JP2006336811A - Positioning structure and vehicle instruments including the positioning structure - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a positioning structure which can reduce the size in the fitting direction in which a positioning convex portion is fitted in a positioning concave portion. <P>SOLUTION: By the positioning structure, a first member 15 is positioned with respect to a second member 16 and secured in the direction of assembling the first member 15 with the second member 16. In the positioning structure, one of the first member 15 and the second member 16 includes the positioning concave portion 151, and the other includes the positioning convex portion 161 to be fitted in the concave portion 151. The assembly direction is set to be substantially perpendicular to the fitting direction in which the convex portion 161 is fitted in the concave portion 151. The convex portion 161 is so arranged as to be fitted in the concave portion 151 when the assembly of the first member 15 with the second member 16 is completed. It is thus possible to reduce the size in the fitting direction. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a positioning structure that positions a first member with respect to a second member and fixes the first member in an assembly direction of the first member with respect to the second member, and a vehicular instrument including the positioning structure.

  Conventionally, as a positioning structure, there is one in which a positioning hole is provided in an electric wiring board, and a positioning projection is provided in a case to be fitted in the positioning hole of the electric wiring board. In this positioning structure, the electric wiring board is assembled and fixed to the case so that the positioning protrusions are fitted in the positioning holes in the fitting direction in which the positioning protrusions are fitted in the positioning holes.

  In this positioning structure with reduced manufacturing costs, a fixing member having a fixing claw for fixing the electric wiring board to the case without adding a fixing member such as a screw or a caulking (thermal caulking) is required. An elastic member is provided in the case.

  The fixing elastic member extends in the assembly direction (fitting direction) and is elastically deformed so as not to prevent the positioning protrusion from fitting into the positioning hole. The fixing elastic member is configured to fix the electric wiring board to the case in the assembling direction when the electric wiring board is assembled to the case. Thereby, the electric wiring board is fixed to the case.

  However, when there are restrictions on the dimensions of a vehicle instrument or the like, in the above-described positioning structure, the electric wiring board is assembled with the case in the same direction as the positioning fitting direction, and thus extends in the fitting direction. The dimension of the fixing elastic member in the fitting direction becomes a problem. That is, the fixing elastic member is elastically deformed so as not to prevent the positioning protrusions from being fitted into the positioning holes, and the electric wiring board can be fixed to the case in the assembly direction (fitting direction). Therefore, a large dimension is required in the fitting direction.

  As a result, the dimension of the positioning structure in the fitting direction becomes a dimension obtained by adding the dimension of the elastic member to the thickness dimension of the case, and there is a possibility that the dimensional restriction cannot be satisfied.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a positioning structure capable of reducing the dimension in the fitting direction in which the positioning convex portion is fitted into the positioning concave portion, and a vehicle instrument including the positioning structure. And

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention employs the following technical means.

  The positioning structure according to claim 1 is a positioning structure for positioning the first member with respect to the second member and fixing the first member in the assembling direction of the first member with respect to the second member, the first member and the second member. One of them has a positioning recess, and the other of the first member and the second member has a positioning projection that fits into the recess, and the assembling direction fits into the recess. It is set to a direction substantially perpendicular to the mating fitting direction, and the convex portion is configured to be fitted into the concave portion when the assembly of the first member to the second member is completed.

  In this configuration, since the assembly direction is set in a direction substantially perpendicular to the fitting direction, this assembly is an assembly in which the first member is not moved in the substantially fitting direction with respect to the second member. Thereby, it is not necessary to provide the fixing elastic member which requires a big dimension in a fitting direction.

  Further, the convex portion is configured to move in the fitting direction and fit into the concave portion when the assembly is completed. For this reason, the movement to the assembly direction of the 1st member with respect to the 2nd member can be restrained, and, thereby, the positioning structure can fulfill the function of positioning the 1st member with respect to the 2nd member and fixing to the assembly direction. it can.

