Flat conductor electrical connectors and flat conductors

Abstract

To provide an electric connector for a flat type conductor, capable of avoiding an increase of size of a connector to a terminal arrangement direction while suppressing the excessive heat generation in a circuit board even if providing a plurality of power supply terminals, and provide the flat type conductor connected to the electric connector for the flat type conductor.SOLUTION: A plurality of terminals 20 and 30 includes a plurality of first terminals 20 and second terminals 30, respectively. The plurality of first terminals 20 includes two terminal groups. A first terminal 20B belonged to each terminal group is a power supply terminal arranged so as to be continued in a predetermined pitch. Each second terminal 30 is arranged to the outside of a range of the terminal group to the terminal arrangement direction. An interval larger than the predetermined pitch is formed between a specific first terminal 20B arranged to the most inner side in the terminal arrangement direction of the first terminals 20B belonged to an optional terminal group and a first terminal 20A that is adjacent to the specific first terminal 20B which does not belong to the optional terminal group.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electrical connector for flat conductors, in which the flat conductors are removably connected, and to flat conductors connected to the electrical connector for flat conductors.

Background Art

[0002] This type of electrical connector for flat conductors generally has a plurality of terminals arranged with the width direction of the flat conductor as the terminal arrangement direction. In such an electrical connector for flat conductors, there is a high demand for miniaturization in the terminal arrangement direction. To meet this demand, two types of terminals with different shapes may be alternately arranged. These two types of terminals have connection portions for soldering to pads on the circuit board at different positions from each other in the insertion and extraction direction of the flat conductor. Therefore, even if the pitch between the two types of terminals is reduced to miniaturize the connector in the terminal arrangement direction, a sufficient interval is formed between the connection portions of adjacent terminals of the same type. As a result, each adjacent pad on the circuit board can be formed with a sufficient size without enlarging the connector in the terminal arrangement direction.

[0003] In an electrical connector for flat conductors, when a power supply terminal is provided together with signal terminals, a plurality of adjacent terminals may be used as power supply terminals to conduct a relatively large power supply current. For example, in the electrical connector for flat conductors of Patent Document 1, two types of signal terminals (first signal contacts and second signal contacts) arranged in a staggered pattern and at an equal pitch, and power supply terminals (power contacts with a fixed function and simple power contacts), each having two arranged on both outer sides of the arrangement range of the signal terminals, are held in a housing.

[0004] In Patent Document 1, the thickness dimension (dimension in the terminal arrangement direction) of two adjacent power supply terminals is larger than that of the two types of signal terminals. These power supply terminals have connection portions for soldering to the circuit board on the front side (the front end in the insertion direction of the flat conductor) with respect to the housing, and the connection portions of both power supply terminals can be commonly soldered to the same pad on the circuit board. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2017-143000 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] In Patent Document 1, the thickness of the two power terminals is greater than that of the signal terminals, so the arrangement pitch of the power terminals is greater than that of the signal terminals, which results in a larger connector in the terminal arrangement direction. As a solution to avoid the connector becoming larger, for example, it is conceivable to use some of the terminals included in two types of terminals arranged in a staggered pattern at equal pitches as power terminals. In this case, the connection parts of adjacent power terminals are located differently in the insertion / removal direction (front-to-back direction) of the flat conductor, so the pads on the circuit board are also located differently in the front-to-back direction. These pads need to be connected by conductive patterns, but due to the limited space for placing the connector on the circuit board, the conductive patterns become thin. If a large power current flows through a thin conductive pattern, it may generate excessive heat.

[0007] On the other hand, if adjacent terminals of the same type are designated as power terminals, the connection points of the power terminals are located on the same side of the housing, allowing these connection points to be soldered to the same pad without forming the aforementioned conductive pattern. However, since terminals of a different type are located between these adjacent terminals of the same type, this results in a problem where the connector becomes larger in the connector width direction. This problem becomes more pronounced as the number of power terminals increases.

[0008] In view of these circumstances, the present invention aims to provide an electrical connector for flat conductors that can suppress excessive heat generation on the circuit board even when multiple power terminals are provided, while avoiding an increase in the size of the connector in the terminal arrangement direction, and a flat conductor that can be connected to the electrical connector for flat conductors. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] (1) The flat conductor electrical connector according to the present invention is mounted on a circuit board and is a flat conductor electrical connector to which a strip-shaped flat conductor is inserted and removed in the front-to-back direction, and comprises a housing that receives the flat conductor from the rear and a plurality of terminals that are arranged with the width direction of the flat conductor as the terminal arrangement direction and are held in the housing.

[0010] In the present invention, the plurality of terminals each have a plurality of first terminals and second terminals of different shapes, the first terminal has a first contact portion that can contact the flat conductor and a first connection portion that is soldered to the circuit board on one side relative to the housing in the front-rear direction, the second terminal has a second contact portion that can contact the flat conductor and a second connection portion that is soldered to the circuit board on the other side relative to the housing in the front-rear direction, the plurality of first terminals have two terminal groups, the first terminals belonging to each terminal group are power terminals arranged at a predetermined pitch, the second terminals are arranged outside the range of the terminal group in the terminal arrangement direction, and a gap larger than the predetermined pitch is formed between a specific first terminal that is arranged furthest in the terminal arrangement direction among the first terminals belonging to any terminal group and other first terminals adjacent to the specific first terminal that do not belong to any terminal group.

[0011] In the flat conductor electrical connector according to the present invention, a plurality of first terminals arranged at a predetermined pitch in each terminal group serve as power terminals. Second terminals are located outside the arrangement range of the terminal groups. In other words, no second terminals are located within the arrangement range of the first terminals belonging to each terminal group. Therefore, the connection portions of the first terminals belonging to each terminal group can be brought close together in the terminal arrangement direction, and these connection portions can be soldered to the same pad on the circuit board in common. As a result, the size of the connector in the terminal arrangement direction can be avoided, and excessive heat generation on the circuit board can be suppressed because there is no need to form conductive patterns on the circuit board for connecting separate pads.

[0012] (2) In the invention of (1), at least some of the plurality of second terminals may be arranged as signal terminals between the two groups of terminals in the terminal arrangement direction.

[0013] (3) In the invention of (2), a plurality of second terminals are provided between the two terminal groups, and the first terminals that do not belong to the terminal groups may be arranged as signal terminals between adjacent second terminals.

[0014] (4) The inventions of (1) to (3) further include a reinforcing fitting disposed outside the terminal arrangement range of the plurality of terminals, wherein the reinforcing fitting has a contact portion that can contact the flat conductor and a fixing portion that is soldered to the circuit board at a position on one side of the housing in the front-rear direction, and the fixing portion may be adjacent to the first connection portion of the first terminal that is located furthest out in the terminal arrangement direction among the first terminals belonging to the terminal group.

[0015] By providing a contact portion on the reinforcing bracket in this manner, the contact portion can be brought into contact with the power supply circuit portion of the flat conductor. Furthermore, by providing the fixing portion of the reinforcing bracket adjacent to the first terminal belonging to the terminal group, the fixing portion can be soldered to a common pad with the first connection portion of the first terminal of the terminal group. Therefore, by giving the reinforcing bracket the function of a power supply terminal, it becomes possible to flow a larger power supply current without increasing the number of first terminals that function as power supply terminals.

[0016] (5) In the inventions of (1) to (4), a locking fitting is provided held in the housing outside the terminal arrangement range of the plurality of terminals, the locking fitting has the same shape as the second terminal and is positioned in the same position as the second terminal when viewed in the terminal arrangement direction, and the portion of the second terminal corresponding to the second contact portion may form a locking portion that can be locked from the rear to the locking portion of the flat conductor.

