Component carrier for at least one electrical component

Abstract

Component carrier (1) for at least one electrical component (3, 5), comprising: a carrier housing (9) with at least one housing opening (23 to 26) to a carrier outer surface (27); and at least one printed circuit board (11 to 13) which is materially bonded to the carrier housing (9) on the carrier outer surface (27) and seals at least one housing opening (23 to 26), wherein at least one housing opening (23 to 26) covered by a printed circuit board (11 to 13) is a recess in a housing section (15, 16) of the carrier housing (9), which is a flat sheet metal or a deep-drawn sheet metal or a milled metallic product or a die-cast product or a plastic product with or without at least one structured or printed conductor track (35), wherein the carrier housing (9) comprises at least two spaced-apart housing sections (15, 16) each having at least one housing opening (23 to 26). 16) includes,which are connected to each other by at least one printed circuit board (11 to 13), wherein the printed circuit board (11 to 13) seals at least one housing opening (23 to 26) of each of the two housing sections (15, 16), wherein each of the housing sections (15, 16) forms a housing base of a respective carrier housing part of the carrier housing (9), wherein the carrier housing parts are spaced apart from each other and each of the carrier housing parts is sealed.

Description

The invention relates to a component carrier for at least one electrical component and to a use of such a component carrier.In particular, the invention relates to the protection of electronic assemblies in adverse environments, for example the protection of electronic control units which are installed in motors or gear mechanisms for controlling these motors or gear mechanisms. Such electronic assemblies are often to protect against their function from detrimental media such as chemically aggressive liquids, gases or solids. For example, electronic control units which are installed in engines or transmissions must be protected from the influence of engine or transmission oil and / or gases.WO 2004 / 091 270 A1 discloses an arrangement for electrically connecting an electrical unit. The electrical unit comprises at least one electrical assembly and is arranged in the interior of a housing. It is connected to at least one electrical component provided outside the housing by means of a flexible film conductor. In the housing, a plurality of assemblies are provided, which are each connected to the associated electrical component or the associated electrical components via a separate foil conductor.DE 10 2004 061 818 A1 discloses a control module, in particular for a transmission of a motor vehicle. The control module comprises a carrier part and a control device arranged on the carrier part. The control device is provided with a first housing part and a second housing part and a housing interior arranged between the first housing part and the second housing part. An electronic circuit part fastened to the first housing part is arranged in the housing interior. The control module further comprises at least one flexible conductor foil for electrically connecting the circuit part to electrical components arranged on the carrier part outside the housing interior.DE 10 2011 085 170 A1 discloses a control module for a vehicle. The control module comprises a carrier plate, a printed circuit board and an electronic component. The electronic component, the printed circuit board and the carrier plate are mechanically connected to one another. The electronic component is in thermal contact with the carrier plate. A rigid portion of the circuit board is bonded to the support plate.DE 197 08 210 C2 discloses a controller having a sensor, a setpoint value transmitter, an electronic or electromechanical switching element, a power supply unit, controller electronics and a housing comprising these components. The regulator is constructed using MID technology and the electronic and / or electromechanical components comprised by the regulator are held or supported by walls, by housing inner sections and / or holding elements connected thereto. The regulator has connection contacts leading to the outside, and the electronic and / or electromechanical components are connected to one another by conductor tracks applied directly to the housing base and / or walls and / or housing inner sections.DE 10 2013 226 493 A1 discloses an arrangement for potential compensation in a control device for a motor vehicle. The arrangement comprises at least one electrical component on a circuit carrier, a base plate on which the circuit carrier is arranged, at least one separate line carrier having an electrical contacting region, wherein the line carrier is non-detachably connected to a carrier plate, and at least one electrical connecting element which electrically conductively connects the circuit carrier to the line carrier. The connecting element is led through an aperture in the base plate and the carrier plate is electrically conductively connected to the base plate, covering the aperture in a medium-tight manner, and the line carrier has at least one cutout in the contact-making region in such a way that, in order to produce a potential compensation between the circuit carrier and the base plate, at least one connecting element is electrically conductively connected directly to the carrier plate through a cutout.DE 197 34 032 C1 discloses an electronic control device. The control device has a housing with a base plate and a plastic hood, a circuit carrier fastened on the base plate and at least one contact pin fastened in the plastic hood. When the plastic hood is joined to the base plate, the contact pin is inserted through an opening of the base plate and an electrical connection is established between the contact pin and a conductor track carrier.The object of the invention is to specify a component carrier for at least one electrical component which is improved in particular with regard to the protective function in adverse environments, and a use of such a component carrier.The object is achieved with respect to the component carrier by the features of claim 1 and with respect to its use by the features of claim 11.Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims.A component carrier according to the invention for at least one electrical component comprises a carrier housing having at least one housing opening to a carrier outer side and at least one printed circuit board which is connected to the carrier housing on the carrier outer side in a materially bonded manner and which covers at least one housing opening in a sealing manner.The carrier housing serves to protect electrical components from harmful media in the surroundings of the carrier housing. The at least one printed circuit board simultaneously serves for the electrical contacting of electrical components arranged in the carrier housing through the housing openings and the sealing of the carrier housing through the sealing covering of these housing openings. This dual function of a printed circuit board advantageously reduces the number of components of the component carrier and simplifies the production of the component carrier.According to the invention, at least one housing opening covered by a printed circuit board is a cutout in a housing section of the carrier housing, which is a planar sheet metal or a deep-drawn sheet metal or a metallic milling product or a die casting product or a plastic product with or without at least one patterned or printed conductor track.The design of the housing section having a housing opening is adapted to the respective requirements. A planar metal sheet is a particularly simple and cost-effective embodiment of such a housing section. Deep-drawn metal sheets, metal milling products, die-cast products or plastic products enable more complex geometries of the housing section. A housing section made of plastic with patterned or printed conductor tracks enables the electrical connection of electrical components to these conductor tracks without requiring additional components for these electrical connections.A further embodiment of the invention provides that at least one printed circuit board is connected to the carrier housing in a materially integral manner by adhesive bonding or laminating or soldering.Such material connections of a printed circuit board to the carrier housing advantageously enable a covering of housing openings by the printed circuit board, which covering seals with respect to liquid and / or gaseous media.A further embodiment of the invention provides that at least one printed circuit board has at least one electrical contact region which faces a housing opening covered by the printed circuit board and can be electrically contacted through the housing opening.Contact regions of this type advantageously make possible a simple electrical connection of the printed circuit board to electrical components arranged in the carrier housing, for example by bonding wires connected to the contact regions.A further embodiment of the invention provides that at least one printed circuit board has at least one soldering region which runs to a housing opening covered by the printed circuit board and to which an electrical component arranged in a housing interior of the carrier housing is soldered in a sealing manner the soldering region.As a result, electrical components can be soldered to the printed circuit board, wherein the respective housing opening is advantageously simultaneously sealed by the solder used in the soldering.According to the invention, the carrier housing comprises at least two housing sections spaced apart from one another and each having at least one housing opening, which are connected to one another by at least one printed circuit board, wherein the printed circuit board covers at least one housing opening of each of the two housing sections in a sealing manner.As a result, a printed circuit board, in addition to the above-mentioned functions of electrically contacting electrical components and sealing the carrier housing, has the further function of connecting housing sections spaced apart from one another. In addition to a mechanical connection, this also allows in particular an electrical connection of electrical components which are arranged on different housing sections to be realized.A further embodiment of the invention provides at least one line carrier carrying electrical lines, which is connected to at least one inner surface of the carrier housing facing a housing interior of the carrier housing. At least one line carrier is connected to the carrier housing, for example, by adhesive bonding or lamination. At least one line carrier is, for example, a flexible conductor foil or a flexible printed circuit board.This embodiment of the invention realizes electrical lines in a housing interior of the carrier housing by means of a line carrier arranged there. This is particularly advantageous if the carrier housing itself does not have a housing section which has electrical conductor tracks. The configuration of a lead carrier as a flexible conductor foil or a flexible printed circuit board is particularly advantageous if electrical