JPH0541894Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed explanation of the idea] [Industrial application field] The present invention relates to a sensor connection device.

[Prior Art] When a sensor is connected to another electrical circuit via a printed circuit board, it is necessary to connect the sensor to the other electrical circuit, that is, to make the printed circuit board easily attachable and detachable. In some cases, a method is adopted in which a printed circuit board is provided in a connector such that it can be inserted into and removed from the connector, and the printed circuit board is connected to a sensor fixedly attached to a frame or the like via the connector.

For example, in the case of a paper detection sensor for a printer, as shown in FIG. At the same time, a paper detection sensor 5 is attached to a paper guide 9 attached to the outer peripheral surface of the platen 8 with a slight gap, and a lead wire 6 is connected to the paper detection sensor 5 on the one side. In this structure, the connector 7 on the other side which is inserted into the connector 3 is connected. Note that the connectors 3 and 7 are separated from the connector 1 in consideration of ease of replacement due to the lifespan of the paper detection sensor 5.

Therefore, when the paper 10 is caused to pass between the platen 8 and the paper guide 9, the paper detection sensor 5 detects the paper 1 from the difference in reflectance between the platen 8 and the paper 10.
The presence or absence of 0 can be detected. The detection signal is
It is sent from the printed circuit board 2 via lead wires 6 and connectors 7, 3 to other electrical circuits, where it is processed.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] The structure shown in FIG. 3 is inefficient because the connectors 3 and 7 must be inserted and removed each time the printed circuit board 2 is inserted and removed from the connector 1. Moreover, in order to improve the work efficiency when inserting and removing the connectors 3 and 7, if the connector 3 is located at a location away from the paper detection sensor 5, the lead wire 6 will be required to be long.
The lead wires 6 become intertwined, resulting in poor workability, and it is necessary to fix the lead wires 6 at several points with plastic wrap or the like.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a sensor connection device that solves these problems and improves workability when inserting and removing printed circuit boards.

[Means for Solving the Problems] Therefore, in the present invention, a printed circuit board on which a printed circuit is formed is provided in a manner that it can be inserted into and removed from a fixedly attached connector, and a detection element is installed inside this printed circuit board. In a sensor connecting device for connecting a fixedly attached sensor, the printed circuit board is provided with a connecting terminal electrically connected to the printed circuit so as to protrude from the printed circuit surface of the printed circuit board toward the sensor side, and the connecting terminal is formed into an inclined surface with the side facing the connector lowered, and a proximal end of the sensor is electrically connected to the detection element, and a distal end is elastically deformable in the direction of insertion and removal of the printed circuit board. The device is characterized in that a conductive plate spring is provided that makes elastic contact with the connecting terminal when the connector is inserted into the connector.

[Operation] To pull out the printed circuit board from a fixedly attached connector, simply pull out the printed circuit board. In addition, when the printed circuit board is inserted into the connector, the plate spring of the sensor is elastically deformed by the connection terminal formed on the sloped surface with the side facing the connector lowered as the printed circuit board is inserted. Touch the terminal.

Therefore, there is no need to manually insert and remove the connector that connects the sensor and the printed circuit board every time the printed circuit board is inserted or removed, as is the case with the conventional method, and there is no need to handle the lead wires. It is possible to improve the workability during the process. Moreover, since the tip of the leaf spring contacts the connection terminal in an elastically deformed state, a constant contact pressure can always be obtained.

[Embodiment] An embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a paper detection sensor of a printer will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of this embodiment. In this figure, a printed circuit board 12 on which a printed circuit is formed is provided so as to be freely inserted and removed in the left and right directions in FIG. A conductive connecting terminal 13 electrically connected to the printed circuit board 2 is provided on the upper surface side of the printed circuit board 12, protruding from the printed circuit surface of the printed circuit board 2, and protruding upward toward the sensor 18 side in this case. It is being The upper surface of the connection terminal 13 is formed into an inclined surface 13A that gradually slopes upward from the front end in the insertion direction of the printed circuit board 12 toward the rear end in the insertion direction. That is, the side facing the connector 11 is lowered.

On the other hand, a paper guide 17 is provided on the outer periphery of the platen 14 located above the printed circuit board 12 with a gap 16 through which the paper 15 can pass.
A paper detection sensor 18 for optically detecting the presence or absence of paper 15 passing through the gap 16 between the platen 14 and the paper guide 17 is attached to the paper guide 17 with its lower end inclined toward the insertion direction of the printed circuit board 12. ing.

As shown in FIG. 2, the paper detection sensor 18 includes a sensor main body 21 and a detection element (not shown) consisting of a light emitting element and a light receiving element arranged inside the sensor main body 21 in the normal direction of the platen 14.
and a signal processing circuit 22 that processes the signal detected by this detection element. The signal processing circuit 22 is provided with an amplifier circuit that digitizes the signal detected by the detection element.

