Fixing structure of electronic control unit

Abstract

The utility model provides a fixing structure of an electronic control unit, which is applied to the technical field of steering wheels, and is characterized in that a first fixing part and a second fixing part are arranged on two opposite sides of a limiting plane of a main body bracket, so that a bracket main body is fixed on a hub of a steering wheel framework; the electronic control unit is arranged in the containing space formed by the hub, the first fixing part, the second fixing part and the limiting plane, foaming or screws are not needed, the installation process is simple, installation is convenient, and the production cost is saved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of steering wheels, and in particular to a fixing structure of an electronic control unit. Background Art

[0002] The steering wheel is the main component for controlling the direction of a car. Currently, the electronic control unit in the steering wheel of a passenger car is generally fixed by foaming or screws. Therefore, the process of fixing the electronic control unit is cumbersome and increases costs.

[0003] Based on this, a new technical solution is needed. Utility Model Content

[0004] In view of this, the present application provides a fixing structure for an electronic control unit.

[0005] This application provides the following technical solutions:

[0006] According to a fixing structure of an electronic control unit provided in the present application, it includes a bracket body, a first fixing part and a second fixing part, and a limiting plane is formed on the surface of the bracket body facing the wheel hub of the steering wheel skeleton; the first fixing part and the second fixing part are respectively located on opposite sides of the limiting plane, and are configured to fix the bracket body on the wheel hub, and the electronic control unit is placed in the accommodating space formed by the wheel hub, the first fixing part, the second fixing part and the limiting plane.

[0007] Preferably, the first fixing portion includes a first flange and a first fixing plate, and the second fixing portion includes a second flange and a second fixing plate; the first flange and the second flange respectively extend from the edge of the bracket body toward the wheel hub, and the first flange and the second flange are respectively located at the lower side and the upper side of the electronic control unit, so that the electronic control unit is confined between the first flange and the second flange;

[0008] The first fixing plate extends from the first flange in a direction away from the electronic control unit, and the second fixing plate extends from the second flange in a direction away from the electronic control unit; the first fixing plate and the second fixing plate are fixed to the wheel hub.

[0009] Preferably, the first fixing plate and the second fixing plate are both provided with elastic hooks on their surfaces facing the wheel hub, and each of the elastic hooks comprises a plurality of hook main bodies arranged at intervals and a hook-shaped portion extending outwardly from the end of the hook main body;

[0010] The hub is provided with a slot that cooperates with the elastic hook; the slot includes an inner slot and an outer ring hole, so that the elastic hook is deformed elastically during the insertion process, so that the hook-shaped part is inserted into the inner slot and directly reaches the outer ring hole.

[0011] Preferably, the position where the first flange is connected to the bracket body is located at the lower left of the limiting plane, and the position where the second flange is connected to the bracket body is located at the upper right of the limiting plane, so that the elastic hooks on the first fixing plate and the second fixing plate together form a diagonal structure.

[0012] Preferably, two first fixing ribs extend from the bracket body toward the wheel hub, and the two first fixing ribs are located on the left and right sides of the electronic control unit so that the electronic control unit is confined between the two first fixing ribs.

[0013] Preferably, the upper side of the electronic control unit is connected to a first wiring harness, and the lower side of the electronic control unit is connected to a second wiring harness;

[0014] Two groups of second fixing ribs are also extended from the edge of the bracket body toward the wheel hub; one group of second fixing ribs is located correspondingly on the side of one of the first fixing ribs away from the electronic control unit, and the other group of second fixing ribs is located correspondingly on the side of the other first fixing rib away from the electronic control unit, so that the two groups of second fixing ribs respectively form a clamping area for clamping the first wiring harness and a clamping area for clamping the second wiring harness with the corresponding first fixing ribs.

[0015] Preferably, the first wiring harness is connected to a connector, which includes a connector body and a connector connected to the connector body; the second fixing plate is provided with two elastic hooks, and the second fixing plate includes a fixing plate area and an installation plate area for fixing the two elastic hooks respectively, and the installation plate area is located on the side of the fixing plate area away from the bracket body, and the surface of the installation plate area away from the elastic hooks extends with relatively arranged claws, and the connector body is restricted between the relatively arranged claws; the connector is located at one end of the connector body away from the fixing plate area, and the connector protrudes from the installation plate area.

[0016] Preferably, the first wiring harness is connected to one end of the plug body away from the plug connector, the clamping area for clamping the first wiring harness and the second fixing plate are located on the right side of the bracket body, and the entire installation area takes the fixing plate area as an endpoint and is inclined toward the left side of the bracket body with the up and down directions of the bracket body as the straight line.

