ELECTRONIC HOUSING, ASSEMBLIES THEREFOR AND METHODS OF MAKING SAME

• US 20100220453A1
• Filed: 02/25/2010
• Published: 09/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dualsonic, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dualsonic, LLC
• Inventors: Chao, Michael Chy
• Granted Patent: US 8,406,001 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/752
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0269 Card housings therefor, e.g. covers, frames, PCB
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4913 Assembling to base an electrical component, e.g., capacitor, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49155 Manufacturing circuit on or in base
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

An electronic housing is provided comprising a first cover assembly combinable with a second cover assembly to house or enclose a printed circuit board therebetween. Each cover assembly includes a cover and a frame, the cover attachable to the frame by bending portions of the cover thereabout. The cover is preferably stamped metal and the frame is preferably injection molded plastic. Each cover may include recesses such that, when the cover is bent around the frame, the cover bends at the recesses and closely engages the frame on multiple mating surfaces. The cover assemblies may be welded together, such as by ultrasonic welding, to form a complete package or housing, and may include intermittingly spaced shear weld features to improve bond strength therebetween. Methods of manufacturing and/or assembling electronic housings and cover assemblies are also provided.

Claims

1. A cover assembly comprising:

a frame, the frame including a cross member and a leg extending substantially perpendicular from each of a first end and a second end of the cross member, and the frame having an outer mating surface offset from an opposing inner mating surface by a frame thickness; and

a cover coupled to the frame, the cover having a first edge member and a second edge member extending respectively from a first side and a second side of a base thereof, a first portion of each edge member extending substantially perpendicular to the base and having a first mating surface delineated from a second mating surface of a second portion of the edge member by a primary recess, and wherein each edge member is configured such that, when the edge member is bent at the primary recess at a substantially perpendicular angle, the first mating surface of each edge member abuts a respective side of the frame and the second mating surface of each edge member abuts the inner mating surface of the frame.

2. The cover assembly of claim 1 wherein each of the first and the second edge members of the cover include a plurality of tabs integral therewith, at least a portion of one of the tabs of each edge member delineated from the remainder of the edge member by a secondary recess.

3. The cover assembly of claim 2 wherein the primary and the secondary recesses of each of the first and the second edge members define substantially linear regions having reduced cross sections relative to adjacent portions of the edge members to ensure bending occurs at the linear regions when the edge members are subjected to a force, the edge members conforming relatively more closely to the frame when bent than identically sized edge members without any primary and any secondary recesses.

4. The cover assembly of claim 2 wherein the primary and the secondary recesses of each of the first and the second edge members define substantially linear regions having reduced cross sections relative to adjacent portions of the edge members to ensure bending occurs at the linear regions when the edge members are subjected to a force, the edge members bending under relatively less force when bent than identically sized edge members without any primary and any secondary recesses.

5. The cover assembly of claim 2 wherein each edge member is configured such that, when the edge member is bent at each of the primary and the secondary recesses at substantially perpendicular angles, the portion of the tab delineated by the secondary recess is aligned substantially perpendicular to the base of the cover.

6. The cover assembly of claim 2 wherein each of the primary and the secondary recesses is a groove or an indentation.

7. The cover assembly of claim 1 wherein the frame includes a plurality of intermittingly spaced shear weld features configured to couple with a complementary frame.

8. The cover assembly of claim 1 wherein the cover has a third edge member perpendicular to the first and the second edge members, the third edge member having a tab integral therewith, and wherein the cross-member of the frame includes an aperture sized and shaped to receive the tab.

9. The cover assembly of claim 8 wherein the cross-member includes a pocket positioned to receive a portion of the tab such that, when the tab is bent at a substantially perpendicular angle, an outer surface of the portion of the tab is substantially parallel with the inner mating surface of the frame.

10. The cover assembly of claim 8 wherein each of the first, the second and the third edge members of the cover include a plurality of tabs integral therewith, and wherein the frame includes a plurality of intermittingly spaced shear weld features positioned so each shear weld feature is located between two adjacent tabs.

11. The cover assembly of claim 1 wherein the cover includes a first intermediate edge member and a second intermediate edge member, a first portion of each of the first and the second intermediate edge members parallel to and offset inwardly from the first portion of each of the first and the second edge members, respectively.

