JPH03252068A - Connecting device for measuring instruments - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enhance simplification of positioning between a connecting terminal and a terminal, improvement in measuring instrument assembling work efficiency, and automation by holding a plurality of terminals by a connector table with positioning on through holes, passing connecting terminals through the through holes, and then horizontally moving the connector table to elastically lock the connecting terminals to the terminals. CONSTITUTION:Locking recessed parts 21 are formed on the circumferential surfaces of respective connecting terminals 20 led out of a case 1, a connector table 27 having through holes 31 possible to pass the connecting terminals 20 formed is disposed on the outer surface of the case 1, and a plurality of terminals 23 having locking hole parts 25 to which the locking recessed parts 21 are fitted and at least the inner circumferential edges of which can be elastically deformed are situated on the through holes 31 and held by the connector table 27. After the terminals 23 are electrically connected to wiring members 9, and the connecting terminals 20 are passed through the through holes 31, the connector table 27 is horizontally moved, whereby the connecting terminals are elastically locked by the terminals 23. Hence, simplification of positioning between the connecting terminals and the terminals, improvement in measuring instrument assembling work efficiency, and automation can be enhanced.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to a connection device for a meter, and in particular to the electrical connection between a meter unit housed in a case and a wiring member routed outside the case, and the case of the meter unit. The instrument connection device has improved fixation and assemblability.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, as a connection device for this type of meter, for example,
As disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 21370, etc., as shown in FIG. 7, a case 1 houses an instrument unit 2 such as a crossed coil type movable magnet instrument, and this instrument unit 2 is divided into a bobbin case 3 which is divided into front and rear parts. , a magnet 5 installed in a cavity 4 formed inside the bobbin case 3, a pointer shaft 6 fixed to the magnet 5 and pivotally supported by the bobbin case 3, and a pointer shaft 6 attached to the outer peripheral surface of the bobbin case 3. The main components are coils 7 wound so as to cross each other, and after these components are assembled, they are housed and fixed in a shield case 8 made of metal such as aluminum and having an open front.

Further, on the outer surface side of the bottom wall IA of the case 1, a plurality of electrical cords 9 for external wiring, which serve as wiring members, are routed and arranged;
A round plate terminal 11 having a through hole 10 is crimped and fixed to the end of each electric cord 9. Then, a terminal bolt 12 made of a conductive material is inserted into the through hole 10 of each terminal 11, and this terminal bolt 12 is inserted into the leg portion 14A of the bobbin case 3 through the through hole 13 provided in the bottom wall IA of the case 1. Female screw portion 15 of the provided connection terminal 14
By screwing the cord 9 into the meter unit 2, the electric cord 9 and the meter unit 2 are electrically connected and the meter unit 2 is fixed at the same time.

[Problem to be solved by the invention] In recent years, there has been a demand for automation of assembly lines for vehicle instruments installed in automobiles, motorcycles, etc. in order to save labor in the manufacturing process. However, in the conventional example, the work of fitting the terminal bolt 12 into the through-hole 10 of the terminal 11 provided in the electrical cord 9 is more efficient.
Terminal 11 is not fixed in the specified position, and terminal 1
Since the terminal bolt 12 cannot be automatically set to the terminal bolt 12, the terminal bolt 12 must be set manually, which reduces assembly work efficiency and particularly hinders automatic assembly of this type of instrument.

Further, a connection device having a structure shown in FIG. 8 is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 17984/1984 as a structure for simultaneously electrically connecting and fixing the meter unit 2 without using the terminal bolts 12. This method connects the cylindrical connection terminal 16 provided on the rear surface of the instrument unit 2 to the tooth 1.
A conductive metal fitting 18 having a spring property and having a U-shaped cross section is press-fitted into a recess 11 which is led out to the outside and provided at the tip side of this connection terminal 16, and is elastically clamped. FPCP4O10 with legs arranged along the outer surface of case 1
The meter unit 2 and the FPCP4O10 are electrically connected by pressure contact with an electric circuit (not shown), and at the same time, the meter unit 2 is fixed.

However, in this example, # connection terminal 1 derived from case 1
The conductive metal fittings 18 must be aligned and fitted at θ, and when the instrument unit 2 is provided with a plurality of connection terminals 16,
Not only is this accompanied by troublesome positioning work, but also the plurality of connection terminals 16 must be connected individually, and as in the case of using the terminal bolts 12 described above, assembly work efficiency is reduced, especially when automatically assembling instruments. Above, there was a disadvantage.

