JP2013080674A - Electronic circuit unit capable of making external connection - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electronic circuit unit which has a waterproof function preventing water from intruding into a coupling portion between a circuit board and a connector for external connection.SOLUTION: An electronic circuit unit comprises: a circuit board 10 having first and second edge parts 12A, 12B provided with multiple connection conductors; a case 20 housing the circuit board 10; a connector having a connector terminal 30B connecting with multiple electric wires W and a housing 40 holding the connector terminal 30B; electric wire side sealing members 50 attached to the respective electric wires W; and a connector side sealing member 60. The connector side sealing member 60 is disposed between the housing 40 and the case 20 so as to seal the interior of the case. Each electric wire side sealing member 50 adheres to an inner peripheral surface of a terminal insertion part 45 so as to seal the interior of the case 20. The case 20 has a housing engagement part 28 which engages with the housing 40.

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic circuit unit which is mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile and can be connected to an external circuit via a plurality of electric wires.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an electronic circuit unit mounted on a vehicle includes a circuit board in which an electronic circuit is incorporated, and a board connector for connecting an external connection wire to a connection conductor on the circuit board. Many are known. Furthermore, as the board connector, a so-called card edge type connector that is mounted on the edge of the circuit board is known.

  For example, in the following Patent Document 1, as shown in FIG. 8, a terminal 92 provided at each end of a plurality of electric wires, a terminal-side housing 94 that holds these terminals 92, and an edge of a circuit board 96 are fixed. A connector having a board-side housing 98 is disclosed. Each of the terminals 92 has an elastic contact piece 93 that can be elastically displaced in the thickness direction of the circuit board 96. When the elastic contact piece 93 comes into contact with the surface of the circuit board 96, the elastic contact piece 93 is elastically displaced by receiving a reaction force from the surface, and is brought into pressure contact with the connection conductor on the surface by the elastic return force. The terminal-side housing 94 is arranged so that the elastic contact pieces 93 of the terminals 92 sandwich the circuit board 96 from both the front and back sides, and a plurality of terminals 92 are arranged along the width direction of the circuit board 96. These terminals 92 are held. The board-side housing 98 has a shape capable of receiving the terminal-side housing 94, and the terminal-side housing 94 is placed at a position where the elastic contact piece 93 of each terminal 92 contacts the connecting conductor of the circuit board 96. Lock.

JP 2008-112682 A

  The electronic circuit unit as described above is required to have a waterproof function depending on the place of use and use environment. Specifically, when the connector 90 is used, it is required to prevent moisture from entering the contact portion between the terminal 92 and the connection conductor of the circuit board 96. In order to prevent such moisture from entering, it is conceivable that the entire circuit board 96 including the contact portion is sealed in a dedicated case. The case including the connector 90 connected to the circuit board 96 is also included in the case. It is not easy to seal in a waterproof state. Further, the connector 90 itself has a complicated structure including a terminal side housing 94 for holding a plurality of terminals 92 and a board side housing 98 for locking the terminal side housing 94 to the circuit board 96. Providing the 90 with a waterproof function also entails a complicated structure and a significant cost increase.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is an electronic circuit unit including a circuit board and a connector for external connection coupled to the circuit board, the circuit board and the connector for external connection having a simple structure. It aims at providing the thing which has a waterproof function which prevents the penetration | invasion of the water | moisture content to the coupling | bond part.

  An electronic circuit unit provided by the present invention has a first edge and a second edge located on the opposite side, and a plurality of connection conductors are provided on the surfaces of the first edge and the second edge, respectively. A circuit board and a case for accommodating the circuit board, the circuit board having an opening that opens in a specific direction, and the circuit board from the opening into the case with the first edge as a head. A first circuit board that is inserted in the board insertion direction perpendicular to the thickness direction of the circuit board and that is mounted on the ends of the plurality of electric wires and held in the case and accommodated in the case. The case terminal is attached to each connection conductor of the circuit board housed in the case, and a case terminal for connecting the connection conductor and the electric wire by contacting each connection conductor at the edge. A plurality of wires different from the Comprising a connector to be attached to the case so as to continue, and the connector-side seal member is interposed between the connector and the casing, and a plurality of wire-side sealing member respectively provided for said respective electric wires. The case is positioned on a side opposite to the opening thereof and holds the terminal for each case in an arrangement that allows the case terminals to simultaneously contact the connection conductors on the first edge. And an inner peripheral surface that is located outside the first terminal holding portion and surrounds each of the plurality of terminal insertion holes through which each case terminal can be inserted from the outside, and the inserted terminal is defined as the first terminal. A first terminal insertion portion for guiding the terminal holding portion. The connector is connected to a terminal of each electric wire, and a plurality of connector terminals that can be electrically connected to the conductor by contacting the connection conductor at the second edge of the circuit board, respectively, and the connection conductors And a housing for holding the connector terminals in an arrangement in which the connector terminals can be contacted at the same time, and the housing has an inner peripheral surface that surrounds a plurality of terminal insertion holes through which the connector terminals can be inserted from the outside. And a terminal inserted through the second terminal insertion portion, and has a shape that can be inserted into the case from an opening of the case, and each connector in the inserted state. A second terminal holding portion for holding the connector terminals so that the terminals can be brought into contact with the contact conductors on the second edge of the circuit board, respectively. A. The connector-side seal member is interposed between the housing and the case so as to seal the inside of the case. Each said electric wire side sealing member is each interposed between each said electric wire and the internal peripheral surface of the said 1st and 2nd terminal insertion part so that the inside of the said case may be sealed. In the case, each connector terminal holding the housing on the second terminal holding portion of the housing contacts each connection conductor on the second edge of the circuit board in the case, and the connector-side seal member is A housing locking portion that locks at a position interposed between the housing and the case so as to seal the inside of the case.

