Electrical connector for flat-type conductors

1 . An electrical connector for flat-type conductors to which a flat-type conductor extending in a forward-backward direction and dimensionally thick in an up-down direction is connected,

the electrical connector comprising:

a housing that has formed therein a receiving space open toward a rear for forward insertion of the flat-type conductor,

multiple terminals that are arranged and retained in the housing such that a terminal array direction is a direction perpendicular to both the forward-backward direction and the up-down direction,

locking members that are disposed outside an array range of the terminals in the terminal array direction and retained in the housing, and

a movable member that is provided forwardly of the receiving space and is capable of moving between a closed position and an open position while pivoting about a pivotal axis extending in the terminal array direction,

with extraction of the flat-type conductor being prevented when the movable member is in the closed position and extraction of the flat-type conductor being permitted when the movable member is in the open position, wherein:

at least one of the terminals have shaft restricting portions located above shaft body portions,

the locking members have an upper arm portion that extends in the forward-backward direction upwardly of the receiving space, a mountable portion that is mounted to the housing downwardly of the upper arm portion, and a strut portion that extends upwardly from the mountable portion and is coupled to the upper arm portion,

the upper arm portion has a pressure-receiving arm portion that extends forwardly from a top end of the strut portion, and a locking arm portion that extends rearwardly from the top end of the strut portion,

the locking arm portion has an engaging portion positioned so as to permit engagement from the rear with an engageable portion in the flat-type conductor when the movable member is in the closed position,

the pressure-receiving arm portion extends from the top end of the strut portion in a forward direction and then curves downwardly such that a front end portion forming the pressure-receiving arm portion is positioned at a lower elevation than a rearward portion of the pressure-receiving arm portion that is coupled to the strut portion,

the movable member has the shaft body portions positioned so as to include the pivotal axis when viewed in the terminal array direction, and cam portions positioned above the pressure-receiving portions,

the cam portions have pressure-applying portions that contact the pressure-receiving portions,

the pressure-applying portions are located within bounds of the shaft body portions in the up-down direction, and

the cam portions apply downward pressure to the pressure-receiving portions when the movable member moves from the closed position to the open position.

2 . The electrical connector for flat-type conductors according to claim 1 , wherein

the locking members are disposed on opposite external sides of the terminal array range in the terminal array direction, at least some of the terminals among the multiple terminals have shaft restricting portions that restrict movement of the shaft body portions of the movable member in a plane perpendicular to the terminal array direction, and

the shaft restricting portions are not in contact with the shaft body portions during at least a part of a process of movement of the movable member.

3 . The electrical connector for flat-type conductors according to claim 1 , wherein the mountable portion has an upper clamping portion and a lower clamping portion that are spaced apart from each other in the up-down direction and extend in the forward-backward direction, with the locking members further comprising a projecting arm portion being positioned at a same height in the up-down direction as the lower clamping portion and extending forwardly from a front end of the lower clamping portion, and a coupling portion that couples front end portions of the upper clamping portion and the lower clamping portion, and

wherein the upper clamping portion is resiliently displaceable in the up-down direction and the upper clamping portion and lower clamping portion clamp a mounting portion of the housing in the up-down direction.

4 . The electrical connector for flat-type conductors according to claim 3 , wherein the upper clamping portion is resiliently displaced upward along with the locking arm portion and the strut portion when the cam portions apply downward pressure to the pressure-receiving portions.

5 . The electrical connector for flat-type conductors according to claim 1 , wherein the locking members further comprise a projecting arm portion that extends forwardly from the mountable portion and projects into a movable member accommodating space, with the projecting arm portion being positioned at a same height in the up-down direction as a lower clamping portion and extending forwardly from a front end of the lower clamping portion, and the projecting arm portion has a front end portion formed as an anchor portion configured to be anchored to a mounting face of a circuit board, wherein the anchor portion is adapted to be anchored to the mounting face with a bottom edge portion of the anchor portion using solder connections.

6 . The electrical connector for flat-type conductors according to claim 1 , wherein the pressure-receiving portions are positioned with their top edges in contact with the pressure-applying portions.

7 . The electrical connector for flat-type conductors according to claim 1 , wherein the pressure-receiving portions are located within bounds of the shaft body portions in the forward-backward and up-down directions, and

wherein the pressure-applying portions are located within bounds of the shaft body portions in the forward-backward direction.

8 . The electrical connector for flat-type conductors according to claim 1 , wherein the multiple terminals include first terminals and second terminals, the first terminals have first shaft restricting portions that restrict movement of first shaft body portions of the movable member in a plane perpendicular to the terminal array direction, and the second terminals have second shaft restricting portions that restrict movement of second shaft body portions of the movable member.

9 . The electrical connector for flat-type conductors according to claim 8 , wherein the first shaft restricting portions of the first terminals are positioned so as to enclose the first shaft body portions from the rear, from below, and from the front.

10 . The electrical connector for flat-type conductors according to claim 8 , wherein the second shaft restricting portions of the second terminals are positioned above the second shaft body portions with a gap therebetween in the up-down direction, and restrict upward movement of the second shaft body portions.

11 . The electrical connector for flat-type conductors according to claim 1 , wherein the shaft body portions include first shaft body portions and second shaft body portions, and a cross-sectional shape of the first shaft body portions perpendicular to the terminal array direction is a substantially square shape with rounded corners.

12 . The electrical connector for flat-type conductors according to claim 11 , wherein a cross-sectional shape of the second shaft body portions perpendicular to the terminal array direction has a substantially rectangular configuration with rounded corners, whose longitudinal direction is the up-down direction.

13 . The electrical connector for flat-type conductors according to claim 1 , wherein the cam portions extend in the forward-backward direction and have a rear edge of a circular arcuate shape.

14 . The electrical connector for flat-type conductors according to claim 1 , wherein the movable member has an actuating portion formed on a front end side of the movable member while extending in the terminal array direction, end walls provided in a rearwardly extending configuration from opposite ends of the actuating portion in the terminal array direction, and multiple partition walls extending from the actuating portion toward the rear between the two end walls.

15 . The electrical connector for flat-type conductors according to claim 1 , wherein the multiple terminals include first terminals having first contact arm portions that extend in the forward-backward direction and are resiliently displaceable in the up-down direction, with first contact portions provided in rear end portions of the first contact arm portions, the first contact portions being capable of contacting the flat-type conductor from above.

16 . The electrical connector for flat-type conductors according to claim 15 , wherein the multiple terminals further include second terminals having second contact arm portions that extend in the forward-backward direction and are resiliently displaceable in the up-down direction, with second contact portions provided in rear end portions of the second contact arm portions, the second contact portions being positioned rearwardly of the first contact portions of the first terminals.

17 . The electrical connector for flat-type conductors according to claim 1 , wherein the locking arm portion extends with slope downward as one moves rearward and is resiliently displaceable in the up-down direction.

18 . The electrical connector for flat-type conductors according to claim 1 , wherein the engaging portion is positioned so as to permit entry into a notched portion of the flat-type conductor from above and engagement with the engageable portion from the rear when the movable member is in the closed position.

19 . The electrical connector for flat-type conductors according to claim 3 , wherein the mountable portion has a rearwardly open recumbent U-shaped configuration and is accommodated within a front groove portion of the housing located forwardly of the receiving space.

20 . The electrical connector for flat-type conductors according to claim 1 , wherein the multiple terminals include second terminals having a reinforcing portion with a recess portion formed in a top edge thereof, and front and rear protrusions that protrude upwardly toward the receiving space at respective locations of front and rear ends of the recess portion.