Vehicle module comprising a housing and an electronic unit arranged in the housing, as well as manufacturing methods for a vehicle module

Abstract

The invention relates to a vehicle module (1) and a manufacturing method for the vehicle module (1). The vehicle module (1) comprises a housing (3) and an electronic unit (4) arranged in the housing (3). The housing (3) has a housing part (10) with an opening (16) that is directly closed by thermal bonding with an insert (11) of the housing (3). The housing part (10) is made of a first material with a first thermal conductivity, and the insert (11) is made of a second material with a second thermal conductivity that is higher than the first thermal conductivity. The insert (11) is designed to dissipate heat emitted by the electronic unit (4).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a vehicle module comprising a housing and an electronic unit arranged in the housing. The invention also relates to a vehicle with such a vehicle module and a manufacturing method for such a vehicle module.

[0002] A vehicle can have at least one vehicle module with an electronic unit. Such a vehicle module can be a vehicle control unit, in particular an electronic control unit (ECU).

[0003] Increasing performance demands on automotive control units, especially ECUs, are driving the development of innovative cooling solutions capable of dissipating heat generated by the electronic components within the unit. However, existing passive and / or active cooling solutions are insufficient for the most demanding and complex applications in vehicles. More sophisticated cooling solutions are therefore required to meet these increasing performance demands.

[0004] The object of the invention is to provide cooling for a vehicle module with sufficient cooling capacity for complex applications in a vehicle.

[0005] The independent claims solve the problem.

[0006] A first aspect of the invention relates to a vehicle module comprising a housing and an electronic unit arranged within the housing. The housing includes a housing part with an opening. The opening can alternatively be described as a hole in the housing part. The opening extends from a first side of the housing part, facing the interior of the housing, to a second side of the housing part, facing the environment of the vehicle module. The first side is opposite the second side. The interior of the housing forms a volume in which at least the electronic unit is positioned.

[0007] The opening is directly closed by thermal bonding to an insert of the housing. The insert is part of the housing. The insert closes the opening in the housing part. "Directly closed" means that the housing part is directly connected at one edge of the opening and at the other edge of the insert adjacent to the housing part. For example, there is no component or layer between the housing part at the edge of the opening and the edge of the insert. Thus, for example, there is no separate solder plate or brazing plate between the housing part and the insert.

[0008] The housing component is made of a first material with a first thermal conductivity. The insert is made of a second material with a second thermal conductivity that is higher than the first. The thermal conductivity of a material, in this case the respective material, is a measure of its ability to conduct heat. It can be described by a material-specific value, which is given in watts per meter per kelvin. The first and second materials differ from each other. In a preferred example, the first and second materials are both metals. The first material can alternatively be referred to as the first metal, and the second material as the second metal. The insert is designed to dissipate heat emitted by the electronic unit.Heat dissipation is at least improved, and in particular driven, by the higher thermal conductivity of the insert in relation to the thermal conductivity of the housing part surrounding the insert.

[0009] During the thermal bonding process, the two materials fuse together and their atoms mix. This results in the formation of a hybrid material from the first and second materials. The thermal bond is, for example, leak-proof, preventing any fluid from entering or escaping the housing. In other words, the housing component and the insert, thermally bonded together, form a housing made of a hybrid material. This hybrid material comprises both the first and second materials. Using such a housing significantly increases the thermal efficiency of the vehicle module due to the highly thermally conductive second material used for the insert, compared to the thermal conductivity of the first material chosen for the housing component.The second material, with high thermal conductivity, is used only in a specific area of ​​the housing. This specific area might be one requiring high heat dissipation compared to other areas. For example, it could be embedded in a cooling channel for active cooling of the electronic unit, if the housing incorporates one.