  In this electronic circuit unit, the case of the circuit board has a first holding part for holding a plurality of case terminals, and the circuit board is inserted into the case through the opening of the case, whereby the first of the circuit board is obtained. The connecting conductors arranged on the edge contact each case terminal, and the second terminal holding portion of the connector housing is inserted into the case from the opening, and the housing is connected to the housing of the case. When the stop portion is locked, the contact portion between the circuit board, the case terminal, and the connector terminal is stored in the case, and the opening of the case is closed by the housing. Connector side sealing member interposed between the housing and the case, and a plurality of electric wire side sealing members provided for each of the electric wires A simple structure only provided with a a the contact portion can perform the waterproofing and sealed within the case.

  The connector-side seal member is made of, for example, an elastically deformable material, and can be in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the second terminal holding portion of the housing and the inner peripheral surface of the case while elastically deforming. By having the shape, the inside of the case can be sealed with a simple shape.

  In this case, it is preferable that the connector-side seal member is fixed on the outer peripheral surface of the second terminal holding portion of the housing. This enables the inside of the case to be sealed with a simple operation of simply inserting the second terminal holding portion and the connector-side seal member into the inside of the opening of the case.

  On the other hand, each electric wire side seal member is made of an elastically deformable material, is attached to each electric wire so as to be in close contact with the outer peripheral surface thereof, and is elastically deformed while the first and second terminal insertion portions are inside. What has the shape which can closely_contact | adhere to a surrounding surface over a perimeter is suitable.

  It is preferable that the housing of the connector has a cover portion having a shape that covers an end portion on the opening side of the case from the outside in a state where the second terminal holding portion is inserted inside the opening of the case. The cover portion can be effectively protected by covering the seal portion between the second terminal holding portion and the case from the outside.

  Further, by providing the cover portion with a locked portion that is locked to the housing locking portion of the case, the housing is engaged with the case outside the case without affecting the seal portion. Can be stopped.

  The first terminal holding portion of the case according to the present invention can be configured as a so-called card edge type connector that is connected to the circuit board so as to sandwich the first edge of the circuit board from both sides. Specifically, each connection conductor in the first edge portion of the circuit board is arranged on both surfaces of the first edge portion, and the first terminal holding portion is one of the first edge portions of the circuit board. Case terminals to be connected to the connection conductors arranged on the surface are arranged in a direction along the first edge of the circuit board to form a first terminal row, and the other surface of the first edge Holding the case terminals so that the case terminals to be connected to the connection conductors arranged in the same manner form a second terminal row side by side in a direction parallel to the first terminal row. This makes it possible to connect more case terminals and electric wires to the circuit board.

  Similarly, the connector according to the present invention can be configured as a so-called card edge type connector that is connected to the circuit board so as to sandwich the second edge of the circuit board from both sides. Specifically, the connection conductors at the second edge of the circuit board are arranged on both surfaces of the second edge, and the first terminal holding part of the housing of the connector is connected to the second edge of the circuit board. The connector terminals to be connected to the connection conductors arranged on one surface of the part are arranged in a direction along the second edge part of the circuit board to form a first terminal row, and the second edge part These connector terminals are held so that the connector terminals to be connected to the connection conductors arranged on the other surface are aligned in the direction parallel to the first terminal row to form a second terminal row. As a result, more connector terminals and electric wires can be connected to the circuit board.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the case includes a case for holding and holding a circuit board and holding a plurality of case terminals connected to the circuit board. An electronic circuit unit capable of efficiently waterproofing a connection portion between the circuit board, the case terminal, and the connector terminal by sealing with a simple structure using a connector housing that holds another connector terminal. Is provided.

