JPH0313739Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to electrical indicating instruments such as fuel gauges and thermometers for automobiles, and particularly relates to terminal attachment devices for electrical wiring.

[Conventional technology]

A conventional technique for this type of device will be explained with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8.

The figure shows a fuel gauge for a vehicle, in which a lower bearing 2 is formed on a gauge support 1 made of an electrically insulating material, and two dial support parts 3 project upward from the gauge support 1. A plate 4 is installed on this dial support portion 3. The lower end of the pointer shaft 5 is rotatably supported by the bearing 2, and the upper end of the pointer shaft 5 is inserted through a small hole 4a formed in the plate 4 and rotatably supported. Above pointer shaft 5
The pointer 6 is press-fitted into the upper end of the
A lever 7 is fixed in the middle thereof, and a slit 8 is formed in the lever 7. A U-shaped bimetal 12 having a temperature compensating section 9 and a movable leg section 11 around which a heating wire 10 is wound is connected to the temperature compensating section 9.
Adjustment plate 1 with one end mounted on gauge support 1
3, a pin 14 is welded to the tip of the flexible leg 11 around which the hot wire 10 is wound, and this pin 14 is slidably engaged with the slit 8 of the lever 7 fixed to the pointer shaft 5. The movable leg portion 11 of the bimetal 12 curves in response to the amount of heat generated by the hot wire 10, rotates the lever 7, and points the pointer 6 on the scale of the dial 15 fixed to the dial support 3. That's what I do.

In such a fuel gauge, a plurality of terminals 16 are provided at the end of the gauge support 1 made of the electrically insulating material to which the ends of the hot wires 10 of the bimetal 12 are connected.

As shown in FIG. 8, this terminal 16 is formed with an engaging protrusion 17 protruding from its side wall, and
A threaded portion 18 is formed in the center of the terminal 16 board. Further, the electrically insulating gauge support 1 to which the terminals 16 are attached is formed with a plurality of recesses 19 into which the terminals 16 are press-fitted from above.
An engaging portion 20 that engages with the engaging protrusion 17 of the terminal 16 to prevent it from coming off is protrudingly provided on the inner circumferential side wall of the terminal 16, and a gauge support body corresponding to the threaded portion 18 formed on the terminal 16. An insertion hole 21 is formed on the bottom of the recess 19 of 1.
is formed. A printed wiring board 25 is fixed to the outer bottom surface of the meter body 22 that houses the electrical indicator, and an insertion hole 23 is formed in the bottom surface of the meter body 22 and the wiring board 25 concentrically with the insertion hole 21. A screw 24 is screwed into the threaded portion 18 of the terminal 16 from the wiring board side through the insertion hole 23 and the insertion hole 21, and an electric circuit to be routed and wired to the outside is connected.

[The problem that the idea aims to solve]

However, in the conventional device described above, if there is a dimensional error in each component, the threaded portion 1 of one terminal 16
When trying to fix the gauge support 1 to the meter body 22 by screwing the screw 24 into the terminal 8 and then screwing the threaded portion 18 of the other terminal 16 into the screw 24,
Misalignment occurs between the threaded part 18 and screw insertion hole 21 of the other terminal and the screw insertion hole 23 of the meter body 22, and in this state of screw hole misalignment, it is difficult to force the other screw 24. If they were fitted together, the gauge support 1 and the meter body would be deformed, causing an error in the gauge reading of the electrical indicator.

Therefore, the present invention was developed in view of the above points, and it is possible to fix the terminal on the gauge support without causing deformation of the gauge support or the meter body even if the position is misaligned, and to connect the terminal and the meter. It is an object of the present invention to provide a terminal attachment device for an electrical indicator that can be electrically connected to the wiring of the main body.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the terminal attachment device for an electrical indicator according to the present invention is provided by attaching a terminal to an end of a gauge support made of an electrically insulating material that holds a pointer, etc.
By engaging the terminal to which the wiring routed from the meter body is connected, and by screwing the screw that passes through the meter body and the gauge support into the threaded portion of the terminal, the terminal is fixed on the gauge support, In an electrical indicator in which a terminal is electrically connected to the wiring of a meter body, a recess is formed in the gauge indicator to accommodate the terminal with a gap between the outer circumference of the terminal and the recess. An opening that is sufficiently larger than the diameter of the screw for inserting the screw is formed in the bottom surface of the recess, and a part of the peripheral wall of the recess has an opening for inserting the terminal, and a terminal inserted into the recess through the opening. A regulating piece for regulating movement along the peripheral wall and a protrusion for preventing the terminal from coming off in the opening direction are provided, and the terminal is provided with a recess within the range of the distance between the recess peripheral wall and the outer periphery of the terminal. It is characterized in that a cutout that engages with the protrusion is formed with a gap that allows the terminal to move within the protrusion.

[Effect]

In the above configuration, the recess formed in the gauge support for housing the terminal has a space between it and the outer periphery of the terminal, and the opening formed at the bottom of the recess for inserting the screw. Since the diameter of the gauge support is sufficiently larger than the diameter of the screw, there may be dimensional errors in each component. Even if the terminal is out of position, the terminal can be moved within the recess by the distance between the recess and the outer circumference of the terminal, and the terminal can be screwed into place without applying excessive force to the gauge support or meter body. The screws inserted through the screw holes in the meter body and the openings in the bottom of the recesses can be screwed into the threaded portions of the terminals.

In addition, a regulating piece provided on a part of the peripheral wall of the recess restricts the movement of the terminal inserted into the recess along the peripheral wall, and a protrusion provided on a part of the peripheral wall of the recess moves into the notch formed in the terminal. Since they engage with each other with a gap, even if a gap is formed between the recess and the outer periphery of the terminal, the terminal once inserted into the recess will not fall out of the recess and can move within the range of the above distance. The terminal is held in the recess while being allowed, and when the terminal is fixed on the gauge support and the terminal is electrically connected to the wiring of the meter body, the terminal is housed in the recess in advance. can be done without compromising workability.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of essential parts of an embodiment of the present invention.
The terminal attachment portion of the gauge support 1 is shown.

U-shaped notch 3 at the upper end of the gauge support 1
0 is formed, and an elastic member 31 is inserted into this notch 30.
The terminal holder 32 is supported at three ends. The elastic member 31 has a thin curved cross section and is integrally molded together with the terminal holder 32 and the gauge support 1 from a synthetic resin material.

The terminal holder 32 has a recess 19 for storing the terminal, and the upper, lower, and one side of the recess 19 are open.
a pair of shelves 19b formed at the lower part of the peripheral wall 19a;
A pair of engaging pieces 1 formed on both sides of the upper part of the peripheral wall 19a
The terminal 16 is held between the holding piece 9c and the holding piece 19d. The lower part of the recess 19, that is, the open part on the bottom surface serves as an opening that is sufficiently larger than the diameter of the screw 24 through which the screw 24 is inserted. In addition, the pair of engagement pieces 19c and the presser piece 1
9d functions as a regulating piece that regulates upward movement of the terminal 16 along the peripheral wall of the recess 19.

