Flexible flat cable with terminals and method for manufacturing the same

Abstract

This invention provides a flexible flat cable with terminals and a method for manufacturing the same, which can accommodate various specifications while standardizing the width of each of the multiple conductors that make up the flexible flat cable. [Solution] The flexible flat cable 1 with terminals comprises first to fifth strip-shaped conductors 11 to 15, insulating films 16 and 17 that cover both sides of the first to fifth strip-shaped conductors 11 to 15 except for both ends in the longitudinal direction, and a plurality of terminals 21 and 22 connected to each end of the first to fifth strip-shaped conductors 11 to 15. Of the plurality of terminals 21 and 22, some terminals 21 are connected in one-to-many pairs to the first and second strip-shaped conductors 11 and 12, and some other terminals 22 are connected in one-to-one pairs to the third to fifth strip-shaped conductors 13 to 15.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a flexible flat cable with terminals, in which a plurality of strip conductors having terminals connected to their ends are covered with an insulating film, and a method for manufacturing the same.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, for example, a flexible flat cable in which strip conductors are covered with an insulating film may be used for connection between electronic devices (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0003] The one described in Patent Document 1 includes a flat cable in which the outer peripheries of a plurality of flat conductors are covered with an insulator, a plurality of connector terminals, and a housing that holds the plurality of connector terminals respectively. The plurality of flat conductors are arranged side by side in the width direction at a predetermined pitch. The connector terminals are connected to terminal welding portions formed at the ends of the flat conductors by laser welding or laser soldering.

[0004] The flexible flat cable described in Patent Document 2 has three flexible harness portions separated from each other by slits and arranged in parallel to form a separated laminated portion. Among the three flexible harness portions, two signal line pattern portions are formed in the central flexible harness portion, and ground line pattern portions are formed in the flexible harness portions on both sides, respectively. The ground line pattern portions are formed wider than the signal line pattern portions.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

[0046] -

[0048] and FIG. 10)

Summary of the Invention

[0006] When a single flexible flat cable is used for both signal transmission and power supply through multiple conductors, it is desirable that the width of the power supply conductor be wider than the width of the signal transmission conductor, taking into account the amount of current. However, the specifications of flexible flat cables, such as the number of conductors, vary depending on the configuration and function of the connected electronic device, and if the widths of the power supply conductor and the signal transmission conductor are to be different, even more varieties are required. An increase in the variety of flexible flat cables leads to an increase in the man-hours required for setting up manufacturing equipment when producing flexible flat cables, which contributes to increased production costs.

[0007] Therefore, the inventors diligently studied and conceived the idea that even if the widths of each of the multiple conductors constituting the flexible flat cable are the same, it is possible to perform both signal transmission and power supply with a single flexible flat cable by devising the configuration of the terminals connected to the ends of the multiple conductors. This led to the present invention. In other words, the object of the present invention is to provide a flexible flat cable with terminals that can accommodate various specifications while standardizing the widths of each of the multiple conductors constituting the flexible flat cable, and a method for manufacturing the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention aims to solve the above problems and provides a flexible flat cable with terminals, comprising: a plurality of strip-shaped conductors; an insulating film covering both sides of the plurality of strip-shaped conductors except for both ends in the longitudinal direction; and a plurality of terminals connected to each end of the plurality of strip-shaped conductors, wherein some of the terminals are connected in a one-to-many pair to two or more of the plurality of strip-shaped conductors, and other terminals are connected in a one-to-one pair to one of the plurality of strip-shaped conductors.

[0009] Furthermore, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a flexible flat cable with terminals, comprising: a plurality of strip-shaped conductors; an insulating film covering both sides of the plurality of strip-shaped conductors except for both ends in the longitudinal direction; and a plurality of terminals connected to each end of the plurality of strip-shaped conductors, comprising: a cutting step of cutting the base of a terminal assembly, in which a plurality of mating parts connected to a linear base by a connecting part is cut to separate it into the plurality of terminals; a first connection step of making one-to-many connections of some of the plurality of terminals to two or more strip-shaped conductors among the plurality of strip-shaped conductors; and a second connection step of making one-to-one connections of some of the other terminals among the plurality of terminals to any of the plurality of strip-shaped conductors, wherein when cutting out some of the terminals in the cutting step, the base is cut longer than when cutting out some of the other terminals, and in the first connection step, the base of some of the terminals is connected to the two or more strip-shaped conductors. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the flexible flat cable with terminals and its manufacturing method according to the present invention, it is possible to accommodate various specifications while standardizing the width of each of the multiple conductors constituting the flexible flat cable. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] (a), (b), and (c) are front, side, and rear views of a flexible flat cable with terminals. [Figure 2] This is an enlarged view showing both ends of the flexible flat cable with terminals shown in Figure 1(b). [Figure 3] (a), (b), and (c) are front, side, and rear views of a flexible flat cable with a connector. [Figure 4] This is an enlarged view showing both ends of the flexible flat cable with connector shown in Figure 3(b). [Figure 5]It is a perspective view of an end portion of a flexible flat cable with terminals. [Figure 6] It is a perspective view of an end portion of a flexible flat cable with a connector. [Figure 7] It is a plan view showing an end portion of a flexible flat cable with terminals. [Figure 8] It is a perspective view showing a terminal assembly. [Figure 9] It is a perspective view showing a plurality of terminals obtained by separating a terminal assembly. [Figure 10] (a), (b), and (c) are explanatory views of a connection process for connecting terminals to a strip conductor by welding. [Figure 11] (a), (b), and (c) are front views of a flexible flat cable with terminals and a flexible flat cable with a connector according to a modified example. [Figure 12] (a), (b), and (c) are front view, side view, and rear view of a flexible flat cable with terminals and a flexible flat cable with a connector according to a second embodiment. [Figure 13] It is an enlarged view showing both end portions of the flexible flat cable with a connector shown in Fig. 12(b) enlarged. [Figure 14] It is a perspective view showing a terminal for power supply according to a second embodiment. [Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention]

[0012] [First Embodiment] A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 10. Fig. 1(a) is a front view showing the front (front) side of a flexible flat cable 10 with a plurality of terminals 21, 22 connected to a flexible flat cable 1. Fig. 1(b) is a side view of the flexible flat cable 10 with terminals. Fig. 1(c) is a rear view showing the rear side of the flexible flat cable 10 with terminals. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view showing both end portions of the flexible flat cable 10 with terminals shown in Fig. 1(b) enlarged.

[0013] FIG. 3(a) is a front view showing the front side of the flexible flat cable 100 with connectors, which further includes connector housings 311 and 312. FIG. 3(b) is a side view of the flexible flat cable 100 with connectors. FIG. 3(c) is a rear view showing the back side of the flexible flat cable 100 with connectors. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view showing both ends of the flexible flat cable 100 with connectors shown in FIG. 3(b). The connector housings 311 and 312 are resin members that hold a plurality of terminals 21 and 22. The plurality of terminals 21 and 22 and the connector housings 311 and 312 constitute a connector that is detachably connected to a device to be connected.

[0014] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an end portion of the flexible flat cable 10 with terminals. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an end portion of the flexible flat cable 100 with connectors. FIG. 7 is a plan view showing an end portion of the flexible flat cable 10 with terminals. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the terminal assembly 2. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a plurality of terminals 21 and 22 obtained by cutting the terminal assembly 2 at a plurality of locations. FIGS. 10(a), (b), and (c) are explanatory views showing an example of a connection process for connecting the terminals 21 and 22 by welding.

[0015] [[ID=D10]]The flexible flat cable 1 includes a plurality of strip conductors 11 to 15 and insulating films 16 and 17 that cover both sides of the plurality of strip conductors 11 to 15 except for both ends in the longitudinal direction. The strip conductors 11 to 15 are strip conductor wires made of, for example, copper or a copper alloy and are arranged parallel to each other at a predetermined interval. As shown in FIG. 7, the conductor widths W 11 ~W 15 of the strip conductors 11 to 15 are uniform, and the intervals G 11 ~G 14They are also uniform. In Figures 1-4 and 7, the strip conductors 11-15 viewed through the insulating films 16 and 17 are shown by dashed lines. Hereinafter, the strip conductors 11-15 will be referred to as the first strip conductor 11, the second strip conductor 12, the third strip conductor 13, the fourth strip conductor 14, and the fifth strip conductor 15, respectively.

