JPH1044830A - Vehicular instrument - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an economical vehicular instrument which employs no separate meter-side connectors and protective parts including covers. SOLUTION: A vehicular instrument comprises an instrument assembly 2 having a front cover 4, an upper housing 5, a lower housing 6, a rigid board 1 and a plurality of instrument parts incorporated inside the upper and the lower housings 5 and 6. The lower housing 6 is formed with insertion recesses into which harness-side connectors to be connected to a harness are fitted, and is provided on its outer periphery with a flexible printed board 16. The tongue pieces formed on the flexible printed board 16 are bent inward and then inserted into the insertion recesses to form meter-side connectors. The circuit of the flexible printed board 16 and the circuit of the rigid board 1 are joined to each other by means of a conductive adhesive.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is characterized by a connection structure between a vehicle instrument mounted in an instrument panel provided in front of a vehicle cabin and a wire harness connected to the vehicle instrument. The present invention relates to a vehicle instrument having the following.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, means for connecting an electric circuit between a wire harness and an instrument assembly, which are routed in a vehicle, include attaching a harness-side connector to the wire harness, and using a cross coil move or the like for the instrument assembly. Attach a rigid board on which a control circuit for controlling each of the instruments and the integrator is configured, and attach a meter-side connector corresponding to the harness-side connector to the rigid board, and connect the wire harness and the rigid board via both connectors. Circuit was electrically connected.

That is, in a first conventional example shown in FIG. 4, a vehicle instrument of a type in which a solder surface of a rigid board 1 is located outside a housing, the structure of the instrument assembly 2 and a meter-side connector 3 Will be described.

The instrument assembly 2 comprises a front cover 4, an upper housing 5, a lower housing 6, a rigid board 1, and a plurality of instruments incorporated in these housings.

The front cover 4 includes an upper housing 5
And is fixed to the upper housing 5. The upper housing 5 has a frame on which the front surface of the instrument can be mounted, and is fixed to the lower housing 6 by fitting claws at several places as appropriate. The lower housing 6 is also a frame, and the rigid board 1 is fixed to the lower housing 6 with mounting screws (not shown).

[0006] The thermometer 7 has a mounting screw 7
The connection terminal 7b is soldered and electrically connected. The same applies to the speedometer 10, the tachometer 8, and the fuel meter 9.

The electronic component 11 is electrically connected and fixed by soldering.

The illumination lamp 12 and the warning lamp 13 are detachably held on the rigid board 1 via a socket, and these lamps are electrically connected by mounting the socket.

The meter-side connector 3 has a plurality of terminals. These terminals are inserted into holes provided in the rigid board 1 and, similarly to other components, are electrically connected to the circuit of the rigid board 1 by soldering. Connected to

Next, a second conventional example shown in FIG. 5 will be described.

This conventional example is different from the first conventional example in that the solder surface of the rigid board is on the inside, and the other structure is the same. Therefore, in FIG. 5, the same parts as those in FIG. 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description of the same parts will be omitted.

In the case of the second conventional example, the rigid substrate 1
Since the electronic component 11, the meter-side connector 3 and the like are arranged on the outer side of the electronic component 11, the electronic component 11 and the meter-side connector 3 and the like collide with the instrument panel and the like when the instrument assembly 2 is mounted on the vehicle body. A protective cover 14 is provided outside the housing of the rigid board 1 so as to prevent the rigid board 1 from being damaged or the soldered portion being disconnected, and is fixed together with the rigid board 1 to the lower housing 6 with mounting screws. Has become. Further, each instrument is inserted in advance from a surface outside the rigid board 1, and bonding pins protruding from the instrument are press-fitted into terminals 8c and 9c fixed on the inner side by soldering, and the instrument and the rigid board are connected via the terminals. An electrical connection is made.

[0013]

However, in the first and second prior arts described above, the rigid board is provided with a meter side as a means for connecting the circuit provided on the rigid board to the wire harness. Since the connector and the wire harness have a structure for connecting the harness-side connector to each other, a meter-side connector and a harness-side connector are required, and there has been a problem that the component cost increases and the cost increases.

In the first conventional example, since the solder surface of the rigid board is on the outside, the terminal shape of the meter-side connector connected to the solder surface is bent from the side surface of the meter-side connector into, for example, an octopus foot shape. However, there is a problem in that the shape must be such that the shape is complicated.

In the second conventional example, since the solder surface of the rigid board is inside and the element body such as an electronic component is fixed to the outside of the housing, the electronic component is attached when the instrument assembly is mounted on the vehicle body. A protective cover is required to prevent damage to the components. Also, a terminal for connecting the instrument and the rigid board is required.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and has excellent economical efficiency without using a meter-side connector and without using components such as protective covers. It is an object to provide an instrument for a vehicle.

[0017]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, an upper housing to which a front cover is fixed, a lower housing combined with the upper housing, a rigid substrate fixed to the lower housing, and In a vehicle instrument having an instrument assembly composed of a plurality of instruments and the like incorporated in the upper housing and the lower housing, the lower housing is provided with a concave fitting portion into which a harness-side connector connected to the harness is fitted. ,
A flexible printed circuit board is attached along the outer side surface of the lower housing, and a tongue formed on the flexible printed circuit board is bent inside the concave fitting portion to form a meter-side connector. It is a vehicle instrument in which a circuit and a circuit of a rigid board are circuit-bonded with a conductive adhesive.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the first aspect, a bonding portion between the flexible printed circuit board and the rigid board circuit by a conductive adhesive is provided by a reinforcing member for sandwiching the flexible printed circuit board and the rigid board. It is characterized by being a vehicular instrument for holding the upper joint part by being sandwiched by using the same.

[0019]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, a meter-side connector conventionally mounted directly on a rigid board is abolished, and instead a harness is provided. It has a feature in that a concave fitting portion into which the side connector can be fitted is formed in the lower housing 6 to form a meter-side connector.

<First Embodiment> A description will be given of a first embodiment shown in FIG.

In FIG. 1, the same parts as those in FIG. 4 of the prior art are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description of the same parts will be omitted.

A concave fitting portion (hereinafter, referred to as a connector housing 15) into which the harness side connector is fitted is formed integrally with the lower housing 6 at the time of injection molding of the lower housing 6. Further, a portion corresponding to the vicinity of the connector housing 15 formed on the lower housing 6 on the rigid board 1
A terminal portion to which a flexible printed board 16 for connecting the rigid board 1 to the harness side connector is formed. The flexible printed circuit board 16 has a tongue-shaped first terminal portion fitted and joined to the harness-side connector, and a second terminal portion adhered and joined to the rigid board 1.
Are formed on the same side of the flexible printed circuit board 16.

Next, an assembling method will be described. A conductive adhesive is applied to the surface of the terminal portion of the rigid substrate 1, and the first terminal portion is applied to the terminal portion of the rigid substrate 1 in a direction opposite to the connector housing 15. The surface of the second terminal portion is adhesively bonded so as to be located. At this time, the pattern surface of the flexible printed board 16 faces the solder surface side of the rigid board 1.
Further, the rigid board 1 is attached to the lower housing 6 with the solder surface facing outward. Then, the rigid substrate 1
The flexible printed circuit board 16 attached to the lower housing 6 is bent about 180 ° around the bonding portion.
Attached to the outer surface of the flexible printed circuit board 1
The tongue piece of the first terminal section 6 is bent into the connector housing 15 to form a connector on the meter side. As a result, when the harness-side connector is fitted into the meter-side connector, the circuit of the rigid board 1 and the vehicle-side wire harness are electrically connected.

As described above, the board has a hybrid configuration of the rigid board 1 that cannot be deformed and the flexible printed board 16 that can be deformed. The connector on the meter side is composed of the inexpensive flexible printed board 16 and the connector housing 15 formed during injection molding. It will be realized.

The flexible printed circuit board 1 which mediates between the circuit of the rigid board 1 and the terminal of the harness side connector
Since the pattern of No. 6 can be created quite freely, it is possible to share the terminals of the harness side connector.

<Second Embodiment> A description will be given of a second embodiment shown in FIG.

In this embodiment, the circuit board is a hybrid board of the flexible printed board 16 and the rigid board 1, and the lower housing 6 is provided with the flexible printed board attached surface inclined with respect to the rigid board.

Therefore, according to this embodiment, the degree of freedom in designing the circuit configuration is increased, the inclined lower housing 6 can be easily provided, and an inclined dial that is easy for the driver to see can be easily realized.

<Third Embodiment> A description will be given of a third embodiment shown in FIG.

