JP2002237686A - Control equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable a stacked state of cases for a housing of an ECU (control equipment) which can be held surely in the cases for constituting the housing, and to enable the cases to be surely separated one by one from above. SOLUTION: Each of the cases 10 of the ECU has a side peripheral surface 12 continued to a central part 11 in a prescribed gradient, that is, an oblique surface of an inclining angle α, and hence a plurality of stacked states of the cases in a vertical direction can be held surely by utilizing a U-shaped bent part 15. At this time, a root surface 15b and a distal end face 15a of the bent part 15 are formed in parallel planar surfaces with respect to the central part 11 of the case 10. Thus, the plurality of the cases 10 of the stacked state are always maintained at the central parts 11 in the horizontal direction, and since the cases will not be brought into close contact with each other, the cases can be surely separated individually from above.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a case having a substantially rectangular box-like shape having a central portion formed in a convex flat shape, and a control device comprising a housing with a cover covering an opening surface of the case. is there.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a control device, a substantially rectangular box-shaped case having a central portion formed in a convex flat shape is used, and a printed circuit board on which an electronic control circuit is formed is housed in the case, and a cover is provided. It was common to assemble it by screwing it over.

[0003]

By the way, in the above-mentioned assembling process of the control equipment, a plurality of cases having a central portion formed in a convex flat shape and having a horizontal direction as a horizontal direction are vertically stacked, for example, assembling. It is assumed that a case is sequentially sucked from above by a robot and automatically inserted into an assembly line. When the case is automatically loaded by the assembling robot, the necessary conditions are that the stacked state of the case can be maintained without collapse, and that suction and separation can be reliably performed one by one from above.

[0004] Here, the plurality of cases are vertically stacked, and the plurality of cases in the stacked state are horizontally stacked unless a special guide jig is used to maintain the stacked state. Relative displacement may occur. Then, as the cases are stacked upward, the central portion is inclined more greatly from the horizontal direction. Therefore, even if the central part of the case is formed in a convex flat shape, there is a problem that failure of suction by the assembly robot is likely to occur.

Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and the state of stacking can be reliably maintained.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a control device having a case that can be surely separated one by one from above.

[0006]

According to the control device of the first aspect, the case constituting the casing has a side peripheral surface following a central portion formed in a convex planar shape with an inclined surface having a predetermined gradient. Therefore, it is possible to achieve a plurality of stacked states in the vertical direction using the U-shaped bent portion formed on the peripheral portion following the side peripheral surface. In addition, the base surface and the tip surface of the bent portion are formed in a plane parallel to the center portion of the case, and the plurality of cases in the stacked state are such that the center portion is always maintained in the horizontal direction, and Since the cases do not adhere to each other, they are surely separated one by one from above.

In the control device according to the second aspect, in the bent portion of the case forming the housing, the width dimension L1 of the front end face is set shorter than the width dimension L2 of the root face in a direction perpendicular to the bending curve. Thereby, a stacked state of a plurality of cases can be achieved. In addition, since the width difference L3 between the root surface and the front end surface is set shorter than the width L1 of the front end surface, the maximum displacement of the upper and lower cases is defined, so that the stepped state is securely held without collapse. Is done.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on examples.

FIG. 1 is an assembly diagram showing the overall configuration of an electronic control unit to which a control device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. Here, FIG. 1A is a top view, and FIG. 1B is a front view.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 100 denotes an electronic control unit (hereinafter, referred to as an electronic control unit) as a control device.
ECU 100), and the ECU 100 mainly includes
A substantially rectangular box-shaped metal case 10 in which a central portion 11 is formed in a convex planar shape with respect to a peripheral portion 13;
The case 10 includes a metal cover 20 that covers the opening surface of the “0”, and a printed circuit board 30 in which an electronic control circuit is formed, which is accommodated in the case 10 and the cover 20.

The ECU 100 has a printed circuit board 30 on which a plurality of electronic components (not shown) forming an electronic control circuit, an external connector 31 and the like are mounted between a case 10 and a cover 20. The corners are fastened together with the screws 41 to complete the assembly. The case 10 has an opening 10a for exposing the external connector 31 to the outside. The case 10 is attached to the cover 20.
Up portion 21 for covering an opening surface of the opening 10a other than the external connection connector 31, and the ECU 1 for assembling completion.
A bracket portion 22 provided with a screw hole 22a for attaching 00 to a predetermined location is extended.

