Housing for electronic components with electromagnetic compatibility shielding

Abstract

The invention generally relates to a housing for electronic components and to a brake device having such a housing. The housing is distinguished by a high electromagnetic compatibility. The housing comprises a cover and a bottom, wherein the cover and the bottom form a cavity for accommodating and holding at least one electronic component, preferably a printed circuit board, said housing comprising: - a housing part as part of a wall of the housing (10), and - an electronic component (20) held in said cavity, wherein the housing part comprises at least one first contact surface (13), wherein the electronic component (20) contains a second contact surface (23) with electrical contacts, wherein in the assembled state the first contact surface (13) and the second contact surface (23) are arranged opposite to each other in cooperation and wherein the gap between the first contact surface (13) and the second contact surface (23) is preferably 2 mm or less.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention generally relates to a housing for electronic components and a braking device having such a housing. A key feature of this housing is its high electromagnetic compatibility. Technical Background

[0002] Electronic components, especially printed circuit boards equipped with electrical or electronic structural elements, are housed in appropriate housings for protection in various ways.

[0003] Therefore, in modern braking control systems, for example, such electronic components are correspondingly encapsulated or contained within a surrounding housing due to the environmental conditions present at the installation location. For stability reasons, the housing is typically made of metal or metallic materials.

[0004] To improve electromagnetic compatibility, corresponding electrical contacts can be provided between the metal housing (e.g., the metal cover of the housing) and the printed circuit board. In some housings, contact springs can be provided for this purpose, which can be arranged, for example, on the cover and connected to the contact surface on the electronic component.

[0005] While this allows for the establishment of electromagnetic compatibility, such implementations are costly and require additional manufacturing steps, such as welding metal strips to the housing cover. Furthermore, according to these implementations, such springs often need to be positioned with great precision. Another challenge is ensuring contact resistance throughout the entire lifespan of the component.

[0006] Therefore, it is desirable to provide a solution for protecting electronic components that does not have or at least mitigates the aforementioned disadvantages. Here, the highest possible electromagnetic compatibility should be provided. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The inventor has dedicated himself to this task.

[0008] Surprisingly, this task is accomplished simply by a housing as described in one of the independent claims, particularly a two-piece or multi-piece housing having a cover and a bottom. Preferred embodiments and improvements of the invention can be derived from the dependent claims.

[0009] Therefore, the invention relates in a first aspect to a housing, wherein the housing is preferably implemented as a two-piece or multi-piece structure. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the housing may include at least two housing components, particularly a cover and a bottom. These housing components typically include wall portions of the housing. Here, the cover and / or the bottom may form a cavity for receiving and holding at least one electronic component, particularly at least one printed circuit board. In the assembled state, the electronic component can be held within the cavity, for which suitable retaining devices or receiving portions may be provided.

[0010] The housing according to the present invention is characterized in that:

[0011] The housing component includes at least one first contact surface.

[0012] The electronic component includes a second contact surface with electrical contacts.

[0013] In the assembled state, the first and second contact surfaces cooperate with each other and are arranged opposite each other.

[0014] The gap between the first contact surface and the second contact surface is preferably 2 mm or less than 2 mm.

[0015] Particularly preferably, electrical contact can be established and formed between the first contact surface and the second contact surface in the assembled state. "In the assembled state" means that the electronic component, especially the electronic printed circuit board, is held in the cavity of the housing, and the at least two housing parts, such as the cover and the bottom, are interconnected.

[0016] In the context of this invention, the housing, or housing component having at least a first contact surface, may be made of or comprise a conductive metallic material, such as aluminum or an aluminum alloy. According to a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the housing component relates to a cover plate, which allows the housing to be closed after the electronic components have been assembled. In this way, a housing that is particularly easy to assemble can be provided.

[0017] In the context of this invention, electrical contact can be established between the electronic component and the housing components of the housing, preferably between the printed circuit board and the cover plate. This eliminates the need for additional components (e.g., contact springs) used for making the contact, thereby enabling the low-cost manufacture of the housing for the electronic component. Furthermore, assembly can be simplified.

[0018] Therefore, one advantage of the present invention is that it eliminates the need for a contact spring and, on the other hand, simplifies the manufacturing or assembly process, thereby reducing costs. In various manufacturing methods for housing covers made of metal, such as for control devices (“ECUs”) of braking systems, deep drawing may already be an integral part of the manufacturing process, thus requiring no additional process steps and therefore incurring almost no additional costs.

