Electrical connector for flat conductors

Abstract

To secure a length of a spring of a lock member or a terminal so as to be long without increasing the size of a connector.SOLUTION: A lock member 40 includes: an upper arm part 41; an attached part 44; and a column part 45. The upper arm part 41 includes: a pressed arm part 42; and a lock arm part 43. The lock arm part 43 includes an engagement part 43A which can be engaged to a flat type conductor. The attached part 44 includes: an upper side nipping part 44A and a lower side nipping part 44B, extended to a cross direction; and a connection part 44C connecting the upper side nipping part 44A and the lower side nipping part 44B. The upper side nipping part 44A can be elastically deformed to a vertical direction, and nips an attachment part 13A of a housing 10 in the vertical direction by the upper side nipping part 44A and the lower side nipping part 44B. The column part 45 is coupled to an upper arm part so as to be extended from the upper side nipping part 44A to the upper direction. A movable member 50 includes a cam part 56 that is positioned to the upper direction of the pressed arm part 42. The cam part 56 depresses the pressed arm part 42 toward a lower direction when the movable member 50 is moved from a close position to an open position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a connector in which a band-shaped flat conductor that extends in the front-rear direction and has a thickness in the up-down direction is inserted toward the front for connection. Patent Document 1 describes the insertion direction of the flat conductor (signal transmission medium) as the rear and the removal direction as the front, but here, the insertion direction of the flat conductor is described as the front and the removal direction as the rear. The connector in Patent Document 1 is mounted on the mounting surface of a circuit board, and a plurality of terminals arranged with the band width direction of the flat conductor as the terminal arrangement direction are held in a housing. In addition, locking members for preventing the flat conductor from coming loose are located on both outsides of the terminal arrangement range in the terminal arrangement direction and are held in the housing.

[0003] The locking member has a movable beam section extending in the front-rear direction along the upper wall of the housing and elastically displaceable in the up-down direction, a fixed beam section extending in the front-rear direction along the bottom wall of the housing and attached to the bottom wall, and a connecting strut section connecting the front-rear middle sections of the movable beam section and the fixed beam section. A locking section capable of engaging with the flat conductor is provided at the rear end of the movable beam section and protrudes downward. The locking section enters from above into notches (engagement positioning sections) formed on both edges of the front end of the flat conductor, and is positioned so as to be able to engage from the rear with the locked section located in front of the notches, thereby preventing the flat conductor from slipping out rearward. A lock release operation section for releasing the locked state at the locking section is provided at the front end of the movable beam section. The housing also has a locking operation cover section elastically displaceable in the up-down direction directly above the lock release operation section.

[0004] In Patent Document 1, when the flat conductor is inserted, the front end of the flat conductor abuts against the locking portion of the locking member, lifting the locking portion. At this time, the movable beam portion swings around the connecting support portion or its vicinity as a rotation center, elastically displacing, allowing further insertion of the flat conductor. Furthermore, when the flat conductor is inserted forward and the notch of the flat conductor reaches the position of the locking portion, the elastic restoring force of the movable beam portion causes the locking portion to enter the notch from above and be positioned so that it can be locked with the locked portion.

[0005] When the flat conductor is to be removed, the locking cover of the housing is pushed downward to release the locking operation, which causes the locking cover to push down the unlocking operation of the locking member, causing the movable beam to swing in the same manner as in the above-described insertion process of the flat conductor. As a result, the engagement locking portion moves upward, and the engagement between the engagement locking portion and the engaged portion of the flat conductor is released, allowing the flat conductor to be removed backward. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2012-212658 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] As in Patent Document 1, when the insertion and removal of a flat conductor is permitted by the elastic displacement of the movable beam of the locking member, if the length at which the movable beam and the connecting strut can be elastically deformed, i.e., the spring length, can be ensured to be long, the movable beam can be elastically displaced with a small force, which makes it easier to insert the flat conductor and to unlock it. However, although the spring length can be increased by making the movable beam and the connecting strut longer, this undesirably leads to an increase in the size of the locking member and, in turn, the connector.

[0008] In addition, depending on the flat conductor electrical connector, the terminal may have a shape having a movable beam portion, a fixed beam portion, and a connecting support portion, similar to the locking member of the above-mentioned Patent Document 1. In this case, the contact portion formed on the rear end side of the movable beam portion contacts the circuit portion of the flat conductor inserted into the connector with contact pressure from above. When the flat conductor is removed, the pressure-receiving portion formed on the front end side of the movable beam portion is pressed from above, causing the movable beam to swing, and the contact portion to move upward, releasing the contact state between the contact portion and the circuit portion of the flat conductor, allowing the flat conductor to be removed backward. Even when the terminal has such a shape, it is preferable to increase the spring length, but if the movable beam portion or the connecting support portion is made long to increase the spring length, the terminal and therefore the connector will become large.

[0009] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVETION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to provide an electrical connector for flat conductors which is capable of ensuring a long spring length for the locking member or terminals without increasing the size of the connector. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] According to the present invention, the above-mentioned problems are solved by the following first and second aspects of the electrical connector for flat conductors.

[0011] <First invention> The electrical connector for flat conductors of the first invention is an electrical connector for flat conductors to which a flat conductor extending in a front-to-rear direction and having a thickness in a vertical direction is connected, and comprises a housing formed with a receiving space open toward the rear so that the flat conductor can be inserted toward the front, a plurality of terminals arranged and held in the housing with a terminal arrangement direction perpendicular to both the front-to-rear direction and the vertical direction, a locking member arranged outside the arrangement range of the terminals in the terminal arrangement direction and held in the housing, and a movable member provided forward of the receiving space and movable between a closed position and an open position by rotating about a rotation axis extending in the terminal arrangement direction, and when the movable member is in the closed position, removal of the flat conductor is prevented, and when the movable member is in the open position, removal of the flat conductor is allowed.

[0012] In such a flat conductor electrical connector, in a first aspect of the present invention, the locking member has an upper arm portion extending in the front-rear direction above the receiving space, an attached portion that is attached to the housing at a position below the upper arm portion and forward of the receiving space, and a support portion that extends upward from the attached portion and is connected to the upper arm portion, the upper arm portion has a pressure-receiving arm portion that extends forward from an upper end of the support portion, and a locking arm portion that extends rearward from an upper end of the support portion, and the locking arm portion has an engaging portion that is positioned so as to be engaged with the engaged portion of the flat conductor from behind when the movable member is in the closed position, The mounting portion has an upper clamping portion and a lower clamping portion which are spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction and extend in the front-to-back direction, and a connecting portion which connects the front ends of the upper clamping portion and the lower clamping portion, the upper clamping portion is elastically displaceable in the vertical direction, and an mounting portion formed in a part of the housing is clamped in the vertical direction by the upper clamping portion and the lower clamping portion, the support portion extends upward from the upper clamping portion, and the movable member has a cam portion located above the pressured arm portion, and the cam portion presses the pressured arm portion downward when the movable member moves from the closed position to the open position.

[0013] In the first invention, the locking member has a locking arm portion, a support portion, and an upper clamping portion that are elastically displaceable, and the length of the range including these portions is defined as the spring length. When a flat conductor is inserted, the front end of the flat conductor abuts against the locking portion of the locking member and lifts the locking portion, causing the locking arm portion, support portion, and upper clamping portion to elastically displace upward with the connecting portion as a fulcrum, thereby allowing further insertion of the flat conductor. When a flat conductor is removed, the cam portion of the movable member presses down the pressure-receiving portion as the movable member moves to the open position, causing the locking arm portion, support portion, and upper clamping portion to elastically displace upward in the same manner as when a flat conductor is inserted. As a result, the locking state between the locking portion of the locking arm and the flat conductor is released, allowing the flat conductor to be removed.

[0014] In the first invention, not only the locking arm and the support, but also the upper clamping portion of the mounting portion is elastically deformable, so the spring length is accordingly long. Also, because the upper clamping portion, which is part of the mounting portion for mounting the locking member to the housing, is used as the elastically deformable portion, there is no need to provide a new portion to the locking member or to lengthen the locking arm or support in order to increase the spring length, and the connector does not become larger.

