JP2002225643A - Instrument panel module and its manufacturing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an instrument panel module capable of being inexpensively manufactured, and its wiring structure. SOLUTION: The instrument panel module 1 comprises various mounted equipment and device units mounted in a casing portion 15 and a wiring member 20 having a wiring circuit 14 for electrically connecting the mounted equipment and the device units. Since the wiring circuit 14 is patterned directly on the casing portion 15 by pressing, the instrument panel module 1 can be inexpensively manufactured.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an instrument panel module mounted on an instrument panel of an automobile and a method of manufacturing the same, and more particularly, to an instrument panel module that can be manufactured at a low cost and has high expandability and a method of manufacturing the same. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, various electric devices, sensors and switches mounted on a vehicle (these devices are collectively referred to as "equipment"), a control device for controlling these devices and a driving device for driving ( A so-called wire harness in which a plurality of electric wires are bundled together is used to electrically connect these devices to each other. It is assembled to the vehicle body on a production line such as a vehicle assembly line. Conventionally, a speedometer, an airbag device, a center console panel containing an air conditioner controller and audio equipment, etc. are incorporated in an instrument panel mounted on a car, and electrical connection is required on a manufacturing line. After assembling the above-mentioned various equipment and equipment units in the instrument panel and further assembling the wire harness, for example, a connector part provided in advance for wiring of equipment and equipment units such as a speedometer, and a terminal part of the wire harness. Is connected to a connector provided in advance.

However, in order to incorporate a speedometer or the like into the instrument panel in such a process, a certain number of work steps such as connection work for each equipment and device unit are required, and the number of parts is reduced. In the production line of automobiles, such assembling work and wiring work of the wiring harness are performed manually by the worker according to a manual or the like specified in advance. There was something unsavory.

Therefore, in an automobile production line, in order to improve assembly workability by reducing the number of assembly steps and the number of parts, and to reduce assembly costs and parts costs, for example, an instrument panel, a roof, a door and a back are used. 2. Description of the Related Art Each component of an automobile such as a door is modularized in advance for each part. Here, the module is
It is an integrated combination of existing parts such as various equipment and equipment units and automotive components. In this modularization, for example, for each part such as an instrument panel section, necessary parts are assembled in advance by a parts maker or the like and modularized (subassembly), and then each module is assembled to a vehicle body in a production line of an automobile maker. Since the assembling work is performed, it is possible to reduce the number of assembling steps and the number of parts, improve the assembling workability, and reduce the assembling cost and the parts cost. In addition, modularization not only reduces such costs, but also contributes to reducing the weight of automobiles by reducing the weight of components as a whole that are assembled into automobiles as part of environmental protection measures. FIG. 6 is an upper perspective view of an instrument panel portion of an automobile in which such modularization is performed. According to this, for example, components such as the electronic control unit 301, the fuse box 302, and the wire harness 500 connecting these components are mounted inside the casing 300 of the instrument panel, and modularized as the instrument panel module 303. Has been made.

As a further development of the sub-assembly module as described above, there is a function integration type module. As a further development of this function integration type module, a function fusion type module is considered.
A function-integrated module is a module that integrates the functions between various equipment and equipment units and is integrated with the components, and a function-integrated module is a combination of various equipment and equipment units and these equipment. And wirings such as a wire harness that connects between device units, and is integrally connected to components of an automobile.

Prior to such modularization,
For example, a flexible printed circuit (Flexible printed circuit) is used instead of a conventional wire harness in an automobile manufacturing line.
Printed Circuits (FPC) Even if you want to use a harness, if you want to assemble the FPC harness to the car body, it is necessary to design a structure that allows the FPC harness to be successfully assembled on the car body side, and to use the FP used for ordinary electronic components.
Since a large FPC harness was required as an FPC harness to be attached to a vehicle body rather than a C harness, it was difficult to employ an FPC harness instead of a wire harness.

