Connector assembly and flat cable

Abstract

To provide a connector assembly capable of automatic production, thereby improving production efficiency and reducing manufacturing cost, and further ensuring stability of signal transmission of the connector assembly.SOLUTION: The connector assembly comprises a circuit board 3, a connector 2 including a housing 20 and a plurality of terminals 21, a flat cable 1 including a row of core wires 10 and an inner insulation layer wrapping the row of core wires, and an insulator. Rear end portions of the terminals protrude from the housing and are electrically connected to the circuit board, and front end portions of the row of core wires are exposed from the inner insulation layer and are welded to the circuit board. The insulator is injection molded to the circuit board, the rear end of the terminal, and the front end of the core wire such that the insulator, the circuit board, the terminal, and the core wire form an integral part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of Chinese Patent Application No. CN202421934658.5, filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on August 9, 2024, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to a flat cable and a connector assembly including the flat cable. [Background technology]

[0003] In the prior art, wire harnesses for Type-C connectors (Type-C connectors) typically include multiple circular conductors, which must be welded to a circuit board one by one. Each circular conductor must be clamped and fixed during welding, resulting in a complex welding process and difficulties in automated production. Furthermore, multiple circular conductors are bundled irregularly, resulting in large volume and difficulty in identification. In the prior art, each circular conductor includes, from the inside to the outside, a core wire, an inner insulating layer, an aluminum foil layer, a braided layer, and an outer insulating layer. Before welding, the outer insulating layer must be peeled off, the braided layer must be bent and cut, the aluminum foil layer must be removed, and the inner insulating layer must be cut. This makes the welding process for circular conductors complex and time-consuming, thereby reducing production efficiency and increasing manufacturing costs. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present invention has been made to overcome or mitigate at least one aspect of the above disadvantages. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] According to an aspect of the present invention, a connector assembly is provided. The connector assembly includes a circuit board, a connector including a housing and a plurality of terminals disposed in the housing, a flat cable including a row of core wires and an inner insulating layer surrounding the row of core wires, and an insulator. Rear ends of the plurality of terminals protrude from the housing and are electrically connected to the circuit board, and forward ends of the row of core wires are exposed from the inner insulating layer and welded to the circuit board. The insulator is injection molded over the circuit board, the rear ends of the plurality of terminals, and the forward ends of the row of core wires by a buried injection molding process so that the insulator, circuit board, plurality of terminals, and row of core wires form an integral part.

[0006] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a row of pads is formed on the circuit board, and the front ends of the row of core wires of the flat cable are welded to the row of pads on the circuit board, respectively.

[0007] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the row of core wires of the flat cable includes a plurality of different types of core wires having different cross sections and / or sizes, and the row of pads includes a plurality of different types of pads corresponding respectively to the plurality of different types of core wires.

[0008] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the row of core wires of the flat cable includes flat core wires having rectangular cross-sections and circular core wires having circular cross-sections, and the row of pads includes first pads corresponding to the flat core wires and second pads corresponding to the circular core wires.

[0009] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the width of the flat core wire is greater than the diameter of the circular core wire, the thickness of the flat core wire is equal to the diameter of the circular core wire, the width of the first pad is greater than the width of the second pad, and the thickness of the first pad is equal to the thickness of the second pad.

[0010] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the row of core wires includes a single flat core wire and a plurality of round core wires, and the single flat core wire is the first or last core wire in the row of core wires.

[0011] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of terminals of a connector are arranged in an upper row and a lower row, with rear ends of the terminals in the upper row welded to the front side of the circuit board and rear ends of the terminals in the lower row welded to the rear side of the circuit board.

[0012] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the connector is a Type-C connector according to the Type-C interface standard.

[0013] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the connector further includes a shield case fitted to the housing, and a rear end of the shield case is fitted to and locked onto the insulator to secure the connector to the front end of the insulator.

