JP4038401B2 - Sliding contacts and sliding electrical parts and sensors - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a sliding contact portion used in an automobile potentiometer and the like, a sliding electrical component, and a sensor, and relates to a technique capable of reducing a conduction resistance of a conduction path and providing a highly reliable product.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, in order to reduce the generation of sliding noise at the sliding contact, the carbon fiber (carbon fiber) 103 shown in FIG. 22 is held in a focused state by a conductive holding body 101 made of a metal plate, and the focused carbon fiber There is known a carbon slider having a configuration in which 103 is attached to a slider arm 105 so that one end of the carbon fiber 103 can be brought into sliding contact with a resistor 108 on a substrate 107.
In the carbon slider having this configuration, the tip of the bundle of carbon fibers slides relative to the resistor 108, so that there are multiple contacts, there is no need to increase the contact pressure, there is little sliding noise, and the resistor 108 It has the feature that almost no shaving powder is generated.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the configuration of the sliding contact provided with the carbon slider shown in FIG. 22, since the tip of the bundle of carbon fibers slides relative to the resistor 108, the resistance at the edge of the tip of the bundle of carbon fibers. There is a possibility that the body 108 may be scraped, and there has been a problem that a slight amount of scraping powder is inevitably generated on the surface portion of the resistor 108 when repeated sliding is repeated many times.
Further, when the tip of the carbon fiber bundle is reciprocally slid relative to the resistor 108, the contact portion of the tip of the carbon fiber bundle is slightly bent in the direction opposite to the forward traveling direction when moving on the forward side. While moving along the surface of the resistor 108 and moving along the surface of the resistor 108 while being slightly bent in the direction opposite to the traveling direction on the return path when moving on the return path side, a bundle of carbon fibers is moved on the forward path and the return path. When the resistance value corresponding to the position where the tip of the bundle of carbon fibers is in contact with the resistor 108 is detected, the bending direction of the contact portion of the tip of the carbon fiber is detected. There is a problem that hysteresis is slightly generated in the detection resistance value in accordance with the forward / reverse of the moving direction.
[0004]
The present invention has been made in view of the above background, and there is little risk of scraping the tracks of conductive patterns that slide relative to each other to generate scraping powder, less generation of sliding noise, and no hysteresis in output. One of the objects is to provide a sliding contact with high reliability, a sliding type electric component including the same, and a sensor.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above problems, the sliding contact of the present invention comprises a carbon fiber focusing body, At least a side portion of the carbon fiber focusing body is covered with a coating layer formed of a synthetic resin mixed with a conductive material, and the side portion of the carbon fiber focusing body is interposed through the coating layer. It is characterized in that a contact portion is provided as a sliding portion that can freely contact a line or a surface with respect to a track of the conductive pattern.
Since the side of the carbon fiber focusing body slides on the track of the conductive pattern, the action of cutting the track is less than when the tip or edge of the carbon fiber slides perpendicular to the track, and the track is hard to be cut. , Track wear progresses slowly. Therefore, the sliding characteristics of the contact portion with respect to the track are stable when subjected to repeated reciprocating sliding and can withstand long-term use. In addition, the side surface of the carbon fiber has a lower hardness than the tip, and has no edge portion and is smooth, so that it is difficult to cut the conductor pattern.
In addition, when the side part of the carbon fiber focusing body is slid with respect to the track, the fixed side part of the carbon fiber focusing body can always slide on the track on both the forward side and the return side when reciprocating. There is no hysteresis in the resistance output during sliding. That is, the problem of hysteresis is less likely to occur than when the tip of the carbon fiber is reciprocally slid vertically on the track.
The track of the conductive pattern applied here may be any one of a resistor layer, a conductive layer, a current collector layer, and a metal layer, or a layer formed by a combination or laminate thereof.
[0007]
The sliding contact of the present invention is Since the carbon fiber does not directly contact the track but the coating layer contacts the track, the edge of the tip of the carbon fiber does not contact the track of the conductive pattern, and the possibility that the track is scraped is further reduced. In addition, the carbon fiber itself is protected by the coating layer.
[0008]
The sliding contact of the present invention is The coating layer is made of synthetic resin with conductivity. Because The conductivity when sliding with respect to the track during sliding with respect to the track is improved. Further, even if the coating layer is worn out and the carbon fiber is exposed, the conduction is satisfactorily achieved through the carbon fiber, so that the characteristic deterioration during sliding after the coating layer is worn does not occur.
[0009]
In order to solve the above problems, the sliding contact of the present invention is bent in a state where the carbon fiber focusing body is supported at both ends thereof, and a side portion of the bent portion is a sliding portion. It is characterized by that.
Although the carbon fiber itself inherently has flexible flexibility, it is preferable to add rigidity to the carbon fiber itself in terms of reliable contact when sliding, but it supports both ends of the carbon fiber focusing body. Since the rigidity is improved when it is supported in a bent state, it is difficult for hysteresis to occur in the forward-side movement and the backward-side movement when it is reciprocally slid against the track. Moreover, since the rigidity of a carbon fiber improves by supporting the both ends of a carbon fiber, it becomes strong to breakage.
[0010]
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the sliding contact of the present invention is such that the carbon fiber converging body is bent into a bifurcated shape, and a pair of tracks are formed on both sides of the carbon fiber opposite to the bending side. It has a contact portion formed with a sliding portion with respect to the conductive pattern.
