Wiring unit

Abstract

To provide a wiring unit capable of suppressing the infiltration of condensation water, etc. into the connection between a flexible printed wiring board and a connector.SOLUTION: A first holding member 310 is provided with a recess 311 that is recessed toward the opposite side of a cover 400 via a connector 200 at a position opposite a housing case 210 via the portions of multiple terminals 220 that protrude from a housing case 210, and the cover 400 is provided with a pressing portion 420 that presses a part of an FPC 100 to cause the part to enter the recess 311.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a wiring unit having a flexible printed wiring board. [Background technology]

[0002] Flexible printed circuit boards (hereafter referred to as "FPC") are often used with connectors to connect to other wiring or devices. When used in outdoor facilities or on-board vehicles, it is common to apply a resin material to the connection to make it waterproof, or to use a waterproof connector, so that condensation water does not run down the FPC and penetrate into the connection with the connector. However, these methods are expensive.

[0003] There is also a known technology for preventing the infiltration of condensation water and the like into the connection of a connector by devising a method for arranging the connector and FPC (see Patent Document 2). However, this technology cannot be adopted if there are restrictions on the arrangement space for the FPC, etc. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-54940 A [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 2022-71455 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a wiring unit capable of suppressing the infiltration of condensation water or the like into a connection portion between a flexible printed wiring board and a connector. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention employs the following means to solve the above problems.

[0007] That is, the wiring unit of the present invention is A flexible printed wiring board; a connector including a housing case and a plurality of terminals protruding from an inside of the housing case to an outside thereof and connected to wiring provided on the flexible printed wiring board; a holding member for holding the flexible printed wiring board to which the connector is connected; a cover provided to sandwich the connector between the holding member and the cover; Equipped with The holding member is provided with a recess, which is recessed toward an opposite side to the cover via the connector, at a position opposite to the housing case with respect to the portions of the terminals protruding from the housing case, and The cover is characterized by being provided with a pressing portion that presses a part of the flexible printed wiring board to enter the recess.

[0008] According to the present invention, even if condensation water or the like flows along the FPC toward the connection portion with the connector, the condensation water or the like enters the recessed portion, and therefore infiltration into the connection portion can be prevented.

[0009] When viewed parallel to the longitudinal direction of the flexible printed wiring board, the widthwise range in which the recess and the pressing portion are provided may be configured to include the range in which the multiple terminals are provided.

[0010] This makes it possible to prevent condensation water and the like from adhering to any of the multiple terminals.

[0011] The pressing portion may be configured to press a portion of the flexible printed wiring board against a wall surface of the recess on a side where the connector is provided.

[0012] As a result, a portion of the flexible printed wiring board is sandwiched between the wall surface of the recess and the pressing portion, making it possible to more reliably prevent condensation water and the like from entering the connection portion.

[0013] The pressing portion may be provided with a protrusion for pressing a part of the flexible printed wiring board against a wall surface of the recess on a side where the connector is provided.

[0014] This increases the peak surface pressure applied by the pressing portion (projection portion) to the flexible printed wiring board, making it possible to more reliably prevent condensation water and the like from entering the connection portion.

[0015] The cover may have a pair of walls that cover both sides of the portions of the terminals that protrude from the housing case.

[0016] This can prevent any member or the like from coming into contact with the terminals.

[0017] It is also preferable that the holding member and the cover are integrally constructed via a hinge.

[0018] This makes it possible to reduce the number of parts.

[0019] Furthermore, it is also preferable that the cover is integrally formed with a flexible printed wiring board cover that covers the flexible printed wiring board.

[0020] This makes it possible to reduce the number of parts.

[0021] The above configurations may be combined as much as possible. Effect of the Invention

[0022] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to prevent condensation water and the like from entering the connection portion between the flexible printed wiring board and the connector. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a partial external view of a wiring unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a front view of a cover according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is an external view of a cover according to the first modification. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a cover according to the second modification. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is an external view of a cover according to the third modification. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a cover according to the fourth modification. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0024] Hereinafter, the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative positions, and the like of the components described in the embodiment are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention unless otherwise specified.

[0025] (Example) A wiring unit according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a part of an external view of a wiring unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, with (a) being a part of a plan view and (b) being a part of a side view. Note that in Figure 1(a), a part of the main components is shown in perspective with dotted lines. Figure 2 is a front view of a cover according to an embodiment of the present invention, which corresponds to a view of the cover in Figure 1(b) as seen from the right side of the figure.