[0016] The insulating films 16 and 17 are made of a highly flexible insulating resin, such as polyester resin or polyphenylene sulfide resin, and are bonded together with the first to fifth strip-shaped conductors 11 to 15 sandwiched between them. The insulating films 16 and 17 have adhesive layers on their opposing surfaces and are bonded together, for example, by applying heat and pressure with a heated roller, and are integrated together with the first to fifth strip-shaped conductors 11 to 15.

[0017] The first to fifth strip-shaped conductors 11 to 15 have both ends in the longitudinal direction exposed between the insulating films 16 and 17. The insulating film 16 on the back side of the flexible flat cable 1 covers the entire longitudinal direction of the first to fifth strip-shaped conductors 11 to 15 and the back surface of the first to fifth strip-shaped conductors 11 to 15. The insulating film 17 on the front side covers the surface of the first to fifth strip-shaped conductors 11 to 15, except for both ends in the longitudinal direction of the first to fifth strip-shaped conductors 11 to 15. In Figures 2 and 4, of the two sides of the first strip-shaped conductor 11, the front side is indicated by reference numeral 11a and the back side by reference numeral 11b.

[0018] At both ends of the flexible flat cable 1 in the longitudinal direction, resin support plates 4 are positioned corresponding to the portions where the first to fifth strip-shaped conductors 11 to 15 are exposed between the insulating films 16 and 17. The support plates 4 reinforce both ends of the flexible flat cable 1 in the longitudinal direction, preventing the first to fifth strip-shaped conductors 11 to 15 exposed between the insulating films 16 and 17 from bending excessively. The support plates 4 are joined to the insulating film 16 on the back side, for example, by adhesive.

[0019] In this embodiment, of the first to fifth strip-shaped conductors 11 to 15, the first and second strip-shaped conductors 11 and 12 are used as power supply conductors, and the third to fifth strip-shaped conductors 13 to 15 are used as signal transmission conductors for transmitting electrical signals. The first and second strip-shaped conductors 11 and 12 each have one power supply terminal 21 connected to one end and the other end in the longitudinal direction. Each of the third to fifth strip-shaped conductors 13 to 15 has a signal transmission terminal 22 connected to one end and the other end in the longitudinal direction. In other words, in this embodiment, some of the terminals 21 among the multiple terminals 21 and 22 are connected in a one-to-many relationship to two or more strip conductors from the first to fifth strip conductors 11 to 15 (in this example, the first and second strip conductors 11 and 12), while each of the other terminals 22 is connected in a one-to-one relationship to each of the strip conductors from the first to fifth strip conductors 11 to 15 (in this example, the third to fifth strip conductors 13 to 15).

[0020] The power supply terminal 21 has a mating portion 211 that connects to a mating terminal, an extending portion 212 that extends in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the first to fifth strip-shaped conductors 11 to 15, and a connecting portion 213 that connects the mating portion 211 and the extending portion 212, with the extending portion 212 connected to the first and second strip-shaped conductors 11 and 12. The signal transmission terminal 22 has a mating portion 221 that connects to a mating terminal, a connecting portion 222 that connects to any of the third to fifth strip-shaped conductors 13 to 15, and a connecting portion 223 that connects the mating portion 221 and the connecting portion 222. The extending portion 212 of terminal 21 and the first and second strip-shaped conductors 11 and 12, and the respective connecting portions 222 of the multiple terminals 22 and the third to fifth strip-shaped conductors 13 to 15 are connected by welding. In Figure 7, the welded areas of terminals 21 and 22 are indicated by dashed lines.