Sliding parts that slide with respect to the conductive pattern having a pair of tracks are formed at both ends of the bent carbon fiber converging body, so that the paired tracks can be connected only with the carbon fiber converging body Since no other member is interposed between the paired tracks, the paired tracks can be reliably connected to each other, the number of contacts in the conduction path can be reduced, and the resistance value is stable. A highly reliable sliding contact can be provided. In addition, since the above-described reliable low resistance connection at the sliding contact can be performed only with the bent carbon fiber focusing body, it can be realized with a small number of parts, and the number of parts is small, so the number of man-hours during assembly can be reduced. It becomes possible. Further, since the output terminal can be connected to the track on which the carbon fiber focusing body slides, it is not necessary to take out a signal from the carbon fiber.
The track applied here may be any one of a resistor layer, a conductive layer, a current collector layer, and a metal layer, or a combination thereof or a layer of a laminate. In addition, the bifurcated type includes all shapes bent to such an extent that the carbon fiber converging body is not broken. Therefore, the U shape, the C shape, the J shape, the Ω shape, the ω shape, and the V shape with a gentle inclination angle. Various shapes such as a shape, an L shape, an N shape with a gentle bending angle, an S shape, and an arc shape are included.
[0011]
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the sliding contact of the present invention is formed by integrating a carbon fiber converging body partially restricted by a cylindrical holding member.
Since the carbon fiber focusing body is constrained by the cylindrical holding member, the shape of the carbon fiber focusing body is reliably maintained. The cylindrical holding member may have a configuration in which one holding member covers all of the portions excluding both ends of the carbon fiber focusing body, and a plurality of cylindrical holding members jointly bend carbon. It may be formed by constraining the fiber focusing body. By restraining the carbon fiber converging body by the holding member and holding the shape, the restraining state of the carbon fiber converging body is not disturbed when the carbon fiber converging body slides with respect to the pair of tracks, and the carbon fiber converging body becomes a pair. Stable sliding with respect to the track becomes possible.
[0012]
In order to solve the above problems, the sliding contact according to the present invention has a flat portion formed at the end portion of the holding member located on the end portion side of the carbon fiber converging body, and the carbon fiber converging portion protruding from the flat portion. The end of the body is a sliding part aligned in a flat shape, and both the sliding parts are aligned in the width direction of the track to be slid relative to each other.
By making the end of the carbon fiber converging body flat, it is possible to slide the end of the flat carbon fiber converging body with a uniform width with respect to the track having a predetermined width when the conductive pattern slides on the track. This contributes to the stability of the sliding state.
[0013]
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a sliding electrical component according to the present invention comprises a conductive pattern having a track and a sliding contact according to any one of claims 1 to 8, which is slidable relative to the track. And a conduction path is formed by the track and the sliding contact.
The carbon fiber focusing body can be connected to the conductive pattern, and a sliding contact with stable sliding resistance can be provided. Further, since the above-described reliable connection at the sliding contact can be performed by the bent carbon fiber focusing body, it can be realized with a small number of parts, and the number of parts can be reduced so that the number of man-hours can be reduced.
[0014]
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the sliding electrical component of the present invention is characterized in that the sliding contact is any one of the sliding contacts described above.
By using a sliding-type electrical component provided with any one of the sliding contacts described above, it is possible to have the characteristics of any of the previous sliding contacts.
[0015]
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a sensor according to the present invention is characterized by including any one of the sliding-type electrical components described above.
According to the sensor of the present invention, it is possible to obtain a sensor having the characteristics of the sliding contact described above.
[0016]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.
In FIG. 1, reference numeral 15 denotes a slider receiver (support member) provided so as to be capable of reciprocating in the left-right direction in FIG. 1, and a recess 15 </ b> A extending in an oblique direction is formed at the bottom of the slider receiver 15. A sliding contact 14, which will be described in detail below, is attached to the recess 15A by a fixing means such as adhesion.
The sliding contact 14 in this form includes a U-shaped bent (bifurcated) carbon fiber focusing body 14A, which will be described later, and a U-shaped cylindrical holding member 14B that constrains it, and is bent in a U-shaped bifurcated manner. The carbon fiber focusing body 14A thus made is a contact portion (slider).
The carbon fiber converging body (contact part) 14A has a diameter of about several μm to several tens of μm, for example, a thin carbon fiber (carbon fiber) of about 5 to 10 μm, preferably about several hundred to several thousand, for example, 1000 to 2000. It consists of an assembly of carbon fibers bundled together. The carbon fiber aggregate is bent into a U shape, and is formed into a U shape by a U-shaped holding member 14B made of a metal pipe capable of plastic deformation such as an aluminum pipe, a brass pipe, or a stainless steel pipe. Is held, and both end portions on the side other than the bending side, that is, the side portions 14a and 14a of the end portion of the carbon fiber focusing body 14A protrude and slide from both end portions of the predetermined length holding member 14B. It is considered to be a part.
