Electrical assemblies and circuit boards

Abstract

To provide an electrical component assembly and a substrate which can improve strength of a substrate part where a temperature sensor is mounted.SOLUTION: An electrical component assembly 7 has a substrate 11 where a chip-like temperature sensor 16 for measuring an atmospheric temperature of a fluid taken in from a suction port 17 is mounted. The electrical component assembly 7 has a first duct 20 as a ventilation path of a fluid taken in from the suction port 17. The electrical component assembly 7 has a second duct 21 as a ventilation path of a fluid flown in from the first duct 20. The electrical component assembly 7 has a mounting region part 18 which is used for mounting the temperature sensor 16 in the substrate 11. In order to arrange the temperature sensor 16 in the duct, the mounting region part 18 of the substrate 11 is sandwiched between the first duct 20 and the second duct 21.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electrical component assembly and a substrate. [Background technology]

[0002] A temperature measurement thermistor mounting structure for controlling an automatic air conditioner, which is applied to an on-vehicle automatic air conditioner, is well known, as disclosed in Patent Document 1. In Patent Document 1, an extension support part provided on an electronic board for the automatic air conditioner is passed through a slit in a duct mounting part into the duct, so that a chip temperature sensor mounted on the extension support part is disposed inside the duct. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-61879 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the case of Patent Document 1, the thermistor is mounted on an extension support part that extends partially from the main body of the substrate. As a result, the base end of the extension support part is narrowed, which poses a problem of weakening the strength of the base end of the extension support part. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The electrical equipment assembly that solves the above problem has a configuration that includes a substrate on which a chip-shaped temperature sensor is mounted that measures the ambient temperature of a fluid taken in through an air intake port of the electrical equipment, and is equipped with a first duct that serves as an air passage for the fluid taken in through the air intake port, a second duct that serves as an air passage for the fluid flowing in from the first duct, and a mounting area portion on the substrate used for mounting the temperature sensor, and the mounting area portion of the substrate is sandwiched between the first duct and the second duct so that the temperature sensor is positioned within the duct.

[0006] The substrate that solves the above problem is configured to have a chip-shaped temperature sensor mounted thereon that measures the ambient temperature of a fluid taken in through an air intake of an electrical component, and includes a first surface facing a first duct that serves as an air passage for the fluid taken in through the air intake, a second surface on the back side of the first surface facing a second duct that serves as an air passage for the fluid flowing in from the first duct, and a mounting area portion used to mount the temperature sensor on one of the first surface and the second surface, and the mounting area portion is sandwiched between the first duct and the second duct so that the temperature sensor is positioned within the duct. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The present invention can improve the strength of the substrate portion on which the temperature sensor is mounted. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a front view of the electrical equipment according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the electrical equipment assembly taken along line III-III in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 2. [Figure 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a plan view of the passages and holes that suppress heat conduction to the temperature sensor. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a conventional mounting structure for a temperature sensor in a conventional position. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of another example of a substrate. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of another example of a substrate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] An embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below. (Overview of Electrical Equipment 1) As shown in FIG. 1, the electrical equipment 1 includes a main body 2, an operation unit 3 for switching the operating state of the electrical equipment 1, and a display unit 4 for displaying the current operating state of the electrical equipment 1. The electrical equipment 1 is, for example, an in-vehicle heater control panel. The heater control panel is operated, for example, to adjust the air conditioning in the vehicle cabin. A plurality of operation units 3 are provided, one for each function of the electrical equipment 1. The display unit 4 is, for example, a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL panel.

[0010] (Overview of Electrical Assembly 7) As shown in Fig. 3, the electrical equipment 1 has an electrical equipment assembly 7 attached to the back of a design panel 8 of the electrical equipment 1. The electrical equipment assembly 7 is one of the components of the electrical equipment 1. The electrical equipment assembly 7 in this example includes two housings (one of which is a first housing 9 and the other is a second housing 10) and a board 11 arranged between the first housing 9 and the second housing 10.

[0011] The first housing 9 covers a first surface 12 of the substrate 11. The first surface 12 is, for example, the surface of the substrate. The first housing 9 is, for example, the body of the electrical component 1, and is arranged on the back of the design panel 8. The body houses, for example, a switch mechanism (not shown) mounted on the substrate 11. The switch mechanism is, for example, for detecting the operation of the operating unit 3, and is provided for each operating unit 3. The surface of the substrate 11 is, for example, the surface on which the contacts of the switch mechanism are provided.

