Flat Cable Connectors

Abstract

To provide a connector for flat cables with which it is possible to improve the ease of work in assembling connector terminals to a terminal accommodation part, and improve the ease of work in welding the connector terminals and flat conductors together.SOLUTION: A connector for flat cables comprises: a flat cable 50 in which the outer circumference of a plurality of flat conductors 51 juxtaposed in the width direction at a prescribed pitch is coated with an insulator 53, a plurality of connector terminals 60 in which conductor welding parts 63 are connected by laser soldering to the terminal welding parts 51a of the flat conductors 51, respectively; a routing material accommodation part that accommodates an end of the flat cable 50, and an inner housing 40 that includes a plurality of terminal accommodation parts 42 that are provided adjacent to the routing material accommodation part and that are juxtaposed in one row in the width direction in order to accommodate and hold each of the terminal connection parts 61 of the connector terminals 60; and an outer housing 20 that integrally holds a plurality of inner housings 40 that are stacked one on another.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a connector for a flat cable. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, in the electrical wiring of an automobile, it may be necessary to connect a flat cable, which has a plurality of rectangular conductors (flat conductors) arranged in parallel in the width direction at a predetermined pitch and the outer periphery of which is covered with an insulator, to a mating connector. As a flat cable connector for connecting a flat cable to a mating connector, a wiring material disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known.

[0003] The connector for flat cables disclosed in the above Patent Document 1 comprises a flat cable in which the outer periphery of a plurality of flat rectangular conductors arranged in parallel in the width direction at a predetermined pitch is covered with an insulator, a plurality of terminals (connector terminals) each connected to the end portions of the flat rectangular conductors, and a connector having a plurality of cavities each accommodating a plurality of terminals connected to the flat cable. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-334737 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the wiring material disclosed in Patent Document 1, multiple terminals are crimped onto the rectangular conductors of the flat cable, and then these terminals are inserted into the cavities of the connector. Therefore, there is a concern that misalignment of the terminals crimped onto the rectangular conductors may make it difficult to insert the terminals into the cavities of the connector, reducing the efficiency of assembly.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its object is to provide a connector for a flat cable that can improve the ease of assembling a connector terminal into a terminal accommodating portion and can improve the ease of welding the connector terminal to a flat conductor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the flat cable connector according to the present invention has the following features. a flat cable in which a plurality of flat conductors are arranged in parallel in the width direction at a predetermined pitch and the outer periphery of each conductor is covered with an insulator; a plurality of connector terminals, each having a conductor welding portion connected to a terminal welding portion of the flat conductor by laser welding or laser soldering; an inner housing having a wiring material accommodating portion for accommodating an end of the flat cable, and a plurality of terminal accommodating portions provided adjacent to the wiring material accommodating portion and arranged in a row in the width direction to accommodate and hold the terminal connection portions of the connector terminals, respectively; an outer housing that holds the stacked inner housings together; A flat cable connector comprising: [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The flat cable connector according to the present invention can improve the workability of assembling the connector terminal into the terminal accommodating portion, and can also improve the workability of welding the connector terminal and the flat conductor together.

[0009] The present invention has been briefly described above. The details of the present invention will become clearer by reading the following detailed description of the invention (hereinafter referred to as "embodiments") with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a connector device including a flat cable connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the flat cable connector shown in FIG. [Figure 3] 3(a) and 3(b) are perspective views of the inner housing shown in FIG. 2 as seen from above and below. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a flat cable to be assembled into the inner housing shown in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the inner housing to which the end of the flat cable shown in FIG. 4 is attached. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating how a conductor welding portion of a connector terminal accommodated in a terminal accommodating portion of an inner housing is laser soldered to a terminal welding portion provided at an end of a flat conductor. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating how a plurality of stacked inner housings are housed in the housing main body of the outer housing. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating how a plurality of inner housings housed in a housing main body are held and prevented from coming off by a retaining cover. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating how the wiring direction regulating cover is joined and fixed from above and below to the wiring material pull-out side of the outer housing. [Figure 10] 10(a) and 10(b) are perspective views showing a pair of split cover bodies that constitute the wiring direction regulating cover. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a flat cable connector to which a wiring direction regulating cover is attached. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a flat cable connector to which a wiring direction regulating cover according to the second embodiment of the present invention is attached. [Figure 13]FIG. 13 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a flat cable connector in which one of the divided cover members in the wiring direction regulating cover shown in FIG. 12 is modified to change the direction of regulating the direction of the flat cable. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a perspective view illustrating how a water stop cover according to the third embodiment of the present invention is joined and fixed from above and below to the wiring material lead-out side of the outer housing. [Figure 15] 15(a) and 15(b) are perspective views showing a pair of split cover bodies that make up the water blocking cover. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a flat cable connector equipped with a waterproof cover. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a perspective view illustrating the function of the water blocking cover shown in FIG. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a perspective view of an inner housing according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is an enlarged view of part A in FIG. [Figure 20] Figure 20 is a perspective view illustrating how the conductor welding portion of the connector terminal accommodated in the terminal accommodating portion of the inner housing shown in Figure 18 is laser soldered to the terminal welding portion provided on the end of the flat conductor. [Figure 21] 21 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the inner housing shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Specific embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a connector device 1 equipped with a flat cable connector 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the flat cable connector 10 shown in Fig. 1. In this specification, the front-rear, up-down, and left-right directions are indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2.

[0012] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the connector device 1 includes a flat cable connector 10 according to this embodiment and a mating connector 90. As shown in FIG. 1, the mating connector 90 is a male connector that houses multiple male terminals 95 in a rectangular parallelepiped connector housing 91. The mating connector 90 is a connector that is fixed to a housing case 93, and the male terminals 95 are electrically connected to a circuit within the housing case 93. An engaging protrusion accommodating groove 97 extending from the opening end toward the rear along the connector fitting direction (the up-and-down direction in FIG. 1) is formed on the inner wall surfaces of the opposing long sides of the connector housing 91. The engaging protrusion accommodating groove 97 has a locking portion 99 that engages with an engaging protrusion 77 of the lever 70, which will be described later.

[0013] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the flat cable connector 10 comprises a flat cable 50 in which the outer peripheries of multiple flat conductors 51 arranged side by side in the width direction at a predetermined pitch are covered with an insulator 53, connector terminals 60 connected to the ends of the flat conductors 51, inner housings 40 that each accommodate and hold the connector terminals 60, an outer housing 20 that holds the stacked multiple inner housings 40 together, a lever 70, and a wiring direction regulating cover 80 (see Figure 11). The flat cable connector 10 is an LIF connector that can be inserted into or removed from a mating connector 90 with a low insertion force by operating a lever 70.

[0014] The flat conductor 51 of the flat cable 50 is made of, for example, copper or a copper alloy. The insulator 53 is made of polypropylene (PP), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), or the like. The flat conductor 51 is integrally formed with the resin coating of the insulator 53, which gives the flat cable 50 electrical insulation and flexibility.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 4, on the upper surface of the longitudinal end of the flat cable 50, a terminal welding portion 51a is formed where the insulator 53 is stripped off to expose the flat conductor 51. Furthermore, at both ends of the flat cable 50 in the left-right width direction, through holes 55 are formed to correspond to the positioning protrusions 47 of the inner housing 40 so as to engage with the positioning protrusions 47. When the through holes 55 of the flat cable 50 are engaged with the positioning protrusions 47 protruding from the wiring material accommodating portion 41 of the inner housing 40, relative movement between the flat cable 50 and the inner housing 40 in the longitudinal direction and width direction of the flat cable 50 is restricted.

[0016] As shown in Figure 5, the connector terminal 60 is a female terminal that is integrally formed with a rectangular cylindrical terminal connection portion 61 that mates with a male terminal 95 of the mating connector 90 and a tab-shaped conductor welding portion 63 that is soldered to a terminal welding portion 51a provided at the end of the flat conductor 51.

[0017] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the inner housing 40 is integrally molded into a flat rectangular shape from a resin material such as PBT (polybutylene terephthalate). As shown in (a) of Figure 3, the upper surface (surface side) of the inner housing 40 has a wiring material accommodating section 41 provided on one long side for accommodating the end of the flat cable 50, and a plurality of terminal accommodating sections 42 arranged in a row along the long side on the other long side for accommodating and holding the terminal connection sections 61 of the connector terminals 60.

[0018] Positioning protrusions 47 are provided on both ends of the wiring material storage section 41 in the left-right direction. The terminal accommodating portion 42 is a groove with a U-shaped cross section, one end of which communicates with a terminal insertion port 44 opening in the front wall 45, and the other end of which communicates with the wiring material accommodating portion 41. Each terminal accommodating portion 42 is provided with a locking claw 43 for locking the accommodated connector terminal 60.

[0019] As shown in (b) of Figure 3, the lower surface (back side) of the inner housing 40 has a plurality of terminal locking portions 46 arranged in a row along the long side direction to prevent the connector terminals 60 accommodated in each lower terminal accommodating portion 42 from coming loose when stacked, and cable pressing portions 48 protruding from both ends in the left-right direction to press the ends of the flat cable 50 accommodated in the lower wiring material accommodating portion 41.

[0020] A plurality of guide protrusions 49 are arranged in a row along the short side of both left and right side walls of the inner housing 40. When the inner housing 40 is inserted into the housing main body 21 of the outer housing 20, these guide protrusions 49 engage with the guide ribs 27 and are guided during insertion.

[0021] Then, as shown in Figure 6, when the end of the flat cable 50 is accommodated in the wiring material accommodation section 41 of the inner housing 40, the positioning protrusion 47 is inserted through the through hole 55 drilled in the end of the flat cable 50 to position it.

[0022] After the end of the flat cable 50 is accommodated in the wiring material accommodating portion 41 of the inner housing 40, the terminal connection portion 61 of the connector terminal 60 is accommodated and held in the terminal accommodating portion 42, as shown in Fig. 6. The connector terminal 60, with the terminal connection portion 61 accommodated and held in the terminal accommodating portion 42, has a conductor welding portion 63 disposed on the terminal welding portion 51a of the flat cable 50 placed on the wiring material accommodating portion 41.

