JP2018014248A - Sensor unit and method of manufacturing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sensor unit capable of easily connecting a sensor wire and a circuit board and having high reliability for the connection. A sensor unit (1) is connected to an in-vehicle sensor (60) on one end side, a circuit board (20) that is housed in a resin housing (11) and that processes and outputs a signal, and is housed in the housing (11). A conductive connecting member 30 fixed in a mold, wherein the first extending portion 31 of the connecting member 30 and the other end side opposite to the one end side of the sensor wire 10 are connected, and the connecting member The 30 second extending portions 32 and the circuit board 20 are connected. [Selection] Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a sensor unit.

  Patent Document 1 below discloses a temperature sensor assembly (hereinafter referred to as “sensor unit”) that detects temperature under severe environmental stress or mechanical stress as an example of this type of sensor unit. . The sensor unit includes a sensor wire connected to the temperature sensor, and a circuit board that processes and outputs a signal transmitted through the sensor wire. In addition, an L-shaped connection terminal (connector) is integrally provided at the tip of the sensor wire. When the sensor unit is assembled, the connection terminal is introduced into the housing through the through hole of the housing and connected to the circuit board. Is done.

Japanese Patent No. 5779481

  However, the above sensor unit has the following problems. That is, in the case of this sensor unit, the L-shaped connection terminal is passed through the through hole of the housing, and then the sensor wire and the circuit board are connected by this connection terminal. The workability of is bad. On the other hand, it is possible to eliminate the housing itself and adopt a so-called “caseless structure” in which the connection terminals and the circuit board are integrally molded. It is disadvantageous because it is necessary.

  On the other hand, it is also conceivable to post-process the connection terminal configured in a straight line into an L shape after passing through the through hole of the housing. However, such post-processing can be a cause of processing variations. In particular, a sensor unit configured such that a sensor wire is connected to an in-vehicle sensor is used in a severe environment such as vibration or heat, such as in the vicinity of an engine body of an internal combustion engine or exhaust pipes. In many cases, if the connection terminals have variations in processing, it is difficult to ensure the reliability of the connection between the sensor wire and the circuit board. Therefore, when designing this type of sensor unit, a highly reliable structure for the connection between the sensor wire and the circuit board is required.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a background, and an object of the present invention is to provide a sensor unit that can easily connect a sensor wire and a circuit board and that is highly reliable for the connection.

One embodiment of the present invention provides:
A sensor wire (10) connected to the vehicle-mounted sensor (60) on one end side;
A circuit board (20) accommodated in a resin housing (11) and processing and outputting signals;
A conductive connecting member (30, 130, 230, 330) housed in the housing and fixed in a mold,
One end of the connection member and the other end that is opposite to the one end of the sensor wire are connected,
In the sensor unit (1, 2, 3, 4), the other end of the connecting member opposite to the one end is connected to the circuit board.

In the sensor unit described above, the connection of the sensor wire and the circuit board to the connection member can be performed by post-connection in a state where the connection member is fixed and accommodated in the housing. For this reason, when the sensor unit is assembled, the work of connecting the sensor wire and the circuit board via the connecting member is facilitated.
In addition, since the connecting member is positioned and fixed with respect to the housing, the positions of the through hole and the connecting member provided in the housing for inserting the sensor wire, and the positions of the circuit board and the connecting member accommodated in the housing are accurate. It can be well defined, and the connection work of the sensor wire and the circuit board to the connection member is facilitated.

As described above, according to the above aspect, it is possible to provide a sensor unit that can easily connect the sensor wire and the circuit board and has high reliability for the connection.
In addition, the code | symbol in the parenthesis described in the means to solve a claim and a subject shows the correspondence with the specific means as described in embodiment mentioned later, and limits the technical scope of this invention. It is not a thing.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the sensor unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. 1. The perspective view of a sensor wire. The perspective view of a connection member. The enlarged view of the connection member shown by FIG. The perspective view of a fixed resin part. The figure which shows a mode that a circuit board is connected to a connection member in FIG. Sectional drawing of the connection member in the sensor unit of Embodiment 2. FIG. Sectional drawing of the connection member in the sensor unit of Embodiment 3. FIG. Sectional drawing of the connection member in the sensor unit of Embodiment 4. FIG.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment according to a signal conversion device will be described with reference to the drawings.

  In the drawings of this specification, unless otherwise specified, the first direction and the second direction orthogonal to each other that define a plane on which the circuit board of the sensor unit extends are indicated by arrows X and Y, respectively. A third direction perpendicular to the plane in which the circuit board extends is indicated by an arrow Z.

