Method for opening and reclosing a device housing of an electrical device and electrical device

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for opening and re-closing a device housing of an electrical device and the electrical device. In the method, a housing cover of the device housing is separated from a housing part, in particular a housing cup of the device housing, by means of a separating tool, in particular a cutting tool, the cutting tool being guided along a gap which extends between the housing cover and the housing cup and is filled with a particularly elastic sealing medium forming a housing seal. The housing cover is provided with a sealing medium such that a portion of the sealing medium remains attached to the housing cover and another portion of the sealing medium remains attached to the housing cup. In the method, when the housing cover is separated, two mutually complementary cutting surfaces are formed on the sealing medium or another sealing medium. In the method, in order to re-close the device housing, at least one or both of the mutually complementary cut surfaces are re-coated with a particularly viscous adhesive and the device housing is re-closed by placing a housing cover.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a method for opening and reclosing a device housing of an electrical device. Summary of the Invention

[0002] In this method, a housing cover of a device housing is separated from a housing part, in particular a housing cup of the device housing, using a separating tool, in particular a cutting tool. The cutting tool is guided along a gap extending between the housing cover and the housing cup and filled with a particularly elastic sealing medium forming the housing seal, so that a portion of the sealing medium remains attached to the housing cover and another portion of the sealing medium remains attached to the housing cup. In this method, when the housing cover is separated, two cutting surfaces are formed on the sealing medium or another sealing medium, the surfaces of which are complementary to each other.

[0003] In this method, in order to close the device housing again, at least one or both of the mutually complementary cut surfaces are recoated with a particularly viscous adhesive, and the device housing is closed again by placing a housing cover.

[0004] After closing the housing, the adhesive can be cured to form a sealing medium layer.

[0005] Advantageously, this allows the device housing to be opened cost-effectively (in particular for repairs to the device) and then to be tightly closed again.

[0006] Since it has been recognized that, for device repairs of devices having a device housing (in which electronic or electrical components are accommodated), the amount of work required to remove, or even partially remove, the sealing medium after cutting and separating the housing cover can be very large, the above-described method allows cost-effective repair or restoration of electrical devices, wherein the housing cover and the housing are bonded together, in particular in a medium-tight manner, using an adhesive, such as a silicone adhesive.

[0007] In a preferred embodiment of the method, the remaining complementary sealing agent remains unchanged before the adhesive is applied, particularly after the housing cover is separated. Advantageously, the remaining sealing agent does not need to be removed after the housing is separated, particularly after the housing cover is separated. This is because it has been recognized that the cut surfaces formed after cutting the sealing agent may be sufficiently clean that an amount of adhesive less than the amount of sealing agent can be applied to these cut surfaces. It has also been recognized that by re-bonding the housing in this manner, the various parts of the device housing can be sufficiently tightly joined and sealed.

[0008] In a preferred embodiment, after the housing is closed again, the housing cover is screwed to the housing cup. Advantageously, a sufficiently good gap seal can be produced by the lateral distribution of the adhesive and the sealing agent layer formed after the adhesive cures.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment, the adhesive layer reapplied to the cut surface has a layer thickness smaller than the layer thickness of the sealing medium before the sealing medium is separated. Advantageously, the housing can be closed again with less material consumption.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment of the method, the adhesive, in particular the adhesive for reclosing the housing, is designed to form the same material as the sealing medium after the adhesive solidifies, in particular crosslinks. Advantageously, this allows for good material compatibility between the sealing medium and the adhesive.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment, the adhesive is a sealing medium that cures, in particular crosslinks, to an elastomer. More preferably, the sealing medium is an elastomer, in particular an elastic plastic. Advantageously, this allows for a vibration-resistant, medium-tight seal of the housing.

[0012] The adhesive preferably contains monomers which form a sealing agent after crosslinking, in particular polymerization. Advantageously, the adhesive can thus form a material connection between the separated sealing parts of the housing seal.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment, the adhesive is a silicone adhesive, in particular an adhesive which cures, in particular crosslinks, to silicone rubber. Advantageously, this allows the housing to be closed again in a media-tight manner.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment, the adhesive is an adhesive that cures, in particular crosslinks, in particular by a polycondensation reaction. Advantageously, the housing parts can be sealed again inexpensively using the adhesive.