[0012] The board 11 is, for example, a printed circuit board on which electronic components (not shown) of the electrical equipment 1 are mounted. The board 11 is attached and fixed to the first housing 9 by, for example, a plurality of fastening parts (not shown). The fastening parts are, for example, screws. When the operating unit 3 is operated, a switch mechanism in the first housing 9 switches the contacts on the board 11 on and off. This allows the operation of the operating unit 3 to be detected.

[0013] The second housing 10 covers a second surface 13, which is the reverse side of the first surface 12 of the circuit board 11. The second surface 13 is, for example, the reverse side of the circuit board. The second housing 10 is, for example, a cover that covers the reverse side of the electrical component assembly 7. The second housing 10 is attached to the first housing 9 by, for example, a plurality of fastening portions (screws or the like: not shown) with the circuit board 11 disposed between the second housing 10 and the first housing 9. At this time, the second housing 10 is also attached to the circuit board 11 by, for example, claws (not shown) with a snap-fit ​​structure.

[0014] (Overview of Temperature Sensor 16) 2, the electrical equipment 1 has an air intake 17 for taking in fluid (specifically, air) from within the vehicle cabin. The air intake 17 is formed, for example, in the design panel 8. The air intake 17 has, for example, multiple (three in this example) slit holes.

[0015] 2 and 3, a chip-type temperature sensor 16 is mounted on the substrate 11 to measure the ambient temperature of the fluid taken in through the intake port 17. For example, an electrical resistance type sensor is used as the temperature sensor 16. Specifically, the temperature sensor 16 is a chip-type thermistor.

[0016] The electrical equipment assembly 7 includes a mounting area 18 on the board 11 that is used for mounting the temperature sensor 16. The mounting area 18 is, for example, one of the four corners of the rectangular board 11. The temperature sensor 16 is mounted on, for example, the first surface 12 of the board 11. Specifically, the temperature sensor 16 is mounted on the first surface 12 in the mounting area 18.

[0017] (Support structure of substrate 11) As shown in FIG. 3 , the electrical equipment assembly 7 includes a first duct 20 that serves as an air passage for the fluid taken in through the air intake port 17. The first duct 20 is, for example, cylindrical and formed in the first housing 9. The electrical equipment assembly 7 includes a second duct 21 that serves as an air passage for the fluid flowing in from the first duct 20. The second duct 21 is, for example, cylindrical and formed in the second housing 10. The second duct 21 is connected to the first duct 20. The first duct 20 and the second duct 21 are, for example, cylindrical and formed in the same diameter. The fluid taken in through the air intake port 17 passes through a cylindrical hole 22 of the first duct 20 and a cylindrical hole 23 of the second duct 21.

[0018] 4, the electrical component assembly 7 sandwiches the mounting area 18 of the board 11 between the first duct 20 and the second duct 21 so that the temperature sensor 16 is disposed within the duct. That is, the first duct 20 and the second duct 21 support the board 11 by sandwiching the mounting area 18 and connecting them to each other. In this way, the temperature sensor 16 is disposed within the cylindrical duct formed by the first duct 20 and the second duct 21. The first duct 20 and the second duct 21 support the board 11 by contacting the board 11 around the entire circumference of their tips.

[0019] (Shape of substrate 11) 4, the first surface 12 of the substrate 11 faces the first duct 20. The second surface 13 of the substrate 11 faces the second duct 21. The mounting area 18 of the substrate 11 is used to mount the temperature sensor 16 on one of the first surface 12 and the second surface 13 (in this example, the first surface 12). The mounting area 18 of the substrate 11 is sandwiched between the first duct 20 and the second duct 21 so that the temperature sensor 16 is disposed within the duct.

[0020] As shown in Fig. 5, the substrate 11 has metal foils 26 provided on both sides of a plate-shaped base material 25. In this example, the metal foil 26 has a first metal foil 26a on the front side and a second metal foil 26b on the back side. The metal foil 26 is, for example, a copper foil. In this example, the first metal foil 26a forms the front surface (first surface 12) of the substrate 11, and the second metal foil 26b forms the back surface (second surface 13) of the substrate 11.

[0021] The substrate 11 has a metal foil forming portion 27 in which a metal foil 26 is provided on at least one surface (both surfaces in this example) of a base material 25, and a metal foil omission portion 28 in which the metal foil 26 is omitted. The mounting area portion 18 is disposed in the metal foil omission portion 28. Therefore, the temperature sensor 16 in this example is disposed in the metal foil omission portion 28.

