JP2010148186A - Meter structure - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a meter structure which improves assembling performance, reduces the number of work processes, and also reduces costs while taking the exchange workability and dismantling workability of a meter and an electric connection box into consideration. <P>SOLUTION: The meter 11 integrated with the electric connection box is manufactured in such a manner that: a meter rear case 16 is set in a prescribed manufacturing line; after that, the electric connection box 13 is formed by accommodating and fixing an electric connection box base board 33 which is connected with a wiring plate assembly 30, a connector block assembly 32, and a BtoB pin header 34 in a component accommodation space 21 of the meter rear case 16; a lid member 14 is then assembled in a prescribed position; a constituent of the meter 12 of a meter base board 17 or the like is assembled; and lastly, the meter 12 is formed by covering the meter rear case 16 with a meter front case 15 and fixing the meter front case. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a structure of a meter mounted on a vehicle or the like, and more particularly to a meter structure related to integration of a meter and an electric junction box.

  If the meter and electrical junction box are arranged separately on the instrument panel, etc., wiring of the wire harness becomes complicated, so consideration is given to exchanging and dismantling of the meter and electrical junction box, and the number of parts is reduced. For this reason, it is conventionally known to attach an electric junction box to the back of the meter.

  Patent Document 1 below discloses a technique related to assembling an electric junction box on the back surface of a meter. In FIG. 4, in the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 below, an electrical junction box 1 is assembled on the back surface of a meter 3 provided on a steering column 2. The meter 3 includes a pointer 3a, a movement 3b, an electronic component 3c, a meter substrate 3d, a dial plate 3e, a light guide plate 3f, a turning 3g, a front glass 3h, a case 3i, and the like. Reference numeral 2a denotes a front side column cover, 2b denotes a back side column cover, 2c denotes a lower column cover, 2d denotes a turn switch, 2e denotes a wiper switch, 2f denotes an ignition switch, and 2g denotes a steering wheel.

  The electrical junction box 1 is assembled on the back surface of the meter substrate 3d by retrofitting. The electrical junction box 1 includes a main cover 1a. The main cover 1a has a saucer-like cover base 1c with an opening 1b facing the front side (meter 3 side), a bus bar unit, a wiring unit, etc. (not shown). And an opening (not shown) having a saucer-like accommodation portion 1d facing the back side. In addition to the main cover 1a, an under cover (not shown) that covers the opening of the accommodating portion 1d is provided. The under cover is provided with a connector 1e. The main cover 1a is provided with a connector 1f that is fitted and electrically connected to a connector fitting portion (not shown) of the meter board 3d. A fuse cavity 1g for accommodating the fuse H is provided on the side surface of the accommodating portion 1d.

In the above configuration, the electrical connection box 1 is assembled to the back surface of the meter board 3d by retrofitting as described above, and therefore, the electrical connection box 1 and the meter 3 are integrated after being assembled. Here, referring to FIG. 4 (b), the electrical connection box 1 and the meter 3 are viewed in the direction of assembly. The electrical connection box 1 has a bus bar unit (not shown) because the opening of the housing portion 1d faces the back side. The wiring unit and the like can be assembled from the arrow P direction. On the other hand, the meter 3 is configured such that the components such as the pointer 3a and the movement 3b are arranged on the front side of the meter substrate 3d, and thus the components are assembled from the arrow Q direction.
JP 2005-170313 A

  The prior art has a meter structure in which the electrical connection box 1 is retrofitted to the back surface of the meter substrate 3d in consideration of the exchange workability and the dismantling workability. 4B, the electric junction box 1 and the meter 3 have a meter structure in which the assembling directions (see arrows P and Q) are different. Therefore, it is necessary to go through many steps until the electric junction box 1 and the meter 3 are integrated, and the work becomes complicated. Therefore, improvement in terms of man-hours and assembly can be achieved. There is room.

  Further, in the above prior art, the case 3i of the meter 3, the main cover 1a and the under cover of the electrical junction box 1 include a part constituting an external shape, a part used for electrical connection, and the like. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure a sufficient strength. For this reason, resin molding is performed using an expensive resin material. Therefore, there is room for improvement in cost.

  The inventor of the present application believes that the bottom wall portion of the housing portion 1a, which is a portion for housing the bus bar unit, the wiring unit, etc., does not need to secure strength and does not need to use an expensive resin material.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and is intended to improve assembly workability, reduce work man-hours, and further reduce costs while taking into consideration the workability of exchanging and dismantling of meters and electrical junction boxes. It is an object of the present invention to provide a meter structure capable of satisfying the requirements.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the meter structure of the present invention according to claim 1, wherein a part of the wall of the meter back case located on the back side of the meter substrate is recessed from the inner surface side of the wall. The convex side is formed into a convex shape, and this convex part is used as a wall-integrated cover for the electrical junction box, and the concave part on the inner surface side of the wall is used as a component storage space for the electrical junction box. It is characterized by.

