JP7852282B2 - Wall-mounted device - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a wall-mounting device that is attached to an opening in a wall.

Conventionally, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a wall-mounting device that is attached to an opening in the wall of a vehicle. Specifically, this wall-mounting device comprises a support element with a support nose and a retaining element with retaining wings for attaching the mounting device to a wall. For wall mounting, the retaining element is rotatably positioned through the support element, and the support nose locks the rotation of the support element. Furthermore, a protective element is formed on the support element, and a plug-in connection portion is provided on the retaining element to which a connector is connected.

In this wall-mounting device, after fitting the retaining element and retaining wing into an opening in the wall, the retaining element and retaining wing are rotated to clamp the wall surface between the retaining wing and the support element.

Patent No. 5579184

Incidentally, the wall-mounted devices described above are generally installed manually by workers into openings in the wall. Specifically, the wall-mounted device is installed by fitting the retaining element into the wall opening after it has been assembled to the support element, and then rotating the retaining element to lock the relative rotation between the support element and the retaining element. In this case, manual installation makes it difficult to precisely define the torque applied when rotating the retaining element, and there is a possibility of assembly defects occurring, for example, due to excessive rotation of the retaining element. Therefore, if no measures are taken to prevent excessive rotation of the retaining element by the worker, the support element may be damaged, potentially reducing the ease of assembly.

In view of the above points, the present invention aims to provide a wall-mounting device that can improve ease of assembly.

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) having a retaining wing (22) that can be fitted into the opening when fitted into the through hole; and a detection unit (30) disposed inside the retaining element and outputting a detection signal corresponding to a physical quantity, wherein in a fitted state where 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 around the axis of the retaining element, the support element is plate-shaped and has a plate portion (10a) having a through hole formed therein and a peripheral wall (15) protruding in the thickness direction at the outer edge portion, and the peripheral wall The retaining element has a formed stopper portion (19), a locking portion (16a) formed in the surrounding wall and separated from the stopper portion, and a rotation restricting portion (17) inserted into the opening to restrict the rotation of the support element. The retaining element is plate-shaped and has a side surface (21a), a plate portion (21) positioned within the surrounding wall, and a projection (25) protruding from the side surface in the direction normal to the side surface. In a fitted state where the retaining wing fitted into the through hole is fitted into the opening, when the retaining wing is rotated around the axis of the retaining element, the projection overcomes the stopper portion and is positioned between the stopper portion and the locking portion, thereby locking the relative rotation of the support element and the retaining element. The height of the projection is such that the stress generated in the rotation restricting portion when it overcomes the locking portion is lower than the stress that would damage the rotation restricting portion.

According to this design, the height of the projection is adjusted so that even if the projection crosses over the engagement portion, the stress generated in the rotation restricting portion is lower than the stress that would damage the rotation restricting portion. Therefore, even if the operator rotates the holding element too much, damage to the rotation restricting portion can be suppressed, improving ease of assembly.

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.

This is a schematic perspective view of the pressure sensor device in the first embodiment. This is a schematic side view of a pressure sensor device. This is a schematic front view of a wall including an opening. This is a schematic exploded perspective view of a pressure sensor device. This is a schematic front view of the support element. This is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in Figure 5. This is a schematic front view of the retaining element. This is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in Figure 7. This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a disassembled pressure sensor device. This diagram shows the relationship between torque and the normal range, the slipping range, and the damaged range. This is a plan view showing the state of the pressure sensor device before it is fixed in place. This is a cross-sectional view taken along line XII-XII in Figure 11. This is a schematic perspective view showing the state of the pressure sensor device before it is fixed in place. This is a plan view showing the state of the pressure sensor device after it has been fixed in place. This is a cross-sectional view taken along line XV-XV in Figure 14.

The embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, parts that are identical or equivalent to each other will be denoted by the same reference numerals.

