Electronic system with protective fluid and motor vehicle

Abstract

Electronic system (1) for a motor vehicle (2), comprising a system housing (3) with a housing interior (4) and an electronic component (5) arranged in the housing interior (4), characterized in that a protective liquid (6) is arranged in the housing interior (4), wherein the protective liquid (6) surrounds or at least partially surrounds the electronic component (5), and wherein the protective liquid (6) is designed as a non-Newtonian fluid, wherein the protective liquid (6) has a dilatancy that can be manipulated electrically and / or optically and / or acoustically.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic system for a motor vehicle. Furthermore, the invention relates to a motor vehicle with a generic electronic system.

[0002] New technologies, especially automated driving, require rapid and significant advances in the development of suitable hardware. Given the computing and performance requirements of an automated vehicle, electronic components are currently not available on the market, nor will they be in the foreseeable future, with the required automotive quality, for example, in terms of service life, design, and connection technology.

[0003] To address this deficiency and ensure the fastest possible initial deployment of an automated driving function, electronic components from the consumer or professional IT sectors are mandatory. The disadvantage of these electronic components is that they generally do not have automotive certification. To ensure their functionality, they must be appropriately decoupled from environmental influences and usage conditions. It is important to avoid premature failures of these electronic components, especially with a view to minimizing costs and maximizing vehicle uptime.

[0004] Document US 2019 / 368826 A1 discloses an electrical system for a drone in which sensitive electronic components are held to a frame of the drone via a damper device and are thus better protected against vibrations and mechanical shocks. Document CN 105 422 727 A discloses a holding device for electronic components for a motor vehicle, which has an oil-filled hydraulic cylinder, a piston, and various spring elements. To hold the electronic components, the holding device has a carrier plate which is supported on the hydraulic cylinder via several of the spring elements. Document US 2017 / 164490 A1 shows an electronic system for a motor vehicle in which electronic components are surrounded by a gel to protect them from vibrations. To reduce vibrations of the gel, a housing cover has slats that protrude into the gel and thus divide the gel into several areas.

[0005] A device for shock absorption and heat protection is known from the document KR 10 2022 0 106 526 A.

[0006] From the document DE 10 2019 219 560 A1 a housing for at least one electronic component is known, wherein the housing is designed as a heat sink.

[0007] Existing electronic systems have the disadvantage that the protection of electronic components is often inadequate, especially against spontaneously occurring severe shocks, such as those encountered during off-road driving over bumps or potholes, in the event of a crash, or similar situations. Furthermore, these electronic systems often have particularly tight enclosures for the electronic components, which impairs heat dissipation and thus increases the risk of overheating.

[0008] It is therefore an object of the present invention to eliminate, or at least partially eliminate, the above-described disadvantages in an electronic system for a motor vehicle. In particular, the object of the present invention is to provide an electronic system for a motor vehicle and a motor vehicle that provide improved protection of the electronic components against mechanical influences, such as mechanical shocks, in a simple and cost-effective manner.

[0009] The above object is achieved by the patent claims. Accordingly, the object is achieved by an electronic system having the features of independent claim 1 and by a motor vehicle having the features of independent claim 10. Further features and details of the invention emerge from the subclaims, the description, and the drawings. Features and details described in connection with the electronic system according to the invention naturally also apply in connection with the motor vehicle according to the invention, and vice versa, so that with regard to the disclosure of the individual aspects of the invention, reference is always made to each other.

[0010] According to a first aspect of the invention, this object is achieved by an electronic system for a motor vehicle. The electronic system comprises a system housing with a housing interior and an electronic component arranged in the housing interior. According to the invention, a protective fluid is arranged in the housing interior, which fluid surrounds or at least partially surrounds the electronic component. The protective fluid is designed as a non-Newtonian fluid.

[0011] The system housing has a housing wall surrounding the housing interior. The system housing preferably has a housing body formed by the housing wall and a housing cover, through which an opening in the housing body can be closed. The system housing is preferably designed to prevent the protective fluid from flowing out of the housing interior. The system housing is preferably designed such that the housing interior can be insulated from the surroundings in a watertight and / or airtight manner by the system housing.

[0012] The electronic component is arranged in the interior of the housing. In the context of the invention, an electronic component is understood to be a component which is designed to carry out electronic tasks, such as calculations, program processing or the like. According to the invention, the electronic component can be suspended in the interior of the housing, for example via a wire or the like. Alternatively or additionally, one side of the electronic component can be arranged and held on a housing wall, for example by screwing, gluing or the like. Electronic connecting elements, such as cables, plugs or the like, are preferably provided for electrically coupling the electronic component to further electronic components or systems and are electronically interconnected with the electronic component.According to the invention, it is preferred that the electronic component has a power between 500 W and 2000 W, particularly preferably between 1000 W and 1500 W.

