Plastic and metal composite overturning pressing piece and FPC connector comprising same

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of manufacturing of electric connectors, in particular to a plastic-metal composite turnover pressing piece and an FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit) connector comprising the plastic-metal composite turnover pressing piece. The metal shell is made of a low-resistance and high-strength material and is grounded. The plastic and metal composite overturning pressing piece is formed by combining a plastic overturning pressing plate and a metal shell. For the plastic turnover pressing plate, the rear side wall of the pressing plate body extends forwards to form an avoiding notch. And the chamfered edge which is elastically pressed by the mechanical terminal and is limited is formed in the avoiding gap under the action of the pressing shaft. The left rotating pivot and the right rotating pivot are formed on the left side wall and the right side wall of the pressing plate body. Therefore, on one hand, the problems of electromagnetic waves, crosstalk interference and the like which are generated in a signal transmission process are weakened; and on the other hand, the stability and the reliability of the locked state of the plastic metal composite overturning pressing piece are ensured, and the design concept of the large-size plastic metal composite overturning pressing piece becomes reality.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of electric connector manufacturing, in particular to a plastic-metal composite flip pressure piece and an FPC connector comprising the same. Background Art

[0002] Flexible flat cables (FFCs) are components used for signal transmission. Their inherent advantages include flexible design and high signal transmission speed, making them widely used in many electronic products. These cables utilize FPC connectors and electronic connectors to transmit signals from one end to the other, achieving signal transmission. They are commonly used in various digital communications products, portable electronics, computer peripherals, measuring instruments, automotive electronics, and other fields.

[0003] Chinese utility model patent CN212810617U discloses a flip-up FPC connector. The flip-up FPC connector is mainly composed of several parts such as an insulating rubber seat, a flip piece and a terminal. Figure 1 As shown in , the flip part is hinged to the insulating rubber seat and can freely perform a circumferential flipping action when subjected to external force. When the flexible cable is inserted into place, the flip part and the insulating rubber seat cooperate to press and lock the flexible cable. After the FPC connector is assembled, the flip part is arranged in front of the rear connecting arm and is placed horizontally between the upper cantilever and the lower cantilever. In actual application, when the flexible cable is inserted into place relative to the insulating rubber seat, the flip part is tilted circumferentially. During this process, the flexible cable is locked due to the pressing force from the flip part. In actual application, it is found that the flip-close FPC connector with a similar structure has the following problems: 1) The signal transmission process is easily affected by electromagnetic and radio frequency interference, which affects the signal transmission quality. The reason for this is that the flip part covering the flexible cable insertion end is made of plastic. Due to its material properties, plastic is an insulator, and the flip part does not have the function of shielding external magnetic fields. 2) After the flip part is locked with a snap, it is often accidentally unlocked in later applications, especially in high-frequency excitation applications. Moreover, due to the large width design requirements, the flip part is prone to arching or twisting after molding. The above reasons are that the flip part is made of plastic, and its structural strength, rigidity, and wear resistance are all lower than expected, and it cannot meet the design requirements. Therefore, technical personnel are urgently needed to solve the above problems. Utility Model Content

[0004] Therefore, in view of the above-mentioned existing problems and defects, the designers of the present invention collected relevant information, conducted multiple evaluations and considerations, and continued to experiment and modify the plastic-metal composite flip pressure piece after many years of R&D experience in this industry.

[0005] In order to solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the utility model relates to a plastic-metal composite flip pressure member, which is composed of a plastic flip pressure plate and a metal shell. The metal shell is made of low-resistance, high-strength material and is grounded. The plastic flip pressure plate is an integrated injection molded part, which is composed of a pressure plate body, a left-placed rotating pivot, a right-placed rotating pivot and N chamfered pressure shafts. By removing material, the rear side wall of the pressure plate body extends forward to form an avoidance gap for avoiding the mechanical terminal. The number of avoidance gaps is N, and they are arranged in a linear array along the width direction of the pressure plate body. By adding material, the chamfered pressure shaft that is elastically pressurized and limited by the mechanical terminal is formed in a horizontal state in the avoidance gap. By adding material, the left-placed rotating pivot and the right-placed rotating pivot are respectively extended outward from the left and right side walls of the pressure plate body. When the plastic-metal composite flip pressure member is subjected to external force and performs circumferential flipping motion with the common central axis of the left-placed rotating pivot and the right-placed rotating pivot as the rotation reference, the area where the chamfered pressure shaft is pressed by the mechanical terminal changes, and the pressure plate body is able to achieve or release the compression lock on the flexible cable.

