JPH07140013A - Temperature sensor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the short circuit of an element positively and to improve the response in temperature detection by extending the ends of terminals to the vicinity of a temperature detecting element, and element through lead wires. CONSTITUTION:A pair of terminals 2 and 3 are vertically embedded at an interval and undergo insert molding with a synthetic resin. The tips of the terminals are made to protrude into a recess part at the upper end, and a connector part 4 is formed. At the lower end of a main body 1 the ends of a pair of terminals 2 and 3 are made to protrude. A thermistor 6 is connected to the protruding parts through short lead wires 5. That is to say, the end parts of the terminals 2 and 3 are made to extend to the vicinity of the thermistor 6. The length of the lead wire 5 is shortened in this way. An insulator 7, wherein many slit holes are provided at the peripheral part, is bonded and fixed to the end of the main body 1 so as to surround the thermistor 6. An attaching tube 10 is provided at the outer surface part of the main body 1, and a male screw part 11 is provided at the lower part. Thus, the attachment of a sensor is made easy. In this way, short circuits are prevented, and the temperature of the thermistor 6 is made hard to escape.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a temperature sensor used for detecting the temperature of cooling water of an automobile and having a temperature sensing element such as a thermistor and a connector.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a pair of terminals (terminal fittings) is provided in a connector portion, and a thermistor of a temperature sensing element is connected to the end of the terminal via a lead wire so as to surround the lead wire and the thermistor portion. In addition, a temperature sensor having a structure in which a case is externally fitted to the outside of a connector is known.

However, since a thin and long lead wire is used for this type of temperature sensor, the lead wire is easily deformed during the assembling work or the molding process at the time of manufacture, and the lead wires are easily short-circuited. There was a problem.

[0004]

For this reason, the actual Kaihei 5-
In Japanese Patent No. 40840, there has been proposed a structure in which an insulating tape or an insulating tube is attached to the lead wire to insulate it.
The work of attaching an insulating tape or the like to a thin lead wire of 3 mm to 0.5 mm is very difficult, and there is a problem that the workability of assembling is deteriorated.

A temperature sensor having a structure in which the terminal end of the connector portion is extended to the temperature detection position and the terminal portion of the thermistor is directly connected to the terminal without using a lead wire is a practically open sensor No. 2-67237. As proposed in the official gazette, when the terminal is directly connected to the thermistor, the temperature of the thermistor easily escapes to the terminal side, and there is a problem that the response of temperature detection is deteriorated.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a temperature sensor capable of reliably preventing a short circuit of a temperature sensing element and ensuring good responsiveness of temperature detection. And

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, the temperature sensor of the present invention is a temperature sensor comprising a temperature sensing element and a connector portion having a terminal connected to the temperature sensing element, the terminal comprising: Has a terminal extending to the vicinity of the temperature sensing element, and a terminal terminal connected to the temperature sensing element via a lead wire.

[0008]

[Operation / Effect] When manufacturing the temperature sensor, the temperature sensing element is connected to the end of the terminal via a lead wire at the time of manufacture, and only the terminal or the terminal, the lead wire, and the temperature sensing element are connected. Insert molding is performed to mold all of the elements with synthetic resin, and the body is molded, but since the end of the terminal is extended to the vicinity of the temperature sensing element, the length of the lead wire becomes very short, A short circuit between the lead wires due to deformation of the lead wires during assembly or molding is prevented.

Further, unlike the prior art, it is not necessary to attach an insulating tape or a tube to the lead wire, and the assembling workability is good,
Furthermore, since the terminal and the temperature sensing element are connected via the lead wire, the temperature of the temperature sensing element is unlikely to escape, and good temperature detection responsiveness can be secured.

[0010]

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

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a temperature sensor, wherein 1 is a synthetic resin main body having a connector portion 4 on its upper portion, and 10 is a metal mounting cylinder which is externally fitted and fixed to the outer peripheral portion of the main body 1. is there.

The main body 1 is insert-molded with a synthetic resin so that a pair of terminals (long metal plates) 2 and 3 are vertically embedded at intervals, and the main body 1 is formed in a recess provided at the upper end. The tips of the terminals 2 and 3 of the pair protrude, and the connector portion 4
Is formed.

At the lower end of the main body 1, a pair of terminals 2,
The end of 3 protrudes, and the thermistor 6 is connected to the protrusion via a short lead wire 5. I mean terminal 2,
The end of 3 is extended to the vicinity of the thermistor 6 so that the length of the lead wire 5 can be shortened. Then, an insulator 7 having a large number of slit holes around the thermistor 6 is adhered and fixed to the end of the main body 1 so as to surround the thermistor 6.

