JP7108009B2 - sensor unit - Google Patents

Description

The technology disclosed by this specification relates to a sensor unit.

For example, as a battery device having a temperature sensor, one described in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2003-229110 (Patent Document 1 below) is known. The temperature sensor of this battery device is fixed to a temperature detection plate fixed to the case, and the temperature of the secondary battery is detected by bringing the temperature sensor close to the surface of the secondary battery housed in the case. ing.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-229110

By the way, in this type of device, the gap between the temperature sensor and the secondary battery tends to vary due to the dimensional tolerance between the temperature detection plate and the secondary battery. For this reason, there is a possibility that the temperature sensor cannot detect the temperature because the temperature sensor does not come close to the secondary battery, or the temperature sensor may be crushed between the temperature detection plate and the secondary battery.

This specification discloses a technique for suppressing deterioration in detection accuracy of a sensor by bringing the sensor into contact with a detection target with an appropriate pressure.

A sensor unit disclosed in this specification is a sensor unit mounted in a housing provided in an object to be detected, and includes a flexible belt-shaped conductive path structure having a conductive path formed thereon, and the conductive path structure. a sensor element connected to the conductive path on the surface of the path forming body; and a sensor element provided on the surface of the conductive path forming body so as to be elastically deformable, and elastically compressed in the accommodating portion to thereby elastically compress the conductive path. and an elastic member that presses the part on the back side of the structure toward the object to be detected.

According to the sensor unit having such a configuration, the portion on the back side of the conductive path structure to which the sensor element is connected is pressed toward the object to be detected by the elastic force of the elastic member. As a result, the portion on the back side of the conductive path structure is prevented from being lifted from the object to be detected, and the sensor element can be arranged in close proximity to the object to be detected. A decrease in detection accuracy can be suppressed. Further, even if the distance between the back surface of the conductive path structure and the object to be detected is narrow due to dimensional tolerances, etc., the pressing member will be elastically compressed, and the sensor element will be crushed and damaged. can be suppressed.

The sensor unit disclosed by this specification may be configured as follows.
The elastic member may be configured to be inserted into the accommodating portion in an elastically compressed state together with the conductive path structure to which the sensor element is connected, and assembled to the object to be detected.

According to such a configuration, the elastic member is elastically compressed and inserted into the accommodating portion, so that the elastic force of the elastic member causes the back side portion of the conductive path structure to come into contact with the object to be detected with an appropriate pressure. , the sensor unit can be attached to the object to be detected.

The sensor element may be a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the object to be detected, and a plate material may be attached to the back surface of the conductive path structure.
According to such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the conductive path structure from being rubbed and damaged when the conductive path structure to which the sensor element is connected is inserted into the accommodating portion. Moreover, since the conductive path structure is reinforced by the plate material, the workability of connecting the sensor element to the conductive path can be improved.

The plate material may be a metal plate material having high thermal conductivity.
According to such a configuration, the plate material exerts a heat collecting effect of collecting the heat of the object to be detected, so that the temperature of the object to be detected can be stably detected by the sensor element.

The sensor element may be covered with the elastic member.
With such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the sensor element from being damaged due to contact with other members.

The elastic member may be arranged close to the periphery of the sensor element in the conductive path structure.

According to such a configuration, since the elastic member is arranged close to the periphery of the sensor element, the sensor element can be connected more easily than in the case where the elastic member is arranged away from the sensor element, for example. It is possible to reliably bring the rear surface side portion of the conductive path structure into contact with the object to be detected by applying an appropriate pressure.

A resin molded portion covering the sensor element may be provided between the elastic member and the sensor element.
According to such a configuration, the sensor element can be protected from other members by the molded portion.

A cover may be attached to cover the entire elastic member together with the sensor element at a position on the elastic member opposite to the conductive path structure.

According to such a configuration, the sensor element can be protected from other members by the cover when the sensor unit is inserted into the housing. Further, when the elastic member is accommodated in the accommodating portion, the elastic member as a whole is uniformly elastically compressed by the cover, so that the portion on the back side of the conductive path structure connected to the sensor element is placed against the object to be detected. uniform contact.