components which can be placed spatially variably are to be electrically contacted with the lead carrier.A refinement of the aforementioned embodiments of the invention provides that the carrier housing comprises at least two housing sections which are spaced apart from one another and are connected to one another by at least one line carrier.As a result, an electrical connection of electrical components which are arranged on different housing sections can be realized with a line carrier. If a flexible conductor foil or a flexible printed circuit board is used for this purpose, it is also possible in particular for housing sections to be connected to one another, the distances between them and / or the relative positions of which are variable and / or which are arranged so as to be movable relative to one another.A further refinement of the aforementioned embodiments of the invention provides that at least one electrical line of a line carrier is electrically connected to an abovementioned electrical contact region of a printed circuit board. For example, at least one electrical connection is established between an electrical line of a line carrier and an electrical contact region of a printed circuit board with bonding wire guided through a housing opening.In this case, an electrical contact region of a printed circuit board is advantageously used in order to electrically connect the printed circuit board to a line carrier. Bonding wire advantageously enables a cost-effective and flexible implementation of such electrical connections.The invention provides in particular the use of a component carrier according to the invention for the arrangement of an electronic assembly sealed with respect to a medium, wherein the electronic assembly is arranged in a housing interior of the carrier housing and is electrically connected to at least one printed circuit board of the component carrier, which printed circuit board covers at least one housing opening in a sealing manner.The above-described properties, features and advantages of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments and drawings. The following are shown: FIG. 1 shows a comparative example of a component carrier in a sectional illustration, FIG. 2 shows a plan view of a base region of the component carrier illustrated in FIG. 1, FIG. 3 shows a plan view of a base region of a first exemplary embodiment of a component carrier, FIG. 4 shows a sectional illustration of the base region illustrated in FIG. 3, FIG. 5 shows a plan view of a base region of a second exemplary embodiment of a component carrier, FIG. 6 shows a sectional illustration of the base region illustrated in FIG. 5, and FIG. 7 is a side view of the bottom portion shown in FIG. 5.Corresponding parts are provided with the same reference numerals in the figures.FIG. 1 shows a comparative example of a component carrier 1 for electrical components 3, 5 of an electronic assembly 7 in a sectional illustration. The component carrier 1 comprises a carrier housing 9 and two printed circuit boards 11, 12.The carrier housing 9 is box-like and comprises a housing section 15 formed as a housing base, a side wall 17 and a housing cover 19.The electrical components 3, 5 are arranged in a housing interior 21 of the carrier housing 9 on the housing section 15 in order to protect them from a medium to which the component carrier 1 is exposed. For example, the electronic assembly 7 is a control unit for controlling an engine or transmission, and the component carrier 1 is arranged inside the engine or transmission, wherein the carrier housing 9 is sealed against engine or transmission oil in order to protect the electrical components 3, 5 from the engine or transmission oil.The printed circuit boards 11, 12 simultaneously serve for the electrical contacting of the electrical components 3, 5 and for sealing the carrier housing 9. Each housing opening 23 to 26 is a recess in the housing section 15 of the carrier housing 9. the printed circuit boards 11, 12 are each connected on the carrier outer side 27 in a materially bonded manner to the housing section 15 of the carrier housing 9, so that each printed circuit board 11, 12 covers two housing openings 23 to 26 in a sealing manner.FIG. 2 shows a plan view of a base region of the component carrier 1 shown in FIG. 1, which base region comprises the housing section 15 and the printed circuit boards 11, 12.A first printed circuit board 11 has a plurality of soldering regions 29, wherein each soldering region 29 is formed as a cutout in the first printed circuit board 11 which extends to a first housing opening 23 and to which in each case an electrical component 3 is soldered sealingly this cutout in the first printed circuit board 11.Furthermore, each printed circuit board 11, 12 has a plurality of electrical contact regions 31, which each face a housing opening 24 to 26 covered by the printed circuit board 11, 12 and can be electrically contacted by this housing opening 24 to 26. Via these electrical contact regions 31, electrical components 3, 5 can be electrically connected to the printed circuit boards 11, 12. The electrical connections are realized, for example, by bonding wires 33, not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 (see FIG. 6 ), which each directly or indirectly connect an electrical contact region 31 to at least one electrical component 3, 5. Indirect electrical connections between electrical contact regions 31 and electrical components 3, 5 are realized, for example, via bonding wires 33, which each connect an electrical contact region 31 to at least one electrical