Flexible circuit connector

A flexible circuit connector comprising:

• an insulative housing having horizontally extending top and bottom walls connected by opposite side walls defining an interior space therebetween adapted to receive a flexible circuit;
• a plurality of conductive contacts retained in the housing, each contact comprising an engaging section having a concave portion extending into the interior space wall;
• and
• an insulative actuator pivotally attached to the housing by pivot means having a rotational axis, the actuator being movable between an open position for allowing insertion of the flexible circuit into the housing and a closed position where the actuator presses the flexible circuit against the concave portions of the conductive contacts;
• wherein the conductive contacts are dimensioned and positioned to have the concave portion substantially aligned with the rotational axis in a vertical direction;
• wherein the actuator comprises an elongate bar with two arms extending from opposite ends thereof, the pivot means comprising pivot pins extending from the arms along the rotational axis, the pivot means further comprising holes defined in the side walls for rotatably receiving the pivot pins;
• wherein a pivot receiving slot is defined in each side wall of the housing extending from the hole to a front face of the housing thereby forming a side opening of the hole through which the pivot pin is moved into the hole, an actuator retainer being attached to each side wall of the housing for closing the side opening of the hole and engaging and thus securely retaining the pivot pin in the hole;
• wherein the actuator retainer comprises a retaining section interferentially received in a slit defined in the corresponding side wall, the retaining section having an edge engaging and retaining the pivot pin;
• wherein a soldering tab extends from the retaining section adapted to be mounted to a circuit board for fixing the flexible circuit connector to the circuit board;
• wherein at least one inspection window is defined in the top wall of the housing for visual inspection of the flexible circuit received in the housing;
• wherein each contact comprises an anchoring section interferentially received in a blind hole defined in the housing for retaining the contact in the housing, the anchoring section having a length substantially corresponding to a depth of the blind hole;
• wherein each contact comprises a support section received in a slot defined in a rear face of the housing for properly positioning the contact with respect to the housing.