It is a partial cross section exploded perspective view showing the state before a connector is attached to the case of the electronic circuit unit concerning an embodiment of the invention. It is a partial cross section perspective view which shows the state by which the said connector was mounted | worn with the said case. It is a cross-sectional front view which shows the state of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the state of FIG. It is a cross-sectional front view which shows the 1st terminal hold | maintained at the said case and its 1st terminal holding part. It is a cross-sectional front view which shows the connector side seal member fixed to the said connector and its housing. It is a partial cross section perspective view which shows the housing of the said connector, and the connector side sealing member fixed to this. It is sectional drawing which shows the example of the conventional card edge type connector.

  An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The electronic circuit unit according to this embodiment includes a circuit board 10, a case 20 that accommodates the circuit board 10, a case terminal 30A and a connector for connecting a plurality of electric wires W to the circuit board 10, and a plurality of electric wire side seals. A plurality of waterproof plugs 50 as members and a seal ring 60 as a connector-side seal member are provided, and the connector has a plurality of connector terminals 30B and a housing 40 for holding them.

  The circuit board 10 is made of, for example, a printed circuit board, and a conductor pattern for circuit configuration is disposed on both the front and back surfaces of the circuit board 10 and electronic components constituting the circuit are mounted. The circuit board 10 according to this embodiment has a rectangular shape. A plurality of thin plate-like first connection conductors 14A are provided on the front side surface and the back side surface of the first edge portion (the right edge portion in FIGS. 1 to 3) 12A, which is one of the edge portions, These first connection conductors 14A are arranged along the first edge 12A. Similarly, a plurality of thin plate-like first portions are respectively provided on the front side surface and the back side surface of the second edge portion (the left edge portion in FIGS. 1 to 3) 12B located on the opposite side to the first edge portion 12A. Two connection conductors 14B are provided, and these second connection conductors 14B are arranged along the second edge 12B.

  The case 20 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and has an opening 21 opened in a specific direction (right direction in FIGS. 1 to 3). The circuit board 10 has a first edge from the opening 21 into the case 20. It has a shape that allows insertion in the board insertion direction (in this embodiment, the left direction in FIGS. 1 to 3) perpendicular to the thickness direction of the circuit board 10 with the portion 12 </ b> A at the top. Specifically, it has a top wall 22, a bottom wall 24, a pair of left and right side walls 23 (only the back side wall 23 is shown in FIG. 3), and an end wall 26. The top wall 22 and the bottom wall 24 are arranged vertically in parallel postures. Both side walls 23 are disposed between the top wall 22 and the bottom wall 24 and together with the top wall 22 and the bottom wall 24 form a rectangular cylinder. The end wall 26 is integrally connected to the walls 22 to 24 so as to block the opening on the opposite side of the opening 21 (the opening on the right side in FIGS. 1 to 3) of the rectangular cylindrical body.

  The case 20 includes a terminal holding portion (first terminal holding portion) 70 that holds each case terminal 30A in a posture that penetrates the end wall 26, and a terminal insertion portion (first terminal insertion portion) that is located behind the terminal holding portion 70A. ) 75 is formed. These will be described in detail later. Further, a plurality of locking projections 28 which are housing locking portions for locking the housing 40 of the connector as will be described later are provided on the top wall 22 and the bottom wall 24 in the vicinity of the opening 21. It is formed so as to protrude outward.

  The case terminal 30 </ b> A and the connector terminal 30 </ b> B are respectively attached to the ends of the corresponding electric wires W. The case terminal 30A electrically connects the circuit board 10 and the electric wire W by contacting each first connection conductor 14A in the first edge 12A of the circuit board 10, and the case terminal 30B electrically connects the circuit board 10 and the electric wire W by coming into contact with the second connection conductors 14B at the second edge 12B of the circuit board 10. The connector housing 40 is formed of an insulating material such as synthetic resin, and is attached to the case 20 while holding the connector terminals 30B together.

  Each of the electric wires W includes a conductor (not shown) and an insulating coating that covers the conductor. At the end of the electric wire W, the insulating coating is partially removed and the conductor is exposed. Thus, the waterproof plug 50 is attached at a position immediately behind the exposed portion of the conductor. The waterproof plug 50 is made of an elastically deformable material such as rubber and has a cylindrical shape surrounding the electric wire W from the outside.

  The case terminal 30A and the connector terminal 30B according to this embodiment all have the same shape and structure. Each of these terminals 30A and 30B is formed of a metal plate as a conductor, and integrally includes a board contact portion 31 located on the front side and a wire connection portion 32 located on the rear side. The electric wire connection portion 32 includes left and right conductor barrels 33 and left and right insulation barrels 34 positioned behind the left and right conductor barrels 33. Both conductor barrels 33 are crimped to the conductors so as to embrace the exposed conductors of the ends of the electric wires W, thereby conducting to the conductors. Both insulation barrels 34 are crimped to the electric wire W so as to embrace an insulating coating portion located behind the exposed portion of the conductor together with a front end portion of the waterproof plug 50 located outside thereof. Thereby, the waterproof plug 50 is attached to the electric wire W so as to be in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the electric wire W.

