Terminal structure and pressure response switch

Abstract

The invention aims to provide a terminal structure and a pressure response switch, which can easily and reliably seal an insertion hole of a terminal. A terminal structure (1) is provided with a terminal (70) having a predetermined thickness, and an insertion hole (65) into which the terminal (70) is inserted from the outside with a gap therebetween. A gap narrowing portion (78) is provided between the outer surface of the terminal (70) and the inner surface of the insertion hole (65), and the gap narrowing portion (78) has an end portion located on the inner surface side of the insertion hole (65) with respect to the outer surface of the terminal (70). The gap between the inner surface of the insertion hole (65) and the outer surface of the terminal (70) is filled with a sealing material (90) for sealing the insertion hole from the outside at least at a portion of the lower side (Z2) with respect to the gap narrowing portion (78).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a terminal structure and a pressure responsive switch. Background Art

[0002] A terminal structure used in a switch or the like is known (for example, see Patent Document 1). The terminal structure described in Patent Document 1 includes a terminal block (contact base), a plate-shaped terminal (external connection terminal) embedded and fixed in the terminal block, and a sealing material partially covering the terminal. In this terminal structure, the gap between the terminal block and the terminal is sealed by the sealing material to prevent external fluids and the like from invading the inside of the terminal block.

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Document 1: Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 63-48045

[0005] In addition, in the above-mentioned terminal structure, there is a case where an insertion hole for inserting the terminal is set in the terminal block, and after the terminal is inserted into the insertion hole, the gap between the terminal block and the terminal in the insertion hole is filled with a sealing material such as a potting agent or an adhesive to seal the gap. However, since the thickness dimension of the plate-shaped terminal as described above is not always set to be constant, in order to make it easy to insert the terminal into the insertion hole, it is sometimes necessary to set the dimension of the insertion hole in the plate thickness direction to be significantly larger relative to the plate thickness of the portion of the terminal that is finally located in the insertion hole. In this case, the gap between the terminal and the terminal block becomes larger, and it becomes difficult to seal the insertion hole using a sealing material. Summary of the invention

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a terminal structure and a pressure-responsive switch that can easily and reliably seal a terminal insertion hole.

[0007] In order to achieve the purpose of solving the above-mentioned problems, a terminal structure is provided, comprising a terminal with a predetermined thickness, and an insertion hole into which the terminal is inserted from the outside with a gap in the thickness direction, characterized in that a gap reduction portion is provided between the outer surface of the terminal and the inner surface of the insertion hole, the gap reduction portion having an end portion located on the inner surface side relative to the outer surface, and in the gap, at least a portion on one side of the insertion direction of the terminal relative to the gap reduction portion is filled with a sealing material for sealing the insertion hole.

[0008] According to the present invention, the gap between the outer surface of the terminal and the inner surface of the insertion hole is reduced in the gap of the portion where the gap reduction portion is provided, so that the sealing material filled into the insertion hole from the outside is easily accumulated in the gap at least on one side of the terminal insertion direction relative to the gap reduction portion. Therefore, even if the gap between the outer surface of the terminal and the inner surface of the insertion hole is increased, the insertion hole can be easily and reliably sealed by the sealing material. Therefore, a terminal structure that can easily and reliably seal the insertion hole of the terminal can be provided.

[0009] In addition, according to the present structure, by providing a gap reduction portion, the filling amount of the sealing material can be reduced by at least the volume of the gap reduction portion, so that the sealing material can be easily filled into the above-mentioned gap. In addition, thereby, for example, the possibility of problems such as bubbles in the sealing material, the sealing material not reaching the corners, etc., which are more likely to occur when the filling amount of the sealing material is larger, can be reduced, so that the insertion hole can be reliably sealed. And, by reducing the gap of the portion of the gap provided with the gap reduction portion in the above-mentioned gap, it is difficult for the terminal to be displaced in the insertion hole in the state before the sealing material is filled. Therefore, the displacement of the terminal relative to the insertion hole can be limited. Therefore, the deviation of the installation position of the terminal can be reduced, and the position accuracy of the terminal relative to the insertion hole can be improved. In addition, in this case, the position of the above-mentioned end in the gap reduction portion can be appropriately adjusted. For example, it is preferred to make the end of the gap reduction portion abut against the inner surface of the insertion hole, and the closer the above-mentioned gap is to 0, the more the displacement of the terminal can be further suppressed. On the other hand, a slight gap may be provided between the end of the terminal and the inner surface of the insertion hole. In this case, the gap is also smaller than that of a structure without a gap reducing portion, so displacement of the terminal can be suppressed.

[0010] In addition, it is preferred that the insertion hole is provided through the insertion direction of the terminal, the terminal is a screw terminal, the screw terminal comprises a main body portion located in the insertion hole, a connecting portion continuous with the main body portion and extending to the outside through the insertion hole, and a flange portion protruding from the connecting portion in the thickness direction, and the maximum value of the dimension of the terminal in the thickness direction in the portion provided with the flange portion is set to be less than the maximum value of the dimension of the insertion hole in the thickness direction. According to such a structure, by passing the connecting portion through the insertion hole and arranging the main body portion in the insertion hole, the screw terminal can be fixed in the insertion hole, and the screw terminal can be easily assembled. In addition, according to this structure, the maximum value of the dimension of the screw terminal in the thickness direction in the portion provided with the flange portion is set to be less than the maximum value of the dimension of the thickness direction of the insertion hole, so that when the connecting portion passes through the insertion hole, the passage is not difficult, and the passage of the connecting portion can be reliably performed. In addition, according to this structure, the gap between the screw terminal and the inner surface of the insertion hole becomes larger according to the protruding amount of the flange portion, but the filling amount of the sealing material can be ensured by using this gap.

[0011] In addition, it is preferred that the maximum value of the dimension of the terminal in the thickness direction in the portion provided with the gap reduction portion is set to be greater than the maximum value of the dimension of the insertion hole in the thickness direction. According to such a structure, the end of the gap reduction portion is pressed against the inner surface of the insertion hole in a pressed state, thereby suppressing the sealing material from exceeding the gap reduction portion and flowing to the other side of the insertion direction of the terminal. Therefore, it is possible to further easily accumulate the sealing material in the portion on one side of the insertion direction of the terminal relative to the gap reduction portion, and the sealing of the portion using the sealing material can be reliably performed. In addition, by pressing the gap reduction portion into the insertion hole, the displacement of the terminal in the insertion hole can be further suppressed in the state before the sealing material is filled, and the terminal can be positioned relative to the insertion hole. Therefore, it is possible to provide a terminal structure that reduces the deviation of the installation position of the terminal and improves the position accuracy of the terminal relative to the insertion hole.

[0012] In addition, in the above structure, the maximum value of the thickness direction dimension of the insertion hole is preferably set to be greater than the maximum value of the thickness direction dimension of the terminal in the portion with the flange portion and less than the maximum value of the thickness direction dimension of the terminal in the portion with the gap reduction portion.

[0013] In addition, it is preferred that the main body portion includes a wide portion extending in a width direction intersecting the insertion direction and the thickness direction, a narrow portion continuous with the wide portion and extending along the insertion direction and having a smaller dimension in the width direction than the wide portion, and a step portion provided between a side edge of the wide portion and a side edge of the narrow portion, and a limiting portion is provided on the inner surface of the insertion hole, the limiting portion supports the end face of the step portion, and limits the displacement of the main body portion to one side of the insertion direction. According to such a structure, the step portion is supported by the limiting portion in the insertion hole, thereby limiting the displacement of the terminal to one side of the insertion direction, thereby further reducing the deviation of the installation position of the terminal. Therefore, the limiting portion together with the gap reduction portion can also limit the displacement of the terminal, thereby improving the position accuracy of the terminal relative to the insertion hole.

[0014] In addition, it is preferred that the insertion hole comprises a first hole portion into which the main body portion is inserted, and a second hole portion which is continuously provided in the thickness direction relative to the first hole portion and through which the flange portion passes, and a storage portion for storing the sealing material is formed by at least the inner surface of the second hole portion, the gap reduction portion, and a first portion surrounded by a surface on the side of the main body portion facing the end portion of the gap reduction portion. According to such a structure, by storing the sealing material in the storage portion formed by at least the first portion, the filling amount of the sealing material in the storage portion can be sufficiently ensured, and partial leakage of the sealing material to the other side of the insertion direction relative to the gap reduction portion can be suppressed, thereby stably maintaining the sealed state of the insertion hole.

[0015] In addition, it is preferred that the storage portion includes a second portion, which is surrounded by the inner surface of the first hole portion and a surface of the main body portion facing the side opposite to the side where the end of the gap reduction portion is located, and has a connecting path connecting the second portion with the outside. According to such a structure, by filling the sealing material in the second portion, the filling amount of the sealing material in the storage portion can be further ensured. In addition, at this time, since the second portion can be connected to the outside by using the connecting path, the sealing material can be easily and reliably filled into the storage portion via the connecting path and the second portion.

