Electrical connector for flat conductor

Abstract

To provide an electrical connector for a flat conductor that can be assembled easily and enables stable maintenance of excellent contact between a terminal and the flat conductor.SOLUTION: A terminal 20 has an arm portion 22 extending in a front-rear direction and contactable with a flat conductor. A movable member 30 has a groove portion 34 for accommodating a rear-end portion 22B of the arm portion 22. The groove portion 34 includes a wide portion 34A and narrow portions 34B and 34D having groove widths smaller than that of the wide portion 34A. When the movable member 30 is in a predetermined position different from a closed position, the rear-end portion 22B of the terminal 20 is accommodated in the wide portion 34A. When the movable member 30 is in the closed position, the rear-end portion 22B of the arm portion 22 is accommodated in the wide portion 34A and the narrow portions 34B and 34D.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electrical connector for flat conductors to which flat conductors are connected. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a connector in which a strip-shaped flat conductor extending in the front-rear direction and thick in the up-down direction is inserted and connected forward. In this connector, a housing holds multiple terminals arranged with the strip width direction of the flat conductor as the terminal arrangement direction. Each terminal has an upper arm portion and a lower arm portion extending parallel to each other in the front-rear direction, and a connecting portion extending in the up-down direction and connecting the front ends of the upper arm portion and the lower arm portion. In other words, the terminal has a generally horizontal U-shape that opens rearward when viewed in the terminal arrangement direction, and is designed to receive the flat conductor between the upper arm portion and the lower arm portion. The upper arm portion has a contact portion at its rear end that protrudes downward, and the contact portion contacts a circuit portion on the top surface of the flat conductor from above.

[0003] The connector also includes a movable member that is rotatable about an axis extending in the terminal arrangement direction. The movable member is rotatable between a closed position in which it is parallel to the flat conductors and an open position in which it is perpendicular to the flat conductors. The movable member prevents the flat conductors from being removed when in the closed position and allows the flat conductors to be removed when in the open position. The movable member has a groove at its rear end when in the closed position (its lower end when in the open position) that accommodates the rear end of the upper arm of the terminal. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2015-015126 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In Patent Document 1, when assembling a connector, when the movable member is attached to the housing, terminals are held in the housing, and the rear ends of the upper arms of the terminals are inserted into the grooves of the movable member. If the relative positions of the rear ends of the upper arms and the grooves are significantly misaligned in the terminal arrangement direction, the rear ends will abut against the partition walls separating the grooves of the movable member. Therefore, it is preferable that the grooves be formed with a sufficiently large groove width to allow for some leeway.

[0006] However, if the groove width is increased, a large gap will be formed in the terminal arrangement direction between the rear end of the upper arm and the inner surface of the groove when the connector is in use, i.e., when the contact portion of the upper arm of the terminal is in contact with the circuit portion of the flat conductor. Therefore, the rear end of the upper arm and, ultimately, the contact portion may be displaced within this gap. Therefore, to ensure that the contact portion and the flat conductor are in the correct position, it is preferable to form the groove with as small a width as possible to minimize this gap. In other words, the requirements for the groove width are in conflict with the objectives of ease of connector assembly and maintaining a good electrical connection.

[0007] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector for flat conductors which is easy to assemble and in which good contact between the terminals and the flat conductors can be easily maintained. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] (1) The electrical connector for flat conductors according to the present invention is an electrical connector for flat conductors to which flat conductors extending along the front-to-rear direction are connected, and comprises a housing into which the flat conductors are inserted toward the front, a plurality of terminals arranged and held in the housing with a terminal arrangement direction perpendicular to both the front-to-rear direction and the thickness direction of the flat conductors, and a movable member that is movable between a closed position and an open position by rotating about a rotation axis extending in the terminal arrangement direction, and the movable member maintains the connection state of the flat conductors when in the closed position and allows the flat conductors to be removed when in the open position.

[0009] In such an electrical connector for flat conductors, the terminal has an arm portion that extends in the front-to-rear direction and is capable of contacting the flat conductor, and the movable member has a groove portion that accommodates the rear end portion of the arm portion, and the groove portion has a wide portion and a narrow portion that is narrower in groove width than the wide portion, and when the movable member is in a predetermined position different from the closed position, the rear end portion of the terminal is accommodated in the wide portion, and when the movable member is in the closed position, the rear end portion of the arm is accommodated in the wide portion and the narrow portion.

[0010] In the present invention, when the movable member is in a predetermined position different from the closed position, the rear end portions of the terminals are received in the wide portions of the grooves of the movable member. Therefore, when assembling the connector, by positioning the movable member in the predetermined position and inserting the rear end portions of the arms of the terminals into the wide portions, the rear end portions can be easily inserted into the grooves without colliding with the movable member. This facilitates assembly of the connector and effectively prevents damage to the terminals due to buckling of the arms, etc.

[0011] In addition, in the present invention, when the flat conductor electrical connector is in use, i.e., when connected to the flat conductor, the movable member is in the closed position, and the rear end portions of the terminal arms are accommodated in the wide and narrow portions of the groove of the movable member. Therefore, the inner surface of the groove in the narrow portion restricts the displacement of the rear end portions of the arms in the terminal arrangement direction, thereby stabilizing the contact position of the terminal arms with the flat conductor in the terminal arrangement direction. As a result, good contact between the arms and the flat conductor is maintained.

[0012] (2) In the invention of (1), the narrow portion may have a first narrow portion located behind the wide portion and a second narrow portion located in front of the wide portion when the movable member is in the closed position. By providing narrow portions on both sides of the wide portion in the front-rear direction, i.e., the front first narrow portion and the rear second narrow portion, when the movable member is in the closed position, displacement of the rear end portions of the terminal arms in the terminal arrangement direction is more effectively restricted. Therefore, the position of the terminal arms is more stabilized, and the contact state between the arms and the flat conductors is more effectively maintained.

[0013] (3) In the invention of (2), the arm portion is adapted to be elastically deformed in the thickness direction of the flat conductor when in contact with the flat conductor, and when the movable member is in the closed position and the arm portion is in a free state, the opposing area between the rear end portion of the arm portion and the inner surface of the groove of the first narrow portion is larger than the opposing area between the rear end portion of the arm portion and the second narrow portion, and when the movable member is in the closed position and the arm portion is in an elastically deformed state, the opposing area between the rear end portion of the arm portion and the inner surface of the groove of the second narrow portion may be larger than the opposing area between the rear end portion of the arm portion and the first narrow portion.

[0014] In this configuration, when the terminal arms are not in contact with the flat conductors and are in a free state, the rear end portions of the arms are restricted from displacement in the terminal arrangement direction mainly by the inner surface of the groove in the first narrow section. On the other hand, when the terminal arms are in contact with the flat conductors and are in an elastically displaced state, the rear end portions of the arms are restricted from displacement in the terminal arrangement direction mainly by the inner surface of the groove in the second narrow section. Therefore, whether the terminal arms are in a free state or an elastically displaced state, the displacement of the rear end portions of the arms is restricted by the inner surface of the groove in at least one of the first narrow section and the second narrow section, providing a sufficient opposing area. As a result, the positions of the terminal arms in the terminal arrangement direction can always be stabilized regardless of the above-mentioned state.

