is approximately flush with the portion of the rear portion 11R of the housing, excluding the main body receiving portion 95. When the retainer 13 is pushed further downward, the retainer retaining portion 91 is fully inserted into the retaining recess 93, and the locking claw 91A is received in the locking recess 94.

[0082] At this time, the cable retainer 92 enters the communicating recess 86 and passes through the through hole 88 of the flat cable 3. This prevents the flat cable 3 from coming off the housing 11.

[0083] Next, the assembly method of the connector 1 constructed as described above will be described. The operator assembling the connector 1 first inserts the terminal member 12 into the terminal receiving recess 32 of the rear portion 11R of the housing, and then assembles the terminal member 13 onto the rear portion 11R of the housing. After completing the insertion of the terminal member 12, the operator connects the front portion 11F of the housing and the rear portion 11R of the housing, and uses pin 49 to secure the front portion 11F of the housing to the rear portion 11R of the housing. As a result, the connector 1 is assembled.

[0084] When the flat cable 3 is inserted into and secured in the cable insertion portion 31, the operator can attach the retainer 13 to the housing 11 (specifically, to the rear portion 11R of the housing). This prevents the flat cable 3 from coming off the housing 11.

[0085] Next, the effects of the connector 1 and terminal member 12 constructed as described above will be described.

[0086] Each of the terminal components 12 includes a board connection portion 51 connected to the board-side electrode 4 of the circuit board 2, and a cable connection portion 52 connected to the cable-side electrode 9 of the flat cable 3. The upper terminal component 12U and the lower terminal component 12D are arranged to overlap each other in the vertical direction, and the cable connection portion 52 is formed to be narrower than the board connection portion 51 in the horizontal direction.

[0087] Therefore, compared to the case where the upper terminal member 12U and the lower terminal member 12D do not overlap, the individual cable connectors 52 can be arranged closer to each other without contacting adjacent cable connectors 52. Therefore, the spacing of the cable-side electrodes 9 of the flat cable 3 can be manufactured to be smaller than the spacing of the board-side electrodes 4 of the circuit board 2.

[0088] In this embodiment, the upper terminal member 12U and the lower terminal member 12D have the same shape, and the respective arms 81 are arranged in pairs so that they face each other in the vertical direction. Therefore, by arranging the upper terminal member 12U in a vertically inverted state so that it is vertically symmetrical with the lower terminal member 12D in the side view, the circuit board 2 and the flat cable 3 can be electrically connected while being arranged on the same line in the side view. In addition, the board-side electrodes 4 provided on the top and bottom surfaces of the circuit board 2 can be connected to the cable-side electrodes 9 provided on the flat cable 3.

[0089] The upper terminal member 12U and the lower terminal member 12D are arranged in an alternating manner. Therefore, it is easy to make the spacing of the board-side electrodes 4 on the top and bottom surfaces of the circuit board 2 equal.

[0090] Furthermore, when viewed in the front-rear direction, the cable connector 52 is positioned at the lateral center of the housing 55. Therefore, the spacing between each cable connector 52 can be made equal without deviation. This effectively prevents contact between the cable connectors 52 when the flat cable 3 is inserted or removed. Moreover, since each cable-side electrode 9 can be arranged at equal intervals, the construction of the flat cable 3 can be simplified.

[0091] Although the present invention has been described above based on specific embodiments, these embodiments are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. In the above embodiments, although each of the upper terminal member 12U and the lower terminal member 12D has two contact portions, the number of contact portions is not limited to this, and any construction in which one or more contact portions are provided can be used.

