JP2018026610A - Imaging apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To miniaturize an imaging apparatus comprising a board side connector in which a terminal includes a position deviation absorption function.SOLUTION: An imaging apparatus 1 comprises a substrate side terminal 15 of a board side connector 7. The substrate side terminal includes an inner bent contact point spring piece part 17 in which an inner part of a terminal housing part 14f of a substrate side housing 14 is expanded to an outer surface side from an inner surface side of a wall part 14a forming a fitting chamber 14b, and which is projected toward an inner chamber of the fitting chamber 14b after return to the inner surface side. Since the contact point spring piece part 17 has an inner bent shape, the length of the spring can be ensured in a compact form. The length of the spring is the length including a plurality of bent parts formed by the inner bent form. Thus, a movable quantity (flexible amount) of a displacement absorption due to a soft spring property and a contact pressure with high reliability to a contact target material can be obtained.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus such as a vehicle-mounted camera.

  Used by small-sized imaging devices equipped with imaging elements such as vehicle drive recorders, in-vehicle cameras used to improve visibility behind the vehicle, and surveillance cameras used for crime prevention in banks and shops, etc. Has been.

  A general configuration of a conventional small-sized image pickup apparatus includes a box-shaped housing having a front housing containing a substrate on which an image pickup element is mounted and a rear housing holding an electric wire connected to the substrate. Inside the housing, the substrate and the electric wire are conductively connected by a connector. The connector includes a board-side connector mounted on the board and a harness-side connector that is electrically connected to the board-side connector.

  In such a conventional imaging device, the board-side connector and the harness-side connector are conductively connected by combining the front housing and the rear housing. However, the accuracy of these fitting positions is affected by the accuracy of assembly of the front housing and rear housing, the accuracy of assembly of the board to the front housing, etc. It is difficult to connect. Therefore, an imaging apparatus including a connector having a function of absorbing a displacement of a fitting position is known (Patent Document 1). The board-side connector provided in the imaging apparatus absorbs the displacement of the fitting position in the crossing direction with respect to the insertion direction of the mating terminal to be connected as the contact of the terminal of the board-side connector is elastically deformed.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2009-99411, FIG.

  However, the above-described board-side connector is increased in size particularly in the plane direction (X direction and Y direction) due to the terminal structure for realizing the misalignment absorbing function of the fitting position, which is a feature thereof. There's a problem. In the board side connector (43) described above, the terminal contact portion (47a) is located inside the fitting chamber of the board side housing (45) into which the mating terminal is inserted, and the terminal (47) is the contact portion thereof. There is a board connection part (47b) projecting to the outside of the board side housing (45) through an inverted U-shaped movable piece (47c) bent from (47a) to the outside of the fitting chamber. As described above, since the bending direction of the terminal is an “outside bending shape” from the inside of the fitting chamber to the outside of the board-side housing, the shape of the board-side housing that accommodates it also increases, and the board connection portion Will protrude greatly to the outside of the side surface of the substrate-side housing. As a result, the projected area of the board-side connector on the board increases, and the size of the board also increases the size of the imaging device.

  The present invention has been made against the background of the conventional imaging apparatus as described above. The purpose is to reduce the size of an image pickup apparatus including a board-side connector whose terminals have a function of absorbing displacement.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is configured as an imaging apparatus having the following features.

  The present invention includes a housing having an imaging element, a front housing containing a substrate, and a rear housing that holds a linear conductor, and a connector that electrically connects the substrate and the linear conductor. The image pickup apparatus having a board-side connector mounted on the board and having a board-side housing and a board-side terminal, and a harness-side connector that is electrically connected to the board-side connector. A wall portion that forms a fitting chamber into which the harness side connector is inserted, and the wall portion includes a terminal accommodating portion formed in a thickness direction thereof, and the board side terminal includes the terminal accommodating portion. The inner portion of the wall portion extends from the inner surface side to the outer surface side, and returns to the inner surface side, and then has an inwardly bent contact spring piece portion protruding into the fitting chamber. That.

  In the image pickup apparatus of the present invention, the terminal accommodating portion is formed along the thickness direction of the wall portion that forms the fitting chamber, and the substrate-side terminal has a wall that forms the fitting chamber inside the terminal accommodating portion. It has an inwardly bent contact spring piece that extends from the inner surface side to the outer surface side and returns to the inner surface side and protrudes into the fitting chamber. Since the contact spring piece has such an internal bent shape, the length of the spring length can be ensured in a compact manner. Since the length of the spring length is a length having a plurality of bent portions formed by the inner bending shape, the movable amount of displacement displacement (bending amount) due to the soft spring property and the reliability to the connection object is high. The contact pressure can be exerted.

