Connection terminal

Abstract

To provide a connection terminal capable of holding a coil assembly with an appropriate holding force and easily fixing the coil assembly to a housing.SOLUTION: A connection terminal 10 for connecting a coil assembly 1 to a substrate 2 includes a coil side connection portion 11 connected to the coil assembly, a substrate side connection portion 12 connected to the substrate, and a housing connection portion 13 having a press-fit portion 14 that is press-fitted into an insertion hole 6a formed in a housing (middle wall portion 6) that accommodates the coil assembly 1 and the substrate 2. The press-fit portion 14 includes at least three widened portions 15 (first widened portion 15a, second widened portion 15b, third widened portion 15c), and a recess 16 is formed between adjacent widened portions 15.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a connection terminal. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in electronic control devices incorporating a coil assembly, a technology using a connection terminal is known as a structure for attaching the coil assembly to the housing of the electronic control device (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The connection terminal in Patent Document 1 is provided in a brake fluid pressure control device mounted on a vehicle. The connection terminal has a lower end attached to the coil assembly, a middle part held by a terminal holding part of the housing, and an upper end attached to a board. The middle part of the connection terminal is formed wider than the other parts, and is press-fitted into an insertion hole formed in the terminal holding part.

[0003] According to the connection terminal of Patent Document 1, even if the overall length of the terminal is long, the terminal can be prevented from bending or collapsing. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-131187 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the connection terminal of Patent Document 1, the side surface of the wide portion is flat, and manufacturing errors in the wide portion and the insertion hole can make it difficult to press the connection terminal in. Specifically, if the wide portion is significantly larger than the inner diameter of the insertion hole, the resin of the terminal holding portion may be scraped off, while if the wide portion is significantly smaller than the inner diameter of the insertion hole, the holding force of the terminal holding portion to hold the connection terminal may be insufficient.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and to provide a connection terminal that can hold a coil assembly with an appropriate holding force and can easily be fixed to a housing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a connection terminal for connecting a coil assembly to a substrate, the connection terminal comprising: a coil-side connection portion connected to the coil assembly, a substrate-side connection portion connected to the substrate, and a housing connection portion having a press-fit portion press-fitted into an insertion hole formed in a housing that accommodates the coil assembly and the substrate. The press-fit portion has at least three widened portions, and a recess is formed between adjacent widened portions. According to the connection terminal of the present invention, the resin constituting the inner peripheral surface of the insertion hole is pushed by the widened portion into the recessed portion, so that the insertion hole and the housing connection portion mesh with each other. This allows the coil assembly to be fixed to the housing with an appropriate holding force. In addition, the side surface of the press-in portion has an uneven shape due to the widened portion and the recessed portion, so that the press-in portion can be smoothly pressed into the insertion hole, and the coil assembly can be easily fixed to the housing.

[0008] In the connection terminal of the present invention, it is preferable that the width dimension of the widened portion located at the tip in the press-fitting direction among the widened portions is smaller than the width dimensions of the other widened portions. With such a configuration, the tip of the press-fitting portion can be easily inserted into the insertion hole, so that the press-fitting portion can be pressed into the insertion hole more smoothly.

[0009] In the connection terminal of the present invention, it is preferable that the side surface of the widened portion has a curved shape with respect to the insertion direction of the connection terminal. With such a configuration, the press-fit portion can be pressed into the insertion hole more smoothly and can be pressed into the insertion hole preferably by the widened portion.

[0010] In the connection terminal of the present invention, the widened portion is formed in three steps, and includes a first widened portion located on the tip side in the press-fitting direction, a second widened portion located on the base end side in the press-fitting direction of the first widened portion, and a third widened portion located on the base end side in the press-fitting direction of the second widened portion. When the width dimension of the first widened portion is a, the width dimension of the second widened portion is b, and the width dimension of the third widened portion is c, it is preferable to satisfy the following formula 1. a < b ≦ c ··· Formula 1 According to such a configuration, the first widened portion is easily inserted into the insertion hole. Furthermore, the resin constituting the inner peripheral surface of the insertion hole enters the recess between the second widened portion and the third widened portion, and the holding force of the coil assembly can be increased.

Advantages of the Invention

[0011] According to the connection terminal of the present invention, the coil assembly can be held with an appropriate holding force, and can be easily fixed to the housing.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012] [Figure 1] It is a front view showing a state in which a coil assembly is connected to a substrate and a housing using the connection terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] It is a side view similarly showing a state in which the coil assembly is attached to the substrate and the housing. [Diagram 3] It is a plan view showing a coil assembly in a state where the connection terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention is attached. [Figure 4] It is a perspective view similarly showing a coil assembly in a state where the connection terminal is attached. [Diagram 5] It is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part showing a state in which the press-fitting portion of the connection terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention is press-fitted into the insertion hole.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate. In the following, an electronic control device of a brake fluid pressure control device mounted on a vehicle will be described as an example of a device to which a coil assembly is to be assembled, but the purpose is not to limit the device to which the coil assembly is to be assembled. Examples of the vehicle include motorcycles, three-wheeled vehicles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), and four-wheeled vehicles, as well as hybrid vehicles that also use a motor, vehicles that are powered only by a motor, and vehicles that are powered only by a fuel cell or an engine (internal combustion engine). In this embodiment, a case where a coil assembly is connected to an ECU board will be described as an example. ECU stands for Electronic Control Unit, and is a general term for a device (unit) that controls a system using electronic circuits. This ECU is installed in an automobile as an electronic control unit that controls, for example, core control such as engine and chassis control, as well as ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System).

