Connector for a flat flexible cable

A connector assembly, comprising:

• a flat flexible cable having an insulation material and a plurality of conductors embedded in the insulation material, the plurality of conductors are exposed in a window extending through a portion of the insulation material, the insulation material is entirely removed from each surface of each of the conductors in the window for exposing the conductor continuously about its outer perimeter, the cable defining a retention opening in the insulation material outside of the window;
• and
• a connector including a housing portion and a plurality of terminals, the housing portion having a retention section and a crimping section, the retention section has a plurality of terminal receiving passageways, the plurality of terminals each having:
• a contact portion held in one of the plurality of terminal receiving passageways;
• a piercing portion extending through and secured to the insulation material of the flat flexible cable;
• and
• a crimping portion exposed in the crimping section, the plurality of conductors exposed in the window are each crimped in the crimping portion of one of the plurality of terminals, the crimping portion of each of the plurality of terminals directly contacts one of the conductors in the window, the crimping section including:
• a fixed securing element formed monolithically therewith and extending upward through the flat flexible cable via the retention opening;
• and
• a base having a plurality of voids extending therethrough in a height direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the plurality of terminals from an exterior surface of the base through to an interior surface of the base, the plurality of voids open to an outside of the base and an inside of the base in the height direction and including:
• a plurality of first voids discrete from one another, the crimping portion of each of the terminals aligned with a corresponding one of the first voids in the height direction;
• and
• a plurality of second voids discrete from one another and from the first voids, the piercing portion of each of the terminals aligned with a corresponding one of the second voids in the height direction.

A connector assembly, comprising:

• a flat flexible cable including a plurality of segments each having an insulation material and a plurality of conductors embedded in the insulation material, the plurality of conductors are exposed in a window extending through a portion of the insulation material in each of the segments;
• and
• a connector including:
• an inner housing including a first inner housing portion and a pair of second inner housing portions separate from the first inner housing portion, the first inner housing portion and the pair of second inner housing portions each have a crimping section and a retention section with a plurality of terminal receiving passageways;
• a plurality of terminals each having a contact portion held in one of the plurality of terminal receiving passageways and a crimping portion exposed in the crimping section, the plurality of conductors of a first segment of the plurality of segments are each crimped in the crimping portion of one of the plurality of terminals in the first inner housing portion and the plurality of conductors of a pair of second segments of the plurality of segments are each crimped in the crimping portion of one of the plurality of terminals in the pair of second inner housing portions, the crimping portion of each of the plurality of terminals directly contacts one of the conductors in the window, the contact portion of each of the terminals protrudes beyond a mating end of the first inner housing portion and the pair of second inner housing portions;
• and
• an outer housing having an inner housing receiving passageway receiving the inner housing and a plurality of terminal openings each having a guiding slope facing the inner housing receiving passageway, the contact portion of each of the terminals abuts the guiding slope of one of the plurality of terminal openings to align the contact portion with the one of the plurality of terminal openings.

A connector assembly, comprising:

• a flat flexible cable including a plurality of segments each having an insulation material and a plurality of conductors embedded in the insulation material, the plurality of conductors are exposed in a window extending through a portion of the insulation material in each of the segments, the insulation material is entirely removed from all surfaces of each of the conductors in the window for exposing the conductor continuously about its outer perimeter, the cable defining a retention opening in the insulation material outside of the window;
• and
• a connector including:
• an inner housing including a first inner housing portion and a pair of second inner housing portions separate from the first inner housing portion, the first inner housing portion and the pair of second inner housing portions each have a crimping section and a retention section with a plurality of terminal receiving passageways, the crimping section including a fixed securing element formed monolithically therewith and extending vertically upward through the flat flexible cable via the retention opening, each of the second inner housing portions having a width in a lateral direction of the connector that is less than a width of the first inner housing portion, the second inner housing portions arranged side-by-side on a common interior surface of the first inner housing portion in the lateral direction in an assembled position of the inner housing;
• and
• a plurality of terminals each having a contact portion held in one of the plurality of terminal receiving passageways and a crimping portion exposed in the crimping section, the plurality of conductors of a first segment of the plurality of segments are each crimped in the crimping portion of one of the plurality of terminals in the first inner housing portion and the plurality of conductors of a pair of second segments of the plurality of segments are each crimped in the crimping portion of one of the plurality of terminals in the pair of second inner housing portions, the crimping portion of each of the plurality of terminals directly contacts one of the conductors in the window.