  That is, the board-side terminal of the above-described conventional imaging apparatus has an “outside bent shape” in which the bending direction is directed from the inside of the fitting chamber to the outside of the board-side housing, and the movable piece has an inverted U-shaped apex. Since the spring property is exhibited by one bent portion, the spring length is short, the insertion force at the time of mating connection with the mating terminal is hard and the movable amount is small, and the one bent portion is elastically deformed. The stress is concentrated and the spring property is likely to deteriorate. On the other hand, since the board-side terminal of the present invention has the above-mentioned “inner bending shape”, a long spring length can be ensured, and the elastic deformation by a plurality of bent portions can sufficiently move against the displacement of the fitting position. It is possible to realize a contact pressure for obtaining a conductive connection with high reliability (amount of deflection). Thus, with the imaging device of the present invention, the board-side terminal can achieve the function of absorbing the displacement of the fitting position, and the board-side connector as a whole can be downsized.

  About the present invention, the harness-side connector has a harness-side housing having a fitting connection portion to be inserted into the fitting chamber, and the fitting connection portion is inserted into the fitting chamber in the state of being inserted into the fitting chamber. It is sized to form a movable gap with the inner surface of the fitting chamber, is displaceable within the movable gap within the fitting chamber, and the contact spring piece portion of the board-side terminal is The fitting connection portion is elastically supported in a floating state displaceable inside the fitting chamber.

  According to the present invention, the harness-side connector can be displaced in a state where the board-side connector and the harness-side connector are fitted and connected. That is, in the mating connection state of both connectors, a movable gap is formed between the mating chamber of the board side connector and the mating connection part of the harness side connector, and the mating connection part is a contact point of the board side terminal. The spring piece is elastically supported in a floating state so as to be displaceable. Accordingly, the conductive connection can be reliably established while absorbing the displacement of the fitting position of the board side connector and the harness side connector.

  In the present invention, the substrate-side housing has a recess on the outer surface, and the substrate-side terminal has a mounting portion that protrudes from the inside of the substrate-side housing into the recess.

  According to this, since the mounting portion of the board side terminal fits inside the recess and does not protrude greatly outward of the outer surface of the board side housing, an increase in the projected area of the board side connector with respect to the board can be suppressed. This can contribute to downsizing and thus downsizing of the imaging device.

  According to the imaging device of the present invention, the board-side connector having the board-side terminal formed with the inwardly bent contact spring piece portion exhibits the function of absorbing the displacement of the fitting position between the board-side connector and the harness-side connector. However, the downsizing of the board-side connector can contribute to the downsizing of the entire imaging apparatus.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of an imaging apparatus according to an embodiment, in which a partial diagram (a) illustrates an exploded state, and a partial diagram (b) illustrates an assembled state. The external appearance perspective view which shows the front of the board | substrate side connector of FIG. The front view of the board | substrate side connector of FIG. The top view of the board | substrate side connector of FIG. The right view of the board | substrate side connector of FIG. The bottom view of the board | substrate side connector of FIG. AA line sectional view of Drawing 3. BB sectional drawing of FIG. It is an external view of the board | substrate side terminal of the board | substrate side connector of FIG. 1, A part (a) is a front view of a 1st board | substrate side terminal, A part (b) is a right view of a part (a), a part view (C) is a front view of the second board side terminal, and (b) is a right side view of the part (a). The perspective view which shows the front of the harness side component of FIG. 1, a plane, and a right side. The perspective view which shows the front of the harness side terminal of FIG. 10, a plane, and a right side. The fragmentary sectional view which shows the fitting state of the board | substrate side connector of FIG. 1, and a harness side connector. Explanatory drawing which shows typically the fitting state of the board | substrate side connector of FIG. 1, and a harness side connector.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of an imaging apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the present specification, claims, and drawings, the width direction or left-right direction of the board-side connector shown in FIG. 2 is the X direction, the front-rear direction is the Y direction, and the height direction is the Z direction. Also, the right side in the X direction is “right”, the left side is “left”, the front in the Y direction is “front”, the back is “rear”, the plane in the Z direction is “up”, and the bottom Is described as “below”. However, the specification of such left and right, front and rear, and top and bottom does not limit the mounting direction and use direction of the imaging apparatus of the present invention, the board side connector and the harness side connector.

Description of Imaging Device 1 The imaging device 1 includes a main body side component 2 and a harness side component 3 as shown in FIG.