[0015] In the first invention, the flat conductor electrical connector can be mounted to a mounting surface of a circuit board by solder connection, and the locking member may have a fixing portion extending forward from the mounting portion and fixed to the mounting surface of the circuit board by solder connection.

[0016] In the first invention, in the process of inserting and removing the flat conductor, the upper clamping portion, which is part of the mounting portion, is elastically displaced upward together with the locking arm portion and the support portion in the locking member. At this time, if the lower clamping portion is displaced upward together with the upper clamping portion, the clamping force with which the upper clamping portion and the lower clamping portion clamp the mounting portion of the housing, in other words, the mounting strength of the mounting portion to the housing, is unlikely to decrease. However, if the lower clamping portion does not displace upward and only the upper clamping portion is displaced upward, causing the upper clamping portion and the lower clamping portion to separate from each other, the clamping force, i.e., the mounting strength of the mounting portion, may decrease slightly.

[0017] However, in the first invention, when the flat conductor electrical connector is mountable on the mounting surface of the circuit board, the flat conductor is inserted and removed after mounting on the mounting surface of the circuit board, i.e., after the fixing portion of the locking member is fixed to the mounting surface of the circuit board by soldering. Therefore, even if the upper and lower clamping portions of the mounting portion are separated from each other and the clamping force, i.e., the mounting strength to the housing, is slightly reduced, the position of the locking member is already fixed to the circuit board at that point, so the locking member will not come off the housing.

[0018] <Second Invention> The electrical connector for flat conductors of the second invention is an electrical connector for flat conductors to which a flat conductor extending in the front-to-rear direction and having a thickness in the up-to-down direction is connected, and has a housing formed with a receiving space that is open toward the rear so that the flat conductor can be inserted toward the front, a plurality of terminals arranged and held in the housing with the terminal arrangement direction being perpendicular to both the front-to-rear and up-to-down directions, and a movable member that is located forward of the receiving space and is movable between a closed position and an open position by rotating about a rotation axis that extends in the terminal arrangement direction.

[0019] In such a flat conductor electrical connector, in a second aspect of the present invention, the terminal has an upper arm portion extending in the front-rear direction above the receiving space, an attached portion attached to the housing at a position below the upper arm portion and forward of the receiving space, and a support portion extending upward from the attached portion and connected to the upper arm portion, the upper arm portion having a pressure-receiving arm portion extending forward from an upper end of the support portion and a contact arm portion extending rearward from an upper end of the support portion, the contact arm portion having a contact portion that contacts a circuit portion of the flat conductor from above when the movable member is in a closed position, and the attached portion is The housing has an upper clamping portion and a lower clamping portion which are spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction and extend in the front-to-rear direction, and a connecting portion which connects the front ends of the upper clamping portion and the lower clamping portion, the upper clamping portion is elastically displaceable in the vertical direction, and an attachment portion formed in a part of the housing is clamped in the vertical direction by the upper clamping portion and the lower clamping portion, the support portion extends upward from the upper clamping portion, and the movable member has a cam portion located above the pressured arm portion, and the cam portion presses the pressured arm portion downward when the movable member moves from the closed position to the open position.

[0020] In the second invention, the terminal has a contact arm, a support and an upper clamping portion that are elastically displaceable, and the length of the range including these portions is defined as the spring length. When the flat conductor is inserted, the front end of the flat conductor abuts against the contact portion of the contact arm and lifts the contact portion, causing the contact arm, support and upper clamping portion to elastically displace upward with the connecting portion as a fulcrum, thereby allowing further insertion of the flat conductor. When the flat conductor is removed, the cam portion of the movable member presses down on the pressure-receiving portion as the movable member moves to the open position, causing the contact arm, support and upper clamping portion to elastically displace upward in the same manner as when the flat conductor is inserted. As a result, the contact state between the contact portion of the contact arm and the circuit portion of the flat conductor is released.

[0021] In the second invention, not only the contact arm and the support, but also the upper clamping part of the mounting part is elastically deformable, so the spring length is accordingly longer. Also, since the upper clamping part, which is part of the mounting part for mounting the terminal to the housing, is used as the elastically deformable part, there is no need to provide a new part to the terminal or to lengthen the contact arm or support in order to increase the spring length, and the connector does not become larger.

[0022] In the second invention, the flat conductor electrical connector can be mounted to the mounting surface of the circuit board by solder connection, and the terminal may have a fixing portion extending forward from the mounting portion and fixed to the mounting surface of the circuit board by solder connection.

[0023] In the second invention, in the process of inserting and removing the flat conductor, the upper clamping portion, which is part of the attached portion, is elastically displaced upward together with the contact arm and the support portion of the terminal. At this time, if the lower clamping portion is displaced upward together with the upper clamping portion, the clamping force with which the upper clamping portion and the lower clamping portion clamp the attachment portion of the housing, in other words, the attachment strength of the attached portion to the housing, is unlikely to decrease. However, if the lower clamping portion does not displace upward, and only the upper clamping portion is displaced upward, causing the upper clamping portion and the lower clamping portion to separate from each other, the clamping force, i.e., the attachment strength of the attached portion, may decrease slightly.

[0024] However, in the case of the second invention where the flat conductor electrical connector is mountable on the mounting surface of the circuit board, the flat conductor is inserted and removed after it is mounted on the mounting surface of the circuit board, i.e., after the fixing portion of the terminal is fixed to the mounting surface of the circuit board by soldering. Therefore, even if the upper clamping portion and the lower clamping portion of the mounting portion are separated from each other and the clamping force, i.e., the mounting strength to the housing, is slightly reduced, the position of the terminal is already fixed to the circuit board at that point, so the terminal will not come off the housing. Effect of the Invention

[0025] As described above, in the present invention, not only the arm (lock arm or contact arm) and the support portion of the locking member or terminal, but also the upper clamping portion of the mounting portion are elastically deformable, so that the spring length is accordingly long. As a result, the flat conductor can be easily inserted and removed. In addition, in the present invention, the upper clamping portion, which is part of the mounting portion for mounting the locking member or terminal to the housing, is used as the elastically deformable portion, so there is no need to provide a new portion to the locking member or terminal or to lengthen the arm or support portion in order to increase the spring length, and the connector does not become larger. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing an electrical connector for flat conductors according to an embodiment of the present invention together with a flat conductor; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a flat conductor electrical connector showing one first terminal, one second terminal, a locking member, and a movable member in a separated state. [Diagram 3] 1A is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an electrical connector for flat conductors, in which (A) is a cross-section at the position of a first terminal, (B) is a cross-section at the position of a second terminal, and (C) is a cross-section at the position of a locking member. [Figure 4]1A and 1B are longitudinal cross-sectional views of an electrical connector for flat conductors after insertion of the flat conductor has been completed, where (A) shows a cross-section at the position of the first terminal, (B) shows a cross-section at the position of the second terminal, and (C) shows a cross-section at the position of the locking member. [Diagram 5] 1A is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an electrical connector for flat conductors just before the flat conductor is extracted, where (A) is a cross-section at the position of the first terminal, (B) is a cross-section at the position of the second terminal, and (C) is a cross-section at the position of the locking member. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0027] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0028] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a flat conductor electrical connector 1 (hereinafter referred to as "connector 1") according to this embodiment. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing one first terminal 20, one second terminal 30, one locking member 40, and a movable member 50 of the connector 1 in a separated state. Figs. 3(A) to (C) are vertical cross-sectional views of the connector 1, with Fig. 3(A) showing a cross-section at the position of the first terminal 20, Fig. 3(B) showing a cross-section at the position of the second terminal 30, and Fig. 3(C) showing a cross-section at the position of the locking member 40.

