Housing structure of electronic control unit and mounting structure of the same

• US 20030184973A1
• Filed: 03/24/2003
• Published: 10/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Nagata, Yoshihiro, Kondo, Hiroshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,113,400 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/704
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0239 Electronic boxes
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/10249 Electrical or electronic devices fixed to the intake system; Electric wiring electric heaters F02M31/12; sensors F02M35/10373
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/062 sealed by a material injected between a non-removable cover and a body, e.g. hardening in situ
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20163 the components being isolated from air flow, e.g. hollow heat sinks, wind tunnels or funnels
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20854 Heat transfer by conduction from internal heat source to heat radiating structure H05K7/20863 takes precedence

Abstract

A housing for enclosing an electronic control unit is constructed of a resinous cover and a metallic case having heat conductivity higher than that of the resinous cover. An air intake module is mounted on an engine inside an engine compartment. The air intake module forms an air passage through which air flows from an air inlet toward the engine. The electronic control unit is mounted on the air intake module such that the metallic case is exposed to the air passage in the air intake module and the resinous cover is exposed to the outside of the air intake module, that is, exposed in the engine compartment.

Claims

1. A housing for an electronic control unit mounted inside a vehicle engine compartment, the housing comprising:

a first member having heat conductivity; and

a second member having heat conductivity lower than that of the first member,

wherein the first member is arranged adjacent to a part having heat radiation and the second member is arranged adjacent to a part receiving heat in the engine compartment.

2. The housing according to claim 1, wherein the first member is made of metal and the second member is made of resin.

3. The housing according to claim 1,

wherein the first member and the second member are joined with an elastic adhesive at joining portions,

wherein dimensional allowance is defined between the joining portions.

4. The housing according to claim 3,

wherein the joining portion of one of the first member and the second member forms a groove and the joining portion of the other member forms a projection,

wherein the projection includes a hook portion to restrict separation of the first member and the second member.

5. A structure for mounting an electronic control unit inside a vehicle engine compartment, comprising:

a housing for enclosing the electronic control unit including a first member and a second member, the first member having heat conductivity higher than that of the second member; and

a mounting part to which the housing is mounted,

wherein the housing is mounted to the mounting part such that the first member is adjacent to a portion having heat radiation and the second member is adjacent to a portion receiving heat in the engine compartment.

6. The structure according to claim 5, wherein the first member is made of metal and the second member is made of resin.

7. The structure according to claim 5, wherein the mounting part is included in a device defining an air passage therein.

8. The structure according to claim 7, wherein the device is a module for introducing intake air to the air passage.

9. The structure according to claim 7, wherein the device includes an air cleaner through which air flows.

10. The structure according to claim 7, wherein the housing is mounted such that the first member is adjacent to the air passage.

11. The structure according to claim 7, wherein the air passage is located between the first member and an engine.

12. The structure according to claim 7, wherein the first member is arranged without exposing to the outside of the device.

13. The structure according to claim 7, wherein the housing includes a leg portion that protrudes from the first member to the air passage.

14. The structure according to claim 7, wherein the housing includes a connector and a connector cable for the electronic control unit, and the housing is mounted such that at least one of the connector and the connector cable is adjacent to the air passage.

15. The structure according to claim 5, wherein the mounting part is included in a vehicle body.

16. The structure according to claim 15, wherein the housing is mounted such that the first member is adjacent to the vehicle body.