JP3669276B2 - Case for electronic control device and electronic control device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electronic control device mounted on a vehicle or the like, and particularly relates to a case structure.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In this type of electronic control device, a plurality of cases are set (prepared) in a stacked state in a case assembling process in a factory. Then, the stacked cases are adsorbed in order from the top by a robot or the like and supplied to the case assembly process of the assembly line. The number of case stacks is determined from the movable dimensions of the robot that sucks the cases. For example, about 10 cases are stacked up and down. However, in order to improve the work efficiency and reduce the cost, it is desired to stack a large number of cases and reduce the number of times the case assembly process is set up.
[0003]
In this case, it is desired that the structure of the case can be stacked in multiple stages and can be easily separated one by one from the stacked state, and a conventional structure for that purpose is shown in FIG. In FIG. 7, a relatively tall nut member 52 is driven into the corner of the case 51, and the nut member 52 can be stacked. That is, as shown in FIG. 8, when the case 51 is stacked up and down, the upper case is placed on the nut member 52 of the lower case. In this case, the upper case can be easily separated because it only rests on the nut member 52 of the lower case.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the structure of FIG. 7 described above, the nut member 52 needs to have a sufficient height so that the upper case does not bite into the lower case when the cases 51 are stacked. For this reason, a special part is required as the nut member 52, resulting in an increase in cost.
[0005]
The present invention has been made paying attention to the above-mentioned problems, and the object of the present invention is to make it possible to reliably and easily perform separation in a state where they are stacked one above the other, and thus to improve the productivity of electronic control equipment. It is to provide a case for an electronic control device that can be improved.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In the case assembly process of the electronic control device, a large number of cases are prepared in a stacked state, and the cases are separated one by one from the top using a robot or the like. In this case, if the peripheral edge of the opening of the upper case bites into the lower case, the stacked cases cannot be separated one by one, and workability is significantly deteriorated. On the other hand, in the first aspect of the invention, a pedestal portion is provided as a flat surface on which the circuit board is placed , and a protruding portion that protrudes toward the inside of the case is provided on the periphery of the opening of the case (guide portion). Since they are formed , when the cases are stacked up and down , the upper and lower cases come into contact with each other between the projecting portion and the pedestal portion, and the upper and lower cases can be prevented from biting. Therefore, the work of separating the cases stacked one above the other is reliably and easily performed, and as a result, the productivity of the electronic control device can be improved.
[0007]
In the first aspect of the present invention, as described in the second aspect, it is preferable that the protruding portion is provided by punching an edge portion of the guide portion inside the case . In this case, a separate member for stacking and separating the cases is not required, and a cost advantage can be obtained.
[0008]
Further, in the invention according to claim 2, as described in claim 3, it may protrude triangular pyramid shape inside the case providing the protrusion. Again, a stack of case isolation and can be easily implemented.
[0009]
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a case for an electronic control device in which the case opening is slightly larger than the outer dimension of the circuit board and the circuit board is incorporated from the opening, and the protrusion is positioned at the position of the circuit board. It is used as a matching section. In this case, alignment between the circuit board and the case is performed reliably and easily, and the assembly workability is improved. In addition, problems such as the circuit board being assembled obliquely with respect to the case can be prevented.
[0010]
In the invention of claim 4, as described in claim 5, wherein the protrusion protruding inside the case in a manner to be lengthened outward from the pedestal portion for mounting the circuit board to the edge of the guide portion projecting It is good as a part. In this case, the circuit board can be easily placed at a desired position (pedestal part) by moving the circuit board along the protruding portion.
[0011]
On the other hand, an electronic control device with high production efficiency can be realized by using the case having the above configuration as the electronic control device and assembling the cover to the case opening in a state in which the circuit board is accommodated (claim 7 ).
[0012]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an overall configuration of the ECU 10, and FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the main configuration of the ECU 10 in an exploded manner.
[0013]
1 and 2, the ECU 10 includes a case 11 having an open bottom, a circuit board 13 in which a connector portion 12 is integrated, and a substantially flat cover 14 for closing the opening of the case 11. These members are assembled by tightening the screws 15. For example, the case 11 and the cover 14 are formed by pressing such as an iron plate or an aluminum plate. In the present embodiment, for the sake of convenience, the front / rear and up / down directions of the ECU 10 are defined based on the states of FIGS. 1 and 2. .
