CN220564227U - Handling device for carrying an electronic control unit - Google Patents

Abstract

The utility model relates to a handling device for handling an electronic control unit, comprising: a movable frame; a displaceable tooling structure defining a receiving area and comprising: a support member receiving at least a portion of the electronic control unit, a first stop member supporting the electronic control unit in the receiving area, providing a stop of the receiving area in a first orientation, a second stop member providing a stop of the receiving area in a second orientation, the second orientation intersecting the first orientation, a third stop mechanism, at least a portion of which is lockable displaceable in the first orientation between an extended position in which a portion of the third stop mechanism is extendable into a further portion of the electronic control unit to fix the position of the electronic control unit in the receiving area in at least one of the first orientation and the second orientation and in a third orientation relative to the tooling structure, the third orientation intersecting both the first orientation and the second orientation, and a retracted position in which the third stop mechanism is separate from the further portion of the electronic control unit.

Description

Handling device for carrying an electronic control unit

Technical Field

The present utility model relates to a handling device for handling an electronic control unit.

Background

Components commonly used in motor vehicles, such as automobiles, include an electronic control unit. It is typically up to about 40kg, for example, to be transferred to an engine compartment. There is a need for savings in time, space, and labor associated with its handling, positioning, etc. in a production line in order to reduce costs and improve efficiency.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the present utility model to provide a handling device for handling an electronic control unit which aims to help address the expense of one or more of assembly process cycle time, production line space and workload of the electronic control unit so that an efficient solution can be provided.

According to some embodiments of the utility model, the object may be achieved by: a handling device for handling electronic control units, comprising: a movable frame; a tooling structure displaceable in a first orientation relative to a frame between a first position and a second position, the tooling structure defining a receiving area and comprising: a support member configured to receive at least a portion of the electronic control unit for supporting the electronic control unit in the receiving area, a first stop member providing a stop of the receiving area in a first orientation, a second stop member providing a stop of the receiving area in a second orientation, the second orientation intersecting the first orientation, a third stop mechanism, at least a portion of the third stop mechanism configured to lockably displace in the first orientation between an extended position in which the portion of the third stop mechanism is extendable into a further portion of the electronic control unit to fix a position of the electronic control unit in the receiving area relative to the tooling structure in at least one of the first orientation and the second orientation and in a third orientation intersecting both the first orientation, the second orientation, and a retracted position in which the portion of the third stop mechanism is separate from the portion of the electronic control unit. Preferably, the second orientation is substantially orthogonal to the first orientation, and the third orientation substantially intersects both the first orientation and the second orientation. Preferably, the first orientation is substantially vertical and the second and third orientations are substantially horizontal. Preferably, the third orientation is a direction from the front side of the handling device towards and away from the frame of the handling device. Preferably, when the tooling structure is positioned with the first and/or second stop members in close proximity to or in substantial contact with the electronic control unit, the received portion of the electronic control unit is substantially aligned with the support member, in particular the receiving slot thereof. Thereby, it is possible to pick up the electronic control unit, which may be at different heights, from different positions, carry it to the desired mounting position and height, and before until mounting, the electronic control unit is in a consistent stable orientation and relative position with respect to the tooling structure, facilitating subsequent alignment and release to e.g. the vehicle body.

According to some embodiments of the utility model, the support member comprises two receiving slots spaced apart in the second orientation, the receiving slots extending lengthwise in the third orientation and having open ends, the notches of the receiving slots facing each other in the second orientation. The electronic control unit can thus be conveniently guided into and out of the receiving area of the tool arrangement by a direct sliding in and out of the tool arrangement from the front side of the handling device relative to the electronic control unit.

According to some embodiments of the utility model, one or both of the first and second stop members comprise a stop surface extending in the third orientation and facing the receiving area. Thereby, the handling device can be facilitated to quickly find a planar position suitable for providing support and fixation for the electronic control unit, thereby reducing inefficiency due to misalignment.

