JPH04339294A - Small-sized electronic appratus equipped with sensor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To conduct assuredly electronic connections of sensor units such as a temperature sensor and a pressure sensor that are attached to a small size electronic appratus as an electronic watch and so on. CONSTITUTION:A supporting member 18 is attached by a screw 19 under contacting condition of an electrode of a connection substrate 12 from a sensor unit such as a temperature sensor and a pressure sensor, and an electrode of a circuit substrate 9 of an electronic apparatus. The supporting member 18 works on the connection substrate 12 so as to press it against the circuit substrate 9, and therewith prevents relative positional differ between the connection substrate 12 and the circuit substrate 9, in order to conduct electrical connection of both substrates 12 and 9, assuredly. By mounting electronic components for the sensor units to the connection substrate 12, mounting of electronic components to the circuit substrate 9 is made to be unnecssary, and thereby down-sizing of the circuit substrate is well intended.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a small electronic device equipped with a sensor for detecting temperature, pressure, etc.

0002

[Prior Art] Electronic wristwatches, which are a type of small electronic device, have other functions such as time display and time alarm.
Some devices are known that have additional functions that detect and display outside temperature, water pressure, etc. In small electronic devices with such additional functions, it is necessary to install a sensor unit that houses specified sensors such as temperature sensors and pressure sensors inside the device case. The sensor unit is housed inside the opening and is waterproofed with packing etc. The sensor unit installed inside the equipment case is electrically connected by wiring to a circuit board on which an electronic circuit for controlling functions, such as an LSI, is attached, thereby detecting predetermined values such as temperature and pressure. As a result, the detected contents are visually displayed on the display device of the device.

0003

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in conventional small electronic devices, the wiring that makes the electrical connection between the sensor unit and the circuit board on the device side may become displaced due to external impact.
This often causes the sensor unit to become disconnected, resulting in the sensor unit not functioning, or resulting in incorrect electrical connections and malfunctions. In addition, the sensor circuit of the sensor unit requires electronic components such as temperature compensation resistors and capacitors, but these electronic components for the sensor unit are attached to the sensor unit side in order to protect them from external shocks. It is mounted on the circuit board of the device without any problems. As a result, the circuit board inevitably becomes larger, which poses the problem of increasing the size of the device as a whole.

The present invention has been made in consideration of these problems, and it is possible to maintain good electrical connection between the sensor unit and the circuit board even when an external shock is applied, and also to provide a structure for the sensor unit. An object of the present invention is to provide a small electronic device equipped with a sensor having a structure that allows the device to be miniaturized without mounting electronic components on a circuit board.

[0005]

[Means for Solving the Problems] A small electronic device of the present invention includes a circuit board on which an electronic circuit is attached, a device case housing the circuit board, a sensor unit installed in the device case, and a sensor unit mounted in the device case. A connection board that electrically connects the unit and the circuit board, a holding member that presses the periphery of the connection board against the circuit board to maintain contact between the electrodes of both boards, and a holding member that is attached to the equipment case. It is characterized by comprising a fixing member for fixing.

The small electronic device of the present invention also includes a circuit board on which an electronic circuit is attached, a device case housing the circuit board, a sensor unit installed in the device case, and an electronic device for the sensor unit. A connection board that electrically connects the circuit board and the sensor unit while the component is mounted, and a connection board that connects the electrodes of the connection board and the circuit board to each other while pressing at least the mounting part of the electronic component on the connection board to the circuit board. It is also characterized by comprising a holding member that maintains the contact state.

In this case, the holding member may form a holding piece that presses both sides of the mounting area of the electronic component on the connection board against the circuit board. It may be formed. Furthermore, an elastic member may be provided between the holding member and the connection board to elastically press the connection board against the circuit board.

[0008]

[Operation] In the above configuration, the holding member presses the periphery of the connection board from the sensor unit to the circuit board to maintain the contact state between both boards, and the holding member fixes the holding state of the holding member, so that the external Good electrical connection between the connection board and the circuit board can be maintained even if there is an impact.

Furthermore, in the configuration in which electronic components for the sensor unit are mounted on the connection board, mounting of electronic components on the circuit board is reduced or unnecessary, and the circuit board can be made smaller. Furthermore, since the electronic component mounting portion of the connection board is pressed against the circuit board, the electronic component mounting state can be maintained in good condition.

