JP2924728B2 - Mounting method and mounting structure of FPC - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an FPC mounting method and a mounting structure, and more particularly, to an FPC mounting method and a mounting structure capable of easily mounting an FPC to a protector.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a so-called flexible printed circuit (hereinafter simply referred to as FPC) in which a thin copper plate is mounted on a thin flexible film substrate in the extending direction of the film substrate is often used. This F
Because the PC is very thin in shape, it is very suitable to be placed in a very narrow space in the vertical direction or the width direction. It is usually fixed to the protector and attached to the body panel etc. Have been.

[0003] As a conventional mounting structure of this type of FPC, for example, one shown in Figs. In FIG. 13A, reference numeral 1 denotes an FPC.
C1 is composed of a flexible film 2 on which a thin copper plate 3 is wired. Also, in FIG.
Is a protector. The protector 4 has a plurality of protrusions 4a and 4b for holding the FPC 1 provided at both ends in the width direction (vertical direction in the figure) as shown in FIG. I have.

To mount the FPC 1 on such a protector 4, first, one end in the width direction of the FPC 1 is engaged with the projection 4 a (see FIG. 14A), and then the FPC 1 is bent and the other end is bent. The FPC 1 is attached to the protector 4 by locking to the projection 4b (see FIG. 4B) (see FIGS. 4C and 4D).

[0005]

However, in such a mounting method of the FPC 1, after the FPC 1 is engaged with the projection 4a formed at one end in the width direction of the protector 4, the FPC 1 is bent. Since the other end in the width direction of the FPC 1 is locked to the projection 4 b, the FPC 1
In addition, the work of attaching the FPC 1 to the protector 4 is troublesome, and it takes a lot of time to attach the FPC 1 to the FPC 1, thereby deteriorating the workability of the work of attaching the FPC 1. In particular, when performing the work of locking the other end of the FPC 1 in the width direction to the projection 4b, the work of bending the FPC 1 is required, so that the mounting work of the FPC 1 is very troublesome.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an FPC mounting method and a mounting structure capable of easily mounting the FPC to the protector in a short time and improving the workability of the mounting operation. The purpose is.

[0007]

According to the first aspect of the present invention,
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, in a method of mounting an FPC (flexible printed circuit) having a flexible film substrate on which electrical wiring is mounted in a direction in which the film substrate extends in a width direction, An engaging portion is provided at one end of the mounting surface and is spaced apart along the one end, and the other end in the width direction is provided at a distance along the other end and is formed on the mounting surface via a hinge portion. A presser plate having a second engaging portion that engages with the first engaging portion is provided, and one end in the width direction of the FPC is locked by the locking portion, and then the width direction of the FPC is changed. The notch formed on the other end
The FPC is brought into contact with the mounting surface of the protector so as to match the engaging portion, and then the holding plate is moved through the hinge portion to the FPC.
It is characterized in that the FPC is held by the protector by the locking portion and the pressing plate by folding back to the PC side and engaging the second engaging portion with the first engaging portion.

In this case, the pressing plate provided at the other end in the width direction of the protector is folded back toward the FPC via the hinge portion, and the second engaging portion is engaged with the first engaging portion. As described above, the FPC is not attached to the protector in a bent state, and the FPC is easily fixed by the holding portion, so that the FPC can be attached in a short time and easily, and the FPC is attached. Work operability is improved.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit) in which electric wiring is mounted on a flexible film substrate in the extending direction of the film substrate. In the mounting structure of the FPC mounted on the mounting surface of the protector, a locking portion provided at one end in the width direction and spaced apart along the one end, and an other end at the other end in the width direction. A holding plate provided so as to be spaced apart along the mounting surface and abutting on the mounting surface via a hinge portion and capable of being separated therefrom; a first engaging portion formed on the mounting surface; and a pressing plate provided on the pressing plate. , A protector having a second engaging portion engaged with the first engaging portion, and an FPC having a cutout portion formed at one end in the width direction. The FPC is engaged with the locking part, and one end in the width direction of the FPC is pressed. It is characterized in that it is pressed against the mounting surface of the protector by.

