JPH0968933A - Electrical connection structure of display - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce an attaching pitch by using a small-sized light emitting element and to clearly display a character and a sign, etc., by light on a display part. SOLUTION: A terminal part formed on a printed circuit board 4 is inserted into a connector receiving part 3 so as to be exposed to the connector receiving part 3, and an inexpensive connector 7 for an FPC is inserted into the connector receiving part 3 so that power can be fed to the terminal part. Further, the light emitting element 5 is attached to the printed circuit board 4 so as to be placed in the vicinity of the display part 6 when it is inserted into the connector receiving part 3.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electric connection structure of a display section for controlling lighting of a display section using a small light bulb such as an LED or a pilot lamp.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, not only a meter but also an indicator lamp is often used to display the running condition of an automobile, the condition of an engine, and the presence / absence of engine oil. Although LEDs and small light bulbs are used as this indicator, it is necessary to control the display by electrical control, in other words, to control the lighting in any case, and various electric connection structures for the display unit have been proposed for this purpose. Has been done.

One example thereof will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. A case 41 made of synthetic resin is integrally molded with a concave connector receiving portion 42 so as to cover the upper surface of the case 41, and a flexible printed wiring board (hereinafter, simply referred to as an FPC).
43) is laid. And FPC4
A cut portion 43a formed by cutting a part of 3 is inserted into the connector receiving portion 42 as shown in FIG. A circuit pattern 45 and a mounting hole 46 for energizing the light emitting element 44 are formed in the cut portion 43a.

On the other hand, a mounting hole for inserting the light emitting element 44 is also formed in the case 41, and the light emitting element 44 is fixed to the case 41 so as to sandwich the FPC 43 so that energizing wiring and mounting can be performed at the same time. Has become. Also,
A light transmitting portion 48 is formed by the side walls 47a and 47b around the light emitting element 44, and a display portion 51 on which characters or symbols 49 are formed is provided at one end of the light transmitting portion 48.

Power is supplied to the light emitting element 44 by the connector receiving portion 4
It is performed by inserting a connector (not shown) into the connector 2 and pressing the contact terminal provided on the connector into contact with the circuit pattern 45 formed in the cut portion 43a. Further, at one end of the connector receiving portion 42, a locking portion 52 for preventing the connector from coming off is provided.

In the electrical connection structure of the display unit having the above-mentioned structure, the light emitting element 4 is inserted from the connector through the circuit pattern 43.
4 is energized, the light emitting element 44 is turned on, and the characters and symbols 49 can be visually recognized on the display unit 51. When assembling the electrical connection structure of the display unit, the display unit 51 side is visibly attached to the front panel, and the upper surface of the case 41 is attached to the rear surface side of the front panel.

[0007]

However, in the electrical connection structure of the display section shown in FIG. 6, the light emitting element 44 is used.
Therefore, in order to display the characters and symbols 49 clearly, it is necessary to use a light emitting element having a large illuminance. However, the light-emitting element 44 with high illuminance inevitably has a large shape, and the pitch P between the mounting holes 46 is increased during assembly, which leads to an increase in the size of the electrical connection structure, power consumption, and heat generation. There is a problem of contributing to the increase.

In order to solve such a problem, an electric connection structure having a structure shown in FIG. 7 has been studied. That is, the fixing plate 53 of the light emitting element 44 is newly provided on the side walls 47a and 47b to shorten the distance from the light emitting element 44 to the display unit 51. According to this configuration, the light emitting element 44 can be replaced with a small one having low illuminance, and the pitch P can be shortened to reduce the size and weight.

However, regarding the FPC 43, the FPC 43 must be extended along the wall surface of the concave portion 54 to the fixing plate 53, and since the falling portion is formed by cutting the FPC 43, the FPC 43 is formed on the case 41.
The area where 43 is not installed is increased. FPC43 has
Since not only the circuit pattern 45 for the light emitting element 44 but also the circuit pattern used for other purposes are formed, there is a problem that the circuit design or the component arrangement is restricted.
Moreover, when mounting the light emitting element 44, the narrow recess 54
There is also a problem in that the work must be done by inserting it inside and the assembling work deteriorates and the work efficiency decreases.