Next, the structure of the case 10 of the ECU 100 will be described with reference to FIG. Note that FIG.
2A is a top view, FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view, and FIG. 2C is a bottom view.

In FIG. 2, a central portion 11 of a case 10 is formed in a convex flat shape with respect to a peripheral portion 13 by metal pressing. And the side peripheral surface 12 following the central part 11
Are inclined surfaces having a predetermined gradient. Further, a U-shaped bent portion 15 is formed over substantially the entire length of both short sides in two opposing directions (left and right directions in FIG. 2) of the peripheral portion 13 following the side peripheral surface 12. In addition,
The distal end surface 15 a and the root surface 15 b (part of the peripheral portion 13) of the bent portion 15 are planes parallel to the central portion 11. In addition, holes 13 a for passing screws 41 are formed at four corners of the peripheral portion 13 of the case 10.

Next, a case 1 of the ECU 100 according to the embodiment will be described.
The shape and dimensional relationship of the main part at 0 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0015] As shown in FIG.
Reference numeral 2 denotes an inclined surface having a predetermined inclination, that is, an inclined angle α, and a U-shaped bent portion 15 is formed at a part of a peripheral portion 13 following the side peripheral surface 12. Note that the inclination angle α of the side peripheral surface 12 of the case 10 is set in consideration of ease of metal press working, a space for accommodating electronic components and the like mounted on the printed circuit board 30, and the like.

Here, the width dimension of the distal end face 15a in the direction perpendicular to the bending curve of the bent portion 15 is L1, the width dimension of the root face 15b is L2, and the width dimension difference between the root face 15b and the distal end face 15a is L1. L3. At this time, L2>L1> L3 (=
Each width dimension is set so as to have a dimensional relationship that satisfies the inequality (L2-L1).

Next, the stacked state of the plurality of cases 10 will be described with reference to FIGS.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the three cases 10 are stacked, the inclination angle α of the side peripheral surface 12 of the case 10 is
The upper and lower cases 10 in a stacked state are larger (see FIG. 3).
It can be said that it is easy to separate because air easily flows in between. However, as the inclination angle α increases, the upper case 10
Are easily shifted in the horizontal direction.

On the other hand, as described above, the width dimension of the distal end face 15a in the bent portion 15 is L1, the width dimension of the root face 15b is L2, and the width dimension difference between the root face 15b and the distal end face 15a is L.
Set to 3. Accordingly, the maximum dimension when the upper case 10 shifts in the horizontal direction is defined by L3. That is, the lower case 1 of the upper case 10 when the inclination angle α of the side peripheral surface 12 of the case 10 is increased.
The maximum deviation from 0 in the horizontal direction is until the distal end surface 15a of the bent portion 15 comes into contact with the side peripheral surface 12 following the root surface 15b.

Here, L1> L3 is set, and even if the upper case 10 is shifted from the lower case 10 in the maximum direction in the horizontal direction, the upper case 10 is bent in a U-shape. The end surface 15a of the portion 15 is necessarily located on the base surface 15b of the U-shaped bent portion 15 of the lower case 10. For this reason, the upper and lower cases 10
Is securely held without the collapse of the stacked state. Therefore, the plurality of cases 10 in a stacked state are, for example, sucked one by one from above by an assembling robot, reliably separated, and put into an assembling line.

As described above, the ECU 100 as the control device of the present embodiment includes the substantially rectangular box-shaped case 10 in which the central portion 11 is formed in a convex flat shape and the cover 20 that covers the opening surface of the case 10. The case 10 has three sides of the side peripheral surface 12 following the central portion 11 with inclined surfaces having a predetermined gradient, and the case 10 has a peripheral portion 13 following the side peripheral surface 12 opposite to the peripheral portion 13. A bent portion 15 having a U-shape is formed in the direction, and the root surface 15 b and the distal end surface 15 a of the bent portion 15 are planes parallel to the central portion 11.

That is, in the case 10 of the ECU 100, the side peripheral surface 12 following the central portion 11 has a predetermined inclination, that is, an inclined surface having an inclination angle α. Multiple stacking conditions in the direction can be achieved. At this time, the base surface 15b and the distal end surface 15a of the bent portion 15 are formed in a plane parallel to the central portion 11 of the case 10. As a result, the case 10 in a plurality of stacked states can be reliably separated one by one from above since the central portion 11 is always maintained in the horizontal direction and the cases 10 do not adhere to each other. .

