Dac 1969 B. w. MATTHEWS 3,436,159
CONNECTORS FOR USE WITH FLEXIBLE PRINTED CIRCUITS Filed June 13, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec.23, 1969 QWMATT-HEWS 3,486,159
CONNECTORS FOR USE WITH FLEXIBLE PRINTED CIRCUITS Filed June 15, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 1969 B. w. MATTHEWS 3,486,159
CONNECTORS FOR USE WITH FLEXIBLE PRINTED CIRCUITS Filed June 13, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 3,486,159 CONNECTORS FOR USE WITH FLEXIBLE PRINTED CIRCUITS Benjamin William Matthews, Small Heath, Birmingham, England, assignor to Joseph Lucas (Industries) Limited,
Birmingham, England, a British company Filed June 13, 1967, Ser. No. 645,806 Claims priority, application Great Britain, June 22, 1966, 27,923/66; Aug. 8, 1966, 35,378/66 Int. Cl. HOSk 1/00; H011 13/54 US. Cl. 339-17 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A connector for use with flexible printed circuits comprising in combination a first part adapted to support a flexible printed circuit, a second part releasably engageable with the first part, and a plurality of conductive terminals carried by the second part which engage exposed conductive areas of the flexible printed circuit, when said second part is engaged with said first part.
This invention relates to connectors for use with flexible printed circuits.
A connector according to the invention comprises in combination a first part adapted to support a flexible printed circuit, a second part releasably engageable with said first part, and a plurality of conductive terminals carried by said second part which engage exposed conductive areas of the flexible printed circuit when said second part engaged with said first part.
In the accompanying drawings,
FIGURE 1 is an exploded perspective view of a connector according to one example of the invention,
FIGURE 2 is a sectional view of part of the connector shown in FIGURE 1, assembled,
FIGURE 3 is a rear view of part of the plug member of the connector in FIGURE 1,
FIGURE 4 is a sectional view of the socket member of the connector in FIGURE 1, but with the terminals removed,
FIGURE 5 is a plan view of a terminal for use in the socket member in FIGURE 4,
FIGURE 6 is an exploded perspective view of the plug member of a second example of a connector according to the invention, but having the printed circuit removed for clarity,
FIGURE 7 is a sectional view of a third example of a connector according to the invention, and
FIGURES 8 and 9 are end views respectively of two alternative forms of the construction shown in FIGURE 6 partially assembled.
Referring first to FIGURES l to 5, the connector includes asocket member 11 and aplug member 12, theplug member 12 being in two parts, abody part 13 and aclamping part 14.
Thebody part 13 is moulded in synthetic resin and comprises arectangular base 15 having integral therewith at opposite ends thereof a pair ofposts 16. The 1posts 16 are formed with grooves 16a within which screws (not shown) are engaged to secure theplug member 12 in a desired position. Integral with theposts 16 and extending therebetween in parallel spaced relationship to thebase 15 is arib 17 which projects beyond the edge of thebase 15. Theoutermost edge 18 of therib 17 is rounded in profile and the upper and lower faces of the rib are each formed adjacent theedge 18 with alongitudinal groove 19. Therib 17 defines with the base 15 aslot 21 thebase 15 being further formed with atransverse groove 22 which communicates with theslot 21.
nited States Patent 0 M 3,486,159 Patented Dec. 23, 1969 Theclamping part 14 is also moulded in synthetic resin and comprises a strip likeportion 23 of length substantially the same as therib 17 and having at itsends lugs 24 which in use engage the tops of theposts 16 and are formed with grooves 24a which correspond in use with the grooves 16a in theposts 16.
In order to secure a flexible printed circuit to theplug member 12, the printed circuit is threaded through theslot 21 and is then bent around theedge 18 of therib 17 to lie in contact with the upper face of therib 17. The printed circuit is then further bent into thegrooves 19. The clampingpart 14 is then engaged with thebody part 13 in such a manner that the printed circuit is trapped between theportion 23 of thepart 14 and therib 17. Theparts 13, 14 are secured together and to a support (not shown) by screws which extend within the grooves 16a, 24a in theparts 13, 14, respectively.
