EP1883564A1

EP1883564A1 - Electronic regulator with cooling by means of a valve block

Info

Publication number: EP1883564A1
Application number: EP06777221A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Axel Hinz; Günther VOGEL; Uwe Greiff; René LENZ; Christoph KÖHLER
Original assignee: Continental Teves AG and Co OHG
Current assignee: Continental Teves AG and Co OHG
Priority date: 2005-05-24
Filing date: 2006-05-16
Publication date: 2008-02-06
Also published as: US20090250998A1; WO2006125732A1; DE102005023837A1

Abstract

The invention relates to hydraulic/electronic regulators (1, 2) for an electronic brake regulation system. A hydraulic/electronic regulator for current ABS/ASR/ESP units essentially comprises a central hydraulic block (6) and an electronic regulator (1) containing control electronics on a control circuit board (4). The aim of the invention is the production of a simply-assembled electronic regulator device (1) and an economically-assembled electronic regulator (1, 2). Said aim is essentially achieved whereby the control circuit board (4) is assembled such as to be completely electrically insulated to the outside on at least one first side (28) and to have an essentially smooth surface. It is thus possible to use the hydraulic block (6) for cooling the control circuit board (4). Further advantageous embodiments of the invention are given in the subsequent claims.

Description

Electronic control unit with cooling by valve block

The invention is in the field of hydraulic / electronic control units for an electronic brake control system. A hydraulic / electronic control unit today's ABS / ASR / ESP systems consists of a central hydraulic block (with valves and an integrated pump and with an attached to the hydraulic block electric motor) and an electronic control device with a control electronics contained therein on a control board. The mentioned control units are known and have been described, for example, in the following German patent applications: 19500350, 1961297, 10355910 (P7787 P8601, P10719). Such control devices are required in large numbers and there is therefore a need to simplify their structure.

The present invention is therefore based on the object of providing a simply constructed electronic control device and a cost-saving constructed electronic control unit to which the control device and the hydraulic block belong. With regard to the control device, the object is achieved by the resulting from the characterizing part of claim 1 feature combination. The invention is in terms of the control device in the core to keep the control board on one side flat and continuously isolated. This results in a whole series of advantageous possibilities for the use of the control board, as will be explained below.

Thus, for example, according to the feature combination according to claim 2, it is possible to connect the control board to the housing of the electronic control device in such a way that it at the same time essentially forms an outside of the housing of the control device. This allows the housing of the control device to be made lumpy, this housing is closed on one side by the control board.

With regard to the hydraulic / electronic control unit, the object is achieved by the combination of features according to claim 3. In essence, the invention with respect to the control unit is that the conclusion of the control device forming the first side of the control board abuts the adjacent surface of the hydraulic block and thus simultaneously the hydraulic block for cooling the heat generated on the control board can be exploited. This possibility is very important due to the growing integration of electronic components on the control board and the consequent strong local heat build-up. The control board does not have to rest directly on the corresponding surface of the hydraulic block. It is also possible to provide an intermediate layer, for example in the form of a film, which, although electrically insulated, has good thermal conductivity. In this case, the first side of the control board may be provided with tracks.

Since the circuits on the control board are used to control the valves in the hydraulic block, a possibility must be created to control the integrated in the hydraulic block electrically operating valves with the corresponding electrical signals within the scope of the invention. For this purpose, in a further development of the invention, the application of the features of claim 4. In principle, this means that the first side of the control board has islands, which are excluded from the continuous isolation of this layer and carry the electrically conductive contact surfaces. If contact surfaces, for example, to compensate for positional tolerances of the board, are made particularly large, it may be useful to provide next to the valves in the block in the area of the contact surfaces recesses. This possibility can also be provided with respect to anchored in the control board of the control device electrical plug contacts that protrude beyond the plane of the first side of the control board in the direction of hydraulic block and could be short-circuited by this.

In the invention is also suitable for a control device in which the coils of the valves actuating the magnets are arranged sunk in the valve block. This embodiment is not the subject of the present invention and will be described in more detail in a parallel application. Since the first side of the control board should rest as possible on the associated surface of the hydraulic block, there is the difficulty that thereby the position of the control board is fixed relative to the hydraulic block. At the same time, however, care must be taken that there is a lasting good electrical connection via the contact surfaces to the coils of the valves. To remedy this situation, the combination of features according to claims 5 and 6 is recommended in development of the invention. The (in principle possible, the e- lektrische connection interrupting air gaps bridging) elastic contact means ensure an electrical connection under all circumstances. Another possibility may be to connect the coils with the control board via known per se contact blades. In this case, the contact blades engage in the joining of control device and hydraulic block in corresponding contact openings, whereby a good and permanent electrical contact is ensured by the material abrasion caused by the joining.