[0016] In addition, it is preferred that at least two of the above-mentioned connecting passages are provided, each of which has an opening portion connected to the above-mentioned outside at a different position. According to such a structure, when the sealing material is filled from the opening portion of the connecting passage on one side, the opening portion of the connecting passage on the other side can be used as a through hole for allowing the fluid to pass through. Therefore, the sealing material is filled from the opening portion that is not a through hole, and the air in the storage portion is made to flow out from the opening portion that serves as a through hole, so that the internal pressure in the storage portion can be suppressed from rising. Therefore, the filling of the sealing material can be easily and reliably performed. In addition, in this structure, since the sealing material filled into at least the first part and the second part are integrated via the connecting passage, the terminal can be fixed more firmly. Thus, even if a torque is applied to the terminal, the displacement of the terminal can be suppressed. Therefore, the peeling of the sealing material caused by the displacement of the terminal is suppressed, and the leakage of the gas in the insertion hole caused by the peeling can be suppressed.

[0017] In addition, it is preferred that at least one of the above-mentioned connecting paths is a through hole that penetrates the above-mentioned terminal. According to such a structure, the through hole formed in the terminal can be used as a connecting path. Therefore, it is not necessary to perform special processing on the inner surface of the first hole portion in order to form the connecting path. Therefore, the connecting path can be easily formed, and the manufacturing cost of the terminal structure can be reduced.

[0018] In addition, it is preferred that the dimension of the second hole portion in the width direction intersecting the insertion direction and the thickness direction is formed to be smaller than the dimension of the first hole portion in the width direction, so that the insertion hole is formed to have a convex cross-section, and the gap reduction portion is provided at least on the protruding side of the flange portion in the gap. According to such a structure, by inserting the terminal into the insertion hole having a convex cross-section, the sealing material is filled from at least the gap reduction portion provided on the protruding side of the flange portion toward one side of the insertion direction of the terminal, so that sealing using the sealing material can be easily performed.

[0019] In addition, according to this structure, after the flange portion passes through the second hole portion in the convex insertion hole, a part of the second hole portion can also be blocked by the gap reduction portion. In this case, when the second hole portion is sealed by the sealing material, it is sufficient to fill the sealing material on one side of the insertion direction of the terminal relative to the gap reduction portion, and it is not necessary to fill the sealing material in the portion where the gap reduction portion is located and the portion located on the other side of the insertion direction relative to the gap reduction portion. Therefore, the sealing material of the entire volume of the second hole portion is not required. In this way, the filling amount of the sealing material can be reduced, so the sealing of the sealing material can be further easily utilized. In addition, in the case where the gap reduction portion is not provided, it is considered to seal the second hole portion using the sealing material of the entire volume of the second hole portion, but in this case, there is a concern that the following problems are likely to occur: bubbles are generated in the sealing material, the sealing material does not reach the corners, etc. However, according to this structure, the filling amount of the sealing material can be reduced, so it is difficult to cause the above-mentioned problems such as the generation of bubbles.

[0020] In addition, it is preferred that the gap reduction portion is provided at least integrally with the main body or separately on the protruding side of the flange portion in the gap. According to such a structure, the variation of the structure of the main body and the gap reduction portion can be diversified. Specifically, for example, by making the main body and the gap reduction portion integral, the number of components of the terminal can be reduced. On the other hand, by making the gap reduction portion and the main body separate, the shape of the main body can be simplified, and the terminal can be easily manufactured. In addition, when the gap reduction portion is separate, the shape and specification of the gap reduction portion can be easily changed. Therefore, the size of the gap when the terminal is inserted into the insertion hole can be adjusted, and the filling amount of the sealing material can be adjusted. In addition, by changing the shape and specification of the gap reduction portion, the terminal can be inserted into the insertion hole of various shapes and sizes and fixed. In addition, according to the above structure, the protruding direction of the gap reduction portion can also be on both sides of the thickness direction of the main body, thereby, for example, the contact area between the gap reduction portion and the inner surface of the insertion hole can be increased. Therefore, the displacement of the terminal relative to the insertion hole can be further suppressed.

[0021] In addition, it is preferred that the gap reduction portion is separately provided with the main body portion, and the gap reduction portion is provided with a wide body extending in a width direction intersecting the insertion direction and the thickness direction, a narrow body having a dimension in the width direction smaller than that of the wide body, and a step-shaped portion provided between a side edge of the wide body and a side edge of the narrow body, and a positioning portion is provided on the inner surface of the insertion hole, the positioning portion supports the end face of the step-shaped portion, and limits the displacement of the gap reduction portion to the other side of the insertion direction. According to such a structure, when the gap reduction portion is separately provided with the main body portion of the terminal, the displacement of the gap reduction portion can be limited by the step-shaped portion and the positioning portion.

[0022] The pressure responsive switch of the present invention is a pressure responsive switch having any of the above-mentioned terminal structures. According to the present invention, the pressure responsive switch can be configured using a terminal structure that can easily and reliably seal the terminal insertion hole.

[0023] The effects of the present invention are as follows.

[0024] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a terminal structure and a pressure-responsive switch capable of easily and reliably sealing a terminal insertion hole. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1 This is a bottom view of a pressure responsive switch equipped with a micro switch having a terminal structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 2 It is a three-dimensional diagram of a micro switch.

[0027] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Sectional view along line A-A.

[0028] Figure 4 Viewed from the terminal block side Figure 2 A perspective view of the micro switch shown.

[0029] Figure 5 (A) is a cross-sectional view of the insertion hole before the terminal is inserted, (B) is a cross-sectional view of the insertion hole after the terminal is inserted, and (C) is a cross-sectional view of the insertion hole into which the terminal without the gap reduction portion is inserted.

[0030] Figure 6 It is a three-dimensional image of an inverted terminal.

[0031] Figure 7 This is the front view of the terminal.

[0032] Figure 8 yes Figure 7 Sectional view along line B-B.

[0033] Fig. 9 This is a cross-sectional view of the micro switch cut at the terminal part.

[0034] Fig.10 yes Fig. 9 Sectional view along the C-C line.

[0035] Fig.11 (A) is a cross-sectional view showing a gap reduction portion in a modified example, and (B) is Fig.11 (A) Sectional view along the D-D line.

[0036] Fig.12 This is a cross-sectional view of the micro switch according to the second embodiment cut at the terminal portion.

[0037] Fig.13 yes Fig.12 Sectional view along line E-E.

[0038] Fig.14 yes Fig.12 Sectional view along line F-F.

[0039] Fig.15 (A) is a terminal structure of a modification of the second embodiment. Fig.14 (B) is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the second embodiment, and (B) is a terminal structure of another modified example of the second embodiment. Fig.14 A cross-sectional view of a portion of.

[0040] Fig.16This is a cross-sectional view of the micro switch according to the third embodiment cut at the terminal portion.

[0041] Fig.17 yes Fig.16 Sectional view along line G-G.

[0042] Fig.18 yes Fig.16 Section viewed along line H-H.

[0043] In the figure: 1—terminal structure, 70—terminal, 65—insertion hole, 78—gap reduction portion, 90—sealing material. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. The terminal structure 1 of this embodiment is used, for example, as a pressure response switch 100 for detecting changes in the pressure of the refrigerant of the compressor of the refrigeration cycle, changes in the temperature of the fluid such as the refrigerant, etc. In addition, in the following description, in the accompanying drawings, the insertion direction of the terminal 70 described later relative to the insertion hole 65 is indicated by arrow Z, which is recorded as "upper and lower directions Z". In addition, one side of the upper and lower directions Z is recorded as "lower side Z2", and the other side is recorded as "upper side Z1". In addition, the horizontal directions intersecting the upper and lower directions Z are indicated by arrows X and Y, which are recorded as "front and rear directions X" and "left and right directions Y", respectively. In addition, one side of the front and rear directions X is recorded as "front side X1", and the other side is recorded as "rear side X2", and one side of the left and right directions Y is recorded as "left side Y1", and the other side is recorded as "right side Y2". The definitions of these directions are always for the convenience of description, and are not necessarily limited to the directions in the actual use state of the micro switch 2, and the directions in the actual use state of the micro switch 2 are not limited.

[0045] like Figure 1 As shown, the pressure response switch 100 includes a housing 110 having an overall substantially rectangular shape. The housing 110 is configured to include a C-shaped main frame 111 opened to the lower side Z2, and a cover (not shown) that closes the opening of the main frame 111, and various components such as a micro switch 2 described later are stored inside. The main frame 111 is formed by bending a metal plate, etc., and includes a front wall portion 112, a top wall portion 113, and a rear wall portion 114. A pair of elements 115 and a pair of joint pipes 116 respectively connected to the pair of elements 115 are connected to the rear wall portion 114 of the housing 110. The element 115 includes a sensing component such as a bellows or a diaphragm (not shown) inside. The sensing component is deformed or displaced in the front-rear direction X according to the pressure change of the pressure fluid introduced through the joint pipe 116.

