JP2835355B2 - EL device connector - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a connector for an EL device for connecting a flat cable to an EL sheet having a light emitting layer and an insulating layer interposed between a transparent electrode and a back electrode.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an EL device, a flat cable is connected to an electrode terminal of an EL sheet, and power is supplied to the EL sheet via the flat cable. The electrode terminals of the EL sheet and the flat cable are connected by a hot melt agent or a dedicated connector.

[0003]

However, in the case where the electrode terminal of the EL sheet and the flat cable are connected by a hot melt agent, the EL terminal is connected via the hot melt agent.
An expensive machine for thermocompression bonding between the electrode terminals of the sheet and the flat cable is required, which results in high cost, or depending on the setting of the time and pressure of the thermocompression bonding, the connection between the electrode terminals of the EL sheet and the flat cable. There were problems such as disconnection of the connection easily and lack of connection reliability.

[0004] Further, in the case where the electrode terminal of the EL sheet and the flat cable are connected by a connector, there is no problem as in the case of using a hot melt agent. A plastic connecting member is engaged by its elastic force to press-connect the electrode terminals of the EL sheet and the flat cable from both the front and back sides of the EL sheet, and the connection strength cannot be adjusted. However, there is a problem that a desired connection strength cannot be obtained due to a manufacturing error or the like.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a connector for an EL device capable of adjusting the connection strength between an EL sheet and a flat cable.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is a connector for an EL device for connecting a flat cable to an EL sheet in which a light emitting layer and an insulating layer are interposed between a transparent electrode and a back electrode. A back plate located on the back side of the sheet facing the electrode terminals of the EL sheet; a front plate located facing the back plate on the front side of the EL sheet via the electrode terminals of the EL sheet and the flat cable; It has screw means for screwing the back plate and the front plate together, and an elastic member interposed between the front plate and the back plate to press-connect the flat cable and the electrode terminal of the EL sheet by elastic force. And

The screw means penetrates the back plate from the back side thereof and is screwed to the front plate, and the front plate is desirably made of metal.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In an EL device, as shown in FIG. 1, a connector 3 for connecting a flat cable 2 to an EL sheet 1 is provided.

As shown in FIG. 2, the EL sheet 1 has a transparent electrode 1b made of indium tin oxide (ITO) or the like vacuum-deposited on a transparent film 1a made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). A material in which a light emitting layer 1c, a non-light emitting layer 1d, an insulating layer 1e, and a back electrode 1f are formed by printing on a transparent electrode 1b by a screen printing method or the like is applied. The light-emitting layer 1c is formed by printing and drying an ink obtained by mixing and stirring a light-emitting body obtained by doping zinc sulfide with copper and a fluororesin binder. The characters A and E are viewed from the transparent film 1a side. Is partially laminated on the transparent electrode 1b so as to be visually recognized. The non-light-emitting layer 1d is formed by printing and drying an ink obtained by mixing and stirring a color pigment and a fluororesin binder. The light-emitting layer 1d is formed so that the color is visually recognized as the background color of the characters A and E. 1c is laminated on the non-laminated portion. The insulating layer 1e is formed by printing and drying an ink obtained by mixing and stirring barium titanate as a high dielectric substance and a fluororesin binder, and is laminated on the light emitting layer 1c and the non-light emitting layer 1d. ing. The back electrode 1f is formed by printing and drying a carbon paste, and is laminated on the insulating layer 1e so as to overlap the light emitting layer 1c in a plane. Then, the transparent electrode 1b and the back electrode 1f
When an AC electric field is applied during the period, the light emitting layer 1c emits light, and the light emission causes characters A and E to emit light (see FIG. 1).