The lid body includes a main body that is in close contact with the conductive path forming body, and a guiding part that extends obliquely toward the conductive path forming body at a position of the front end of the main body in the insertion direction into the accommodating part. It was configured with

According to such a configuration, when the elastic member is inserted into the accommodating portion, the elastic member is smoothly guided into the accommodating portion by the guiding portion, so that the mounting workability of the sensor unit can be improved.

The conductive path forming body has a bent portion that is bendably extended from a position where the elastic member is provided, and a surface of the conductive path forming body is laminated on the elastic member. A second elastic member may be provided through the bent portion.

According to such a configuration, by bending the bending portion and arranging the second elastic member so as to be laminated on the elastic member, the sensor element can be protected from other members by the second elastic member. In other words, compared to the case where the second elastic member is a separate part, the number of parts can be reduced, so that parts controllability and assembling workability can be improved.

A protection plate may be attached to the back surface of the portion of the conductive path structure where the second elastic member is provided.
According to such a configuration, when the second elastic member laminated on the elastic member is inserted into the accommodating portion, it is possible to prevent the conductive path forming body from being rubbed and damaged.

The housing portion has an opening into which the sensor unit is inserted, and the opening has the elastic member and the elastic member when the sensor unit reaches a normal position in the housing portion. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which a retaining portion for locking in the insertion/removal direction is provided.
According to such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the sensor unit from dropping out of the housing for the detected object.

According to the technology disclosed in this specification, it is possible to suppress deterioration in the detection accuracy of the sensor by bringing the sensor into contact with the detection target with an appropriate pressure.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which the temperature sensor unit according to Embodiment 1 is attached to the housing portion of the device; Sectional view showing a state in which the temperature sensor unit is attached to the housing Sectional view showing the state before the temperature sensor unit is attached to the housing FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state before a protective plate is attached to an elastic member of the temperature sensor unit; Sectional view showing a state in which the temperature sensor unit according to Reference Example 2 is attached to the housing portion of the equipment Sectional view showing the state before attaching the elastic member to the FPC to which the temperature sensor is fixed A perspective view of a temperature sensor unit according to Reference Example 3 Sectional view showing the state before the temperature sensor unit is attached to the housing Cross-sectional view showing a state in which the temperature sensor unit is attached to the housing of the device A perspective view of a temperature sensor unit according to Reference Example 4 Cross-sectional view showing a state in which the temperature sensor unit is attached to the housing of the device FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state before the bending portion of the temperature sensor unit is bent; FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a state before bending the bending portion of the temperature sensor unit; Cross-sectional view of a temperature sensor unit according to Reference Example 5 Sectional view showing the state before attaching the elastic member to the FPC to which the temperature sensor is fixed Cross-sectional view of a temperature sensor unit according to Reference Example 6 Cross-sectional view of a temperature sensor unit according to another embodiment FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a state before a protective plate is attached to an elastic member fixed to an FPC; Cross-sectional view of a temperature sensor unit according to another embodiment FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a state before a protective plate is attached to an elastic member fixed to an FPC;

<Embodiment 1>
Embodiment 1 of the technique disclosed in this specification will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. FIG.

This embodiment shows a sensor unit 20 attached to a device 10 mounted on an industrial printer, an industrial robot, or the like.

The device 10 has a housing portion 14 that houses the sensor unit 20 on the upper surface 12A, which is the outer surface of the device 10 .

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the housing portion 14 is formed into a flat box-shaped hood having an opening 15 on a rear surface 14A, which is one side surface of the housing portion 14. As shown in FIG. The opening 15 of the housing portion 14 is formed in a horizontally long, substantially rectangular shape so as to include the upper surface 12A of the device 10 , and the sensor unit 20 is housed in the internal space 16 of the housing portion 14 through the opening 15 . ing.