[0013] The protective fluid is arranged in the housing interior and completely or at least partially surrounds the electronic component, or surrounds at least a portion of the electronic component. The protective fluid is preferably designed to be flowable. Furthermore, the protective fluid is designed as a non-Newtonian fluid. A non-Newtonian fluid is designed to change its viscosity depending on external factors, such as shear forces, taking into account the exposure time.

[0014] Small excitations, such as slight accelerations during normal driving on a smooth road surface, can thus cause a relatively high fluidity of the non-Newtonian fluid, so that the electronic component located inside the housing encounters relatively low resistance from the protective fluid. Thus, the protective fluid provides damping of the electronic component relative to the system housing. In this state, the electronic component exhibits maximum mechanical decoupling from the system housing.

[0015] However, large excitations, such as strong accelerations caused by shock or similar events, can significantly reduce the fluidity of the non-Newtonian fluid, so that the electronic component located inside the housing encounters a relatively large resistance from the protective fluid. This provides weaker damping of the electronic component compared to the system housing. In this state, the electronic component exhibits maximum mechanical coupling to the system housing. This coupling better prevents damage to the electronic component, for example, the tearing off of large components, heat sinks, or the like.

[0016] An electronic system according to the invention has the advantage over conventional electronic systems that the protection of the electronic component against mechanical influences is improved using simple means and in a cost-effective manner. The use of the protective liquid designed as a non-Newtonian fluid provides situationally adaptable protection for the electronic component, ensuring good vibration damping and a secure connection to the system housing as needed. This significantly increases the service life of the electronic component. Furthermore, the electronic system can be used to install electronic components that are particularly susceptible to failure due to vibrations and / or severe mechanical shocks. This also avoids high development costs for more robust electronic components that do not require such protective encapsulation.

[0017] According to a preferred further development of the invention, in an electronic system, the electronic component can be designed as a printed circuit board with at least one electronic component arranged thereon. The electronic component is preferably designed as a surface-mounted device (SMD). The electronic component can be designed, for example, as a capacitor, transistor, relay, diode, resistor, chip, or the like. A cooling device, for example with a water cooling system, is preferably arranged on the printed circuit board. Lines required for the water cooling are preferably led out of the system housing, for example via connecting pieces or the like. Printed circuit boards react differently to external mechanical influences due to various factors, such as mass inertia, geometric design, assembly, nature, or the like.During normal driving, the circuit boards can be subjected to resonant vibrations. In the event of strong, abrupt mechanical shocks and impacts, the circuit boards can bend significantly and even break or tear from their mountings. The protective fluid, designed as a non-Newtonian fluid, ensures customized and needs-based protection of the circuit board and the electronic components mounted on it. This has the advantage of providing a particularly flexible electronic system using simple and cost-effective means.

[0018] It is preferred according to the invention that the protective liquid is in the form of an electrically insulating fluid and / or that the electronic component is coated with an electrically insulating material. In the context of the invention, an electrically insulating fluid is understood to mean a fluid which is in the form of an electrical non-conductor, such that the protective liquid cannot cause a short circuit in the electronic component. The electrically insulating material is preferably arranged as a coating, film or the like on the electronic component in such a way that electrical poles of the electronic component are electrically insulated from the protective liquid and a short circuit is thus avoided. This has the advantage that the operational reliability of the electronic system is improved using simple means and in a cost-effective manner.

[0019] More preferably, the protective fluid has a thermal conductivity of more than 0.1 W / (m*K). Particularly preferably, the protective fluid has a thermal conductivity of more than 0.25 W / (m*K), in particular more than 0.4 W / (m*K). Such a protective fluid ensures improved dissipation of the heat generated by the electrical component, for example, directly through heat transfer from the electronic component to the protective fluid or indirectly through heat transfer from a cooling device of the electronic component to the protective fluid. This has the advantage of further improving the operational reliability of the electronic system using simple means and in a cost-effective manner.