  The substrate contact portion 31 includes a main body portion 37, an elastic contact piece 35, and a resilient force reinforcing member 36 as shown in FIGS. The main body portion 37 is formed integrally with the wire connection portion 32 and has a rectangular tube shape. The elastic contact piece 35 extends in the axial direction of the terminals 30 </ b> A and 30 </ b> B, and the front end portion thereof is integrally connected to the main body portion 37, and the rear end portion can be bent and displaced in the vertical direction with the front end portion as a fulcrum. . The rear end portion constitutes a contact end portion 35a (FIGS. 5 and 6) for contacting the connection conductor 14A or 14B of the circuit board 10 while being elastically displaced. The elastic contact piece 35 has a shape protruding outside the main body portion 37 when not deformed as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, but the contact end portion 35a is formed on the circuit board 10 as shown in FIG. When contacted with the edge portion 12A or 12B, the contact end portion 35a is deflected and displaced in a direction to be immersed in the main body portion 37 due to the reaction force from the edge portion, and the contact end is caused by the elastic force. The portion 35a is in pressure contact with the connecting conductor 14A or 14B on the first edge portion 12A or the second edge portion 12B. The elastic force reinforcing member 36 is provided in the main body portion 37 so that the elastic force reinforcing member 36 itself is elastically deformed as the contact end portion 35a is deflected and displaced. The elastic restoring force of the contact end portion 35a is increased by the generated force.

  The specific structure of the case terminal and the connector terminal according to the present invention is not limited to the above structure. The case terminal and the connector terminal according to the present invention have a portion that can contact and electrically connect to the connection conductor of the circuit board, and a portion that can be attached to the end of the electric wire. I just need it.

  The terminal holding portion 70 of the case 20 is configured such that the contact end portions 35a of the elastic contact pieces 35 in the case terminals 30A are simultaneously in contact with the connection conductors 14A on both surfaces of the first edge portion 12A of the circuit board 10, respectively. The case terminals 30A are held together in a simple arrangement. Specifically, the terminal holding part 70 protrudes from the end wall 26 inward of the case 20, that is, toward the opening 21, and mainly holds the board contact part 31 of each case terminal 30 </ b> A. Specifically, the case terminals 30 </ b> A are held so that the board contact portion 31 and the connection conductors 14 </ b> A at the first edge portion 12 </ b> A of the circuit board 10 can contact each other.

  The terminal holding portion 70 according to this embodiment has a front inner wall 73, a rear inner wall 74 positioned at a rearward distance from the front inner wall 73, and a peripheral wall 72 surrounding these inner walls 73, 74. A plurality of terminal accommodating chambers are formed between the inner walls 73 and 74 and the peripheral wall 72 for accommodating and holding the substrate contact portions 31 of the respective case terminals 30A. The front inner wall 73 surrounds a board insertion space 71 into which the first edge 12A of the circuit board 10 can be inserted from the front side, and the rear inner wall 74 is located behind the board insertion space 71.

  A contact space is secured between the inner walls 73 and 74, and each case terminal 30A is provided so that the contact end portion 35a of the elastic contact piece 35 of each substrate contact portion 31 protrudes into the contact space. It is held by the terminal holding unit 70. That is, the contact terminal 35a of the case terminal 30A (upper row case terminal 30A) accommodated in the terminal accommodation chamber between the inner walls 73, 74 and the upper portion of the peripheral wall 72 faces downward. The case terminal 30A (the lower row of terminals 30A) held in the terminal holding portion 70 and housed in the terminal housing chamber between the inner walls 73, 74 and the lower portion of the peripheral wall 72 is It is held by the terminal holding part 70 so that the contact end part 35a faces upward. The contact end 35a of each case terminal 30A is connected to each circuit board 10 in a state where the first edge 12A of the circuit board 10 is inserted into the board insertion space 71 at a predetermined depth. The holding position of each case terminal 30A in the terminal holding portion 70 is set so as to contact the conductor 14A simultaneously. That is, the terminal holding portions 70 are respectively connected to the connection conductors 14A arranged on one surface (the upper surface in FIGS. 1 to 3 and 5) of the first edge portion 12A of the circuit board 10. Terminals 30A for use are arranged in a direction along the first edge 12A of the circuit board 10 to form a first terminal row (the upper terminal row in FIGS. 1 to 3 and 5), and the first edge portion 12A Terminals to be connected to the connecting conductors 14A arranged on the other surface (the lower surface in FIGS. 1 to 3 and 5) are arranged in a direction parallel to the first terminal row (second terminal row ( The case terminals 30A are held so as to form a lower terminal row in FIGS.

