Flexible flat cable

Abstract

To provide a flexible flat cable capable of reducing an occupied area and reducing repulsive force.SOLUTION: A flexible flat cable according to an embodiment includes at least one bent portion including a first portion and a second portion provided so as to face the first portion, and a close contact portion that brings the first portion and the second portion into close contact with each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to flexible flat cables. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a flat cable. The flat cable is formed to be band-shaped and flexible overall. The flat cable includes a conductor portion and an insulating portion that sandwiches the conductor portion. The flat cable has a folded portion that is folded back at a specific location. A connection terminal is connected to the folded portion. The connection terminal has a main body portion, a connection base portion extending from the main body portion, and a plurality of connection protrusions protruding from the connection base portion. The connection terminal is attached to the flat cable by the connection protrusions penetrating the folded portion. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-221044 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Flexible flat cables are sometimes bent to reduce the area they occupy. However, a repulsive force may be generated from the bent flexible flat cable, which tries to unfold the bent portion. Therefore, flexible flat cables are required to reduce the area they occupy as well as the repulsive force when bent.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a flexible flat cable that can reduce the occupied area and the repulsive force. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A flexible flat cable according to one embodiment comprises at least one bending portion including a first portion and a second portion arranged opposite the first portion, and a contact portion that contacts the first portion and the second portion with each other. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, the occupied area can be reduced and the repulsive force can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a flexible flat cable according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the flexible flat cable as viewed from the side. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a bent portion and a tightly contacted portion of a flexible flat cable according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which the flexible flat cable according to one embodiment is unfolded. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the flexible flat cable shown in FIG. 4 in an unfolded state. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a flexible flat cable according to a first modified example. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a flexible flat cable according to a second modification. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a flexible flat cable according to a third modified example. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a flexible flat cable according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] [Description of the embodiments of the present disclosure] First, the contents of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described.

[0010] (1) A flexible flat cable according to one embodiment includes at least one bending portion including a first portion and a second portion arranged opposite the first portion, and a contact portion that brings the first portion and the second portion into close contact with each other.

[0011] In the above configuration, the first and second portions of at least one bent portion are tightly attached to each other by the tight-fitting portion. The provision of the bent portion reduces the area occupied by the flexible flat cable. The provision of the tight-fitting portion allows the first and second portions to be tightly attached to each other, thereby reducing the repulsive force that tries to open the bent portion.

[0012] (2) In the flexible flat cable described in (1) above, the contact portion may be located inside at least one of the bent portions, which makes it easy to arrange the contact portion inside the bent portion.

[0013] (3) In the flexible flat cable described in (1) above, the contact portion may be located outside at least one of the bent portions.

[0014] (4) In the flexible flat cable described in any one of (1) to (3) above, at least one bent portion may include a first bent portion and a second bent portion adjacent to the first bent portion. The first and second portions of the first bent portion may be provided on the opposite side of the flexible flat cable from the first and second portions of the second bent portion. In this case, by providing the first and second portions of the first bent portion on the opposite side of the flexible flat cable from the first and second portions of the second bent portion, the area occupied by the flexible flat cable can be further reduced.

[0015] (5) In the flexible flat cable described in any one of (1) to (3) above, at least one bent portion may include a first bent portion and a second bent portion adjacent to the first bent portion. The first and second portions of the first bent portion may be provided on the same surface of the flexible flat cable as the first and second portions of the second bent portion. In this case, the first and second portions of the first bent portion are provided on the same surface as the first and second portions of the second bent portion, thereby increasing the degree of freedom in arranging the flexible flat cable.

[0016] (6) In the flexible flat cable according to any one of (1) to (5), at least one of the bent portions may include a first bent portion and a second bent portion adjacent to the first bent portion. The distance between the first bent portion and the second bent portion may be 40 mm or less. In this case, the area occupied by the flexible flat cable can be further reduced.

[0017] (7) In the flexible flat cable described in any one of (1) to (6) above, the adhesive portion may be a double-sided tape provided to bond the first portion and the second portion together, which makes it easy to position the adhesive portion relative to the bent portion.

[0018] (8) In the above (3), the adhesive portion may be a tape that is wrapped around the outside of at least one folded portion so that the first portion is in adhesive contact with the second portion.

[0019] [Details of the embodiments of the present disclosure] Specific examples of embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims. In the description of the drawings, the same or corresponding elements are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted as appropriate.