[0010] The invention is based on the observation that a housing for a vehicle module can be made of machined or cast aluminum, as aluminum offers a relatively good ratio of thermal conductivity and robustness to cost. However, given the increasing performance requirements for modern vehicle modules, this solution is technically obsolete, since the thermal conductivity of aluminum is approximately 190 watts per meter and Kelvin. Materials offering higher thermal conductivities, for example, copper with a thermal conductivity of up to 400 watts per meter and Kelvin, are therefore required. However, this example of a material with high thermal conductivity is relatively expensive. It is therefore not cost-effective to make entire vehicle module housings from copper.The housing should therefore be made of a hybrid material, for example by using a housing part cast or manufactured from aluminium with the thermally connected insert made of a highly thermally conductive material, such as copper.

[0011] This solution eliminates the housing part, for example a layer of the aluminum housing part, from the heat stack, which means that heat dissipated by high-performance components of the electronic unit is only carried through the high-conductivity layer provided by the insert and does not have to be carried through an additional layer of the housing part.

[0012] Overall, the vehicle module provides sufficient cooling capacity for complex applications within a vehicle by utilizing a highly thermally conductive insert for rapid and reliable heat transfer from the electronic unit to the vehicle module's environment. Therefore, the insert can be understood as a heat sink or heat sink unit of the vehicle module and / or can be connected to a heat sink unit of the vehicle module.

[0013] One embodiment includes an insert having a first side facing the interior of the housing, wherein the first side is thermally coupled directly to the electronic unit by means of at least one thermal coupling element. The thermal coupling element can be a thin layer with a thickness of approximately 0.5 millimeters. However, thicker or thinner thermal coupling elements are possible. The thermal coupling element can be as thin as possible to maximize the thermal performance of the vehicle module. The thermal coupling element is, in particular, made of a thermal interface material (TIM). The TIM can be a thermal paste, a thermally conductive adhesive, a thermal gap filler, a thermal block, a thermal tape, and / or another type of material designed to improve the thermal coupling between the first side of the insert and the electronic unit.

[0014] The electronic unit can comprise a printed circuit board (PCB) with at least one electronic component. In a preferred example, the thermal coupling element is positioned between the at least one electronic component and the insert, with the thermal coupling element directly contacting the first side and the electronic component, in particular via a total surface area of ​​the first side and a total surface area of ​​the electronic component. In this example, the electronic component is a heat-generating device and the insert is a heat-dissipating device. If multiple electronic components are present, some may be located without an adjacent insert. The insert can be positioned on selected components of the electronic unit, for example, on those components that produce a particularly large amount of heat compared to other components.

[0015] For example, copper, as a second material, offers excellent thermal conductivity in all directions, meaning that heat dissipation cannot be the sole function of the hybrid housing. Another major advantage of the hybrid housing is the evacuation of heat from the electronic unit. This is achieved by extracting heat directly from hot components on the PCB via the thermal coupling element and dissipating it through a passive air cooling system provided by the vehicle module's environment.

[0016] A preferred embodiment includes an electronic unit comprising several heat-dissipating electronic components. These heat-dissipating electronic components are grouped together on the electronic unit, for example, on the PCB. This means that, in a preferred example, all high-performance components are grouped together on the PCB, so that a single insert, for example, exactly one material plate made of the second material, is sufficient for all components requiring cooling. The insert shared by the high-performance components, which is connected to the housing part, optimizes the design of the vehicle module and reduces its overall cost. Alternatively, the vehicle module can have multiple inserts, each of which closes one of several openings in the housing part.

[0017] The vehicle module incorporates several thermal coupling elements. At least two of the multiple heat-generating electronic components are thermally coupled directly to the first side via their own thermal coupling elements. This means that the multiple heat-generating electronic components are grouped in such a way that a single thermal coupling element is sufficient, but gaps may exist between the components. Therefore, multiple individual thermal coupling elements can be used to thermally couple the components to the first side of the module. This results in minimal use of thermal coupling elements, which can contribute to a reduction in the overall cost of the vehicle module.