[0017] Preferably, reinforcing plates connected to the bracket body are vertically fixed on the surfaces where the two groups of second fixing ribs are close to each other, and the reinforcing plates extend from the bracket body in a direction perpendicular to the limiting plane and the extension width gradually narrows.

[0018] Preferably, the bracket body is a plate-like structure, a side of the hub facing the electronic control unit is vertically provided with a plurality of bosses abutting the electronic control unit, and a side of the bracket body facing away from the electronic control unit is convexly provided with a plurality of reinforcing ribs.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the at least one technical solution adopted in this application can achieve the following beneficial effects:

[0020] The present application fixes the bracket body to the wheel hub of the steering wheel frame by arranging the first fixing part and the second fixing part on opposite sides of the limiting plane of the main bracket, so that the electronic control unit is placed in the accommodating space formed by the wheel hub, the first fixing part, the second fixing part and the limiting plane. No foaming or screws are required, making the installation process simpler, easy to install and saving production costs. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative work.

[0022] Figure 1 It is an exploded schematic diagram of the steering wheel skeleton in which the electronic control unit is mounted in this application;

[0023] Figure 2 is a partial cross-sectional view highlighting the fixing structure in this application;

[0024] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the side of the bracket facing the wheel hub in this application;

[0025] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the side of the bracket facing away from the hub in this application;

[0026] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram highlighting the boss in this application;

[0027] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a bracket for mounting an electronic control unit in this application;

[0028] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the side of the bracket for mounting the electronic control unit facing away from the wheel hub in this application;

[0029] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the bracket for mounting the electronic control unit in this application facing the side where the wheel hub is located;

[0030] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the steering wheel skeleton on which the electronic control unit is mounted in this application;

[0031] Figure 10 yes Figure 9 Schematic diagram of the section along AA.

[0032] Figure numerals: 1. Steering wheel frame; 2. Electronic control unit; 3. Bracket; 4. Elastic hook; 5. Second fixing rib; 6. First fixing rib; 7. Flange; 8. Boss; 9. Claw; 10. Connector; 11. Bracket body; 12. First fixing plate; 13. Second fixing plate; 1301. Fixing plate area; 1302. Installation plate area; 14. Reinforcing plate; 15. Reinforcing rib. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The embodiments of the present application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0034] The following describes the embodiments of the present application through specific examples, and those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present application from the contents disclosed in this specification. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. The present application can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and the details in this specification can also be modified or changed in various ways based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of the present application. It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the features in the following embodiments and embodiments can be combined with each other. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without making creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0035] It should be noted that various aspects of the embodiments within the scope of the appended claims are described below. It should be apparent that the aspects described herein can be embodied in a wide variety of forms, and any specific structure and / or function described herein is merely illustrative. Based on this application, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that an aspect described herein can be implemented independently of any other aspect, and two or more of these aspects can be combined in various ways. For example, any number and aspect described herein can be used to implement an apparatus and / or practice a method. In addition, other structures and / or functionalities other than one or more of the aspects described herein can be used to implement this apparatus and / or practice this method.

[0036] It should also be noted that the illustrations provided in the following embodiments are only schematic illustrations of the basic concept of the present application. The illustrations only show components related to the present application and are not drawn according to the number, shape and size of components in actual implementation. In actual implementation, the type, quantity and proportion of each component can be changed at will, and the component layout type may also be more complicated.

[0037] Additionally, in the following description, specific details are provided to provide a thorough understanding of the examples, however, one skilled in the art will appreciate that the examples can be practiced without these specific details.

[0038] The following describes the technical solutions provided by various embodiments of the present application in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0039] The embodiment of this specification proposes a fixing structure of an electronic control unit, such as Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown, the bracket body 11 includes a first fixing portion and a second fixing portion. The surface of the bracket body 11 facing the wheel hub of the steering wheel frame 1 forms a limiting plane. The first fixing portion and the second fixing portion are located on opposite sides of the limiting plane, respectively. The bracket body 11 is configured to fix the bracket body 11 to the wheel hub, and the electronic control unit 2 is placed in the accommodation space formed by the wheel hub, the first fixing portion, the second fixing portion, and the limiting plane. For example, the first fixing portion and the second fixing portion can be located above and below the limiting plane, respectively. The bracket body 11 can be fixedly connected to the first fixing portion and the second fixing portion. The bracket body 11, the first fixing portion, and the second fixing portion constitute the entire bracket 3.