According to some embodiments of the utility model, the third limiting mechanism comprises: a movable body; an insertion pin extending from one side of the movable body in a first direction; a guide rod extending from opposite sides of the movable body in a first orientation, the guide rod slidingly engaging a corresponding hole in the tooling structure, the guide rod configured to guide movement of the movable body in the first orientation; a drive rod extending from an opposite side of the movable body in a first orientation and operatively coupled to the actuation handle, the drive rod configured to drive movement of the movable body in the first orientation. Thereby, a transmission of the third limit mechanism may be provided, wherein the driving action and the guiding action may be at least partly independent of each other, to take into account the influence of lateral forces that may occur on the driving rod. In addition, the insertion pin, as a positioning and/or locking element, may constrain at least two degrees of freedom, thereby facilitating a stop in another part of the electronic control unit, such as a hole.

According to some embodiments of the utility model, the insert pin comprises two insert pins spaced apart in the second orientation, and/or the guide bar comprises two guide bars spaced apart in the second orientation, and/or the drive bar is centrally located between the two insert pins in the second orientation, and/or the drive bar is centrally located between the two guide bars in the second orientation. By providing two guide bars and a centrally located drive bar, a certain symmetry can thereby be provided in order to facilitate the drive and guide actions in the driving movement of the third limit mechanism, for example possibly also reducing the influence of lateral forces. In addition, by providing two insertion pins, at least one rotational degree of freedom is practically constrained, further facilitating the limiting. For example, two insertion pins may be inserted into two holes belonging to the other part of the electronic control unit, respectively.

According to some embodiments of the utility model, the guide bar is sleeved with a spring on a section between the movable body and the corresponding hole, the spring being configured to bias the movable body in one direction of the first orientation. Thereby, locking of the extended position can be facilitated and/or shaking of the movable body due to, for example, displacement or the like can be avoided.

According to some embodiments of the utility model, the first and second stop members provide an upper stop and a side stop, respectively, and are positioned on different sides with respect to the drive rod in the second orientation. Therefore, an observation space between the two limiting members can be left, and the tool structure is convenient to be attached to the electric control unit from the upper part and the side.

According to some embodiments of the utility model, the actuation handle is configured to transmit actuation motion to the drive rod via a link by rotation, wherein the link is configured to pass through a dead point of motion during displacement between the extended position and the retracted position. Thus, a large extension movement of the movable body, in particular of its insertion pin, can be caused by means of a small angular displacement of the actuating handle. In addition, the passage of the dead point further improves the retainability of at least one of the extended position and the retracted position.

According to some embodiments of the utility model, the handling device further comprises an operating structure provided on the opposite side of the frame from the tooling structure, the operating structure comprising: a gripping member positioned in a face extending progressively away from the frame from above to below, and a control interface at least partially surrounded by the gripping member, the control interface being configured to be operated to activate at least a displacement of the tooling structure between a first position and a second position. The area of the operating device is thus provided from an ergonomic point of view, so that on the one hand the operating device can be pushed and pulled over the ground and the direction can be adjusted, and on the other hand the lifting and lowering of the electronic control unit can be controlled mechanically, reducing the manual effort.

According to some embodiments of the utility model, the frame comprises: a chassis to which the rollers are rotatably coupled; a column to which the tooling structure is displaceably coupled. Preferably, the upright is indirectly coupled to the chassis by, for example, a control box. Thereby, a basic construction of the handling device can be easily created, which mainly occupies the vertical dimension, whereas the horizontal dimension may not be significantly larger than the lateral dimension of the electronic control unit.

According to the present utility model, it is possible to provide a clamp structure for an electronic control unit which realizes positioning and supporting of the electronic control unit, and a handling apparatus which can save man-hours, occupied area and labor, thereby contributing to a series and batch production process.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary electronic control unit.

Fig. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a handling device according to the utility model.

Fig. 3 is a partial schematic view of a handling device according to the utility model.

Fig. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of a handling device according to the utility model.

Fig. 5 is a partial schematic view of a handling device according to the utility model.

Detailed Description

The present utility model will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which certain embodiments of the utility model are shown. This utility model may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth and described herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the utility model to those skilled in the art. It will also be appreciated that the embodiments disclosed herein can be combined in any manner and/or combination to provide many additional embodiments.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used in this disclosure have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this utility model belongs. The terminology used in the above description is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the utility model.