Also, an ECU as a control device of the present embodiment
The bent portion 15 of the case 10 has a width dimension of the front end face 15a in the direction perpendicular to the bending curve L1 and a root face 15b.
Is set as L2, and the dimensional relationship when the width difference between the root surface 15b and the tip end surface 15a is L3 is set as L2>L1> L3.

That is, in the bent portion 15 of the case 10, the width L 1 of the distal end surface 15 a is set shorter than the width L 2 of the root surface 15 b in the direction perpendicular to the bending curve, so that A stacked state can be achieved.
Further, since the width dimension difference L3 between the root face 15b and the tip face 15a is set to be shorter than the width dimension L1 of the tip face 15a, the stepped state of the upper and lower cases 10 is reliably held without collapse.

Next, an ECU as a control device of this embodiment will be described.
A modified example of the case 10 of 100 will be described with reference to FIG. In the modification of FIG. 5, only the bottom view corresponding to FIG. 2C in the above-described embodiment is shown.

In the case 10 'of this modification, as shown in FIG. 5, a U-shaped bent portion 15 is formed at three locations near both ends of both short sides, which are opposite directions of the peripheral portion 13, and at the center. ′ Are formed, and the front end face 15a ′ is shown.
Except for these three bent portions 15 ', the shape is the same as that of the case 10 of the above-described embodiment, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted. Here, in the case 10 'of this modification,
Although three U-shaped bent portions 15 'are formed,
The number, length and position can be changed as appropriate.

Also in the bent portion 15 'of the case 10', the width of the tip surface 15a 'is L1, the width of the root surface 15b' is L2, and the width difference between the root surface 15b 'and the tip surface 15a'. Is set to L3, and the same dimensional relationship as in the above-described embodiment is set. Therefore, the upper case 10 '
, The tip surface 15a 'of the U-shaped bent portion 15' of the upper case 10 'is inevitably connected to the lower case 10'. Is located on the base surface 15b 'of the bent portion 15' having a U-shape. For this reason, the upper and lower cases 10 'are securely held without the state of stacking being collapsed.

By the way, in the above embodiment and the modified example, the U-shaped bent portions 15, 1 in the cases 10, 10 'are used.
5 ′ tip surfaces 15a, 15a ′ are root surfaces 15b, 15
It is formed on the peripheral portion 13 from b ′ toward the side opposite to the convex planar shape side of the central portion 11, but the present invention is not limited to this, and is not limited thereto. The bent portions 15 and 15 ′ may be formed on the peripheral portion 13 so as to face the same side as the convex planar shape side of the central portion 11. Cases 10, 10 'in which such bent portions 15, 15' are formed.
The same operation and effect can be expected in

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an assembly diagram showing an overall configuration of an ECU to which a control device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a detailed view showing a single case of the ECU of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view showing a shape and a dimensional relationship of a main part in the case of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a three-tiered state of the case of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a detailed view showing a modified example of a U-shaped bent portion of a case in an ECU to which a control device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Case 11 Central part 12 Side peripheral surface 13 Peripheral part 15 Bent part 15a Tip surface 15b Root surface 20 Cover 100 ECU (control apparatus)

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Mitsuo Takahashi 1-1-1 Showa-cho, Kariya-shi, Aichi F-term in DENSO Corporation (reference) 3E096 AA01 BA15 BB04 CA01 CB02 DA17 DC02 EA02X EA02Y FA19 FA30 GA07 4E360 AB12 EA11 ED02 EE01 GB97 GC02

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A control device comprising a housing having a substantially rectangular box-shaped case having a central portion formed in a convex flat shape and a cover covering an opening surface of the case. At least two adjacent side surfaces of the side peripheral surface following the central portion are inclined surfaces having a predetermined gradient, and a U-shaped bent portion is formed in at least two opposing directions of the peripheral edge portion following the side peripheral surface. A control device, wherein a root face and a tip face of the bent portion are planes parallel to the central portion. 2. The bent portion of the case has a width dimension of the tip end face in a direction perpendicular to the folding curve, a width dimension of the root face L2, and a difference between the width dimension of the root face and the tip end face. 2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the dimensional relationship when L is L3 is set to L2>L1> L3.