  According to the present invention having such characteristics, the meter mounting direction and the electrical junction box mounting direction are the same. The electrical junction box is assembled in a state in which this component is housed in a recessed portion formed on the inner surface side of the wall of the meter back case. After the components of the electrical junction box are accommodated and the electrical junction box has been assembled, the meter components are assembled in the normal direction in front of the electrical junction box.

  A meter structure according to a second aspect of the present invention is the meter structure according to the first aspect, wherein the meter structure is separate from the meter substrate and the meter back case, and is located on the back side of the meter substrate and has the recessed portion. It is characterized by including a resin lid member covering the opening.

  According to the present invention having such a feature, the components of the electrical junction box and the components of the meter are isolated and insulated by the lid member. Since the lid member is a single component, it is possible to perform resin molding using a relatively inexpensive resin material. If the cover member covers the opening of the recessed portion as the entire opening, intrusion of dust, foreign matter, and the like from the electrical connection box side to the meter side is prevented.

  The meter structure according to a third aspect of the present invention is the meter structure according to the second aspect, wherein the lid member has a lid body that covers the opening, and the lid body on the meter substrate side has a lid body. The ribs are provided integrally.

  According to the present invention having such characteristics, the strength of the lid member itself can be increased by the ribs, and it can also function as a support for the meter substrate. The meter substrate is supported by ribs and the position is stabilized.

  A meter structure according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the meter structure according to the second aspect, wherein the lid member has a lid body that covers the opening, and the lid body that is opposite to the meter substrate side. On the back surface of this, a cavity constituting portion that becomes a part of the fuse cavity is integrally provided.

  According to the present invention having such a feature, by providing a part of the fuse cavity on the lid member side, it becomes possible to simplify the structure of the components of the electrical junction box or reduce the number of components. .

  A meter structure according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is the meter structure according to the fourth aspect, wherein the fuse cavity component includes an arrangement adjusting portion that separates a part of the fuse cavity from the wall of the meter back case. It is characterized by that.

  According to the present invention having such a feature, it is possible to attach and detach the fuse at a position away from the outer surface of the wall of the meter back case by setting the projecting dimension of the arrangement adjusting portion to be large.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, a part of the wall of the meter back case is formed in a concave shape from the inner surface side of the wall so that the outer surface side has a convex shape. By using the wall-integrated cover for the junction box and using the recessed portion on the inner surface side of the wall as a component housing space for the junction box, the assembly direction of the meter and the junction box can be made the same direction. Thereby, it is not necessary to assemble each of the electric junction box and the meter, and can be assembled on the same line. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to improve the ease of assembly, reduce the number of work steps, and reduce costs. Since the present invention has a meter structure suitable for the integration of the meter and the electrical junction box, the meter and the electrical junction box can be replaced by adopting this meter structure and integrating the meter and the electrical junction box. There is an effect that workability and dismantling workability can be taken into consideration.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, by using a lid member that does not include a portion constituting the outer shape and a portion used for electrical connection as a single component, a relatively inexpensive resin material is used. Resin molding can be performed. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the cost. In addition, the components of the electrical junction box and the components of the meter can be isolated and insulated by the lid member. Further, by allowing the lid member to function as a lid that covers the entire opening, it is possible to prevent intrusion of dust, foreign matter, and the like from the electrical connection box side to the meter side. Therefore, according to the present invention, the electrical reliability can be improved.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, the strength of the lid member itself can be increased by the rib. Therefore, even if the lid member is resin-molded using a relatively inexpensive resin material, there is an effect that the strength can be prevented from being insufficient. In addition, the position of the meter substrate can be stabilized by supporting the meter substrate with ribs. Then, by stabilizing the position of the meter board, it is possible to easily assemble the components on the meter side. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to contribute to the improvement of workability.

  According to the present invention described in claim 4, since the fuse cavity, which is originally the structure of the electrical junction box, is divided and a part of the fuse cavity is provided on the lid member side, the structure of the components of the electrical junction box Can be simplified and the number of parts can be reduced. Therefore, according to this invention, there exists an effect that it can contribute to the improvement of an assembly | attachment property, reduction of an operation man-hour, and cost reduction.