[0029] The connector 1 is mounted on a mounting surface of a circuit board (not shown), and a flat conductor C (e.g., FPC) as a mating connector is removably connected to the connector 1 with the front-rear direction (X-axis direction) parallel to the mounting surface as the insertion / removal direction. The connector 1 electrically connects the circuit board and the flat conductor C by connecting the flat conductor C. In this embodiment, in the X-axis direction (front-rear direction), the X1 direction is the front direction, and the X2 direction is the rear direction. In addition, the Y-axis direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction (X-axis direction) in a plane (XY plane) parallel to the mounting surface of the circuit board is the connector width direction, and the Z-axis direction perpendicular to the mounting surface of the circuit board (up-down direction) is the connector thickness direction.

[0030] The flat conductor C is a flexible belt-like member extending in the front-rear direction (X-axis direction) and with the connector width direction (Y-axis direction) as its width direction, and a plurality of circuit parts extending in the front-rear direction are arranged in the connector width direction. The circuit parts are embedded in the insulating layer of the flat conductor C and extend in the front-rear direction, reaching the front end position of the flat conductor C. The circuit parts have a connection circuit part C1 exposed on the top surface of the flat conductor C at the front end side portion, and are capable of contacting a first terminal 20 and a second terminal 30 of the connector 1 described later. The connection circuit part C1 has a first circuit part C1A that contacts the first terminal 20 and a second circuit part C1B that contacts the second terminal 30, and the two are shifted in the front-rear direction and alternately positioned in the connector width direction.

[0031] In addition, the flat conductor C has a notch C2 formed on both side edges of the front end portion, and the rear end edge of the ear C3 located in front of the notch C2 functions as a locked portion C3A that locks with a locking portion 43A of the connector 1, which will be described later (see Figure 4(C)).

[0032] The connector 1 comprises a housing 10 made of an electrically insulating material such as resin, a plurality of first terminals 20 and second terminals 30 made of a metal plate arranged in the connector width direction as the terminal arrangement direction and held in the housing 10, a locking member 40 made of a metal plate arranged on both outsides of the terminal arrangement range in the connector width direction, and a movable member 50 made of an electrically insulating material such as resin that can be rotated between a closed position and an open position described later, and a flat conductor C is inserted and connected from the rear.

[0033] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the housing 10 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape with the connector width direction as the longitudinal direction, and a receiving space 11 for receiving the flat conductor C is formed as a space that is open toward the rear. As shown in Figure 2, the housing 10 has a top wall 12 and a bottom wall 13 that extend parallel to the mounting surface of the circuit board, two side walls 14 that extend in the vertical direction and connect both ends of the top wall 12 and the bottom wall 13 in the connector width direction, and a front wall 15 (see Figures 3(A) to (C)) that connects the front ends of the top wall 12 and the bottom wall 13. A movable member accommodating space 16 for accommodating a movable member 50 is formed forward of the front wall 15 and between the two side walls 14 in the connector width direction.

[0034] The receiving space 11 is surrounded by a top wall 12, a bottom wall 13, and two side walls 14, and has a rear end opening 11A (see Figures 3(A) to (C)) on the rear end surface of the housing 10, which forms an insertion port for the flat conductor C. The receiving space 11 is a space extending in the front-to-rear direction from the rear end opening 11A to the rear surface of the front wall 15, and is designed to receive the front end portion of the flat conductor C (see Figures 4(A) to (C)).

[0035] The bottom wall 13 faces the mounting surface of the circuit board at a position lower than the upper wall 12, and its rear end in the terminal arrangement range in the connector width direction (Y-axis direction) is located slightly forward of the rear end of the upper wall 12 (see Figs. 1 and 2). In addition, the front end of the bottom wall 13 extends into the movable member accommodating space 16 in the terminal arrangement range in the connector width direction (see Figs. 3(A) and (B)). On the other hand, in a position corresponding to the locking member 40 outside the terminal arrangement range in the connector width direction, the front end of the bottom wall 13 is located rearward of the front surface of the front wall 15 (see Fig. 3(C)). In addition, in the position corresponding to the locking member 40, the front end of the bottom wall 13 is thinner than other parts because its lower surface is recessed, and is formed as an attachment portion 13A for attaching the locking member 40 (see Fig. 3(C)).

[0036] 3(A) and (B), the housing 10 is formed with a first terminal accommodating portion 17 for accommodating and holding the first terminal 20, and a second terminal accommodating portion 18 for accommodating and holding the second terminal 30. The first terminal accommodating portions 17 and the second terminal accommodating portions 18 are arranged alternately at a predetermined interval in the connector width direction. Also, as shown in FIG. 3(C), the housing 10 is formed with locking member accommodating portions 19 for accommodating and holding the locking member 40 on both end sides of the receiving space 11 in the connector width direction, in other words, on both outsides of the terminal arrangement range.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 3A, the first terminal accommodating portion 17 has a slit shape extending perpendicularly to the connector width direction, and has a front groove portion 17A as a front space for accommodating and press-fitting a base portion 21 and a front end portion of a first contact arm portion 24 of the first terminal 20, which will be described later, and an upper groove portion 17B for accommodating a rear end portion of a first contact arm portion 24 of the first terminal 20, which will be described later. The front groove portion 17A is formed penetrating in the front-rear direction in a range extending from the top wall 12 to the bottom wall 13 in the vertical direction. The upper groove portion 17B is recessed from the lower surface of the top wall 12 and extends rearward from the front groove portion 17A. As shown in FIG. 3A, the upper groove portion 17B is open rearward and downward, and penetrates the top wall 12 in the vertical direction at a position corresponding to the rear end portion of the first contact arm portion 24 in the front-rear direction.

[0038] As shown in Figure 3 (B), the second terminal accommodating portion 18 is shaped like a slit extending perpendicular to the width direction of the connector, and has a front groove portion 18A that accommodates and press-fits the support portion 37, the front end portion of the upper arm portion 31, and the front end portion of the lower arm portion 34 of the second terminal 30, which will be described later, an upper groove portion 18B that accommodates the rear end portion of the upper arm portion 31 of the second terminal 30, which will be described later, and a lower groove portion 18C that accommodates the rear end portion of the lower arm portion 34 of the second terminal 30, which will be described later.

[0039] The front groove portion 18A is formed penetrating in the front-rear direction in a range extending from the upper wall 12 to the bottom wall 13 in the vertical direction. In the front groove portion 18A, as shown in FIG. 3(B), a second terminal holding portion 18A-1 for press-fitting and holding the second terminal 30 is formed by connecting the opposing groove inner surfaces (two surfaces facing each other in the connector width direction) of the front groove portion 18A at a vertical intermediate position in the front half of the front groove portion 18A. Between the second terminal holding portion 18A-1 and the bottom wall 13, a press-fitting groove portion 18A-2 for press-fitting and holding the held arm portion 35 is formed penetrating in the front-rear direction. The upper groove portion 18B is recessed from the lower surface of the upper wall 12 and extends rearward from the front groove portion 18A. In addition, as shown in FIG. 3(B), the upper groove portion 18B is open rearward and downward, and penetrates the upper wall 12 in the vertical direction at a position corresponding to the rear end of the upper arm portion 31 in the front-rear direction. As shown in FIG. 3B, the lower groove portion 18C penetrates the bottom wall 13 in the up-down direction at a position toward the rear end corresponding to a reinforcing portion 36B (described later) of the lower arm portion 34.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 3(C), the locking member accommodating portion 19 has a slit shape extending perpendicularly to the connector width direction, and includes a front groove portion 19A that accommodates and press-fits the support portion 45, the front end portion of the upper arm portion 41, and the attached portion 44 of the locking member 40, which will be described later, and an upper groove portion 19B that accommodates the rear end portion of the upper arm portion 41 of the locking member 40. The front groove portion 19A is formed penetrating the entire range of the housing 10 in the vertical direction in the front-rear direction. As shown in FIG. 3(C), the attachment portion 13A, which forms the front end portion of the bottom wall 13, enters from the rear and extends from the lower portion of the front groove portion 19A. The attachment portion 13A is formed by connecting the opposing groove inner surfaces (two surfaces facing each other in the connector width direction) of the front groove portion 19A to each other. As shown in FIG. 3C, the upper groove portion 19B extends to a position near the rear end of the upper wall 12 in the front-rear direction, and penetrates the upper wall 12 in the up-down direction over the entire range in the front-rear direction.