[0046] A pair of left and right transmission mechanisms 117 and a pair of left and right switch components 118 are housed inside the housing 110. The transmission mechanism 117 includes a reinforcing plate 119 formed into a C-shaped shape opening to the upper side Z1 by bending a metal plate, etc., and a transmission component 120 is housed inside the reinforcing plate 119. An example of the transmission component 120 is a working plate 121, which receives deformation or displacement force as an external force through the above-mentioned induction component and rotates around the rotation axis 122, thereby converting the external force into a working force and transmitting the working force to the rod 16 (response component) described later. The switch component 118 is configured to include a plurality of contacts 50 described later, and receives the above-mentioned working force to change the conduction state of the contact 50. A pair of switch components 118 are provided adjacent to each other in the left-right direction Y to form a double-type micro switch 2.

[0047] like Figure 2 As shown, the micro switch 2 includes a box portion 10. The box portion 10 is formed into a roughly cubic shape by, for example, a resin material, and a storage space 11 for storing various structures is formed inside. A connecting portion 13 protruding to the rear side X2 is formed on the rear wall 12 of the box portion 10. The connecting portion 13 is formed in a plate shape extending in the up-down direction Z, and is fixed to a housing (not shown) constituting the above-mentioned pressure switch. A rectangular box-shaped fixing component 14 is installed on the upper wall of the box portion 10. A rotating shaft 15 extending in the left-right direction Y is fixed to the side wall of the fixing component 14, and a rod 16 is installed on the rotating shaft 15 in a manner that can rotate around the axis. The rod 16 is formed in a plate shape and extends from the rotating shaft 15 to the front side X1, and is inclined in a manner that is located on the upper side Z1 as it moves from the rear end portion supported by the rotating shaft 15 toward the front end portion. The rod 16 rotates around the rotating shaft 15 by receiving an external force.

[0048] As an example of external force, for example, there can be cited the force generated by the pressure change of the refrigerant in the above-mentioned refrigeration cycle system, and such a force is applied to the rod 16 through the above-mentioned sensing component mounted on the pressure switch. In addition, the rotational movement of the rod 16 is transmitted to Figure 3 The micro-operating shaft 20 shown in the figure. The micro-operating shaft 20 is a shaft member that moves forward and backward in the vertical direction Z following the rotational movement of the rod 16. The micro-operating shaft 20 is inserted into the insertion hole 17 formed through the upper wall of the box part 10 with a gap in the radial direction. The upper end of the micro-operating shaft 20 constitutes a pressing portion 21 pressed by the rod 16. In the present embodiment, the pressing portion 21 is in sliding contact with the surface of the lower side Z2 of the rod 16 and is pressed toward the lower side Z2, thereby converting the rotational movement of the rod 16 into the forward and backward movement of the micro-operating shaft 20 in the vertical direction Z. The lower end of the micro-operating shaft 20 constitutes an engaging portion 22 that engages with the switching mechanism 40 described later.

[0049] The micro-operating shaft 20 is held by a sealing member 30 that closes the gap between the micro-operating shaft 20 and the insertion hole 17, and is connected to the box 10. The sealing member 30 is configured to hermetically seal the gap between the micro-operating shaft 20 and the insertion hole 17, and prevent the fluid from entering the storage space 11 from between the micro-operating shaft 20 and the insertion hole 17. The sealing member 30 is formed into a cylindrical shape using, for example, a flexible resin material. The upper end opening edge 31 of the sealing member 30 covers the micro-operating shaft 20 in the circumferential direction around the shaft, and the lower end opening edge 32 of the sealing member 30 covers the opening edge of the insertion hole 17, thereby setting the airtightness in the storage space 11 to have an airtightness of at least several tens of kPa from the storage space 11 side, for example. According to this structure, even when the pressure response switch 100 is used in an atmosphere of a fluid that temporarily has flammability, the flammable fluid can be prevented from entering the storage space 11, and the risk of ignition caused by sparks generated by the operation of the micro switch 2 can be prevented. In addition, the setting of the airtightness of the storage space 11 is not limited to the above, and can be arbitrarily set according to the assumed use environment. For example, in the case of preventing foreign matter from entering the storage space 11 and allowing the entry of gas or fluid, the airtightness of the storage space 11 can be set to a level that can prevent the entry of foreign matter. Figure 3 As shown, a switching mechanism 40 is provided in the storage space 11. The switching mechanism 40 comprises: a movable piece 41 engaged with the engaging portion 22 of the micro-operating shaft 20; a snap piece 42 abutting against the front end side of the movable piece 41; and a conductive piece 43 having a movable contact 53 described later, which is urged toward the upper side Z1 or the lower side Z2 by the snap piece 42.

[0050] In addition, a contact 50 made of a conductive material is provided in the storage space 11. The contact 50 is a conductive component connected to a plurality of terminals 70 described later. The contact 50 includes: a first fixed contact 51 fixed in the storage space 11; a second fixed contact 52 opposite to the first fixed contact 51 in the vertical direction Z and fixed in the storage space 11; and a movable contact 53 arranged between the first fixed contact 51 and the second fixed contact 52. The first fixed contact 51 is fixed to the inner wall surface of the box portion 10 in a state facing the upper side Z1. The second fixed contact 52 is fixed to the inner wall surface of the box portion 10 in a state facing the lower side Z2. The movable contact 53 is fixed to the front end of the conductive sheet 43, and is displaced to the upper side Z1 or the lower side Z2 as the force application direction of the snap sheet 42 to abut against the first fixed contact 51 or the second fixed contact 52, thereby conducting with the first fixed contact 51 or the second fixed contact 52. Furthermore, the movable contact 53 can switch the conduction destination by changing the direction of the force applied by the locking piece 42 .

[0051] like Figure 4As shown, a terminal structure 1 is provided at the lower side Z2 portion of the box portion 10. The terminal structure 1 includes a terminal block 60 and a terminal 70. In addition, in the following description, the front-to-back direction X indicates the width direction of the terminal 70, the left-right direction Y indicates the thickness direction of the terminal 70, and the up-down direction Z indicates the insertion direction of the terminal 70. The terminal block 60 is a portion where the terminal 70 is provided and fixed. In the present embodiment, a total of six are formed by three lower terminal blocks 60a arranged along the left-right direction Y, and three upper terminal blocks 60b adjacent to the rear side X2 of the lower terminal block 60a and arranged on the upper side Z1 relative to the lower terminal block 60a along the left-right direction Y. The terminal block 60 includes: Fig. 9 The inner wall surface 61 of the box portion 10 is shown; Figure 4 The terminal setting surface 62 shown in the figure extends along the lower wall of the box portion 10 and has a rectangular shape when viewed from above; a front wall rib 63 extending from the front side X1 of the terminal setting surface 62 to the lower side Z2; a pair of side wall ribs 64 extending from the left side Y1 and the right side Y2 of the terminal setting surface 62 to the lower side Z2; and an insertion hole 65 that passes through the terminal setting surface 62 and is connected to the storage space 11.

[0052] The insertion hole 65 is a hole for inserting the terminal 70, and is formed, for example, by penetrating the portion between the edge of the right side Y2 of the terminal setting surface 62 and the inner wall surface of the side wall rib 64 of the right side Y2 in the vertical direction Z, and the terminal 70 described later is inserted from the upper side Z1 to the lower side Z2. Figure 5 As shown in (A), the insertion hole 65 includes: a terminal insertion hole 66 (first hole portion) which is rectangular when viewed from above; and a flange insertion hole 67 (second hole portion) which is rectangular when viewed from above and is continuously provided to the left side Y1 relative to the terminal insertion hole 66 and is connected to the terminal insertion hole 66. Figure 5 As shown in (B), a main body 71 of a terminal 70 described later is inserted into the terminal insertion hole 66. Fig. 9 As shown, the inner surface of the terminal insertion hole 66 includes a first wall portion 66a constituting an upper side Z1 portion and a second wall portion 66b constituting a lower side Z2 portion. The dimension of the terminal insertion hole 66 in the front-to-rear direction X in the portion where the second wall portion 66b is formed is set to be smaller than the dimension of the terminal insertion hole 66 in the front-to-rear direction X in the portion where the first wall portion 66a is formed, thereby forming a step-shaped limiting portion 66c at the boundary portion between the first wall portion 66a and the second wall portion 66b.

[0053] The limiting portion 66c is a portion that supports the end surface of the step portion 77 of the terminal 70 described later. In the present embodiment, the limiting portion 66c is configured to be able to abut against the end surface of the step portion 77, and the displacement of the terminal 70 to the lower side Z2 (one side in the insertion direction) is limited by the abutment. Figure 5As shown in (B), the connection portion 80 and the flange portion 85 of the terminal 70 described later pass through the flange insertion hole 67, and the gap reduction portion 78 described later is received in the flange insertion hole 67. Figure 5 As shown in (A), the dimension s1 of the flange insertion hole 67 in the front-to-back direction X is formed to be smaller than the dimension s2 of the terminal insertion hole 66 in the front-to-back direction X, thereby forming the insertion hole 65 into a convex shape protruding to the left side Y1 when viewed from above. That is, the insertion hole 65 is formed into a convex cross-section. Fig.10 As shown, the end portion of the lower side Z2 of the insertion hole 65 thus formed has a larger dimension in the left-right direction Y relative to the other portion of the insertion hole 65, and this portion constitutes the seal receiving portion 68. In addition, the seal receiving portion 68 may also be constituted by making the dimension of the end portion of the lower side Z2 of the insertion hole 65 larger in the left-right direction Y and the front-back direction X relative to the other portion of the insertion hole 65.