  The sensor unit of the present embodiment is provided for an in-vehicle sensor mounted on an automobile. This in-vehicle sensor includes information necessary for controlling various systems of automobiles (substances in exhaust gas (NOx, PM (particulate matter) etc.), temperature, pressure, rotation, angle, speed, acceleration, impact, etc.) ) Is included. Such an in-vehicle sensor is used in a harsh environment with respect to vibration and heat, such as in the vicinity of an automobile engine, and particularly used in a harsh environment with respect to vibration and heat, such as in the vicinity of an exhaust pipe. .

(Embodiment 1)
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the sensor unit 1 of the first embodiment includes a plurality (eight in FIG. 1) of sensor wires 10, a single circuit board 20, and a plurality (eight in FIG. 1). The connecting member 30 and a plurality (three in FIG. 1) of external connector terminals 50 are provided.

  The sensor wire 10 extends in a long shape between the one end 10a and the other end 10b. The sensor wire 10 is configured to be connected to the connection member 30 at one end 10a and to be connected to the vehicle sensor 60 at the other end 10b.

  The circuit board 20 is accommodated in the resin housing 11 and has a function of performing processing such as arithmetic processing on a signal transmitted from the in-vehicle sensor 60 through the sensor wire 10 and outputting the result.

  The external connector terminal 50 is a terminal for connecting the circuit board 20 to an engine ECU (not shown) on the vehicle body side. The external connector terminal 50 is made of a conductive metal material, one end 50 a is connected to the circuit board 20, and the other end 50 b extends to the connector portion 12 of the housing 11. The connector portion 12 of the housing 11 has a female connector shape. When the male connector portion 51 on the vehicle body side is inserted into the female connector portion 12, the circuit board 20 is connected to the external connector terminal 50. To an external engine ECU or the like.

  The connection member 30 is configured as a plate-like member made of a conductive metal material, and is provided for each of the plurality of sensor wires 10. The connection member 30 is accommodated in the housing 11 and connects the corresponding sensor wire 10 and the circuit board 20, and is integrated with the circuit board 20 by the casting resin portion 41. The casting resin portion 41 is a casting resin injected into the housing 11 and is formed of, for example, epoxy resin. The housing 11 is formed of, for example, polybutylene terephthalate resin.

  The connection member 30 includes a first extension portion 31 extending in the first direction X along the circuit board 20 and a first extension portion extending in the third direction Z from the first extension portion 31 side toward the circuit board 20. 2 extending portion 32. That is, the connecting member 30 extends from the connection portion with the sensor wire 10 in the first direction X along the circuit board 20 and then changes direction substantially perpendicularly toward the circuit board 20 in the third direction Z. It extends to. Note that the first extending portion 31 may extend in an inclined manner with respect to the direction line extending in the first direction X as long as it extends along the circuit board 20. Further, the second extending portion 32 may extend in an inclined manner with respect to the direction line extending in the third direction Z as long as it extends toward the circuit board 20.

  The connecting member 30 is connected to the one end 10 a of the sensor wire 10 on the opposing surface 31 a that faces the circuit board 20 in the first extending portion 31. In this case, the sensor wire 10 is connected to the facing surface 31 a of the first extending portion 31 in a state of being inserted into the housing 11 through a through hole 11 a provided in the housing 11. For this connection, the first extending portion 31 of the connecting member 30 is disposed so as to face the through hole 11a of the housing 11 in the first direction X that is the direction in which the sensor wire 10 is inserted. Further, the connection member 30 is connected to the circuit board 20 at the distal end portion 32 a of the second extending portion 32. Typically, the distal end portion 32 a of the second extending portion 32 is soldered to the circuit board 20 while being inserted into the electrical connection hole 21 of the circuit board 20. As described above, the first extending portion 31 at one end of the connecting member 30 is connected to the other end that is opposite to the one end of the sensor wire 10, and the first extending portion of the connecting member 30 is connected. The second extending portion 32 and the circuit board 20 at the other end opposite to 31 are connected to each other.

