JP3267027B2 - Electrical equipment case and its manufacturing method - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a case for an electric device such as an instrument for an automobile and a method of manufacturing the same, and more particularly to an electric device case in which a connector receiving portion is provided in a part of the case and a method of manufacturing the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, when a flexible printed wiring board is disposed in an electric equipment case and a connector is connected to the flexible printed wiring board, a concave connector receiving portion for inserting the connector is provided in a part of the case. , Introducing the connection end of the flexible printed wiring board into the connector receiving portion, and inserting the connector into the connector receiving portion,
Conventionally, a structure in which a connector is fixed to a connector receiving portion by locking with a locking claw is known (for example, Japanese Utility Model Publication No.
No. 7-10470).

[0003]

However, when the electrical equipment case is molded from a synthetic resin, there is no problem if the direction of the mold removal coincides with the direction of the concave portion of the connector receiving portion. If the direction does not match the depth direction of the connector receiving part, the case with the connector receiving part cannot be integrally molded, and the connection position (direction) of the connector is limited to the same direction as the die cutting. there were.

For example, in the case of an automobile instrument, as shown in FIG. 7, in order to connect a connector 32 to a rear portion of a case 31, a connector receiving portion 33 is formed on the rear surface thereof.
There is no problem because the direction in which the case 31 is removed, that is, the direction of the opening of the case 31 and the direction of the connector receiving portion 33 coincide.

However, it is necessary to connect the connector to the upper surface of the case because of the small space on the rear side of the automotive instrument. Since the direction, that is, the opening direction of the case and the direction of the connector receiving portion do not match, the case cannot be integrally formed.

For this reason, as shown in FIG. 8, there has been a structure in which the connector receiving portion 36 is formed separately from the case 35, and the connector receiving portion 36 is screwed to a predetermined portion of the case 35 with screws 37. For example, see Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 4-11351.

However, when the connector receiving portion 36 is formed separately from the case 35 as shown in FIG. 8, there is a problem that the number of parts increases and the number of assembling steps such as screw tightening also increases.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and the connector receiving portion can be formed at an arbitrary position by integral molding with the case, so that good assembling workability can be ensured. An object of the present invention is to provide an equipment case and a method for manufacturing the same.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above object, an electric equipment case according to the present invention has a connector receiving portion provided in a part of the case in an opening direction different from the opening direction of the case. , The connector receiving portion is formed by bending a connector receiving portion constituting member integrally formed with the case, and one end of the connector receiving portion is fixed to the case side by fixing means. The bending of the connector receiving member may be performed via a hinge provided on a part thereof.

[0010] The method for manufacturing an electric equipment case, wherein the connector receiving portion is provided in a part of the case in an opening direction different from the opening direction of the case, the method comprises the steps of: The component members
The opening direction of the connector receiving member and the opening direction of the case are made the same, and they are integrally formed, and then the connector receiving member is bent to form a connector receiving portion.

[0011]

[Operation / Effect] In the electrical equipment case with such a configuration,
For example, when it is desired to provide the connector receiving portion on the upper portion of the case in a state where the direction of the die release of the case, that is, the opening direction of the case does not match the opening direction of the connector receiving portion, the case and the connector receiving portion cannot be integrally formed as it is However, the case and the connector receiving member are integrally formed with the opening direction of the connector receiving member and the opening direction of the case being the same, and then the connector receiving member is bent to form the connector receiving portion. The connector receiving portion can be integrally formed in an opening direction different from the opening direction of the case.

Therefore, the number of parts and the number of assembling operations can be reduced as compared with a case where the connector receiving portion is separately formed and attached, and the connector receiving portion can be formed in a direction different from the opening direction of the case. The connector receiving portion can be formed integrally with the case at an arbitrary position.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a front view of an automotive instrument to which the present invention is applied, and FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof. Reference numeral 1 denotes a box-shaped case integrally formed of a synthetic resin, in which an instrument movement 2 is mounted. A dial 4 is attached to the open front surface of the case 1 so as to close the opening, and a pointer 5 of the instrument is disposed outside the dial 4. Further, a transparent plate 6 is attached to the front surface of the case 1 via a facing plate 3 arranged around the case.

On the back of the case 1, a flexible printed wiring board 7 connected to the instrument movement 2, the lamp and the like is provided, and a connector receiving portion 10 to which an end of the flexible printed wiring board 7 is connected is provided. Is formed on the upper part of the case 1 by a connector receiving portion constituting member 13 described later integrally formed with the case 1.

That is, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a locking hole 11 into which a locking claw 19 of a connector receiving member 13 to be described later is inserted is formed in an upper part of the case 1 in the opening direction of the case 1 (see FIG. 4). (In the front-rear direction), and a locking projection 12 is provided in the locking hole 11.

Further, on the upper part of the case 1, a connector receiving part constituting member 13 constituting the connector receiving part 10 is provided.
It is integrally molded with. The connector receiving member 13 is provided with a first hinge portion 14 and a second hinge portion 15 on its flat plate portion by a thin portion. The connector is inserted between the first hinge portion 14 and the second hinge portion 15. Insertion hole 1
6 are provided.

