Wall-mounted device

Abstract

To suppress breakage of an engagement piece while suppressing an increase in the number of components.SOLUTION: A holding element 10 includes: a plate part 21; and an engagement piece 241a having a hole part 243 formed in a column part 242 which protrudes in a normal direction of the plate part 21. In the column part 242, a weld part WP is formed in a connecting part 242c, where a portion located on a side connected with an external connector of a connector defines a first column part 242a, a portion located on a side opposite the first column part 242a across the hole part 243 defines a second column part 242b, and a portion which is located on a side opposite the plate part 21 and which connects the first plate column part 242a and the second column part 242b to each other defines the connecting part 242c. The first and second column parts 242a, 242b are configured such that one of the first and second column parts that is connected to a portion of the connecting part 242c that is more subject to a large stress has a larger cross-sectional area along a face direction of the plate part 21 than the other, which is connected a portion that is more subject to a small stress.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9A

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a wall-mounted device that is attached to an opening provided in a wall.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, it has been reported that a weld part is formed inside a resin member formed by solidifying molten resin. And when assembling another member to this resin member to constitute a product, since the strength of the weld part is weak, there is a concern that it may be broken from the weld part during assembly or the like.

[0003] Therefore, for example, in Patent Document 1, a configuration is proposed in which a reinforcing member is arranged at a portion that becomes a weld part to suppress stress concentration on the weld part during assembly or the like.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] By the way, the present inventors have been studying a wall-mounted device that can be attached to an opening provided in a wall. This wall-mounted device is configured by assembling a holding element to a support element, and a fitting piece connected to a connector is formed on the support element. The fitting piece has a hole formed in a portion that becomes a column part, and the connector has an insertion part that can be inserted into the hole. And this wall-mounted device is assembled with the connector to the holding element by inserting the insertion part into the fitting piece.

[0006] Furthermore, the retaining element in such a wall-mounted device is assumed to be made of molten resin, and a weld portion is formed on the mating piece. Therefore, as mentioned above, it is conceivable to place a reinforcing member on the weld portion to prevent the mating piece from being damaged when the connector is assembled to the retaining element. However, this configuration requires the separate preparation of the reinforcing member, which increases the number of parts.

[0007] In view of the above, the present invention aims to provide a wall mounting device that can suppress the breakage of the fitting piece while suppressing an increase in the number of parts. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] Claim 1, for achieving the above objective, is a wall mounting device to be attached to an opening (101) provided in a wall (100), comprising: a support element (10) having a through hole (11) formed therein; a retaining element (20) made of resin and having a retaining wing (22) that can be fitted into the opening when fitted into the through hole; a detection unit (30) disposed inside the retaining element and outputting a detection signal corresponding to a physical quantity; and a connector (60) assembled to the retaining element and having a terminal (50) that is connected to the detection unit and connected to an external connector, wherein in a fitted state in which the retaining wing fitted into the through hole is fitted into the opening, The retaining wing can be rotated around the axis of the retaining element to clamp the wall with the retaining wing and the support element. The retaining element has a plate-shaped plate portion (21) and a fitting piece (241a, 241b) on the side of the plate portion opposite to the side where the retaining wing is provided, which has a hole (243) formed in a column portion (242) that protrudes in the direction normal to the surface direction of the plate portion. The connector has an insertion portion (63) that can be inserted into the hole in the fitting piece, and is snap-fit ​​joined to the retaining element when the insertion portion is inserted into the hole. The column portion is located on the side of the connector that is connected to the external connector in the portion surrounding the hole. and protrudes in the normal direction. The part that does this is the first column (242a), and the part opposite the first column, with the hole in between, is located and protrudes in the normal direction.The part that does this is the second column section (242b), and the part that connects the first column section and the second column section is located on the opposite side from the plate section. and along the plane direction If the portion is designated as the connecting portion (242c), a weld portion (WP) is formed in the connecting portion, and the first column portion and the second column portion are such that when the connector is displaced along the stacking direction between the plate portion and the connector, the one that is connected to the portion of the connecting portion where stress tends to be large has a larger cross-sectional area along the surface direction of the plate portion than the other that is connected to the portion where stress tends to be small.