  As shown in FIG. 3, one end portion 10 a of the sensor wire 10 is configured as a flat terminal having w <b> 1 having a substantially wire width in order to facilitate joining with the connection member. Thereby, while being able to pass through the through-hole 11a easily, the contact area with the opposing surface 31a of the 1st extension part 31 of the connection member 30 can be ensured, suppressing the variation. Further, the sensor wire 10 includes a bush 10 c at a position corresponding to the through hole 11 a of the housing 11. The bush 10c is made of an elastic resin material and is configured to be in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 11a. Therefore, according to this bush 10c, it can prevent that the casting resin inject | poured in the housing 11 leaks out of the housing 11 through the through-hole 11a.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the first extending portion 31 of the connection member 30 has a plate width (dimension in the second direction Y) that exceeds the substantially wire width w <b> 1 (see FIG. 3) of the one end portion 10 a of the sensor wire 10. It is comprised as a plate-shaped part which has w2. Thereby, when connecting the one end part 10a of the sensor wire 10 to the connecting member 30, the sensor wire 10 can be easily aligned with the first extending part 31 of the connecting member 30.

  Further, the second extending portion 32 of the connecting member 30 is configured such that the plate width in the second direction Y is smaller at the distal end portion 32a than at the root portion 32b. That is, the second extending portion 32 has a stepped receiving portion 32c between the tip portion 32a and the root portion 32b. The receiving portion 32 c has a function of receiving the circuit board 20 and increases the strength of the root portion 32 b of the connection member 30. Therefore, when the second extending portion 32 of the connection member 30 is inserted into the electrical connection hole 21 of the circuit board 20, the receiving portion 32 c comes into contact with the edge portion of the electrical connection hole 21 of the circuit board 20, thereby 2 Further insertion of the extension 32 is prevented. As a result, the circuit board 20 can be easily positioned in the third direction Z with respect to the connection member 30, and the circuit board 20 is more firmly held by the strength of the connection member 30, thereby improving the reliability of the circuit board 20. Can be increased.

  The connection member 30 further includes two extension members extending in a direction intersecting the circuit board 20 (a third direction Z perpendicular to the circuit board 20) between the first extension part 31 and the second extension part 32. It has the 3rd extension parts 33 and 33, and the connection part 34 extended in the 1st direction X at linear form, and connecting the two 3rd extension parts 33 and 33 mutually. The two third extending portions 33 are separated from each other in the direction in which the first extending portion 31 extends.

  The connecting member 30 has a shape that protrudes toward the circuit board 20 between the first extending portion 31 and the second extending portion 32 by the two third extending portions 33 and 33 and the connecting portion 34. Forming. In short, the connecting member 30 has two third extending portions 33, 33 and a substantially L-shaped shape by the first extending portion 31 and the second extending portion 32 in a side view in the second direction Y. The convex shape by the connection part 34 is provided. This convex shape corresponds to a partial shape of a “heel” which is a kind of harness, and this convex shape can also be referred to as a “saddle shape”. The connecting member 30 having such a convex shape is strong against a load and vibration received from the circuit board 20 and has an effective strength for suppressing bending deformation. In this case, in order to increase the strength of the connecting member 30, only the shape is devised, and it is not necessary to change the plate thickness or the like.

  In the case of this configuration, the connection member 30 further includes a third extending portion 33 and a second extending portion 32 in which the distance d1 between the two third extending portions 33 and 33 is closer to the second extending portion 32. It is preferable to be configured to exceed the distance d2 between the two. As a result, the connection member 30 having a stronger strength against the load and vibration received from the circuit board 20 can be realized. In addition, when the desired intensity | strength of the connection member 30 is obtained, you may set the space | interval d1 to the space | interval d2 or less.

The connecting member 30 is configured such that the connecting portion 34 has a second facing surface 34 a that faces the circuit board 20 when the facing surface 31 a of the first extending portion 31 is a first facing surface.
The connecting member 30 protrudes toward the circuit board 20 on each of the first facing surface 31a and the second facing surface 34a and is orthogonal to the direction in which the first extending portion 31 extends (the first direction X). The electrode convex surfaces 31b and 34b having a long side in the width direction (second direction Y) and a rectangular shape in plan view are provided. That is, the electrode convex surface 31 b is a surface that is a part of the first facing surface 31 a and is located closest to the circuit board 20. Similarly, the electrode convex surface 34 b is a part of the second facing surface 34 a and the surface closest to the circuit board 20. Therefore, the electrode convex surface 31b can also be referred to as a “first opposing surface”, and the electrode convex surface 34b can also be referred to as a “second opposing surface”.
And the one end part 10a of the sensor wire 10 uses the convex surface 31b for electrodes formed in these 1st opposing surfaces 31a, and the convex surface 34b for electrodes formed in the 2nd opposing surfaces 34a of the connection member 30. Resistance welding is performed on the first extension portion 31.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 5, in the connecting member 30, both the electrode convex surface 31b which is a part of the first opposing surface 31a and the electrode convex surface 34b which is a part of the second opposing surface 34a are fixed resin. The part 40 is exposed. In this case, electrical connection is established by pressing one welding electrode Ea of the pair of welding electrodes Ea, Eb for resistance welding to the electrode convex surface 31b via the one end 10a of the sensor wire 10, In addition, electrical connection is established by pressing the other welding electrode Eb against the electrode convex surface 34b. Then, a current is passed from the welding electrode Ea to the welding electrode Eb through the one end 10a of the sensor wire 10, the electrode convex surface 31b, and the electrode convex surface 34b. At this time, the contact area between the one end portion 10a of the sensor wire 10 and the electrode convex surface 31b is reduced by making the electrode convex surface 31b project from the first opposing surface 31a. Thereby, contact resistance increases and it becomes a heat generating point at the time of resistance welding, and the one end part 10a of the sensor wire 10 and the convex surface 31b for electrodes are resistance-welded.

