KR20180005394A - Electronic control unit having heat conductive medium fiiling module and method for manufacturing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electronic control device including a heat conductive medium filling module and a manufacturing method thereof. The present invention provides an electronic control device and a manufacturing method thereof, the device including: a housing in which an accommodation space is formed; a circuit board provided in the accommodation space of the housing and including an electronic device; and a connector connected to the circuit board and coupled to one side of the housing, wherein the heat conductive medium filling module in which a heat conductive medium is accommodated is formed on the circuit board. Accordingly, the present invention can simplify a manufacturing process and improve the airtightness of the housing.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electronic control unit having a heat transfer medium filling module,

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electronic control device having a heat conductive medium filling module and a manufacturing method thereof. More particularly, the present invention is characterized in that a heat conductive medium filling module is provided on a circuit board, the heat conductive medium provided in the heat conductive medium filling module is filled in a space between the circuit board and the housing after inserting the circuit board into the housing To the electronic control device.

An electronic control device including an electronic element for control and a printed circuit board on which the electronic element is mounted is used in various fields.

Typically, the vehicle is equipped with an electronic control unit such as an ECU (electronic control unit) for electronically controlling various devices. Such an electronic control apparatus is provided with information provided from sensors or switches installed in various parts of a vehicle and is used to process information received in this manner to improve ride comfort and safety of the vehicle or to provide various facilities to drivers and passengers And performs various electronic control functions.

An electronic control device for a vehicle including such an ECU includes a housing, a printed circuit board (PCB) accommodated in the housing, and a connector or the like coupled to one side of the circuit board for external socket connection .

The circuit board may include various electronic devices, and the electronic device includes a heat generating electronic device that generates heat. The heat generated in the heating electronic device is dissipated through the housing to the outside.

In order to efficiently transfer the heat generated in the heat generating electronic device to the housing, a heat conductive medium for heat dissipation may be provided between the circuit board and the housing. As an example, International Publication No. WO 2010/006869 (published Jan. 21, 2010) discloses a structure in which a circuit board is inserted into a housing, and then a paste-type heat conductive medium is inserted into the housing through a housing opening formed in the housing.

However, there is a problem that precise injection of the thermally conductive medium can not be ensured in the above-mentioned prior arts, and there is a possibility that there arises a problem in the sealing of the housing due to the opening of the housing.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an electronic control device which solves the above problems and makes it possible to fill a heat conduction medium between a circuit board and a housing by a convenient method.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for manufacturing an electronic control device by filling a thermal conductive medium between a circuit board and a housing.

According to the present invention, there is provided an electronic apparatus comprising: a housing defining an accommodation space therein; A circuit board provided in the housing space of the housing and having an electronic device; And a connector connected to the circuit board and coupled to one side of the housing, wherein the circuit board is provided with a thermal conductive medium filling module in which a thermal conductive medium is accommodated.

In one embodiment, the circuit board is provided with a through hole vertically penetrating therethrough, and the heat conductive medium filling module may be mounted on the circuit board such that a discharge portion for discharging the heat conductive medium corresponds to the through hole.

Further, at least a part of the discharging portion may be formed to be inserted into the through-hole.

The bottom of the circuit board and the bottom surface of the housing are spaced apart from each other at least in a part of the bottom surface of the circuit board. .

In one embodiment, the thermal conductive medium filling module is provided with an expander inside the thermal conductive medium, and the thermal conductive medium can be discharged to the outside by the expansion of the expandable body.

Further, a separation membrane may be provided between the inflator and the heat conduction medium.

Further, the inflatable body may be a heated foamed foam whose volume is expanded by heating.

In one embodiment, the heated foamed foam may include at least one of a foaming agent that generates gas by heating or a thermal expansion capsule that is bulky by heating, and the resin to be foamed.

