Electronic equipment, lighting system and automobile

Abstract

The utility model discloses an electronic device. The electronic device comprises a circuit board; and the connector comprises a shell and a plurality of wiring terminals, the shell is provided with a connecting part, the plurality of wiring terminals are connected with the circuit board, the bottom of the shell penetrates through the plurality of wiring terminals, and the connecting part of the shell is hot riveted on the circuit board. According to the utility model, the manufacturing and processing cost of the connector in the lighting control unit can be effectively reduced. The utility model further provides a lighting system and an automobile comprising the lighting system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of lighting, in particular to an electronic device, a lighting system and a car. Background Art

[0002] A Light Control Unit (LCU) is a device installed on a lamp. In the automotive field, it is generally used in a car lighting system (for example, installed in a headlamp) to control the brightness and light changes of the lamp.

[0003] The lighting control unit includes an upper shell, a lower shell and a circuit board located therebetween. The circuit board is arranged with different connecting elements (such as connectors). However, the manufacturing cost of the connector itself is relatively high, and the connection between it and the circuit board usually adopts surface mount technology (SMT), that is, the connector, which has a high manufacturing cost, is soldered and assembled on the circuit board. The processing cost of this connection process is relatively high, especially when the circuit board design is more complicated, the processing difficulty and cost will increase again. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of the utility model is to solve the technical problems of high manufacturing cost of connectors in existing lighting control units and high processing cost between connectors and circuit boards. The utility model provides an electronic device, a lighting system and a car, which can effectively reduce the manufacturing and processing costs of connectors in lighting control units.

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, the embodiment of the utility model discloses an electronic device, including:

[0006] Circuit boards;

[0007] The connector comprises a shell and a plurality of connection terminals, wherein the shell is provided with a connection portion, the plurality of connection terminals are connected to the circuit board, the bottom of the shell passes through the plurality of connection terminals, and the connection portion of the shell is heat-riveted to the circuit board.

[0008] By adopting the above technical solution, the shell and multiple terminals of the connector of the embodiment of the present application can be processed relatively independently onto the circuit board, that is, first insert the multiple terminals into the circuit board, then align the shell with the multiple terminals and pass through the terminals, and at the same time, the connecting part of the shell is passed through and hot-riveted to the circuit board. In this arrangement, on the one hand, the terminals and the shell can be installed successively, that is, the shell and the terminals of the connector are assembled separately, and the shell and the terminals can be designed and produced separately, which effectively reduces the manufacturing cost of the connector; on the other hand, there is no need to weld the integrated connector to the circuit board through a more complicated processing technology (such as surface mounting technology), which effectively reduces the processing cost between the connector and the circuit board; hot-riveting the connecting part of the connector shell to the circuit board can achieve a high-strength connection.

[0009] According to another specific embodiment of the present utility model, a plurality of positioning grooves are formed at the bottom of the housing, and the positioning grooves pass through the corresponding wiring terminals and are arranged around the corresponding wiring terminals.

[0010] By adopting the above technical solution, a positioning groove is provided at the bottom of the shell so that the shell and a plurality of wiring terminals can be connected in a split manner.

[0011] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, the connecting portion is a thermoplastic rivet head.

[0012] According to another specific embodiment of the present utility model, the connecting portion includes a supporting seat and a connecting column connected to each other, the supporting seat is connected to the housing, and the connecting column is penetrated through the circuit board.

[0013] According to another specific embodiment of the utility model, it also includes a first shell, which is covered at the edge of the circuit board. The first shell is a metal part and forms a shielding space with the circuit board. The connector and the circuit board are located in the shielding space.

[0014] The upper cover of the original lighting control unit is usually only a plastic part, which mainly serves as the shell of the device to protect the circuit board or facilitate assembly. With the above technical solution, in the electronic device (such as the lighting control unit) of the embodiment of the present application, the above arrangement of the connector housing, the terminal block, and the circuit board provides a basis for the design diversity of the first shell, that is, the first shell can no longer be just a cover, but can also have other functions (as described below), thereby making the lighting control unit as a whole have higher compatibility.