Since the electrode convex surface 31b has a rectangular shape, the connection member 30 absorbs a positional deviation or inclination in the second direction Y of the one end portion 10a of the sensor wire 10 with respect to the electrode convex surface 31b during resistance welding with the sensor wire 10. it can. In addition, since the electrode convex surface 34b has a rectangular shape, the connection member 30 can absorb the displacement and inclination of the welding electrode Eb in the second direction Y with respect to the electrode convex surface 34b during resistance welding with the sensor wire 10. .
Further, by making the convex surface 34b for the electrode protrude from the second facing surface 34a, the welding electrode Eb does not hit the fixed resin portion 40, and the convex surface 34b for the electrode and the welding electrode Eb Secure electrical contact can be ensured.
Further, corresponding concave portions are formed on the back surfaces of the electrode convex surfaces 31 b and 34 b of the connection member 30. A concave portion 31c is formed on the back surface of the electrode convex surface 31b, and a concave portion 34c is formed on the back surface of the electrode convex surface 34b. The recesses 31c and 34c are formed at the time of extrusion molding of the electrode convex surfaces 31b and 34b. In particular, the concave portion 34c on the back surface of the electrode convex surface 34b can be used to fix the positions of the connection member 30 and the fixed resin portion 40 in the manufacturing process described later. That is, when the electrode convex surface 34 b is formed, the connection member 30 can be positioned with respect to the fixed resin portion 40 by suitably utilizing the concave portion 34 c formed together.

  In the case of this configuration, it is further preferable that the electrode area of the electrode convex surface 34b provided on the second opposing surface 34a exceeds the electrode area of the electrode convex surface 31b provided on the first opposing surface 31a. . That is, the electrode convex surface 31b has a smaller contact area with the welding electrode than the electrode convex surface 34b. For this reason, the convex surface 31b for electrodes is more easily melted by heat generated during energization, and the one end portion 10a of the sensor wire 10 can be reliably resistance-welded to the first facing surface 31a of the connecting member 30.

  The sensor unit 1 includes a fixed resin portion 40 that is integrally molded with a fixing resin in a state where a plurality of connection members 30 are positioned with respect to each other. The fixed resin portion 40 is made of, for example, polybutylene terephthalate resin. The fixed resin portion 40 is an integrally molded part as shown in FIG. 6. In the fixed resin portion 40, the plurality of connection members 30 have the second extending portions 32 and the electrical connection holes 21 of the circuit board 20. In this embodiment, they are regularly arranged in a line in the second direction Y so as to match. This integral molding facilitates the positioning of each connecting member 30 and the fixed resin portion 40 and the production of an integrally molded part. The fixed resin portion 40 is accommodated when the housing 11 is molded. For example, the fixed resin portion 40 is positioned and molded by the outer diameter portion of the fixed resin portion 40 and integrated. In this state, each connection member 30 integrated with the fixed resin portion 40 is connected to the circuit board 20, and the housing 11 and the circuit board 20 are integrated by the casting resin injected into the housing 11. Thus, the plurality of connecting members 30 are integrated with the housing 11 together with the circuit board 20 by the resin of the fixed resin portion 40, the housing 11, and the casting resin portion 41. As a result, each connection member 30 is accommodated in the housing 11 and fixed by molding.