[0040] In one embodiment, Figure 1 、 Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the first fixing portion includes a first flange and a first fixing plate 12, and the second fixing portion includes a second flange and a second fixing plate 13; the first flange and the second flange respectively extend from the edge of the bracket body 11 toward the wheel hub, and the first flange and the second flange are respectively located on the lower side and the upper side of the electronic control unit 2, serving as two flanges 7 for limiting the electronic control unit 2.

[0041] A first fixing plate 12 extends from the first flange away from the electronic control unit 2, and a second fixing plate 13 extends from the second flange away from the electronic control unit 2. The first fixing plate 12 and the second fixing plate 13 are fixed to the wheel hub. The limiting plane is parallel to the first fixing plate 12 and the second fixing plate 13, and the plate-shaped first and second flanges are parallel to a plane perpendicular to the limiting plane in the vertical direction.

[0042] In one embodiment, Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, the surfaces of the first and second fixing plates 12, 13 facing the wheel hub are each provided with an elastic hook 4. Each elastic hook 4 comprises multiple spaced-apart hook bodies and a hook-shaped portion extending outward from the distal end of the hook body. The elastic hook 4 is made of, for example, a polymer plastic. The multiple hook bodies are respectively fixed to the first and second fixing plates 12, 13. The hook bodies extend from their fixed locations toward the wheel hub. The angle between the hook body and the hook-shaped portion can be acute, forming a barb.

[0043] The hub is provided with a slot that cooperates with the elastic hook 4; the slot includes an inner slot and an outer ring hole. During the insertion process, the elastic hook 4 elastically contracts and deforms, so that the hook portion is inserted into the inner slot and directly reaches the outer ring hole. The outer ring hole can surround the notch of the inner slot and block the notch.

[0044] In one embodiment, if Figure 4 As shown, the position of the first flange connecting bracket body 11 is located at the lower left of the limiting plane, and the position of the second flange connecting bracket body 11 is located at the upper right of the limiting plane, so that the elastic hooks 4 on the first fixing plate 12 and the second fixing plate 13 together constitute a diagonal structure, that is, they are also located at the diagonal of the electronic control unit 2.

[0045] In one embodiment, if Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, two first securing ribs 6 extend from the bracket body 11 toward the wheel hub. The two first securing ribs 6 are located on the left and right sides of the electronic control unit 2, thereby constraining the electronic control unit 2 between the two first securing ribs 6. The first securing ribs 6 extend in a plate-like shape along the vertical direction of the bracket body 11. The two first securing ribs 6 are symmetrically located on either side of the electronic control unit 2.

[0046] In one embodiment, if Figure 3 and Figure 6 As shown, the upper side of the electronic control unit 2 is connected to a first wiring harness, and the lower side of the electronic control unit 2 is connected to a second wiring harness. Two sets of second fixing ribs 5 extend from the edge of the main frame 3 toward the wheel hub. One set of second fixing ribs 5 is located on the side of one first fixing rib 6 facing away from the electronic control unit 2, and the other set of second fixing ribs 5 is located on the side of the other first fixing rib 6 facing away from the electronic control unit 2. This allows the two sets of second fixing ribs 5 to form a clamping area for clamping the first wiring harness and a clamping area for clamping the second wiring harness with the corresponding first fixing rib 6. Each set of fixing ribs can be provided with two, and the second fixing ribs 5 extend in a plate-like shape along the vertical direction of the main frame 3. The arrangement direction of each set of second fixing ribs 5 is parallel to the vertical direction of the limiting plane, and the two second fixing ribs 5 in each set are located respectively above and below the corresponding first fixing rib 6.

[0047] In one embodiment, if Figure 4 、 Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, the first wiring harness is connected to a connector 10, which includes a connector body and a connector connected to the connector body; there are two elastic hooks 4 on the second fixing plate 13, and the second fixing plate 13 includes a fixing plate area 1301 and an installation plate area 1302 for fixing the two elastic hooks 4 respectively, and the installation plate area 1302 is located on the side of the fixing plate area 1301 away from the bracket body 11, and the installation plate area 1302 is extended with relatively set claws 9 on the surface where the elastic hooks 4 are located, and the connector body is restricted between the relatively set claws 9; the connector is located at one end of the connector body away from the fixing plate area 1301, and the connector protrudes from the installation plate area 1302. The oppositely arranged claws 9 are arranged in multiple groups, and the multiple groups of claws 9 are arranged along the direction of the plug-in body toward the plug connector; the main body of the claws 9 extends from the mounting area 1302 back to the hub, and the claws of the oppositely arranged claws 9 extend toward each other from the extended end of the main body, so that the plug-in body is restricted between the opposite main body parts, and the claws are clamped on the side of the plug-in body away from the mounting area 1302.