[0007] However, with the progress of modularization,
For example, it is possible to design a structure capable of successfully assembling an FPC on a component part side (module side) such as an instrument panel portion, and to assemble the FPC harness by dividing it into parts (by module).
Compared to the case where the FPC harness is directly attached to the vehicle body, a small FPC harness can be used sufficiently.
Harness can be adopted. In addition, by adopting the FPC harness, for example, it is possible to make the module thinner and lighter and to mount components. In particular, so-called component-mounted FPC harnesses, in which circuit components such as various equipment and device units are mounted on the FPC harness, are capable of higher-density wiring than wire harnesses using electric wires, and also have excellent expandability. As a wiring of a function-integrated module, it is receiving much attention.

[0008]

As shown in FIG. 7, an FPC harness 100 has an adhesive 102 on an insulating film 101 made of, for example, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polyethylene naphthalate (PEN). A wiring 103 made of a conductive pattern is formed by laminating a copper foil through the interposer, and the insulating film 101 and the wiring 103 are formed in order to protect a circuit made of the formed wiring. It is common to adopt a structure in which a coverlay film made of a synthetic resin or the like having electrical insulation properties is covered thereon as the upper cover 104, or a structure in which a cover is formed by resist printing instead of the coverlay film. . In particular, when an FPC harness is applied to the module or the like, the cover is often covered with a cover lay film to improve the damage resistance.

[0009] However, the FPC harness has a high cost and a high cost of the copper clad laminate (CCL) itself, which is a material for covering a coverlay film, and has a high number of manufacturing steps, which is complicated and high. Low yield, etc., simply using an FPC harness instead of a wire harness has reduced the cost of parts for modules such as the instrument panel, despite reducing assembly costs in the manufacturing line of the car. Increase, and consequently the overall manufacturing cost,
There has been a problem that it is difficult to actively introduce the FPC harness as a wiring member of the module.

[0010] The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and has as its object to provide an instrument panel module which can be manufactured at low cost and a method of manufacturing the same.

[0011]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A method of manufacturing an instrument panel module according to the present invention comprises a device and a device unit mounted on an instrument panel provided in front of a driver's seat and a passenger's seat of a motor vehicle. A method of manufacturing an instrument panel module that integrates a wiring circuit for electrically connecting an apparatus and an apparatus unit, wherein a casing of the instrument panel module made of a resin member is formed into a foil shape by pressing. The conductive circuit is pressed, and the wiring circuit is directly patterned on the casing.

According to the method for manufacturing an instrument panel module of the present invention, the casing of the instrument panel module made of a resin member attached to the instrument panel provided on the front of the driver's seat and the passenger's seat of the automobile is provided with: For example, a copper foil or the like is pressed by press working such as a die stamping method or the like to directly form a wiring circuit pattern. Therefore, the manufacturing process is simple, and the remaining copper foil other than the copper foil on which the wiring circuit is formed can be reused by press working, so that the yield is good. As a result, F
The instrument panel module itself can be manufactured at lower cost than when a wiring member such as a PC harness is attached.

The wiring circuit is formed by a hot stamping method such as a die stamping method using a conductive material having at least one surface subjected to a surface roughening treatment or a conductive material coated with a thermosetting or thermoplastic adhesive. It is good to be formed by processing. By doing so, the wiring circuit can be formed with high adhesion on the housing of the instrument panel module. Also, it is considered that an electrolytic copper foil or a rolled copper foil is suitable as the conductive material. This is because the electrolytic copper foil or the rolled copper foil is relatively inexpensive, is easily processed, and is most commonly used.

An instrument panel module according to the present invention electrically connects equipment and device units mounted on an instrument panel provided in front of a driver's seat and a passenger seat of an automobile, and electrically connects the equipment and device units. An instrument panel module formed by integrating a wiring circuit to be connected, wherein the wiring circuit is formed by pressing a foil-shaped conductive material by press working on a housing portion of the instrument panel made of a resin member.
It is characterized in that the pattern is formed directly on the casing.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a top perspective view in which a part of an instrument panel module of an instrument panel section equipped with an instrument panel module according to one embodiment of the present invention is opened.