(A) coupling a circuit board to the housing, the circuit board having at least one heat conduction medium filling module connected to the connector and having at least one electronic element and having an expansion body and a heat conduction medium accommodated therein; (b) inflating the inflator of the thermally conductive medium filling module; (c) discharging the thermally conductive medium between the circuit board and the bottom of the housing by expansion of the inflator; And (d) curing the discharged heat conduction medium.

In one embodiment, step (b) may be performed by heating the housing such that the inflator is at a first temperature.

Further, the inflatable body may be a heated foamed foam whose volume is expanded by heating.

The step (d) may be performed by heating the housing to maintain the heat conduction medium at a second temperature for a predetermined time.

According to the present invention, it is possible to simplify the manufacturing process by omitting the process of filling the thermally conductive medium from the outside of the housing to the inside of the housing in the process of manufacturing the electronic control unit.

In addition, it is not necessary to form a separate opening for filling the thermally conductive medium in the housing, thereby improving the airtightness of the housing.

In addition, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a thermal conductive medium filling module in accordance with the position of the heat generating electronic element on the circuit board or the amount of heat generated, thereby enabling efficient arrangement and utilization of the heat conductive medium.

Further, according to the present invention, a predetermined amount of the heat conduction medium is injected into a region requiring heat generation, and waste of material in unnecessary portions can be minimized.

1 is a perspective view of an electronic control apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a perspective view of a connector and a PCB of an electronic control device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a thermal conductive medium filling module in an electronic control device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a cross-sectional view showing another configuration of the thermal conductive medium filling module in the electronic control device according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a cross-sectional view (a sectional view in the direction of arrow AA 'in FIG. 1) showing a state before filling the heat conduction medium between the circuit board and the housing in the electronic control device according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view (sectional view taken along line AA 'in Fig. 1) showing a state in which the heat conduction medium is filled between the circuit board and the housing in the electronic control device according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a cross-sectional view of an electronic control device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a flowchart showing a method of manufacturing an electronic control device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals are used to designate the same or similar components throughout the drawings. In the following description of the present invention, a detailed description of known functions and configurations incorporated herein will be omitted when it may make the subject matter of the present invention rather unclear. In addition, the preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below, but it is needless to say that the technical idea of the present invention is not limited thereto and can be variously modified by those skilled in the art.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electronic control apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a connector and a PCB of an electronic control apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

An electronic control device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a housing 10, a connector 20, and a circuit board 30 including elements for electrically controlling parts of the vehicle.

The housing 10 may be in the form of a closed barrel with one side open and the other side closed.

The connector 20 may include a connector portion 22 and a cover engagement portion 24. A circuit board (30) is connected to the connector (20). The connector 20 may include a connector inner pin 26 that is electrically connected to the circuit board 30. The connector 20 may be fixed to one side of the circuit board 30.

In one embodiment, the circuit board 30 may be inserted into the housing 10 in a sliding manner. A sealing member (not shown) may be provided at a joint portion between the connector 20 and the housing 10 to maintain the airtightness of the joint portion between the connector 20 and the housing 10.

The circuit board 30 includes at least one electronic element 32 and a thermally conductive medium filling module 40. In the practice of the present invention, the circuit board 30 may be provided with a plurality of electronic elements 32 for controlling the vehicle, etc. The electronic elements 32 may be variously provided .

However, for the sake of explanation of the present invention, it is assumed that the electronic device 32 shown in FIG. 2 is a heat generating electronic device 32 that generates heat. Meanwhile, a plurality of heat transfer medium filling modules 40 may be provided. A plurality of heat generating electronic elements 32 may be provided in the vicinity of one thermal conductive medium filling module 40 or a plurality of thermal conductive medium filling modules 40 may be provided around one heat generating electronic element 32.

3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a thermal conductive medium filling module in an electronic control device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

The heat transfer medium filling module 40 includes a module body 42, an inflator 46 housed within the module body 42, and a heat conducting medium.

