JP2004362928A - Sealing structure and mounting method of case - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sealing structure and a mounting method of cases, for which, a sealing property is secured before fitting them to each other. <P>SOLUTION: The case 26 is composed of an upper case 27 having an opening 32 through which a base board connector 10 is penetrated for mounting, and a lower case 28 to be fixed to the upper case 27. The base board connector 10 is connected to a printed board 22 housed in the case 26. A mate connector C at the outside of the case 26 is enabled to be fitted into the base board connector 10, and a seal ring 20 is arranged on the base board connector 10. When mounting the base board connector 10 on the upper case 27, the seal ring 20 is compressed and tightly contacted to the connector and the upper case 27, and the opening 32 is sealed. By connecting the base board connector to a base board, and mounting the base board connector in a state of penetrating through the opening of the case, a sealing means is made tightly in contact with the base board connector and the case, and the opening is sealed. By the above, the sealing property of the opening is secured even in a state in which the mate connector is not fitted into the base board connector. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a case seal structure and an assembling method thereof.
[0002]
[Prior art]
DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART Conventionally, what was described in the following patent document 1 as an example of the structure which seals a case is known. In this device, a board connector that is connected to a printed board in a case by soldering is arranged facing an opening of the case, and a mating connector that is externally attached to the opening is fitted into the board connector. The connection is made, and a seal ring fitted to the outer peripheral surface of the mating connector is brought into close contact with the peripheral surface of the opening, thereby sealing the opening.
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-8026
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the above-described seal structure, the seal ring is fitted to the mating connector, and the opening of the case is not sealed unless the mating connector is fitted. For this reason, when it is requested to secure the sealing property of the case at the stage before the connector is fitted, it has been difficult to respond to the request.
The present invention has been completed based on the above-described circumstances, and has as its object to ensure the sealing performance before fitting.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
As a means for achieving the above object, a case sealing structure according to the first aspect of the present invention provides a case sealing structure in which a board connector connected to a board disposed in a case is penetrated. A possible opening is provided, a mating connector outside the case can be fitted to the board connector, and the opening is provided between the board connector and the case by being in close contact with both. It is characterized in that a sealing means capable of sealing the part is provided.
[0006]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the case includes a first case member having the opening, and a second case member fixed to the first case member. The board connector penetrates the opening and is fixed to the first case member by connector fixing means with the sealing means interposed therebetween, and the board is connected to the board connector. The first case member is fixed to the first case member by the board fixing means, and the second case member is fixed to the first case member by the case fixing means.
[0007]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the case includes a first case member having the opening, and a second case member fixed to the first case member. The substrate is fixed to a second case member by a substrate fixing means in a state where the substrate is connected to the substrate connector, and the first case member penetrates the substrate connector through the opening and seals the substrate. It is characterized in that the means is fixed to the second case member by the case fixing means with the means interposed between the board connector and the second case member.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect of the present invention, the board connector has a locking portion capable of locking the board connector from the case by being locked to the first case member. It is characterized by where it is provided.
[0008]
The method for assembling the case seal structure according to the fifth aspect of the present invention includes connecting the board connector to the board disposed in the case, and allowing the board connector to pass through an opening provided in the case. In addition, a sealing means provided between the board connector and the case is brought into close contact with the both to seal the opening, and then a mating connector outside the case is fitted to the board connector. Have.
[0009]
The invention according to claim 6 is the device according to claim 5, wherein the case includes a first case member having the opening, and a second case member fixed to the first case member. After connecting the board to the board connector, the board is fixed to the second case member by the board fixing means, and then the board connector is penetrated through the opening and the sealing means is brought into close contact with both, thereby opening the board. It is characterized in that the first case member is fixed to the second case member by the case fixing means while sealing is performed.
[0010]
Function and effect of the present invention
<Inventions of Claims 1 and 5>
When the board connector is connected to the board and attached so as to penetrate the opening of the case, the sealing means is brought into close contact with the board connector and the case to seal the opening. Thereby, the sealing performance of the opening can be ensured even when the mating connector is not fitted to the board connector.
[0011]
<Invention of Claim 2>
The board connector is fixed to the first case member by the connector fixing means while the opening is sealed by the sealing means. Then, the board is connected to the board connector, and the board is fixed to the first case member by the board fixing means. Then, the first case member and the second case member are fixed by the case fixing means.
[0012]
<Inventions of Claims 3 and 6>
Since the board can be connected to the board connector before the first case member and the second case member are attached, the first case member and the second case member do not interfere with the connection work. The connection workability can be improved.
<Invention of Claim 4>
Since the board connector is prevented from coming off from the case by the locking portion, a fixing means for fixing the first case member and the board connector becomes unnecessary. Thereby, for example, the number of parts can be reduced, and the assembling workability can be improved.
[0013]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
<First embodiment>
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the printed board 22 is housed in a case 26 including an upper case 27 and a lower case 28, and a board connector is provided in an opening 32 provided in the upper case 27. 10 shows a state in which a seal ring 20 is interposed between the upper case 27 and the board connector 10 in a state where the base ring 10 is penetrated.
[0014]
The board connector 10 generally includes a housing 11 made of a synthetic resin and a plurality of terminal fittings 12 held by the housing 11. The housing 11 includes a pair of cylindrical portions 13 and 14 that are opened up and down, and a flange 15 that protrudes laterally is provided on an outer peripheral surface thereof. An external mating connector C can be fitted to the upper cylindrical portion 13, and both connectors can be held in a fitted state by locking means (not shown). The terminal fitting 12 is formed to be bent substantially in the shape of a crank in the middle, and has both upper and lower ends protruding into the upper and lower cylindrical parts 13 and 14, respectively. The upper end of the terminal fitting 12 is a connector connecting portion 16 that is electrically connected to a terminal (not shown) in the mating connector C, whereas the lower end is the tip of the lower cylindrical portion 14. From the printed circuit board 22 and is electrically connectable to the conductive path of the printed circuit board 22. The terminal fitting 12 may be inserted into a molding die when the housing 11 is molded with resin, or may be assembled after the housing 11 is molded with resin.
[0015]
The flange 15 has at least one pair of bolt insertion holes 19 through which a connector bolt 18 for fixing the board connector 10 to the case 26 can be inserted. On the lower surface of the flange 15, an annular seal ring mounting groove 21 to which an annular seal ring 20 can be mounted is provided in a radially inner side than the two bolt insertion holes 19 so as to open downward. On the lower surface side of the seal ring 20 to be mounted, a plurality of lips, which are compressible by the upper case 27, are circumferentially arranged side by side in the radial direction.
[0016]
The printed circuit board 22 is formed in a flat plate shape, and has a plurality of conductive paths (not shown) made of copper foil or the like printed on the lower surface (back surface) thereof. The printed board 22 is provided with aligned through holes 23 into which the board connecting portions 17 of the terminal fittings 12 described above can be inserted, and the board connection protrudes downward through the through holes 23. By soldering the portion 17, the corresponding conductive path and the terminal fitting 12 are electrically connected. At the end of the printed circuit board 22, at least one pair of bolt insertion holes 25 through which board bolts 24 for fixing the printed circuit board 22 to the case 26 can be inserted. In addition, it can be said that the above-described board connector 10 is a relay connector that relays the printed board 22 and the mating connector C.
[0017]
The case 26 is composed of an upper case 27 and a lower case 28, both of which have a substantially shallow dish shape, and the printed circuit board 22 and the like can be housed inside by assembling the open ends of the two cases 27, 28 with each other. An accommodation space is formed. At the open ends of the two cases 27 and 28, there are provided mounting portions 29 which protrude outward from the sides. The mounting portions 29 can be aligned with each other and the case bolts 30 can be inserted therethrough. A hole 31 is opened. A screw groove (not shown) into which the case bolt 30 can be screwed is formed in the hole 31 on the lower case 28 side.