0010

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIGS. 1 to 7 show a first embodiment in which a small electronic device of the present invention is applied to an electronic wristwatch. As shown in FIG. 1, it has a display section 2 on the top surface that displays the time digitally or analogously, and has a plurality of switches 3, 3...
The equipment case 1 is configured by having the side surface of the device. This equipment case 1 accommodates a clock module 4 shown in FIG. 2, and also accommodates a sensor unit 5 connected to the clock module 4. FIG. 2 shows the bottom part of the watch module 4, which includes a housing 6 made of synthetic resin,
It includes a base plate 7 screwed to the lower surface of the housing 6 and a button-type battery 8 inserted into the housing 6. Furthermore, the timepiece module 4 has inside thereof a circuit board 9 (see FIG. 3) covered by a housing 6 and a base plate 7. This circuit board 9 is attached with an electronic circuit (not shown) such as an LSI for controlling the original functions of the electronic wristwatch. As shown in FIG. 1, a device case 1 in which such a timepiece module 4 is housed has a side surface portion 10 on the 3 o'clock side that extends somewhat outward. An opening (not shown) is formed in the side surface portion 10 on the 3 o'clock side, and the sensor unit 5 is housed within this opening. Figure 1
In the figure, reference numeral 11 denotes a lid plate screwed to the side portion 10 in order to close the opening after the sensor unit 5 is housed. The sensor unit 5 provides other functions to the electronic wristwatch in addition to the original functions of the electronic wristwatch, such as time display, and is in the form of a unit in which a predetermined sensor is housed within a metal case 5a. In this case, the sensors housed in the sensor unit 5 include a temperature sensor (such as a thermistor) that detects outside temperature, and a semiconductor pressure sensor (bridge resistor) that detects water pressure and the like. As shown in FIG. 2, this sensor unit 5 has a flexible connection board 1.
It is electrically connected to the circuit board 9 of the timepiece module 4 via 2 and outputs detection data to the circuit board 9.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are plan views of the connection board 12 (
6 shows a top view) and a bottom view (bottom view), and FIG. 6 shows a plan view of a connection portion of the circuit board 9 that is electrically connected to the connection board 12. The right end of the connection board 12 is the sensor unit 5
The sensor side connecting portion 12a is connected to the sensor side connecting portion 12a, and the left end portion is the device side connecting portion 12b connected to the circuit board 9. The upper surface of the sensor side connection part 12a on the connection board 12 is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 5, electrode pads 13, 13, . Contacting electrode pads 14, 14, . . . are formed. These electrode pads are electrically connected via a connection circuit formed on the connection substrate 12 and a through hole 15 . Furthermore, land portions 16, 16 are formed on the upper surface of the connection board 12 for mounting electronic components, which will be described later, by soldering or the like. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6, electrode pads 17, 17, . . . are formed at the connection portion of the circuit board 9, with which the electrode pads 14, 14 on the lower surface of the connection board 12 come into contact.

Next, the connection structure between the connection board 12 and the circuit board 9 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. Connection board 12
The connection between the device side connecting portion 12b and the circuit board 9 is performed by the holding member 18. The holding member 18 holds the electrode pad 1
4 is in contact with the connection board 12 which is in contact with each electrode pad 17 of the circuit board 9, and these electrode pads 14, 1
The contact state of 7 is maintained. In this embodiment, this holding member 18 is attached to the connection board 12 as shown in FIG.
The lower end surface is in contact with the entire periphery of the device-side connection portion 12b of the connection board 12, as shown in FIG. Then, with respect to the holding member 18 in this state, the screw 19
The holding member 18 is fixed by inserting the holding member 18 and screwing it into the housing 6 of the timepiece module 4. By screwing into the clip 20 fitted into the housing 6, the screw 19 acts as a fixing member that fixes the holding member 18 to the housing 6 (device case 1).By attaching the screw 19, the holding member 18 is fixed. The entire periphery of the device-side connection portion 12b of the connection board 12 is pressed against the housing 6 (device case 1). In FIG. 3, 21
is a spacer inserted between the holding member 18 and the connection board 12. As shown in FIG. 7, this spacer 21 is entirely molded from an elastic material, and is attached to the connecting board 12 so that the protrusion 21a formed on the lower surface comes into contact with the connecting board 12.
It is inserted between the device side connecting portion 12b and the holding member 18. When the holding member 18 is fixed with the screws 19, it is elastically compressed and deformed to press the connection board 12 against the housing 6. For this reason, the spacer 21 acts to alleviate the impact etc. due to its elasticity. Further, since the screw 19 is inserted into the through hole 21c formed in the spacer 21, and the screw 22 is inserted into the through hole 21d, horizontal displacement of the spacer 21 itself is prevented. be able to.