[0022] As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the mounting area 18 has a hole-like passage 30 for passing the fluid that has flowed in from the intake port 17. The first duct 20 and the second duct 21 are connected by the passage 30. Therefore, the second duct 21 sends the fluid that has flowed into the first duct 20 to the back of the electrical component assembly 7. The passage 30 is shaped like a partially cut-out circle, specifically, like the letter C reversed left and right. The passage 30 is disposed, for example, in the metal foil omission portion 28.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 6 , elements 31 of the electrical equipment 1 are mounted on the board 11. Examples of the elements 31 include resistors, capacitors, coils, and ICs. At least one of the elements 31 includes a potential heat source for the board 11. The board 11 has a connector 32 electrically connected to the display unit 4. The elements 31 and the connector 32 are disposed on the metal foil forming portion 27 of the board 11. The elements 31 are disposed on at least one of the first surface 12 and the second surface 13 of the board 11. The board 11 has a plurality of through holes 33 through which fastening portions pass when the board 11 is fixed to the first housing 9.

[0024] 7, at least a portion of the passage 30 is disposed between an element 31 that can be a heat source of the substrate 11 and the temperature sensor 16. The element 31 that can be a heat source is, for example, a resistor. The diameter R1 of the first duct 20 and the second duct 21 is formed to be larger than the outer diameter R2 of the passage 30.

[0025] The substrate 11 has holes 34 that make it difficult for heat from the elements 31, which may be heat sources of the substrate 11, to be conducted to the temperature sensor 16. In this example, the holes 34 are, for example, slits. In this example, the holes 34 are arranged in the metal foil omission portion 28. A plurality of holes 34 are provided, and are distributed and arranged so that the conduction path L1 of the heat from the heat source (for example, only one is shown in FIG. 7) is non-linear.

[0026] (Operation of the embodiment) Next, the operation of the electrical equipment assembly 7 and the board 11 of this embodiment will be described. 8, a conventional substrate structure has, for example, an extension 41 provided on a substrate 11, and a chip-shaped temperature sensor 16 disposed on this extension 41. With this structure, the following problems (i) to (iii) can be considered. (i) The strength of the base end of the extension portion 41 is weak. (ii) The duct 42 of the housing of the electrical equipment assembly 7 requires a slit 43 for passing the extension 41 therethrough, which makes the housing shape complicated. (iii) Air outside the vehicle interior may enter through the slit 43 through which the extension 41 passes. Therefore, in this example, a portion of the flat substrate 11 is used as a mounting area 18, and a hole-like passage 30 through which the fluid passes is provided in this mounting area 18. Then, the mounting area 18 is sandwiched between a cylindrical first duct 20 and a cylindrical second duct 21, thereby supporting the substrate 11. Therefore, it is possible to solve all of the above-mentioned problems (i) to (iii).

[0027] 7, at least a portion of the passage 30 is disposed between the element 31, which may be a heat source of the substrate 11, and the temperature sensor 16. Therefore, the heat generated by the element 31 is blocked by the passage 30, and is less likely to be transmitted to the temperature sensor 16. This contributes to improving the accuracy of the temperature measurement of the fluid by the temperature sensor 16.

[0028] Furthermore, the substrate 11 has holes 34 that make it difficult for heat from the element 31, which can be a heat source for the substrate 11, to be conducted to the temperature sensor 16. A plurality of these holes 34 are provided, and they are distributed and arranged so that the conduction path L1 of the heat from the heat source is non-linear. This makes it even more difficult for the heat generated from the element 31 to be conducted to the temperature sensor 16. This further contributes to improving the accuracy of the temperature measurement of the fluid by the temperature sensor 16.

[0029] (Effects of the embodiment) According to the electrical equipment assembly 7 and the board 11 of the above embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0030] (1) The electrical equipment assembly 7 has a board 11 on which a chip-shaped temperature sensor 16 is mounted to measure the ambient temperature of the fluid taken in through the air intake 17 of the electrical equipment 1. The electrical equipment assembly 7 has a first duct 20 which serves as an air passage for the fluid taken in through the air intake 17. The electrical equipment assembly 7 has a second duct 21 which serves as an air passage for the fluid flowing in from the first duct 20. The electrical equipment assembly 7 has a mounting area 18 on the board 11 which is used for mounting the temperature sensor 16. The mounting area 18 of the board 11 is sandwiched between the first duct 20 and the second duct 21 so that the temperature sensor 16 is positioned within the duct.

[0031] According to this configuration, the substrate 11 is held by sandwiching the mounting area 18 of the substrate 11 between the cylindrical first duct 20 and second duct 21. Therefore, it is not necessary to adopt a structure that partially extends the substrate 11 in order to place the temperature sensor 16 mounted on the substrate 11 inside the duct. This improves the strength of the portion of the substrate where the temperature sensor 16 is mounted.

[0032] (2) The mounting area 18 has a hole-like passage 30 for passing the fluid that flows in from the intake port 17. With this configuration, the passage 30 connecting the first duct 20 and the second duct 21 can be easily formed. In addition, the passage 30 can be easily formed at a desired position on the substrate 11.

[0033] (3) At least a portion of the passage 30 is disposed between the element 31, which may be a heat source of the substrate 11, and the temperature sensor 16. This configuration makes it possible for the passage 30 to make it difficult for the heat generated in the element 31 to be transmitted to the temperature sensor 16. This makes the temperature sensor 16 less susceptible to the heat generated by the element 31, which contributes to improving the accuracy of the temperature measurement by the temperature sensor 16.

[0034] (4) The first duct 20 and the second duct 21 support the substrate 11 by contacting the substrate 11 around the entire circumference of their tips. This configuration allows the first duct 20 and the second duct 21 to be in contact with the substrate 11 without any gaps, making it difficult for ambient air to enter the ducts. This further contributes to improving the accuracy of temperature measurement by the temperature sensor 16. Note that the "ambient air" includes the air inside the housing that has been warmed by the heat of the element 31, which may be a heat source.

[0035] (5) The substrate 11 has holes 34 that make it difficult for the heat of the element 31, which can be a heat source of the substrate 11, to be conducted to the temperature sensor 16. With this configuration, the holes 34 make it difficult for the heat generated in the element 31 to be conducted to the temperature sensor 16. Therefore, the temperature sensor 16 is less susceptible to the heat generated by the element 31, which further contributes to improving the accuracy of the temperature measurement by the temperature sensor 16.

[0036] (6) A plurality of holes 34 are provided, and they are distributed so that the conduction path L1 of the heat from the heat source is non-linear. This configuration makes it even more difficult for the heat from the heat source element 31 to reach the temperature sensor 16. This further contributes to improving the accuracy of temperature measurement by the temperature sensor 16.

[0037] (7) The substrate 11 has a metal foil forming portion 27 in which a metal foil 26 is provided on at least one surface of a base material 25, and a metal foil omission portion 28 in which the metal foil 26 is omitted. The mounting area portion 18 is disposed in the metal foil omission portion 28. This configuration makes it difficult for heat transferred from the metal foil 26 to reach the temperature sensor 16. Furthermore, even if it becomes necessary to increase the size of the substrate 11 in order to provide the mounting area portion 18 on the substrate 11, it is sufficient to increase the size of only the base material 25. This also makes it possible to keep the cost required for the substrate 11 low.

[0038] (Other embodiments) This embodiment can be modified as follows: This embodiment and the following modifications can be combined and implemented within the scope of technical compatibility.

[0039] 9, a plurality of passages 30 may be provided. In this case, it is preferable that one of the passages 30 is disposed between the element 31 that may be a heat source and the temperature sensor 16. 10, for example, a notch 45 may be formed in the edge of the substrate 11, and this notch 45 may serve as the passage 30. In this way, the passage 30 is not limited to a hole formed in the substrate 11, but may also be a notch in the edge of the substrate 11.

[0040] The first duct 20 and the second duct 21 do not necessarily support the substrate 11 over the entire circumference of the tip, but may support the substrate 11 over only a portion of the tip. The first duct 20 does not necessarily have to be formed in the first housing 9 , but may be formed in another element of the electrical equipment assembly 7 .

[0041] The second duct 21 does not necessarily have to be formed in the second housing 10 , but may be formed in another element of the electrical equipment assembly 7 . The shape of the substrate 11 is not limited to a square (rectangular) shape, and may be changed to another shape, such as an oval.

[0042] The passage 30 is not limited to a shape of a partially cut-out circle, but may be, for example, a group of straight lines or a group of scattered holes. The passage 30 may be changed to any other shape as long as it allows fluid to pass through.

[0043] The mounting area 18 need not be in a shape that extends from a part of the substrate 11 (for example, a floating island). The mounting area 18 does not necessarily have to be located at a corner of the substrate 11, but may be located at another position, such as closer to the center of the substrate 11.

[0044] The distribution of the holes 34 is not limited to being staggered in the longitudinal direction of the slit. In short, the holes 34 may be distributed so as to block heat transmitted from the heat source.