[0014] Fig. 1 is a front view showing a state in which a coil assembly 1 is connected to a substrate 2 and a housing using a connection terminal 10 of this embodiment. Fig. 2 is a side view showing a state in which the coil assembly 1 is attached to the substrate 2 and the housing using the connection terminal 10. Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the coil assembly 1 with the connection terminal 10 attached. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the coil assembly 1 with the connection terminal 10 attached. Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part showing a state in which the press-fit portion 14 of the connection terminal 10 is press-fitted into the insertion hole. In this embodiment, the insertion direction of the connection terminal 10 into the substrate 2 is the vertical direction, and in Figures 1 to 4, the side on which the connection terminal 10 is arranged is the upper side of the coil assembly 1, but the actual mounting direction of the coil assembly 1 is not limited to this "vertical direction."

[0015] 1 to 4, in the coil assembly 1, a coil (not shown) formed by winding a wire around a bobbin (not shown) is housed within a yoke 3. A terminal support part 4 that supports a connection terminal 10 is integrally provided on the upper part of the bobbin. The terminal support part 4 is inserted into an insertion hole 5 provided in the yoke 3 and protrudes above the yoke 3 through the insertion hole 5. The lower end of the connection terminal 10 is embedded in the resin terminal support part 4 by insert molding, and the remaining part of the connection terminal 10 protrudes upward from the terminal support part 4.

[0016] The lower end of the connection terminal 10 embedded in the terminal support portion 4 protrudes downward from the terminal support portion 4 and is electrically connected to the coil winding. A portion of the lower end of the connection terminal 10 protrudes horizontally (see Figures 1, 3 and 4). Two connection terminals 10 are provided in the coil assembly 1 and are arranged adjacent to each other. The connection terminal 10 includes a coil side connection portion 11, a board side connection portion 12 and a housing connection portion 13. The coil side connection portion 11, the board side connection portion 12 and the housing connection portion 13 are formed in approximately the same straight line.

[0017] The coil side connection part 11 is a part that is embedded in the terminal support part 4 and connected to the coil, and is disposed at the lower end part of the connection terminal 10. The coil side connection part 11 extends linearly in the vertical direction.

[0018] The board-side connection part 12 is a part that is electrically connected to the board 2, and is disposed at the upper end of the connection terminal 10. The board 2 is formed with an insertion hole 2a into which the connection part 12b of the connection terminal 10 is inserted. The board-side connection part 12 has a press-fit part 12a that is press-fitted and inserted into the insertion hole 2a. The board-side connection part 12 may be structured to be connected to a bus bar, terminal, or the like (not shown).

[0019] The housing connection part 13 is attached to an intermediate wall part 6 (see Figs. 1 and 2) of the housing of the brake fluid pressure control device. The housing accommodates the coil assembly 1 and the board 2. The intermediate wall part 6 is formed with an insertion hole 6a through which the housing connection part 13 of the connection terminal 10 is inserted. The housing connection part 13 has a press-fit part 14 that is press-fitted into the insertion hole 6a. The board side connection part 12 and the housing connection part 13 are inserted into the insertion hole 6a from below, and the press-fit part 14 of the housing connection part 13 is press-fitted to fit. As shown in Fig. 4, the press-fit part 14 has front and back flat parts that are parallel to each other, and left and right side parts that connect the flat parts. The flat parts and the side parts are perpendicular to each other, and the horizontal cross section has a rectangular shape. The insertion hole 6a also has a rectangular cross section.

[0020] As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the press-fit portion 14 has a plurality of widened portions 15. The widened portions 15 are symmetrically widened in the left-right direction from the axis of the housing connection portion 13. The outer surface of the widened portions 15 has a curved shape with respect to the insertion direction of the connection terminal 10. Of the plurality of widened portions 15, the width dimension of the widened portion 15 located at the tip (upper end) in the press-fit direction is smaller than the width dimension of the other widened portions 15 on the base end side (lower side) in the press-fit direction. The width dimension of the widened portion 15 is the distance of a straight line connecting the most protruding parts of the curved outer surface (see Fig. 5). A recess 16 is formed between the widened portions 15 adjacent to each other in the vertical direction.

[0021] The widening portion 15 is formed in at least three stages. In the present embodiment, the widening portion 15 is formed in three stages, and includes a first widening portion 15a located on the tip side (upper side) in the press-fitting direction, a second widening portion 15b located on the base end side (lower side) in the press-fitting direction of the first widening portion 15a, and a third widening portion 15c located on the base end side (lower side) in the press-fitting direction of the second widening portion 15b. As shown in FIG. 5, when the width dimension of the first widening portion 15a is a, the width dimension of the second widening portion 15b is b, and the width dimension of the third widening portion 15c is c, a < b ≤ c is satisfied. Specifically, the width dimension a of the first widening portion 15a is equal to or slightly smaller than the width dimension L of the insertion hole 6a, and is dimensioned to be easily insertable into the insertion hole 6a. The width dimension b of the second widening portion 15b is larger than the width dimension of the first widening portion 15a, and is slightly larger than the width dimension L of the insertion hole 6a, and is dimensioned to be press-fittable into the insertion hole 6a. In the present embodiment, the width dimension c of the third widening portion 15c is the same as the width dimension b of the second widening portion 15b. Note that the width dimension c of the third widening portion 15c may be slightly larger than the width dimension b of the second widening portion 15b.

[0022] When the press-fitting portion 14 of the connection terminal 10 having the above configuration is press-fitted into the insertion hole 6a, the first widening portion 15a is smoothly inserted into the insertion hole 6a, and the second widening portion 15b and the third widening portion 15c are press-fitted. At this time, the resin constituting the inner peripheral surface of the insertion hole 6a is spread by the second widening portion 15b (pressed in the lateral direction) and moves to the recess 16 between the second widening portion 15b and the third widening portion 15c. As a result, the press-fitting portion 14 and the insertion hole 6a mesh with each other.

[0023] According to the connection terminal of the present embodiment, as described above, the resin constituting the inner peripheral surface of the insertion hole 6a is pushed by the second widening portion 15b and flows into the recess 16 between the second widening portion 15b and the third widening portion 15c, so that the insertion hole 6a and the press-fitting portion 14 mesh with each other. As a result, the coil assembly 1 is fixed to the intermediate wall portion 6 of the housing with an appropriate holding force.

[0024] On the other hand, since the side surface of the press-fitting portion 14 is unevenly formed by the widened portion 15 and the recessed portion 16, the contact area with the inner peripheral surface of the insertion hole 6a is reduced, and the press-fitting portion 14 can be smoothly press-fitted into the insertion hole 6a. Furthermore, the coil assembly can be easily fixed to the housing. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the width dimension a of the first widened portion 15a is smaller than the width dimension b of the second widened portion 15b and the width dimension c of the third widened portion 15c, so that the tip end of the press-fitting portion 14 is easily inserted into the insertion hole 6a. Furthermore, the width dimension a of the first widened portion 15a is slightly smaller than the width dimension L of the insertion hole 6a, so that the first widened portion 15a is inserted into the press-fitting portion 14 and serves as a guide portion when the press-fitting portion 14 is pressed in. This makes it even smoother to press the press-fitting portion into the insertion hole.

[0025] In addition, since the side surface of the widening portion 15 is formed in a curved shape, the contact area between the press-in portion 14 and the inner surface of the insertion hole 6a becomes even smaller, making it easier to press the press-in portion into the insertion hole and allowing it to be pressed in favorably by the widening portion 15.

[0026] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the press-fit portion 14 has parallel front and back flat portions and left and right side portions connecting the flat portions, and has a rectangular horizontal cross section, but is not limited to this. The press-fit portion may have a circular horizontal cross section. In this case, the width dimension of each widening portion is the diameter dimension. And the insertion hole of the intermediate wall portion has a circular cross section. [Explanation of symbols]

[0027] 1 Coil assembly 2. Board 6 Intermediate wall 6a Insertion hole 10 Connection terminal 11 Coil side connection part 12 Board side connection part 13 Housing connection 14 Press-fit section 15 Widening section 15a First widening section 15b Second widening section 15c Third widening section 16 Recess

Claims

1. A connection terminal for connecting the coil assembly to a substrate, a coil side connection portion connected to the coil assembly, a board side connection portion connected to the board, and a housing connection portion having a press-fit portion that is press-fitted into an insertion hole formed in a housing that accommodates the coil assembly and the board, The press-fitting portion has at least three widening stages, A recess is formed between the adjacent widened portions. A connection terminal characterized by:

2. Among the widened portions, the width dimension of the widened portion located at the tip in the press-fitting direction is smaller than the width dimensions of the other widened portions. The connection terminal according to claim 1 .

3. The side surface of the widened portion has a curved shape with respect to the insertion direction of the connection terminal. The connection terminal according to claim 1 .

4. the widened portion is formed in three stages, and includes a first widened portion located on a tip side in the press-fitting direction, a second widened portion located on a base end side in the press-fitting direction of the first widened portion, and a third widened portion located on a base end side in the press-fitting direction of the second widened portion, When the width dimension of the first widened portion is a, the width dimension of the second widened portion is b, and the width dimension of the third widened portion is c, the following formula 1 is satisfied. The connection terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 3. a<b≦c...Formula 1

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