[0015] (4) In any of the inventions (1) to (3), the groove may have a transition between the wide portion and the narrow portion, and the transition may be formed so that the groove width narrows from the wide portion to the narrow portion. By providing such a transition, the inner surface of the groove between the wide portion and the narrow portion is formed as a smooth surface without corners. Therefore, when inserting the rear end portion of the arm of the terminal into the wide portion during connector assembly, or when moving the movable member between the open position and the closed position during connector use, the rear end portion of the arm is less likely to interfere with the inner surface of the groove. As a result, damage to the movable member and the terminal can be effectively avoided.

[0016] (5) In the invention of (4), the transition portion may have a groove inner surface that is a flat inclined surface. If the groove inner surface of the transition portion is a flat inclined surface, the portion of the mold corresponding to the transition portion has a simple shape, making it easier to manufacture the mold.

[0017] (6) In any of the inventions (1) to (5), the movable member may be made of an electrically insulating material, and the wide portion may have a parting line on the inner surface of the groove formed by one mold placed from one side of the thickness direction of the movable member and another mold placed from the other side.

[0018] In this configuration, when molding the movable member, the mating surfaces of one mold and the other mold at the position corresponding to the groove are located within the wide portion, not the narrow portion, so that the width of the portion corresponding to the wide portion can be increased in both molds, thereby ensuring sufficient strength of that portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] The present invention can provide an electrical connector for flat conductors that is easy to assemble and that makes it easy to maintain good contact between the terminals and the flat conductors. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1]1 is a perspective view of an electrical connector for flat conductors according to an embodiment of the present invention, seen from the rear side, showing the flat conductors together with the electrical connector in a state immediately before connection of the flat conductors; [Figure 2] 1A and 1B are perspective views of an electrical connector for flat conductors according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) shows the state just before the flat conductor is removed, viewed from the rear together with the flat conductor, and (B) shows only the electrical connector for flat conductors of (A) viewed from the front. [Figure 3] 1 is a perspective view of a flat conductor electrical connector with the housing, terminals, metal fittings, and movable member separated; FIG. [Figure 4] 1A is a perspective view of a housing of the flat conductor electrical connector, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of a vertical cross section of the flat conductor electrical connector at the position of the outer shaft portion in the connector width direction. [Figure 5] 1A and 1B are longitudinal cross-sectional views of an electrical connector for flat conductors at the terminal position in the connector width direction, where (A) shows the state when the movable member is in the closed position, and (B) shows the state when the movable member is in the open position. [Figure 6] 1A is a cross-sectional view of the flat conductor electrical connector at the position of the groove of the movable member in the vertical direction, and FIG. 1B is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. [Figure 7] 1A is a plan view of the movable member, FIG. 1B is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 1A, and FIG. 1C is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the movable member at the position of the groove in the connector width direction. [Figure 8] 1A is a plan view of an electrical connector for flat conductors, and FIG. 1B is a partially enlarged view of FIG. [Figure 9] 1A and 1B are longitudinal cross-sectional views of an electrical connector for flat conductors just before the flat conductor is inserted, where FIG. 1A shows a cross-section at the position of the terminal, and FIG. 1B shows a cross-section at a position adjacent to the locking portion of the movable member. [Figure 10] 1A and 1B are longitudinal cross-sectional views of an electrical connector for flat conductors after insertion of the flat conductor has been completed, where (A) shows a cross-section at the position of the terminal, and (B) shows a cross-section at a position adjacent to the engaging portion of the movable member. [Figure 11]1A and 1B are longitudinal cross-sectional views of the flat conductor electrical connector immediately before the flat conductor is extracted, where FIG. 1A shows a cross-section at the position of the terminal, and FIG. 1B shows a cross-section at a position adjacent to the locking portion of the movable member. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0022] The flat conductor electrical connector 1 (hereinafter referred to as "connector 1") according to this embodiment is mounted on the mounting surface of a circuit board (not shown), and is adapted to removably connect a flat conductor C (e.g., FPC) as a mating connector, with the insertion and removal direction being the front-to-back direction (X-axis direction) parallel to the mounting surface. The connector 1 electrically connects the circuit board and the flat conductor C when the flat conductor C is connected. In this embodiment, in the X-axis direction (front-to-back direction), the X1 direction is the front, and the X2 direction is the rear. The Y-axis direction, which is perpendicular to the front-to-back direction (X-axis direction), is the connector width direction, and the Z-axis direction, which is perpendicular to the mounting surface of the circuit board, is the up-down direction.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 1, the flat conductor C has a flexible band-like shape that extends in the front-to-rear direction (X-axis direction), has a band width direction that is the connector width direction (Y-axis direction), and a thickness direction that is the up-down direction (Z-axis direction). As shown in FIG. 2(A), its front end portion is inserted into the housing 10. The flat conductor C is formed with a plurality of circuit portions C1 that extend in the front-to-rear direction and are arranged in the connector width direction. The circuit portions C1 are embedded in the insulating layer of the flat conductor C and extend in the front-to-rear direction, reaching a position near the front end of the flat conductor C. The circuit portions C1 are exposed on the upper surface of the front end portion and are capable of contacting the terminals 20 of the connector 1 (see FIG. 10(A)).

[0024] As shown in FIG. 1, a notch C2 is formed on both side edges of the front end portion of the flat conductor C, and the rear end edge of the ear C3 located in front of the notch C2 functions as an engaged portion C3A that engages with the engaging portion 38 of the connector 1, which will be described later (see FIG. 10(B)).

[0025] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the connector 1 comprises a housing 10 made of an electrically insulating material such as resin, a plurality of metal plate terminals 20 arranged in the connector width direction as the terminal arrangement direction and held in the housing 10, a movable member 30 made of an electrically insulating material such as resin that is movable between a closed position (see Figure 1) and an open position (see Figures 2(A) and (B)), and metal plate fittings 40 arranged on both sides of the terminal arrangement range in the connector width direction and held in the housing 10, and is configured so that a flat conductor C is inserted and connected from the rear (see the arrows shown in Figure 1).

[0026] 1 to 4, the housing 10 has a bottom wall 11 facing the mounting surface of the circuit board, two side portions 12 connected to both ends of the bottom wall 11 in the connector width direction, a front wall 13 connected to the front end of the bottom wall 11, and introduction portions 14 connected to the rear ends of the bottom wall 11 and the side portions 12. The housing 10 also has a receiving portion 15, which is a space extending along the upper surface of the bottom wall 11, so that the front end portion of a flat conductor C inserted from behind can be received in the receiving portion 15.

[0027] 3, 4(A), 5(A) and 5(B), the housing 10 is formed with lower accommodating sections 16 arranged in the connector width direction, each capable of accommodating a lower arm section 21 (described later) of the terminal 20. The lower accommodating sections 16 are formed as grooves extending in the front-rear direction across approximately the front half of the bottom wall 11 and the front wall 13 in the front-rear direction. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 5(A) and 5(B), the lower accommodating sections 16 are open upward in the area of ​​approximately the front half of the bottom wall 11, and penetrate the front wall 13 in the front-rear direction within the area of ​​the front wall 13.

[0028] 5(A) and (B), a hole 11A is formed in the lower wall 11 directly below the rear end of a lower arm 21 (described later) of the terminal 20, penetrating the lower wall 11 in the vertical direction and communicating with the lower accommodating section 16. The hole 11A is adapted to receive the rear end of the lower arm 21 when the lower arm 21 is elastically displaced downward (see FIG. 10(A)). As a result, interference between the rear end of the lower arm 21 and the lower wall 11 is avoided.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 4(A), the side portion 12 has a protruding portion 17 that protrudes outward from the side end of the bottom wall 11 in the connector width direction, and a metal fitting holding portion 18 and an end wall portion 19 that stand upright from the upper surface of the protruding portion 17. Also, at the rear of the side portion 12, as shown in FIGS. 4(A) and (B), a shaft accommodating portion 12A is formed in a concave shape that opens upward and accommodates an outer shaft portion 39 (described below) of the movable member 30. Furthermore, the space formed in the side portion 12 outside the shaft accommodating portion 12A, metal fitting holding portion 18, and end wall portion 19 when viewed from above constitutes a side accommodating portion 12B that accommodates a side reinforcement portion 37 (described below) of the movable member 30 when in the closed position (see FIGS. 6(A) and (B)). The side accommodating portion 12B is in communication with the shaft accommodating portion 12A.

[0030] As shown in Fig. 4(A), the protruding portion 17 is plate-shaped with a plate surface perpendicular to the vertical direction, and its front portion extends forward beyond the front wall 13. As shown in Fig. 4(B), at the rear of the protruding portion 17, the portion that forms the lower inner wall surface of the shaft accommodating portion 12A forms an outer shaft support portion 17A that can support the outer shaft portion 39 from below.

[0031] 4(A), metal fitting holding portion 18 rises upward from approximately the outer half of overhang portion 17 in the connector width direction and extends in the front-to-rear direction, with its front end located at the same position as the front end of overhang portion 17. Metal fitting holding portion 18 is plate-shaped with a plate surface perpendicular to the connector width direction, and metal fitting accommodating portion 18A is formed at the middle position in the connector width direction for accommodating part of metal fitting 40. Metal fitting accommodating portion 18A is groove-shaped, extending perpendicular to the connector width direction and in the front-to-rear direction.

[0032] 4(A) and 4(B), the inner portion 18B of the metal fitting holding portion 18, which is located more inward than the metal fitting accommodating portion 18A in the connector width direction, is positioned over an area that overlaps with the shaft accommodating portion 12A in the connector width direction and is provided in front of the shaft accommodating portion 12A. The rear portion of the inner portion 18B of the metal fitting holding portion 18 forms a front restricting portion 18C that serves as a shaft restricting portion that restricts forward movement of the outer shaft portion 39 of the movable member 30. The rear end surface of the front restricting portion 18C is a flat surface perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction and forms the front inner wall surface of the shaft accommodating portion 12A. The rear end surface of the front restricting portion 18C abuts against the outer shaft portion 39 of the movable member 30, thereby restricting forward movement of the outer shaft portion 39.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 6(B), the front restricting portion 18C has inner surfaces in the connector width direction, namely, a front inner surface 18C-1, which is the inner surface of the front portion, and a rear inner surface 18C-2, which is the inner surface of the rear portion. When viewed in the up-down direction, the front inner surface 18C-1 extends so as to slope inward in the connector width direction (toward the Y1 direction in FIG. 6(B)) as it extends rearward. When viewed in the up-down direction, the rear inner surface 18C-2 extends parallel to the front-to-rear direction. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6(B), the front restricting portion 18C protrudes inward in the connector width direction relative to the other portion of the inner portion 18B of the metal fitting holding portion 18 (the portion located forward of the front restricting portion 18C). Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6(B), the outer surface 18C-3 of the front restricting portion 18C extends entirely parallel to the front-to-rear direction and forms part of the inner surface of the groove of the metal fitting accommodating portion 18A. The front restricting portion 18C having such a shape is larger in the connector width direction than the other portions, that is, is formed thicker.

[0034] 4(A), end wall portion 19 rises upward from the inner portion in the connector width direction at the front of overhang portion 17 and extends in the front-to-rear direction, with its front end located at the same position as the front end of front wall 13. End wall portion 19 is located more inward than metal fitting holding portion 18 in the connector width direction, with a gap between it and metal fitting holding portion 18. The space formed between end wall portion 19 and metal fitting holding portion 18 forms the front of side accommodating portion 12B.

[0035] The front portion of the end wall portion 19 is connected to the end of the front wall 13 in the connector width direction. The rear portion of the end wall portion 19 extends rearward beyond the front wall 13 and forms a flat conductor restricting portion 19A that restricts movement of the flat conductor C in the connector width direction. As shown in FIG. 6(B), the flat conductor restricting portion 19A has outer surfaces in the connector width direction, namely, a front outer surface 19A-1 which is the outer surface of the front portion, and a rear outer surface 19A-2 which is the outer surface of the rear portion. The front outer surface 19A-1 extends parallel to the front-rear direction when viewed in the up-down direction. The rear outer surface 19A-2 extends so as to be inclined outward in the connector width direction (toward the Y2 side in FIG. 6(B)) as it extends forward when viewed in the up-down direction. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6(B), the entire inner surface 19A-3 of the flat conductor restricting portion 19A extends parallel to the front-rear direction. The inner surface 19A-3 is a flat surface perpendicular to the connector width direction, and by abutting against the ear portion C3 of the flat conductor C, restricts movement of the flat conductor C in the connector width direction.

[0036] When the movable member 30 is in the closed position, the side reinforcement portions 37 of the movable member 30 are disposed between the front restricting portion 18C and the flat-conductor restricting portion 19A. Details of the positional relationship between the front restricting portion 18C, the flat-conductor restricting portion 19A, and the side reinforcement portions 37 will be described later with reference to FIGS. 6(A) and 6(B).

[0037] As shown in Fig. 4(A), the front wall 13 protrudes upward relative to the bottom wall 11 and extends over the same range in the connector width direction as the bottom wall 11. The front wall 13 is formed with a groove-shaped front accommodating portion 13A recessed from the upper surface of the front wall 13 at the same position in the connector width direction as the lower accommodating portion 16. As shown in Figs. 5(A) and (B), the front accommodating portion 13A is configured to accommodate a portion of an upper arm portion 22 (described later) of the terminal 20.

[0038] 4(A), the introduction portion 14 has a lower introduction wall portion 14A forming the rear portion of the bottom wall 11, an upper introduction wall portion 14B extending in the connector width direction above the lower introduction wall portion 14A, and a pair of side introduction wall portions 14C extending in the vertical direction and connecting the ends of the lower introduction wall portion 14A and the upper introduction wall portion 14B. The space surrounded by the lower introduction wall portion 14A, the upper introduction wall portion 14B, and the side introduction wall portion 14C and penetrating in the front-to-rear direction forms an introduction port 14D (part of the receiving portion 15) for introducing the flat conductor C into the inner part of the receiving portion 15.

[0039] The outer portion 14C-1 of the side introduction wall portion 14C is positioned over an area that overlaps with the shaft accommodating portion 12A in the connector width direction. The front end surface of the outer portion 14C-1 is a flat surface perpendicular to the front-rear direction and forms the rear inner wall surface of the shaft accommodating portion 12A. The inner portion of the side introduction wall portion 14C is positioned more inward than the shaft accommodating portion 12A in the connector width direction. This inner portion forms a rearward restricting portion 14C-2 that restricts the rearward movement of the movable member 30. The rearward restricting portion 14C-2 restricts the rearward movement of the movable member 30 by abutting the front end surface of the rearward restricting portion 14C-2 against the movable member 30.