[0045] When forming the holes 34 in a plurality of rows, the number of rows is not limited to two, but may be three or more. The holes 34 do not necessarily have to be formed in multiple rows, but may be formed in only one row. The slits serving as the holes 34 are not limited to a straight shape, but may be, for example, zigzag.

[0046] The holes 34 are not limited to slits, but may be round holes. The holes 34 may be a combination of slits and round holes. The substrate 11 may have the metal foil 26 on only one side.

[0047] The temperature sensor 16 may be mounted on the second surface 13 of the substrate 11 . The temperature sensor 16 is not limited to an electrical resistance type, and may be, for example, a thermal expansion type, a Seebeck effect type, or a pm junction semiconductor type. The temperature sensor 16 may be either a contact type or a non-contact type.

[0048] The chip-type sensor refers to a sensor formed on the substrate 11 by, for example, printed wiring. The temperature sensor 16 , the passage 30 and the hole 34 may be provided in the metal foil forming portion 27 .

[0049] The first housing 9 and the second housing 10 are not limited to a body or a cover, but may be any member that constitutes the housing of the electrical equipment assembly 7. The electrical equipment 1 is not limited to an in-vehicle heater control panel, and may be changed to other in-vehicle equipment.

[0050] The electrical equipment 1 is not limited to being mounted on a vehicle, and may be mounted on any other object, such as a home appliance. The phrase "at least one" as used in this disclosure means "one or more" of the desired options. As an example, the phrase "at least one" as used in this disclosure means "only one option" or "both of two options" if the number of options is two. As another example, the phrase "at least one" as used in this disclosure means "only one option" or "any combination of two or more options" if the number of options is three or more.

[0051] While the present disclosure has been described with reference to the embodiments, it is understood that the present disclosure is not limited to those embodiments or structures. The present disclosure also encompasses various modifications and equivalent modifications. In addition, various combinations and forms, including only one element, more than one element, or less than one element, are also within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 1...electrical equipment, 7...electrical equipment assembly, 9...first housing, 10...second housing, 11...board, 12...first surface, 13...second surface, 16...temperature sensor, 17...air intake, 18...mounting area, 20...first duct, 21...second duct, 25...base material, 26...metal foil, 27...metal foil forming portion, 28...metal foil omission portion, 30...passage, 31...element, 34...hole, L1...conductive path.

Claims

1. An electrical equipment assembly having a substrate on which a chip-type temperature sensor is mounted to measure the ambient temperature of a fluid taken in through an intake port of the electrical equipment, a first duct serving as an air passage for the fluid taken in through the air intake port; a second duct that serves as an air passage for the fluid flowing in from the first duct; a mounting area on the substrate used for mounting the temperature sensor, the mounting area of ​​the board is sandwiched between the first duct and the second duct so that the temperature sensor is disposed inside the duct; the substrate has a metal foil-formed portion in which a metal foil is provided on at least one surface of a base material, and a metal foil-omitted portion in which the metal foil is omitted, The mounting area is disposed in the metal foil omission portion.

2. 2. The electrical equipment assembly according to claim 1, wherein the mounting area has a hole-like passage for passing the fluid that has flowed in from the intake port.

3. 3. The electrical equipment assembly according to claim 2, wherein at least a portion of the passage is disposed between an element of the board that may be a heat source and the temperature sensor.

4. 4. The electrical equipment assembly according to claim 2, wherein the first duct and the second duct support the circuit board by contacting the circuit board over the entire circumference of their tip ends.

5. 2. The electrical equipment assembly according to claim 1, wherein the substrate has holes that make it difficult for heat from elements that may be heat sources of the substrate to be conducted to the temperature sensor.

6. 6. The electrical equipment assembly according to claim 5, wherein a plurality of the holes are provided and are distributed so that the conduction path of the heat emitted from the heat source is non-linear.

7. A substrate on which a chip-type temperature sensor is mounted to measure the ambient temperature of a fluid taken in through an intake port of an electrical component, a first surface facing a first duct that serves as an air passage for the fluid taken in through the air intake port; a second surface that is a back surface of the first surface and faces a second duct that serves as an air passage for the fluid flowing in from the first duct; a mounting area used for mounting the temperature sensor on one of the first surface and the second surface, the mounting area is sandwiched between the first duct and the second duct so that the temperature sensor is disposed inside the duct; a metal foil-formed portion in which a metal foil is provided on at least one of the first surface and the second surface, and a metal foil-omitted portion in which the metal foil is omitted, The mounting area is disposed in the metal foil omission portion.

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