  As a result, a positioning structure that can reduce the dimension in the fitting direction can be provided.

  The positioning structure according to claim 2 is configured such that the second member includes a restraining portion that restrains the movement of the first member relative to the second member only in the fitting direction.

  In this configuration, since this assembly is an assembly in which the first member is not moved in the substantially fitting direction with respect to the second member, the restraint portion does not need to be an elastic member for fixing that requires a large size. Thereby, the dimension of a fitting direction can be reduced.

  The positioning structure according to claim 3 is configured such that the convex portion is movable rearward in the fitting direction by pressing, and before being fitted into the concave portion during assembly, of the first member and the second member. It is set as the structure pressed backward by one of these.

  In this configuration, since the convex portion is pressed backward by one of the first member and the second member before fitting into the concave portion at the time of assembly, the convex portion is easily prevented without being obstructed by the convex portion. One member can be assembled to the second member in a direction perpendicular to the fitting direction. Thereby, the above-described effects can be easily obtained.

  The positioning structure according to claim 4 is configured such that the other includes an elastic portion that is elastically deformed in the fitting direction, and the convex portion is disposed in the elastic portion.

  In this configuration, since the convex portion is disposed in the elastic portion that is elastically deformed in the fitting direction, the above-described effect can be easily obtained.

  A vehicle instrument according to claim 5 is a vehicle instrument comprising the positioning structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first member is an electric wiring board, and the recess is provided. The configuration is a through hole for positioning.

  In this configuration, the first member is an electric wiring board, and the concave portion is a positioning through hole, and the above-described effects can be obtained even in this configuration.

  Hereinafter, a case where the positioning structure according to the present invention is applied to a combination meter mounted on an automobile will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a front view of a combination meter 1 which is a vehicle meter provided with a positioning structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. The vertical direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 1 is the same as the vertical direction of the automobile.

  2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG.

  FIG. 3 is a view taken along arrow III of the printed board 13 as the first member and the second casing 16 as the second member in FIG.

  4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG.

  FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view taken along line VA-VA in FIG. 3, and FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the printed board 13 is being assembled to the second casing 16.

  FIG. 6 is a circuit configuration diagram illustrating an electrical circuit configuration of the combination meter 1 having a positioning structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  The combination meter 1 is arranged in front of the driver's seat of the automobile and displays various information related to the automobile. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the speedometer A that displays the traveling speed and the engine speed are displayed. A tachometer B is configured.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the dial 2, the pointer 3, and the like are visually recognized by the viewer as a real image through the half mirror 11, and the background pattern 131 formed on the background plate 13 is reflected by the half mirror 11 to form a virtual image KA. , Let the viewer visually recognize as KB. That is, as shown in FIG. 1, the combination meter 1 superimposes the real images such as the dial 2 and the pointer 3 on the virtual images KA and KB of the background pattern 131 so that the viewer can visually recognize them.

  Since the configuration of the tachometer B is the same as that of the speedometer A, the speedometer A will be mainly described below.

  The dial 2 is formed of a light-transmitting material, for example, a thin plate such as a colorless and transparent polycarbonate resin, and includes a character 21 and a scale 22. The characters 21 and the scales 22 are formed on the front surface or back surface of the dial 2 by applying a light-shielding film or printing or the like except for the characters 21 and the scales 22. That is, only the character 21 and the scale 22 are translucent, and the surroundings are light-shielding. As a result, the light is transmitted and illuminated by the light from the light emitting diode 5 that transmits and illuminates the dial 2 arranged on the back side (the left side indicated by the arrow in FIG. 2) of the dial 2 and is displayed.

  In addition, you may give a translucent colored layer to these, without making the character 21 and the scale 22 colorless and transparent. In this case, the characters 21 and the scales 22 are lit and displayed in a colored color.