[0021] Next, a method for manufacturing the terminal-equipped flexible flat cable 10 will be described. The method for manufacturing the terminal-equipped flexible flat cable 10 includes a cutting step of cutting the terminal assembly 2 (see Figure 8) at multiple locations to divide it into multiple terminals 21 and 22, a first connecting step of connecting the terminals 21 to the first and second strip-shaped conductors 11 and 12, and a second connecting step of connecting the multiple terminals 22 to the third to fifth strip-shaped conductors 13 to 15, respectively.

[0022] As shown in Figure 8, the terminal assembly 2 has mating portions 211 and 221 integrally connected to a linear base portion 20 by connecting portions 213 and 223. In the cutting process, the base portion 20 of the terminal assembly 2 is cut into multiple terminals 21 and 22 using a cutting tool such as wire cutters. In Figure 8, the cutting points of the base portion 20 in the cutting process are shown by dashed lines. The length of the base portion 20 that is cut to be integral with the connecting portions 213 and 223 differs between the power supply terminal 21 and the signal transmission terminal 22. When cutting out the power supply terminal 21, a longer base portion 20 is cut out than when cutting out the signal transmission terminal 22. The base portion 20 cut out when cutting out the power supply terminal 21 becomes the extended portion 212 of the terminal 21. The base portion 20 cut out when cutting out the signal transmission terminal 22 becomes the connection portion 222 of the terminal 22.

[0023] Figures 10(a) and (b) show the first connection process. In the first connection process, terminals 21 are connected to the first and second strip conductors 11 and 12 in a one-to-many relationship by welding. The first and second strip conductors 11 and 12 are connected in parallel between two terminals 21 that are connected to one end and the other end of the first and second strip conductors 11 and 12 in the longitudinal direction. Figure 10(a) shows the state when one end of the extended portion 212 of terminal 21 is connected to the first strip conductor 11, and Figure 10(b) shows the state when the other end of the extended portion 212 of terminal 21 is connected to the second strip conductor 12.

[0024] The welding in the first connection process is performed in an indirect manner using a pair of electrodes 51 and 52. One electrode 52 is pressed against the extended portion 212 of the terminal 21, while the other electrode 51 is pressed against the surfaces 11a and 12a (see Figure 7) of the first and second strip-shaped conductors 11 and 12, and current is passed between the pair of electrodes 51 and 52. The extended portion 212 of the terminal 21 and the first and second strip-shaped conductors 11 and 12 are welded together by Joule heating caused by the current flowing between the pair of electrodes 51 and 52.

[0025] Furthermore, the welding of one end of the extended portion 212 of terminal 21 to the first strip-shaped conductor 11, and the welding of the other end of the extended portion 212 of terminal 21 to the second strip-shaped conductor 12, may be performed either first or simultaneously. Also, when welding terminal 21 to the first strip-shaped conductor 11, one electrode 51 may be pressed against the extended portion 212 of terminal 21 on one end in the longitudinal direction of the first strip-shaped conductor 11, while the other electrode 52 may be pressed against the extended portion 212 of terminal 21 on the other end in the longitudinal direction of the first strip-shaped conductor 11, and current may be passed between the pair of electrodes 51 and 52 via the first strip-shaped conductor 11. The same applies when welding terminal 21 to the second strip-shaped conductor 12.

[0026] Figure 10(c) shows the second connection process. Figure 10(c) shows the state when the connection portion 222 of the terminal 22 and the third strip-shaped conductor 13 are welded. The welding in the second connection process is also performed in the same way as the welding in the first connection process, using a pair of electrodes 51 and 52. One electrode 52 is pressed against the connection portion 222 of the terminal 22, while the other electrode 51 is pressed against one of the surfaces 13a, 14a, or 15a (see Figure 7) of the third to fifth strip-shaped conductors 13 to 15 to be welded, and current is passed between the pair of electrodes 51 and 52 in an indirect manner.

[0027] The welding of the third to fifth strip-shaped conductors 13 to 15 to the terminals 22 may be performed sequentially or simultaneously. For example, when welding the third strip-shaped conductor 13 to the terminals 22 at both ends, one electrode 51 may be pressed against the connection portion 222 of the terminal 22 at one longitudinal end of the third strip-shaped conductor 13, while the other electrode 52 may be pressed against the connection portion 222 of the terminal 22 at the other longitudinal end of the third strip-shaped conductor 13, and current may be passed between the pair of electrodes 51 and 52 through the third strip-shaped conductor 13. The same applies when welding the fourth and fifth strip-shaped conductors 14 and 15 to the terminals 22 at both ends.

[0028] [Differentiation] Figures 11(a), (b), and (c) are front views of the flexible flat cables 100A, 100B, and 100C with connectors, which are modified versions of the flexible flat cables 10A, 10B, and 10C with terminals, each having connector housings 321, 322, 331, 332, 341, and 342 attached to them, representing variations with different connection configurations for terminals 21 and 22.

[0029] The flexible flat cable 10A with terminals shown in Figure 11(a) has two power supply terminals 21 and one signal transmission terminal 22 connected to one end and the other end of the flexible flat cable 1, respectively. The first strip conductor 11 and the second strip conductor 12, and the fourth strip conductor 14 and the fifth strip conductor 15 are each connected in parallel by terminals 21 and used as power supply conductors. The third strip conductor 13 has terminals 22 connected to both ends and is used as a signal transmission conductor.

[0030] The flexible flat cable 10B with terminals shown in Figure 11(b) has one power supply terminal 23 connected to one end and one to the other end of the flexible flat cable 1, and the first to third strip-shaped conductors 11 to 13 are connected in parallel between the two terminals 23. Similar to terminal 21, terminal 23 has a mating portion 231 that connects to the mating terminal, an extending portion 232 that extends in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the first to fifth strip-shaped conductors 11 to 15, and a connecting portion 233 that connects the mating portion 231 and the extending portion 232, but the extending portion 232 is formed to be longer than the extending portion 212 of terminal 21. The extending portion 232 is connected to the ends of the first to third strip-shaped conductors 11 to 13 by welding.

[0031] The flexible flat cable 10C with terminals shown in Figure 11(c) has terminals 22 connected to both ends of each of the first to fifth strip-shaped conductors 11 to 15, and all of the first to fifth strip-shaped conductors 11 to 15 are used as conductor wires for signal transmission.

[0032] In this way, by changing the terminal connection structure while using the same flexible flat cable 1 configuration, it is possible to modify which of the first to fifth strip-shaped conductors 11 to 15 is used as the power supply conductor and which is used as the signal transmission conductor, thereby enabling adaptation to various specifications. In other words, while sharing the same flexible flat cable 1 configuration, it is possible to support products with various configurations, such as the flexible flat cables 100A to 100C with connectors described above, thereby reducing costs.

[0033] [Second Embodiment] A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 12 to 14.

[0034] Figures 12(a) to 12(c) show a flexible flat cable with connectors 100D, which is a flexible flat cable with terminals 10D that combines two flexible flat cables 1 with multiple signal transmission terminals 22 and power supply terminals 24, and further has connector housings 351 and 352 attached to hold the terminals 22 and 24. Figure 12(a) is a front view showing the front side of the flexible flat cable with connectors 100D, and Figure 12(b) is a side view of the flexible flat cable with connectors 100D. Figure 12(c) is a rear view showing the back side of the flexible flat cable with connectors 100D. Figure 13 is an enlarged view showing both ends of the flexible flat cable with connectors 100D shown in Figure 12(b). Figure 14 is a perspective view showing the power supply terminals 24.

[0035] The two flexible flat cables 1, like the flexible flat cable 1 of the first embodiment, are equipped with first to fifth strip-shaped conductors 11 to 15 and insulating films 16 and 17, with the first to fifth strip-shaped conductors 11 to 15 exposed between the insulating films 16 and 17 at both ends of the flexible flat cable 1. An insulating resin support plate 6 is placed between the first to fifth strip-shaped conductors 11 to 15 of one flexible flat cable 1 and the first to fifth strip-shaped conductors 11 to 15 of the other flexible flat cable 1. The insulating films 16 and the first to fifth strip-shaped conductors 11 to 15 of both flexible flat cables 1 are fixed to the support plate 6 by adhesive. Signal transmission terminals 22 are connected to the respective ends of the second to fifth strip-shaped conductors 12 to 15 of both flexible flat cables 1.

