Metallized plastic housing for electronic components

Abstract

A metallized plastic housing for electronic components is disclosed. An automotive electronic control unit (ECU) includes a housing including a base structure formed of plastic and having a plurality of holes formed therein, wherein each of the plurality of holes extends from an inner surface of the base structure to an outer surface of the base structure. The automotive ECU further includes a metal coating covering the inner and outer surfaces of the base structure and filling the plurality of holes to form conductive vias. The automotive ECU further includes a printed circuit board disposed within the housing, a plurality of electronic components mounted on the printed circuit board, and a connection receptacle extending from the housing and adapted to receive a wiring harness connector, the connection receptacle being electrically connected to the plurality of electronic components.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure generally relates to housings for electronic components, and more specifically, to heat-dissipating metallized plastic housings for electronic components. Background Technology

[0002] The automotive electronic control unit (ECU) is an essential component in modern vehicles, responsible for managing and regulating various vehicle functions, such as engine performance, transmission control, braking systems, and driver assistance functions. ECUs typically include complex electronic circuitry, including microprocessors and power transistors, which generate heat during operation.

[0003] Efficient heat dissipation is a critical issue for ECUs, as overheating can degrade performance, shorten the lifespan of electronic components, and potentially lead to system failure. To address this challenge, ECUs typically have a housing designed to facilitate heat dissipation. Traditionally, this housing is made of metallic materials such as aluminum or magnesium alloys, which have high thermal conductivity and help dissipate heat from sensitive electronic components.

[0004] While metal enclosures offer effective thermal management, they also have certain drawbacks. For example, metal enclosures are typically heavy, increasing vehicle weight, which can negatively impact fuel efficiency and overall vehicle performance. Furthermore, metal enclosures are expensive due to material costs and the required tooling, increasing the manufacturing cost of the ECU and consequently raising the overall production cost of the vehicle.

[0005] Given these limitations, there is a need to improve the ECU housing design to provide effective heat dissipation while reducing weight and cost. It is precisely because of these and other factors that the current improvements can be useful. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This overview is provided to introduce a range of concepts in a simplified form, which will be further described in the detailed description below. This overview is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to help determine the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0007] An automotive electronic control unit (ECU) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a housing comprising a base structure formed of plastic and having a plurality of holes formed therein, each of the plurality of holes extending from an inner surface of the base structure to an outer surface of the base structure. The automotive ECU also includes a metallic coating covering the inner and outer surfaces of the base structure and filling the plurality of holes to form conductive through-holes. The automotive ECU further includes a printed circuit board disposed within the housing, a plurality of electronic components mounted on the printed circuit board, and a connection socket extending from the housing and adapted to receive a wiring harness connector electrically connected to the plurality of electronic components.

[0008] A housing for an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a housing comprising a base structure formed of plastic and having a plurality of holes formed therein, wherein each of the plurality of holes extends from an inner surface of the base structure to an outer surface of the base structure. The housing also includes a metallic coating covering the inner and outer surfaces of the base structure and filling the plurality of holes to form conductive through-holes.

[0009] A method of manufacturing a housing for an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes forming a base structure from plastic having a plurality of holes extending between its inner and outer surfaces, applying a primer to the inner and outer surfaces of the base structure, and applying a metal coating over the primer, wherein the metal coating fills the plurality of holes to form conductive vias. Attached Figure Description

[0010] Figure 1 This is a perspective view showing an electronic control unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0011] Figure 2 It is shown Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the electronic control unit shown;

[0012] Figure 3 It is shown Figure 1 The cross-sectional view of the electronic control unit shown; and

[0013] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a housing according to the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0014] Exemplary embodiments of heat sinks for electronic components and associated manufacturing methods will now be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, heat sinks and methods may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will convey certain exemplary aspects of heat sinks and methods to those skilled in the art.