Therefore, the present invention simplifies the alignment of a plurality of connection terminals and terminals provided in an instrument unit, and simultaneously connects a plurality of connection terminals and terminals to improve the instrument assembly work, and in particular, to improve automation. The purpose is to provide a connection device for meters that can also be used.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention houses an instrument unit in a case, provides a plurality of connection terminals on the instrument unit, and connects each connection terminal with a wiring member that is routed and arranged outside the case. In the instrument connection device for electrically connecting the terminals, a locking recess is formed on the circumferential surface of each of the connection terminals led out of the case, and an insertion hole through which the connection terminal can be inserted is formed. A connector stand is disposed on the outer surface of the case, and a plurality of terminals each having a locking hole portion whose inner peripheral edge is elastically deformable by fitting into the locking recess portion are positioned over the insertion hole. After holding the terminal on the connector stand and electrically connecting the terminal and the wiring member and inserting the connection terminal into the insertion hole, move the connector stand horizontally to connect the connection terminal to the terminal. It is designed to lock the bullet in place. Further, in the present invention, the locking holes of the plurality of terminals are arranged on a circle, and an insertion opening portion for receiving the locking recess is connected to the locking hole on the front side in the rotational movement direction of the connector base. It is something to do.

[Function] By moving the connector stand along the horizontal direction, the locking holes of the plurality of terminals provided on the connector stand and the locking recesses of the plurality of connection terminals are engaged in the L1 positioning state, # The connecting terminal and the terminal are electrically connected, and due to the spring properties of the terminal itself, the instrument unit is fixed to the case while the connector base and the instrument unit sandwich the case.

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

1 to 4 show a first embodiment of the present invention, and the same or equivalent parts as in the conventional example shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 are given the same reference numerals, and detailed explanation thereof will be omitted.

In the same figure, reference numeral 2 denotes an instrument unit consisting of a cross-coil type moving magnet instrument, and leg portions 3A are formed from four locations of the bobbin case 3 of this instrument unit 2 to protrude in the front-rear direction. A cylindrical connection terminal 20 made of a conductive material is integrally disposed inside three of the legs 3A by insert molding or press-fitting.

The end of the coil 7 is connected to each connection terminal 20, and the rear #A side of each connection terminal 20 is led out of the shield case 8 through a through hole 8A provided in the shield case 8, and its protrusion Groove-shaped locking recess 2 on the circumferential surface on the tip side of the part
1 is formed.

The case 1 made of synthetic resin has a through hole 13 formed in the bottom wall IA, which is the mounting surface of the instrument unit 2, for leading the connection terminal 20 to the outside, and is located approximately in the center of the mounting position of the instrument unit 2. A boss portion 22 for positioning is bored on the outer surface side of the bottom wall IA.

A terminal 23 made of a conductive material and crimped to a plurality of electrical cords 9 for external wiring, which are wiring members, has an insertion opening 24 that opens at the periphery, and a locking hole 25 into which the locking recess 21 is inserted. are connected in a row to form a planar substantially U-shape, and
A tapered portion 2 with a shape that widens toward the end is provided at the inner peripheral edge of the locking hole portion 25.
The terminal 23 is formed in the shape of a right cross section with 6.
It is formed so as to give springiness in the vertical direction, and is formed in a shape that widens toward the outside from the insertion opening 24 so as to fit into the locking recess 21 .

Reference numeral 27 denotes an insulating connector stand for attaching and holding each of the terminals 23, and this connector stand 27 has terminals 23 formed to have approximately the same shape and size as the terminals 23.
A positioning recess 28 is formed, and the case 1
A positioning hole 2 that opens so that the boss portion 22 of the
9 is drilled. Further, this connector base 27 has a curved elastic arm piece 30 along the rear peripheral edge of the positioning hole 29.
are integrally formed, and an insertion hole 31 is provided for allowing the connection terminal 20 to pass through.
The terminal 23 is formed in an arc shape along the arc trajectory #A of the connecting terminal 20 when the terminal 7 is rotated around the boss portion 22, and is set in the positioning recess 28. The locking hole portions 25 are positioned on the circular arc locus A and are held by the connector bases 27, respectively. Further, an insulating protective cover 32 is removably provided on the connector base 27, and a locking claw 33 provided on the protective cover 32 and a locking receiving portion 34 provided on the connector base 27.
The protective cover 32 is attached by being engaged with the protective cover 32.

In the above configuration, the installation procedure of the present invention will be explained.

First, the meter unit 2 is housed in the case 1, and the connection terminal 20 protruding from the rear surface of the meter unit 2 is made to protrude to the outside of the case 1 through the through hole 13 provided in the bottom wall IA of the case 1.

Further, each terminal 23 is set in advance in a positioning recess 28, and each locking hole 25 is arranged on a circle,
A locking recess 21 is provided on the front side of the connector base 27 in the rotational movement direction.
A plurality of terminals 23 are integrated into one connector stand 27. The connector stand 2 is attached to the boss part 22 provided on the bottom wall IA of the primary case 1.
While inserting the positioning hole 29 of 7, the connector stand 27 is placed on the rear side of the case 1 so that the connection terminal 20 faces the insertion hole 31 of the connector stand 27. Then, as shown in FIG.
By horizontally rotating the connector base 27 in the direction shown in FIG.
The connection terminal of the instrument unit 2 is inserted through the terminal 23 into the locking hole 25 through the insertion opening 24 and the peripheral edge of the locking hole 25 is brought into pressure contact with the locking recess 21 of the connection terminal 20. 20 and the electrical cord 9, and by bending the tapered portion 26 of the terminal 23, the case 1 is held between the connector base 27 and the instrument unit 2 by its elastic restoring force, and the instrument unit is assembled. 2 is fixed to the case 1.

Moreover, in this case, the elastic arm piece 30 provided on the connector stand 27
slides on the circumferential surface of the boss portion 22 while being elastically deformed in the horizontal direction, and when the rotation is completed, the engagement protrusion 3OA at the tip engages the boss portion 2.
The connector base 27 is engaged with a recessed portion 22A provided on the circumferential surface of the connector base 27, thereby restricting the rotation of the connector base 27, and temporarily fixing the connection terminal 20 and the terminal 23. Note that if the locking force between the locking recess 21 and the locking hole 25 is large, the elastic arm piece 30 may not be provided.

Then, the locking claws 33 of the protective cover 32 are locked to the locking receiving portions 34 of the connector stand 27, and the protective cover 32 is attached to complete the assembly work.

In this way, in the present invention, the terminal 23 is set in the positioning recess 28 of the connector base 27, and the boss part 22 of the case 1 is inserted into the positioning hole 29 of the connector base 27.
Connect each terminal 23 and # connection terminal 2 by inserting
By rotating the connector base 27 around the boss portion 22, the plurality of connection terminals 20 and the plurality of terminals 23 can be easily aligned with each other.
At the same time, electrical connections are made to each terminal 2.
3, the instrument unit 2 can be fixed.

Therefore, it is possible to move a single component such as the connector base 27 once in the vertical direction, avoiding the manual work of fitting the terminal bolt into the through hole of the terminal whose position is not determined as in the conventional example. Since the assembly process is as simple as moving the terminal once in the horizontal direction, it is possible to easily automate the assembly line. The instrument unit 2 can be connected all at once with a single operation of rotating and moving the terminals, increasing the work efficiency.
By fixing the mounting via 3, it can be securely fixed without any fixing work. In particular, connector stand 2
7 rotates on the comrade circle, which has the additional effect of not requiring extra space for movement.

5 and 6 show a second embodiment of the present invention, and the same parts as in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed explanation thereof will be omitted.

In the above embodiment, the connection terminals 20 and the terminals 23 are electrically connected by rotating the connector base 27, but in this example, the connection terminals 20 and the terminals 35 are connected by sliding the connector base 27. The terminal 35 of this embodiment is formed by folding one end back in a vertical cross-section shape so that a movable piece 36 and a fixed piece 37 face each other so as to impart spring properties in the vertical direction. The fixing piece 37 has a connecting terminal 2 provided on the instrument unit 2.
A long hole 38 is drilled through which the 0 is inserted, and on the movable piece 36 side,
The hole 39 through which the connecting terminal 20 is inserted, the locking hole 40 into which the locking recess 21 is inserted and the locking recess 21 of the connecting terminal 20 is fitted, and the hole 39 and the locking hole 40 are made to communicate with each other. At the same time, an insertion opening portion 41 is formed which is sandwiched between the locking hole portions 40 and the insertion opening portion 41 . Further, a claw portion 42 is formed by cutting and raising the fixing piece 36, and by engaging this claw portion 42 with a receiving hole 45 provided in a positioning recess 44 of a connector base 43, each terminal 35 is attached to the positioning recess 44. It is positioned and fixed inside. Further, elastic arm pieces 46 in the shape of an abbreviated character are provided on both rear surfaces of the connector base 43, and elastic arm pieces 46 are provided on the bottom wall IA of the case 1 in correspondence with the elastic arm pieces 46.
6 is inserted through the opening 47, and one edge of the opening 47 is provided with a rising wall 48 having a vertical cross-section that is engaged with the elastic arm piece 46. In addition, the connector stand 43
The insertion hole 49 provided in the fixing piece 36 of the terminal 35
It is formed to face the elongated hole 38 provided in and to have substantially the same shape and size as this elongated hole 38.