[0006] As a further improvement to the technical solution disclosed in this utility model, a sinking groove for receiving the metal shell is formed by extending downward from the top wall of the pressure plate body by removing material, and M limiting posts are additionally formed along the width of the sinking groove. Along the width of the metal shell, M limiting holes are formed in the metal shell, corresponding to the positions of the limiting posts and having appropriate dimensions.

[0007] As a further improvement of the technical solution disclosed in the present invention, when the metal shell is placed in place relative to the sinking tank, the limiting column protrudes from the top wall of the metal shell by 0.1 to 0.3 mm, and the limiting column is subjected to the synergistic effect of heat and pressure, and the protruding section thereof changes shape to form a large-diameter limiting pier head, rather than the protruding section being radially expanded.

[0008] As a further improvement to the disclosed technical solution, the metal shell is formed with elastic pressure contact arms through the punching and profiling processes. Correspondingly, the pressure plate body is formed with a process notch for the elastic pressure contact arms to pass through. When the flexible flat cable is properly inserted into the FPC connector, the elastic pressure contact arms contact the cable's shielding layer, creating electrical continuity.

[0009] As a further improvement to the technical solution disclosed in the present invention, the number of the elastic pressure contact arms is at least 2, and they are arranged in a linear array along the width direction of the metal shell.

[0010] Furthermore, the present invention also discloses an FPC connector, which includes an insulating rubber seat, wiring terminals, mechanical terminals, and the aforementioned plastic-metal composite flip pressure member. The insulating rubber seat is an injection-molded part, and is simultaneously molded with a flexible cable insertion slot, a wiring terminal insertion slot, and a mechanical terminal insertion slot. Multiple mechanical terminals cooperate to elastically apply pressure and position the plastic-metal composite flip pressure member. When the plastic-metal composite flip pressure member performs a circumferential flipping motion due to an external force, it is able to achieve / release the pressure lock on the flexible cable, and concomitantly, the wiring terminals are able to achieve / release electrical conduction with the tinned copper wire of the flexible cable.

[0011] Specifically, the plastic-metal composite flip pressure member disclosed in this utility model is composed of a combination of plastic and metal. The metal shell is made of a low-resistance material and is grounded. Therefore, in practical applications, the plastic-metal composite flip pressure member disclosed in this utility model can achieve at least the following beneficial technical effects, specifically:

[0012] 1) Thanks to the metal shell's low resistance and grounding design, it can shield external magnetic fields and noise through reflection, absorption, and funneling. This effectively reduces electromagnetic waves and crosstalk interference that can occur during signal transmission, ensuring stable and high-quality signal transmission.

[0013] 2) Thanks to the high strength of the metal shell, the molded plastic-metal composite flip pressure member possesses excellent structural strength, rigidity, and wear resistance. This effectively ensures that the plastic-metal composite flip pressure member remains securely locked during signal transmission, even in high-frequency excitation applications. Furthermore, it enables the design of large-scale plastic-metal composite flip pressure members, which retain their excellent shape and regularity even after molding and long-term use.

[0014] 3) Since the metal shell is grounded, the charge on the plastic-metal composite flip pressure member can be immediately conducted to the ground, thereby effectively eliminating the adverse effects on the signal transmission process caused by static electricity accumulation on the plastic-metal composite flip pressure member.

[0015] With respect to the FPC connector disclosed in the present invention, the mechanical terminals used to limit the plastic-metal composite flip pressure member and the wiring terminals used to conduct the flexible flat cable are completely isolated in terms of physical space, and both are miniaturized, which helps ensure stable and reliable signal transmission. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0017] Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of an FPC connector in the prior art.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the application of the FPC connector disclosed in the utility model.

[0019] Figure 3 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the FPC connector disclosed in the utility model.

[0020] Figure 4 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the insulating rubber seat in the FPC connector disclosed by the utility model.

[0021] Figure 5 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the plastic-metal composite flip pressure piece in the FPC connector disclosed in the utility model.