line, not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, which in turn is electrically connected to at least one electrical component 3, 5 and is either a conductor track 35 applied directly to the housing section 15 as in FIG. 3 or is integrated into a line carrier 37, which is arranged on the housing section 15 analogously to FIGS. 5, 6 to 7.Accordingly, the housing section 15 is either a plastic product with at least one printed or structured conductor track 35 or it is, for example, a flat sheet or a deep-drawn sheet or a metallic milling product or a die cast product or a plastic product without a conductor track 35.FIGS. 3 and 4 each show a portion of a base region of a first exemplary embodiment of a component carrier 1. FIG. 3 shows a plan view of the base region and FIG. 4 shows a sectional illustration of the base region, wherein the sectional plane of the sectional illustration is orthogonal to the plane of the drawing of FIG. 3.The component carrier 1 of this exemplary embodiment comprises a two-part carrier housing 9, which consists of two carrier housing parts spaced apart from one another, which are each formed analogously to the carrier housing 9 of the component carrier 1 shown in FIG. 1 and of which only one housing section 15, 16 is shown in each case, which forms a housing base of the carrier housing part.Each housing section 15, 16 has at least one housing opening 24 to 26, which, like the housing openings 24 to 26 of the carrier housing 9 shown in FIG. 1, is sealingly covered by a respective printed circuit board 11, 12 which is connected to the housing section 15, 16 on a carrier outer side 27 in a materially bonded manner. Analogously to FIG. 1, each printed circuit board 11, 12 has a plurality of electrical contact regions 31, which each face a housing opening 24 to 26 covered by the printed circuit board 11, 12 and can be electrically contacted by this housing opening 24 to 26.A first housing section 15 is a plastic product with patterned or printed conductor tracks 35 which have conductor track contacts 36 which can each be electrically connected, for example via bonding wire 33 (see FIG. 6 ), to a contact region 31 of a printed circuit board 11, 12 or to an electrical component 3, 5, not shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The second housing section 16 can be embodied analogously or can be, for example, a planar sheet metal or a deep-drawn sheet metal or a metallic milling product or a die-cast product or a plastic product without a conductor track 35.A printed circuit board 12 connects the spaced apart housing sections 15, 16 of the two carrier housing parts of the carrier housing 9, wherein it sealingly covers a housing opening 25 of a first housing section 15 and a housing opening 26 of the second housing section 16. In this way, electrical components 3, 5 (not shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 ) arranged in the various carrier housing parts can be electrically connected to one another by the printed circuit board 12.FIGS. 5, 6 to 7 each show a detail of a base region of a second exemplary embodiment of a component carrier 1. FIG. 5 shows a plan view of the base region, FIG. 6 shows a sectional illustration of the base region, wherein the sectional plane of the sectional illustration is orthogonal to the plane of the drawing of FIG. 5, and FIG. 7 shows a side view of the base region.Similar to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the component carrier 1 of this exemplary embodiment also comprises a two-part carrier housing 9, which consists of two carrier housing parts spaced apart from one another, which are each formed analogously to the carrier housing 9 of the component carrier 1 shown in FIG. 1 and of which only one housing section 15, 16 is shown in each case, which forms a housing base of the carrier housing part.Each housing section 15, 16 has at least one housing opening 24 to 26, which, like the housing openings 24 to 26 of the carrier housing 9 shown in FIG. 1, is sealingly covered by a respective printed circuit board 11 to 13, which is connected to the housing section 15, 16 on a carrier outer side 27 in a materially bonded manner.The component carrier 1 further comprises a line carrier 37 (not shown) carrying electrical lines, which is connected to inner surfaces of the housing sections 15, 16 facing the housing interiors of the carrier housing parts and connects the housing sections 15, 16 to one another. The lead frame 37 has, for each housing opening 24 to 26, a lead frame recess 39 to 41 corresponding thereto, which is located above this housing opening 24 to 26.Analogously to FIG. 1, each printed circuit board 11 to 13 has a plurality of electrical contact regions 31, which each face a housing opening 24 to 26 covered by the printed circuit board 11 to 13 and can be electrically contacted by this housing opening 24 to 26 and the line carrier cutout 39 to 41 corresponding thereto. On the lead frame 37 in the vicinity of each lead frame recess 39 to 41 a plurality of electrical lead frame contacts 45 are arranged, each of which is electrically connected to at least one lead of the lead frame 37. According to FIG. 6, these lead carrier contacts 45 can each be electrically connected to a contact region 31 of a printed circuit board 11 to 13 via bonding wire 33.Furthermore, the lead frame 37 has further lead frame recesses 42, 43, in which electrical components 3, 5 (not shown in FIGS. 5, 6 to 7 ) can be arranged in each case and connected to a housing section 15, 16 situated below the respective lead frame recess 42, 43.The line carrier 37 is, for example, a printed circuit board, in particular a flexible