Zero insertion force connector for flexible circuit boards

• US 5,735,709 A
• Filed: 10/02/1995
• Issued: 04/07/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Japan Aviation Electronics Industry Limited
• Original Assignee: Japan Aviation Electronics Industry Limited
• Inventors: Hashiguchi, Osamu, Sato, Kazuomi
• Primary Examiner(s): Bradley, P. Austin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ta, Tho Dac
• Application Number:
  US08/537,530
• Time in Patent Office: 918 Days
• Field of Search: 439/495, 439/498, 439/499, 439/329, 439/67, 439/259, 439/260, 439/261, 439/262, 439/263, 439/264, 439/265, 439/77
• US Class Current: 439/495
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/79 connecting to rigid printed circuits or like structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/82 connected with low or zero insertion force
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/89 acting manually by moving connector housing parts linearly, e.g. slider

Abstract

In a zero insertion force connector for flexible circuit boards, there are a housing, plural flexible circuit boards in multiple rows, an insulator holding the flexible circuit boards and displaceable in perpendicular to the flexible circuit boards in the housing, a counterpart insulator having plural pairs of broader counterpart contacts than thickness of the flexible circuit boards, and a driving member for displacing the insulator so as to incline the flexible circuit boards. When the driving member is operated, the insulator presses the flexible circuit boards. Then the flexible circuit boards incline, and connect the counterpart contacts respectively.

Claims

1. A zero insertion force connector for use in making connections and disconnections between a plurality of flexible circuit boards in multiple rows and counterpart contacts, said connector comprising:

a housing, insulator means for rigidly holding portions adjacent to contact points of said flexible circuit boards, said insulator means being displaceable within said housing in a direction perpendicular to said flexible circuit boards, a fixed counterpart insulator having a plurality of pairs of said counterpart contacts which are separated by an interval that is broader than a thickness of said flexible circuit boards, and a driving member for displacing said insulator means so as to control an incline of said flexible circuit boards to complete and open electrical connections between said contact points and said counterpart contacts.

2. A zero insertion force connector for use in making connections and disconnections between a plurality of flexible circuit boards in multiple rows and counterpart contacts as claimed in claim 1, wherein said driving member is mounted for rotating relative to said housing so as to displace said insulator means with said flexible circuit boards.

3. A zero insertion force connector for use in making connections and disconnections between a plurality of flexible circuit boards in multiple rows and counterpart contacts as claimed in claim 1, wherein said driving member is mounted for sliding in a direction in which said flexible circuit board is inserted into said housing so as to displace said insulator means with said flexible circuit boards.

4. A zero insertion force connector for use in making connections and disconnections between a plurality of flexible circuit boards in multiple rows and counterpart contacts as claimed in claim 1, wherein said driving member is mounted for sliding perpendicularly in a direction in which said flexible circuit boards are inserted into said housing so as to displace said insulator with said flexible circuit boards.

5. A zero insertion force connector for use in making connections and disconnections between a plurality of flexible circuit boards in multiple rows and counterpart contacts as claimed in claim 1, wherein said each of said circuit boards comprises an insulating tape with conducting patterns on a first side thereof and an elastic plate on a second side thereof.

6. A zero insertion force connector for use in making connections and disconnections between a plurality of flexible circuit boards in multiple rows and counterpart contacts as claimed in claim 1, wherein said each flexible circuit board comprises a printed circuit.

7. A zero insertion force connector for use in making connections and disconnections between a plurality of flexible circuit boards in multiple rows and counterpart contacts as claimed in claim 1, wherein said insulator and said driving member are accommodated in an upper portion of said housing, and said counterpart insulator is accommodated in a lower portion of the same housing.

8. A zero insertion force connector for use in making connections and disconnections between a plurality of flexible circuit boards in multiple rows and counterpart contacts as claimed in claim 1, wherein said insulator and said driving member are accommodated in an upper portion on an entrance side of said housing for receiving said flexible circuit boards, and said counterpart insulator is accommodated in a lower portion on an opposite side of said entrance side of the same housing.

9. A zero insertion force connector for use in making connections and disconnections between a plurality of flexible flat cables in multiple rows and counterpart contacts, wherein said connector comprises a housing, an insulator means having rigid holding portions adjacent to contact points of said flexible flat cables, said insulator means being displaceable within said housing and in a direction perpendicular to said flexible flat cables, a fixed counterpart insulator has a plurality of pairs of said counterpart contacts spaced from each other by a distance which is greater than a thickness of said flexible flat cable, and a driving member mounted for displacing said insulator means so as to incline said flexible flat cables in order to make said electrical connection with said counterpart contacts.

10. A zero insertion force connector for use in making connections and disconnections between a plurality of flexible flat cables in multiple rows and counterpart contacts as claimed in claim 9, wherein said driving member is mounted for rotating relative to said housing in order to displace said insulator means with said flexible flat cables.

11. A zero insertion force connector for use in making connections and disconnections between a plurality of flexible flat cables in multiple rows and counterpart contacts as claimed in claim 9, wherein said driving member is mounted for sliding in a direction in which said flexible flat cables are inserted into said housing in order to displace said insulator means with said flexible flat cable.

12. A zero insertion force connector for use in making connections and disconnections between a plurality of flexible flat cables in multiple rows and counterpart contacts as claimed in claim 9, wherein said driving member is mounted for sliding in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which said flexible flat cables are inserted into said housing in order to displace said insulator means with said flexible flat cables.

13. A zero insertion force connector for use in making connections and disconnections between a plurality of flexible flat cables in multiple rows and counterpart contacts as claimed in claim 9, wherein said insulator means and said driving member are accommodated in an entrance side of said housing, for receiving said flexible flat cables, said counterpart insulator being accommodated in an opposite side of said entrance side of the same housing.