JPH11281408A - Indicating instrument - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an indicating instrument capable of easily mounting an instrument body on a circuit board without depending on screw tightening by devising an assembling structure of the instrument body to the circuit board. SOLUTION: Both legs 24 and 25 of an instrument body B are respectively inserted through both through-hole parts 51 and 52 of a circuit board P so as to bringing the lower end surface of each terminal 22 of the instrument body B into pressure contact with a connector member 60b of each connector C. At this time, at least one of pawls 24c and 25c of the both legs 24 and 25 is inserted through the through-hole parts 50a and 50b respectively. Thereby, a compression coil spring 60c of each connector C enforces the bottom wall of the instrument body B so as to be separated from the circuit board P. Therefore, both the legs 24 and 25 are locked from the back surface side of the circuit board P to the peripheral edge parts of the through-hole parts 50a and 50b by the both pawls 24c and 25c respectively.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to an indicating instrument such as a speedometer and a tachometer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as this type of indicating instrument, there is an indicating instrument having an instrument main body and a circuit board arranged along a bottom wall of the instrument main body. The instrument main body is fixed to the circuit board by assembling the instrument body to the circuit board by screwing. Accordingly, each connection terminal on the bottom wall of the instrument main body is electrically connected to the circuit board.

[0003]

However, in the indicating instrument, as described above, an extra operation of fixing the instrument body to the circuit board by screwing is necessary, which causes an increase in cost. In addition, a large axial force is applied to the instrument body with the screw tightening. For this reason, variations occur between the axial forces acting on the connection terminals of the instrument main body from the circuit board. Along with this, the shape of the instrument body is slightly deformed. This means that the indication of the instrument body changes due to the screw tightening.

[0004] If the screw is not properly tightened, poor conduction occurs between each connection terminal of the instrument body and the circuit board.
Further, when tightening the screws, a space for tightening the screws is required, which hinders flattening as an indicating instrument. In view of the above, the present invention devises an assembling structure of the instrument body to the circuit board in the indicating instrument, and easily attaches the instrument body to the circuit board without depending on screw tightening. It is an object of the present invention to provide an indicating instrument as described above.

[0005]

To achieve the above object, according to the present invention, the instrument body (B) and the bottom wall (11) of the instrument body are arranged. A circuit board (P), and a connector provided on the circuit board from the front side thereof, the connector being configured to electrically connect a connection terminal (22a) protruding from a bottom wall of the instrument body to the circuit board. And a connector (C, 70) having at least two elongated legs extending in the axial direction from the outer peripheral portion to the bottom wall side, and at least one of the legs protruding from the outer peripheral surface. One nail (24c, 25
c), and each of these legs has a respective through hole (50a, 50a,
50b), the nails are engaged with the peripheries of the through holes by the back surface of the circuit board, and the connector portion of the connector connects the bottom wall of the instrument body to the circuit board. The spring connector part (60) which presses against the connection terminal part (22a) of the instrument main body so as to urge it in the direction away from the main body.
b, 60c, 72).

In the present invention thus constructed, the instrument main body is assembled to the circuit board as follows. Each leg of the instrument main body is inserted into each through hole of the circuit board so that the connection terminal portion of the instrument main body is pressed against the connector portion of the connector. At this time, the claw of each leg is inserted into each of the through holes.

[0007] Accordingly, the springy connector portion of the connector urges the bottom wall of the instrument main body to separate from the circuit board.
For this reason, the claw of each leg is locked from the back side of the circuit board to the peripheral edge of each through hole. In this way, only by inserting each leg into each through hole of the circuit board, the instrument main body can be easily assembled to the circuit board without depending on screw tightening.

Here, according to the second aspect of the present invention,
A plurality of claws protrude along the longitudinal direction of each leg, and one of these claws is locked to the periphery of each through hole for each leg from the back surface side of the circuit board. Thereby, by selecting both claws of each of the plurality of claws to be engaged with the respective through holes so that the connection terminal portion of the instrument body can be properly pressed against the connector portion of the connector, the instrument body and the circuit board are selected. And the degree of freedom for setting the interval between.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the pressure contact portion of the connection terminal portion with the connector portion is planar.
For this reason, even if the position of the connector part with respect to the connection terminal part is slightly displaced, the press contact state of the connector part with respect to the connection terminal part can be favorably maintained. According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, an initial load is applied to the connector portion so as to maintain good pressure contact with the connection terminal portion.