[0018]
At an approximate center position of the upper case 27, an opening 32 is provided that can be attached to the board connector 10 in a state of vertically penetrating the lower tubular portion 14 of the board connector 10. The lower surface of the flange 15 can be brought into contact with a predetermined region around the opening 32 on the upper surface of the upper case 27. In a region where the flange 15 abuts, a bolt fixing recess 33 having a thread groove (not shown) into which the connector bolt 18 can be screwed is formed upward at a position substantially aligned with the bolt insertion hole 19. It is provided open. On the lower surface of the upper case 27, radially outside the bolt fixing concave portion 33, a bolt fixing convex portion 34 cut by a screw groove (not shown) into which the board bolt 24 can be screwed is provided.
[0019]
When the lower surface of the flange 15 is brought into contact with the upper surface of the upper case 27 as described above, the seal ring 20 is sandwiched between the peripheral surface of the seal ring mounting groove 21 and the upper surface of the upper case 27. It is compressed. The seal ring 20 is disposed radially inside the connector bolt 18 and outside the opening 32 and surrounds the outside of the opening 32 over the entire circumference. Thus, the opening 32 can be sealed in a state of being pressed from above and below. The compression direction of the seal ring 20 is the vertical direction substantially perpendicular to the radial direction, that is, the direction in which the connector bolt 18 advances and retreats.
[0020]
The present embodiment has the above-described structure, and the assembling procedure will be described below. First, as shown in FIG. 2, an operation of fixing the board connector 10 to which the seal ring 20 is attached to the upper case 27 is performed. By fitting the lower cylindrical portion 14 into the opening portion 32 from above and tightening the connector bolt 18 into the bolt insertion hole 19 and the bolt fixing concave portion 33 aligned with each other from above, as shown in FIG. The lower surface of the flange 15 and the upper surface of the upper case 27 are fixed in contact with each other. In this state, the seal of the opening 32 is achieved by the seal ring 20 being in close contact with the flange 15 and the upper case 27 on the outer peripheral side of the opening 32.
[0021]
Next, the printed circuit board 22 is set from below to the board connector 10 and the upper case 27, and the board connecting portions 17 of the terminal fittings 12 are inserted into the through holes 23, and the bolt insertion holes aligned with each other are provided. The board bolt 24 is fastened to the bolt 25 and the bolt fixing projection 34 from below. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 4, the lower end surface of the lower cylindrical portion 14 contacts the upper surface of the printed board 22, and the printed board 22 is fixed to the board connector 10 and the upper case 27. In this state, the board connecting portions 17 projecting downward from the printed circuit board 22 are soldered from below (back side) to be electrically connected to the corresponding conductive paths. Then, while aligning the open end of the lower case 28 with the open end of the upper case 27 from below and aligning it with the open end, and tightening the case bolts 30 into the two holes 31, as shown in FIG. Cases 27 and 28 are held in a fixed state.
[0022]
When the assembling of the case 26 is completed in this way, after being conveyed to a predetermined assembling site, as shown by the imaginary line in FIG. The printed circuit board 22 is connected to an external circuit.
[0023]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, as the board connector 10 is attached to the upper case 27, the seal ring 20 is brought into close contact with both the substrates 10 and 27 to achieve sealing. Even in a state in which C is not fitted (for example, in a transportation process after assembly of the case 26 is completed), the sealing performance of the opening 32 can be ensured.
[0024]
<Second embodiment>
A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the second embodiment, an assembling procedure is changed from the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, the same structures as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.
[0025]
As shown in FIG. 5, a seal ring 20A can be attached to the outer peripheral surface of the upper cylindrical portion 13 of the housing 11 of the board connector 10 from above. The seal ring 20A is mounted at a position where it comes into contact with the upper surface of the flange 15A (the rear end position of the upper cylindrical portion 13), and a plurality of lips that can be compressed by the upper case 27 are vertically arranged on the outer peripheral surface thereof. It is installed around. The upper case 27 is provided with an opening 32 </ b> A that can be attached to the upper case 13 while vertically penetrating the upper tube 13. An outer cylindrical portion 35 that protrudes upward and surrounds the upper cylindrical portion 13 is provided at a peripheral portion of the opening 32A. The seal ring 20A is sandwiched between the inner peripheral surface of the opening 32A (including the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical portion 35) and the outer peripheral surface of the upper cylindrical portion 13 and compressed. . The compression direction of the seal ring 20A is a radial direction (a direction substantially orthogonal to the direction in which the bolt moves). The inner diameter of the opening 32A is set smaller than the outer diameter of the seal ring 20A.