[0018] According to another embodiment, the insert has a base plate with a first side and an opposing second side. Furthermore, the insert has at least one rib extending from the base plate on the second side. In a preferred example, the insert has several ribs. The multiple ribs can be located adjacent to one another on the second side. They can be aligned parallel to each other. In other words, the insert has at least one rib on its upper surface facing away from the interior of the housing, with the at least one rib dissipating heat to the surroundings of the housing and thus to the surroundings of the vehicle module. The rib can alternatively be referred to as a fin. A cross-section of the rib at a first end, which is connected to the second side, can be larger than a cross-section of the rib at a second end, which is opposite the first end.In this example, the rib has a tapered shape. At the other end, the rib can be flattened or pointed. Due to its high thermal conductivity, the heat emitted by the electronic components of the electronic unit is thus quickly dissipated within the insert. The heat is transferred from the base plate towards the rib and is then transferred to the air surrounding at least one rib. This ensures rapid heat transfer from the high-performance electronic components to the outside of the vehicle module and passive cooling via a natural airflow between the ribs.

[0019] The base plate can have a length and / or width greater than its thickness, measured perpendicular to a surface of the housing element. The thickness of the base plate can be at least equal to or greater than the thickness of the housing element at the edges of the opening. The length and width of the base plate on the second side can correspond to the length and width of the opening, allowing the insert to fit into the opening with its base plate. On the first side, the length and / or width of the base plate can be greater than or equal to the length and / or width of the opening, allowing the base plate to overlap the opening inside the housing.

[0020] A preferred embodiment includes the vehicle module having at least one fan located adjacent to the at least one fin, such that an airflow generated by the at least one fan runs parallel to the at least one fin. This means that the hybrid housing is cooled by an active air cooling system, which in this case is the at least one fan. The insert embedded in the housing part can have multiple fins on an outer surface of the housing part facing away from the interior of the housing. The multiple fans are directly exposed to a forced airflow induced by the at least one fan. This ensures rapid heat transfer from the electronic unit to the environment of the vehicle module and rapid cooling with a forced airflow passing between the fins.

[0021] Furthermore, one embodiment includes the at least one fan being located on the outer surface of the housing part. In particular, it is situated directly next to the at least one fin. The fan is thus attached to the hybrid housing in such a way that it can direct an airflow parallel to the fins. Alternatively, an intermediate element positioned between the fan and the outer surface can be present. The at least one fan can be attached to the housing part; for example, it can be glued and / or screwed to it. Alternative or additional fastening techniques can be used. There can be an air gap between the at least one fan and the insert. As soon as heat is transferred to the fins, it is quickly and reliably removed by the air flowing between the fins.

[0022] Another embodiment includes a vehicle module with a cooling plate that is thermally coupled directly to the insert by means of a thermal coupling element on a second side of the insert, facing away from the interior of the housing. In a preferred example, the second side has a flat surface. The insert can be shaped as a plate with a flat first surface and a flat second surface. The cooling plate can have at least one cooling channel with a cooling fluid flowing through it. The cooling fluid can be water or another coolant or refrigerant. This means that the hybrid housing is cooled by a fluid, in particular a liquid, flowing through the cooling channel provided by the cooling plate attached to the upper surface (second side) of the insert. The cooling plate is a separate part of the vehicle module.The length and / or width of the cooling plate can be at least as large and / or larger than the length and / or width of the second side of the insert. The thermal interface element on the second side can be a thermal interface material (TIM). It can be of the same type as the thermal interface element between the electronics unit and the first side of the insert. Alternatively, the thermal interface elements can be different. The thermal interface element on the second side is used to provide good thermal conductivity between the insert and the housing part on one side and the cooling plate on the other. This applies to modular vehicle modules where, for example, removable modules or cartridges are added to the main ECU unit. The cooling plate can be mounted inside the main ECU unit.The heat passes through the thermal coupling element, which is used on a hot component of the electronic unit, is then conducted through the insert in the hybrid housing and is carried away by the coolant flowing through the cooling channel of the cooling plate.