[0014]
Next, the configuration of the case 11 and the cover 14 will be described in detail. First, in the case 11, the connector extraction portion 21a is provided on one of the side surfaces, and the side wall portions 21b, 21c, and 21d are provided on the other three sides. Among the side wall portions 21b to 21d, the left and right side wall portions 21b and 21c are provided in a tapered shape, and the back side wall portion 21d is provided in an upright shape. Below the side wall portions 21b to 21d, a flat pedestal portion 22 is provided so as to surround the case opening, and the peripheral portion of the circuit board 13 is placed on the lower surface of the pedestal portion 22. A guide portion 23 slightly larger than the outer dimension of the circuit board 13 is provided on the outer periphery of the pedestal portion 22. A relatively short columnar nut member 24 is embedded in the upper surface of the pedestal portion 22 at the four corners of the case 11. The pedestal portion 22 corresponds to a flat screw fastening surface for fastening the circuit board 13 with screws.
[0015]
In addition, projecting portions 26 that project toward the inside of the case are provided at the four corners of the case 11. The projecting portion 26 is provided by projecting the guide portion 23 into a triangular pyramid shape. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the case 11 as seen from the bottom side, and shows the position where the protrusion 26 is provided.
[0016]
On the other hand, the cover 14 has substantially the same external dimensions as the circuit board 13, and includes a bottom plate portion 31 and a pedestal portion 32 provided on the outer periphery of the bottom plate portion 31. In this case, the peripheral portion of the circuit board 13 is placed on the pedestal portion 32. That is, when the ECU 10 is assembled, the peripheral portion of the circuit board 13 is sandwiched and fixed between the base portion 22 of the case 11 and the base portion 32 of the cover 14.
[0017]
The cover 14 is integrally formed with a pair of ears 33 protruding outward from the case 11, and the ears 33 are provided with attachment holes 34 for attaching a bracket member (not shown). . In this case, the ECU 10 is mounted on the vehicle via a bracket member attached to the ear portion 33. By the way, by providing the ear part 33 in the cover 14 in advance and attaching another bracket member, the standard of the ear part 33 is unified irrespective of the bracket member not interfering with the carriage member and different bracket members for each vehicle type. There are merits such as being able to do it. It is also possible to mount the ECU 10 directly on the vehicle through the mounting hole 34 using the ear portion 33 itself as a bracket member.
[0018]
Further, the ear portion 33 has a bent portion 35 formed by bending the tip portion thereof at a substantially right angle. However, in the ECU 10 of the present embodiment, whether or not the bent portion 35 is provided is not a gist, and the bent portion 35 may not be provided.
[0019]
Further, in the cover 14, the ear portion 33 is provided with a first rib 36 at the center thereof, and the bottom plate portion 31 is provided with second ribs 37 on both left and right edges. Here, the first rib 36 is provided in substantially the same direction as the direction in which the ear portion 33 extends, and the second rib 37 is provided so as to extend along the side wall portions 21 b and 21 c of the case 11. Each of the first and second ribs 36 and 37 has a cross-sectional shape such as an upwardly convex semicircular shape or a triangular shape, and each rib is orthogonal to the center of the second rib 37.
[0020]
In this case, since the first rib 36 is provided so as to extend from the outside to the inside of the case 11, the case 11 is provided with a recess 25 matching the rib shape at a portion that contacts the first rib 36. Has been. Thereby, when the cover 14 is assembled to the case 11, if the concave portion 25 and the first rib 36 are combined, the alignment of both the members can be performed easily and accurately. Therefore, assembly workability is improved.
[0021]
In the case of the case assembly process in the factory, the ECU 10 having the above configuration prepares a large number of cases 11 stacked one above the other and separates the cases 11 one by one from the top using a robot or the like. In this case, as shown in FIG. 4, when the case 11 is stacked up and down, the protrusion 26 of the upper case is placed on the pedestal 22 of the lower case. Therefore, the upper and lower cases 11 can be prevented from biting, and a large number of cases 11 can be stacked and separated.
[0022]
According to the present embodiment described in detail above, since the plurality of projecting portions 26 are formed on the case 11, the separation work of the case 11 stacked up and down can be performed reliably and easily. Can be improved. In addition, since the protruding portion 26 is provided by projecting the edge of the case opening, there is no need for a separate member for stacking and separating the case 11, and a cost advantage can be obtained.
[0023]
(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described focusing on the differences from the first embodiment described above.
[0024]
Regardless of whether the assembly process is automatic or manual, the case and circuit board must be aligned. If this alignment is not performed correctly, the circuit board will There are cases where a desired product shape cannot be obtained due to being assembled obliquely. Therefore, conventionally, using a jig with pins erected, the pin is inserted through the circuit board and the case, or the pin is driven into a part of the case, or a pin-shaped protrusion is integrally formed and aligned. I was doing. However, these alignment methods are inconvenient in terms of cost and workability. Therefore, this embodiment proposes a case structure that can eliminate these disadvantages.