  In this case, the amount of the casting resin injected into the housing 11 can be reduced by using the fixed resin portion 40 in which the plurality of connecting members 30 arranged in a row are fixed, and the bubbles in the casting resin can be reduced. Occurrence and occurrence of defects around the resin can be reduced. In particular, generation of bubbles and defects around the resin can be reduced in the space where the circuit board 20 and the housing 11 face each other. Moreover, since the accuracy of the relative positions of the plurality of connection members 30 can be increased, the operation of inserting the distal end portion 32a of the connection member 30 into the electrical connection hole 21 of the circuit board 20 is facilitated. For this reason, when connecting the circuit board 20 and the connection member 30 using an automatic machine etc., management of the relative position of the some connection member 30 can be performed easily.

  Further, as described above, the first extending portion 31 and the second extending portion 32 of the connecting member 30 are partly connected from the fixed resin portion 40 in order to connect the sensor member 10 and the circuit board 20 to each other. Is exposed. Further, the connecting portion 34 of the connecting member 30 is exposed from the fixed resin portion 40 at a portion opposite to the facing surface 34 a on the circuit board 20 side. In the fixed resin portion 40, a fixing hole 40 a for fixing the connection member 30 to the fixed resin portion 40 is provided in an exposed portion of the connecting portion 34 on the side opposite to the facing surface 34 a. Yes. The fixing hole 40a is formed in a manufacturing process described later.

  Here, a method of assembling the sensor unit 1 will be described. This assembly method is roughly divided into the following five steps. Other steps can be added to these steps as needed.

(First step)
The first step is a step of producing a fixed resin portion 40 in which a plurality of connection members 30 are integrally formed of a fixing resin (see FIG. 6). In this first step, the plurality of connection members 30 are set in a state of being positioned relative to the lower mold M (a state in which they are regularly arranged in a line in the second direction Y). Thereafter, an upper mold (not shown) is assembled to the lower mold M, and a fixing resin is injected into the mold. Thereby, the fixed resin part 40 with which the some connection member 30 was integrated can be produced by resin molding. Note that a fixing hole 40 a for fixing the connection member 30 to the lower mold M is formed in the fixing resin portion 40. The fixing hole 40a is filled with resin during resin molding after the first step.

(Second step)
The second step is performed after the first step. This second step is a step of inserting the fixed resin portion 40 produced in the first step, positioning and fixing the fixed resin portion 40 to a molding die for housing, and then integrating the housing 11 with insert molding. is there. In this second step, the housing 11, the fixed resin portion 40, and the external connector terminal 50 are integrally formed by resin molding similar to the resin molding described above using another mold (not shown). Thereby, the connection member 30 is integrated with the housing 11, and the connection member 30 can be accurately positioned with respect to the one end portion 50a which is the connection terminal of the housing 11 and the external connector terminal 50. In this case, the second facing surface 34 a of the coupling portion 34 of each connection member 30 is an exposed surface that constitutes a part of the outer surface of the fixed resin portion 40.

(Third step)
The third step is performed after the second step. This third step is a step of connecting the sensor wire 10 and the connecting member 30 constituting the fixed resin portion 40 (see FIGS. 4 and 5). In this third step, the one end portion 10a of the sensor wire 10 is passed through the through hole 11a of the housing 11 and pressed against the facing surface 31a (electrode convex surface 31b) of the first extending portion 31 of the connecting member 30. Thus, one welding electrode Ea is pressed against the one end 10a. Further, the other welding electrode Eb is pressed against the second facing surface 34 a (electrode convex surface 34 b) of the third extending portion 33 of the connection member 30. A current for resistance welding is passed between the pair of welding electrodes Ea and Eb. Thereby, the nugget (alloy layer) can be made using the resistance heat generation of the metal during energization, and the sensor wire 10 and the connection member 30 can be melt-bonded. Such resistance welding, that is, the step of resistance welding the sensor wire 10 to the connection member 30 is sequentially performed on all the connection members 30. In this case, the one end portion 10 a of the sensor wire 10 constitutes a connection fitting for connection to the connection member 30, and the workability is good because the single piece of the one end portion 10 a passes through the through hole 11 a of the housing 11. . In addition, since the pair of welding electrodes Ea and Eb are both inserted into the housing 11 from the opening 11b side, welding workability is good.