The terminal 16 has a raised piece 16a at the rear end for connection to the hot wire 10, a screwed part 18 at the center, a pair of notches 16b on both sides, and a rectangular hole near the base of the raised piece 16a. Rotation regulating portions 16c are provided, respectively, and are integrally molded from conductive metal.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the terminal mounting part, including the gauge support 1, the meter body 22, and the printed wiring board 25.
A screw 24 inserted from below through the terminal holder 32 engages with the threaded portion 18 of the terminal 16 through the lower opening of the terminal holder 32, thereby holding the terminal 16 in the recess 19. In this case, the terminal holder 32 is movably supported vertically and horizontally by the elastic member 31, and even if there is a positional shift or gap between the gauge support 1 and the meter body 22, the elastic member 31 will not bend. As a result, the terminal 16 and the screw 24 can be screwed together without difficulty, and the above-mentioned gap can be absorbed, so that the gauge support 1, the meter body 22, etc. are not deformed.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the terminal mounting part, and shows the terminal 16.
The external shape is similar to that of the recess 19, and the dimensions are somewhat smaller. Therefore, as can be seen from the figure, terminal 1
A slight gap 34 is created between the outer circumferential portion of the recess 19 and the inner circumferential wall 19a of the recess 19. Further, such a gap also exists between the engagement piece 19c for preventing the terminal 16 from coming off and the terminal notch 16b. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, the engagement piece 19c has a protrusion 19e on its lower surface with a hemispherical cross section for preventing the terminal 16 installed in the recess 19 from falling off.
A gap 35 is formed between e and the edge of the notch 16b. The width of 〓 34 and 35 between these is the screw 2
4 or the inner diameter d of the threaded portion 18 or less.

FIG. 5 shows a cross section of the engagement portion between the rotation restricting portion 16c of the terminal 16 and the rotation restricting protrusion 33. As shown in FIG. As can be seen from the figure, the rotation regulating portion 16c is a rectangular hole, and the rotation regulating protrusion 33 is a rectangular pin at the tip, and the two are relatively tightly fitted, so that the terminal 16 rotates when the screw 24 is screwed. At the same time, the terminal 16 is directly positioned and temporarily fixed to the meter case 1 without using the terminal holder 32 that is elastically supported by the gauge support 1.

Next, the procedure for attaching the terminal 16 will be explained.

When attaching the terminal 16, first insert the semicircular tip of the terminal 16 through the side opening of the recess 19. As a result, the engagement piece 19c having the protrusion 19e is slightly bent upward, allowing the terminal to enter while the protrusion 19e slides on the upper surface of the terminal 16. In this case, the protrusion 19e
Since it is hemispherical, it will not damage the terminal or gauge support. When the terminal 16 is fully inserted, the protrusion 19e falls into the notch 16b of the terminal 16, and the terminal 16 is prevented from falling off while being held vertically by the shelf 19b, the holding piece 19d, and the engaging piece 19c. Retained.

Next, place the gauge support 1 on the meter body 22,
When the rotation regulating protrusion 33 and the rotation regulating part 16c are fitted and positioned, the screw 24 is inserted from below the meter main body 22, and the screw 24 is fixed to the threaded part of the terminal 16, the terminal 16 is inserted into the recess 19. The gauge support 1 and the meter body 2 are securely fixed to each other.
2 is fixed. At this time, if there is a dimensional error in each component, a positional deviation will occur between the gauge support 1 and the meter body 22, but the terminal 16 and the recess 19
Since there are gaps 34 and 35 between the terminal 16 and the peripheral wall of the terminal 19, the displacement of the terminal 16 can be absorbed by the movement of the terminal 16 within the recess 19. Therefore, the screw 24 is inserted into the screw insertion hole 23.
When screwing into the threaded portion 18 of the terminal 16 through the thread, excessive force may be applied to the gauge support 1 and the meter body 2.
2 will not be deformed.

Further, when screwing the screw 24 into the terminal 16, the terminal 16 is connected to the shelf 19b, the engaging piece 19c, and the holding piece 19.
d prevents floating and holds it in a horizontal state, allowing for smooth screwing.
Furthermore, since the rotation of the screw is prevented by the rotation regulating protrusion 33 when tightening the screw, the recess 19 (terminal holder 32) is not subjected to any force that would cause it to twist. Therefore, the gauge support 1 itself is not subjected to torsional force, and there is little possibility that an error in the indication of the gauge provided on the gauge support 1 will occur.

Further, since the terminal holder 32 is supported by the gauge support 1 by the elastic member 32, the terminal 16 can be moved to the gauge support by moving the terminal holder 1 in the horizontal direction due to the bending of the elastic member 31. 1
Since it can be moved relative to the gauge support 1 without applying excessive force to the gauge support 1, the above-mentioned positional deviation can be absorbed.
Even when there is dimensional variation in the height of the receiving surface and a gap is formed between the gauge support 1 and the meter main body 22, this gap can be absorbed by the elastic member 31 being bent.

