HOUSING FOR RECEIVING ELECTRICAL AND/OR ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS, ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING SAME

Abstract

A housing for receiving electrical and/or electronic components includes a housing base part and a housing cover which covers the housing base part and which is supported on the housing base part and/or fastened to the housing base part at least by a spacer bolt. The housing cover has an opening. The spacer bolt is integrally or substance bonded to an edge of the opening and the spacer bolt closes the opening. An electronic control unit and a method for producing the housing or the control unit are also provided.

Claims

1-16. (canceled)

17. A housing for receiving at least one of electrical or electronic components, the housing comprising: a housing base part; a spacer bolt; and a housing cover covering said housing base part, said housing cover being at least one of supported on said housing base part or fastened to said housing base part at least by said spacer bolt, and said housing cover having an opening formed therein defining an edge of said opening; said spacer bolt being connected by substance bonding to said edge of said opening causing said spacer bolt to close said opening.

18. The housing according to claim 17, wherein said spacer bolt has a side facing said housing cover, said spacer bolt has a protrusion on said side facing said housing cover, and said protrusion is connected by substance bonding to said edge of said opening.

19. The housing according to claim 17, wherein said spacer bolt is inserted into a blind hole formed in said housing base part.

20. The housing according to claim 19, wherein said blind hole has an inner thread, said spacer bolt has an outer thread, and said spacer bolt is screwed into said blind hole.

21. The housing according to claim 20, wherein said spacer bolt has a carrier profile configured for application of a tightening tool.

22. The housing according to claim 17, which further comprises a solder connection or an adhesive connection or a weld connection formed between said spacer bolt and said edge of said opening.

23. The housing according to claim 17, wherein said spacer bolt has a depression formed therein below said opening in said housing cover, and said depression and said opening are configured for at least partially receiving a friction stir welding tool.

24. The housing according to claim 17, which further comprises a seal running around an edge of said housing cover between said housing cover and said housing base part.

25. An electronic control unit, comprising: a housing according to claim 17; a circuit board disposed in said housing, said circuit board having a cutout formed therein; and said spacer bolt passing through said cutout in said circuit board.

26. The electronic control unit according to claim 25, wherein said spacer bolt has a side facing said housing base part, said spacer bolt has a protrusion on said side facing said housing base part, said protrusion has a greater diameter than said cutout in said circuit board, and said circuit board is clamped between said protrusion and said housing base part.

27. A method for producing a housing for receiving at least one of electrical or electronic components, the method comprising the following steps: providing a housing base part; providing a housing cover having an opening formed therein defining an edge of the opening; mounting a spacer bolt on the housing base part; covering the housing base part with the housing cover; and substance-bonding the edge of the opening in the housing cover to the spacer bolt causing the spacer bolt to close the opening.

28. The method according to claim 27, which further comprises inserting the spacer bolt through the opening in the housing cover and mounting the spacer bolt on the housing base part after covering the housing base part with the housing cover.

29. The method according to claim 27, which further comprises connecting the spacer bolt to the edge of the opening in the housing cover by welding, soldering, bonding, laser welding or friction stir welding.

30. The method according to claim 27, which further comprises inserting the spacer bolt into a blind hole formed in the housing base part.

31. The method according to claim 27, which further comprises providing the spacer bolt with an outer thread, providing the blind hole with an inner thread, and screwing the threads of the spacer bolt and the blind hole together.

32. The method according to claim 27, which further comprises: providing a depression in the spacer bolt; placing the opening in the housing cover above the depression; at least partially inserting a rotating friction stir welding tool in the opening and in the depression; and friction stir welding the housing cover to the spacer bolt.

33. A method for producing an electronic control unit having at least one of electrical or electronic components, the method comprising the following steps: providing a housing base part; providing a circuit board having a cutout formed therein; placing the circuit board on the housing base part; inserting a spacer bolt through the cutout in the circuit board; mounting the spacer bolt on the housing base part; providing a housing cover having an opening formed therein defining an edge of the opening; covering the housing base part with the housing cover; and substance-bonding the edge of the opening in the housing cover to the spacer bolt causing the spacer bolt to close the opening.

34. The method according to claim 33, which further comprises providing a protrusion on a side of the spacer bolt facing the housing base, providing the protrusion with a greater diameter than the cutout in the circuit board, and clamping the circuit board between the protrusion and the housing base part upon mounting the spacer bolt.

35. The method according to claim 33, which further comprises carrying out the steps of inserting and mounting the spacer bolt before the steps of covering the housing base part with the housing cover and substance-bonding the edge of the opening in the housing cover to the spacer bolt.

36. The method according to claim 33, which further comprises carrying out the steps of covering the housing base part with the housing cover before the steps of inserting the spacer bolt through the cutout in the circuit board, mounting the spacer bolt on the housing base part and substance-bonding the edge of the opening in the housing cover to the spacer bolt.