[0015] The metal first shell in the lighting control unit of the embodiment of the present application is directly covered on the entire circuit board. At this time, the first shell serves as the upper cover of the lighting control unit, and can also serve as the EMC (Electromagnetic Compatibility) shielding cover of the lighting control unit, thereby forming a shielding space with the circuit board. Different electronic components on the circuit board that can generate electromagnetic interference (for example, one or more connectors riveted to the circuit board through the connecting part) can all be shielded by the first shell, effectively improving the overall shielding effect of the lighting control unit; more importantly, there is no need to add a shielding cover for each connector, thereby saving the layout area of ​​the circuit board; at the same time, the metal first shell effectively improves the heat dissipation effect.

[0016] According to another specific embodiment of the utility model, the circuit board is provided with a through hole, the through hole corresponds to the connecting portion, a part of the connecting portion is passed through the corresponding through hole and extends toward a side of the circuit board away from the first shell.

[0017] According to another specific embodiment of the present utility model, the first shell is a sheet metal part; the electronic device also includes a second shell, the first shell and the second shell are connected, and the circuit board and the connector are arranged between the first shell and the second shell.

[0018] By adopting the above technical solution, the first shell of the embodiment of the present application is a sheet metal part, which can form a shielding space with the circuit board on the one hand, and can provide heat dissipation function on the other hand, and has good tensile and compressive resistance, which is suitable for the application requirements of external equipment.

[0019] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, the connecting portion is provided in plurality.

[0020] The embodiment of the utility model further discloses a lighting system, comprising a vehicle lamp and the electronic device in any one of the above embodiments, wherein the first housing of the electronic device is connected to the vehicle lamp.

[0021] The embodiment of the utility model further discloses a car, comprising the lighting system in any one of the above embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 A three-dimensional diagram of an electronic device in some implementation modes of the present utility model is shown.

[0023] Figure 2 A three-dimensional electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 1 .

[0024] Figure 3 A three-dimensional electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 2 .

[0025] Figure 4 A schematic diagram showing the connection between the connector and the circuit board of the utility model embodiment Figure 1 .

[0026] Figure 5 A schematic diagram showing the connection between the connector and the circuit board of the utility model embodiment Figure 2 .

[0027] Figure 6 A structural schematic diagram of a lighting system according to an embodiment of the utility model is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] The following is an explanation of the implementation of the present invention by specific specific embodiments. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and functions of the present invention from the contents disclosed in this specification. Although the description of the present invention will be introduced in conjunction with the preferred embodiment, this does not mean that the features of this utility model are limited to this implementation. On the contrary, the purpose of introducing the utility model in conjunction with the implementation is to cover other options or modifications that may be extended based on the claims of the present invention. In order to provide a deep understanding of the present invention, the following description will include many specific details. The present invention can also be implemented without using these details. In addition, in order to avoid confusion or blurring the focus of the present invention, some specific details will be omitted in the description. It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the embodiments in the present invention and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0029] It should be noted that in this specification, similar reference numerals and letters denote similar items in the following drawings, and therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, it does not need to be further defined and explained in the subsequent drawings.

[0030] In the description of this embodiment, it should be noted that the terms "upper", "lower", "inner", "bottom", etc. indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, or are the orientations or positional relationships in which the utility model product is usually placed when in use. They are only for the convenience of describing the utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the utility model.

[0031] The terms “first”, “second”, etc. are only used for distinguishing descriptions and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0032] In the description of this embodiment, it is also necessary to explain that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "set", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this embodiment can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0033] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present invention more clear, the implementation mode of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0034] A lighting control unit usually includes an upper shell, a lower shell and a circuit board located inside. The circuit board is provided with multiple connectors. The outer shell and the pins of the connector are usually connected as one. When processing the connector onto the circuit board, each connector needs to be soldered to the circuit board through, for example, surface mounting technology, which increases the processing cost.

[0035] For another example, see Figure 1 , Figure 1 The three-dimensional exploded view of the lighting control unit in some other implementation methods of the embodiment of the present application is exemplified, including an upper shell 10, a lower shell 20, and a circuit board 30. The lighting control unit also includes two connectors 40. It can be seen that the multiple pins 401 of the connector 40 are electrically connected to the circuit board 30, and the shell 402 of the connector 40 is directly arranged on the upper shell 10. During assembly, the upper shell 10 and the lower shell 20 are directly connected together. At this time, the shell 402 of the connector 40 will also be buckled around the corresponding multiple pins 401 with the upper shell 10.