  A plurality of lances (terminal locking portions) 77 extend forward from the front end of the peripheral wall 72. Each lance 77 is for locking the substrate contact portion 31 of each case terminal 30A, and its front end is bent and displaced in a direction to retreat from the case terminal 30A with its rear end serving as a fulcrum. When the insertion is completed, the proper position of the case terminal 30A is locked.

  Each of the terminal insertion portions 75 has an inner peripheral surface surrounding a terminal insertion hole 79 through which the board contact portion 31 of the corresponding case terminal 30A can be inserted from the rear, and is rearwardly integrated with the terminal holding portion. It extends to. Each terminal insertion portion 75 according to this embodiment has a cylindrical shape and has a cylindrical inner peripheral surface surrounding the terminal insertion hole 79. In these terminal insertion portions 75, the board contact portion 31 of the case terminal 30A inserted from the rear into the terminal insertion hole 79 surrounded by the terminal insertion portion 75 is accommodated in the terminal accommodating chamber of the terminal holding portion 70 as it is. It is formed at each position.

  The connector housing 40 is arranged in such an arrangement that the contact end portions 35a of the elastic contact pieces 35 in the respective connector terminals 30B simultaneously contact the connection conductors 14B on both surfaces of the second edge portion 12B of the circuit board 10, respectively. The connector terminals 30B are held together. Specifically, the housing 40 integrally includes a terminal holding portion (second terminal holding portion), a plurality of terminal insertion portions (second terminal insertion portions) 45 positioned behind the terminal holding portion (second terminal holding portion), and a cover portion 46. .

  The terminal holding part has a shape that can be inserted inside the opening 21 of the case 20 while mainly holding the board contact part 31 of each connector terminal 30B. The connector terminals 30B are held so that the connection conductors 14B of the circuit board 10 can contact each other.

  The terminal holding portion (second terminal holding portion) according to this embodiment surrounds the front inner wall 43, the rear inner wall 44 positioned at a rearward distance from the front inner wall 43, and the inner walls 43, 44. A plurality of terminal accommodating chambers are formed between the inner walls 43 and 44 and the peripheral wall 42 for accommodating and holding the board contact portions 31 of the connector terminals 30B. The front inner wall 43 surrounds the board insertion space 41 into which the second edge 12B of the circuit board 10 can be inserted from the front side, and the rear inner wall 44 is located behind the board insertion space 41.

  A contact space is secured between the inner walls 43, 44, and each connector terminal 30B is a housing so that the contact end portion 35a of the elastic contact piece 35 of each substrate contact portion 31 protrudes into the contact space. 40. That is, the connector terminal 30B (the upper row of terminals 30B) accommodated in the terminal accommodating chamber between the inner walls 43, 44 and the upper portion of the peripheral wall 42 is housing so that the contact end portion 35a faces downward. The connector terminal 30B (the lower row of terminals 30B) held in the terminal 40 and accommodated in the terminal accommodating chamber between the inner walls 43, 44 and the lower portion of the peripheral wall 42 has an upper contact end 35a. It is hold | maintained at the housing 40 so that it may face. The contact end 35a of each connector terminal 30B is connected to each connection conductor of the circuit board 10 in a state where the second edge 12B of the circuit board 10 is inserted into the board insertion space 41 at a predetermined depth. The holding position of each connector terminal 30B in the housing 40 is set so as to contact 14B simultaneously. That is, the housing 40 has connector terminals 30B to be connected to the connection conductors 14B arranged on one surface (the upper surface in FIGS. 1 to 3 and 6) of the second edge 12B of the circuit board 10, respectively. Are arranged in a direction along the second edge 12B to form a first terminal row (upper terminal row in FIGS. 1 to 3 and 6), and the other surface of the second edge 12B (FIGS. 1 to 3). 3 and 6, the terminals to be connected to the connecting conductors 14B arranged on the lower surface are arranged in a direction parallel to the first terminal row, and the second terminal row (FIGS. 1 to 3 and FIG. These connector terminals 30B are held so as to form a lower terminal row in FIG.

  A plurality of lances (terminal locking portions) 47 extend forward from the front end of the peripheral wall 42. Each lance 47 is for locking the board contact portion 31 of each connector terminal 30B, and its front end is bent and displaced in a direction to retract from the connector terminal 30B with the rear end as a fulcrum, and when the insertion of the terminal 30 is completed By returning elastically, the appropriate position of the connector terminal 30B is locked.

  Each of the terminal insertion portions 45 has an inner peripheral surface surrounding a terminal insertion hole 49 through which the board contact portion 31 of the corresponding connector terminal 30B can be inserted from the rear, and from the terminal holding portion to the rear. It extends. Each terminal insertion portion 45 according to this embodiment is cylindrical and has a cylindrical inner peripheral surface surrounding the terminal insertion hole 49. These terminal insertion portions 45 are positioned such that the board contact portion 31 of the connector terminal 30B inserted from the rear into the terminal insertion hole 49 surrounded by the terminal insertion portion 45 is accommodated as it is in the terminal accommodation chamber of the terminal holding portion. Are formed respectively.