Therefore, an electric connection structure having the structure shown in FIG. 8 has been studied. That is, the light emitting element 44 is fixed to the tip portion of the hard printed board 61, and the distance to the display section 51 is shortened. However, the hard printed circuit board 61
The FPC connector cannot be used to energize the circuit pattern 62 of FIG.
3,64 must be used. In addition, a structure for fixing the hard printed circuit board 61 is also required, and there is a problem that the cost increases due to the combination thereof. It is an object of the present invention to provide an electrical connection structure of a display unit which uses a small-sized and low-power-consumption light emitting element and which allows characters and symbols to be clearly visible.

[0011]

The above object of the present invention can be achieved by an electric connection structure of a display unit constructed as described in 1) to 3) below. 1) A printed wiring board in which a terminal portion formed of a circuit pattern is exposed in a connector receiving portion formed in a case, and a printed wiring board inserted in the connector receiving portion and electrically connected to the terminal portion. A connector and is fixed to the terminal portion at one end of the printed wiring board so as to be able to conduct electricity,
An electric connection structure for a display unit, further comprising a light emitting element positioned near the display unit when the printed wiring board is inserted into the connector receiving unit. 2) The electrical connection structure for a display unit according to the item 1), wherein an elastic locking member for locking the printed wiring board is provided in the case. 3) The electrical connection structure for a display unit according to the item 1), characterized in that a locking portion for removably locking the connector is provided in the connector receiving portion.

According to the electrical connection structure of the display section having the above-mentioned structure according to the present invention, although the hard printed circuit board is used, the patterned terminal section is exposed to the connector receiving section, and therefore it has been widely used conventionally. The light emitting element can be energized using the existing FPC connector, and the lighting control of the light emitting element can be reliably performed. The light emitting element fixed to the printed wiring board is positioned near the display portion by inserting the printed wiring board into the connector receiving portion. Therefore, even if a light emitting element having a small size and low power consumption is used, it is possible to sufficiently display characters, symbols, etc., and it is possible to reduce the size and cost of the display device.

[0013]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of an electric connection structure for a display unit to which the present invention is applied will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of an electric connection structure of a display unit of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing an internal configuration in FIG. 1,
FIG. 3 is a side view showing the configuration and insertion action of the printed wiring board in FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a side view showing a completed insertion state of the printed wiring board in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, an electric connection structure (hereinafter, simply referred to as an electric connection structure) 1 of a display portion has a concave shape formed in a part of a case 2 integrally molded with a synthetic resin. The connector receiving portion 3 is provided. This connector receiving part 3
The printed wiring board 4 is arranged so that one end is exposed on the inner side surface thereof, the light emitting element 5 such as an LED or a small light bulb attached to the other end of the printed wiring board 4, and the light emitting element 5
And a display unit 6 for visually displaying the characters and symbols displayed by the light emission of. Then, the connector receiving portion 3
A connector 7 for electrically connecting to the light emitting element 5 is inserted into the inside through the printed wiring board 4, and the connector receiving portion 3
At both side portions, elastic portions 14 for locking the connector 7 and the printed wiring board 4 are provided so as not to slip out.

In the electrical connection structure 1, the case 2 is incorporated in the front panel as a meter case, and the display section 6 is arranged on the front surface of the front panel together with various meters so that the driver can see it. Then, it is housed in the front panel from the opening side of the connector receiving portion 3, and is connected to the connector 7 in the front panel.

The connector receiving portion 3 is formed in a concave shape so that the connector 7 can be detachably inserted. A connector locking portion 8 that locks the inserted connector 7 is provided on the upper portion of the one side wall 3 a that constitutes the connector receiving portion 3. A printed wiring board 4 is attached to the other side wall 3b so as to cover the wall surface, and is configured to come into contact with the connector 7 in a conductive manner.

The connector locking portion 8 is locked to an elastic locking portion 21 provided at one end of the connector 7 so as to prevent the connector 7 from coming off, and a locking projection 11 formed integrally with the case 2.
And a recessed storage portion 12 for storing the elastic locking portion 21. The hole formed in the lower portion of the storage portion 12 is a die-cutting hole for molding the locking projection 11.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the printed wiring board 4 is a so-called hard printed board, and the terminal portion 4b and the circuit pattern 4 are formed on the side surface of the hard board 4a by copper foil or the like.
c is formed. The terminal portion 4b is a contact portion with a pressure contact terminal 7a of the connector 7 described later, and the light emitting element 5 is connected between, for example, a ground wire (GND wire) and each control wire in the circuit pattern 4c. Further, projecting locking portions 4d are formed at both ends of the printed wiring board 4 by die cutting. The locking portion 4d locks the printed wiring board 4 so as not to slip out and has a positioning function in association with an elastic locking member 14 described later.