[0023] Then, with the terminal connection portions 61 of the multiple connector terminals 60 respectively housed and held in the multiple terminal accommodating portions 42 arranged side by side in a row of the inner housing 40, the solder 65 is melted with laser light 203 from the laser irradiation device 200 to laser solder the terminal welding portions 51a and the conductor welding portions 63. In other words, the conductor welding portions 63 of the multiple connector terminals 60 and the terminal welding portions 51a of the flat conductor 51 can be connected together by laser soldering.

[0024] Furthermore, the end of the flat cable 50 is positioned by the positioning projection 47 of the terminal connection portion 61 engaging with the through hole 55, so that laser soldering can be carried out satisfactorily. Therefore, according to the flat cable connector 10 of this first embodiment, the workability of assembling the connector terminal 60 into the terminal accommodating portion 42 can be improved, and the workability of welding the connector terminal 60 to the flat conductor can be improved.

[0025] As shown in Figure 7, multiple inner housings 40, in which connector terminals 60 housed and held in terminal accommodating portions 42 are electrically connected to flat conductors 51 of flat cables 50, are stacked one on top of the other and held integrally in the housing body 21 of the outer housing 20. As shown in Figure 8, the outer housing 20 has a housing main body 21 in which an inner housing accommodating section 26 is formed to accommodate multiple stacked inner housings 40 together, and a retaining cover 31 that holds the multiple inner housings 40 accommodated in the housing main body 21 in place.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 7, the housing main body 21 has an inner housing accommodating section 26 defined by a bottom wall 23, side walls 24 provided on both the left and right sides of the bottom wall 23, and a rear wall 25 provided behind the bottom wall 23 and the side walls 24. A plurality of guide ribs 27 that engage and guide guide protrusions 49 of the inner housing 40 are provided on the inner surface of the side wall 24 and protrude along the front-to-rear direction of the housing main body 21. A locking protrusion 28 that locks the retaining cover 31 is provided on the outer surface of the side wall 24. The rear wall 25 has a plurality of mating terminal insertion openings 25a that open corresponding to the terminal connection portions 61 of the connector terminals 60.

[0027] The anti-slip cover 31 has an upper wall 33 that covers the upper part of the inner housing 40 accommodated in the inner housing accommodating section 26, and a pair of legs 35 that are provided at both the left and right ends of the upper wall 33 and are superimposed on the outer surface of the side wall 24. The inner surface of the leg 35 is provided with a locking portion 36 that is locked to the locking projection 28 of the side wall 24. The outer sides of the upper and lower ends of the leg 35 are provided with locking portions 32, 34 that respectively lock with locking locks 85, 86 of a pair of split cover bodies 81, 83 that constitute the wiring direction regulating cover 80.

[0028] As shown in Figure 11, the anti-slip cover 31 prevents the connector terminals 60 housed and held in the terminal accommodating section 42 of the opposing inner housing 40 from falling out by having multiple terminal locking sections 38 protruding from the underside of the upper wall 33, thereby preventing the multiple inner housings 40 that are stacked and housed in the inner housing accommodating section 26 from falling out.

[0029] 11, the multiple inner housings 40 housed in the outer housing 20 have cable pressing portions 48 provided on the underside of the inner housings 40 that press down on the ends of the flat cables 50 housed in the lower wiring material accommodating portions 41. Also, the retaining cover 31 has cable pressing portions (not shown) protruding from the underside of the upper wall 33 that press down on the ends of the flat cables 50 housed in the lower wiring material accommodating portions 41. Thus, the ends of the flat cables 50 housed in the wiring material accommodating portions 41 of the multiple stacked inner housings 40 are prevented from floating up.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 9, a wiring direction restricting cover 80 formed of a pair of divided cover bodies 81, 83 that sandwich the flat cable 50 in the thickness direction is attached to the wiring material lead-out side of the outer housing 20.

[0031] As shown in Figures 9 and 10(a), the split cover body 81 is integrally formed from insulating synthetic resin and includes a top wall portion 81a parallel to the flat cable 50, side walls 81b, 81b erected at both longitudinal ends of the top wall portion 81a, and a front wall 81c covering the front sides of the side walls 81b, 81b.

[0032] Engagement locks 85 and engagement claws 82a that protrude toward the flat cable 50 are formed on both longitudinal ends of the top wall 81a and the tip ends of the side walls 81b, 81b. Engagement receiving portions 84b are formed on the outer surfaces of the side walls 81b, 81b. The clamping portion 87a at the tip of the front wall 81c, which is a direction restricting portion for restricting the routing direction by clamping the flat cables 50 in the thickness direction, has an uneven shape. This uneven shape is a shape in which multiple protrusions extending in the longitudinal direction of the flat cables 50 are arranged in parallel in the left-right direction of the split cover body 81.