The module main body 42 may be provided in a cylindrical shape having a discharge portion 44 at the lower portion thereof and an empty interior portion. The module body 42 is fixed to the circuit board 30. In one embodiment, the module body 42 may be secured to the circuit board 30 via a securing portion 36, such as by soldering. On the other hand, a through hole 34 is formed in the circuit board 30 below the discharge portion 44 of the module main body 42. When the heat conductive medium 48 is discharged through the discharge portion 44 of the module main body 42, the heat conductive medium 48 propagates downward through the through holes 34 to the circuit board 30.

An inflator 46 is provided in the upper part of the inside of the module body 42 and a heat transfer medium 48 is provided in the lower part of the inflator 46. In one embodiment, a film-like separation membrane 49 may be provided between the inflatable element 46 and the heat conduction medium 48. The separation membrane 49 functions to separate the expandable body 46 and the heat conductive medium 48 from each other. Further, when the expandable body 46 expands, the separating film 49 can move downward and perform the function of pushing out the heat conductive medium 48. In some cases, the separator 49 may be made of a thin metal plate.

The expandable body (46) is expanded in volume by heating. In one embodiment, the expandable body may be a heated foamed foam which expands in volume by being foamed by heat. The heated foamed foam as the expandable body 46 may be provided with at least one of polyurethane, polyethylene, phenol, polypropylene, silicone, polyvinyl chloride, and polyamide containing a blowing agent.

As the foaming agent, a hydrazide type (hydrazide type) foaming agent or an inorganic foaming agent may be used. For example, azodicarbon amide (ADCA), p, p'-oxybis (benzenesulfonyl hydrazide) (OBSH), dinitrosopentamethylene tetramine a chemical foaming agent such as dinitroso pentamethylenetetra mine (DPT), p-toluenesulfonylhydrazide (TSH) or benzenesulfonyl hydrazide can be used for the resin to be foamed. These blowing agents are decomposed at about 100 to 210 DEG C to foam the resin to be foamed. For example, it is known that ADCA decomposes at 200 to 210 ° C, OBSH at 155 to 160 ° C, TSH at 103 to 107 ° C, and DPT at 200 to 205 ° C to generate gas for foaming.

The foaming agent may be a calcium compound such as calcium stearate, calcium carbonate (CAS No. 471-34-1), zinc oxide (zinc oxide), zinc stearate Titanium or tin compounds such as titanium dioxide and tin methoxy maleate, barium stearate, barium stearate, barium stearate, Barium compounds such as barium ricinoleate, magnesium compounds such as magnesium oxide, talc, monosodium citrate, urea, silica an additive such as silica, dicyclohexyl phthalate, stearic acid, or a mixture thereof may be added to adjust the foaming temperature and foaming characteristics.

As the foaming agent, a thermally expandable microcapsule that expands the capsule when the foaming gas located in the core is higher than the vaporization temperature and has a volume larger than that at room temperature, may be used, or a thermal expansion capsule may be used together with a chemical foaming agent .

The type of the foaming agent and the foaming resin to be foamed or the amount thereof may be variously selected depending on the amount, type, viscosity, curing property, etc. of the heat conduction medium 48 provided in the lower portion of the expansion body 46.

The separator 49 may be made of a material such as ABS, polyimide, PPSU (polyphenyisulfone), PES (Polysulfone), polycarbonate or the like in order to prevent the expansion material 46 from being deformed during heating for expansion. .

The heat conduction medium 48 is provided below the inflator 46 and may be a viscous liquid material. The heat conduction medium 48 may be a heat conducting medium as disclosed in the above-mentioned International Publication No. WO 2010/006869. As the heat conduction medium 48, epoxy, silicone, or other synthetic resin may be used. The heat conduction medium 48 is cured by curing for several minutes to several tens minutes in accordance with the heating temperature. As an example, Dow Corning® EA-7100 Adhesive, a silicone-based thermal conductive medium, cures when heated at 100 ° C for 15 minutes.

It is preferable that the curing speed of the heat conductive medium 48 is made later than the heating expansion of the inflator 46. Accordingly, the expansion body 46 and the heat conduction medium 48 can be selected in consideration of the foaming temperature and the heating time of the expander 46, the curing start time according to the temperature of the heat conduction medium 48, and the like.

4 is a cross-sectional view showing another configuration of the thermal conductive medium filling module in the electronic control device according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

4 is characterized in that the discharging portion 44 extends downward from the lower portion of the module main body 42 and is inserted into at least a part of the through hole 34 of the circuit board 30 do.

4, when the heat conductive medium 48 is discharged through the discharge portion 44 in accordance with the expansion of the inflatable element 46, the heat conductive medium 48 is discharged to the lower portion of the circuit board 30 And the like.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view (a cross-sectional view in the AA 'direction of FIG. 1) showing a state before filling the heat conduction medium between the circuit board and the housing in the electronic control device according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, 1 is a cross-sectional view (a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA 'in Fig. 1) showing a state in which a thermally conductive medium is filled between a circuit board and a housing in an electronic control device according to a preferred embodiment.

5, the connector 20 is coupled to one side of the housing 10, and the circuit board 30 on which the heat conductive medium filling module 40 and the electronic device 32 are mounted is mounted inside the housing 10 .

At least a part of the area of the circuit board 30 is spaced apart from the bottom surface 12 of the housing 10 by a predetermined distance. The spaced-apart region may be a lower region of the circuit board 30 on which the heat-conducting medium filling module 40 and the electronic device 32 are mounted.

The housing 10 is heated while the circuit board 30 and the connector 20 are coupled to the housing 10. The expansion body 46 expands when the expansion body 46 built in the heat conduction medium filling module 40 is heated to a predetermined temperature (first temperature) in accordance with the heating of the housing 10.

The thermal conductive medium 48 provided at the lower portion of the inflatable element 46 is discharged through the through hole 34 of the circuit board 20 in accordance with the expansion of the inflatable element 46. The heat conductive medium 48 is discharged to the lower portion of the main body 42 and positioned between the circuit board 30 and the bottom surface 12 of the housing 10, as shown in Fig.

After the discharge of the heat conductive medium 48 is completed, the heat conductive medium 48 is cured between the circuit board 30 and the bottom surface 12 of the housing 10 by heating to a predetermined temperature (second temperature).

The first temperature is set to the inflatable temperature of the inflator 46 and the second temperature is set to the curing temperature of the thermal conductive medium.

In one embodiment, the first temperature and the second temperature may be the same. In this case, the thermal conductive medium 48 is discharged by the expansion of the expandable body 46, and the thermal conductive medium 48 can be cured by heating at the same temperature for a certain period of time.

In one embodiment, the second temperature may be higher than the first temperature. In this case, the expandable body 46 is heated to the first temperature, and then the expanded body 46 is further heated to the second temperature to cure the heat conductive medium 48.

In one embodiment, the first temperature may be higher than the second temperature. In this case, the heat conduction medium 48 can be cured by heating to the first temperature to inflate the inflator 46 and then lowering the temperature to the second temperature. At this time, it is desirable to precisely adjust the heating time and temperature so that the heat conduction medium 48 is not cured before the inflator 46 expands.

7 is a cross-sectional view of an electronic control device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

7, a boundary wall 50 may be provided on the bottom surface of the circuit board 30 or on the bottom surface 12 of the housing 10. The boundary wall 50 may protrude down from the bottom surface of the circuit board 30 or protrude upward from the bottom surface 12 of the housing 10. The partition wall 50 may have a line shape or a circular or polygonal shape. The boundary wall 50 can help the thermally conductive medium 48 to be positioned on the lower side of the electronic element 32 by limiting the diffusion range of the heat conduction medium 48 discharged through the through hole 34. [

8 is a flowchart showing a method of manufacturing an electronic control device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

First, a circuit board 30 having a thermal conductive medium filling module 40 is prepared (S100). The circuit board 30 may be prepared with the connector 20 connected thereto. The thermal conductive medium filling module 40 receives an inflatable element 46 that is inflated by heating and a heat conducting medium 48 located below the inflatable element 46.

The circuit board 30 is coupled to the housing 10 (S120). In one embodiment, the circuit board 30 is inserted through one opening of the housing 10 and coupled to the housing 10. The circuit board 30 can be fixed in the housing 10 by deforming a part of the housing 10 to fix the circuit board 30 to the housing 10. [

Next, the housing 10 is heated to inflate the inflator 46 accommodated in the heat conduction medium filling module 40 (S104). The thermal conductive medium filling module 40 is positioned above the circuit board 30 and the through hole 34 of the circuit board 30 is positioned below the thermal conductive medium filling module 40 in step S104, May be maintained in a horizontal state.

The thermal conductive medium 48 accommodated in the thermal conductive medium filling module 40 is discharged through the discharging portion 44 and filled between the circuit board 30 and the bottom surface 12 of the housing 10 in step S104 (S106) .

Lastly, the housing 10 is cured at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time so that the thermally conductive medium 48 is cured between the circuit board 30 and the bottom surface of the housing 10 (S108).

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications, substitutions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims. will be. Therefore, the embodiments disclosed in the present invention and the accompanying drawings are intended to illustrate and not to limit the technical spirit of the present invention, and the scope of the technical idea of the present invention is not limited by these embodiments and the accompanying drawings . The scope of protection of the present invention should be construed according to the following claims, and all technical ideas within the scope of equivalents should be construed as falling within the scope of the present invention.

1: electronic control device 10: housing
20: connector 30: circuit board
32: electronic element 34: through hole
36: Fixing part 40: Heat conduction medium filling module
42: Module body 44:
46: Expansion body 48: Heat conduction medium
49: separator 50:

Claims (12)

A housing defining a receiving space therein;
A circuit board provided in the housing space of the housing and having an electronic device; And
A connector connected to the circuit board and coupled to one side of the housing;
Lt; / RTI >
Wherein the circuit board is provided with a thermal conductive medium filling module in which a thermal conductive medium is accommodated. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the circuit board is provided with a through hole vertically penetrating therethrough and the heat conductive medium filling module is mounted on the circuit board such that a discharge portion for discharging the heat conductive medium corresponds to the through hole. 3. The method of claim 2,
And at least a part of the discharge portion is formed to be inserted into the through-hole. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein a boundary wall is formed in at least one of a lower surface of the circuit board and a bottom surface of the housing so as to restrict a to-be-discharged region of the thermally conductive medium, Lt; / RTI > 5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
Wherein the thermal conductive medium filling module is provided with an expander inside the heat conductive medium, and the heat conductive medium is discharged to the outside by expansion of the expandable body. 6. The method of claim 5,
And a separation membrane is provided between the inflator and the heat conduction medium. 6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the expandable body is a heated foamed foam which is expanded in volume by heating. 8. The method of claim 7,
Wherein the heated foamed foam comprises at least one of a foaming agent which generates gas by heating or a thermal expansion capsule whose volume is expanded by heating and the resin to be foamed. (a) coupling a circuit board, which is connected to a connector, and has at least one electronic element and has at least one heat transfer medium filling module in which an expander and a heat conducting medium are accommodated, to a housing;
(b) inflating the inflator of the thermally conductive medium filling module;
(c) discharging the thermally conductive medium between the circuit board and the bottom of the housing by expansion of the inflator; And
(d) curing the discharged heat conductive medium
And an electronic control unit for controlling the electronic control unit. 10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein the step (b) is performed by heating the housing such that the inflator is at a first temperature. 11. The method of claim 10,
Wherein the expandable body is a heated foamed foam which is expanded in volume by heating. 12. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 11,
Wherein the step (d) is performed by heating the housing to maintain the heat conduction medium at a second temperature for a predetermined period of time.

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