HOUSING HAVING AN OPENING AND A COVERING DEVICE

Abstract

A housing includes a main housing part with an opening as well as a covering device for the opening. The covering device has a first cover part, which at least substantially covers the opening and a second cover part which is separate from the first cover part, bears at least in certain regions against the first cover part and has at least one clearance or aperture in the region of the opening. The second cover part is fastened or supported at the main housing part, in particular in the region of a periphery of the main housing part that extends or runs around the opening. The weight of the covering device is therefore low and yet a high level of stability and sealing in relation to fluids is provided.

Claims

1-13. (canceled)

14. A housing, comprising: a main housing part having an opening; a covering device for said opening, said covering device having a first cover part at least substantially covering said opening and a second cover part bearing at least regionally on said first cover part; said second cover part having at least one clearance in a vicinity of said opening; and said second cover part being fastened to or supported on said main housing part.

15. The housing according to claim 14, wherein said main housing part has a periphery extending around said opening, and said second cover part is separate from said first cover part and is fastened to or supported on said main housing part in a vicinity of said periphery of said main housing part.

16. The housing according to claim 15, which further comprises a seal extending around said opening between said first cover part and said periphery of said main housing part.

17. The housing according to claim 16, wherein said first cover part has a main surface and a peripheral region, said peripheral region has an encircling rib, and said encircling rib rises from said main surface of said first cover part.

18. The housing according to claim 17, wherein said first cover part has a periphery with an angled portion forming said encircling rib.

19. The housing according to claim 17, which further comprises a seal or sealing compound into which said encircling rib projects, in a direction toward said main housing part.

20. The housing according to claim 19, wherein at least one of said main housing part or said first cover part has a groove in which said seal or sealing compound extends and into which said encircling rib projects.

21. The housing according to claim 14, wherein said opening has a periphery, and said second cover part: covers said periphery of said opening as a frame, projects at least partially beyond said first cover part, extends in at least one of a bent or angled manner around said first cover part and a part of said main housing part and is fastened to said main housing part.

22. The housing according to claim 14, which further comprises: an interior of the housing; said first cover part having an outer side facing away from said interior of the housing; and said second cover part being disposed on said outer side of said first cover part.

23. The housing according to claim 14, which further comprises: an interior of the housing; said first cover part having an inner side facing said interior of the housing; and said second cover part being disposed on said inner side of said first cover part.

24. The housing according to claim 14, wherein: said first cover part has an inner side and an outer side; said opening has a periphery; and said second cover part extends in a vicinity of said periphery of said opening as a frame on said inner side or said outer side of said first cover part.

25. The housing according to claim 14, wherein said covering device has a periphery, and said second cover part has at least one crosspiece interconnecting two different points on said periphery of said covering device.

26. The housing according to claim 25, wherein said two different points are located diametrically opposite one another.

27. The housing according to claim 25, wherein said at least one crosspiece extends in a straight line.

28. The housing according to claim 14, wherein said first and second cover parts are formed of the same material.

29. The housing according to claim 14, wherein said first and second cover parts have the same material thickness.

30. An electronic control unit for a motor vehicle, comprising a housing according to claim 14.

Description

[0033] Elements that are the same, of the same type or act in the same way are provided with the same reference signs in the figures. In some figures, individual reference signs may have been omitted in order to improve clarity. The figures and the relative sizes of the elements illustrated in the figures with respect to one another should not be considered true to scale. Rather, individual elements may have been illustrated in a manner exaggerated in size for better representation and/or for better comprehension.

[0034] FIG. 1 shows a schematic perspective illustration of a main housing part 1 of a housing according to a first exemplary embodiment. The main housing part 1 has four side walls 2 and a base 3. The four side walls 2 together represent an encircling side wall. The main housing part 1 additionally has an encircling periphery 4 which is formed at the end sides of the side walls and extends at the edges thereof that are away from the base 3. In the present exemplary embodiment, the periphery 4 projects laterally beyond the base-side outer contour of the side walls 2 and surrounds a housing opening 5 of the main housing part 1.

[0035] The main housing part 1 can consist for example of a plastics material and/or of a metal or an alloy. It may be assembled in a modular manner from individual parts or be produced integrally, for example as an injection-molding. In an expedient configuration of this or some other embodiment, one of the side walls 2 is formed by a housing panel that bears a plug connector (not illustrated in the figures).

