Electronic control unit and vehicle behavior control device

• US 8,112,196 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2008
• Issued: 02/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autoliv Nissin Brake Systems Japan Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissin Kogyo Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Takayanagi, Akihide
• Primary Examiner(s): Culbreth, Eric
• Assistant Examiner(s): FRISBY, KEITH J
• Application Number:
  US12/178,814
• Publication Number:
  US 20090030571A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,293 Days
• Field of Search: 701/36, 303/119.3, 361/796, 361/752, 361/622, 439/74, 439/75, 439/76.1, 439/76.2, 734/93
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/368 combined with other mechanical components, e.g. pump units, master cylinders
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 13/0835 Cartridge type valves
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 13/0853 Electric circuit boards
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 13/086 Sensing means, e.g. pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/144 Stacked arrangements of planar printed circuit boards
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/042 Stacked spaced PCBs; Planar parts of folded flexible circuits having mounted components in between or spaced from each other
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09754 Connector integrally incorporated in the PCB or in housing mounted connecter H05K2201/10189
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0999 Circuit printed on or in housing, e.g. housing as PCB; Circuit printed on the case of a component; PCB affixed to housing
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10287 Metal wires as connectors or conductors

Abstract

An electronic control unit includes a sensor circuit board 30 which is mounted with sensors 33, 34 for detecting a predetermined physical quantity; a control circuit board 20 which controls an operation of an electric component on the basis of the physical quantity detected by the sensors 33, 34; and a housing 40 which accommodates the sensor circuit board 30 and the control circuit board 20, wherein at least one of the sensor circuit board 30 and the control circuit board 20 is mounted to a circuit board support stepped portion 47 formed in an inner surface of the housing 40 so that the sensor circuit board 30 and the control circuit board 20 are arranged in a layered state.

Claims

1. An electronic control unit comprising:

a sensor circuit board which is mounted with a sensor for detecting a physical quantity;

a control circuit board which controls an operation of an electromagnetic component on a basis of the detected physical quantity; and

a housing which accommodates the sensor circuit board and the control circuit board,

wherein the sensor circuit board is mounted to a stepped portion formed in an inner surface of the housing so that the sensor circuit board and the control circuit board are arranged in a layered state, and the control circuit board is mounted to a different portion of the housing such that a portion of the control circuit board is surrounded by the stepped portion, and

the sensor circuit board is electrically connected to the control circuit board by a conductive member embedded in the housing.

2. The electronic control unit according to claim 1, wherein the conductive member includes a connection terminal exposed on a surface of the stepped portion, and

the sensor circuit board is electrically connected to the connection terminal by a bonding wire.

3. The electronic control unit according to claim 1, wherein the conductive member comprises a press-fitting terminal exposed on a surface of the stepped portion, and

the press-fitting terminal is press-fitted to a connection hole formed in the sensor circuit board so that the sensor circuit board is electrically connected to the press-fitting terminal.

4. The electronic control unit according to claim 1, wherein an engagement portion is formed in the inner surface of the housing to insert the sensor circuit board.

5. The electronic control unit according to claim 1, wherein a layered portion is formed on a surface of the control circuit board so as to layer the sensor circuit board above the control circuit board,

and a tallest electronic component among a plurality of the electronic components mounted to the surface of the control circuit board is mounted to a portion other than the layered portion.

6. The electronic control unit according to claim 5, wherein the layered portion has a space between the control circuit board and the sensor circuit board, and the plurality of electronic components are mounted at a space between the control circuit board and the sensor circuit board.

7. The electronic control unit according to claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises an angular speed sensor and an acceleration sensor.

8. A vehicle behavior control device using the electronic control unit according to claim 1, comprising:

a base body; and

the electromagnetic component which is provided in the base body,

wherein the electronic control unit controls an operation of the electromagnetic component on the basis of the behavior of a vehicle body detected by the sensor so as to control a brake hydraulic pressure in a brake hydraulic passage.

9. The electronic control unit according to claim 8, wherein the conductive member includes a connection terminal exposed on a surface of the stepped portion, and

the sensor circuit board is electrically connected to the connection terminal by a bonding wire.

10. The electronic control unit according to claim 1, wherein the conductive member includes a press-fitting terminal exposed on a surface of the stepped portion, and the press-fitting terminal is press-fitted to a connection hole formed in the control circuit board so that the control circuit board is electrically connected to the press-fitting terminal.

11. The electronic control unit according to claim 1, wherein the sensor circuit board and the control circuit board only partially overlap with one another.

12. The electronic control unit according to claim 11, wherein a portion of the sensor circuit board extends beyond the control circuit board, and a portion of the control circuit board mounted to the stepped portion extends beyond the sensor circuit board.

13. The electronic control unit according to claim 1, wherein the housing comprises an upward extending periphery wall, the upward extending periphery wall surrounding both the sensor circuit board and the control circuit board.

14. The electronic control unit according to claim 13, wherein an outer peripheral shape of the upward extending periphery wall is substantially formed into a rectangular shape with an outward swollen part formed in two elongate sides.

15. The electronic control unit according to claim 14, further comprising a first terminal collection portion formed on an inner side of the swollen part.

16. The electronic control unit according to claim 1, further comprising reference pins protruding from the stepped portion between mounting holes, wherein positioning holes are formed in the sensor circuit board so that the reference pins protruding from the stepped portion are insertable therethrough.

17. The electronic control unit according to claim 16, wherein the sensor circuit board is positioned such that a detection shaft of an angular speed sensor and acceleration sensor is identical with a reference shaft indicating front, rear, left, and right directions of a vehicle.

18. The electronic control unit according to claim 1, wherein the conductive member is terminals positioned on an inner wall of a periphery wall surrounding both the sensor circuit board and the control circuit board, wherein an electronic circuit of the sensor circuit board is electrically connected to the terminals by bonding wires.

19. The electronic control unit according to claim 1, further comprising control circuit board support portions, positioned below a surface of the stepped portion and within an area defined by the stepped portion, and structured to attach the control circuit board to the housing.

20. An electronic control unit comprising:

a sensor circuit board which is mounted with a sensor for detecting a physical quantity;

a control circuit board which controls an operation of an electric component on a basis of the detected physical quantity; and

a housing which accommodates the sensor circuit board and the control circuit board,

wherein the sensor circuit board is mounted to a stepped portion formed in an inner surface of the housing so that the sensor circuit board and the control circuit board are arranged in a layered state and both of which are surrounded by a single upward extending periphery wall; and

the sensor circuit board is electrically connected to the control circuit board by a conductive member embedded in the housing.