  The pointer 3 is formed of a translucent material, for example, a colorless or colored transparent acrylic resin, and is fixed to a shaft 41 of a movement 4 described later disposed on the back side of the dial 2 as shown in FIG. The pointer 3 is illuminated with light from the light-emitting diode 6 that illuminates the pointer 3 disposed on the back side of the dial 2 and is lit and displayed in a predetermined color.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a light shielding cap 31 that prevents light from the light emitting diode 6 from directly entering the eyes of the viewer is attached to the pointer 3. The light shielding cap 31 is formed of a light shielding material, for example, a black resin material.

  The reflector 7 is provided at a position corresponding to the light emitting diodes 5 and 6, and guides the light emitted from the light emitting diodes 5 and 6 to the dial 2 and the pointer 3, respectively.

  The movement 4 is composed of, for example, a cross coil actuator or a stepping motor, and rotates the shaft 41 by an angle corresponding to an external electric signal (vehicle speed signal). The shaft 41 extends to the surface side (the right side indicated by the arrow in FIG. 2) through the through hole of the dial 2, and the pointer 3 is fixed to the tip thereof. As a result, the pointer 3 fixed to the tip of the shaft rotates along the surface of the dial 2.

  The movement 4 and the light emitting diodes 5 and 6 described above are mounted on a printed circuit board 8 disposed on the back side of the dial 2. The printed circuit board 8 is formed of, for example, a glass epoxy board or the like, and forms an electric circuit portion of the combination meter 1. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, a control device 9 that controls lighting / extinguishing of the light emitting diodes 5, 6 is mounted on the printed circuit board 8.

  The control device 9 is composed of, for example, a microcomputer and the like, and controls the lighting and extinguishing of the light emitting diodes 5 and 6 and also controls the driving of the movement 4 and the lighting and extinguishing control of the light emitting diode 14 described later.

  On the viewer side of the dial 2 (on the right side in FIG. 2), a half mirror 11 is installed via a facing plate 10. The half mirror 11 has light transmissivity and a characteristic of reflecting light incident on the surface thereof with a predetermined reflectance. As a result, the viewer visually recognizes the character 21, the scale 22, and the pointer 3 that are lit and displayed as a real image through the half mirror 11, and at the same time, displays the external image (background pattern 131) on the outer surface of the half mirror 11, that is, the dial. 2 can be visually recognized as a virtual image (KA, KB) by reflection on the surface opposite to 2.

  In the case of a general colorless and transparent glass plate or a colorless and transparent resin plate, extraneous light is reflected on the surface, but since the reflectance is low, a virtual image of an external image cannot be clearly seen. The half mirror 11 has its reflectance adjusted on the surface so that a virtual image of an external image can be clearly visually recognized.

  A first casing 12 is provided behind the movement 4, the printed circuit board 8, and the control device (the left side indicated by the arrow in FIG. 2), and the upper part (the upper part indicated by the arrow in FIG. 2) of the facing plate 10 is visible. It extends toward the person side (right side in FIG. 2). The background plate 13 is fixed to the extending portion of the facing plate 10.

  The background plate 13 is formed in a plate shape from a translucent material, such as a colorless and transparent polycarbonate resin, and is disposed at a position where it cannot be directly recognized by a viewer. A background pattern 131 having a predetermined background design is formed on the background plate 13 by printing or the like. The background plate 13 is transmitted and illuminated by the light emitting diode 14 disposed behind it, and the transmitted light is reflected by the half mirror 11 so that the viewer can visually recognize the background pattern 131 as virtual images KA and KB.

  The light emitting diode 14 is mounted on a printed circuit board 15 that is a first member, and the printed circuit board 15 is fixed to a second casing 16 that is a second member. The light emitting diode 14 is mounted on the printed board 15, and the printed board 15 is fixed to the second casing 16, and then the second casing 16 is placed behind the extension plate 10 on which the background plate 13 is fixed (see FIG. Fix from the top (indicated by the arrow 2).

  The combination meter 1 configured as described above is incorporated in the dashboard 17 so that the dial 2 can be seen, but there is a demand for reducing the dimension L between the background plate 13 and the second casing 16.