[0009] According to this design, the first and second column portions of the fitting piece are configured such that one portion connected to a part of the joint where stress tends to be high has a larger cross-sectional area than the other portion connected to a part where stress tends to be low. As a result, the weld portion and the stress concentration portion are less likely to coincide, and the failure of the first and second fitting pieces can be suppressed. Furthermore, this design eliminates the need to place additional reinforcing members, thus suppressing an increase in the number of parts.

[0010] The reference numerals in parentheses attached to each component indicate an example of the correspondence between that component and the specific components described in the embodiments described later. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a schematic perspective view of the pressure sensor device in the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a schematic side view of a pressure sensor device. [Figure 3] This is a schematic front view of a wall including an opening. [Figure 4] This is a schematic exploded perspective view of a pressure sensor device. [Figure 5] This is a schematic front view of the support element. [Figure 6] This is a cross-sectional view taken from VI-VI in Figure 5. [Figure 7] This is a schematic front view of the retaining element. [Figure 8] This is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in Figure 7. [Figure 9A] Front view of the first fitting piece. [Figure 9B] Front view of the second fitting piece. [Figure 10] Schematic cross-sectional view of the pressure sensor device in a disassembled state. [Figure 11] Plan view showing the state before fixing in the pressure sensor device. [Figure 12] Cross-sectional view taken along line XII-XII of FIG. 11. [Figure 13] Plan view showing the state after fixing in the pressure sensor device. [Figure 14] Cross-sectional view taken along line XIV-XIV of FIG. 13.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. In the following embodiments, parts that are the same or equivalent to each other are denoted by the same reference numerals for explanation.

[0013] (First Embodiment) The wall-mounted device according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 14. Hereinafter, in this embodiment, as the wall-mounted device, a pressure sensor device 1 assembled to an opening provided in a wall will be described as an example, but it may be a wall-mounted device other than the pressure sensor device.

[0014] The pressure sensor device 1 of this embodiment is configured as shown in FIG. 1, and for example, it is used for detecting the operation of a side airbag for a vehicle. Note that FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view viewed from the side of the holding element 20 described later, and is a schematic perspective view after fixing the support element 10 and the holding element 20 described later.

[0015] As shown in Figure 2, the pressure sensor device 1 is mounted on an inner panel 100 installed on the inside of the vehicle's side door and transmits a detection signal corresponding to the pressure in the door's internal space to the airbag electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as the airbag ECU). Based on the detection signal from the pressure sensor device 1, the airbag ECU detects the pressure change in the door's internal space that occurs during a collision with the door and activates the side airbag to protect the occupants.

[0016] In this embodiment, the inner panel 100 has an opening 101, as shown in Figure 3. The opening 101 has a shape that includes a central circular portion 101a and a pair of strip-shaped lateral portions 101b and 101c that extend away from the center of the circular portion 101a. The pair of lateral portions 101b and 101c extend in opposite directions, and the circumferential widths of the circular portion 101a are different from each other.

[0017] Furthermore, the outermost edges 101d and 101e of the opening 101 are formed on the opposite side of the circular portion 101a of the pair of lateral portions 101b and 101c. These outermost edges 101d and 101e are the parts of the outer edge forming the edge of the opening 101 that are furthest from the support shaft 221 of the retaining element 20, which will be described later, when the pressure sensor device 1 is fitted into the opening 101.

[0018] The pressure sensor device 1 is then mounted to the opening 101 of the inner panel 100. In this embodiment, the inner panel 100 corresponds to the wall on which the pressure sensor device 1 is mounted.

[0019] The configuration of the pressure sensor device 1 of this embodiment will be described in detail below. As shown in Figures 1 and 4, the pressure sensor device 1 has a configuration that includes a support element 10, a holding element 20, a sensor IC 30, a printed circuit board 40, a terminal 50, and a connector 60.

[0020] The support element 10 is made of an insulating material such as resin and has a plate portion 10a that is configured to have a substantially disc shape. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the support element 10 has a through hole 11 that penetrates both the front and back at the center of the plate portion 10a. The through hole 11 is formed so that the retaining wing 22, which will be described later and formed on the retaining element 20, can be fitted into it. The through hole 11 has the same shape as the opening 101. Specifically, the through hole 11 in this embodiment has a substantially circular central hole portion 11a and a pair of strip-shaped lateral holes 11b and 11c that extend away from the center of the central hole portion 11a. The central hole portion 11a of the through hole 11 has a shape substantially similar to the circular portion 101a of the opening 101, and the pair of lateral holes 11b and 11c have a shape substantially similar to the pair of lateral portions 101b and 101c.

