Male connector for flat flexible circuit

• US 6,039,600 A
• Filed: 10/10/1997
• Issued: 03/21/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Molex Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Molex Incorporated
• Inventors: Fuerst, Robert M., Watt, Russell J., Etters, Harry N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gellner, Michael L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hammond, Briggitte R.
• Application Number:
  US08/948,759
• Time in Patent Office: 893 Days
• Field of Search: 439/496, 439/492, 439/495, 439/449, 439/459, 439/470, 439/67, 439/59, 439/493
• US Class Current: 439/496
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/592 connections to contact elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/772 Strain relieving means
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/79 connecting to rigid printed circuits or like structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/025 formed by the conductors of a cable end
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/118 specially for flexible printed circuits, e.g. using folded portions
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/365 by abutting, i.e. without alloying process

Abstract

A male connector is provided for electrically interconnecting the conductors of a flat flexible circuit to the conductors of a complementary mating connecting device. The connector includes a male body member on which the flexible circuit is positioned, with the conductors of the circuit facing away from the body member. A yieldable backing structure is disposed on the body member beneath the flexible circuit for resiliently biasing the conductors of the circuit against the conductors of the mating connecting device when the connector is mated with the device.

Claims

1. A male connector for electrically interconnecting conductors of a flat flexible circuit to conductors of a complementary mating connecting device without the use of conductive terminals, comprising:

a relatively rigid male body member on which the flexible circuit is positioned with the conductors of the circuit facing away from the body member, the body member including positioning means formed integrally thereon for locating the flexible circuit relative to the body member, the positioning means comprising bosses integrally formed on the body member and adapted to be received in corresponding holes formed in the flexible circuit, and further including at least one latching member integrally formed on the body member and adapted to latchingly engage within a corresponding latch-receiving opening in the mating connecting device and

a relatively yieldable backing structure of generally uniform thickness attached to the body member for resiliently biasing the conductors of the flexible circuit against the conductors of the mating connecting device when the connector is mated with the device, wherein the backing structure is formed of a different material than the body member.

2. The male connector of claim 1 wherein said yieldable backing structure is a molded-in-place component.

3. The male connector of claim 1 wherein said yieldable backing structure is separate from the body member and fixed thereto.

4. The male connector of claim 1 wherein said yieldable backing structure is integral with the body member.

5. The male connector of claim 1 wherein said body member has opposite sides with one of the yieldable backing structures on each opposite side, whereby the flexible circuit is wrapped around the body member over both yieldable backing structures on opposite sides of the body member.

6. The male connector of claim 1 wherein said body member includes a recess having a sunken wall with opposite sides with one of the yieldable backing structures on each opposite side, whereby the flexible circuit is inserted into a slot in the body member and wraps around both yieldable backing structures.

7. The male connector of claim 1 wherein said body member is molded of plastic material and the yieldable backing structure is of elastomeric material.

8. The male connector of claim 7 wherein said yieldable backing structure is a silicone rubber structure.

9. The male connector of claim 1 including strain relief means formed on the body member for strain relieving the flexible circuit.

10. The male connector of claim 9 wherein the strain relief means comprise bosses integrally formed on the body member and adapted to be received in corresponding holes formed in the flexible circuit.

11. A connector assembly for removably interconnecting conductors of a first flat flexible circuit to conductors of a second flat flexible circuit without the use of conductive terminals, comprising,

a male connector including a relatively rigid male body member on which the first flexible circuit is positioned with the conductors of the circuit facing away from the body member, wherein the body member includes positioning means integrally formed thereon for locating the flexible circuit relative to the body member, the positioning means comprising bosses integrally formed on the body member and adapted to be received in corresponding holes formed in the flexible circuit, and further including at least one latching member integrally formed on the male body member

a female connector including a female housing having wall means defining a cavity for receiving the second flexible circuit and a corresponding latch opening for receiving the latch member and

a relatively yieldable unitarily formed backing structure of generally uniform thickness attached to one of the male body member and the female housing for resiliently biasing the conductors of the first flexible circuit against the conductors of the second flexible circuit when the male connector is mated with the female connector, wherein the backing structure is formed of a different material than the male connector and the female connector.

12. The connector assembly of claim 11 wherein said yieldable backing structure causes the respective flexible circuit to project away from the one of the body member and the female housing and into a window of the other of the body member and the female housing.