[0033] Furthermore, a guide plate 88a protruding toward the flat cable 50 is provided on the inner surface of the top wall 81a, and biases the flat cable 50, whose tip portion faces the flat cable 50, in the thickness direction to guide it to the sandwiching portion 87a.

[0034] As shown in Figures 9 and 10(b), the divided cover body 83 is integrally formed from insulating synthetic resin and includes a top wall portion 83a parallel to the flat cable 50, side walls 83b, 83b erected at both longitudinal ends of the top wall portion 83a, and a front wall 83c connected to the top wall portion 83a and covering the front sides of the side walls 83b, 83b.

[0035] At both longitudinal ends of the top wall 83a and at the tips of the side walls 83b, 83b, there are formed locks 86 and locking claws 84a that protrude toward the flat cable 50. At the outer surfaces of the side walls 83b, 83b, there are formed locked portions 82b. The clamping portion 87b, which is provided at the tip of the front wall 83c and also serves as a direction restricting portion for restricting the routing direction by clamping the flat cables 50 in the thickness direction, has an uneven shape. This uneven shape is formed by a plurality of ridges extending in the longitudinal direction of the flat cables 50 and arranged in parallel in the left-right direction of the split cover body 83.

[0036] Furthermore, a guide plate 88b protruding toward the flat cable 50 is provided on the inner surface of the top wall portion 83a, and biases the flat cable 50, whose tip portion faces the flat cable 50, in the thickness direction to guide it to the sandwiching portion 87b.

[0037] These divided cover bodies 81, 83 are joined together so as to sandwich the flat cable 50 in the thickness direction, and are attached to the side of the outer housing 20 where the wiring material is pulled out. The split cover bodies 81 and 83 are joined together while clamping the flat cable 50, with the locking claw 82a of the split cover body 81 engaging with the locking portion 82b of the split cover body 83 and the locking claw 84a of the split cover body 83 engaging with the locking portion 84b of the split cover body 81.

[0038] In addition, the locking lock 85 of the split cover body 81 is engaged with the engaging portion 32 of the anti-slip cover 31, and the locking lock 86 of the split cover body 83 is engaged with the engaging portion 34 of the anti-slip cover 31, so that the wiring direction regulating cover 80 is joined and fixed to the wiring material pull-out side of the outer housing 20, as shown in Figure 11.

[0039] Therefore, the routing direction restricting cover 80 of the flat cable connector 10 according to the first embodiment described above can restrict the routing direction of the flat cable 50 led out from the outer housing 20 to the rear. Furthermore, by providing uneven shapes on the sandwiching portions 87a, 87b of the split cover bodies 81, 83, a stable holding force can be applied to the portions of the flat cable 50 led out from the outer housing 20 that need to be held.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 1, a lever 70 made of insulating synthetic resin is attached to the outer housing 20. As shown in Fig. 2, the lever 70 has a pair of side plates 71 arranged parallel to each other and separated from each other with a gap between their ends, and an operating portion 72 connecting the other ends of the pair of side plates 71. The operating portion 72 serves as a point of force when rotating the lever 70. An engaging protrusion 77 is provided at one end of the side plate 71. The engaging protrusion 77 enters an engaging protrusion receiving groove 97 formed in the connector housing 91 of the mating connector 90, and is caught by a locking portion 99. The engaging protrusion 77 serves as a fulcrum for the lever 70.

[0041] In addition, on the other end side of the engaging protrusion 77, a pair of first boss accommodating holes 73 and second boss accommodating holes 75 are formed which respectively engage with the first boss portion 37 and the second boss portion 39 which protrude outward from the bottom wall 23 of the housing main body 21 and the upper wall 33 of the anti-slip cover 31, respectively. These first boss receiving hole 73 and second boss receiving hole 75 serve as points of action when the lever 70 is rotated.

[0042] In the connector device 1, the lever 70 of the flat cable connector 10 fitted into the connector housing 91 of the mating connector 90 is rotated, thereby fitting the mating connector 90 and the flat cable connector 10 together.

[0043] Next, a flat cable connector 10A equipped with wiring direction restricting covers 80A and 80B according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. Fig. 12 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a flat cable connector 10A equipped with a wiring direction restricting cover 80A according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 13 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a flat cable connector 10A in which one of the divided cover bodies 81A in the wiring direction restricting cover 80A shown in Fig. 12 has been modified to change the direction of restricting the direction of the flat cable. Note that components similar to those in the flat cable connector 10 of the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 12, the wiring direction restricting cover 80A is composed of a pair of divided cover bodies 81A and 83A. In the split cover body 81A, a clamping portion 87a erected on the inner surface of the top wall portion 81a protrudes toward the flat cable 50 and holds the flat cable 50 led out from the outer housing 20. Similarly, in the split cover body 83A, a clamping portion 87b erected on the inner surface of the top wall portion 83a protrudes toward the flat cable 50 and holds the flat cable 50 led out from the outer housing 20.

[0045] That is, the front wall 81c of the divided cover body 81A and the front wall 83c of the divided cover body 83A function as direction restricting parts that restrict the routing direction of the flat cable 50 led out from the outer housing 20, and there is no need to hold the flat cable 50. Therefore, the wiring direction restricting cover 80A restricts the wiring direction of the flat cable 50 led out from the outer housing 20 to the rear.

[0046] The wiring direction restricting cover 80B is composed of a pair of divided cover bodies 81B and 83A. That is, instead of the divided cover body 81A, the divided cover body 81B is joined to the divided cover body 83A. The split cover body 81B has a sandwiching portion 87a erected on the inner surface of the top wall portion 81a, which protrudes toward the flat cable 50 and holds the flat cable 50 led out from the outer housing 20.

[0047] Furthermore, the split cover body 81B has a top wall portion 81a that extends in the direction in which the outer housing 20 is drawn out, and a tip of a front wall 81c that extends toward the split cover body 83A. The front wall 81c of the split cover body 81B and the front wall 83c of the split cover body 83A sandwich the flat cable 50 drawn out from the outer housing 20, thereby bending the routing direction of the flat cable 50 drawn out from the outer housing 20 (in this embodiment, bending at a right angle).

[0048] Therefore, according to the wiring direction regulating covers 80A, 80B of the flat cable connector 10A of the second embodiment described above, the wiring direction of the flat cable 50 can be arbitrarily regulated by selectively using the divided cover bodies 81A, 81B having different direction regulating shapes of the front wall 81c, which is the direction regulating part.

[0049] Next, a flat cable connector 10B equipped with a water blocking cover 100 according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The waterproof cover 100 formed of a pair of split cover bodies 101, 103 is formed of a pair of split cover bodies 81, 83 that clamp the flat cable 50 in the thickness direction, as shown in Figure 14, and is attached to the wiring material pull-out side of the outer housing 20.

[0050] As shown in Figures 14 and 15(a), the divided cover body 101 is integrally formed from insulating synthetic resin and includes a top wall portion 101a having a parallel portion parallel to the flat cable 50 and an inclined portion, side walls 101b, 101b erected at both longitudinal ends of the top wall portion 101a, and a front wall 101c connected to the inclined portion of the top wall portion 101a and covering the front sides of the side walls 101b, 101b.

[0051] Engagement locks 105 and engagement claws 102a that protrude toward the flat cable 50 are formed on both longitudinal ends of the top wall 101a and the tip ends of the side walls 101b, 101b. Engagement receiving portions 104b are formed on the outer surfaces of the side walls 101b, 101b. An outer surface 109 of the divided cover body 101 in front of the inclined portion of the top wall portion 101a is formed with an inclined shape that allows water droplets to flow in both width directions of the flat cable 50. The outer surface 109 has a mountain-like inclined shape that slopes downward from the center toward both width directions of the flat cable 50.

[0052] 15(a), an adhesive gel sheet 110 is attached to the facing portion 107a provided at the tip of the front wall 101c to sandwich the flat cables 50 in the thickness direction and prevent water droplets from entering. An adhesive gel sheet 110 is also attached to the inner surface (facing portion) of the top wall portion 101a that faces the outer peripheral surface of the outer housing.

[0053] Furthermore, a guide plate 108a protruding toward the flat cable 50 is provided on the inner surface of the top wall portion 101a, and biases the flat cable 50, whose tip portion faces the flat cable 50, in the thickness direction to guide it to the facing portion 107a (see FIG. 16).

[0054] As shown in Figures 14 and 15(b), the divided cover body 103 is integrally formed from insulating synthetic resin and includes a top wall portion 103a having a parallel portion parallel to the flat cable 50 and an inclined portion, side walls 103b, 103b erected at both longitudinal ends of the top wall portion 103a, and a front wall 103c connected to the inclined portion of the top wall portion 103a and covering the front sides of the side walls 103b, 103b.

[0055] Engagement locks 106 and engagement claws 104a that protrude toward the flat cable 50 are formed on both longitudinal ends of the top wall 103a and the tip ends of the side walls 103b, 103b. Engagement receiving portions 102b are formed on the outer surfaces of the side walls 103b, 103b. A guide plate 108b protruding toward the flat cable 50 is provided on the inner surface of the top wall 103a, and biases the flat cable 50, whose tip portion faces the flat cable 50, in the thickness direction to guide it to the facing portion 107b (see FIG. 16).

[0056] An outer surface 109 of the divided cover body 103 in front of the inclined portion of the top wall portion 103a is formed with an inclined shape that allows water droplets to flow in both width directions of the flat cable 50. The outer surface 109 has a mountain-like inclined shape that slopes downward from the center toward both width directions of the flat cable 50.

[0057] 15(b), an adhesive gel sheet 110 is attached to the facing portion 107a provided at the tip of the front wall 103c to sandwich the flat cables 50 in the thickness direction and prevent water droplets from entering. An adhesive gel sheet 110 is also attached to the inner surface (facing portion) of the top wall portion 103a that faces the outer peripheral surface of the outer housing 20. Adhesive gel sheets 110 (not shown) are also attached to adjacent portions of the stacked flat cables 50.