A unit locking portion (an example of a “retaining portion”) 17 projecting downward is provided at the upper edge of the opening 15 of the accommodating portion 14 . The unit locking portion 17 has a rounded shape and is formed over the entire width of the opening portion 15 .

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 , the sensor unit 20 includes a strip-shaped flexible printed circuit board (hereinafter also referred to as “FPC”) 30 (an example of a “conductive path structure”) and one end portion of the FPC 30 (FIG. 3). A temperature sensor (an example of a “sensor element”) 40 connected to the front end portion 31 which is the left end portion of the figure), an elastic member 50 arranged close to the temperature sensor 40, and a first attached to the FPC 30 It includes a plate member (an example of a “plate member”) 60 and a second plate member (an example of a “lid member”) 70 attached to the elastic member 50 .

The FPC 30 is formed by covering a pair of detection lines (an example of a “conductive path”) 33 made of copper foil and extending in the front-rear direction with a strip-shaped insulating film 35 wider than the pair of detection lines 33 . A pair of connection portions 37 from which a pair of detection lines 33 are exposed is provided on a surface 30A that is the upper surface of the front end portion 31 of the FPC 30 . A pair of connecting portions 37 are formed by removing the insulating film 35 .

On the other hand, a control unit (not shown) for controlling the device 10 is connected to the pair of detection lines 33 at the rear end (not shown) of the FPC 30 .

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 , the temperature sensor 40 has a substantially rectangular sensor main body 41 and a pair of lead portions 42 provided at both ends of the sensor main body 41 in the long side direction. . The pair of lead portions 42 protrude from the lower surface 41A of the sensor main body 41 in directions away from each other. The temperature sensor 40 is electrically connected to the pair of detection lines 33 by connecting the pair of lead portions 42 to the pair of connection portions 37 of the FPC 30 by soldering or the like. Thereby, the detection signal from the temperature sensor 40 is input to the control unit through the pair of detection lines 33 of the FPC 30 .

Further, the sensor main body 41 is arranged directly above the surface 30A of the FPC 30 when the pair of lead portions 42 are connected to the pair of connection portions 37 .

The elastic member 50 is made of a soft elastic material having elasticity, such as urethane-based resin, silicone-based resin, rubber material, or their foamed resin and foamed rubber. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 , the elastic member 50 has a substantially rectangular frame shape in a plan view with substantially the same width as the FPC 30 . The elastic member 50 is arranged close to the temperature sensor 40 so as to surround the entire circumference of the temperature sensor 40. The elastic member 50 is arranged on the surface 30A of the front end portion 31 of the FPC 30, for example, It is adhered with a known adhesive or the like.

The height dimension (vertical dimension in FIG. 3 ) H50 of the elastic member 50 is set to be larger than the height dimension H16 of the internal space 16 of the housing portion 14 and the height dimension of the temperature sensor 40. is attached to the accommodating portion 14 , the elastic member 50 is completely accommodated in the accommodating portion 14 while being compressed in the height direction within the internal space 16 of the accommodating portion 14 . Further, the elastic member 50 is set so that its height dimension is larger than the height dimension of the temperature sensor 40 even when it is elastically compressed in the housing portion 14 .

Specifically, when the sensor unit 20 is attached to the housing portion 14, the elastic member 50 is elastically deformed so as to be crushed in the height direction. Then, the elastic member 50 is inserted into the internal space 16 of the housing portion 14 through the opening portion 15 of the housing portion 14 while being elastically deformed. When the sensor unit 20 is inserted to the proper position reaching the inner part 14B of the housing portion 14, the elastic member 50 climbs over the unit locking portion 17 in the opening 15, and the housing portion 14 is positioned closer to the housing portion 14 than the unit locking portion 17. It will be in a state of being arranged on the side of the inner part 14B.