An instrument panel module 1 mounted on an instrument panel mounted on the front of a driver's seat and a passenger seat of an automobile includes various equipment such as a meter panel 2 and a center console panel 3 and an air conditioner vent. 4. Passenger seat airbag device 5
And a wiring circuit for mounting a device unit (not shown) for driving and controlling the electrical equipment built in the glove box 6 and the like, and for electrically connecting the electrical equipment, the equipment and the equipment unit. Wiring member 2 including 14
0 is formed. The instrument panel module 1 includes, for example, an acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene (ABS)) resin as a panel substrate 10 and a resin layer 11 such as an olefin (Olefin) resin on the panel substrate 10. For example, bonding is performed via a water-soluble adhesive or the like, and on this resin layer 11,
For example, a skin 1 made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) having a decorative pattern such as a leather pattern on the surface.
2 is formed in a polymerized structure. In the following, the panel base material 10 and the resin layer 11 will be collectively referred to as a housing 15.

The connection between the wiring member 20 and the device unit (including electrical equipment and equipment) is performed by, for example, the wiring member 20.
Only a simple operation of fitting a connector portion 13 provided in advance to the wiring circuit 14 of the terminal portion and a connector portion (not shown) prepared in advance at the terminal portion of the wiring of the device unit or the like. Can be done with This wiring member 20
Is a so-called flat wire, and the wiring circuit 31 is formed by forming a copper foil or the like directly on the casing 15 of the instrument panel module 1 by patterning. By using the instrument panel module 1, the assembler of the instrument panel section can connect the electrical equipment such as the passenger seat airbag device 5 to the equipment such as the center console panel 3 and the equipment unit. The electrical connection via the wiring circuit 14 of the member 20 and the attachment of the instrument panel module 1 to the instrument panel section can be performed to integrate the wiring and connection work of the instrument panel section. . As a result, the number of man-hours for assembling the instrument panel on the manufacturing line can be reduced, and thus the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a manufacturing process of the instrument panel module 1.

First, a resin member such as a synthetic resin is molded or the like to form a casing 15 of the instrument panel module 1.
Is formed (step S1). After the casing 15 is formed, next, a copper foil such as a rolled copper foil, an electrolytic copper foil, or the like, which has been subjected to a surface roughening treatment using a polishing solution or an abrasive, a thermosetting resin, a thermoplastic resin, or the like. A conductive material such as a copper foil coated with the adhesive is placed on the wiring circuit forming position on the housing 15 (step S2). In addition, for example, when copper foil is used as the conductive material, when the copper foil is subjected to a surface roughening treatment, as shown in FIG. Since fine copper particles are precipitated on the surface, the adhesive strength to the housing 15 at the time of thermocompression bonding can be increased more than usual. Next, a pressing process such as a die stamping method is performed on the conductive material such as a copper foil placed on the housing portion 15 in step S2, and the wiring circuit 14 is directly formed on the housing portion 15 by patterning. (Step S3).

Here, FIG. 4 and FIG.
FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining a method of forming the wiring circuit 14 by the die stamping method used in the step 3;
4 is formed in a pattern, and a circuit forming portion 34 formed of a convex portion or a ridge for thermocompression bonding to the housing portion 15 is formed.
After the die stamping die 37 has been heated in advance, it is pressed into contact with the conductive material 35 placed on the housing 15, so that the conductive material 35 in the portion in contact with the circuit forming portion 34 is
The wiring circuit 14 is formed directly on the housing 15 by removing the conductive material 35 in the other portion from the housing 15 with a recycle roll (not shown) or the like.
Note that, as shown in FIG. 5, die stamping may be performed between the housing 15 and the conductive material 35 via a thermosetting or thermoplastic adhesive 38. This is because the bonding reliability between the housing 15 and the conductive material 35 can be improved.