[0017] By forming the locking mechanism in the same shape as the second terminal, the manufactured second terminal can be used as the locking mechanism as is. This eliminates the need to separately prepare a locking mechanism with a different shape from the second terminal, simplifying connector manufacturing and reducing manufacturing costs.

[0018] (6) The flat conductor according to the present invention is a flat conductor that can be connected to the flat conductor electrical connector of (3), and has notches formed at both ends in the width direction of the flat conductor that can receive locking portions provided on the flat conductor electrical connector, locking portions formed in front of the notches that can be locked in the front-rear direction to the locking portions, and a plurality of pads provided on the front end side of the flat conductor that can contact the terminals, wherein the plurality of pads include a power pad that can be contacted by a first terminal as a power terminal, a first signal pad that can be contacted by a first terminal as a signal terminal, and a second terminal as a signal terminal The power supply pad has a second signal pad, the front end of the second signal pad is located behind the front ends of the power supply pad and the first signal pad, the power supply pad is formed to be larger in the width direction than the first signal pad and the second signal pad at both ends in the width direction of the flat conductor, and a part of the front end portion located in front of the second signal pad is formed to overlap in the width direction with the second signal pad adjacent to the power supply pad, and the notch is formed behind the front end of the second signal pad.

[0019] In the flat conductor according to the present invention, a portion of the front end of the power supply pad is formed to overlap with the second signal pad in the width direction. Therefore, even if the power supply terminals and second terminals adjacent to each other are arranged very close together in the width direction (terminal arrangement direction) in an electrical connector for flat conductors to meet the requirement for narrower terminal pitch, sufficient size in the width direction can be ensured for both the power supply pad and the second signal pad of the flat conductor. Furthermore, in the flat conductor according to the present invention, the notch is formed behind the front end of the second signal pad. Therefore, since there is no notch in the front end portion of the power supply pad, sufficient size in the width direction can be ensured for that front end portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] In the present invention, even if a plurality of power supply terminals are provided, it is possible to provide an electrical connector for a flat conductor that can suppress excessive heat generation in a circuit board and avoid an increase in the size of the connector in the terminal arrangement direction, and a flat conductor connected to the electrical connector for a flat conductor.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0021] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an electrical connector for a flat conductor according to an embodiment of the present invention together with a flat conductor, showing a state before the flat conductor is inserted. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the electrical connector for a flat conductor of FIG. 1 together with a flat conductor, showing a state where the flat conductor is connected. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the electrical connector for a flat conductor of FIG. 1 in a state where each member is separated. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the electrical connector for a flat conductor, where (A) shows a cross-section in a state before the flat conductor is inserted, and (B) shows a cross-section in a state where the flat conductor is connected. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the electrical connector for a flat conductor before the flat conductor is inserted, where (A) shows a cross-section at the position of the first terminal, (B) shows a cross-section at the position of the second signal terminal, (C) shows a cross-section at the position of the locking fitting, and (D) shows a cross-section at the position of the reinforcing fitting. [Figure 6] (A) is a perspective view showing the first terminal, (B) is a perspective view showing the second signal terminal, and (C) is a perspective view showing the reinforcing fitting individually. [Figure 7] FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the electrical connector for a flat conductor after the flat conductor is inserted, where (A) shows a cross-section at the position of the first terminal, (B) shows a cross-section at the position of the second signal terminal, (C) shows a cross-section at the position of the locking fitting, and (D) shows a cross-section at the position of the reinforcing fitting. [Figure 8] FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of the electrical connector for a flat conductor after the connection of the flat conductor is 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 signal, (C) shows a cross-section at the position of the locking fitting, and (D) shows a cross-section at the position of the reinforcing fitting. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0022] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings.

[0023] Figures 1 and 2 are perspective views showing an electrical connector for flat conductors (hereinafter referred to as "connector 1") according to an embodiment of the present invention, together with a flat conductor C. Figure 1 shows the state before inserting the flat conductor C, and Figure 2 shows the state after connecting the flat conductor C. Figure 3 is a perspective view of connector 1 with each component separated.

[0024] Connector 1 is mounted on the mounting surface of a circuit board (not shown), and a flat conductor C (e.g., FPC) as a mating connector is inserted and removed in the front-to-back direction (X-axis direction) parallel to the mounting surface. Connector 1 electrically connects the circuit board and the flat conductor C when the flat conductor C is connected. In this embodiment, the X-axis direction (front-to-back direction) is defined as forward in X1 direction and backward in X2 direction. The Y-axis direction, which is perpendicular to the front-to-back direction (X-axis direction) in the plane parallel to the mounting surface of the circuit board (XY plane), is defined as the connector width direction, and the Z-axis direction, which is perpendicular to the mounting surface of the circuit board, is defined as the up-down direction (Z1 direction is upward, Z2 direction is downward).

[0025] The flat conductor C is a flexible strip extending in the front-to-back direction (X-axis direction) with the connector width direction (Y-axis direction) as its width direction, and is formed by arranging multiple circuit sections extending in the front-to-back direction in the connector width direction. The circuit sections are embedded in the insulating layer of the flat conductor C except for the front end portion, which is exposed on the upper surface of the flat conductor C and is formed as a pad. In this embodiment, these pads include a first signal pad C1 that can contact the first signal terminal 20A described later, a second signal pad C2 that can contact the second signal terminal 30 described later, and a power supply pad C3 that can contact the power supply terminal 20B and the reinforcing fitting 50 described later.

[0026] As shown in Figure 1, the first signal pad C1 is located in the center of the flat conductor C in the width direction (Y-axis direction). The second signal pad C2 is located on each side of the first signal pad C1 in the width direction of the flat conductor C, and is positioned between the first signal pad C1 and the power pad C3. The second signal pad C2 is formed with the same width dimension (Y-axis dimension) as the first signal pad C1. The power pad C3 is located at each end of the flat conductor C in the width direction. The power pad C3 extends to the side end of the flat conductor C in the width direction and is formed with a larger width dimension than the first signal pad C1 and the second signal pad C2. The number and position of the signal pads C1 and C2 located between the power pads C3 at both ends are not limited to the number and position described above, but are set appropriately according to the number and position of the signal terminals 20A and 30 provided on the connector 1.

[0027] Although not shown in Figure 1, as shown in Figures 4(A) and (B), plated leads C1A and C2A extend straight forward from the front ends of the signal pads C1 and C2, respectively, until they reach the front end of the flat conductor C. As shown in Figure 4(A), the plated lead C1A extending from the front end of the first signal pad C1 is thinner than the first signal pad C1 in the width direction (Y-axis direction) of the flat conductor C, and is formed at the center position in the width direction. As shown in Figures 4(A) and (B), the plated lead C2A extending from the front end of the second signal pad C2 is thinner than the second signal pad C2 in the width direction (Y-axis direction) of the flat conductor C, and is formed at a position closer to the inner end in the width direction. The front ends of the power supply pads C3 reach near the front end of the flat conductor C. The front end of the second signal pad C2 is located behind the front ends of the first signal pad C1 and the power supply pad C3. The power supply pad C3 has a portion of its front end that is located in front of the second signal pad C2, which protrudes inward in the width direction of the flat conductor C, and is formed to have an overlapping area with the second signal pad C2 in the width direction (see also Figure 4(A)).

[0028] The front end portion of the flat conductor C has notches C4 formed at both ends in the width direction, which can receive the locking portion 42B-1 of the locking fitting 40 described later, provided on the connector 1. The notches C4 are formed in the front-rear direction within the range of the power pad C3 and behind the front end of the second signal pad C2. The flat conductor C has ears C5 in front of the notches C4, and the rear end of the ears C5 forms a locking portion C5A that can be locked from the front to the locking portion 42B-1.

[0029] In the flat conductor C of this embodiment, as described above, a portion of the front end of the power supply pad C3 is formed to overlap with the second signal pad C2 in the width direction. Therefore, even if the power supply terminals 20B and the second signal terminals 30 adjacent to each other in the connector 1 are arranged very close together in the width direction (terminal arrangement direction) in response to the requirement for narrower terminal pitch, sufficient size can be secured in the width direction for both the power supply pad C3 and the second signal pad C2 of the flat conductor C. Furthermore, in the flat conductor C, the notch C4 is formed behind the front end of the second signal pad C2. In other words, since the notch C4 does not exist in the front end portion of the power supply pad C3, sufficient size can be secured in the width direction for that front end portion.

[0030] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the connector 1 includes a housing 10 that receives a flat conductor C from the rear, a plurality of terminals 20, 30 (the first terminal 20 and the second signal terminal 30 described later) arranged in the connector width direction (Y-axis direction) and held in the housing 10, a locking fitting 40 positioned outside the terminal arrangement range of the plurality of terminals 20, 30 and held in the housing 10, a reinforcing fitting 50 positioned outside the locking fitting 40 in the connector width direction and held in the housing 10, and a movable member 60 that can rotate and move between an open position that allows insertion of the flat conductor C into the housing 10 and a closed position that increases the contact pressure between the terminals 20, 30 and the reinforcing fitting 50 and the flat conductor C.

[0031] The multiple terminals 20 and 30 consist of multiple first terminals 20 with different shapes from each other, and multiple second signal terminals 30 as second terminals. The first terminals 20 are terminals that are soldered to the circuit board on the front side (X1 side) relative to the housing 10, and the second signal terminals 30 are terminals that are soldered to the circuit board on the rear side (X2 side) relative to the housing 10. Figures 4(A) and 4(B) are cross-sectional views of the connector 1, that is, cross-sectional views in a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction. Figure 4(A) shows the cross-section before inserting the flat conductor C, and Figure 4(B) shows the cross-section with the flat conductor C connected. As shown in Figures 4(A) and 4(B), in this embodiment, nine first terminals 20 and two second signal terminals 30 are provided on the housing 10.

[0032] The nine first terminals 20 include a first signal terminal 20A, which is positioned in the center of the housing 10 in the connector width direction, and power terminals 20B, which are positioned in groups of four on each side (Y1 side and Y2 side) of the first signal terminal 20A in the connector width direction. Four power terminals 20B arranged in a continuous line at a predetermined pitch P1 form one terminal group (hereinafter referred to as the "power terminal group"). In other words, the nine first terminals 20 have one first signal terminal 20A and two power terminal groups. Between a specific power terminal 20B (hereinafter referred to as the "inner power terminal 20B") that is positioned furthest inward in the connector width direction among the four power terminals 20B belonging to each power terminal group, and the first signal terminal 20A, a gap P2 larger than the predetermined pitch P1 is formed.

[0033] As shown in Figures 4(A) and (B), the second signal terminal 30 is provided at two positions in the connector width direction: between the first signal terminal 20A and the power terminal group on the Y1 side, and between the first signal terminal 20A and the power terminal group on the Y2 side. As shown in Figure 4(A), the second signal terminal 30 is positioned closer to the power terminal group and is arranged to be continuous with the inner power terminal 20B of the power terminal group at a predetermined pitch P3. In this embodiment, this pitch P3 is equal to the pitch P1 between the power terminals 20B. The spacing P4 between the second signal terminal 30 and the first signal terminal 20A is greater than the pitch P3. The relative sizes of pitch P1, pitch P3, and spacing P4 are not limited to the above-described relationship and can be set as appropriate according to the design requirements.

[0034] As shown in Figure 4(A), the locking bracket 40 is positioned to be continuous with the power terminal 20B that is located furthest out in the connector width direction among the power terminal group (hereinafter referred to as "outer power terminal 20B" as needed) at a predetermined pitch P5 equal to pitch P1. The reinforcing bracket 50 is also positioned to be continuous with the locking bracket 40 at a predetermined pitch P6 equal to pitch P1 in the connector width direction, as shown in Figure 4(A). The relative sizes of pitches P1, P5, and P6 are not limited to the above-described relationship and can be set as appropriate according to design requirements.

[0035] The housing 10 is made of an electrical insulating material such as resin and has a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape with the connector width direction as its longitudinal direction, as shown in Figures 1 to 3. The housing 10 has a receiving portion 11 for receiving a flat conductor C, which is formed as a space that is open toward the rear. The housing 10 has a lower wall 12 and an upper wall 13 that extend parallel to the mounting surface of a circuit board (not shown), two side walls 14 that extend vertically and connect the ends of the lower wall 12 and the upper wall 13 in the connector width direction, and a front wall 15 (see Figures 4(A) to (D)) that connects the lower wall 12 and the upper wall 13 at a position closer to the front end of the housing 10. In front of the front wall 15 and between the two side walls 14 in the connector width direction, there is a movable member housing space 16 that houses the movable member 60 and allows the movable member 60 to move.

[0036] Figures 5(A) to 5(D) are longitudinal cross-sectional views of connector 1 before the insertion of the flat conductor C. Figure 5(A) shows the cross-section at the position of the first terminal 20, Figure 5(B) shows the cross-section at the position of the second signal terminal 30, Figure 5(C) shows the cross-section at the position of the locking fitting 40, and Figure 5(D) shows the cross-section at the position of the reinforcing fitting 50. Here, Figure 5(A) shows the cross-section at the position of the power terminal 20B, but the cross-section at the position of the first signal terminal 20A is the same as the cross-section shown in Figure 5(A).

[0037] The lower wall 12 is positioned below the upper wall 13 and faces the mounting surface of the circuit board. Within the receiving portion 11 in the connector width direction (Y-axis direction), the rear end of the lower wall 12 is located slightly forward of the rear ends of the upper wall 13 and the side walls 14 (see Figure 1), and the front end extends forward of the upper wall 13 and is located within the movable member housing space 16 (see Figures 5(A) to (D)).

[0038] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 5(A) to (D), the housing 10 has a first housing section 17 for housing and holding the first terminal 20, a second housing section 18 for housing and holding the second signal terminal 30 or the locking fitting 40, and a third housing section 19 for housing and holding the reinforcing fitting 50, all of which are formed in a groove shape extending in the front-rear direction.

[0039] As shown in Figure 5(A), the first housing section 17 has a first lower groove 17A extending in the front-rear direction along the upper surface of the lower wall 12, a first upper groove 17B extending in the front-rear direction along the lower surface of the upper wall 13, and a first intermediate groove 17C extending in the vertical direction and connecting the first lower groove 17A and the first upper groove 17B.

[0040] The first lower groove 17A is a groove that extends across the entire area of ​​the lower wall 12 in the front-rear direction and opens upward. The first upper groove 17B is a groove that extends across the entire area of ​​the upper wall 13 in the front-rear direction and opens downward. The first upper groove 17B also penetrates the upper wall 13 vertically in the area corresponding to the front wall 15 in the front-rear direction and also opens upward. The first intermediate groove 17C is formed by penetrating the front wall 15 in the front-rear direction. In addition, at the rear of the first intermediate groove 17C, a first retaining portion 17D is formed in an island shape when viewed in the connector width direction, connecting the inner wall surfaces (surfaces perpendicular to the connector width direction) that form the first intermediate groove 17C and are opposite each other in the connector width direction.