[0026] <Outline of wiring unit configuration> The wiring unit 10 of this embodiment includes a flexible printed wiring board (hereinafter referred to as "FPC100"), a connector 200 connected to the FPC100, and a holding member 300 that holds the FPC100 to which the connector 200 is connected.

[0027] Since the FPC 100 itself is a known technology, a detailed description thereof will be omitted and a brief description of the structure will be given. The FPC 100 includes a base film, wiring 110 made of copper foil or the like provided on the surface of the base film, and a cover film that protects the wiring 110. The present invention is applicable to single-sided FPCs in which wiring and a cover film are provided only on one side of the base film, double-sided FPCs in which wiring and a cover film are provided on both sides of the base film, and also to FPCs with a more multilayer structure.

[0028] The connector 200 includes a housing case 210 and a plurality of terminals 220. The plurality of terminals 220 are provided so as to protrude from the inside of the housing case 210 to the outside. The plurality of terminals 220 are connected to wiring 110 provided on the FPC 100. More specifically, openings are provided in a part of the cover film of the FPC 100, and tips of the terminals 220 are connected to the exposed wiring 110 by soldering. Note that the connection between the FPC 100 and the connector 200 is preferably not only the connection between the terminals 220 and the wiring 110, but also a separate fixation such as bonding the housing case 210 and the FPC 100 with an adhesive or double-sided tape.

[0029] The holding member 300 includes a first holding member 310 that holds the FPC 100 near where the housing case 210 is connected, and a plurality of second holding members 320 that are connected to each other while allowing some movement of the FPC 100 in the longitudinal direction. The FPC 100 and the first holding member 310 may be directly bonded to each other with an adhesive or double-sided tape, or the FPC 100 and the first holding member 310 may be indirectly fixed to each other by fixing the connector 200 to the first holding member 310 using a fastener such as a screw member or adopting a snap-fit ​​structure. Note that FIG. 1(b) shows a configuration in which the FPC 100 and the first holding member 310 are bonded to each other with a double-sided tape 510 as an example. Various structures may be adopted for the fixing structure between the second holding member 320 and the FPC 100, such as providing the second holding member 320 with locking claws that lock both sides of the FPC 100 in the width direction. As described above, the multiple second holding members 320 are connected in a state in which some movement in the longitudinal direction of the FPC 100 is permitted, and therefore the FPC 100 can be suitably applied to devices that expand and contract in the longitudinal direction or devices with large dimensional tolerances. In addition, since the FPC 100 is flexible, some movement of the second holding members 320 does not adversely affect the quality.

[0030] The wiring unit 10 according to this embodiment includes a cover 400 that is provided so as to sandwich the connector 200 between itself and the holding member 300. The cover 400 includes a top plate portion 410 and a pressing portion 420. The cover 400 can be fixed to the FPC 100 and the holding member 300, for example, by adhering the top plate portion 410 and the connector 200 (housing case 210) with an adhesive or double-sided tape. In the illustrated example, a configuration in which the cover 400 and the housing case 210 are fixed with double-sided tape 520 is shown. However, the cover 400 and the connector 200 may be fixed to each other by a fastener such as a screw member. The cover 400 may also be fixed to the first holding member 310 by using a fastener such as a screw member or by adopting a snap-fit ​​structure. In this embodiment, the holding member 300 and the cover 400 are configured as separate members (separate bodies). However, the holding member 300 and the cover 400 may be integrated into one part. In this case, for example, as shown by the dotted line in FIG. 1(b), a configuration may be adopted in which the part corresponding to the holding member 300 and the part corresponding to the cover 400 are connected by a flexible hinge 400H. As a result, the holding member and the cover are integrated through the hinge 400H. When this configuration is adopted, the FPC 100 and the connector 200 are attached to the part corresponding to the holding member 300, and then the hinge 400H is bent to fix the part corresponding to the cover 400. By adopting the above configuration, the number of parts can be reduced.

[0031] <Structure that prevents condensation water from entering the connection between the connector and FPC> First holding member 310 is provided with recess 311. Recess 311 is configured to be recessed toward the opposite side of cover 400 via connector 200 at a position opposite housing case 210 via portions of multiple terminals 220 protruding from housing case 210.

[0032] As described above, the cover 400 is provided with the pressing portion 420. This pressing portion 420 is configured to press a portion of the FPC 100 to cause the portion to enter the recess 311. In other words, when the cover 400 is attached to the housing case 210 or the first holding member 310, the pressing portion 420 presses a portion of the FPC 100, causing the portion to bend and enter the recess 311.

