LIGHTWEIGHT AUDIO SYSTEM FOR AUTOMOTIVE APPLICATIONS AND METHOD

• US 20100246155A1
• Filed: 05/26/2010
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aptiv Technologies Limited (Aptiv PLC)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: HASSLER, EDGAR GLENN, SNIDER, CHRIS R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,305,773 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/818
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 26/027 Means for controlling fluid parameters, e.g. pressure or temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 26/031 Mould construction B21D26/025 - B21D26/029 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/082 to be used in vehicles H04B1/086 takes precedence; holding or mounting accessories B60R11/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 15/02 Reducing interference from electric apparatus by means located at or near the interfering apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 9/0047 being rigid plastic containers having conductive particles, fibres or mesh embedded therein
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1028 by bending, drawing or stretch forming sheet to assume shape of configured lamina while in contact therewith
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4998 Combined manufacture including applying or shaping of fluent material

Abstract

A housing assembly for a lightweight electronic device for vehicular application is virtually “fastenerless” and includes a one-piece case formed of a layered composite structure including polymer based, electrically insulating sheet material and electrically conductive sheet material that is compression molded or hydroformed to provide three-dimensional case details to accept one or more electronic devices such as circuit boards required for electrical control and display of vehicle based systems. The conductive sheet material is preferably a wire mesh which provides shielding from electrical anomalies and grounding of the circuit boards via exposed wire mesh pads and adjacent ground clips. Major components and subassemblies are self-fixturing during the final assembly process, eliminating the need for dedicated tools, fixtures and assembly equipment.

Claims

1. An automotive electronic system housing assembly comprising:

a compression molded three-dimensional case configured to define a substantially closed cavity, said case formed of a layered coalesced composite of relatively rigid polymer sheet material and electrically conductive sheet material operative to shield an electronic component carried within said cavity from electrical anomalies, said case defining integral engagement features operative to mount said electronic component within said cavity and to mount said housing assembly within a host automobile.

2. An automotive electronic system housing assembly comprising:

a compression molded clamshell-shaped case including upper and lower cooperating case halves integrally interconnected along a common edge thereof by a living hinge, said case formed of a layered coalesced composite of relatively rigid continuous polymer sheet material and electrically conductive sheet material operative to shield an electronic component carried within a closed cavity formed thereby from electrical anomalies, said case defining integral engagement features operative to mount said electronic component within said cavity and to mount said housing assembly within a host automobile.

3. The housing assembly of claim 2, wherein said electrically conductive material comprises a wire screen.

4. The housing assembly of claim 3, wherein said coalescence is affected by polymer material from said polymer sheet material flowing under compression loading within interstices of said wire screen.

5. The housing assembly of claim 2, wherein said living hinge comprises a continuous portion of said layer of electrically conductive material integrally bridging said adjacent case half edges.

6. The housing assembly of claim 2, wherein said living hinge comprises a segment of said layer of polymer material integrally bridging said adjacent case half edges.

7. The housing assembly of claim 2, wherein said case is formed of a layered coalesced composite of inner and outer layers of continuous polymer sheet material and an intermediate layer of electrically conductive sheet material.

8. The housing assembly of claim 7, wherein said electrically conductive material comprises a wire screen and wherein said inner and outer layers of polymer sheet material flow under compressive loading within the interstices of said wire screen to form a knit line substantially collocated on a center line of said wire screen.

9. The housing assembly of claim 2, wherein a localized portion of said conductive material is exposed within said cavity to affect an electrical ground path to said electronic component.

10. The housing assembly of claim 2, wherein a localized portion of said conductive material is exposed on an external surface of said case to affect an electrical ground path to said host automobile.

11. The housing assembly of claim 2, further comprising a discrete closure member cooperating with said case to enclose said electronic component, said closure member formed of rigid electrically conductive material or a layered coalesced composite of relatively rigid continuous polymer sheet material and electrically conductive sheet material.

12. The housing assembly of claim 11, wherein said closure member comprises a trim panel integrating operator controls and displays carried adjacent an outer surface of said closure member, wherein said trim panel conductive sheet material is in circuit with said case conductive sheet material.

13. The housing assembly of claim 12, wherein said trim panel defines integral features configured to cooperatively engage mating case engagement features to affect fastenerless interconnection of said housing assembly and said trim panel.

14. The housing assembly of claim 2, further comprising a convector for dissipating heat generated by a power device incorporated with said electronic component, said convector mounted externally on said case and defining integral engagement features to affect fastenerless interconnection of said housing assembly and convector.

15. The housing assembly of claim 2, wherein upper case half defines a top wall, left and right partial upper side walls, and an upper partial rear wall, and wherein said lower case half defines a bottom wall, left and right partial lower side walls, and a lower partial rear wall, and wherein said case defines a front opening when said upper and lower case halves are in a folded orientation.

16. A method of fabricating an automotive electronic system housing assembly including a contoured case and at least one discrete closure member cooperatively enclosing at least one electronic component, said method comprising the steps of:

forming a generally planer composite preform blank consisting of at least one layer of relatively rigid polymer sheet material and at least one layer of electrically conductive sheet material capable of shielding said electronic component from electrical anomalies;

positioning said preform blank within a compression mold apparatus wherein said blank registers with a contoured die form within said apparatus;

actuating said compression mold apparatus, whereby areas of said preform blank are selectively distended to substantially conform to said contoured die to form said case to net shape; and

releasing and removing said case from said apparatus.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of trimming and/or punching said case to final net shape.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of pre-heating said perform blank prior to positioning it within said compression mold apparatus.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of providing said polymer sheet material and said electrically conductive sheet material from a continuous source of feed stock.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein said compression mold apparatus comprises a hydroform mold including means to controllably position said die form adjacent one surface of said preform blank, and flexible, fluid-filled bladder means operable to apply opposed surface pressure against an opposite surface of said preform blank to affect said distension as a function of fluid pressure within said bladder and displacement of said die form.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein said case is formed into upper and lower case halves integrally joined by an elongated living hinge.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein said step of forming said composite preform blank consists of forming a blank consisting of upper and lower layers of relatively rigid polymer sheet material and an intermediate layer of electrically conductive sheet material capable of shielding said electronic component from electrical anomalies;

23. The method of claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

affixing said electrical component to one of said case halves;

folding said preform wall case halves about said living hinge until said electrical component is substantially enclosed by said case halves; and

;

affixing respective pairs of cooperating engagement features integrally formed on said case halves to retain said case in a three-dimensional configuration.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising the step of

affixing said closure member to said case to effect substantially complete enclosure of said electronic device.