[0036] The terminal 24 has a mating portion 241 that connects to the mating terminal, a U-shaped extended portion 242, and a connecting portion 243 that connects the mating portion 241 and the extended portion 242. The extended portion 242 is welded to the ends of the first strip-shaped conductors 11 of each of the one and the other flexible flat cables 1. In other words, in this embodiment, the first strip-shaped conductors 11 of each of the one and the other flexible flat cables 1 are connected in parallel by the terminal 24 and used as a conductor wire for power supply.

[0037] As described above, in the flexible flat cable 10D with terminals according to this embodiment, the first to fifth strip-shaped conductors 11 to 15 of one and the other flexible flat cable 1 are stacked in the thickness direction via an insulating support plate 6, and the terminal 24 is connected to the first strip-shaped conductor 11 of each of the one and the other flexible flat cable 1 that sandwich the support plate 6. The extended portion 242 of the terminal 24 may be made even longer, for example, to connect the first and second strip-shaped conductors 11 and 12 of each of the one and the other flexible flat cable 1 by the extended portion 242. In other words, the extended portion 242 of the terminal 24 only needs to be connected to two or more of the first to fifth strip-shaped conductors 11 to 15 of the one and the other flexible flat cable 1.

[0038] This second embodiment also allows for modification of which of the first to fifth strip-shaped conductors 11 to 15 is used as the power supply conductor and which is used as the signal transmission conductor by changing the terminal connection structure, making it possible to accommodate products with various specifications. Furthermore, cost reduction is possible by sharing the flexible flat cable 1.

[0039] (Summary of the embodiments) Next, the technical concept understood from the embodiments described above will be described using the reference numerals and other symbols from the embodiments. However, the reference numerals in the following description are not limited to the components in the claims that are specifically shown in the embodiments.

[0040] [1] A flexible flat cable with terminals (10, 10A, 10B, 10D) comprising: a plurality of strip-shaped conductors (11-15); insulating films (16, 17) covering both sides of the plurality of strip-shaped conductors (11-15) except for both ends in the longitudinal direction; and a plurality of terminals (21-24) connected to each end of the plurality of strip-shaped conductors (11-15), wherein some of the terminals (21, 23, 24) of the plurality of terminals (21-24) are connected in a one-to-many relationship to two or more strip-shaped conductors from the plurality of strip-shaped conductors (11-15), and some other terminals (22) are connected in a one-to-one relationship to one of the plurality of strip-shaped conductors.

[0041] [2] The flexible flat cable with terminals (10, 10A, 10B, 10D) as described in [1] above, wherein some of the terminals (21, 23, 24) have a mating portion (211, 231, 241) that connects to a mating terminal, an extending portion (212, 232, 242) that extends in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the plurality of strip-shaped conductors (11-15), and a connecting portion (213, 233, 243) that connects the mating portion (211, 231, 241) and the extending portion (212, 232, 242), and the extending portion (212, 232, 242) is connected to two or more strip-shaped conductors.

[0042] [3] The terminal-equipped flexible flat cable (10, 10A, 10B, 10D) described in [2] above, wherein the extended portions (212, 232, 242) of some of the terminals (21, 23, 24) are connected to each of the two or more strip-shaped conductors by welding.

[0043] [4] The flexible flat cable with terminals (10D) as described in [1] above, wherein the plurality of strip-shaped conductors (11-15) are stacked in the thickness direction with an insulator (support plate 6) in between, and some of the terminals (24) are connected to two or more strip-shaped conductors (11) among the plurality of strip-shaped conductors (11-15) that sandwich the insulator (6).