[0017]
Further, both end portions of the holding member 14B made of an aluminum pipe or the like are processed into a flat shape by pressing or the like, and are formed as flat portions 14b for preventing the carbon fibers from coming off and aligning their shapes, and these flat portions The side portions 14a and 14a on the front end side as the sliding portions of the carbon fiber exposed from 14b protrude in an aligned state so as to be individually flat, and individually on one side portion 14a and the other side portion 14a. The protruding front ends of the carbon fibers are arranged in a parallel state and arranged in substantially the same plane.
In this example, both ends of the metal pipe are plastically processed by a pressing means such as a press so as to be in a flat state, thereby forming the flat portion 14b, thereby aligning the carbon fibers in a flat shape, so that the holding member 14B Although both ends are processed into a shape that is widened at the time of processing, the present invention is not particularly limited to such a shape, and of course, both ends need not be processed into a flat shape. It is.
[0018]
The sliding contact 14 formed as described above is inserted by a fixing means such as bonding the insertion portion by inserting about half of the holding member 14B into the obliquely downward recess 15A formed on the bottom side of the slider receiver 15. It is fixed to the recess 15 </ b> A and is fixed to the bottom of the slider receiver 15 with the side portions 14 a and 14 a on the tip side of the sliding contact 14 protruding from the bottom of the slider receiver 15.
Further, a pair of parallel strip-shaped first tracks 30 and a second track are disposed below the slider receiver 15, that is, at positions facing the side portions 14a, 14a on the distal end side of the sliding contact 14. A conductive pattern 32 having a track 31 is provided on a base material 33 such as a substrate.
[0019]
Further, the side portions 14a, 14a of the sliding contact 14 straddle substantially in parallel over the width directions of the first track 30 and the second track 31 on the base material 33 side, and are obliquely side. The parts 14a and 14a are arranged so as to contact the upper surface of the track. That is, one side portion 14a of the flat carbon fiber focusing body 14A has its width direction aligned with the width direction of the first track 30, and the other side portion 14a of the carbon fiber focusing body 14A has its width direction set to the second direction. In a state where the tracks 31 are aligned in the width direction, they are supported in contact with each other so as to slide along the long direction of each track.
The concave portion 15A is preferably formed to be inclined with respect to the tracks 30, 31 in order to incline the side portion 14a of the carbon fiber focusing body 14A with respect to the tracks 30, 31, with the inclination angle being, for example, A range of about 20 to 60 ° is preferable, for example, around 30 °, but is not particularly limited to the above range. However, it is necessary to reduce the angle so that the position in contact with the conductive pattern 32 does not change in both the forward path and the return path. Further, the angle needs to be a predetermined value or more so that the holding member 14 </ b> B does not contact the conductive pattern 32.
The sliding contact 14, the first track 30, and the second track 31 constitute a sliding electrical component, and the first track 30, the carbon fiber focusing body 14 </ b> A, and the second track 31 are connected to each other. (Electric circuit) is configured, and in this electric circuit, the contact points are two places of the side portions 14a and 14a of the carbon fiber focusing body 14A as a sliding end. A predetermined DC voltage is applied to the first track 30 from a predetermined power supply device 30 </ b> A, and an output terminal 34 is formed on one end side of the second track 31.
[0020]
The first track 30 is composed of a resistor layer. For example, carbon black or carbon fiber as a conductor, carbon nanotubes mainly for reinforcing the resistor layer and reducing a friction coefficient, and a thermosetting resin. The second track 31 is made of a highly conductive material, for example, a highly conductive metal material such as copper foil or aluminum foil, or silver powder as a conductor. Is made of a conductor circuit formed by mixing a thermosetting resin and functions as a current collector.
The resistor layer is formed by a method such as transfer so as to have a surface roughness of 0.5 μm or less. For this reason, since the carbon fiber is less caught, hysteresis during reciprocation can be further suppressed.
As the carbon black, furnace black having a relatively small electrical conductivity (for example, trade name of Asahi Carbon Co., Ltd .; trade name of Asahi 60, Columbian Co .; trade name of Raven 150, Mitsubishi Kasei Co., Ltd.) MA100 etc.) can be used. Further, as carbon black, a conductive furnace black having a relatively large conductivity (for example, Ketjen Black EC from Lion Corporation), or acetylene black (for example, trade name manufactured by Denka Corporation; Denka Black), etc. Any of these may be used.
[0021]
In the sliding type electric component having the above structure, the slider receiver 15 is configured to reciprocate in parallel with the tracks 30 and 31 in the left-right direction in FIG. , 14a reciprocally slides with respect to the first track 30 and the second track 31, and according to the position of the sliding contact 14 at the time of sliding, more precisely according to the contact position of the side portion 14a with respect to the track. By dividing the input voltage applied to the track 30 and measuring the output voltage, the contact position of the sliding contact 14 is detected, and the position can be detected from the relative relationship between the output voltage value and the position. The output voltage may be obtained by measuring an electrical output obtained from the output terminal 34 connected to the second track 31.
[0022]
Next, in the sliding type electrical component having the above structure, the pair of tracks 30 and 31 can be reliably electrically connected only by the carbon fiber focusing body 14A.
Furthermore, since the two tracks 30, 31 can be reliably electrically connected only by the carbon fiber focusing body 14A, it is not necessary to directly extract the electric signal from the carbon fiber, and the electric signal can be directly extracted from the tracks 30, 31. There is an effect. In addition, the side surface of the carbon fiber has a lower hardness than the tip, and has no edge portion and is smooth, so that it is difficult to cut the conductor pattern.