[0058] These divided cover bodies 101, 103 are joined together so as to sandwich the flat cable 50 in the thickness direction, and are attached to the outer housing 20 on the side where the wiring material is pulled out. The split cover bodies 101 and 103 are joined together while clamping the flat cable 50, with the locking claw 102a of the split cover body 101 engaging with the locking portion 102b of the split cover body 103 and the locking claw 104a of the split cover body 103 engaging with the locking portion 104b of the split cover body 101.

[0059] In addition, the locking lock 105 of the split cover body 101 is engaged with the engaging portion 32 of the anti-slip cover 31, and the locking lock 106 of the split cover body 103 is engaged with the engaging portion 34 of the anti-slip cover 31, so that the waterproof cover 100 is joined and fixed to the wiring material pull-out side of the outer housing 20, as shown in Figure 16.

[0060] 17, when a water droplet W falls on the inclined portion of the split cover body 101, the water droplet W travels down the inclined portion and reaches the outer surface 109 of the split cover body 103 in front of the inclined portion. The outer surface 109 has an inclined shape that directs the water droplet W in both width directions of the flat cable 50, so the water droplet W travels down the outer surface 109 and falls in both width directions of the flat cable 50. This prevents the water droplet W from falling onto the flat cable 50 and prevents the water droplet W from traveling down the flat cable 50 and entering the connection between the connector terminal 60 and the flat conductor 51, thereby improving the waterproofing effect.

[0061] Therefore, with the flat cable connector 10B equipped with the waterproof cover 100 according to the third embodiment, water droplets W can be prevented from entering the connection between the connector terminals 60 and the flat cable 50 by adhering the adhesive gel sheet 110 to the waterproof cover 100, making it possible to easily stop water leakage. Furthermore, by adopting a structure in which the adhesive gel sheet 110 is adhered to the waterproof cover 100, it is possible to share parts between the non-waterproof and waterproof connectors, thereby reducing the number of parts.

[0062] Furthermore, according to the connector 10B for flat cable equipped with the waterproof cover 100 of this third embodiment, by providing an inclined shape on the outer surface 109 of the divided cover bodies 101, 103, water droplets W are prevented from falling onto the flat cable 50, and water droplets W are prevented from penetrating along the flat cable 50 to the connection between the connector terminal 60 and the flat cable 50, thereby enhancing the waterproof effect.

[0063] Next, an inner housing 40A according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 18 to 21. Note that components similar to those of the inner housing 40 described above will be given the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0064] 18 and 19, the inner housing 40A according to the third embodiment of the present invention has openings 56 formed in the wiring material accommodating section 41 at portions where the conductor welding portions 63 of the connector terminals 60 are located. Further, beam portions 57 between adjacent openings 56 are provided with reinforcing ribs 58 whose thickness is increased to increase strength.

[0065] 20 , after the end of the flat cable 50 is accommodated in the wiring material accommodating portion 41 of the inner housing 40A, the terminal connecting portion 61 of the connector terminal 60 is accommodated and held in the terminal accommodating portion 42. The connector terminal 60, with the terminal connecting portion 61 accommodated and held in the terminal accommodating portion 42, has its conductor welding portion 63 disposed on the terminal welding portion 51 a of the flat cable 50 placed on the wiring material accommodating portion 41.

[0066] Then, with the terminal connection portions 61 of the multiple connector terminals 60 respectively housed and held in the multiple terminal accommodating portions 42 arranged side by side in a row of the inner housing 40, the solder 65 is melted with laser light 203 from the laser irradiation device 200 to laser solder the terminal welding portions 51a and the conductor welding portions 63. In other words, the conductor welding portions 63 of the multiple connector terminals 60 and the terminal welding portions 51a of the flat conductor 51 can be connected together by laser soldering.

[0067] 21, openings 56 are formed in the wiring material accommodating portion 41 of the inner housing 40A at portions where the conductor welding portions 63 of the connector terminals 60 are located. When the conductor welding portions 63 of the connector terminals 60 are laser soldered to the terminal welding portions 51a of the flat conductors 51, heat is dissipated through the openings 56 provided in the wiring material accommodating portion 41 of the inner housing 40A at portions where the conductor welding portions 63 are located, thereby preventing deformation of the resin due to heat. Furthermore, the beam portion 57 between adjacent openings 56 is provided with a reinforcing rib 58 that has increased thickness and strength, thereby preventing a decrease in strength of the inner housing 40A due to the formation of the openings 56.

[0068] Therefore, according to the flat cable connectors 10, 10A, and 10B of the above-described embodiment, the workability of assembling the connector terminal 60 into the terminal accommodating portion 42 can be improved, and the workability of welding the connector terminal 60 to the flat conductor 51 can be improved.

[0069] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be appropriately modified, improved, etc. Furthermore, the material, shape, size, number, location, etc. of each component in the above-described embodiments are arbitrary and not limited as long as they can achieve the present invention. In the above embodiment, an FFC (flexible flat cable) is used as the flat cable, but other flat cables such as an FPC (flexible printed circuit board) can also be used.

