JP2010052613A - Electronic control unit - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To efficiently perform ventilation in the inside of an ECU. <P>SOLUTION: The ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 1 includes a printed board, an ECU housing 10 for storing the printed board, and a ventilation part 20. The ventilation part 20 includes an air permeable waterproof member 22 exposed in the ECU housing 10, a first ventilation passage 24 formed in the ECU housing 10, an inside air permeable hole 24b opened to the inside of the housing 10 of the first ventilation passage 24, an annular shoulder part 25 formed at the inside of the first ventilation passage 24 and mounted with the air permeable waterproof member 22, a second ventilation passage 26 communicated with the first ventilation passage 24, and an outside air permeable hole 26b connected to the second ventilation passage 26 and opened at an outer wall of the housing 10. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic control unit (ECU), and more particularly to an ECU having a ventilation function.

  Automobiles and motorcycles are equipped with an ECU, and are often used and parked outdoors. The ECU has a completely sealed housing and lid, and there is a temperature difference between the completely sealed ECU. When applied, negative pressure is generated inside the housing. This negative pressure can cause moisture to enter the housing from the connector terminal mounting holes or connector harness of the housing and cause condensation to accumulate, which can cause deterioration of the printed circuit board and electronic components or short circuit. It was happening.

Therefore, as a first prior art, there is one in which a ventilation hole is provided in one of the outer walls of the ECU housing, and ventilation is provided by providing a ventilation waterproof material in the ventilation hole.
Further, as a second conventional technique, Patent Document 1 describes that ventilation (ventilation) is performed in an ECU mounted on an automobile. In Patent Document 1, a hydraulic circuit housing made of an aluminum alloy is provided with a vent hole, and the vent hole is closed with a vent waterproof material such as Gore-Tex (registered trademark) for ventilation and waterproofing.
JP 2000-168529 A

  However, in the first prior art, the ventilation waterproof material provided in the ventilation hole is exposed from the outer wall of the housing, so there is a risk of damaging the ventilation waterproof material during installation or maintenance, and the waterproof property may be lost. A member for protecting the waterproof material has to be attached to the outer wall of the housing.

  In Patent Document 1, which is the second prior art, the vent hole formed in the hydraulic circuit housing is passed through the through hole formed in the hydraulic circuit housing to the storage chamber for storing the printed circuit board, the electromagnetic valve, and the like. Connected. Therefore, in patent document 1, ventilation is performed on the hydraulic circuit housing side away from the board mounting area. Furthermore, the breathable waterproof material of Patent Document 1 cannot be welded to a hydraulic circuit housing made of aluminum alloy, and needs to be attached by pressing the breathable waterproof material to the vent hole with a pressing member.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an electronic control unit that can eliminate the need for a member that protects the surface of the ventilation waterproof material provided in the ECU housing, or can eliminate the need for a special member that fixes the ventilation waterproof material. To do. Furthermore, the present invention relates to an electronic control unit capable of efficiently ventilating a printed circuit board, more specifically, a connector terminal mounting hole in which water vapor enters and condensation is likely to occur, or in the vicinity of a connector harness. The purpose is to provide. Another object of the present invention is to provide an electronic control unit that can efficiently ventilate the ECU housing without reducing the strength of the resin-made ECU housing that hermetically accommodates the printed circuit board.

  In order to solve the above problems, an electronic control unit according to the present invention includes a board, a housing that houses the board, and a connector that passes through the housing and is connected to the board. The electronic control unit has a ventilation part formed in the housing, and the ventilation part has a ventilation waterproofing member arranged inside the housing.

  In the electronic control unit, the ventilation part includes an inner ventilation hole in the vicinity of the connector inside the housing, and the ventilation waterproof member is disposed on the inner ventilation hole side in the ventilation part. In the electronic control unit, the ventilation portion includes an outer ventilation hole outside the housing, and the outer ventilation hole is located on the lower side when the electronic control unit is attached to a device such as a vehicle. A housing is disposed. In the electronic control unit, the ventilation portion is connected to the inner ventilation hole and formed in a bottom surface of the housing, and a shoulder formed in the first ventilation passage to which the ventilation waterproof member is attached. A part. In the electronic control unit, the ventilation waterproof member and the shoulder are ultrasonically welded. In the electronic control unit, the ventilation part includes a first ventilation passage rib formed in the first ventilation passage around the ventilation waterproof member. In the electronic control unit, the ventilation section includes a second ventilation passage that communicates with the first ventilation passage and is connected to the outer ventilation hole. In the electronic control unit, the second ventilation passage extends from a side surface of the first ventilation passage to the outer ventilation hole. In the electronic control unit, the ventilation part includes a second ventilation passage rib formed along the second ventilation passage. In the electronic control unit, the bottom surface of the second ventilation passage is lower than the bottom surface of the first ventilation passage. In the electronic control unit, the cross-sectional area of the second ventilation passage is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the first ventilation passage.

  The electronic control unit according to the present invention is configured as described above, and according to the first aspect of the present invention, the inside of the housing can be ventilated by the ventilation waterproof member of the ventilation section, and the ventilation waterproof member Since the ventilation waterproofing member is disposed outside the housing, the ventilation waterproofing member is less likely to be damaged by an external force, and a member for protecting the ventilation waterproofing member becomes unnecessary. Furthermore, the ventilation waterproof member can be attached to the resin housing by ultrasonic welding.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, since ventilation is performed in the vicinity of the connector, it is possible to efficiently ventilate water vapor or the like entering from the gap between the connector and the housing, thereby buffering the negative pressure generated inside the ECU.

According to the invention which concerns on Claim 3, since an outer side vent hole is arrange | positioned below, the water | moisture content which entered the ventilation part from the outer vent hole can be discharged | emitted by the dead weight to the exterior of a housing.
According to the invention of claim 4, the waterproof ventilation member can be securely held by the shoulder, and according to the invention of claim 5, the ventilation waterproof member and the shoulder are tightly sealed by ultrasonic welding. This makes it difficult for water droplets or the like to enter. According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the first ventilation passage and the ventilation waterproof member can be protected by the first ventilation passage rib.

  According to the seventh aspect of the invention, since the first ventilation passage ventilates the outside of the housing through the second ventilation passage, the ventilation waterproof member provided in the first ventilation passage is less susceptible to the influence of external force. According to the eighth aspect of the invention, since the second ventilation passage extends from the side surface of the first ventilation passage to the outside of the housing, the ventilation waterproof member provided in the first ventilation passage is less susceptible to the influence of external force. . According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, the second ventilation passage and the housing can be protected by the second ventilation passage rib. According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, water droplets and the like are easily discharged from the first ventilation passage to the second ventilation passage, while water droplets and the like are less likely to enter the first ventilation passage from the second ventilation passage. According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, it is possible to suppress entry of foreign matter from the second ventilation passage into the first ventilation passage while sufficiently securing the ventilation area of the ventilation waterproofing member in the first ventilation passage.

  An embodiment relating to an electronic control unit of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the drawings, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. In addition, the electronic control unit of the present embodiment is mounted on a device such as a vehicle that is used and parked outdoors such as an automobile or a motorcycle.

  FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an electronic control unit (ECU) according to the present embodiment in an exploded state, and FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the assembled state of the ECU. The ECU 1 covers the upper surface of the ECU housing 10 and seals the printed circuit board 30 in a state where the resin ECU housing 10, the printed circuit board 30 stored in the ECU housing 10, and the printed circuit board 30 are stored in the ECU housing 10. An ECU cover 50 is included. The ECU housing 10 and the ECU cover 50 are sealed by laser welding. Although not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a hydraulic circuit unit is connected to the lower side of the ECU 1.

  FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the ECU housing 10. The shape of the ECU housing 10 is a box with an open top surface, and includes a board holding area 12 for mounting the printed circuit board 30 and a connector arrangement area 14 in which a large number of connectors 15 are arranged vertically through the bottom face of the ECU housing. Divided. A large number of connectors 15 located in the connector arrangement region 14 are inserted into corresponding multiple connector mounting holes 31 (see FIG. 1) formed in the printed circuit board 30 and connected to the wiring pattern of the printed circuit board 30. Further, recessed side portions 16 are respectively formed on both side surfaces of the ECU housing 10 located between the substrate holding region 12 and the connector arrangement region 14. Four mounting holes 18 are formed in the ECU housing 10. These mounting holes 18 connect the hydraulic circuit unit (not shown) and the ECU housing 10 with bolts (not shown) or the like.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, a ventilation portion 20 is formed on the bottom surface of the ECU housing near the connector 15 between the substrate holding region 12 and the connector placement region 14. The ventilation unit 20 is provided with a sheet-like breathable waterproof member (moisture permeable waterproof member) 22. As the ventilation waterproofing member 22, a material that transmits gas such as water vapor but not liquid such as water droplets is used. In this embodiment, Gore-Tex (registered trademark) by Japan Gore-Tex Co., Ltd. is used. Other usable breathable waterproof members include Dry Tech (registered trademark) by Montbell Co., Ltd., Bergtec (registered trademark) by Mizuno Co., Ltd., Entrant (registered trademark) by Toray Industries, Inc., and the like.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the ventilation unit 20 holds the bottomed first ventilation passage 24 integrally formed on the inner bottom surface 10 a of the ECU housing and the ventilation waterproof material 22 at the open end of the first ventilation passage 24. And an annular first ventilation passage rib 27 integrally formed on the housing inner bottom surface 10a on the outer periphery of the annular shoulder 25. The annular shoulder portion 25 and the ventilation waterproof member 22 are sealed by ultrasonic welding.

  Further, the ventilation unit 20 includes a second ventilation passage 26 that communicates with the first ventilation passage 24. The second ventilation passage 26 communicates at a right angle with respect to the side surface of the first ventilation passage 24 on the first ventilation passage bottom 24 a side, and opens on the side surface of the ECU housing 10. The first ventilation passage 24 includes an inner ventilation hole 24b that opens at the inner bottom surface 10a of the housing, and the second ventilation passage 26 includes an outer ventilation hole 26b that opens at the surface of the outer wall of the housing. Further, the cross-sectional area of the second ventilation passage 26 is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the first ventilation passage 24. Therefore, it is difficult for foreign matter to enter the first ventilation passage 24 from the second ventilation passage 26. In addition, in order to reinforce the ECU housing inner bottom surface 10a and the second ventilation passage 26, a second ventilation passage rib 28 is provided on the upper side of the second ventilation passage 26 along the second ventilation passage 26 with the ECU housing inner bottom surface 10a. It is integrally molded.

  Further, as apparent from FIG. 5, a step is formed between the second ventilation passage bottom surface 26a and the first ventilation passage bottom surface 24a, and the second ventilation passage bottom surface 26a is formed from the first ventilation passage bottom surface 24a. It is one step lower. The reason is that water droplets or the like in the first ventilation passage 24 are easily discharged to the outside of the housing 10 through the second ventilation passage 26, while the first ventilation is made from the outside of the ECU housing 10 through the second ventilation passage 26. This is to make it difficult for water droplets or the like to enter the passage 24.

  FIG. 7 is a view of the connector connection region 14 of the ECU housing 10 as viewed from above. Although the connector connection region 14 shown in FIG. 7 is formed smaller than that shown in FIG. 3, the arrangement and shape of the ventilation part 20 are the same as those described above.

  As described above, the ventilation waterproof member 22 is disposed on the inner bottom surface 10a of the ECU housing so as to be exposed to the inside. Since the holes are formed, it is not necessary to attach a protective cover or the like for preventing the ventilation waterproof member 22 from being damaged by an external force. Furthermore, since the ECU 1 is attached to the vehicle body with the ECU cover 50 facing upward, even if the ventilation / waterproof member 22 is damaged, water or the like is difficult to enter and water or the like is easily removed.

