Covered electronic component, method for manufacturing a covered electronic component, and sealing structure for a pressure sensor

Abstract

The present invention provides an electronic component with a cover capable of reliably covering and protecting the entire electronic component, such as a pressure sensor, a method for manufacturing the same, and a sealing structure for a pressure sensor. [Solution] The covered electronic component 1 comprises an electric wire 3, a pressure sensor 2 having an electrode 23 to which the electric wire 3 is connected, and a cover member 4 that covers the pressure sensor 2 together with a part of the electric wire 3. The cover member 4 is tubular in shape, and adhesive 5 is filled between the inner surface 4a of the cover member 4 and the pressure sensor 2. The manufacturing method of the covered electronic component 1 includes a connection step of connecting the electric wire 3 to the electrode 23, a housing step of housing the pressure sensor 2 in the cover member 4, and an bonding step of injecting a second adhesive 52 into the inside of the cover member 4 and fixing the pressure sensor 2 to the cover member 4 with the second adhesive 52. The pressure sensor 2 is housed in the tubular cover member 4 and sealed by a sealing structure in which adhesive 5 is filled between the inner surface 4a of the cover member 4 and the pressure sensor 2.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic component with a cover, a method for manufacturing an electronic component with a cover, and a sealing structure for a pressure sensor.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is an endoscope inserted into the human body with a pressure sensor disposed at its tip. The endoscope described in Patent Document 1 has an observation window provided corresponding to an imaging element such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor, and a plurality of pressure sensors, at the tip of an insertion portion inserted into a luminal organ such as the digestive tract. The pressure sensor is fixed to the tip of the insertion portion with an adhesive or an adhesive material, and outputs a signal indicating the pressure due to contact with the intestinal wall or the like in the body to a signal line.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] An endoscope configured as described in Patent Document 1 may develop electrostatic defects in the pressure sensor if not handled with sufficient care during assembly or the like. Also, from the perspective of biocompatibility, it is desirable to cover the entire pressure sensor with a resin such as silicone. However, for example, when attempting to attach and cure a liquid silicone resin to the pressure sensor, the corners of the pressure sensor are likely to be exposed due to the surface tension in the liquid state, making it difficult to reliably cover the entire pressure sensor.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide an electronic component with a cover that can reliably cover and protect the entire electronic component such as a pressure sensor, a method for manufacturing the same, and a sealing structure for a pressure sensor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention aims to solve the above problems and provides a covered electronic component comprising an electric wire, an electronic component having an electrode to which the electric wire is connected, and a cover member that covers the electronic component together with a part of the electric wire, wherein the cover member is tubular in shape and an adhesive is filled between the inner surface of the cover member and the electronic component.

[0007] Furthermore, the present invention aims to solve the above problems and provides a method for manufacturing a covered electronic component comprising an electric wire, an electronic component having an electrode to which the electric wire is connected, and a tubular cover member that covers the electronic component together with a part of the electric wire, the method comprising a connection step of connecting the electric wire to the electrode, a housing step of housing the electronic component in the cover member, and an bonding step of injecting an adhesive into the inside of the cover member and fixing the electronic component to the cover member with the adhesive.

