Casing for electronic control devices

• US 6,707,678 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2002
• Issued: 03/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Takasu, Hideki, Kobayashi, Toshiki, Kato, Keiichi, Fujimura, Toshio
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuneo, Kamand
• Assistant Examiner(s): DINH, TUAN T
• Application Number:
  US10/132,297
• Publication Number:
  US 20020112870A1
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: 361/752-753, 361/824-826, 200/11.1, 200/61.88, 200/61.91
• 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 circuit unit, and the casing body having an opening in its upper face portion, an open edge portion and a sidewall portion;

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

a connector opening formed in the sidewall portion of the casing body in communication with the opening for fitting with a connector of the electronic circuit unit therein;

a liquid sealing material for sealing between the open edge portion of the casing body and the peripheral edge portion of the cover, between the upper face portion of the connector and the peripheral edge portion of the cover, and between an inner face portion of the connector opening and an outer face portion of the connector; and

a positioning portion provided one of at two inner side portions of the connector opening and at two outer side portions of the connector for positioning the connector to retain a predetermined clearance between the inner side portions of the connector opening and the outer side portions of the connector.

2. The casing according to claim 1, wherein the positioning portion is made of a projection.

3. The casing according to claim 1, wherein the positioning portion is made of a ridge portion.

4. The casing according to claim 3, wherein the ridge portion is formed to extend from the upper end portion to the lower end portion either on the inner side portions of the connector opening or on the outer side portions of the connector.

5. The casing according to claim 3, further comprising a groove portion formed in the two sides of the ridge portion.

6. The casing according to claim 3, further comprising:

a groove portion formed in the open edge portion of the casing body; and

a ridge portion having a generally U-shaped section and formed in the peripheral edge portion of the cover for being fitted in the groove portion of the casing body.

7. The casing according to claim 6, wherein the cover is made by pressing a steel sheet.

8. A casing for an electronic control device, comprising

an electronic circuit unit;

a connector disposed at one end portion of the electronic circuit unit, the connector having a groove formed on an upper side thereof;

a casing body for casing the electronic circuit unit, and the casing body having an opening on an upper side thereof and a connector opening formed on a sidewall thereof, the connector opening communicating with the opening for fitting with the connector therein;

a cover made of a sheet material for closing the opening of the casing body, the cover having a ridge portion that fits with the groove portion of the connector; and

a liquid sealing material filled between the groove portion of the connector and the ridge portion of the cover.

9. The casing according to claim 8, further comprising:

a groove formed on the inner bottom portion of the connector opening and adapted to be filled with the liquid sealing material; and

a projection formed on a lower side of the connector and fitted in the groove of the connector opening.

10. The casing according to claim 8, wherein the casing body has a groove around the opening in which the ridge portion of the cover fits, and the liquid sealing material is filled between the groove of the casing body and the ridge portion of the cover.

11. The casing according to claim 8, further comprising:

a sealing member disposed between the connector and an inner side surface of the connector opening for sealing between the connector and an inner surface of the connector opening.

12. The casing according to claim 8, wherein the electronic circuit unit has a printed circuit board on which the connector is supported.

13. The casing according to claim 8, wherein the ridge portion has a generally U-shaped section.

14. The casing according to claim 11, wherein the sealing member includes a liquid sealing material.

15. The casing according to claim 9, wherein the groove on the casing body and the groove on the connector extends continuously to surround the opening of the casing body, and the ridge portion of the cover forms a continuous ridge corresponding to the grooves.

16. The casing according to claim 14, wherein the casing body defines a groove on the inner surface of the connector opening filed with the liquid sealing material.

17. The casing according to claim 14, wherein the casing body has a protrusion on the inner surface of the connector opening, the protrusion providing a gap between the connector and the inner surface of the connector opening within which the liquid sealing material is filled.

18. The casing according to claim 16, wherein the connector has a protrusion protruding into the groove on the inner surface of the connector opening.