[0070] Here, the features of the above-described embodiments of the flat cable connector according to the present invention will be briefly summarized and listed below in [1] to [7]. [1] A flat cable (50) in which a plurality of flat conductors (51) are arranged in parallel in the width direction at a predetermined pitch and the outer periphery of each conductor is covered with an insulator (53); a plurality of connector terminals (60) each having a conductor welding portion (63) connected to the terminal welding portion (51a) of the flat conductor (51) by laser welding or laser soldering; an inner housing (40, 40A) having a wiring material accommodating portion (41) that accommodates an end of the flat cable (50), and a plurality of terminal accommodating portions (42) that are provided adjacent to the wiring material accommodating portion (41) and are arranged in a row in the width direction to accommodate and hold terminal connection portions (61) of the connector terminals (60); an outer housing (20) that holds the stacked inner housings (40, 40A) together; A flat cable connector (10, 10A, 10B) comprising:

[0071] According to the flat cable connector (10, 10A, 10B) having the configuration [1] above, after the end of the flat cable (50) is accommodated in the wiring material accommodating portion (41) of the inner housing (40, 40A), the terminal connection portions (61) of the plurality of connector terminals (60) are accommodated and held in the plurality of terminal accommodating portions (42) arranged in a row in the inner housing (40, 40A). Then, the conductor welding portions (63) of the plurality of connector terminals (60) and the terminal welding portions (51a) of the flat conductor (51) are connected together by laser welding, laser soldering, or the like. Therefore, the workability of assembling the connector terminal (60) into the terminal receiving portion (42) can be improved, and the workability of welding the connector terminal (60) and the flat conductor (51) can be improved.

[0072] [2] A flat cable connector (10, 10A, 10B) as described in claim 1, wherein a reinforcing rib (58) having increased thickness and strength is provided in the beam portion (57) between the openings (56) formed in the portion of the wiring material storage portion (41) where the conductor welding portion (63) is located.

[0073] According to the flat cable connectors (10, 10A, 10B) having the configuration [2] above, openings (56) are formed in the wiring material accommodating portion (41) of the inner housing (40A) at the positions where the conductor welding portions (63) of the connector terminals (60) are located. Therefore, when the conductor welding portions (63) of the connector terminals (60) are laser welded or laser soldered to the terminal welding portions (51a) of the flat conductors (51), heat is dissipated through the openings (56) provided in the wiring material accommodating portion (41) of the inner housing (40A) at the positions where the conductor welding portions (63) are located, thereby preventing deformation of the resin due to heat.

[0074] [3] A wiring direction control cover (80) is provided, which is formed by a pair of divided cover bodies (81, 83) that sandwich the flat cable (50) in the thickness direction and is joined and fixed to the wiring material lead-out side of the outer housing (20), The flat cable connector (10, 10A) described in [1] or [2] above has a pair of split cover bodies (81, 83) in which a concave-convex shape is provided in the clamping portions (87a, 87b) that clamp and fix the flat cable (50) in the thickness direction.

[0075] According to the flat cable connector (10, 10A) having the configuration [3] above, by providing an uneven shape to the clamping portions (87a, 87b) of the wiring direction restricting cover (80), a stable holding force can be applied to the portion of the flat cable (50) that needs to be held, which is led out from the outer housing (20).

[0076] [4] The pair of split cover bodies (81A, 83A) of the flat cable connector (10, 10A) described in [3] above have direction-regulating portions (front walls 81c, 83c) that sandwich the flat cable (50) in the thickness direction to regulate the wiring direction.

[0077] According to the flat cable connector (10, 10A) having the configuration [4] above, by attaching the wiring direction restricting cover (80, 80A), the wiring direction of the flat cable (50) led out from the outer housing (20) can be restricted.

[0078] [5] A flat cable connector (10A) according to the above [4], wherein one of the split cover bodies (81A, 81B) is selectively used from among a plurality of types of different directional control shapes of the direction control portion (front wall 81c) depending on the routing direction of the flat cable (50).

[0079] According to the flat cable connector (10A) having the configuration [5] above, the routing direction of the flat cable (50) can be arbitrarily regulated by selectively using one of the divided cover bodies (81A, 81B) from among a plurality of types of direction-regulating portions (front wall 81c) having different direction-regulating shapes.

[0080] [6] A waterproof cover (100) formed of a pair of divided cover bodies (101, 103) that surrounds the connection portion between the flat cables (50) held in the outer housing (20) and the connector terminals (60) and sandwiches the flat cables (50) in the thickness direction to prevent water droplets from entering, The flat cable connector (10B) described in [1] or [2] above has an outer surface (109) of the split cover body (101, 103) formed with an inclined shape that directs water droplets (W) in both width directions of the flat cable (50).

[0081] According to the flat cable connector (10B) having the configuration [6] above, by providing an inclined shape on the outer surface (109) of the divided cover bodies (101, 103), it is possible to suppress water droplets (W) from falling onto the flat cable (50) and prevent water droplets (W) from entering the connection between the connector terminal (60) and the flat cable (50) along the flat cable (50), thereby improving the waterproofing effect.