(First Embodiment)
The wall-mounted device of the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 15. In this embodiment, a pressure sensor device 1, which is assembled into an opening in a wall, will be used as an example of the wall-mounted device, but other wall-mounted devices may also be used.

The pressure sensor device 1 of this embodiment is configured as shown in Figure 1 and is used, for example, to detect the operation of a vehicle's side airbag. Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view from the side of the retaining element 20, which will be described later, and is a schematic perspective view after the support element 10 and the retaining element 20 have been fixed together.

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. It 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 and activates the side airbag to protect the occupants.

In this embodiment, the inner panel 100 has an opening 101 as shown in Figure 3. The opening 101 has a central circular portion 101a and a pair of strip-shaped lateral portions 101b and 101c extending 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 differ from each other.

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, in the fitted state where the pressure sensor device 1 is fitted into the opening 101, are the parts furthest from the support shaft 221 of the retaining element 20, which will be described later.

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.

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 including a support element 10, a holding element 20, a sensor IC 30, a printed circuit board 40, a terminal 50, and a connector 60, etc.

The support element 10 is made of an insulating material such as resin and has a plate portion 10a configured to have a substantially disc shape (i.e., plate-like) outer shape. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the support element 10 has a through hole 11 formed in the center of the plate portion 10a, extending through both sides. The through hole 11 is formed so that the retaining wing 22, described later, formed on the retaining element 20, can be fitted into it. Furthermore, 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 extending 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.

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. Each of the first sealing portion 12 and the second sealing portion 13 has an annular shape surrounding the through hole 11. If we consider the side of the support element 10 where the portion of the retaining element 20 other than the retaining wing 22 is located as the back side, and the opposite side as 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. In Figure 6, the right side of the page represents the front side, and the left side represents the back side.

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.

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 positioned inside it. Furthermore, an engaging claw 16 is formed on a part of the peripheral wall 15, protruding further from the peripheral wall 15. In other words, the engaging claw 16 is formed on the peripheral wall 15 with a protruding height greater than that of 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 them is still possible.

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 projection 25, which will be described later and formed on the retaining element 20, overcomes the stopper portion 19 and is positioned between the engaging portion 16a and the stopper portion 19, thereby fixing the retaining element 20 and the support element 10 (i.e., locking relative rotation). 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.

In this embodiment, 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. More 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.

Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, the stopper portion 19 and the engaging portion 16a of this embodiment are provided in groups of three, with equal spacing between them in the circumferential direction on the plate portion 10a. Also, one of the engaging portions 16a is formed in a position that faces the connector 60 when the projection 25 of the retaining element 20 (described later) presses the engaging portion 16a in the direction of the projection 25's protrusion.

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.

The rotation restricting portion 17 is positioned on the support element 10 so as to overlap with the opening 101, allowing it to 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.

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 9 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. Furthermore, the tip portions of the rotation restricting pieces 17a and 17b are inclined diagonally such that their protruding height increases as they move away from the center of the central hole 11a.

The position regulating portion 18 is provided on the support element 10 at a position overlapping 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.

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 9 and 12, the protruding height of the position regulating pieces 18a and 18b is smaller than the distance between the plate portion 21 of the retaining element 20 and the retaining wing 22.

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 within the retaining element 20. As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the retaining element 20 has a configuration including a plate portion 21, retaining wings 22, connector mating portion 24, projection portion 25, etc.

The plate portion 21 is composed of a disc-shaped member. The plate portion 21 has a structure where, when one side is considered the front surface and the opposite side the back surface, the retaining wings 22 are provided on the front surface side. In Figure 8, the right side of the plate portion 21 is the front surface, and the left side is the back surface.

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.

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 protruding 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), allowing it to 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.

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 the 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.

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 the 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.

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

Furthermore, the retaining element 20 is provided with a connector mating portion 24 on the back side of the plate portion 21. This connector mating portion 24 consists of multiple mating pieces 241 for fitting the housing portion 61 of the connector 60 (described later). The connector 60 is then integrated with the retaining element 20 by fitting the housing portion 61 of the connector 60 into the connector mating portion 24.

Furthermore, as shown in Figures 1 and 7, a projection 25 is formed on the side surface 21a of the retaining element 20. 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.

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, the projection 25 is positioned on the opposite side of the engaging portion 16a, straddling the stopper 19, in the rotational direction. Then, by rotating the retaining element 20 relative to the support element 10 from this state, the projection 25 overriding the stopper 19 and positioning itself between the stopper 19 and the engaging portion 16a, the relative rotation of the support element 10 and the retaining element 20 is locked.

In this embodiment, the height h of the projection 25 in the direction of protrusion relative to the side surface 21a of the plate portion 21 is adjusted as follows. First, when rotating and fixing the retaining element 20 relative to the support element 10, the retaining wing 22 is fitted into the through hole 11 of the support element 10, and then the retaining wing 22 is fitted into the opening 101 of the inner panel 100. At this time, the rotation restricting portion 17 and the position restricting portion 18 are also inserted into the opening 101, and the displacement of the support element 10 is restricted by the rotation restricting portion 17 and the position restricting portion 18. Then, the retaining element 20 is rotated relative to the support element 10 so that the projection 25 passes over the stopper portion 19 and is positioned between the stopper portion 19 and the engagement portion 16a. However, since this process is generally performed by an operator, the applied torque tends to vary.

Therefore, if the operator rotates the holding element 20 too much, the projection 25 may also overshoot the engagement portion 16a. In this case, if the height h of the projection 25 is too high, a large stress will be applied to the rotation restricting portion 17 of the support element 10 when the projection 25 overshoots the engagement portion 16a, potentially damaging the rotation restricting portion 17. Therefore, in this embodiment, the height h of the projection 25 is adjusted so that even if the projection 25 overshoots the engagement portion 16a, the stress generated in the rotation restricting portion 17 is lower than the stress that would damage the rotation restricting portion 17, allowing the holding element 20 to rotate freely. Consequently, even if the operator rotates the holding element 20 too much, damage to the rotation restricting portion 17 can be suppressed. This reduces damage to the support element 10 during assembly and improves ease of assembly.

For example, as shown in Figure 10, when fixing the retaining element 20 to the support element 10, the support element 10 and the retaining element 20 are configured such that if the torque generated is less than 1.3 N·m, the projection 25 does not overcome the engagement portion 16a and the retaining element 20 is properly fixed. Furthermore, when fixing the retaining element 20 to the support element 10, the support element 10 and the retaining element 20 are configured such that if the torque generated is 3.3 N·m or more, the rotation restricting portion 17 is damaged.

In this case, the height h of the projection 25 is adjusted so that the torque generated when it overcomes the engagement portion 16a is between 1.3 and 3.3 N·m. In other words, the height h of the projection 25 is adjusted so that the rotation restricting portion 17 is not damaged and the holding element 20 rotates freely even when the projection 25 overcomes the engagement portion 16a. To put it another way, the height h of the projection 25 is adjusted as part of the torque parameter to prevent damage to the rotation restricting portion 17.

The sensor IC 30 is a semiconductor chip with a pressure sensor element formed on it. As shown in Figure 4, the sensor IC 30 is positioned inside the connector mating portion 24 of the retaining element 20. The sensor IC 30 is a pressure detection unit positioned inside the retaining element 20. In this embodiment, the sensor IC 30 is positioned on the back side of the support shaft 221 of the retaining element 20, approximately at its center.

The sensor IC 30 outputs a signal corresponding to the pressure in the door's internal space. As shown in Figure 4, the sensor IC 30 is mounted on the printed circuit board 40 and electrically connected to the terminal 50 via the printed circuit board 40. The signal from the sensor IC 30 is then transmitted to the external airbag ECU via the terminal 50.

The printed circuit board 40 is on which the sensor IC 30 is mounted and electrically connected to the terminal 50. Wiring patterns and other elements constituting an electrical circuit (not shown) are formed on the printed circuit board 40. 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.