[0008] Furthermore, the present invention aims to solve the above problems by providing a sealing structure for a pressure sensor having a diaphragm that deforms under pressure and electrodes to which electric wires are connected, wherein the pressure sensor is housed in a tubular cover member made of a flexible resin, and an adhesive is filled between the inner surface of the cover member and the pressure sensor. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an electronic component with a cover that can reliably cover and protect the entire electronic component such as a pressure sensor, a method for manufacturing the same, and a sealing structure for a pressure sensor. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] (a) is an end view showing the tip of an endoscope containing a covered electronic component according to this embodiment. (b) is a cross-sectional view of (a) along line AA. (c) is an external view of the covered electronic component. [Figure 2] (a) is a perspective view showing the pressure sensor. (b) is a perspective view of the pressure sensor from the opposite direction to (a). [Figure 3] This is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which wires are connected to the electrodes of a pressure sensor. [Figure 4] This is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which multiple electrodes and a portion of the wires in the longitudinal direction of a pressure sensor are sealed with a first adhesive that functions as a sealing material. [Figure 5] This is an explanatory diagram showing the sensor assembly arranged alongside the cover member. [Figure 6] This is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a portion of the longitudinal direction of the pressure sensor, including the diaphragm, is housed inside the cover member. [Figure 7] This is an explanatory diagram showing the pressure sensor housed inside the cover member. [Figure 8] (a) is a diagram showing the assembly of an electronic component with a cover, with the second adhesive filled inside the cover member viewed from the axial direction of the cover member. (b) is a cross-sectional view of (a) along line BB. [Figure 9] This is a diagram showing a pressure sensor sealed using a conventional sealing structure. [Figure 10] This is a perspective view showing an electronic component with a cover according to a modified embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] [Embodiment] Figure 1(a) is an end view showing the tip of an endoscope 10 containing a covered electronic component 1 according to this embodiment. The endoscope 10 is inserted into the human body and used to image the inside of tubular organs. Figure 1(b) is a cross-sectional view of the endoscope 10 along line AA in Figure 1(a). Figure 1(c) is an external view of the covered electronic component 1. In Figure 1(c), the internal structure of the covered electronic component 1 is shown by dashed lines.

[0012] The endoscope 10 has a cylindrical body 11 made of resin, and a covered electronic component 1, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) camera 12, LEDs 13 and 14 for illumination, and a temperature sensor 15 are held in this cylindrical body 11. A flow channel 110 for flowing liquid such as saline solution is also formed in the cylindrical body 11. The covered electronic component 1 is held in a recess 111 formed as an opening in the outer circumferential surface 11a of the cylindrical body 11. In this embodiment, the covered electronic component 1 is configured as a pressure detection unit for detecting pressure. The pressure detection result from the covered electronic component 1 is used, for example, to monitor whether the pressure around the tip of the endoscope 10 becomes excessive due to the supply of saline solution from the flow channel 110.

[0013] The covered electronic component 1 comprises a pressure sensor 2 as an electronic component, a wire 3 connected to the pressure sensor 2, and a cover member 4 that covers part of the pressure sensor 2 and the wire 3. The configuration of the covered electronic component 1, its manufacturing method, and the sealing structure of the pressure sensor 2 will be described below with reference to Figures 2 to 8.

[0014] FIG. 2(a) is a perspective view showing the pressure sensor 2. FIG. 2(b) is a perspective view of the pressure sensor 2 viewed from the direction opposite to that of FIG. 2(a). The pressure sensor 2 has a rectangular parallelepiped substrate 21, a diaphragm 22 provided on the substrate 21, and a plurality of electrodes 23. The substrate 21 has an upper surface 21a and a lower surface 21b, a pair of end faces 21c and 21d perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the substrate 21, and a pair of side faces 21e and 21f perpendicular to the short-side direction of the substrate 21. The diaphragm 22 is formed on the upper surface 21a near one end in the longitudinal direction of the substrate 21, and the plurality of electrodes 23 are formed on the upper surface 21a near the other end in the longitudinal direction of the substrate 21. The length L2 of the pressure sensor 2 is, for example, 0.9 mm, the width W2 is, for example, 0.33 mm, and the thickness T2 is, for example, 0.12 mm.

[0015] The pressure sensor 2 detects pressure based on the amount of deformation of the diaphragm 22 that deforms under pressure. As a method for detecting the amount of deformation of the diaphragm 22, various known methods (for example, piezoresistive method, capacitance method, optical method) can be used. In the present embodiment, the pressure sensor 2 has three electrodes 23, two of which are used for power supply to the pressure sensor 2, and the other one is used for outputting a detection signal indicating the detection result of the pressure.

[0016] FIG. 3 shows a state in which wires 3 are connected to each of the three electrodes 23 of the pressure sensor 2. The wire 3 is an insulated coated wire in which a core wire 31 made of a conductor is coated with an insulating coating 32 made of an insulator. The core wire 31 is electrically connected to the electrode 23 by, for example, soldering, welding, or a conductive adhesive.