In this case, a pressing plate is provided at the other end in the width direction of the protector via a hinge so as to be in contact with and separate from the mounting surface of the protector, and a second engaging portion of the pressing plate and the protector are provided. The FPC is mounted on the protector in a state where the notch of the FPC is locked in the first engagement portion formed on the mounting surface of the FPC. Therefore, the other end of the FPC is not engaged with the engaging portion as in the related art, but is pressed against the mounting surface of the protector by the pressing plate, so that the mounting operation of the FPC can be easily performed. The structure is obtained.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in order to solve the above-mentioned problem, a notch is provided at the other end in the width direction of the FPC, and the notch is provided at a locking portion of the protector. It is characterized in that an engagement piece with which the notch engages is provided. In this case, the notches formed at both ends in the width direction of the FPC are engaged with the locking portions, so that the positioning of the FPC is easily performed, and the FPC is attached to the protector with the FPC positioned. Therefore, the workability of the mounting work of the FPC is further improved.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in order to solve the above problem, in the second or third aspect of the present invention, the second engaging portion of the holding plate is constituted by either a lock claw or an opening. And a first engaging portion formed on the mounting surface is constituted by one of the opening and the locking claw, and when the locking claw is inserted into the opening, the locking claw is attached to the mounting surface or the back surface of the holding plate. It is characterized by engaging with.

In this case, the FPC does not come off the protector and is securely fixed to the protector. Claim 5
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in order to solve the above-mentioned problem, in the second aspect of the present invention, the second engaging portion of the holding plate is formed of one of a semicircularly divided projection and a round hole. In addition, the first engagement portion formed on the mounting surface is formed of one of a round hole and a semicircularly divided projection, and when the projection is inserted into the round hole, the semicircular portion is formed. It is characterized by contact.

In this case, when the projection is inserted into the round hole,
The semi-circular portions of the projections come into contact with each other to increase their return force (the force at which the semi-circular portions try to separate) so that FP is reduced.
The holding force of C can be increased, and the FPC can be securely fixed to the protector. Further, since it is only necessary to provide the FPC with a round hole into which the projection is inserted, the area of the electric wiring can be sufficiently secured, and the degree of freedom of the layout of the electric wiring can be greatly improved.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIGS. 1 to 3 show a first embodiment of an FPC mounting method and an FPC mounting structure for achieving the mounting method according to the present invention.

First, the configuration will be described. In FIG. 1, 11
Is an FPC, and this FPC11 is a flexible film substrate
A thin copper plate 13 is attached as an electric wiring on the film substrate 12 in the direction in which the film substrate 12 extends. A notch 12a is formed in the upper portion (one end in the width direction) of the film substrate 12 of the FPC 11, and the notch 12a
Reference numeral 12a is formed in a portion excluding the copper plate 13.

In FIG. 2A, reference numeral 14 denotes a protector. An L-shaped projection 15 is provided as a locking portion at a lower end (one end in the width direction) of the protector 14. Further, a pressing plate 16 is provided on an upper portion (the other end in the width direction) of the protector 14, and the pressing plate 16 is connected to an upper portion of the protector 14 by a thin hinge portion 16a, and is connected via the hinge portion 16a. The protector 14 comes into contact with and separates from the mounting surface 14a. The holding plate 16 is provided with a projection 16b as a second engaging portion.
a into a groove 17 serving as a first engaging portion formed in the groove a.

Next, a method of attaching the FPC 11 to the protector 14 will be described with reference to FIG. First, the lower portion of the FPC 11 was engaged with the projection 15 as shown in FIG. 2A, and the notch 12a was aligned with the position of the groove 17, and the FPC 11 was pressed against the mounting surface 14a as shown in FIG. rear,
As shown in (c), the holding plate 16 is folded back via the hinge portion 16a and the projection 16b is inserted into the groove 17, so that the FPC
Attach 11 to protector 14. Thus, protector 14
The FPC 11 is mounted on a vehicle body panel, an electric device, or the like.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the holding plate 16 provided on the upper part of the protector 14 is connected to the FP through the hinge 16a.
Since the protrusion 16b is engaged with the groove 17 by being turned back to the C11 side, the protector is kept in a state where the FPC 11 is bent as in the related art.
In addition to eliminating the need for mounting on
Since the holding member 16 can easily fix the FPC 11, the mounting of the FPC 11 can be performed easily in a short time, and the workability of the mounting operation of the FPC 11 can be improved.