[0021] The support element 10 has a first sealing portion 12 and a second sealing portion 13 formed on the outside of the through hole 11 formed in the plate portion 10a. The first sealing portion 12 and the second sealing portion 13 each have an annular shape surrounding the through hole 11. If the side of the support element 10 where the part of the retaining element 20 other than the retaining wing 22 is located is considered the back side, and the opposite side is considered the front side, then the first sealing portion 12 is provided on the front side of the support element 10, and the second sealing portion 13 is provided on the back side of the support element 10. Note that in Figure 6, the right side of the page is the front side, and the left side of the page is the back side.

[0022] The first sealing portion 12 is provided to seal the gap between the inner panel 100 and the support element 10 when the pressure sensor device 1 is attached to the inner panel 100. The second sealing portion 13 is provided to seal the gap between the support element 10 and the retaining element 20 when the retaining element 20 is attached to the support element 10.

[0023] The outer diameter of the support element 10 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the plate portion 21 of the retaining element 20, which will be described later. A peripheral wall 15 is formed on the outer edge of the back side of the support element 10, projecting in the direction from the front side to the back side (i.e., in the thickness direction of the plate portion 10a). As shown in Figure 1, the peripheral wall 15 is sized to allow the retaining element 20 to be placed inside it. Furthermore, an engaging claw 16 is formed on a part of the peripheral wall 15, further projecting from the peripheral wall 15. When the retaining element 20 is assembled to the support element 10, the support element 10 and the retaining element 20 are integrated by the engaging claw 16. Even after the support element 10 and the retaining element 20 are integrated, relative rotation between the support element 10 and the retaining element 20 is still possible.

[0024] Furthermore, the support element 10 has a stopper portion 19 formed on a part of its surrounding wall 15. Specifically, the stopper portion 19 is positioned in front of the engaging portion 16a in the rotational direction of the retaining element 20 when the retaining element 20 is rotated relative to the support element 10. In this embodiment, the engaging portion 16a is formed by an engaging claw 16. The stopper portion 19 and the engaging portion 16a are configured such that the retaining element 20 and the support element 10 are fixed (i.e., relative rotation is locked) when the projection 25 formed on the retaining element 20 overcomes the stopper portion 19 and is positioned between the engaging portion 16a and the stopper portion 19. As described above, Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view after the support element 10 and the retaining element 20 have been fixed, and the projection 25 described later is positioned between the engaging portion 16a and the stopper portion 19.

[0025] Furthermore, the retaining portion 19 is formed so that its thickness gradually increases along the direction of rotation, making it easier for the projection 25 to overcome the retaining portion 19 when the retaining element 20 is rotated and fixed relative to the support element 10. The engaging portion 16a (i.e., the engaging claw 16) has a constant thickness along the direction of rotation. Specifically, the engaging portion 16a is thick enough so that when the retaining element 20 is rotated and fixed relative to the support element 10, a torque greater than the torque required for the projection 25 to overcome the retaining portion 19 is applied, allowing the projection 25 to overcome the engaging portion 16a.

[0026] Furthermore, the support element 10 is provided with a rotation restricting portion 17 that restricts the rotation of the support element 10, and a position restricting portion 18 that restricts the displacement of the support element 10 in the intersecting direction (i.e., the radial direction) that intersects the rotational direction of the support element 10. The rotation restricting portion 17 and the position restricting portion 18 are formed on the periphery of a pair of lateral holes 11b and 11c.

[0027] The rotation restricting portion 17 is provided on the support element 10 at a position that overlaps with the opening 101 so that it can be inserted into the opening 101. The rotation restricting portion 17 is composed of rotation restricting pieces 17a and 17b that protrude from the back side of the support element 10 toward the front side. The rotation restricting pieces 17a and 17b are formed on the peripheral edges of the pair of lateral holes 11b and 11c, closer to the central hole 11a than to the outer edges 11d and 11e of the lateral holes 11b and 11c.

[0028] The rotation restricting portion 17 is configured so as not to interfere with the retaining wing 22 of the retaining element 20. Specifically, as shown in Figures 10 and 12, the protruding height of the rotation restricting pieces 17a and 17b is smaller than the distance between the plate portion 21 of the retaining element 20 and the retaining wing 22. In addition, the tip portions of the rotation restricting pieces 17a and 17b are inclined diagonally such that the protruding height increases as they move away from the center of the central hole 11a.

[0029] The position regulating portion 18 is provided on the support element 10 at a position that overlaps with the opening 101 so that it can be inserted into the opening 101. The position regulating portion 18 is composed of position regulating pieces 18a and 18b that protrude from the back side of the support element 10 toward the front side. The position regulating pieces 18a and 18b are formed on the outer edges 11d and 11e of the pair of lateral holes 11b and 11c.

[0030] The position regulating portion 18 is configured so as not to interfere with the retaining wing 22 of the retaining element 20. Specifically, as shown in Figures 10 and 12, the position regulating pieces 18a and 18b have a protruding height smaller than the distance between the plate portion 21 of the retaining element 20 and the retaining wing 22.

[0031] The retaining element 20 is made of an insulating material such as resin. The sensor IC 30, printed circuit board 40, terminal 50, and connector 60 are integrally held in the retaining element 20. As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the retaining element 20 has a configuration that includes a plate portion 21, retaining wings 22, connector mating portion 24, projection portion 25, etc.

[0032] The plate portion 21 is composed of a disc-shaped member. The plate portion 21 has a structure in which the retaining wing 22 is provided on the front side, with one side being the front and the opposite side being the back. In Figure 8, the right side of the plate portion 21 is the front side, and the left side is the back side.

[0033] The retaining wing 22 can be fitted into the opening 101 while it is fitted into the through hole 11 of the support element 10, and has a support shaft 221 and first and second wing portions 222 and 223.

[0034] The support shaft 221 is a component that constitutes the axis of the retaining element 20. The support shaft 221 is a substantially cylindrical component that protrudes from the back side toward the front side and is positioned approximately in the center of the plate portion 21. The outer diameter of the support shaft 221 is shaped to correspond to the circular portion 101a of the opening 101 (i.e., substantially the same shape) so that it can be fitted into the circular portion 101a of the opening 101. The tip of the support shaft 221 is provided with first and second wing portions 222 and 223.

[0035] The first and second wing portions 222 and 223 are arranged to extend radially outward from the support shaft 221. Specifically, the first wing portion 222 and the second wing portion 223 extend radially outward from the support shaft 221 and are arranged to extend in opposite directions. The first wing portion 222 and the second wing portion 223 have shapes corresponding to a pair of lateral portions 101b and 101c of the opening 101 (i.e., substantially similar shapes). The back surfaces of the first wing portion 222 and the second wing portion 223 are inclined diagonally so as they move away from the support shaft 221 and away from the plate portion 21, so as not to interfere with the rotation restricting portion 17 and the position restricting portion 18, etc., when fitted to the support element 10.

[0036] Furthermore, the retaining wing 22 is provided with a pressure introduction passage 23 that introduces the pressure from the internal space of the door to a sensor IC 30 located on the back side of the plate portion 21. In this embodiment, this pressure introduction passage 23 is formed inside the first wing portion 222 and the support shaft 221.

[0037] The pressure introduction passage 23 extends along the axial direction of the support shaft 221 inside the support shaft 221 and along the radial direction of the support shaft 221 inside the first wing portion 222. The pressure introduction passage 23 opens at the central part of the back surface of the plate portion 21 on the support shaft 221 side and at the tip of the first wing portion 222 on the first wing portion 222 side.

[0038] As shown in Figures 1 and 8, the retaining element 20 has a connector fitting portion 24 on the back side of the plate portion 21. This connector fitting portion 24 is composed of a plurality of fitting pieces 241a, 241b for fitting the housing portion 61 of the connector 60, which will be described later. In this embodiment, there are two fitting pieces 241a, 241b on each side of the portion where the connector 60 is placed. The fitting pieces 241a, 241b are composed of plate-shaped columnar portions 242 that protrude in the direction normal to the surface direction of the plate portion 21, and holes 243 formed therein, into which the insertion portion 63 formed in the housing portion 61 of the connector 60, which will be described later, can be inserted. The retaining element 20 and the connector 60 are then integrated by a snap-fit ​​joint, into which the insertion portion 63 is inserted into the holes 243 and fixed.

[0039] Hereinafter, in the mating pieces 241a and 241b, the portion located on the side of the opening 62a of the connector 60, which will be described later, is designated as the first mating piece 241a, and the portion located on the opposite side of the opening 62a of the connector 60, sandwiching the first mating piece 241a, is designated as the second mating piece 241b. Furthermore, in the column portion 242 of the first mating piece 241a and the second mating piece 241b, as shown in Figures 8, 9A, and 9B, the portion located on the side of the opening 62a of the connector 60 is designated as the first column portion 242a. The portion located on the opposite side of the opening 62a of the connector 60, sandwiching the first column portion 242a, is designated as the second column portion 242b, and the portion connecting the first column portion 242a and the second column portion 242b, located on the opposite side of the plate portion 21, is designated as the connecting portion 242c. Although not shown in Figures 9A and 9B, the opening 62a of the connector 60 is located to the right of the first column 242a on the page.

[0040] Here, as described above, the retaining element 20 is made of an insulating material such as resin, but more specifically, it is made by pouring molten resin into a mold and letting it solidify. In this case, molten resin flows into the first and second fitting pieces 241a and 241b from the first column portion 242a side and the second column portion 242b side, and these molten resins merge at the connecting portion 242c. As a result, a weld portion WP is formed at the connecting portion 242c by the merging of the molten resins. Note that the weld portion WP is a part that is prone to becoming the starting point of failure.

[0041] Furthermore, as will be described later, an external connector is attached to the connector 60, and when attaching the external connector, twisting stress is likely to occur in the direction of arrow VD along the vertical direction of the connector 60, as shown in Figure 1. In other words, the vertical direction of the connector 60 is the direction along the stacking direction of the connector 60 and the retaining element 20.

[0042] In this case, as shown in Figure 9A, in the first fitting piece 241a, a stress concentration area SP is likely to occur at the boundary between the first column portion 242a and the connecting portion 242c. In other words, in the first fitting piece 241a, a larger stress concentration area SP is likely to occur in the portion of the connecting portion 242c on the first column portion 242a side than in the portion on the second column portion 242b side. In contrast, in the second fitting piece 241b, as shown in Figure 9B, a stress concentration area SP is likely to occur at the boundary between the second column portion 242b and the connecting portion 242c. In other words, in the second fitting piece 241b, a larger stress concentration area SP is likely to occur in the portion of the connecting portion 242c on the second column portion 242b side than in the portion on the first column portion 242a side.

[0043] In this case, if the width is defined as the length along the alignment direction of the first column portion 242a and the second column portion 242b, and the width L1 of the first column portion 242a and the width L2 of the second column portion 242b are the same, it becomes difficult to define the position where the weld portion WP is formed. Furthermore, if the position where the weld portion WP is formed coincides with the stress concentration area SP, the first and second fitting pieces 241a and 241b become more susceptible to failure.

[0044] Therefore, in this embodiment, the area of ​​the cross-section of the first and second column portions 242a and 242b of the first and second fitting pieces 241a and 241b, with the direction of protrusion of the column portion 242 as the normal direction (hereinafter also simply referred to as the cross-sectional area), is adjusted as follows. In other words, the cross-sectional area of ​​the column portion 242 can also be said to be the cross-sectional area of ​​the column portion 242 along the surface direction of the plate portion 21.

[0045] The first and second column portions 242a and 242b are configured such that one of them, which is connected to a portion of the connecting portion 242c where stress tends to be high, has a larger cross-sectional area than the other, which is connected to a portion where stress tends to be low. In this embodiment, the first and second fitting pieces 241a and 241b are configured such that the width of one of them, which is connected to a portion of the connecting portion 242c where stress tends to be high, is longer than the width of the other, which is connected to a portion where stress tends to be low. Specifically, in the first fitting piece 241a, the width L1 of the first column portion 242a is wider than the width L2 of the second column portion 242b. In the second fitting piece 241b, the width L2 of the second column portion 242b is wider than the width L1 of the first column portion 242a. The first and second column portions 242a and 242b have the same thickness in the direction perpendicular to the protruding direction and the width direction.