Since the contact means must be held securely either on the first side of the control board or on the housings of the valves, the feature combination according to claim 7 is recommended in a further development of the invention. The contact means are preferably first produced by casting in so-called preforming dies. - A -

In this case, in a further working step, the preform rings are cast with the first control board or the housings of the valves. As will be explained in more detail in the following examples, the contact means may be, for example, coil springs (FIG. 4) or spring arms (FIG. 5) which are fastened to the control board and / or to the coil body or the valve block.

Finally, there is the problem that on the side facing away from the control device of the hydraulic block, a motor is flanged, which drives the integrated pump in the hydraulic block and must be controlled by the control board. To solve this problem, the feature combination according to claim 8 offers. It is thus created a valve block and the control board thorough opening in which a suitable plug connection between the control device and the motor can be accommodated.

An embodiment of the invention will be explained below with reference to the drawing. It shows:

1 shows a hydraulic / electronic control unit for a controlled braking system in perspective view,

FIG. 2 shows an enlarged detail of the hydraulic / electronic control unit according to FIG. 1 in a cut-away and cutaway view with a possible first type of connection between the coils and the control board,

FIG. 3 shows, in a partially sectioned illustration, the hydraulic / electronic control unit according to FIG. 1 with a possible second type of connection between the coils and the control board, Figure 4 in an enlarged scale perspective view of the contact means of Figure 2 and

FIG. 5 shows the second type of connection according to FIG. 3 in an enlarged and partially sectional view.

The hydraulic / electronic control unit described below has already been explained in many ways in its basic method of operation (for example in German Patent Applications P 19500350 (P7787)) and will therefore be described below only to the extent that is essential for the invention. For the rest, reference is made to the aforementioned patent application.

In the figures, an electronic control device 1 (hereinafter also often referred to as ECU) and a connection (2) from a valve block with a flanged motor is shown, which is often referred to HCU below. The HCU 2 consists of a valve block 6 and a flanged to this electric motor 18. The ECU 1 is composed essentially of a housing 25 and an electronic board 4 together, which is often referred to in the following control board 4. The housing 25 is open in Figure 1 down and is closed by the control board 4. In this case, the control board 4 is based on corresponding approaches of the housing 25 at this. At its circumferential side wall, the housing 25 has in its serving as a support surface 5 end face a groove into which a seal 11 is inserted. It is important to the invention that the housing and the control board 4 terminate approximately in one plane and that the control board 4 is substantially smooth and level except for possible justified exceptions. As a result, the control board simultaneously forms a termination for the housing 25, whereby encapsulated on the control board and not shown in the illustration electronic components and thus before Environmental influences are largely protected. In addition, this results in an easily manageable closed, marketable unit that occupies little space and can be easily handled as a spare part.

The HCU 2 formed from a valve block 6 (often also hydraulic block) and a motor 18 has an aluminum block as a valve block 6, are incorporated in the holes 30, which among other things form the receptacle for valves 3 and lines 29 for hydraulic fluid. The upper surface 27 of the valve block 6 and the lower surface 28 of the control board 4 face each other. To the valve block 6, a motor 18 is flanged, which drives a not shown in the drawing pump in the valve block.

For the invention, it is now particularly important that the lower surface 28 of the control board 4 rests directly on the upper surface 27 of the valve block 6, as can be seen in particular from Figure 2 and Figure 3. Since the valve block 6 is made of aluminum and aluminum is a very good conductor of heat, one obtains the advantage that the heat caused by the electronic components on the control board 4 can be easily dissipated via the valve block 6. This is because of the increasingly dense packing of the control board with electronic components a significant advantage, so that in this way the control board can be kept relatively small.

However, it should be noted that aluminum is also a good electrical conductor, so that care must be taken that caused by the support of the control board 4 on the upper surface 27 of the hydraulic block 6 no electrical short circuits. This is achieved by the lower surface 28 keeps the control board free of open electrical lines, so that no short circuits are possible.