[0020] According to the invention, the protective liquid has a dilatancy that can be manipulated electrically and / or optically and / or acoustically. The dilatancy is a measure of the shear toughness of the protective liquid. An electrically manipulable dilatancy is understood within the scope of the invention, for example, to mean that the dilatancy can be specifically changed by electrical means, such as an electrically operated actuator, currents introduced into the protective liquid, for example pulsed, alternating currents or the like. An optically manipulable dilatancy is understood within the scope of the invention, for example, to mean that the dilatancy can be specifically changed by optical means, such as light waves. An acoustically manipulable dilatance is understood within the scope of the invention, for example, to mean that the dilatancy can be specifically changed by acoustic means, such as sound waves, for example with a constant or changing orchanging frequency, constant or changing or changing amplitude, constant or pulsed or the like, can be specifically changed. A targeted change can be understood, for example, as a qualitative change. The electronic system is preferably designed for predictive operation. This means that information about impending vibrations, for example, determined by an on-board computer of a motor vehicle, can be used to specifically manipulate the dilatancy of the protective fluid at an early stage. The determination of this information can, for example, involve sensors such as cameras, LIDAR, RADAR as well as navigation data, road data, traffic data, weather data or the like. This has the advantage that situation-appropriate protection of the electronic component and thus the operational reliability of the electronic system is improved using simple means and in a cost-effective manner.

[0021] Preferably, a heat-conducting device surrounded by the protective liquid is arranged in the housing interior. In the context of the invention, a heat-conducting device is understood to mean, for example, a device designed to dissipate heat. The heat-conducting device can, for example, comprise a wire, rod, hose, pipe or the like. Preferably, the heat-conducting device comprises a metal, such as copper, aluminum or the like, for absorbing the heat from the protective liquid. A hose or pipe can, for example, have a cooling fluid flowing through it. The cooling fluid preferably has a higher thermal conductivity than the protective liquid. The heat-conducting device is preferably brought close to the electronic component in such a way that a gap remains between the heat-conducting device and the electronic component.The gap is preferably filled with the protective fluid to improve heat transfer. This has the advantage of further improving the operational reliability of the electronic system using simple and cost-effective means.

[0022] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the electronic component is held on the system housing via a holding means. The holding device preferably has a spring or is designed as a spring. Preferably, the holding device has a damper or is designed as a damper. The holding device can be designed, for example, as a helical spring, preferably made of spring steel, or an elastomer component. If the electronic component has a circuit board, it is preferred that the circuit board is held on the system housing via the holding device. According to the invention, a plurality of holding devices can be provided to hold the electronic component on the system housing, which are preferably connected to different locations on the system housing.The arrangement of the holding devices is preferably such that collision of the electrical component with the system housing and / or elements arranged in the housing interior, such as other electronic components, a cooling device, or the like, is avoided. This has the advantage of further improving the operational reliability of the electronic system using simple means and in a cost-effective manner.

[0023] Particularly preferably, a plurality of electronic components are arranged in the housing interior and are each surrounded or at least partially surrounded by the protective fluid. The electronic components are preferably arranged at a distance from one another in the housing interior. According to the invention, the electronic components can be electronically interconnected. This has the advantage that the available space for the electronic components is improved using simple means and in a cost-effective manner, while ensuring special protection of the electronic components against mechanical shocks, vibrations, and the like.

[0024] It is preferred according to the invention that the electronic components are supported against one another via a support means. The support means preferably comprise a spring or are designed as a spring. Preferably, the support means comprise a damper or are designed as a damper. The support means can be designed, for example, as a helical spring, preferably made of spring steel, or an elastomer component. According to the invention, a plurality of support means can be provided. The support means make it easier to prevent collisions between the electronic components, particularly in the event of severe vibrations, such as in the event of a vehicle crash. This has the advantage that the protection of the electronic components is improved using simple means and in a cost-effective manner, and thus the operational reliability of the electronic system is further improved.

[0025] According to a second aspect of the invention, the object is achieved by a motor vehicle. The motor vehicle has at least one electronic system. According to the invention, the at least one electronic system is designed as an inventive electronic system according to the first aspect of the invention.

[0026] The electronic system is preferably designed to perform particularly computationally intensive operations, which are required, for example, for the partially or fully autonomous operation of the motor vehicle, such as automated driving. The electronic system is preferably designed to provide one or more driver assistance functions, such as telecommunications, entertainment, lighting, navigation, braking, parking, lane keeping, cruise control, or the like.

[0027] The motor vehicle according to the invention offers all the advantages already described for an electronic system according to the first aspect of the invention. Accordingly, the motor vehicle according to the invention has the advantage over conventional motor vehicles that the protection of the electronic components against mechanical influences is improved using simple means and in a cost-effective manner. The use of the protective liquid designed as a non-Newtonian fluid provides situationally adaptable protection for the electronic components, ensuring good vibration damping and a secure connection to the system housing as needed. In this way, the service life of the electronic components can be significantly increased. Furthermore, electronic components that are particularly susceptible to failure due to vibrations and / or severe mechanical shocks can be installed in the electronic system of the motor vehicle.This also avoids high development costs for more robust electronic components that do not require such protective encapsulation.