[0014] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the flat cable further includes a shielding layer wrapped around the inner insulating layer and an outer insulating layer wrapped around the shielding layer. The connector assembly further includes a shielding cover attached to the insulator. The rear end of the shielding case is inserted into and electrically contacts the front end of the shielding cover, and the rear end of the shielding cover is crimped onto the shielding layer of the flat cable exposed from the outer insulating layer.

[0015] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a crimping portion is formed at the rear end of the shielding cover, and the crimping portion is crimped to the shielding layer of the flat cable.

[0016] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a resilient latch is formed at the front end of the shield cover, and an engagement groove is formed at the rear end of the shield case, and the resilient latch is locked into the engagement groove to lock the rear end of the shield case to the front end of the shield cover.

[0017] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an inwardly protruding contact protrusion is formed on the shielding cover, an opening is formed in the insulator, a portion of the circuit board is exposed through the opening, and the contact protrusion of the shielding cover engages with the opening in the insulator and makes electrical contact with the circuit board.

[0018] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the shield cover includes an upper shield cover and a lower shield cover assembled to each other, an elastic piece is formed on a side wall of one of the upper shield cover and the lower shield cover, a snap slot is formed on the other of the upper shield cover and the lower shield cover, and the elastic piece is locked into the snap slot to lock the upper shield cover and the lower shield cover to each other.

[0019] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the connector assembly further includes an outer insulating shell, the outer insulating shell being fitted to the shielding cover and having a front port and a rear port axially opposite to each other on the outer insulating shell, the flat cable being led out from the rear port of the outer insulating shell, and a portion of the connector extending from the front port of the outer insulating shell.

[0020] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the connector assembly further includes a rear end cover that fits over the flat cable and locks to the rear end of the outer insulating shell to hold the flat cable against the outer insulating shell.

[0021] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the rear end cover includes a fixing portion configured to be locked to the rear end of the outer insulating shell, and an elastically deformable buffer portion extending rearward from the fixing portion, the flat cable passing through the buffer portion and configured to provide a stress buffer for the flat cable to prevent the flat cable from being damaged by bending.

[0022] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a flat cable including a row of core wires and an inner insulating layer surrounding the row of core wires, with one end of the row of core wires exposed from the inner insulating layer and configured to be welded to a circuit board of a connector assembly, and the row of core wires includes a plurality of different types of core wires having different cross sections and / or sizes.

[0023] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the row of core wires includes flat core wires having a rectangular cross section and round core wires having a circular cross section.

[0024] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the flat cable further comprises a shielding layer wrapped around the inner insulating layer and an outer insulating layer wrapped around the shielding layer, one end of the shielding layer exposed from the outer insulating layer and configured to be electrically connected to a shielding cover of the connector assembly.

[0025] In the above various exemplary embodiments according to the present invention, the flat cable has the advantages of small volume, easy handling, and convenient welding, and allows for automated production, thereby improving production efficiency and reducing manufacturing costs.

[0026] Furthermore, in some of the above exemplary embodiments according to the present invention, the flat cable may further have a shielding layer to ensure the stability of signal transmission of the connector assembly.

[0027] These and other features of the present invention will become more apparent from the detailed description of illustrative embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0028] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a connector assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is an illustrative exploded view of a connector assembly in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is another illustrative exploded view of a connector assembly in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a connector assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention with the outer insulating shell and rear end cover removed; [Figure 5] 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of an electrical connection module and a shield cover of a connector assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 6] 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of an electrical connection module of a connector assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 7] 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of an electrical connection module of a connector assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, with the insulator not shown; [Figure 8] 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a circuit board and flat cable of a connector assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 9] 1 is an illustration of an exploded view of a circuit board and flat cable of a connector assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a flat cable of a connector assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0029] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the drawings. However, the present disclosure may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0030] In the following detailed description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosed embodiments. However, it will be apparent that one or more embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are diagrammatically shown to simplify the drawings.