  The body-side component 2 includes a front housing 4 that constitutes a part of a “housing”, and an optical system component 5 including an image sensor and the like inside the substrate, a substrate 6 fixed to the front housing 4, and “ A board-side connector 7 forming one of the “connectors” is accommodated.

  The harness side component 3 includes a rear housing 8 that constitutes a part of a “box-shaped housing”. The rear housing 8 includes a lid body 9, an electric wire 10 as a “linear conductor”, a harness side terminal 11, and the like. A sealing member 12 made of synthetic resin is provided. The lid body 9 is formed with a projecting fitting connection portion 9a, to which the harness side terminal 11 is attached. The lid body 9 having the fitting connection portion 9a and the harness side terminal 11 constitute a harness side connector 13 forming one of the “connectors”.

  The body-side component 2 and the harness-side component 3 are such that the plate surface of the lid 9 of the rear housing 8 is brought into contact with the opening end 4a of the front housing 4, and in that state, physical means such as bolting, adhesive, etc. It is fixed by a fixing member by chemical means. At the time of fixing, the harness side connector 13 of the harness side component 3 is fitted and connected to the board side connector 7 of the main body side component 2, and at this time, the fitting position of the board side connector 7 and the harness side connector 13 is fitted. Will cause a relative displacement. The imaging apparatus 1 can absorb the positional shift, and the board-side connector 7 and the harness-side connector 13 are responsible for the function. Therefore, their specific structures, functions, and effects will be described below.

Description of the board-side connector 7 The board-side connector 7 includes a board-side housing 14 and a board-side terminal 15 and is mounted on the board 6 and is electrically connected to the optical system component 5 such as an image sensor. .

  The board-side housing 14 has a square tubular wall portion 14a, and a fitting chamber 14b into which the fitting connection portion 9a of the lid 9 is inserted is formed therein. At the four corners of the outer surface of the wall portion 14a, concave portions 14c that are recessed inward from the outer peripheral surface of the wall portion 14a are formed. The projection shape of the board-side connector 7 on the board 6 can be made into a quadrangular shape by the recess 14c, and an increase in the mounting area on the board 6 is suppressed.

  The wall portion 14a formed in a rectangular tube shape has a terminal holding wall 14d extending along the arrangement direction of the substrate-side terminals 15 along the X direction and left and right side wall portions 14e along the Y direction. The terminal holding wall 14d along the longitudinal direction of the wall 14a is formed thicker in the thickness direction of the wall 14a than the side wall 14e along the short direction of the wall 14a for the following reason. That is, a terminal housing portion 14f is formed on the terminal holding wall 14d. The terminal accommodating portion 14f is formed in a slit shape penetrating from the fitting chamber 14b forming the inner surface of the wall portion 14a to the outer surface of the wall portion 14a. In this way, the terminal holding wall 14d is formed thick in the thickness direction, thereby ensuring a long spring length of the board-side terminal 15 and having a large space for allowing elastic deformation thereof. 14f can be provided. Groove-shaped terminal fixing portions 14g are formed in the terminal holding wall 14d along the arrangement direction of the board-side terminals 15, and the board-side terminals 15 are press-fitted and fixed so as to stretch in the arrangement direction (X direction). (FIG. 8). The terminal fixing portion 14g along the X direction is formed so as to communicate with the terminal accommodating portion 14f along the Y direction (FIG. 6), and the board-side terminal 15 is firmly press-fitted and fixed in the X direction. The contact spring piece 17 of the board-side terminal 15 to be described later is elastically deformed inside the terminal accommodating portion 14f.

  There are two types of board side terminals 15, a first board side terminal 15 </ b> A (FIGS. 9A and 9B) and a second board side terminal 15 </ b> B (FIGS. 9C and 9D). 4 is attached to the substrate-side housing 14 as shown in the plan view of FIG. 4, but will be described as the substrate-side terminal 15 unless otherwise specified. A base portion 16, a contact spring piece portion 17, and a substrate connection portion 18 are formed on the substrate side terminal 15.

  The base portion 16 is a portion that is press-fitted and fixed to the terminal fixing portion 14 g described above from the bottom surface of the substrate-side housing 14. The base portion 16 is formed with a horizontal piece portion 16a (first base piece) along the X direction and a vertical piece portion 16b (second base piece) along the Z direction, and a terminal is fixed to the side edge 16c. A plurality of press-fit protrusions 16d that bite into the portion 14g are formed. The board-side terminal 15 is fixed so that the press-fitting protrusion 16d bites into the groove wall of the terminal fixing part 14g and the horizontal piece part 16a extends in the X direction inside the terminal fixing part 14g.