[0036] In this embodiment, although the shell 402 of the connector is also relatively independent of the multiple pins 401, the upper shell 10 is usually a plastic shell, and the shell 402 of the connector 40 is an integral structure with the upper shell 10. There are certain limitations when designing the upper shell 10 and the shell 402 of the connector 40 separately.

[0037] Based on this, see Figures 2 to 5 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 The connection diagrams between the connector 2 and the circuit board 1 are shown as examples. It should be noted that: Figure 4 and Figure 5 The differences between the connector 2 and the circuit board 1 shown respectively are: the shapes of the circuit board 1 and the housing 21 are different, the types and quantities of the connection terminals 23 are different, and the structures of the connection parts 22 are different.

[0038] The embodiment of the present application does not limit the shape of the circuit board 1, which can be as follows: Figure 4 The circular circuit board shown can also be Figure 5 The rectangular circuit board shown. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the shape of the housing 21 of the connector 2. At the same time, the embodiment of the present application still does not limit the model and quantity of the terminal 23. In addition, the embodiment of the present application does not limit the structure of the connecting portion 22, which will be explained later.

[0039] See also Figure 2 and Figure 6 , an embodiment of the present application provides an electronic device 100 (eg, a lighting control unit) and a lighting system using the electronic device 100 .

[0040] like Figure 6 As shown, Figure 6 The cross-sectional view of the vehicle lamp 200 is shown as an example, and it can be seen that the electronic device 100 is mounted on the vehicle lamp 200 to control the brightness, light change and other functions of the vehicle lamp 200. As an example, the first housing of the electronic device 100 described later is used to connect to the vehicle lamp 200.

[0041] See also Figures 2 to 5 The electronic device 100 includes a circuit board 1 and a connector 2 . Each connector 2 includes a housing 21 and a plurality of terminals 23 . The housing 21 is provided with a connecting portion 22 . The connecting portion 22 is used for being riveted to the circuit board 1 .

[0042] During installation, first connect the plurality of connection terminals 23 to the circuit board 1 in sequence, then align the housing 21 with the plurality of connection terminals 23, and Figure 3 and Figure 4 The housing 21 moves in the Z2 direction as shown, so that the bottom of the housing can pass through the plurality of connecting terminals 23 . Meanwhile, the plurality of connecting portions 22 of the housing 21 can be passed through the circuit board 1 , and then the plurality of connecting portions 22 are heat-riveted to the circuit board 1 .

[0043] See also Figure 3 In a possible implementation, a plurality of positioning grooves 24 are provided at the bottom of the housing 21, and the positioning grooves 24 can pass through the corresponding wiring terminals 23 and then be arranged around the corresponding wiring terminals 23. It can be seen that Figure 3 26 square positioning grooves 24 and 4 rectangular positioning grooves 24 are shown as examples, but the embodiment of the present application does not limit the number and shape of the positioning grooves 24. As long as the housing 21 can pass through the terminal 23, it belongs to the protection scope of the embodiment of the present application.

[0044] See also Figures 2 to 5 , for example, although Figure 4 and Figure 5Two connectors 2 are shown in each example, but the electronic device 100 of the embodiment of the present application may also include one, three, six, eight, etc. connectors 2. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the number of connectors 2.

[0045] Exemplarily, the housing 21 is made of plastic, but the material and shape of the housing 21 are not limited in the embodiment of the present application. Each housing 21 is provided with a connecting portion 22. However, the embodiment of the present application does not limit the number, for example, each housing 21 can also be provided with two, three, six, etc. connecting portions 22.

[0046] By adopting the above technical solution, the shell 21 and the plurality of terminals 23 of the connector 2 can be processed onto the circuit board 1 relatively independently, that is, the plurality of terminals 23 are first inserted into the circuit board 1, and then the shell 21 is aligned with the plurality of terminals 23 and then passed through the terminals 23, and at the same time, the connection portion 22 of the shell is passed through and hot-riveted to the circuit board 1. In this arrangement, on the one hand, the terminals 23 and the shell 21 can be installed successively, that is, the shell 21 and the terminals 23 of the connector 2 are assembled separately, and the shell 21 and the terminals 23 can be designed and produced separately, which effectively reduces the manufacturing cost of the connector; on the other hand, there is no need to weld the integrated connector 2 to the circuit board 1 through a more complicated processing technology (such as surface mounting technology), which effectively reduces the processing cost between the connector 2 and the circuit board 1; and the connection portion 22 of the shell 21 is hot-riveted to the circuit board, which can achieve a high-strength connection.

