JP2012175031A - Electronic control device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electronic control device which smoothly controls each external device, effectively radiates heat generated in a housing, and reduces the size.SOLUTION: A mother board 30 to which electric power supplied from a battery 15 is input and having a power supply circuit 33 transforming a voltage for supplying electric power to electronic components mounted on each module substrate 41 to 44 is disposed near one surface 21a of a housing 21 at one side board surface 31. Further, the respective module substrates 41 to 44 are disposed so that substrate surfaces thereof are arranged parallel to the mother board 30.

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic control device capable of controlling an external device such as an in-vehicle device.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an electronic apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known as a technique related to an electronic control apparatus that can control an external apparatus such as an in-vehicle apparatus. This electronic device is a device employed in a personal computer or server, and is configured by mounting a plurality of electronic modules, a control board module, a power supply module, and the like in a housing. On each surface of these multiple mounted electronic modules, a CPU as a heating element and other multiple heating elements are mounted together with a hard disk or the like, and each electronic module constitutes a computer by itself. Yes. In addition, each electronic module is inserted (press-fitted) into the connector of the common wiring board, thereby making necessary electrical connections with the control board module, power supply module, and the like on the apparatus side. At the time of this electrical connection, the liquid connector of each electronic module is inserted (press-fitted) into the liquid connector of the liquid cooling jacket to form a liquid circulation loop, and each electronic module is cooled by the coolant flowing through the liquid circulation loop. It becomes possible.

JP 2004-246615 A

  By the way, in recent years, electronic control units (ECUs) mounted on each vehicle-mounted device such as an engine and a transmission are increasing in order to meet the demand for higher functionality of vehicles. However, when the number of ECUs mounted on the vehicle increases in this way, it is necessary to provide an assembling space and a cooling space for each ECU, and there is a problem that a required volume for mounting on the vehicle increases. This problem is not limited to the electronic control device that controls the in-vehicle device, and similarly occurs in an electronic control device that can control a general external device.

  Therefore, as shown in Patent Document 1, a plurality of module boards such as an electronic module, a control board module, and a power supply module are connected to the common wiring board, and by housing these boards in a housing, The electronic control device capable of controlling various external devices can be reduced in size.

  However, each module board is connected so as to be orthogonal to the common wiring board. Therefore, when module boards of various board sizes are accommodated in the chassis, the module size is added to the module board of a larger board size. It is necessary to match. This is because the substrate size varies depending on the required function. For this reason, a dead space tends to be generated around a small-sized module substrate, and there is a problem that it is difficult to sufficiently reduce the size of the housing. In addition, in the configuration in which the common wiring board and each module board are simply housed in the housing, it may be difficult to dissipate heat generated by the heating elements on each board. ) Is required.

  The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problems, and the object of the present invention is to smoothly control each external device and to suitably dissipate heat generated in the housing to reduce the size. It is to provide an electronic control device that can be realized.

  In order to achieve the above object, the electronic control device according to claim 1 according to claim 1 is an electronic control device capable of controlling a plurality of external devices, and controls any one of the plurality of external devices. A first board for receiving power, a second board to which power supplied from a power supply device is input, and a housing for housing the plurality of first boards and the second board. The first substrate is disposed so that a substrate surface thereof is parallel to the second substrate, and the second substrate has one side substrate surface out of the inner surface of the housing. The power supply circuit is disposed close to one surface, and has a power supply circuit on the second substrate for transforming the input voltage of the power supply and supplying electric power to an electronic component mounted on the first substrate. Features.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the electronic control device according to the first aspect, an external connection connector for electrically connecting to an external device including the power supply device is provided on the second substrate. It is provided on the other substrate surface different from the one substrate surface so as to be exposed from the body.

  A third aspect of the present invention is the electronic control device according to the first or second aspect, wherein the heating element is a plurality of elements mounted on the second substrate including the power supply circuit and generates heat in accordance with the operation thereof. At least one of them is filled with a thermally conductive member between the one surface.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the electronic control device according to any one of the first to third aspects, an external connection for electrically connecting the first board to the corresponding external device. The connectors are respectively provided so as to be exposed from the casing.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the electronic control device according to the fourth aspect, information from the outside is provided on at least one of the plurality of first substrates without passing through the second substrate. It is received through an external connection connector.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the electronic control device according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, at least one of the plurality of first substrates includes the corresponding external device or other A communication circuit capable of serial communication with the substrate is provided.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the electronic control device according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, in order to share predetermined information with at least any two of the plurality of first substrates. Electrical connection wiring for communicating with each other is provided.

  An eighth aspect of the present invention is the electronic control device according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, wherein at least one of the plurality of first substrates is the one surface of the inner surface of the housing. It arrange | positions in the vicinity of the opposing surface which opposes.

  According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the electronic control device according to the eighth aspect, at least of the plurality of elements mounted on the first substrate close to the facing surface and generating heat in accordance with the operation of the plurality of elements. Any one of them is characterized in that a thermally conductive member is filled between the opposing surfaces.

  According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the electronic control device according to any one of the first to ninth aspects, the power supply circuit includes a supply unit through which a current supplied to an electronic component mounted on the first substrate flows. And a control unit that controls the supply unit is arranged on any one of the plurality of first substrates.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the second substrate to which the electric power input from the power supply device is supplied is disposed close to one surface of the housing on the one-side substrate surface, and the plurality of first substrates Are arranged such that the substrate surface is parallel to the second substrate. The second substrate is provided with a power supply circuit that transforms the voltage of the input power supply and supplies electric power to the electronic components mounted on the first substrate.

As described above, the power supply control power supply circuit is provided on the second substrate, and the second substrate and each first substrate are accommodated in the casing in parallel, so that there are a plurality of first substrates. If the size of the substrate is equal to or smaller than the size of the second substrate, the arrangement according to the substrate size of each substrate is facilitated without being caught by the maximum first substrate size. Can do. In addition, because the power from the power supply device is input, the heat insulation effect by the air layer can be obtained by arranging the first substrate having a larger calorific value than the second substrate close to one surface of the housing. Reduced and effectively generated heat can be radiated to the outside through one surface of the housing. However, although the heat generated by the input power from the power supply device can be dissipated to the outside by the above method, the first substrate is arranged in parallel with the second substrate, so that the plurality of first substrates can be dissipated. The number of substrates that can be placed close to one surface of the housing is limited, and some of the first substrates have a thermally detrimental arrangement with a thick heat insulating layer made of air. The power supply circuit, which is a heat generating element on one substrate, is mounted on the second substrate, so that the heat generating element on the first substrate can be removed and temperature rise on the first substrate can be prevented. It becomes possible.
Therefore, each external device can be controlled smoothly and the heat generated in the housing can be suitably radiated to reduce the size of the housing, that is, the electronic control device.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the external connection connector that is likely to have a high mounting height among the elements mounted on the second substrate is provided on the other substrate surface. Clearance with the surface can be reduced, and heat dissipation can be improved.

  In the invention of claim 3, at least one of the plurality of heating elements mounted on the second substrate including the power supply circuit is filled with a heat conductive member between the one surface. . As a result, in the heat generating element filled with the heat conductive member, the heat generated in the heat generating element is easily transferred to the one surface via the heat conductive member, so that the heat generating element can be efficiently radiated. can do.

  In the invention of claim 4, an external connector for connection with an external device is mounted on the first substrate. This eliminates the need for electrical connection between the first board and the external device via the second board, and the number of terminals of the external connector mounted on the second board can be reduced. Since the clearance between the first substrates adjacent to the second substrate can be reduced, the size can be further reduced. At the same time, the number of electrical connections between the first substrate and the second substrate can be reduced, the connection cost can be reduced, and the area of the substrate required to connect both the first substrate and the second substrate can be reduced. Reduction is possible.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, information from the outside is received via an external connection connector provided on at least one of the plurality of first boards without going through the second board. Thereby, even when noise is generated in response to a large current flowing in the power supply circuit of the second substrate, it is possible to suppress the noise from affecting the information from the outside. It is particularly good for sensitive lines such as communication lines and sensor input lines.

  In the invention of claim 6, since at least one of the plurality of first substrates is provided with a communication circuit capable of serial communication with the corresponding external device or another substrate, the number of terminals such as an external connection connector It becomes easy to reduce. By adopting the external connection connector with a reduced number of terminals in this manner, the area of the external connection connector occupying in the housing is reduced, so that the housing can be further miniaturized. At the same time, the number of wirings between the substrates can be reduced, so that the size and cost can be reduced.

  According to the invention of claim 7, at least any two of the plurality of first substrates are provided with direct electrical wiring for communicating with each other in order to share predetermined information. By performing such direct electrical wiring, it is not necessary to receive predetermined shared information via the external connection connector, and the number of terminals of the external connection connector is reduced. Since the area of the connection connector is reduced, the housing can be further reduced in size.

  In the invention according to claim 8, at least one of the plurality of first substrates is disposed in proximity to a facing surface facing the one surface of the inner surface of the housing. For this reason, the heat from the first substrate disposed close to the facing surface is easily radiated through the facing surface, and can be radiated more efficiently than the other first substrates.