Here, although the elastic member 50 is slightly elastically restored in the height direction by getting over the unit locking portion 17, it does not reach the state of being elastically restored completely, and is compressed in the height direction, and the housing portion 14. In other words, the elastic force of the elastic member 50 presses the FPC 30 and the first plate member 60 toward the device 10 , and the temperature sensor 40 can be brought into contact with the device 10 via the FPC 30 and the first plate member 60 . there is

Further, when the elastic member 50 is accommodated in the accommodation portion 14 , the elastic member 50 and the unit engaging portion 17 can be engaged in the front-rear direction, which is the insertion/removal direction of the sensor unit 20 . It is designed to prevent it from slipping out.

The first plate member 60 is attached to the rear surface 30B that is the lower surface of the front end portion 31 of the FPC 30 . The first plate material 60 is, for example, a metal plate material having excellent heat conductivity, such as aluminum or an aluminum alloy. The width dimension of the first plate member 60 is set to be substantially the same as the width dimension of the FPC 30 . The longitudinal dimension of the first plate member 60 in the front-rear direction is set to be substantially the same as the longitudinal dimension of the elastic member 50 , and the elastic member 50 is arranged on the first plate member 60 with the FPC 30 interposed therebetween. It is adhered directly to the back of the position where it is positioned, for example, by a known adhesive or the like.

That is, the first plate member 60 is set to have substantially the same size as the outer diameter of the elastic member 50 , and the portion of the FPC 30 where the elastic member 50 is arranged is reinforced by the first plate member 60 . In addition, the lower surface 61 of the first plate member 60 is processed smoothly so as to reduce the coefficient of friction in order to improve slippage.

The second plate member 70 is formed in a flat plate shape having approximately the same size as the first plate member 60 . The second plate member 70 is adhered to the upper surface 50A of the elastic member 50 by, for example, a known adhesive so as to cover the temperature sensor 40 and the entire upper surface 50A of the elastic member 50 from the outside (upper side). As a result, the temperature sensor 40 and the elastic member 50 can be prevented from being damaged due to contact with other members. The second plate member 70 is, for example, a resin plate made of synthetic resin or the like. ing. The second plate member 70 may be processed so that the friction coefficient of the upper surface 50A is smaller than the friction coefficient of the upper surface 50A of the elastic member 50, and may be made of a metal plate member.

This embodiment has the configuration as described above, and the action and effect of the sensor unit 20 will be described next.

When housing the sensor unit 20 in the internal space 16 of the housing portion 14, first, the sensor unit 20 is arranged on the upper surface 12A of the device 10, and the second plate member 70 is pressed from above. Here, when the second plate member 70 is pressed from above, the entire elastic member 50 is elastically compressed uniformly in the height direction because the second plate member 70 covers the entire upper surface of the elastic member 50 .

Next, the sensor unit 20 with the elastic member 50 compressed is inserted into the housing portion 14 . Here, when inserting the sensor unit 20 into the housing portion 14 , the sensor unit 20 is slid on the upper surface 12A of the device 10 .
However, since the first plate member 60 is attached to the rear surface of the sensor unit 20, the FPC 30 is prevented from being damaged due to the sensor unit 20 sliding on the upper surface 12A of the device 10, and the sensor unit 20 is prevented from being damaged by sliding. One plate member 60 allows smooth sliding.

Further, when the sensor unit 20 is inserted into the housing portion 14, the unit locking portion 17 and the second plate member 70 slide in the opening portion 15 of the housing portion 14. Since the upper surface 71 is processed so as to have a smaller coefficient of friction than the upper surface 50A of the elastic member 50, the sensor unit 20 can be smoothly inserted into the housing portion 14. FIG.

Then, when the sensor unit 20 is inserted to the proper position in the housing portion 14 , the elastic member 50 climbs over the unit locking portion 17 in the opening portion 15 and moves toward the inner portion 14B of the housing portion 14 rather than the unit locking portion 17 . placed on the side. Here, although the elastic member 50 is slightly elastically restored by climbing over the unit locking portion 17, it does not reach the state of being completely elastically restored, and is accommodated in the accommodating portion 14 in a state of being compressed in the height direction. be done.