In this embodiment, the pressing plate 16 is provided with the projection 15 as the second engaging portion, and the mounting surface 14a is provided with the groove 17 as the first engaging portion. Alternatively, a groove may be provided as a second engaging portion, and a projection may be provided as a first engaging portion on the mounting surface 14a. Further, in the present embodiment, the holding plate 16 is connected to the protector 14 via the thin hinge portion 16a. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the holding plate 16 is connected to the protector 14 via a pin or the like. A hinge structure in which the holding plate 16 abuts on and separates the mounting surface of the protector 14 with a pin or the like as a fulcrum may be used.

FIGS. 4 to 6 show a second embodiment of an FPC mounting method and an FPC mounting structure for achieving the mounting method according to the present invention. Note that the present embodiment is different from the first embodiment only in that a notch is provided at the other end in the width direction of the FPC, and a projection is provided with an engagement piece that engages with the notch. Are the same, and the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

In FIG. 4, notches 12 a and 12 b are formed at both ends in the width direction of the FPC 11, and these notches 12 a and 12 b are formed in portions other than the copper plate 13. As shown in FIG. 5, an engagement piece 20 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the projection 15, and the engagement piece 20 extends from the back surface of the projection 15 to the mounting surface 14a. In this embodiment, the engagement piece 20 is formed on the same line as the groove 17.

Next, a method of attaching the FPC 11 to the protector 14 will be described with reference to FIG. First, as shown in (a), the notch 12b of the FPC 11 is engaged with the engaging piece 20 so as to be engaged with the projection 15, and the FPC 11 is pressed against the mounting surface 14a as shown in (b). After that, as shown in (c), the holding plate 16 is folded back via the hinge portion 16a and the projection 16b is inserted into the groove 17, whereby the FPC 11 is attached to the protector 14.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the notch 12b is provided below the FPC 11 and the notch 12b is formed in the projection 15.
The FPC 11 can be easily positioned by the provision of the engagement piece 20 with which the b is engaged, and the FPC 11 can be mounted on the protector 14 with the FPC 11 positioned. Can be improved.

FIGS. 7 and 8 show a third embodiment of an FPC mounting method and an FPC mounting structure for achieving the mounting method according to the present invention. In the present embodiment, since the other configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment except that the second engagement portion of the holding plate is formed of a lock claw, the same configuration is denoted by the same reference numeral. The description is omitted.

In FIG. 7, the holding plate 16 is provided with a substantially L-shaped lock claw 30 as a second engagement portion, and this lock claw 30 is an insertion groove as an opening formed in the mounting surface 14a. It is designed to be inserted into 31. In addition, a clearance groove 32 is formed at a lower portion of the groove 31, and the clearance groove 32 is used to allow the insertion groove 31 to expand when the tip of the lock claw 30 is inserted into the insertion groove 31. Is provided.

In this embodiment having such a configuration, F
The lower part of the PC 11 is engaged with the projection 15, and the notch 12a is formed in the groove.
Attach FPC11 to mounting surface 14a so as to match position 17
Then, the holding plate 16 is folded back via the hinge portion 16a and the locking claw 30 is inserted into the insertion groove 31, so that the tip of the locking claw 30 engages with the back surface of the protector 14 and
C11 is attached to the protector 14 (FIG. 8).
reference).