Referring now to fig. 1, a schematic diagram of an exemplary electronic control unit 1 is shown. The electronic control unit 1 may be in the form of a generally cubic box. The electronic control unit 1 may define a bottom side, a top side 10 and four lateral sides. The bottom side may be substantially planar, for example, to rest stably in a storage position and/or in an installation position in a car. The top side 10 may be at least partially substantially planar and may include an interface 101 protruding in a direction substantially perpendicular to the top side 10. One or more of the lateral sides may have a generally planar base surface and may be provided with other members. The first lateral side 11 (left front side as illustrated) may comprise one or more receptacles 111, wherein the receptacles 111 may be located in a position of the first lateral side 11 close to the other lateral side 12 (right front side as illustrated) and may protrude in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first lateral side 11. In a substantially central region of the first lateral side 11, a flange 112 is formed, wherein the flange 112 may be located in a position of the first lateral side 11 close to the bottom side and may protrude in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first lateral side 11. In the flange 112, two connection holes H are formed, wherein the connection holes H are spaced apart in the lateral direction and penetrate in the direction between the bottom side and the top side 10, for example, circular through holes. Similarly, the lateral side 12 of the front right side is shown with an additional flange 122 near the corner rather than the central region thereof and a single attachment hole H' therein. Such attachment holes H, H' can be configured to receive fasteners, for example, to be securely positioned at an installation location in an automobile. In a substantially central region of the top side 10 (e.g. belonging to a substantially planar portion of the top side 10), two grooves G are formed, wherein they are spaced apart in the lateral direction and may have open ends facing the first lateral side and may be recessed into the top side 10 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first lateral side 11. The two grooves G may each be formed with a notch of substantially C-shaped cross section, wherein the notches are opposite to each other in the lateral direction, for example, so as to hold up the electronic control unit 1 by hooking in the notches. In the lateral direction, the two connection holes H and the two grooves G may be positioned substantially correspondingly. Note that the lateral direction here may be substantially horizontal.

An electronic control unit 1 is required to be installed in a car, for example for controlling one or more aspects of the car. Thus, on a production line, the electronic control unit 1 needs to be picked up from a storage location, transferred to a desired location in the car for installation fixation, and it is desirable to achieve space, time and/or labor savings during this time.

Referring now to fig. 2, a perspective schematic view of a handling device 100 according to the present utility model is shown, wherein the handling device 100 may define a front side F or receiving side and a rear side B or operating side. The handling device 100 may comprise a movable frame 102. The frame 102 may include a chassis 103, wherein the rollers may be rotatably coupled to the chassis 103. In the illustrated example, the chassis 103 may include a pair of parallel and spaced apart bar members, wherein the bar members may extend in a direction between the front side F and the rear side B, wherein a roller may be rotatably mounted on an underside of each end of the bar members. The frame 102 may include a post 104, wherein a tooling structure 105, described in detail below, may be displaceably coupled to the post 104. In the illustrated example, the post 104 can include a rail and upper and lower stop members 1040 that define a stroke. The handling device 100 may include a control box 106 that may contain a power source, controller, driver, etc., for example, to actuate displacement of the tooling structure 105, as well as input responsive to operation. In the illustrated example, the column 104 may be indirectly coupled to the chassis 103, such as through a control box 106. For example, the control box 106 may be coupled to the bar members on both sides, while the upright 104 may be coupled to the vertical wall of the control box 106 on the rear side B. The control box 106 may be located at the rear of the handling device 100 such that the upright 104 may be located centrally between the handling device 100, in particular the strip-like members.

The handling device 100 may comprise a tooling structure 105 displaceable in a first orientation between a first position and a second position with respect to the frame 102, in particular the upright 104. The tooling structure 105 may define a receiving region R, wherein the receiving region R may face the front side F. Note that since the tooling structure 105 can be displaced, the receiving region R can be displaced accordingly. The electronic control unit 1 may be received, supported and held in the receiving region R in a fixed orientation and relative position with respect to the tooling structure 105. This process may be implemented by one or more components of the tooling structure 105 and their cooperation with one or more parts of the electronic control unit 1.

Referring now to fig. 3, there is shown a partial schematic view of a handling device 100 according to the present utility model, wherein the main part of the tooling structure 105 and the receiving area R are shown in enlarged detail.