Therefore, the elastic member 50 is elastically compressed in the housing portion 14 and presses the FPC 30 and the first plate member 60 toward the device 10 by elastic force. In other words, by simply inserting the sensor unit 20 into the housing portion 14 , the elastic force of the elastic member 50 can hold the sensor unit 20 in the housing portion 14 . In addition, the resilience of the elastic member 50 prevents the sensor unit 20 from floating in the housing portion 14 due to dimensional tolerances such as manufacturing tolerances and assembly tolerances. can be communicated to the temperature sensor 40 via Thereby, it is possible to prevent the detection accuracy of the temperature sensor 40 from deteriorating.

Furthermore, the elastic member 50 is arranged close to the temperature sensor 40 so as to surround the entire circumference, and the flat first plate member 60 is attached to the back surface 30B of the FPC 30. Therefore, for example, A part of the temperature sensor 40 is positioned relative to the device 10 compared to the case where the elastic member is arranged apart from only one side of the temperature sensor or the flat plate-like first plate member is not attached. It is possible to prevent the temperature sensor 40 from floating and further prevent the temperature sensor 40 from deteriorating in detection accuracy.

Therefore, for example, the configuration of the sensor unit 220 can be simplified compared to the case where a holding structure for holding the sensor unit inside the accommodation portion and a lifting prevention structure for preventing the sensor unit from floating inside the accommodation portion are provided. can do.

Although the sensor unit 20 is configured to be held in the accommodation portion 14 by compressing the elastic member 50 in the height direction, the elastic member 50 and the unit locking portion 17 do not move the sensor unit 20. The sensor unit 20 is prevented from coming off from the accommodating portion 14 by locking in the front-rear direction, which is the insertion/removal direction.

Further, even if the height dimension of the internal space of the accommodating portion is narrowed due to dimensional tolerance or the like, the height dimension of the elastic member 50 in the elastically compressed state is larger than the height dimension of the temperature sensor 40. , it is possible to prevent the temperature sensor 40 from being crushed and damaged.

By the way, the temperature sensor 40 is configured such that the elastic member 50 presses the FPC 30 and the first plate member 60 against the device 10 side so that the temperature sensor 40 comes into contact with the FPC 30 and the first plate member 60. However, for example, If the thermal conductivity of the first plate is low or if the lower surface of the first plate is uneven, the temperature of the device 10 cannot be stably transmitted to the temperature sensor 40 .

However, since the first plate member 60 of the present embodiment is made of a flat metal plate member having excellent thermal conductivity, the temperature of the device 10 can be collected and transmitted to the temperature sensor 40 . Thereby, the temperature of the device 10 can be stably detected by the temperature sensor 40, and the detection accuracy of the temperature sensor 40 can be improved.

Further, since the first plate member 60 reinforces the FPC 30, it is possible to improve connection workability when connecting the pair of lead portions 42 of the temperature sensor 40 to the pair of connection portions 37 of the FPC 30. .

As described above, according to this embodiment, the elastic member 50 that can be elastically deformed is attached to the surface 30A of the front end portion 31 of the FPC 30, and the elastic force of the elastic member 50 causes the FPC 30 and the first plate member 60 to move in the housing portion 14. impose. Thereby, the temperature sensor 40 can be brought into contact with the device 10 via the FPC 30 and the first plate member 60 . Therefore, it is possible to prevent the temperature sensor 40 from rising from the device 10 due to manufacturing tolerances, assembly tolerances, or the like. As a result, it is possible to prevent the detection accuracy of the temperature sensor 40 from deteriorating.

Moreover, since the elastic member 50 is simply attached to the FPC 30 by, for example, attaching it to the FPC 30, compared to the case where, for example, a mounting seat is provided on the FPC and an urging member or the like is provided on the mounting seat to prevent the sensor unit from floating up. 220 can be simplified. As a result, the sensor unit 220 can be miniaturized and the number of parts can be reduced.

< Reference example 2>
Next, Reference Example 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG.
In Reference Example 2, the second plate member 70 of the sensor unit 20 in Embodiment 1 is omitted, and the shape of the elastic member 50 is changed. Therefore, its description is omitted. Moreover, the same code|symbol shall be used about the same structure as Embodiment 1. FIG.