[0046] As a result, in this embodiment, when molten resin is poured into the portions forming the first and second fitting pieces 241a and 241b, in the first column portion 242a and the second column portion 242b, the flow rate of molten resin is greater on one side of the connecting portion 242c that is connected to a portion where stress is likely to be high than on the other side that is connected to a portion where stress is likely to be low. Then, in the connecting portion 242c, a weld portion WP is formed in the portion where stress is likely to be low. Therefore, when assembling the external connector, it is possible to suppress the destruction of the first and second fitting pieces 241a and 241b.

[0047] For example, in the first fitting piece 241a, the width L1 of the first column portion 242a is approximately 2.4 mm, and the width L2 of the second column portion 242b is approximately 0.8 mm. Similarly, in the second fitting piece 241b, the width L1 of the first column portion 242a is approximately 0.8 mm, and the width of the second column portion 242b is approximately 2.4 mm. In other words, the first fitting piece 241a and the second fitting piece 241b are configured such that, for example, the ratio of the width of the portion where the stress is high to the width of the portion where the stress is low is approximately 3:1.

[0048] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 1 and 7, a projection 25 is formed on the side surface 21a of the retaining element 20. More specifically, a projection 25 is formed on the side surface 21a connecting the front and back surfaces of the plate portion 21, projecting in the direction normal to the side surface 21a. When the retaining element 20 is assembled and fixed to the support element 10, this projection 25 overcomes the stopper portion 19 provided on the surrounding wall 15 of the support element 10 and is positioned between the stopper portion 19 and the engaging portion 16a, thereby locking the relative rotation between the support element 10 and the retaining element 20. In other words, in this embodiment, the rotation locking portion is composed of the stopper portion 19, the engaging portion 16a, and the projection 25.

[0049] Specifically, after the retaining wing 22 is fitted into the through hole 11 of the support element 10, when the retaining element 20 is not rotated relative to the support element 10, the projection 25 is not overriding the stopper 19. In other words, when the retaining element 20 is not rotated relative to the support element 10, in the direction of rotation, the projection 25 is positioned on the opposite side of the engaging portion 16a, with the stopper 19 in between. Then, by rotating the retaining element 20 relative to the support element 10 from this state, the projection 25 overriding the stopper 19 and positioned between the stopper 19 and the engaging portion 16a, the relative rotation of the support element 10 and the retaining element 20 is locked.

[0050] The sensor IC30 is a semiconductor chip with a pressure sensor element formed on it. The sensor IC30 is positioned inside the connector mating portion 24 of the retaining element 20. The sensor IC30 is a pressure detection unit positioned inside the retaining element 20. In this embodiment, the sensor IC30 is positioned on the back side of the support shaft 221 of the retaining element 20, approximately at its center.

[0051] The sensor IC30 outputs a signal corresponding to the pressure in the door's internal space. As shown in Figure 4, the sensor IC30 is mounted on the printed circuit board 40 and electrically connected to the terminal 50 via the printed circuit board 40, so that the signal from the sensor IC30 is transmitted to the external airbag ECU via the terminal 50.

[0052] The printed circuit board 40 is on which the sensor IC 30 is mounted and electrically connected to the terminal 50, and has wiring patterns and the like that which constitute an electrical circuit (not shown) formed on it. Various parts of the sensor IC 30 are electrically connected to this printed circuit board 40, for example by wire bonding. The signal processing unit of the sensor IC 30 is mounted on either the sensor IC 30 or the printed circuit board 40.

[0053] Terminal 50 electrically connects the pressure sensor device 1 to the outside and is connected to a desired position on the wiring pattern formed on the printed circuit board 40. Terminal 50 may be for power, ground (i.e., GND), signal output, etc.

[0054] The connector 60 is a hollow component that constitutes a casing housing the sensor IC 30, the printed circuit board 40, and the terminal 50. The connector 60 is formed, for example, from a rigid and insulating resin material. The connector 60 is connected to an external connector (not shown), thereby enabling an electrical connection between the sensor IC 30 and the outside world via the terminal 50.

[0055] Specifically, the connector 60 has a housing portion 61 that is roughly rectangular in shape and a connector case 62 that is roughly cylindrical in shape. The housing portion 61 and the connector case 62 of the connector 60 are aligned in the same direction as the alignment of the support shaft 221 and the first wing portion 222.