[0020] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a flexible flat cable 1 according to one embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the flexible flat cable 1 is tape-shaped. The flexible flat cable 1 has a plurality of bent portions 10 arranged along direction D1, which is the direction in which the flexible flat cable 1 extends. For example, the thickness direction of the flexible flat cable 1 coincides with direction D1. The plurality of bent portions 10 make the flexible flat cable 1 foldable, for example. When the flexible flat cable 1 is folded, the plurality of bent portions 10 are stacked along direction D1. The flexible flat cable 1 electrically connects, for example, a pair of circuits (not shown) arranged along direction D1.

[0021] For example, on the flexible flat cable 1, multiple bent portions 10 are arranged at equal intervals. The bent portions 10 include a first bent portion 10A and a second bent portion 10B adjacent to the first bent portion 10A. The distance P between the first bent portion 10A and the second bent portion 10B is, for example, 40 mm or less. The distance P may also be the distance between two adjacent bent portions 10 on the flexible flat cable 1. The distance P may be greater than 0 mm and less than 30 mm, or greater than 0 mm and less than 20 mm. The value of the distance P can be changed as appropriate.

[0022] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a terminal portion 1C of a flexible flat cable 1. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the flexible flat cable 1 includes a plurality of conductors 2 arranged in parallel, a pair of insulating resin layers 3 sandwiching the conductors 2, and a reinforcing plate 4. The conductors 2 are exposed at the terminal portion 1C of the flexible flat cable 1. The conductors 2 are, for example, flat conductors. However, the conductors 2 may also be round conductors, and the shape of the conductors 2 is not particularly limited. The conductors 2 are, for example, annealed copper wires. In this case, the conductors 2 at the terminal portion 1C may be nickel-plated and gold-plated, in that order. The conductors 2 may also be nickel-plated annealed copper wires. In this case, the conductors 2 at the terminal portion 1C may also be gold-plated. The conductors 2 may also be tin-plated conductors. As such, the material of the conductors 2 is not particularly limited.

[0023] The conductor 2 exposed at the terminal portion 1C of the flexible flat cable 1 in the direction D1 and the conductor 2 exposed at the terminal portion 1C of the flexible flat cable 1 in the opposite direction to the direction D1 are each connected to a circuit, thereby electrically connecting the pair of circuits to each other. For example, at the terminal portion 1C of the flexible flat cable 1 in the direction D1, the conductor 2 is exposed in the direction D1, and at the terminal portion 1C of the flexible flat cable 1 in the opposite direction to the direction D1, the conductor 2 is exposed in the opposite direction. However, the direction in which the conductor 2 is exposed is not limited to the above example.

[0024] The flexible flat cable 1 is in a tape-like stretched state before the bent portions 10 are formed. Hereinafter, the direction in which the flexible flat cable 1 extends may be referred to as the longitudinal direction of the flexible flat cable 1, and the short direction of the flexible flat cable 1 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction may be referred to as the width direction of the flexible flat cable 1. The flexible flat cable 1 has a plurality of conductors 2. The plurality of conductors 2 are arranged along the width direction of the flexible flat cable 1.

[0025] For example, the flexible flat cable 1 has six conductors 2. However, the number of conductors 2 is not particularly limited. The flexible flat cable 1 has a pair of insulating resin layers 3 arranged along the thickness direction of the flexible flat cable 1. For example, the insulating resin layer 3 may have a two-layer structure of an insulating base material and an adhesive layer. The conductors 2 are sandwiched between the pair of insulating resin layers 3 in the portion of the flexible flat cable 1 other than the terminal portion 1C. The reinforcing plate 4 is fixed to the insulating resin layer 3 at the terminal portion 1C. At the terminal portion 1C, the conductors 2, insulating resin layer 3, and reinforcing plate 4 are arranged in this order along the thickness direction of the flexible flat cable 1.

[0026] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the bent portion 10. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the bent portion 10 is formed by a first portion 11 and a second portion 12 of the flexible flat cable 1 that extend in different directions. The bent portion 10 includes the first portion 11 and a second portion 12 that is provided opposite the first portion 11. The first portion 11 and the second portion 12 are provided on the same surface of the flexible flat cable 1. The flexible flat cable 1 has a contact portion 5 between the first portion 11 and the second portion 12 that is in close contact with both the first portion 11 and the second portion 12.

