DEVICE HAVING AN ELECTRONICS UNIT AND A HOUSING, AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING SUCH A DEVICE

Abstract

A device having an electronics unit and a housing. The housing has at least one first housing part and a second housing part, which are developed and joined in such a way that the housing encloses the electronics unit, the first housing part and/or the second housing part being developed as a foil. A method for producing a device is also described.

Claims

1-11. (canceled)

12. A device comprising: an electronics unit; and a housing having at least one first housing part and a second housing part, the at least one first housing part and the second housing part being configured and joined in such a way that the housing encloses the electronics unit, wherein the first housing part and/or the second housing part are formed from a foil.

13. The device as recited in claim 12, wherein the foil of the at least one first housing part and/or the second housing part has a thickness of between 0.1 mm and 5 mm.

14. The device as recited in claim 12, wherein the foil of the at least one first housing part and/or the second housing part has a thinner development in at least one subregion than outside the subregion.

15. The device as recited in claim 12, wherein the foil of the first housing part and/or the second housing part is a plastic foil which includes a biomaterial.

16. The device as recited in claim 12, wherein the at least one first housing part and/or the second housing part has an adhesive material.

17. The device as recited in claim 16, wherein the adhesive material is a one-sided or double-sided adhesive coating.

18. The device as recited in claim 12, wherein the at least one first housing part and/or the second housing part has a regionally optically transparent development.

19. The device as recited in claim 12, wherein the electronics unit is a data logger.

20. A method for producing a device, comprising the following steps: a. producing at least one first housing part and a second housing part, the first housing part and/or the second housing part being produced from a foil; b. producing an electronics unit; c. joining the at least one first housing part and the second housing part in such a way that a housing is produced which encloses the electronics unit.

21. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein in step a, the at least one first housing part and/or the second housing part is produced by deep-drawing of the foil using thermoforming.

22. The method as recited in claim 20, further comprising the following step: d. cutting the foil of the at least one first housing part and/or the second housing part to size.

23. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein in step c, the at least one first housing part and the second housing part are irreversibly joined by bonding and/or by welding.

24. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein in step c, the at least one first housing part and the second housing part are irreversibly joined by thermo-welding and/or by ultrasonic welding.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a device according to the present invention.

[0031] FIG. 2 shows an exemplary embodiment of a method according to the present invention for the production of a device according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

[0032] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a device according to the present invention. Shown is a device 10 which includes an electronics unit 20 and a housing 30.

[0033] Housing 30 encompasses a first housing part 31 and a second housing part 32. First housing part 31 and second housing part 32 are developed and joined in such a way that housing 30 encloses electronics unit 20. For example, first housing part 31 is glued and/or welded to second housing part 32 in edge regions 37 of housing 30. In addition, first housing part 31 and second housing part 32 are developed as a foil. However, as an alternative it is also possible that only one of housing parts 31, 32 is developed as a foil. For example, this foil may particularly be a plastic foil, which preferably has a thickness of between 0.1 mm and 5 mm. In a particularly preferred manner, the plastic foil includes a biomaterial. The foil of first housing part 31 may have a thinner development in a subregion 35 than outside subregion 35. Moreover, the foil of first housing part 31 and/or second housing part 32 may at least regionally have an optically transparent development. This is able to be achieved in that the foil, e.g., as in subregion 35 of the foil of first housing part 31, has a thin development such that an optical transparency of the foil is achieved. As an alternative, for instance, the foil may have a material composition that is transparent to optical radiation, in particular within a predefined wavelength range. As an alternative, the foil may also be regionally coated or imprinted in such a way that housing part 31, 32 has a corresponding optical transparency in the corresponding region.

[0034] Electronics unit 20, for instance, has a circuit board 21 on which corresponding electronic components are situated. These electronic components, for example, may be a sensor unit 22 and/or a switching element 23 and/or an energy supply unit 24 and/or a communications unit 25.

[0035] Sensor unit 22, for instance, may include an acceleration sensor and/or a temperature sensor and/or a magnetic field sensor and/or a moisture sensor and/or a light sensor for sensing corresponding environment parameters such as the humidity or vibrations.

[0036] Switching element 23 is able to be embodied as a push button, for example, and be placed in such a way that an actuation of switching element 23 in an operating direction 40 from outside the housing is possible. Toward this end, switching element 23 may be disposed underneath subregion 35 in which first housing part 31 is more elastic on account of its lower thickness than outside of subregion 35.

[0037] Energy supply element 24, for instance, may include an energy store and/or an energy harvesting unit. The energy store may be equipped with a battery and/or a capacitor, for example. In particular, communications unit 25 is able to be embodied as a wireless communications unit, e.g., as a WLAN unit and/or a Bluetooth and/or a LoRa unit and/or as a mobile radio unit.

[0038] In addition, for instance, electronics unit can include a processing unit 26 and/or a memory element 27 and/or a display element 28. For example, processing unit 26 is able to be embodied as a microcontroller and in particular may also have an already integrated memory element 27.

[0039] Display element 28, for example, is able to include an illumination device or a display.

[0040] By fitting circuit board 21 with the corresponding electronic components, electronics unit 20 may be developed as a data logger, which is able to sense and store environment parameters.

[0041] To allow electronics unit 20 to be used as a data logger requires especially at least sensor unit 22 and memory element 27. Device 10 is thereby able to be used for monitoring an object. This object can be a transport good, for example.

[0042] FIG. 2 shows an exemplary embodiment of a method according to the present invention for producing a device according to the present invention.

[0043] In the method according to this exemplary embodiment, at least one first housing part 31 and a second housing part 32 are produced in a method step a after start S, first housing part 31 and/or second housing part 32 being produced from a foil. In particular, the first and second housing parts are produced from the same foil and thus have identical material properties. First housing part 31 and/or second housing part 32 is/are able to be produced by deep-drawing of the foil, in particular with the aid of thermoforming.

[0044] Subsequent to method step a, an electronics unit 20 is produced in a method step b. This is accomplished in that a circuit board 21 is fitted with corresponding electronic components, for instance.

[0045] Next, in a method step c, the at least one first housing part 31 and second housing part 32 are joined in such a way that a housing 30 is produced which encloses electronics unit 20. In the process, first housing part 31 and second housing part 32 are irreversibly joined, in particular by bonding and/or welding, especially preferably by thermo-welding and/or ultrasonic welding.

[0046] Optionally, a method step d is additionally carried out between method step a and method step b. In method step d, the foil of first housing part 31 and/or second housing part 32 is cut to size.

[0047] The sequence of method steps a, b and d is able to be switched as desired. In addition, method step d may also be carried out only after method step c.