METHOD AND STRUCTURE FOR LIMITING COVER DEFLECTION IN AN ECU WHEN EXPOSED TO HIGH ALTITUDE ENVIRONMENTS

• US 20150138738A1
• Filed: 11/19/2013
• Published: 05/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vitesco Technologies USA, LLC (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Kothamasa, Ravi Kiran, Moore, Kevin D.
• Granted Patent: US 9,961,786 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/752
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0052 characterized by joining features of the housing parts

Abstract

An engine control unit (ECU) includes a housing, a cover sealingly engaged with the housing, a circuit board disposed in the housing and support structure disposed in the housing and associated with an inner surface of the cover. At least one fastener couples both the support structure and the circuit board to the housing. An adhesive bonds at least portions of the support structure to portions of the inner surface of the cover. The support structure is constructed and arranged to limit deflection of the cover when internal pressure increase in the ECU.

Claims

1. An engine control unit (ECU) comprising:

a housing,

a cover sealingly engaged with the housing,

a circuit board disposed in the housing, support structure disposed in the housing and associated with an inner surface of the cover,

at least one fastener coupling both the support structure and the circuit board to the housing, and

an adhesive bonding at least portions of the support structure to portions of the inner surface of the cover,

wherein the support structure is constructed and arranged to limit deflection of the cover when internal pressure increases in the ECU.

2. The ECU of claim 1, wherein the cover is composed of stamped metal.

3. The ECU of claim 1, wherein the support structure is an elongated, rigid plate.

4. The ECU of claim 2, wherein the support structure includes a generally planar surface, the adhesive being disposed between portions of the generally planar surface and the portions of the inner surface of the cover.

5. The ECU of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the support structure is located generally centrally of the cover.

6. The ECU of claim 5, wherein the cover is generally rectangular and the support structure extends substantially between opposing sides of the cover.

7. The ECU of claim 5, wherein the cover is generally rectangular and the support structure extends substantially diagonally between opposing corners of the cover.

8. The ECU of claim 1, wherein the circuit board includes a generally centrally located mounting bore there-through, and the support structure incudes a mounting portion having a bore there-through, the fastener extending through the bore of the support structure and through the mounting bore of the circuit board in threaded engagement with the housing.

9. The ECU of claim 1, wherein the circuit board includes at least two bores there-through, and the support structure incudes at least two mounting portions, each having a bore there-through, a fastener extending through each bore of the support structure and through a corresponding bore of the circuit board in threaded engagement with the housing.

10. The ECU of claim 4, wherein the generally planar surface of the support structure is in spaced relation with the mounting portion so that the at least one fastener is in a plane different from a plane of the generally planar surface.

11. A method of providing rigidity to a cover of an engine control unit (ECU), the ECU having a housing and a circuit board, the circuit board having at least one mounting bore there-through, the method comprising steps of:

placing the circuit board in the housing,

providing support structure having at least one bore there-through,

aligning the at least one bore of the support structure with the at least one mounting bore of the circuit board,

providing a fastener through the aligned bores and coupling the fastener to the housing to secure both the support structure and the circuit board to the housing,

providing adhesive on an upper surface of the support structure, and

placing the cover in sealed relation with the housing, thereby compressing the adhesive between the upper surface of the support structure and an inner surface of the cover to bond the support structure to the cover.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the cover is composed of stamped metal.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the support structure is provided as an elongated, rigid plate.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the support structure includes a generally planar surface, the adhesive being provided on at least a portion of the generally planar surface.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein at least a portion of the support structure is located generally centrally of the cover.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the cover is generally rectangular and the support structure extends substantially between opposing sides of the cover.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the cover is generally rectangular and the support structure extends substantially diagonally between opposing corners of the cover.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the circuit board includes as single mounting bore located generally centrally of the circuit board, and wherein the bore in the support structure is a single bore.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the circuit board includes at least two mounting bores there-through, and the support structure incudes at least two bores there-through, a fastener being provided through each bore of the support structure and through a corresponding mounting bore of the circuit board.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the coupling step includes causing threaded engagement of the fastener with the housing.