[0023]
The carbon fiber focusing body 14A having the above structure can be manufactured, for example, by the method described below.
As shown in FIG. 3, if the required number of carbon fibers 40 having a required length, for example, 1000 to 2000, are bundled, the bundle of carbon fibers 40 is inserted into an aluminum pipe 41, and the pipe 41 Is bent and plastically deformed into a U-shape to form a U-shaped tube 411, and an intermediate molded body 42 in a state where a bundle of carbon fibers 40 is held in a U-shape is obtained.
Next, the both ends of the U-shaped tube 411 are plastically processed into a flat shape by pressing, thereby concentrating the U-shaped carbon fiber in a state of being constrained by a holding member 14B having a flat portion 14b as shown in FIG. When the tip of the carbon fiber protruding from the pipe 41 is uneven in this state, the tip of the carbon fiber is taken along the cutting line SS ′ indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. Are aligned, the carbon fiber focusing body (sliding contact) 14A shown in FIG. 2 can be obtained. Then, a lubricant such as grease or oil may be applied to both ends of the carbon fiber focusing body 14A in this state as needed, and then used for actual use.
[0024]
When the flat portion 14b is formed by plastic deformation of the U-shaped tube 411 shown in FIG. 4 by pressing, the U-shaped tube 411 is mainly pressed by pressing from one side in the thickness direction as shown in FIG. The flat portion 14b1 is formed so as to be positioned on the bottom side in the thickness direction of the U-shaped tube 411, or the U-shaped tube 411 is pressed evenly from both sides in the thickness direction so that the thickness of the U-shaped tube 411 is as shown in FIG. It does not matter whether the flat portion 14b2 is formed so as to be located at the center in the vertical direction. Further, the tip end portion of the carbon fiber focusing body 14A after the press working should be aligned along the cutting line shown by the two-dot chain line in any structure shown in FIGS. Is preferred.
In this embodiment, by curving the holding member, it is possible to make it difficult for the carbon fiber to come out compared to the linear shape.
[0025]
FIG. 8 shows a second embodiment of the sliding contact according to the present invention. In this embodiment, a vertically downward concave portion 15B is formed in the slider receiver (support member) 15, and the concave portion 15B is bonded to the concave portion 15B. The U-shaped holding member 14B is fixed downward by the fixing means, the flat portion 14b3 of the holding member 14 is bent obliquely, and one side portion 14a of the carbon fiber focusing body 14A constituting the contact portion is the first. The other end portion 14a is a sliding contact 44 that is in contact with the tracks 30 and 31 so as to contact the second pattern 31 in an oblique direction so as to contact the pattern 30 in an oblique direction.
The sliding type electric component of the embodiment described above is also applied to the sliding type electric component including the sliding contact 44 having the carbon fiber focusing body 14A shown in FIG. 8 and the first track 30 and the second track 31. The same effect as the case of components can be obtained.
The bending angle of the flat portion 14b3 of the sliding contact 44 may be arbitrary, but the end portion 14a of the carbon fiber focusing body 14A needs to be brought into contact with the tracks 30 and 31 from an oblique direction. What is necessary is just to bend the angle required in order to contact the track | trucks 30 and 31 at about -60 degree.
[0026]
FIG. 9 shows a third embodiment of the sliding contact according to the present invention. In this embodiment, a U-shaped bent (bifurcated) carbon fiber focusing body 14A equivalent to the first embodiment and The sliding contact 14 formed of a U-shaped cylindrical holding member 14B that restrains it is attached to an attachment body 46 having elasticity such as a leaf spring by a bonding layer 45 formed of an adhesive layer or an insert molding layer.
In the structure of this embodiment, the mounting body 46 is attached to the concave portion 15A of the slider receiver 15 of the first embodiment with a fixing means such as adhesion, so that the same effect as that of the previous embodiment can be obtained. Obtainable.
Further, in this embodiment, since the attachment body 46 itself has elasticity, the side portion 14a can be easily brought into elastic contact with the tracks 30 and 31 without imparting elasticity to the carbon fiber focusing body 14A.
[0027]
FIG. 10 shows a fourth embodiment of the sliding contact according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the band-like carbon fiber converging body 47 is twisted into a curved state at the center in the longitudinal direction to form a folded shape. The one end 47a and the other end 47a of the carbon fiber converging body 47 are constrained by an adhesive layer so as to be in the same direction to form a contact portion, and the end portions 47a and 47a of the carbon fiber converging body 47 are formed as a first portion. A sliding contact is configured by contacting the track 30 and the second track 31 in the same direction.
The band-like carbon fiber converging body 47 of this form may be covered with a fixing layer such as an adhesive layer so as to hold the shape by excluding its end, or the carbon fiber converging body 47 may be flattened. It is only necessary to adopt a shape holding means such as inserting a metal pipe into the metal pipe, arranging a flat metal pipe around the carbon fiber converging body 47, processing the flat metal pipe, and holding the shape. .
Also in this form of the carbon fiber focusing body 47, it is possible to obtain the same effects as the configuration of the previous embodiment.
Further, by forming the curved portion of the carbon fiber focusing body 47 into a gently curved shape, it is possible to prevent the carbon fiber focusing body 47 from being broken without applying a load to the carbon fiber focusing body 47.