[0017] FIG. 4 shows a state in which a part of the plurality of electrodes 23 and the wires 3 of the pressure sensor 2 are sealed with a first adhesive 51 that functions as a sealing material. The first adhesive 51 covers the upper surface 21a around the portion where the plurality of electrodes 23 are formed on the substrate 21 together with a part of one end face 21c of the substrate 21. Further, the first adhesive 51 covers the entire longitudinal direction of the core wire 31 exposed from the insulating coating 32 together with a part of the insulating coating 32.

[0018] The first adhesive 51 is, for example, a cyanoacrylate-based adhesive having a cyanoacrylate as a main component, and has high strength, electrical insulation properties, and rapid curing properties. Since a part of the plurality of electrodes 23 and the electric wire 3 is covered with the first adhesive 51, for example, it is possible to prevent a conductive foreign object from adhering and causing an electrical short circuit between adjacent electrodes 23, and to prevent the core wire 31 from peeling off from the electrode 23 when the electric wire 3 is pulled. Hereinafter, the pressure sensor 2 and the plurality of electric wires 3 partially covered with the first adhesive 51 are referred to as a sensor assembly 100.

[0019] FIG. 5 shows a state in which the sensor assembly 100 is arranged side by side with the cover member 4. The cover member 4 is in the shape of a tube made of a flexible resin. The axial length L4 of the cover member 4 is longer than the length L2 of the pressure sensor 2, and is, for example, 1.1 mm. The inner diameter D 41 of the cover member 4 is smaller than the width W2 of the pressure sensor 2, and is, for example, 0.30 mm. The outer diameter D 42 of the cover member 4 is, for example, 0.40 mm.

[0020] FIG. 6 shows a state in which a part of the longitudinal direction of the pressure sensor 2 including the diaphragm 22 is accommodated inside the cover member 4. In the portion where the pressure sensor 2 is accommodated, the cover member 4 is deformed so as to expand in the width direction of the pressure sensor 2.

[0021] FIG. 7 shows a state in which the entire pressure sensor 2 is accommodated inside the cover member 4. In this state, a gap is formed between the upper surface 21a and the lower surface 21b of the base 21 and the inner surface 4a of the cover member 4. This gap is filled with the second adhesive described below.

[0022] Figure 8(a) is a diagram showing the configuration of the covered electronic component 1 together with the sensor assembly 100, viewed from the axial direction of the cover member 4, with the second adhesive 52 filled inside the cover member 4. Figure 8(b) is a cross-sectional view along the line BB in Figure 8(a). In Figures 8(a) and (b), the first adhesive 51 is shown in dark gray, and the second adhesive 52 is shown in light gray. The second adhesive 52 is filled between the first adhesive 51 and the pressure sensor 2 and the inner surface 4a of the cover member 4.

[0023] Hereinafter, the first adhesive 51 and the second adhesive 52 will be collectively referred to as adhesive 5. Adhesive 5 is filled between the inner surface 4a of the cover member 4 and the pressure sensor 2, so that the entire pressure sensor 2 is covered with adhesive 5. The electrode 23 side end of the insulating coating 32 of each electric wire 3 is covered with adhesive 5 inside the cover member 4. The pressure sensor 2 is sealed by a sealing structure in which adhesive 5 is filled between it and the inner surface 4a of the cover member 4.

[0024] The second adhesive 52 is, for example, a silicone-based adhesive and has a lower hardness than the first adhesive 51. The first adhesive 51 has a Shore D hardness of, for example, 80, while the second adhesive 52 has a Shore A hardness of, for example, 20. The cover member 4 has enough flexibility to transmit the pressure on its outer surface 4b to the diaphragm 22 of the pressure sensor 2 via the second adhesive 52.

[0025] In this embodiment, the cover member 4 is made of silicone rubber. The cover member 4 has a lower hardness than the first adhesive 51, similar to the second adhesive 52, with a Shore A hardness of, for example, 40. Furthermore, in this embodiment, since both the cover member 4 and the second adhesive 52 are silicone-based, the adhesion of the second adhesive 52 to the cover member 4 is good.

[0026] Next, a method for manufacturing the covered electronic component 1 will be described. The method for manufacturing the covered electronic component 1 in this embodiment includes a connection step (see Figure 3) in which a plurality of electric wires 3 are connected to a plurality of electrodes 23 of the pressure sensor 2, a sealing step (see Figure 4) in which the plurality of electrodes 23 are sealed together with a portion of the electric wires 3 using a first adhesive 51 as a sealing material, a housing step (see Figures 6 and 7) in which the pressure sensor 2 is housed in the cover member 4, and an bonding step (see Figure 8) in which a second adhesive 52 is injected into the inside of the cover member 4 and the pressure sensor 2 is fixed to the cover member 4 with the second adhesive 52.

[0027] In the bonding process, the sensor assembly 100 is bonded to the cover member 4 with a second adhesive 52. The second adhesive 52 is injected into the cover member 4 from the end opposite to the electric wire 3 while in a liquid state before curing. At this time, the liquid second adhesive 52 injected into the end of the cover member 4 spreads between the sensor assembly 100 and the inner surface 4a of the cover member 4 by capillary action. In this embodiment, the second adhesive 52 is a time-curing adhesive, but it is not limited to this and may be a thermosetting or ultraviolet curing adhesive.

[0028] [Conventional example] Figure 9 is a diagram showing a pressure sensor 2 sealed by a conventional sealing structure. This sealing structure seals the pressure sensor 2 together with multiple wires 3 connected to multiple electrodes 23 using an adhesive 6. The adhesive 6 includes a first adhesive 61 that covers the multiple electrodes 23 together with a portion of the multiple wires 3, and a second adhesive 62 that covers the first adhesive 61 and the pressure sensor 2. The first adhesive 61 is a cyanoacrylate-based adhesive similar to the first adhesive 51 in the above embodiment, and the second adhesive 62 is a silicone-based adhesive similar to the second adhesive 52 in the above embodiment.

[0029] In this type of sealing structure, although the pressure sensor 2 can be covered almost entirely by the adhesive 6, the thickness of the second adhesive 62 tends to be thinner around the corners 210 of the rectangular substrate 21. This is because the surface tension of the liquid second adhesive 62 before it hardens causes the second adhesive 62 adhering to each surface of the substrate 21 to form a thick dome shape in the center of each surface. Also, depending on the amount and viscosity of the second adhesive 62, the corners 210 may be exposed. For this reason, in order to reliably cover the corners 210, it was necessary to apply a third adhesive to the outside of the second adhesive 62.

[0030] In contrast, in the above embodiment, the entire pressure sensor 2 is covered by the cover member 4, and adhesive 5 (first adhesive 51 and second adhesive 52) is filled between the inner surface 4a of the cover member 4 and the pressure sensor 2. Therefore, the entire pressure sensor 2 can be reliably covered by the cover member 4 and adhesive 5, and the pressure sensor 2 can be reliably protected from foreign matter and static electricity malfunctions.

[0031] [Differentiation] Figure 10 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the embodiment, an electronic component 1A with a cover. Similar to the electronic component 1 with a cover in the above embodiment, this electronic component 1A has a pressure sensor 2 and multiple wires 3 connected to each of the multiple electrodes 23 of the pressure sensor 2, but the configuration of the cover member 7 that houses the pressure sensor 2 is different from the configuration of the cover member 4 in the above embodiment. Figure 10(a) is a configuration diagram of the electronic component 1A with a cover viewed from the axial direction of the cover member 7, and Figure 10(b) is a cross-sectional view along the line BB in Figure 10(a).

[0032] The cover member 7 is tubular, similar to the cover member 4 in the above embodiment, but has a slit 70 extending axially at one point in its circumferential direction. Adhesive 5 is filled between the inner surface 7a of the cover member 7 and the pressure sensor 2. The adhesive 5 consists of a first adhesive 51 and a second adhesive 52, similar to the above embodiment, and the material and hardness of the first adhesive 51 and the second adhesive 52 are also the same as in the above embodiment.

[0033] The cover member 7 is made of silicone rubber and has a Shore hardness A of, for example, 40. The slit 70 is formed linearly along the entire length of the cover member 7 in the area corresponding to the lower surface 21b side of the base body 21 of the pressure sensor 2. When the pressure sensor 2 is housed inside the cover member 7, the slit 70 opens in the circumferential direction of the cover member 7, and the distance between the pair of slit surfaces 70a and 70b, which are the inner surfaces of the slit 70, widens.

[0034] The covered electronic component 1A is manufactured by a manufacturing method having a connection step, a sealing step, a housing step, and an adhesive step, similar to the embodiment described above. However, in the adhesive step of the embodiment described above, the liquid second adhesive 52 before curing was injected from the end of the cover member 4, but in this modified example, the liquid second adhesive 52 before curing can be injected from the slit 70. This makes it possible to inject the second adhesive 52 into the interior of the cover member 7 more efficiently and in a shorter time than in the embodiment described above.

[0035] In this modified example, the entire pressure sensor 2 is covered by the cover member 7, and adhesive 5 (first adhesive 51 and second adhesive 52) is filled between the inner surface 7a of the cover member 7 and the pressure sensor 2. Therefore, the entire pressure sensor 2 can be reliably covered by the cover member 7 and adhesive 5, and the pressure sensor 2 can be reliably protected from foreign matter and static electricity malfunctions.

[0036] (Summary of the embodiments) Next, the technical concept understood from the embodiments described above will be described using the reference numerals and other symbols from the embodiments. However, the reference numerals in the following description are not limited to the components in the claims that are specifically shown in the embodiments.

[0037] [1] Covered electronic component (1,1A) comprising an electric wire (3), an electronic component (pressure sensor 2) having an electrode (23) to which the electric wire (3) is connected, and a cover member (4,7) that covers the electronic component (2) together with a part of the electric wire (3), wherein the cover member (4,7) is tubular in shape, and an adhesive (5) is filled between the inner surface (4a,7a) of the cover member (4,7) and the electronic component (2).

[0038] [2] The electric wire (3) is an insulated electric wire in which a core wire (31) made of a conductor is covered with an insulating coating (32) made of an insulator, the core wire (31) exposed from the insulating coating (32) is connected to the electrode (23), and the end of the insulating coating (32) on the electrode (23) side is covered with the adhesive (5), as described in [1] above, the covered electronic component (1,1A).

[0039] [3] The covered electronic component (1,1A) according to [2] above, wherein the adhesive (5) includes a first adhesive (51) that covers the electrode (23) together with the core wire (31) connected to the electrode (23), and a second adhesive (52) that is filled between the first adhesive (51) and the inner surfaces (4a,7a) of the electronic component (2) and the cover members (4,7).

[0040] [4] The cover-equipped electronic component (1A) described in [1] above, wherein the cover member (7) has a slit (70) that extends in the axial direction.

[0041] [5] The covered electronic component (1,1A) according to [1] to [4] above, wherein the electronic component is a pressure sensor (2) and the cover member (4,7) is made of a flexible resin.

[0042] [6] A method for manufacturing a covered electronic component (1,1A), comprising an electric wire (3), an electronic component (2) having an electrode (23) to which the electric wire (3) is connected, and a tubular cover member (4,7) that covers the electronic component (2) together with a part of the electric wire (3), the method comprising: a connection step of connecting the electric wire (3) to the electrode (23); a housing step of housing the electronic component (2) in the cover member (4,7); and an adhesive step of injecting an adhesive (52) into the inside of the cover member (4,7) to fix the electronic component (2) to the cover member (4,7) with the adhesive (52).

[0043] [7] A method for manufacturing a covered electronic component (1,1A) according to [6] above, comprising a sealing step between the connection step and the housing step, in which the electrode (23) is sealed together with a portion of the electric wire (3) with a sealing material (first adhesive 51).

[0044] [8] A sealing structure for a pressure sensor (2), which has a diaphragm (22) that deforms under pressure and an electrode (23) to which an electric wire (3) is connected, wherein the pressure sensor (2) is housed in a tubular cover member (4,7) made of a flexible resin, and an adhesive (5) is filled between the inner surface (4a,7a) of the cover member (4,7) and the pressure sensor (2).

[0045] [9] The sealing structure for the pressure sensor (2) as described in [8] above, wherein the adhesive (5) comprises a first adhesive (51) that covers the electrode (23) together with a portion of the electric wire (3) connected to the electrode (23), and a second adhesive (52) filled between the first adhesive (51) and the inner surfaces (4a, 7a) of the pressure sensor (2) and the cover members (4, 7), wherein the second adhesive (52) has lower hardness than the first adhesive (51).

[0046] Although embodiments and modifications of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments and modifications do not limit the invention as defined in the claims. Furthermore, it should be noted that not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential for solving the problem of the invention.

[0047] Furthermore, the present invention can be implemented with appropriate modifications without departing from its spirit. For example, although the above embodiment described a case in which a pressure sensor 2 is used as an electronic component, the present invention is not limited to this, and can also use sensors that detect physical quantities other than pressure (e.g., temperature, magnetic field, vibration, radiation dose, etc.) or electronic components other than sensors. Also, although the above embodiment described a case in which the covered electronic component 1 is applied to an endoscope 10, the covered electronic component of the present invention can be used in various devices, not just endoscopes.

[0048] Furthermore, although the above embodiment described a case in which the main components of both the cover member 4 and the second adhesive 52 are silicone, the main components of the cover member 4 and the second adhesive 52 may be different. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0049] 1.1A…Covered electronic component 2…Pressure sensor 23...Electrode 3...Electric wire 31...Core wire 32...Insulation coating 4...Cover component 4a...Inner surface 5...Adhesive 51...First adhesive (sealant) 52...Second adhesive 7...Cover material 70...Slit 7a...Inner surface

Claims

1. The device comprises an electric wire, an electronic component having an electrode to which the electric wire is connected, and a cover member that covers the electronic component together with a portion of the electric wire. The cover member is tubular in shape, and an adhesive is filled between the inner surface of the cover member and the electronic component. Electronic components with covers.

2. The aforementioned electric wire is an insulated electric wire in which a core wire made of a conductor is covered with an insulating coating made of an insulator. The core wire exposed from the insulating coating is connected to the electrode. The electrode-side end of the insulating coating is covered with the adhesive. The electronic component with a cover as described in claim 1.

3. The adhesive comprises a first adhesive that covers the electrode together with the core wire connected to the electrode, and a second adhesive that fills the space between the first adhesive and the inner surface of the electronic component and the cover member. The electronic component with a cover according to claim 2.

4. The cover member has a slit that extends in the axial direction. The electronic component with a cover as described in claim 1.

5. The aforementioned electronic component is a pressure sensor. The cover member is made of a flexible resin. An electronic component with a cover according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. A method for manufacturing a covered electronic component comprising an electric wire, an electronic component having an electrode to which the electric wire is connected, and a tubular cover member that covers the electronic component together with a part of the electric wire, A connection step of connecting the electric wire to the electrode, A housing step of housing the electronic component in the cover member, A bonding step in which adhesive is injected into the interior of the cover member and the electronic component is fixed to the cover member with the adhesive, A method for manufacturing an electronic component with a cover.

7. Between the connection step and the housing step, there is a sealing step in which the electrode is sealed together with a portion of the electric wire using a sealing material. A method for manufacturing an electronic component with a cover according to claim 6.

8. A structure for sealing a pressure sensor having a diaphragm that deforms under pressure and electrodes to which electric wires are connected, The pressure sensor is housed in a tubular cover member made of a flexible resin, and an adhesive is filled between the inner surface of the cover member and the pressure sensor. Sealing structure for pressure sensors.

9. The adhesive comprises a first adhesive that covers the electrode together with a portion of the electric wire connected to the electrode, and a second adhesive that fills the space between the first adhesive and the inner surface of the pressure sensor and the cover member. The second adhesive has lower hardness than the first adhesive. The sealing structure for the pressure sensor according to claim 8.

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