[0040] Terminal 20 is made by punching out a metal plate member, and is attached by being press-fitted into housing 10 from the front with the plate surface perpendicular to the connector width direction (see Fig. 3). As shown in Figs. 5(A) and (B), terminal 20 has a lower arm portion 21 extending in the front-to-rear direction below receiving portion 15, an upper arm portion 22 extending in the front-to-rear direction above receiving portion 15, a connecting arm portion 23 extending in the vertical direction forward of front wall 13 and connecting the front ends of lower arm portion 21 and upper arm portion 22,

[0041] As shown in Figures 5(A) and (B), the lower arm 21 has a held portion 21A provided at its front end and a lower elastic portion 21B extending rearward from the held portion 21A. The held portion 21A is press-fitted into the front end of the lower housing portion 16, i.e., into a groove portion penetrating the front wall 13. With a portion of the lower elastic portion 21B housed in the lower housing portion 16, the lower elastic portion 21B extends so as to slope upward toward the rear, allowing for elastic displacement in the vertical direction. The gap between the lower elastic portion 21B and the bottom surface of the groove of the lower housing portion 16 becomes larger toward the rear, and this gap allows for elastic displacement of the lower elastic portion 21B.

[0042] A pressing portion 21B-1 that protrudes upward is formed at the rear end of the lower elastic portion 21B. As shown in Figures 5(A) and (B), when the lower elastic portion 21B is in a free state, the pressing portion 21B-1 protrudes from the lower accommodating portion 16 and is located within the receiving portion 15. When the flat conductor C is connected to the connector 1, the pressing portion 21B-1 presses the lower surface of the flat conductor C from below (see Figure 10(A)).

[0043] The upper arm 22 is elastically displaceable in the vertical direction. As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the upper arm 22 includes an upper elastic portion 22A extending rearward from the connection position with the connecting arm 23, and an extension portion 22B extending rearward from the rear end of the upper elastic portion 22A. The upper elastic portion 22A extends so as to slope downward toward the rear. A contact portion 22A-1 is formed at the rear end of the upper elastic portion 22A and protrudes downward at approximately the same position as the pressing portion 21B-1 in the front-to-rear direction. When the upper elastic portion 22A is in a free state, the contact portion 22A-1 is located within the receiving portion 15. When the flat conductor C is connected to the connector 1, the contact portion 22A-1 cooperates with the pressing portion 21B-1 to clamp the flat conductor C in the vertical direction and contacts the circuit portion C1 of the flat conductor C from above (see FIG. 10A). By bringing the contact portion 22A-1 into contact with the circuit portion C1 in this manner, the flat conductor C and the terminal 20 can be electrically connected.

[0044] The extension portion 22B extends upward and rearward from the rear end of the upper elastic portion 22A and is housed in a groove portion 34 (described later) of the movable member 30. The rear portion of the extension portion 22B forms an inner shaft support portion 22B-1 that can support an inner shaft portion 31A (described later) of the movable member 30 from above. The inner shaft support portion 22B-1 is located rearward of the rear end of the lower arm portion 21 and extends straight in the front-to-rear direction. As shown in FIG. 5(A), the inner shaft support portion 22B-1 supports the inner shaft portion 31A of the movable member 30 from above when the movable member 30 is in the closed position.

[0045] 5(A) and 5(B), the connection portion 24 is located forward of the front wall 13. The lower edge of the connection portion 24 is located slightly below the lower surface of the bottom wall 11 of the housing 10, and when the connector 1 is placed on the mounting surface of a circuit board (not shown), the connection portion 24 is soldered to a corresponding circuit portion (pad) on the mounting surface.

[0046] 1 to 3, the movable member 30 has a main body 31 that extends across the range between the metal fitting holding portions 18 in the connector width direction, and two outer shaft portions 39 that serve as shaft portions provided on the side ends of the main body 31 in the connector width direction. The movable member 30 is movable between a closed position and an open position by rotating about a rotation axis that extends in the connector width direction.

[0047] 3, the movable member 30 is shown in the same position as when it is in the open position. As shown in FIG. 3, the main body 31 has a plate-like cover plate 32 that is substantially rectangular when viewed in its thickness direction (X-axis direction), a reinforcing portion 35 that protrudes from the front surface of the cover plate 32 (the bottom surface when it is in the closed position) and extends along the edge of the cover plate 32, and a locking portion 38 that protrudes from the front surface of the cover plate 32 (the bottom surface when it is in the closed position).

[0048] As shown in FIG. 3, upper accommodating portions 33 for accommodating the upper arm portions 22 of the terminals 20 are formed in the cover plate portion 32 and arranged in the connector width direction (see also FIG. 5(A)). The upper accommodating portions 33 are recessed from the front surface of the cover plate portion 32 (the bottom surface when in the closed position) and extend in the vertical direction (the front-to-rear direction when in the closed position). A groove portion 34 is formed below the groove portion 34 in the open position (the rear portion when in the closed position) and penetrates the cover plate portion 32 in the front-to-rear direction (the up-to-down direction when in the closed position). Adjacent groove portions 34 are separated by a partition portion 31B.

[0049] 7(A) to 7(C), the groove 34 has a wide portion 34A formed in an intermediate region in the front-to-rear direction, a first narrow portion 34B and a first transitional portion 34C formed rearward of the wide portion 34A, and a second narrow portion 34D and a second transitional portion 34E formed forward of the wide portion 34A. In all of the wide portion 34A, the first narrow portion 34B, the first transitional portion 34C, the second narrow portion 34D, and the second transitional portion 34E, the groove width dimension (dimension in the connector width direction) is larger than the plate thickness dimension (dimension in the connector width direction) of the terminal 20 (see FIGS. 8(A) and 8(B)).

[0050] As shown in Fig. 7(B), the wide portion 34A is formed to have the widest groove width in the groove portion 34. The groove width dimension Q1 of the wide portion 34A is the distance between opposing inner groove surfaces in the groove width direction at any position in the wide portion 34A, and the position shown as "Q1" in Fig. 7(B) is merely one example.

[0051] 7(C), a parting line 34A-1 is formed on the inner surface of the groove of the wide portion 34A during molding of the movable member 30. The parting line 34A-1 is a stepped portion formed along the mating surface between one mold (not shown) placed from one side and another mold (not shown) placed from the other side in the thickness direction of the movable member 30 (the vertical direction in FIG. 7(C)) during molding of the movable member 30.

[0052] The parting line 34A-1 has an inclined line 34A-2 that forms the majority of the parting line 34A-1, and a parallel line 34A-3 that forms the remaining portion. As shown in FIG. 7C, the inclined line 34A-2 extends at an angle relative to the up-down direction from the upper end of the movable member 30 to a position near the lower end, as viewed in the connector width direction. Specifically, the inclined line 34A-2 linearly inclines rearward as it extends downward in FIG. 7C. The parallel line 34A-3 is linear and parallel to the front-rear direction, and extends rearward from the lower end of the inclined line 34A-2 to the boundary with the first transition portion 34C.

