Sensor attachment structure for restricting sensor removal

Details Sensor attachment structure for restricting sensor removal Sensor attachment structure for restricting sensor removal

2001-12-06

2004-03-23

Noland, Thomas P. (Department: 2856)

Measuring and testing

Probe or probe mounting

C374S152000, C374S208000, C029S739000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06708575

ABSTRACT:

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application relates to and incorporates herein by reference Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-382520 filed on Dec. 15, 2000.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sensor attachment structure, which is suitable for attaching a temperature sensor for detecting cooling air temperature in an evaporator for an air conditioning device.
2. Description of Related Art
In a sensor attachment structure shown in
FIG. 4A
, a lead wire
12
connecting a sensor
11
is extended along an extending bar
21
and pinched in a pinch portion
22
at a position proximate to the sensor
11
. As shown in
FIG. 4B
, the pinch portion
22
has two wall plates
24
defining a clearance
26
a
therebetween, and each of the wall plates
24
is provided with a protrusion
25
at the tip end thereof, so that a clearance
26
b
defined between the protrusions
25
is narrower than the clearance
26
a.
As shown in
FIG. 5
, if a tensile force F is exerted to the lead wire
12
in an opposite direction to the sensor
11
when a sensor unit
10
attached to the bracket
20
is assembled to an air conditioning case
31
with a fixing portion
23
, a tip side of the extending bar
21
of the bracket
20
is readily deflected. In this case, since a contact surface
22
a
that contacts the sensor
11
is inclined in a direction to the tensile force F, a component force F
1
of the tensile force F is exerted along the contact surface
22
a
. When the component force F
1
becomes larger than a frictional force f
1
in response to strength of the tensile force F, the lead wire
12
is likely to be removed from the pinch portion
22
. The clearance
26
b
at the tip side of the pinch portion
22
may be made narrow in order to prevent removal of the lead wire
12
. However, in this case, the insertion of the lead wire
12
is worsened.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is made in view of the above problem and it is an object to provide a sensor attachment structure in which a lead wire is prevented from being removed due to tensile force, without worsening insertion of the lead wire into a pinch portion.
In a sensor attachment structure according to the present invention, a lead wire connecting a sensor is pinched in a pinch portion provided at a tip side of an extending bar, at a position proximate to the sensor. The lead wire is extended along the extending bar and the extending bar is fixed to a fixing portion at the other side end. The pinch portion is constructed of a pair of wall plates protruding approximately perpendicular to an extending direction of the extending bar. Further, the pinch portion has a protrusion that protrudes toward the sensor in an extending direction of the extending bar. Further, the protrusion is provided with a contact surface that is inclined toward the sensor from the protruding direction of the pair of wall plates. When tensile force is exerted to the lead wire in an opposite direction to the sensor, the extending bar is deflected. According to the above structure, a component force along the contact surface toward the protruding direction can be reduced, and it can restrict the lead wire from being removed.
Preferably, when an inclination angle of the contact surface is equal to a deflection angle of the extending bar against the extending direction of the lead wire, the inclined direction of the contact surface becomes perpendicular to the tensile force. That is, a component force along the contact surface becomes zero. Therefore, the lead wire is accurately prevented from being removed from the pinch portion.
In the present invention, since the protrusion is provided at the tip end of the pinch portion toward the sensor, it is unnecessary to narrow the clearance defined in the pinch portion in order to prevent the removal of the lead wire. Accordingly, insertion of the lead wire into the pinch portion is not worsened.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3239827 (1966-03-01), Werner et al.
patent: 4419023 (1983-12-01), Hager, Jr.
patent: 3843233 (1990-06-01), None
patent: 962718 (1999-12-01), None
patent: 61-95239 (1986-05-01), None
patent: U4-94530 (1992-08-01), None
patent: 10-111051 (1998-04-01), None
patent: 10141816 (1998-05-01), None

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