[0048] In one embodiment, Figure 4 and Figure 7 As shown, the first wiring harness is connected to one end of the plug-in connector body away from the plug-in connector, the clamping area for clamping the first wiring harness and the second fixing plate 13 are located on the right side of the bracket body 11, and the installation area 1302 as a whole takes the fixing area 1301 as the endpoint, and is inclined toward the left side of the bracket body 11 with the up and down directions of the bracket body 11 as the straight line.

[0049] In one embodiment, Figure 3 As shown, reinforcing plates 14 connected to the bracket body 11 are vertically fixed on the surfaces where the two groups of second fixing ribs 5 are close to each other, and the reinforcing plates 14 extend from the bracket body 11 in a direction perpendicular to the limiting plane and the extension width gradually narrows.

[0050] In one embodiment, Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, the bracket body 11 is a plate-like structure. A plurality of bosses 8 for contacting the electronic control unit 2 are vertically provided on the side of the wheel hub facing the electronic control unit 2. A plurality of reinforcing ribs 15 are protruding from the side of the bracket body 11 facing away from the electronic control unit 2. The bracket body 11 is, for example, a rectangular plate, and the electronic control unit 2 is, for example, a cuboid.

[0051] like Figure 4 、 Figure 10As shown, during installation, the electronic control unit 2 is installed on the bracket 3. The bracket 3 is shaped like an irregular structure. The bracket body 11 is the main part and is approximately rectangular in shape. A first hook is designed at the lower left part of the bracket body 11, and a second hook is designed at the upper right part. The diagonal hook design ensures the fixation of the bracket body 11 to the steering wheel frame 1; a third hook is designed at the upper left position of the second hook to ensure the fixation of the fixed connector part to the steering wheel frame 1, thereby realizing the fixation of the entire bracket 3 to the steering wheel frame 1, and the X-direction positioning is performed by the first fixing rib 6; the Y-direction positioning is performed by the flange 7 to ensure the horizontal positioning, and the flange 7 also has the function of strengthening the structure; the Z-direction positioning and fixation are performed by the boss 8 and the bracket body 11; the bracket body 11 is composed of a plane, and a local reinforcement rib 15 is performed on the front of the bracket body 11. The large plane is designed with reduced material to ensure that the cost is reduced as much as possible while ensuring strength, and the positioning and fixation of the electronic control unit 2 in the three directions of XYZ can be guaranteed. Because the wiring harness requires a minimum turning radius of 10mm, the ECU 2 wiring harness is routed downward from the upper left and upward from the lower right, respectively. It is secured by the second securing rib 5 and the first securing rib 6. Simply press down on the elastic hook 4 to secure it to the frame. The elastic hook 4 is designed as an inverted petal-like structure. Leveraging the elasticity of the polymer, the hook retracts when pressed downward, snapping into a matching hole. The connector is then secured to the bracket 3 via the claw 9 when pressed downward.

[0052] When disassembling the present application: just press the elastic hook 4 with a tool to realize the disassembly of the steering wheel frame 1 and the bracket 3; press the claw 9 with a tool to realize the disassembly of the bracket 3 and the connector; the disassembly of the entire structure can be completed and can be recycled.

[0053] This application proposes a structure for securing an electronic control unit 2. The assembly for securing the electronic control unit 2 comprises a steering wheel frame 1, an electronic control unit 2, and a fixing bracket 3. Using bracket 3 to secure the electronic control unit 2 simultaneously solves the problem of securing the wiring harness and connectors, reducing the space and cost associated with traditional steering wheel fixing methods. Fixing the electronic control unit 2 with bracket 3 eliminates screws, simplifies the process, facilitates installation and removal, and reduces production costs. Furthermore, it integrates the functions of securing the wiring harness and connectors, reducing space requirements and facilitating platform-based design and promotion.

[0054] The structural parts of this application involve a steering wheel frame 1, an electronic control unit 2, and a bracket 3, which can realize the convenient installation of the electronic control unit 2, integrate the function of fixing the wiring harness and connectors, and facilitate miniaturization and platform design. It can be achieved without fixing the ECU (electronic controller) with screws. Through this structural design, the installation of the ECU is facilitated, and costs can also be saved. At the same time, the function of fixing the wiring harness and connectors is integrated, which also saves space. This structure is also convenient for platform design and can be applied to a variety of mass production projects.