[0027] The contact portion 5 is a component that exerts a force to adhere the first portion 11 and the second portion 12 to each other. The contact portion 5 is located inside the bent portion 10. The inside of the bent portion 10 refers to the area between the first portion 11 and the second portion 12. The contact portion 5 extends along the width direction of the flexible flat cable 1. For example, the contact portion 5 has a rectangular shape with long sides extending in the width direction of the flexible flat cable 1 and short sides extending in the longitudinal direction of the flexible flat cable 1. In this case, the length (width) of the short sides of the contact portion 5 is, for example, 2.5 mm or more and 5.0 mm or less. However, the shape and length of the contact portion 5 are not particularly limited. The contact portion 5 is, for example, a double-sided tape provided to bond the first portion 11 and the second portion 12. However, the type of the contact portion 5 is not particularly limited, and the contact portion 5 may be, for example, an adhesive. When the contact portion 5 is formed by laser welding or ultrasonic welding, the contact portion 5 is formed from the insulating resin layer 3.

[0028] FIG. 4 shows the flexible flat cable 1 stretched in direction D1. FIG. 5 shows the flexible flat cable 1 when not stretched. The direction away from the reference line A1 is defined as the first direction D2, and the direction opposite to the first direction D2 is defined as the second direction D3. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the multiple bent portions 10 include a first bent portion 10A protruding in the first direction D2 and a second bent portion 10B adjacent to the first bent portion 10A in the extension direction D1 of the flexible flat cable 1 and protruding in the second direction D3. The reference line A1 is an imaginary straight line extending in direction D1 between one bent portion 10 and the adjacent bent portion 10 on the flexible flat cable 1.

[0029] The first portion 11 and the second portion 12 of the first bent portion 10A are provided on the opposite surface of the flexible flat cable 1 to the first portion 11 and the second portion 12 of the second bent portion 10B. The flexible flat cable 1 has a first surface 13 and a second surface 14 facing away from the first surface 13. The first portion 11 and the second portion 12 of the first bent portion 10A are provided on the first surface 13 of the flexible flat cable 1, and the first portion 11 and the second portion 12 of the second bent portion 10B are provided on the second surface 14 of the flexible flat cable 1. Of the pair of insulating resin layers 3, the insulating resin layer 3 having the first surface 13 is referred to as the first insulating resin layer, and the insulating resin layer 3 having the second surface 14 is referred to as the second insulating resin layer. This means that the first portion 11 and the second portion 12 of the first bent portion 10A are provided in the first insulating resin layer, and the first portion 11 and the second portion 12 of the second bent portion 10B are provided in the second insulating resin layer.

[0030] The flexible flat cable 1 has a plurality of first bent portions 10A and a plurality of second bent portions 10B. The plurality of first bent portions 10A are aligned along direction D1. The plurality of second bent portions 10B are aligned along direction D1. For example, the first bent portions 10A and the second bent portions 10B are aligned alternately in direction D1 in which the flexible flat cable 1 extends.

[0031] In the flexible flat cable 1, the first portion 11 and the second portion 12 at the bent portion 10 are brought into close contact with each other by the contact portion 5. The provision of the bent portion 10 allows the overall occupied area of ​​the flexible flat cable 1 to be reduced. The provision of the contact portion 5 allows the first portion 11 and the second portion 12 to be brought into close contact with each other, thereby reducing the repulsive force that tries to open the bent portion 10. When installing the flexible flat cable 1, operations such as connecting the cable can be easily performed. When storing the cable, the overall occupied volume can be reduced by folding it neatly.

[0032] The contact portion 5 may be located inside the bent portion 10. In this case, the contact portion 5 can be easily arranged inside the bent portion 10. Furthermore, the bent portion 10 may include a first bent portion 10A and a second bent portion 10B adjacent to the first bent portion 10A. The first portion 11 and the second portion 12 of the first bent portion 10A may be provided on the opposite side of the flexible flat cable 1 from the first portion 11 and the second portion 12 of the second bent portion 10B. In this case, by providing the first portion 11 and the second portion 12 of the first bent portion 10A on the opposite side from the first portion 11 and the second portion 12 of the second bent portion 10B, the area occupied by the flexible flat cable 1 can be further reduced.

[0033] The distance P between the first bent portion 10A and the second bent portion 10B may be 40 mm or less. In this case, the area occupied by the flexible flat cable 1 can be further reduced. The adhesion portion 5 may be a double-sided tape that is provided to bond the first portion 11 and the second portion 12. In this case, the adhesion portion 5 can be easily positioned relative to the bent portion 10 by attaching the double-sided tape.

[0034] Next, various modified examples of the flexible flat cable according to the present disclosure will be described. The configuration of part of the flexible flat cable according to each modified example described below is the same as the configuration of part of the flexible flat cable 1 described above. Therefore, in the following, the same components as those described above will be assigned the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted as appropriate.