[0028]
FIG. 11 shows a fifth embodiment of the sliding contact according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the carbon fiber focusing body 48 is processed so as to be twisted once to form a carbon fiber focusing body (contact point). Part) 48 is formed as a contact part constrained so that one end 48a and the other end 48a are alternately directed in different directions, and the end parts 48a, 48a of the carbon fiber focusing body 48 are connected to the first track 30. Sliding contacts are configured by contacting the second tracks 31 in alternate directions.
[0029]
The band-like carbon fiber converging body 48 of this form may be covered with a fixing layer such as an adhesive layer so that the shape of the band-like carbon fiber converging body 48 is fixed. You may hold | maintain in the state wound around. Further, the carbon fiber converging body 48 is inserted into a flat metal pipe, a flat metal pipe is arranged around the carbon fiber, the flat metal pipe is processed, and its shape is maintained. A holding means may be employed.
Also in this form of carbon fiber converging body 48, it is possible to obtain the same effects as the configuration of the previous embodiment.
[0030]
FIG. 12 shows a sixth embodiment of the sliding contact according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the carbon fiber converging body (contact portion) 49 is processed so as to have a substantially Ω shape in a side view, and the carbon fiber is processed. The one end 49a and the other end 49a of the converging body 49 are constrained so as to be alternately directed in different directions to form contact points, and the end portions 49a and 49a of the carbon fiber converging body 49 are provided in a stepped state. The first and second tracks 30 and 31 are in contact with each other in alternate directions to form a sliding contact.
The band-like carbon fiber converging body 49 in this form may be covered with a fixing layer such as an adhesive layer to fix the shape excluding its end, and the carbon fiber converging body 49 may be flattened. A shape-holding means such as a flat metal pipe is disposed around the carbon fiber converging body 49, and the shape of the flat metal pipe is processed to hold the shape. .
Also in this form of the carbon fiber converging body 49, it is possible to obtain the same effects as the configuration of the previous embodiment.
[0031]
FIG. 13 shows an example of a method for manufacturing a sliding contact having a form close to the sliding contact made of the carbon fiber focusing body 47 shown in FIG. 10, and several thousand carbon fiber focusing as shown in FIG. 13a. A resin liquid 52 such as an epoxy resin is applied from a container 51 to an assembly 50 in which the bodies are bundled in a flat shape, and the resin liquid is solidified into a plate shape to form a sheet-like prepreg 53 shown in FIG. 13b.
In the prepreg 53, both ends of the carbon fiber focusing body are exposed for a predetermined length necessary for sliding. Alternatively, when covering both ends of the carbon fiber focusing body, conductive particles are mixed in the resin liquid as will be described later.
Further, it is preferable that the resin component of the prepreg 53 is in a semi-solid state at this stage. Moreover, the resin liquid to be used is not limited to an epoxy resin, and may be a thermosetting resin such as a phenol resin or a urethane resin. In addition, in the case of a thermoplastic resin, it is difficult to perform injection molding while imparting conductivity, but if it is a heat and curable resin, it can be imparted and processed relatively easily, Since the shrinkage rate is large, the carbon fibers can be brought into close contact with each other, which is considered preferable. However, in the present invention, it is not limited to the thermosetting resin, and it goes without saying that a thermoplastic resin may be used.
[0032]
The prepreg 53 is cut into a strip shape to obtain a cutout portion 54, which is bent as shown in FIG. 13d and processed into a U shape, and the resin component in a semi-solid state is heated to a necessary curing temperature and dried. Thus, a sliding contact 56 having a contact portion 55 made of a carbon fiber converging body restrained in a U shape by completely curing the resin component can be obtained. The portion on the bent side of the U-shaped contact portion 55 is inserted into the concave portion 15A formed in the oblique direction of the slider receiver (support) 15 described above, and both ends protrude from the slider receiver 15. If it is made into the state made into the state, the conduction | electrical_connection path (electric circuit) which consists of the tracks 30 and 31 which will be paired with the contact part 55 shown to FIG. 13e will be comprised.
[0033]
FIG. 14 shows a contact portion obtained when the entire carbon fiber converging body is covered with a resin liquid when the manufacturing method based on FIG. 13 is carried out. The contact portion 57 of this form is a carbon fiber converging body. 58 is an enlarged view showing a state in which the side portion 58a of the carbon fiber converging body 58 is obliquely approached and brought into contact with the track 30 or 31 through the coating layer 59. In addition to the coating, the coating layer 59 has a function of holding the carbon fiber. In the contact portion 57 having such a configuration, a conductive material such as conductive carbon nanotubes or particulate conductor is mixed in the resin coating layer 59.
That is, when the carbon fiber converging body 58 is manufactured by constraining the carbon fiber converging body 58 with resin by the manufacturing method shown in FIG. 13, it may be manufactured by covering both ends of the carbon fiber converging body 58 with the resin liquid. In the resin liquid used here, it is preferable to mix conductive particles such as carbon black, carbon nanotubes (about 10 nm in diameter) and the like for reinforcing and sliding properties. Note that the carbon nanotubes are not particularly limited to those having a diameter as long as that of the above-mentioned ones, such as yarn balls. The conductive particles may be carbon black, or a noble metal such as silver or gold. Furthermore, the coating layer itself can be formed of a conductive plastic.