  According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, at least one of the plurality of heating elements mounted on the first substrate close to the facing surface is filled with a heat conductive member between the facing surface. Is done. As a result, in the heat generating element filled with the heat conductive member, the heat generated in the heat generating element is easily transferred to the facing surface via the heat conductive member. It can dissipate heat.

  According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, the control unit for controlling the supply unit through which the supply current is arranged, which is arranged on the second substrate, is arranged on any one of the plurality of first substrates. Thereby, even when noise occurs according to a large current flowing through the supply unit of the power supply circuit, it is possible to suppress the noise from affecting the control unit. In particular, when many first substrates are accommodated in the housing in order to control many external devices, a larger current flows through the supply unit of the power supply circuit. Even in such a case, the influence of noise on the control unit can be suppressed by arranging the control unit on any of the plurality of first substrates.

It is a block diagram which shows the connection relation of the electronic control apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment, and each vehicle equipment. It is a perspective view which shows schematic structure of the electronic controller of FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the electronic control device of FIG. It is sectional drawing which illustrates the connection state which used the cable as electrical connection wiring which connects between boards. It is sectional drawing which shows the principal part of the electronic controller which concerns on the 1st modification of 1st Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows schematic structure of the electronic controller which concerns on the 5th modification of 1st Embodiment.

[First Embodiment]
Hereinafter, an electronic control device according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a connection relationship between the electronic control device 20 according to the first embodiment and the in-vehicle devices 11 to 14. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the electronic control unit 20 of FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to a cross-section taken along the alternate long and short dash line when the electronic control unit 20 of FIG. 2 is viewed from the direction of the arrow α. In FIG. 2, for convenience, some connectors are omitted, and the inner surface of the housing 21 is illustrated by a two-dot chain line.

As shown in FIG. 1, an electronic control device 20 according to the present embodiment controls a plurality of in-vehicle devices mounted on a vehicle, for example, an engine 11, a transmission 12, a door lock mechanism 13, a security device 14, and the like. It is a device and is mounted on the vehicle in the appropriate place.
The electronic control device 20 is electrically connected to each vehicle-mounted device 11 to 14 and a battery 15 functioning as a power source for each vehicle-mounted device via a wire harness 16 or the like. The engine 11, the transmission 12, the door lock mechanism 13, and the security device 14 may correspond to an example of “external device” recited in the claims.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the electronic control device 20 includes a rectangular casing 21. In the casing 21, a mother board 30 and a plurality of module boards are parallel to each other. So as to be electrically connected and accommodated. Each of the module boards is a board that is modularized to control each of the in-vehicle devices 11 to 14, and a module board 41 for controlling the engine 11 corresponding to a conventional engine ECU, and a conventional ECT (electric control). A module board 42 for controlling the transmission 12 corresponding to the transmission), a module board 43 for controlling the start of the door lock mechanism 13 and the engine 11 in response to reception of a predetermined radio wave corresponding to the conventional smart key computer, The module board 44 corresponds to a conventional main body ECU and controls a security device 14 such as a door lock. Further, the mother board 30 has a power distribution function such as a relay and a fuse for driving and controlling the external device regardless of whether it is related to or not related to each on-vehicle device.

  Each module substrate 41 to 44 has a pair of external connection connectors 45 for connecting to the in-vehicle devices 11 to 14 to be controlled, and a substrate for electrical connection with other module substrates by direct electrical wiring. An interconnect connector 46 is provided. Both external connection connectors 45 are mounted in the vicinity of both ends in the longitudinal direction of the module substrate in order to be exposed from the casing 21. Further, in the present embodiment, by connecting the inter-board connector 46 between adjacent module boards, the power supply line related to the power supply is shared, and predetermined information is shared with each other. This eliminates the need for separate input for each module board via the external connection connector 45, so the number of terminals is reduced and the size of the external connection connector 45 can be reduced compared to a non-shared external connection connector. Can be adopted. Even when a module board having other functions is employed, by connecting the inter-board connector 46 provided on the module board and the inter-board connector 46 of each of the module boards 41 to 44, Similar to each of the module substrates 41 to 44, the target in-vehicle device can be controlled. The module substrates 41 to 44 may correspond to an example of a “first substrate” recited in the claims.

A power supply circuit 33 that transforms the voltage of the power supply from the battery 15 for supplying power to the electronic components mounted on the module boards 41 to 44 is mounted on the mother board 30 on one side board surface 31. Yes. Further, the mother board 30 has a pair of external connection connectors for electrically connecting to the other board surface 32 different from the one side board face 31 to external devices including the battery 15 and the in-vehicle devices 11 to 14. 34 and the inter-board connector 35 for connecting to the module boards 41 to 44 are mounted. Both external connection connectors 34 are mounted in the vicinity of both ends in the longitudinal direction of the other substrate surface 32 in order to be exposed from the housing 21. Further, among the electronic components mounted on the mother board 30, the high-profile part 36 whose mounting height after mounting is increased is to reduce the distance between the one-side board surface 31 and the one surface 21 a of the casing 21 described later. It is mounted on the other substrate surface 32.
The mother substrate 30 may correspond to an example of a “second substrate” recited in the claims. The battery 15 may correspond to an example of a “power supply device” described in the claims.

  The mother board 30 configured as described above is exposed so that both the external connection connectors 34 can be connected from the openings formed in the casing 21, and one of the inner surfaces of the casing 21 is exposed on the one side substrate surface 31. It arrange | positions so that the one surface 21a may be adjoined. In particular, a heat conductive member (a member having high heat conductivity), for example, a gel-like heat conductivity, is formed between the heat generating element that generates heat according to its operation among the elements constituting the power supply circuit 33 and the one surface 21a. Adhesive 22 is filled. The mother substrate 30 is supported in the housing 21 via a predetermined seat (not shown) provided on the inner surface of the housing 21.

  Each of the module boards 41 to 44 configured as described above has a board surface parallel to the board surfaces 31 and 32 of the mother board 30, and both external connection connectors 45 are formed in the housing 21. It is arrange | positioned so that it may be connected from the opening made. Specifically, the module substrate 41 and the module substrate 42 are disposed so as to be close to the facing surface 21 b facing the one surface 21 a of the inner surface of the housing 21. Further, the module substrate 43 is disposed so as to be interposed between the module substrate 41 and the one surface 21a, and the module substrate 44 is disposed so as to be interposed between the module substrate 42 and the one surface 21a. Each of the module substrates 41 to 44 is supported in the housing 21 via a predetermined pedestal (not shown) provided on the inner surface of the housing 21.

  At this time, as shown in FIG. 3, in the mother board 30 and each of the module boards 41 to 44, the outer surface 21c of the housing 21 from which one of the external connection connectors 34 and 45 is exposed and the other external connection connector 34 and 45 are The exposed outer surface 21d of the casing 21 has a facing positional relationship. Since the external connection connectors 34 and 45 are exposed only on the opposing outer surfaces 21c and 21d and are not exposed to other outer surfaces, the electronic control unit 20 is arranged so that the outer surface where the connectors are not exposed is close to the inner wall surface of the vehicle. In addition to reducing the space required for installing the electronic control device 20, the connection work between the external connection connectors 34 and 45 and the wire harness 16 and the like can be performed efficiently. .

  In particular, the above-described thermally conductive adhesive 22 is filled between the heating element 41a that generates heat in accordance with the operation of each element mounted on the module substrate 41 and the facing surface 21b. Similarly, the above-described thermally conductive adhesive 22 is filled between the heating element that generates heat according to the operation of each element mounted on the module substrate 42 and the facing surface 21b.

  Then, by connecting the inter-board connector 46 between the module board 41 and the module board 43, communication is possible with each other, and predetermined information can be shared with each other. Further, the inter-board connector 46 between the module board 42 and the module board 44 is connected, so that they can communicate with each other and can share predetermined information. The board-to-board connector 46 of the module board 43 and the module board 44 is electrically connected to the board-to-board connector 35 of the mother board 30, respectively, so that the mother board 30 and each of the module boards 41 to 44 are connected. Communication is possible for predetermined information.

  By connecting a wire harness 16 or the like corresponding to the external connection connector 34 or the external connection connector 45 exposed from the housing 21 to the electronic control device 20 configured in this way, each module board 41 to 44 and the target The in-vehicle devices 11 to 14 can communicate with each other, and the power supply circuit 33 of the mother substrate 30 is controlled in accordance with instructions from the module substrates 41 to 44 to supply necessary power to the in-vehicle devices 11 to 14. It becomes possible.

  The module substrate 43 needs to handle information processed between the module substrate 41 and the mother substrate 30. That is, since the amount of information processed by the module substrate 41 is likely to be smaller than the amount of information processed by the module substrate 43, a substrate having a relatively small number of layers can be adopted as the module substrate 41, thereby reducing costs. Can do. Similarly, since the amount of information processed by the module substrate 42 is smaller than the amount of information processed by the module substrate 44, a substrate having a relatively small number of layers can be adopted as the module substrate 42, thereby reducing costs. Can do.

  As described above, in the electronic control device 20 according to the present embodiment, the electric power supplied from the battery 15 is input, and the voltage is transformed to supply electric power to the electronic components mounted on the module boards 41 to 44. A mother board 30 having a power supply circuit 33 is disposed adjacent to one surface 21a of the housing 21 on one side board surface 31 thereof, and each of the module boards 41 to 44 has a board surface that is opposite to the mother board 30. Are arranged in parallel to each other.

As described above, the power supply control power supply circuit 33 is provided only on the mother board 30 and the mother board 30 and the module boards 41 to 44 are accommodated in the casing 21 in parallel. If the size is smaller than the mother board, the arrangement according to the board size of each board becomes easy without being restricted by the size of the largest module board, so that the housing 21 can be downsized. In addition, since the mother board 30 to which power from the battery 15 (power supply device) that generates more heat than other circuits is input is disposed close to the one surface 21a of the housing 21, at the input unit The generated heat can be radiated to the outside through the one surface 21 a of the housing 21. However, as described above, since the module substrates 41 to 44 are arranged in parallel with the mother substrate 30, there is only a surface 21 b that can be disposed close to the housing, and from the housing surface 21 such as the module substrates 43 and 44. It is forced to be placed away from each other, and an increase in the air insulation layer forces a thermally disadvantageous placement. On the other hand, by mounting the voltage conversion circuit supplied to the electronic components on the module board on the mother board 30, it becomes possible to prevent the temperature rise of the module board.
As a specific circuit configuration, when a switching power supply is adopted as the power supply circuit, the amount of heat generation can be reduced and the temperature can be further lowered.
The function of J / B (junction BOX) equipped with relays, fuses, etc. is generally higher than that of a general ECU due to the large amount of heat generated by the flow of a large current and the large number of wires connected to the harness. Because of its large size, when mounted on a mother board of this configuration, it can be both compact and high heat dissipation, which is very useful. As a configuration of the relay to be mounted, when a semiconductor relay is used, a coil current necessary for the mechanical relay is not required, and a heat generation amount can be reduced, which can contribute to a temperature decrease. Furthermore, by inserting relays, fuses, fusible links, etc. into the power supply line to the module board, one of the module boards can be disconnected even when an overcurrent occurs due to an abnormal operation. Abnormal heat generation of the substrate can be prevented and this can be prevented from affecting other functions that operate normally.
Therefore, each vehicle-mounted device 11 to 14 can be smoothly controlled and the heat generated in the housing 21 can be suitably radiated to reduce the size of the housing 21, that is, the electronic control device 20.

  In addition, an external connection connector 34 with an external device mounted on the mother substrate 30 is mounted on the other substrate surface 32 of the mother substrate 30. A connector for connection with an external device has a large number of terminals, so that the component height (mounting height) tends to be relatively high. When this connector is arranged on the one-side substrate surface 31, the clearance between the mother substrate 30 and the housing surface 21a increases, so that the heat dissipation performance is reduced or the housing structure is complicated to maintain the clearance, It becomes a cost increase factor. That is, by using this structure, the structure effect of high heat dissipation can be obtained at low cost.

  Further, among the elements constituting the power supply circuit 33, the heat generating element that generates heat in accordance with the operation thereof is filled with the heat conductive adhesive 22 that is a heat conductive member between the surface 21 a of the housing 21. The Thereby, in the heat generating element filled with the heat conductive adhesive 22, heat generated in the heat generating element is easily transferred to the one surface 21a through the heat conductive adhesive 22, so that the heat generating element can be efficiently used. Can dissipate heat. It should be noted that the same effect can be obtained by filling the heat conductive adhesive 22 between at least one of the plurality of heating elements mounted on the mother board 30 including the power supply circuit 33 and the one surface 21a. . In addition, if not only a heat generating element but the heat conductive adhesive 22 is filled between the one side board | substrate surface 31 and a housing | casing surface, a thermal radiation path will increase and the thermal radiation effect will increase further. Moreover, although described as the heat conductive adhesive 22, it is not limited to what has adhesiveness. For example, a sheet shape such as a heat dissipation sheet may be used.

  Further, the module substrate 41 and the module substrate 42 are disposed in proximity to the facing surface 21 b of the housing 21. For this reason, the heat from the module substrate 41 and the module substrate 42 is easily radiated through the opposing surface 21 b, and can be radiated more efficiently than the module substrate 43 and the module substrate 44.

  Particularly, the heat conductive adhesive 22 is filled between the heat generating element 41a of the module substrate 41 and the heat generating element of the module substrate 42 between the facing surface 21b. For this reason, since the heat generated in the heating element 41a and the like is easily transmitted to the facing surface 21b via the heat conductive adhesive 22, the heating element 41a and the like can be efficiently radiated.

  Note that the module substrate disposed close to the facing surface 21b of the housing 21 is not limited to the module substrate 41 and the module substrate 42, and may be a module substrate 43 or a module substrate 44. In particular, among the module substrates 41 to 44, by disposing a substrate that generates a large amount of heat close to the facing surface 21b, it is possible to efficiently dissipate heat. Even in this case, it is possible to efficiently dissipate the heat generating element by filling the heat conductive adhesive 22 between the heat generating element of the module substrate arranged close to the facing surface 21b and the facing surface 21b. it can.

Each of the module boards 41 to 44 is provided with an inter-board connector 46 as a direct electrical wiring for communicating with each other in order to share predetermined information. By adopting the board-to-board connector 46 that performs such direct electrical wiring, it becomes unnecessary to receive predetermined shared information via the external connector 45, and the number of terminals of the external connector 45 is reduced. Therefore, the area of the external connection connector 45 occupying in the housing 21 is reduced, so that the housing 21 can be further reduced in size.
In addition, as illustrated in FIG. 4, instead of the inter-board connection connector 46, for example, a connection using a cable 46 a like a connector and a flexible cable as the electrical connection wiring for connecting the module boards 41 to 44 to each other. But it ’s okay. By using the cable 46a, it is possible to mitigate the generation of stress due to positional deviation between the substrates due to tolerance. Moreover, even if the above-described cable is adopted as the electrical connection wiring for connecting the mother board 30 and the module boards 41 to 44, the above-described effect is obtained.

Furthermore, in the mother board 30, among the components to be mounted, the tall components 36 and 37 having a high mounting height after mounting are mounted on the other substrate surface 32. Compared with the case where it mounts in, the space | interval of the one surface 21a of the housing | casing 21 and the one side board | substrate surface 31 can be narrowed. Thereby, the heat dissipation via the said one surface 21a can be implemented efficiently.
The mechanical relay for controlling ON / OFF of the supply of power supplied from the battery 15 (power supply device) to the external device connected via the external connection connector 34 or the external connection connector 45 is another electronic component. Therefore, it is useful to arrange it on the other substrate surface 32 as the high-profile component 36. Similarly, a fuse that cuts off the supply of power supplied from the battery 15 to an external device connected via the external connection connector 34 or the external connection connector 45 is held, and the mother board 30 and the fuse are electrically connected. Similarly, since the connector to be connected is also tall, it is useful to arrange it on the other substrate surface 32 as the high-profile component 37.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a main part of the electronic control unit 20 according to a first modification of the first embodiment. 5 corresponds to a cross-sectional view when viewed from the direction of the arrow α in FIG. 2 and each substrate surface (a cross-sectional view when viewed from below in FIG. 3).
As a first modified example of the present embodiment, a taller component 37 having a higher mounting height, for example, a taller component 37 such as a fuse holding connector that accommodates a large number of fuses for protecting each substrate is a mother substrate. When mounted on the other substrate surface 32 of the module 30, each module substrate 41 is placed at a position lower than the mounting height of the tall component 37 relative to the other substrate surface 32 in order to reduce the size of the housing 21. Any of -44 or a new module board may be arranged. In FIG. 5, the module substrate 47 for controlling other in-vehicle devices is disposed at a position lower than the mounting height of the high-profile component 37 with respect to the other-side substrate surface 32 so as to avoid the high-profile component 37. ing. Thereby, the space in the housing | casing 21 is utilized effectively and the further size reduction of the housing | casing 21 can be achieved.

  As a second modification of the present embodiment, at least one of the module substrates 41 to 44 may be provided with a communication circuit capable of serial communication with a corresponding in-vehicle device or another module substrate. Thereby, it becomes easy to reduce the number of terminals of the external connection connector 45. By adopting the external connection connector 45 in which the number of terminals is reduced in this way, the area of the external connection connector 45 occupying the housing 21 is reduced, so that the housing 21 can be further reduced in size. In addition, the number of signals exchanged between the mother board 30 and each of the module boards 41 to 44 can be reduced by serial communication, and the cost can be reduced.

  As a third modification of the present embodiment, information from the outside is received via the external connection connector 45 provided on at least one of the module boards 41 to 44 without going through the mother board 30. Also good. Thereby, even when noise is generated according to a large current flowing through the power supply circuit 33 of the mother board 30, it is possible to suppress the noise from affecting the information from the outside. In particular, it may be applied to sensitive lines such as sensor information and communication information.

As a fourth modification of the present embodiment, the power supply circuit 33 may be configured as follows. The power supply circuit 33 includes a supply unit through which current supplied to each in-vehicle device flows in the electronic circuits of the module substrates 41 to 44, and the control unit that controls the supply unit is any one of the module substrates 41 to 44. Placed in. Thereby, even when noise occurs according to a large current flowing through the supply unit of the power supply circuit 33, it is possible to suppress the noise from affecting the control unit. In particular, when a large number of module boards are accommodated in the casing 21 in order to control a large number of in-vehicle devices, a larger current flows through the supply unit of the power supply circuit 33. Even in such a case, the influence of noise on the control unit can be suppressed by arranging the control unit on any one of the plurality of module substrates.
The characteristic configuration of the electronic control device 20 according to the present embodiment may be applied to other embodiments and modifications.