[0082] [7] A connector (10B) for a flat cable as described in [6] above, in which adhesive gel sheets (110) are attached to the opposing portions (107a, 107b) of the divided cover bodies (101, 103) that face the outer peripheral surface of the outer housing (20) and the outer peripheral surfaces of the stacked flat cables (50), respectively, and to adjacent portions of the stacked flat cables (50).

[0083] According to the flat cable connector (10B) having the configuration [7] above, by attaching the adhesive gel sheet (110) to the waterproof cover (100), it is possible to prevent water droplets (W) from entering the connection between the connector terminal (60) and the flat cable (50), thereby easily sealing off water. Furthermore, by adopting a structure in which the adhesive gel sheet (110) is attached to the waterproof cover (100), it is possible to share parts between the non-waterproof and waterproof connectors, thereby reducing the number of parts. [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] 1...Connector device 10...Flat cable connector 20...Outer housing 40...Inner housing 42...Terminal housing 50...Flat cable 51...Flat conductor 51a...Terminal welding part 53...Insulator 60...Connector terminal 63...Conductor weld

Claims

1. a flat cable in which a plurality of flat conductors are arranged in parallel in the width direction at a predetermined pitch and the outer periphery of each conductor is covered with an insulator; a plurality of connector terminals, each having a conductor welding portion connected to a terminal welding portion of the flat conductor by laser welding or laser soldering; an inner housing having a wiring material accommodating portion for accommodating an end of the flat cable, and a plurality of terminal accommodating portions provided adjacent to the wiring material accommodating portion and arranged in a row in the width direction to accommodate and hold the terminal connection portions of the connector terminals, respectively; an outer housing that holds the stacked inner housings together; Equipped with A flat cable connector in which reinforcing ribs with increased thickness and strength are provided in the beam portions between the openings formed in the portions of the wiring material storage section where the conductor welding portions are located.

2. A flat cable in which the outer periphery of a plurality of flat conductors arranged in parallel in the width direction at a predetermined pitch is covered with an insulator; a plurality of connector terminals, each having a conductor welding portion connected to a terminal welding portion of the flat conductor by laser welding or laser soldering; an inner housing having a wiring material accommodating portion for accommodating an end of the flat cable, and a plurality of terminal accommodating portions provided adjacent to the wiring material accommodating portion and arranged in a row in the width direction to accommodate and hold the terminal connection portions of the connector terminals, respectively; an outer housing that holds the stacked inner housings together; a wiring direction regulating cover formed of a pair of divided cover bodies that sandwich the flat cable in a thickness direction, and that is joined and fixed to the wiring material lead-out side of the outer housing; Equipped with The pair of split cover bodies have direction restricting portions that sandwich the flat cable in a thickness direction to restrict the routing direction, In one of the split cover bodies, a plurality of types of direction restricting portions having different direction restricting shapes are selectively used depending on the routing direction of the flat cable.

3. A flat cable in which the outer periphery of a plurality of flat conductors arranged in parallel in the width direction at a predetermined pitch is covered with an insulator; a plurality of connector terminals, each having a conductor welding portion connected to a terminal welding portion of the flat conductor by laser welding or laser soldering; an inner housing having a wiring material accommodating portion for accommodating an end of the flat cable, and a plurality of terminal accommodating portions provided adjacent to the wiring material accommodating portion and arranged in a row in the width direction to accommodate and hold the terminal connection portions of the connector terminals, respectively; an outer housing that holds the stacked inner housings together; a waterproof cover formed of a pair of divided cover bodies that surrounds the connection portions between the flat cables held in the outer housing and the connector terminals and sandwiches the flat cables in a thickness direction to prevent water droplets from entering; Equipped with the divided cover body has a top wall portion having a parallel portion parallel to the flat cable and an inclined portion inclined to the flat cable, A connector for a flat cable in which the outer surface of the divided cover body in front of the inclined portion of the top wall portion has a mountain-shaped inclined shape that slopes downward from the center in both width directions of the flat cable to allow water droplets to flow in both width directions of the flat cable.

4. A flat cable in which the outer periphery of a plurality of flat conductors arranged in parallel in the width direction at a predetermined pitch is covered with an insulator; a plurality of connector terminals, each having a conductor welding portion connected to a terminal welding portion of the flat conductor by laser welding or laser soldering; an inner housing having a wiring material accommodating portion for accommodating an end of the flat cable, and a plurality of terminal accommodating portions provided adjacent to the wiring material accommodating portion and arranged in a row in the width direction to accommodate and hold the terminal connection portions of the connector terminals, respectively; an outer housing that holds the stacked inner housings together; a waterproof cover formed of a pair of divided cover bodies that surrounds the connection portions between the flat cables held in the outer housing and the connector terminals and sandwiches the flat cables in a thickness direction to prevent water droplets from entering; Equipped with The outer surface of the split cover is formed with an inclined shape that allows water droplets to flow in both width directions of the flat cable, A flat cable connector in which adhesive gel sheets are attached to the opposing portions of the divided cover body that face the outer peripheral surface of the outer housing and the outer peripheral surfaces of the stacked flat cables, respectively, and to adjacent portions of the stacked flat cables.

Images