[0092] List of reference numerals

[0093] 1: Connector 2: Circuit board 3: Flat cable 4: Plate-side electrodes 5: Gap 6: Auxiliary gap 7: Film 8: Wiring pattern 9: Cable side electrode 11: Outer shell 11F: Front of the outer casing 11R: Rear of the outer casing 12: Terminal components 12D: Lower terminal component 12U: Upper terminal component 13: Retainer 15: Plate insertion part 16: Terminal receiving recess 16D: Lower terminal receiving recess 16U: Upper terminal receiving recess 18: Plate opening 19: Left wall 20: Right wall 21: Up the wall 22: Lower wall 23: Bottom wall 25: Plate receiving cavity 26: Through hole 31: Cable insertion part 32: Terminal receiving recess 33: Cable insertion opening 35: Left wall 36: Right wall 37: Up the wall 38: Lower wall 39: Bottom wall 40: Cable insertion cavity 42: Terminal receiving cavity 42D: Lower terminal receiving cavity 42U: Upper terminal receiving cavity 45: Connection Structure 46: Protrusion 47: Receiving Department 48: Assembly hole 49: Sales 51: Plate connection part 52: Cable connection part 53: Connecting part 55: Casing 56: Shrapnel 58: Film negative 59: Left side film 60: Right side film 62: Channel-shaped cross-section 63: Connecting piece 64: Tip 66: Second part 67: Turnaround Section 68: First Film 70: Hairpin-shaped part 71: First contact part 72: Second contact part 74: Protruding piece 75: Opening 78: Connecting piece 80: Base 81: Arm 82: Prominent film 84: Rear Extension 85: Central Extension 86: Connecting concave parts 88: Through hole 90: Retainer body 91: Retainer holding part 91A: Locking claw 92: Cable Retention Section 93: Keep the recess 94: Locking recess 95: Main Receiving Unit 96: Auxiliary recess

Claims

1. A connector for connecting a circuit board and a flat cable, the circuit board having board-side electrodes on each of a top surface and a bottom surface, the flat cable being flexible and having cable-side electrodes, the connector comprising: Housing, the housing comprising: The circuit board is inserted into the board insertion part from the front side; A cable insertion section, into which the flat cable will be inserted from the rear, the cable insertion section being positioned opposite to the plate insertion section; Multiple upper terminal receiving cavities, including a portion disposed above the plate insertion portion; and Multiple lower terminal receiving cavities, including a portion disposed below the plate insertion portion; Multiple upper terminal components, each respectively housed within the multiple upper terminal receiving cavities; and Multiple lower terminal components are respectively housed in the multiple lower terminal receiving cavities, wherein Each of the plurality of upper terminal components and the plurality of lower terminal components includes a plate connection portion connected to the plate-side electrode and a cable connection portion connected to the cable-side electrode. The cable connection portion is formed to be narrower than the plate connection portion in the lateral direction, and The upper and lower terminal components that are adjacent to each other are arranged such that their plate connections overlap each other in the vertical direction.

2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein, The plurality of upper terminal receiving cavities and the plurality of lower terminal receiving cavities are arranged in an alternating pattern above and below the plate insertion portion.

3. The connector according to claim 2, wherein, The plate connection includes a housing and a spring piece supported by the housing and extending from the housing. Each of the plurality of upper terminal components is supported by the housing, such that the spring extends downward from the housing, and Each of the plurality of lower terminal components is supported by the housing, such that the spring extends upward from the housing.

4. The connector according to claim 3, wherein, The spring is pivotally supported on the left and right surfaces of the housing and includes two contact portions arranged in the front-to-back direction.

5. The connector according to claim 4, wherein, When viewed in the front-rear direction, the cable connector is positioned at the lateral center of the housing.

6. The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, When viewed in the lateral direction, the cable connector has a U-shape and its ends are close to each other to clamp the flat cable.

7. The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The housing includes a rear portion constituting the rear of the housing and a front portion constituting the front of the housing. The cable insertion part is provided at the rear of the housing. The front part of the outer casing is provided with the plate insertion part, and The plurality of upper terminal receiving cavities and the plurality of lower terminal receiving cavities are defined by connecting the front portion of the housing and the rear portion of the housing.

8. The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a retainer that engages with the housing to retain the flat cable in the cable insertion portion, wherein The flat cable is provided with through holes, and The retainer includes a cable retainer that passes through the through hole.

9. A terminal member disposed in a connector according to claim 1, the terminal member comprising: The housing has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape and forms the plate connection portion; Connecting piece, which constitutes the cable connection part; as well as A connecting part that connects the connecting piece to the housing.

10. The terminal component according to claim 9, wherein, When viewed from the front, the connecting part positions the connecting piece at the lateral center of the housing.

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