[0053] In this embodiment, the inner surface of the groove of the wide portion 34A is divided by a parting line 34A-1 into two surfaces: a first surface 34A-4 located above the parting line 34A-1 and a second surface 34A-5 located below the parting line 34A-1. The first surface 34A-4 and the second surface 34A-5 are formed as inclined surfaces with different inclination directions. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7B , the first surface 34A-4 has an inclined portion that inclines inward in the groove width direction (Y-axis direction) toward the rear when viewed in the up-down direction (Z-axis direction perpendicular to the paper surface) of the movable member 30 in the closed position, and also inclines inward in the groove width direction (Y-axis direction) toward the bottom when viewed in the front-rear direction (X-axis direction). As shown in Figure 7(B), the second surface 34A-5 has an inclined portion that slopes inward in the groove width direction as it moves forward when viewed in the vertical direction with the movable member 30 in the closed position (see Figure 7(B)), and also slopes inward in the groove width direction as it moves upward when viewed in the front-to-back direction.

[0054] In this embodiment, the parting line 34A-1 is formed on the inner surface of the wide portion 34A of the groove 34, which has the widest groove width. That is, when molding the movable member 30, the mating surfaces between one mold (not shown) and the other mold (not shown) at the position corresponding to the groove 34 are located within the wide portion 34A. Therefore, the width dimensions (dimension in the connector width direction) of the portions corresponding to the wide portion 34A in both molds can be increased, thereby ensuring sufficient strength of the corresponding portions. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the mating surfaces between the one mold and the other mold have an inclined surface along the inclined line 34A-2 and a parallel surface along the parallel line 34A-3. Therefore, when each mold is moved in the thickness direction of the movable member 30, there is no rubbing between the molds on the mating surfaces. As a result, damage to both molds due to wear, etc. can be effectively avoided.

[0055] In addition, in this embodiment, the parting line 34A-1 has both the inclined line 34A-2 and the parallel line 34A-3, but the shape of the parting line is not limited to this and various modifications are possible. As a modified example, the parting line may have only inclined lines or only parallel lines.

[0056] The first narrow portion 34B has a narrower groove width than the wide portion 34A. That is, as shown in FIG. 7B, the groove width dimension Q2 of the first narrow portion 34B is smaller than the groove width dimension Q1 of the wide portion 34A. The opposing inner groove surfaces of the first narrow portion 34B form flat surfaces perpendicular to the groove width direction (Y-axis direction). Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 7C, the inner groove surfaces of the first narrow portions 34B are connected to each other at their rear and lower parts when in the closed position by an inner shaft portion 31A whose cross section perpendicular to the groove width direction is oval.

[0057] As shown in Fig. 7(B), the first transitional portion 34C is located between the wide portion 34A and the first narrow portion 34B and connects the wide portion 34A and the first narrow portion 34B. The first transitional portion 34C forms a flat surface that slopes inward in the groove width direction as it extends rearward. In other words, the groove width of the first transitional portion 34C narrows from the wide portion 34A toward the first narrow portion 34B.

[0058] The second narrow portion 34D has a groove width narrower than that of the wide portion 34A and the same as that of the first narrow portion 34B. That is, as shown in Fig. 7(B), the groove width dimension Q3 of the first narrow portion 34B is smaller than the groove width dimension Q1 of the wide portion 34A and equal to the groove width dimension Q2 of the first narrow portion 34B. The opposing inner groove surfaces of the second narrow portion 34D form flat surfaces perpendicular to the groove width direction (Y-axis direction).

[0059] As shown in Fig. 7(B), the second transitional portion 34E is located between the wide portion 34A and the second narrow portion 34D and connects the wide portion 34A and the second narrow portion 34D. The second transitional portion 34E has a flat surface that slopes inward in the groove width direction as it extends forward. In other words, the groove width of the second transitional portion 34E narrows from the wide portion 34A toward the second narrow portion 34D.

[0060] In this embodiment, by providing the transition portions 34C and 34E between the wide portion 34A and the narrow portions 34B and 34D, the inner surfaces of the grooves between the wide portion 34A and the narrow portions 34B and 34D are formed as smooth surfaces without corners. Therefore, when inserting the extension portion 22B of the terminal 20 into the wide portion 34A during connector assembly, or when moving the movable member 30 between the open position and the closed position during use of the connector 1, the extension portion 22B is less likely to interfere with the inner surfaces of the grooves 34. As a result, damage to the movable member 30 and the terminals 20 can be effectively avoided. Furthermore, because the inner surfaces of the transition portions 34C and 34E form flat, inclined surfaces, the portions of the mold corresponding to the transition portions 34C and 34E have simple shapes, facilitating mold manufacturing.

[0061] 3 and 6(A) and (B), the reinforcing portion 35 has a front reinforcing portion 36 that extends along the front edge of the cover plate portion 32 in the closed position, and two side reinforcing portions 37 that extend along the side edges (edges located at both ends in the connector width direction) of the movable member 30. The front reinforcing portion 36 extends linearly over the entire range of the cover plate portion 32 in the connector width direction, and as shown in FIGS. 5(A) and 6(A), when the movable member 30 is in the closed position, the front reinforcing portion 36 covers the front wall 13 and the connecting arm portion 23 from the front above the connection portion 24.

[0062] As shown in FIGS. 6(A) and (B), the side reinforcement portions 37 extend in the front-to-rear direction from the connection position with the front reinforcement portion 36 to the rear end position of the cover plate portion 32 when in the closed position (see also FIG. 3). As shown in FIGS. 6(A) and (B), the side reinforcement portions 37 have a front parallel portion 37A that forms the front portion in the closed position, an inclined portion 37B that forms the middle portion, and a rear parallel portion 37C that forms the rear portion (see also FIG. 3). The front parallel portion 37A and the rear parallel portion 37C extend parallel to the front-to-rear direction in the closed position. The inclined portion 37B extends inward in the connector width direction as it extends rearward in the closed position. As shown in FIGS. 6(A) and (B), when the movable member 30 is in the closed position, the side reinforcement portions 37 are accommodated in the side accommodation portions 12B of the housing 10.

[0063] In this embodiment, as described above, the inclined portions 37B of the side reinforcement portions 37 extend inward in the connector width direction. That is, the thickness direction of the inclined portions 37B is inclined relative to the connector width direction. Therefore, when an attempt is made to increase the thickness dimension (dimension in the thickness direction) of the inclined portions 37B to improve the strength of the side reinforcement portions 37, the increase in the dimension of the inclined portions 37B in the connector width direction is smaller than when no inclined portions are provided and the connector width direction is the thickness direction of the entire side reinforcement portion. Therefore, the movable member 30, and therefore the connector 1, are less likely to increase in size in the connector width direction.

[0064] As shown in Fig. 7(C), the locking portion 38 is provided to protrude from the lower surface of the rear part of the cover plate portion 32 in the closed position (the front surface of the lower part of the cover plate portion 32 in the open position) at a position corresponding to the locked portion C3A (see Fig. 1) of the flat conductor C in the connector width direction. In the closed position, the locking portion 38 is located within the receiving portion 15 (see Fig. 9(B)), and is positioned so as to be able to lock onto the locked portion C3A of the flat conductor C from behind when the flat conductor C is inserted into the receiving portion 15 (see Fig. 10(B)).