The side walls 3c and 3d, which are both sides of the connector receiving portion 3 in the longitudinal direction and which constitute the connector receiving portion 3, are formed.
A pair of elastic locking members 14 for locking the printed circuit board 4 so as not to slip out are provided on the back side of the. Locking claws 15 are formed at the tip of the elastic locking member 14 in a direction opposite to each other, and the lower side surface of the locking claw 15 has a tapered surface 16
Are formed.

When the printed wiring board 4 is inserted into the case 2, as shown in FIG. 2, the insertion hole 13 provided at the rear end of the connector receiving portion 3 is inserted from the front portion of the case 2 to the side wall 3b.
And push it into the connector receiving portion 3 so as to follow the line. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, the printed wiring board 4 is pushed upward from below in the drawing. Therefore, the elastic locking member 1
When pushing in 4, the upper end of the locking portion 4d contacts the tapered surface 16 formed on the lower side surface of the locking claw 15 as shown by the solid line. By further pressing the printed wiring board 4 from this state, the elastic locking member 14 is pressed as shown by an imaginary line.
Deforms so that it opens outward.

When the printed circuit board 4 is further pushed in, the printed circuit board 4 moves upward with the elastic locking member 14 spread by the locking portion 4d. And
When the locking portion 4d passes over the locking claw 15, the elastic locking member 14 returns by its own elasticity, and the locking claw 15 locks on the lower side of the locking portion 4d and cannot be pulled out. It becomes a state.

Moreover, on the inner surface of the elastic locking member 14,
A fitting groove having a width slightly larger than the thickness of the printed wiring board 4 is formed in the vertical direction. Therefore, when the elastic locking member 14 is locked to the locking portion 4d as shown in FIG. 4, both outer side portions of the locking portion 4d are fitted into the elastic locking member 14 as shown by the dotted lines. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the backlash of the printed wiring board 4.

By inserting the printed wiring board 4 into the connector receiving portion 3 as described above, the terminal portion 4b and the circuit pattern 4c are exposed in the connector receiving portion 3. Then, the light emitting portion 5a of the light emitting element 5 projects to the side opposite to the surface on which the circuit pattern 4c is formed at the lower end portion of the printed wiring board 4. Then, except for the display side of the light emitting portion 5a, the light emitting portion 5a is covered with the lamp case 31 to prevent light diffusion.

The display unit 6 is composed of a light transmitting member 33 having a symbol (or character) 32 formed thereon, and displays the symbol 32 or the like when the light emitted from the light emitting unit 5a passes through the light transmitting member 33. Has become. Note that the display method of the symbol 32 and the like may be, of course, a configuration in which light is transmitted through the portion of the symbol 32.

The electrical connection to the light emitting element 5 is made by inserting the connector 7 into the connector receiving portion 3. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a pressure contact terminal 7a is provided on the side surface of the connector 7 which corresponds to the terminal portion 4b in the state of being inserted into the connector receiving portion 3. Then, by inserting the connector 7 into the connector receiving portion 3 as shown by an imaginary line in FIG. 2, the pressure contact terminal 7 a comes into contact with the terminal portion 4 b of the printed wiring 4. The connecting wire 7b is connected to the press contact terminal 7a, and the other end of the connecting wire 7b is connected to a control circuit or the like (not shown). Therefore, the control circuit can control the lighting of the display element 5 via the connector 7 and the printed wiring board 4, and the control state can be visually checked on the display unit 6.

By the way, when the connector 7 is inserted, it is possible to confirm whether or not the connector 7 is properly inserted.
Moreover, it is preferable that the connector 7 can be easily pulled out as needed without causing contact failure. So connector 7
The elastic locking portion 21 is provided on the case 2, and the locking portion 8 as described above is provided on the case 2 side.