[0031] In accordance with the general concept of the present invention, a connector assembly is provided. The connector assembly includes a circuit board, a connector including a housing and a plurality of terminals disposed in the housing, a flat cable including a row of core wires and an inner insulating layer surrounding the row of core wires, and an insulator. Rear ends of the plurality of terminals protrude from the housing and are electrically connected to the circuit board, and forward ends of the row of core wires are exposed from the inner insulating layer and welded to the circuit board. The insulator is injection molded over the circuit board, the rear ends of the plurality of terminals, and the forward ends of the row of core wires by a buried injection molding process so that the insulator, circuit board, terminals, and core wire form an integral part.

[0032] In accordance with another general aspect of the present invention, there is provided a flat cable comprising a row of core wires and an inner insulating layer surrounding the row of core wires, with one end of the row of core wires exposed from the inner insulating layer and configured to be welded to a circuit board of a connector assembly, the row of core wires including a plurality of different types of core wires having different cross sections and / or sizes.

[0033] FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a connector assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic exploded view of a connector assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is another diagrammatic exploded view of a connector assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a connector assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, with an outer insulating shell 8 and a rear end cover 9 removed. FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic perspective view of an electrical connection module and a shield cover 5 of a connector assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic perspective view of an electrical connection module of a connector assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic perspective view of an electrical connection module of a connector assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, with an insulator 4 not shown. Figure 8 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a circuit board 3 and a flat cable 1 of a connector assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 9 is a diagrammatic exploded view of a circuit board 3 and a flat cable 1 of a connector assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 10 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of a flat cable 1 of a connector assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 10 , a connector assembly is disclosed in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The connector assembly includes a flat cable 1, a connector 2, a circuit board 3, and an insulator 4. The connector 2 includes a housing 20 and a plurality of terminals 21 disposed in the housing 20. The flat cable 1 includes a row of core wires 10 and an inner insulating layer 13 surrounding the row of core wires 10. Rear ends of the plurality of terminals 21 protrude from the housing 20 and are electrically connected to the circuit board 3, and front ends of the row of core wires 10 are exposed from the inner insulating layer 13 and welded to the circuit board 3. The insulator 4 is injection molded onto the circuit board 3, the rear ends of the plurality of terminals 21, and the front ends of the row of core wires 10 by a buried injection molding process, so that the insulator 4, circuit board 3, the plurality of terminals 21, and the row of core wires 10 form an integral part.

[0035] As shown in Figures 1 to 10, in the illustrated embodiment, a row of pads 30 is formed on the circuit board 3, and the front ends of the row of core wires 10 of the flat cable 1 are welded to the row of pads 30 on the circuit board 3, respectively.

[0036] 1 to 10, in the illustrated embodiment, the row of core wires 10 of the flat cable 1 includes a plurality of different types of core wires 10 having different cross sections and / or sizes, and the row of pads 30 includes a plurality of different types of pads 30 corresponding to the plurality of different types of core wires 10, respectively.

[0037] 1 to 10, in the illustrated embodiment, the row of core wires 10 of the flat cable 1 includes flat core wires 11 having a rectangular cross section and circular core wires 12 having a circular cross section. The row of pads 30 includes first pads 31 corresponding to the flat core wires 11 and second pads 32 corresponding to the circular core wires 12.

[0038] 1 to 10, in the illustrated embodiment, the width of the flat core wire 11 is greater than the diameter of the circular core wire 12, and the thickness of the flat core wire 11 is equal to the diameter of the circular core wire 12. The width of the first pad 31 is greater than the width of the second pad 32, and the thickness of the first pad 31 is equal to the thickness of the second pad 32.

[0039] As shown in Figures 1 to 10, in the illustrated embodiment, the row of core wires 10 includes a single flat core wire 11 and multiple circular core wires 12, and the single flat core wire 11 is the first or last core wire 10 of the row of core wires 10.

[0040] As shown in Figures 1 to 10, in the illustrated embodiment, the multiple terminals 21 of the connector 2 are arranged in an upper row and a lower row, with the rear ends of the terminals 21 in the upper row welded to the front side of the circuit board 3 and the rear ends of the terminals 21 in the lower row welded to the rear side of the circuit board 3.