12. The cover assembly of claim 1 wherein the cover is stamped sheet metal and the frame is injection molded plastic.

13. An electronic housing comprising:

a first cover assembly including a cover coupled to a frame, the cover having a first edge member and a second edge member extending respectively from a first side and a second side of a base of the cover, a first portion of each edge member extending substantially perpendicular to the base and having a first mating surface delineated from a second mating surface of a second portion of the edge member by a primary recess, and wherein each edge member is configured such that, when the edge member is bent at the primary recess at a substantially perpendicular angle, the first mating surface of each edge member abuts a respective side of the frame and the second mating surface of each edge member abuts an inner mating surface of the frame; and

a second cover assembly including a complementary cover coupled to a complementary frame, the complementary cover having a first edge member and a second edge member extending respectively from a first side and a second side of a base of the complementary cover, a first portion of each edge member extending substantially perpendicular to the base and having a first mating surface delineated from a second mating surface of a second portion of the edge member by a primary recess, and wherein each edge member is configured such that, when the edge member is bent at the primary recess at a substantially perpendicular angle, the first mating surface of each edge member abuts a respective side of the complementary frame and the second mating surface of each edge member abuts an inner mating surface of the complementary frame.

14. The electronic housing of claim 13 wherein the frame of the first cover assembly includes a plurality of intermittingly spaced female shear weld features adapted to receive respective male shear weld features of the complementary frame of the second cover assembly.

15. The electronic housing of claim 14 wherein each of the first and the second edge members of the cover of the first cover assembly includes a plurality of tabs integral therewith, and wherein each of the female shear weld features of the frame of the first cover assembly are located between two adjacent tabs.

16. The electronic housing of claim 13 wherein the first cover assembly is welded to the second cover assembly.

17. The electronic housing of claim 13 wherein the cover and the complementary cover are stamped sheet metal and wherein the frame and the complementary frame are injection molded plastic.

18. The electronic housing of claim 13, further comprising:

a printed circuit board assembly positioned between the first cover assembly and the second cover assembly.

19. A method for manufacturing a cover assembly for an electronic housing, the method comprising:

molding a frame to include a first leg and a second leg extending substantially perpendicular from a first end and a second end of a cross-member, respectively, the frame having an outer mating surface offset from an opposing inner mating surface by a frame thickness;

forming a cover to include a base and a first edge member and a second edge member, each edge member extending substantially perpendicular to the base and having a first mating surface delineated from a second mating surface by a primary recess;

aligning the cover with the frame; and

bending each edge member at the primary recess to a substantially perpendicular angle such that the first mating surface of each edge member abuts a respective side of the frame and the second mating surface of each edge member abuts the inner mating surface of the frame.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein forming the cover includes forming the cover to include at least one tab integral with each of the first and the second edge members, at least a portion of each tab of each edge member delineated from the remainder of the edge member by a secondary recess.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

bending the tab of each edge member at the secondary recess to a substantially perpendicular angle such that the portion of each tab delineated by the secondary recess is aligned substantially perpendicular to the base.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein molding a frame includes molding the frame to include a plurality of intermittingly spaced shear weld features.

23. The method of claim 19 wherein forming the cover includes forming the cover to include a third edge member perpendicular to the first and the second edge members, the third edge member having a tab integral therewith, and wherein molding the frame includes molding the frame to include at least one aperture extending through the cross-member sized and shaped to receive the tab.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein molding the frame includes molding the frame to include a pocket positioned on the cross-member to receive a portion of the tab when the tab is bent to a substantially perpendicular angle.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

bending a portion of the tab to a substantially perpendicular angle such that the portion of the tab is between the outer and inner mating surfaces of the frame.

26. The method of claim 19 wherein bending each edge member at the primary recess to a substantially perpendicular angle includes bending each edge member incrementally with a series of forms.

27. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

placing the cover and the frame in a fixture to restrain movement of the frame outwardly during the bending of the edge members.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

inserting a form between the first leg and the second leg of the frame to restrain movement of the frame inwardly during the bending of the edge members.