[0033] Here, when viewed parallel to the longitudinal direction of the FPC100, the widthwise range H1 in which the pressing portion 420 is provided is configured to include the range H2 in which the multiple terminals 220 are provided. Note that, when viewed parallel to the longitudinal direction of the FPC100, the widthwise range in which the recess 311 is provided naturally includes the widthwise range H1 in which the pressing portion 420 is provided. Therefore, when viewed parallel to the longitudinal direction of the FPC100, it can be said that the widthwise range in which the recess 311 and the pressing portion 420 are provided includes the range H2 in which the multiple terminals 220 are provided. Note that, in this embodiment, the recess 311 is provided over the entire width of the first holding member 310, but it does not necessarily have to be provided over the entire width. Also, the pressing portion 420 is provided over the entire width of the cover 400, but it does not necessarily have to be provided over the entire width.

[0034] <Advantages of the wiring unit according to the present embodiment> According to the wiring unit 10 of this embodiment, a configuration is adopted in which the first holding member 310 is provided with a recess 311, and the cover 400 is provided with a pressing portion 420 that presses a part of the FPC 100 to cause it to enter the recess 311. As a result, even if condensation water or the like flows along the FPC 100 toward the connection portion between the FPC 100 and the connector 200, the condensation water or the like enters the recess 311, and therefore infiltration into the connection portion can be suppressed. Therefore, short circuits and deterioration of the terminals 220 can be suppressed.

[0035] In addition, in this embodiment, when viewed parallel to the longitudinal direction of the FPC 100, the widthwise range in which the recess 311 and the pressing portion 420 are provided is configured to include the range H2 in which the multiple terminals 220 are provided. This makes it possible to prevent condensation water and the like from adhering to any of the multiple terminals 220.

[0036] Here, it is preferable that the pressing portion 420 is configured to press a part of the FPC 100 against the wall surface 311a on the side of the recess 311 where the connector 200 is provided (see FIG. 1(b)). With this configuration, a portion of FPC 100 is sandwiched between wall surface 311a of recess 311 and pressing portion 420, so that infiltration of condensed water or the like into the connection portion can be more reliably prevented.

[0037] Below, modified examples of the cover 400 will be described.

[0038] (Variation 1) 3A and 3B are external views of a cover 400X according to Modification 1, in which FIG. 3A is a front view of the cover 400X and FIG. 3B is a side view of the cover 400X. FIG. 3B also shows a portion of the vicinity of the recess 311 of the first holding member 310 and the FPC 100.

[0039] Like the cover 400 described in the above embodiment, the cover 400X according to the first modification also includes a top plate portion 410 and a pressing portion 420. In the cover 400X, the pressing portion 420 is provided with a protrusion portion 430 that presses a part of the FPC 100 against a wall surface 311a on the side of the recess 311 where the connector 200 is provided.

[0040] The cover 400X configured as above can also provide the same effect as when the cover 400 is used. Furthermore, when the cover 400X is used, the peak surface pressure applied to the FPC 100 by the pressing portion 420 (projection portion 430) is increased, so that the intrusion of condensation water or the like into the connection portion can be more reliably suppressed. That is, as shown in FIG. 1(b), pressing a portion of the FPC 100 with the projection portion 430 can locally press the FPC 100 compared to pressing a portion of the FPC 100 with the flat portion of the pressing portion 420. This can increase the peak surface pressure.

[0041] (Variation 2) Fig. 4 is an external view of a cover 400Y according to Modification 2, in which Fig. 4(a) is a part of a plan view of a wiring unit 10 including the cover 400Y, Fig. 4(b) is a front view of the cover 400Y, and Fig. 4(c) is a side view of the cover 400Y. Note that in Fig. 4(a), some of the main components are shown in perspective with dotted lines.

[0042] Like the cover 400 shown in the above embodiment, the cover 400Y according to the second modification also includes a top plate portion 410 and a pressing portion 420. The cover 400Y has a configuration including a pair of wall portions 440 that cover both sides of the portions of the multiple terminals 220 protruding from the housing case 210.

[0043] The cover 400Y configured as above can also provide the same effect as when the cover 400 is used. Furthermore, when the cover 400Y is used, it is possible to prevent some member or the like from coming into contact with the terminal 220. That is, it is possible to prevent some member constituting a device to which the wiring unit 10 is applied from coming into contact with the terminal 220, or to prevent some object such as dust from coming into contact with the terminal 220 when the wiring unit 10 is used in outdoor equipment.

[0044] (Variation 3) FIG. 5 is an external view of a cover 400Z according to the third modified example, in which (a) is a front view of the cover 400Z and (b) is a side view of the cover 400Z.

[0045] The cover 400Z according to the third modification also includes a top plate portion 410 and a pressing portion 420, similar to the cover 400 shown in the above embodiment. The cover 400Z is provided with a protrusion portion 430, similar to the first modification, and has a pair of walls 440, similar to the second modification. The cover 400Z configured as above also includes a top plate portion 410 and a pressing portion 420. In addition, when the cover 400Z is used, the effects of the above-mentioned first and second modifications can also be obtained.

[0046] (Variation 4) In a structure in which the FPC is held by the holding member, a flexible printed circuit board cover for protecting the FPC may be provided. Therefore, the cover for protecting the connector 200 may be integrally formed with the flexible printed circuit board cover. FIG. 6 shows an example of this. FIG. 6(a) is a schematic diagram of a part of a side view of a wiring unit in which a cover 400P according to a fourth modification is adopted. Note that the same components as those shown in the embodiment are given the same reference numerals and their description is omitted as appropriate. The cover 400P according to this modification also includes a top plate portion 410 that covers the connector 200 and a pressing portion 420, similar to the cover 400 shown in the above embodiment. In the cover 400P, an FPC cover 450 that covers the FPC 100 is integrally provided with the top plate portion 410 and the pressing portion 420. This allows the number of parts to be reduced.

[0047] The structure for fixing the FPC cover 450 is not particularly limited, and a fastener such as a screw member may be used, but the illustrated example shows a structure using a snap fit 315. That is, the FPC cover 450 can be fixed by the snap fit 315 provided on the holding member 300. In this case, as shown in FIG. 6(b), a configuration in which a pair of snap fits 315 are provided on both sides of the first holding member 310 can be adopted. Also, a configuration in which the holding member 300 and the cover 400P are integrated can be adopted. In this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 6(c), the holding member 300 (first holding member 310) and the FPC cover 450S may be integrated via a hinge 312. In this case, for example, the snap fit 315 may be provided on one side of the first holding member 310 (the side opposite to the hinge 312). Note that FIGS. 6(b) and (c) correspond to the AA cross-sectional view in FIG. 6(a). Note that the configuration of the cover 400P according to the fourth modification can be applied to any of the configurations shown in the first to third modifications. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 10: Wiring unit 100:FPC 110: Wiring 200: Connector 210: Housing case 220: Terminal 300: Holding member 310: First holding member 311: Recess 311a: Wall 312: Hinge 315: Snap fit 320: Second holding member 400, 400X, 400Y, 400Z, 400P: Cover 410: Top plate 420: Pressing part 430:Protrusion 440: Wall 450, 450S: FPC cover 400H: Hinge 510, 520: Double-sided tape

Claims

1. A flexible printed wiring board; a connector including a housing case and a plurality of terminals provided to protrude from an inside of the housing case to an outside thereof and connected to wiring provided on the flexible printed wiring board; a holding member for holding the flexible printed wiring board to which the connector is connected; a cover provided to sandwich the connector between the holding member and the cover; Equipped with The holding member is provided with a recess, which is recessed toward an opposite side to the cover via the connector, at a position opposite to the housing case with respect to the portions of the terminals protruding from the housing case, and The wiring unit is characterized in that the cover is provided with a pressing portion that presses a part of the flexible printed wiring board to enter the recess.

2. The wiring unit according to claim 1, characterized in that, when viewed parallel to the longitudinal direction of the flexible printed wiring board, the widthwise range in which the recess and the pressing portion are provided is configured to include the range in which the multiple terminals are provided.

3. 2. The wiring unit according to claim 1, wherein the pressing portion is configured to press a part of the flexible printed wiring board against a wall surface of the recess on a side where the connector is provided.

4. 4. The wiring unit according to claim 3, wherein the pressing portion is provided with a protrusion for pressing a part of the flexible printed wiring board against a wall surface of the recess on a side where the connector is provided.

5. 5. The wiring unit according to claim 1, wherein the cover has a pair of walls which cover both sides of the portions of the terminals protruding from the housing case.

6. 5. The wiring unit according to claim 1, wherein the holding member and the cover are integrally formed via a hinge.

7. 5. The wiring unit according to claim 1, wherein the cover is integral with a cover for a flexible printed wiring board which covers the flexible printed wiring board.

Images