  According to the present invention as set forth in claim 5, by setting the projecting dimension of the arrangement adjusting portion to be large, the fuse can be attached and detached at a position away from the outer surface of the wall of the meter back case. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to easily remove and install the fuse, and it is possible to improve the assembling workability, the maintainability, and the dismantling workability.

  Hereinafter, description will be given with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 are exploded perspective views of an electric junction box and a meter showing an embodiment of a meter structure of the present invention. Moreover, FIG. 3 is a figure of the integrated electrical junction box and meter, (a) is a top view, (b) is a rear view.

  1 to 3, reference numeral 11 indicates an electric junction box integrated meter that employs the meter structure of the present invention. The electric junction box integrated meter 11 is manufactured, for example, as a part of a meter module provided on an instrument panel (not shown) (it may be provided on a steering column). The electric junction box integrated meter 11 is obtained by integrating a meter 12 and an electric junction box 13.

  As will be understood from the following description, the electric junction box-integrated meter 11 is not retrofitted to the meter in the same manner as in the conventional example (see FIG. 4).

  In addition to the meter 12 and the electrical junction box 13, the electrical junction box-integrated meter 11 includes a lid member 14 that is interposed therebetween. Although it is optional to provide the lid member 14, it is preferable to provide it as in this embodiment because it is effective for insulation, prevention of foreign matter intrusion, and formation of a fuse cavity (which will be described later). To do.

  The meter 12 is a combination meter including a speedometer, a tachometer, a water temperature meter, etc. (It may be a monocular meter based on a speedometer). The meter 12 includes a meter front case 15, a meter back case 16, a meter substrate 17 accommodated therein, a movement, an electronic component, a light source element, and the like (not shown) assembled to the meter substrate 17, a speed value, etc. And a light guide plate (not shown) that guides the light from the light source element to the dial plate. The meter board 17 and various parts assembled to the meter board 17 are assumed to be known ones.

  The meter front case 15 is provided as a part for forming the appearance on the front side of the electric junction box integrated meter 11, and the meter back case 16 is provided as a part for forming the appearance on the rear side of the electric connection box integrated meter 11. It has been. The meter front case 15 is disposed on the front side of the meter substrate 17, and the meter back case 16 is disposed on the back side of the meter substrate 17. The meter back case 16 has a wall 18 facing the back surface of the meter substrate 17 at a predetermined interval, and a peripheral wall 19 continuous to the periphery of the wall 18. The meter back case 16 is formed in a substantially saucer shape having a shallow bottom with the wall 18 at a relatively shallow position and an opening facing the front side.

  The wall 18 is formed with a plurality of protruding columns 20 for screwing the meter board 17. Further, the wall 18 is formed with a portion that is recessed from the inner surface side and has a convex shape on the outer surface side. This formed portion will be described in more detail. A space of the recessed portion formed by being recessed from the inner surface side is a component storage space 21 for storing a component 29 described later of the electrical connection box 13. In addition, the convex forming portion of the convex shape is a wall-integrated cover 22 that functions as a cover for the electrical junction box 13. The component housing space 21 and the wall-integrated cover 22 are formed continuously with the wall 18, in other words, integrally with the wall 18 (the cover constituting the electrical connection box 13 is integrated with the meter back case 16). .

  The wall-integrated cover 22 is formed with a part of fuse cavities 24 for a large number of fuses 23, a cavity 26 for a fusible link 25, and various cavities 27 for connecting connectors provided in a wire harness (not shown). Has been. The wall-integrated cover 22 is also formed with an opening 28 for a connector 31 described later.

  The electrical junction box 13 has a configuration and structure that uses a wall-integrated cover 22 that is integrated with the meter back case 16. The electrical junction box 13 has a configuration and a structure in which the component 29 is accommodated in the component accommodating space 21 of the meter back case 16. The component 29 includes a wiring board assembly 30 having a terminal for the fuse 23, a terminal for the fusible link 25, and a resin part for fixing them, a connector block assembly 32 having a plurality of connectors 31, and The electric connection box substrate 33 on which various parts not to be mounted and the like and a BtoB pin header 34 are provided. The BtoB pin header 34 is provided as a component for electrically connecting the electrical junction box substrate 33 and the meter substrate 17. The function of the component 29 is assumed to be the same as a known one.