In such a connection structure between the connection board 12 and the circuit board 9, the holding member 18 presses the periphery of the device side connection part 12b of the connection board 12 against the circuit board 9, and the screws 19 fix this state. Therefore, a strong electrical connection can be made between the connection board 12 and the circuit board 9, and even if there is an external shock, the connection board 12 will not come off or shift. Therefore, malfunctions and malfunctions of the equipment can be prevented. In this case, in the illustrated example, the circuit board 9,
As shown in FIG. 3, pins 22, 22 from the housing 6 are inserted into pin holes 9a, 12c, 18a formed in the connection board 12 and the holding member 18, respectively, to prevent these from shifting laterally. This provides an even stronger electrical connection.

As shown in FIG. 3, the holding member 18 is formed with a hollow portion 18a, and the connecting board 12 is positioned so that its land portion 16 (see FIG. 4) is located within the hollow portion 18a. be done. An electronic component 23 is mounted on the land portion 16 by soldering or the like, and is housed in the hollow portion 18a of the holding member 18. The holding member 18 stores the electronic component 23 in the hollow portion 18a, and also holds the connection board 12 at the mounting site of the electronic component 23.
The periphery of the circuit board 9 is pressed against the circuit board 9 and fixed with screws 19. The electronic component 23 is an electronic component for the sensor unit 5, and for example, a resistor for temperature compensation of the sensor or a capacitor for supplying constant current is selected. By mounting the electronic component 23 for the sensor unit 5 on the connection board 12, there is no need to mount the electronic component 23 on the circuit board 9, which allows the circuit board 9 to be made smaller and the overall device to be smaller. It becomes possible to Moreover, since the periphery of the mounting portion of the electronic component 23 is pressed against the circuit board 9 by the holding member 18, the mounted state of the electronic component 23 can be reliably maintained. As a result, electronic component 2
3 does not fall off, and stable operation of the sensor unit 5 can be ensured.

FIGS. 8 to 14 show a second embodiment of the present invention, and the same elements as in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, thereby omitting redundant explanation. This second
In the embodiment as well, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, by attaching the screws 19 to the housing 6, the holding member 18 is fixed and the connection board 12 is pressed against the circuit board 9. It is molded into the shape shown in FIGS. 10 to 12. In these figures, 18c
and 18d are pin holes and screw holes formed in the main body 18b so that the pin 22 and the screw 19 can be inserted, respectively, and the main body portion on the left side of the pin hole 18c and the screw hole 18d faces the electronic component 23. (See Figures 9 and 13). Further, downwardly bent presser pieces 18e are formed on both sides of the main body 18b in the longitudinal direction facing the electronic component 23. The holding pieces 18e are formed on both sides of the main body 18b so as to extend slightly below the lower surface of the main body 18b (see FIG. 11), and as shown in FIG. It is in contact with both sides of the mounting part. This contact presses the connection board 12 at the electronic component mounting site and reliably presses it against the circuit board 9. As a result, the mounting area of the electronic component 23 on the connection board 12 is firmly fixed, and the electronic component 23 will not come off from the connection board 12 even if vibration, shock, etc. are applied, and the connection circuit of the connection board 12 will not be disconnected. No more damage and more reliable electrical connections and mounting. In this case, slits 18f are formed on both sides of each holding piece 18e, and each holding piece 18e has elasticity due to the slit 18f, and this elasticity absorbs or damps vibrations, shocks, etc. Electronic parts 2
The reliability of the implementation of 3 has been further improved. Note that the holding piece 18e may be divided into a plurality of pieces to match the number of electronic parts as long as it holds down the mounting portion of the electronic component 23, or may have an elastic structure as shown in the illustrated example. There's no need to. In FIG. 13, 24 is a double-sided adhesive tape inserted between the main body 18b of the holding member 18 and the connection board 12, and fixes them to each other to prevent relative displacement.

