Low-Profile FPC Connector with Reinforcing Plate
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing connectors of the perpendicular fitting type face challenges in miniaturization and low-profile design due to the need for a reinforcing plate with high strength, which complicates the structure and increases thickness, leading to potential contact failures and electrical disconnects, especially in multicore connectors.
Innovation Solution
A connector system comprising a frame member and a plate-like member, where the frame member surrounds the contacts and engages with a mating connector, and the plate-like member extends over the contacts, providing equivalent strength to a thicker plate while maintaining a low-profile design, with the option to integrate the plate-like member with the connection object itself, such as an FPC or PCB, to reduce thickness and enhance manufacturing simplicity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a reinforcing plate with large thickness is used to prevent FPC bending and contact failure, then the strength and reliability are improved, but the connector size increases and miniaturization is hindered
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transitions from a single thick plate structure to a multi-layer thin plate assembly. By stacking multiple thin plates (first plate, second plate, third plate) with alternating conductive and insulating materials, the structure achieves the mechanical strength of a thick plate while maintaining a compact thickness. This dimensional stacking approach resolves the contradiction between strength requirements and miniaturization goals.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs composite material construction by combining conductive plates (with contacts) and insulating plates in an alternating stack. This composite structure provides both mechanical reinforcement to prevent FPC bending and electrical insulation between contacts, while the distributed thin-plate architecture maintains overall compactness. The composite approach enables strength enhancement without proportional increase in overall connector volume.
2Reliability
If a reinforcing plate with large thickness is used to maintain FPC flatness under pressing force, then contact reliability is improved, but the low-profile design requirement is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The solution distributes the reinforcement function across multiple thin plates stacked in the thickness direction rather than relying on a single thick plate. Each thin plate contributes to overall structural rigidity, and the alternating conductive-insulating sequence creates a laminated composite that resists bending while maintaining low profile. This multi-layer approach achieves reliability without excessive thickness.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes thin plate structures that function as flexible yet reinforcing elements. The thin conductive and insulating plates work together to provide structural support against pressing forces from the mating connector while maintaining the low-profile form factor. The thin-plate architecture prevents FPC bending through distributed reinforcement rather than localized thickening.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate components (frame member, locking members, contacts) are used in the mating connector, then the connector functionality is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention integrates multiple functional components into a unified multi-layer plate structure. The frame member, locking members, and contacts are incorporated as integrated features of the stacked plate assembly rather than separate discrete parts. The conductive plates provide contact functionality, the insulating plates provide structural support and electrical isolation, and the combined structure achieves locking functionality, thereby reducing overall component count and assembly complexity while maintaining full connector functionality.
Data Source
AI summary
A connector comprises a plurality of contacts which are formed using a plurality of conductive contact points provided on a first plate surface of an FPC as a connection object, a frame member which has an opening size and a height capable of receiving a mating connector and is attached to the first plate surface of the FPC so as to surround the contacts, and a plate-like member which is provided on a second plate surface of the FPC so as to extend over a region corresponding to the contacts. The frame member has locking holes which respectively engage with mating locking claws of the mating connector when the connector is fitted to the mating connector, thereby maintaining the fitting state of the connector and the mating connector.