[0034]
In this embodiment, since the resin coating layer 59 covers the periphery of the carbon fiber focusing body 58, the rigidity of the carbon fiber focusing body 58 can be strengthened by the coating layer 59, and the carbon fiber focusing body 58 can be pinched by the coating layer 59. When the converging body 58 reciprocates, it moves to the forward path side or to the return path side, that is, moves to the right side along the arrow in FIG. 14, or moves to the left side along the arrow. However, the carbon fiber converging body 58 can be reciprocated while the side portion 58a of the carbon fiber converging body 58 is in contact with the track 30 while maintaining the state of FIG. 14 without changing the direction to the opposite side. Therefore, the resistance change without hysteresis can be obtained by this structure. In addition, since the carbon fiber is contained, it is excellent in conductivity and can be increased in strength as compared with the synthetic resin alone. Further, once the both ends of the carbon fiber focusing body are covered with a resin solution to form a prepreg, the prepreg is cut out and bent, and then both ends are dissolved with a solvent or the like to expose both ends of the carbon fiber focusing body. It is also possible to manufacture the sliding contact 56 including the contact portion 55 having the configuration shown in FIG. 13e.
[0035]
FIG. 15 shows a state in which the coating layer 59 of the contact portion 57 provided with the carbon fiber converging body 58 of the previous form is worn by repeated sliding and is sliding while the carbon fiber converging body 58 is in contact with the track 30. Indicates.
Even in this state, if the contact portion 57 is in the previous form, the carbon fiber converging body 58 only slides on the track even if the coating layer 59 is worn. In particular, the object can be achieved while maintaining without deterioration.
[0036]
FIG. 16 shows a sliding electrical component according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention. The contact portion in this example is bent in a U shape with respect to a support member (slider receiver) 60. The two ends 61a and 61a of the carbon fiber focusing body (contact part) 61 in the state are fixed by being embedded, and the two bent portions 61b and 61b in the middle part of the carbon fiber focusing body 61 are connected to the first track 30 and the first track 30. It is configured as a sliding end for the second track 31. In this example, a groove portion 64 having a V-shaped cross section is formed on the upper surface of the base material 63, and the first track 30 and the second track 31 are installed on the inclined inner surface of the groove portion 64 so as to face each other obliquely. . The carbon fiber converging body 61 constituting the contact portion of this example slides on the first and second tracks 30 and 31 at the sliding ends 61b and 61b to achieve the object.
Also in the sliding contact and the sliding electrical component of this example, the same effect as that of the sliding contact and sliding electrical component of the previous embodiment can be obtained.
[0037]
FIG. 17 shows a sliding contact according to the eighth embodiment of the present invention. In this sliding contact, the carbon fiber converging body 70 is bent in a U shape, and both end portions 70a and 70a thereof are formed. It is characterized in that the shape is held by the holding member 72 made of a pipe made of a thermoplastic resin such as polypropylene, polybutylene terephthalate, or nylon, except for the portion.
In the case of this configuration, the carbon fiber focusing body 70 is inserted into a U-shaped molding cavity of a mold, insert molding is performed with tension applied to both ends, and the carbon fiber focusing body 70 is partially covered with the holding member 72. Thus, the contact portion can be obtained. It is preferable to trim the tip of the carbon fiber focusing body 70 after molding.
Also in the contact part of this example, the same effect as the contact part of the previous form can be obtained.
[0038]
FIG. 18 shows a sliding contact according to a ninth embodiment of the present invention. In the contact portion in this example, the carbon fiber converging body 80 is bent in a U shape, and its both ends 80a and 80a are excluded. It is characterized in that the shape is held by a resin-made holding member 82 impregnated so as to surround the carbon fiber focusing body 80.
The carbon fiber converging body 80 of this example can be obtained by impregnating an adhesive around the bent portion in a state where a bundle of carbon fibers is bent in a U shape and solidifying the adhesive.
Also in the sliding contact of this example, the same effect as the sliding contact of the previous form can be obtained.
[0039]
FIG. 19 shows the manufacturing method and structure of the sliding contact according to the tenth embodiment of the present invention. As in the case described with reference to FIG. The assembly 50 bundled is attached to a mold and insert resin molding is performed on both ends of the assembly 50 to form plate-like support plates 90, 90. The support plates 90, 90 are cut along the cutting line shown in FIG. Cut along TT ′ to obtain a carbon fiber converging body 91 in which both ends are supported by the support portions 90A and 90A. Then, the carbon fiber converging body 91 can be bent by overlapping the support portions 90A and 90A and attaching them to the bottom surface of the slider receiver 1 by a fixing method such as adhesion or caulking as shown in FIG. 19c. A contact portion 92 made of a looped carbon fiber focusing body can be obtained.
The object can be achieved by using the side portion 92 a of the intermediate portion bent in a loop shape of the contact portion 92 as a sliding contact with respect to the track 30 or the track 31.
In this embodiment, the contact portion 92 does not need to straddle the pair of tracks 30 and 31 and can be applied as a sliding contact that slides on the track 30 or the track 31 independently. In this embodiment, the side surface of the carbon fiber can be surely brought into contact with the conductive pattern, and since it becomes a doubly-supported spring, a large load can be applied.