When manufacturing such a temperature sensor, the main body 1 is molded into a predetermined shape using the terminals 2 and 3 as inserts, and then, at the end portions of the terminals 2 and 3 protruding from the end of the main body 1, for example, Diameter 0.3mm-0.5mm,
The lead wire 5 (pre-connected to the thermistor 6) having a length of about 10 mm is soldered.

Since the lead wire 5 is short during such an assembling work, a short circuit between the lead wires does not occur due to the deformation of the lead wire 5, and the assembling work can be performed easily.
The mounting cylinder 10 fitted and fixed to the outer peripheral portion of the main body 1 has a threaded portion 11 on the lower portion and a hexagonal portion on the outer periphery,
When mounting the temperature sensor, the structure is such that it can be easily screwed into the mounted part.

The mounting cylinder 10 is externally fitted / inserted at a step position at an intermediate portion of the main body 1 via a seal ring 12, and the upper end portion of the mounting cylinder 10 is caulked inside the main body 1,
The mounting cylinder 10 is fixed to the main body 1. At this time, the mounting cylinder 10 is loosely mounted on the main body 1, and even if the mounting cylinder 10 is slightly rotated with respect to the main body 1, no problem occurs.

The temperature sensor thus constructed is used, for example, by mounting the mounting cylinder 10 by screwing it so that the thermistor side thereof is inserted into the hole provided in the wall portion of the cooling water passage of the internal combustion engine. The thermistor 6 operates so as to detect the temperature of water that has entered the surroundings of the thermistor 6 through the slit hole of the insulator 7 at the tip. The thermistor 6 is connected to the terminals 2 and 3 via the thin lead wire 5. Therefore, the heat transferred to the thermistor 6 is hard to escape,
The temperature can be detected with good responsiveness.

2 to 4 are sectional views of temperature sensors of other embodiments. The temperature sensor of FIG. 2 is formed so that the terminals 2, 3, the lead wire 5, and the thermistor 6 are completely inserted into the main body 21, and the insulator 27 covers the periphery from the lower portion to the middle portion of the main body. It is molded and fixed to. Further, a spacer 28 is provided in the middle of the terminals 2 and 3 of this temperature sensor so that the terminals 2 and 3 are not short-circuited during molding. Then, the mounting cylinder 2 having the male screw portion and the hexagonal portion on the outer circumference of the body 21 and the insulator 27 having such a shape.
0 is fitted and fixed.

As described above, even in the structure in which the terminals 2 and 3, the lead wire 5 and the thermistor 6 are embedded in the main body 21, the terminal portions of the terminals 2 and 3 are extended to the vicinity of the thermistor 6 and the lead wire is formed. Since the length of 5 can be shortened, the lead wire 5 is not deformed at the time of insert molding, and a defect such as a short circuit does not occur.

When the temperature sensor is used, heat is transmitted to the thermistor 6 through the insulator 27 and the synthetic resin layer of the main body 21 and the temperature is detected by the thermistor. Since it is connected to two or three, the heat of the thermistor 6 is unlikely to escape to the terminal side, and it is possible to perform temperature detection with good responsiveness.

The temperature sensor shown in FIG. 3 has a mounting case 30 formed by integrally molding a mounting cylinder and an insulator with a synthetic resin.
Is externally fitted so as to cover the lower outer circumference of the main body 31. The body 31 is similar to the body 21 of FIG.
The terminals 2 and 3, the lead wire 5 and the thermistor 6 are embedded and insert-molded.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the sensor main body 40 may be constructed by integrally molding the main body and the mounting case with a synthetic resin.

Also in these temperature sensors shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the ends of the terminals 2 and 3 are extended to the vicinity of the thermistor 6 and the length of the lead wire 5 can be shortened. It does not deform, does not cause problems such as short circuits, and has good responsiveness in temperature detection during use.

In the above embodiment, the metal flat terminals 2 and 3 were used. However, as shown in FIG. 5, if the side 42 is a metal plate with ribs bent substantially at right angles, the Bending strength is increased, and it is possible to prevent deformation of the terminal during molding.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a temperature sensor showing a position embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a temperature sensor showing another embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a temperature sensor showing another embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a temperature sensor showing another embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged perspective view showing another example of the terminal.

[Explanation of symbols]

1-main body, 2, 3-terminal, 4-connector section, 5-
Lead wire, 6-Thermistor (temperature sensing element).

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A temperature sensor comprising a temperature sensing element and a connector part having a terminal connected to the temperature sensing element, wherein a terminal of the terminal is extended to the vicinity of the temperature sensing element, A temperature sensor having an end connected to the temperature sensing element via a lead wire.