JP2534305Y2 - sensor - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sensor for controlling a mixture ratio of gasoline and air and a sensor for controlling an amount of exhaust gas recycled in a vehicle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A variable resistor is usually used as a sensor provided in a vehicle as described above. In such a variable resistor, a terminal pattern on a resistance substrate (insulating substrate) and a main body case are used. The connection with the provided external terminal is generally performed by caulking or soldering.

However, in the above structure, 200
When the sensor (variable resistor) is used at a high temperature close to ゜ C, when the caulking is fixed, the electrical contact between the terminal pattern and the external terminal is poor due to the difference in the coefficient of thermal expansion between the resistive substrate and the external terminal. And in the case of soldering,
There is a problem that the solder is melted to cause poor electrical contact. In a vehicle such as a vehicle where vibration is frequently applied, vibration is often applied to the terminal portion, so that the possibility of the above-described electrical contact failure is further increased.

[0004] In order to solve the above problems, the applicant of the present invention has proposed Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 3-104701 (Japanese Utility Model Application No. 2-111937).

FIG. 13 is a drawing attached to the above publication.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a variable resistor used as a sensor.

The present invention relates to a terminal connection structure, as shown in FIG. 13, having a first bent portion 18 having a wavy portion 17 formed at one end and a second bent portion having a wavy portion 19 formed. The first bent portion 18 of the reed spring 16 having a curved portion 20 at the other end and having a wavy portion 21 formed in the middle thereof elastically presses and holds the end portion of the resistor substrate 3 to place the wavy portion 17 on the resistor substrate 3. Of the external terminal 2 at the second bent portion 20.
2 are resiliently clamped, and the resistance substrate 3 is supported by an intermediate wavy portion 21.

[0007]

In the sensor according to the conventional example described above, the contact between the terminal pattern 8 and the lead spring 16 and the contact between the external terminal 22 and the lead spring 16 involve caulking and solder. Instead, the electrical contact is maintained through the elasticity of the reed spring, so that the electrical contact is maintained normally even at high temperatures. The resistance substrate 3 is supported by the wavy portion 21 in the middle of the reed spring 16 to reinforce against vibration. .
However, the contact portion at the tip of the external terminal 22 and the terminal pattern 8 are located at both ends of the resistance substrate 3,
, A long lead spring 16 is required, which leads to an increase in cost. Further, if the lead spring 16 is long, even if the intermediate portion is reinforced by the corrugated portion 21, the lead spring 16 is not susceptible to temperature changes and vibrations. When the intermediate portion is distorted due to the distortion, the distortion is accumulated and affects the bent portions 18 and 20 at both ends, so that there is a problem that the deformation is apt to occur, and the deformation tends to cause poor contact.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and its object is to prevent the occurrence of a poor electrical contact even in an environment subject to high temperature and vibration.
Moreover, the lead spring is shortened to reduce the unit price of the lead spring.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a main body case having a housing, an external terminal provided in the main body case, an insulating substrate held in the housing, and a housing. A cover that covers the opening of the sensor, and a sensor having a lead spring that electrically connects the external terminal and the terminal pattern on the insulating substrate, wherein the external terminal and the terminal pattern are disposed in close proximity to each other, This is achieved by providing the lead spring with two clip portions for elastically clamping the external terminal and the terminal pattern, a concave portion connecting the two clip portions, and providing the cover with a convex portion inserted into the concave portion. You.

It is another object of the present invention to cover a main body case having a housing, an external terminal provided on the main body case, an insulating substrate held in the housing, and an opening of the housing. A cover having a lead spring for electrically connecting the external terminal to a terminal pattern on the insulating substrate, wherein a paragraph portion having substantially the same thickness dimension as the external terminal is provided on the cover side of the substrate. The lead spring is provided with two clip portions having substantially equal gaps, and one of these clip portions is inserted into the external terminal, and the other is inserted into the paragraph portion so as to elastically contact the terminal pattern. Achieved by

[0011]

According to the above construction, the end of the insulating substrate is elastically clamped by one clip of the lead spring to elastically contact the terminal pattern, and the external terminal is elastically clamped by the other clip. Since the contact between the terminal pattern and the lead spring and the contact between the external terminal and the lead spring are performed via the elastic force of the clip portion without caulking or soldering, the contact is normally maintained even in a high-temperature environment where the solder melts. In addition, since the connection portion of the external terminal and the terminal pattern of the insulating substrate are disposed close to each other and opposed to each other, the terminal pattern and the external terminal can be connected with a short lead spring. Reduces the cost of the sensor itself.

Also, a cover for covering the opening of the main body case includes
In the case where the protrusion inserted into the recess between the pair of clip portions of the reed spring is provided, the central portion of the reed spring can be reliably held, so that it can withstand vibration and the Since the deformation can be prevented, the connection portion does not cause poor contact.

Further, a paragraph portion having substantially the same thickness dimension as the external terminal is provided on the insulating substrate, and one of two clip portions provided in the lead spring with substantially equal gaps is inserted into the external terminal and the other is inserted into the external terminal. When the lead spring is inserted into the paragraph and elastically contacts the terminal pattern, the movement of the lead spring in the width direction is regulated by the paragraph, so that it is possible to prevent poor contact at the connection portion and to further improve the directionality when incorporating the lead spring. As a result, the assembly workability is improved.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 to 10 are explanatory views of a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a variable resistor used as a sensor, and FIG. 2 is a side view of the variable resistor with a cover removed. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the insulating substrate, FIG. 4 is a front view of the reed spring, FIG. 5 is a left side view of the reed spring shown in FIG. 4, FIG. 6 is a right side view of the reed spring shown in FIG. FIG. 8 is an enlarged explanatory view of a main part showing a state in which an external terminal and a terminal pattern on an insulating substrate are connected by a lead spring, FIG. 8 is a front view of a cover,
FIG. 9 is a rear view of the same, and FIG. 10 is an enlarged explanatory view of a main part showing a modification of the reed spring. The same parts as those of the conventional example shown in FIG.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a main body case of a variable resistor having an accommodating portion 1a, reference numeral 2 denotes a cover, and reference numeral 3 denotes a resistance substrate (insulating substrate). Is held by the concave groove 4. As shown in FIG. 3, a resistor 5 and a current collector 6 are formed on the upper surface of the resistor substrate 3. Both ends of the resistor 5 are connected to a first terminal pattern 8 via a lead pattern 7 and a third terminal pattern 8. The current collectors 6 are connected to the terminal patterns 8, respectively, and are connected to the second terminal patterns 8 via the lead patterns 7. 1 and 2
In the figure, reference numeral 10 denotes a slider receiver, and a slider 11 is attached to the lower surface thereof as shown in FIG. A spring 13 is interposed between a protrusion 10a of the slider receiver 10 and a protrusion 29 described later of the cover 2, and the protrusion 10a is fitted into the groove 15 of the main body case 1 by fitting. The slider receiver 10 is movable using the groove 15 as a guide.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 16 denotes three reed springs formed in the same shape, and a first reed spring 16 provided corresponding to the resistor 5 is provided with first and second clips as shown in FIG. It has a portion 16a, 16b and a concave portion 16c connecting between the clip portions 16a, 16b.
The first clip portion 16a of the first reed spring 16 elastically clamps one end of the resistor substrate 3 having the first terminal pattern 8 formed on one surface, and the second clip portion 16b is embedded in the main body case 1. The first external terminal 22 is elastically clamped.

Similarly, a second lead spring 16 provided corresponding to the current collector 6 and a third lead spring 1 provided corresponding to the lead pattern 7 connected to the resistor 5 are provided.
6, the first clip portion 16a presses and holds the second and third terminal patterns 8, while the second clip portion 16b presses the second and third terminal patterns 8.
The third external terminal 22 is elastically clamped. The second clip 16b has a pair of blades 16d, and the outer terminals 22 are surrounded by these blades 16d to prevent the reed spring 16 from rattling in the lateral direction (width direction). The two wing plates 16d may be formed in the extending direction of the resistance substrate 3, as shown in FIG. At this time, if the width between the tips of the two wing plates 16d is set to be wider than the width of the external terminal 22 and the width between the roots of the two wing plates 16d is set to be smaller than the width of the external terminal 22, the external terminals 22 The contact points between the lead spring 16 and the lead spring 16 increase, and the reliability of the contact improves. FIG.
At 0, reference numeral 36 denotes a chamfer formed on the end face of the resistance substrate 3, and the chamfer 36 facilitates the insertion of the lead spring 16 into the resistance substrate 3. Returning to FIG. 1, reference numeral 24 denotes a shaft that presses the slider holder 10 in the direction of the cover 2, and is held by the flange 25 of the main body case 1.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 8 and 9, the cover 2 has a circular thick portion 27 at the center on one surface and an annular projecting wall 28 on the outer periphery of the thick portion 27. , The other side of the spring 1
3 and a projection 30 inserted into the recess 16c of the lead spring 16. On the other hand, the peripheral wall 31 of the main body case 1 has an annular protruding wall 32, and the protruding walls 28, 32 are positioned in a space 34 generated when the opening 33 of the main body case 1 is covered with the cover 2. The inside is sealed by injecting an adhesive 35 such as an epoxy resin. By embedding the protruding walls 28 and 32 with the adhesive 35 in this manner, the adhesion between the main body case 1 and the cover 2 is ensured,
The adhesive 35 does not peel off due to temperature change or vibration. In addition, the protruding walls 28 and 32 are not necessarily annular,
A part may be formed in an annular shape, and a concave groove may be used instead of the protruding wall.

The projection 30 of the cover 2 covered with the opening 33 of the main body case 1 is inserted into the recess 16c of each lead spring 16 as shown in FIG.

According to the above embodiment of the present invention, the terminal pattern 8 at the end of the resistor substrate 5 is elastically clamped by the first clip portion 16a of the lead spring 16, and the second clip portion 16b is pressed.
The external terminal 22 is elastically held between the terminal pattern 8 and the lead spring 16 and the external terminal 22 is connected to the lead spring 1.
6 is maintained by the elastic force of the reed spring 16 without caulking and soldering,
Under normal circumstances, the connection is maintained normally, and the terminal pattern 8 provided on the resistance substrate 3 and the connection portion at the tip of the external terminal 22 are disposed in close proximity to each other.
Is short, and the two clip portions 16
The convex portion 30 of the cover 2 is inserted into the concave portion 16c located at the center between a and 16b, and the lead spring 16 is held at the central portion, so that the holding is reliable and can withstand vibration. . Further, since the length of the lead spring 16 is shorter than that of the related art, material costs can be saved, and the unit cost of parts can be reduced. Further, since the contact portion between the resistance board 3 and the lead spring 16 is on the opening 33 side (front side) of the main body case 1, the quality of the contact can be easily checked at the time of assembling the product, and the reliability is improved. Can be.

FIGS. 11 and 12 are explanatory views of a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a sectional view of an essential part showing a state where external terminals and a terminal pattern on an insulating substrate are connected by a lead spring. Is a perspective view thereof, and portions corresponding to FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

The second embodiment is different from the above-described first embodiment in that a paragraph portion 37 is formed at the end (front side) of the resistance substrate 3 facing the cover 2 and the reed spring 16 The first and second clip portions 16a and 16b have the same shape, and the convex portion 30 of the cover 2 is omitted. The width of the paragraph portion 37 is set to be slightly larger than the width of both clips 16a and 16b of the reed spring 16,
The thickness of the paragraph portion 37 is substantially the same as the thickness of the external terminal 22. For this reason, the play of the reed spring 16 in the lateral direction (width direction) is restricted by the first clip portion 16a abutting the side wall of the paragraph portion 37. In addition, the first and second
Since the clip portions 16a and 16b have a symmetrical shape, the resistance substrate 3 and the external terminals 2
2 does not determine which of the two clip portions 16a and 16b is pressed and clamped, thereby improving the workability of assembly.

As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, positioning protrusions 38 are provided on both clip portions 16a and 16b, and positioning recesses are provided on the resistor substrate 3 and the external terminals 22 to be fitted with the positioning protrusions 38. If these, these projections 3
Since the lateral play of the reed spring 16 can be prevented by the recess 8 and the concave portion, in this case, the width of the paragraph portion 37 can be set to be sufficiently larger than the width of the clip portions 16a and 16b.

[0025]

According to the present invention, as described above, the connection between the terminal pattern on the insulating substrate and the external terminal provided on the main body case is performed via the lead spring. The contact with the reed spring is made by pressing and clamping between a pair of clips provided on the reed spring, so that normal electrical contact can be maintained even in a high-temperature environment. Since the connection part with the tip is arranged close to and opposed, the length of the reed spring connecting the two can be made shorter than before, and furthermore, the reed spring becomes shorter than before. Material costs are reduced, and the unit cost is reduced. Further, when the convex portion of the cover is inserted into the concave portion formed between the two clip portions, the reed spring is held at the center thereof, so that the holding is reliable.
It can withstand vibration. Further, when a paragraph portion having substantially the same thickness as that of the external terminal is formed on the insulating substrate, and the paragraph portion and the external terminal are elastically clamped by the clip portion having substantially the same gap, the paragraph portion causes the lead spring to extend in the width direction. Not only can be prevented, but also there is no directionality when incorporating the reed spring, so that there is an effect that the assembling workability is improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a variable resistor according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the variable resistor shown in FIG. 1 with a cover removed.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of an insulating substrate provided in the variable resistor of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a front view of a reed spring provided in the variable resistor in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a left side view of the reed spring.

FIG. 6 is a right side view of the reed spring.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing a state in which a terminal pattern and an external terminal are connected by the lead spring of FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 is a front view of a cover provided on the variable resistor in FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is a rear view of the cover.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged explanatory view of a main part showing a modification of the reed spring.

FIG. 11 is a sectional view of a main part of a variable resistor according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a sectional view of a conventional variable resistor.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main body case 1a Storage part 2 Cover 3 Resistance board (insulating board) 8 Terminal pattern 16 Lead spring 16a Clip part 16b Clip part 16c Depression 16d Wing part 22 External terminal 27, 32 Protrusion wall 30 Convex part 34 Gap 35 Adhesive 36 Chamfer 37 Paragraph section 38 Positioning projection

Claims (2)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] An external terminal provided in the main body case, an insulating substrate held in the storage portion, and a cover for covering an opening of the storage portion; A sensor having a lead spring for electrically connecting the external terminal and the terminal pattern on the insulating substrate. A sensor comprising: two clip portions to be clamped; a concave portion connecting the two clip portions; and a convex portion inserted into the concave portion on the cover. 2. The external terminal, comprising: a main body case having a housing, an external terminal provided in the main body case, an insulating substrate held in the housing, and a cover covering an opening of the housing. A sensor having a lead spring for electrically connecting a terminal pattern on the insulating substrate to a terminal pattern on the insulating substrate, wherein a paragraph portion having substantially the same thickness as the external terminal is provided on the cover side of the insulating substrate. A sensor comprising: two clip portions having substantially equal gaps, and one of the clip portions is inserted into the external terminal, and the other is inserted into the paragraph portion to make elastic contact with the terminal pattern.