  Hereinafter, a positioning structure according to the present invention, that is, a positioning structure for positioning the printed circuit board 15 with respect to the second casing 16 and fixing it in the assembly direction will be described.

  The printed circuit board 15 is a single-sided printed circuit board that is formed of, for example, a glass epoxy board or the like, has a shape like glasses, and has a conductor pattern formed only on one side as shown in FIG. The light-emitting diode 14 mounted on the left side of the printed circuit board 15 (the left side indicated by the arrow in FIG. 3) transmits and illuminates the background pattern 131 of the background plate 13 that allows the speedometer A to visually recognize the virtual image KA shown in FIG. Is. The light-emitting diode 14 mounted on the right side of the printed circuit board 15 (the right side indicated by the arrow in FIG. 3) transmits and illuminates the background pattern 131 of the background plate 13 that allows the tachometer B to visually recognize the virtual image KB shown in FIG. It is.

  Although not shown, the background pattern 131 is formed on the background plate 13 so as to face the left side portion and the right side portion of the printed circuit board 15.

  The printed circuit board 15 has a positioning through-hole 151 that is a concave portion at a connection portion that connects the left and right portions.

  The second casing 16 is made of, for example, polypropylene resin (PP resin) or the like, and includes a positioning projection 161 that is a convex portion, a flexible plate 162 that is an elastic portion, and four guide portions 163 that are restraining portions. .

  The printed circuit board 15 is assembled to the second casing 16 by sliding from the left side to the right side in FIG. Here, the surface on which the conductor pattern is not formed is brought into contact with the second casing 16 and is slid. When the assembly of the printed circuit board 15 to the second casing 16 is completed, the protrusion 161 is fitted into the through hole 151 of the printed circuit board 15 upward as indicated by the arrows in FIGS. 4 and 5. It is formed at the tip of the flexible plate 162. That is, the printed circuit board 15 is assembled to the second casing 16 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the fitting direction in which the protrusions 161 are fitted into the through holes 151.

  For this reason, this assembly is an assembly in which the printed circuit board 15 is not moved in the substantially fitting direction with respect to the second casing 16, and accordingly, it is necessary to provide an elastic member for fixing that requires a large dimension in the fitting direction. Absent. As a result, the dimension in the fitting direction, that is, the dimension L shown in FIG. 2 can be reduced. That is, it is possible to meet the demand for reducing the dimension L.

  Further, the protrusion 161 is configured to be fitted into the through hole 151 when the assembly is completed. For this reason, the movement of the printed circuit board 15 in the assembling direction with respect to the second casing 16 can be restricted, whereby the printed circuit board 15 can be positioned with respect to the second casing 16 and fixed in the assembling direction.

  Each guide part 163 is formed in the “L-shaped” section shown in FIG. 4 so that the printed circuit board 15 can slide in the left-right direction shown in FIG. That is, the guide part 163 restrains the movement of the printed circuit board 15 relative to the second casing 16 only in the fitting direction. Since this assembly is an assembly in which the first member is not moved in the substantially fitting direction with respect to the second member, the guide portion 163 does not need to be an elastic member for fixing that requires a large size. The dimension in the alignment direction (dimension L shown in FIG. 2) can be reduced.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the flexible plate 162 is formed inside the four guide portions 163 by removing the second casing 16 into a “U-shape” shown in FIG. It has flexibility in the vertical direction (fitting direction) indicated by the arrow 5. The protrusion 161, the flexible plate 162, and the four guide portions 163 are integrally formed by resin molding when the second casing 16 is formed.

  The assembly of the printed circuit board 15 to the second casing 16 is performed by inserting and sliding the printed circuit board 15 into the four guide portions 163 from the left side to the right side as shown in FIG. At this time, the protrusion 161 is pressed backward (downward in the figure) in the fitting direction by the second casing 16 as shown in FIG. 5 (b) before being fitted into the through hole 151. The flexible plate 162 is elastically deformed downward.