[0041] As shown in Figures 5(B) and (C), the second housing section 18 has a second lower groove 18A extending in the front-rear direction along the upper surface of the lower wall 12, a second upper groove 18B extending in the front-rear direction along the lower surface of the upper wall 13, and a second intermediate groove 18C extending in the vertical direction and connecting the second lower groove 18A and the second upper groove 18B.

[0042] The second lower groove 18A is a groove that extends across the entire area of ​​the lower wall 12 in the front-rear direction and opens upward. The second upper groove 18B is a groove that extends across the entire area of ​​the upper wall 13 in the front-rear direction and opens downward. The second upper groove 18B also penetrates the upper wall 13 vertically in the area corresponding to the front part of the front wall 15 in the front-rear direction and also opens upward. The second intermediate groove 18C is formed by penetrating the front wall 15 in the front-rear direction. Within the second intermediate groove 18C, a second retaining portion 18D is formed in an island-like shape when viewed in the connector width direction, connecting the inner wall surfaces (surfaces perpendicular to the connector width direction) that form the second intermediate groove 18C and face each other in the connector width direction. The second retaining portion 18D is provided in front of the first retaining portion 17D.

[0043] As shown in Figure 5(D), the third receiving section 19 has a front hole 19A that penetrates the upper part of the front wall 15 in the front-rear direction, and a third upper groove 19B that extends in the front-rear direction along the upper wall 13. The front hole 19A is formed in the upper part of the front wall 15 and communicates with the third upper groove 19B. The third upper groove 19B is a groove that extends across the entire area of ​​the receiving section 11 in the front-rear direction and opens downwards. Furthermore, the third upper groove 19B penetrates the upper wall 13 in the vertical direction at an intermediate position in the front-rear direction, and an upper opening 13A is formed in the upper wall 13.

[0044] As shown in Figure 5(D), in the connector width direction, at a position corresponding to the third housing portion 19, that is, at a position corresponding to the reinforcing bracket 50, a recess 16A is formed in front of the front wall 15, which is open upward and forward. The recess 16A is part of the movable member housing space 16 and houses the third shaft portion 66 of the movable member 60, which will be described later.

[0045] Figure 6(A) is a perspective view showing the first terminal 20, Figure 6(B) is a perspective view showing the second signal terminal 30, and Figure 6(C) is a perspective view showing the reinforcing bracket 50 individually. As shown in Figure 6(A), the first terminal 20 (first signal terminal 20A and power terminal 20B) is made by punching out a metal plate member in the thickness direction. The first terminal 20 has a first lower arm portion 21 extending in the front-rear direction, a first upper arm portion 22 extending above the first lower arm portion 21 along the front-rear direction, and a first connecting portion 23 extending in the up-down direction and connecting the intermediate portions of the first lower arm portion 21 and the first upper arm portion 22. The first upper arm portion 22 is elastically displaceable in a lever-like manner with the first connecting portion 23 as a fulcrum by receiving a pressing force from the first shaft portion 64 of the movable member 60, which will be described later (see Figure 8(A)).

[0046] As shown in Figure 5(A), the first lower arm portion 21 extends in the front-rear direction along the lower wall 12 of the housing 10 and is housed in the first lower groove portion 17A, except for the front end portion. The first lower arm portion 21 has a first support arm portion 21A and a first connecting portion 21B located in front of the first connecting portion 23, and a first pressing arm portion 21C located behind the first connecting portion 23. The first support arm portion 21A extends along the groove bottom surface (lower inner wall surface) of the first lower groove portion 17A and has a first support portion 21A-1 at its front end that can support the first shaft portion 64 of the movable member 60, described later, from below when it is in the closed position (see also Figure 8(A)). The first connecting portion 21B extends forward from the front end of the first support arm portion 21A and is located outside the housing 10. The lower edge of the first connection portion 21B is located at approximately the same height as the lower surface of the lower wall 12, and can be soldered to the power supply circuit portion (pad) on the mounting surface of a circuit board (not shown). In the case of the first signal terminal 20A, the first connection portion 21B is soldered to the first signal circuit portion (pad) on the mounting surface of the circuit board.

[0047] The first pressing arm portion 21C extends along the bottom surface of the groove of the first lower groove portion 17A, and a first pressing portion 21C-1 is formed at its rear end, projecting upward. The first pressing portion 21C-1 protrudes from the first lower groove portion 17A and is located within the receiving portion 11, allowing it to press the flat conductor C from below (see also Figure 8(A)). A first retained portion 21C-2 is formed at a position closer to the front end of the first pressing arm portion 21C (closer to the first connecting portion 23), projecting upward. The first terminal 20 is press-fitted into the first housing portion 17 from the front, and is held in the housing 10 by the first retained portion 21C-2 biting into the first retaining portion 17D from below.

[0048] The first upper arm portion 22 has a first pressure-receiving arm portion 22A located in front of the first connecting portion 23 and a first contact arm portion 22B located behind the first connecting portion 23. The front part of the first pressure-receiving arm portion 22A extends forward from the first upper groove portion 17B of the housing 10 and is located within the movable member housing space 16. This front part is formed as a first pressure-receiving portion 22A-1 that receives downward pressure from the first shaft portion 64 of the movable member 60, which will be described later. As shown in Figures 5(A) and 6(A), the first pressure-receiving portion 22A-1 has a recess formed by the recessing of its lower edge, and a part of the first shaft portion 64 of the movable member 60 is housed in this recess. In addition, the front and rear parts of the lower edge of the first pressure-receiving portion 22A-1 (a part of the lower edge that forms the recess) can be locked to the first shaft portion 64 in the front-rear direction, thereby contributing to restricting the movement of the movable member 60 in the front-rear direction.

[0049] As shown in Figure 5(A), the first contact arm 22B extends along the groove bottom surface (upper inner wall surface) of the first upper groove 17B, and a first contact portion 22B-1 is formed at its rear end, projecting downward. The first contact portion 22B-1 protrudes from the first upper groove 17B and is located within the receiving portion 11, and is capable of contacting the power pad C3 (see Figure 1) of the flat conductor C with contact pressure from above (see Figure 8(A)). In the case of the first signal terminal 20A, the first contact portion 22B-1 is capable of contacting the first signal pad C1 (see Figure 1) of the flat conductor C. When in contact with the flat conductor C, the first contact portion 22B-1 cooperates with the first pressing portion 21C-1 to clamp the flat conductor C. In other words, the first contact portion 22B-1 also functions as a pressing portion to increase the contact pressure with the flat conductor C by pressing it from above. The first connecting portion 23 is located in front of the first retaining portion 17D of the housing 10 and is housed within the first intermediate groove portion 17C of the housing 10.

[0050] The second signal terminal 30 is made by punching out a metal plate member in the thickness direction, as shown in Figure 6(B). The second signal terminal 30 has a second lower arm portion 31 extending in the front-rear direction, a second upper arm portion 32 extending along the front-rear direction above the second lower arm portion 31, and a second connecting portion 33 extending in the up-down direction and connecting the intermediate portions of the second lower arm portion 31 and the second upper arm portion 32. The second upper arm portion 32 is elastically displaceable in a lever-like manner with the second connecting portion 33 as a fulcrum when subjected to the pressing force of the second shaft portion 65 of the movable member 60, which will be described later (see Figure 8(B)).