[0054] The thus formed insertion hole 65 is filled with a sealing material 90 from the outside and accumulated. The accumulated sealing material 90 seals and solidifies the gap between the outer surface of the terminal 70 and the inner surface of the insertion hole 65 at least on the lower side Z2 (one side of the insertion direction of the terminal 70, the outer side of the terminal block 60) relative to the gap reduction portion 78 described later, thereby sealing the insertion hole 65. That is, the gap between the outer surface of the terminal 70 and the inner surface of the insertion hole 65 is filled with the sealing material 90 for sealing the insertion hole 65 from the outside, at least on the lower side Z2 relative to the gap reduction portion 78 in the up-down direction Z. The sealing material 90 can be composed of, for example, a resin adhesive or the like. By filling the sealing material 90, it is possible to prevent foreign matter, such as solid, liquid, or gaseous fluid, from intruding into the interior of the terminal block 60 from the gap between the outer surface of the terminal 70 and the inner surface of the insertion hole 65. Therefore, together with the above-mentioned sealing component 30, the airtightness of the storage space 11 can also be maintained by the sealing material 90. Therefore, even when the pressure response switch 100 is used in a fluid atmosphere that is temporarily flammable, flammable gases and the like can be prevented from intruding into the storage space 11, thereby preventing the risk of fire caused by sparks generated by the operation of the micro switch 2.

[0055] The terminal 70 inserted into the insertion hole 65 is a component that connects the first fixed contact 51, the second fixed contact 52, and the movable contact 53 one to one, and is formed of a conductive material in a plate shape having a predetermined thickness in the left-right direction Y. Figure 6 As shown, the terminal 70 includes: a main body 71 constituting the upper side Z1 portion; a connecting portion 80 continuous with the main body 71 and extending to the lower side Z2; and a flange portion 85 protruding from the connecting portion 80 to the left side Y1. The main body 71 includes: a wide portion 75 extending in the front-to-back direction X and the up-down direction Z; and a narrow portion 76 extending from the lower edge of the wide portion 75 to the lower side Z2. Figure 7The dimension σ of the wide portion 75 in the front-to-back direction X is set to be equal to the dimension s2 of the terminal insertion hole 66 in the front-to-back direction X (see Figure 5 (A)) are roughly the same.

[0056] The upper edge of the wide portion 75 is connected to a fixing portion 72 fixed to the inner wall of the box portion 10 in the storage space 11. The fixing portion 72 includes: a bent portion 73 extending from the upper edge of the main body 71 to the right side Y2; and a protruding portion 74 protruding from the bent portion 73 to the front side X1. The narrow portion 76 is set so that its dimension in the front-to-back direction X is smaller than the dimension σ of the wide portion 75 in the front-to-back direction X, thereby forming a step portion 77 recessed along the front-to-back direction X between the side edge of the wide portion 75 in the front-to-back direction X and the side edge of the narrow portion 76 in the front-to-back direction X. A gap reducing portion 78 is provided on the plate surface of the main body 71. The gap reducing portion 78 of the present embodiment is provided integrally with the main body 71, and is formed protruding from the plate surface of the main body 71 to the left side Y1. In addition, with this structure, the gap reducing portion 78 is provided at least on the protruding side of the flange portion 85 described later.

[0057] The gap reducing portion 78 is formed into a V-shaped cross section by a first inclined surface 78b and a second inclined surface 78d, and its protruding end portion is located on the inner surface side of the insertion hole 65 relative to the outer surface of the terminal 70, wherein the first inclined surface 78b is inclined so as to be located on the left side Y1 as it moves from the upper base end portion 78a located near the boundary between the wide width portion 75 and the narrow width portion 76 toward the lower side Z2, and the second inclined surface 78d is inclined so as to be located on the left side Y1 as it moves from the lower base end portion 78c located at the narrow width portion 76 toward the upper side Z1. That is, the gap reducing portion 78 is provided between the outer surface of the terminal 70 and the inner surface of the insertion hole 65, and has an end portion located on the inner surface side of the insertion hole 65 relative to the outer surface of the terminal 70. The gap reducing portion 78 divides the inside of the insertion hole 65 into the lower side Z2 as the outer side of the terminal block 60 and the upper side Z1 as the inner side of the terminal block 60. Figure 7 The dimension α of the gap reduction portion 78 in the front-rear direction X is set to be equal to the dimension s1 of the flange insertion hole 67 in the front-rear direction X (see Figure 5 (A)) is substantially the same. In addition, in this embodiment, Figure 8 The maximum value γ of the dimension in the left-right direction Y of the terminal 70 in the portion provided with the gap reduction portion 78 is set to Figure 5 (A) The maximum value s3 of the dimension of the insertion hole 65 in the left-right direction Y shown in the figure is greater than or equal to s3. Fig.10 A dimension s4 of the illustrated gap reduction portion 78 in the vertical direction Z is set smaller than a dimension (not shown) of the burring insertion hole 67 in the vertical direction Z, whereby the gap reduction portion 78 is reliably positioned in the burring insertion hole 67 .

[0058] like Figure 6As shown, the connection portion 80 includes: a connection portion 81 extending continuously from the narrow width portion 76 to the lower side Z2; and a mounting portion 83 extending continuously from the connection portion 81 to the lower side Z2. The connection portion 81 is formed in a plate shape whose dimension in the front-to-back direction X is smaller than the dimension in the front-to-back direction X of the narrow width portion 76. A V-groove 82 is formed on the surface of the left side Y1 of the connection portion 81, which opens to the left side Y1 and extends in the front-to-back direction X. By forming the V-groove 82, the mounting portion 83 can be easily bent relative to the main body 71 with the V-groove 82 as a starting point. The mounting portion 83 is a portion to which an electric wire terminal or the like of a connection object arranged outside is connected, and is formed in a plate shape extending in the front-to-back direction X and the up-down direction Z. The dimension in the front-to-back direction X of the mounting portion 83 is set to be substantially the same as the dimension in the front-to-back direction X of the narrow width portion 76. A circular recess 84 is formed in the center of the mounting portion 83, which is recessed to the right side Y2, and a flange portion 85 is formed in the recess 84. The flange portion 85 is formed into a cylindrical shape extending in the left-right direction Y, and the end portion on the left side Y1 protrudes from the end surface on the left side Y1 of the mounting portion 83 to the left side Y1. The center portion of the flange portion 85 passes through in the left-right direction Y, and an internal thread portion 86 is formed on the inner wall surface. The internal thread portion 86 is threadedly engaged with the connecting member 87 (see Figure 1 ), the above-mentioned wire terminals, etc. are connected to the mounting portion 83 via the connecting component.

[0059] Thus, the terminal 70 of the present embodiment is configured as a screw terminal having a flange portion 85 and an internal thread portion 86. Figure 7 As shown, the outer diameter β of the flange portion 85 is set to be substantially the same as or smaller than the dimension α of the gap reduction portion 78 in the front-rear direction X. Figure 8 The maximum value δ of the dimension of the terminal 70 in the left-right direction Y in the portion provided with the flange portion 85 is set to the maximum value s3 of the dimension of the insertion hole 65 in the left-right direction Y (see Figure 5 (A)) below.

[0060] Next, the assembly of the terminal structure 1 is described. Figure 8As shown, the terminal 70 is inserted into the insertion hole 65 from the upper side Z1 to the lower side Z2 with the flange portion 85 facing the lower side Z2. When the terminal 70 is inserted into the insertion hole 65, the main body 71 of the terminal 70 moves to the lower side Z2 through the terminal insertion hole 66. When the terminal 70 is inserted into the insertion hole 65, a gap in the left-right direction Y is generated between the main body 71 and the inner wall of the insertion hole 65 by the protrusion amount of the gap reduction portion 78. That is, the terminal 70 is inserted from the outside in the left-right direction Y with a gap, and the main body 71 is located in the insertion hole 65. On the other hand, the connection portion 80 of the terminal 70 passes through the terminal insertion hole 66 and protrudes to the lower side Z2. And, the flange portion 85 of the terminal 70 passes through the flange insertion hole 67 and protrudes to the lower side Z2. At this time, as described above, the maximum value δ of the dimension of the terminal 70 in the left-right direction Y in the portion provided with the flange portion 85 is set to be less than the maximum value s3 of the dimension of the insertion hole 65 in the left-right direction Y. Therefore, the flange 85 is difficult to be hooked on the inner surface of the insertion hole 65. Thus, the movement of the main body 71 in the insertion hole 65 and the passage of the flange 85 relative to the insertion hole 65 are not difficult, and the movement of the main body 71 and the passage of the flange 85 can be reliably performed.

