EP0905667B1 - Method for marking boxes - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a method for marking housings according to the preamble of patent claim 1.

Electronic motor vehicle assemblies are usually installed in a housing to protect against external influences. To identify these mostly safety-relevant assemblies, the housing is labeled indirectly by attaching a rating plate. This type label contains information such as: type designation, serial number, batch number, place of manufacture, date of manufacture, bar and color codes. In the case of an airbag control unit, for example, this rating plate is 7 cm x 7 cm. In many applications, the nameplate consists of several layers or contains a so-called peel level. This is a labeled and removable strip that forms part of the type plate so that it can be removed from the type plate and stuck into the vehicle documentation, especially for safety-relevant assemblies. Figure 1 shows such a housing with a nameplate according to the prior art. A rating plate 4 is glued to a housing 1 with fastening bores 2 and a plug connection 3 . Type plate 4 is a labelable, adhesive, multi-layer film. The nameplate 4 is printed with an alphanumeric label 6 and a barcode 7 . Furthermore, this type plate 4 contains another layer with a bar code. This is deduction level 5 for the vehicle accompanying documents.

The disadvantage here, however, is that these type plates, which are attached to the housing, are very large and expensive. Also, the type plates attached to the housing can easily detach or be detached, which can lead to confusion. This means, for example, that tracing in the event of a recourse or identification of the electronic assembly is no longer possible.

JP 05 313585A describes a method in which the Contrast of a bar code with dye is increased. The bar code is on a carrier, which is equipped with components an acid bath passes. Here is in the bar code furrows, which by laser in the Surface of an object has been incorporated, a dye is introduced for fully automatic readability, by carriers too achieve.

In US-A-5 535 536 a bottle with a difficult to remove Nameplate described, which has an additional peelable label having. The removable label, like the type plate, provides information the content of the bottle and serves as a reminder for further Acquisition of the same content. The label can be easily removed and removed from Interested parties are taken away.

The invention has for its object to show a method for affixing labels to housings, in particular for electronic motor vehicle assemblies, different requirements being imposed on different parts of the label.

This object is achieved by the characterizing features of claim 1. The housing is not only identified by a separate nameplate, which is attached to the housing afterwards, but also by permanent deformation of the housing, which can be achieved, for example, by a laser marking process or a plastic injection process.

The advantages achieved with the invention are the cost savings for a large label or nameplate. Parts of the information can be attached to an easily inscribable nameplate other parts of the information are permanently fixed in the housing and can no longer be accidentally lost.

Advantageous developments of the invention result from the dependent claims. The nameplate is labeled with a barcode or other characters. Furthermore, this type plate or at least part of it can be detachable, so that it or part of it can be attached to another arrangement, such as, for example, on the vehicle accompanying documents. The housing wall is preferably labeled with alphanumeric characters. The inscription is preferably introduced using a laser inscription process or a plastic injection process. Housings labeled in this way are particularly suitable for motor vehicle assemblies, the labeling of which must meet different requirements.

An embodiment will be explained with reference to Figure 2.

Figur 1:

Ausführungsbeispiel nach Stand der Technik.

Figur 2:

Gehäuse mit integrierter Beschriftung und verkleinertem Typenschild.

Show it:

Figure 1:

Embodiment according to the prior art.

Figure 2:

Housing with integrated labeling and reduced nameplate.

Figure 2 shows a housing according to the invention with integrated lettering and reduced nameplate. The housing 1 is made of plastic or another moldable material. It contains an electronic motor vehicle assembly such as an airbag sensor. Furthermore, this housing 1 has mounting holes 2 to which the housing assembly is attached to the motor vehicle. A connector 3 is also attached to this housing 1, via which the electronics are connected. An alphanumeric label 6 is molded or printed directly on the housing 1 . The molding or printing of the characters in the housing 1 can be realized in different ways. On the one hand, such markings 6 can be achieved by laser inscription. A laser heats the housing material. The housing wall is deformed or changed by the heating. The desired marking or lettering 6 then forms at the points at which the housing material changes. This type of labeling can be done both before and after the assembly of the module in the housing. Another possibility of labeling is that the housing 1 is labeled directly by a stamp. This stamp can color-code the housing 1 at the desired locations or deform it mechanically or thermally. This method can also be carried out both before and after the assembly of the module in the housing. The housing 1 can still be marked accordingly during its manufacture. For example, in the plastic injection molding process used in the manufacture of the housing, the type designation, the manufacturer, the place of manufacture and other information that remain the same for all modules in this housing can be integrated into the casting or injection mold. All of the above-mentioned labeling methods, with which the housing can be labeled directly, increase process reliability compared to the conventional method, in which the nameplate is stuck on. In this application example, the separate nameplate 4 only contains the barcode identification 7 with the peel level 5 for the vehicle accompanying documents. The barcode identification 7 that can be read by a scanner must also be attached to a nameplate, since on the one hand the implementation of the readability of a barcode, which is located directly on the housing 1, is very complex and, on the other hand, a peel level is required for the accompanying documents. All other inscriptions 6 are applied directly to the housing by one of the methods mentioned above. It is thereby achieved that only a stick-on type plate of minimal size for the peeling level, which is required for the motor vehicle accompanying documents, has to be processed in the manufacture of the assembly.

Such housings for electronic assemblies cannot only in the automotive sector but also in all other areas be used.

Claims (6)

1. Method for the attachment of identification markings (6, 7) to housings (1) for accommodating electronic assemblies, characterised in that in one wall of the housing (1) a part of the identification marking (6) is permanently provided by means of a deformation of the surface and on the same or a different wall of the housing (1) a further identification marking is provided by means of an identification plate (4).
2. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that alphanumeric characters are provided in the wall of the housing.
3. Method according to provided claim 1, characterised in that a bar code (7) or other markings are applied to the identification plate (4).
4. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that the identification plate (4) or at least a part (5) thereof is separated from the housing and applied to another arrangement.
5. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that the identification in the housing wall is made by a laser, a stamp or by a plastic injection process.
6. Housing with identification markings in accordance with a method according to claim 1, characterised in that the housing contains an automobile assembly.

Images