  Thereby, the printed circuit board 15 can be easily assembled to the second casing 16 in a direction perpendicular to the fitting direction without being obstructed by the protrusion 161.

  When the printed circuit board 15 is slid toward the right side with respect to the second casing 16 in FIG. 5B, the pressure against the protrusion 161 does not act at the position of the through hole 151. As a result, the flexible plate 162 is elastically deformed upward as shown in FIG. 5A, the protrusion 161 is fitted into the through hole 151, and the assembly of the printed board 15 to the second casing 16 is completed. To do.

  Next, the electric circuit configuration of the combination meter 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention described above will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, power is constantly supplied from the battery 19 to the control device 9. Further, the control device 9 is connected so that the ignition switch 18 can detect its operating state (ON or OFF).

  As shown in FIG. 6, the control device 9 is connected to a speed sensor 20 for detecting the traveling speed of the automobile and a rotation sensor for detecting the engine speed (not shown) so that a detection signal can be input. Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the control device 9 is connected to the movement 4 of the speedometer A, the light-emitting diodes 5, 6 and 14, the movement (not shown) of the tachometer B, and the like.

  The control device 9 detects the operating state of the ignition switch 18 to control the turning on / off of each of the light emitting diodes 5, 6, 14. The engine speed is calculated, and the movement 4 or a movement for a tachometer (not shown) is driven so as to instruct the speedometer A and the speedometer B to the calculated speed and speed.

  When the ignition switch 18 is in the OFF state, the control device 9 turns off the light-emitting diodes 5, 6, and 14. Therefore, the half mirror 11 of the combination meter 1 is visually recognized as black.

  When the ignition switch 18 is turned on by the driver, the control device 9 detects that the ignition switch 18 is turned on and lights up the light emitting diodes 5, 6, and 14.

  Thereby, the character 21, scale 22 of the speedometer A, and the character, scale, and pointer of the indicator 3 and the tachometer B are visually recognized as real images, and the background pattern 131 is visually recognized as virtual images KA and KB. Is done. As a result, a novel appearance combination meter 1 can be provided without increasing the dimension L shown in FIG.

  In the positioning structure according to the embodiment of the present invention described above, the printed circuit board 15 that is the first member is positioned with respect to the second casing 16 that is the second member, and the printed circuit board 15 is positioned with respect to the second casing 16. The positioning structure is fixed in the assembly direction, and one of the printed circuit board 15 and the second casing 16 has a through hole 151 that is a positioning recess, and the other of the printed circuit board 15 and the second casing 16. Is provided with a projection 161 that is a positioning convex portion that fits into the through hole 151, the assembly direction is set in a direction substantially perpendicular to the fitting direction in which the projection 161 fits into the through hole 151, and the projection 161 is The configuration is such that when the assembly of the printed circuit board 15 to the second casing 16 is completed, the printed circuit board 15 is fitted into the through hole 151.

  In this configuration, since the assembly direction is set in a direction substantially perpendicular to the fitting direction, this assembly is an assembly in which the printed circuit board 15 is not moved in the substantially fitting direction with respect to the second casing 16. Thereby, it is not necessary to provide the fixing elastic member which requires a big dimension in a fitting direction.

  Further, when this assembly is completed, the protrusion 161 is configured to move in the fitting direction and fit into the through hole 151. For this reason, the movement of the printed circuit board 15 in the assembly direction with respect to the second casing 16 can be restricted, whereby the positioning structure functions to position the printed circuit board 15 with respect to the second casing 16 and fix it in the assembly direction. be able to.

  As a result, a positioning structure that can reduce the dimension in the fitting direction can be provided.

  In the positioning structure according to the present invention, the through hole 151 can be formed in the second casing, and the protrusion 161 and the flexible plate 162 can be formed on the printed board 15.