[0061] And, if Fig. 9 As shown, the movement of the main body 71 toward the lower side Z2 is completed by the end surface of the lower side Z2 of the step portion 77 of the terminal 70 being supported on the limiting portion 66c of the insertion hole 65, and the displacement of the terminal 70 toward the lower side Z2 is limited by this support. In addition, as described above, in the present embodiment, the maximum value γ of the dimension of the terminal 70 in the left-right direction Y in the portion provided with the gap reduction portion 78 is set to be greater than the maximum value s3 of the dimension of the left-right direction Y of the insertion hole 65. Therefore, the front end portion of the gap reduction portion 78 is pressed into the inner surface of the insertion hole 65 (specifically, the inner surface of the flanged insertion hole 67) in a state of being tightly attached, and the displacement of the terminal 70 relative to the terminal block 60 is limited by this tight attachment. In this way, the position of the terminal 70 relative to the terminal block 60 is determined by the abutment of the step portion 77 and the limiting portion 66c and the tight attachment of the gap reduction portion 78 and the inner surface of the insertion hole 65.

[0062] Then, if Fig.10As shown, the sealing material 90 is filled into the insertion hole 65 from the outside through the sealing receiving portion 68 formed at the end of the lower side Z2 of the insertion hole 65, and is cured and fixed by heating or drying. By filling the sealing material 90, the gap between the terminal 70 and the insertion hole 65 is sealed. At this time, the gap of the portion where the gap reduction portion 78 is provided in the gap between the outer surface of the terminal 70 and the inner surface of the insertion hole 65 becomes smaller, so the sealing material 90 filled into the insertion hole 65 from the outside is at least easily accumulated in the gap relative to the gap reduction portion 78 on the lower side Z2 (one side of the insertion direction of the terminal 70, the outer side of the terminal block 60). As a result, the sealing of the insertion hole 65 using the sealing material 90 is easily and reliably performed. In addition, by filling the sealing material 90 from the outside, it is easier to fill the sealing material 90 than in the case where the sealing material 90 is filled from the inside of the storage space 11 where the switching mechanism 40 is provided.

[0063] In addition, if Figure 5 As shown in (C), for example, if the terminal A without the gap reduction portion 78 is inserted into the insertion hole 65, the portion of the insertion hole 65, especially the flanged insertion hole 67, becomes hollow in the up-down direction Z, and the entire space must be filled with a large amount of sealing material 90. In this case, there is a concern that the following problems may easily occur: bubbles may be generated in the sealing material 90, the sealing material 90 may not reach the corners, etc. Therefore, it becomes difficult to seal the insertion hole 65. However, in the present embodiment, as described above, since the dimension σ of the wide portion 75 in the front-to-back direction X is set to be substantially the same as the dimension s2 of the terminal insertion hole 66 in the front-to-back direction X, almost no gap in the front-to-back direction X is generated between the main body 71 and the terminal insertion hole 66 (refer to Figure 5 (A), (B)).

[0064] As described above, since the dimension α of the gap reduction portion 78 in the front-to-back direction X is set to be substantially the same as the dimension s1 of the flange insertion hole 67 in the front-to-back direction X, there is almost no gap in the front-to-back direction X between the gap reduction portion 78 and the flange insertion hole 67 (see Figure 5 (A), (B)). Furthermore, as described above, the maximum value γ of the dimension of the terminal 70 in the left-right direction Y in the portion provided with the gap reducing portion 78 is set to be greater than the maximum value s3 of the dimension of the insertion hole 65 in the left-right direction Y, so that no gap is generated between the protruding end of the gap reducing portion 78 and the inner wall of the insertion hole 65 (refer to Figure 5 (A), (B)).

[0065] Therefore, the flanged insertion hole 67 in the insertion hole 65 is blocked by the gap reducing portion 78 and is divided into an upper side Z1 and a lower side Z2. When the insertion hole 65 is viewed from the lower side Z2, the main space communicating with the outside of the terminal block 60 becomes the lower side Z2 relative to the gap reducing portion 78 in the gap between the terminal 70 and the insertion hole 65. Specifically, Fig.10 As shown, the main space connected to the outside of the terminal block 60 is the space P1 (first part) and the seal receiving portion 68 connected to the space P1, wherein the space P1 is a space surrounded by the surface of the inner surface of the flange insertion hole 67 (second hole portion) facing the right side Y2, the second inclined surface 78d of the gap reduction portion 78, and the surface of the narrow width portion 76 of the main body 71 facing the left side Y1 (the surface on the side of the main body 71 facing the end of the gap reduction portion 78). In addition, as Fig.10 As shown, the main space connected to the outside of the terminal block 60 is composed of a space P2 (the second part) and a sealing receiving portion 68 connected to the space P2, wherein the space P2 is a space surrounded by a surface facing the left side Y1 in the inner surface of the terminal insertion hole 66, and a surface on the inner side of a portion of the terminal 70 where the gap reduction portion 78 is provided (a surface facing the right side Y2, a surface in the main body 71 facing the side opposite to the side where the end of the gap reduction portion 78 is located).

[0066] In this embodiment, at least the space P1 surrounded by the inner surface of the flange insertion hole 67 (second hole portion), the gap reduction portion 78, and the surface of the main body portion 71 facing the end of the gap reduction portion 78 is filled with the sealing material 90. Fig.10 As shown in the figure, in addition to the space P1, the space P2 and the seal receiving portion 68 are filled with the sealing material 90, so that the space P2 and the seal receiving portion 68 become a storage portion 91 for accumulating the sealing material 90. That is, the storage portion 91 is constituted by the space P1 surrounded by at least the inner surface of the flange insertion hole 67 (second hole portion), the gap reduction portion 78, and the surface of the main body 71 on the side where the end of the gap reduction portion 78 is located. With such a structure, when the flange insertion hole 67 is sealed with the sealing material 90, it is sufficient to fill the sealing material 90 in the portion on the lower side Z2 (one side in the insertion direction of the terminal 70, the outer side of the terminal block 60) with respect to the gap reduction portion 78, and it is not necessary to fill the sealing material 90 in the portion where the gap reduction portion 78 is located and the portion on the upper side Z1 (the other side in the insertion direction of the terminal 70, the inner side of the terminal block 60) with respect to the gap reduction portion 78, so it is not necessary to fill the sealing material 90 in the entire volume of the flange insertion hole 67. This can reduce the filling amount of the sealing material 90 , thereby making it easier to seal with the sealing material 90 , and can reduce the risk of problems such as the generation of bubbles that may occur when the entire flange insertion hole 67 is filled with the sealing material 90 .

[0067] In addition, in the present embodiment, although the space P1, the space P2, and the seal receiving portion 68 are set as the storage portion 91, the space P2 and the seal receiving portion 68 can be omitted, and the storage portion 91 can be constituted by only the space P1. However, by also setting the seal receiving portion 68 as the storage portion 91, the outer surface of the terminal 70 can be covered with the sealing material 90 over the entire surface, thereby suppressing the displacement of the terminal 70 and stably maintaining the state of the terminal 70 inserted into the insertion hole 65, so it is preferable to provide the seal receiving portion 68. In addition, even in the case of providing the space P2, by setting the seal receiving portion 68 as the storage portion 91, the sealing material 90 does not need to be filled in the space P2. That is, the space P2 does not need to constitute the storage portion 91. In addition, in the present embodiment, the sealing material 90 is filled in the portion on the lower side Z2 (one side in the insertion direction of the terminal 70, the outer side of the terminal block 60) relative to the gap reduction portion 78, so that it is not necessary to fill the sealing material 90 in the portion on the upper side Z1 (the other side in the insertion direction of the terminal 70, the inner side of the terminal block 60) relative to the gap reduction portion 78, but the sealing material 90 may be filled in the portion on the upper side Z1 relative to the gap reduction portion 78 in addition to the portion on the lower side Z2 relative to the gap reduction portion 78. Even in such a case, the amount of the sealing material 90 required can be reduced by the amount of the gap reduction portion 78. This is the same.

[0068] In addition, the dimension of the storage portion 91 in the left-right direction Y increases according to the protrusion amount of the gap reduction portion 78, and accordingly, the sealing material 90 can be accumulated in the storage portion 91. Therefore, the filling amount of the sealing material 90 in the storage portion 91 can be sufficiently ensured, and the sealing material 90 can be prevented from leaking upward Z1 relative to the gap reduction portion 78, thereby stably maintaining the state of sealing the insertion hole 65. After the filling of the sealing material 90 is completed, the connection portion 80 of the terminal 70 is bent with the V-groove 82 as the starting point, thereby completing the assembly of the terminal structure 1.

[0069] As described above, according to the above-mentioned embodiment, the gap between the outer surface of the terminal 70 and the inner surface of the insertion hole 65, where the gap reduction portion 78 is provided, becomes smaller, so that the sealing material 90 filled into the insertion hole 65 from the outside is easily accumulated in the gap at least on the lower side Z2 (the outer side, one side of the insertion direction of the terminal 70) relative to the gap reduction portion 78. Therefore, even if the gap between the outer surface of the terminal 70 and the inner surface of the insertion hole 65 becomes larger, the insertion hole 65 can be easily and reliably sealed by the sealing material 90. Therefore, it is possible to provide a terminal structure 1 that can easily and reliably seal the insertion hole 65 of the terminal 70.

