Electronic control unit and protective case

• US 9,578,761 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2014
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Yokota, Masaru, Suzaki, Mitsuteru, Chitaka, Hiroki
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Courtney
• Assistant Examiner(s): Morrison, Rashen E
• Application Number:
  US14/892,075
• Publication Number:
  US 20160120044A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,012 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0239 Electronic boxes
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/00 Casings, cabinets or drawers for electric apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0008 assembled by screws
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0017 with operator interface units
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0039 having a tubular housing wherein the PCB is inserted longitudinally
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0047 having a two-part housing enclosing a PCB
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/14 Mounting supporting structure in casing or on frame or rack

Abstract

An electronic control unit includes a plate-shaped control board, a long pillar-shaped battery pack, a fixing frame that includes a juxtaposing and mounting part, to which the control board and the battery pack are fixed, and a housing that includes an opening portion and a back side holding portion to accommodate the control board and the battery pack. The juxtaposing and mounting part is inserted into the opening portion. The fixing frame is fixed to the opening portion. The back side holding portion holds the juxtaposing and mounting part at an inner back side of the housing opposed to the opening portion. The back side holding portion includes a protruding portion protruding toward the opening portion at a position away from a bottom surface of the housing on the inner back side of the housing. The juxtaposing and mounting part includes a tip portion in a direction of the insertion of the juxtaposing and mounting part into the housing. The tip portion has a curved shape that is urged from its upper side by a lower surface of the protruding portion and that is urged from its lower side by the bottom surface of the housing on the inner back side of the housing.

Claims

1. An electronic control unit comprising:

a plate-shaped control board that includes an electronic control circuit mounted with electronic parts;

a long pillar-shaped battery pack that receives a backup battery capable of constantly supplying electric power to the electronic control circuit;

a fixing frame that includes a juxtaposing and mounting part on which the control board and the battery pack are mounted in a state of being adjacent to each other with a boundary line along a longitudinal direction of the battery pack therebetween, wherein the control board and the battery pack are fixed to the juxtaposing and mounting part; and

a housing that includes an opening portion and a back side holding portion to accommodate the control board and the battery pack, wherein;

the juxtaposing and mounting part of the fixing frame is inserted into the opening portion;

the fixing frame is fixed to the opening portion;

the back side holding portion holds the juxtaposing and mounting part at an inner back side of the housing opposed to the opening portion;

the back side holding portion of the housing includes a protruding portion protruding toward the opening portion at a position away from a bottom surface of the housing on the inner back side of the housing;

the juxtaposing and mounting part of the fixing frame includes a tip portion in a direction of the insertion of the juxtaposing and mounting part into the housing; and

the tip portion has a curved shape that is urged from its upper side by a lower surface of the protruding portion and that is urged from its lower side by the bottom surface of the housing on the inner back side of the housing.

2. The electronic control unit according to claim 1, wherein:

the tip portion of the juxtaposing and mounting part of the fixing frame in the direction of the insertion of the juxtaposing and mounting part into the housing includes a tip protruding portion that is urged from its upper side by the lower surface of the protruding portion; and

the juxtaposing and mounting part includes a flange that clamps the protruding portion together with the tip protruding portion with the control board mounted on the flange.

3. The electronic control unit according to claim 1, wherein:

the tip portion of the juxtaposing and mounting part of the fixing frame in the direction of the insertion of the juxtaposing and mounting part into the housing includes a bottom surface portion that is urged from its lower side by the bottom surface of the housing; and

the bottom surface portion is formed by drawing a main body of the fixing frame.

4. The electronic control unit according to claim 1, wherein:

the tip portion of the juxtaposing and mounting part of the fixing frame in the direction of the insertion of the juxtaposing and mounting part into the housing includes a tip protruding portion that is urged from its upper side by the lower surface of the protruding portion; and

a tip portion of the protruding portion has a curved surface shape for guiding the tip protruding portion to the inner back side of the housing.

5. The electronic control unit according to claim 4, wherein:

the tip portion of the juxtaposing and mounting part of the fixing frame in the direction of the insertion of the juxtaposing and mounting part into the housing includes a bottom surface portion that is urged from its lower side by the bottom surface of the housing; and

the back side holding portion of the housing includes a guide portion having a slope for gradually pushing up the bottom surface portion when the tip protruding portion of the fixing frame is guided to the inner back side of the housing by the tip portion of the protruding portion.

6. A protective case comprising:

a fixing frame that includes a juxtaposing and mounting part on which a plate-shaped control board and a long pillar-shaped battery pack are mounted in a state of being adjacent to each other with a boundary line along a longitudinal direction of the battery pack therebetween, wherein;

the control board includes an electronic control circuit mounted with electronic parts;

the battery pack receives a backup battery capable of constantly supplying electric power to the electronic control circuit; and

the control board and the battery pack are fixed to the juxtaposing and mounting part; and

a housing that includes an opening portion and a back side holding portion to accommodate the control board and the battery pack, wherein;

the juxtaposing and mounting part of the fixing frame is inserted into the opening portion;

the fixing frame is fixed to the opening portion;

the back side holding portion holds the juxtaposing and mounting part at an inner back side of the housing opposed to the opening portion;

the back side holding portion of the housing includes a protruding portion protruding toward the opening portion at a position away from a bottom surface of the housing on the inner back side of the housing;

the juxtaposing and mounting part of the fixing frame includes a tip portion in a direction of the insertion of the juxtaposing and mounting part into the housing; and

the tip portion has a curved shape that is urged from its upper side by a lower surface of the protruding portion and that is urged from its lower side by the bottom surface of the housing on the inner back side of the housing.