[0055] In this specification, the same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other, and each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments. In particular, for the embodiments described later, the description is relatively simple, and the relevant parts can be referred to the partial description of the previous embodiments.

[0056] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present application should be included in the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A fixing structure of an electronic control unit, characterized in that: It includes a bracket body, a first fixing part and a second fixing part, and a limiting plane is formed on the surface of the bracket body facing the wheel hub of the steering wheel frame; the first fixing part and the second fixing part are respectively located on opposite sides of the limiting plane, and are configured to fix the bracket body on the wheel hub, and the electronic control unit is placed in the accommodating space formed by the wheel hub, the first fixing part, the second fixing part and the limiting plane.

2. The fixing structure of the electronic control unit according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first fixing portion includes a first flange and a first fixing plate, and the second fixing portion includes a second flange and a second fixing plate; the first flange and the second flange respectively extend from the edge of the bracket body toward the wheel hub, and the first flange and the second flange are respectively located on the lower side and the upper side of the electronic control unit, so that the electronic control unit is confined between the first flange and the second flange; The first fixing plate extends from the first flange in a direction away from the electronic control unit, and the second fixing plate extends from the second flange in a direction away from the electronic control unit; the first fixing plate and the second fixing plate are fixed to the wheel hub.

3. The fixing structure of the electronic control unit according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first fixing plate and the second fixing plate are both provided with elastic hooks on their surfaces facing the wheel hub, and each of the elastic hooks includes a plurality of hook main bodies arranged at intervals and a hook-shaped portion extending outwardly from the end of the hook main body; The hub is provided with a slot that cooperates with the elastic hook; the slot includes an inner slot and an outer ring hole, so that the elastic hook is deformed elastically during the insertion process, so that the hook-shaped part is inserted into the inner slot and directly reaches the outer ring hole.

4. The fixing structure of the electronic control unit according to claim 3, characterized in that: The position where the first flange is connected to the bracket body is located at the lower left of the limiting plane, and the position where the second flange is connected to the bracket body is located at the upper right of the limiting plane, so that the elastic hooks on the first fixing plate and the second fixing plate together form a diagonal structure.

5. The fixing structure of the electronic control unit according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that: Two first fixing ribs extend from the bracket body toward the wheel hub, and the two first fixing ribs are located on the left and right sides of the electronic control unit so that the electronic control unit is confined between the two first fixing ribs.

6. The fixing structure of the electronic control unit according to claim 5, characterized in that: The upper side of the electronic control unit is connected to a first wiring harness, and the lower side of the electronic control unit is connected to a second wiring harness; Two groups of second fixing ribs are also extended from the edge of the bracket body toward the wheel hub; one group of second fixing ribs is located correspondingly on the side of one of the first fixing ribs away from the electronic control unit, and the other group of second fixing ribs is located correspondingly on the side of the other first fixing rib away from the electronic control unit, so that the two groups of second fixing ribs respectively form a clamping area for clamping the first wiring harness and a clamping area for clamping the second wiring harness with the corresponding first fixing ribs.

7. The fixing structure of the electronic control unit according to claim 6, characterized in that: The first wiring harness is connected to a connector, which includes a connector body and a connector connected to the connector body; there are two elastic hooks on the second fixing plate, and the second fixing plate includes a fixing plate area and an installation plate area for fixing the two elastic hooks respectively, and the installation plate area is located on the side of the fixing plate area away from the bracket body, and the surface of the installation plate area away from the elastic hooks extends with relatively arranged claws, and the connector body is restricted between the relatively arranged claws; the connector is located at one end of the connector body away from the fixing plate area, and the connector protrudes from the installation plate area.

8. The fixing structure of the electronic control unit according to claim 7, characterized in that: The first wiring harness is connected to one end of the plug body away from the plug connector, and the clamping area for clamping the first wiring harness and the second fixing plate are located on the right side of the bracket body. The entire installation area uses the fixing plate area as an endpoint and is inclined toward the left side of the bracket body with the up and down direction of the bracket body as the straight line.

9. The fixing structure of the electronic control unit according to claim 6, characterized in that: Reinforcement plates connected to the bracket body are respectively and vertically fixed on the surfaces where the two groups of second fixing ribs are close to each other, and the reinforcement plates extend from the bracket body in a direction perpendicular to the limiting plane and the extension width gradually narrows.

10. The fixing structure of the electronic control unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The bracket body is a plate-shaped structure. A plurality of bosses for contacting the electronic control unit are vertically provided on a side of the hub facing the electronic control unit. A plurality of reinforcing ribs are convexly provided on a side of the bracket body facing away from the electronic control unit.

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