Pressure-contact type connector for flat cable

Claim 1

A pressure contact type connector for a flat cable wherein each conductor wire of a flat cable is pressed into a U-shaped terminal member having plate-form contacts housed in a contact housing comprising: a plurality of U-shaped terminal members arranged in a first row and a second row, said terminal members in each of first and second rows being disposed to form a zigzag arrangement having a pitch twice as large as the pitch of the conductor wires of the cable; said cable being arranged in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the terminal members are arranged; each one of the terminal members in a first row being disposed to be shifted by one conductor wire arrangement pitch with respect to the corresponding one in the second row; a first cable housing having a height at least equal to the length of a portion of the terminal member projecting out of an end surface of the contact housing and including insertion through holes for the terminal members and a plurality of grooves disposed to cross the insertion through holes for receiving the terminal members and the conductor wire connecting portions for pressing into the terminal members; both side edges of each strip-like top side surface between two adjoining side edges of said grooves being formed to make a cutting edge; a second cable housing including a plurality of projections for mating with said plurality of grooves of the first cable housing, said projections being provided with insertion grooves for receiving the terminal members inserted thereinto; and both side edges of each of said projections of said second cable housing forming a cutting edge; wherein the first cable housing is connected to the terminal members by inserting the terminal members through the insertion through holes, and the second cable housing is placed on the first cable housing via a flat cable and thereafter depressed to cause the plurality of projections thereof to be inserted into the plurality of grooves of the first cable housing, a plurality of conductor wires of the flat cable being separated from one another by the cutting edge of the first cable housing and the cutting edge of the second cable housing and brought into pressure contact with the terminal members for suitably bending and connecting the conductor wires.