[0026]
The outer diameter of the flange 15A is set larger than the outer diameter of the seal ring 20A and the inner diameter of the opening 32A, and the outer peripheral end of the flange 15A that protrudes outside the seal ring 20A has an opening. The locking portion 36 can be locked to the lower surface of the peripheral portion of the portion 32A. As a result, the board connector 10 can be held from the upper case 27 upward (in the direction in which the mating connector C is pulled out) so as not to come off. Further, the lower case 28 is provided with a bolt fixing convex portion 34A having a thread groove for screwing the board bolt 24 through the bolt insertion hole 25 of the printed board 22 so that the printed board 22 can be fixed to the lower case 28. It is said.
[0027]
Subsequently, an assembling procedure of the present embodiment will be described. First, as shown in FIG. 6, an operation of connecting the printed board 22 to the board connector 10 to which the seal ring 20A is attached is performed. The board connecting portion 17 of each terminal fitting 12 is inserted into each through hole 23, and when the lower end surface of the lower cylindrical portion 14 reaches a depth at which it contacts the upper surface of the printed circuit board 22, as shown in FIG. While maintaining this state, the portion of the board connecting portion 17 protruding downward from the printed board 22 is soldered from below (back side). At this time, since there is no protruding portion on the lower surface side of the printed board 22 other than the board connecting portion 17, it is suitable for automating the soldering operation using an automatic machine.
[0028]
After the soldering operation is completed, the printed circuit board 22 is housed from above in the lower case 28 together with the board connector 10, and the board bolts 24 are tightened from above into the aligned bolt insertion holes 25 and the bolt fixing protrusions 34A. Then, the printed circuit board 22 is fixed to the lower case 28 as shown in FIG. Thereafter, when the upper case 27 is placed over the lower case 28, the upper cylindrical portion 13 is inserted into the opening 32A from the distal end side. When the upper cylindrical portion 13 reaches a predetermined depth, the inner peripheral surface of the opening 32A is sealed with the seal ring 20A. And contacts it to compress it from the outside.
[0029]
When the open ends of the two cases 27 and 28 reach the depth where they abut each other, the case bolts 30 are tightened in the two holes 31 aligned with each other, as shown in FIG. Fix it. In this state, the sealing of the opening 32A is achieved by the seal ring 20A being in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the opening 32A and the outer peripheral surface of the upper cylindrical portion 13, and the lower surface of the peripheral portion of the opening 32A is sealed. By locking (abutting) the locking portion 36 of the housing 11, the board connector 10 is held in a state in which the board connector 10 is prevented from being pulled upward from the case 26. Since the compression direction of the seal ring 20A is the radial direction, that is, the horizontal direction, for example, the housing 11 is displaced in the horizontal direction with respect to the printed circuit board 22, or the printed circuit board 22 is horizontally moved with respect to the lower case 28. Even if the position shifts in the direction, the shift can be absorbed. As described above, when the assembly of the case 26 is completed, the case 26 is conveyed to the assembly site, and then the mating connector C is fitted to the upper cylindrical portion 13.
[0030]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, the soldering operation for connecting the printed board 22 to the board connector 10 can be performed before the upper case 27 and the lower case 28 are attached. Compared with the embodiment, the upper case 27 and the lower case 28 do not hinder the soldering operation. Therefore, it is suitable for automating the soldering operation, and the workability can be improved.
[0031]
Moreover, since the board connector 10 is prevented from coming off from the case 26 by the locking portion 36, the connector bolt for fixing the board connector 10 is different from the first embodiment (see FIG. 1). 18, the bolt insertion hole 19 of the flange 15 and the bolt fixing recess 33 of the upper case 27 become unnecessary. Thereby, the number of parts can be reduced, the structure can be simplified, and the assembling workability can be improved.