Further, a locking hole 17 is provided adjacent to the insertion hole 16 to which the locking claw 24 on the connector side is inserted and locked, and a locking projection 18 is provided in the locking hole 17.

At the tip of the connector receiving member 13, a locking claw 19 is provided which is inserted into the locking hole 11, and the flexible printed circuit board 7 is provided on a flat plate on both sides of the first hinge 14. A mounting pin 20 for mounting is projected.

The locking claws 19, the locking holes 17, and the insertion holes 16 of the connector receiving member 13 are provided in the opening direction of the case 1 (front-rear direction) similarly to the locking holes 11. By setting the direction of mold release during molding to the opening direction (front-back direction) of the case 1, the connector receiving portion constituting member 13 has a shape that can be integrally molded with the case 1.

The connector receiving member 13 and the case 1 are
For example, it is integrally formed of a synthetic resin such as polypropylene into a shape as shown in FIG. 3 using a predetermined mold. The direction in which the mold is removed from the case 1 during molding is the opening direction of the case 1 (front-back direction, left-right direction in FIG. 3).

As shown in FIG. 4, the connector receiving member 13 integrally formed with the case 1 first bends the first hinge portion 14 inward at a substantially right angle, and then the second hinge portion 1
5 is bent inward at a substantially right angle so that the locking claw 19 at the tip thereof is inserted into the locking hole 11 located at the upper part of the case.
Lock. As a result, the connector receiving portion 10 is formed on the upper portion of the case 1, and the locking hole 17 and the insertion hole 16 are provided in the connector receiving portion 10 so as to face upward.

An instrument movement 2 is mounted in the case 1 thus formed, a dial 4 is mounted on a front surface thereof, and a transparent plate 6 is mounted via a facing plate 3 so as to cover the front surface.

On the other hand, a flexible printed wiring board 7 is mounted on the rear surface of the case 1 by fitting mounting pins 20 into holes provided in a part of the flexible printed wiring board 7, and a front end (connection end) of the flexible printed wiring board 7 is connected to a connector receiving end. It is inserted into the insertion hole 16 of the part 10. As shown in FIG. 6, the connector 21 is configured by inserting and fixing a lead wire 23 provided with a conductive portion 22 at the tip into an insertion hole in the main body, and providing a locking claw 24 for fixing on a side portion of the main body. You.

Then, such a connector 21 is inserted into the insertion hole 16 of the connector receiving portion 10 together with the connection end of the flexible printed wiring board 7, and the connector 21
Each of the conductive portions 22 is crimped to a terminal portion at a connection end of the flexible printed wiring board 7 to make an electrical connection. At the same time, the locking claw 24 of the connector 21 is inserted into the locking hole 17, and the locking claw 24 is locked by the locking projection 18 in the hole, preventing the connector 21 from coming off. It is securely connected and fixed to the upper connector receiving portion 10.

As described above, since the connector receiving member 10 is bent to form the connector receiving portion 10, the connector receiving portion 10 can be integrally formed in an opening direction different from the opening direction of the case 1, Compared to the case where the connector receiving part is separately molded and attached, the number of parts and the number of assembling work can be reduced, and the connector receiving part can be formed in a direction different from the case opening direction, so it can be installed at any position The connector receiving portion can be formed integrally with the case.

In the above-described embodiment, as the fixing means for fixing the free end of the connector receiving portion constituting member 13, the structure in which the locking claw 19 is inserted and locked in the locking hole 11 is employed. The free end may be screwed to the case 1 with screws.

The flexible printed wiring board 7
The connector receiving member 10 is bent and the connector receiving portion 10 is bent.
After being formed, it is attached from the back of the case 1 to the insertion hole 16 of the connector receiving portion 10, but it can be attached to the connector receiving portion constituting member 13 and the back of the case 1 before bending.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing an embodiment of an automotive instrument to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the case 1.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of a connector receiving member 13;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an assembled state of the case 1.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view showing a state where the connector 21 is inserted into the connector receiving portion 10.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a conventional electric device case (vehicle instrument).

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional electric device case (vehicle instrument).

[Explanation of symbols]

1-case, 10-connector receiving portion, 13-connector receiving portion constituting member, 14-first hinge portion, 15-second hinge portion,
21-Connector.

Continuation of the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G01D 11/24 H01R 13/40-13/533 H05K 5/00-5/06

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. An electrical equipment case in which a connector receiving portion is provided in a part of a case in an opening direction different from an opening direction of the case, wherein the connector receiving portion is formed integrally with the case. , And one end of the connector receiving portion is fixed to the case side by fixing means. 2. The electrical equipment case according to claim 1, wherein the connector receiving member is provided with a hinge, and the connector receiving member is bent from the hinge. 3. A method for manufacturing an electrical equipment case, wherein a connector receiving portion is provided in a part of the case in an opening direction different from the opening direction of the case, wherein the case and the connector receiving member are formed by molding a synthetic resin. And forming the connector receiving portion by integrally forming the connector receiving portion constituting member and the case in the same opening direction, and then bending the connector receiving portion constituting member to form the connector receiving portion. Manufacturing method of equipment case.