[0019] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the first contact surface and the second contact surface can be configured as flat surfaces or can each comprise a flat surface. This allows the first contact surface and the second contact surface to be arranged parallel to each other or at least substantially parallel to each other.

[0020] In the context of this invention, "generally" means that, for a certain parameter, the possible deviation between the reference parameter and the possible actual value is at most 10%, preferably at most 5%, and particularly preferably at most 1%.

[0021] This is particularly easy to achieve when the printed circuit board is used as an electronic component, because the printed circuit board typically has a planar, flat, extended shape, so that the second contact surface can have a flat area of ​​the surface of the printed circuit board pointing toward the first contact surface. Thus, for example, if the first contact surface is associated with a cover plate, the second contact surface can particularly advantageously include a portion or section of the surface of the printed circuit board pointing toward the cover plate.

[0022] According to the present invention, silver or gold pads on printed circuit boards, which are typically used for contacting contact springs, can be particularly advantageously omitted. For the present invention, simple contact pads, such as tin-plated contact pads, can be used for the second contact surface instead of significantly more expensive silver or even gold pads. Therefore, the second contact surface can comprise silver-free and gold-free contact pads or be configured to contain neither silver nor gold components.

[0023] Constructing the contact surfaces as flat also offers the advantage that, after assembly, slight lateral offset between the two contact surfaces relative to each other is permissible, provided the remaining overlap is large enough. This offset may arise, for example, from form and position tolerances in manufacturing and assembly, or these tolerances can be set more leniently accordingly. This also simplifies manufacturing and allows the bottom, printed circuit board, and cover to be joined along only one assembly direction.

[0024] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the first contact surface may include a protrusion or ridge that is configured to face inward toward the cavity. For example, the ridge can be implemented particularly cost-effectively as a deep-drawn surface. Deep drawing can be configured to have different outer contours, such as a circular outer contour, which is considered advantageous for manufacturability reasons.

[0025] To achieve continuous or long-term stable electrical contact, it is advantageous for the first and second contact surfaces to include at least one overlapping area with a predetermined minimum area. Therefore, in the context of this invention, the minimum area refers to the area where the first and second contact surfaces cooperate and overlap after assembly. This can be the area with the smallest gap between the contact surfaces. This also helps to provide a certain tolerance for shape or positional deviations of the components.

[0026] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the housing and electronic components are arranged such that, after assembly, there is only the smallest possible gap between the two contact surfaces. Therefore, it is proposed that a gap of 2 mm or less be formed between the first and second contact surfaces. This small gap facilitates electrical contact of the electronic components.

[0027] Embodiments of the present invention may specify that a conductive material is disposed between the first contact surface and the second contact surface, the conductive material bridging and / or sealing the gap. In this way, a conductive bridging can be provided for the gap present between the first and second contact surfaces after assembly. In the context of the present invention, the conductive material is considered to be a material whose conductivity at 25°C is greater than or better than 1 * 10⁻⁶. 4 S / m, preferably greater than or better than 1 * 10 5 S / m, preferably greater than or better than 1 * 10 6 S / m. Conductive materials can be used for electrical-related deformation compensation and tolerance compensation of various components.

[0028] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the conductive material may include conductive paste, such as conductive adhesive. The conductive paste may be applied to the first contact surface and / or the second contact surface before the housing is assembled and hardened after successful assembly.

[0029] According to other equally preferred embodiments of the invention, the conductive material may include a conductive surface structure, such as a conductive film or a conductive strip.

[0030] Compression of the thin film can further reduce resistance, which is considered advantageous to the present invention. Preferably, the void is configured such that the void is smaller than the thickness of the conductive thin film. However, it must be noted that excessive compression of the conductive surface structure (especially the conductive thin film) may be detrimental, as this may cause deformation of the printed circuit board. Such deformation or lateral forces acting on the printed circuit board may damage the printed circuit board or the components applied to it.

[0031] According to an improved embodiment of the invention, the first contact surface and the second contact surface can also be in direct contact with each other, or in other words, in mutual contact. This can be achieved, for example, through a small interference fit, where the flexibility or elasticity of the printed circuit board or housing component (e.g., a cover plate) can be utilized. Furthermore, the individual surfaces of the contact surfaces can be pre-treated accordingly to improve conductivity.