[0070] Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, by providing the gap reducing portion 78, at least the volume of the sealing material 90 filled with the gap reducing portion 78 can be reduced, and the sealing material 90 can be easily filled into the above-mentioned gap. In addition, thereby, for example, problems that are easy to occur when the amount of filling of the sealing material 90 is large, such as the generation of bubbles in the sealing material 90 and the sealing material 90 not reaching the corners, can be reduced, and the insertion hole 65 can be reliably sealed. In addition, by reducing the gap of the portion of the gap provided with the gap reducing portion 78 in the above-mentioned gap, it is difficult for the terminal 70 to be displaced in the insertion hole 65 in the state before the filling of the sealing material 90. Therefore, the displacement of the terminal 70 relative to the insertion hole 65 can be restricted. Therefore, the deviation of the installation position of the terminal 70 can be reduced, and the position accuracy of the terminal 70 relative to the insertion hole 65 can be improved. In addition, in this case, the position of the end of the gap reducing portion 78 on the inner surface side of the insertion hole 65 can be appropriately adjusted. For example, it is preferable to make the end of the gap reduction portion 78 abut against the inner surface of the insertion hole 65, and the closer the gap is to 0, the more the displacement of the terminal 70 can be suppressed. On the other hand, a slight gap may be provided between the end of the terminal 70 and the inner surface of the insertion hole 65. In this case, the gap is also smaller than that of the structure without the gap reduction portion 78, so the displacement of the terminal 70 can be suppressed.

[0071] In addition, by passing the connecting portion 80 through the insertion hole 65 and arranging the main body 71 in the insertion hole 65, the terminal 70 (screw terminal) can be fixed to the insertion hole 65, and the terminal 70 can be easily assembled. In addition, according to this structure, the maximum value δ of the dimension of the terminal 70 in the left-right direction Y (thickness direction) in the portion provided with the flange portion 85 is set to be less than the maximum value s3 of the dimension of the left-right direction Y of the insertion hole 65, so when the connecting portion 80 is passed through the insertion hole 65, the passage is not difficult, and the passage of the connecting portion can be reliably performed. In addition, according to this structure, the gap between the terminal 70 and the inner surface of the insertion hole 65 becomes larger according to the protruding amount of the flange portion 85, but the filling amount of the sealing material 90 can be ensured by utilizing this gap.

[0072] In addition, since the maximum value γ of the dimension of the terminal 70 in the left-right direction Y in the portion provided with the gap reduction portion 78 is set to be greater than the maximum value s3 of the dimension of the insertion hole 65 in the left-right direction Y, the end of the gap reduction portion 78 is pressed against the inner surface of the insertion hole 65, thereby preventing the sealing material 90 from flowing to the upper side Z1 (the other side of the insertion direction of the terminal 70, the inner side of the terminal block 60) beyond the gap reduction portion 78. Therefore, it is possible to further facilitate the accumulation of the sealing material 90 in the portion on the lower side Z2 relative to the gap reduction portion 78, and reliably perform the sealing of the portion with the sealing material 90. In addition, since the gap reduction portion 78 is pressed into the insertion hole 65, the displacement of the terminal 70 in the insertion hole 65 can be further suppressed in the state before the filling of the sealing material 90, and the terminal 70 can be positioned relative to the insertion hole 65. Therefore, it is possible to provide a terminal structure 1 that reduces the deviation of the installation position of the terminal 70 and improves the position accuracy of the terminal 70 relative to the insertion hole 65.

[0073] In addition, it is particularly preferred that, as in the present embodiment, the maximum value s3 of the dimension of the insertion hole 65 in the left-right direction Y (thickness direction) is set to be greater than the maximum value δ of the dimension of the terminal 70 in the left-right direction Y in the portion where the flange portion 85 is provided and less than the maximum value γ of the dimension of the terminal 70 in the left-right direction Y in the portion where the gap reduction portion 78 is provided.

[0074] In addition, by supporting the step portion 77 of the terminal 70 by the limiting portion 66c in the insertion hole 65, the displacement of the terminal 70 to the lower side Z2 (one side of the insertion direction) can be limited, thereby further reducing the deviation of the installation position of the terminal 70. Therefore, the displacement of the terminal 70 is also limited by the limiting portion 66c together with the above-mentioned gap reduction portion 78, and the position accuracy of the terminal 70 relative to the insertion hole 65 can be improved.

[0075] In addition, by storing the sealing material 90 in at least a storage portion 91 formed by a space P1 (portion) surrounded by the inner surface of the flanged insertion hole 67 (second hole portion), the gap reduction portion 78, and the surface of the narrow width portion 76 of the main body 71 facing the left side Y1 (the surface on the side where the end of the main body 71 facing the gap reduction portion 78 is located), it is possible to fully ensure the filling amount of the sealing material 90 in the storage portion 91, and to suppress leakage of the sealing material 90 toward the upper side Z1 relative to the gap reduction portion 78, thereby stably maintaining the sealed state of the insertion hole 65.

[0076] In addition, by inserting the terminal 70 into the insertion hole 65 having a convex cross section, the sealing material 90 is filled from at least the gap reduction portion 78 provided on the protruding side of the flange portion 85 toward the lower side Z2 of the insertion hole 65, so that sealing by the sealing material 90 can be easily and reliably performed. In addition, according to this structure, after the flange portion 85 passes through the flange insertion hole 67 (second hole portion) in the convex insertion hole 65, a part of the flange insertion hole 67 can be blocked by the gap reduction portion 78. In this case, when the flange insertion hole 67 is sealed by the sealing material 90, it is sufficient to fill the sealing material 90 to the lower side Z2 (one side in the insertion direction of the terminal 70, the outer side of the terminal block 60) with respect to the gap reduction portion 78, and it is not necessary to fill the sealing material 90 to the portion where the gap reduction portion 78 is located and to the upper side Z1 (the other side in the insertion direction of the terminal 70, the inner side of the terminal block 60) with respect to the gap reduction portion 78, so it is not necessary to fill the sealing material 90 of the entire volume of the flange insertion hole 67. In this way, the filling amount of the sealing material 90 can be reduced, so that sealing with the sealing material 90 can be performed more easily.

[0077] In addition, when the gap reducing portion 78 is not provided, it is considered to seal the flange insertion hole 67 using the sealing material 90 of the entire volume of the flange insertion hole 67, but in this case, there is a concern that the following problems are likely to occur: bubbles are generated in the sealing material 90, the sealing material does not reach the corner, etc. However, according to this structure, since the filling amount of the sealing material 90 can be reduced, it is less likely to cause the above-mentioned problems such as the generation of bubbles.

[0078] Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the pressure responsive switch 100 can be configured using the terminal structure 1 that can easily and reliably seal the insertion hole 65 of the terminal 70 .

[0079] Next, modified examples of the present invention will be described. Fig.11 (A) is a cross-sectional view showing a gap reducing member 200 in a modified example. Fig.11 (B) Yes Fig.11 (A) is a cross-sectional view along the D-D line. Fig.11 As shown in (A), in the terminal structure 1 of the modified example, the end of the lower side Z2 in the inner surface of the flange insertion hole 67 (insertion hole 65) is expanded in the front-to-back direction X to form a stepped positioning portion 69. In addition, the gap reduction component 200 is inserted into the flange insertion hole 67 from the opening of the lower side Z2 toward the upper side Z1. Fig.11As shown in (B), the gap reduction component 200 is arranged between the outer surface of the terminal 70 and the inner surface of the insertion hole 65, and has an end portion located on the inner surface side of the insertion hole 65 relative to the outer surface of the terminal 70. That is, the gap reduction component 200 is equivalent to the gap reduction portion 78 of the above-mentioned embodiment. However, the gap reduction component 200 is provided separately from the terminal 70, which is different from the gap reduction portion 78. The gap reduction component 200 includes: a narrow body 201 extending in the front-to-back direction X; and a wide body 202 continuous with the lower side Z2 of the narrow body 201. The narrow body 201 and the wide body 202 are formed to be roughly rectangular when viewed from the front. The dimension of the wide body 202 in the front-to-back direction X is set to be larger than the dimension of the narrow body 201 in the front-to-back direction X.

[0080] A step-shaped portion 203 is formed between the side edge of the narrow body 201 and the side edge of the wide body 202. The step-shaped portion 203 is a portion whose end surface facing the upper side Z1 is supported by the positioning portion 69 in the insertion hole 65. In the present embodiment, the end surface of the step-shaped portion 203 facing the upper side Z1 can abut against the positioning portion 69, and the displacement of the gap reduction component 200 to the upper side Z1 (the other side of the insertion direction) is restricted by the abutment. In addition, the sealing material 90 is mainly filled into the seal receiving portion 68 in a state where the displacement of the gap reduction component 200 is restricted.