  Further, the printed circuit board 15 does not need to have the glasses shape shown in FIG. 3 and does not have to be a single-sided wiring circuit board in which a conductor pattern is formed only on one side. For example, when the printed circuit board 15 is a double-sided wiring circuit board in which conductor patterns are formed on both sides, the printed circuit board 15 can be slid without being brought into contact with the second casing 16 (floating), and the second casing 16 It is configured so that it can be slid and assembled.

  Further, the positioning structure according to the present invention can be applied to other than the vehicle instrument.

  In addition, the positioning structure according to the present invention is not limited to the positioning structure of the printed circuit board 15 with respect to the second casing 16, and can be applied to a positioning structure between other members.

  Moreover, it can be set as a recessed part instead of the through-hole 151. FIG.

  In addition, the protrusion 161 is not hemispherical and can be a convex portion such as a columnar shape or a quadrangular prism shape as long as it fits into the concave portion described above, and the number of protrusions 161 is not limited to one and may be plural. When a plurality of convex portions are formed, a plurality of concave portions into which these are respectively fitted are provided.

  The flexible plate 162 is not limited to a plate shape as long as it is an elastic portion that is elastically deformed in the fitting direction described above. For example, the flexible plate 162 is a spring member provided below the convex portion described above. You can also. That is, as long as the elastic portion can be configured so that the convex portion can be moved rearward (downward) in the fitting direction by pressing, various modifications can be considered. Further, when a plurality of convex portions are formed, a plurality of elastic portions corresponding to these are provided.

  Further, the four guide portions 163 need not be limited to the shape described above as long as the movement of the first member (printed circuit board 15) relative to the second member (second casing 16) is restricted only in the fitting direction. . Also, instead of four, it may be two or six, and various modifications are possible.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a combination meter 1 that is a vehicle meter provided with a positioning structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. FIG. 3 is a view taken along the arrow III of the printed circuit board 13 as the first member and the second casing 16 as the second member in FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view taken along line VA-VA in FIG. 3, and FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the printed board 13 is being assembled to the second casing 16. FIG. 6 is a circuit configuration diagram illustrating an electrical circuit configuration of the combination meter 1 including the positioning structure according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 Combination meter (vehicle instrument)
2 dial, 21 characters, 21 scale, 3 pointers, 31 light-shielding cap, 4 movement, 41 shaft, 5, 6 light emitting diode, 7 reflector, 8 printed circuit board, 9 control device, 10 facing plate, 11 half mirror, 12 first casing, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 13 Background board, 131 Background pattern, 14 Light emitting diode 15 Printed circuit board (electrical wiring board, 1st member), 151 Through-hole (recessed part)
16 2nd casing (2nd member), 161 Protrusion (convex part)
162 Flexible plate (elastic part), 163 Guide part (restraint part)
17 Dashboard, 18 Ignition switch, 19 Battery, 20 Speed sensor, A Speedometer, B Tachometer, KA, KB Virtual image, L dimension

Claims (5)

A positioning structure for positioning the first member with respect to the second member and fixing the first member in the assembly direction of the first member with respect to the second member,
One of the first member and the second member has a positioning recess,
The other of the first member and the second member includes a positioning convex portion that fits into the concave portion,
The assembly direction is set in a direction substantially perpendicular to a fitting direction in which the convex portion is fitted into the concave portion,
The positioning structure, wherein the convex portion is configured to be fitted into the concave portion when the assembly of the first member to the second member is completed.   The positioning structure according to claim 1, wherein the second member includes a restraining portion that restrains the movement of the first member relative to the second member only in the fitting direction.   The convex portion is configured to move backward in the fitting direction by pressing, and is pressed backward by the one before fitting into the concave portion at the time of assembly. The positioning structure according to claim 1 or claim 2. The other includes an elastic portion that is elastically deformed in the fitting direction.
The positioning structure according to claim 3, wherein the convex portion is disposed on the elastic portion. A vehicle instrument comprising the positioning structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The first member is an electrical wiring board;
The vehicle instrument, wherein the recess is a positioning through hole.

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