  In the present invention, in the ECU housing 10, with respect to a connector harness (not shown) connected below the connector arrangement region 14 by providing the ventilation portion 20 in the vicinity of or adjacent to the connector arrangement region 14. Thus, propagation of pressure fluctuations in the ECU 1 can be effectively suppressed. Further, since the ventilation waterproof member 22 is welded to the inner bottom surface 10a of the ECU housing, the manufacture becomes easy and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

  Furthermore, in the present invention, by forming the ventilation part 20 having the ventilation waterproofing member 22 in the vicinity of the connector arrangement region, the generation of a negative pressure in the vicinity of the connector 15 is buffered, and water droplets or the like are discharged from the connector mounting hole to the ECU 1. Inhalation inside can also be prevented.

  When the electronic control unit of the present invention is attached to a device such as a vehicle, the ECU housing 10 may be arranged so that the outer vent hole 26b and the second ventilation passage 26 are on the lower side (diagonally downward or downward). preferable. As a result, the entering moisture is automatically discharged from the outer vent hole 26b and the second ventilation passage 26 by its own weight.

It is a perspective view which shows the decomposition | disassembly state of ECU which concerns on this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the assembly state of ECU which concerns on this invention. 1 is a perspective view showing an ECU housing according to the present invention. It is sectional drawing of the ventilation part of the ECU housing of FIG. It is a cross-sectional perspective view which shows the ventilation part seen from the side different from FIG. It is a side view which shows the opening end of the ventilation channel | path of the ECU housing which concerns on this invention. It is a top view which shows the connector connection area | region of ECU housing which concerns on this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 ECU
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ECU housing 10a Bottom surface in ECU housing 12 Board holding area 14 Connector arrangement area 15 Connector 16 Recessed side face 18 Mounting hole 20 Ventilation part 22 Ventilation waterproof member (moisture permeable waterproof member)
24 first ventilation passage 24a first ventilation passage bottom 24b inner ventilation hole 25 annular shoulder 26 second ventilation passage 26a second ventilation passage bottom 26b outer ventilation hole 27 first ventilation passage rib 28 second ventilation passage rib 29 connector harness connection Part 30 Printed circuit board 31 Connector mounting hole 50 ECU cover

Claims (11)

In an electronic control unit having a substrate, a housing that houses the substrate, and a connector that passes through the housing and is connected to the substrate,
An electronic control unit comprising a ventilation part formed in the housing, wherein the ventilation part has a ventilation waterproof member arranged inside the housing. The electronic control unit according to claim 1,
The electronic control unit, wherein the ventilation section includes an inner ventilation hole in the vicinity of the connector inside the housing, and the ventilation waterproof member is disposed on the inner ventilation hole side in the ventilation section. . The electronic control unit according to claim 2,
The ventilation section has an outer ventilation hole on the outside of the housing, and the housing is arranged so that the outer ventilation hole is on the lower side when the electronic control unit is attached to a device such as a vehicle. Electronic control unit characterized by The electronic control unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The ventilation section includes a first ventilation passage connected to the inner ventilation hole and formed on a bottom surface of the housing, and a shoulder portion formed in the first ventilation passage to which the ventilation waterproof member is attached. Electronic control unit featuring. The electronic control unit according to claim 4,
The electronic control unit, wherein the breathable waterproof member and the shoulder are ultrasonically welded. The electronic control unit according to claim 4 or 5,
The electronic control unit, wherein the ventilation unit includes a first ventilation passage rib formed in the first ventilation passage around the ventilation waterproof member. The electronic control unit according to any one of claims 3 to 6,
The electronic control unit, wherein the ventilation section includes a second ventilation passage that communicates with the first ventilation passage and is connected to the outer ventilation hole. The electronic control unit according to claim 7.
The electronic control unit, wherein the second ventilation passage extends from a side surface of the first ventilation passage to the outer ventilation hole. The electronic control unit according to claim 7 or 8,
The electronic control unit according to claim 1, wherein the ventilation unit includes a second ventilation passage rib formed along the second ventilation passage. The electronic control unit according to any one of claims 7 to 9,
The electronic control unit according to claim 1, wherein a bottom surface of the second ventilation passage is lower than a bottom surface of the first ventilation passage. The electronic control unit according to any one of claims 7 to 10,
The electronic control unit according to claim 1, wherein a cross-sectional area of the second ventilation passage is smaller than a cross-sectional area of the first ventilation passage.

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