[0010] Therefore, it is possible to ensure a good press-contact state of the connector portion to the connection terminal portion.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an example in which the present invention is applied to a cross-coil indicating instrument for a vehicle. The cross-coil indicating instrument includes an instrument body B, a circuit board P, and a plurality of connectors C mounted on the circuit board P.

The instrument main body B includes a shield casing 10
, A driving device 20, a scale plate 30, and a pointer 40. The drive device 20 includes a bobbin 20a housed in the shield casing 10, a crossed coil (not shown) wound around the bobbin 20a in the shield casing 10, and coaxially rotatable in the bobbin 20a. The supported pointer shaft 20b and the pointer shaft 20b in the bobbin 20a
And a magnet (not shown) supported at an intermediate portion of the above.

The bobbin 20a is formed of a resilient resin material. The bobbin 20a has a plurality of terminal holders 21. Each of the terminal holder portions 21 protrudes downward from each through hole of the bottom wall 11 of the shield casing 10 at its lower end portion 21a.
Terminals 22 are coaxially held in the respective terminal holder portions 21, and each of the terminals 22 protrudes from the lower end portion 21 a of each terminal holder portion 21 at its lower end portion 22 a. Here, a lower end surface 22b of a lower end portion 22a of each terminal 22 is flat, and the lower end surface 22b is wide so as to absorb a radial displacement of a distal end portion of a connector member 60b described later. I have. Each terminal 22 is connected at its upper end to each connection terminal of the above-mentioned double crossing coil.

The bobbin 20a is integrally provided with right and left side flanges 23 shown in FIG. 1 and these flanges 23 extend outwardly and radially in opposite directions from the opening of the shield casing 10. Is out. The bobbin 20a has left and right legs 24, 25. These legs 24, 25 extend from the radially outer ends of the left and right flanges 23 along the outer wall of the shield casing 10 downward (toward the bottom wall 11 side). F) It extends longitudinally parallel to the pointer shaft 20b.

The left leg 24 has a large-diameter base 24a extending downward from the radially outer end of the left flange 23, and a latch extending downward from the radially outer end of the lower end face of the large-diameter base 24a. Piece 24b. The locking piece 24b has a smaller cross-sectional area than the large-diameter base 24a. For this reason, the locking piece 24b is easily displaced in a curved shape due to its elasticity in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the pointer shaft 20b. The locking piece 24b is integrally provided with a plurality of claws 24c. Each of the claws 24c protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the locking piece 24b in a wedge shape in the radial direction of the pointer shaft 20b and outward.

Here, each claw 24c projects from the locking piece 24b at an interval along the longitudinal direction of the locking piece 24b, and the upper wall a of each claw 24c is connected to the pointer shaft 2 respectively.
0b is perpendicular to the axis. The lower wall b of each of the claws 24c extends obliquely upward from the lower portion of the upper wall a toward the outer end of the upper wall a in the outer peripheral surface of the locking piece 24b. The right leg 25 has a structure symmetrical to the left leg 24 with respect to the axis of the pointer shaft 20b. A large-diameter base portion 25a, a locking piece 25b, and claws 25c are provided.

However, the distance between the locking piece 24b of the leg 24 and the locking piece 25b of the leg 25 is determined by the distance between the two through holes 50 of the circuit board P.
It almost coincides with the interval between a and 50b. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, each of the claws 24 c of the leg 24 has a left end portion 51 on the inner wall of the through hole 50 a of the circuit board P at a tip end thereof.
Than to the left. On the other hand, each claw 25 of the leg 25
As shown in FIG. 1, c is located on the right side of the right side portion 52 of the inner wall of the through-hole portion 50 b of the circuit board P, as shown in FIG. 1. The opening surfaces of the through holes 50a and 50b are widened in consideration of variations in the radial displacement of the legs 24 and 25.

Each connector C is attached to the circuit board P from the surface thereof at a position facing the lower end 22a of each terminal 22 of the meter body B. The left connector C shown in FIG. 1 includes a substantially cylindrical tubular body 60a, a connector member 60b and a compression coil spring 60c assembled in the tubular body 60a.

The cylinder 60a is made of a highly conductive metal material. The cylinder 60a has two connection terminals 62.
These connection terminals 62 extend downward from the bottom wall 61 of the cylindrical body 60a so as to face each other.
Are inserted into the through holes 53 and 54 of the circuit board P and are caulked. In addition, each tip of the connection terminals 62 is soldered to a wiring portion on the back surface of the circuit board P.