The socket member 11 (FIGURE 4) comprises a synthetic resin body which is rectangular in section and is formed with a plurality of transversely extendingstepped channels 25 each of which communicates at its inner narrow end with alongitudinal slot 26. Extending from the body are a pair of resilientbarbed latch member 27 and the arrangement is such that in use when themembers 11 and 12 are interengaged, thelatch members 27 are engaged in theslot 22 in themember 12 and therib 17 is housed within theslot 26.
A conductive terminal 28 (FIGURE 5) is housed in each of thechannels 25 in thesocket member 11. Each terminal includes abase portion 29 which is formed withtags 31 which in use are deformed to grip and make electrical contact to a conductive lead. Thebase portion 29 further includes an outwardly directedtongue 32 which engages agroove 33 in the wall of thechannel 25 to secure the terminal therein. Integral with thebase portion 29 is a pair ofresilient arms 34 which extend from thechannel 25 into theslot 26 and are shaped to define a pair of partcircular portions 35 which in use, engage exposed areas of the printed circuit located within thegrooves 19 in therib 17.
In the alternative construction shown in FIGURE 6 theclamping part 14 is replaced by a second body part 13a, the lower face of which is shaped to engage the upper face of thefirst body part 13. Thus a plurality of flexible printed circuits can be secured one above the other. In this alternative construction the two plug members can be engaged either byseparate socket members 39, 42, FIGURE 8, or by a socket member 42, FIGURE 9, having two sets ofconductive members 43, 44 positioned one above the other.
In the further construction shown in FIGURE 7 thesocket member 36 comprises a synthetic resinbody having passages 37 extending therethrough. Double endedconductive connectors 38 are engaged in thepassages 37, and the arrangement is such that a printed circuit carried by aplug member 12 engaged in one end of themember 36 will be electrically interconnected with a similar printed circuit carried by asecond plug member 12a engaged in the other end of themember 36.
It will be appreciated that thebody parts 13 and theclamping parts 14 of theplub members 12 could be injection moulded around members constituting theribs 17, the flexible printedcircuits 20 being bent around the members prior to the moulding operation. In this case the upper of a pair ofplug members 12 would not constitute the clampingpart 14 of the lower plug member. Moreover it will further be appreciated that therib 17 could be a separate part which is clamped to thebase 15 of thebody part 13 by theclamping part 14 in flexible printed circuit being bent around therib 17 and trapped 3 between thebase 15 and therib 17 and therib 17 and thepart 14.
Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:
1. A connector for use with a flexible printed circuit, comprising in combination, a first plug member having a projecting rib over which exposed conductive areas of a flexible printed circuit extend in use, a socket member having therein a passage capable of receiving said projecting rib, a plurality of conductive terminals carried by said socket member and housed in said passage, said terminals engaging said exposed conductive areas of the flexible printed circuit when said projecting rib is engaged in said passage, a second plug member substantially identical to the first plug member, and engageable with the first plug member, and clamping surfaces defined on said first and second plug members, between which said flexible printed circuit is trapped when the first and second plug members are interengaged.
2. A connector as claimed in claim 1 wherein the plug members are engaged by separate socket members.
3. A connector as claimed in claim 1 wherein the plug members are engaged by a single socket member carrying two sets of correspondingly positioned conductive terminals.
4. A connector as claimed in claim 1 wherein the plug and socket members are provided with interengageable releasable latch means which maintain the plug and socket members into engagement against accidental disengagemerit.
References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,154,365 10/ 1964 Crimmins. 3,159,447 12/1964 Crimmins et al. 3,189,864 6/1965 Angele et al. 3,307,139 2/1967 Prise.
3,333,231 7/1967 Travis.
MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner PATRICK A. CLIFFORD, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 3399l, 176