Therefore, the screw 24 and the terminal 16 can be screwed together without any force, and the gauge support 1, the meter body 22, etc. will not be deformed, and errors in the gauge indication of the electrical indicator can be prevented. I can do it.

When disassembling for repair, remove the screws 24, separate the gauge support 1 from the meter body 22, and then forcefully pull out the terminal 16 from the recess 19.
e comes off from the notch 16b, and the terminal 16 falls off.

Although the elastic member 31 is molded integrally with the terminal holder 32 and the gauge support 1 from synthetic resin, it is not necessarily limited to this.
It can also be constructed from a separate member such as a rubber material or a metal spring.

Further, the rotation restricting protrusion 33 for preventing rotation of the terminal and the rotation restricting portion 16c fitted therein do not necessarily have to be rectangular as described above, but can be appropriately deformed into a circular shape or other various shapes.

[Effect of idea]

As mentioned above, the present invention is designed to prevent the gauge support from moving from its original position when the component parts have dimensional errors and when the screw is screwed into the threaded part of the terminal to fix the gauge support to the meter body. Even if the terminal is misaligned, the terminal can move within the recess for the distance between the recess and the outer periphery of the terminal, and the threaded part of the terminal can be moved without applying excessive force to the gauge support or meter body. By aligning the screw insertion holes in the meter body with the screw insertion holes in the meter body and the opening at the bottom of the recess, the screws inserted through the screw insertion holes in the meter body and the opening at the bottom of the recess can be screwed into the threaded portions of the terminals, which prevents gauge reading errors from occurring. do not have.

In addition, even if a gap is formed between the recess and the outer circumference of the terminal, the terminal once inserted into the recess will not fall out of the recess, and will be retained within the recess while being allowed to move within the above distance. In addition to fixing the terminals on the gauge support, the terminals can be housed in the recesses in advance when electrically connecting the terminals and the wiring in the meter body, reducing work efficiency. It never happens.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the main parts of the embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 3 is a top view of the terminal mounting part, Figure 4 is a partial sectional view showing the terminal fall prevention structure, Figure 5 is a partial sectional view showing the terminal positioning part, and Figure 6 is a partial sectional view showing the terminal positioning part. 7 is a sectional view of the conventional example shown in FIG. 6, and FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view showing a terminal mounting portion of the conventional device. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Gauge support body, 6... Pointer, 16... Terminal, 16b... Notch, 16c... Rotation regulating part, 1
8...Threaded part, 19...Recessed part, 19a...Peripheral wall,
19b...shelf, 19c...engaging piece, 19d...pressing piece, 19e...protrusion, 22...meter body, 2
3...Insertion hole, 24...Screw, 30...Notch,
31...Elastic member, 32...Terminal holder, 33...
...Rotation regulating protrusion, 34...distance, 35...dimension.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] Terminals to which wiring drawn from the meter body is connected are engaged with the ends of a gauge support made of electrically insulating material that holds a pointer, etc., and the meter body and gauge support are connected. In an electrical indicating meter, the terminal is fixed on the gauge support by screwing the screw to be inserted into the threaded part of the terminal, and the terminal and the wiring of the meter body are electrically connected, wherein the gauge support There is a space between the body and the outer circumference of the terminal.
A recess is formed in which the terminal is housed, the bottom of the recess is formed with an opening that is sufficiently larger than the diameter of the screw for inserting the screw, and a part of the peripheral wall of the recess is provided with a recess for inserting the terminal. an opening, a regulating piece that restricts the movement of the terminal inserted into the recess through the opening along the peripheral wall, and a protrusion that prevents the terminal from coming off in the direction of the opening, and the terminal A terminal attachment device characterized in that a notch is formed to engage with the protrusion with a gap that allows the terminal to move within the recess within the range of the gap between the cutout and the outer periphery of the terminal.