[0041] The first terminals 20 are formed by punching out the metal plate member while maintaining a flat plate surface (rolled surface), and as shown in FIG. 3(A), by being accommodated in the first terminal accommodating portion 17 of the housing 10, the plate surfaces of all the first terminals 20 are arranged and held in the housing 10 so as to be perpendicular to the connector width direction (Y-axis direction).

[0042] The first terminal 20 is attached by being press-fitted into the housing 10 from the front. As shown in Fig. 3(A) , the first terminal 20 has a base 21 press-fitted and held in the front groove 17A of the housing 10, a first contact arm 24 extending rearward from the rear edge of the base 21 within the front groove 17A and the upper groove 17B, and an extending arm 25 extending forward from the front edge of the lower part of the base 21 and extending into the movable member accommodating space 16.

[0043] The first contact arm 24 extends with an inclination downward toward the rear, and is elastically displaceable in the up-down direction. A first contact portion 24A is provided at the rear end of the first contact arm 24, protruding downward and capable of contacting the first circuit portion C1A of the flat conductor C from above. The first contact portion 24A is located in the receiving space 11, and faces the inner surface of the receiving space 11, in other words, the upper surface of the bottom wall 13, with a gap δ1 in the up-down direction (Z-axis direction) that forms the connector thickness direction. The rear end surface of the first contact portion 24A is inclined downward toward the front, and is formed as a first guide surface 24A-1 for guiding the flat conductor C forward. A lower portion of the first guide surface 24A-1 forms the rear end surface of the first contact portion 24A.

[0044] The base 21 has two press-fit projections 21A formed on its lower edge, and is press-fitted and held by the upper and lower inner wall surfaces of the front groove 17A at its upper and lower edges. The base 21 has a held portion 22 that is formed and held with a dimension that covers the entire area of ​​the front groove 17A in the up-down direction, and an extension portion 23 that extends rearward from the rear edge of the lower portion of the held portion 22 along the first contact arm portion 24.

[0045] The extension 23 is formed shorter in the front-rear direction than the first contact arm 24, and is entirely housed in the front groove 17A, with a reflecting portion 23A at its rear end. In this embodiment, light irradiated forward toward the receiving space 11 during inspection after connector manufacture can be reflected backward by the reflecting portion 23A. The rear end surface (plate thickness surface) of the reflecting portion 23A is formed as a reflecting surface 23A-1 that forms a flat surface perpendicular to the front-rear direction.

[0046] In this embodiment, the reflection surface 23A-1 is formed to have the same dimension as the gap δ1 in the connector width direction and a dimension larger than the gap δ1 in the vertical direction. Specifically, in the vertical direction, the upper end of the reflection surface 23A-1 is located above the protruding end (lower end) of the first contact portion 24A, so that the reflection surface 23A-1 is located including the protruding end, and the lower end of the reflection surface 23A-1 is located below the upper surface of the bottom wall 13 (the inner surface of the receiving space 11), so that the reflection surface 23A-1 is located including the position of the upper surface of the bottom wall 13. In other words, the reflection surface 23A-1 is located in a range including the entire gap δ1 when viewed from behind.

[0047] The substantially rear half of the extending arm 25 forms a supported arm 25A that extends along the bottom wall 13 and is supported from below by the bottom wall 13. The substantially front half of the extending arm 25 extends forward and downward from the front end of the bottom wall 13, and forms a first connection part 25B as a fixed part that is soldered to a circuit part (not shown) on the mounting surface of a circuit board at its lower edge. In addition, a protrusion 25C that protrudes from the upper edge of the extending arm 25 is formed at the middle position in the front-rear direction of the extending arm 25. In this embodiment, the part consisting of the front edge of the held part 22, the supported arm 25A, and the protrusion 25C is located so as to surround a first shaft part 54 of the movable member 50 described later from the rear, lower, and front, and forms a first shaft regulating part 20A that regulates the rear, lower, and forward movement of the first shaft part 54.

[0048] The second terminals 30 are formed by punching out the metal plate member while maintaining its flat plate surface (rolled surface), and as shown in FIG. 3(B), by being accommodated in the second terminal accommodating portion 18 of the housing 10, the plate surfaces of all the second terminals 30 are arranged and held in the housing 10 so as to be perpendicular to the connector width direction (Y-axis direction).

[0049] The second terminal 30 is attached by being press-fitted into the housing 10 from the rear. As shown in Fig. 3(B) , the second terminal 30 has an upper arm portion 31 extending in the front-rear direction along the top wall 12, a lower arm portion 34 located below the upper arm portion 31 and extending in the front-rear direction along the bottom wall 13, and a support portion 37 extending in the vertical direction and connecting intermediate portions of the upper arm portion 31 and the lower arm portion 34 in the front-rear direction.

[0050] The upper arm 31 has a restricting arm 32 extending forward from the upper end of the support 37, and a second contact arm 33 extending rearward from the upper end of the support 37. The restricting arm 32 has a front end extending into the movable member accommodating space 16, and forms a second shaft restricting portion 32A located above a second shaft portion 55 (described below) of the movable member 50. The second shaft restricting portion 32A is located at a slight distance from the second shaft portion 55 in the vertical direction, and restricts the upward movement of the second shaft portion 55. In this embodiment, the first axial regulating portion 20A of the first terminal 20 described above regulates the movement of the first shaft portion 54, and the second axial regulating portion of the second terminal 30 regulates the movement of the second shaft portion 55, thereby regulating the movement of the first shaft portion 54 and the second shaft portion 55 (hereinafter collectively referred to as "shaft portions 54, 55" as necessary) and ultimately the movable member 50 in a plane perpendicular to the connector width direction, and as a result, the movable member 50 can be prevented from coming off.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 3B, the second contact arm 33 extends in the upper groove 18B, inclining downward toward the rear, and is elastically displaceable in the vertical direction. A second contact portion 33A protrudes downward from the rear end of the second contact arm 33, and is capable of contacting the second circuit portion C1A of the flat conductor C from above. The second contact portion 33A is located rearward of the first contact portion 24A of the first contact arm 24 of the first terminal 20. The rear end surface of the second terminal 30 is inclined downward toward the front, and is formed as a second guide surface 33A-1 for guiding the flat conductor C forward. The lower portion of the second guide surface 33A-1 forms the rear end surface of the second contact portion 33A.

[0052] The lower arm 34 has a held arm 35 extending forward from the lower end of the support 37, and an extending arm 36 extending rearward from the lower end of the support 37. As shown in Fig. 3(B), the held arm 35 is formed shorter than the restricting arm 32 of the upper arm 31, and is press-fitted from the rear into the press-fit groove 18A-2 of the second terminal accommodating portion 18 of the housing 10. A press-fit protrusion 35A protruding upward is formed at the front end of the held arm 35, and the press-fit protrusion 35A bites into the lower surface of the second terminal holding portion 18A-1, thereby holding the second terminal 30 in the second terminal accommodating portion 18.

[0053] Approximately the front half of the extending arm 36 forms a straight portion 36A that extends straight in the front-rear direction along the upper surface of the bottom wall 13. Approximately the rear half of the extending arm 36 has a reinforcing portion 36B that is located rearward of the rear end of the bottom wall 13 and extends rearward and downward from the straight portion 36A, and a second connecting portion 36C that extends rearward from the reinforcing portion 36B. The second connecting portion 36C has a lower edge that is soldered to a circuit portion (not shown) on the mounting surface of the circuit board.

[0054] 3(B), a recess 36B-1 is formed on the upper edge of the reinforcing portion 36B in an area including the second contact portion 33A of the second contact arm portion 33 in the front-rear direction. In this embodiment, since the recess 36B-1 is formed in the reinforcing portion 36B, the gap between the second contact portion 33A and the reinforcing portion 36B in the up-down direction is large, so that in a punching die (not shown) that punches out the metal plate member to form the second terminal 30, the die portion that forms the gap can be made sufficiently large, and sufficient strength can be ensured for the die portion.

[0055] The reinforcing portion 36B is formed larger in the vertical direction than the straight portion 36A, and the strength of the reinforcing portion 36B itself is prevented from being reduced due to the presence of the recess 36B-1. In addition, a front protrusion 36B-2 and a rear protrusion 36B-3 are formed on the upper edge of the reinforcing portion 36B at the front and rear ends of the recess 36B-1, respectively, which protrude upward toward the receiving space 11. The front protrusion 36B-2 is located forward of the second contact portion 33A, and the rear protrusion 36B-3 is located rearward of the second contact portion 33A. Therefore, when the flat conductor C is inserted into the receiving space 11 and the second contact portion 33A contacts the flat conductor C from above with contact pressure, the front protrusion 36B-2 and the rear protrusion 36B-3 support the flat conductor C from below. As a result, the flat conductor C is firmly clamped in the vertical direction while being pressed in the vertical direction at three points: the second contact portion 33A, the front protrusion 36B-2, and the rear protrusion 36B-3, thereby preventing the flat conductor C from being accidentally pulled out.

[0056] The lower edge of the reinforcing portion 36B is located slightly above the lower edge of the second connecting portion 36C so as not to come into contact with the mounting surface of the circuit board when the connector 1 is placed on the mounting surface of the circuit board. Therefore, even if the lower edge of the reinforcing portion 36B is located slightly below the normal design position due to a manufacturing error, the lower edge of the reinforcing portion 36B is unlikely to be located below the lower edge of the second connecting portion 36C, so that the second connecting portion 36C can be reliably connected to the circuit portion of the circuit board.

[0057] Locking member 40 is produced by punching out a metal plate member while maintaining a flat plate surface (rolled surface), and as shown in FIG. 3(C), by being accommodated in locking member accommodating portion 19 of housing 10, locking member 40 is held in housing 10 so that its plate surface is perpendicular to the connector width direction (Y-axis direction).

[0058] The locking member 40 is attached by being press-fitted into the housing 10 from the front. As shown in Fig. 3(C), the locking member 40 has an upper arm portion 41 extending in the front-rear direction along the upper wall 12 above the receiving space 11, an attachment portion 44 attached to the housing 10 below the upper arm portion 41, a support portion 45 extending upward from the attachment portion 44 and connected to the upper arm portion 41, and an extending arm portion 46 extending forward from the attachment portion 44.

[0059] The upper arm 41 has a pressure-receiving arm 42 extending forward from the upper end of the support 45, and a lock arm 43 extending backward from the upper end of the support 45. As shown in FIG. 3(C), the pressure-receiving arm 42 is bent in a crank shape when viewed in the connector width direction, and the front end is located lower than the other parts to form the pressure-receiving part 42A. The pressure-receiving part 42A is located in contact with a pressing part 56A of a cam part 56 described later provided on the movable member 50 at its upper edge, and is pressed from above by the pressing part 56A and displaced downward when the movable member 50 is brought to the open position (see FIG. 5(C)). In this embodiment, the pressure-receiving part 42A is located within the range of the shaft parts 54, 55 of the movable member 50 in the front-rear and up-down directions.

[0060] The locking arm 43 extends in the upper groove 19B, inclining downward as it goes rearward, and is elastically displaceable in the vertical direction. A locking portion 43A is provided at the rear end of the locking arm 43, protruding downward. When the movable member 50 is in the closed position, the locking portion 43A enters the notch C2 of the flat conductor C from above, and is positioned so as to be able to lock with the locked portion C3A from the rear (see FIG. 4(C)). The rear end surface of the locking portion 43A is inclined downward as it goes forward, and is formed as an inclined surface 43A-1 for guiding the flat conductor C forward.

[0061] The mounting portion 44 has a horizontal U-shape that opens toward the rear, and is housed in the front groove portion 19A located forward of the receiving space 11. The mounting portion 44 has an upper clamping portion 44A and a lower clamping portion 44B that are spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction and extend in the front-rear direction, and a connecting portion 44C that connects the front ends of the upper clamping portion 44A and the lower clamping portion 44B. The upper clamping portion 44A is elastically displaceable in the vertical direction, and as shown in FIG. 3(C), the upper clamping portion 44A and the lower clamping portion 44B clamp the mounting portion 13A of the housing 10 in the vertical direction.

[0062] The support portion 45 extends upward from the upper clamping portion 44A at a position near the rear end of the upper clamping portion 44A and is connected to the upper arm portion 41. The extending arm portion 46 is located at the same height as the lower clamping portion 44B in the vertical direction and extends forward from the front end of the lower clamping portion 44B into the movable member accommodating space 16. The front end portion of the extending arm portion 46 is formed as a fixing portion 46A for fixing to the mounting surface of the circuit board, and the lower edge portion of the fixing portion 46A is adapted to be fixed to the mounting surface by soldering.

[0063] 1, the movable member 50 extends across the entire width of the movable member accommodating space 16 in the connector width direction, and when in the closed position, the movable member 50 is entirely accommodated within the movable member accommodating space 16. Fig. 2 shows the movable member 50 in the closed position separated from the housing 10. As shown in Fig. 2, the movable member 50 has an operating portion 51, an end wall 52, a partition wall 53, a first shaft portion 54, a second shaft portion 55, and a cam portion 56.

[0064] 2, the operating portion 51 is formed on the front end side of the movable member 50 and extends in the connector width direction, and is operated when the movable member 50 is moved (rotated) between a closed position and an open position. The end walls 52 are provided extending rearward from both ends of the operating portion 51 in the connector width direction. The multiple partition walls 53 extend rearward from the operating portion 51 between the two end walls 52 in the connector width direction, and are formed arranged at intervals in the connector width direction.

[0065] The first shaft portion 54 is provided at the same position as the first terminal 20 in the connector width direction, and connects the opposing surfaces (surfaces perpendicular to the connector width direction) of the rear ends (ends on the X2 side) of two adjacent partition walls 53 as shown in Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 3(A), the cross-sectional shape of the first shaft portion 54 perpendicular to the connector width direction is a substantially square with rounded corners. Also, as shown in Fig. 3(A), the first shaft portion 54 is located in front of the held portion 22 of the first terminal 20, above the supported arm portion 25A, and behind the protruding portion 25C, with a slight gap between each of the held portion 22, the supported arm portion 25A, and the protruding portion 25C.

[0066] The second shaft portion 55 is provided at the same position as the second terminal 30 in the connector width direction, and connects the opposing surfaces (surfaces perpendicular to the connector width direction) of the rear ends (ends on the X2 side) of two adjacent partition walls 53 as shown in Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 3(B), the cross-sectional shape of the second shaft portion 55 perpendicular to the connector width direction is a substantially rectangular shape with rounded corners and a longitudinal direction in the up-down direction. Also, as shown in Fig. 3(B), the second shaft portion 55 is supported at its lower surface by the bottom wall 13 of the housing 10, and is located below the second shaft regulating portion 32A of the second terminal 30 with a small gap between it and the second shaft regulating portion 32A.

[0067] The cam portion 56 is provided at the same position as the locking member 40 in the connector width direction, and connects the opposing surfaces (surfaces perpendicular to the connector width direction) of the partition wall 53 located at the outermost position in the connector width direction and the end wall 52 adjacent to the partition wall 53, as shown in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 3(C), the cam portion 56 extends in the front-rear direction, the front end portion is connected to the lower portion of the operating portion 51, and the rear edge is arc-shaped. The cam portion 56 is located above the pressured portion 42A of the pressured arm portion 42 of the locking member 40 and below the rear half portion (portion extending in the front-rear direction) of the pressured arm portion 42. The rear end portion of the cam portion 56 is formed as a pressing portion 56A capable of pressing the pressured portion 42A from above, and the lower surface of the pressing portion 56A is in contact with the pressured portion 42A. In this embodiment, the pressing portion 56A is located within the range of the first shaft portion 54 and the second shaft portion 55 in the up-down direction and the front-rear direction.