As shown in detail in FIG. 3, a protruding piece 1g is integrally formed around the EL sheet 1, and an electrode terminal 1h of a transparent electrode 1b and a back electrode 1g are formed on the back of the protruding piece 1g. An electrode terminal 1j of 1f is exposed. The electrode terminal 1h is formed by printing and drying a carbon paste, and is laminated on the transparent electrode 1b.
The electrode terminal 1j is formed by printing and drying a carbon paste, and is laminated on the insulating layer 1e. That is, the light emitting layer 1c, the non-light emitting layer 1d, the insulating layer 1e, and the back electrode 1f are partially laminated on the transparent electrode 1b, and the electrode terminals 1h are laminated on these non-laminated portions. A back electrode 1f is partially formed on the insulating layer 1e, and an electrode terminal 1j is formed on a non-laminated portion of the back electrode 1f so as to be continuous with the back electrode 1f. The electrode terminals 1h and 1j are connected to the back electrode 1
If f is formed simultaneously with the formation of f, it can be easily formed without providing a special step.

The flat cable 2 has flexibility and can be deformed as required. Flat cable 2
Is slightly narrower than the protruding piece 1 g of the EL sheet 1. Wiring patterns 2a and 2b are formed on the surface of the flat cable 2 as shown in detail in FIG. One ends of the wiring patterns 2a and 2b are connected by pressure connection to the electrode terminals 1h and 1j of the EL sheet 1 by a connector 3, and the other ends are connected to a circuit board (not shown) by a connector or soldering. I have. The wiring patterns 2a and 2b are partially insulated and coated at their intermediate portions with a protective layer 2c (shown in FIG. 3).

As shown in FIG.
A back plate 3a is located on the back side of the sheet 1 so as to face the electrode terminals 1h and 1j, and a wiring pattern of the electrode terminals 1h and 1j and the flat cable 2 is on the front side of the EL sheet 1 as shown in FIG. A front plate 3b is provided so as to face the back plate 3a via one ends of 2a and 2b.
The back plate 3a is made of a synthetic resin. The front plate 3b is made of metal such as stainless steel, and its surface is insulated and coated with a protective layer (not shown).

The back plate 3a and the front plate 3b are aligned so that a part of the protective layer 2d of the flat cable 2 is exposed (see FIG. 4), and are screwed with screws 3c and 3d as screw means. I have. As shown in FIG. 5, the screws 3c and 3d pass through the back plate 3a from the back side and are screwed to the front plate 3b.

A rubber plate 3e as an elastic member is interposed between the back plate 3a and the front plate 3b, and the elastic force of the rubber plate 3e allows the wiring between the electrode terminals 1h and 1j of the EL sheet 1 and the flat cable 2. One end of each of the patterns 2a and 2b is connected by pressure. More specifically, the back plate 3a includes the front plate 3
A concave portion 3f is formed on the surface facing b, and a rubber plate 3e is fitted and held at the bottom of the concave portion 3f. The electrode terminals 1 of the EL sheet 1 are provided between the rubber plate 3e and the front plate 3b.
h, 1j and the wiring patterns 2a, 2a of the flat cable 2
b of the EL sheet 1 so that one end of the EL sheet 1 is joined
And one end of the flat cable 2 are interposed, and the rubber plate 3
The electrode terminals 1h, 1j of the EL sheet 1 and one ends of the wiring patterns 2a, 2b of the flat cable 2 are press-connected by the elastic force of e.

According to the connecting device 3 having the above configuration, the back plate 3a
And the front plate 3b are screwed with screws 3c and 3d, and a rubber plate 3e is interposed between the back plate 3a and the front plate 3b.
j and the wiring patterns 2a and 2b of the flat cable 2 are press-connected to each other. Therefore, by adjusting the tightening torque of the screws 3c and 3d, the electrode terminals 1h and
1j and the connection strength between the wiring patterns 2a and 2b of the flat cable 2 can be appropriately adjusted, so that even if there is a variation in manufacturing error in the back plate 3a or the front plate 3b, the EL can be adjusted.
The electrode terminals 1h and 1j of the sheet 1 and the wiring patterns 2a and 2b of the flat cable 2 can be reliably connected with a desired connection strength. That is, if the tightening torque of the screws 3c and 3d is increased, the elastic force of the rubber plate 3e is increased accordingly, and the pressure contact force between the electrode terminals 1h and 1j of the EL sheet 1 and the wiring patterns 2a and 2b of the flat cable 2 is increased. Increases,
If the tightening torque of the screws 3c and 3d is reduced, the elastic force of the rubber plate 3e is reduced accordingly, and the pressure contact force between the electrode terminals 1h and 1j of the EL sheet 1 and the wiring patterns 2a and 2b of the flat cable 2 is reduced. I do.

Since the front plate 3b is made of metal and the screws 3c and 3d are screwed into the metal front plate 3b through the back plate 3a, the front plate 3b is formed to be so thick. Even without this, it is possible to connect the electrode terminals 1h, 1j of the EL sheet 1 and the wiring patterns 2a, 2b of the flat cable 2 with a desired connection strength by sufficiently securing the tightening torque of the screws 3c, 3d. It is not necessary to form the front plate 3b so thick for structural reasons or the like, and this makes it possible to reduce the overall thickness of the EL device and to smooth the surface of the EL device.

Further, since the surface of the front plate 3b is insulated and coated with a protective layer (not shown), the flat cable 2 is inadvertently bent to form the wiring patterns 2b, 2b.
Even if c contacts the front plate 3b, there is no short circuit, and the EL sheet 1 and the flat cable 2 can be connected with high reliability.

Further, since the protective layer 2d is formed on the flat cable 2 and the back plate 3a and the front plate 3b are positioned so that a part of the protective layer 2d is exposed, the flat cable 2 and the circuit Even when the substrate is connected by soldering, the protection layer 2d can prevent the solder from flowing into the back plate 3a and the front plate 3b, and can connect the flat cable 2 and the circuit board with high reliability.

In the above example, the back plate 3a is made of synthetic resin. However, a metal plate such as stainless steel may be used as the back plate 3a. In this case, it is desirable to coat the surface of the back plate 3a with an insulating material.

In the above example, the rubber plate 3e is connected to the back plate 3
Although the rubber plate 3e is fitted in the recess 3f of FIG. 3A, the rubber plate 3e may be attached to the front plate 3b by bonding or the like.

[0021]

As described above, according to the present invention, the light emitting layer and the insulating layer are interposed between the transparent electrode and the back electrode.
A connector for an EL device for connecting a flat cable to an L sheet, comprising a back plate located on the back side of the EL sheet opposite to the electrode terminals of the EL sheet, and an E side attached to the front side of the EL sheet.
A front plate positioned opposite to the back plate via the electrode terminals of the L sheet and the flat cable, screw means for screwing the back plate to the front plate, and interposed between the front plate and the back plate. Since it has an elastic member that presses and connects the flat cable and the electrode terminal of the EL sheet by elastic force, the connection strength between the EL sheet and the flat cable can be adjusted by adjusting the tightening torque of the screw means. This has an excellent effect that the cable can be reliably connected with a desired connection strength. In addition, the screw means is configured to penetrate the back plate from the back side and screwed to the front plate, and if the front plate is made of metal, the thickness of the front plate is not so large due to connection strength or structural reasons. It does not have to be formed into meat,
It is possible to reduce the thickness of the entire L device and to smooth the surface of the EL device.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an EL device.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a main part showing a structure of an EL sheet.

FIG. 3 is a main part enlarged rear view showing a connection structure between an EL sheet and a flat cable.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged plan view of a main part showing a connection structure between an EL sheet and a flat cable.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of a main part showing a connection structure between an EL sheet and a flat cable.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 EL sheet 1b Transparent electrode 1c Light emitting layer 1e Insulating layer 1f Back electrode 1h Electrode terminal 1j Electrode terminal 2 Flat cable 3 Connector 3a Back plate 3b Front plate 3c Screw (screw means) 3d Screw (screw means) 3e Rubber plate (elasticity) Element)

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A connector for an EL device for connecting a flat cable to an EL sheet in which a light emitting layer and an insulating layer are interposed between a transparent electrode and a back electrode, wherein the EL sheet is provided on the back side of the EL sheet. A back plate positioned to face the electrode terminals of the sheet; a front plate positioned to face the back plate via the electrode terminals and the flat cable on the front side of the EL sheet; A screw means for screwing the front plate, and an elastic member interposed between the front plate and the back plate to press-connect the flat cable and the electrode terminal by elastic force. EL device connector. 2. The EL device according to claim 1, wherein the screw means penetrates the back plate from the back side thereof and is screwed to the front plate, and the front plate is made of metal.
Equipment fittings.