[0065] The locking portion 38 has a guide surface 38A on its rear surface that slopes downward toward the front, and a locking surface 38B on its front surface that locks from behind with the locked portion C3A of the flat conductor C. When the movable member 30 is in the open position, the locking portion 38 is positioned outside the housing 10, and is no longer able to be locked with the locked portion C3A of the flat conductor C (see FIG. 11(B)).

[0066] The outer shaft portion 39 protrudes outward in the connector width direction from the outer surface of the rear parallel portion 37C at the rear in the closed position and is accommodated in the shaft accommodating portion 12A of the housing 10 (see also Figures 3 and 4(B)). The outer shaft portion 39 has a substantially rectangular cross section perpendicular to the connector width direction, and is oriented such that its longitudinal direction is the front-to-rear direction in the closed position and its longitudinal direction is the up-to-down direction in the open position. The outer shaft portion 39 is supported from below by the outer shaft support portion 17A of the housing 10, regardless of the position of the movable member 30. The outer shaft portion 39 also functions as a cam portion that lifts a biasing piece 42A (described later) of the metal fitting 40 from below during movement from the closed position to the open position and at the open position.

[0067] The metal fitting 40 is made by punching out a metal plate member and bending a portion in the thickness direction. As shown in Fig. 3, the metal fitting 40 has a fixed arm 41 that is straight and extends in the front-to-rear direction, a biasing arm 42 that extends in the front-to-rear direction above the fixed arm 41, a connecting portion 43 that connects the front end portions of the fixed arm 41 and the biasing arm 42 together, and a fitting portion 44 that is fitted into the housing 10 from the rear. The metal fitting 40 is held in the metal fitting holder 18 by press-fitting a press-fitting portion 41A provided at the front end of the fixed arm 41 being press-fit into the front end of the metal fitting accommodating portion 18A of the housing 10 from the rear.

[0068] The majority of the metal fitting 40 has a plate surface that is perpendicular to the connector width direction, and is positioned outward in the connector width direction relative to the outer shaft portion 39 of the movable member 30, adjacent to said outer shaft portion 39. In the metal fitting 40, only the biasing piece 42A, which will be described later, is formed by being bent in the connector width direction. Therefore, the entire metal fitting 40 has a simple shape and is compact.

[0069] The fixed arm 41 is fixed to the housing 10 while being supported by the bottom surface of the groove of the metal fitting accommodating portion 18A. The biasing arm 42 is elastically displaceable in the vertical direction, and has a biasing piece 42A at its rear end for biasing the outer shaft 39 of the movable member 30 from above. The biasing piece 42A is bent at the upper edge of the rear end of the biasing arm 42 and extends inward in the connector width direction, i.e., toward the outer shaft 39 of the movable member 30.

[0070] The biasing piece 42A has a plate surface (rolled surface) perpendicular to the up-down direction, and is located directly above the outer shaft portion 39. The lower surface of the biasing piece 42A comes into contact with the upper surface of the outer shaft portion 39, and is capable of restricting upward movement of the outer shaft portion 39 and, in turn, the movable member 30. In the closed position, the biasing arm 42 is not elastically displaced, so the biasing piece 42A does not bias the outer shaft portion 39, but in the open position, the biasing arm 42 is elastically displaced upward, so the biasing piece 42A biases the outer shaft portion 39 from above.

[0071] The fitting portion 44 is provided at a position that overlaps with the biasing piece 42A in the front-rear direction. The fitting portion 44 extends downward from the lower edge of the fixing arm 41 and then extends forward, forming an overall L-shape. As shown in FIG. 1, the fitting portion 44 fits into the rear end portion of the protruding portion 17 from behind, thereby engaging with the rear end portion from below. In this embodiment, the fitting portion 44 also functions as a fixing portion that is fixed to a corresponding portion (not shown) on the mounting surface of the circuit board by soldering.

[0072] The connector 1 having this configuration is assembled as follows. First, the movable member 30, which is held in the open position, is attached to the housing 10 from above. Specifically, the lower end of the main body 31, which is in the open position, is placed in the space between the lower housing portion 16 and the introduction portion 14 of the housing 10 in the front-to-rear direction. At the same time, the outer shaft portion 39 is placed in the shaft housing portion 12A of the housing 10.

[0073] Next, while maintaining the movable member 30 in the open position, the lower arm 21 of the terminal 20 is press-fitted from the front into the lower accommodating portion 16 of the housing 10, thereby attaching the terminal 20 to the housing 10. At this time, the upper edge of the held portion 21A of the lower arm 21 bites into the inner surface of the groove at the front end of the lower accommodating portion 16, thereby holding the held portion 21A (see FIGS. 5(A) and (B)).

[0074] Furthermore, when the terminals 20 are attached to the housing 10, the rear end portion of the upper arm 22, specifically the inner shaft support portion 22B-1, is inserted from behind into the wide portion 34A of the groove 34 of the movable member 30. As described above, in this embodiment, the inner shaft support portion 22B-1 is inserted into the wide portion 34A of the groove 34, which has the widest groove width. Therefore, even if the relative positions of the movable member 30 and the terminals 20 are slightly misaligned in the connector width direction immediately before the insertion of the inner shaft support portion 22B-1, the inner shaft support portion 22B-1 can be easily inserted into the wide portion 34A, facilitating assembly of the connector 1. Furthermore, since the inner shaft support portion 22B-1 can be effectively prevented from colliding with the partition wall portion 31B of the movable member 30 during attachment of the terminals 20, damage to the upper arm 22 of the terminals 20 due to buckling or the like can be suppressed.

[0075] When the inner shaft support portion 22B-1 is inserted into the wide portion 34A, it is positioned directly above the inner shaft portion 31A and is able to support the inner shaft portion 31A from above (see FIG. 5(B)). Since the inner shaft support portion 22B-1 is able to support the inner shaft portion 31A in this way, the upward movement of the inner shaft portion 31A and therefore the movable member 30 is restricted.

[0076] In this embodiment, the position of the movable member 30 when the inner shaft support portion 22B-1 is inserted into the wide portion 34A is the position when the movable member is in the open position, but the position of the movable member during this insertion can be changed as appropriate. As a modified example, for example, the movable member may be in a predetermined rotational position between the closed position and the open position. In other words, it may be in any predetermined position other than the closed position. In this case, the wide portion of the movable member is formed in a shape that extends in the front-to-rear direction when the movable member is in the predetermined position.

[0077] Next, the metal fitting 40 is attached to the metal fitting accommodating portion 18A of the housing 10 from the rear. Specifically, the press-fit fixing portion 41A is press-fit into the front end of the metal fitting accommodating portion 18A, and the fitting portion 44 is fitted into the rear end of the protruding portion 17. As a result, the biasing piece 42A of the metal fitting 40 is positioned directly above the outer shaft portion 39, restricting upward movement of the outer shaft portion 39. By attaching the terminals 20, movable member 30, and metal fitting 40 to the housing 10 in this manner, the connector 1 is completed.