  The lid member 14 is a resin molded product that is resin-molded using a less expensive resin material than the meter back case 16, and includes a lid body 35, a rib 36 that is integrally provided on the front surface of the lid body 35, a lid It has a cavity constituting part 37 provided integrally on the back surface of the main body 35 and is formed in a shape as shown in the figure. The lid main body 35 is formed in a shape that can cover the entire opening of the recessed portion where the component housing space 21 is located. The lid body 35 has a function as a lid for the recessed portion (this function can prevent intrusion of dust, foreign matter, etc. from the electrical connection box 13 side to the meter 12 side). The lid body 35 also has a function of interposing between the meter 12 and the electrical junction box 13 to insulate these substrates. A substrate support portion 38 for supporting the electrical junction box substrate 33 is formed on the back surface of the lid main body 35 together with the cavity constituting portion 37.

  By forming the rib 36, the strength of the lid member 14 can be increased. Also, the rib 36 is formed so as to support the meter substrate 17 and stabilize the position of the meter substrate 17. The cavity constituting part 37 has a part 39 of the fuse cavity for a large number of fuses 23 and an arrangement adjusting part 40 for separating the part 39 of the fuse cavity from the outer surface of the wall 18 of the meter back case 16. The arrangement adjusting unit 40 can easily attach and detach the fuse 23 at a position away from the outer surface of the wall 18 by setting the projecting dimension large. Reference numeral 41 indicates an escape portion for the BtoB pin header 34.

  Next, the manufacture of the electric junction box integrated meter 11 will be described based on the above configuration and structure.

  In the electric junction box integrated meter 11, the meter back case 16 is set in a predetermined production line, and thereafter, the wiring board assembly 30, the connector block assembly 32, and the BtoB pin header are installed in the component housing space 21 of the meter back case 16. The electrical connection box substrate 33 connected to the housing 34 is accommodated and fixed to form the electrical connection box 13, and then the lid member 14 is assembled at a predetermined position, and the components of the meter 12 such as the meter substrate 17 are assembled. The meter front case 15 is covered with a meter back case 16 and fixed to form the meter 12. In addition, the arrow S in FIG. 1 has shown the assembly direction of the meter 12 and the electrical junction box 13. As shown in FIG.

  As described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, according to the present invention, the assembly direction of the meter 12 and the electrical junction box 13 can be the same direction (see arrow S). Thereby, the meter 12 and the electric junction box 13 can be assembled | attached by the same line, and the electric junction box integrated meter 11 can be manufactured. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to improve the assembling property, reduce the number of work steps, and reduce the cost as compared with the conventional case.

  Needless to say, the electric junction box-integrated meter 11 employing the meter structure of the present invention has good exchange workability and dismantling workability of the meter 12 and the electric junction box 13.

  It goes without saying that the present invention can be variously modified without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an electric junction box and a meter (an exploded perspective view with a meter front case in front and a meter back case in the back) showing an embodiment of the meter structure of the present invention. It is an exploded perspective view (an exploded perspective view with the meter back case up and the meter front case down) of the electrical junction box and the meter. It is the figure of the integrated electrical junction box and meter, (a) is a top view, (b) is a rear view. It is a figure which shows the meter structure of a prior art example, (a) is a disassembled perspective view, (b) is sectional drawing.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Electric junction box integrated meter 12 Meter 13 Electrical junction box 14 Cover member 15 Meter front case 16 Meter back case 17 Meter board 18 Wall 19 Perimeter wall 20 Strut 21 Component component accommodation space 22 Wall integrated cover 23 Fuse 24, 39 Fuse cavity 25 Fusible link 26, 27 Cavity 28 Opening 29 Component 30 Wiring board assembly 31 Connector 32 Connector block assembly 33 Electrical junction box substrate 34 BtoB pin header 35 Lid body 36 Rib 37 Cavity component 38 Substrate support 40 Placement adjustment part 41 Escape part

Claims (5)

A part of the wall of the meter back case, which is located on the back side of the meter board, is recessed from the inner surface side of the wall to form a convex shape on the outer surface side. A meter structure characterized in that a wall-integrated cover is provided, and a recessed portion on the inner surface side of the wall is used as a component storage space for the electrical junction box. The meter structure according to claim 1,
A meter structure comprising: a resin lid member that is separate from the meter substrate and the meter back case and is positioned on the back side of the meter substrate and covers the opening of the recessed portion. The meter structure according to claim 2,
The said lid member has a lid main body which covers the said opening, and the rib structure is integrally provided in the front of the said lid main body used as the said meter board | substrate side. The meter structure according to claim 2,
The lid member has a lid body that covers the opening, and a back surface of the lid body that is opposite to the meter substrate side is integrally provided with a cavity component that is a part of a fuse cavity. Meter structure. The meter structure according to claim 4,
The said fuse cavity structure part has the arrangement | positioning adjustment part which separates a part of said fuse cavity from the said wall of the said meter back case. The meter structure characterized by the above-mentioned.

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