Then, connect the connecting terminal 20 of the instrument unit 2 to the hole 3 of the movable piece 36 of the terminal 35 through the insertion hole 49 provided in the connector base 43 and the elongated hole 38 of the fixed piece 37 of the terminal 35.
9 and insert the elastic arm piece 46 into the opening 47 provided in the bottom wall IA.
By sliding in the horizontal direction (in the direction of arrow B in FIG. 5), the connecting terminal 20 is press-fitted into the locking hole 40 from the insertion opening 41 located on the front side in the sliding direction, and the terminal 35 is inserted. Locked in the locking recess 21 in a press-contact state,
The terminal 35 and the connection terminal 20 are electrically connected, and the connector base 43 is attached to the case 1 by engaging the groove 50 provided on the elastic arm piece 46 and the protrusion 51 provided on the rising wall 48.
As a result, the case 1 is sandwiched between the connector stand 43 and the instrument unit 2, and the instrument unit 2 is fixed to the case 1.

Therefore, in this embodiment, by sliding the connector base 43, the plurality of connection terminals 20 and the terminal 35 can be electrically connected at once, and at the same time, the instrument unit 2 can be fixed. , it is possible to obtain the same functions and effects as those of the first embodiment.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments,
Various modifications can be made within the scope of the gist of the present invention,
For example, the number of connection terminals provided in the instrument unit, the shape and material of the terminals, etc. may be selected as appropriate.
In the first embodiment, the boss part is provided on the case side and the positioning hole is provided on the mounting plate side, but conversely, the boss part is provided on the mounting plate side, and the positioning hole is provided on the case side. It is also possible to position the two by inserting them into each other.

Further, although the connection terminal and the terminal are restrained from loosening by elastic arms provided on the connector base, a bayonet connection in which the connector base and the case are connected by rotation may also be applied.

In addition to electrical cords, various wiring members can be selected from the terminal, such as FPC boards and flat leads.

Moreover, the shape of the locking recess may be selected as appropriate as long as it has a stepped portion for elastically deforming the locking hole in the vertical direction.

[Effects of the Invention] The present invention stores an instrument unit in a case, provides a plurality of connection terminals on the instrument unit, and electrically connects each connection terminal with a wiring member routed and arranged outside the case. In the connecting device for the meter, a locking recess is formed on the circumferential surface of each of the connection terminals led out to the outside of the case, and the connector base is formed with an insertion hole through which the connection terminal can be inserted. A plurality of terminals disposed on the outer surface of the case, each having a locking hole portion whose inner peripheral edge can be elastically deformed by fitting the locking recess portion, are positioned over the insertion hole and attached to the connector base. After holding the terminal and the wiring member electrically and inserting the connection terminal into the insertion hole, the connection terminal is elastically engaged with the terminal by moving the connector base in a horizontal direction. It is meant to stop. Further, in the present invention, the locking holes of a plurality of terminals are arranged on a concentric circle, and an insertion opening portion for receiving the locking recess is connected to the locking hole on the front side in the rotational movement direction of the connector base. By doing so, it is possible to simplify the positioning of the terminals and the multiple connection terminals provided on the instrument unit, and by connecting the multiple connection terminals and terminals at the same time, it is possible to simplify the instrument assembly work. It is possible to provide an instrument connection device that can easily automate the assembly process.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 to 4 show a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a sectional view, FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line ■-n in FIG. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view, FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 show a second embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a sectional view, and FIG. ■■
-■ line sectional view, FIG. 7, and FIG. 8 are sectional views showing conventional examples of the present invention, respectively. 1... Case 2... Meter unit 9... Electric cord (wiring member) 11, 23.35... Terminal 14, 16.20... Connection terminal 21... Locking recess 24, 41 ...Insertion opening portions 25, 40...Latching hole portions 27, 43...Connector base 31, 49...Insertion hole patent Applicant: Nippon Seiki Co., Ltd. Representative: Patent attorney Patent attorney Ushiki Figure 3

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A meter unit is housed in a case, a plurality of connection terminals are provided on the meter unit, and each of the connection terminals is electrically connected to a wiring member routed and arranged outside the case. In the instrument connection device, a locking recess is formed on the circumferential surface of each of the connection terminals led out to the outside of the case, and a connector base having an insertion hole through which the connection terminal can be inserted is arranged on the outer surface of the case. a plurality of terminals each having a locking hole portion whose inner peripheral edge is elastically deformable by fitting into the locking recess portion are positioned over the insertion hole and held on the connector base; and the wiring member are electrically connected, and after the connecting terminal is inserted into the insertion hole, the connecting terminal is resiliently locked to the terminal by moving the connector stand in a horizontal direction. Connecting device for measuring instruments. (2) The locking holes of a plurality of terminals are arranged on a concentric circle, and an insertion opening portion for receiving the locking recess is connected to the locking hole on the front side in the rotational movement direction of the connector base. The meter connection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: