Electronic Unit and Method For Manufacturing an Electronic Unit

• US 20080144290A1
• Filed: 07/28/2004
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vitesco Technologies GmbH (INA-Holding Schaeffler GmbH & Co. KG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Brandt, Jens, Kerner, Nikolaus
• Granted Patent: US 7,697,300 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/720
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0239 Electronic boxes
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0052 characterized by joining features of the housing parts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49128 Assembling formed circuit to base

Abstract

An electronic unit, in particular a control device for a motor vehicle, has a printed circuit board, populated with electronic components, and a housing enclosing the printed circuit board. The printed circuit board has at least one first section, arranged at a distance from the housing and equipped with electronic components on both sides thereof, and at least one second section which is connected to the housing by way of a heat-conducting adhesive layer.

Claims

1-11. -11. (canceled)

12. An electronic unit, comprising:

a printed circuit board having a central region populated with electronic components on both sides thereof, and an edge region adjoining said central region;

a housing enclosing said printed circuit board, said housing having a housing floor and a housing cover connected to said housing floor, said housing floor, when viewed in cross-section, having at least one indentation and housing internal lateral sections;

said central region of said printed circuit board being disposed spaced apart from said housing and said edge region being connected to said housing internal lateral sections via a heat-conducting adhesive layer;

said housing cover having an edge formed with an annularly continuous projection engaging into a corresponding groove formed in said housing floor, said projection and said groove together forming a groove-and-projection connection and being glued to one another.

13. The electronic unit according to claim 12 configured as a control device for a motor vehicle and populated with electronic components for controlling the motor vehicle.

14. The electronic unit according to claim 12, wherein a common adhesive is used for said glued groove-and-projection connection and for said adhesive layer connecting said printed circuit board and said housing.

15. The electronic unit according to claim 12, which comprises at least one plug connector integrated in said housing cover for electrically connecting said electronic unit.

16. The electronic unit according to claim 15, wherein said plug connector includes terminal pins running straight to said printed circuit board and forming direct contact with said printed circuit board.

17. The electronic unit according to claim 16, wherein said terminal pins contact said circuit board via press-in contacts.

18. The electronic unit according to claim 12, wherein said edge region is a printed circuit board section running along a large part of an edge of said printed circuit board.

19. The electronic unit according to claim 18, wherein said edge region is a printed circuit board section running in an annularly continuous manner along said edge of said printed circuit board.

20. The electronic unit according to claim 12, wherein said edge region has first side at least partly populated with the electronic components, and a second side connected with said heat-conducting adhesive layer.

21. A method for manufacturing an electronic unit, which comprises the following steps:

a) providing a printed circuit board with at least one first printed circuit board section in a central area thereof, being populated on both sides with electronic components, and having at least one second printed circuit board section arranged at an edge of the printed circuit board and having one side not populated with electronic components;

b) providing a contoured housing floor having raised housing internal sections disposed in correspondence with the at least one second printed circuit board section, and having an annularly continuous groove running around an edge of the housing floor,

c) depositing heat-conducting adhesive on the raised housing internal sections;

d) pressing on the printed circuit board in order to bond the printed circuit board on the raised housing internal sections;

e) providing a housing cover having a projection configured to mate in annularly continuous circumferential engagement with the groove of the housing floor, pressing the housing cover onto the housing floor with adhesive disposed to create a glued groove-and-projection connection between housing floor and housing cover.

22. The method according to claim 21, which comprises depositing the adhesive on the base of the circumferential groove prior to the step of pressing the housing cover onto the housing floor.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein a common adhesive is used in the steps c) and e).