[0078] In this embodiment, the terminals 20 are attached to the housing 10 before the metal fittings 40, but the order of attachment of the terminals 20 and the metal fittings 40 is not limited to this; for example, the metal fittings 40 may be attached first, or the terminals 20 and the metal fittings 40 may be attached simultaneously.

[0079] Immediately before use of the connector 1, i.e., immediately before connecting the flat conductor C, the movable member 30 is brought to the closed position. When the movable member 30 is in the closed position, as shown in Fig. 5(A), the rear end portion of the upper arm 22 of the terminal 20, specifically the extension 22B, is housed in the groove 34 of the movable member 30. At this time, the extension 22B extends over almost the entire range of the groove 34 in the front-to-rear direction, and its displacement in the groove width direction (connector width direction) is restricted by the inner wall surfaces of the first narrow portion 34B and the second narrow portion 34D, which have the narrowest groove widths in the groove 34.

[0080] In this embodiment, in the groove 34 of the movable member 30 in the closed position, the displacement of the extension 22B of the upper arm 22 in the connector width direction is restricted by the narrowest narrow portions 34B, 34D, i.e., the first narrow portion 34B and the second narrow portion 34D. Therefore, the position of the upper arm 22 of the terminal 20, and therefore the position of the contact portion 22A-1, is stabilized, and good contact between the terminal 20 and the flat conductor C is maintained.

[0081] Furthermore, in this embodiment, narrow portions 34B, 34D (the first narrow portion 34B at the front and the second narrow portion 34D at the rear) are provided on both sides of the wide portion 34A in the front-rear direction, which more effectively restricts displacement of the extension portion 22B of the upper arm portion 22. This more stabilizes the position of the contact portion 22A-1 of the terminal 20, thereby more effectively maintaining contact between the terminal 20 and the flat conductor C.

[0082] Furthermore, when the flat conductor C is not connected to the connector 1, the upper arm portion 22 is in a free state. In this embodiment, when the upper arm portion 22 is in a free state, as shown in Fig. 5(A), the facing area between the extension portion 22B and the groove inner surface of the first narrow portion 34B is larger than the facing area between the extension portion 22B and the groove inner surface of the second narrow portion 34D. In other words, the displacement of the extension portion 22B in the groove width direction is restricted mainly by the groove inner surface of the first narrow portion 34B.

[0083] On the other hand, when the flat conductor C is connected to the connector 1, the upper arm portion 22 is elastically displaced upward. In this embodiment, when the upper arm portion 22 is elastically displaced, the facing area between the extension portion 22B and the groove inner surface of the second narrow portion 34D is larger than the facing area between the extension portion 22B and the first narrow portion 34B (see FIG. 10(A)). In other words, the displacement of the extension portion 22B in the groove width direction is restricted mainly by the groove inner surface of the second narrow portion 34D.

[0084] 6(A) and 6(B), when the movable member 30 is in the closed position, the side reinforcement portion 37 of the movable member 30 is accommodated in the side accommodation portion 12B of the housing 10. At this time, as shown in FIG. 6(B), the inner portion 18B of the metal fitting holding portion 18, the end wall portion 19, and the side reinforcement portion 37 are positioned adjacent to one another within a predetermined range P2 that is part of the range P1 of the side portion 12 in the connector width direction. In addition, the front portion of the forward restricting portion 18C of the inner portion 18B, the rear portion of the flat conductor restricting portion 19A of the end wall portion 19, and the inclined portion 37B of the side reinforcement portion 37 are positioned within ranges that overlap one another in the front-to-rear direction.

[0085] As shown in FIG. 6B, the front inner surface 18C-1 of the front portion of the front restricting portion 18C extends along the outer surface 37B-1 of the inclined portion 37B. That is, the front restricting portion 18C and the inclined portion 37B are positioned so as to overlap each other in the connector width direction. Here, the front inner surface 18C-1 extends inward in the connector width direction as it inclines rearward, thereby increasing the thickness dimension (dimension in the connector width direction) of the front portion of the front restricting portion 18C, thereby improving the strength of the front portion. As a result, the front restricting portion 18C can effectively restrict the forward movement of the outer shaft portion 39 and, ultimately, the movable member 30.

[0086] In this embodiment, the rear portion of the front restricting portion 18C is formed over the entire range in the front-to-rear direction with the same maximum thickness as the front portion of the front restricting portion 18C, i.e., the thickness at the rear end position of the front portion. Therefore, the portion of the front restricting portion 18C with the maximum thickness can be formed large in the front-to-rear direction, which further improves the strength of the front restricting portion 18C.

[0087] 6(B), the rear outer surface 19A-2 of the rear portion of the flat-conductor restricting portion 19A extends along the inner surface 37B-2 of the inclined portion 37B. In other words, the flat-conductor restricting portion 19A and the inclined portion 37B are positioned so as to overlap each other in the connector width direction. Since the rear outer surface 19A-2 extends forward at an inclination outward in the connector width direction, the thickness of the rear portion of the flat-conductor restricting portion 19A (dimension in the connector width direction) increases, thereby improving the strength of the rear portion. As a result, the flat-conductor restricting portion 19A can effectively restrict movement of the flat conductors C in the connector width direction.

[0088] In this manner, in this embodiment, the inner portion 18B of the metal fitting holding portion 18, the end wall portion 19, and the side reinforcement portion 37 are adjacent to one another within a predetermined range P2 in the connector width direction, and the front restricting portion 18C and the inclined portion 37B, and the flat conductor restricting portion 19A and the inclined portion 37B are positioned in overlapping ranges. Therefore, even if the thickness of each of the front restricting portion 18C, the flat conductor restricting portion 19A, and the inclined portion 37B is increased to improve strength, the increase in the area each occupies in the connector width direction can be suppressed, and as a result, the increase in size of the connector 1 in the connector width direction can be kept to a minimum.

[0089] Next, the operation of inserting and removing the flat conductor C into and from the connector 1 will be described.

[0090] First, the connection portions 24 of the terminals 20 of the connector 1 are soldered to corresponding circuit portions on a circuit board (not shown), and the fitting portions 44 of the metal fittings 40 are soldered to corresponding portions on the circuit board. By soldering the connection portions 24 and the fitting portions 44, the connector 1 is attached to the circuit board.

[0091] If the movable member 30 is not in the closed position when the connector 1 is attached to the circuit board, the movable member 30 is brought to the closed position. In the closed position, the outer shaft portion 39 of the movable member 30 is in a position extending in the front-to-rear direction within the shaft accommodating portion 12A of the housing 10. Therefore, the biasing arm portion 42 of the metal fitting 40 is not elastically displaced, and no biasing force based on the elastic force of the biasing arm portion 42 acts on the outer shaft portion 39.

[0092] 9(A) and 9(B), the flat conductor C is positioned so as to extend in the front-to-rear direction (X-axis direction) along the mounting surface (not shown) of the circuit board at the rear of the connector 1 (see also FIG. 1). Then, the flat conductor C is inserted forward (in the X1 direction) through the introduction port 14D of the connector 1 all the way to the back of the receiving portion 15.

[0093] During the process of inserting the flat conductor C into the receiving portion 15, the front end of the flat conductor C abuts against the pressing portion 21B-1 and the contact portion 22A-1 of the terminal 20. Then, the pressing portion 21B-1 is pressed down, lowering the lower elastic portion 21B and elastically displacing it downward, and the contact portion 22A-1 is pressed up, elastically displacing the upper elastic portion 22A upward.