[0068] 3(A) to 3(C) each show a rotation center O through which the rotation axis of the movable member 50 passes. At the position of the first shaft portion 54 in the connector width direction, the rotation center O is located slightly forward from approximately the center of the first shaft portion 54 as seen in the connector width direction, as shown in FIG. 3(A). At the position of the second shaft portion 55 in the connector width direction, the rotation center O is located slightly forward at the top of the second shaft portion 55 as seen in the connector width direction, as shown in FIG. 3(B). At the position of the cam portion 56 in the connector width direction, the rotation center O is located at the contact point between the pressing portion 56A of the cam portion 56 and the pressured portion 42A as shown in FIG. 3(C).

[0069] In this embodiment, the pressure-receiving portion 42A formed at the front end of the pressure-receiving arm portion 42 of the locking member 40 is positioned lower than the other portions of the pressure-receiving arm portion 42. Therefore, even if the cam portion 56 of the movable member 50 is positioned above the pressure-receiving portion 42A, the position of the cam portion 56 of the movable member 50 can be set at a lower position compared to the case where the entire pressure-receiving arm portion 42 is formed straight, and as a result, the connector 1 can be made smaller in the vertical direction, i.e., has a lower height.

[0070] In addition, in this embodiment, the pressing portion 56A of the cam portion 56 in the movable member 50 is located within the range of the shaft portions 54, 55 in the vertical direction, thereby making the movable member 50 and therefore the connector 1 lower in height than when the pressing portion 56A is located outside the range of the shaft portions 54, 55 in the vertical direction. In addition, the pressing portion 56A of the cam portion 56 is located within the range of the shaft portions 54, 55 in the vertical direction, so that the pressing portion 56A is located near the rotation axis of the movable member 50, in other words, the rotation center O. Therefore, it becomes easier for the pressing portion 56A to press the pressured portion 42A from above without making the cam portion 56 as large as possible.

[0071] At this time, the force (pressing force) required for the pressing portion 56A to press the pressure receiving portion 42A when the movable member 50 is moved from the closed position to the open position during the unlocking operation is increased because the pressing portion 56A is closer to the rotation axis. However, in this embodiment, the locking members 40 are only arranged on both outer sides of the terminal arrangement range, and the number of the locking members 40 provided is small. Furthermore, during the rotation process of the movable member, the first axis regulating portion 20A of the first terminal 20 does not come into contact with the first shaft portion 54 of the movable member 50, and no contact pressure is generated between them. Also, the second axis regulating portion 32A of the second terminal 30 is only temporarily lifted by the corner portion 55A of the second shaft portion 55 during the rotation process of the movable member 50, so the period during which contact pressure is generated between them is short. As a result, the operating force (unlocking operating force) required for moving the movable member 50 from the closed position to the open position is reduced, so that the unlocking operation can be easily performed even if the pressing force is large during the unlocking operation.

[0072] In this embodiment, the movable member 50 moves between the closed position and the open position simply by rotating about a rotation axis extending in the connector width direction, but the movement form of the movable member 50 is not limited to this, and for example, the movable member 50 may be configured to rotate accompanied by a sliding movement.

[0073] The connector 1 is assembled as follows. First, the first terminal 20 and the locking member 40 are attached to the housing 10 from the front. Specifically, the base 21 of the first terminal 20 is press-fitted into the front groove 17A of the housing 10 (see FIG. 3(A)), and the attachment portion 13A of the housing 10 is clamped by the attachment receiving portion 44 of the locking member 40 (see FIG. 3(C)). Either the first terminal 20 or the locking member 40 may be attached first, or they may be attached simultaneously.

[0074] Next, the movable member 50 is placed in the movable member accommodating space 16 of the housing 10. Specifically, the first shaft body portion 54 is placed in the space surrounded by the first shaft regulating portion 20A formed by the front end portion of the held portion 22 of the first terminal 20, the supported arm portion 25A, and the protruding portion 25C (see FIG. 3(A)), the second shaft body portion 55 is placed on the upper surface of the front end portion of the bottom wall 13 (see FIG. 3(B)), and the pressing portion 56A of the cam portion 56 is placed on the pressured portion 42A of the locking member 40 (see FIG. 3(C)). Next, the second terminal 30 is attached to the housing 10 from the rear. Specifically, the held arm portion 35 of the second terminal 30 is press-fitted into the press-fit groove portion 18A-2 of the housing 10 from the rear (see FIG. 3(B)). As a result, the second shaft regulating portion 32A of the second terminal 30 is located directly above the second shaft body portion 55 of the movable member 50. Therefore, the first axis restricting portion 20A of the first terminal 20 and the second axis restricting portion 32A of the second terminal 30 restrict the movement of the shaft portions 54, 55 in a plane perpendicular to the connector width direction, thereby effectively preventing the movable member 50 from coming off the housing 10. By attaching the first terminal 20, the second terminal 30, the locking member 40, and the movable member 50 to the housing 10 in this manner, the connector 1 is completed.

[0075] In this embodiment, after the connector 1 is completed, an inspection is performed to check whether the vertical dimension of the gap through which the flat conductor C enters is properly secured at the position of the first contact portion 24A of the first terminal 20. Here, the gap at the first terminal 20 is the vertical dimension between the first contact portion 24A and the upper surface of the bottom wall 13 of the housing 10 facing it, which is shown as δ1 in Fig. 3(A).

[0076] The inspection device (not shown) used for the inspection is provided behind the connector 1 and has an irradiation unit (not shown) that irradiates light forward toward the receiving space 11 of the housing 10, an imaging unit (not shown) that captures an image (inspection image) of the connector 1 viewed from the rear, and a measurement unit (not shown) that analyzes the captured inspection image to measure the vertical dimension of the gap δ1.

[0077] During inspection, when light is irradiated forward from the irradiation unit toward the receiving space 11, the light that reaches the reflecting surface 23A-1 of the first terminal 20 is reflected backward, i.e., toward the rear end opening 11A, by the reflecting surface 23A-1. In this embodiment, the first guide surface 24A-1 that forms the rear end surface of the first terminal 20 forms an inclined surface that slopes downward as it approaches the front, so that the light that reaches the first guide surface 24A-1 is unlikely to be reflected toward the rear end opening 11A.

[0078] Therefore, in the inspection image captured by the imaging unit, first contact portion 24A appears dark and reflecting surface 23A-1 appears bright. In other words, a clear inspection image with high contrast between first contact portion 24A and reflecting surface 23A-1 is obtained. As a result, the position of the protruding end (lower end) of first contact portion 24A can be easily identified in the inspection image, and the vertical dimension of gap δ1 can be accurately measured by the measuring unit.

[0079] In this embodiment, as described above, the reflecting surface 23A-1 is located in a range including the entire gap δ1, so that the light irradiated forward toward the receiving space 11 can be effectively reflected backward by the reflecting surface 23A-1. In addition, the reflecting surface 23A-1 is formed as a surface perpendicular to the front-rear direction in the front-rear direction, so that the reflecting surface 23A-1 can more effectively reflect the light backward.

[0080] In addition, in this embodiment, since the reflecting portion 23A is formed at the rear end of the extension portion 23 extending rearward from the held portion 22, it is possible to arrange the reflecting surface 23A-1 at a position close to the first contact portion 24A in the front-rear direction. In other words, under the constraint that the reflecting surface 23A-1 must be arranged forward of the first contact portion 24A, the reflecting surface 23A-1 can be arranged as far rearward as possible, in other words, at a position close to the rear end opening 11A of the receiving space 11. Therefore, even if the rear end opening 11A of the receiving space 11 is small, the light irradiated forward toward the receiving space 11 can easily reach the reflecting surface 23A-1, and a sufficient amount of light can be reflected backward by the reflecting surface 23A-1. As a result, a clear inspection image with high contrast between the first contact portion 24A and the reflecting surface 23A-1 can be captured, making it easy to identify the position of the first contact portion 24A, and the dimension of the gap δ1 can be accurately measured.

