Automotive control module housing
First Claim
1. An automotive electronic control module assembly comprising:
- a housing defining an inner cavity wherein said housing includes a pair of outer side walls and a pair of inner side walls spaced apart from and generally parallel to said outer side walls;
a printed circuit board positioned within said cavity and mounted to said housing;
a cover plate positioned over said cavity to enclose said printed circuit board within said housing, said plurality of resilient members being formed on at least one of said outer side walls;
a plurality of resilient members formed on said housing; and
a retaining surface formed on said cover plate wherein said resilient members engage said retaining surface to securely attach said cover plate to said housing.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An automotive control module includes a plastic housing with a snap-fit metal cover. A printed circuit board is positioned within a cavity formed in the housing, and is attached to the housing with a plurality of fasteners. Resilient tabs are formed on side walls of the housing and grip a cover plate surface to define a snap-fit attachment. Once the cover is attached to the plastic housing, the printed circuit board is enclosed within the cavity between the cover and the housing. The cover includes a plurality of heat transfer fins and/or stamped indentations that form surfaces that are positioned in close proximity to the printed circuit board. The cover utilizes these fins and surfaces to form a heat sink for cooling electronics mounted to the printed circuit board.
77 Citations
25 Claims
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1. An automotive electronic control module assembly comprising:
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a housing defining an inner cavity wherein said housing includes a pair of outer side walls and a pair of inner side walls spaced apart from and generally parallel to said outer side walls; a printed circuit board positioned within said cavity and mounted to said housing; a cover plate positioned over said cavity to enclose said printed circuit board within said housing, said plurality of resilient members being formed on at least one of said outer side walls; a plurality of resilient members formed on said housing; and a retaining surface formed on said cover plate wherein said resilient members engage said retaining surface to securely attach said cover plate to said housing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An automotive electronic control module assembly comprising:
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a plastic housing including a bottom portion, a first pair of opposing outer side walls extending upwardly from said bottom portion, a second pair of opposing outer side walls extending between both of said first pair of opposing outer side walls and cooperating with said bottom portion to define a cavity, and a pair of opposing inner side walls positioned within said cavity in an orientation parallel to and spaced apart from said first pair of opposing outer side walls; a printed circuit board positioned within said cavity between said inner side walls; a cover positioned over said cavity to enclose said printed circuit board within said housing, said cover having a body portion and including at least one heat transfer member that is positioned closer to said printed circuit board than said body portion to form a heat sink to facilitate heat transfer from said printed circuit board to said cover; a plurality of resilient members formed on said housing; and a retaining surface formed on said cover wherein said resilient members engage said retaining surface to securely attach said cover to said housing. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for assembling an automotive electronic control module comprising the steps of:
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a) forming a plastic housing with a pair of outer side walls and a pair of inner side walls spaced apart and generally parallel to the outer side walls, mounting a printed circuit board within a cavity formed within plastic housing and forming resilient members on the outer side walls; and b) enclosing the printed circuit board within the cavity by snapping a cover plate into gripping engagement with the housing to form a secure snap-fit attachment between the housing and the cover plate including gripping an upper surface of the cover plate with the resilient members. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification