Electrical connector for flat flexible cable

Claim 1

A connector assembly for electrically connecting the conductors of a flat flexible multi-conductor cable to another circuit member, said connector assembly including a housing having a plurality of side by side, elongated, open ended terminal receiving cavities formed therein, a slot formed across the open ends of the cavities for receiving the edge of exposed cable conductors therethrough, and a plurality of stamped, formed electrical terminals formed from flat metal conductive material, each terminal having a generally planar, U-shaped terminal body with first and second arms extending up from the base of said body and having a portion extending in the opposite direction from the base for electrical connection to the other circuit member, at least one arm having a contact surface formed near the free end thereof for making an electrical interface with the cable conductor when said cable is received in the housing slot and in the area between the two arms, said terminal further including mounting means cooperating with the housing for securing a terminal therein, the improvement comprising: the first arm including a hook-shaped engaging portion having the contact surface formed thereon that is disposed substantially vertical to and in a projecting relation from the plane of said first arm at an acute angle relative to the longitudinal axis thereof; said second arm having a lateral flange portion extending substantially the whole length of said second arm and projecting at a right angle with respect to the plane of said second arm; each terminal receiving cavity including a terminal supporting portion defining a L-shaped slot immediately adjacent to and transverse to the cable receiving slot; said flange portion being received on one side of the terminal supporting portion and the hook-shaped engaging portion having its contact surface biased against the other side of said contact supporting portion; whereby said cable conductor is adapted to be received in the slot so that it is disposed between said contact surface and said contact supporting portion.