Connector With Regulating Portion for Secure FPC Retention
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing connectors for sheet-like or plate-like objects, such as flexible printed circuits (FPCs) and flexible flat cables (FFCs), fail to securely prevent the objects from coming off, especially when subjected to mechanical stress or improper insertion.
Innovation Solution
A connector design featuring a contact and a maintaining member with elastically deformable supporting and projecting portions, housed within a structure that includes a receiving portion for the object, a permitting portion for elastic deformation, and a regulating portion to control movement, ensuring the projecting portions engage the object securely and prevent dislodgment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the connector uses a simple structure without regulating portion, then the device complexity is reduced, but the object may come off due to uncontrolled elastic deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is divided into distinct functional regions: the permitting portion that allows controlled elastic deformation of the contact, and the regulating portion that controls the maintaining member's movement. This segmentation enables each region to perform its specific function independently, ensuring reliable object retention while maintaining manageable structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the connector are given different mechanical properties: the permitting portion is designed to be flexible to allow elastic deformation of the contact, while the regulating portion is designed to be rigid to control the maintaining member's movement. This local differentiation of mechanical properties ensures reliable object retention without requiring the entire connector to be overly complex.
2Ease of manufacture
If the contact and maintaining member have different shapes, then each can be optimized for its specific function, but the number of parts increases
Solution Approach 1:
The contact and maintaining member are designed with the same shape, allowing them to be manufactured using identical processes and from the same material specifications. This universal design reduces manufacturing complexity and part variety while both components perform their respective functions reliably within their designated regions, ensuring secure engagement.
3Ease of operation
If the supporting portion is highly elastically deformable, then the projecting portion can move freely to engage the object, but the maintaining member cannot maintain stable position
Solution Approach 1:
The connector structure is segmented into a permitting portion that allows high elastic deformability for easy insertion and a regulating portion that provides structural support to maintain stable positioning. This segmentation enables the supporting portion to be highly elastically deformable for ease of operation while the regulating portion ensures the maintaining member maintains a stable position.
4Stability of the object's composition
If the regulating portion completely restricts elastic deformation, then the maintaining member position is stable, but the contact cannot engage the object properly
Solution Approach 1:
The regulating portion is designed with specific local qualities that allow it to restrict elastic deformation in the maintaining member while permitting proper engagement. The regulating portion provides controlled restriction that maintains stable positioning without completely eliminating the ability of the contact to engage the object properly through the permitting portion.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The connector effectively prevents the object from coming off by allowing elastic deformation of the contact while regulating the maintaining member's movement, ensuring secure engagement and reduced part variability through symmetrical design.
Implementation Method 1
The housing is provided with a permitting portion corresponding to the contact. The permitting portion permits elastic deformation and movement of the supporting portion of the contact to allow the projecting portion of the contact to be moved in an up-down direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction.
Implementation Method 2
The connector is provided with a regulating portion corresponding to the maintaining member. The regulating portion regulates elastic deformation and movement of the supporting portion of the maintaining member to maintain a state where the projecting portion of the maintaining member projects into the receiving portion in the up-down direction.
Data Source
AI summary
A connector has a contact, a maintaining member, a housing, a regulating portion and an actuator. A supporting portion and a projecting portion of the contact have shapes same as those of the maintaining member. The housing holds the contact and the maintaining member. A permitting portion of the housing allows the projecting portion of the contact to be moved in an up-down direction. The regulating portion maintains a state where the projecting portion of the maintaining member projects into a receiving portion of the housing in the up-down direction. When the actuator is moved to the close position in a received state, the projecting portion of the contact is pressed against the object. When the actuator is positioned at the close position in the received state, the projecting portion of the maintaining member is positioned in front of an engaged portion of the object.