[0081] In this embodiment, the extension 23 having the reflecting portion 23A forms an arm-like portion extending rearward from the rear end of the held portion 22, but the form of the extension is not limited to this. For example, the extension may form a substantially L-shaped arm-like portion that extends downward from the lower edge of the front end portion of the contact arm 24 and then further rearward. In this case, the reflecting portion is formed at the rear end portion of the portion that extends rearward, and the reflecting surface is formed on the rear end surface of the rear end. The extension may also form an arm-like portion or a protruding portion that extends downward from the lower edge of the front end portion of the contact arm 24. In this case, the reflecting portion is formed at the lower end portion of the extension, and the reflecting surface is formed on the rear end surface of the lower end.

[0082] In addition, in this embodiment, the reflecting surface 23A-1 is located in a range including the entire gap δ1, but as long as sufficient reflected light can be obtained to identify the position of the first contact portion 24A, it is not essential that the reflecting surface 23A-1 is located in a range including the entire gap δ1. For example, the reflecting surface 23A-1 may be provided in a range that includes the protruding end of the contact portion and overlaps with a part of the gap δ1. In addition, in this embodiment, the reflecting surface 23A-1 is a flat surface perpendicular to the front-rear direction, but as long as sufficient reflected light can be obtained to identify the position of the first contact portion 24A, it is not essential that the reflecting surface 23A-1 is a surface perpendicular to the front-rear direction, and for example, the reflecting surface 23A-1 may be slightly curved or slightly inclined.

[0083] Next, the operation of inserting and removing the flat conductor C into and from the connector 1 will be described.

[0084] First, the first connecting portion 25B of the first terminal 20 and the second connecting portion 36C of the second terminal 30 of the connector 1 are soldered to corresponding circuit portions of a circuit board (not shown), and the fixing portion 46A of the locking member 40 is soldered to the corresponding portion of the circuit board. The connector 1 is attached to the circuit board by soldering the first connecting portion 25B, the second connecting portion 36C, and the fixing portion 46A.

[0085] 1, the flat conductor C is positioned so as to extend in the front-rear direction (X-axis direction) along the mounting surface (not shown) of the circuit board behind the connector 1 with the movable member 50 brought to the closed position. Next, the flat conductor C is inserted into the receiving space 11 of the connector 1 facing forward (X1 direction).

[0086] In the process of inserting the flat conductor C into the receiving space 11, the front end of the flat conductor C first abuts against the second guide surface 33A-1 of the second contact portion 33A of the second terminal 30, and the upward component of the abutment force pushes up the second contact portion 33A, thereby elastically displacing the second contact arm portion 33 upward. As the flat conductor C is further inserted forward while being guided by the second guide surface 33A-1, the front end of the flat conductor C abuts against the first guide surface 24A-1 of the first contact portion 24A of the first terminal 20, and pushes up the first contact portion 24A, thereby elastically displacing the first contact arm portion 24 upward. The flat conductor C is further inserted forward while being guided by the first guide surface 24A-1.

[0087] 4(A) and (B), even when the insertion of the flat conductor C is completed, the first contact arm 24 of the first terminal 20 and the second contact arm 33 of the second terminal 30 remain elastically displaced. As a result, the first contact portion 24A and the second contact portion 33A are maintained in contact with the first circuit portion C1A and the second circuit portion C1B (see FIG. 1) of the flat conductor C, respectively, with contact pressure.

[0088] Furthermore, in the process of inserting the flat conductor C into the receiving space 11, specifically, before the front end of the flat conductor C passes the position of the second contact portion 33A and reaches the position of the first contact portion 24A, the ears C3 located near both ends in the width direction of the flat conductor C abut against the inclined surfaces 43A-1 of the locking portion 43A formed on the locking arm portion 43 of the locking member 40. Then, when the flat conductor C is further inserted forward while being guided by the inclined surfaces 43A-1, the locking portions 43A are lifted upward by the vertical component of the abutting force against the inclined surfaces 43A-1.

[0089] In this embodiment, the locking member 40 has the locking arm 43, the support 45, and the upper clamping portion 44A that are elastically displaceable, and the length of the range that spans these portions is the spring length. Therefore, when the ear C3 of the flat conductor C lifts the engaging portion 43A, the locking arm 43, the support 45, and the upper clamping portion 44A are elastically displaced upward (in the Z1 direction) so as to swing about the connecting portion 44C of the mounting portion 44, and as a result, further insertion of the flat conductor C is permitted.

[0090] When the flat conductor C is further inserted forward and the ear C3 passes the position of the locking portion 43A, the locking arm 43 is displaced downward (in the Z2 direction) to reduce the elastic displacement, returns to a free state, and enters the notch C2 of the flat conductor C. As a result, the locked portion C3A of the flat conductor C is positioned in front of the locking portion 43A so as to be able to be locked by the locking portion 43A, and the flat conductor C is prevented from being pulled out backward (see FIG. 4(C)). It is not essential that the locking arm 43 returns to a completely free state. For example, it is also possible to configure the locking arm 43 so that the locking portion 43A enters the notch C2 of the flat conductor C and is positioned so as to be able to be locked by the locked portion C3A while the locking arm 43 still has a certain amount of elastic displacement.

[0091] The insertion operation of the flat conductor C is completed when the front end of the flat conductor C abuts against the front wall 15 of the housing 10 as shown in FIGS. 4(A) to 4(C).

[0092] When the flat conductor C in the state shown in Figures 4(A) to (C), i.e., in the connected state with the connector 1, is to be intentionally removed from the connector 1, the movable member 50 in the closed position is rotated to the open position shown in Figures 5(A) to (C). In the process of moving the movable member 50 to the open position, the pressing portion 56A of the cam portion 56 of the movable member 50 presses down the pressure-receiving portion 42A of the locking member 40, so that the locking arm portion 43, the support portion 45 and the upper clamping portion 44A are elastically displaced upward in the same manner as described above with respect to the insertion operation of the flat conductor C. As a result, the engaging portion 43A of the locking arm portion 43 of the locking member 40 is disengaged upward from the notch portion C2 of the flat conductor C. Even after the movable member 50 is brought to the open position, the locking portion 43A remains disengaged from the notch C2, and as a result, the locking state of the locking portion 43A with respect to the locked portion C3A of the flat conductor C is released, allowing removal of the flat conductor C. Then, by pulling the flat conductor C backward (in the X2 direction), the flat conductor C is easily removed from the connector 1, completing the removal operation.

[0093] During the rotation process of the movable member 50 from the closed position to the open position, the first shaft portion 54 of the movable member 50 does not come into contact with the first shaft regulating portion 20A consisting of the front end of the held portion 22 of the first terminal 20, the supported arm portion 25A, and the protruding portion 25C. On the other hand, immediately after the movable member 50 starts to rotate toward the open position, the corner portion 55A of the second shaft portion 55 abuts against the second shaft regulating portion 32A from below, slightly lifting the second shaft regulating portion 32A to an elastically displaced state. Then, when the movable member 50 further rotates to reach the open position, as shown in FIG. 5B, the second shaft regulating portion 32A returns from the elastically displaced state and contacts and supports the corner portion 55A of the second shaft portion 55 from above.

[0094] In this embodiment, as described above, not only the locking arm 43 and the support 45 but also the upper clamping portion 44A of the mounting portion 44 is elastically deformable, so that the spring length is accordingly long. Also, since the upper clamping portion 44A, which is part of the mounting portion 44 for mounting the locking member 40 to the housing 10, is used as an elastically deformable portion, there is no need to provide a new portion to the locking member 40 or to lengthen the locking arm 43 or support 45 in order to increase the spring length, and therefore the connector 1 does not become larger.

[0095] In this embodiment, in the process of inserting and removing the flat conductor C, in the locking member 40, the upper clamping portion 44A of the mounting portion 44 is elastically displaced upward together with the locking arm portion 43 and the support portion 45, but the lower clamping portion 44B is not elastically displaced upward. Therefore, since the upper clamping portion 44A alone of the mounting portion 44 is displaced upward, the upper clamping portion 44A and the lower clamping portion 44B are separated from each other, and therefore the clamping force of the mounting portion 44 with respect to the mounting portion 13A of the housing 10, i.e., the mounting strength of the mounting portion 44, may be slightly reduced.