[0015] Reference Figure 1The image shows a perspective view illustrating an automotive electronic control unit 10 (hereinafter referred to as "ECU 10"). ECU 10 may include a housing 12 and one or more connection sockets 14 extending from the housing 12. The connection sockets 14 may be adapted to receive connectors for wiring harnesses (not shown) for establishing electrical connections between electronic components within the housing 12 and various external systems and components in the vehicle, such as motor control systems, transmission control systems, braking systems, driver assistance systems, etc.

[0016] Reference Figure 2 A cross-sectional view illustrating the ECU 10 is shown, with the upper portion of the housing 12 removed. The ECU 10 may include a printed circuit board 16 (hereinafter referred to as "PCB 16") mounted within the housing 12. For example, the PCB 16 may be fastened to the lower portion 18 of the housing 12 in a manner that provides close mechanical and thermal contact with it (e.g., using metal fasteners, thermally conductive adhesives, etc.). Those skilled in the art will recognize that the PCB 16 may include various complex electronic circuits and components 20 (hereinafter referred to as "electronic components 20") mounted thereon, including semiconductor devices, passive components, radio frequency communication devices, connection devices, etc., which may be electrically connected to the connection socket 14.

[0017] The housing 12 can be formed of metallized plastic. That is, the housing 12 may include a plastic base structure having a thin metallic coating covering its inner and outer surfaces. This is in Figure 3 The best example is shown in the text. Figure 3 A cross-sectional view showing a portion of the ECU 10 is provided, including the lower portion 18 of the housing 12, the PCB 16, the electronic components 20, and the upper portion 22 of the housing 12. The base structure 24 of the housing 12 may be formed of a thermoplastic material (e.g., polycarbonate, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, polystyrene, etc.). In various embodiments, the base structure 24 may be formed from a single, unitary, continuous sheet of plastic. Alternatively, the base structure 24 may be formed from multiple sheets of plastic fastened together. In any case, the base structure 24 may be formed using any suitable manufacturing process, including but not limited to molding, 3D printing, etc.

[0018] The base structure 24 may include holes 26 formed therein extending between its inner and outer surfaces. In various embodiments, the holes 26 may be circular, and the depth of each hole may be in the range of 1 mm to 2 mm (i.e., equal to the thickness of the wall of the base structure 24), and the diameter may be in the range of 0.5 mm to 2 mm. This disclosure is not limited in this respect. Figure 3Two holes 26 formed in each of the lower portion 18 and upper portion 22 of the housing 12 are depicted. This is not intended to be limiting, and the position, arrangement, and total number of holes 26 may vary without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, although the holes 26 are shown as cylindrical and of uniform diameter, embodiments of this disclosure are also contemplated in which the upper and / or lower ends of the holes 26 are countersunk.

[0019] The inner and outer surfaces of the base structure 24 may be covered by a thin metal coating 28. The metal coating 28 may also fill the holes 26 to form conductive vias 30 extending between the interior and exterior of the housing 12. The metal coating 28 may be formed of a metal with good thermal conductivity. Examples of such metals include, but are not limited to, copper, aluminum, silver, gold, zinc, nickel, etc. In various embodiments, a primer layer 32 may be applied directly to the base structure 24 and may be positioned between the surface of the base structure 24 and the metal coating 28 to promote good adhesion of the metal coating 28. Examples of suitable primers include, but are not limited to, thermally conductive primers or coatings such as Gravitlack GRAPHIT 33 manufactured by KONTAKT CHEMIE and 10P2-3 manufactured by AKZONOBEL. In various embodiments, the primer 32 may be applied to the base structure 24 using a spraying or dipping process, and the metal coating 28 may be applied using a spraying, plating, or deposition process, as further described below. The thickness of the metal coating 28 may range from 1 micrometer to 3 millimeters. This disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0020] Compared to conventional housings made entirely of metal, the metallized plastic housing 12 offers significant advantages. For example, because the base structure 24 of the housing 12 is made of plastic, the housing 12 can be much lighter and less expensive to manufacture than conventional metal housings. Due to the metal coating 28, the housing 12 exhibits excellent thermal conductivity between its interior and exterior. For instance, heat generated by the electronic components 20 within the housing 12 can be conducted from the metal coating 28 on the inner surface of the housing 12 through the through-holes 30 to the metal coating 28 on the outer surface of the housing 12, whereby the heat can be dissipated into the surrounding atmosphere.