[0094] Furthermore, at the position of the locking portion 38 of the movable member 30 in the connector width direction, the front end of the flat conductor C abuts against the guide surface 38A of the locking portion 38, pushing up the locking portion 38. As the locking portion 38 is pushed up, the movable member 30 moves upward, and accordingly, the biasing piece 42A of the metal fitting 40 is pushed up by the outer shaft portion 39 of the movable member 30, and the biasing arm 42 of the metal fitting 40 is elastically displaced upward. In other words, the elastic displacement of the biasing arm 42 allows the locking portion 38 to move upward.

[0095] At this time, as the movable member 30 moves upward, the inner shaft support portion 22B-1 of the terminal 20 is pushed up by the inner shaft portion 31A of the movable member 30. In other words, the upper arm portion 22 of the terminal 20 is pushed up by the flat conductor C and the inner shaft portion 31A of the movable member 30 and elastically displaced upward.

[0096] In this way, the space between the pressing portion 21B-1 and the contact portion 22A-1 of the terminal 20 is expanded, and the locking portion 38 of the movable member 30 moves upward, allowing the flat conductor C to be inserted further forward. As shown in Figures 10(A) and 10(B), the flat conductor C is inserted until it abuts against the front wall 13 of the housing 10.

[0097] 10(A), when the insertion of the flat conductor C is complete, the elastically displaced state of the lower elastic portion 21B and the upper arm portion 22 is maintained, and the flat conductor C is sandwiched between the pressing portion 21B-1 and the contact portion 22A-1. That is, the pressing portion 21B-1 presses the flat conductor C from below, while the contact portion 22A-1 comes into contact with the circuit portion C1 (see FIG. 1) of the flat conductor C from above with contact pressure. In this way, the electrical continuity between the terminal 20 and the flat conductor C is maintained.

[0098] As described above, in this embodiment, when the upper arm portion 22 is in the free state, the displacement of the extension portion 22B in the groove width direction is restricted mainly by the groove inner surface of the first narrow portion 34B (see FIG. 9A). On the other hand, when the upper arm portion 22 of the terminal 20 is in the elastically displaced state, the displacement of the extension portion 22B in the groove width direction is restricted mainly by the groove inner surface of the second narrow portion 34D (see FIG. 10A). Therefore, whether the upper arm portion 22 is in the free state or the elastically displaced state, the displacement of the extension portion 22B is restricted by the groove inner surface of at least one of the first narrow portion 34B and the second narrow portion 34D with a sufficient opposing area. As a result, regardless of whether the upper arm portion 22 of the terminal 20 is in the above-mentioned state, the position of the upper arm portion 22 in the connector width direction, and therefore the contact position between the contact portion 22A-1 and the flat conductor C, can always be stabilized.

[0099] Furthermore, during the insertion of the flat conductor C, when the tab C3 of the flat conductor C passes the position of the locking portion 38 and the locking portion 38 reaches the position of the notch C2, the movable member 30 returns to the closed position, and the locking portion 38 enters the notch C2 from above, as shown in FIG. 9(B). As a result, the locking surface 38B of the locking portion 38 is positioned so that it can lock onto the locked portion C3A of the flat conductor C from behind, thereby preventing the flat conductor C from being accidentally removed. Furthermore, the biasing arm 42 of the metal fitting 40 returns to its free state, and the lower surface (rolled surface) of the biasing piece 42A comes into contact with the upper surface of the outer shaft portion 39, thereby maintaining the movable member 30 in the closed position. In this way, the connection operation of the flat conductor C to the connector 1 is completed.

[0100] When the flat conductor C is intentionally removed from the connector 1 in the state shown in Figures 10(A) and (B), i.e., in the connected state with the connector 1, the movable member 30 is moved from the closed position to the open position (see Figures 2(A) and (B) and Figures 11(A) to (C)). As a result of the movable member 30 moving to the open position, the locking portion 38 of the movable member 30 disengages upward from the notch C2 of the flat conductor C as shown in Figure 11(B), allowing the flat conductor C to be removed. Then, by pulling the flat conductor C backward (in the X2 direction), the flat conductor C is easily removed from the connector 1, completing the removal operation. [Explanation of symbols]

[0101] 1 connector 10. Housing 12 Side 12A Shaft housing 15 Reception Department 18C Front restriction part (axis restriction part) 18C-1 Anterior medial surface 19A Flat conductor restriction part 19A-2 Rear lateral surface 20 terminals 22 Upper arm (arm) 22B Extension part (rear end part) 30 Movable parts 31 Main body 34 Groove 34A wide part 34A-1 パーティングライン 34B First narrow section 34C First Transfer Section 34D Second Narrow Section 34E Second Transfer Section 37 Lateral reinforcement 37B Inclined section 37B-1 Outer surface 37B-2 Inner side 39 Outer shaft portion C. Flat conductor

Claims

1. A flat conductor electrical connector to which a flat conductor extending along a front-rear direction is connected, a housing into which the flat conductor is inserted toward the front; a plurality of terminals arranged and held in the housing with a terminal arrangement direction perpendicular to both the front-rear direction and the thickness direction of the flat conductor; a movable member that is movable between a closed position and an open position while rotating about a rotation axis that extends in the terminal arrangement direction, In the electrical connector for flat conductors, the movable member maintains a connected state of the flat conductors when in a closed position and allows the flat conductors to be removed when in an open position, the terminal has an arm portion extending along the front-rear direction and capable of coming into contact with the flat conductor; the movable member has a groove that accommodates a rear end portion of the arm, The groove portion has a wide portion and a narrow portion whose groove width is narrower than that of the wide portion, and when the movable member is in a predetermined position other than the closed position, the wide portion accommodates the rear end portion of the terminal, and when the movable member is in the closed position, the wide portion and the narrow portion accommodate the rear end portion of the arm.

2. 2. The electrical connector for flat conductors as described in claim 1, wherein the narrow portion has a first narrow portion located behind the wide portion and a second narrow portion located in front of the wide portion when the movable member is in the closed position.

3. the arm portion is elastically deformed in a thickness direction of the flat conductor when in contact with the flat conductor, when the movable member is in a closed position and the arm portion is in a free state, a facing area between a rear end portion of the arm portion and an inner groove surface of the first narrow portion is larger than a facing area between the rear end portion of the arm portion and the second narrow portion, 3. An electrical connector for flat conductors as described in claim 2, wherein when the movable member is in a closed position and the arm portion is in an elastically displaced state, the opposing area between the rear end portion of the arm portion and the inner surface of the groove of the second narrow portion is larger than the opposing area between the rear end portion of the arm portion and the first narrow portion.

4. the groove has a transition between the wide portion and the narrow portion, 4. The flat conductor electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the transition portion is formed so that the groove width narrows from the wide portion to the narrow portion.

5. 5. The electrical connector for flat conductors according to claim 4, wherein the inner surface of the groove of the transition portion is a flat inclined surface.

6. the movable member is made of an electrically insulating material; 2. An electrical connector for flat conductors as described in claim 1, wherein the wide portion has a parting line on the inner surface of the groove formed by one mold placed from one side of the thickness direction of the movable member and another mold placed from the other side.

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