FIGS. 15 to 17 show a third embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a spacer 21 is provided on the screw 19 side of the holding member 18 as in the first embodiment (see FIG. 16), but as shown in FIG. and a protrusion 21a that protrudes thickly from the lower surface of the main body 21b. This spacer 21 is entirely made of an elastic material such as rubber or elastic plastic. When the screw 19 is attached to the housing 6 and the holding member 18 is fixed, the spacer 21 is pressed by the holding member 18 and the connection board 12 is attached to the circuit board 9. It acts as an elastic member that presses elastically. Spacer 2 like this
1, a pressing force is constantly applied to the connection board 12 and the expansion and contraction of each member due to temperature changes is absorbed, thereby making the electrical connection between the connection board 12 and the circuit board 9 more reliable. There is an advantage that it can be done. In FIG. 17, 21c is a through hole formed in the spacer 21 for inserting the screw 19, and by inserting the screw 19 into the through hole 21c, the spacer 21 itself is prevented from shifting. There is.

The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, but can be modified in various ways. For example, the sensor unit 5 may be housed in a location other than the 3 o'clock side of the device case 1. The sensors housed in the sensor unit 5 include a magnetic sensor that detects magnetism, a pulse detection sensor that measures pulse, a step detection sensor that counts the number of steps, and other sensors that detect smoke, radioactivity, etc. It's okay. Furthermore, the present invention is applicable to other electronic devices other than electronic wristwatches, such as small electronic computers, game machines, radio devices, pagers, and other wireless devices,
The same can be applied to toys and the like.

[0018]

[Effects of the Invention] Since the present invention has a structure in which the connection board that electrically connects the sensor unit and the circuit board is pressed against the circuit board by the holding member, a strong electrical connection between the connection board and the circuit board can be achieved. , ensuring a strong electrical connection even in the presence of external shocks. In addition, the electronic components for the sensor unit are mounted on the connection board, and instead,
Since the structure is such that it is not mounted on a circuit board, the circuit board and the entire device can be made smaller accordingly.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall plan view of a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view showing a timepiece module and a sensor unit housed in a device case.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a connection structure between a connection board and a circuit board.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the connection board.

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the connection board.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the connection portion of the circuit board.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a spacer.

FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the second embodiment of the present invention.

9 is an enlarged view of the arrow A portion in FIG. 8. FIG.

FIG. 10 is a plan view of the holding member of the second embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the holding member of the second embodiment.

[Fig. 12] Bottom view of the holding member of the second embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 9;

14 is a sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG. 9. FIG.

FIG. 15 is a bottom view of the third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a sectional view of a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a spacer according to a third embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Equipment case 5 Sensor unit 9 Circuit board 12 Connection board 18 Holding member 19 screw 23 Electronic parts

Claims (5)

[Claims] [Claim 1] A circuit board on which an electronic circuit is attached;
a device case that houses the circuit board; a sensor unit that is installed in the device case; a connection board that electrically connects the sensor unit and the circuit board;
A sensor comprising: a holding member that presses the periphery of the connection board against the circuit board to maintain contact between the electrodes of both boards; and a fixing member that fixes the holding member to the device case. A small electronic device with [Claim 2] A circuit board on which an electronic circuit is attached;
A device case that houses this circuit board, a sensor unit that is installed inside this device case, and a connection board that has electronic components for this sensor unit mounted thereon and that electrically connects the circuit board and the sensor unit. A sensor comprising: a holding member that holds at least a mounting portion of the electronic component on the connection board against the circuit board while maintaining a state of contact between the electrodes of the connection board and the circuit board; A small electronic device equipped with 3. The sensor according to claim 2, wherein the holding member has holding pieces that press both sides of a mounting portion of the electronic component on the connection board against the circuit board. Small electronic equipment. 4. A small electronic device equipped with a sensor according to claim 3, wherein the holding piece is formed on the holding member so as to have elasticity and come into contact with the connection board. 5. An elastic member for elastically pressing the connection board against the circuit board is provided between the holding member and the connection board.
A small electronic device with the described sensor.