The sensor main body 21 is integrally provided with a plurality of engaging claws 23A and 23B that engage with the paper guide 17, and is also provided with a plurality of engaging claws 23A and 23B made of a conductive material and electrically connected to the signal processing circuit 22. The leaf springs 24A, 24B, 24C are attached integrally and in parallel. These leaf springs 24A,
When the printed circuit board 12 is not inserted into the connector 11, the lines 24B and 24C are linear as shown by the chain lines in FIG. 1, but when the printed circuit board 12 is inserted into the connector 11, When the tip is pressed, the tip portion elastically deforms in the direction of insertion and removal of the printed circuit board 12 and slides on the inclined surface 13A of the connection terminal 13 of the printed circuit board 12, coming into elastic contact with the connection terminal 13 at a tight position.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained.

When the printed circuit board 12 is not inserted into the connector 11, the paper detection sensor 18
The leaf springs 24A, 24B, and 24C are linear as shown by the chain lines in FIG.

When the printed circuit board 12 is inserted into the connector 11, the tips of the leaf springs 24A, 24B, and 24C are elastically deformed in the insertion direction of the printed circuit board 12 by the inclined surface 13A of the connection terminal 13. Ru. Eventually, when the printed circuit board 12 is completely inserted into the connector 11, the paper detection sensor 1
The leaf springs 24A, 24B, and 24C of 8 contact the connection terminal 13 in an elastically deformed state.

Therefore, according to this embodiment, the printed circuit board 12 is removably inserted into and removed from the connector 11, the connection terminals 13 are provided on the printed circuit board 12 in a protruding manner, and the connection terminals 13 are provided on the paper detection sensor 18. conductive leaf spring 24 in elastic contact with
Since A, 24B, and 24C are provided, when inserting and removing the printed circuit board 12, it is sufficient to simply insert and remove the printed circuit board 12. In other words, there is no need to connect the printed circuit board and the sensor each time the printed circuit board is inserted or removed, unlike in the past. The work efficiency when inserting and removing can be improved compared to the conventional method.

Further, since the upper surface of the connection terminal 13 is formed into an inclined surface 13A that gradually slopes upward from the front end to the rear end in the insertion direction of the printed circuit board 12, the leaf spring 2
4A, 24B, and 24C can be smoothly elastically deformed. Moreover, when the printed circuit board 12 is completely inserted into the connector 11, the leaf springs 24A, 24B, and 24C contact the connection terminals 13 in an elastically deformed state, so that constant contact pressure is always obtained. be able to.

Further, this has the advantage that the vertical relationship between the connection terminal 13 and the paper detection sensor 18 does not have to be strictly defined. Furthermore, since the inclined surface 13A has a constant length along the direction in which the printed circuit board 12 is inserted and removed, the positional relationship between the paper detection sensor 18 and the connection terminal 13 in the direction in which the printed circuit board 12 is inserted and removed is not strictly defined. There are good advantages.

Moreover, since the paper detection sensor 18 is provided with three leaf springs 24A, 24B, and 24C in parallel, the paper detection sensor 12 can be electrically connected to the connection terminal 13 reliably.

Further, since the paper detection sensor 18 is provided with an amplifier circuit that digitizes the signal detected by the detection element, the connection terminal 13 and the leaf springs 24A, 24
This has the advantage of not being affected by the electrical resistance at the connections with B and 24C.

[Effects of the invention] As described above, according to the invention, a connecting terminal is provided on a printed circuit board that can be freely inserted and removed from a connector so as to protrude toward the sensor side, and a conductive terminal that makes elastic contact with the connecting terminal is provided on the sensor. Since a flexible leaf spring is provided, there is no need to insert and remove the connector that connects the printed circuit board and sensor each time the printed circuit board is inserted or removed, which improves work efficiency when inserting or removing the printed circuit board. can be improved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention;
This figure is a perspective view showing a paper detection sensor, and FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a conventional sensor connection device. 11... Connector, 12... Printed circuit board, 13... Connection terminal, 18... Sensor, 24
A, 24B, 24C... leaf springs.

Claims (1)

[Claim for Utility Model Registration] A printed circuit board on which a printed circuit is formed can be inserted into and removed from a fixedly mounted connector, and a fixedly mounted sensor having a detection element inside is connected to this printed circuit board. In the sensor connection device, a connection terminal electrically connected to the printed circuit is provided on the printed circuit board so as to protrude from the printed circuit surface of the printed circuit board toward the sensor, and the connection terminal is sloped so that the side facing the connector is lowered. The base end of the sensor is electrically connected to the detection element, and the distal end is elastically deformable in the direction of insertion and removal of the printed circuit board, and the printed circuit board is inserted into the connector. A sensor connection device comprising: a conductive plate spring that comes into elastic contact with the connection terminal when the connection terminal is connected.