[0021] Although the metallized plastic housing 12 has been described above as a housing for an ECU, it should be understood that housing 12 can also be used similarly as a housing for other electronic devices. For example, housing 12 can be used for transmission control (TCM) modules, anti-lock braking system (ABS) modules, electronic stability control (ESC) modules, telematics control units (TCUs), airbag control modules (ACMs), etc. This disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0022] Reference Figure 4A flowchart illustrating the method for manufacturing the aforementioned metallized plastic casing 12 is shown. (Refer to...) Figure 1-3 The method is described using the outer casing 12 shown.

[0023] exist Figure 4 In block 100 of the method shown, the plastic base structure 24 can be formed of plastic. In various embodiments, the base structure 24 can be formed from thermoplastic materials (e.g., polycarbonate, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, polystyrene, etc.) using any suitable manufacturing process, including but not limited to molding, 3D printing, etc. In various embodiments, the base structure 24 can be formed from a single, integral, continuous plastic sheet. Alternatively, the base structure 24 can be formed from multiple plastic sheets fastened together. In either case, the base structure 24 can be formed using any suitable manufacturing process, including but not limited to molding (e.g., injection molding, compression molding, etc.), 3D printing, etc. The base structure 24 can be formed from a single, integral, continuous plastic sheet, or it can be formed from multiple plastic sheets subsequently fastened together using adhesives and / or mechanical fasteners. This disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0024] exist Figure 4 In block 110 of the method shown, holes 26 may be formed in the base structure 24. In various embodiments, holes 26 may be formed in block 100 of the method as part of the formation of the base structure 24 (e.g., in a molding process or 3D printing process for forming the base structure 24). Alternatively, holes 26 may be formed in the base structure 24 after it has been formed, such as by drilling, cutting, punching, etc. In various embodiments, holes 26 may be circular, and the depth of each hole may be in the range of 1 mm to 2 mm (i.e., equal to the thickness of the wall of the base structure 24), and the diameter may be in the range of 0.5 mm to 2 mm. This disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0025] exist Figure 4 In block 120 of the method shown, a primer 32 may be applied to the base structure 24. The primer 32 may comprise one or more thermally conductive primers or coatings, such as Graphitlack GRAPHIT 33 manufactured by KONTAKT CHEMIE and 10P2-3 manufactured by AKZONOBEL, and may be applied to the base structure 24 using, for example, spraying or dipping processes. In various embodiments, the primer 32 may cover the entire base structure 24, including the inner and outer surfaces of the base structure 24 and the inner surface of the holes 26. Alternatively, the primer 32 may cover only selected portions of the base structure 24 (e.g., portions intended to be covered by the metal coating 28). In some embodiments, the primer 32 may be omitted entirely. This disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0026] exist Figure 4 In block 130 of the method shown, a metal coating 28 may be applied to the base structure 24. For example, the metal coating 28 may be applied to a portion of the base structure 24 in block 120 of the method that is coated with a primer 32, wherein the primer 32 promotes adhesion of the metal coating 28. The metal coating 28 may also fill the holes 26 to form conductive vias 30 extending between the interior and exterior of the housing 12. The metal coating 28 may be formed of a metal with good thermal conductivity (e.g., copper, aluminum, silver, gold, zinc, nickel, etc.) and may be applied using any suitable process. These processes include, but are not limited to, flame spraying, electroless plating, electroplating, and vapor deposition. In various embodiments, the thickness of the metal coating 28 may range from 1 micrometer to 3 millimeters. This disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0027] As used herein, elements or steps described in the singular and beginning with the word "a" or "an" should be understood to not exclude plural elements or steps unless such exclusion is explicitly described. Furthermore, references to "one embodiment" in this disclosure are not intended to exclude the existence of additional embodiments that also include the described features.

