U.S. patent application number 11/385709 was filed with the patent office on 2006-09-28 for circuit unit device.
This patent application is currently assigned to Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai Rika Denki Seisakusho. Invention is credited to Ryoji Takahashi.
Application Number | 20060216964 11/385709 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37035786 |
Filed Date | 2006-09-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060216964 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Takahashi; Ryoji |
September 28, 2006 |
CIRCUIT UNIT DEVICE
Abstract
When a first circuit unit and a second circuit unit are to be
positioned and superposed by positioning portions and positioning
portions, an exposed portion of a circuit conductor in the second
circuit unit is deformed corresponding to a difference in a
dimension between the positioning portions and the positioning
portions. Consequently, a shift part caused by the difference in
the dimension between the positioning portions and the positioning
portions is automatically absorbed so that the first circuit unit
and the second circuit unit can be assembled easily.
Inventors: |
Takahashi; Ryoji; (Aichi,
JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MORGAN LEWIS & BOCKIUS LLP
1111 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE NW
WASHINGTON
DC
20004
US
|
Assignee: |
Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai Rika Denki
Seisakusho
|
Family ID: |
37035786 |
Appl. No.: |
11/385709 |
Filed: |
March 22, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
439/76.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60Q 1/1469 20130101;
H01H 1/5805 20130101; H01H 11/0056 20130101; Y10S 439/931
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
439/076.1 |
International
Class: |
H01R 12/00 20060101
H01R012/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 25, 2005 |
JP |
2005-088514 |
Claims
1. A circuit unit device comprising: a first circuit unit that
includes a first insulator and a first circuit conductor assembled
into the first insulator, the first circuit conductor including a
first contact portion and a first terminal portion; and a second
circuit that is superposed on the first circuit unit and includes a
second insulator and a second circuit conductor assembled into the
second insulator, the second circuit including a second contact
portion and a second terminal portion, wherein a part of the second
circuit conductor between the second contact portion and the second
terminal portion is exposed and can be deformed.
2. The circuit unit device according to claim 1, wherein the
exposed part of the second circuit conductor is bent to form a step
portion.
3. The circuit unit device according to claim 1, wherein the second
insulator includes a first half insulator piece on which the second
contact portion is arranged and a second half insulator piece on
which the second terminal portion is arranged, and the first
insulator includes a positioning portion for positioning the first
half insulator piece so that the first contact portion is
positioned with respect to the second contact portion and a
positioning portion for the positioning the second half insulator
piece so that the first terminal portion is positioned with respect
to the second terminal portion.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a circuit unit device
constituted by superposing a first circuit unit and a second
circuit unit which are formed by assembling a circuit conductor
having a contact portion and a terminal portion in an insulator
respectively.
[0002] Conventionally, a switch device for a vehicle comprises a
circuit unit device constituted by superposing a first circuit unit
and a second circuit unit which are formed by assembling a circuit
conductor having a contact portion and a terminal portion in an
insulator respectively, for example. In such a case, the first
circuit unit constitutes a main circuit, for example, and the
second circuit unit constitutes an attached circuit. They are
positioned, and particularly, positions of the contact portion and
the terminal portion are set.
[0003] However, the first circuit unit and the second circuit unit
are separate members and a dimension between portions to be
positioned has a difference depending on a product. For this
reason, there is a problem in that positions of the portions to be
positioned each other are not adapted finely when they are
assembled and an assembly is thus hard to perform.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The invention has been made in consideration of the
circumstances, and therefore, has an object to provide a circuit
unit device capable of easily assembling a first circuit unit and a
second circuit unit which have a difference in a dimension between
portions to be positioned depending on a product.
[0005] In order to solve the aforesaid object, the invention is
characterized by having the following arrangement.
[0006] (1) A circuit unit device comprising:
[0007] a first circuit unit that includes a first insulator and a
first circuit conductor assembled into the first insulator, the
first circuit conductor including a first contact portion and a
first terminal portion; and
[0008] a second circuit that is superposed on the first circuit
unit and includes a second insulator and a second circuit conductor
assembled into the second insulator, the second circuit including a
second contact portion and a second terminal portion,
[0009] wherein a part of the second circuit conductor between the
second contact portion and the second terminal portion is exposed
and can be deformed.
[0010] (2) The circuit unit device according to (1), wherein the
exposed part of the second circuit conductor is bent to form a step
portion.
