The Present Disclosure relates to a loop connector and a closed-circuit forming connector.
Loop connectors have been used for electrically connecting a pair of circuit boards, such as that disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application No. 54-93795. Such a loop connector has a pair of circuit boards which are arranged in parallel.
FIG. 13 illustrates another conventional loop connector. Referring to FIG. 13, the housing of a loop connector 811 is engaged, by fitting, with one end of a first circuit board 891 which is one from a pair of edge cards and with one end of a second circuit board 892 which is the other one from the pair of edge cards. Specifically, a pair of guide grooves 813 is formed on the housing 811, and connecting ends of each of the first circuit board 891 and the second circuit board 892 are inserted into each of the guide grooves 813. Moreover, a tape cable 851 is fitted into the housing 811, and both ends of the tape cable 851 are connected, by welding or the like, to the connecting ends of each of the first circuit board 891 and the second circuit board 892. Furthermore, connection portions that connect both ends of the tape cable 851 to the connecting ends of each of the first circuit board 891 and the second circuit board 892 are protected by a protective cover 814. In this way, each of conductive traces of the first circuit board 891 is electrically connected to each of conductive traces of the second circuit board 892.
However, the conventional loop connector has a large format and a complex structure because it is used for connecting the conductive traces of the first circuit board 891 and the conductive traces of the second circuit board 892, and it is thus practically impossible to be used for connecting two conductive traces of a sheet of circuit board. For example, when a plurality of electronic elements is arranged in two lines on a sheet of circuit board and all the electronic elements need to be serially connected, it is necessary to connect a conductive trace which is connected to the output terminal of the electronic element located at the termination end of one line to a conductive trace which is connected to the input terminal of the electronic element located at the termination end of the other line. In such a case, it is practically impossible to use the conventional loop connector for connecting the two conductive traces.
Moreover, since the tape cable 851 has both ends thereof being configured to be securely connected, by welding or the like, to the connecting ends of each of the first circuit board 891 and the second circuit board 892, the connecting operation is difficult to perform, and also the disconnecting operation is impossible to perform; therefore, it is extremely troublesome to handle the loop connector.