[0028] While this disclosure references certain embodiments, many modifications, alterations, and variations of the described embodiments are possible without departing from the field and scope of this disclosure, as defined in one or more of the appended claims. Therefore, this disclosure is intended to be limited to the described embodiments, but rather to have the full scope defined by the language of the following claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An automotive electronic control unit (ECU), comprising: The housing includes: A base structure, formed of plastic, having a plurality of holes formed therein, each of said plurality of holes extending from an inner surface of the base structure to an outer surface of the base structure; and A metal coating covers the inner and outer surfaces of the base structure and fills the plurality of holes to form conductive vias; A printed circuit board disposed within the housing; Multiple electronic components are mounted on the printed circuit board; and A connector extending from the housing and adapted to receive a wire harness, the connector being electrically connected to the plurality of electronic components.

2. The automotive ECU according to claim 1, wherein, The base structure is formed of thermoplastic material.

3. The automotive ECU according to claim 2, wherein, The base structure is formed from one of polycarbonate, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, and polystyrene.

4. The automotive ECU according to claim 1, wherein, The depth of each of the holes is in the range of 1 mm to 2 mm.

5. The automotive ECU according to claim 1, wherein, The diameter of each of the holes is in the range of 0.5 mm to 2 mm.

6. The automotive ECU of claim 1 further includes a primer layer disposed between the metal coating and the inner and outer surfaces of the base structure.

7. The automotive ECU according to claim 1, wherein, The thickness of the metal coating ranges from 1 micrometer to 3 millimeters.

8. The automotive ECU according to claim 1, wherein, The metal coating is formed from one of copper, aluminum, silver, gold, zinc, and nickel.

9. A housing for an electronic device, the housing comprising: A base structure formed of plastic and having a plurality of holes formed therein, wherein each of the plurality of holes extends from an inner surface of the base structure to an outer surface of the base structure; and A metallic coating covers the inner and outer surfaces of the base structure and fills the plurality of holes to form conductive vias.

10. The housing according to claim 9, wherein, The base structure is formed of thermoplastic material.

11. The housing according to claim 10, wherein, The base structure is formed from one of polycarbonate, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, and polystyrene.

12. The housing according to claim 9, wherein, The depth of each of the holes is in the range of 1 mm to 2 mm.

13. The housing according to claim 9, wherein, The diameter of each of the holes is in the range of 0.5 mm to 2 mm.

14. The housing according to claim 9, further comprising a primer layer disposed between the metal coating and the inner and outer surfaces of the base structure.

15. The housing according to claim 9, wherein, The thickness of the metal coating ranges from 1 micrometer to 3 millimeters.

16. The housing according to claim 9, wherein, The metal coating is formed from one of copper, aluminum, silver, gold, zinc, and nickel.

17. A method for manufacturing a metallized housing for an electronic device, the method comprising: A base structure is formed of plastic, the base structure having a plurality of holes extending between its inner and outer surfaces; Apply a primer to the inner and outer surfaces of the base structure; and A metallic coating is applied over the primer, wherein the metallic coating fills the plurality of pores to form conductive vias.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein, The base structure is formed using either molding or 3D printing.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein, The primer is applied using either a spraying process or an immersion process.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein, The metal coating is applied using flame spraying, electroless plating, electroplating, and vapor deposition processes.

21. The method according to claim 17, wherein, The base structure is formed of thermoplastic material.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein, The base structure is formed from one of polycarbonate, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, and polystyrene.

23. The method according to claim 17, wherein, The thickness of the metal coating ranges from 1 micrometer to 3 millimeters.

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