[0015] The adhesive is preferably Dow 7091 adhesive. Advantageously, the sealing medium can be cross-linked to form an elastic rubber using air humidity.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment, the adhesive is a one-component adhesive that is particularly UV-curable. Advantageously, this allows the housing to be resealed cost-effectively.

[0017] The adhesive preferably forms part of the housing seal, in particular a layer, after curing or polymerization, wherein the housing seal has three layers, wherein the middle layer is a layer produced by the adhesive, which is enclosed (in particular in the manner of a sandwich) between two sealing layers.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment of the method, the adhesive is cured by UV light, in particular after the housing is closed again. Advantageously, the housing can be quickly closed again and put into use.

[0019] The cutting member is preferably a cutting blade, more preferably a rotating cutting blade. Advantageously, the cutting blade can be made to cut the housing seal with less force.

[0020] The invention further relates to an electrical device, in particular a control device or a charging device for a motor vehicle, in particular an electric vehicle.

[0021] The device comprises a device housing enclosing a cavity and a housing cover configured to close an opening facing the cavity of the device housing. The device housing comprises a housing seal disposed between the housing cover and the housing in the region of the opening edge of the device housing and separated, in particular cut, with the remaining seal, in particular the sealing halves of the housing seal, being bonded together by adhesive. Preferably, the remaining seal, in particular the sealing halves of the housing seal (with the adhesive enclosed therebetween), are configured to complement one another. This advantageously allows for cost-effective opening and reclosing of the electrical device, in particular for maintenance.

[0022] The housing is preferably an aluminum housing. Advantageously, the cutting member will not easily damage the housing. In another embodiment, the housing can be a plastic housing. Advantageously, the housing can be designed to be lighter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] The invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and further embodiments. Further advantageous embodiments result from the combination of the features described in the dependent claims and the drawings.

[0024] Figure 1 An embodiment of a control device and a device and method for opening a control device is shown, wherein a cutting blade is inserted into a gap formed between a housing cover and a housing of the control device and a sealing medium closing the gap is separated by the cutting blade.

[0025] Figure 2 shows a portion of the housing cover and the housing after separation of the sealing medium using a cutting blade;

[0026] Figure 3 The application, in particular mechanical dispensing, of an uncured or uncrosslinked, in particular unpolymerized or uncondensed adhesive onto the cut surface of the sealing medium is shown;

[0027] Figure 4 The closing of the housing is shown, wherein the adhesive tightly bonds the housing parts together in the region of the separated sealing medium. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] Figure 1 An exemplary embodiment of a control device 1 is schematically shown. Figure 1 Also shown are an apparatus and a method for opening a control device.

[0029] The control device 1 has a housing 2 , in particular a device housing, which has a housing cover 3 for closing a cavity 4 enclosed by the housing 2 .

[0030] The housing 2 has a housing edge 10 surrounding an opening 13, which adjoins the cavity 4. A groove 7 is formed in the housing edge 10, which in this embodiment is formed circumferentially around the housing edge. In this embodiment, the groove 7 is filled with a sealing agent, in particular a silicone adhesive. The housing cover 3 has a housing cover edge 19, in which a groove 6 is formed, in particular opposite to the groove 7. In this embodiment, the groove 6 is filled with a sealing agent 8, in particular a cured or polymerized, in particular elastically cross-linked, sealing agent. In this embodiment, the sealing agent 8 connects the housing cover 3 to the housing 2, so that the housing 2 is sealed by the sealing agent 8 in a media-tight manner, in particular against water, water vapor, or oil.

[0031] In this embodiment, electronic components are accommodated in the housing 2 . Figure 1 A printed circuit board 5 is shown, for example, to which electronic components are connected (in particular soldered).

[0032] The power component 12, in particular a microcontroller or microprocessor, is thermally connected to the housing 2, in particular the housing bottom of the housing 2. In this embodiment, the power component 12 is thermally connected to the housing bottom of the housing 2 via a heat conducting medium, in particular a heat conducting paste.

[0033] The housing 2 has cooling fins or cooling pins in the region of the housing bottom, of which the cooling pins 14 are indicated by way of example.

[0034] Figure 1 A variation of the housing 2 (shown in dashed lines) is also shown, in which the housing 2 has a fluid channel 15 for receiving a cooling fluid 16. In this embodiment, two fluid pipe connections (particularly shown in dashed lines) are formed on the housing 2, namely a fluid inlet pipe connection 17 and a fluid outlet pipe connection 18. Thus, the power components 12 can be effectively cooled.

[0035] Figure 1Also shown is a device 21 for opening the housing 2. Device 21 comprises an electric rotary drive, a rotating and oscillating arm 30, which can be moved radially and circumferentially, particularly by a motor. Device 21 also comprises a slider 26 coupled to oscillating arm 30 and movable back and forth on oscillating arm 30 along its longitudinal extension (particularly, surrounding the oscillating arm). In this embodiment, slider 26 comprises an electric drive for oscillating movement on oscillating arm 30.

[0036] A connecting arm 29, extending transversely from the longitudinally extending portion of the swing arm 30, is connected to the slider 26. Thus, the connecting arm 29 can move back and forth along with the slider 26. Connected to the connecting arm 29 is a blade holder 27 configured to hold a cutting blade 28. In this embodiment, the cutting blade 28 extends radially toward an axis of rotation 50 about which the swing arm 30 is rotatable.

[0037] The device 21 has an electric drive 20 which is connected to the pivot arm 30 and is designed to move the pivot arm 30 back and forth radially around the axis of rotation 50 so that the cutting blade 28 can be defined along a circular path.

[0038] The slide 26 can be controlled by the device 21 via the processing unit 22 so that the slide 26 can be moved radially (in particular, in translation) toward the rotation axis 50 on the oscillating arm 30, so that the cutting blade 28 in this embodiment can be inserted into the gap formed between the housing cover 3 and the housing 2 and can separate the sealing medium 8 there. After being inserted into the sealing medium 8, the oscillating arm 30 can be moved circumferentially about the rotation axis 50 by the electric drive 20, so that the sealing medium 8 of the housing 2 can be cut in the circumferential direction.

[0039] The working principle of cutting the housing 2 by the device 21 is described below:

[0040] Device 21 also has a user interface 23, which in this embodiment is configured as a touchscreen having a touch-sensitive surface 24. User interface 23 is configured to generate a user interaction signal representing a touch on touch-sensitive surface 24 (particularly by a human hand 25) upon contact with the touch-sensitive surface 24, and to transmit the user interaction signal to processing unit 22 via connecting line 33. Processing unit 22 is connected to electric drive 20 via connecting line 32 and can control the electric drive for the rotational movement of oscillating arm 30. Processing unit 22 is also connected to slide 26, which is particularly configured to be electrically adjustable, via connecting line 31 and can control a position signal for the slide to move to a predetermined radial position at a certain distance from axis of rotation 50.

[0041] To open the housing 2, the slide 26 can be moved radially inwards on the oscillating arm 30 by the processing unit 22 (in particular in response to a user interaction signal received by the processing unit), particularly while the oscillating arm 30 is still stationary, so that the cutting blade 28 can be inserted into the aforementioned gap formed between the housing cover 3 and the housing 2. The cutting blade 28 can be inserted into the sealing medium 8 via the slide 26, so that the sealing medium 8 is completely penetrated radially inwards, in particular towards the cavity.

[0042] The processing unit 22 can then send a control signal for the rotational movement of the oscillating arm 30 to the electric drive 20, which can move the oscillating arm 30 radially around the axis of rotation 20. As a result, the cutting blade 28 can separate the housing cover 3 from the housing 2 radially around.

[0043] Figure 2 Schematically shows Figure 1 1 and 2. The housing cover already shown in FIG. 1, in particular the separated cover edge 19', which is shown in section, and the already mentioned opening edge 10 of the housing 2, which is also shown in section.

[0044] The already mentioned groove 7 of the opening edge 10 also has a portion of the sealing medium 8 ′ cut by the cutting blade 28 , which portion, in this embodiment, is the portion of the sealing medium accommodated in the groove 7 . Figure 2 , the housing cover edge 19 ′ is shown lifted from the housing opening edge 10 . After the sealing medium 8 has been cut, another part 8 ″ of the sealing medium 8 remains in the groove 6 of the housing cover edge. After cutting with the cutting blade 28 , a cutting surface 40 is formed on the other part 8 ″ of the sealing medium located in the housing cover edge 19 ′. After the sealing medium 8 has been cut, a cutting surface 41 is formed in the part 8 ′ of the sealing medium accommodated in the groove 7 of the housing 2 . In this embodiment, the cutting surfaces 40 and 41 face each other.

[0045] Figure 3 A method step is schematically shown in which a particularly non-crosslinking and viscous adhesive 42 , particularly a silicone adhesive, is applied to the cut surface 41 of the sealing medium 8 ′ received in the groove 7 via a dispensing element 44 on which a dispensing tube 43 is formed.

[0046] The dispensing element 44 , in particular the dispensing tube 43 , can be moved radially around the housing 2 like the cutting blade 28 , so that the cutting surface 41 of the sealing medium 8 ′ remaining in the groove 7 is completely wetted by the adhesive 42 .

[0047] Figure 4 A further method step is schematically shown, in which the housing 2 is closed again.

[0048] For this purpose, the housing cover 3 is placed on the housing 2 , wherein the cut surfaces 40 and 41 , between which the adhesive 42 is sealed, in particular in the manner of a sandwich, are pressed together.

[0049] The housing cover 3, in particular the housing cover edge 19, is Figure 4 The pressed-fit housing cover edge 19' is shown in FIG.

[0050] The sealing medium 8 remaining in the groove 6 of the housing cover 3 after the cut is bonded together with the sealing medium 8 remaining in the groove 7 of the housing after the cut via the sealing medium 42 . Figure 4 The bonded sealing medium 8" and the bonded sealing medium 8' are shown, which are bonded together by a laterally flattened adhesive 42'. In this embodiment, the bond between the cutting surface 40 and the cutting surface 41 is formed by the flattened adhesive 42'. After the housing cover 3 is placed on the housing cup 2 (with the flattened adhesive 42' being enclosed between the cutting surfaces 40 and 41), the threaded connection 11 can be inserted into the penetration 9 of the housing cover 3 and the housing cover 3 can be connected to the housing 2 in a form-fitting manner.

[0051] After the adhesive 42 has cured, in particular crosslinked, a sealing medium layer is formed, which is produced by the adhesive 42 and materially connects the sealing medium parts 8 ′ and 8 ″ produced by separating the housing seal. After the adhesive has cured, the housing seal has three sealing medium layers, wherein the middle layer is formed by the adhesive.

Claims

1. A method for opening and reclosing a device housing (2) of an electrical device (1), wherein: A housing cover (3) of the device housing (2) is separated from a housing part, in particular a housing cup of the device housing (2) using a separating tool, in particular a cutting tool (28), wherein the cutting tool (28) is guided along a gap (6, 7) extending between the housing cover (3) and the housing cup and filled with a sealing medium (8) forming a housing seal, so that a part (8") of the sealing medium (8) remains attached to the housing cover (3) and another part (8') of the sealing medium (8) remains attached to the housing cup, and when the housing cover (3) is separated, two cutting surfaces (40, 41) with mutually complementary surfaces are formed on the sealing medium (8) or the other sealing medium (8), And in order to close the housing (2) again, at least one of the mutually complementary cut surfaces (40, 41) is re-coated with an adhesive (42), and the housing (2) is closed again by placing the housing cover (3).

2. The method according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The remaining complementary sealing agents (8", 8') remain unchanged before the application of the adhesive, in particular in the state after the housing cover (3) has been separated.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, It is characterized in that The adhesive layer (42) reapplied to the cut surfaces (40, 41) has a layer thickness that is smaller than the layer thickness of the sealing medium (8), in particular before separation.

4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, It is characterized in that The adhesive (42) is formed of the same material as the sealing medium (8).

5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, It is characterized in that The adhesive (42) is an elastomer.

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, It is characterized in that The adhesive (42) is a silicone adhesive.

7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, It is characterized in that The adhesive (42) is cured using ultraviolet light.

8. Electrical equipment (1), in particular control equipment or charging equipment for motor vehicles, in particular electric vehicles, in, The device (1) comprises a device housing (2) surrounding a cavity (4) and a housing cover (3), the housing cover being configured to close an opening (13) of the cavity (4) facing the device housing, wherein the device housing (2) comprises a housing seal (8) which is arranged between the housing cover (3) and the device housing (2) in the region of an opening edge (10) of the device housing (2) and is separated, in particular cut open, and the sealing parts (8', 8") thus produced, in particular the sealing halves of the housing seal, are configured to complement each other and are bonded to each other by an adhesive (42) enclosed therebetween.

9. The electrical device according to claim 8, It is characterized in that The adhesive (42) is an elastic adhesive.

10. The electrical device according to claim 8 or 9, It is characterized in that The adhesive (42) is a single-component adhesive that is cured by ultraviolet light.

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