[0056] The housing section 61 is hollow, with an open upper side (i.e., one side facing the retaining element 20). The sensor IC 30 and the printed circuit board 40 are housed in this open section. In addition, the pressure introduction passage 23 of the retaining wing 22 is connected to the inside of the housing section 61, and the pressure from the door's internal space is introduced into the inside of the housing section 61.

[0057] Furthermore, although not shown, a partition wall is formed in the housing section 61 to which the printed circuit board 40 is tightly attached. This partition wall and the printed circuit board 40 hermetically divide the inside of the housing section 61 into the space for the sensor IC 30 and the space on the connector case 62 side. As a result, when the pressure in the space inside the door is introduced into the space for the sensor IC 30 through the pressure introduction passage 23, the pressure in the space inside the door does not escape into the space of the connector case 62 and acts on the sensor IC 30. The space for the sensor IC 30 may be filled with air or with a filler. In this case, the pressure in the space inside the door acts on the sensor IC 30 via the filler.

[0058] Furthermore, the housing portion 61 has insertion portions 63 formed on its outer circumferential surface that can be inserted into the holes 243 of the first and second fitting pieces 241a and 241b formed on the retaining element 20. The insertion portions 63 are formed in accordance with the number of first and second fitting pieces 241a and 241b formed on the retaining element 20, and in this embodiment, two are formed on each of the opposing outer wall surfaces of the housing portion 61.

[0059] The terminal 50 described above is connected to the printed circuit board 40 by inserting one end into a through-hole (not shown) formed in the printed circuit board 40 and soldering it to fill the through-hole. Because the terminal 50 is bent into an L-shape, the other end of the terminal 50 extends toward the connector case 62.

[0060] The connector case 62 is connected to the housing section 61, and the side opposite the housing section 61 is an opening 62a. The other end of the terminal 50 is located inside the connector case 62. By connecting an external connector to the opening 62a side of the connector case 62, an electrical connection can be made between the sensor IC 30 and the outside via the terminal 50.

[0061] Next, we will describe how to attach the pressure sensor device 1, configured as described above, to the inner panel 100.

[0062] The retaining element 20, which integrates the sensor IC 30, printed circuit board 40, terminal 50, and connector 60, is fitted into the support element 10. Specifically, as shown in Figures 4 and 10, the retaining wing 22 of the retaining element 20 is aligned with the through hole 11 of the support element 10, and the retaining wing 22 is fitted into the through hole 11.

[0063] Then, as the outer circumference of the retaining element 20 engages with the surrounding wall 15, pushing aside the engaging claw 16 of the support element 10, the engaging claw 16 returns to its original position due to elastic force and catches on the end face of the retaining element 20. As a result, the retaining element 20 and the support element 10 become one, as shown in Figures 11 and 12.

[0064] Subsequently, in this state, the retaining wing 22, which is fitted into the through hole 11 of the support element 10, is fitted into the opening 101. At this time, the rotation restricting part 17 and the position restricting part 18 are also inserted into the opening 101, and the displacement of the support element 10 is restricted by the rotation restricting part 17 and the position restricting part 18.

[0065] Then, with the retaining wing 22 fitted into the opening 101, the retaining wing 22 is rotated around the axis of the retaining element 20. For example, the retaining element 20 is rotated in the direction indicated by the rotation direction RD of the arrow in Figure 11. At this time, the displacement of the support element 10 in the rotation direction RD is restricted by the rotation restricting part 17. Therefore, when the retaining element 20 is rotated in the rotation direction RD, the retaining element 20 rotates while the support element 10 remains stationary, as shown in Figures 1 and 13. Then, the projection 25 formed on the retaining element 20 overcomes the stopper part 19 and is positioned between the stopper part 19 and the engagement part 16a, thereby locking the relative rotation between the support element 10 and the retaining element 20 while the inner panel 100 is being held, as shown in Figure 14. As a result, the pressure sensor device 1 is attached to the opening 101 of the inner panel 100.

[0066] After the support element 10 and the holding element 20 are fixed in place, the external connector is connected to the connector 60, thereby electrically connecting the sensor IC 30 to the outside via the terminal 50.