printed circuit board, or a conductor foil. The conductor carrier 37 is connected, for example with heat-conducting adhesive 47, to the housing sections 15, 16 by adhesive bonding or lamination.Like the housing sections 15, 16 of the comparative or exemplary embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, 3 to 4, the housing sections 15, 16 are each, for example, a plastic product without or with patterned or printed conductor tracks or a planar sheet or a deep-drawn sheet or a metallic milling product or a die-cast product.In all the comparative or exemplary embodiments shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 to 7, the printed circuit boards 11 to 13 and the housing sections 15, 16 on the carrier outer side can optionally be encapsulated with a plastic in order to advantageously further improve the tightness of the respective carrier housing 9.List of reference characters1 Component carrier 3, 5 Electrical component 7 Electronic assembly 9 Carrier housing 11 to 13 Printed circuit board 15, 16 Housing section 17 Side wall 19 Housing cover 21 Housing interior 23 to 26 Housing opening 27 Carrier outer side 29 Soldering region 31 Contact region 33 Bonding wire 35 Conductor track 36 Conductor track contact 37 Conductor carriers 39 to 43 Conductor carrier cutout 45 Conductor carrier contact 47 Heat-conducting adhesive

Claims

Component carrier (1) for at least one electrical component (3, 5), comprising - a carrier housing (9) having at least one housing opening (23 to 26) to a carrier outer side (27) - and at least one printed circuit board (11 to 13) which is connected to the carrier housing (9) in a materially integral manner on the carrier outer side (27) and covers at least one housing opening (23 to 26) in a sealing manner, wherein at least one housing opening (23 to 26) covered by a printed circuit board (11 to 13) is a cutout in a housing section (15, 16) of the carrier housing (9) which is a planar sheet metal or a deep-drawn sheet metal or a metallic milling product or a die-cast product or a plastic product with or without at least one patterned or printed conductor track (35), wherein the carrier housing (9) comprises at least two housing sections (15, 16) spaced apart from one another and each having at least one housing opening (23 to 26), which are connected to one another by at least one printed circuit board (11 to 13), wherein the printed circuit board (11 to 13) sealingly covers at least one housing opening (23 to 26) of each of the two housing sections (15, 16), wherein each of the housing sections (15, 16) forms a housing base of a respective carrier housing part of the carrier housing (9), wherein the carrier housing parts are spaced apart from one another and each of the carrier housing parts is sealed.Component carrier (1) according to Claim 1, characterized in that at least one printed circuit board (11 to 13) is connected to the carrier housing (9) in a materially integral manner by adhesive bonding or lamination or soldering.Component carrier (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one printed circuit board (11 to 13) has at least one electrical contact region (31) which faces a housing opening (23 to 26) covered by the printed circuit board (11 to 13) and can be electrically contacted by the housing opening (23 to 26).Component carrier (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one printed circuit board (11 to 13) has at least one soldering region (29) which runs to a housing opening (23 to 26) covered by the printed circuit board (11 to 13) and to which an electrical component (3, 5) arranged in a housing interior (21) of the carrier housing (9) is soldered in a sealing manner the soldering region (29).Component carrier (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized byat least one line carrier (37) which carries electrical lines and is connected to at least one inner surface of the carrier housing (9) facing a housing interior (21) of the carrier housing (9).Component carrier (1) according to Claim 5, characterized in that at least one line carrier (37) is a flexible conductor foil or a flexible printed circuit board.Component carrier (1) according to Claim 5 or 6, characterized in that at least one line carrier (37) is connected to the carrier housing (9) by adhesive bonding or lamination.Component carrier (1) according to one of Claims 5 to 7, characterized in that the carrier housing (9) comprises at least two housing sections (15, 16) which are spaced apart from one another and are connected to one another by at least one line carrier (37).Component carrier (1) according to claim 5 to 8, when referring back to claim 3, characterised in that at least one electrical line of a line carrier (37) is electrically connected to an electrical contact region (31) of a printed circuit board (11 to 13).Component carrier (1) according to Claim 9, characterized in that at least one electrical connection is produced between an electrical line of a line carrier (37) and an electrical contact region (31) of a printed circuit board (11 to 13) with bonding wire (33) which is led through a housing opening (23 to 26).Use of a component carrier (1) according to one of the preceding claims for the arrangement of an electronic assembly (7) sealed with respect to a medium, wherein the electronic assembly (7) is arranged in a housing interior (21) of the carrier housing (9) and is electrically connected to at least one of the printed circuit boards (11 to 13) of the component carrier (1) which covers at least one housing opening (23 to 26) in a sealing manner.

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