[0032]
Further, since the seal ring 20A is compressed in the radial direction with the attachment of the upper case 27, in the case where the seal ring 20 is compressed in the direction in which the bolt advances and retreats as in the first embodiment, depending on the tightening state of the bolt. As compared with the state of compression of the seal ring 20, that is, the change in the sealing property, a stable sealing property can be obtained.
[0033]
<Other embodiments>
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described with reference to the above description and drawings. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention, and furthermore, besides the following, within the scope not departing from the gist. Can be implemented with various modifications.
(1) In the above embodiment, the upper case is provided with the opening, but the lower case may be provided with the opening.
[0034]
(2) In the above embodiment, the bolt is exemplified as the fixing means. However, the present invention also includes, for example, a fixing means using an adhesive or a fixing means using welding or ultrasonic welding.
(3) In the above-described embodiment, the board connection portion of the terminal fitting is soldered to the printed board. However, without soldering, the board connection portion is press-fitted into the through-hole to achieve electrical connection. The present invention can be applied to a device that makes a simple connection.
(4) In the above-described second embodiment, the locking portion may be omitted, and the board connector may be fixed to the case by the connector bolt, as in the first embodiment.
[0035]
(5) In each of the above-described embodiments, positioning means may be provided that can be positioned in the horizontal direction by fitting the printed board and the board connector into and out of each other. In the second embodiment, a temporary holding means for temporarily holding the printed board on the board connector may be provided.
(6) The shape of the case can be set arbitrarily. For example, a case in which a flat lid is placed on a deep dish-shaped lower case is also included in the present invention. Also, the arrangement position and shape of the locking portion can be arbitrarily set.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a case seal structure according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an operation of fixing a board connector to an upper case. FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an operation of fixing the lower case to the upper case. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a case seal structure according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the work of attaching the connector for printed circuit board and the printed board. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the work of fixing the printed board to the lower case. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the work of fixing the upper case to the lower case.
10: Board connector 18: Connector bolt (connector fixing means)
20, 20A ... seal ring (sealing means)
22 Printed circuit board (board)
24 ... Bolt for board (fixing means for board)
26: Case 27: Upper case (first case member)
28 Lower case (second case member)
30 ... case bolt (case fixing means)
32, 32A opening 36 locking part C mating connector

Claims (6)

The case is provided with an opening that can be attached while penetrating the board connector connected to the board arranged in the case, and a mating connector outside the case can be fitted to the board connector. It is said that
A sealing structure for a case, wherein sealing means is provided between the board connector and the case, the sealing means being capable of sealing the opening by being in close contact with both. The case includes a first case member having the opening, and a second case member fixed to the first case member.
The board connector penetrates the opening and is fixed to the first case member by connector fixing means with the sealing means interposed therebetween,
The board is connected to the board connector and fixed to the first case member by board fixing means,
The case sealing structure according to claim 1, wherein the second case member is fixed to the first case member by case fixing means. The case includes a first case member having the opening, and a second case member fixed to the first case member.
The board is fixed to the second case member by board fixing means in a state where the board is connected to the board connector,
The first case member is fixed to the second case member by case fixing means in a state where the board connector penetrates the opening and the sealing means is interposed between the first connector and the board connector. 2. The case sealing structure according to claim 1, wherein: 4. The case connector according to claim 3, wherein the board connector is provided with a locking portion that can be locked to the first case member to prevent the board connector from falling out of the case. Seal structure. The board connector is connected to the board disposed in the case, and the board connector is passed through an opening provided in the case, and sealing means provided between the board connector and the case is provided. A method for assembling a case sealing structure, wherein the mating connector outside the case is fitted to the board connector after the opening is sealed by closely contacting the opening. The case includes a first case member having the opening, and a second case member fixed to the first case member;
After the board is connected to the board connector, the board is fixed to the second case member by the board fixing means, and then the board connector is passed through the opening and the sealing means is brought into close contact with both, thereby opening the board. 6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the first case member is fixed to the second case member by a case fixing means while sealing.

Images