WO2004100322A1 - Connector - Google Patents

Abstract

A connector which makes it possible to easily ascertain the connected state between each connection and each terminal in connection subjects. The upper surface (11) of a connector main body (10) is provided with windows (11a) through which terminals (20) in the connector main body (10) and the connections (1a) of a flexible circuit (1) corresponding thereto can be visually observed from outside; therefore, the connected state between the connections (1a) of the flexible circuit (1) and the terminals (20) can be easily visually ascertained. In this case, the windows (11a) are formed only at one widthwise end and the other end of the connector main body (10), so that if no positional deviation of the connections (1a) at the opposite widthwise ends relative to the terminals (20) has been ascertained through the windows (11a), it may be decided that none of all connections (1a) have been positionally deviated.

Description

 Specification

Connector Technical Field

 The present invention relates to a connector for connecting a flexible printed circuit (FPC), a flexible flat cable (FFC), or the like. Background art

 Conventionally, as a connector of this type, a connector body capable of inserting the end of an object to be connected, such as syrup (ゃ 0), into a predetermined position, and a plurality of connectors arranged at intervals in the width direction within the connector body. It is known that each of the terminals has a terminal and each terminal comes into contact with a plurality of connecting portions of a connection object inserted into the connector body (for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000- 252049).)

 The connector includes a pressing member that presses the object to be connected to the terminal side. When the pressing member is pulled forward, the object to be connected can be inserted into the connector body, and the pressing member is inserted in a state where the object is inserted into the connector body. When the object is moved backward, the object to be connected is pressed toward the terminal by the pressing member, and the connection with the object to be connected is completed.

 However, in the connector, since the connection portion between the connection target and each terminal is covered by the connector main body, the connection state between each connection portion of the connection target and each terminal cannot be checked from the outside. However, there has been a problem that a connection failure due to a displacement of a connection object in a width direction or an insertion direction cannot be easily found. In particular, when a large number of connection portions are arranged at a high pitch with a narrow pitch from each other in the connection target, the maximum tolerance of each connection portion is accumulated, and the connection portion at one end in the width direction of the connection target is accumulated. Even if the terminal is in a position where it can make contact with the terminal, the misalignment between the connection part and the terminal will increase at the other end, and as a result, the terminal may deviate from the connection part or may come into contact with the adjacent connection part. There was a problem that the possibility of failure was high.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to make it possible to easily check a connection state between each connection portion of a connection target and each terminal. Invention of providing invention

 In order to achieve the above object, the present invention comprises a connector main body into which a connection object can be inserted at a predetermined position, and a plurality of terminals arranged in the connector main body at intervals in the width direction. The connector is configured to contact each of the plurality of connection portions of the connection object inserted into the connector body, wherein at least one terminal and a corresponding connection object are connected to a predetermined surface of the connection body. There is a window that allows the part to be viewed from the outside.

 As a result, the terminals in the connector body and the corresponding connection portions can be visually observed from the outside through the windows of the connector body, so that the positions of the connection portions with respect to the terminals in the windows can be easily visually checked. You can check. Therefore, it is possible to quickly detect a connection failure due to a displacement in the width direction of the object to be connected, and easily determine whether the object to be connected is securely inserted all the way into the connector body. Thus, it is possible to surely prevent a conduction failure during energization. In this case, by imaging the window, it is possible to determine whether or not the position of the connection portion with respect to the terminal is normal by image processing, so that the work of checking the connection state can be automated.

 The present invention also provides the connector, wherein the window is provided only on one end and the other end in the width direction of the connector main body.

 As a result, if it is confirmed by the windows provided only at one end and the other end in the width direction of the connector body that the connection parts at both ends in the width direction are not displaced with respect to the terminal, all connections can be made. Since it can be determined that no misalignment has occurred, the connection state can be quickly checked. In this case, there is an advantage that processing is easy and the strength of the connector body is not reduced, since it is not necessary to provide the window more than necessary. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

 FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a connector showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the connector. 3A and 3B are plan views of the connector.

 4A and 4B are side sectional views showing the operation of the connector. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

 1 to 4 show an embodiment of the present invention.

 This connector includes a connector body 10 into which one end of a flexible circuit 1 to be connected can be inserted, a plurality of terminals 20 arranged at equal intervals in the width direction within the connector body 10, and a flexible circuit. And a pressing member 30 for pressing 1 toward each terminal 20.

 The flexible circuit 1 is composed of a so-called flexible printed circuit (FPC), and a plurality of electrical contacts (not shown) are provided on the lower surface on the distal end side of the flexible circuit at intervals in the width direction. The connection target may be a flexible flat cable (FFC) or the like.

