FFC connector with enhanced structure

• US 7,682,184 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2008
• Issued: 03/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Yao, Jin-Cheng, Yang, Guo-Hua, Ko, David Tso-Chin
• Primary Examiner(s): Hammond; Briggitte R
• Application Number:
  US12/074,336
• Publication Number:
  US 20080214044A1
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: 439492-499
• US Class Current: 439/495
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/594 for shielded flat cable
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/775 Ground or shield arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/778 Coupling parts carrying sockets, clips or analogous counter-contacts H01R12/78, H01R12/79 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6275 Latching arms not integral with the housing H01R13/6276, H01R13/6277, H01R13/6278 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6593 the shield being composed of different pieces

Abstract

An FFC connector according to the present invention includes a FFC (1) and an insulator (3). The FFC defines upper and lower surfaces (10) and (11) opposite to each other, a number of gold fingers (101) formed with the upper surface and exposed outside to contact with a complementary connector, and a reinforcement plate (4) held on the lower surface and supporting the gold fingers during mating with the complementary connector. The insulator abuts against the upper surface of the FFC and has a receiving room (310) for receiving the FFC.

Claims

1. A FFC connector, comprising:

a FFC defining upper and lower surfaces opposite to each other, a plurality of gold fingers formed with the upper surface and exposed outside to contact with a complementary connector, and a reinforcement plate held on the lower surface and supporting the gold fingers during mating with the complementary connector;

an insulator abutting against the upper surface of the FFC and having a receiving room for receiving the FCC; and

a metal shell covering the insulator and the reinforcement plate.

2. The FTC connector according to claim 1, wherein the insulator comprises a plurality of wedge projections, and the shell comprises a plurality of rectangular receiving holes to receive the wedge projections.

3. The FFC connector according to claim 1, wherein the insulator comprises a tip, and the shell comprises an arched groove recessed in the middle of the rear end of the shell to receive the tip.

4. The FFC connector according to claim 1, wherein the metal shell comprises an upper defining a spring tab and a lower shell defining a rectangular hole, and the spring tab is received into the rectangular hole.

5. The FFC connector according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcement plate is held on the lower surface of the FFC by gluing.

6. The FFC connector according to claim 1, wherein further comprises a pair of latches mounted on the insulator to engage with the complementary connector.

7. The FFC connector according to claim 6, wherein the insulator comprises a pair of L-shaped latch receiving rooms to receive the pair of latches.

8. The FFC connector according to claim 1, wherein the shell comprises a base covering the FFC and a tongue plate extending forwards and upwards from the base to cover the gold fingers.

9. The FFC connector according to claim 8, wherein a pair of car portions extend upwards from lateral sides of the tongue plate and cooperate with the tongue plate to surround the gold fingers.

10. A cable assembly, comprising:

an insulative housing defining a base portion with side arrangement disposed on opposite sides of the base portion, the base portion having a flat configuration with top and bottom surface and comparably thinner than the side arrangement;

a flexible cable disposed attached to a bottom surface of the base portion and disposed between the side arrangements, and with a mating portion extending forwardly beyond a front face of the base portion; and

a metallic plate attached to the insulative housing, and having a reinforced portion disposed underneath the flexible cable and substantially supporting the flexible cable toward the insulative housing.

11. The cable assembly according to claim 10, wherein the reinforced portion of the metallic plate defines a base and a tongue plate extending forwards and upwards from the base and supporting the mating portion of the flexible cable.

12. The cable assembly according to claim 10, wherein an additional supporting plate is arranged between the flexible cable and the metallic plate.

13. The cable assembly according to claim 12, wherein further comprises a metallic cover attached to the insulative housing and interlocked to the metallic plate.

14. A cable assembly comprising:

an insulative housing defining a planar base;

a pair of latches pivotally mounted on two lateral sides of the housing;

a flat flexible cable defining opposite first and second surfaces with the first surface abutting against the base, and having exposed conductors on a front edge region of the first surface;

an insulative reinforcement plate supportably mounted under a front portion of the second surface of the fiat flexible cable and cooperating with the base to tightly sandwich the flat flexible cable therebetween; and

a metallic shell enclosing said housing and said reinforcement plate under a condition that the conductors are exposed outside of the shell.

15. The cable assembly as claimed in claim 14, wherein said shell defines a main body enclosing and engaging the housing with a front section extending beyond the main body and only covering and engaging the reinforcement plate so that a front section of the flat flexible cable cooperates with a front section of the shell to sandwich a front section of the reinforcement plate therebetween.

16. The cable assembly according to claim 14, wherein a mating portion is comprised by three front sections of the flat flexible cable, reinforcement plate and shell, and the mating portion extends forwardly beyond a front face of the insulative housing.

17. The cable assembly according to claim 14, wherein said shell includes upper and lower covers assembled to each other.