Modular electronic control unit housing

• US 7,369,399 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2006
• Issued: 05/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Blue Leaf IP Incorporated (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Original Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Inventors: Richardson, Mike
• Primary Examiner(s): DUONG, HUNG V
• Application Number:
  US11/416,272
• Publication Number:
  US 20060256535A1
• Time in Patent Office: 735 Days
• Field of Search: 365/185.08, 365/226, 439/587, 439/271, 439/620.1, 174/529, 174/530, 362/295, 362/105, 361679-687, 361724-727, 257/678, 257/679
• US Class Current: 361/679.01
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0021 Side-by-side or stacked arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0065 wherein modules are associated together, e.g. electromechanical assemblies, modular structures
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/023 Stackable modules

Abstract

A housing module 10 for a circuit board comprises a first chamber 20 for accommodating a main part of the circuit board and a second chamber 22 bordering the first chamber 20 and having a greater depth that the first chamber 20 to enable it to accommodate a connector 16 located along an edge of the circuit board and protruding above the surface of the circuit by an amount exceeding the depth of the first chamber 20. The exterior of the module 10 is shaped to enable two similar modules 10 to be stacked with the first chambers 20 overlying one another and with the second chambers 22 circumferentially staggered around the stack, thereby and acting to maintain the modules of the stack in alignment with one another.

Claims

1. A housing module for a circuit board, comprising a first chamber for accommodating a main part of the circuit board and a second chamber bordering the first chamber and having a greater depth than the first chamber to enable the second chamber to accommodate a connector located along an edge of the circuit board and protruding above the surface of the circuit board by an amount exceeding the depth of the first chamber, wherein the exterior of the module is shaped to enable two similar modules to be stacked with the first chambers overlying one another and with the second chambers circumfererentially staggered around the stack and acting to maintain the modules of the stack in alignment with one another.

2. A housing module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first chamber of the housing module has parallel flat top and bottom surfaces which are each shaped as a regular polygon.

3. A housing module as claimed in claim 2, wherein the regular polygon is a square.

4. A housing module as claimed in claim 2, wherein the regular polygon is a hexagon.

5. A housing module as claimed in claim 1, wherein two or more second chambers are provided which are disposed symmetrically about an axis of rotational symmetry of the first chamber.

6. A housing module as claimed claim 1, wherein an ear projects from one of the sides of the first chamber in such a manner that the ears of subsequent stacked modules align with one another to enable the modules to be secured to one another.