 The connector body 10 is made of a synthetic resin molded product, and is formed in a box shape with an open front side. That is, the connector main body 10 includes an upper surface portion 11, a bottom surface portion 12, and a side surface portion 13, and the flexible circuit 1 is inserted from the front opening portion. A plurality of terminal holes 10a are provided at equal intervals in the width direction on the back side of the connector main body 10, and each terminal 20 is held in each terminal hole 10a. Each side portion 13 is provided with a long hole 13a extending in the front-rear direction, and the pressing member 30 is engaged with each long hole 13a. The upper surface 11 of the connector main body 10 is provided with a window 11 a composed of a rectangular opening, and the window 11 a is provided at one end and the other end in the width direction of the connector main body 10. Each one is provided.

Each terminal 20 is made of a conductive metal plate, and is held in each terminal hole 10 a of the connector main body 10. Each terminal 20 has an elastic piece 21 and a fixed piece 22 extending forward and bifurcated at intervals in the vertical direction, and a board connection portion connected to the board A at the rear end. Two and three are provided. The terminals 20 arranged at both ends in the width direction of the terminals 20 are respectively located below the windows 11a of the connector main body 10, and as shown in FIG. It is visible from above 10 through each window 11a. The pressing member 30 is formed of a synthetic resin molded product, and a pair of widthwise operation portions 31 disposed outside the connector main body 10, a pressing piece 32 disposed inside the connector main body 10, and a connector main body. 10 and a pair of left and right arm portions 33 located on both sides. A concave portion 34 is provided between the operation portions 31 so as to allow the flexible circuit 1 to pass through, and the pressing piece 32 extends rearward from the concave portion 34. The pressing piece 32 is formed so as to gradually decrease in thickness toward the front end side, and is interposed between the bottom portion 12 of the connector body 10 and the flexible circuit 1. Each of the arm portions 33 extends rearward from the operation portion 31 and is inserted into each of the elongated holes 13a of the connector body 10 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction. In addition, a locking portion 33a that locks to the front end of the elongated hole 13a is provided at the tip of each arm portion 33 so as to protrude in the width direction.

 In the connector configured as described above, the terminals 20 are connected to the board A by soldering the board connection portions 23 of the terminals 20 to the board A. When connecting the flexible circuit 1 to the connector, the flexible circuit 1 is inserted into the connector body 10 with the pressing member 30 pulled out forward as shown in FIG. 4A. Next, as shown in FIG. 4B, when the pressing member 30 is moved toward the rear of the connector main body 10, the pressing piece 32 is press-fitted between the flexible circuit 1 and the elastic piece portion 21. As shown in FIG. 3, the connection portions 1a of the flexible circuit 1 and the elastic pieces 22 of the terminals 20 are pressed against each other and are electrically connected. At this time, the terminals 20 located on both ends in the width direction of the connector main body 10 and the corresponding connection parts 1a are connected via the respective windows 11a of the connector main body 10 as shown in FIG. 3B. Since it is possible to visually check the position from the outside, the position of the connection portion 1a with respect to the terminal 20 in each window portion 11a can be easily confirmed visually.

As described above, according to the connector of the present embodiment, the terminal 20 in the connector main body 10 and the connection portion 1 a of the corresponding flexible circuit 1 can be visually recognized from the outside on the upper surface portion 11 of the connector main body 10. With the provision of the window 11a, the connection between the connecting portion 1a of the flexible circuit 1 and the terminal 20 can be easily checked visually. This makes it possible to quickly detect connection failures due to misalignment of the flexible circuit 1 in the width direction, and easily check whether the flexible circuit 1 is securely inserted all the way into the connector body 10. can do. In this case, for example, if the window section 11a is imaged by a CCD camera or the like and the position of the connection section 1a with respect to the terminal 20 is determined to be normal by image processing, the connection state confirmation work can be performed. Can be automated.

 In addition, since the windows 11a are provided only at one end and the other end in the width direction of the connector body 10, the connection portions 1a at both ends in the width direction are positioned with respect to the terminals 20 by the windows 11a. If it is confirmed that no displacement has occurred, it is possible to judge that all the connection portions 1a have no displacement, and the work of confirming the connection state can be performed quickly. In this case, since there is no need to provide the window 11a more than necessary, there is an advantage that processing is easy and the strength of the connector body 10 is not reduced. In the above-described embodiment, the window 11a is provided only at one end and the other end in the width direction of the connector main body 10.However, another window 1la may be provided at other locations. It may be. Further, one window may be formed so as to extend in the width direction over a plurality of terminals 20.

 Further, in the above embodiment, the horizontal type in which the flexible circuit 1 is inserted into the connector main body 10 along the board A is shown, but the present invention inserts the flexible circuit 1 from a direction orthogonal to the board A. It can be applied to vertical type.

Claims

The scope of the claims  1. A connector body that can insert a connection target into a predetermined position, and a plurality of terminals arranged in the connector body at intervals in the width direction. Each terminal is inserted into the connector body. In a connector that comes into contact with a plurality of connection parts of an object to be connected,  At least one terminal and a corresponding connection portion of a connection object are provided on a predetermined surface of the connector main body with a window portion that can be visually observed from the outside.  A connector characterized by the above-mentioned.  2. The window is provided only at one end and the other end in the width direction of the connector body  The connector according to claim 1, wherein