[0011] (3) The circuit unit device according to (1), wherein
[0012] the second insulator includes a first half insulator piece
on which the second contact portion is arranged and a second half
insulator piece on which the second terminal portion is arranged,
and
[0013] the first insulator includes a positioning portion for
positioning the first half insulator piece so that the first
contact portion is positioned with respect to the second contact
portion and a positioning portion for the positioning the second
half insulator piece so that the first terminal portion is
positioned with respect to the second terminal portion.
[0014] According to the means, when the first circuit unit and the
second circuit unit are to be positioned and superposed, an exposed
portion of the circuit conductor in the second circuit unit is
deformed depending on a difference in a dimension between portions
to be positioned. Consequently, a shift part made by the difference
in the dimension between the portions to be positioned is absorbed
automatically so that the assembly can easily be carried out.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a circuit
unit device according to an example of the invention,
[0016] FIG. 2 is an exploded front view showing the circuit unit
device,
[0017] FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a base portion of a lever
switch device in a vehicle, which is taken away along an X-X line
in FIG. 4, and
[0018] FIG. 4 is a front view showing a state in which a body cover
in the lever switch device for the vehicle is removed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE REFERENCE NUMERALS AND SIGNS
[0019] In the drawings, 16 denotes a circuit unit device, 17
denotes a first circuit unit, 18 denotes a second circuit unit, 19
and 23 denote an insulator, 20 and 24 denote a circuit conductor,
24a denotes a part of the circuit conductor (an exposed portion),
21 and 25 denote a contact portion, 22 and 26 denote a terminal
portion, and 27, 28, 31 and 32 denote a positioning portion.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0020] An embodiment of the invention will be described below with
reference to the drawings.
[0021] First of all, FIG. 3 shows a base portion of a lever switch
device for a vehicle, particularly, a car, and a body cover 2 is
attached to a forward part thereof (an upper part in FIG. 3) by
setting a body 1 to be a main member and an under cover 3 is
attached to a rear part (a lower part in FIG. 3).
[0022] A bracket 4 to be an operation lever support is disposed
between the body cover 2 and the body 1. In the bracket 4, surface
portions other than a front surface portion and both upper and
lower side surface portions (an orthogonal direction to the paper
of FIG. 3) are opened and a cylindrical shaft portion 5 is formed
on a left side part in the front surface portion, and the shaft
portion 5 is fitted in a cylindrical concave portion 6 formed on
the body cover 2 so that the bracket 4 is supported rotatably in an
orthogonal direction to the paper of FIG. 3 around the shaft
portion 5 (in a direction shown in an arrow A of FIG. 4).
[0023] Moreover, the both upper and lower side surface portions of
the bracket 4 form cylindrical holes 7 (only the hole 7 on an upper
side is shown). On the other hand, 8 denotes an operation lever,
and a base portion of the operation lever 8 is inserted in the
bracket 4. Furthermore, a cylindrical shaft portion 9 is formed on
the base portion of the operation lever 8. The shaft portion 9 is
fitted in the hole 7 of the bracket 4 so that the operation lever 8
is supported rotatably in a direction shown in an arrow B of FIG. 3
(an orthogonal direction to the paper of FIG. 4) around the shaft
portion 9.
[0024] In addition, a concave portion 10 shown in FIG. 3 is formed
on the base portion of the operation lever 8, and a spring 11 and a
moderation piece 12 are accommodated therein. On the other hand, a
plurality of moderation valleys 13 having slant faces 13a in a
longitudinal direction is arranged in a circular arc arrangement
around the shaft portion 5 of the bracket 4 in the body 1 as shown
in FIG. 4, and the moderation piece 12 is pressed in contact and is
engaged with one of the moderation valleys 13 by an elastic force
of the spring 11, and the moderation piece 12, the spring 11 and
the moderation valley 13 constitute a moderation mechanism 14.
[0025] Furthermore, a shaft 15 is inserted in the operation lever 8
taking a hollow shape so as to be rotatable as shown in an arrow C
of FIG. 3, and an operation knob is attached to a tip portion (not
shown) of the shaft 15.
[0026] A circuit unit device 16 is provided in the under cover 3.
In detail, the circuit unit device 16 is constituted by a first
circuit unit 17 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and a second circuit unit
18. The first circuit unit 17 is constituted by assembling a
circuit conductor 20 formed of copper shown in FIG. 2 into an
insulator 19 formed of plastic, for example. The circuit conductor
20 includes a contact portion 21 having a plurality of contacts 21a
on one of ends and a terminal portion 22 having a plurality of
terminals 22a on the other end.