  Here, the waterproof plugs 50 are in a state where the board contact portions 31 of the terminals 30A and 30B are inserted into the terminal holding portions 70 or the terminal accommodating chambers of the housing 40 in order to seal the inside of the case 20. Each terminal insertion portion 75 or the terminal insertion portion 45 has a shape that is in close contact with the inner peripheral surface over the entire periphery. Specifically, a plurality of protrusions 52 projecting outward in the radial direction and extending over the entire circumference are formed on the outer peripheral surface of each waterproof plug 50, and the terminal insertion portion 75 is elastically deformed. Alternatively, by contacting the inner circumferential surface of 45 over the entire circumference, the penetration of moisture into the housing 40 through the terminal insertion portion 75 or 45 is prevented.

  The cover portion 46 has a shape that covers the terminal holding portion of the housing 40 and the seal ring 60 from the outside. Specifically, a portion protruding outward from the rear end of the peripheral wall 42, and an end portion (opening 21) of the case 20 that extends further forward from this portion and into which the peripheral wall 42 and the peripheral wall 42 are inserted. And a portion covering the surrounding portion) from the outside. The cover portion 46 is formed with a through hole 48 into which each locking projection 28 of the case 20 can be fitted from the inside. These through holes 48 are retained by the respective retaining protrusions 28 to retain the mounting state of the housing 40 to the case 20, specifically, are retained by the terminal retaining portions of the housing 40. A locked portion for holding the housing 40 is formed at a position where each connector terminal 30 </ b> B can contact each connection conductor 14 </ b> B on the second edge 12 </ b> B of the circuit board 10 in the case 20.

  The seal ring 60 is made of an elastically deformable material such as rubber, and is interposed between the case 20 and the connector so as to seal the inside of the case 20. In this embodiment, It forms an endless belt surrounding the peripheral wall 42 and is fixed on the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 42 so as to be in close contact with the outer peripheral surface over the entire periphery. The seal ring 60 has an outer peripheral surface that is in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the case 20 while being elastically deformed in a state where the terminal holding portion of the housing 40 is inserted through the opening 21 inside the case 20. The close contact prevents moisture from entering the case 20 through the gap between the case 20 and the peripheral wall 42. In this embodiment, a plurality of circumferential ridges are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the seal ring 60 in order to facilitate elastic deformation thereof.

  Next, an example of the assembly procedure of the electronic circuit unit will be described.

1) Inserting the terminals 30A and 30B into the terminal holding part 70 and the housing 40 The terminals 30A and the connector terminals 30B for the cases are inserted into the terminal insertion holes 79 of the terminal holding part 70 and the terminal insertion holes 49 of the housing 40, respectively. The contact part 31 is inserted from behind. The substrate contact portion 31 reaches each terminal accommodating chamber of the terminal holding portion (first terminal holding portion) 70 or the terminal holding portion (second terminal holding portion) of the housing 40 and is locked by the lance 77 or 47. In this way, the case terminals 30A are arranged in two upper and lower stages, and the case terminals 30A are held by the common terminal holding portion 70 with the contact end portions 35a of the case terminals 30A facing inward. At the same time, the connector terminals 30B are held in the common housing 40 in such a manner that the connector terminals 30B are arranged in two upper and lower stages and the contact end portions 35a of the connector terminals 30B face inward. At this time, the waterproof plug 50 attached to the electric wire W behind each terminal 30A, 30B is in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the terminal insertion portion 75 or 45 surrounding the terminal insertion hole 79 or 49 over the entire circumference. Sealing is performed between the electric wire W and the terminal insertion portion 75 or 45. That is, waterproofing is performed on the electric wire W side.

2) Insertion and holding of the circuit board 10 into the case 20 The circuit board 10 is inserted into the case 20 from the opening 21 thereof, and a predetermined position, specifically, the first edge 12A of the circuit board 10 is the terminal. The second edge 12B of the circuit board 10 is inserted into the board insertion space 71 of the holding part 70, and further into the board insertion space 41 of the connector housing 40 to be mounted on the case 20 as will be described later. Is held in a position where it can be inserted.

  In the present invention, any specific means for holding the circuit board 10 in the case 20 may be used. For example, the case 20 may be connected to the circuit board 10 using a dedicated member other than the case 20, and the holding grooves into which the left and right edges of the circuit board 10 can be fitted respectively are provided in the case. The circuit board 10 may be held by the case 20 by being formed on the inner side surface of the both side walls 23 of the 20 and the right and left edge portions being fitted into the holding grooves. With respect to the board insertion direction, the circuit board 10 has no gap or a slight gap between the rear inner wall 74 of the terminal holding portion 70 and the rear inner wall 44 of the housing 40 locked to the case 20 as described later. The circuit board 10 may be positioned depending on the shape of the holding groove. Alternatively, the fitting force between the circuit board 10 and each case terminal 30A (the force with which the upper and lower case terminals 30A sandwich the circuit board 10) and / or the fitting force between the circuit board 10 and each connector terminal 30B (upper and lower rows). The circuit board 10 may be held only by the force of the connector terminal 30B of the connector terminal 30B sandwiching the circuit board 10, and a structure for reinforcing this holding is added to the terminal holding portion 70 or the connector housing 40. Also good. In the latter case, that is, when the connector alone holds the circuit board 10, the circuit board 10 is inserted into the case 20 after the circuit board 10 and the connector are coupled.

