JPH11354937A - Accommodating box for electronic control unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily open and close the cover of the inner box of the accommodating box of an electronic control unit. SOLUTION: In an accommodating box with an inner box 30 for accommodating an electronic control unit 10, an outer box 40 for accommodating the inner box 30, and an upper cover 60 for covering the opening part of the outer box 40, a cover 30e for closing the insertion port of the electronic control unit 10 which is provided on the upper surface of the inner box 30 is provided integrally with the above inner box via a thin hinge part 30d, a protrusion 30A is provided on the upper surface of the inner box 30. In addition, a recess 30B is provided on the tip end face of the cover 30e, the protrusion 30A is forced into the recess 30B for engagement, the cover 30e can be retained in a closed state, and the cover 30e is pulled, and gear-lock is canceled and the cover 30e is easily opened by a simple gear-lock means.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a housing for an electronic control unit for an automobile, and more particularly, to an electronic control unit such as an electronic fuel injection device and an ignition advance device disposed in an engine room of the automobile. In this case, the lid provided on the inner box for preventing water from entering the electronic control unit is easily handled.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an automobile has an electronic control unit (ECU) for controlling an electronic fuel injection device (EFI) of an engine and the like. As shown in FIG. , Are arranged in a passenger compartment 2 a of the automobile 2. This is because when the electronic control unit 1 is arranged in the engine room 2b, the interior of the engine room 2b is easily exposed to water and is in a high-temperature atmosphere. This is because the reliability of the electronic control unit 1 is inferior. In order to satisfy this requirement, it is necessary to use a unit having a special waterproof and heat-resistant configuration, which is very expensive.

[0003] However, if the electronic control unit 1 for engine control is arranged in the vehicle compartment 2a, the engine room 2b
It is necessary to route the wire harness W / H from the vehicle compartment 2a to the inside of the vehicle compartment 2a, so that the length of the wire harness W / H becomes longer, and a hole is formed in a body panel 2c that separates the compartment 2a from the engine compartment 2b. Since it is necessary to insert W / H, the operation is troublesome and the cost is high.

[0004] In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the present applicant has previously disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 9-29430, an electric connection box which accommodates an electronic control unit and the like and is disposed in an engine room as shown in FIG. , (B) are provided.
In the housing box, the electronic control unit 1 is housed in the inner box 3, a space for circulating cooling air is opened in the inner box 3, the outer box 4 is fitted over the outer box 4, and the upper cover 6 is put on the housing to cool the electronic control unit 1. To prevent water intrusion.

The inner box 3 is provided with a lid 3b for closing the insertion opening 3a of the electronic control unit provided on the upper surface.
a, which is integrally provided on one side of the electronic control unit with a thin hinge portion 3c interposed therebetween, the lid 3b closes the insertion opening 3a, and further covers the upper cover 6 to double the insertion opening 3a of the electronic control unit. Surrounded by walls. With this configuration, even if the upper cover 6 is damaged, the insertion opening 3a is closed by the lid 3b, so that water can be prevented from entering the inner box and water droplets adhere to the electronic control unit 1. Can be prevented.

[0006]

The storage box of the electronic control unit is used in a production line of an automobile manufacturer.
The electronic control unit 1 is inserted into the inner box 3, and the electronic control unit 1 is connected to another device via a wire harness. After the assembly of these required parts is completed, the lid 3b of the inner box 3 is rotated about the thin hinge portion 3c as a fulcrum to close the insertion opening 3a, and is fastened and fixed to the upper end surface of the inner box 3 by bolts and nuts. Until the lid 3b is fastened and fixed with bolts in this manner, the lid 3b is normally open due to the molding relationship at the time of manufacturing the inner box 3.
It is open and protrudes upward.

For this reason, in the process of closing the bonnet in the process of the production line, there is a possibility that the lid portion may collide with the bonnet reinforcing material and cause breakage. In some cases, it may be an obstacle to the work of mounting parts, and it may be preferable to close the lid from the viewpoint of dust prevention and the like. However, if the lid is closed by fastening and fixing with a bolt and a nut, the bolt must be removed using a tool, such as when the electronic control unit 1 is inserted, and there has been a problem that the working efficiency is extremely deteriorated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to make it possible to easily open and close a lid portion integrally formed on an inner box via a thin hinge as needed in a production line. And

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides an inner box for housing an electronic control unit, an outer box for housing the inner box with a space for air circulation, and An upper cover that covers the opening of the box, and a lid that closes the insertion opening of the electronic control unit provided on the upper surface of the inner box is provided integrally with the inner box via a thin hinge portion, and the upper cover is provided. In the housing of the electronic control unit surrounding the double wall of the lid and the upper cover, the insertion opening of the electronic control unit of the inner box is attached to the outer box so as to surround the lid. With the above inner box,
A housing box for an electronic control unit is provided, wherein a simple locking means for removably press-fitting a convex portion into a concave portion is provided.

As described above, if the simple locking means for press-fitting the convex portion into the concave portion is provided, the lid portion can be locked and closed only by pressing the lid portion and pressing the convex portion into the concave portion as necessary. It is possible to release the lock and open the lid without using a tool simply by pulling the lid, so that the lid can be opened and closed with one touch.

It is possible to easily open and close the cover by attaching a magic fastener to the cover as a locking means. However, the cost increases and an elastic substance is interposed in a state where the cover is closed. Although the bolt to be fastened and fixed is loosened, in the present invention, the lid is closed by directly contacting the upper surface of the inner box and the top end of the lid, so that the bolt is not loosened, and the convex part and the concave part are separate parts. The cost is prevented from rising by installing it in the inner box without doing it. Further, when a lock claw is used as another locking means, it is very difficult to release the lock and a strong force is required. However, in the present invention, the locking and the release of the locking can be performed with a normal force. .

[0012] The simple locking means is provided with a rectangular recess on the front end surface on the opening side of the lid, and a projection on both sides facing the recess, while an H-shape is formed on the upper end surface of the inner box. A convex portion having a shape is provided, and the convex portion is press-fitted into the concave portion so that both side surfaces of the convex portion are pressed and sandwiched by both side projections of the concave portion. Note that a simple shape may be employed in which a columnar convex portion is press-fitted into a round hole-shaped concave portion.

The open end of the lid and the upper end of the inner box are locked by the simple locking means after the required parts are assembled, and fastened and fixed by bolts and nuts. 3). That is, with the simple locking means alone, rattling is likely to occur due to the vibration of the mounted automobile or the like, and the lid is easy to open.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

A storage box D of the electronic control unit 10 shown in FIG. 1 is disposed in an engine room of an automobile, and includes a resin inner box 30, an outer box 40, and an upper cover 60, respectively. The inner box 30 is fitted inside and fixed to the outer box 40.

As shown in FIG. 2, the inner box 30 has a rectangular parallelepiped electronic control unit accommodating portion (hereinafter abbreviated as a unit accommodating portion) 30b having an opening 30a for inserting the electronic control unit 10 on an upper surface thereof. A flange portion 30c fitted around the inner peripheral surface of the outer box 40 around an upper portion of the housing portion 30b;
As in the conventional example, a lid portion 30e is integrally provided on one side of the flange portion 30c via a thin hinge portion 30d.

The lid portion 30e is formed in a box shape in which most of the surface on the front end side facing the thin hinge portion 30d is opened, and the mounting surface 3 is provided at one end on the front end side via a rib 30f.
0 g is provided. When the lid 30e is closed, the mounting surface 30g is in contact with the upper surface of the flange portion 30c, and the front surface is open, so that the wiring harness can be routed even in the closed state. The lid 30e rotates in the direction of arrow X with the thin hinge 30c as a fulcrum, and opens and closes the lid 30e.

On the upper surface of the flange portion 30c which is in contact with the mounting surface 30g of the lid portion 30e, a convex portion 30A is projected and a nut 31 is buried, and the mounting surface 30g of the lid portion 30e is located at a position facing the convex portion 30A. A recess 30B is provided, and a through hole 32 for a bolt is provided at a position facing the embedded position of the nut 31. Therefore, when the cover 30e is closed, the protrusion 30A is press-fitted into the recess 30B, and the cover 30e is locked.
Can be fastened and fixed.

As shown in FIG. 3 (A), the convex portion 30A has an H-shaped cross section so that the thickness of the two vertical and horizontal plate portions is constant. This does not occur, so that the required size of the projection 30A can be maintained.

As shown in FIG. 3B, the concave portion 30B has a rectangular cross section, and the protrusions 30D are formed on opposite long sides of the long side.
-1, 30D-2. The protrusion 30A is replaced with the recess 30.
When press-fitting into B, the protrusions 30D-1 and 30D-2 press and hold the outer surfaces of both the vertical plate portions of the protrusion 30A to lock the protrusion 30A. Therefore, the projections 30D-1 and 30D-
The distance S1 to the projection 2 is slightly (eg, 0.3 mm) smaller than the width S2 of the projection 30A.

Since the lid 30e is rotated about the thin hinge 30d, the recess 30B can be pressed into the recess 30B without interference when the cover 30e is closed. The vertical dimension T1 of the projection 30
The length of the thin hinge portion 30d side is made longer than D-1 and 30D-2 so as to be about twice as long as the vertical dimension T2 of the convex portion 30A, and the depth H1 of the concave portion 30B is made about 1 height of the height H2 of the convex portion 30A. .5
Doubled.

It should be noted that the cross-sectional shapes of the convex portions and the concave portions are not limited to the above-mentioned shapes, and as shown in FIG.
0A 'is a column, the recess 30B' has a cross section in the shape of a long hole, and projections 30D'-1 and 30D'-2 are provided on both sides which are long sides, and the protrusion 30A 'is press-fitted into the recess 30B'. Alternatively, it may be possible to press and hold.