[0035] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a flexible flat cable 1A according to a first modification. The flexible flat cable 1A is used in an unfolded state. The flexible flat cable 1A extends obliquely with respect to direction D1. The flexible flat cable 1A has first bent portions 10A and second bent portions 10B alternately provided, and the direction in which the flexible flat cable 1A extends changes at each of the first bent portions 10A and the second bent portions 10B. The flexible flat cable 1A increases the degree of freedom in placement and allows for easier placement.

[0036] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a flexible flat cable 1B according to a second modification. The flexible flat cable 1B is used in an unfolded state. As shown in FIG. 7, the direction D4 in which the flexible flat cable 1B extends changes at the bent portion 10. When a line extending along the direction D4 in the flexible flat cable 1B is defined as a reference line A2, the bent portion 10 protrudes in a direction D5 from the reference line A2. The angle between the direction D5 and the direction D4 is, for example, 135°.

[0037] The multiple bent portions 10 include a first bent portion 10A and a second bent portion 10B adjacent to the first bent portion 10A. The first and second portions 11 and 12 of the first bent portion 10A are located on the same first surface 15 of the flexible flat cable 1B as the first and second portions 11 and 12 of the second bent portion 10B. By locating them on the same first surface 15, the flexibility of the flexible flat cable 1B can be increased and the flexible flat cable 1B can be easily arranged, for example, in a cornered arrangement. In FIG. 7, the first bent portion 10A and the second bent portion 10B are located on the outer side of the flexible flat cable 1B, but either one or both may be located on the inner side depending on the arrangement of the flexible flat cable 1B. When either the first bent portion 10A or the second bent portion 10B is positioned on the inside, the first portion 11 and the second portion 12 of the first bent portion 10A are provided on the opposite side of the flexible flat cable 1B from the first portion 11 and the second portion 12 of the second bent portion 10B. That is, one is provided on the first side, and the other is provided on the second side opposite the first side. While FIG. 7 shows two bent portions 10, three or more bent portions 10 may be provided. In this case, too, one of the adjacent bent portions 10 may be positioned on the outside and the other on the inside, depending on the arrangement of the flexible flat cable 1B. Adjacent bent portions 10 may both be positioned on the outside or both on the inside.

[0038] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a contact portion 5A of a flexible flat cable according to a third modification. The contact portion 5A is located outside the bent portion 10. The contact portion 5A presses the first portion 11 and the second portion 12 from the outside of the bent portion 10, thereby bringing the first portion 11 and the second portion 12 into close contact with each other. For example, the contact portion 5A is a tape wrapped around the first portion 11 and the second portion 12 so that the first portion 11 and the second portion 12 are in close contact with each other. However, the contact portion 5A may also be a clip that grips the first portion 11 and the second portion 12, and the type, material, and structure of the contact portion 5A are not particularly limited. Thus, even a flexible flat cable having a contact portion 5A located outside the bent portion 10 can prevent the first portion 11 and the second portion 12 from opening, thereby achieving the same effect as the flexible flat cable 1 described above.

[0039] Next, examples of flexible flat cables according to the present disclosure will be described. In the examples, as shown in Fig. 9, a flexible flat cable having nine bent portions 10 formed at 30 mm intervals was pulled, held for several seconds, and then released, and lengths L1 and L2 were measured. Then, both ends of the flexible flat cable 1 were brought closer to each other from a natural state to evaluate whether the flexible flat cable 1 could maintain the folded state without opening due to repulsive forces. These measurements were performed on the flexible flat cables according to Examples 1 to 5 and Comparative Examples 1 to 5 below.