The tooling structure 105 may comprise a support member 1050, wherein the support member 1050 is configured to receive at least a portion of the electronic control unit 1 for supporting the electronic control unit 1 in the receiving region R. The received portion of the electronic control unit 1 may be a groove G. In the illustrated example, the support member 1050 includes two receiving slots spaced apart in a direction transverse to the direction between the front side F and the rear side B, or so-called second orientation, wherein the receiving slots extend lengthwise in the direction between the front side F and the rear side B, or so-called third orientation, and have open ends, e.g., open at the front side F. The receiving grooves may be positioned at an upper portion of the receiving region R with a spaced distance substantially corresponding to that of the grooves G of the electronic control unit 1 so as to be interleaved with the grooves G. The two receiving grooves may each be formed with a notch of substantially C-shaped cross section, wherein the notches may face each other, in particular in a horizontal or so-called second orientation, thereby forming an opposing region. For example, the support member 1050 may be disposed on an underside of a base of the tooling structure 105.

The tooling structure 105 may include a first stop member 1051, wherein the first stop member 1051 provides a stop for the receiving region R in the first orientation. The first stop member 1051 is configured such that when the tooling structure 105 is positioned with the first stop member 1051 in close proximity to or in substantial contact with the electronic control unit 1, the received portion (e.g., the channel G) of the electronic control unit 1 is substantially aligned with the support member 1050 (e.g., the receiving slot) in at least the first orientation. In the illustrated example, the first orientation may be substantially perpendicular to a direction between the front side F and the rear side B, and/or substantially parallel to a direction in which the tooling structure 105 is displaced between the first position and the second position, and/or substantially vertical. In the case of being substantially parallel to the direction of displacement or rather substantially vertical, the first stop member 1051 may provide an upper stop and may be positioned above (and in front of) the support member 1050 in an upper portion of the receiving region R. The first stop member 1051 may be formed with a stop surface, e.g. a downward facing stop surface, extending in a direction or so-called third orientation between the front side F and the rear side B and facing the receiving region R, wherein the stop surface of the first stop member 1051 is configured to cooperate with the top side 10 of the electronic control unit 1. For example, the first stop member 1051 may comprise a tab extending from the base of the tooling structure 105 and the positioning in the second orientation is offset, for example to allow for a planar portion of the top side 10 of the electronic control unit 1 (to the right as viewed in fig. 3).

The tooling structure 105 may include a second stop member 1052, wherein the second stop member 1052 provides a stop for the receiving region R in the second orientation. The second stop member 1052 is configured such that when the tooling structure 105 is positioned with the second stop member 1052 in close proximity to or in substantial contact with the electronic control unit 1, the received portion (e.g., channel G) of the electronic control unit 1 is substantially aligned with the support member 1050 (e.g., receiving slot) in at least the second orientation. The second orientation substantially intersects, and in particular is orthogonal to, the first orientation. In the illustrated example, the second orientation may be substantially transverse (and perpendicular) to the direction between the front side F and the rear side B, and/or substantially transverse (and perpendicular) to the direction in which the tooling structure 105 is displaced between the first position and the second position, and/or substantially horizontal. The second stop member 1052 may provide a side stop, in case it is substantially transverse to the direction of displacement or rather substantially horizontal, and may be positioned laterally (and forward) of the receiving region R, laterally (and forward) of the support member 1050. The second stop member 1052 may be formed with a stop surface extending in a direction between the front side F and the rear side B, or a so-called third orientation, and facing the receiving region R, e.g. facing the right side of fig. 3, wherein the stop surface of the second stop member 1052 is configured to cooperate with the lateral side 12 of the electronic control unit 1. For example, the first stop member 1051 may be provided at an end of a lead-out arm (e.g. outwardly in the second orientation) extending from the base of the tooling structure 105, e.g. to take into account the width of the electronic control unit 1 in the lateral direction, and may be in the form of an L-shaped plate, e.g. to take into account the height of the electronic control unit 1 between the top side 10 and the bottom side (as more centered in fig. 3).