Description

[0037] Further advantages and advantageous embodiments and refinements of the housing, control unit and method arise from the following exemplary embodiments, depicted in connection with the diagrammatic figures.

[0038] The drawings show:

[0039] FIG. 1A a diagrammatic section view of a housing with a housing base part and a housing cover according to a first exemplary embodiment,

[0040] FIG. 1B a diagrammatic section view of a housing with a housing base part and a housing cover according to a second exemplary embodiment,

[0041] FIG. 2A detail A from FIG. 1A,

[0042] FIG. 2B an exploded, perspective depiction of the housing parts from FIG. 2A,

[0043] FIG. 2C a perspective view of detail A in FIG. 1A,

[0044] FIG. 3A detail B from FIG. 1B,

[0045] FIG. 3B an exploded, perspective depiction of the housing parts from FIG. 3A, and

[0046] FIG. 3C a perspective view of detail B from FIG. 1B.

[0047] The same or similar elements, or those with the same function, carry the same reference numerals in the figures. In many figures, individual reference numerals may be omitted to improve clarity. The figures and the size ratios of the elements shown in the figures should not be regarded as being to scale. Rather, individual elements may be depicted exaggeratedly large for better clarity and/or for better understanding.

[0048] FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B each show a section of a housing 1 with a housing base part 2 and a housing cover 3 according to a first and a second exemplary embodiment respectively.

[0049] The housing base part 2 has side walls which have a peripheral edge 7. A peripheral sealing face 8 formed as a groove is provided in the edge 7 of the housing base part 2, and a cohesive, preferably integral seal 6 is arranged therein. The housing cover 3 also has a peripheral edge in which a sealing face 9, configured as a groove, is provided. Instead of the groove-like form, the sealing faces 8 and 9 may also have other forms. The seal 6 is arranged at least in places between the groove 8 and the groove 9, and thus seals the housing 1 at the edge 7, more precisely at the border region of the mutually facing and in particular touching edges of the housing base part 2 and housing cover 3.

[0050] Suitably, the housing 1 has a plug connector (not shown in the figures) which in places is arranged between the housing base part 2 and the housing cover 3. The plug connector, in particular together with the housing base part 2 and the housing cover 3, defines an interior of the housing 1. Portions of the seal 6 are suitably arranged between the housing base part 2 and the plug connector, and between the housing cover 3 and the plug connector, in particular in order to seal the housing completely on the periphery, i.e. along the edge 7 of the housing base part 2 and along the edge of the housing 3.

[0051] A plurality of electrical and electronic components is arranged in the housing 1. In the example shown, a circuit board 5 may be seen which is arranged on the housing base part 2. The housing cover 3 is supported in the center of the housing 1 by a spacer bolt 4 on the housing base part 2, and is fastened to the housing base part 2 by means of the spacer bolt 4. Furthermore, in the region of the edge 7, the housing base part 2 is fastened to the housing cover 3 by means of flanging or crimping (not shown).

[0052] A blind hole bore 14 with an inner thread is located in the housing base part 2. The spacer bolt 4 has an outer thread which is screwed to the inner thread of the blind hole bore 14. At an end of the blind hole bore 14 opposite the housing cover 3, a base hole 15 may be seen. Furthermore, the spacer bolt 4 passes through a cutout 13 which is formed in the circuit board 5 and aligned with the blind hole bore 14. Above the cutout 13 of the circuit board 5, i.e. on the side of the circuit board 5 facing away from the blind hole bore 14, the spacer bolt 4 has a first protrusion 16 which has a greater diameter than the cutout 13. The protrusion 16 formed by a step in the spacer bolt 4 lies on the circuit board 5, in particular by force fit and/or form fit. Thus the circuit board 5 is clamped between the first protrusion 16 of the spacer bolt 4 and the housing base part 2.

[0053] The housing cover 3 also has an opening 10, configured as a circular through hole with a diameter of 5 mm. The edge of the opening 10, i.e. a rim of the housing cover 3 surrounding the opening 10, is connected to a second protrusion 17 of the spacer bolt 4 by substance bonding via a weld connection. The weld connection may e.g. be a laser weld connection or a friction stir weld connection.

[0054] The spacer bolt 4 closes the opening 10 completely. In other words, by means of the spacer bolt 4 welded to the housing cover 10, a penetration of gases or liquids through the opening 10 into the interior of the housing 1 is prevented. The housing 1 is in particular configured fluid-tightly and thus protected from dirt and penetrating fluids.

[0055] FIGS. 2A-2C show detail A from FIG. 1A in different views. As can be seen from these figures, the spacer bolt 4 has a depression 11. This is located below the opening 10 of the housing cover 3 so that it is accessible from the outside through the opening 10. The depression 11 and the opening 10 in the example shown are configured to receive a friction stir welding tool. The edge of the opening 10 and the spacer bolt 4 may thus in particular be connected together by means of friction stir welding. At the base of the depression 11 is a carrier profile 12 formed for application of a tightening tool. The rim of the housing cover 3 lies on the second protrusion 17 of the spacer bolt 4.

[0056] FIGS. 3A-3C show detail B from FIG. 1B in different views. The arrangement of FIGS. 1B and 3A-3C differs from the arrangement of FIGS. 1A and 2A-2C substantially in that the second protrusion 17 of the spacer bolt 4 lies on the outside on the housing cover 3, and no depression 11 is provided in the spacer bolt 4 for a friction stir welding tool. The end of the spacer bolt 4 opposite the blind hole 14 has merely a recess which forms a carrier profile 12 for application of a tightening tool.

[0057] The protrusion 17 resting on the outside is particularly easily accessible for creation of a laser welding connection. The second protrusion 17 in this case is therefore preferably connected to the edge of the opening 10 via a laser weld seam.

[0058] A method is described below for production of a housing 1.

[0059] Firstly, the mounting of the housing 1 according to the first exemplary embodiment will be explained with reference to FIGS. 2B and 2C.

[0060] Firstly, the circuit board 5 with the cutout 13 is mounted on the housing base part 2 such that the cutout 13 is aligned with the blind hole bore 14, so that the latter is exposed. The spacer bolt 4 is guided through the cutout 13 of the circuit board 5. By means of a screwdriver and the carrier profile 12, the outer thread of the spacer bolt 4 is screwed to the inner thread of the blind hole bore 14. In this way, the circuit board 5 is clamped between the first protrusion 16 of the spacer bolt 4 and the housing base part 2, and fixed in at least two spatial directions x and y in FIG. 1A.

[0061] Then a sealing compound 6 is introduced into at least one of the grooves 8 and 9, and the housing cover 3 is mounted on the edge 7 of the housing base part 2. The housing cover 3 is attached to the housing base part 2 by means of flanging, in addition to bonding with the sealing compound.

[0062] Between the housing cover 3 and the second protrusion 17 of the spacer bolt 4, a gap of around 1 mm is created in the x direction—i.e. in particular in the direction of a longitudinal axis of the spacer bolt 4. On production of the housing 1, a pressure compensation between the interior of the housing 1 and the environment may take place through the gap and the opening 10. Gases released on curing of the sealing compound may thus escape from the housing 1 through the gap and the opening 10 in the housing cover 3. When the sealing compound has cured into a seal 6, a rotating friction stir welding tool is inserted in the opening 10 and the depression 11. Suitably, at the same time, the housing cover 3 is pressed onto the spacer bolt in the longitudinal direction, during forming by means of the friction stir welding tool.

[0063] The edge of the opening 10 is in this way welded to the spacer bolt 4, in particular in that the rim of the housing cover 3 and the end of the spacer bolt 4 facing the housing cover 3 are heated by friction with the friction stir welding tool. The heating, in particular to just below the melting point, in particular causes a loss of strength of the material of the housing cover 3 or spacer bolt 4, whereby the material is plasticized and a mixing is achieved in the region of the rim.

[0064] Instead of welding, the edge of the opening 10 may also be bonded or soldered to the second protrusion 17 of the spacer bolt 4. Solder material or bonding compound may be introduced for example into the depression 11. However, the depression 11 may also be omitted.

[0065] Production of the housing 1 according to the second exemplary embodiment differs from the mounting of the housing 1 according to the first exemplary embodiment, amongst others in the order of the production steps. Firstly, the circuit board 5 is mounted on the floor of the housing base part 2 such that the cutout 13 of the circuit board 5 is placed above the blind hole bore 14 of the housing base part 2. The circuit board 5 may for example be provisionally attached to the housing base part 2 with a layer of adhesive or a layer of heat-conductive paste (not shown in the figures).

[0066] Also, in particular afterwards, a paste-like wet sealing compound is applied to the grooves 8 and 9, whereupon the housing cover 3 is mounted on the housing base part 2 and, in a refinement, attached to this by means of flanging. Only when the sealing compound has cured to a solid seal 6, and hence no more gases escape from the sealing compound, is the spacer bolt 4 guided through the opening 10 of the housing cover 3 and the cutout 13 of the circuit board 5 into the blind hole bore 14, wherein the outer thread of the spacer bolt 4 is screwed to the inner thread of the blind hole bore 14.

[0067] The circuit board 5 is here clamped between the first protrusion 16 and the housing base part 2, and fixed in at least two spatial directions x and y. The second protrusion 17 of the spacer bolt 4 is then connected by substance bonding to the edge of the opening 10, on the outside of the housing 1 facing away from the interior, for example by laser welding, friction stir welding, soldering or bonding.