However, it may not be avoidable for metallic conductors to pass through the control board 4, e.g. if you want to securely anchor contacts 9 of a central plug 8 on the control board and the attachment ends 34 pass through the control board 4 through. If you do not want to dispense with such a connection of the contacts 9 on the control board 4, it is advisable to provide a corresponding recess 10 in the valve block 6.

The valves 3 in the valve block 6 must be electrically controlled by the electrical components of the control board 4. This is to be considered in the embodiment of the lower surface 28 of the control board 4. A first possible type of connection is shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 4. Small contact surfaces 7 are provided on the lower surface 28, which are connected to corresponding components on the control board 4 by means of through-contacting. First, it must be ensured that these contact surfaces 7 can not come into contact with the upper surface 27 of the valve block 6. The respective valve receiving bore 30 must therefore be sufficiently large in diameter.

In order to additionally ensure that the valves 3 in any case have contact with the contact surfaces 7, regardless of how large the exact distance of the valves relative to the upper surface 27 of the valve block 6, there is the contact via wire springs 21, located at the valves. 3 or their coils 20 are supported and electrically connected to the coils 20 of the valves 3. The construction of the valves is not the subject of the present invention. It is only essential that the coils are provided with elastic contact means which are able to different distances between coils and contact surfaces 7 to bridge. In this case, two wire springs 21 are provided for each coil, which are connected to the two ends of the coils 20. But it is also conceivable to make do with a single contact and to lead the otherwise necessary second contact on the aluminum block as a mass. The wire spring 21 is introduced into a pre-injection molding 40, which has a chamber 35 in which the wire spring 21 is inserted. The pre-molded part is cast with the housing 41 of the coil (see also FIG. 4).

Another way of contacting can be to choose a cutting-plug connection for the electrical connection between the control board and the coils 20, wherein, for example, the valves 3 may be provided with plug-in post, then the cutting connection of the control board is plugged , It is essential, however, that it should be a detachable, electrically conductive connection, since, as mentioned above, the housing 25 should be interchangeable with the control board as a unit.

Another possibility of the connection between the coils 20 and the control board 4 is given by applying analogously the connection concept described below between motor 18 and control device 1. This is shown in more detail as a second type of connection in FIG. 3 and FIG. In this case, the coils 20 and their housing are provided with contact pins 36 which protrude through the control board 4 and abut contact springs 37 which are mounted on the control board 4. In order to prevent bending of the pins and the retaining arms of the contact springs, these are supported on projections on the inside of the housing. By way of the analogous type of connection, a motor plug 16 provides an electrical connection between the control board 4 and the motor 18 shown in FIG. 1, the motor plug 16 protruding through the hydraulic block 6.

Furthermore, it should be noted that the position of the control board 4 relative to the housing 25 and also the position of the housing relative to the valve block 6 is fixed. It must therefore in the unassembled state, the circumferential elastic seal 11 slightly project beyond the circumferential bearing surface 5 of the side wall of the housing 25, so as to ensure that during assembly, the lower surface 28 of the control board 4 under all circumstances to rest against the upper surface 27th of the valve block 6 can come. This is shown enlarged in FIG. 5 and can also be clearly seen from FIG.

Other important features can be found in the following summary. Subject of this EM is a novel ECU concept and the associated novel electrical connection of the valves 3 and the motor 18 to the board 4 contained in the ECU 1.

Fig. 1 shows a view of the new ECU 1, with the associated HCU 2. At the bottom of the ECU, directed towards the valves 3, you will not find usual shaft-like formations in which plug valve coils, but only the surface of the in the The circuit board surface is flush with the circumferential bearing surface 5 of the ECU on the hydraulic block 6. Thus, the board is on the hydraulic block 6, which ensures a good dissipation of the heat generated in the electronics.

With modern multilayer technology, it is possible to realize that there are no conductor tracks on this side of the board, but only contact surfaces 7 for the energization of the valves. The electro- Niche components are arranged on the side facing away from the valve block 6. Thus, by resting the board on the block no short circuit. Only in the area of contacting the central plug 8 with the board there is a danger of short circuit due to the protruding contacts 9. Therefore, a recess 10 is placed opposite, in the hydraulic block, which ensures sufficient distance of the aluminum block to the contacts.