Further, as a fifth modification of the present embodiment, the following configuration may be adopted as the mother board 30 and the external device connected to the mother board. This will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an electronic control device 20 according to a fifth modification of the first embodiment.
The electronic control device 20 according to the fifth modification is controlled by a generator 17 mounted on a vehicle as an external device (on-vehicle device) that is driven by the engine 11 to generate power. The generator 17 is, for example, an alternator that generates an alternating current, and has a built-in regulator that converts the generated alternating current into a 14 V direct current. The battery 15 is charged by the generator 17. The regulator also has a function of monitoring the generated voltage of the generator 17 and adjusting the excitation current of the generator 17 so that the charging voltage is appropriate.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the power supply line 16a connected to the generator 17 and the battery 15 is connected to the power input of the step-down switching power supply 51 mounted on the mother board 30a. The power output of the switching power supply 51 is connected to the power input of the power distribution device 52 that is also mounted on the mother board 30a. The power output of the power distribution device 52 is connected to the power supply output via the board-to-board connectors 35 and 46. The power inputs of the module boards 43 and 44 described above are connected. The switching power supply 51 steps down the 14V DC power supplied from the generator 17 to a predetermined voltage value, and generates operation power for the plurality of module boards 41 to 44 as electric loads. The switching power supply 51 is, for example, a known DC / DC converter that feeds back a DC output voltage. The power supply line 16a can correspond to an example of the wire harness 16 described in the first embodiment.

  The power distribution device 52 distributes and supplies the operation power generated by the switching power supply 51 to the module boards 41 to 44. That is, the power supply circuits of the module boards 41 to 44 are integrated into a single power distribution device 52. The power distribution device 52 and the switching power supply 51 are the same as the power supply circuit 33 described in the first embodiment. It can correspond to an example. Further, the power distribution device 52 has a semiconductor relay (not shown) interposed in an electric circuit that supplies an output current as an operation power supply to each of the module substrates 41 to 44. When the output current output from the power distribution device 52 to the specific module board becomes abnormal, the semiconductor relay (breaking circuit) corresponding to the specific module board is activated, and the semiconductor relay is arranged. The electric circuit is cut off so that the specific module substrate is not destroyed. Instead of the semiconductor relay, a mechanical relay, fuse, fusible link, or the like can be used.

  In the electronic control device 20 configured as described above, when the output current from the power distribution device 52 to the specific module substrate becomes abnormal, it is possible to cut off the output electric circuit. In addition to the effects in the embodiment, it is possible to prevent the destruction of the module substrate that may occur due to the abnormal output current to the specific module substrate, or the vehicle fire due to the ignition of the module substrate. In addition, there is no possibility that the entire vehicle system will be down due to an abnormality of a control target of a specific module board or a biting of a harness.

  In addition, since the switching power supply 51 generates the operation power supply for each of the module boards 41 to 44, the power loss can be reduced compared to the series power supply, and the load on the generator 17 can be reduced. Can be improved.

Note that a module substrate having the following functions may be adopted as the module substrate accommodated in one housing 21. The module substrate employed in this way can be employed in other embodiments and modifications.
As a module board accommodated in one housing 21, it can choose from a module board which has a function which controls a body system. For example, as a module substrate having a function of controlling a body system, there is a module substrate that controls a so-called event-driven device that operates mainly by an occupant's operation or execution of a computer program. For example, an air conditioner ECU that controls an air conditioner, a door ECU that controls a door lock system, a power window ECU that controls a power window, a door mirror ECU that controls an electric door mirror, a power seat ECU that controls a power seat, and controls the opening and closing of a sunroof Modules such as roof ECU, steering wheel switch ECU for controlling input / output of signals from various switches arranged on the steering wheel, and overhead ECU for controlling input / output of signals from various switches arranged on the overhead console There is an integrated module board.

  Further, the module board accommodated in one housing 21 can be selected from module boards having a function of controlling the safety system. For example, as a module board having a function of controlling a safety system, a driver's seat airbag, a passenger seat airbag, a front seat side airbag, a knee airbag, a roof airbag, a rear seat airbag, a rear seat airbag again In addition, there is a module substrate in which an ECU for controlling a curtain type airbag, a seat belt pretensioner, a seat belt force (load) limiter, and the like is modularized.