[0025]
FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing ECU 10 in the present embodiment. Hereinafter, the configuration of FIG. 5 will be described focusing on the differences from FIG. 1 and FIG. In FIG. 1, the projections 26 having a substantially triangular pyramid shape are provided at the four corners of the case 11, but in FIG. 5, this is changed to provide protrusions (columnar) projections 41. That is, the protruding portion 41 extends from the upper end to the lower end of the guide portion 23, and extends to the pedestal portion 22 on which the circuit board 13 is placed inside the case.
[0026]
The circuit board 13 is provided with a notch 42 at a position corresponding to the protruding portion 41. In this case, the holes 43 provided at the four corners of the circuit board 13 and the nut members 24 of the case 11 can be aligned by matching the protrusions 41 of the case 11 with the notches 42 of the circuit board 13. ing. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the case 11 as viewed from the bottom, and shows a state where the board is assembled to the case 11.
[0027]
In the ECU 10 of the present embodiment, the circuit board 13 is assembled to the case 11 while aligning the notch 42 on the circuit board 13 side with the protrusion 41 on the case 11 side during the assembly process at the factory. At this time, the circuit board 13 can be easily placed at a desired position by moving the circuit board 13 along the protruding portion 41. Thereby, alignment with the hole 43 of the circuit board 13 and the nut member 24 of the case 11 is performed reliably, and assembly workability | operativity improves. Further, problems such as the circuit board 13 being assembled obliquely with respect to the case 11 can be prevented.
[0028]
As described above, according to the second embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, the protrusions 41 of the case 11 can prevent the upper and lower cases 11 from biting, and the separation work of the upper and lower cases 11 can be reliably performed. And it can be done easily. In addition to this effect, the circuit board 13 and the case 11 can be reliably and easily aligned, and the assembling workability can be improved. In this case, there is no need for special jigs or separate parts, so there is no cost increase.
[0029]
In addition to the above, the present invention can be embodied in the following forms.
In the above-described embodiment, four protrusions 26 (or 41) are provided for the case 11, but it may be provided less or more. For example, a configuration in which two protrusions 26 (or 41) are provided on the front surface of the case and one location on the rear surface of the case, or a configuration in which two protrusions 26 (or 41) are provided on each side surface of the case 11 can be considered. In short, what is necessary is just to provide the protrusion part so that stacking and isolation | separation of many cases 11 can be implement | achieved reliably.
[0030]
In the above embodiment, the first rib 36 is formed on the ear portion 33 of the cover 14 and the second rib 37 is formed on the bottom plate portion 31. However, the first and second ribs 36 and 37 are provided. Is not the gist of the present invention, and only one of these ribs may be provided to realize the ECU, or both the ribs may be provided to realize the ECU.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of an ECU according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of an ECU.
FIG. 3 is a plan view of the case viewed from the bottom.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which cases are stacked.
FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of an ECU according to a second embodiment.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a state where a board is assembled to a case.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a part of a case in the prior art.
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which conventional cases are stacked.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... ECU (electronic control apparatus), 11 ... Case, 13 ... Circuit board, 14 ... Cover, 22 ... Base part, 26, 41 ... Projection part.

Claims (7)

A case for an electronic control device having a rectangular shape in which an opening is provided on the bottom surface thereof by press molding a plate material ,
As a flat surface on which the circuit board is placed in the opening of the electronic control device case, a pedestal provided so as to surround a side wall forming the opening,
A guide portion extending vertically from the pedestal portion and surrounding an outer periphery of a circuit board placed on the pedestal portion;
Protruding part protruding toward the inside of the case in a part of the guide part,
When Ru superimposed viewing product another case having a similar structure to the bottom of the case, electronic control devices, characterized in that placing the projecting portion of the upper case to the base portion of the lower side of the case Case. The case for an electronic control device according to claim 1, wherein the protruding portion is formed by punching an edge portion of the guide portion inside the case. The case for electronic control equipment according to claim 1 or 2 with which said projection part is projected in the shape of a triangular pyramid inside the case. The case for an electronic control device in which the case opening is slightly larger than the outer dimension of the circuit board, and the circuit board is incorporated from the opening, and the projecting portion serves as an alignment part of the circuit board. The case for electronic control equipment in any one of. Electronic control devices for casing according to claim 4, the protrusion protruding inside the case in a manner to be lengthened outward from the pedestal portion for mounting the circuit board to the edge of the guide portion and the projecting portion. A nut member for screwing the circuit board is driven into the pedestal, and the protruding portion is positioned higher than the height of the nut member of another case when placed on the other case. The case for electronic control apparatus in any one of Claims 1-5 which protrudes from . An electronic control device using the electronic control device case according to claim 1, wherein a substantially flat cover is assembled to the case opening in a state in which the circuit board is accommodated.

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