The elastic member 150 of the sensor unit 120 in Reference Example 2 has a substantially rectangular block shape, and a sensor accommodating portion 151 for accommodating the temperature sensor 40 is provided in a concave shape at the center of the lower end portion of the elastic member 150 . ing.

The elastic member 150 is attached to the FPC 30 so as to accommodate the temperature sensor 40 in the sensor accommodation portion 151 from above. When the elastic member 150 is attached to the FPC 30 , the temperature sensor 40 and the front end portion 31 of the FPC 30 are entirely covered by the elastic member 150 .

In addition, the upper surface 150A of the elastic member 150 is processed smoothly so as to reduce the coefficient of friction in order to improve slippage.
That is, according to this reference example , the number of parts of the sensor unit 220 can be further reduced while protecting the FPC 30 and the temperature sensor 40 .

< Reference example 3>
Next, Reference Example 3 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 9. FIG.
In Reference Example 3, the shape of the second plate member 70 of the sensor unit 20 in Embodiment 1 is changed, and the depth dimension of the housing portion 14 is slightly increased. Since the effects overlap, the description thereof is omitted. Moreover, the same code|symbol shall be used about the same structure as Embodiment 1. FIG.

The second plate member 270 in the sensor unit 220 of Reference Example 3 includes a body portion 271 attached to the upper surface 50A of the elastic member 50 and a guiding portion 272 extending obliquely from the body portion 271 .

The body portion 271 has a substantially rectangular flat plate shape that covers the entire upper surface 50A of the elastic member 50 .
The guide portion 272 is formed in a wide flat plate shape extending forward from the front edge of the main body portion 271, which is the side where the FPC 30 is inserted, toward the lower side where the FPC 30 is arranged. , are formed over the entire width of the body portion 271 .

Therefore, when the sensor unit 220 is inserted into the housing through the opening 15 of the housing 14 , the sensor unit 220 is slid toward the opening 15 of the housing 14 . The guide portion 272 of the second plate member 270 of the sensor unit 220 abuts on the .

In this reference example , when the sensor unit 220 is slid toward the opening 15 of the housing 14, the elastic member 50 does not need to be compressed, and the elastic member 50 is compressed by pressing the second plate 70. You may

Further, when the sensor unit 220 is inserted into the housing portion 14 as it is, the guiding portion 272 is pressed by the unit locking portion 17 and the elastic member 50 is compressed. At the same time, the sensor unit 220 is guided into the housing portion 14 .

That is, when the sensor unit 220 is inserted into the housing portion 14 , the guiding portion 272 can smoothly guide the sensor unit 220 into the housing portion 14 .

< Reference example 4>
Next, Reference Example 4 will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 to 13. FIG.
Reference Example 4 is a modification of the sensor unit 20 of Embodiment 1, and the configuration, action, and effect common to those of Embodiment 1 overlap, so description thereof will be omitted. Moreover, the same code|symbol shall be used about the same structure as Embodiment 1. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 11 , the sensor unit 320 of Reference Example 4 includes an FPC 330, a temperature sensor 40 connected to the FPC 330, an elastic member 350 arranged close to the temperature sensor 40, and attached to the FPC 330. It is composed of a first plate member 60 and a second plate member (an example of a “protection plate”) 70 attached to the FPC 330 .

The temperature sensor 40 is attached at a position slightly behind the front end of the FPC 330 .
The elastic member 350 is composed of two split elastic members 351 whose height dimension is about half that of the elastic member 50 in Embodiment 1, and is configured by stacking two split elastic members 351 in the height direction. ing.

One of the split elastic members 351 is a first split elastic member (an example of an “elastic member”) 351L arranged in close proximity to the temperature sensor 40 so as to surround the entire circumference of the temperature sensor 40 laterally. The first split elastic member 351L is adhered onto the surface 330A of the FPC 330 by, for example, a known adhesive.