In step S3, the wiring circuit 14 is
Is formed, an insulating protective layer (not shown) made of a synthetic resin or the like for protecting the wiring circuit 14 is formed on the wiring circuit 1.
The wiring member 20 such as a flat wire is formed on a predetermined area of the housing portion 15 including the wire 4 by a method such as thermocompression bonding (step S4). After this step, a predetermined area of the housing 15 may be covered with the skin 12 or the like. Finally, the equipment and the device unit are mounted on the housing 15 on which the wiring member 20 is formed (Step S5), and the instrument panel module 1 is completed. As described above, the housing 1 constituting the instrument panel module 1
5, by directly forming the wiring circuit 14 and providing the wiring member 20, it is possible to reduce the material cost and the working cost as compared with the case where a wiring member such as an FPC harness is attached. The panel module 1 can be manufactured.

[0022]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Wiring is performed by pressing a copper foil or the like on the housing of an instrument panel module made of a resin member attached to the instrument panel provided on the front of the driver's seat and the front passenger's seat by, for example, die stamping. The circuit is patterned directly. Therefore, the manufacturing process is simple, and the remaining copper foil other than the copper foil on which the wiring circuit is formed can be reused by press working, so that the yield is good. As a result, as compared with a case where a wiring member such as an FPC harness is attached, an effect is obtained that the instrument panel module itself can be manufactured at a lower cost.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a part of an instrument panel module of an instrument panel unit equipped with an instrument panel module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a manufacturing process of the instrument panel module.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view showing a state of a copper foil surface.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a method of forming a wiring circuit by a die stamping method.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a method of forming a wiring circuit by a die stamping method.

FIG. 6 is an upper perspective view of an instrument panel portion of a conventional modularized automobile.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing a structure of an FPC harness.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Instrument panel module, 2 ... Meter panel, 3 ... Center console panel, 4 ... Air conditioner ventilation port, 5 ... Passenger's seat airbag device, 6 ... Glove box, 10 ... Panel base material, 11 ... Resin layer, 12
... Skin, 13 ... Connector part, 14 ... Wiring circuit, 15 ... Case part, 20 ... Wiring member, 33 ... Processing surface, 34 ... Circuit forming part, 35 ... Conductive material, 37 ... Die stamp die, 38 ...
adhesive.

Continuing from the front page (72) Inventor, Takehisa Ide, 1440, Rokuzaki, Sakura-shi, Chiba Prefecture, Fujikura Co., Ltd. 3D044 BA03 BA11 BB01 BC02 BC04 BD13 5E343 AA01 AA11 BB05 BB24 BB66 DD55 DD62 GG11

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. An equipment and an equipment unit attached to an instrument panel provided in front of a driver's seat and a passenger's seat of an automobile, and a wiring circuit for electrically connecting the equipment and the equipment unit. A method for manufacturing an instrument panel module, comprising: pressing a foil-like conductive material by pressing into a housing portion of the instrument panel module made of a resin member to form the wiring circuit on the housing portion. A method for manufacturing an instrument panel module, wherein a pattern is directly formed. 2. The wiring circuit according to claim 1, wherein the wiring circuit is formed using a conductive material having at least one surface subjected to a surface roughening process, and the pressing is a hot pressing by a die stamping method. Item 2. A method for manufacturing an instrument panel module according to Item 1. 3. The wiring circuit is formed using a conductive material having at least one surface coated with a thermosetting adhesive, and the press working is a hot press working by a die stamping method. The method for manufacturing an instrument panel module according to claim 1. 4. The wiring circuit is formed by using a conductive material having at least one surface coated with a thermoplastic adhesive, and the press working is a hot press working by a die stamping method. A method for manufacturing an instrument panel module according to claim 1. 5. The method for manufacturing an instrument panel module according to claim 1, wherein said conductive material is an electrolytic copper foil or a rolled copper foil. 6. An equipment and an equipment unit attached to an instrument panel provided in front of a driver's seat and a passenger's seat of an automobile, and a wiring circuit for electrically connecting the equipment and the equipment unit are integrated. An instrument panel module comprising: a wiring circuit, wherein a foil-shaped conductive material is pressed by press working on a housing portion of the instrument panel made of a resin member, and a pattern is directly formed on the housing portion. An instrument panel module, wherein the instrument panel module is formed.