3) Attaching the connector to the case 20 A connector is attached to the end of the case 20 on the opening 21 side. Specifically, the terminal holding portion of the housing 40 of the connector is inserted into the case 20 from the opening 21, and the locking projection 28 of the case 20 is fitted into the through hole 48 of the cover portion 46 of the housing 40. Thus, the housing 40 is locked to the case 20.

  At this time, or when the circuit board 10 and the connector are connected in advance, the second edge 12B of the circuit board 10 is inserted into the board insertion space 41 of the housing 40 of the connector, whereby the second edge The connection conductors 14 </ b> B arranged in the portion 12 </ b> B come into contact with the board contact portions 31 of the terminals held in the housing 40, more specifically, the contact end portions 35 a of the elastic contact pieces 35. Thereby, the circuit board 10 and each electric wire W are electrically connected via each connector terminal 30B. Further, at the position where the housing 40 is locked to the case 20 as described above, the outer peripheral surface of the seal ring 60 that is the connector-side seal member contacts the inner peripheral surface of the end portion on the opening 21 side of the case 20 over the entire periphery. This prevents moisture from entering the case 20 from between the inner peripheral surface of the case 20 and the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 42 of the housing 40. That is, waterproofing is performed on the connector side.

  As described above, the electronic circuit unit shown in FIGS. 1 to 7 includes the case 20 for housing the circuit board 10, and the case terminal 30 </ b> A among the terminals 30 </ b> A and 30 </ b> B to be connected to the circuit board 10. Since the housing 40 that is held by the terminal holding portion 70 formed in the case 20 and holds the connector terminal 30B is used as a lid that closes the opening 21 of the case 20, it is attached to each electric wire W as a waterproof member. A plurality of electric wire side seal members (a plurality of waterproof plugs 50 in this embodiment) and a connector side seal member (a seal in this embodiment) interposed between the terminal holding portion of the housing 40 and the case 20 Ring 60), and a connection portion (specifically, each connection conductor 14A, 14B and each terminal) between the circuit board 10 and each terminal 30A, 30B. 0A, the contact portion with the substrate contact portion 31 of the 30B) can be reliably waterproofed.

  The connector-side seal member (seal ring 60 in the above embodiment) according to the present invention only needs to be interposed between the case and the housing so as to have a waterproof function, and is not necessarily fixed to the housing. Good. However, the fact that the connector-side seal member is fixed in advance to the terminal holding portion of the housing means that the terminal holding portion and the connector-side seal member can be simply operated by simply inserting them inside the opening of the case. Thus, it is possible to seal the inside of the case. Further, the connector-side seal member and the housing can be integrally molded.

  Alternatively, the connector-side seal member may be made of a low but fluid material such as grease and interposed between the case and the housing so as to fill a gap between the case and the housing. Also in this case, the inside of the case can be sealed. Each wire-side seal member is also made of a material having the same low fluidity, and may be interposed between the wires so as to fill a gap between each wire and the inner peripheral surface of the terminal insertion hole.

  The cover part 46 of the housing 40 may be omitted. However, the cover portion 46 can be effectively protected by covering the seal portion between the terminal holding portion and the case 20 from the outside. Further, the cover portion 46 is provided with a portion to be locked such as the through-hole 48, that is, a portion locked to the housing locking portion of the case 20 (the locking protrusion 28 in the embodiment). The housing 40 can be locked to the case 20 outside the case 20 without affecting the part.

W electric wire 10 circuit board 12A first edge portion 12B second edge portion 14A first connection conductor 14B second connection conductor 20 case 21 opening 28 locking protrusion (housing locking portion)
30A Case terminal 30B Connector terminal 31 Substrate contact portion 32 Electric wire connection portion 40 Housing 41 Substrate insertion space 42 Peripheral wall (constitutes second terminal holding portion)
43 Front inner wall (constitutes second terminal holding part)
44 Rear inner wall (constitutes second terminal holding part)
45 Terminal insertion part 46 Cover part 48 Through hole (to be locked)
49 Terminal insertion hole 50 Waterproof plug 60 Seal ring (connector side seal member)
70 Terminal holding part (first terminal holding part)
71 board insertion space 72 peripheral wall 73 front inner wall 74 rear inner wall 75 terminal insertion portion 79 terminal insertion hole