[0047] See also Figures 2 to 5 In a possible implementation, the connection portion 22 is a thermoplastic rivet head (e.g., a plastic rivet head). For example, the connection portion 22 can be integrally formed with the housing 21 (e.g., the connection portion 22 and the housing 21 use the same injection mold during injection molding). For example, the connection portion 22 can also be separately connected to the housing 21, for example, the connection portion 22 and the housing 21 can be snap-fitted (not shown in the figure), and the embodiment of the present application does not limit this connection relationship.

[0048] According to the above description, the embodiment of the present application does not limit the structure of the connecting portion 22. As long as the connecting portion 22 is connected to the housing 21 and can heat-rivet the circuit board 1, it falls within the protection scope of the embodiment of the present application. Based on this, this article uses Embodiment 1 and Embodiment 2 as examples for explanation.

[0049] [Example 1]

[0050] See also Figure 4 Combined with Figure 2 , Figure 4The embodiment of the present application shows an implementation of the connector 2 and the circuit board 1 of the electronic device. The connecting portion 22 includes a connecting column 222, which is located at the bottom end of the protrusion 211 of the housing 21 (i.e. Figure 4 The side indicated by the Z2 direction in the figure). Exemplarily, the connecting column 222 and the protrusion 211 are both part of the housing 21, that is, the connecting portion 22 and the housing 21 are injection molded as one piece. However, the embodiment of the present application does not limit the connection method and molding process between the connecting column 222 and the protrusion 211. As long as the connecting column 222 is connected to the housing 21 and is hot-riveted to the circuit board 1, it belongs to the protection scope of the embodiment of the present application.

[0051] It can be seen that the connecting column 222 passes through the circuit board 1 and extends to the other side of the circuit board 1 (i.e. Figure 4 For example, the extending portion may be irradiated and heated by infrared rays, so that the extending portion of the connecting column 222 is melted and deformed, and after cooling, it can be tightly connected to the circuit board 1. The extending portion of the connecting column 222 is deformed and cooled to form a Figure 4 The trapezoidal cone shown.

[0052] Exemplarily, the circuit board 1 is provided with two through holes 11, and the two through holes 11 correspond to two connecting pillars 222 one by one, and the connecting pillars 222 can be inserted into the corresponding through holes 11. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the number of through holes 11, as long as the connecting pillars 222 can be inserted into the corresponding through holes 11, they all fall within the protection scope of the embodiment of the present application.

[0053] [Example 2]

[0054] The difference between this embodiment and the first embodiment is that the connection portion 22 of this embodiment further includes a support seat 221 , and the connection process between the connection portion 22 and the circuit board 1 of this embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment.

[0055] See also Figure 5 Combined with Figure 2 , Figure 5 Another embodiment of the connector 2 and the circuit board 1 of the electronic device of the embodiment of the present application is shown by way of example. The connecting portion 22 includes a supporting seat 221 and a connecting column 222 connected to each other. Exemplarily, the supporting seat 221 and the connecting column 222 are integrally formed. Exemplarily, the supporting seat 221 and the connecting column 222 can be injection molded together with the housing 21. Exemplarily, the supporting seat 221 and the connecting column 222 are made of plastic. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the material, connection method, and molding process of the supporting seat 221 and the connecting column 222. As long as they can be connected to the housing 21 and hot-riveted to the circuit board 1, they all belong to the protection scope of the embodiment of the present application.

[0056] It can be seen that the support base 221 is used to connect with the housing 21, and the connecting column 222 passes through the circuit board 1 and extends to the other side of the circuit board (i.e. Figure 5 The extending portion is extended from the side indicated by the Z2 direction in the middle. For example, infrared rays are used to irradiate and heat the extending portion, so that the extending portion of the connecting column 222 is melted and deformed, and after cooling, it can be tightly connected to the circuit board 1. Figure 5 The shape of the extended portion of the connecting column 222 after melting, deformation and cooling is not shown, but can be referred to Figure 4 .

[0057] Exemplarily, the circuit board 1 is provided with two through holes 11, and the two through holes 11 correspond to two connecting pillars 222 one by one, and the connecting pillars 222 can be inserted into the corresponding through holes 11. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the number of through holes 11, as long as the connecting pillars 222 can be inserted into the corresponding through holes 11, they all fall within the protection scope of the embodiment of the present application.