[0051] As shown in Figure 5(B), the second lower arm portion 31 extends in the front-rear direction along the lower wall 12 of the housing 10 and is housed in the second lower groove portion 18A, except for its front and rear ends. The second lower arm portion 31 has a second support arm portion 31A located in front of the second connecting portion 33, and a second connecting portion 31B and a second pressing arm portion 31C located behind the second connecting portion 33. The second support arm portion 31A extends along the groove bottom surface (lower inner wall surface) of the second lower groove portion 18A and has a second support portion 31A-1 at its front that can support the second shaft portion 65 of the movable member 60, described later, from below when it is in the closed position. A second retained portion 31A-2 that protrudes upward is formed at a position closer to the rear end of the second support arm portion 31A (closer to the second connecting portion 33). The second signal terminal 30 is press-fitted into the second housing 18 from the rear, and the second retained portion 31A-2 bites into the second retaining portion 18D from below, thereby being held in the housing 10.

[0052] The second pressing arm portion 31C extends along the bottom surface of the groove of the second lower groove portion 18A, and a second rear pressing portion 31C-1 is formed at its rear end, slightly raised upwards. The second rear pressing portion 31C-1 protrudes from the second lower groove portion 18A and is located within the receiving portion 11, allowing it to press the flat conductor C from below (see Figure 8(B)). A second front pressing portion 31C-2 is formed at a position closer to the front end of the second pressing arm portion 31C (closer to the second connecting portion 33), protruding upwards. The second front pressing portion 31C-2 is located at approximately the same position as the first pressing portion 21C-1 of the first terminal 20 in the front-rear direction, protruding from the second lower groove portion 18A and located within the receiving portion 11, allowing it to press the flat conductor C from below (see also Figure 8(B)).

[0053] The second connection portion 31B extends rearward from the rear end of the second pressing arm portion 31C and is located outside the housing 10. The lower edge of the second connection portion 31B is at approximately the same height as the lower surface of the lower wall 12, and can be soldered to the second signal circuit portion (pad) on the mounting surface of a circuit board (not shown).

[0054] The second upper arm portion 32 has a second pressure-receiving arm portion 32A located in front of the second connecting portion 33 and a second contact arm portion 32B located behind the second connecting portion 33. The front part of the second pressure-receiving arm portion 32A extends forward from the second upper groove portion 18B of the housing 10 and is located within the movable member housing space 16. The front part has a second pressure-receiving portion 32A-1 which receives a downward pressure from the second shaft portion 65 of the movable member 60, which will be described later.

[0055] The second contact arm 32B extends along the groove bottom surface (upper inner wall surface) of the second upper groove 18B, and its rear end is located behind the first contact portion 22B-1 of the first terminal 20. A second contact portion 32B-1 is formed at the rear end of the second contact arm 32B, projecting downward. The second contact portion 32B-1 protrudes from the second upper groove 18B and is located within the receiving portion 11, and is capable of contacting the second signal pad C2 (see Figure 1) of the flat conductor C from above with contact pressure (see Figure 8(B)). When in contact with the flat conductor C, the second contact portion 32B-1 cooperates with the second rear pressing portion 31C-1 to clamp the flat conductor C. In other words, the second contact portion 32B-1 also functions as a pressing portion to increase the contact pressure with the flat conductor C by pressing it from above. The second connecting portion 33 is housed in the second intermediate groove portion 18C of the housing 10, rearward from the second retaining portion 18D of the housing 10.

[0056] As shown in Figure 5(C), the locking mechanism 40 has the exact same shape as the second signal terminal 30 described above and is positioned in the same location as the second signal terminal 30 when viewed in the connector width direction. The locking mechanism 40 is press-fitted into the second housing 18 from the rear, and the second retained portion 41A-2 bites into the second retaining portion 18D from below, thereby being held in the housing 10. The locking mechanism 40 does not have the function of electrically connecting with the flat conductor C, but rather has the function of preventing the flat conductor C from coming loose by engaging with the locking portion C5A of the flat conductor C, and in this respect it differs from the second signal terminal 30. In the locking mechanism 40, the portion corresponding to the second contact arm portion 32B of the second signal terminal 30 forms a locking arm portion 42B that is elastically displaceable in the vertical direction. Furthermore, in this locking arm 42B, the portion corresponding to the second contact portion 32B-1 of the second contact arm 32B forms a locking portion 42B-1 that can be locked from the rear to the locked portion C5A of the flat conductor C (see also Figure 8(C)).

[0057] Furthermore, in the locking mechanism 40, the portion corresponding to the second connection portion 31B of the second signal terminal 30 forms a fixing portion 41B that is fixed to the mounting surface of the circuit board by soldering. In this case, the portion of the circuit board to which the fixing portion 41B is soldered is not a circuit portion, but a fixing pad. The parts of the locking mechanism 40 other than the locking arm portion 42B and the fixing portion 41B have the same function as the corresponding portion of the second signal terminal 30, so here, the corresponding portion of the second signal terminal 30 is denoted by adding "10" to the denotation and the explanation is omitted.

[0058] In this embodiment, by forming the locking mechanism 40 in the same shape as the second signal terminal 30, the manufactured second signal terminal 30 can be used as the locking mechanism 40 as is. This eliminates the need to separately prepare a locking mechanism with a different shape from the second signal terminal 30, simplifying the manufacturing of the connector 1 and reducing manufacturing costs.

[0059] The reinforcing bracket 50 is made by punching out a metal plate member in the thickness direction, as shown in Figure 6(C). The reinforcing bracket 50 has a held portion 51 that is held by the housing 10, an extension portion 52 that extends forward from the held portion 51, a restricting portion 53 that extends downward from the front of the extension portion 52, a fixing portion 54 that is located below the restricting portion 53 and fixed to the circuit board, and a third contact arm portion 55 that extends rearward from the held portion 51. In this embodiment, the reinforcing bracket 50 functions as a power terminal. In this embodiment, by using the reinforcing bracket 50 as a power terminal, it is possible to flow a larger power current without increasing the number of power terminals 20B.

[0060] The retained portion 51 has a plurality of protrusions 51A that project from its upper edge, as shown in Figure 6(C). The reinforcing fitting 50 is press-fitted into the third housing portion 19 from the front, and as shown in Figure 5(D), the protrusions 51A bite into the upper inner wall surface of the front hole portion 19A, thereby holding it in place in the housing 10. The extension portion 52 extends outside the housing 10 and is located within the movable member housing space 16. The restricting portion 53 extends straight in the vertical direction. The front end surface of the restricting portion 53 is a flat surface perpendicular to the front-rear direction, and is able to contact the restricted portion 61A of the movable member 60, described later, from the rear when it is in the closed position.

[0061] The fixing portion 54 has its lower edge positioned at approximately the same height as the lower surface of the lower wall 12, and can be soldered to the power supply circuit portion (pad) on the mounting surface of the circuit board (not shown). In this embodiment, the fixing portion 54 is adjacent to the first connection portion 21B of the outer power supply terminal 20B. Therefore, when mounting the connector 1 to the circuit board, the fixing portion 54 can be soldered to a pad common to the power supply terminal 20B of the power supply terminal group.