[0022] Figure 6 It is an exploded schematic diagram of the plastic-metal composite flip pressure member in the FPC connector disclosed in the present utility model.

[0023] Figure 7 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a plastic flip pressure plate in the FPC connector disclosed in the utility model from one viewing angle.

[0024] Figure 8 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of another perspective of the plastic flip pressure plate in the FPC connector disclosed in the utility model.

[0025] Figure 9 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the metal shell in the FPC connector disclosed in the utility model.

[0026] Figure 10 yes Figure 3 Top view of .

[0027] Figure 11 yes Figure 10 AA cross-sectional view.

[0028] Figure 12 yes Figure 10 BB cross-sectional view.

[0029] 1-Insulating rubber seat; 11-Flexible cable insertion slot; 12-Terminal block insertion slot; 13-Mechanical terminal insertion slot; 2-Terminal block; 3-Mechanical terminal; 4-Flip pressure member; 41-Plastic flip pressure plate; 411-Pressing plate body; 4111-Avoidance notch; 4112-Sinking groove; 4113-Limiting column; 4114-Process notch; 412-Left rotating pivot; 413-Right rotating pivot; 414-Chamfered pressure shaft; 42-Metal shell; 421-Limiting hole; 422-Elastic pressure contact arm; 5-Left locking member; 6-Right locking member. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "left", "right", "front", "back", "up", "down", etc., indicating directions or positional relationships, are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. 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 direction, be constructed and operated in a specific direction. Therefore, they cannot be understood as limitations on the present invention.

[0031] The following is a detailed description of the present invention in conjunction with specific embodiments. The following is a detailed description of the present invention in conjunction with specific embodiments. Figure 2 The application diagram of the FPC connector disclosed in the present invention is shown. It can be seen that the FPC connector and the flexible cable work together to achieve the purpose of signal transmission, serving many markets and applications, including consumer electronics, industrial control, displays, printers, automobiles, test and measurement instruments, home appliances and medical equipment.

[0032] Figure 3 The three-dimensional schematic diagram of the FPC connector disclosed in the present invention is shown. It can be seen that it mainly consists of several parts including an insulating rubber seat 1, a terminal 2, a mechanical terminal 3, a flip pressure piece, a left-placed locking piece 5, and a right-placed locking piece 6. Among them, the insulating rubber seat 1 is an injection molded part, which is used to insert the flexible cable and serves as the embedding base for the terminal 2 and the mechanical terminal 3. Figure 4 As shown in , the insulating rubber seat 1 is simultaneously formed with a flexible cable insertion slot 11, a terminal insertion slot 12, and a mechanical terminal insertion slot 13. When the FPC connector is assembled, the terminal 2 and the mechanical terminal 3 are independent of each other and completely isolated. In addition, the miniaturization of the terminal 2 and the mechanical terminal 3 helps to ensure the stability and reliability of signal transmission. The multiple mechanical terminals 3 are arranged in a linear array, and an embedded method is adopted to realize the assembly with the insulating rubber seat 1, and cooperate to elastically press and limit the flip pressure member. The left-mounted locking member 5 and the right-mounted locking member 6 are both embedded in the insulating rubber seat 1, and the two cooperate to bear and lock the flip pressure member (such as Figure 10 、 12(As shown in ). When the flexible flat cable is properly inserted into the insulating rubber base 1, the flip pressure member performs a circumferential flipping motion due to the external force, thereby achieving / releasing the pressure lock on the flexible flat cable. Simultaneously, the terminal block 2 achieves / releases electrical conduction with the tinned copper wire of the flexible flat cable, allowing signal transmission to proceed.