[0028] An electronic system according to the invention and a motor vehicle according to the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to drawings. They show schematically: Fig. 1 shows a sectional view of an electronic system according to a preferred first embodiment of the invention, Fig. 2 shows a sectional view of an electronic system according to a preferred second embodiment of the invention, Fig. 3 shows a side view of a preferred embodiment of a motor vehicle according to the invention.

[0029] Elements with the same function and mode of action are listed in the Fig. 1 to 3 are each provided with the same reference numerals.

[0030] In Fig. 1 is an electronic system 1 for a motor vehicle 2 (cf. Fig. 3) according to the preferred first embodiment of the invention is shown schematically in a sectional view. The electronic system 1 has a system housing 3, by which a housing interior 4 is formed and delimited to the outside. One or more electronic components 5 are arranged in the housing interior 4, whereby only one electronic component 5 is visible in this view. In this view, the electronic component 5 is shown in a plan view. The optionally additional electronic components 5 can, for example, be arranged behind the illustrated electronic component 5. The electronic component 5 is designed as a printed circuit board 7, which is equipped with an electronic component 8. The printed circuit board 7 is resiliently held on the system housing 3 by means of several holding means 10, which are designed as helical springs and are fastened to corner regions of the printed circuit board 7.To dampen vibrations and to support the electronic component 5 in a situation-adapted manner, the housing interior 4 is additionally filled with a protective liquid 6, which is designed as a non-Newtonian fluid.

[0031] Fig. 2 shows an electronic system 1 for a motor vehicle 2 according to the preferred second embodiment of the invention, schematically in a sectional view. The electronic system 1 has a system housing 3, which forms and delimits an interior housing space 4. Three electronic components 5 are arranged next to one another or one above the other in the interior housing space 4. In this view, the electronic components 5 are each shown from one side. The electronic components 5 are designed as printed circuit boards 7, each of which is equipped with a plurality of electronic components 8. The printed circuit board 7 is resiliently held on the system housing 3 by means of a plurality of holding means 10 fastened to the printed circuit boards 7, which are made of an elastomer. In addition, two of the electronic components 5 are supported against one another by means of a support means 11.To dampen vibrations and to support the electronic component 5 in a situation-adapted manner, the housing interior 4 is additionally filled with a protective liquid 6, which is designed as a non-Newtonian fluid.

[0032] In Fig. Figure 3 shows a schematic side view of a preferred embodiment of a motor vehicle 2 according to the invention. The motor vehicle 2 has an electronic system 1 according to the invention. List of reference symbols 1 electronic system 2 motor vehicles 3 system housings 4 Housing interior 5 electronic components 6 Protective fluid 7 Circuit board 8 electronic component 9 Heat conduction device 10 holding devices 11 Supporting equipment

Claims

[1] Electronic system (1) for a motor vehicle (2), comprising a system housing (3) with a housing interior (4) and an electronic component (5) arranged in the housing interior (4), characterized by in that a protective liquid (6) is arranged in the housing interior (4), wherein the protective liquid (6) surrounds or at least partially surrounds the electronic component (5), and wherein the protective liquid (6) is designed as a non-Newtonian fluid, wherein the protective liquid (6) has an electrically and / or optically and / or acoustically manipulable dilatancy. [2] Electronic system (1) according to claim 1, characterized by that the electronic component (5) is designed as a printed circuit board (7) with at least one electronic component (8) arranged thereon. [3] Electronic system (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized bythat the protective liquid (6) is designed as an electrically insulating fluid and / or that the electronic component (5) is coated with an electrically insulating material. [4] Electronic system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the protective liquid (6) has a thermal conductivity of more than 0.1 W / (m*K). [5] Electronic system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that a heat conducting device (9) surrounded by the protective liquid (6) is arranged in the housing interior (4). [6] Electronic system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the electronic component (5) is held on the system housing (3) via a holding means (10). [7] Electronic system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat a plurality of electronic components (5) are arranged in the housing interior (4) and are each surrounded or at least partially surrounded by the protective liquid (6). [8] Electronic system (1) according to claim 7, characterized by that the electronic components (5) are supported against each other via a support means (11). [9] Motor vehicle (2) comprising at least one electronic system (1), characterized by that the at least one electronic system (1) is designed as an electronic system (1) according to one of the preceding claims.

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