  The contact spring piece portion 17 is formed to extend from the lower edge 16e of the horizontal piece portion 16a extending from the vertical piece portion 16b of the base portion 16. Specifically, the first extending portion 17a extends from the lower edge 16e to the bottom surface side of the substrate-side housing 14 in the Z direction, and the outer surface of the substrate-side housing 14 (wall portion 14a) extends from the first extending portion 17a in the Y direction. A first bent portion 17b that is bent toward the side, a second extended portion 17c that extends from the first bent portion 17b to the top surface side of the substrate-side housing 14 in the Z direction, and a substrate side from the second extended portion 17c. A second bent portion 17d that bends toward the inner surface side of the housing 14 (wall portion 14a), extends so as to protrude from the second bent portion 17d into the fitting chamber 14b, and a contact 17e is provided at the protruding end. A contact portion 17f is formed.

  In this manner, the contact spring piece 17 extends from the inner surface side of the wall portion 14a to the outer surface side inside the terminal accommodating portion 14f formed in the wall portion 14a, returns to the inner surface side again, and then returns to the fitting chamber 14b. It is formed by bending into an “inner bending shape” that extends so as to protrude into the room. In other words, the contact spring piece portion 17 has an inner winding shape in which the inner peripheral end is connected to the base portion 16. For this reason, the length of the spring length can be ensured in a compact manner. Since the length of the spring is a length having a plurality of extending portions 17a and 17c and bent portions 17b and 17d formed by the inner bending shape, it is sufficient for absorbing the displacement of the fitting position due to the soft spring property. A contact pressure for obtaining a highly reliable conductive connection between the movable amount (the amount of deflection) and the harness side terminal 11 as the connection object can be realized. Further, the contact spring piece portion 17 has a first bent portion 17 b located on the bottom surface side of the substrate side housing 14, and a second bent portion 17 d located on the top surface side serving as the fitting port side of the substrate side housing 14. The inner part is folded back in the vertical direction connected by the second extension part 17c extending in the insertion / extraction direction (fitting direction (Z direction)) of the fitting connection part 9a of the harness side connector 13 with respect to the fitting chamber 14b. It is a bent shape. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the size of the board-side housing 14 in the front-rear direction (Y direction). Further, the contact spring piece portion 17 has an inward bent shape that is folded back in such a vertical direction, and the contact direction with respect to the contact point 17e is an intersecting direction with respect to the insertion / extraction direction. For this reason, the insertion force that pushes in the fitting connection portion 9a of the harness side connector 13 is transmitted to the substrate 6 as the force that pushes the substrate 6 as it is, and thereby the mounting position of the substrate 6 inside the front housing 4 is displaced in the Z direction. It is possible to prevent the occurrence of malfunctions.

  The board connecting portion 18 is extended from the lower end side of the vertical piece 16b in the X direction, the bent portion 18b bent in the Y direction from the extended portion 18a, and extended from the bent portion 18b and soldered to the board 6. A mounting portion 18c is formed. In the existing connector, a terminal in which the contact spring piece portion and the mounting portion are formed on one axis along the Y direction is known, but in the board-side connector 7, the contact spring piece portion 17 is shifted in parallel in the X direction. The mounting portion 18c is extended. The contact spring piece 17 and the mounting portion 18c are positioned so as to partially overlap in the X direction. Thus, even if the large terminal accommodating portion 14f is formed on the terminal holding wall 14d of the substrate side housing 14 and the contact spring piece portion 17 is disposed there, the mounting portion 18c can be disposed in the concave portion 14c of the substrate side housing 14. In addition, since the mounting portion 18c does not protrude outward from the outer surface of the board-side housing 14, an increase in the projected area of the board-side connector 7 on the board 6 can be suppressed.

Description of Harness Side Connector 13 The harness side connector 13 includes a lid 9 having a fitting connection portion 9a and a harness side terminal 11. The lid body 9 is formed with a fitting connection portion 9a protruding in a quadrangular prism shape, and the fitting connection portion 9a is formed with a terminal attachment portion 9b. The fitting connection portion 9a is formed with two terminal attachment portions 9b on one surface and the other surface along the longitudinal direction.

  The harness side terminal 11 attached to the terminal attaching portion 9b is a so-called tab terminal, and has an electric wire holding portion 19 and a contact portion 20 as shown in FIG. Among these, the contact part 20 is formed by connecting an upper piece 20a and a lower piece 20b facing each other by a proximal side bent part 20c and a distal side bent part 20d. A flat surface spreads between the proximal end side bent portion 20c and the distal end side bent portion 20d of the upper piece 20a over the entire width of the contact portion 20 along the X direction, in other words, over the entire groove width of the terminal mounting portion 9b. Such a contact surface 20e ensures a large contact area. As a result, even if the contact position of the contact 17e of the board-side connector 7 is displaced due to the displacement of the fitting position of the board-side connector 7 and the harness-side connector 13 in the X direction as will be described later, the width is surely flat on the flat surface. The conductive contact can be made to the wide contact surface 20e.