[0062] The third contact arm 55 extends along the groove bottom surface (upper inner wall surface) of the third upper groove 19B to approximately the same position as the rear end of the first contact arm 22B of the first terminal 20. A third contact portion 55A is formed at the rear end of the third contact arm 55, projecting downward. The rear end of the third upper groove 19B is located directly below the upper opening 13A of the upper wall 13, allowing the third contact arm 55 to enter the upper opening 13A from below when it is elastically displaced upward (see Figures 7(D) and 8(D)). In this embodiment, the third contact portion 55A is adjacent to the first contact portion 22B-1 of the outer power terminal 20B. Therefore, when connecting the flat conductor C to the connector 1, the third contact portion 55A can be brought into contact with the power pad C3 common to the power terminal 20B of the power terminal group (see Figure 4(B)).

[0063] As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 4(A) and (B), the movable member 60 extends almost the entire width of the movable member housing space 16 in the connector width direction. As shown in Figure 1, the lower part of the movable member 60 is housed within the movable member housing space 16 when in the open position, and as shown in Figure 2, the entire movable member 60 is housed within the movable member housing space 16 when in the closed position. As shown in Figure 3, the movable member 60 has an operating part 61 as the main body, an end wall 62, a partition wall 63, a first shaft portion 64 (see Figure 5(A)), a second shaft portion 65 (see Figures 5(B) and (C)), and a third shaft portion 66 (see Figure 5(D)).

[0064] As shown in Figure 3, the operating section 61 is formed extending in the connector width direction at the upper end of the movable member 60 and is designed to receive operations for moving (rotating) the movable member 60 between the open position and the closed position. The operating section 61 has restricted sections 61A that protrude outward in the connector width direction from both sides of the upper end of the operating section 61. The restricted sections 61A are positioned in the connector width direction corresponding to the reinforcing bracket 50 and, as shown in Figure 8(D), are located in front of the restricting section 53 of the reinforcing bracket 50 when the movable member 60 is in the closed position. The rear end surface of the restricted section 61A facing the restricting section 53 when the movable member 60 is in the closed position is a flat surface perpendicular to the front-rear direction.

[0065] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 8(D), when the movable member 60 is in the closed position, the gap S2 formed between the front end of the restricting portion 53 of the reinforcing bracket 50 and the rear end of the restricted portion 61A of the movable member 60 in the front-rear direction is smaller than the gap S1 formed between the rear end of the movable member 60 and the front end of the front wall 15 of the housing 10 in the front-rear direction.

[0066] As shown in Figure 3, the end walls 62 are provided extending downward from both ends of the operating section 61 in the connector width direction. As shown in Figure 3, the multiple partition walls 63 extend downward from the operating section 61 between the two end walls 62 in the connector width direction and are formed by being spaced apart in the connector width direction.

[0067] As shown in Figure 5(A), the first shaft portion 64 is located 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 lower ends of two adjacent partition walls 63. As shown in Figure 5(A), the first shaft portion 64 has a cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the connector width direction that resembles a roughly elongated oval extending in the front-to-back direction with the front and upper corners cut off. As shown in Figure 5(A), the first shaft portion 64 is located in the vertical direction between the first support portion 21A-1 and the first pressure receiving portion 22A-1 of the first terminal 20. At this time, the first shaft portion 64 is located with a slight gap from the upper edge of the first support portion 21A-1 and is in contact with the lower edge of the first pressure receiving portion 22A-1. As will be described later, the first shaft portion 64 has the function of a cam portion that pushes up the first pressure receiving portion 22A-1 and displaces the first pressure receiving arm portion 22A upward when the movable member 60 moves to the closed position (see Figure 8(A)).

[0068] As shown in Figures 5(B) and (C), the second shaft portion 65 is located at the same position as the second signal terminal 30 and the locking fitting 40 in the connector width direction, and connects the opposing surfaces of the lower ends of adjacent partition walls 63. As shown in Figures 5(B) and (C), the second shaft portion 65 has a cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the connector width direction, forming a roughly elongated oval extending in the front-rear direction. The second shaft portion 65 located at the position of the second signal terminal 30 is positioned between the second support portion 31A-1 and the second pressure receiving portion 32A-1 of the second signal terminal 30 in the vertical direction, as shown in Figure 5(B). At this time, the second shaft portion 65 is supported by the upper edge of the second support portion 31A-1 and is positioned with a slight gap from the lower edge of the second pressure receiving portion 32A-1. As will be described later, the second shaft portion 65 functions as a cam portion that pushes up the second pressure receiving portion 32A-1 and displaces the second pressure receiving arm portion 32A upward when the movable member 60 moves to the closed position (see Figure 8(B)). The same applies to the second shaft portion 65 located at the position of the locking fitting 40 (see Figures 5(C) and 8(C)).

[0069] As shown in Figure 5(D), the third shaft portion 66 is provided at the same position as the reinforcing bracket 50 in the connector width direction, and as shown in Figure 3, it protrudes outward from the lower end of the end wall 62 in the connector width direction. As shown in Figure 5(D), the third shaft portion 66 has a cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the connector width direction that is approximately an oval, slightly shorter than the second shaft portion 65 in the front-rear direction, and protrudes slightly forward and downward from the lower end of the movable member 60.

[0070] As shown in Figure 5(D), the third shaft portion 66 is housed within the recess 16A of the housing 10 and is located below the extension 52 of the reinforcing fitting 50 and behind the restricting portion 53. At this time, the third shaft portion 66 is not in contact with the inner surface of the recess 16A, the lower edge of the extension 52, or the rear edge of the restricting portion 53. When viewed in the connector width direction, the third shaft portion 66 is surrounded on all sides by the inner surface of the recess 16A of the housing 10 and the extension 52 and restricting portion 53 of the reinforcing fitting 50. Therefore, the movement of the third shaft portion 66 can be restricted in the vertical and horizontal directions by the inner surface of the recess 16A, the extension 52, and the restricting portion 53, thereby reliably preventing the movable member 60 from unintentionally detaching from the housing 10.

[0071] Connector 1 is assembled as follows: First, the first terminal 20, namely the first signal terminal 20A and the power terminal 20B, is press-fitted into the first housing portion 17 of the housing 10 from the front. Then, the second signal terminal 30 and the locking mechanism 40 are press-fitted into the second housing portion 18 of the housing 10 from the rear. The order in which the first signal terminal 20A, the power terminal 20B, the second signal terminal 30, and the locking mechanism 40 are attached to the housing 10 does not matter, and they may be attached simultaneously.

[0072] Next, with the movable member 60 in the open position (see Figure 3), the lower part of the movable member 60 is placed inside the movable member housing space 16 of the housing 10. At this time, the third shaft portion 66 of the movable member 60 is placed inside the recess 16A of the housing 10. Next, the reinforcing bracket 50 is pressed into the third housing portion 19 of the housing 10 from the front and attached. As a result, as shown in Figure 5(D), the third shaft portion 66 is surrounded on all sides by the inner surface of the recess 16A of the housing 10 and the extended portion 52 and restricting portion 53 of the reinforcing bracket 50, preventing the movable member 60 from coming out of the housing 10. In this way, the movable member 60 is attached to the housing 10 in a state where it can move between the open position and the closed position, and the connector 1 is completed. Note that the placement of the lower part of the movable member 60 inside the movable member housing space 16 can be done at any time after the first signal terminal 20A and the power terminal 20B are attached but before the reinforcing bracket 50 is attached.

[0073] Next, the insertion and removal operation of the flat conductor C to and from the connector 1 will be described. First, the first connection part 21B of the first signal terminal 20A, the first connection part 21B of the power terminal 20B, and the second connection part 31B of the second signal terminal 30 of the connector 1 are soldered to their respective circuit parts on the circuit board (not shown), and the fixing part 41B of the locking fitting 40 and the fixing part 54 of the reinforcing fitting 50 are soldered to their respective parts on the circuit board. Through these soldering connections of the first connection part 21B, the second connection part 31B, the fixing part 41B, and the fixing part 54, the connector 1 is attached to the circuit board.

[0074] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 4(A), the second signal terminal 30 is located outside the arrangement range of the power terminal group. In other words, the second signal terminal 30 is not located within the arrangement range of the power terminals 20B belonging to the power terminal group. Therefore, the first connection portions 21B of the power terminals 20B belonging to the power terminal group can be brought close together in the connector width direction, and these first connection portions 21B can be soldered in common to the same power circuit portion (pad) on the circuit board. As a result, an increase in the size of the connector 1 in the connector width direction can be avoided. Furthermore, since the first connection portion 21B of each power terminal 20B is not connected to a separate pad, there is no need to form conductive patterns on the circuit board for connecting separate pads, and therefore, excessive heat generation on the circuit board can be suppressed.

[0075] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 4(A), the fixing portion 54 of the reinforcing bracket 50, which functions as a power terminal, is adjacent to the first connection portion 21B of the outer power terminal 20B belonging to the power terminal group. Therefore, the fixing portion 54 of the reinforcing bracket 50 can be soldered to a common pad with the first connection portion 21B of the power terminal 20B of the power terminal group.

[0076] When connecting the flat conductor C to the connector 1, as shown in Figures 1, 4(A), and 5(A) to 5(D), the flat conductor C is positioned behind the connector 1 with the movable member 60 moved to the open position, so that it extends in the front-to-back direction (X-axis direction).

[0077] Next, the flat conductor C is inserted into the receiving portion 11 of the connector 1, facing forward (in the X1 direction). During the insertion of the flat conductor C into the receiving portion 11, the front end of the flat conductor C first comes into contact with the second contact portion 32B-1 of the second signal terminal 30 (see Figure 5(B)) and the locking portion 42B-1 of the locking fitting 40, pushing up the second contact portion 32B-1 and the locking portion 42B-1, thereby elastically displacing the second contact arm portion 32B and the locking arm portion 42B upward.

[0078] As the flat conductor C is further inserted forward, the front end of the flat conductor C abuts against the first contact portion 22B-1 of the first terminal 20 and the third contact portion 55A of the reinforcing fitting 50, pushing up the first contact portion 22B-1 and the third contact portion 55A, thereby elastically displacing the first contact arm portion 22B and the third contact arm portion 55 upward. The insertion of the flat conductor C is completed when its front end abuts against the front wall 15 from behind, as shown in Figures 4(B) and 7(A)-(D). As can be seen in Figures 7(A), (B), and (D), even after the insertion of the flat conductor C is complete, the first contact arm 22B, the second contact arm 32B, and the third contact arm 55 remain elastically displaced, and the first contact portion 22B-1, the second contact portion 32B-1, and the third contact portion 55A contact the first signal pad C1, the second signal pad C2, or the power pad C3 of the flat conductor C.

[0079] Furthermore, with respect to the locking mechanism 40, after the locking arm 42B elastically displaces upward during the insertion process of the flat conductor C, and once the lug C5 of the flat conductor C passes the position of the locking part 42B-1, the locking arm 42B returns to its free state and protrudes into the notch C4 of the flat conductor C from above. As a result, as shown in Figure 7(C), when the insertion of the flat conductor C is completed, the locking part 42B-1 is positioned opposite the locked portion C5A of the flat conductor C from the rear. It should be noted that it is not essential for the locking arm 42B to return to a completely free state. For example, the locking arm 42B may protrude into the notch C4 of the flat conductor C while retaining a small amount of elastic displacement.

[0080] Next, the operating part 61 of the movable member 60 is operated with a finger to move (rotate) it from the open position to the closed position. When the movable member 60 moves to the closed position, as shown in Figures 8(A) to (D), the first shaft portion 64, the second shaft portion 65, and the third shaft portion 66 are in an extended position with the vertical direction as the longitudinal direction. At this time, the first shaft portion 64 and the second shaft portion 65, which are located corresponding to the first terminal 20 and the second signal terminal 30 respectively, are supported from below by the first support portion 21A-1 and the second support portion 31A-1, respectively, and press down on the first pressure receiving portion 22A-1 and the second pressure receiving portion 32A-1 from below, displacing the first pressure receiving arm portion 22A and the second pressure receiving arm portion 32A upward. As a result, as shown in Figures 8(A) and (B), the first upper arm portion 22 and the second upper arm portion 32 are displaced in a lever-like manner, and the first contact arm portion 22B and the second contact arm portion 32B are displaced downward. Then, the first contact portion 22B-1 and the second contact portion 32B-1 make contact from above with increased contact pressure with the first signal pad C1, the second signal pad C2, or the power pad of the flat conductor C, respectively (see also Figure 4(B)), and maintain an electrically conductive state.

[0081] Furthermore, when the movable member 60 moves to the closed position, as shown in Figure 8(C), the second shaft portion 65, which is positioned corresponding to the locking fitting 40, presses the second pressure receiving portion 42A-1 from below, displacing the second pressure receiving arm portion 42A upward. As a result, the second upper arm portion 42 is displaced in a lever-like manner, causing the locking arm portion 42B to be displaced downward, and the locking portion 42B-1 penetrates even deeper into the notch portion C4 of the flat conductor C. Therefore, the state in which the locking portion 42B-1 can be locked from the rear to the locked portion C5A is maintained, and the rearward extraction of the flat conductor C is effectively prevented.

[0082] Furthermore, when the movable member 60 moves to the closed position, as shown in Figure 8(D), the third shaft portion 66, which is positioned corresponding to the reinforcing bracket 50, does not come into contact with the reinforcing bracket 50 even when it is extended in the vertical direction. Also, even after the movable member 60 moves to the closed position, the third contact arm portion 55 remains elastically displaced and in contact with the power pad C3 at the third contact portion 55A, and the state of electrical conductivity with the power pad C3 is maintained. In this way, the movement of the movable member 60 to the closed position completes the connection operation of the flat conductor C to the connector 1.

[0083] When the movable member 60 is in the closed position, a gap S1 is formed between the rear end of the movable member 60 and the front end of the front wall 15 of the housing 10, as shown in Figures 8(A) to (C). Also, as shown in Figure 8(D), the restricted portion 61A of the movable member 60 is located in front of the restricting portion 53 of the reinforcing fitting 50, with a gap S2 formed between it and the front end of the restricting portion 53. In this embodiment, the gap S2 is smaller than the gap S1. Therefore, if an unintended external force is applied to the movable member 60 from the front while it is in the closed position, the restricted portion 61A will come into contact with the restricting portion 53 from the front before the rear end of the movable member 60 comes into contact with the front wall 15 from the front, thus restricting the rearward movement of the restricted portion 61A.

[0084] If the movable member 60 is not provided with a restricted portion 61A, and an inadvertent external force is applied to the movable member 60 from the front while it is in the closed position, the movable member 60 will move backward by a distance equal to the gap S2 (referred to here as "distance S2") until its rear end contacts the front wall 15 of the housing 10. At this time, the first shaft portion 64, the second shaft portion 65, and the third shaft portion 66 of the movable member 60 also move by distance S2. As a result, the first shaft portion 64, which is located in correspondence with the first terminal 20, the second shaft portion 65, which is located in correspondence with the second signal terminal 30, and the second shaft portion 65, which is located in correspondence with the locking fitting 40, will push further upward the first pressure-receiving arm portion 22A of the first terminal 20, the second pressure-receiving arm portion 32A of the second signal terminal 30, and the second pressure-receiving arm portion 32A of the locking fitting 40, which are already in a displaced state. Therefore, the first pressure-receiving arm 22A and the second pressure-receiving arm 32A may deform excessively, which could result in damage to the first terminal 20, the second signal terminal 30, and the locking mechanism 40.