Claims (8)

An electronic circuit unit that can be connected to the outside,
A circuit board having a first edge and a second edge located on the opposite side, and a plurality of connection conductors provided on the surfaces of the first edge and the second edge, respectively;
A case for housing the circuit board, which has an opening that opens in a specific direction, and the circuit board is inserted into the case from the opening in the thickness direction of the circuit board with the first edge as a head. That allows insertion in the substrate insertion direction orthogonal to
The connection conductor and the electric wire are attached to the terminals of the plurality of electric wires, and are held by the case and contact the connection conductors of the first edge of the circuit board accommodated in the case. A terminal for the case to be connected;
A connector attached to the case so as to connect a plurality of electric wires different from the electric wire to which the case terminal is attached to each connection conductor of the circuit board housed in the case;
A connector-side seal member interposed between the case and the connector;
A plurality of electric wire side sealing members provided for each of the electric wires,
The case is positioned on a side opposite to the opening thereof and holds the terminal for each case in an arrangement that allows the case terminals to simultaneously contact the connection conductors on the first edge. And an inner peripheral surface that is located outside the first terminal holding portion and surrounds each of the plurality of terminal insertion holes through which each case terminal can be inserted from the outside, and the inserted terminal is defined as the first terminal. A first terminal insertion portion for guiding the terminal holding portion;
The connector is connected to a terminal of each electric wire, and a plurality of connector terminals that can be electrically connected to the conductor by contacting the connection conductor at the second edge of the circuit board, respectively, and the connection conductors And a housing for holding the connector terminals in an arrangement in which the connector terminals can be contacted at the same time, and the housing has an inner peripheral surface that surrounds a plurality of terminal insertion holes through which the connector terminals can be inserted from the outside. And a terminal inserted through the second terminal insertion portion, and has a shape that can be inserted into the case from an opening of the case, and each connector in the inserted state. A second terminal holding portion for holding the connector terminals so that the terminals can be brought into contact with the contact conductors on the second edge of the circuit board, respectively. Has,
The connector-side seal member is interposed between the housing and the case so as to seal the inside of the case;
The electric wire side sealing members are respectively interposed between the electric wires and the inner peripheral surfaces of the first and second terminal insertion portions so as to seal the inside of the case,
In the case, each connector terminal holding the housing on the second terminal holding portion of the housing contacts each connection conductor on the second edge of the circuit board in the case, and the connector-side seal member is An electronic circuit unit having a housing locking portion that locks at a position interposed between the housing and the case so as to seal the inside of the case.   2. The electronic circuit unit according to claim 1, wherein the connector-side seal member is made of an elastically deformable material, and is elastically deformed on the outer peripheral surface of the second terminal holding portion of the housing and the inner peripheral surface of the case. Electronic circuit units each having a shape that can be closely attached to the entire circumference.   3. The electronic circuit unit according to claim 2, wherein the connector-side seal member is fixed on an outer peripheral surface of the second terminal holding portion of the housing.   It is an electronic circuit unit in any one of Claims 1-3, Comprising: Each said electric wire side sealing member consists of a material which can be elastically deformed, and is mounted | worn so that it may contact | adhere to each said electric wire with the outer peripheral surface, and An electronic circuit unit having a shape capable of being in close contact with the inner peripheral surfaces of the first and second terminal insertion portions while being elastically deformed.   5. The electronic circuit unit according to claim 1, wherein the housing of the connector is arranged on the opening side of the case with the second terminal holding portion being inserted inside the opening of the case. An electronic circuit unit having a cover portion shaped to cover an end portion from the outside.   6. The electronic circuit unit according to claim 5, wherein a locked portion that is locked to the case is provided on the cover portion.   It is an electronic circuit unit in any one of Claims 1-6, Comprising: The connection conductor in a said 1st edge part is each arranged on both surfaces of the said 1st edge part, The 1st terminal holding part of the said case is, Case terminals to be connected to connection conductors arranged on one surface of the first edge of the circuit board are arranged in a direction along the first edge to form a first terminal row, The case terminals to be connected to the connection conductors arranged on the other surface of the first edge are arranged in a direction parallel to the first terminal row to form a second terminal row. Electronic circuit unit that holds the terminal for the case.   It is an electronic circuit unit in any one of Claims 1-7, Comprising: The connection conductor in the said 2nd edge is respectively arranged on both surfaces of the said 2nd edge, The 2nd terminal holding | maintenance part of the said housing is, Connector terminals to be connected to connection conductors arranged on one surface of the second edge of the circuit board are arranged in a direction along the second edge to form a first terminal row, and the first These connectors are arranged such that the connector terminals to be connected to the connecting conductors arranged on the other surface of the two edges form a second terminal row in a direction parallel to the first terminal row. An electronic circuit unit that holds terminals.

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