Another split elastic member 351 is a second split elastic member (an example of a “second elastic member”) 351U that is attached to the surface 330A at the front end of the FPC 330. Glued.

The length dimension between the first split elastic member 351L and the second split elastic member 351U in the FPC 330 is set to be longer than the height dimension of the two laminated split elastic members 351, and this portion is A bendable bent portion 338 is formed.
By bending the bending portion 338, the two divided elastic members 351 can be laminated.

In addition, the first plate member 60 is adhered below the first split elastic member 351L via the FPC 330, for example, by a known adhesive, and below the second split elastic member 351U via the FPC 330. A second plate member 70 is adhered, for example, with a known adhesive.

Therefore, the sensor unit 320 is configured by bending the bending portion 338 of the FPC 330 and overlapping the second elastic split member 351U on the first elastic split member 351L.

Note that the first elastic split member 351L and the second elastic split member 351U are configured so that the split elastic members 351 are not displaced back and forth due to friction, but are adhered by, for example, a known adhesive. may

Therefore, according to this reference example , after confirming the state of the temperature sensor 40 , the sensor unit 220 can be attached to the housing portion 14 by overlapping the two divided elastic members 351 .

Further, according to this reference example , since the first split elastic member 351L and the second split elastic member 351U are connected via the bent portion 338, it is necessary to cover the temperature sensor 40 after confirming the state of the temperature sensor 40. If there is, for example, compared to the case where the second plate member and the second split elastic member are separate parts, the number of parts can be reduced, and parts controllability and assembling workability can be improved.

< Reference example 5>
Next, Reference Example 5 will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 to 15. FIG.
In Reference Example 5, the second plate member 70 of the sensor unit 20 in Embodiment 1 is omitted, and the shape of the elastic member 50 is changed. Therefore, its description is omitted. Moreover, the same code|symbol shall be used about the same structure as Embodiment 1. FIG.

The elastic member 450 of the sensor unit 420 in Reference Example 5 has a substantially rectangular block shape and is mounted on the surface 30A of the FPC 30 so as to cover the temperature sensor 40 and the entire front end portion 31 of the FPC 30 from above. .

Therefore, when the elastic member 450 is attached to the FPC 30, the upper portion of the elastic member 450 where the temperature sensor 40 is arranged is raised upward.

That is, according to this reference example , the elastic member 450 is formed in a block shape, and the elastic member 450 is simply attached to the FPC 30 to which the temperature sensor 40 is attached, so the processing operation of the elastic member 450 is very easy. . That is, the number of man-hours required for manufacturing the sensor unit 420 can be reduced.

Although the elastic member 450 is raised upward, the elastic member 450 is made of a soft elastic material having elasticity. No damage.

< Reference example 6>
Next, reference example 6 will be described with reference to FIG.
In Reference Example 6, the second plate member 70 of the sensor unit 20 in Embodiment 1 is omitted, and a molded portion is formed between the temperature sensor 40 and the elastic member 50. Since the actions and effects are redundant, the description thereof will be omitted. Moreover, the same code|symbol shall be used about the same structure as Embodiment 1. FIG.

The molded portion 580 in the sensor unit 520 of Reference Example 6 is formed by pouring resin between the temperature sensor 40 and the elastic member 50 and curing the resin. It is in a state of being in close contact with the surface 30A of the FPC 30 .

Further, the height dimension of the mold portion 580 is set to be slightly smaller than the height dimension of the elastic member 50 , and the elastic member 50 protrudes upward from the mold portion 580 .

Therefore, when the sensor unit 520 is housed in the housing portion 14, the elastic member 50 presses the FPC 30 and the first plate member 60 against the device 10 while preventing the mold portion 580 from coming into contact with the housing portion 14. 40 can be prevented from deteriorating in detection accuracy.

In addition, since the temperature sensor 40 is completely covered with the molded portion 580, the temperature sensor 40 is prevented from contacting liquid, dust, etc., which enter from other members or the outside. It is possible to further suppress the deterioration of the detection accuracy of .

