Electrical connector assembly for connecting flat flexible circuitry to discrete electrical terminals

• US 6,146,190 A
• Filed: 06/01/1998
• Issued: 11/14/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Molex Incorporated (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Molex Incorporated (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Fuerst, Robert M., Watt, Russell J., LePottier, Yves
• Primary Examiner(s): Sircus, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Byrd, Eugene G.
• Application Number:
  US09/088,151
• Time in Patent Office: 897 Days
• Field of Search: 439/495, 439/496, 439/492
• US Class Current: 439/496
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/592 connections to contact elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/81 connecting to another cable except for flat or ribbon cable

Abstract

An electrical connector assembly is provided for interconnecting a plurality of discrete electrical wires to the conductors of a flat flexible circuit. The assembly includes a first connector having a dielectric housing. A plurality of discrete conductive terminals are mounted on the housing and are adapted for termination to the electrical wires. The terminals have contact portions for engaging the conductors of the flat flexible circuit. A second connector is adapted for mating with the first connector. The second connector includes a body member for positioning the flat flexible circuit, with the conductors of the circuit positioned for engaging the conductive terminals when the connectors are mated. A yieldable backing structure is provided on the body member beneath the flexible circuit for resiliently biasing the conductors of the circuit against the terminals of the first connector.

Claims

1. An electrical connector assembly for interconnecting a plurality of discrete electrical wires to the conductors of a flat flexible circuit, comprising:

a female connector including

a dielectric housing defining a receptacle, and

a plurality of discrete conductive terminals mounted on the housing and adapted for termination to said electrical wires with the terminals having contact portions exposed in said receptacle for engaging the conductors of the flat flexible circuit; and

a male connector including

a body portion for insertion into the receptacle of the housing of the female connector,

the body portion being adapted for positioning the flat flexible circuit thereon with the conductors of the circuit positioned for engaging said conductive terminals when the body portion is inserted into the receptacle, wherein the body portion includes integral locating pegs adapted to engage corresponding locating holes in the flat flexible circuit for locating the flat flexible circuit relative to the body portion and

a yieldable backing structure on the body portion beneath the flexible circuit for resiliently biasing the conductors of the circuit against the terminals of the female connector.

2. The electrical connector assembly of claim 1 wherein said housing of said female connector includes an anvil portion at a front ledge thereof for rigidly backing the contact portions of the terminals.

3. The electrical connector assembly of claim 1 wherein said yieldable backing structure is a molded-in-place component.

4. The electrical connector assembly of claim 3 wherein said body portion is molded of plastic material and said molded-in-place component is of an elastomeric material.

5. The electrical connector assembly of claim 4 wherein said body portion is molded of relatively rigid plastic material.

6. The electrical connector assembly of claim 4 wherein said molded-in-place component is of silicone rubber material.

7. The electrical connector assembly of claim 1 wherein said dielectric housing of the female connector is a multi-part assembly including at least a base part mounting the terminals and a cover part removably fixed to the base part wherein the base part and the cover part include complementary interengaging latch means to hold the base and cover parts in their fixed condition.

8. The electrical connector assembly of claim 7, wherein portions of the base part and cover part comprise a terminal position feature which allows the cover part to be fixed easily to the base part only when the terminals are correctly mounted in the base part.

9. The electrical connector assembly of claim 7 wherein said latch means include at least one flexible latch arm on one of the base and cover parts engageable with a latch surface on the other part.

10. The electrical connector assembly of claim 1 wherein said housing is a multi-part assembly including at least a pair of housing parts relatively movable between open and closed positions to facilitate easy insertion of the male connector into the housing of the female connector when the parts are in open condition.

11. The electrical connector assembly of claim 10, including complementary interengaging latch means between the housing parts to hold the housing parts in a clamping condition with respect to the male connector and, thereby, bias the conductors of the flexible circuit against the terminals.

12. The electrical connector assembly of claim 1, including latch means on the male connector for holding the male connector in the receptacle of the female connector.

13. An electrical connector assembly for interconnecting a plurality of discrete electrical wires to the conductors of a flat flexible circuit, comprising:

a first connector including a dielectric housing, and

a plurality of discrete conductive terminals mounted on said housing and adapted for termination to said electrical wires with the terminals having contact portions for engaging the conductors of the flat flexible circuit; and

a second connector adapted for mating with said first connector and including a body member for positioning the flat flexible circuit thereon with the conductors of the circuit positioned for engaging said conductive terminals when the connectors are mated, wherein the body member includes integral locating pegs adapted to engage corresponding locating holes in the flat flexible circuit for locating the flexible circuit relative to the body member and

a yieldable backing structure on the body member beneath the flexible circuit for resiliently biasing the conductors of the circuit against the terminals of the first connector.

14. The electrical connector assembly of claim 13 wherein said housing of said first connector includes an anvil portion at a front ledge thereof for rigidly backing the contact portions of the terminals.

15. The electrical connector assembly of claim 13 wherein said yieldable backing structure is a molded-in-place component.

16. The electrical connector assembly of claim 15 wherein said body member is molded of plastic material and said molded-in-place component is of an elastomeric material.

17. The electrical connector assembly of claim 16 wherein said molded-in-place component is of silicone rubber material.

18. The electrical connector assembly of claim 13, including latch means on the second connector for holding the second connector mated with the first connector.

19. The electrical connector assembly of claim 13 wherein said dielectric housing of the first connector is a multi-part assembly including at least a base part mounting the terminals and a cover part removably fixed to the base part wherein the base part and the cover part include complementary interengaging latch means to hold the base and cover parts in their fixed condition.

20. The electrical connector assembly of claim 19, wherein portions of the base part and cover part comprise a terminal position feature which allows the cover part to be fixed easily to the base part only when the terminals are correctly mounted in the base part.