[0067] According to the embodiment described above, the first and second column portions 242a and 242b of the first and second fitting pieces 241a and 241b are configured such that one portion connected to a part of the connecting portion 242c where stress tends to be high has a larger cross-sectional area than the other portion connected to a part where stress tends to be low. As a result, the weld portion WP and the stress concentration portion SP are less likely to coincide, and the failure of the first and second fitting pieces 241a and 241b can be suppressed. Furthermore, with such a configuration, there is no need to place another reinforcing member, so the number of parts can be kept from increasing.

[0068] (1) In this embodiment, the width of the first and second column portions 242a and 242b of the first and second fitting pieces 241a and 241b is wider on one side that connects to a portion of the connecting portion 242c where stress tends to be high than on the other side that connects to a portion where stress tends to be low. Therefore, the cross-sectional area can be easily adjusted.

[0069] (Other embodiments) This disclosure is described in accordance with embodiments, but it is understood that this disclosure is not limited to such embodiments or structures. This disclosure also includes various modifications and variations within the scope of equivalents. In addition, various combinations and forms, as well as other combinations and forms that include only one, more, or fewer of those elements, fall within the scope and idea of ​​this disclosure.

[0070] For example, in the first embodiment described above, the pressure sensor device 1 is exemplified as one used for detecting the operation of a vehicle's side airbag, but the pressure sensor device 1 can also be used for purposes other than detecting the operation of a vehicle's side airbag.

[0071] Furthermore, although the above embodiments have described a sensor IC30 that detects pressure as the detection unit, the sensor IC30 may also be provided as the detection unit to detect other physical quantities such as acceleration or angular velocity.

[0072] In the first embodiment described above, an example was explained in which the cross-sectional area is adjusted by adjusting the widths L1 and L2 of the first and second fitting pieces 241a and 241b. However, the cross-sectional area of ​​the first and second column portions 242a and 242b of the first and second fitting pieces 241a and 241b may be adjusted by adjusting the thickness in the direction perpendicular to the protruding direction and the width direction. Furthermore, the number of fitting pieces constituting the connector fitting portion 24 can be changed as appropriate. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0073] 10 Support element 11 Through hole 20 retaining elements 21 Plate section 22 Retaining Wing 100 Inner Panels (Walls) 101 Wall 241a 1st mating piece 241b 2nd mating piece 242 Column section 243 Hole WP Weld Section

Claims

1. A wall-mounting device that is attached to an opening (101) provided in a wall (100), A support element (10) having a through hole (11) formed therein, A retaining element (20) having a retaining wing (22) made of resin that can be fitted into the opening when fitted into the through hole, A detection unit (30) is located inside the holding element and outputs a detection signal corresponding to a physical quantity, The device comprises a connector (60) which is assembled to the holding element and has a terminal (50) that is connected to the detection unit and an external connector, In the fitted state in which the retaining wing fitted into the through hole is fitted into the opening, the wall can be clamped by the retaining wing and the support element by rotating the retaining wing about the axis of the retaining element. The retaining element has a plate-shaped plate portion (21) and a fitting piece (241a, 241b) on the side of the plate portion opposite to the side on which the retaining wing is provided, the fitting piece having a hole (243) formed in a column portion (242) that protrudes in the direction normal to the surface direction of the plate portion. The connector has an insertion portion (63) that can be inserted into the hole of the mating piece, and the insertion portion is snap-fit ​​joined to the retaining element when inserted into the hole. The column portion is located on the side of the connector that is connected to the external connector of the connector in the portion surrounding the hole, and the portion that protrudes in the normal direction is designated as the first column portion (242a), the portion located on the opposite side of the hole from the first column portion and protruding in the normal direction is designated as the second column portion (242b), and the portion connecting the first column portion and the second column portion, located on the opposite side of the plate portion and along the surface direction is designated as the connecting portion (242c), and a weld portion (WP) is formed in the connecting portion. The first column and the second column are configured such that, when the connector is displaced along the stacking direction between the plate and the connector, the cross-sectional area of ​​one of the connecting parts that is prone to increased stress is larger in the plane direction of the plate than the other that is prone to decreased stress.

2. The wall mounting device according to claim 1, wherein, when the connector is displaced along the stacking direction between the plate portion and the connector, the width (L1, L2) of one of the connecting portions that is more likely to experience increased stress is wider than the width (L1, L2) of the other connecting portion that is more likely to experience decreased stress.

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