  Further, the module substrate accommodated in one housing 21 can be selected from module substrates having a function of controlling the information system. For example, there are a navigation ECU that controls a car navigation device, an audio ECU that controls an audio device, a module board that modularizes a telephone ECU that controls a telephone, and the like.

  Further, the module substrate to be accommodated in one housing 21 is selected from among the module substrates having a function of controlling what is activated when an accessory switch provided in the vehicle is turned on and what is in an operable state. be able to. For example, the power window ECU for controlling the power window, the door mirror ECU for controlling the electric door mirror, the power seat ECU for controlling the power seat, the roof ECU for controlling the opening / closing of the sunroof, and signals from various switches arranged on the steering wheel There are a steering wheel switch ECU for controlling the input / output of the motor, an overhead ECU for controlling the input / output of signals from various switches arranged on the overhead console, a module board in which the ECU for controlling the information system is modularized, and the like.

Further, as a module board accommodated in one housing 21, it can be selected from module boards having a function of controlling a device that operates when the ignition key switch is OFF. For example, there are an ECU for controlling the anti-theft device and a module board in which an ECU for controlling parking lamps is modularized.
Note that the characteristic configuration of the electronic control unit 20c according to the present embodiment may be applied to other embodiments and modifications.

In addition, this invention is not limited to said each embodiment or modification, You may actualize as follows.
(1) In the first embodiment and the modification, the electronic control device 20 is not limited to the above-described in-vehicle devices 11 to 14, and electronic control that can control general external devices different from the vehicle. It may be applied as a device. In this case, the module substrate is provided according to the external device to be controlled. The same applies to other embodiments and modifications.

(2) In the first embodiment and the modification, the external connection connector 45 is not limited to being provided on all the module boards 41 to 44, but only necessary boards according to information sharing and the amount of information handled. May be provided.

(3) In the case 21, the module boards 41 to 44 are not limited to the board-to-board connection by adopting the board-to-board connector 46, and the board-to-board connection is performed using other connection means. May be.

11 ... Engine (external equipment)
12 ... Transmission (external equipment)
13 ... Door lock mechanism (external equipment)
14 ... Security device (external device)
15 ... Battery (Power)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 20 ... Electronic control device 21 ... Housing 21a ... One surface 21b ... Opposing surface 22 ... Thermally conductive adhesive (thermally conductive member)
30 ... Mother board (second board)
31 ... One side substrate surface 32 ... Other side substrate surface 33 ... Power supply circuit 34 ... External connection connector 35 ... Inter-board connection connector 41-44 ... Module substrate (first substrate)
45 ... External connector 46 ... Inter-board connector

Claims (10)

An electronic control device capable of controlling a plurality of external devices,
A first substrate for controlling any of the plurality of external devices;
A second substrate to which power supplied from the power supply device is input;
A housing that accommodates a plurality of the first substrate and the second substrate;
With
Each of the first substrates is disposed so that a substrate surface thereof is parallel to the second substrate, and the second substrate is one surface of the inner surface of the housing at the one side substrate surface. And a power supply circuit that transforms the input voltage of the power supply and supplies power to the electronic components mounted on the first board on the second board. An electronic control device.   The second board has an external connection surface for connecting to an external device including the power supply device on the other substrate surface different from the one substrate surface so that the external connection connector is exposed from the housing. The electronic control device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic control device is provided.   At least one of the plurality of elements mounted on the second substrate including the power supply circuit and generating heat in accordance with the operation thereof has thermal conductivity between the one surface and the one surface. The electronic control device according to claim 1, wherein the member is filled.   The external connection connector for electrically connecting with respect to the said external apparatus corresponding to the said 1st board | substrate is each provided so that it may expose from the said housing | casing, The said 1st board | substrate is provided. The electronic control apparatus as described in any one.   5. The information from the outside is received via the external connection connector provided on at least one of the plurality of first boards without going through the second board. The electronic control device described.   The communication circuit capable of serial communication with the corresponding external device or another board is provided on at least one of the plurality of first boards. The electronic control device according to item.   The electrical connection wiring for communicating with each other in order to share predetermined information is provided on at least any two of the plurality of the first substrates. The electronic control device according to one item.   8. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of first substrates is disposed in proximity to a facing surface facing the one surface of the inner surface of the housing. The electronic control device according to one item.   At least one of the plurality of elements mounted on the first substrate close to the facing surface and generating heat in accordance with the operation thereof has thermal conductivity between the facing surface and the first surface. The electronic control device according to claim 8, wherein the member is filled.   The power supply circuit includes a supply unit through which a current supplied to an electronic component mounted on the first substrate flows, and a control unit that controls the supply unit is disposed on any one of the plurality of first substrates. The electronic control device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein

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