[0040]
FIG. 20 and FIG. 21 show an example of an automobile sensor provided with a sliding contact according to the present invention. The sensor 1 of this embodiment is mounted near the engine of an automobile and is a mixture of gasoline and air. It is used as a sensor for controlling the ratio and a sensor for controlling the amount of exhaust gas recycled. FIG. 20 is a sectional view of the sensor, and FIG. 21 is a side view showing a state in which a sliding contact is attached to the slider receiver.
[0041]
A sensor 1 shown in FIG. 20 includes a casing 11 that forms an outer shell, a shaft 12 that can move in the left-right direction in FIG. 1 with respect to the casing 11, a base material 13 that is built in the casing 11, and this base. A sliding contact 14 that is in sliding contact with a base material 13 provided with a first track 30 made of a resistor and a second track 31 made of a conductor formed on the material 13, and the sliding contact 14 A slider receiver (supporting member) 15 to be held and an external terminal 17 connected to the base 13 are provided.
In the casing 11, the shaft 12 is inserted into a shaft hole 11a provided at one end (left end portion in FIG. 1), and a cover 18 is attached to an opening 11b provided at the other end (right end portion in FIG. 1). Yes.
As the sliding contact 14, the carbon fiber converging body 14 fixed to the leaf spring-shaped attachment body 46 shown in FIG. 9 can be applied as the contact portion of the sliding contact.
[0042]
The sensor 1 having the above structure is used in the vicinity of an automobile engine. In the sensor 1, the sliding contact 14 reciprocates with respect to the base material 13 having the first track 30 and the second track 31, and the sliding contact 14 is the same as in the first embodiment. By measuring the output voltage with respect to the input voltage by a circuit connected to the carbon fiber focusing body 14A of the sliding contact 14 and the first track 30 and the second track 31 according to the position of the sliding contact 14 during movement. The position of the shaft 12 provided with the sliding contact 14 is detected and functions as a position detection sensor.
[0043]
In the sensor 1 having the above-described structure, the positions of the end portions 14a and 14a of the carbon fiber focusing body 14A in the linear reciprocating movement are detected. Different annular first tracks and annular second tracks are arranged, for example, in concentric positions, and a carbon fiber converging body 14 as a contact portion is provided on a rotatable disc-like slider receiver, The carbon fiber converging body 14 is disposed so as to straddle the track and the second track, and the contact position of the end portion 14a of the carbon fiber converging body 14 with respect to the track according to the rotational angle position of the rotating slider receiver. As a matter of course, the present invention can be applied to a rotation angle sensor in which a rotation angle is detected by an output voltage output in conjunction with this position.
[0044]
The sliding contact according to the present invention is not limited to a sliding resistor for an automobile sensor, but a sliding resistor (adjustment sensor), switch (input) Needless to say, the present invention can be applied to various uses as a sensor in a broad sense such as a sensor) and a rotary encoder (angle sensor).
In the examples described so far, a metal pipe, a resin pipe, or an adhesive is used as a holding member for maintaining and restraining the shape of the carbon fiber focusing body, but the shape of the carbon fiber focusing body is maintained. For example, a holding member obtained by bending a channel material having a U-shaped cross-section, or a holding member having a composite structure in which a heat-shrinkable tube is provided with a bent metal core material for holding a shape may be used. Any structure or material can be used as long as it has an effect of holding the carbon fiber focusing body in a predetermined shape.
[0045]
On the other hand, the end portion 14a of the carbon fiber focusing body 14A does not need to be in direct contact with the tracks 30 and 31, and a conductive layer is coated on the tracks 30 and 31, and the carbon fiber focusing body 14 is slid through the conductive layers. Each of the carbon fibers or the end portion 14a of the carbon fiber focusing body 14A may be coated with a resin layer containing conductive particles.
Next, in the embodiments so far, the patterns 30 and 31 to be paired are composed of a combination of a conductor layer and a resistor layer. However, both patterns are composed of a resistor layer, and both patterns are conductive. There may be a configuration composed of a body layer, a configuration where one track is a comb-shaped conductive pattern and the other is a current collector pattern.
In these cases and in each of the embodiments, it is needless to say that an input current may be supplied to one pattern and a current may be output from the other pattern via a sliding contact.
[0046]
【The invention's effect】
As explained above, according to the present invention, , Covered Since the side of the carbon fiber focusing body covered with the covering layer slides on the track of the conductive pattern, the action of cutting the track is less than when the tip and edge of the carbon fiber slide perpendicularly to the track, The track is difficult to cut and the progress of the track wear is slow. Therefore, the sliding characteristics of the contact portion with respect to the track are stable when subjected to repeated reciprocating sliding and can withstand long-term use.
[0047]
In the present invention, Cover at least the sides of the carbon fiber Since the coating layer is provided, the carbon fiber does not contact the track directly, but the coating layer contacts the track, so that the edge of the carbon fiber does not contact the track of the conductive pattern, and the track may be scraped. Is even less. Further, the carbon fiber itself can be protected by the coating layer.
[0048]
In the present invention, from a synthetic resin in which a conductive material is mixed in the coating layer Cover at least the sides of the carbon fiber The coating layer is made of a synthetic resin with conductivity. Because The conductivity when sliding with respect to the track during sliding with respect to the track is improved. Further, even if the coating layer is worn out and the carbon fiber is exposed, the conduction is satisfactorily achieved through the carbon fiber, so that the characteristic deterioration during sliding after the coating layer is worn does not occur.