By doing so, the FPC 11 can protect the protector.
Detachment from the protector 14 can be prevented, and the protector 14 can be securely fixed. In this embodiment,
A lock claw 30 is provided on the holding plate 16 and an insertion groove 31 is provided on the mounting surface 14a.
However, on the contrary, an insertion groove may be provided in the holding portion 16 and a lock claw may be provided on the mounting surface 14a, and the lock claw may be engaged with the back surface of the holding plate.

FIGS. 9 to 12 show a fourth embodiment of an FPC mounting method according to the present invention and an FPC mounting structure for achieving the mounting method. In the present embodiment, the holding plate is provided with a semicircularly divided projection, and the protector and the FPC are provided with round holes. Are assigned the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

In FIG. 9, a round hole is formed at the upper end of the FPC 11.
A round hole 41 is formed in a portion excluding the copper plate 13. Also, as shown in FIG.
Is formed with a pair of semicircular portions 42a and 42b divided in a semicircular shape, and is inserted into a round hole 43 formed on the mounting surface 14a of the protector 14. It has become.

In this embodiment having such a configuration, F
The lower portion of the PC 11 is engaged with the projection 15, and the FPC 11 is pressed against the mounting surface 14 a so that the round hole 41 is aligned with the position of the round hole 43. Into the round holes 41 and 43,
Press the upper end of FPC11 to protect the FPC11.
14 (see FIGS. 11A and 11B).

When the projections 42 are inserted into the round holes 41 and 43, the semicircular portions 42a and 42b are brought into contact with each other to return the semicircular portions 42a and 42b to each other.
The holding force of the FPC 11 can be increased by increasing
11 can be securely fixed to the protector 14. Further, since it is only necessary to provide the FPC 14 with the round hole 41 for inserting the protrusion 42, the area of the copper plate 13 can be sufficiently secured as shown in FIG. Can be improved. FIG. 12B shows an FPC 11 of the first embodiment used for comparison with the present embodiment.
It is a figure showing notch part 12a. As can be seen from this, if the FPC 11 is provided with the round hole 41, the area of the copper plate 13 can be sufficiently secured.

In the present embodiment, the protrusion 42 is provided on the holding plate 16 and the round hole 43 is provided on the mounting surface 14a. On the contrary, the holding plate 16 is provided with the round hole 43 and the mounting surface 14a is provided on the mounting surface 14a. The protrusion 42 may be provided.

[0034]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, it is not necessary to attach the FPC to the protector in a bent state as in the prior art, and the FPC can be easily fixed by the holding portion. The mounting of the FPC can be performed easily in a short time, and the workability of the mounting operation of the FPC can be improved.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, it is not necessary to engage the other end of the FPC with the engaging portion as in the related art, and the FPC can be pressed against the mounting surface of the protector by the pressing plate. For this reason, it is possible to obtain an FPC mounting structure that can easily perform the FPC mounting operation. According to the third aspect of the present invention, the positioning of the FPC can be easily performed, and the FPC can be attached to the protector with the FPC positioned.
The workability of the work of attaching the PC can be further improved.

According to the fourth aspect of the invention, the FPC can be prevented from coming off the protector, and can be securely fixed to the protector. According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, when the projection is inserted into the round hole, the semicircular portion of the projection is brought into contact with the projection to increase the restoring force (the force for separating the semicircular portion). Thus, the holding force of the FPC can be increased, and the FPC can be reliably fixed to the protector. Further, since it is only necessary to provide the FPC with a round hole into which the projection is inserted, the area of the electric wiring can be sufficiently secured, and the degree of freedom of the layout of the electric wiring can be greatly improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a view showing a first embodiment of an FPC mounting structure for achieving an FPC mounting method according to the present invention;
It is a block diagram of the FPC.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a protector according to a first embodiment;
(A) is the front view, (b) is the side sectional view.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a procedure for attaching the FPC of the first embodiment to a protector.

FIG. 4 is a view showing a second embodiment of an FPC mounting structure for achieving the FPC mounting method according to the present invention;
It is a block diagram of the FPC.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of a protector according to a second embodiment;
(A) is a front view, (b) is a side sectional view of a projection,
(C) is a top view of the protrusion.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a procedure for attaching the FPC of the second embodiment to a protector.