[0036] FIG. 2 shows a schematic side view of the main housing part 1 with one of the side walls 2 and the periphery 4 thereof and, thereabove, a covering device 6 which for its part has a first cover part 7 and a second cover part 8 located thereabove. If the covering device 6 is placed on the periphery 4 of the housing opening 5 when the housing is assembled, the first cover part 7 rests directly on the periphery 4 and the second cover part 8 rests on the first cover part 7 on that side of the first cover part 7 that faces away from the main housing part 1. The regions 9, 10 of the second cover part 8 that project beyond the first cover part 7 can be bent for example over the periphery 4 of the main housing part 1 or be crimped together therewith in order to fasten the covering device 6 to the main housing part 1.

[0037] FIG. 3 schematically shows, in partial section, a side view of the main housing part 1 with the crimped-on covering device 6. The regions 9, 10 of the second cover part 8 are bent over and around the periphery 4 and crimped and secure the covering device 6 to the main housing part 1.

[0038] FIG. 4 shows a schematic perspective view of the frame-like second cover part 8 of the housing according to the first exemplary embodiment, prior to bending and crimping. The second cover part 8 has a rectangular clearance 11. The second cover part 8 is formed such that it covers the first cover part 7, for example as illustrated in FIG. 3, in the region of the periphery 4, but leaves the remaining regions of the housing opening 5 free. In this way, a large saving in weight of the covering device 6 can be achieved, wherein it is nevertheless ensured that the first cover part 7 reliably bears in a sealing manner in the region of the periphery 4.

[0039] FIG. 5 shows a schematic plan view of a second cover part 8″ according to a second exemplary embodiment, which has two clearances 12, 13. The crosspiece 14 that remains between the clearances 12, 13 serves to stabilize the second cover part 8″, this preventing bending under load.

[0040] In addition, by means of the crosspiece 14, stabilization of the central region, overlapping the housing opening 5, of the first cover part 7 can be achieved.

[0041] FIG. 6 shows a third exemplary embodiment of a second cover part 8′″ in a schematic plan view, wherein the two crosspieces 14′, 14″ are connected together in the center of the clearance. Thus, the central region of the second cover part 8′″ is configured in the form of a cross, and in particular it is in the form of a St. Andrew's cross in plan view.

[0042] FIG. 7 shows a fourth exemplary embodiment of a second cover part 8″″ in a schematic plan view. This is in particular a component of a covering device 6 for a round housing which also has a round periphery 4. It is advantageous, for such a housing, to also provide a circular first cover part 7 and a likewise second cover part 8″″ with a circular outer contour. The second cover part 8″″ illustrated in FIG. 7 has a round encircling annular frame which supports the first cover part 7 in the region of the periphery of a round main housing part 1. The second cover part 8″″ additionally has an inner ring 15 that is concentric with the outer frame and is connected to the outer frame via individual crosspieces 16, 17 that extend radially.

[0043] FIG. 8 shows a schematic sectional view of a detail of a housing according to a fifth exemplary embodiment. The detail shows a seal 19, 20 on a main housing part 1 onto which a covering device 6 has been placed.

[0044] The main housing part 1 corresponds for example substantially to that of the first exemplary embodiment. In contrast thereto, it has a frame 4 which has a groove 18. Such a configuration would also be suitable for the first exemplary embodiment.

[0045] The groove 18 extends along the periphery 4 around the housing opening 5 and accommodates a seal 19, 20. The seal 19, 20 can in this case be inserted into the groove 18 as a solid, for example elastomeric part or be poured into the groove 18 as a liquid or viscous compound. A combination of both sealing components can also be provided.

[0046] The first cover part 7′ has a right-angled bent portion 21 which extends around the circumference of the first cover part 7′ and which projects into the groove 18 in the region of the seal 19, 20. The bent portion 21 can be pushed into a solid sealing body with the result that, in combination with the pressure force applied by the second cover part 8, a very high surface pressure arises, which ensures a reliable seal. If the bent portion 21 is pushed into a still partially liquid or viscous sealing compound, the sealing path is extended particularly effectively. The illustrated constellation provides reliable sealing against fluids and thus reliably closes off the interior of the housing of the main housing part.

[0047] As a result of the first cover part 7′ being covered by means of a second cover part 8 in the region of the periphery 4, mechanical loads on the covering device scarcely have any deforming effect on the first cover part, since the latter is reinforced in particular in the region of the periphery. Nevertheless, this covering device manages with a minimum of mass and weight, since the second cover part 8 has a large clearance in the region of the housing opening.

[0048] It is also possible, on a main housing part 1 which has a plurality of openings 5, to provide a plurality of covering devices 6 constructed in accordance with the invention, in particular on mutually opposite sides of the main housing part 1.