The connector member 60b has a sectional shape shown in FIG. 1 and is formed of a highly conductive metal material. The connector member 60b includes an annular seating portion 63 formed in an L-shaped cross section.
a, it is seated on the upper end of the compression coil spring 60c. Further, the connector member 60b is
And a pressing portion 64 having an inverted V-shaped cross section extending from the upper surface of the cylindrical body 60a so as to press against the lower end surface 22b of the terminal 22 immediately above the pressing portion 64. It protrudes upward.

The compression coil spring 60c is
The compression coil spring 60c urges the connector member 60b upward, coaxially interposed in the cylindrical body 60a between the bottom wall 61 of the connector member 60a and the annular seating portion 63 of the connector member 60b. Thereby, the annular seating portion 63 is sandwiched between the compression coil spring 60c and the upper wall of the cylindrical body 60a.

Each of the remaining connectors C is also the left connector C.
Each of the connectors C is assembled and soldered to the circuit board P at a position facing the lower end 22a of each of the remaining terminals 22. In the present embodiment, the connector member 60b is securely pressed against the lower end surface 22b of the terminal 22 while absorbing variations in the interval between the instrument body B and the circuit board P.
Initial load δ applied to the compression coil spring 60c (see FIG. 3)
, The compression coil spring 60c is assembled in the cylindrical body 60a. In addition, in FIG. 3, the symbol L indicates a spring characteristic of the compression coil spring 60c. The symbol R indicates a compression coil spring 60c.
Indicates the range of use.

The scale plate 30 has a bobbin 2
0a, each screw 3
1 is attached to both flanges 23 by tightening.
The pointer 40 is supported by a distal end of a pointer shaft 20b extending upward through a through hole of the scale plate 30, and the pointer 40 swings with the rotation of the pointer shaft 20b.
Display instructions above.

In this embodiment configured as described above, the assembly of the instrument main body B to the circuit board P is performed as follows. First, as shown in FIG. 1, a circuit board P on which an instrument main body B and connectors C are assembled is prepared. Then, as shown in FIG. 1, the instrument main body B is held directly above the circuit board P so that the two legs 24 and 25 of the instrument main body B face the both through holes 51 and 52 of the circuit board P.

In such a state, the legs 24, 25 are inserted into the through holes 51, 52, respectively. This insertion
The lower end face 22b of each terminal 22 of the meter main body B is pressed against the tip of the connector member 60b of each connector C. At this time, the claws 24c, 25 of the legs 24, 25
c at least one of each through-hole 50a, 50
b.

In this case, the locking pieces 24 of the legs 24, 25
b and 25b are, as described above, the pointer shaft 20b due to their elasticity.
Can be easily curved in the radial direction of Further, the opening surfaces of the through holes 50a and 50b of the circuit board P are also widened as described above. Therefore, each locking piece 24b, 25b and each through hole 5
Even if there is some misalignment between the locking pieces 24a and 50b, the locking pieces 24b and 25b can be easily inserted into the through holes 50a and 50b.

The claws 24 of the locking pieces 24b, 25b
The lower wall b of each of the claws 24c and 25c is formed in an inclined shape as described above.
a, 50b can be easily inserted. Then, the insertion is stopped in a state where the lower end surface 22b of each terminal 22 is satisfactorily pressed against the distal end of the connector member 60b of each connector C. At this time, the compression coil spring 60c of each connector C urges the bottom wall of the instrument main body B upward so as to separate from the circuit board P.

For this reason, the legs 24, 25 receive the upward urging force, and the corresponding claws 24c, 25c of the legs 24, 25 inserted into the through holes 50a, 50b are moved by the upper wall a to form the circuit. From the back side of the board P, the inner wall left portion 51 of the through hole 50a and the right inner wall 52 of the through hole 50b are locked. This completes the assembly of the instrument body B to the circuit board P.

As described above, only the operation of inserting the both locking pieces 24b, 25b into the respective through-holes 50a, 50b of the circuit board P is performed without depending on the screw tightening.
Can be easily assembled to the circuit board P. In this case, each of the legs 24, 25 has a plurality of claws 24c, respectively.
25c. Therefore, both claws 24c and 25c of the plurality of claws 24c and 25c are engaged with both through-hole portions 50a and 50b so that the lower end surface 22b of each terminal 22 can satisfactorily press against the tip of the connector member 60b of each connector C. 24c,
By selecting 25c, the degree of freedom for setting the interval between the main body B and the circuit board P is increased.

The lower end face 22b of each terminal 22
Is widened as described above, so that even if the position of the distal end of the connector member 60b of each connector C is slightly displaced in the radial direction with respect to the lower end surface 22b of each terminal 22, A good press-contact state of the distal end portion of each connector member 60b against the lower end surface 22b of the connector member 60b can be obtained, and a good conduction state can be obtained.

The compression coil spring 60c includes:
As described above, since the initial load is applied, each connector member 60 with respect to the lower end surface 22b of each terminal 22 is connected.
The pressure contact state of the tip of b can be ensured satisfactorily. FIG. 4 shows a modification of the above embodiment. In this modification, as illustrated in FIG. 4, each connector 70 is mounted on a circuit board P instead of each connector C described in the above embodiment.

The connector 70 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape made of an elastic metal material. The connector 70 has both connection terminals 71, and these connection terminals 71 extend downward from the lower edge of the connector 70 so as to face each other. The two connection terminals 71 are inserted into the through holes 53 and 54 of the circuit board P, and are caulked to the back surface of the circuit board P at the respective ends. In addition, each tip part of both connection terminals 71 is soldered to the wiring part on the back surface of the circuit board P.

The connector 70 has a connector piece 72, and the connector piece 72 protrudes upward from a part of the upper end opening of the connector 70 in a substantially upward shape. Thereby, the connector piece 72 has its top 72a.
At the lower end surface 22b of the terminal 22. The distal end portion 72b of the connector piece 72 extends in the radial direction.
Is locked from the rear surface to a projection 73 projecting inward from the upper end opening of the projection 73. Here, the tip portion 72 of the connector piece 72
b is the compression coil spring 60 in the above embodiment.
An initial load δ is applied in the same manner as in FIG. Other configurations are the same as those of the above embodiment.

In the present modified example, the two legs 24, 25 are inserted into the through holes 50a, 50b of the circuit board P and locked as described in the above embodiment, so that each connector 70 Is pressed against the lower end face 22b of each terminal 22 of the meter body B at the top 72a of the connector piece 72. Thereby, the same operation and effect as the above embodiment can be achieved.

In practicing the present invention, the instrument is not limited to the instrument shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, but may be any instrument of a type in which a rod-shaped terminal for connection to the circuit board projects from the bottom of the instrument body. The present invention may be applied to any instrument and implemented. Further, in the practice of the present invention, the number of legs of the meter main body B may be more than two.
The number of the 25 claws is not limited to three, and may be at least one or more.

In implementing the present invention, both legs 24,
The 25 locking pieces 24a, 25a may be constituted by spring pieces.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially broken side view showing an embodiment of the present invention in a state where an instrument main body and a printed circuit board are separated.

FIG. 2 is a partial cutaway view showing a state in which a through-hole portion 50a of the circuit board P of FIG. 1 is viewed from a back surface thereof.

FIG. 3 is a graph showing spring characteristics of the compression coil spring of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view showing a modification of the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

B: instrument body, P: printed circuit board, C, 70: connector, 11: bottom wall, 22a: lower end of terminal, lower end of terminal: 22b, 24, 25: legs, 24a, 25
a: locking piece, 24c, 25c: claw, 50a, 50b: through hole, 60b: connector member, 60c: compression coil spring, 72: connector piece.

Claims (4)

[Claims] An instrument body (B), a circuit board (P) arranged along a bottom wall (11) of the instrument body, and a connector provided on the circuit board from the front side thereof, A connection terminal (22) protruding from the bottom wall of the main body
a) having a connector section for electrically connecting the instrument body to the circuit board, wherein the instrument main body extends at least two axially from an outer peripheral portion to a bottom wall side thereof. A long leg (24, 25) having at least one claw (24c, 25c) protruding from the outer peripheral surface thereof; each of these legs being a respective through hole ( 50a, 50b), which are engaged with the peripheries of the respective through holes by the claws from the back side of the circuit board. An indicating instrument which is a springy connector section (60b, 60c, 72) which presses against the connection terminal section (22a) of the instrument main body so as to be urged in a direction away from the circuit board. 2. A plurality of claws protrude along a longitudinal direction of each leg, and one of these claws is engaged with a peripheral portion of each through hole for each leg from a back surface side of the circuit board. The indicating instrument according to claim 1, wherein the indicating instrument is operated. 3. The indicating instrument according to claim 1, wherein a pressure contact portion of the connection terminal portion with the connector portion has a planar shape. 4. The connector according to claim 1, wherein an initial load is applied to the connector portion so as to maintain good pressure contact with the connection terminal portion. Indicating instrument.