FIG. 7 is a view showing a third embodiment of the FPC mounting structure for achieving the FPC mounting method according to the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a main part of the protector.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a state in which the FPC of the third embodiment is attached to a protector.

FIG. 9 is a view showing a fourth embodiment of the FPC mounting structure for achieving the FPC mounting method according to the present invention;
It is a block diagram of the FPC.

FIG. 10 is a configuration diagram of a protector according to a fourth embodiment;
(A) is a main part configuration diagram, (b) is a front view of the holding plate, and (c) is a side sectional view of the holding plate.

FIGS. 11A and 11B are diagrams showing a state in which the FPC of the fourth embodiment is attached to a protector, where FIG. 11A is a front view and FIG. 11B is a side view.

FIG. 12A is a configuration diagram of a main part of an FPC according to a fourth embodiment,
(B) is a main part configuration diagram of an FPC used for comparison.

13A is a configuration diagram of a conventional FPC, FIG. 13B is a configuration diagram of a protector thereof, and FIG. 13C is a side sectional view of a protrusion.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a procedure for attaching a conventional FPC to a protector.

[Explanation of symbols]

 11 FPC 12a, 12b Notch 14 Protector 14a Mounting surface 15 Projection (locking portion) 16 Holding plate 16a Hinge 16b Projection (second engagement) 17 Groove (first engagement) 20 Engagement piece 30 Lock Claw 31 Insertion groove (opening) 42 Projection 42a, 42b Semicircle (semicircular part) 43 Round hole

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁶ , DB name) B60R 16/02 623 H05K 1/14

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] 1. A method of mounting an FPC (flexible printed circuit) on a flexible film substrate on which electrical wiring is mounted in the extending direction of the film substrate to a protector. A locking portion provided separately along the one end portion, and a first engaging portion provided on the other end portion in the width direction at a distance along the other end portion and formed on the mounting surface via a hinge portion. A presser plate having a second engaging portion that engages with the joint portion is provided. After locking one end in the width direction of the FPC with the locking portion,
The FPC is brought into contact with the mounting surface of the protector such that the notch formed at the other end in the width direction of the PC is aligned with the first engagement portion, and then the holding plate is folded back to the FPC via the hinge portion. By engaging the second engagement portion with the first engagement portion, the FP is attached to the protector by the locking portion and the holding plate.
A method of mounting an FPC, wherein C is held. 2. An FPC mounting structure in which an FPC (flexible printed circuit) in which electric wiring is mounted on a flexible film substrate in an extending direction of the film substrate is mounted on a mounting surface of a protector. An engaging portion provided at one end in the width direction at a distance along the one end portion, and a locking portion provided at the other end portion at the width direction at a distance along the other end portion, via a hinge portion. A holding plate provided so as to be able to contact and separate from the mounting surface, a first engaging portion formed on the mounting surface, and a second engaging member provided on the holding plate and engaged with the first engaging portion. And a FPC having a notch formed at one end in the width direction. The other end in the width direction of the FPC is engaged with the locking portion.
A mounting structure for an FPC, wherein one end in the width direction of the FPC is pressed against a mounting surface of the protector by a pressing plate. 3. A notch is provided at the other end in the width direction of the FPC, and an engaging piece with which the notch is engaged is provided at a locking portion of the protector. F
PC mounting structure. 4. The pressing plate according to claim 1, wherein the second engaging portion of the holding plate is formed of one of a locking claw and an opening, and the first engaging portion formed on the mounting surface is formed of one of the opening and the locking claw. 4. The FPC mounting structure according to claim 2, wherein the locking pawl is engaged with the mounting surface or the back surface of the holding plate when the locking pawl is inserted into the opening. 5. A second engaging portion of the holding plate is formed of one of a semicircularly divided projection and a round hole, and a first engaging portion formed on the mounting surface is a round hole. The FPC mounting structure according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the semi-circular portion is in contact with the projection when the projection is inserted into a round hole. .