[0085] On the other hand, in this embodiment, the restricted portion 61A of the movable member 60 is positioned in front of the restricting portion 53 of the reinforcing fitting 50, forming a gap S2 smaller than the gap S1 in the front-rear direction. Therefore, when the movable member 60 receives an external force to the rear, the restricted portion 61A comes into contact with the restricting portion 53 from the front when it has moved rearward by a distance S2, thus restricting further movement. Consequently, the movement of the movable member 60 is kept to a minimum, so that the first pressure-receiving arm 22A of the first terminal 20, the second pressure-receiving arm 32A of the second signal terminal 30, and the second pressure-receiving arm 32A of the lock fitting 40 are not excessively pushed upward and deformed by the first shaft portion 64 and the second shaft portion 65 of the movable member 60. As a result, damage to the first terminal 20, the second signal terminal 30, and the lock fitting 40 is effectively prevented.

[0086] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the front end surface of the restricting portion 53 and the rear end surface of the restricted portion 61A, that is, the opposing surfaces of the restricting portion 53 and the restricted portion 61A, form flat surfaces perpendicular to the front-rear direction. Therefore, when the movable member 60 receives an external force from the front and moves backward, the restricting portion 53 and the restricted portion 61A come into contact with each other through their flat surfaces. As a result, the restricting portion 53 and the restricted portion 61A can come into contact over a large area, making it possible to more reliably prevent the flat conductor C from coming loose.

[0087] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the restricting portion 53 of the reinforcing bracket 50 is located in front of the held portion 51, which is held and fixed by the housing 10, that is, on the opposite side of the third contact arm portion 55 in the front-rear direction. Therefore, even if the restricted portion 61A of the movable member 60 that has moved rearward comes into contact with the restricting portion 53 from the front, it does not affect the elastic displacement state of the third contact arm portion 55. As a result, the contact state between the third contact portion 55A and the power pad C3 of the flat conductor C can be maintained in good condition.

[0088] When intentionally removing the flat conductor C from the connector 1, as shown in Figures 8(A) to (D), i.e., when it is connected to the connector 1, the operating part 61 of the movable member 60, which is in the closed position, is operated to move it to the open position shown in Figures 7(A) to (D). This causes the locking part 42B-1 of the locking fitting 40 to disengage upward from the notch C4 of the flat conductor C, releasing the locking state of the locking part 42B-1 against the locked part C5A, and allowing the flat conductor C to be removed. Then, by pulling the flat conductor C backward (in the X2 direction), the flat conductor C is easily removed from the connector 1, and the removal operation is completed.

[0089] In this embodiment, the reinforcing bracket is used as a power terminal, but it may be used as a signal terminal instead. In that case, a signal pad is provided on the flat conductor at a position corresponding to the reinforcing bracket in the connector width direction. Furthermore, it is not essential to use the reinforcing bracket as a terminal. In that case, it is not necessary to provide contact arms on the reinforcing bracket. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0090] 1 Connector 10 Housing 11 Reception Department 16A recess 20 First terminal 20A first signal terminal 20B power supply terminal 21 First lower arm 21B First connection section 22 First upper arm 22A-1 First pressure receiving part 22B-1 First contact part 23 First connection part 30 Second signal terminal 31 Second lower arm 31B Second connection section 32 Second upper arm 32A-1 Second pressure receiving part 32B-1 Second contact part 33 Second connection part 40 Locking mechanism 42B Locking mechanism (locking part) 50 Reinforcement fittings 51 Holding part 52 Extension 53 Regulatory Department 54 Fixed part 55 Third contact arm 55A Third contact part 60 Movable member 61 Operation section 61A Regulated part 64 First shaft part 65 Second shaft part C Flat conductor C1 First Signal Pad C2 Second Signal Pad C3 Power Pad C4 Notch C5A Locked part P1 Pitch P2 interval

Claims

1. An electrical connector for flat conductors, which is mounted on a circuit board and to which a strip-shaped flat conductor is inserted and removed in the front-to-back direction, A housing that receives the aforementioned flat conductor from the rear, An electrical connector for a flat conductor having a plurality of terminals arranged in the width direction of the flat conductor as the terminal arrangement direction and held in the housing, The aforementioned plurality of terminals each have a plurality of first terminals and a plurality of second terminals, The first terminal has a first contact portion that can contact the flat conductor and a first connection portion that is soldered to the circuit board on one side relative to the housing in the front-rear direction. The second terminal has a second contact portion that can contact the flat conductor and a second connection portion that is soldered to the circuit board on the other side of the housing in the front-rear direction. The aforementioned plurality of first terminals each have two terminal groups, The first terminals belonging to each terminal group are power terminals arranged continuously at a predetermined pitch. The second terminal is located outside the range of the terminal group in the terminal arrangement direction. An electrical connector for flat conductors, characterized in that a gap larger than the predetermined pitch is formed between a specific first terminal, which is the innermost terminal in the terminal arrangement direction among the first terminals belonging to any terminal group, and other first terminals adjacent to the specific first terminal that do not belong to the any terminal group.

2. The flat conductor electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein at least some of the plurality of second terminals are arranged as signal terminals between the two groups of terminals in the terminal arrangement direction.

3. Multiple second terminals are provided between the two aforementioned groups of terminals. The flat conductor electrical connector according to claim 2, wherein the first terminal not belonging to the terminal group is arranged as a signal terminal between adjacent second terminals.

4. The system further includes reinforcing brackets positioned outside the terminal arrangement range of the aforementioned plurality of terminals, The reinforcing bracket has a contact portion that can contact the flat conductor and a fixing portion that is soldered to the circuit board at a position on one side of the housing in the front-rear direction. The flat conductor electrical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the fixing portion is adjacent to the first connection portion of the first terminal that is located furthest out in the terminal arrangement direction among the first terminals belonging to the terminal group.

5. A locking mechanism is provided and held by the housing outside the terminal arrangement range of the aforementioned plurality of terminals. The flat conductor electrical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the locking fitting has the same shape as the second terminal, is positioned in the same location as the second terminal when viewed in the terminal arrangement direction, and the portion of the second terminal corresponding to the second contact portion forms a locking portion that can be locked from the rear to the locking portion of the flat conductor.

6. A flat conductor that can be connected to the flat conductor electrical connector described in claim 3, Notches are formed at both ends in the width direction of the flat conductor and are capable of receiving the locking portion provided on the electrical connector for the flat conductor, A locking portion formed in front of the notch and capable of being locked to the locking portion in the front-rear direction, The flat conductor has a plurality of pads provided on the front end side that can contact the terminal, The plurality of pads include a power pad to which a first terminal as a power terminal can make contact, a first signal pad to which a first terminal as a signal terminal can make contact, and a second signal pad to which a second terminal as a signal terminal can make contact. The front end of the second signal pad is located behind the front ends of the power pad and the first signal pad, respectively. The power supply pad is formed to be larger in the width direction than the first signal pad and the second signal pad at both ends in the width direction of the flat conductor, and a portion of the front end portion located in front of the second signal pad is formed to have an overlapping area in the width direction with the second signal pad adjacent to the power supply pad. The flat conductor is characterized in that the notch is formed behind the front end of the second signal pad.

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