[0040] Example 1 The flexible flat cable according to Example 1 is a flexible flat cable 1 having the aforementioned adhesive portion 5 at the bent portion 10. The thickness of the conductor 2 is 0.035 mm, and the width of the conductor 2 is 0.3 mm. There are six conductors 2, and the conductors 2 are annealed copper wires. The adhesive portion 5 is a double-sided tape with a width of 5 mm. Example 2 In the flexible flat cable according to the second embodiment, the number of conductors 2 is 15. The configuration other than the number of conductors 2 being 15 is the same as that of the first embodiment. Example 3 In the flexible flat cable according to Example 3, the adhesive portion 5 is a double-sided tape having a width of 2.5 mm. The flexible flat cable is the same as Example 2 except that a double-sided tape having a width of 2.5 mm is used. Example 4 The flexible flat cable according to Example 4 is a flexible flat cable 1 having a contact portion 5 at a bent portion 10. The thickness of the conductor 2 is 0.05 mm, and the width of the conductor 2 is 0.7 mm. There are 12 conductors 2, and the conductors 2 are nickel-plated annealed copper wires. The contact portion 5 is a double-sided tape with a width of 2.5 mm. Example 5 The flexible flat cable according to Example 5 is a flexible flat cable having a contact portion 5A on the outside of the bent portion 10. The contact portion 5A is a tape having a width of 2.5 mm that is wound around the outside of the bent portion. Other than the use of this contact portion 5A, the flexible flat cable is the same as Example 4. (Comparative Example 1) The flexible flat cable according to Comparative Example 1 does not have the contact portions 5, 5 A. The flexible flat cable according to Comparative Example 1 is the same as Example 1 except that it does not have the contact portions 5, 5 A. (Comparative Example 2) The flexible flat cable according to Comparative Example 2 does not have the contact portions 5, 5A and is the same as Example 2 except that it does not have the contact portions 5, 5A. (Comparative Example 3) The flexible flat cable according to Comparative Example 3 does not have the above-mentioned contact portions 5, 5A, and is the same as Example 3 except that it does not have the contact portions 5, 5A. Comparative Example 4 The flexible flat cable according to Comparative Example 4 does not have the above-mentioned contact portions 5, 5A, and is the same as Example 4 except that it does not have the contact portions 5, 5A. (Comparative Example 5) The flexible flat cable according to Comparative Example 5 does not have the above-mentioned contact portions 5, 5 A. Other than the lack of the contact portions 5, 5 A, it is the same as Example 5.

[0041] The measurement results for Examples 1 to 5 are shown in Table 1 below, and the measurement results for Comparative Examples 1 to 5 are shown in Table 2 below. In Tables 1 and 2, "cable spacing after pulling" indicates the shorter of the lengths L1 and L2 measured after the flexible flat cable is fully folded, then pulled to its maximum extent and the tensile stress is released. "Whether or not there was any irregularity in folding" is marked "absent" if the flexible flat cable was not irregular when folded and could maintain its folded state, and marked "present" if there was irregularity due to repulsion and the folded state could not be maintained. [Table 1] [Table 2]

[0042] As shown in Table 2, in the case of the flexible flat cables according to Comparative Example 1 to Comparative Example 5, which do not have the contact portions 5, 5A, the cable spacing after pulling was 120 mm or more, causing irregularities in the folding and making it impossible to completely fold the flexible flat cables. In contrast, as shown in Table 1, in the case of the flexible flat cables according to Example 1 to Example 5, which have the contact portions 5, 5A, the cable spacing after pulling was 30 mm or less, causing no irregularities in the folding and making it possible to completely fold the flexible flat cables.

[0043] The above describes embodiments, modifications, and examples of the flexible flat cable according to the present disclosure. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, modifications, or examples. In other words, those skilled in the art will readily recognize that various modifications and variations of the present invention are possible within the scope of the gist of the claims. In other words, the shape, size, number, material, and arrangement of each part of the flexible flat cable can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the gist described above. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 1, 1A, 1B...Flexible flat cable 1C...Terminal section 2...conductor 3...Insulating resin layer 4...Reinforcing plate 5,5A...contact area 10...Bending part 10A...First bending part 10B...Second bending part 11…First part 12…Second part 13...Side 1 14…Second side 15...Side 1 A1...Baseline A2…Reference line P…Spacing

Claims

1. At least one bent portion including a first portion and a second portion provided opposite the first portion; a contact portion that contacts the first portion and the second portion with each other; Equipped with Flexible flat cable.

2. The contact portion is located inside the at least one bent portion.

2. The flexible flat cable according to claim 1.

3. The contact portion is located outside the at least one bent portion.

2. The flexible flat cable according to claim 1.

4. the at least one folded portion includes a first folded portion and a second folded portion adjacent to the first folded portion; the first and second portions of the first bent portion are provided on a surface of the flexible flat cable opposite to the first and second portions of the second bent portion; The flexible flat cable according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. the at least one folded portion includes a first folded portion and a second folded portion adjacent to the first folded portion; the first and second portions of the first bent portion and the first and second portions of the second bent portion are provided on the same surface of the flexible flat cable; The flexible flat cable according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

6. the at least one folded portion includes a first folded portion and a second folded portion adjacent to the first folded portion; The distance between the first bent portion and the second bent portion is 40 mm or less.

5. The flexible flat cable according to claim 4.

7. the adhesive portion is a double-sided tape provided to adhere the first portion and the second portion to each other.

3. The flexible flat cable according to claim 1 or 2.

8. the adhesive portion is a tape that is wrapped around the outside of the at least one folded portion so that the first portion is in adhesive contact with the second portion; 4. The flexible flat cable according to claim 3.

Images