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 include connections for power, ground (i.e., GND), signal output, etc.

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, insulating resin material. The connector 60 is connected to an external connector (not shown), enabling an electrical connection between the sensor IC 30 and the outside world via the terminal 50.

Specifically, the connector 60 has a roughly rectangular housing portion 61 and a roughly cylindrical connector case 62. 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.

The housing section 61 is hollow, with an open upper side (i.e., the side facing the retaining element 20). The sensor IC 30 and printed circuit board 40 are housed in this open section. Furthermore, the pressure introduction passage 23 of the retaining wing 22 communicates with the inside of the housing section 61, thereby introducing the pressure from the door's internal space into the housing section 61.

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 from the door's internal space is introduced into the sensor IC 30's space through the pressure introduction path 23, the pressure from the door's internal space does not escape into the connector case 62's space, but instead acts on the sensor IC 30. The sensor IC 30's space may be filled with air or with a filler. In this case, the pressure from the door's internal space acts on the sensor IC 30 via the filler.

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 towards the connector case 62.

The connector case 62 is connected to the housing section 61. The other end of the terminal 50 is located inside the connector case 62. By connecting an external connector to this connector case 62, an electrical connection between the sensor IC 30 and the outside world can be established via the terminal 50.

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

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 9, 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.

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 integrated, as shown in Figures 11 to 13. In this state, as shown in Figure 13, the projection 25 is not positioned between the engaging portion 16a and the stopper portion 19, and the support element 10 and the retaining element 20 are in a state where they can rotate relative to each other.

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 portion 17 and the position restricting portion 18 are also inserted into the opening 101, and the displacement of the support element 10 is restricted by the rotation restricting portion 17 and the position restricting portion 18.

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 13. 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, as shown in Figures 1 and 14, the support element 10 remains stationary while the retaining element 20 rotates.

Then, the support element 10 and the holding element 20 are rotated relative to each other so that the projection 25 formed on the holding element 20 overcomes the stopper 19 and is positioned between the stopper 19 and the engaging portion 16a, thereby locking the relative rotation between the support element 10 and the holding element 20. Furthermore, when the holding element 20 is rotated relative to the support element 10, the inner panel 100 is clamped between the support element 10 and the holding wing 22, as shown in Figure 15. This allows the pressure sensor device 1 to be attached to the opening 101 of the inner panel 100.

In this case, as described above, the rotation of the retaining element 20 to fix it to the support element 10 is performed by the worker, so the generated torque may vary. Therefore, in this embodiment, the height h of the projection 25 is adjusted so that even if the projection 25 overshoots the engagement portion 16a, the stress generated in the rotation restricting portion 17 is lower than the stress that would damage the rotation restricting portion 17, allowing the retaining element 20 to rotate freely. Consequently, even if the worker rotates the retaining element 20 too much, damage to the rotation restricting portion 17 can be suppressed. This suppresses damage to the support element 10 during fixing and improves ease of assembly.

After fixing the support element 10 and the holding element 20, the external connector is connected to the connector 60, thereby electrically connecting the sensor IC 30 to the outside via the terminal 50.

In this embodiment, the engaging portion 16a is composed of an engaging claw 16, and the engaging portion 16a protrudes more than the rest of the surrounding wall 15. One of the engaging claws 16 (i.e., the engaging portion 16a) is formed in a position that faces the connector 60 when the projection 25 of the retaining element 20 presses the engaging portion 16a in the direction of the projection 25 (i.e., the direction normal to the side surface 21a). Therefore, if the retaining element 20 is rotated slightly too much relative to the support element 10, and the projection 25 is pressing the engaging portion 16a in the direction of the projection 25, the external connector connected to the connector 60 is more likely to interfere with the engaging claw 16, making it difficult to insert the external connector. Thus, in the pressure sensor device 1 of this embodiment, assembly abnormalities can be easily detected even when it is close to the fixed state before it starts to rotate freely. Furthermore, if the projection 25 completely overcomes the engaging portion 16a, the position of the connector 60 will shift significantly, making it easy to detect assembly abnormalities based on the assembly direction of the external connector.

