Flat Flexible Cable Connector Crimping for Low-Resistance Termination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current connectors for flat flexible cables (FFCs) face challenges such as high electrical resistance, inconsistent connectivity, and mechanical unreliability due to the fragile nature of thin foil conductors, requiring complex and inefficient crimping processes for secure connections in harsh environments.
Innovation Solution
A connector design featuring a housing with retention and crimping sections, where terminals with piercing and crimping portions are used to securely connect exposed conductors in the FFC, allowing for simultaneous crimping and strain relief, improving connection reliability and efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If piercing-style crimp terminals are used to connect to thin foil conductors, then connection can be established, but electrical resistance increases and connectivity becomes inconsistent
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal is divided into distinct functional sections: a piercing section with sharpened tines for penetrating insulation and adhesive, and a separate crimping section with flattened portions for securing the exposed conductor. This segmentation allows each section to optimize its specific function, ensuring both reliable penetration and consistent low-resistance electrical contact.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the terminal have different geometries and properties tailored to their specific functions. The piercing tines are sharpened for mechanical penetration, while the crimping portions are flattened and shaped to provide consistent mechanical and electrical contact with the thin foil conductor, ensuring optimal local contact quality.
2Reliability
If individualized crimping of terminals is performed, then secure connection is achieved, but process complexity increases and efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple terminals are arranged in a array within a single connector housing, allowing simultaneous crimping of all terminals in one operation. The connector design integrates multiple contact portions and crimping portions in a unified structure that can be terminated together, eliminating the need for complex individualized crimping equipment and processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector housing serves multiple functions: it holds and positions multiple terminals, provides a common crimping surface, and enables simultaneous termination of the FFC. This multi-functional design simplifies the overall termination process and reduces equipment requirements.
3Reliability
If complex crimping equipment is used for FFC termination, then secure connections are achieved, but manufacturing efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The terminals are pre-configured with both piercing and crimping portions in a ready-to-use arrangement within the connector housing. The FFC is positioned with exposed conductors aligned with the crimping portions before the crimping operation, allowing for efficient simultaneous termination without requiring complex step-by-step equipment.
Data Source
AI summary
A connector for a flat flexible cable includes a housing portion and a plurality of terminals. The housing portion has a retention section and a crimping section. The retention section has a plurality of terminal receiving passageways. The plurality of terminals each have a contact portion held in one of the plurality of terminal receiving passageways and a crimping portion exposed in the crimping section. A plurality of conductors exposed in a window extending through an insulation material of the flat flexible cable are each crimped in the crimping portion of one of the plurality of terminals.