[0027] Moreover, the second circuit unit 18 is also constituted by
assembling a circuit conductor 24 formed of copper into an
insulator 23 formed of plastic, for example. The circuit conductor
24 includes a contact portion 25 having a plurality of contacts 25a
on one of ends and includes a terminal portion 26 having a
plurality of terminals 26a on the other end. In the second circuit
unit 18, the insulator 23 is divided into a half insulator piece
23a on a contact portion side and a half insulator piece 23b on a
terminal portion side to be separate members. Consequently, a part
24a of the circuit conductor 24 between the contact portion 25 and
the terminal portion 26 is exposed and can be deformed. In
addition, the exposed portion 24a of the circuit conductor 24 is
bent upward to be L-shaped from the contact portion 25 side and is
bent downward to be inverse L-shaped on the terminal portion 26
side as shown in FIG. 1 so that the terminal portion 26 side is
bent to form a step portion that the terminal portion 26 side is
higher than the contact portion 25 side.
[0028] In the first circuit unit 17, furthermore, a positioning
portion 27 is formed on a back face at the contact portion 21 side
of the insulator 19 and a positioning portion 28 is formed on the
terminal portion 22 side. In this case, the positioning portion 27
is a T-shaped trench and the positioning portion 28 is a pin-shaped
projection. In addition, engagement clicks 29 and 30 to be
attachment portions are formed on the back faces at the contact
portion 21 side and the terminal portion 22 side in the insulator
19 of the first circuit unit 17, respectively.
[0029] On the other hand, a positioning portion 31 is formed on a
surface at the contact portion 25 side of the insulator 23 and a
positioning portion 32 is formed at the terminal portion 26 side in
the second circuit unit 18. In this case, the positioning portion
31 is a T-shaped projection to be fitted in the positioning portion
27 of the first circuit unit 17 and the positioning portion 32 is a
hole to be fitted in the positioning portion 28 of the first
circuit unit 17.
[0030] In FIG. 2, a dimension between the positioning portions 27
and 28 of the first circuit unit 17 is indicated as .alpha..sub.17
and .beta..sub.17, and a dimension between the positioning portions
31 and 32 of the second circuit unit 18 is indicated as
.alpha..sub.18 and .beta..sub.18
[0031] With this structure, the positioning portion 31 of the
second circuit unit 18 is fitted in the positioning portion 27 of
the first circuit unit 17, and furthermore, the positioning portion
32 of the second circuit unit 18 is fitted in the positioning
portion 28 of the first circuit unit 17, and at the same time, the
insulator 23 of the second circuit unit 18, particularly, the half
insulator piece 23a on the contact portion side is engaged with the
engagement click 29 and the half insulator piece 23b on the
terminal portion side is engaged with the engagement click 30 so
that the second circuit unit 18 is superposed on and coupled to the
first circuit unit 17.
[0032] In the superposing and coupling state, the contact portion
25 of the second circuit unit 18 faces a forward part (an upper
part in FIG. 3) from an opening portion 33 formed on the insulator
19 in the first circuit unit 17 and the terminal portion 26 faces
an outside part together with the terminal portion 22 of the first
circuit unit 17 from a frame portion 34 formed on the insulator
19.
[0033] Contact holders 35 and 36 are disposed in a forward part (an
upper part in FIG. 3) of the circuit unit device 16 provided in the
under cover 3. The contact holders 35 and 36 have movable contacts
37 and 38 attached individually to the circuit unit device 16 side
respectively, and the movable contact 37 slides over the insulator
19 of the first circuit unit 17 to approach or separate from the
contact 21a and the movable contact 38 slides over the insulator 23
of the second circuit unit 18 to approach or separate from the
contact 25a.
[0034] In addition, the contact holder 35 has an arm portion 35b
and is engaged with the bracket 4 at the arm portion 35b. Moreover,
an arm portion 39 is protruded from a base end of the shaft 15 and
a tip portion of the arm portion 39 is engaged with the contact
holder 36 through the opening portion 33 of the first circuit unit
17.
[0035] Furthermore, a connector (not shown) inserted through the
frame portion 34 of the first circuit unit 17 is connected to the
terminal portion 22 of the first circuit unit 17 and the terminal
portion 26 of the second circuit unit 18 and is thus conducted.
