CONNECTOR FOR ELECTRONICALLY CONNECTING PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARDS OF AN ASSEMBLY OF AN ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT FOR AN ELECTRIC POWER STEERING SYSTEM

Abstract

A connector is provided for electronically connecting a first printed circuit board to a second printed circuit board and a third printed circuit board. The connector is configured to form an assembly of an electronic control unit for an electric power steering system. The printed circuit boards are electronically connected with each other by the connector. The connector has a body comprising a base portion and a step portion (20). An assembly of the electronic control unit for the electric power steering system comprising the connector is also provided, along with an electronic control unit itself for the electric power steering system.

Claims

1. A connector for electronically connecting a first printed circuit board to a second printed circuit board and a third printed circuit board, wherein the connector forms an assembly of an electronic control unit for an electric power steering system when the printed circuit boards are electronically connected with each other by the connector, the connector comprising: a body including: a base portion having a first connection mechanism and a second connection mechanism, wherein the first connection mechanism and the second connection mechanism are electronically connected to each other, wherein the first connection mechanism extends from a first side of the base portion, the second connection mechanism extends from a second side of the base portion, the first connection mechanism being configured for electronically connecting to the first printed circuit board and the second connection mechanism being configured for electronically connecting to the third printed circuit board, and a step portion projecting from the base portion and having a third connection mechanism and a fourth connection mechanism, wherein the third connection mechanism and the fourth connection mechanism are electronically connected with each other, wherein the third connection mechanism extends from the step portion, the fourth connection mechanism extends from the step portion (20), wherein the third connection mechanism is configured for electronically connecting the third connection mechanism to the first printed circuit board and the fourth connection mechanism is configured for electronically connecting to the second printed circuit board.

2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the step portion has a smaller height than the base portion.

3. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the first side is opposite to the second side.

4. The connector according to claim 3, wherein the third connection mechanism extends from the first side of the base portion and the first side is a common side of the base portion and the step portion.

5. The connector according to claim 3, wherein the fourth connection mechanism extends from a third side of the step portion, wherein the third side is opposite to the first side.

6. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the step portion projects from the base portion into a direction transverse of the extension of the first connection mechanism, the second connection mechanism, the third connection mechanism and/or the fourth connection mechanism.

7. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the first connection mechanism, the second connection mechanism, the third connection mechanism and/or the fourth connection mechanism are pins.

8. The connector according to claim 1, further including a positioning mechanism for fixing the connector to at least one of the first printed circuit board, the second printed circuit board, and the third printed circuit board, and/or a heat sink of the electronic control unit.

9. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the connector has a circular longitudinal extension and/or the first connection mechanism is arranged along a first circular path, the second connection mechanism is arranged along a second circular path, the third connection mechanism is arranged along a third circular path and/or the fourth connection mechanism is arranged along a fourth circular path.

10. An assembly of an electronic control unit for an electric power steering system comprising: the connector according to claim 1, wherein the connector electronically connects the first printed circuit board to the second printed circuit board via the first connection mechanism and the second connection mechanism, and the connector electronically connects the first printed circuit board to the third printed circuit board via the third connection mechanism and the fourth connection mechanism.

11. The assembly according to claim 10, wherein the connector is provided on a periphery of the printed circuit boards.

12. The assembly according to claim 10, wherein the first printed circuit board is a logic board and the second printed circuit board and the third printed circuit board are power boards.

13. The assembly according to claim 10, wherein the printed circuit boards have a circular or substantially circular shape.

14. The assembly according to claim 13, wherein the second printed circuit board is smaller in diameter than the third printed circuit board.

15. An electronic control unit for an electric power steering system comprising the assembly according to claim 10.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] Reference is now made more particularly to the drawings, which illustrate the best presently known mode of carrying out the invention and wherein similar reference characters indicate the same parts throughout the views.

[0035] FIG. 1 is a side perspective sectional view on an assembly according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0036] FIG. 2 is a side perspective view on the connector according to an embodiment of the invention as contained in the assembly of FIG. 1.

[0037] FIG. 3 is a sectional view on the connector of FIG. 2.

[0038] FIG. 4 is a sectional schematic view on the assembly of FIG. 1.

[0039] FIG. 5 is a front perspective view on an automobile equipped with an electronic control unit according to an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] FIG. 1 shows an assembly 1 according to an embodiment of the invention. The assembly 1 comprises three printed circuit boards 30, 40, 50. The first printed circuit board 30 is a logic board of an electronic control unit 102 (see FIG. 5), the second printed circuit board 40 is a first power board of the electronic control unit 102 and the third printed circuit board 50 is a second power board of the electronic control unit 102.

[0041] In the assembly 1, the first printed circuit board 30 designed as the logic board is electronically connected with the second printed circuit board 40 and the third printed circuit board 50 designed as power boards via a connector 10. By means of the connector 10, the three printed circuit boards 30, 40, 50 are arranged parallel to one another in the assembly 1.

