An electrical connector for connecting to flat-wire conductors of a flexible circuit (FC) is described. The electrical connector includes an elongated body, a split-blade terminal, and a spring terminal. The elongated body has a longitudinal axis. The split-blade terminal has two prongs separated by a distance and is configured to interface with an electrical terminal of an electrical device. The spring terminal is configured to mate with one or more of the flat-wire conductors within a connection area of the FC. The spring terminal and the split-blade terminal are positioned on the longitudinal axis at opposing ends of the electrical connector.

Electrical connector systems and methods create an electrical connection between a flexible circuit (FC) and a metal terminal of another connector. A reliable electrical connection is achieved with a low-cost tin contact plating, by an automatic FC to metal terminal wiping action with contact force, during the connector to FC assembly process. The connector to FC assembly process is also well suited for automated robotic assembly, which can save costs compared to manual assembly/installation.

A connector assembly includes a connector and a flat cable. The connector includes a first terminal, a second terminal, a first body, a second body, a metal plate, a third body, and a shell. The first and second terminals electrically connect a first side and a second side of the flat cable respectively and are respectively contained in a first capacity slot and a first through-hole of the first body and in a second capacity slot and a second through-hole of the second body. The first and second bodies clamp the metal plate. The third body partly winds and fixes the first body and the second body, and protects a terminal conductive contact part of the flat cable connected by the first and second terminals to form the connector. The flat cable connects to the connector directly. There is no need for a fixed rigid printed circuit board.

A shielded flat cable including conductors 110, a lower insulating layer 122 bonded on lower surfaces 112 of the conductors 110, a lower dielectric layer 132 bonded on a lower surface 122a of the insulating layer 122, a lower shield layer 142 bonded on a lower surface 132a of the lower dielectric layer 132, a terminal T in which the conductors 110 are exposed at an end in a longitudinal direction, a reinforcing plate 160 bonded on the lower surface 122a of the lower insulating layer 122 and the lower surfaces 112 of the conductors 110 at the terminal T, and a grounding member 170 bonded on a lower surface 162 of the reinforcing plate 160 and a lower surface 142a of the lower shield layer 142 to be electrically coupled to the lower shield layer 142 is provided, wherein the grounding member 170 extends to under the terminal T.

A connector has a casing and a circuit board structure. The circuit board structure is mounted through the casing and has a board main body, a projecting body, and multiple metal electrodes. The projecting body is mounted on a connecting end surface of the board main body and projects from the connecting end surface in an insertion direction of the connector. When the connector is connected to another device, the projecting body of the circuit board structure may push a part of pins of the device first, so the user may exert less force to insert the projecting body into the device. Then, when the circuit board structure is inserted further, the board main body may abut the remaining pins. Because part of the pins have been pushed away by the projecting body, the board main body only needs to counteract resistance from the remaining pins.

An electrical connector assembly includes a housing having an upper housing half removably assembled to a lower housing half via a plurality of fasteners. A circuit board is at least partially disposed in a housing cavity formed by the upper and lower housing halves. The circuit board includes a plurality of conductive front and rear pads electrically connected to each other. Flat cables terminate at the conductive rear pads disposed on upper and lower major surfaces of the circuit board. A plurality of alternating ridges and channels is disposed on a top side of the upper housing half, extending along a length of the housing. Bottom surfaces of the channels along a length of the channels are at a same height or higher than uppermost surfaces of the fasteners in the plurality of fasteners. The channels are configured to transfer heat generated by the connector assembly.

A connector includes a housing in which a terminal fitting is stored, and a cover. A guiding structure configured to guide the housing and the cover in a connection direction, and a holding structure configured to hold the housing and the cover at a connection completed position are provided between the housing and the cover. The guiding structure includes a wedge guiding protrusion provided to the cover, and a wedge guiding groove provided to the housing. The wedge guiding protrusion and the wedge guiding groove are formed to have a gap between a protrusion-side wall surface and a groove-side wall surface disposed opposite to each other in each of two pairs. The holding structure includes a press-fit protrusion being configured to hold the wedge guiding protrusion and the wedge guiding groove in a press-fitted state when the housing and the cover are at the connection completed position.

A circuit board includes a board body and pair of connection portions disposed at both ends of the board body. Each of the pair of connection portions is inserted into a connector. Each of the pair of connection portions includes a connection terminal electrically connected to the connector, and at least one of the pair of connection portions includes an extending portion extending from the connection terminal to an insertion leading end of the at least one of the pair of connection portion. The extending portion is disposed at a position to avoid a virtual line extending in an insertion direction through a position where the connector and the connection terminal are electrically connected.

A heating device for a vehicle includes a heat exchanger and an electronic control unit controlling operating states of the heating device. The electronic control unit has at least one electrical connection contact on a printed circuit board. At least one connecting cable is electrically conductively connected to the at least one electrical connecting contact and runs at least in sections parallel to a surface of the printed circuit board within the heating device. A metal sheet is arranged between the at least one connecting cable and the printed circuit board.

A method of forming an electrical cable assembly includes providing a multiconductor flat cable comprising wires arranged in a coplanar fashion with each other and encased within a planar dielectric structure, cutting a slot in the planar dielectric structure intermediate the wires, thereby forming wing features in the dielectric structure extending from the wires, removing portions of the dielectric structure from ends of the wires, wherein portions of wing features remain, attaching the exposed wires to terminals, wherein the terminals define prongs, and attaching the portions of the wing features to by inserting the prongs within holes defined in the portions of the wing features, thereby retaining the wires to the terminals.