The tooling structure 105 may comprise a third stop mechanism 1053, wherein at least a portion of the third stop mechanism 1053 (described in detail below) is configured to lockably displace in the first orientation between an extended position in which the portion of the third stop mechanism 1053 is extendable into a further portion of the electronic control unit 1 to fix the position of the electronic control unit 1 in the receiving region R in relation to the tooling structure 105 in at least one of the first and second orientations and in the third orientation. The third orientation substantially intersects, and is in particular orthogonal to, the first and second orientations. The further part of the electronic control unit 1 may be a hole H. In the illustrated example, the third orientation may be generally along a direction between the front side F and the rear side B, and/or generally transverse (and perpendicular) to a direction in which the tooling structure 105 is displaced between the first position and the second position, and/or generally horizontal. For example, the telescoping portion of the third stop mechanism 1053 may be disposed rearward of the receiving region R, rearward of (and across) the support member 1050.

The third limit mechanism 1053 includes a movable body 1054, an insertion pin 1055, a guide rod 1056, and a drive rod 1057. The insertion pin 1055 may extend from one side (e.g., a vertically lower side) of the movable body 1054 in a first orientation and may have a conical or frustoconical end. The guide rods 1056, 1057 may extend from opposite sides (e.g., vertically upper sides) of the movable body 1054 in a first orientation. The guide bar 1056 may slidably engage a corresponding hole in the tooling structure 105, particularly its base, and may be configured to guide (substantially vertical) movement of the movable body 1054 in the first orientation. The drive rod 1057 may be operatively coupled to an actuation handle (see fig. 4 and detailed below) and may be configured to drive (generally vertical) movement of the movable body 1054 in a first orientation.

With continued reference to fig. 3, the two insert pins 1055 are spaced apart in the second orientation and are spaced apart a distance that generally corresponds to the distance that the aperture H of the electronic control unit 1 is spaced apart to be in insert engagement with the aperture H. The insert pin 1055 is configured such that when the support member 1050 has received at least a portion of the electronic control unit 1 (e.g., the receiving slot and the groove G are at least partially, advantageously substantially, interleaved with each other), the insert pin 1055 is at least substantially aligned with another portion of the electronic control unit 1 (e.g., the aperture H) in the first orientation. The two guide posts 1056 are spaced apart in the second orientation and may be spaced apart a distance equal to or slightly greater than the spacing distance of the two insert pins 1055 in the second orientation. Accordingly, two corresponding holes are spaced in the base of the tooling structure 105 in the second orientation. The insertion pin 1055, guide rod 1056 (and possibly the moveable body 1054, the receiving slot of the support member 1050) may form a generally symmetrical configuration along the axis of the first orientation. For example, the drive rod 1057 is centrally located between two insertion pins 1055 and/or between two guide rods 1056 in the second orientation. Furthermore, the first stop member 1052 and the second stop member 1052 may be located on opposite sides of the drive rod 1057 or axis, particularly outside (e.g., on different sides along the second orientation).

With continued reference to fig. 3, a spring may be sleeved over a section of the guide rod 1056 between the movable body 1054 and a corresponding hole in the base, wherein the spring is configured to bias the movable body 1054 in one direction of the first orientation. For example, such a bias may be a bias towards an extended position such that the insertion pin 1055 tends to remain insertion-fitted in a possible electronic control unit 1. Alternatively, such a bias may be a bias towards the retracted position such that the insertion pin 1055 tends to remain away from the possible electronic control unit 1 until an extension force is applied via the drive rod 1057 by the actuation handle 1058.

