Rotation angle sensor and method for manufacturing rotation angle sensor

A method for manufacturing a rotation angle sensor configured to detect a rotation angle of a shaft, the rotation angle sensor including:

• an attachment member;
• and
• a sensor integrated circuit attached to the attachment member, wherein
• the attachment member has an attachment surface to which the sensor integrated circuit is attached and includes:
• a connecting terminal that protrudes upward from the attachment surface;
• and
• a guide that protrudes upward from the attachment surface and is configured to position, together with the connecting terminal, the sensor integrated circuit at an attachment position,
• the sensor integrated circuit includes:
• a lead frame on which an electronic circuit for detecting the rotation angle is mounted;
• and
• an exterior that covers the electronic circuit,
• the lead frame includes:
• a lead configured to guide a terminal of the electronic circuit from an inside to an outside of the exterior;
• and
• an extending portion located in at least a portion of an outer periphery of the exterior,
• the method comprising:
• (a) a forming step of forming an elastic structure at at least one of the lead and the extending portion;
• and
• (b) an attachment step of setting the sensor integrated circuit at the attachment position on the attachment surface such that a lower surface of the sensor integrated circuit is brought into contact with the attachment surface whereby the extending portion is biased against the guide and the lead is joined to the connecting terminal by an elastic force generated when the elastic structure is deformed, wherein
• the extending portion includes an opposite extending portion protruding from the exterior in a protruding direction opposite to an extending direction of the lead,
• (a) the forming step includes:
• forming the elastic structure at a distal end portion of the lead by bending the distal end portion of the lead toward an upper surface of the sensor integrated circuit to define an obtuse angle between the distal end portion and a proximal end portion of the lead;
• and
• forming the elastic structure at a distal end portion of the opposite extending portion by bending the distal end portion of the opposite extending portion toward the upper surface of the sensor integrated circuit to define an obtuse anele between the distal end portion and a proximal end portion of the opposite extending portion, and
• b) the attachment step further includes setting the sensor integrated circuit at the attachment position on the attachment surface such that the lower surface of the sensor integrated circuit is brought into contact with the attachment surface whereby the opposite extending portion is biased against a wall surface of the guide, the distal end portion of the lead is biased against the connecting terminal, and the distal end portion of the lead is joined to the connecting terminal by the elastic force generated when the elastic structure is deformed.

A method for manufacturing a rotation angle sensor configured to detect a rotation angle of a shaft, the rotation angle sensor including:

• an attachment member;
• and
• a sensor integrated circuit attached to the attachment member, wherein
• the attachment member has an attachment surface to which the sensor integrated circuit is attached and includes:
• a connecting terminal that protrudes upward from the attachment surface;
• and
• a guide that protrudes upward from the attachment surface and configured to position, together with the connecting terminal, the sensor integrated circuit at an attachment position,
• the sensor integrated circuit includes:
• a lead frame on which an electronic circuit for detecting the rotation angle is mounted;
• and
• an exterior that covers the electronic circuit,
• the lead frame includes:
• a lead configured to extend a terminal of the electronic circuit from an inside to an outside of the exterior;
• and
• an extending portion located in at least a portion of an outer periphery of the exterior,
• the method comprising:
• (a) a bending step of bending a distal end portion of the lead toward an upper surface of the sensor integrated circuit such that the distal end portion of the lead is brought into contact with a wall surface of the connecting terminal when the sensor integrated circuit is positioned at the attachment position;
• (b) a positioning step of setting the sensor integrated circuit at the attachment position on the attachment surface such that a lower surface of the sensor integrated circuit faces the attachment surface and the distal end portion of the lead is brought into contact with the connecting terminal;
• and
• (c) a bending step of bending the connecting terminal and the distal end portion of the lead to define an acute angle between the distal end portion and a proximal end portion of the lead while the connecting terminal is being in contact with the distal end portion of the lead whereby the distal end portion of the lead is biased against the connecting terminal and the lead is joined to the connecting terminal by an elastic force generated when the distal end portion of the lead is bent.