[0081] According to such a structure, when the gap reducing component 200 is provided separately from the main body 71 of the terminal 70, the displacement of the gap reducing component 200 can be restricted by the step-shaped portion 203 and the positioning portion 69. In addition, according to such a structure, the structural changes of the main body 71 and the gap reducing portion 78 (or the gap reducing component 200) can be diversified. Specifically, for example, by providing the main body 71 and the gap reducing portion 78 as one body as in the first embodiment, the number of components of the terminal 70 can be reduced. On the other hand, by providing the gap reducing component 200 (gap reducing portion 78) as a separate body from the main body 71 as in the modified example, the shape of the main body 71 can be simplified, and the terminal 70 can be easily manufactured. In addition, when the gap reducing component 200 is provided as a separate body, the shape and specification of the gap reducing component 200 can be easily changed. Therefore, the size of the gap when the terminal 70 is inserted into the insertion hole 65 can be adjusted, and the filling amount of the sealing material 90 can be adjusted. Furthermore, by changing the shape and specification of the gap reducing member 200 , the terminal 70 can be inserted into the insertion hole 65 of various shapes and sizes to fix the terminal.

[0082] Next, a micro switch 2 including the terminal structure 1 according to the second embodiment will be described. Fig.12 This is a cross-sectional view of the micro switch 2 according to the second embodiment cut at the terminal 70 portion. Fig.13 yes Fig.12 Sectional view along line E-E. Fig.14 yes Fig.12 The cross-sectional view along the F-F line in the figure. Fig.12 As shown, in the second embodiment, the dimension of the second wall portion 66b in the terminal insertion hole 66 (insertion hole 65) in the vertical direction Z is larger than the dimension of the second wall portion 66b in the vertical direction Z in the above-mentioned embodiment (refer to Fig. 9 Therefore, when the terminal 70 is inserted into the terminal insertion hole 66 and the step portion 77 of the terminal 70 abuts against the limiting portion 66c to limit the displacement of the terminal 70 toward the lower side Z2, the gap reducing portion 78 is located closer to the lower side Z2 than the gap reducing portion 78 in the above-mentioned embodiment.

[0083] Specifically, in the second embodiment, the gap reducing portion 78 is formed so that its lower base end portion 78c is located at substantially the same position as the lower end of the second wall portion 66b in the vertical direction Z. In the second embodiment in which the gap reducing portion 78 is formed in this way, when the sealing material 90 is filled into the insertion hole 65, Fig.13 As shown in FIG. 1 , the sealing material 90 is accumulated in the space P1 (first part), the space P2 (second part), and the inside of the seal receiving portion 68, and the gap between the outer surface of the terminal 70 and the inner surface of the insertion hole 65 is sealed and solidified, thereby sealing the insertion hole 65. That is, in the second embodiment, the space P1, the space P2, and the seal receiving portion 68 constitute the storage portion 91. In this way, the lower base end portion 78c of the gap reduction portion 78 is located at approximately the same position as the lower end of the second wall portion 66b in the vertical direction Z, so as shown in FIG. Fig.13 As shown, the lower base end portion 78 c is located on the lower side Z2 than the lower end portion of the terminal insertion hole 66 (first hole portion) constituting a part of the insertion hole 65 .

[0084] Thus, a gap is formed between the lower base end portion 78c and the lower end portion of the terminal insertion hole 66, which connects the space P2 with the outside. In the second embodiment, the gap is set as the first connecting path 300a (connecting path 300). That is, the terminal structure 1 of the second embodiment has a first connecting path 300a (connecting path 300) that connects the space P2 (second part) with the outside. In such a structure, by providing the first connecting path 300a, the sealing material 90 can be easily and reliably filled into the storage portion 91 via the first connecting path 300a. Therefore, as Fig.14 As shown, the sealing material 90 can be reliably accumulated in the space P1 and the space P2.

[0085] In addition, in such a structure, the sealing material 90 filled in the space P1, the sealing material 90 filled in the space P2, and the sealing material 90 filled in the seal receiving portion 68 are integrated via the sealing material 90 in the first communication path 300a. As a result, the terminal 70 can be fixed more firmly. Fig.13 As shown by the solid arrow in the middle, even if torque is applied to the terminal 70, the displacement of the terminal 70 can be suppressed. Therefore, the peeling of the sealing material 90 caused by the displacement of the terminal 70 can be suppressed, and the solid such as the foreign matter, the liquid or the gas fluid peeled from the sealing material 90 can be suppressed from intruding into the insertion hole 65. In addition, the leakage of the fluid in the insertion hole 65 peeled from the sealing material 90 can be suppressed. In addition, in the present structure, by adjusting the position of the terminal 70, the first connecting path 300a can be easily formed, so there is no need to perform special processing on the outer surface of the terminal 70 and the inner surface of the terminal insertion hole 66. Therefore, the connecting path 300 can be easily formed, and the manufacturing cost of the terminal structure 1 can be reduced.

[0086] In the second embodiment, the gap between the lower base end portion 78 c and the lower end portion of the terminal insertion hole 66 serves as the first communication path 300 a (communication path 300 ), but the structure of the first communication path 300 a is not limited thereto. Fig.15 (A) is a terminal structure 1 of a modified example of the second embodiment. Fig.14 A cross-sectional view of a portion of. Fig.15 As shown in (A), in a modified example of the second embodiment, a groove-shaped terminal side groove portion 79 opening to the right side Y2 is formed on the surface of the narrow width portion 76 of the terminal 70 facing the right side Y2. The terminal side groove portion 79 extends to the lower end of the narrow width portion 76 and opens to the lower side Z2. As a result, the first connecting path 301a (connecting path 300) is formed inside the terminal side groove portion 79. According to this structure, since there is no need for a gap between the lower base end portion 78c and the lower end portion of the terminal insertion hole 66, the position of the gap reduction portion 78 can be located closer to the upper side Z1 than the position of the gap reduction portion 78 of the second embodiment described above. Therefore, compared with the second embodiment, the depth dimension of the space P1 can be increased, and the volume of the space P1 can be increased. Therefore, the filling amount of the sealing material 90 can be ensured.

[0087] In addition, the groove-shaped structure such as the terminal-side groove portion 79 does not necessarily need to be formed in the terminal 70 . Fig.15 (B) is a terminal structure 1 of another modified example of the second embodiment. Fig.14A sectional view of a portion of the second embodiment. In other modified examples of the second embodiment, a groove-shaped switch side groove portion 10a that is recessed toward the right side Y2 is formed on the inner wall surface of the terminal insertion hole 66 that faces the left side Y1. The switch side groove portion 10a is equivalent to the above-mentioned terminal side groove portion 79. And, the interior of the switch side groove portion 10a constitutes a first connecting path 302a (connecting path 300). According to such a structure, the same effect as the modified example of the second embodiment described above can be achieved. In addition, according to such a structure, there is no need to perform special processing for forming the terminal side groove portion 79 on the terminal 70, which can avoid an increase in the manufacturing cost of the terminal 70.

[0088] Next, a micro switch 2 including the terminal structure 1 according to the third embodiment will be described. Fig.16 This is a cross-sectional view of the micro switch 2 according to the third embodiment cut at the terminal 70 portion. Fig.17 yes Fig.16 Sectional view along line G-G. Fig.18 yes Fig.16 In the third embodiment, in the terminal 70, a second connecting passage 300b (connecting passage 300, through hole) penetrating in the plate thickness direction is formed on the second inclined surface 78d of the gap reduction portion 78. Fig.17 As shown, the opening of one side of the second communication passage 300b opens to the space P2, and the opening of the other side of the second communication passage 300b is connected to the outside (in the state before the sealing material 90 is filled). Fig.17 The space P1 is connected. Fig.17 As shown, the opening in the second communication passage 300b that opens to the outside communicates with the outside at a position different from that of the first communication passage 300a.

[0089] That is, in the third embodiment, at least two communication passages 300 (the first communication passage 300a and the second communication passage 300b) are provided, each of which has an opening portion communicating with the outside at a different position. In addition, in this structure, when filling the sealing material 90, one of the first communication passage 300a and the second communication passage 300b can be used as a filling hole through which the sealing material 90 passes, and the other of the first communication passage 300a and the second communication passage 300b can be used as a through hole to release the fluid in the space P2 to the outside. In such a structure, the sealing material 90 is filled from the opening portion of the communication passage 300 that is not used as a through hole (for example, the first communication passage 300a), and the fluid in the space P2 (storage section 91) flows out from the opening portion of the communication passage 300 that is used as a through hole (for example, the second communication passage 300b (through hole)), so that the internal pressure in the storage section 91 can be suppressed from rising. Therefore, the filling of the sealing material 90 can be easily and reliably performed.