<Other embodiments>
The technology disclosed in this specification is not limited to the embodiments described by the above description and drawings, and includes various aspects such as the following, for example.

(1) In Embodiment 1 and Reference Examples 2 to 6 , the sensor units 20, 120, 220, 320, and 420 are inserted into the housing portion 14 by inserting the sensor unit 20 into the housing portion 14 through the opening 15 of the housing portion 14. , 520 are attached. However, it is also possible to cover the sensor unit from above with a box-shaped housing opening downward, assemble the housing into the device, and mount the sensor unit in the housing.

(2) In Embodiment 1 and Reference Examples 2 to 6 , the first plate member 60 is attached to the rear surface of the FPCs 30 and 330 . However, the invention is not limited to this, and a protective film may be attached to the back surface 30B of the FPC 30, or the thickness of the insulating film on the bottom surface of the FPC may be increased.

(3) In Embodiment 1 and Reference Examples 2 to 6 , the temperature sensor 40 is used as the sensor element. However, the configuration is not limited to this, and a configuration using various sensors such as a vibration sensor and an angle sensor may be employed as the sensor element.

(4) In Embodiment 1 and Reference Example 3, the second plate member 70 made of a resin plate is attached to the upper surface 50A of the elastic member 50 as a lid. However, the configuration is not limited to this, and a configuration in which a protective film or the like is attached as a lid to the upper surface of the elastic member may be employed.

(5) In Embodiment 1 and Reference Examples 2 to 4 , the elastic members 50, 150, 350 are made of a soft elastic material having elasticity. However, without being limited to this, the sensor unit may be made waterproof by imparting waterproofness such as by coating an elastic member. It may be configured to improve performance.

(6) In Embodiment 1 and Reference Examples 2 to 6 , FPCs 30 and 330 are used as flexible conductive path structures. However, the configuration is not limited to this, and a flexible flat cable or the like may be used as the conductive path structure.

(7) In Embodiment 1 and Reference Examples 2 to 4 , the elastic members 50, 150, and 350 surround the entire periphery of the temperature sensor. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and as shown in FIGS. A configuration in which the side portion is omitted may be employed.

10: Equipment (an example of "object to be detected")
14: Accommodating portion 15: Opening portion 17: Unit locking portion (an example of a “retaining portion”)
20, 120, 220, 320, 420, 520: sensor unit 33: detection line (an example of a "conductive path")
30, 330: FPC (an example of a "conductive path structure")
40: Temperature sensor (an example of a "sensor element")
50, 150, 350: elastic member 60: first plate (an example of "plate")
70, 270: Second plate material (an example of a “lid” or “protective plate”)
271: main body portion 272: guiding portion 338: bending portion 351L: first split elastic member (an example of “elastic member”)
351U: Second split elastic member (an example of a “second elastic member”)
580: Mold part

Claims (4)

A sensor unit mounted in an accommodating portion provided in an object to be detected,
a flexible strip-shaped conductive path structure having conductive paths formed thereon;
a sensor element connected to the conductive path on the surface of the conductive path structure;
Elastically deformable elastically deformable on the surface of the conductive path structure and elastically compressed in the accommodating portion to press the back side portion of the conductive path structure toward the detected object by elastic force. comprising a member and
The elastic member is inserted into the accommodating portion in an elastically compressed state together with the conductive path structure to which the sensor element is connected, and is attached to the object to be detected,
A cover is attached to the elastic member at a position opposite to the conductive path structure, covering the entire elastic member together with the sensor element,
The sensor unit, wherein the entire surface of the lid opposite to the elastic member is in contact with the inner wall of the accommodating portion. The sensor element is a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the object to be detected,
2. The sensor unit according to claim 1, wherein a plate member is attached to the rear surface of said conductive path structure. 3. The sensor unit according to claim 2, wherein the plate material is a metal plate material having high thermal conductivity . 4. The sensor unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the elastic member is arranged close to the periphery of the sensor element in the conductive path structure .

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