[0058] Exemplarily, the electronic device 100 of the embodiment of the present application also includes other components, which are described in detail below.

[0059] See also Figure 2 In a possible implementation, the electronic device 100 of the embodiment of the present application further includes a first housing 3. It can be seen that the first housing 3 is disposed on the top of the circuit board 1 (i.e. Figure 2 The first shell 3 is a metal part. The first shell 3 can form a shielding space S with the circuit board 1, and the connector 2 is arranged in the shielding space S.

[0060] In a possible implementation, the first shell 3 of the embodiment of the present application is a sheet metal part. Exemplarily, the first shell 3 can be made of materials such as steel, aluminum, stainless steel, galvanized steel, etc. and through a cold working process, but the embodiment of the present application does not limit the material of the first shell 3.

[0061] Continue reading Figure 2 In a possible implementation, the electronic device 100 of the embodiment of the present application further includes a second housing 4, which is connected to the first housing 3. It should be noted that, for the convenience of demonstration, Figure 2 There is a gap between the first shell 3 and the second shell 4, but this is only a schematic illustration. The first shell 3 and the second shell 4 are actually connected to each other. The first shell 3 covers the edges of the entire circuit board 1. That is to say, the circuit board 1 is located between the first shell 3 and the second shell 4 and will not be exposed.

[0062] For example, the first shell 3 and the second shell 4 are snap-fitted, or screwed, but the present application does not limit this. The circuit board 1, the connector 2 and the shielding space S are all located between the first shell 3 and the second shell 4.

[0063] See also Figures 2 to 5 By adopting the above technical scheme, the metal first shell 3 in the electronic device 100 (such as the lighting control unit) of the embodiment of the present application is directly covered on the entire circuit board 1. At this time, the first shell 3 can serve as an EMC (Electromagnetic Compatibility) shielding cover of the lighting control unit on the basis of serving as the upper cover of the lighting control unit, thereby forming a shielding space with the circuit board 1. Then, different electronic components on the circuit board 1 that can generate electromagnetic interference (such as one or more connectors 2 riveted to the circuit board 1 through multiple connecting parts 22) can be shielded by the first shell 3, which effectively improves the overall shielding effect of the lighting control unit; more importantly, there is no need to add a shielding cover for each connector 2, thereby saving the layout area of ​​the circuit board 1; at the same time, the metal first shell 3 effectively improves the heat dissipation effect; in addition, the design and production costs of the electronic device 100 of the embodiment of the present application are relatively low.

[0064] Although the present invention has been illustrated and described with reference to certain preferred embodiments of the present invention, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the above contents are further detailed descriptions of the present invention in combination with specific embodiments, and it cannot be determined that the specific implementation of the present invention is limited to these descriptions. Those skilled in the art may make various changes in form and details, including making several simple deductions or substitutions, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An electronic device, characterized in that: include: Circuit boards; The connector comprises a shell and a plurality of connection terminals, wherein the shell is provided with a connection portion, the plurality of connection terminals are connected to the circuit board, the bottom of the shell passes through the plurality of connection terminals, and the connection portion of the shell is heat-riveted to the circuit board.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A plurality of positioning grooves are formed at the bottom of the housing, and the positioning grooves pass through the corresponding wiring terminals and are arranged around the corresponding wiring terminals.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connecting part is a thermoplastic rivet head.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connecting portion includes a supporting seat and a connecting column connected to each other, the supporting seat is connected to the housing, and the connecting column is penetrated through the circuit board.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a first shell, which is covered at the edge of the circuit board. The first shell is a metal piece and forms a shielding space with the circuit board. The connector and the circuit board are located in the shielding space.

6. The electronic device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The circuit board is provided with a through hole, and the through hole corresponds to the connecting portion. A portion of the connecting portion is passed through the corresponding through hole and extends toward a side of the circuit board away from the first shell.

7. The electronic device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The first shell is a sheet metal part; and / or the electronic device further includes a second shell, the first shell and the second shell are connected, and the circuit board and the connector are arranged between the first shell and the second shell.

8. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The connecting portion is provided in plurality.

9. A lighting system, characterized in that: The electronic device comprises a vehicle lamp and the electronic device according to claim 5, wherein the first shell of the electronic device is connected to the vehicle lamp.

10. An automobile, characterized in that: A lighting system comprising the lighting system of claim 9.

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