[0044] [5] A method for manufacturing a terminal-equipped flexible flat cable (10, 10A, 10B, 10D) comprising a plurality of strip-shaped conductors (11-15), insulating films (16, 17) covering both sides of the plurality of strip-shaped conductors (11-15) except for both ends in the longitudinal direction thereof, and a plurality of terminals (21-24) connected to each end of the plurality of strip-shaped conductors (11-15), comprising a cutting step of cutting the base (20) of a terminal assembly (2) in which a plurality of mating parts (211, 221, 231, 241) connected to a linear base (20) by connecting parts (213, 223, 233, 243) to separate the plurality of terminals (21-24), and the plurality of terminals ( A method for manufacturing a flexible flat cable with terminals, comprising: a first connection step of making one-to-many connections between some terminals (21, 23, 24) of the plurality of strip conductors (11 to 15) and two or more strip conductors from the plurality of strip conductors (11 to 15); and a second connection step of making one-to-one connections between some other terminals (22) of the plurality of terminals (21 to 24) and any of the plurality of strip conductors (11 to 15); wherein, in the cutting step, when cutting out some terminals (21, 23, 24), the base portion (20) is cut out to be longer than when cutting out some other terminals (22), and in the first connection step, the base portion (20) of some terminals (21, 23, 24) is connected to the two or more strip conductors.

[0045] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments do not limit the invention as defined in the claims. Furthermore, it should be noted that not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential for solving the problem of the invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0046] 1… Flexible flat cable 10, 10A~10D... Flexible flat cable with terminals 100, 100A~100D... Flexible flat cable with connector 11-15...1st to 5th strip-shaped conductors 11a, 12a, 13a, 14a, 15a...Back side 11b,12b,13b,14b,15b…Surface 16, 17… Insulating film 2…Terminal assembly 21-24... Terminals 211, 221, 231, 241… Fitting parts 212,232,242...extension part 222...Connection part 213,223,233,243...Connection part 321, 322, 331, 332, 341, 342, 351, 352… Connector housing 4,6…Support plate (insulator) 51,52...electrode

Claims

1. The device comprises a plurality of strip-shaped conductors, an insulating film covering both sides of the plurality of strip-shaped conductors except for both ends in the longitudinal direction, and a plurality of terminals connected to each end of the plurality of strip-shaped conductors. Some of the multiple terminals are connected in multiple pairs to two or more of the multiple strip conductors, and some of the other terminals are connected in one pair to one of the multiple strip conductors. Flexible flat cable with terminals.

2. Some of the terminals have a mating portion that connects to a mating terminal, an extending portion that extends in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the plurality of strip-shaped conductors, and a connecting portion that connects the mating portion and the extending portion. The extended portion is connected to the two or more strip-shaped conductors. A flexible flat cable with terminals as described in claim 1.

3. The extended portion of the aforementioned terminal is connected to each of the two or more strip-shaped conductors by welding. A flexible flat cable with terminals as described in claim 2.

4. The plurality of strip-shaped conductors are stacked in the thickness direction with an insulator in between, Some of the terminals are connected to two or more strip conductors among the plurality of strip conductors that sandwich the insulator. A flexible flat cable with terminals as described in claim 1.

5. A method for manufacturing a flexible flat cable with terminals, comprising: a plurality of strip-shaped conductors; an insulating film covering both sides of the plurality of strip-shaped conductors except for both ends in the longitudinal direction thereof; and a plurality of terminals connected to each end of the plurality of strip-shaped conductors, A cutting step involves cutting the base of a terminal assembly, in which multiple mating parts connected to a mating terminal are connected to a linear base by a connecting part, to separate it into the multiple terminals, A first connection step involves connecting some of the terminals among the plurality of terminals to two or more strip conductors among the plurality of strip conductors in a one-to-many relationship, The process includes a second connection step of connecting some of the terminals among the plurality of terminals to any of the plurality of strip-shaped conductors in a one-to-one relationship, When cutting out some of the terminals in the aforementioned cutting process, the base portion is cut out to be longer than when cutting out other parts of the terminals. In the first connection step, the base of some of the terminals is connected to the two or more strip-shaped conductors. A method for manufacturing a flexible flat cable with terminals.

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