Description of Fitting Connection between Board-Side Connector 7 and Harness-Side Connector 13 Next, the characteristics of fitting connection between the board-side connector 7 and the harness-side connector 13 will be described.

  In order to form the imaging device 1 by combining the main body side component 2 and the harness side component 3, the fitting connection portion 9a of the harness side connector 13 is inserted into the fitting chamber 14b of the board side connector 7 as shown in FIG. To do. As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the fitting connection portion 9 a has a smaller outer shape than the fitting chamber 14 b, and the fitting connection portion 9 a is assembled with the harness side component 3 assembled to the main body side component 2. A movable gap d1 (FIG. 13) is formed in the X direction and a movable gap d2 (FIG. 12) is formed in the Y direction between the fitting chamber 14b. And the fitting connection part 9a is supported in the floating state by the contact spring piece part 17 of the board | substrate side terminal 15 elastically contacting the contact surface 20e of the harness side terminal 13. FIG. Therefore, as long as it is within the range of the movable gaps d1 and d2, the fitting connection portion 9a can be displaced inside the fitting chamber 14b. As a result, even if a misalignment occurs in the fitting position of the board side connector 7 and the harness side connector 13, the misalignment is absorbed by the displacement of the fitting connection portion 9a and the elastic deformation of the contact spring piece portion 17 to be connected. be able to. That is, the imaging device 1 can be assembled.

  As described above, the contact spring piece 17 of the board-side terminal 15 has an inwardly bent shape as described above, and is bent with the plurality of extending portions 17a and 17c. In order to obtain a highly reliable conductive connection between the harness-side terminal 11 and a sufficient movable amount (amount of deflection) for absorbing the displacement of the fitting position due to the soft spring property because of the length having the portions 17b and 17d. The contact pressure can be realized.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Imaging device 2 Main part side part 3 Harness side part 4 Front housing (box-shaped housing)
4a Open end 5 Optical system parts 6 Substrate 7 Substrate side connector (connector)
8 Rear housing (box-shaped housing)
9 Lid 9a Fitting connection 10 Electric wire (Linear conductor)
11 Harness side terminal 12 Sealing member 13 Harness side connector (connector)
14 board side housing 14a wall part 14b fitting chamber 14c recess 14d terminal holding wall 14e side wall part 14f terminal accommodating part 14g terminal fixing part 15 board side terminal 15A first board side terminal 15B second board side terminal 16 base (board) Side terminal)
16a Horizontal piece 16b Vertical piece 16c Side edge 16d Press-fit protrusion 16e Lower edge 17 Contact spring piece (board side terminal)
17a 1st extension part 17b 1st bending part 17c 2nd extension part 17d 2nd bending part 17e contact 17f contact part 18 board connection part (board side terminal)
18a Extension part 18b Bending part 18c Mounting part 19 Electric wire holding part (harness side terminal)
20 Contact part (harness side terminal)
20a Upper piece 20b Lower piece 20c Base end side bent portion 20d Tip side bent portion 20e Contact surface

Claims (3)

A housing having an imaging element, a front housing containing a substrate, and a rear housing holding a linear conductor, and a connector for electrically connecting the substrate and the linear conductor;
In the imaging apparatus, the connector includes a board-side connector that has a board-side housing and a board-side terminal and is mounted on the board, and a harness-side connector that is electrically connected to the board-side connector.
The substrate-side housing has a wall portion that forms a fitting chamber into which the harness-side connector is inserted, and the wall portion has a terminal accommodating portion formed in the thickness direction thereof,
The board-side terminal extends inwardly from the inner surface side of the wall portion to the outer surface side, and returns to the inner surface side, and then protrudes into the fitting chamber. An imaging device comprising a portion.
The harness side connector has a harness side housing having a fitting connection portion inserted into the fitting chamber,
The fitting connection portion is sized to form a movable gap with the inner surface of the fitting chamber when inserted into the fitting chamber, and is displaced within the movable gap within the fitting chamber. Is possible,
The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the contact spring piece portion of the board-side terminal elastically supports the fitting connection portion in a floating state in which the fitting connection portion can be displaced inside the fitting chamber.
The substrate side housing has a recess on its outer surface,
The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the board-side terminal includes a mounting portion that protrudes from the inside of the board-side housing into the recess.

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