(4th step)
The fourth step is performed after the third step. The fourth step is a step of connecting the circuit board 20 and the connection member 30 constituting the fixed resin portion 40. As shown in FIG. 7, in this fourth step, the electrical connection hole 21 of the circuit board 20, the distal end portion 32 a of the second extending portion 32 of the connection member 30, the external connector terminal 50 (not shown), and the circuit board 20. In a state of being aligned with the electrical connection holes 21, the tip end portions 32 a of the second extending portions 32 are simultaneously inserted into all the electrical connection holes 21 of the circuit board 20. At this time, the circuit board 20 is positioned in the third direction Z with respect to the connecting member 30 by the receiving portion 32c of the second extending portion 32 as described above. Thereafter, the distal end portion 32 a of the second extending portion 32 and the external connector terminal 50 are soldered to the circuit board 20 from the opening side of the housing 11.

  Since the connecting member 30 is accurately positioned with respect to the housing 11 in the second step as described above, the connecting operation of the sensor wire 10 to the connecting member 30 (third step), the connecting member 30 and the external connector terminal are performed thereafter. The connection work (fourth step) of the circuit board 20 to 50 becomes easy. Further, since the soldering operation can be performed from one direction on the opening side of the housing 11, the operation is facilitated.

(5th step)
The fifth step is performed after the fourth step. This fifth step is a step of injecting a casting resin into the housing 11 through the opening 11b (see FIG. 1). According to the fifth step, the fixed resin portion 40 is integrated with the housing 11 by the casting resin injected into the housing 11 while being accommodated in the housing 11. The opening 11b of the housing 11 is filled with the casting resin. At this time, the plurality of connection members 30 included in the fixed resin portion 40 are integrated with the housing 11 together with the circuit board 20.

  Next, the function and effect of the sensor unit 1 will be described.

In the sensor unit 1, the connection of the sensor wire 10 and the circuit board 20 to the connection member 30 can be performed by post-connection in a state where the connection member 30 is fixed and accommodated in the housing 11. Specifically, the sensor wire 10 is passed through the through hole 11 a of the housing 11 alone, and then connected to the facing surface 31 a facing the circuit board 20 in the first extending portion 31 of the connecting member 30. In addition, the circuit board 20 is connected to a distal end portion 32 a of a second extending part 32 that extends from the first extending part 31 side of the connecting member 30 toward the circuit board 20. That is, in a state where the connection member 30 is accommodated in the housing 11, the connection of the sensor wire 10 and the circuit board 20 to the connection member 30 is on the circuit board 20 side (that is, the opening 11 b side of the housing 11). It can be done with a post connection from the direction. For this reason, when the sensor unit 1 is assembled, the operation of connecting the sensor wire 10 and the circuit board 20 via the connection member 30 is facilitated.
Further, since the connection member 30 is positioned and fixed with respect to the housing 11, the positions of the through holes 11a of the housing 11 and the connection members 30 and the positions of the circuit board 20 and the connection members 30 can be accurately defined. Each connection work of the sensor wire 10 and the circuit board 20 to the member 30 becomes easy.

  On the other hand, according to the sensor unit 1, the connection member 30 moves in the direction along the circuit board 20 (first direction X) by the third extending portions 33 and 33 forming a convex shape in the connection member 30. Therefore, the strength of the connecting member 30 with respect to the load and vibration in the first direction X can be increased as compared with the case where the third extending portions 33 and 33 are not provided. Thereby, the connection member 30 is resistant to vibrations received from the outside, in particular, vibrations in the first direction X received from the circuit board 20, and the influence of the vibrations is suppressed. Further, the connecting member 30 having a convex shape has a strength capable of resisting a load when one welding electrode Ea is pressed against the second facing surface 34 a of the coupling portion 34 when connecting to the sensor wire 10. Thereby, the sensor wire 10 and the connection member 30 can be reliably connected. Therefore, the reliability of the connection between the sensor wire 10 and the circuit board 20 by the connection member 30 can be increased. In particular, the sensor unit 1 for the in-vehicle sensor 60 mounted on an automobile is often arranged under severe use conditions with respect to vibration, heat, and the like, but the connection member 30 of the present embodiment is affected by vibration and the like. It is effective in that it is difficult to receive.

  As a result, it is possible to provide the sensor unit 1 that can easily connect the sensor wire 10 and the circuit board 20 and that is highly reliable for the connection.

  Hereinafter, Embodiments 2 to 4 according to modified examples of Embodiment 1 will be described. In addition, these Embodiments 2-4 differ from Embodiment 1 only in the shape of the connection member of a sensor unit. Accordingly, in the following description, only the connection member will be described, and redundant description of other components will be omitted.

