Housing for safety-relevant control devices in vehicles

• US 6,722,925 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2001
• Issued: 04/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TRW Automotive Electronics & Components GmbH & Co. KG
• Original Assignee: TRW Automotive Electronics & Components GmbH & Co. KG
• Inventors: Skofljanec, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Paumen, Gary
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hammond, Briggitte R.
• Application Number:
  US09/998,981
• Publication Number:
  US 20020060448A1
• Time in Patent Office: 887 Days
• Field of Search: 439/680, 439/609, 439/489, 439/352, 439/188
• US Class Current: 439/680
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/02 for radio sets, television sets, telephones, or the like; Arrangement of controls thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0239 Electronic boxes
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0063 using adhesive means, e.g. hook and loop fasteners
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0071 using latches, clips, clamps, straps or the like

Abstract

A housing system for safety-relevant control devices in vehicles comprises a receptacle (14) for attachment to a car body and a housing part (12) that can be inserted into the receptacle (14). The receptacle (14) and the housing part (12) have complementary form-fitting elements (28, 30) that represent a coding and that engage each other when the housing part (12) is mounted in the receptacle (14), permitting complete assembly of the housing part (12) into the receptacle (14) only when the form-fitting elements (28, 30), of the receptacle (14) and the housing part (12) satisfy a predefined complementarily condition.

Claims

1. A housing system for a safety-relevant control device, the system comprising:

a receptacle directly welded to a car body, and

a housing part for insertion into the receptacle, the housing part housing a safety relevant control device,

the receptacle having an open end face and a plurality of walls including two side walls and an upper wall and the housing part having a plurality of side walls including two side walls, an upper wall and a back wall,

at least one of said side walls and said upper walls of said housing part and said receptacle including complementary form-fitting elements that represent a coding that engage each other when the housing part is inserted completely in the receptacle so that said side walls and upper wall of the receptacle completely surrounds the side walls and upper wall of the housing part and only when the form-fitting elements of the receptacle and the housing part satisfy a predefined complementary condition,

the receptacle having a first plug connector element mounted thereon,

the housing part having a second plug connector element mounted thereon which is complementary to the first plug connector element,

the plug connector elements are adapted to be connected with each other when the housing part is inserted into the receptacle.

2. The housing system according to claim 1 wherein the safety relevant control device is a device for controlling activation of one of an air bag and a seat belt tensioner.

3. The housing system according to claim 1 wherein the safety relevant control device is a direction dependent acceleration sensor for sensing the direction and deceleration parameters indicating a vehicle crash.

4. The housing system according to claim 1 wherein the housing part is slidable into the receptacle, said form fitting elements including complementary recesses and projections that are slidable into each other.

5. The housing system according to claim 4 wherein said form fitting elements include latching elements for latching the housing part into place in the receptacle.

6. The housing system according to claim 4 wherein the housing part is made of plastics and the receptacle is made of metal.

7. The housing system according to claim 4 wherein the housing part is made of aluminum and the receptacle is made of metal, the housing part being made by means of one of a die casting method and an extrusion method.

8. The housing system according to claim 2 wherein the second plug connector element of the housing part has a molded-on connector collar and the first plug connector of the receptacle has a complementary connector socket.

9. A connector system comprising:

a first housing system for a safety-relevant control device and a second housing system for a direction-dependent sensor;

the first housing system comprising a receptacle directly welded to a car body, and a housing part for insertion into the receptacle, the housing part housing a safety relevant control device, the receptacle having an open end face and a plurality of walls including two side walls and an upper wall and the housing part having a plurality of side walls including two side walls, an upper wall and a back wall,

at least one of said side walls and said upper walls of said housing part and said receptacle including complementary form-fitting elements that represent a coding that engage each other when the housing part is inserted completely in the receptacle so that said side walls and upper wall of the receptacle completely surrounds the side walls and upper wall of the housing part and only when the form-fitting elements of the receptacle and the housing part satisfy a predefined complementary condition,

the receptacle having a first plug connector element mounted thereon,

the housing part having a second plug connector element mounted thereon which is complementary to the first plug connector element,

the plug connector elements are adapted to be connected with each other when the housing part is inserted into the receptacle; and

the second housing system including a second receptacle directly welded to the car body and a second housing part for insertion into the second receptacle, the direction-dependent sensor being arranged within the second housing part,

the second receptacle having an open end face and a plurality of walls including two side walls and an upper wall and the second housing part having a plurality of side walls including two side walls, an upper wall and a back wall, at least one of said side walls and said upper walls of said second housing part and said second receptacle including complementary form-fitting elements that represent a coding and that engage each other during assembly of the second housing part in the second receptacle and engage each other only when the form-fitting elements of the second receptacle and the second housing part satisfy a predefined complementary condition,

the second receptacle having a first plug connector element mounted thereon,

the second housing part having a second plug connector element mounted thereon which is complementary to the first plug connector element,

the plug connector elements are adapted to be connected with each other when the second housing part is inserted into the second receptacle.

10. The housing system according to claim 9 wherein the direction dependent sensor is an acceleration sensor.