Casing for electronic control devices

• US 6,407,925 B1
• Filed: 09/15/2000
• Issued: 06/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Toshiki, Kato, Keiichi, Takasu, Hideki, Fujimura, Toshio
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuneo, Kamand
• Assistant Examiner(s): DINH, TUAN T
• Application Number:
  US09/662,921
• Time in Patent Office: 641 Days
• Field of Search: 361/737, 361/752, 361/740, 361/753, 361/759, 361/824-826, 200/61.88, 200/61.91, 200/11.1
• US Class Current: 361/752
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0052 characterized by joining features of the housing parts
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/062 sealed by a material injected between a non-removable cover and a body, e.g. hardening in situ

Abstract

A casing for an electronic control device, by which a cover and a casing body are reliably sealed up while preventing the cover from warping or from being distorted, although the cover is made of a thin sheet material. The electronic control device casing comprises: a casing body having an opening in its upper face portion for casing a printed circuit board; a cover made of a sheet material for closing the opening of the casing body; a groove portion formed in the open edge portion of the casing body; a liquid sealing material fitted in the groove portion for sealing the open edge portion of the casing body and the flange portion of the cover; and a ridge portion having a generally U-shaped section and formed on the flange portion of the cover for being fitted in the groove portion of the casing body.

Claims

1. A casing for an electronic control device, comprising:

a casing body for casing an electronic control unit, and having an open edge portion defining an opening, the open edge portion including a groove portion, the casing body including a wall portion formed to rise from the open edge portion on an outer side of the groove portion;

a cover for closing the opening of the casing body, the cover having a peripheral edge portion; and

a liquid sealing material filled in the groove portion for sealing the open edge portion of the casing body and the peripheral edge portion of the cover, wherein the wall portion of the casing body is located on an outside of the peripheral edge portion of the cover and includes an upper edge portion that rises higher than an upper edge of the groove portion.

2. The casing according to claim 1, wherein the cover is made of a metal sheet.

3. The casing according to claim 2, wherein the cover is made of a steel sheet.

4. The casing according to claim 3, wherein the cover is press formed.

5. The casing according to claim 1, further comprising a horizontal portion the peripheral edge portion of the cover and extending outside of the ridge portion.

6. The casing according to claim 2, wherein the cover is press formed.

7. The casing according to claim 5, wherein the upper edge portion of the wall portion is located higher than an upper surface of the horizontal portion.

8. The casing according to claim 5, wherein the open edge portion of the casing body further includes a supporting surface for supporting the horizontal portion of the cover, the supporting surface is formed just outside the groove, and wherein the wall portion perpendicularly rises from the supporting surface.

9. The casing according to claim 5, wherein a part of the liquid sealing material exists between the horizontal portion of the cover and the supporting surface of the casing body, and between an outer periphery of the cover and the wall portion of the casing body.

10. The casing according to claim 5, wherein a part of the liquid sealing material is deformed by the wall portion and is stuck on an upper surface of the horizontal portion of the cover.

11. The casing according to claim 9, wherein a part of the liquid sealing material protrudes above the horizontal portion of the cover from a gap between the outer periphery of the cover and the wall portion of the casing body.

12. The casing according to claim 11, wherein a part of the liquid sealing material is stuck on an upper surface of the horizontal portion of the cover.

13. The casing according to claim 1, wherein the cover includes a ridged portion having a bent portion formed on the peripheral edge portion so as to be fitted in the groove portion of the casing body.

14. The casing according to claim 13, wherein the ridge portion has a U-shaped section.

15. The casing according to claim 13, wherein the ridge portion is press formed.