[0090] In addition, in this structure, if Fig.18As shown, the sealing material 90 filled in the space P1, the sealing material 90 filled in the space P2, and the sealing material 90 filled in the seal receiving portion 68 are integrated via the sealing material 90 in the first communication path 300a and the second communication path 300b. As a result, the terminal 70 can be further firmly fixed. As a result, the displacement of the terminal when the torque is applied, the peeling of the sealing material 90, the intrusion of the above-mentioned liquid or gas fluid into the insertion hole 65, and the leakage of the above-mentioned fluid from the insertion hole 65 can be further suppressed. In addition, in this structure, by adjusting the position of the terminal 70, the first communication path 300a can be easily formed, and by forming a through hole in the terminal 70, the second communication path 300b can be easily formed. Therefore, it is not necessary to perform complex processing on the outer surface of the terminal 70 and the inner surface of the terminal insertion hole 66 in order to form each communication path 300. Therefore, the communication path 300 can be easily formed, and the manufacturing cost of the terminal structure 1 can be reduced. In the third embodiment, two communication passages 300 are formed by the first communication passage 300a and the second communication passage 300b, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and one of the first communication passage 300a and the second communication passage 300b may be omitted. In addition, in addition to the first communication passage 300a and the second communication passage 300b, another communication passage 300 may be provided to form three or more communication passages 300.

[0091] The embodiments described above are merely representative embodiments of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto. That is, various deformations can be made and implemented without departing from the main purpose of the present invention. Through this deformation, as long as the structure of the terminal structure 1 of the present invention is possessed, it is of course also included in the scope of the present invention. For example, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the gap reduction portion 78 is formed by the first inclined surface 78b and the second inclined surface 78d into a V-shaped cross-section, and is protruded to the left side Y1, but the shape and protruding direction of the gap reduction portion 78 are not limited thereto. In addition to the V-shaped cross-section, the gap reduction portion 78 can also be formed in various shapes such as a U-shaped cross-section.

[0092] In addition, the gap reducing portion 78 or the gap reducing component 200 is provided on the left side Y1 (the protruding side of the flange portion 85) of the main body 71, but it is not limited to this. The gap reducing portion 78 or the gap reducing component 200 may be provided on both the left side Y1 and the right side Y2 of the main body 71. According to such a structure, the direction where the gap reducing portion 78 or the gap reducing component 200 is located can also be located on both sides of the left-right direction Y in the main body 71, thereby, for example, it is also possible to increase the contact area between the gap reducing portion 78 and the inner surface of the insertion hole 65. Therefore, the displacement of the terminal 70 relative to the insertion hole 65 can be further suppressed. In addition, the insertion hole 65 is formed into a convex cross-section by the terminal insertion hole 66 and the flange insertion hole 67, but the shape of the insertion hole 65 is not limited to a convex shape. The insertion hole 65 with a rectangular cross-section or the like may also be provided according to or not according to the shape of the terminal 70.

[0093] In addition, the maximum value γ of the dimension of the terminal 70 in the left-right direction Y in the portion where the gap reduction portion 78 is provided is set to be greater than the maximum value s3 of the dimension of the insertion hole 65 in the left-right direction Y. Therefore, the front end portion of the gap reduction portion 78 is pressed into the inner surface of the insertion hole 65 (specifically, the inner surface of the flanged insertion hole 67) in a state of being tightly attached. However, the gap reduction portion 78 does not necessarily have to be tightly attached to the inner surface of the insertion hole 65. That is, the end of the gap reduction portion 78 can be located on the inner surface side of the insertion hole 65 relative to the outer surface of the terminal 70. In such a structure, it is also possible to suppress the displacement of the terminal 70 relative to the insertion hole 65, and to easily perform sealing using a sealing material.

[0094] In addition, in the pressure response switch 100 of the present embodiment, the use as a pressure switch is mainly described, but the pressure response switch 100 can also be used as a temperature switch. That is, in the present embodiment, the use as a pressure switch is described as an example, and the pressure switch introduces the fluid of the detection object (here, the refrigerant circulating in the refrigeration cycle) through the joint pipe 116, and detects the pressure change by directly acting the pressure of the detection object on the sensing component such as the bellows or the diaphragm, but the use of the pressure response switch 100 is not limited to this. That is, the element 115 in the pressure response switch 100 of the present embodiment is connected to the temperature sensing tube through the capillary tube, and the temperature switch can be formed by filling the refrigerant into the closed space formed by the sensing component, the capillary tube and the temperature sensing tube. In this way, in the temperature switch using the pressure response switch 100 of the present embodiment, the sensing component is deformed or displaced in the vertical direction Z according to the pressure inside the closed space that changes due to the temperature change detected by the temperature sensing tube, and the conductive state of the contact is changed by transmitting the force at this time to the rod 16 (response component).

[0095] In addition, the structures of the first communication passage 300a and the second communication passage 300b described in any of the above embodiments and modifications are always illustrative, and a communication passage 300 having a structure different from the first communication passage 300a and the second communication passage 300b may be formed. Fig.13 In the terminal structure 1 shown in the figure, the lower base end portion 78c of the gap reduction portion 78 may be located at the upper side L1 than the lower end portion of the terminal insertion hole 66, and a hole portion (not shown) communicating with the space P2 may be formed on the surface of the seal receiving portion 68 facing the lower side L2, thereby not forming a gap ( Figure 1 In addition, the second communication path 300b does not necessarily need to be formed on the second inclined surface 78d of the gap reduction portion 78, and can also be formed on other parts of the terminal 70 such as the connecting portion 81 of the terminal 70.

Claims

1. A terminal structure comprising a terminal having a predetermined thickness and an insertion hole into which the terminal is inserted from the outside with a gap in the thickness direction, characterized in that: A gap reducing portion is provided between the outer surface of the terminal and the inner surface of the insertion hole, the gap reducing portion having an end portion located on the inner surface side relative to the outer surface, The gap is filled with a sealing material for sealing the insertion hole, at least a portion on one side of the insertion direction of the terminal relative to the gap reduction portion.

2. The terminal structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The insertion hole is provided to penetrate in the insertion direction of the terminal. The terminal is a screw terminal, which includes a main body portion located in the insertion hole, a connecting portion continuous with the main body portion and extending to the outside through the insertion hole, and a flange portion protruding from the connecting portion in the thickness direction. The maximum value of the dimension of the terminal in the thickness direction in the portion where the burring portion is provided is set to be less than or equal to the maximum value of the dimension of the insertion hole in the thickness direction.

3. The terminal structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The maximum value of the dimension of the terminal in the thickness direction in the portion where the gap reduction portion is provided is set to be greater than or equal to the maximum value of the dimension of the insertion hole in the thickness direction.

4. The terminal structure according to claim 2, characterized in that: The maximum value of the dimension of the terminal in the thickness direction in the portion where the gap reduction portion is provided is set to be greater than or equal to the maximum value of the dimension of the insertion hole in the thickness direction.

5. The terminal structure according to claim 2, characterized in that: The main body portion includes a wide portion extending in a width direction intersecting the insertion direction and the thickness direction, a narrow portion continuous with the wide portion and extending along the insertion direction and having a dimension in the width direction smaller than that of the wide portion, and a step portion provided between a side edge of the wide portion and a side edge of the narrow portion. A restriction portion is provided on an inner surface of the insertion hole, the restriction portion supports an end surface of the step portion and restricts displacement of the main body portion to one side in the insertion direction.

6. The terminal structure according to claim 2, characterized in that: The insertion hole includes a first hole portion into which the main body portion is inserted, and a second hole portion which is provided continuously in the thickness direction with respect to the first hole portion and through which the flange portion passes. A storage portion for storing the sealing material is formed by at least the inner surface of the second hole, the reduced gap portion, and a first portion surrounded by a surface of the main body portion facing the end portion of the reduced gap portion.

7. The terminal structure according to claim 6, characterized in that: The receiving portion includes a second portion surrounded by an inner surface of the first hole portion and a surface of the main body portion facing a side opposite to a side where the end of the gap reduction portion is located. A communication path is provided for connecting the second portion with the outside.

8. The terminal structure according to claim 7, characterized in that: At least two communication paths are provided, each of which has an opening communicating with the outside at a different position.

9. The terminal structure according to claim 8, characterized in that: At least one of the communication paths is a through hole penetrating the terminal.

10. The terminal structure according to claim 6, characterized in that: The dimension of the second hole portion in the width direction intersecting the insertion direction and the thickness direction is formed to be smaller than the dimension of the first hole portion in the width direction, whereby the insertion hole is formed to have a convex cross-section. The gap reducing portion is provided at least on a protruding side of the burring portion in the gap.

11. The terminal structure according to claim 2, characterized in that: The gap reducing portion is provided at least integrally with or separately from the main body portion on a protruding side of the flange portion in the gap.

12. The terminal structure according to claim 2, characterized in that: The gap reducing portion is separately arranged from the main body portion. The gap reducing portion is provided with a wide body extending in a width direction intersecting the insertion direction and the thickness direction, a narrow body having a dimension in the width direction smaller than that of the wide body, and a step-shaped portion provided between a side edge of the wide body and a side edge of the narrow body, A positioning portion is provided on the inner surface of the insertion hole, and the positioning portion supports the end surface of the step-shaped portion to restrict displacement of the gap reduction portion to the other side in the insertion direction.

13. A pressure responsive switch, characterized in that: A terminal structure according to any one of claims 1 to 12 is provided.

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