[0041] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 10, in the illustrated embodiment, the connector 2 is a C-type connector 2 that complies with the C-type interface standard.

[0042] As shown in Figures 1 to 10, in the illustrated embodiment, the connector 2 further includes a shield case 22 fitted into the housing 20, and the rear end of the shield case 22 is fitted into and locked into the insulator 4 to secure the connector 2 to the front end of the insulator 4.

[0043] 1 to 10 , in the illustrated embodiment, the flat cable 1 further includes a shielding layer 14 and an outer insulating layer 15. The shielding layer 14 is wrapped around the inner insulating layer 13. The outer insulating layer 15 is wrapped around the shielding layer 14. The connector assembly further includes a shielding cover 5 attached to the insulator 4. The rear end of the shielding case 22 is inserted into the front end of the shielding cover 5 and is in electrical contact with the front end of the shielding cover 5, and the rear end of the shielding cover 5 is crimped to the shielding layer 14 of the flat cable 1 exposed from the outer insulating layer 15.

[0044] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 10, in the illustrated embodiment, a crimping portion 5a is formed at the rear end of the shield cover 5, and the crimping portion 5a is crimped to the shield layer 14 of the flat cable 1.

[0045] As shown in Figures 1 to 10, in the illustrated embodiment, a resilient latch 5b is formed at the front end of the shield cover 5, an engagement groove 2b is formed at the rear end of the shield case 22, and the resilient latch 5b is locked into the engagement groove 2b to lock the rear end of the shield case 22 to the front end of the shield cover 5.

[0046] As shown in Figures 1 to 10, in the illustrated embodiment, an inwardly protruding contact protrusion 5c is formed on the shield cover 5, an opening 43 is formed in the insulator 4, a portion of the circuit board 3 is exposed through the opening 43, and the contact protrusion 5c of the shield cover 5 engages with the opening 43 of the insulator 4 and makes electrical contact with the circuit board 3.

[0047] As shown in Figures 1 to 10, in the illustrated embodiment, the shield cover 5 includes an upper shield cover 5 and a lower shield cover 5 assembled together, an elastic piece 5e is formed on a side wall of one of the upper shield cover 5 and the lower shield cover 5, a snap slot 5f is formed on the other of the upper shield cover 5 and the lower shield cover 5, and the elastic piece 5e is locked into the snap slot 5f to lock the upper shield cover 5 and the lower shield cover 5 together.

[0048] 1 to 10 , in the illustrated embodiment, the connector assembly further includes an outer insulating shell 8, which is fitted onto the shielding cover 5 and has a front port and a rear port that are opposite to each other in the axial direction of the outer insulating shell 8. The flat cable 1 is led out from the rear port of the outer insulating shell 8, and a portion of the connector 2 extends from the front port of the outer insulating shell 8.

[0049] As shown in Figures 1 to 10, in the illustrated embodiment, the connector assembly further includes a rear end cover 9 that fits over the flat cable 1 and locks to the rear end of the outer insulating shell 8 to hold the flat cable 1 against the outer insulating shell 8.

[0050] 1 to 10, in the illustrated embodiment, the rear end cover 9 includes a fixing portion 91 and a buffer portion 92. The fixing portion 91 is configured to be fitted onto and locked onto the rear end of the outer insulating shell 8. The buffer portion 92 extends rearward from the fixing portion 91 and is elastically deformable. The flat cable 1 passes through the buffer portion 92, which is configured to provide stress buffering for the flat cable 1 and prevent the flat cable 1 from being damaged by bending.

[0051] As shown in Figures 1 to 10, another exemplary embodiment of the present invention also discloses a flat cable 1. The flat cable 1 includes a row of core wires 10 and an inner insulating layer 13. The inner insulating layer 13 encases the row of core wires 10. One end of the row of core wires 10 is exposed from the inner insulating layer 13 and is configured to be welded to a circuit board 3 of a connector assembly. The row of core wires 10 includes a plurality of different types of core wires 10 having different cross sections and / or sizes.

