Housing structure of vehicle-mounted electronic equipment

• US 7,120,030 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2003
• Issued: 10/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Azumi, Isao, Watanabe, Tetsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuneo, Kamand
• Assistant Examiner(s): CARPIO, IVAN HERNAN
• Application Number:
  US10/665,489
• Publication Number:
  US 20040095732A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,114 Days
• Field of Search: 361/797, 361/752, 361/736, 439/377, 174/50, 174/50.52, 174 5053- 54, 174/52.1, 428/920, 428/921
• US Class Current: 361/752
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0239 Electronic boxes
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/061 sealed by a gasket held between a removable cover and a body, e.g. O-ring, packing
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/062 sealed by a material injected between a non-removable cover and a body, e.g. hardening in situ
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20436 Inner thermal coupling elements in heat dissipating housings, e.g. protrusions or depressions integrally formed in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20854 Heat transfer by conduction from internal heat source to heat radiating structure H05K7/20863 takes precedence

Abstract

A housing structure for vehicle-mounted electronic equipment according to the present invention is superior in heat dissipation, water resistance, heat resistance and vibration resistance. An electronic substrate is temporarily fixed onto an annular circumferential wall part of a cover made of fire retardant resin, and connector contact pins are soldered to the electronic substrate. The electronic substrate is fixed and held between a heat-transfer base and the annular circumferential wall part with screws, and heat generated by a heating part on the electronic substrate is transferred to the base and dissipated. The annular circumferential wall part has an annular groove in which a sealant is inserted, and the base has an annular protrusion snapped into the annular groove.

Claims

1. A housing structure of vehicle-mounted electronic equipment comprising:

a connector housing into which a large number of contact pins are press-fitted and a counter-connector is inserted;

a cover in which a canopy pan and an annular circumferential wall part are integrally formed by a fire retardant resin filled with glass filler;

an electronic substrate temporarily fixed onto an inner wall of said annular circumferential wall part, and to which said contact pins are connected; and

a highly conductive heat-transfer base that is disposed in contact with said electronic substrate so that a heat generated by the heating part mounted on said electronic substrate is transferred and dissipated, and which is provided with mounting lugs for mounting the base on a vehicle body;

wherein said annular circumferential wall part is provided with an annular groove in which a sealant is inserted and plural screw holes located at the outside of said annular groove;

said base is provided with an annular protrusion snapped into said annular groove and has plural through holes located at the outside of said annular protrusion; and

by inserting fixing screws into said screw holes through said through holes, said electronic substrate is held between said annular circumferential wall part and said base.

2. The housing structure of vehicle-mounted electronic equipment according to claim 1, wherein said electronic substrate is temporarily fixed by press-fitting a protrusion part provided on the inner wall of said anfuilar circumferential wall part into a mounting hole provided on said electronic substrate.

3. The housing structure of vehicle-mounted electronic equipment according to claim 1,

wherein said cover integrally formed with said connector housing is composed of a fire retardant resin, comprising polybutyleneterephthalate resin which is filled with 15 to 40% by weight of glass filler;

wherein said base is manufactured by aluminum die-casting;

wherein an adhesive sealant made of a room-temperature-setting liquid silicone rubber is used as said sealant.

4. The housing structure of vehicle-mounted electronic equipment according to claim 1,

wherein said canopy part is provided with a column having a central screw hole with one end blocked at a central position thereof;

said base is provided with a pedestal, on which the electronic substrate is placed, and a central through hole passing through said pedestal substantially at the central position thereof;

said cover, said electronic substrate, and said base are integrally formed and reinforced by a central fixing screw inserted into said central screw hole through said central through hole;

said electronic substrate is sandwiched between an end part of said pedestal and an end part of said column; and

a waterproof sealant is applied to a head of said central fixing screw.

5. The housing structure of vehicle-mounted electronic equipment according to claim 1, further comprising:

a copper-foil area that is electrically connected to the heating part mounted on said electronic substrate and disposed on the underside of said electronic substrate;

a heat-transfer soft insulating layer that covers said copper-foil area; and

a heat-transfer protrusion provided on said base.

6. The housing structure of vehicle-mounted electronic equipment according to claim 1, further comprising:

a copper-foil area that is electrically connected to the heating part mounted on said electronic substrate and disposed on the underside of said electronic substrate;

a heat-transfer soft insulating layer that covers said copper-foil area; and

a heat-transfer protrusion provided on said base;

wherein said soft insulating layer is composed of a room-temperature-setting liquid silicone rubber filled with a heat-transfer filler.

7. The housing structure of vehicle-mounted electronic equipment according to claim 1, further comprising:

a copper-foil area that is electrically connected to the heating part mounted on said electronic substrate and disposed on the underside of said electronic substrate;

a heat-transfer soft insulating layer that covers said copper-foil area; and

a heat-transfer protrusion provided on said base;

wherein said soft insulating layer is composed of a heat-transfer elastic insulating sheet.

8. A housing structure comprising:

a connector housing into which a plurality of contact pins are press fitted;

a cover integrally formed with said connector housing and which has a canopy part and an annular circumferential wall part;

an electronic substrate connected to said contact pins and fixed onto an inner wall of said annular circumferential wall part;

a highly heat conductive base disposed in contact with said electronic substrate for dissipating heat from a heating part on said electronic substrate and provided with mounting lugs for mounting the base;

wherein said annular circumferential wall part has an annular groove and a plurality of screw holes located outside of said annular groove;

wherein said base has an annular protrusion snapped into said annular groove for retaining a sealant, and has a plurality of through holes located outside said annular protrusion;

wherein by inserting fixing screws into said screw holes through said through holes said electronic substrate is held between said annular circumferential wall part and said base.

9. The housing structure according to claim 8, wherein said electronic substrate is temporarily fixed by press-fitting a protrusion part provided on the inner wall of said annular circumferential wall part into a mounting hole provided on said electronic substrate.

10. The housing structure according to claim 8, wherein said cover is composed of a fire retardant resin;

said base is manufactured by aluminum diecasting, and said sealant is an adhesive sealant made of room temperature setting liquid silicone rubber.

11. The housing structure according to claim 8, further comprising:

a copper foil area that is electrically connected to said heating part and disposed on said electrical substrate on a side opposite said heating part;

a heat transfer protrusion on said base; and

a soft insulating layer disposed between said copper foil area and said heat transfer protrusion.

12. The housing structure according to claim 11, wherein said soft insulating layer is a room temperature setting liquid silicone rubber with a heat transfer filler or a heat transfer elastic insulating sheet.