[0042] As can be seen particularly well from FIG. 4, the connector 10 comprises a base portion 19 and a step portion 20. The base portion 19 has a height extension along a height axis (not shown) and the base portion 19 determines the overall height of the connector 10. The step portion 20 extends in length along a direction perpendicular to the direction of height extension or the height axis of the base portion 19. The step portion 20 comprises a relatively small height compared to the height of the base portion 19. Accordingly, there is a large space in between the second printed circuit board 40 and the third printed circuit board 50. A heat sink (not shown) for dissipating heat from the printed circuit boards 40, 50 may be provided therein because the printed circuit boards 40, 50 are designed as power boards and thereby generate a large amount of heat during their operation controlled by the first printed circuit board 30 designed as the logic board.

[0043] The design of the connector 10 will be further explained with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 showing the connector 10 of the assembly 1 of FIGS. 1 and 4 in more detail.

[0044] The connector 10 has a circular longitudinal extension or, in other words, a rounded shape along its length, as can be taken particularly well from FIG. 2. Correspondingly, the printed circuit boards 30, 40, 50 are designed with a circular shape. Thereby, the connector 10 may be particularly well positioned at the periphery of the printed circuit boards 30, 40, 50, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. This saves space on the printed circuit boards 30, 40, 50.

[0045] The connector 10 further comprises one or multiple first connection mechanisms 12 electronically connected to the first printed circuit board 30, which can be taken from FIG. 1. These one or multiple first connection mechanisms 12 are disposed at a first side 25 on the connector 10 or the base portion 19 thereof. Opposite of the first side 25 on a second side 26, there are one or multiple second connection mechanisms 14 disposed on the connector 10. As can be taken from FIG. 1, these one or multiple connection mechanisms 14 electronically connect to the third printed circuit board 50. Further, one or multiple third connection mechanisms 16 are disposed again on the first side 25 of the connector 10. Here, the first side 25 is a common side of the base portion 19 and the step portion 20. The one or multiple third connection mechanisms 16 again connect to the first printed circuit board 30. Finally, there are one or multiple fourth connection mechanisms 18 disposed on a third side 27 of the step portion 20 opposite of the first side 25. The one or multiple fourth connection mechanisms 18 electronically connect to the second printed circuit board 40. Each of the one or multiple first connection mechanisms 12 is connected within the base portion 19 to each of the one or multiple second connection mechanisms 14, and each of the one or multiple third connection mechanisms 16 is connected within the step portion 20 to each of the one or multiple fourth connection mechanisms 18. By the described scheme of connection mechanisms 12, 14, 16, 18, the first printed circuit board 30 is operatively connected to both printed circuit boards 40, 50 for control thereof.

[0046] Each of the one or multiple first connection mechanisms 12, second connection mechanisms 14, third connection mechanisms 16 and fourth connection mechanisms 18 are provided along respective rows, in particular along the circular longitudinal extension of the connector 10. The respective rows are imaginary circular paths 11, 13, 15, 17 drawn along each of the respective multiple first connection mechanisms 12, second connection mechanisms 14, third connection mechanisms 16 and fourth connection mechanisms 18. Therein, the first circular path 11 is coaxial to the third circular path 15 and the fourth circular path 17. The second circular path 13 is parallel to the first circular path 11.

[0047] Each one of the multiple connection mechanisms 12, 14, 16, 18 is designed as a press-fit pin for insertion into corresponding connection openings (not referenced but depicted in FIG. 1) within the printed circuit boards 30, 40, 50, whereby the electronical connection between the respective parts is provided.

[0048] As can be further taken from FIGS. 2 and 3, the connector 10 comprises positioning mechanisms 21, 22, 23, 24 for positioning the connector 10 in corresponding positioning openings (not shown) of the second printed circuit board 40 and the heat sink (not shown). Therein, the first and second positioning mechanisms 21, 22 are provided for positioning at the second printed circuit board 40 and the third and fourth positioning mechanisms 23, 24 are provided for positioning at the heat sink.

[0049] The positioning mechanisms 21, 22, 23, 24 are provided with heads at their ends and are integrally formed with the base portion 19 and the step portion 20 from plastic. They are heated prior to inserting them into the corresponding positioning openings, whereby they can be flexibly arranged within them. Of course, the positioning of the connector 10 within the assembly 1 may be achieved in alternative ways as well and the described one is only exemplary.

[0050] FIG. 5 shows an automobile 100 as one exemplary transportation equipment, which may be equipped with the electronic control unit 102. As can be taken from this schematic representation of the electric power steering system 101, the electronic control unit 102 is included in the electric power steering system 101, which is installed in the automobile 100.

REFERENCE SIGN LIST

[0051] 1 Assembly [0052] 10 Connector [0053] 11 first circular path [0054] 12 first connection mechanism [0055] 13 second circular path [0056] 14 second connection mechanism [0057] 15 third circular path [0058] 16 third connection mechanism [0059] 17 fourth circular path [0060] 18 fourth connection mechanism [0061] 19 base portion [0062] 20 step portion [0063] 21 first positioning mechanism [0064] 22 second positioning mechanism [0065] 23 third positioning mechanism [0066] 24 fourth positioning mechanism [0067] 25 first side [0068] 26 second side [0069] 27 third side [0070] 30 first printed circuit board [0071] 40 second printed circuit board [0072] 50 third printed circuit board [0073] 100 automobile [0074] 101 electric power steering system [0075] 102 electronic control unit