According to the embodiment described above, the height h of the projection 25 is adjusted so that even if the projection 25 overcomes the engaging portion 16a, the stress generated in the rotation restricting portion 17 is lower than the stress that would damage the rotation restricting portion 17. Therefore, even if the operator rotates the holding element 20 too much, damage to the rotation restricting portion 17 can be suppressed, thereby improving ease of assembly.

(1) In this embodiment, an engaging claw 16 is formed on the surrounding wall 15 of the support element 10, and the engaging claw 16 is formed to protrude beyond the surrounding portion of the surrounding wall 15. The engaging portion 16a is composed of the engaging claw 16. Furthermore, the stopper portion 19, the engaging portion 16a, and the projection 25 are arranged so that when the projection 25 is pressing the engaging portion 16a in the protruding direction, it has a portion that faces the connector 60. Therefore, if the holding element 20 is rotated slightly too much relative to the support element 10, and the projection 25 is pressing the engaging portion 16a in the protruding direction, the external connector connected to the connector 60 is more likely to interfere with the engaging claw 16, making it difficult to insert the external connector. Thus, even when it is close to the fixed state before it starts to rotate freely, it is easier to detect assembly abnormalities. If the projection 25 completely overcomes the engaging portion 16a, the position of the connector 60 will be significantly shifted, and assembly abnormalities can be easily identified depending on the assembly direction of the external connector.

(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.

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

Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, a sensor IC 30 that detects pressure was used as an example of the detection unit, but the sensor IC 30 may also be provided as a detection unit that detects other physical quantities such as acceleration or angular velocity.

Furthermore, although the first embodiment described above illustrates an example where the engaging portion 16a is formed by the engaging claw 16, the engaging portion 16a may be composed of a different part from the engaging claw 16.

10 Support element 11 Through hole 20 Retaining element 21 Plate section 22 Retaining wing 100 Inner panel (wall)
101 Wall 241a First fitting piece 241b Second fitting piece 242 Pillar part 243 Hole part WP Weld part

Claims (2)

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) that can be fitted into the opening while fitted into the through hole,
The holding element is positioned inside the detection unit (30) which outputs a detection signal corresponding to a physical quantity,
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 support element is plate-shaped and has a plate portion (10a) having the through hole formed therein and a peripheral wall (15) projecting in the thickness direction at its outer edge, a stopper portion (19) formed on the peripheral wall, a engaging portion (16a) formed on the peripheral wall and separated from the stopper portion, and a rotation restricting portion (17) that is inserted into the opening to restrict the rotation of the support element.
The retaining element is plate-shaped and has a side surface (21a) and a plate portion (21) disposed within the surrounding wall, and a projection (25) that protrudes from the side surface in the direction normal to the side surface.
In the fitted state in which the retaining wing fitted into the through hole is fitted into the opening, when the retaining wing is rotated about the axis of the retaining element, the projection moves over the stopper and is positioned between the stopper and the engagement, thereby locking the relative rotation of the support element and the retaining element.
The wall-mounted device is configured such that the height of the projection is such that the stress generated in the rotation restricting portion when it overcomes the engagement portion is lower than the stress that causes damage to the rotation restricting portion. The retaining element is assembled to the aforementioned retaining element and has a connector (60) on which a terminal (50) is arranged, which is connected to the detection unit and also to an external connector.
The support element is provided with an engaging claw (16) on its surrounding wall, which is taller than the surrounding wall in the thickness direction and engages with the retaining element when the retaining wing is fitted into the through hole.
The engagement portion is composed of the engagement claw,
The wall mounting device according to claim 1, wherein the connector is assembled to the retaining element such that the projection faces the engaging claw when the projection presses the engaging portion in the direction normal to the side surface.