Referring now to fig. 4, there is shown a partial cross-sectional view of a handling apparatus 100 according to the present utility model, wherein a drive rod 1057 is hidden for clarity, and an actuation handle 1058 and a linkage 1059 to which the drive rod 1057 is operatively coupled are depicted. Furthermore, corresponding holes in the tooling structure 105 are shown with which the guide rods 1056 slidingly mate. The actuating handle 1058 and linkage 1059 are positioned at an upper portion and possibly partially inside the base of the tooling structure 105. The actuation handle 1058 may be configured to transfer actuation motions to the drive rod 1057 via the linkage 1059 by rotation. In the illustrated example, the actuation handle 1058 may be hinged to the tooling structure 105, particularly a base thereof, particularly a generally central position. One end of the linkage 1059 may be hinged to the actuation handle 1058 at a location between the grip portion and the hinge portion of the actuation handle 1058, while the other end of the linkage 1059 may be hinged to the linkage end of the drive rod 1057. One end and the other end of the linkage 1059 may be offset in a direction between the front side F and the rear side B, for example, to offset the actuation handle 1058 and the drive rod 1057 back and forth. When the actuating handle 1058 is rotated towards the base, one end of the linkage 1059 rotates therewith, the other end of the linkage 1059 is lowered therewith, and the linkage end of the drive rod 1057, and thus the entire drive rod 1057, moves downwardly. For example, the actuation handle 1058 may be rotated below a horizontal position such that one end of the linkage 1059 is from below the other end to flush above the other end. In other words, the linkage 1059 may pass through a dead point of motion during displacement between the extended and retracted positions.

Referring now to fig. 5, there is shown a partial schematic view of a handling device 100 according to the utility model, wherein the main part of the operating structure 107 is shown in enlarged detail. The handling device 100 comprises an operating structure 107 arranged on the opposite side of the frame 102 from the tooling structure 105, in particular on opposite sides of the upright 104. In the illustrated example, the operating structure 107 faces the rear side B and may be coupled to the upright 104. The operating structure 107 may include a gripping member 1071 and an operating region O at least partially surrounded by the gripping member 1071. The gripping member 1071 may comprise a tubular piece and may extend in a plane gradually sloping away from the frame 102, in particular the upright 104 thereof, from above to below. The operating region O may be substantially rectangular, in particular rounded rectangular. A control interface, for example in the form of a control lever 1072, may be positioned in the operating area O and may be operated to activate displacement of the tooling structure 105 between the first and second positions. The control rod 1072 may be positioned proximate to the grip of one of the hands.

The operation of the handling apparatus 100 is described below.

The handling device 100 is moved such that the handling device 100 approaches the storage position of the electronic control unit 1 such that the front side F of the handling device 100 faces the first lateral side 11 of the electronic control unit 1. Specifically, the handling apparatus 100 is moved by pushing and pulling the grip portion.

The tooling structure 105 is lowered such that the first stop member 1051 of the tooling structure 105 is close to or even in contact with the top side 10 of the electronic control unit 1. Specifically, tooling structure 105 is actuated by activation of lever 1072.

The handling device 100 is adjusted such that the second stop member 1052 of the tooling structure 105 is close to or even in contact with the further lateral side 12 of the electronic control unit 1.

Note that although the approaching actions of the first and second stopper members 1051, 1052 and the electronic control unit 1 are described above sequentially, the order may be reversed or even alternating a plurality of times.

As described above, when the tooling structure 105 is positioned with the first and second stop members 1051, 1052 in close proximity or substantially in contact with (the corresponding sides of) the electronic control unit 1, the groove G of the electronic control unit 1 and the receiving groove of the support member 1050 may be substantially aligned.

The handling device 100 is advanced so that the channels G of the electronic control unit 1 are interleaved with the receiving channels of the support members 1050. Note that such propulsion may be overshot, resulting in an impact between the electronic control unit 1 and an undesired part of the handling device 100. For this purpose, an additional stop member 200 (fig. 3) may be provided, wherein the additional stop member 200 provides a stop of the receiving region R in the third orientation, in particular limiting the receiving depth, i.e. the additional stop member 200 is positioned at the rear of the receiving region R. Additionally or alternatively, the opposite ends of the open end of the receiving slot of the support member 1050 may be closed such that the channel G of the electronic control unit 1 does not pass out of the receiving slot of the support member 1050.

As described above, when the receiving grooves and the grooves G are staggered with each other, the insertion pin 1055 and the hole H of the electronic control unit 1 may be substantially aligned.

The third locking mechanism 1053 is operated so that the insertion pin 1055 of the third locking mechanism 1053 extends into the hole H of the electronic control unit 1 and is locked. Specifically, the third locking mechanism 1053 is operated by rotating the actuation handle 1058.

The tooling structure 105 is lifted such that the tooling structure 105 is lifted out of the storage position together with the electronic control unit 1 supported and fixed in the receiving area R.