In the first embodiment, the rigid board 1 and the flexible printed board 16 are joined only with a conductive adhesive. In the present embodiment, a reinforcing member 17 is used to reinforce the joint so as not to peel off.

As shown in FIG. 3A, the reinforcing member 17 is L-shaped when viewed from the side, and is composed of a horizontal piece 18 and a vertical piece 19. The horizontal piece 18 is provided with a hinge portion 20, and the width from the hinge portion 20 to the vertical piece 19 is exactly equal to the total thickness of the flexible printed board 16 and the rigid board 1. Near the edge 21 of the horizontal piece 18, two columnar projections 22 are provided along the edge 21. Two notches 24 corresponding to the columnar projections 22 are provided on the edge 23 of the vertical piece 19.

Next, the attachment of the reinforcing member 17 will be described. First, a hole 25 provided around the joint of the flexible printed board 16 is inserted into the columnar projection 22 and then provided at a corresponding position on the rigid board 1. Then, the vertical piece 19 is rotated by 90 ° about the hinge portion 20 and the notch 24 is fitted into the columnar projection 22. Note that a conductive adhesive is applied in advance to the terminal portion of the rigid substrate 1 that is to be joined to the flexible printed circuit board 16. As a result, the joint between the flexible printed board 16 and the rigid board 1 is sandwiched between the horizontal pieces 18 and the vertical pieces 19 and reinforced. FIG. 3B shows this state.

Next, a flexible printed circuit board 16 is attached along the outer surface of the lower housing 6, and a tongue formed on the flexible printed circuit board 16 is folded and housed in the connector housing 15, and FIG. It is a meter type connector as described above.

[0034]

As described above, according to the present invention, the following effects are exhibited by forming the connector on the meter side by combining the concave fitting portion provided on the lower housing and the flexible printed circuit board as the connector structure. .

The meter-side connector fixed on the rigid board is abolished, and a tongue piece formed on the flexible printed board is folded and housed in a recessed portion (connector housing) newly provided in the lower housing. By realizing the connector and connecting the flexible printed board and the rigid board, an inexpensive electrical connection structure for connecting the wire harness and the circuit of the rigid board could be obtained.

In addition, since the substrate is a hybrid substrate of a rigid substrate that cannot be deformed and a flexible printed substrate that can be deformed, an inclined dial plate having a complicated structure with a single rigid substrate can be easily manufactured. It became so.

Further, by holding the joint between the rigid board and the flexible printed board joined by the conductive adhesive with the reinforcing member, no stress is applied to the joint and the handleability is improved. Further, the disconnection of conduction can be eliminated.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a vehicle instrument according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a vehicle instrument according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a vehicle instrument according to a third embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a vehicle instrument of Conventional Example 1.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a vehicle instrument of Conventional Example 2.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Rigid board 2 ... Instrument assembly 3 ... Meter side connector 4 ... Front cover 5 ... Upper housing 6 ... Lower housing 7 ... Thermometer 7a ... Mounting screw 7b ... Connection terminal 8 ... Tachometer 9 ... Fuel gauge 10 ... Speed 11 electronic components 12 illumination lamp 13 warning lamp 14 cover 15 connector housing 16 flexible printed circuit board 17 reinforcing member 18 horizontal piece 19 vertical piece 20 hinge part 21 edge 22 cylindrical shape Projection 23 ... Edge 24 ... Notch 25 ... Hole 26 ... Hole

Claims (2)

[Claims] An upper housing (5) to which a front cover (4) is fixed, a lower housing (6) combined with the upper housing (5), and a rigid board (1) fixed to the lower housing (6). ) And a vehicle instrument having an instrument assembly (2) including a plurality of instruments and the like incorporated in the upper housing (5) and the lower housing (6), wherein the lower housing (6) has a harness. And a flexible printed circuit board (16) is provided along the outer surface of the lower housing (6), and the flexible printed circuit board (16) is provided in the concave fitted section. The tongue portion formed in 16) is folded and provided to form a connector on the meter side, and the circuit of the flexible printed board (16) and the rigid board are further provided. Vehicle meter, characterized in that the circuit bonded with a conductive adhesive and circuitry 1). 2. A reinforcing member (17) for holding a joint between a flexible printed board (16) and a rigid board (1) by a conductive adhesive between the flexible printed board (16) and the rigid board (1). 2. The instrument for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the instrument is sandwiched to reinforce the joint strength of the joint.