[0049]
In the present invention, the sliding ends that slide with respect to the conductive pattern having the pair of tracks are formed at both ends of the bent carbon fiber focusing body, or other portions, so that only the carbon fiber focusing body is formed. The paired tracks can be connected to each other and no other member is interposed between the paired tracks, so that the paired tracks can be reliably connected to each other, and the conduction path between the paired tracks It is possible to provide a stable and reliable sliding contact with a low resistance value. Furthermore, there is an advantage that noise can be reduced by applying a carbon fiber focusing body.
In addition, since the above-described reliable connection with low resistance at the sliding contact can be performed only with the bent carbon fiber focusing body, the configuration of the present invention can be realized with a small number of parts, and the number of parts is small. Man-hours can be reduced, contributing to simplification of the process. Further, since the output terminal can be connected to the track on which the carbon fiber focusing body slides, it is not necessary to take out a signal from the carbon fiber, and the output terminal can be easily connected.
[0050]
According to the present invention, it is possible to reliably hold the shape of the carbon fiber focusing body in a bundled and bent state by covering at least a part of the carbon fiber focusing body except for both ends with the holding member and exposing the carbon fiber focusing body. Further, it is possible to ensure that both ends or other portions of the carbon fiber focusing body are sliding ends with respect to the track.
Further, since the shape of the carbon fiber focusing body can be maintained by the holding member, the shape of the carbon fiber focusing body can be reliably maintained. In order to maintain the shape of the carbon fiber converging body, at least a part of the portion excluding both ends of the bent carbon fiber condensing body is covered with a holding member as a member different from the carbon fiber converging body. Can do.
[0051]
In the present invention, the end of the carbon fiber converging body is flattened so that the end of the flat carbon fiber converging body slides with a uniform width with respect to the track having a predetermined width when the conductive pattern slides on the track. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a sliding contact having a stable sliding characteristic that contributes to the stability of the sliding state.
In the present invention, it is possible to provide a sliding electrical component or sensor provided with a sliding contact having the above-mentioned various features.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a positional relationship between a sliding contact, a first track, and a second track according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a plan view of the sliding contact.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view for explaining a method of assembling the sliding contact.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an intermediate molded body obtained during the assembly of the sliding contact.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a sliding contact at the end of processing.
FIG. 6 is a side view showing an example of the shape of the end side of the sliding contact according to the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a side view showing another example of the shape of the end portion side of the contact portion according to the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the positional relationship between the sliding contact, the first track, and the second track according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing another example of the attached state of the sliding contact in the third embodiment according to the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of a sliding contact according to the present invention.
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a fifth embodiment of a sliding contact according to the present invention.
FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a sixth embodiment of a sliding contact according to the present invention.
FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing an example of a method for manufacturing a sliding contact according to the present invention.
FIG. 14 is a partially enlarged view of the sliding contact.
FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a worn state of the sliding contact according to the present invention.
FIG. 16 is a view showing a sliding contact manufacturing method and structure according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view showing the positional relationship between a sliding contact and a track according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 18 is a sectional view showing a sliding contact according to a ninth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 19 is a sectional view showing a sliding contact according to a tenth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a sensor provided with a sliding contact according to the present invention.
FIG. 21 is a side view showing a part of the sensor shown in FIG. 20;
FIG. 22 is a view showing an example of a conventional sliding contact.
[Explanation of symbols]
13 ... substrate,
14, 44, 47, 48, 49, 53, ... sliding contact,
14A ... carbon fiber focusing body (contact part),
14a ... end (sliding end),
14B ... Holding member,
15 ... Slider receiver (support member),
30 ... first track,
31 ... the second track,

Claims (7)

A carbon fiber focusing body, wherein at least a side portion of the carbon fiber focusing body is covered with a coating layer formed of a synthetic resin mixed with a conductive material, and the side portion of the carbon fiber focusing body is interposed through the coating layer. A sliding contact characterized by comprising a contact portion as a sliding portion capable of making a line contact or a surface contact with a track of a conductive pattern. The sliding contact according to claim 1, wherein the carbon fiber converging body is bent in a state where both ends thereof are supported, and a side portion of a part of the bending portion is a sliding portion. A carbon fiber converging body is bent into a bifurcated shape, and a contact portion is formed by forming a sliding portion with respect to a conductive pattern having a pair of tracks on both sides opposite to the bending side of the carbon fiber. sliding contacts according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by comprising. The sliding contact according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the carbon fiber focusing body is partially restricted and integrated by a cylindrical holding member. A sliding portion in which a flat portion is formed at an end portion of the holding member located on the end portion side of the carbon fiber focusing body, and an end portion of the carbon fiber focusing body protruding from the flat portion is aligned in a flat shape; The sliding contact according to claim 4 , wherein the sliding portions are aligned in the width direction of the track that is relatively slid relative to each other. A conductive pattern having a track, and the sliding contact according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , which is slidable relative to the track, and a conduction path is formed by the track and the sliding contact. A sliding-type electrical component characterized by that. A sensor comprising the sliding electrical part according to claim 6 .

Images