[0052] As shown in FIGS. 1-10, in the illustrated embodiment, the row of core wires 10 includes flat core wires 11 having rectangular cross sections and round core wires 12 having circular cross sections.

[0053] 1 to 10, in the illustrated embodiment, the flat cable 1 further includes a shielding layer 14 and an outer insulating layer 15. The shielding layer 14 is wrapped around the inner insulating layer 13. The outer insulating layer 15 is wrapped around the shielding layer 14. One end of the shielding layer 14 is exposed from the outer insulating layer 15 and is configured to be electrically connected to a shielding cover 5 of the connector assembly.

[0054] It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the above embodiments are intended to be illustrative and not limiting. For example, those skilled in the art can make many modifications to the above embodiments without any contradiction in structure or principle, and can freely combine various features described in different embodiments with each other.

[0055] While several exemplary embodiments have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present disclosure, the scope of which is defined by the following claims and their equivalents.

[0056] As used herein, elements described in the singular and preceded by the word "a" or "an" should be understood as not excluding a plural of said elements or steps, unless such exclusion is expressly stated. Furthermore, references to "one embodiment" of the invention are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features. Furthermore, unless expressly stated otherwise, embodiments "comprising" or "having" an element or elements having a particular characteristic may include additional such elements that do not have that characteristic.

Claims

1. 1. A connector assembly comprising: a circuit board (3), a connector (2) including a housing (20) and a plurality of terminals (21) arranged in the housing (20); - a flat cable (1) comprising a row of core wires (10) and an inner insulating layer (13) encasing said row of core wires (10); - Insulator (4) and Equipped with The rear ends of the terminals (21) protrude from the housing (20) and are electrically connected to the circuit board (3), and the front ends of the row of core wires (10) are exposed from the inner insulating layer (13) and welded to the circuit board (3); a connector assembly, wherein the insulator (4) is injection molded onto the circuit board (3), the rear ends of the plurality of terminals (21), and the front ends of the row of core wires (10) by an embedding injection molding process, so that the insulator (4), the circuit board (3), the plurality of terminals (21), and the row of core wires (10) form an integral part.

2. 2. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein a row of pads (30) is formed on the circuit board (3), and the front ends of the row of core wires (10) of the flat cable (1) are welded to the row of pads (30) of the circuit board (3), respectively.

3. The row of core wires (10) of the flat cable (1) includes a plurality of different types of core wires (10) having different cross sections and / or sizes; 2. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the row of pads (30) includes a plurality of different types of pads (30) corresponding respectively to the plurality of different types of core wires (10).

4. The row of core wires (10) of the flat cable (1) includes flat core wires (11) having a rectangular cross section and circular core wires (12) having a circular cross section; 2. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the row of pads (30) includes a first pad (31) corresponding to the flat core wire (11) and a second pad (32) corresponding to the round core wire (12).

5. The width of the flat core wire (11) is greater than the diameter of the circular core wire (12), and the thickness of the flat core wire (11) is equal to the diameter of the circular core wire (12); 5. The connector assembly of claim 4, wherein the width of the first pad (31) is greater than the width of the second pad (32), and the thickness of the first pad (31) is equal to the thickness of the second pad (32).

6. 5. The connector assembly of claim 4, wherein the row of core wires (10) includes a single flat core wire (11) and a plurality of round core wires (12), and the single flat core wire (11) is the first or last core wire (10) of the row of core wires (10).

7. 2. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of terminals (21) of the connector (2) are arranged in an upper row and a lower row, the rear ends of the terminals (21) in the upper row are welded to the front side of the circuit board (3), and the rear ends of the terminals (21) in the lower row are welded to the rear side of the circuit board (3).

8. 8. The connector assembly according to claim 7, wherein the connector (2) is a Type C connector (2) conforming to the Type C interface standard.