As shown in FIG. 1, the outer box 40 has a box shape with an open top, and the size of the box shape is such that the inner box 30 and the outer box 40 The size has a space for cooling air circulation between them.
In addition, a bracket 4 for mounting to the vehicle body is provided on the upper and lower parts.
On the other hand, a locking portion 40b with the upper cover 6 protrudes around the upper surface opening. Further, a cooling air intake port 40c and an exhaust port 40d, and a grommet mounting hole 40e are provided on the peripheral side surfaces, respectively.
Further, the outer box 40 and the inner box 30 are fixedly integrated by welding or the like.

The upper cover 60 is a cover 30 of the inner box 30.
e has a depth such that the opening of the outer case 40 can be closed in a closed state, and locking portions 60a for engaging with the outer case 40 are provided at four corners.
In addition, a dust-proof and waterproof seal material is inserted into the inner peripheral end of the upper cover 60.

In the process of mounting the storage box D of the electronic control unit 10 to the vehicle body, the outer box 40 containing the inner box 30 is mounted to the engine room of the vehicle body via the mounting bracket 40a in the production line. After that, when the electronic control unit 1 is stored in the inner box 30, the lid 30e of the inner box 30 is locked by the projections 30A and the recesses 30B, and the lid 30e is closed, and the lid 30e is connected to other parts. In addition to preventing the work of mounting the hood and the work of closing the hood, dust and the like are prevented from entering the inner box 30.

Next, when the electronic control unit 10 is connected to another device by a wire harness, the lid 30e is pulled open to connect the electronic control unit 10 to the wire harness. Then, the lid 30e is closed and locked. The operation of opening and closing the lid 30e does not use a bolt because no bolt is used, and a strong force is not required. Therefore, although there are a plurality of wire harnesses connected to the electronic control unit 10, even if all the wire harnesses are not connected in the same process due to the work, opening and closing the lid 30e does not burden the work.

When all the operations related to the electronic control unit 10 are completed, the cover 30e is closed and locked, and the cover 30e is fastened and fixed with the bolt and nut 31 closed. Thereafter, the upper cover 60 is externally fitted on the upper surface of the outer box 40, and the locking portions 40b of the outer box 40 and the locking portions 60a of the upper cover 60 are fixed with bolts. To form the electronic control unit 1
0 is sealed.

[0028]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, the lid can be opened and closed with one touch by the projection on the upper surface of the flange of the inner box and the recess on the mounting surface of the lid. The open lid does not become an obstacle, and the work of mounting parts in the engine room does not become difficult, thereby improving workability and shortening work time.

Further, since the lid of the inner box is closed during the work, there is no possibility that the lid collides with the bonnet reinforcing material or the arm of the worker and is broken, and the safety for the worker is eliminated. Is increasing the character. Furthermore, since dust and oil etc. are prevented from being mixed into the inner box, dust and oil etc. do not adhere to the electronic control unit, and there is no defect in the electronic control unit due to foreign matter being mixed during the manufacturing process. The occurrence is prevented.

Further, since the convex portion and the concave portion of the inner box are formed integrally with the inner box, the number of parts does not increase, and a strong force is required by optimally setting the distance between the protrusions of the concave portion. The lock and release of the lock can be done with one touch without any action. Further, by simplifying the shapes of the projections and the recesses, it is possible to suppress the manufacturing cost of the mold required for manufacturing the inner box.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a storage box of an electronic control unit according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the inner box of the present invention.

FIG. 3A is a perspective view of a convex portion of the present invention,
(B) is a perspective view of the concave portion.

FIG. 4A is a perspective view showing a modified example of a convex portion;
(B) is a perspective view which shows the modification of a recessed part.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing attachment of a conventional electronic control unit to a vehicle body.

6A and 6B are storage boxes of another conventional electronic control unit, wherein FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional side view and FIG. 6B is an exploded perspective view.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 10 Electronic control unit 3, 30 Inner box 4, 40 Outer box 6, 60 Upper cover

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Hiroaki Tabuchi 1 Toyota Town, Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture Inside Toyota Motor Corporation

Claims (3)

[Claims] An inner box accommodating an electronic control unit, an outer box accommodating the inner box with a space for air circulation, and an upper cover covering an opening of the outer box. A lid for closing the insertion opening of the electronic control unit provided on the upper surface of the inner box is provided integrally with the inner box through a thin hinge portion, and the upper cover is attached to the outer box so as to surround the lid, and the In the housing of the electronic control unit surrounding the double wall of the lid and the upper cover, the insertion opening of the control unit is press-fitted to the opening end of the lid and the inner box so that the convex part can be removed from the concave part. A storage box for an electronic control unit, characterized in that a simple locking means is provided. 2. The simple locking means according to claim 1, wherein said lid has a square-shaped concave portion on an opening-side end surface thereof, and has projections provided on opposite side surfaces of said concave portion. 2. The storage box for an electronic control unit according to claim 1, wherein an H-shaped convex portion is provided, and the convex portion is press-fitted into the concave portion so that both side surfaces of the convex portion are pressed and sandwiched by both side projections of the concave portion. 3. The opening end surface of the lid portion and the upper end surface of the inner box are locked by the simple locking means after assembling required parts and fastened and fixed by bolts and nuts. Item 3. An accommodation box for the electronic control unit according to Item 2.