[0033] Here, it is important to emphasize that, in this embodiment, the flip pressure member is optimized to be a plastic-metal composite flip pressure member 4 . Figure 5 、 Figure 6 The three-dimensional schematic diagram and the exploded schematic diagram of the plastic-metal composite flip pressure member in the FPC connector disclosed in the present invention are shown respectively. It can be seen that the plastic-metal composite flip pressure member 4 is composed of a plastic flip pressure plate 41 and a metal shell 42. The metal shell is made of a low-resistance, high-strength material and is grounded (such as chromium copper, manganese copper, copper-nickel alloy, etc.). Figure 7 、 8 As shown in the figure, the plastic flip pressure plate 41 is an integral injection molded part, which consists of a pressure plate body 411, a left-mounted rotating pivot 412, a right-mounted rotating pivot 413 and N chamfered pressure shafts 414. By removing material, the rear side wall of the pressure plate body 411 extends forward to form an avoidance gap 4111 for avoiding the mechanical terminal 3. The number of avoidance gaps 4111 is also N, and they are arranged in a linear array along the width direction of the pressure plate body 411. By adding material, the chamfered pressure shaft 414, which is elastically pressurized and limited by the mechanical terminal 3, is horizontally formed in the avoidance gap 4111. By adding material, the left-mounted rotating pivot 412 and the right-mounted rotating pivot 413 are respectively extended outward from the left and right side walls of the pressure plate body 411. When the FPC connector is assembled, the left rotation pivot 412 and the right rotation pivot 413 are supported by the left locking member 5 and the right locking member 6 respectively (as shown in FIG. Figure 10 、 12 As the plastic-metal composite flip-and-press member 4 is subjected to external force and performs a circumferential flipping motion about the common central axis of the left-mounted pivot 412 and the right-mounted pivot 413, the area where the chamfered pressure shaft 414 is pressed by the mechanical terminal 3 changes, allowing the pressure plate body 411 to achieve or release its locking force on the flexible flat cable.

[0034] In practical applications, the plastic-metal composite flip pressure member 4 disclosed in the present invention can achieve at least the following beneficial technical effects, specifically:

[0035] 1) The metal shell 42 has a low resistance and is grounded, shielding it from external magnetic fields and noise through reflection, absorption, and funneling. This effectively reduces electromagnetic waves and crosstalk interference that can accompany signal transmission, ensuring stable and high-quality signal transmission.

[0036] 2) Thanks to the high strength of the metal shell 42, the molded plastic-metal composite flip pressure member 4 possesses excellent structural strength, rigidity, and wear resistance. This effectively ensures that the plastic-metal composite flip pressure member 4 remains securely locked during signal transmission, even in high-frequency excitation applications. Furthermore, it enables the design of a large-scale plastic-metal composite flip pressure member 4, which retains its shape and regularity even after molding and long-term use.

[0037] Here, it is also necessary to explain that since the metal shell 42 is grounded, the charge on the plastic-metal composite flip pressure member 4 can be immediately transferred to the ground, thereby effectively eliminating the adverse effects of static electricity accumulation on the plastic-metal composite flip pressure member 4 on the signal transmission process.

[0038] Furthermore, by the attached Figure 7 、 8 As shown in FIG, the top wall of the pressure plate body 411 extends downward by removing material to form a sinking groove 4112 for receiving the metal shell 42. M limiting posts 4113 are also formed along the width of the sinking groove 4112. Along its width, the metal shell 42 is provided with M limiting holes 421, corresponding in position and size to the limiting posts 4113. This effectively ensures a stable and reliable connection between the plastic flip pressure plate 41 and the metal shell 42, facilitates an ultra-thin design, and keeps the overall thickness of the plastic-metal composite flip pressure member 4 within the design specification after molding. Furthermore, thanks to the limiting posts 4113 and limiting holes 421, the plastic flip pressure plate 41 and the metal shell 42 maintain extremely high relative positional accuracy when combined, and prevents separation due to excessive external forces during later application.

[0039] like Figure 5 、 10As shown in Figures 11 and 12, after the metal shell 42 is positioned relative to the sinking groove 4112, the limiting posts 4113 must extend 0.1 to 0.3 mm beyond the top wall of the metal shell 42. When integrating the plastic flip plate 41 and the metal shell 42, a hot press is employed. Due to the combined effects of heat and pressure, the protruding portion of the limiting posts 42 undergoes a shape change, forming a large-diameter limiting pier, while the non-protruding portion undergoes radial expansion. This significantly simplifies the process for integrating the plastic flip plate 41 and the metal shell 42, and also ensures excellent structural stability of the resulting plastic-metal composite flip pressure member 4.

[0040] As can be seen from the above description, the low resistance and grounding design features of the metal shell 42 can effectively reduce electromagnetic waves and crosstalk interference that accompany signal transmission. However, actual experiments have verified that relying solely on the metal shielding effect is only limited in reducing electromagnetic waves and crosstalk interference, and still cannot meet customer standards for high-quality signal transmission. In view of this, as a further optimization of the above technical solution, Figure 9 As shown in , after the punching and pressing process, the metal shell 42 is formed with elastic pressure contact arms 422, and the number of the elastic pressure contact arms 422 is 2, and they are linearly arranged along the width direction of the metal shell 42. Correspondingly, as shown in Figure 7 、 8 As shown in FIG, the pressing plate body 411 is formed with a process notch 4114 for the elastic pressing contact arm 422 to pass through freely. Figure 10 、 11 As shown in the figure, when the flexible flat cable is properly inserted into the FPC connector, the elastic pressure contact arm 422 contacts the ground shield layer of the flexible flat cable and forms an electrical connection. This significantly reduces the peak impedance point and return loss of the FPC connector, effectively preventing external electromagnetic waves and signals from interfering with normal signal transmission. It also improves the anti-interference ability of the flexible flat cable and the reliability and stability of data transmission.

[0041] The above description of the disclosed embodiments will enable one skilled in the art to implement or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown herein but is intended to conform to the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A plastic-metal composite flip pressure piece, characterized in that: It is composed of a plastic flip pressure plate and a metal shell; the metal shell is made of low-resistance, high-strength material and is grounded; the plastic flip pressure plate is an integrated injection molded part, which consists of a pressure plate body, a left-placed rotating pivot, a right-placed rotating pivot and N chamfered pressure shafts; by removing material, the rear side wall of the pressure plate body extends forward to form an avoidance gap for avoiding the mechanical terminal; the number of the avoidance gaps is N, and they are arranged in a linear array along the width direction of the pressure plate body; by adding material, the elastic pressure exerted by the mechanical terminal, And the limited chamfered pressure shaft is formed in a horizontal state in the avoidance gap; by adding material, the left-placed rotating pivot and the right-placed rotating pivot are respectively extended outward from the left and right side walls of the pressure plate body; in the process of the plastic-metal composite flip pressure member performing circumferential flip motion with the common central axis of the left-placed rotating pivot and the right-placed rotating pivot as the rotation reference due to the action of external force, the area of ​​the chamfered pressure shaft pressed by the mechanical terminal changes, and the pressure plate body is able to realize or release the compression lock of the flexible cable.

2. The plastic-metal composite flip pressure piece according to claim 1, characterized in that: By removing material, the top wall of the pressure plate body extends downward to form a sinking groove for placing the metal shell, and M limiting columns are also formed along the width direction of the sinking groove; along its width direction, M limiting holes corresponding to the positions of the limiting columns and with matching sizes are opened on the metal shell.

3. The plastic-metal composite flip pressure piece according to claim 2, characterized in that: When the metal shell is placed in place relative to the settling tank, the limiting column protrudes from the top wall of the metal shell by 0.1 to 0.3 mm, and the limiting column is subjected to the synergistic effect of heat and pressure, and the protruding section changes shape to form a large-diameter limiting pier head, while the non-protruding section is radially expanded.

4. The plastic-metal composite flip pressure piece according to claim 1, characterized in that: After the punching and pressing processes, the metal shell is formed with an elastic pressure contact arm. Correspondingly, the pressure plate body is formed with a process notch for the elastic pressure contact arm to pass freely. When the flexible cable is inserted into place relative to the FPC connector, the elastic pressure contact arm contacts the shielding layer of the flexible cable and is electrically conductive.

5. The plastic-metal composite flip pressure piece according to claim 4, characterized in that: The number of the elastic pressure contact arms is at least 2 and they are arranged in a linear array along the width direction of the metal shell.

6. An FPC connector, characterized in that: The invention comprises an insulating rubber seat, a wiring terminal, a mechanical terminal and a plastic-metal composite flip pressure piece as described in any one of claims 1 to 5; the insulating rubber seat is an injection-molded part, and is simultaneously formed with a flexible cable insertion slot, a wiring terminal insertion slot and a mechanical terminal insertion slot; a plurality of the mechanical terminals cooperate to elastically apply pressure and limit the plastic-metal composite flip pressure piece; in the process of the plastic-metal composite flip pressure piece performing a circumferential flipping motion due to the action of an external force, it is able to achieve / release the pressure lock on the flexible cable, and accordingly, the wiring terminal is able to achieve / release the electrical conduction with the tinned copper wire of the flexible cable.

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