9. 2. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the connector (2) further includes a shield case (22) fitted into the housing (20), and a rear end of the shield case (22) is fitted into and locked to the insulator (4) to secure the connector (2) to the front end of the insulator (4).

10. The flat cable (1) a shield layer (14) wrapped around the inner insulating layer (13); an outer insulating layer (15) wrapped around the shielding layer (14); further comprising The connector assembly further comprises a shield cover (5) attached to the insulator (4); 10. The connector assembly of claim 9, wherein the rear end of the shielding case (22) is inserted into the front end of the shielding cover (5) and is in electrical contact with the front end of the shielding cover (5), and the rear end of the shielding cover (5) is crimped onto the shielding layer (14) of the flat cable (1) exposed from the outer insulating layer (15).

11. 11. The connector assembly of claim 10, wherein a crimping portion (5a) is formed at the rear end of the shield cover (5), and the crimping portion (5a) is crimped to the shielding layer (14) of the flat cable (1).

12. 11. The connector assembly according to claim 10, wherein a resilient latch (5b) is formed at the front end of the shield cover (5), an engagement groove (2b) is formed at the rear end of the shield case (22), and the resilient latch (5b) is locked into the engagement groove (2b) to lock the rear end of the shield case (22) to the front end of the shield cover (5).

13. 11. The connector assembly of claim 10, wherein the shield cover has contact projections (5c) protruding inward, the insulator has openings (43) formed therein, a portion of the circuit board (3) is exposed through the openings (43), and the contact projections (5c) of the shield cover (5) engage with the openings (43) of the insulator (4) to electrically contact the circuit board (3).

14. 11. The connector assembly according to claim 10, wherein the shield cover (5) includes an upper shield cover (5) and a lower shield cover (5) assembled to each other, an elastic piece (5e) is formed on a side wall of one of the upper shield cover (5) and the lower shield cover (5), a snap slot (5f) is formed on the other of the upper shield cover (5) and the lower shield cover (5), and the elastic piece (5e) is locked into the snap slot (5f) to lock the upper shield cover (5) and the lower shield cover (5) to each other.

15. The outer insulating shell (8) is fitted to the shield cover (5) and has a front port and a rear port opposite to each other in the axial direction of the outer insulating shell (8).

11. The connector assembly of claim 10, wherein the flat cable (1) exits from the rear port of the outer insulating shell (8) and a portion of the connector (2) extends from the front port of the outer insulating shell (8).

16. 16. The connector assembly of claim 15, further comprising a rear end cover (9), said rear end cover (9) fitted onto said flat cable (1) and locked to the rear end of said outer insulating shell (8) to hold said flat cable (1) against said outer insulating shell (8).

17. The rear end cover (9) a fixing part (91) configured to be locked to the rear end of the outer insulating shell (8); an elastically deformable buffer portion (92) extending rearward from the fixed portion (91); Including, 17. The connector assembly of claim 16, wherein the flat cable (1) passes through the buffer section (92), and the buffer section (92) is configured to provide stress buffering to the flat cable (1) to prevent the flat cable (1) from being damaged by bending.

18. A flat cable, - a row of core wires (10); - an inner insulating layer (13) surrounding said row of core wires (10); Equipped with One end of the row of core wires (10) is exposed from the inner insulating layer (13) and configured to be welded to a circuit board (3) of a connector assembly; The row of core wires (10) comprises a plurality of different types of core wires (10) having different cross sections and / or sizes.

19. 19. The flat cable of claim 18, wherein the row of core wires (10) includes flat core wires (11) having a rectangular cross section and round core wires (12) having a circular cross section.

20. a shield layer (14) wrapped around the inner insulating layer (13); an outer insulating layer (15) wrapped around the shielding layer (14); Furthermore, 19. The flat cable according to claim 18, wherein one end of the shielding layer (14) is exposed from the outer insulating layer (15) and configured to be electrically connected to a shielding cover (5) of the connector assembly.

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