[0096] However, the operation of inserting and removing the flat conductor C is performed after the connector 1 is mounted on the mounting surface of the circuit board, that is, after the fixing portion 46A of the locking member 40 is fixed to the mounting surface of the circuit board by soldering. Therefore, even if the upper clamping portion 44A and the lower clamping portion 44B of the mounting portion 44 move away from each other and the clamping force is slightly reduced, the position of the locking member 40 is already fixed to the circuit board at that point, so the locking member 40 will not come off the housing 10.

[0097] In addition, in this embodiment, when the upper clamping portion 44A of the mounting portion 44 elastically displaces upward, the lower clamping portion 44B does not elastically displace upward, but instead, the lower clamping portion 44B may be elastically displaced upward together with the upper clamping portion 44A. By doing so, the mounting portion 13A of the housing 10 is maintained in a clamped state between the upper clamping portion 44A and the lower clamping portion 44B even in the elastically displaced state. As a result, the mounting strength of the mounting portion 44 to the housing 10 can be prevented from decreasing.

[0098] In the present embodiment, the locking member 40 is provided with an attachment portion 44 having an upper clamping portion 44A, a lower clamping portion 44B, and a connecting portion 44C, and the upper clamping portion 44A is also elastically displaceable together with the locking arm portion 43 and the support portion 45. However, as long as the magnitude of the unlocking operating force can be kept within an acceptable level, it is also possible to apply a configuration similar to that of the locking member 40 to at least one of the first and second terminals to increase the spring length in the terminal.

[0099] When a configuration similar to that of the locking member 40 is applied to a terminal, the terminal is provided with an upper arm portion, an attached portion, a support portion, and a connection portion (fixed portion). The upper arm portion is provided with a pressed arm portion that extends forward from the upper end of the support portion and has a pressed portion formed at its front end, and a contact arm portion that extends rearward from the upper end of the support portion and has a contact portion formed at its rear end. Furthermore, the movable member is provided with a cam portion similar to the movable member 50 and cam portion 56 of this embodiment, above the pressed portion of the pressed arm portion.

[0100] In the case of a terminal having such a configuration, when the flat conductor is removed, the cam portion of the movable member presses down on the pressure receiving portion as the movable member moves to the open position, causing the contact arm portion, the support portion and the upper clamping portion of the mounting portion to be elastically displaced upward, thereby releasing the contact between the contact portion of the contact arm portion and the circuit portion of the flat conductor.

[0101] Even if the terminal is configured in this way and the spring length is increased, the connector does not become larger, and the terminal will not come off the housing even if the mounting strength of the mounted part to the housing is slightly reduced, as already described for locking member 40. [Explanation of symbols]

[0102] 1 Connector 10. Housing 11 Reception space 11A Rear end opening 13A Mounting part 20 First terminal 20A First axis regulation part 21 Base 22 Holding part 23 Extension 23A Reflector 23A-1 Reflective surface 24 First contact arm 24A First contact part 25B First connection part (fixed part) 30 Second terminal 31 Upper Arm 32A Second axis regulation part 33 Second contact arm 33A Second contact part 34 Lower arm 36 Extended arm 36B-1 Recess 36B-2 Front protrusion 36B-3 Rear protrusion 36C Second connection part (fixed part) 37 Pillar section 40 Locking member 41 Upper Arm 42 Pressure arm 42A Pressure part 43 Lock Arm 43A Locking part 44 Mounting part 44A Upper clamping part 44B Lower clamping part 44C Connecting part 45 Pillar section 46A Fixed part 50 Movable parts 54 First shaft body part 55 Second shaft body part 56 Cam section 56A Pressing part C Flat conductor C1 Connection circuit section C1A 1st circuit section C1B second circuit section C3A Locked part O Rotation center δ1 Gap

Claims

1. An electrical connector for flat conductors that can be mounted on a mounting surface of a circuit board by soldering and that is connected to a flat conductor that extends in the front-to-rear direction and has a thickness in the up-to-down direction, a housing having a receiving space that is open toward the rear so that the flat conductor is inserted toward the front; A plurality of terminals are arranged and held in the housing with a terminal arrangement direction perpendicular to both the front-rear direction and the up-down direction; a locking member that is disposed outside the range in which the terminals are arranged in the terminal arrangement direction and is held by the housing; a movable member that is disposed forward of the receiving space and that is movable between a closed position and an open position while rotating about a rotation axis that extends in the terminal arrangement direction, In the electrical connector for a flat conductor, when the movable member is in a closed position, removal of the flat conductor is prevented, and when the movable member is in an open position, removal of the flat conductor is permitted, the locking member has an upper arm portion extending in a front-rear direction above the receiving space, an attachment portion attached to the housing at a position below the upper arm portion and forward of the receiving space, a support portion extending upward from the attachment portion and connected to the upper arm portion, and a fixing portion fixed by solder connection to a mounting surface of the circuit board at a position spaced from the attachment portion in the front-rear direction, the upper arm portion has a pressure-receiving arm portion extending forward from an upper end of the support portion and a lock arm portion extending rearward from an upper end of the support portion, the locking arm portion has a locking portion that is positioned so as to be able to lock onto the locked portion of the flat conductor from behind when the movable member is in the closed position; the mounting portion has an upper clamping portion and a lower clamping portion that are spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction and extend in the front-rear direction, and a connecting portion that connects front ends of the upper clamping portion and the lower clamping portion to each other, the upper clamping portion is located forward of the receiving space and is elastically displaceable in the vertical direction with the connecting portion as a fulcrum, and an mounting portion formed on a part of the housing is clamped in the vertical direction by the upper clamping portion and the lower clamping portion, The support portion extends upward from the upper clamping portion, The movable member has a cam portion located above the pressure-receiving arm portion, 2. An electrical connector for flat conductors, comprising: a movable member having a first end and a second end, the first end being configured to move from a closed position to an open position; a first end being configured to move from a closed position to an open position;

2. The locking member has an extension arm portion extending forward from the mounting portion, 2. The flat conductor electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein said fixing portion is formed on said extending arm portion.

3. An electrical connector for flat conductors that can be mounted on a mounting surface of a circuit board by soldering and that is connected to a flat conductor that extends in the front-to-rear direction and has a thickness in the up-down direction, a housing having a receiving space that is open toward the rear so that the flat conductor is inserted toward the front; A plurality of terminals are arranged and held in the housing with a terminal arrangement direction perpendicular to both the front-rear direction and the up-down direction; a movable member disposed forward of the receiving space and movable between a closed position and an open position by rotating about a rotation axis extending in a terminal arrangement direction, the terminal has an upper arm portion extending in a front-rear direction above the receiving space, an attachment portion attached to the housing at a position below the upper arm portion and forward of the receiving space, a support portion extending upward from the attachment portion and connected to the upper arm portion, and a fixing portion fixed by solder connection to a mounting surface of the circuit board at a position spaced from the attachment portion in the front-rear direction; the upper arm portion has a pressure-receiving arm portion extending forward from an upper end of the support portion and a contact arm portion extending rearward from an upper end of the support portion, the contact arm has a contact portion that contacts a circuit portion of the flat conductor from above when the movable member is in a closed position, the mounting portion has an upper clamping portion and a lower clamping portion that are spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction and extend in the front-rear direction, and a connecting portion that connects front ends of the upper clamping portion and the lower clamping portion to each other, the upper clamping portion is located forward of the receiving space and is elastically displaceable in the vertical direction with the connecting portion as a fulcrum, and an mounting portion formed on a part of the housing is clamped in the vertical direction by the upper clamping portion and the lower clamping portion, The support portion extends upward from the upper clamping portion, The movable member has a cam portion located above the pressure-receiving arm portion, 2. An electrical connector for flat conductors, comprising: a movable member having a first end and a second end, the first end being configured to move from a closed position to an open position; a first end being configured to move from a closed position to an open position;

4. The terminal has an extending arm portion extending forward from the mounting portion, 4. The flat conductor electrical connector according to claim 3, wherein said fixing portion is formed on said extending arm portion.

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