Due to the simpler structure of the ECU 1, it is possible to manufacture the plastic housing of the ECU in one piece. It is not necessary to place a lid on the ECU 1 after the insertion of the board 4 and to weld or otherwise seal. The sealing of the HCU 2 is carried out by a circumferential seal 11, against the valve block 6, which can be sprayed directly onto the housing 25 or inserted into a circumferential groove.

Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 show various types of contact, which are usefully used in this ECU concept.

The contacts 9 of the central plug 8 are connected to press-in contacts with the circuit board 4. The motor 18 (Figure 1) is powered via a female-to-male connection 13. The socket 14 is in the board or soldered on it. It is mechanically guided by a double shaft 15, in which it slides in during assembly. The motor connector 16 may be included directly in the engine (not shown here), or it may be designed as a direction independent to be installed part that is both the board side, as well as on the motor side in a socket. The valves 3 are connected, for example, with a spring contact 21 with contact surfaces 7 on the board 4. Fig. 3 shows, inter alia, a part of a valve 3 in longitudinal section. As can be seen, the valve spool 20 is incorporated within the valve, but outside the area filled with brake fluid (and not as previously included in the ECU 1). Since the ECU including its board 4 is to be a replacement part, there is a detachable and installation-friendly connection between the ECU 1 and the valve 3. Because the structure of the ECU has been simplified and therefore the board 4 rests directly on the hydraulic block itself a spatially very compact connection technology.

This is realized according to Figure 3 and Figure 4 by a conical wire spring 21. It is embedded in a box-shaped plastic part 22, wherein the plastic part 22 is a pre-injection moldings. The foot of the spring passes through the bottom of the plastic part to the actual coil 20, which is coated with plastic after its completion. Preferably, the plastic boxes 22 is carried out together with the spring as a pre-molded part for producing the coil. After contacting the coil wire with the foot of the wire spring, the pre-molded part is encapsulated together with the coil with plastic. The spliced together and electrically connected parts then form an easy-to-handle unit.

The wire spring 21 presses against the contact surface 7 on the underside 28 of the control board 4. The contact surface 7 is connected by a plated through hole 24, corresponding to the respective board technology with the various board levels and the components. In operation, the wire spring 21 provides an electrical contact that is not interrupted by vibrations. It also compensates for thermal distortions of the board 4 and the ECU housing 25 and their manufacturing tolerances.

Claims

Claims:

1) Electronic control device (1, 2) for an electronic brake control system with a controller housing (25) which receives a fitted with electronic components control board (4), characterized in that the control board (4) is constructed such that it on at least one first side (28) is continuously electrically insulated from the outside and has a substantially planar surface.

2) Electronic control device according to claim 1, characterized in that the control board (4) is inserted in the one-sided open control housing (25) that the first side (28) opposite, electronic components supporting the second side of the control board to the interior of the housing (25) facing and, accordingly, the first side (28) of the control board (4) facing away from the housing interior.

3) unit of an electronic control device (1) according to one of the preceding claims and a by the control device (1) driven, valves receiving valve block (6), characterized in that the valve block made of a heat-conducting material, in particular aluminum and that the first Side (28) of the control board (4) on the side facing this block side (27) of the valve block so directly or indirectly rests that at least part of the heat generated by the control device (1) through the valve block (6) is taken or removed.

4) Unit according to claim 3, characterized in that the first side (28) of the control board (4) with local contact surfaces (7) which are connected to electrical circuits on the control board (4) and that the first side (28) of the control board facing side (27) of the valve block (6) with the contact surfaces (7) associated with recesses ( 30) is provided.

5) Unit according to claim 4, characterized in that the contact surfaces (7) via connecting means (21) with the contact surfaces (7) associated electrical coils (20) are connected, which are accommodated in the valve block (6) and which the actuation of used in the valve block inserted valves (3).

6) Unit according to claim 5, characterized in that the connection means in the connecting direction between the control device (1) and valve block (6) are resiliently biased electrically conductive contact means (21) such as coil springs or spring arms.

7) Unit according to claim 6, characterized in that the contact means are attached to the housings of the valves (3) and / or on the first side (28) of the control board (4), preferably molded in the form of pre-molded parts (22).

8) Unit according to one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that the control board (4) and the valve block (6) having mutually aligned through holes (30) which serve to receive a continuous, preferably both sides releasable plug connection (16), wherein the plug connection preferably has a motor (18) arranged on the side of the valve block (6) facing away from the control device (1) and electrically connected to the control device (1).