Electrical connector for flat circuitry

An electrical connector for receiving a flat electrical circuit, comprising:

• an elongated dielectric housing defining a slot for receiving the flat electrical circuit;
• a plurality of terminals mounted on the housing with contact portions spaced along the slot;
• and
• a metal actuator mounted on the housing and including a pressure plate portion having a plurality of flexible fingers for biasing the flat electrical circuit against the contact portions of the terminals, the actuator including a U-shaped section defining an elongated flexible strip portion extending between a pair of legs of the U-shaped configuration, the rear ends of the legs being joined to a rear area of the pressure plate portion, the flexible fingers projecting forwarding into the U-shaped section and being separated from the legs by open areas, and the elongated flexible strip portion being spaced forwardly from the flexible fingers to define a preliminary flat circuit holding means at a mouth of the slot, with said open areas being effective to isolate the flexibility of the elongated strip portion from that of the flexible fingers.

An electrical connector for receiving a flat electric circuit, comprising:

• an elongated dielectric housing defining a slot for receiving the flat electrical circuit;
• a plurality of terminals mounted on the housing with contact portions spaced along the slot;
• and
• a metal actuator mounted on the housing for movement between a first position allowing free insertion of the flat electrical circuit into the slot and a second position wherein a pressure plate portion of the actuator biases the circuit against the resilient contact portions of the terminals, the actuator including a flexible elongated strip portion spaced forwardly of the pressure plate portion and extending longitudinally of the housing to define a preliminary flat circuit holding means at a mouth of the slot, and the pressure plate portion being separated from the elongated strip portion at opposite ends thereof by open areas to, thereby, isolate the flexibility of the elongated strip portion from that of the pressure plate portion.