(Embodiment 2)
As shown in FIG. 8, the sensor unit 2 of the second embodiment includes a connection member 130 instead of the connection member 30 described above. The two third extending portions 33, 33 of the connection member 130 extend in an inclined manner in a direction intersecting the circuit board 20 between the first extending portion 31 and the second extending portion 32. ing. The connecting portion 34 extends linearly in the first direction X as in the case of the connecting member 30 in order to connect the two third extending portions 33 and 33 to each other. The connecting member 130 is a trapezoid that protrudes toward the circuit board 20 between the first extending portion 31 and the second extending portion 32 by the two third extending portions 33 and 33 and the connecting portion 34. Form a shape.
Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

(Embodiment 3)
As shown in FIG. 9, the sensor unit 3 of Embodiment 3 includes a connection member 230 instead of the connection member 30 described above. The two third extending portions 33, 33 of the connecting member 230 both extend in the third direction Z perpendicular to the circuit board 20 between the first extending portion 31 and the second extending portion 32. ing. The connecting portion 34 extends in a curved shape in order to connect the two third extending portions 33 and 33 to each other. And this connection member 230 is convex toward the circuit board 20 between the first extension part 31 and the second extension part 32 by the two third extension parts 33, 33 and the connecting part 34. Is formed. Further, the entire second facing surface 34a of the connecting portion 34 constitutes a convex surface 34b for electrodes.
Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

(Embodiment 4)
As shown in FIG. 10, the sensor unit 4 of Embodiment 4 includes a connection member 330 instead of the connection member 30 described above. The connection member 330 includes one third extending portion 33 that extends in a third direction Z orthogonal to the circuit board 20, and a connecting portion that connects the third extending portion 33 and the second extending portion 32. 35. In the connection member 330, a step is formed between the first extending portion 31 and the connecting portion 35. An electrode convex surface 35b having the same shape as the electrode convex surface 34b to which the other welding electrode Eb is pressed is provided on the opposing surface 35a of the connecting portion 35 facing the circuit board 20.
Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

In any of the above-described Embodiments 2 to 4, as in the case of Embodiment 1, at least one third extending portion 33 extending in the direction intersecting the circuit board 20 is provided on the connection member. . The “direction intersecting with the circuit board 20” herein includes a direction perpendicular to the circuit board 20 (that is, the third direction Z) and an inclination at a predetermined angle with respect to the direction perpendicular to the circuit board 20. Widely encompassing directions extending in the shape. Therefore, the movement of the connecting member in the direction (first direction X) along the circuit board 20 is restricted by the third extending portion 33. For this reason, compared with the case where the 3rd extension part 33 is not provided, the intensity | strength of the connection member with respect to the load and vibration of the 1st direction X can be made high.
In addition, the same effects as those of the first embodiment are obtained.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described exemplary embodiments, and various applications and modifications can be considered without departing from the object of the present invention. For example, the following embodiments applying the above-described embodiment can be implemented.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where the sensor wire 10 is connected to the connection member by resistance welding is illustrated, but the sensor wire 10 can also be connected to the connection member by laser welding, soldering, or brazing.
Moreover, the terminal metal fitting of the one end part 10a of the sensor wire 10 can be abolished, and the sensor wire can be directly connected to the connection member by soldering or brazing. In this case, the electrode convex surfaces 31b and 34b may be appropriately changed in shape according to the connection method. For example, when performing soldering, the structure which does not form the convex surface 31b for electrodes and the convex surface 34b for electrodes is also considered. Further, the concave portion used for positioning with the fixing member may be used for positioning by exposing both end faces of the connection fitting.

  In the above embodiment, the case where the two convex portions for the electrodes (the first facing surface and the second facing surface) are provided with electrode convex surfaces having a rectangular shape in plan view is illustrated. It is not limited, and other shapes can be adopted.

  In the above embodiment, the connection member is illustrated as a plate-like member having a plate width that exceeds the wire width of the sensor wire 10, but the shape and dimensions of the connection member are not limited thereto. Various modifications are possible as required.

  In the above embodiment, the case where the sensor wire 10 inserted into the housing 11 through the through hole 11a is connected to the connection member is illustrated, but the sensor wire 10 inserted into the housing 11 through the opening 11b is connected to the connection member. You may make it connect to.

  In the above embodiment, the fixed resin portion 40 in which a plurality of connection members are integrated is prepared in advance, and the case where the fixed resin portion 40 is integrated with the housing 11 by integral molding is shown as an example. The plurality of connecting members may be manufactured by insert molding at the time of molding the housing 11 without manufacturing the housing 11, or the plurality of connecting members and sensor wires set in the completed housing 11 without performing the insert molding. Alternatively, after the connection with the circuit board, the housing 11 may be integrated with the casting resin.