[0036] When a user operates the operation lever 8 in the direction
shown in the arrow A of FIG. 4, the bracket 4 is rotated in the
same direction around the shaft portion 5 correspondingly. When the
bracket 4 is rotated in such a way, the moderation piece 12 is
engaged with the moderation valley 13 which is adjacent thereto in
the moderation mechanism 14 to give a moderation to the rotation of
the bracket 4 and the operation lever 8. At the same time, the
contact holder 35 to be interlocked with the rotation of the
bracket 4 through the arm portion 35b slides over the insulator 19
of the first circuit unit 17 in a direction shown in an arrow D of
FIG. 4 together with the movable contact 37 so that the movable
contact 27 is caused to approach or separate from the contact 21a
of the circuit conductor 20. At this time, the approach/separation
of the movable contact 37 to/from the contact 21a is used for
switching a speed of a front wiper of a vehicle, for example.
[0037] On the other hand, when the operation lever 8 is operated in
a direction shown in the arrow B of FIG. 3, the operation lever 8
is rotated in the same direction around the shaft portion 9. At the
same time, the contact holder 35 to be interlocked with the
rotation of the bracket 4 through the arm portion 35b slides over
the insulator 19 of the first circuit unit 17 in a direction shown
in an arrow E of FIG. 4 together with the movable contact 37 so
that the movable contact 37 is caused to approach or separate from
the contact 21a of the circuit conductor 20. At this time, the
approach/separation of the movable contact 37 to/from the contact
21a is used for switching an operation of a front washer of a
vehicle.
[0038] When an operation knob (not shown) attached to the tip
portion of the shaft 15 is rotated, the shaft 15 is rotated in the
direction shown in the arrow C of FIG. 3 so that the contact holder
36 slides over the insulator 23 of the second circuit unit 18 in a
direction shown in an arrow F of FIG. 4 together with the movable
contact 38 to cause the movable contact 38 to approach or separate
from the contact 25a of the circuit conductor 24. The
approach/separation of the movable contact 38 to/from the contact
25a is used for switching an operation of a rear wiper of a
vehicle.
[0039] In the foregoing, the switching of the operation of the rear
wiper in the vehicle through the second circuit unit 18 is a
function provided depending on a grade of the vehicle, for example.
Vehicles having different grades do not have the switching function
but a function of switching a speed of a front wiper through the
first circuit unit 17 and a function of switching an operation of
the front washer. More specifically, as described above, the first
circuit unit 17 constitutes the main circuit, while the second
circuit unit 18 constitutes the attached circuit. Thus, they are
selective. If necessary, the second circuit unit 18 is superposed
coupled to the first circuit unit 17.
[0040] Referring to the superposing/coupling of the second circuit
unit 18 on/to the first circuit unit 17, thus, the part 24a of the
circuit conductor 24 between the contact portion 25 and the
terminal portion 26 in the second circuit unit 18 is exposed and
can be deformed in this structure. When the second circuit unit 18
is to be positioned and superposed on the first circuit unit 17,
consequently, the exposed portion 24a of the circuit conductor 24
in the second circuit unit 18 is deformed corresponding to a
difference in a dimension (the dimensions .alpha..sub.18,
.beta..sub.18 between the positioning portions 31 and 32 of the
second circuit unit 18 and the dimensions .alpha..sub.17,
.alpha..sub.17 between the positioning portions 27 and 28 of the
first circuit unit 17) also in such a situation that the mutual
positions of the portions to be set are not finely adapted
depending on a difference between the dimensions. Consequently, a
shift part made by the difference in the dimension between the
portions to be positioned is automatically absorbed so that the
second circuit unit 18 can easily be assembled into the first
circuit unit 17 without difficulty differently from the
conventional art.
[0041] With this structure, particularly, the exposed portion 24a
of the circuit conductor 24 in the second circuit unit 18 is bent
to form a step portion. Consequently, the exposed portion 24a is
deformed longitudinally, transversely and vertically. By their
combinatorial deformation, consequently, an absorption of the shift
part caused by the difference in the dimension between the portions
to be positioned in the first circuit unit 17 and the second
circuit unit 18 can be enhanced so that the second circuit unit 18
can be assembled into the first circuit unit 17 further easily.
[0042] The invention is not restricted to the example described
above and shown in the drawings, particularly, to a circuit unit
device for a vehicle as a whole but can be properly changed and
executed without departing from the scope thereof.
* * * * *