The carrying device 100 is moved so that the carrying device 100 approaches the installation position of the electronic control unit 1 in the car.

The tooling structure 105 is lowered so that the electronic control unit 1 rests with its bottom side at the installation location. Note that since the hole H of the electronic control unit 1 itself is for receiving a fastener for fixation, the electronic control unit 1 can be quickly registered at the mounting position by substantially aligning or even inserting the insertion pin 1055 into the mounting hole at the mounting position.

The third locking mechanism 1053 is operated so as to release and separate the insertion pin 1055 of the third locking mechanism 1053 from the hole H of the electronic control unit 1.

The handling device 100 is withdrawn so that the handling device 100 is removed for the next cycle.

The foregoing is illustrative of the present utility model and is not to be construed as limiting thereof. Although exemplary embodiments of this utility model have been described, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this utility model. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this utility model as defined in the claims. The utility model is defined by the following claims, with equivalents of the claims to be included therein.

Claims (10)

1. A handling device for handling electronic control units, comprising:

a movable frame;

a tooling structure displaceable in a first orientation relative to a frame between a first position and a second position, the tooling structure defining a receiving area and comprising:

a support member configured to receive at least a portion of the electronic control unit for supporting the electronic control unit in the receiving area,

a first stop member providing a stop for the receiving area in a first orientation,

a second stop member, the first stop member providing a stop for the receiving area in a second orientation, the second orientation intersecting the first orientation,

a third spacing mechanism, at least a portion of which is configured to lockably displace in a first orientation between an extended position in which the portion of the third spacing mechanism is extendable into a further portion of the electronic control unit to fix the position of the electronic control unit in the tool structure in the receiving region in at least one of a first orientation and a second orientation and in a third orientation, the third orientation intersecting both the first orientation and the second orientation, and a retracted position in which the portion of the third spacing mechanism is separated from the further portion of the electronic control unit.

2. A handling device for carrying an electronic control unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the support member comprises two receiving slots spaced apart in a second orientation, the receiving slots extending lengthwise in a third orientation and having open ends, the slots of the receiving slots facing each other in the second orientation.

3. A handling device for carrying an electronic control unit according to claim 1, characterized in that one or both of the first and second stop members comprise a stop surface extending in a third orientation and facing the receiving area.

4. The handling device for carrying electronic control units according to claim 1, wherein the third limit mechanism comprises:

a movable body;

an insertion pin extending from one side of the movable body in a first direction;

a guide rod extending from opposite sides of the movable body in a first orientation, the guide rod slidingly engaging a corresponding hole in the tooling structure, the guide rod configured to guide movement of the movable body in the first orientation;

a drive rod extending from an opposite side of the movable body in a first orientation and operatively coupled to the actuation handle, the drive rod configured to drive movement of the movable body in the first orientation.

5. Handling device for handling an electronic control unit according to claim 4, characterized in that said insert pins comprise two insert pins spaced apart in a second orientation and/or said guide bars comprise two guide bars spaced apart in a second orientation and/or said drive bars are centrally located between two insert pins in a second orientation and/or said drive bars are centrally located between two guide bars in a second orientation.

6. A handling device for carrying an electronic control unit according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the guide bar is provided with a spring over a section between the movable body and the corresponding hole, the spring being configured to bias the movable body in one direction of the first orientation.

7. The handling device for carrying an electronic control unit according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the first and second stop members provide an upper stop and a side stop, respectively, and are positioned on different sides with respect to the drive rod in the second orientation.

8. A handling device for carrying an electronic control unit according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the actuation handle is configured to transmit actuation movement to the drive rod via a link by rotation, wherein the link is configured to pass a movement dead point during displacement between the extended and retracted positions.

9. The handling device for carrying an electronic control unit according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising an operating structure provided on a side of the frame opposite the tooling structure, the operating structure comprising: a gripping member positioned in a face extending progressively away from the frame from above to below, and a control interface at least partially surrounded by the gripping member, the control interface being configured to be operated to activate at least a displacement of the tooling structure between a first position and a second position.

10. Handling device for handling electronic control units according to any of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the frame comprises: a chassis to which the rollers are rotatably coupled; a column to which the tooling structure is displaceably coupled.