  In the above-described embodiment, the sensor unit including a plurality of connection members is illustrated, but a sensor unit including only one connection member may be employed.

1, 2, 3, 4 Sensor unit 10 Sensor wire 11 Housing (resin part)
11a Through-hole 11b Opening 20 Circuit board 30, 130, 230, 330 Connection member 31 First extending portion 31a First facing surface (facing surface)
31b Convex surface for electrode 32 Second extending portion 32a Tip portion 33 Third extending portion 34 Connecting portion 34a Second opposing surface 34b Convex surface for electrode 35b Convex surface for electrode 40 Fixed resin portion (resin portion)
Ea, Eb Welding electrode 60 In-vehicle sensor

Claims (10)

A sensor wire (10) connected to the vehicle-mounted sensor (60) on one end side;
A circuit board (20) accommodated in a resin housing (11) and processing and outputting signals;
A conductive connecting member (30, 130, 230, 330) housed in the housing and fixed in a mold,
One end of the connection member and the other end that is opposite to the one end of the sensor wire are connected,
A sensor unit (1, 2, 3, 4) in which the other end of the connecting member opposite to the one end is connected to the circuit board. The connecting member is
A first extending portion (31) extending along the circuit board at the one end;
A second extending portion (32) extending from the first extending portion side toward the circuit board at the other end,
A third extending portion (33) extending in a direction intersecting the circuit board between the first extending portion and the second extending portion,
Of the first extension part, connected to the sensor wire at the facing surface (31a) facing the circuit board, and connected to the circuit board at the tip part (32a) of the second extension part, The sensor unit according to claim 1.   The connecting member includes two third extending portions that are provided apart from each other in a direction in which the first extending portion (31) extends, and a connecting portion that connects the two third extending portions to each other. The sensor unit according to claim 2, wherein a shape that protrudes toward the circuit board is formed by (34).   The connection member is configured such that the interval between the two third extension portions exceeds the interval between the third extension portion and the second extension portion closer to the second extension portion. The sensor unit according to claim 3.   The connecting member includes two third extending portions that are provided apart from each other in a direction in which the first extending portion (31) extends, and a connecting portion that connects the two third extending portions to each other. (34), and when the opposed surface of the first extending portion is a first opposed surface, the connecting portion has a second opposed surface (34a) facing the circuit board, The sensor unit according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein a part of the two opposing surfaces is exposed from the resin portion (11, 40).   The connecting member protrudes toward the circuit board on each of the first opposing surface and the second opposing surface for a pair of welding electrodes, and is orthogonal to the direction in which the first extending portion extends. The sensor unit according to claim 5, comprising a convex surface for an electrode (31b, 34b, 35b) having a long side in the width direction and a rectangular shape in plan view.   The sensor unit according to claim 6, wherein the connection member is configured such that an electrode area of the electrode convex surface on the second opposing surface exceeds an electrode area of the electrode convex surface on the first opposing surface.   The resin portion is a fixed resin portion (40) integrally molded with a fixing resin in a state where a plurality of the connecting members are positioned with respect to each other, and the fixed resin portion is in the state accommodated in the housing. The sensor unit as described in any one of Claims 5-7 integrated with the said housing by the casting resin inject | poured in the housing.   The sensor unit according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the one end portion of the connection member is configured as a plate-like portion having a plate width that exceeds a wire width of the sensor wire. A sensor wire (10) connected to the vehicle-mounted sensor (60) at one end, a circuit board (20) accommodated in a resin-made housing (11) and processing and outputting a signal, and accommodated in the housing; A conductive connection member (30, 130, 230, 330) fixed in a mold, and one end of the connection member and the other end side opposite to the one end side of the sensor wire. A sensor unit for manufacturing a sensor unit (1, 2, 3, 4) connected and connected to the other end of the connection member opposite to the one end and the circuit board A manufacturing method of
One welding electrode (Ea) is pressed through the sensor wire to the electrode convex surface (31b) facing the circuit board in the one end of the connection member, and the one of the connection members With the other welding electrode (Eb) pressed against the electrode convex surface (34b) facing the circuit board between one end and the other end, the one welding electrode and the other welding electrode A method for manufacturing a sensor unit, comprising the step of resistance-welding the sensor wire to the connection member by energization with a welding electrode.

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