JP4015590B2 - Case seal structure and assembly method thereof - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a case sealing structure and an assembling method thereof.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, what was described in following patent document 1 is known as an example of the structure which seals a case. In this case, the board connector to be connected to the printed circuit board in the case by soldering is arranged facing the opening of the case, and the mating connector attached from the outside to the opening fits into the board connector. In addition to being connected, the seal ring fitted to the outer peripheral surface of the mating connector is brought into close contact with the peripheral surface of the opening, whereby the opening is sealed.
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-8026
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the above-described seal structure, the seal ring is fitted to the mating connector, and the opening of the case is not sealed unless the mating connector is fitted. For this reason, when there was a request | requirement of ensuring the sealing performance of a case in the stage before connector fitting, it had a hard time responding.
The present invention has been completed based on the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to ensure a sealing property before fitting.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
As a means for achieving the above object, the case sealing structure according to the invention of claim 1 is attached to the case through a board connector connected to the board arranged in the case. A possible opening is provided, and a mating connector outside the case can be fitted to the board connector, and the opening between the board connector and the case is in close contact with the board connector. The case is configured by a first case member having the opening and a second case member fixed to the first case member. The board is fixed to the second case member by the board fixing means in a state of being connected to the board connector, and the first case member penetrates the board connector through the opening and The sealing means is fixed to the second case member by a case fixing means in a state of being interposed between the board connector and the board connector to the first case member. A locking portion is provided to lock the board connector from the case by locking, and the sealing means is mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the board connector and is disposed inside the opening. A flange that is compressed between the peripheral surface and a compression direction thereof is a radial direction orthogonal to a through direction of the board connector with respect to the opening, and the flange protrudes laterally on the outer peripheral surface of the board connector where There is circumferentially provided, the flange is brought into contact with the sealing means, the outer peripheral end and protruding outward than the sealing means of the flange has a configuration that is the the locking portion Having the features.
[0006]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the board connector is provided with a cylindrical portion on which the sealing means is mounted, whereas the peripheral edge of the opening in the first case member is provided. The part is provided with an outer cylinder part that protrudes along the cylinder part and surrounds the cylinder part, and the sealing means is in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder part .
[0008]
The method for assembling the case seal structure according to the invention of claim 3 is to connect the board connector to the board arranged in the case, and to penetrate the board connector through the opening provided in the case. In addition, the sealing means interposed between the board connector and the case is brought into close contact with each other, and then the opening is sealed, and then the assembly of the case sealing structure in which the mating connector outside the case is fitted to the board connector . In the method, the case includes a first case member having the opening and a second case member fixed to the first case member, and the board is connected to the board connector. The substrate case is fixed to the second case member by the substrate fixing means, and then the substrate connector is passed through the opening and the sealing means is adhered to the front. The first case member is fixed to the second case member by case fixing means while sealing the opening, and the sealing means is an outer peripheral surface of the board connector to which the board is connected. Is mounted in advance and is in contact with a flange that is provided so as to protrude laterally from the outer peripheral surface of the board connector, and when the board connector is passed through the opening, The outer peripheral end projecting outward from the sealing means is locked to the first case member, so that the board connector is prevented from being detached from the case, and the sealing means is disposed inside the opening. It is characterized in that it is compressed in the radial direction perpendicular to the penetration direction of the board connector with respect to the opening with respect to the peripheral surface .
[0010]
[Action and effect of the invention]
<Invention of Claims 1 and 3 >
When the board connector is connected to the board and attached to the opening of the case, the sealing means comes into close contact with the board connector and the case to seal the opening. Thereby, even if the mating connector is not fitted to the board connector, the sealing property of the opening can be ensured.
In addition, since the board can be connected to the board connector before the first case member or the second case member is attached, the first case member or the second case member is obstructive when performing this connection work. In addition, the connection workability can be improved.
Further, since the board connector is prevented from coming off from the case by the locking portion, a fixing means for fixing the first case member and the board connector becomes unnecessary. Thereby, for example, the number of parts can be reduced, and assembling workability can be improved.
[0011]
<Invention of Claim 2>
A seal ring is sandwiched and compressed between the inner peripheral surface of the opening (including the inner peripheral surface of the outer tube portion) and the outer peripheral surface of the tube portion.
[0013]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
< Reference Example 1 >
Reference Example 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. In the first reference example , as shown in FIG. 1, the printed circuit board 22 is accommodated in a case 26 including an upper case 27 and a lower case 28, and the board connector 10 is installed in an opening 32 provided in the upper case 27. Is attached in a state where it penetrates, and a seal ring 20 is interposed between the upper case 27 and the board connector 10.
[0014]
The board connector 10 is generally composed of a synthetic resin housing 11 and a plurality of terminal fittings 12 held by the housing 11. The housing 11 includes a pair of cylindrical portions 13 and 14 that are open upward and downward, and a flange 15 that protrudes laterally is provided on the outer peripheral surface thereof. Among these, the upper mating portion 13 can be fitted with an external mating connector C, and both connectors can be held in a fitted state by a locking means (not shown). The terminal fitting 12 is formed to be bent in a substantially crank shape in the middle, and is arranged with both upper and lower end portions protruding into the upper and lower cylindrical portions 13 and 14 respectively. Among the terminal fittings 12, the upper end portion is a connector connecting portion 16 that is electrically connected to a terminal (not shown) in the mating connector C, while the lower end portion is the tip of the lower cylindrical portion 14. The board connection portion 17 protrudes further downward and can be electrically connected to the conductive path of the printed board 22. The terminal fitting 12 may be inserted into a molding die when the housing 11 is resin-molded, or may be assembled after the housing 11 is resin-molded.
[0015]
The flange 15 is provided with at least a pair of bolt insertion holes 19 into which the connector bolts 18 for fixing the board connector 10 to the case 26 can be inserted. On the lower surface of the flange 15, an annular seal ring mounting groove 21 in which an annular seal ring 20 can be mounted is provided on the radially inner side of the both bolt insertion holes 19 so as to open downward. A plurality of lips that can be compressed by the upper case 27 are arranged around the lower surface side of the seal ring 20 to be mounted side by side in the radial direction.
[0016]
The printed circuit board 22 is formed in a flat plate shape, and a plurality of conductive paths (not shown) made of copper foil or the like are printed on the lower surface (back surface) side. The printed board 22 is provided with through holes 23 in which the board connecting portions 17 of the terminal fittings 12 described above can be inserted in alignment, and the board connections protruding downward through the through holes 23. By soldering the portion 17, the corresponding conductive path and the terminal fitting 12 are electrically connected. Further, at least one pair of bolt insertion holes 25 through which board bolts 24 for fixing the printed board 22 to the case 26 can be inserted are provided at the end of the printed board 22. The board connector 10 described above can be said to be a relay connector that relays between the printed board 22 and the mating connector C.
[0017]
The case 26 is composed of an upper case 27 and a lower case 28, both of which are substantially in the shape of a shallow dish, and can be accommodated inside the printed circuit board 22 and the like by being assembled while abutting the open ends of the cases 27 and 28 together. A storage space is formed. The open ends of the cases 27 and 28 are respectively provided with attachment portions 29 that project outward to the sides. Both attachment portions 29 can be aligned with each other and can be inserted with case bolts 30. A hole 31 is opened. The hole 31 on the lower case 28 side has a thread groove (not shown) into which the case bolt 30 can be screwed.
[0018]
At an approximately central position in the upper case 27, an opening 32 is provided that can be attached while vertically passing through the lower cylindrical portion 14 of the board connector 10. The lower surface of the flange 15 can be brought into contact with a predetermined region around the opening 32 in the upper surface of the upper case 27. A bolt fixing recess 33 having a thread groove (not shown) into which the connector bolt 18 can be screwed is located upward at a position substantially aligned with the bolt insertion hole 19 in the region where the flange 15 is in contact. It is provided open. On the lower surface of the upper case 27, a bolt fixing convex portion 34 having a thread groove (not shown) into which the board bolt 24 can be screwed is provided on the radially outer side of the bolt fixing concave portion 33.
[0019]
As described above, when the lower surface of the flange 15 is brought into contact with the upper surface of the upper case 27, the seal ring 20 is sandwiched between the peripheral surface of the seal ring mounting groove 21 and the upper surface of the upper case 27. It is designed to be compressed. The seal ring 20 is disposed inside the connector bolt 18 in the radial direction and outside the opening 32, and surrounds the outside of the opening 32 over the entire circumference, so that the flange 15 and the upper case 27 Thus, the opening 32 can be sealed in a state in which the pressure is sandwiched from above and below. The compression direction of the seal ring 20 is a vertical direction substantially perpendicular to the radial direction, that is, a forward / backward direction of the connector bolt 18.
[0020]
This reference example has the above structure, and the assembly procedure will be described. First, as shown in FIG. 2, an operation of fixing the board connector 10 to which the seal ring 20 is attached to the upper case 27 is performed. As shown in FIG. 3, the lower cylindrical portion 14 is fitted into the opening 32 from above and the connector bolt 18 is tightened from above into the bolt insertion hole 19 and the bolt fixing recess 33 aligned with each other. The lower surface of the flange 15 and the upper surface of the upper case 27 are fixed in contact with each other. In this state, the sealing of the opening 32 is achieved by the seal ring 20 closely contacting the flange 15 and the upper case 27 on the outer peripheral side of the opening 32.
[0021]
Next, the printed circuit board 22 is set from the lower side with respect to the board connector 10 and the upper case 27 and the board connection portions 17 of the respective terminal fittings 12 are inserted into the respective through holes 23, and bolt insertion holes aligned with each other. The board bolt 24 is fastened to the bolt 25 and the bolt fixing projection 34 from below. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4, the lower end surface of the lower cylindrical portion 14 comes into contact with the upper surface of the printed board 22, and the printed board 22 is fixed to the board connector 10 and the upper case 27. In this state, each board connection portion 17 protruding downward from the printed circuit board 22 is soldered from the lower side (back side), thereby being electrically connected to the corresponding conductive path. Then, while matching the open end of the lower case 28 from below with the open end of the upper case 27, the case bolts 30 are tightened in both hole portions 31, as shown in FIG. Cases 27 and 28 are held in a fixed state.
[0022]
When the assembly relating to the case 26 is completed in this way, after being transported to a predetermined assembly site, as shown by the imaginary line in FIG. The printed circuit board 22 is connected to an external circuit.
[0023]
As described above, according to the present reference example , as the board connector 10 is attached to the upper case 27, the seal ring 20 is brought into close contact with the upper case 27, so that the seal is achieved. Even in a state where C is not fitted (for example, a conveyance process after the assembly of the case 26 is completed), the sealing performance of the opening 32 can be ensured.
[0024]
<First Embodiment>
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the first embodiment, the reference example 1 is a modification of the assembly procedure. In the first embodiment, the same structure as that of the reference example 1 is denoted by the same reference numeral and redundant description is omitted.
[0025]
As shown in FIG. 5, a seal ring 20 </ b> A can be mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the upper cylindrical portion 13 in the housing 11 of the board connector 10. The seal ring 20A is mounted at a position that contacts the upper surface of the flange 15A (the rear end position of the upper cylindrical portion 13), and a plurality of lips that can be compressed by the upper case 27 are arranged vertically on the outer peripheral surface thereof. It is installed around. The upper case 27 is provided with an opening 32A that can be attached in a state of vertically passing through the upper cylindrical portion 13. An outer cylindrical portion 35 that protrudes upward and surrounds the upper cylindrical portion 13 is provided at the peripheral edge of the opening 32A. The seal ring 20A is sandwiched and compressed between the inner peripheral surface of the opening 32A (including the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical portion 35) and the outer peripheral surface of the upper cylindrical portion 13. . The compression direction of the seal ring 20 </ b> A is a radial direction (a direction substantially orthogonal to the advancing / retreating direction of the bolt). The inner diameter of the opening 32A is set smaller than the outer diameter of the seal ring 20A.
[0026]
The outer diameter of the flange 15A is set to be larger than the outer diameter of the seal ring 20A and the inner diameter of the opening 32A, and the outer peripheral end of the flange 15A that projects outward from the seal ring 20A is open. The engaging portion 36 is engageable with the lower surface of the peripheral edge of the portion 32A. As a result, the board connector 10 can be held from the upper case 27 upward (in the direction in which the mating connector C is pulled out) in a state of being prevented from coming off. Further, the lower case 28 is provided with a bolt fixing convex portion 34A having a screw groove for screwing the board bolt 24 through the bolt insertion hole 25 of the printed board 22 so that the printed board 22 can be fixed to the lower case 28. It is said.
[0027]
Next, the assembly procedure of this embodiment will be described. First, as shown in FIG. 6, an operation of connecting the printed board 22 to the board connector 10 on which the seal ring 20A is mounted is performed. When the board connection portions 17 of the terminal fittings 12 are inserted into the through holes 23 and reach the depth at which the lower end surface of the lower cylindrical portion 14 comes into contact with the upper surface of the printed circuit board 22, as shown in FIG. While maintaining this state, the portion of the board connecting portion 17 that protrudes downward from the printed board 22 is soldered from the lower side (back side). At this time, since there is no portion protruding on the lower surface side of the printed circuit board 22 other than the board connection portion 17, it is suitable for automating the soldering operation using an automatic machine.
[0028]
When the soldering operation is completed, the printed board 22 is accommodated in the lower case 28 together with the board connector 10 from above, and the board bolts 24 are fastened from above to the bolt insertion holes 25 and the bolt fixing protrusions 34A aligned with each other. As shown in FIG. 8, the printed board 22 is fixed to the lower case 28. Thereafter, when the upper case 27 is put on from the upper side of the lower case 28, the upper cylindrical portion 13 is inserted into the opening portion 32A from the distal end side, and when the depth reaches a predetermined depth, the inner peripheral surface of the opening portion 32A becomes the seal ring 20A. The lip is contacted and compressed from the outside.
[0029]
When the depth at which the open ends of the cases 27 and 28 are brought into contact with each other is reached, the case bolts 30 are tightened in the holes 31 aligned with each other, so that the cases 27 and 28 are connected as shown in FIG. Fix it. In this state, the seal ring 20A is brought into close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the opening portion 32A and the outer peripheral surface of the upper cylindrical portion 13, whereby the opening portion 32A is sealed, and the lower surface of the peripheral portion of the opening portion 32A is sealed. When the locking portion 36 of the housing 11 is locked (contacted), the board connector 10 is held in a state of being prevented from coming off from the case 26. Since the compression direction of the seal ring 20A is the radial direction, that is, the horizontal direction, for example, the housing 11 is displaced in the horizontal direction with respect to the printed circuit board 22, or the printed circuit board 22 is horizontal with respect to the lower case 28. Even when the position is displaced in the direction, the displacement can be absorbed. Thus, when the assembly of the case 26 is completed, the mating connector C is fitted to the upper cylindrical portion 13 after being transported to the assembly site.
[0030]
According to the present embodiment as described above, before the step of attaching the upper case 27 and lower case 28, since the printed circuit board 22 can be performed soldering operation to be connected to the substrate connector 10, Reference Example 1 Compared to the above, the upper case 27 and the lower case 28 do not get in the way when the soldering operation is performed. Therefore, it is suitable for automating the soldering operation, and the workability can be improved.
[0031]
In addition, since the board connector 10 is prevented from being detached from the case 26 by the locking portion 36, as compared with the reference example 1 (see FIG. 1), the connector bolt 18 for fixing the board connector 10 is used. The bolt insertion hole 19 of the flange 15 and the bolt fixing recess 33 of the upper case 27 are not necessary. As a result, the number of parts can be reduced, the structure can be simplified, and the assembly workability can be improved.
[0032]
Further, since the seal ring 20A is compressed from the radial direction when the upper case 27 is attached, the seal ring 20 is compressed from the forward / backward direction of the bolt as in the first embodiment. As compared with the compression state of the ring 20, that is, the sealability can be changed, a stable sealability can be obtained.
.
[0033]
<Other embodiments>
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described with reference to the above description and drawings. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention, and further, within the scope not departing from the gist of the invention other than the following. Various modifications can be made.
(1) In the above-described embodiment, the upper case is provided with the opening. However, the lower case may be provided with the opening.
[0034]
(2) In the above-described embodiment, the bolt is exemplified as the fixing means. However, other examples include fixing using an adhesive, fixing using welding or ultrasonic welding, and the like.
(3) In the above-described embodiment, the terminal connection portion of the terminal metal fitting is soldered to the printed circuit board. However, the electric connection can be achieved by press-fitting the substrate connection portion into the through hole without soldering. The present invention can also be applied to devices that make simple connections .
[0035]
(4) In the implementation form described above may be provided with positioning means capable of positioning both the horizontal direction by the recess-projection fitting together the printed circuit board and the board connector. Also, the printed circuit board may be provided with temporary retention means for temporarily holding the board connector.
( 5 ) The shape of the case can be arbitrarily set. For example, a case in which a flat lid is placed on a deep dish-like lower case is also included in the present invention. Further, the arrangement position and shape of the locking portion can be arbitrarily set.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a case sealing structure according to Reference Example 1. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an operation of fixing a board connector to an upper case. FIG. 3 is a process of fixing a printed board to the upper case and the board connector. FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing an operation for fixing the lower case to the upper case. FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a case sealing structure according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the work of fixing the printed circuit board to the lower case. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the work of fixing the upper case to the lower case.
10 ... Board connector 18 ... Connector bolt (connector fixing means)
20, 20A ... seal ring (sealing means)
22 ... Printed circuit board (board)
24 ... Bolt for board (fixing means for board)
26 ... Case 27 ... Upper case (first case member)
28 ... Lower case (second case member)
30 ... Bolt for case (fixing means for case)
32, 32A ... opening 36 ... locking portion C ... mating connector

Claims (3)

The case is provided with an opening that can be attached in a state where the connector for the board connected to the board arranged in the case is penetrated, and the mating connector outside the case can be fitted to the board connector. And
Between the board connector and the case, a sealing means capable of sealing the opening by being in close contact with both is interposed ,
The case is composed of a first case member having the opening and a second case member fixed to the first case member.
The board is fixed to the second case member by a board fixing means in a state of being connected to the board connector,
The first case member is fixed to the second case member by a case fixing means in a state where the board connector passes through the opening and the sealing means is interposed between the first case member and the board connector. Has been
The board connector is provided with a latching portion capable of retaining the board connector from the case by latching with the first case member,
Further, the sealing means is mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the board connector and is compressed between the inner peripheral surface of the opening and the compression direction is orthogonal to the penetration direction of the board connector with respect to the opening. The radial direction to be
A flange that protrudes to the side is provided around the outer peripheral surface of the board connector, the flange is in contact with the sealing means, and an outer peripheral end portion that protrudes outward from the sealing means of the flange is provided. A sealing structure for a case which is the locking portion . The board connector is provided with a cylindrical portion on which the sealing means is mounted, whereas the peripheral portion of the opening in the first case member projects along the cylindrical portion to surround the cylindrical portion. The case sealing structure according to claim 1 , wherein an outer cylinder portion is provided, and the sealing means is in close contact with an inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder portion . Both the board connector is connected to the board arranged in the case, the board connector is passed through the opening provided in the case, and the sealing means interposed between the board connector and the case is both A sealing structure for a case in which the opening is sealed by adhering to the board, and then a mating connector outside the case is fitted to the board connector ,
The case includes a first case member having the opening and a second case member fixed to the first case member;
After the board is connected to the board connector, the board case is fixed to the second case member by the board fixing means, and then the board connector is passed through the opening and the sealing means is adhered to both. The first case member is fixed to the second case member by a case fixing means while sealing the opening.
Furthermore, the sealing means is attached in advance to the outer peripheral surface of the board connector to which the board is connected, and is in contact with a flange that is provided so as to project sideways from the outer peripheral surface of the board connector. When the board connector is passed through the opening, the outer peripheral end of the flange that protrudes outward from the sealing means is engaged with the first case member, thereby The connector is prevented from coming off from the case, and the sealing means is compressed in a radial direction perpendicular to the penetration direction of the board connector with respect to the opening portion between the inner peripheral surface of the opening portion. Assembling method of case seal structure.

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