That is, the elastic locking portion 21 is formed in an L shape, and the base portion thereof has a shape protruding from the side surface of the connector 7. Therefore, the entire elastic locking portion 21 becomes elastic, and the L-shaped bent portion is formed in an arc shape. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, since the connector 7 is inserted from above the connector receiving portion 3 in the figure, the bent portion of the elastic locking portion 21 contacts the locking projection 11 during the insertion. Here, the resistance is increased, but when it is further inserted, the entire elastic locking portion 21 is elastically deformed toward the connector 7 side, and the locking recess 22 formed in the elastic locking portion 21 by being further inserted becomes the locking projection 11. At the corresponding time point, the entire elastic locking portion 21 moves back.

When the elastic locking portion 21 as a whole is returned, it gives a click feeling to the operator, and it can be confirmed that the connector 7 is properly inserted. Moreover,
Since the locking recess 22 is locked to the locking projection 11, the connector 7 is reliably prevented from coming off. Further, since the entire elastic locking portion 21 has elasticity, the entire connector 7 is always pushed toward the printed wiring board 4 side, and the elasticity of the pressure contact terminal 7a is combined with that of the pressure contact terminal 7a and the terminal portion 4b. Good contact can be obtained, and the light emission of the light emitting element 5 is poor.
For example, it is possible to prevent flickering due to poor contact.

When performing maintenance or the like, it is necessary to remove the connector 7. In this case, connector 7
Since the top of the elastic locking portion 21 and the top of the elastic locking portion 21 both project from the surface of the case 2, the elastic locking portion 21 is deformed to the connector 7 side with fingers or the like, and the locking projection 11 and the locking recess 22 are locked. Can be easily detached from the connector receiving portion 3 by removing it.

By the way, the length of the printed wiring board 4 can be set as required, and the light emitting element 5 is provided at the tip thereof.
Since the structure is attached, the position of the light emitting element 5 can be set in the vicinity of the display unit 6 by adjusting the length of the printed wiring board 4. Therefore, the light emitting element 5 can be downsized, and the mounting pitch can be shortened, so that energy saving and size reduction and weight reduction of a device to which the electrical connection structure 1 is applied can be achieved. Further, not only the circuit pattern for the light emitting element 5 but also circuit components for other purposes can be attached and patterned on the printed wiring board 4.

[0031]

As described above, in the electric connection structure of the display unit according to the present invention, although the hard printed wiring board is used, the patterned terminal portion is exposed in the connector receiving portion. Can be electrically connected to the circuit pattern, and further to the light emitting element attached to the circuit pattern so as to be electrically conductive. When the printed wiring board is inserted into the connector receiving part, the light emitting element fixed to the printed wiring board is positioned near the display part. Can be displayed on. Therefore, the interval for fixing the light emitting elements can be shortened, and the size and weight of the device can be reduced, the power consumption can be reduced, and the cost can be reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of an electrical connection structure of a display unit of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an internal configuration in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing a configuration and an inserting action of the printed wiring board in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a side view showing a state in which the printed wiring board in FIG. 3 has been completely inserted.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an example of a conventional electrical connection structure of a display unit.

6 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing another conventional electrical connection structure of a display unit.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing still another electrical connection structure of the conventional display unit.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Electrical connection structure of display part 2 Case 3 Connector receiving part 3a, 3b Side wall 4 Printed wiring board 4b Terminal part 4c Circuit pattern 4d Locking part 5 Light emitting element 5a Light emitting part 6 Display part 7 Connector 7a Pressure contact terminal 8 Locking part 11 Locking protrusion 14 Elastic locking member 15 Locking claw 16 Tapered surface 21 Elastic locking portion 22 Locking concave portion 31 Lamp case 32 Characters, symbol 33 Light transmitting member

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A hard printed wiring board inserted into a connector receiving portion formed in a case so that a terminal portion formed of a circuit pattern is exposed, and a connector for inserting the connector into the connector receiving portion and energizing the terminal portion. A connector that is operably connected to the connector and a terminal portion at one end of the printed wiring board that is electrically conductively fixed and that is positioned near the display portion when the printed wiring board is inserted into the connector receiving portion. An electric connection structure for a display unit, comprising: an element. 2. An elastic locking member for locking the printed wiring board is provided on the case.
The electrical connection structure of the described display section. 3. The electrical connection structure for a display unit according to claim 1, wherein the connector receiving portion is provided with a retaining portion for detachably retaining the connector.