[0032] According to other improvements of the invention, the first and second contact surfaces may also include cooperative functional elements for engaging the components in a form-locking manner. Such functional elements may include, for example, snap hooks, press-in contacts, or press-in pins that engage with corresponding receiving portions and thus create a detachable or non-detachable connection.

[0033] To ensure the desired electrical contact, at least a portion of the surfaces on which the functional elements cooperate can be made of or comprise a conductive material. This can be, for example, a coating made of a conductive material. According to embodiments of the invention, electronic structural elements, particularly printed circuit boards, can be equipped with at least one contact pin constructed in this manner, which can then be inserted into a corresponding receiving portion in a housing component, particularly a cover plate, during assembly.

[0034] In another aspect of the invention, the invention also includes a braking device, particularly a braking device for a motor vehicle, the braking device including at least one control device, such as a brake control device (ECU), wherein the control device may include the housing described above.

[0035] Therefore, the present invention is also applicable to any situation in which an electrical connection is achieved between different components using spring contacts. Attached Figure Description

[0036] Further details of the invention can be derived from the description of the illustrated embodiments and the appended claims.

[0037] In the attached diagram:

[0038] Figure 1 A top view and two side views of a printed circuit board with contact surfaces according to the present invention are shown.

[0039] Figure 2 A partial oblique view of a printed circuit board with functional components is shown, and

[0040] Figure 3 Other top and side views of the housing according to the invention are shown.

[0041] List of reference numerals in the attached diagram:

[0042] 10 housing

[0043] 12 protrusions

[0044] 13 contact surfaces

[0045] 14 Conductive Materials

[0046] 15 cover plates

[0047] 20 electronic components

[0048] 23 contact surfaces

[0049] 30 functional components Detailed Implementation

[0050] In the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, for clarity, the same reference numerals denote substantially the same parts in these embodiments. To better illustrate the invention, the preferred embodiments shown in the figures are not always drawn to scale. For clarity, only elements relevant to the design according to the invention are shown herein.

[0051] Figure 1 A top view and two side views of a printed circuit board 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention, having contact surfaces, are shown. Figure 2 A partial oblique view of another printed circuit board 20 with functional elements is shown, and Figure 3 Further top views and partial side views of the housing 10 according to the invention, having a printed circuit board 20 and a cover plate 15, are shown.

[0052] In a first aspect, the present invention relates to a housing 10, wherein the housing 10 is implemented as a multi-piece assembly. Figure 3 In the embodiment of the invention shown in partial illustration, in addition to the bottom, the housing 10 also includes a cover plate 15.

[0053] The cover plate 15 and the bottom form a cavity for receiving and holding at least one electronic component 20, which in this example includes a printed circuit board. In the assembled state, the electronic component 20, in particular the printed circuit board, is received and held in the cavity, for which suitable retaining devices or receiving portions (not shown) may be provided.

[0054] Therefore, the housing 10 according to the present invention includes:

[0055] - Housing components that are part of the wall of housing 10, and

[0056] - Electronic components 20 held in the cavity,

[0057] The housing component includes at least one first contact surface 13.

[0058] The electronic component 20 includes a second contact surface 23 having an electrical contact portion.

[0059] In the assembled state, the first contact surface 13 and the second contact surface 23 cooperate with each other and are arranged opposite each other.

[0060] The gap between the first contact surface 13 and the second contact surface 23 is preferably 2 mm or less than 2 mm.

[0061] In the discussed embodiments, the housing component having the first contact surface 13 includes a cover plate 15, which is considered advantageous. In principle, other housing components (e.g., sidewalls) may also include corresponding first contact surfaces 13 and have the same function as described below.

[0062] Once the cover 15 is connected to the bottom as intended, and / or the housing 10 is closed by means of the cover 15, an electrical contact can be established between the electronic component 20 (especially the printed circuit board) and the cover 15. Here, the cover is entirely or at least made of a conductive material in the area of ​​the first contact surface 13. Figure 2 In this embodiment, the cover plate 15 is made entirely of a conductive material, such as aluminum or an aluminum alloy. This allows for electrical contact between the printed circuit board and the cover plate 15.

[0063] A key advantage of this invention is its significantly simplified structure compared to prior art embodiments (in which an additional contact spring is used in the cover plate). Furthermore, simple assembly in the preferred orientation is also possible.

[0064] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first contact surface 13 and the second contact surface 23 are configured as flat surfaces, or each comprises a flat surface. Thus, in the assembled state, these two contact surfaces 13 and 23 can be arranged parallel to each other or substantially parallel to each other, such as... Figure 3 As shown.

[0065] like Figure 1 As shown, the first contact surface 13 is configured as a protrusion that extends inward toward the cavity. In this embodiment, the protrusion is implemented as a deep-drawn portion, which enables particularly low-cost manufacturing because such cover plates 15 are typically formed from thin sheets using a deep-drawing method and can therefore be easily integrated into the manufacturing process. The deep-drawn portion can be formed with different external profiles, for example, having... Figure 3 The circular outer contour is shown. This also allows the deep-drawn portion to be made longer, so that after assembly, the two contact surfaces 13, 23 are arranged at the smallest possible distance from each other.

[0066] The housing 10 and the electronic component 20 are arranged such that, after successful assembly, there is only the smallest possible gap between the two contact surfaces 13, 23. Therefore, it is proposed that a gap be formed between the first contact surface 13 and the second contact surface 23, the gap being 2 mm or less, more preferably 1 mm or less, and particularly preferably 0.5 mm or less, or 0.1 mm or less. A small gap facilitates electrical contact of the electronic component.

[0067] According to the present invention, the first contact surface and the second contact surfaces 13, 23 constitute corresponding or overlapping regions. Therefore, this overlap defines the minimum area for transmitting electrical energy. Here, a larger minimum area improves electrical contact and thus improves the electromagnetic compatibility of the housing 10. Generally, after accounting for possible shape and positional deviations, this minimum area should be at least 1 mm. 2 Preferably at least 2 mm 2 And preferably at least 4 mm 2 Or larger. The minimum area required also depends on the size of the gap between contact surfaces 13 and 23.

[0068] A preferred embodiment of the present invention proposes that a conductive material 14 be disposed between the first contact surface and the second contact surface, the conductive material sealing the gap and electrically connecting the two contact surfaces 13, 23 to each other. In this way, the gap existing between the first and second contact surfaces after assembly can be electrically bridged.

[0069] In the context of this invention, the conductive material 14 is considered to have a conductivity greater than or better than 1 × 10⁻⁶ at 25°C. 4 S / m, preferably greater than or better than 1 × 10 5 S / m, especially preferably greater than or better than 1 × 10 6 Materials with S / m.

[0070] According to one embodiment of the invention, the conductive material may include a conductive paste or a conductive adhesive. The conductive paste may be applied to the first contact surface 13 and / or the second contact surface 23 prior to assembly of the housing 10 and harden after assembly. Unlike solid materials, the conductive paste provides greater flexibility, thus helping to compensate for minor deviations in shape or position.

[0071] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the conductive material 14 may comprise a conductive surface structure, such as a conductive film or conductive tape. Suitable conductive films according to the invention are, for example, supplied by manufacturer 3M under the names "3M™ Electrically Conductive Cushion Gasket Tape" ECG7033H, ECG7053H, and ECG7073H. A resistance of approximately 1 ohm can be obtained in a minimum area of ​​approximately 3 mm x 3 mm, which is considered sufficient for the purposes of this invention.

[0072] Slight compression of the conductive film can further reduce resistance, which is also considered beneficial to this invention. However, it should be noted that compression should not introduce excessive stress into the relevant components, as excessive stress may cause damage.

[0073] Such conductive films are available in thicknesses of 0.3 mm, 0.5 mm, or 0.7 mm, which can correspondingly seal the gaps between contact surfaces. Other films with greater thicknesses, such as 1 mm or 1.5 mm, are also available.

[0074] According to an improved embodiment of the invention, two or more thin conductive films can be stacked together, thereby bridging larger gaps. This allows for greater manufacturing tolerances.

[0075] Preferably, in these cases, the gaps are configured to be slightly smaller than the thickness of the conductive film. For example, in the case of a 0.7 mm thick film, the gaps can be between 0.4 mm and 0.6 mm, allowing for the desired slight compression during installation. Figure 3 In the embodiment shown, a conductive film of this type with a thickness of 0.7 mm is arranged in a 0.6 mm gap between the two contact surfaces 13 and 23.

[0076] According to an improved embodiment of the invention, the first contact surface 13 and the second contact surface 23 can also be in direct contact with each other, or in other words, in contact with one another. This can be achieved, for example, by a small interference fit, in which the flexibility or elasticity of the printed circuit board or housing component (e.g., cover plate 15) can be utilized.

[0077] According to another improvement of the present invention, the first contact surface 13 and the second contact surface 23 may also be provided with mutually cooperating functional elements 30 to achieve a form-locking connection of such components. For this purpose, Figure 2 For illustrative purposes only, an electronic component 20 in the form of a printed circuit board is shown, which is configured to have press-in contacts or press-in pins as functional elements. Thus, the press-in contacts engage with corresponding receiving portions in the cover plate 15 in the assembled state, thereby forming a secure, detachable or non-detachable connection.

[0078] To ensure electrical contact, a portion of the surface of the cooperating functional element (e.g., the outer surface of the press-in contact and the relevant section of the receiving portion) is made of or includes a conductive material. This can also be, for example, a coating made of a conductive material.

[0079] In this way, a housing 10 for accommodating and protecting electronic components can be provided, which is characterized by high electromagnetic compatibility.

[0080] The housing 10 can be used, for example, in the braking system of a motor vehicle, for example, to house an electronic control unit, and in which particularly high requirements are placed on electromagnetic compatibility.

Claims

1. A housing (10), particularly a two-piece or multi-piece housing (10), said housing having at least one cover plate (15) and a bottom, wherein, The cover plate (15) and the bottom form a cavity for accommodating and holding at least one electronic component (20), preferably a printed circuit board (20); The housing includes - A shell component that is part of the wall of the shell (10), and - Electronic components (20) held in the cavity, The housing component includes at least one first contact surface (13). The electronic component (20) includes a second contact surface (23) having an electrical contact portion. In the assembled state, the first contact surface (13) and the second contact surface (23) cooperate with each other and are arranged opposite each other. The gap between the first contact surface (13) and the second contact surface (23) is preferably 2 mm or less than 2 mm.

2. The housing (10) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that, In the assembled state, an electrical contact is formed between the first contact surface (13) and the second contact surface (23).

3. The housing (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The housing component having the first contact surface (13) is made of or includes a conductive metal material, wherein, preferably, the housing component includes the cover plate (15).

4. The housing (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The first contact surface (13) and / or the second contact surface (23) are constructed as flat surfaces, wherein the first contact surface (13) and the second contact surface (23) are arranged parallel to each other or at least substantially parallel to each other.

5. The housing (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The first contact surface (13) includes a protrusion (12), preferably a deep-drawn portion, wherein the protrusion (12) is preferably configured to face inward toward the cavity.

6. The housing (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The second contact surface (23) includes a portion of the surface of the pointing cover of the printed circuit board (20).

7. The housing (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The minimum area in the overlapping region between the first contact surface (13) and the second contact surface (23) is at least 1 mm. 2 Preferably at least 2 mm 2 And preferably at least 4 mm 2 Or larger.

8. The housing (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The gap is less than 1 mm, preferably less than 0.5 mm, less than 0.1 mm, and less than 0.01 mm.

9. The housing (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, A conductive material (14) is arranged between the first contact surface (13) and the second contact surface (23), the conductive material sealing the gap.

10. The housing (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The conductive material (14) includes conductive paste, and in particular conductive adhesive.

11. The housing (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The conductive material (14) includes conductive surface structures, particularly conductive films or conductive strips.

12. The housing (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The first contact surface (13) and the second contact surface (23) are in direct contact with each other, or in other words, they are in contact.

13. The housing (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The second contact surface (23) includes contact pads, preferably tin-plated contact pads, and particularly preferably silver-free and / or gold-free contact pads.

14. The housing (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The first contact surface and the second contact surface (13, 23) include functional elements (30) that cooperate with each other for engaging the components in a form-locking manner, wherein the surface of the functional element (30) is made of or includes such a conductive material.

15. A braking device, particularly a braking device for a motor vehicle, the braking device comprising at least one control device having a housing (10) according to any one of the preceding claims.

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