Robust, miniaturized ffc connector
AssigneeFci USA LLC
InventorYasutoshi Kameda
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A robust, miniaturized electrical connector including a housing and an actuator movable between a latched and an unlatched position to hold or release a flexible circuit. The actuator is biased towards the latched position by a spring arm of a locking terminal. The actuator may be moved from the latched position by insertion of the flexible circuit and will return to that latched position by spring force to autolock. The actuator may have a stable, unlatched state that may be entered by a user pressing on the actuator, but may have an auto-close function. The actuator is held in the housing by the locking terminal, which is soldered to a PCB at two ends of a support arm. Overstress on the spring arm is prevented because the actuator will abut an interior surface of the housing and/or the support arm.
Claims28
An electrical connector comprising:
- a housing configured to receive a mating component and comprising a mounting face;
- a plurality of contacts held in the housing;
- an actuator, wherein the actuator:
- comprises:
- a latching member configured to engage a mating component inserted into the housing;
- and
- an outer surface defining a shelf;
- is partially exposed outside of the housing;
- and
- is movably coupled to the housing so as to be movable between a latched position and an unlatched position;
- a locking terminal mounted to the housing, the locking terminal comprising:
- a spring arm configured to press against the shelf when the actuator is moved from the latched position to the unlatched position so as to bias the actuator towards the latched position;
- and
- a support arm, wherein the spring arm is between the support arm and the shelf.
An electrical connector comprising:
- a housing comprising:
- a slot configured to receive a mating component;
- and
- a mounting face;
- a plurality of contacts held in the housing, wherein the plurality of contacts comprise tails, configured for mounting to a printed circuit board, exposed at the mounting face;
- an actuator, wherein the actuator:
- comprises a latching member configured to engage a mating component inserted into the housing;
- is partially exposed outside of the housing;
- and
- is movably coupled to the housing so as to be movable between a latched position and an unlatched position;
- a locking terminal mounted to the housing, the locking terminal comprising:
- a spring arm configured to press against a portion of the actuator when the actuator is moved from the latched position to the unlatched position so as to bias the actuator towards the latched position;
- and
- a support arm comprising a first end and a second end;
- a first member extending from the first end of the support arm to the mounting face and configured for mounting to the printed circuit board in a first region of the printed circuit board;
- and
- a second member extending from the second end of the support arm to the mounting face and configured for mounting to the printed circuit board in a second region of the printed circuit board.
28-36. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.