[0023] Furthermore, one embodiment includes an insert comprising at least a portion of the at least one cooling channel for a cooling unit of the vehicle module. If the insert is only a portion of the cooling channel, it can be mechanically attached to the surrounding parts of the channel floor and side walls. The channel floor and side walls then become part of the housing. This means that the hybrid housing is actively cooled by a cooling fluid flowing through a cooling channel embedded in the housing. For example, the cooling unit can have multiple cooling channels forming a cooling circuit that extends over a specific area of ​​the housing. At least a portion of this area is provided by the insert.The cooling unit allows for particularly rapid and effective cooling, which is further improved by the use of the second material with high thermal conductivity, so that heat from the electronic unit reaches the cooling unit quickly and effectively.

[0024] Another embodiment includes the insert forming at least part of a bottom section of the at least one cooling channel. The housing has a cover plate attached to the housing part, the cover plate providing an upper part of the at least one cooling channel and covering the cooling unit towards the environment of the vehicle module. In other words, the bottom of the cooling channel comprises the embedded insert, which is thermally connected to the cast or machined housing part. Heat dissipated from the electronic unit is, for example, conducted directly from fins on the second side of the insert to the coolant flowing around the fins, provided the fins extend to the second side. The thermal connection between the insert and the housing part is also leak-proof, ensuring that no leakage occurs between these parts. Furthermore, the attached cover plate prevents any leakage from the upper part.The cover plate can be mechanically attached to the housing part. For example, it can be welded or glued to the housing part. The cover plate can be made of the first material, a different material, or, for example, plastic. The cover plate can be welded to the housing part, particularly by friction stir welding.

[0025] According to a further embodiment, the insert comprises a base plate with a first side facing the interior of the housing and a second, opposite side. The second, opposite side faces the cover plate. At least one thermal element extends from the base plate along the second side. This thermal element is, in particular, at least one rib and / or at least one pin and / or at least one turbulator. Higher performance requirements for the electronic unit may necessitate a more sophisticated design of the insert to achieve higher thermal conductivity through the cooling device. This can be achieved by means of at least one additional thermal feature, which in this case is the at least one thermal element. In addition to ribs, pins, and / or turbulators, other design features that increase the cooling efficiency of the cooling device are possible.This at least one thermal element thus increases the cooling efficiency of the vehicle module's cooling unit.

[0026] According to a preferred embodiment, the first material is aluminum and / or the second material is copper and / or silver. Alternatively, the first material can be another material with a thermal conductivity that differs from that of aluminum by less than 20 percent, particularly less than 10 percent or 5 percent. Alternatively, the second material can be another material with a thermal conductivity that differs from that of copper and / or silver by less than 20 percent, particularly less than 10 percent or 5 percent. Thus, the first material can be a less expensive material than the second material, but the higher thermal conductivity of the second material makes it particularly advantageous for use in the application.

[0027] In a preferred example, the vehicle module is the control unit, specifically the ECU of a vehicle. The electronic unit can be a system-on-a-chip (SoC) or have a system-on-a-chip (SoC) component. It can alternatively be referred to as a SoC unit. The control unit can be understood as a computing unit or as a data processing device with processing circuits. The control unit can therefore perform computational operations to process data.

[0028] For the vehicle, a vehicle-centric, zone-oriented architecture of the vehicle's electrical and / or electronic components may be provided. In particular, such a vehicle architecture may include at least one main controller, for example a single main controller, which may also be referred to as the main control unit or vehicle computer, and which may be configured to perform the main computational operations for vehicle-specific applications, such as autonomous driving.

[0029] The main controller can be interconnected via signal transmission to several, preferably four, zone controllers, which can also be referred to as zone control units. Zone controllers can be configured to perform less demanding calculations compared to the main calculations performed by the main controller.

[0030] For example, the electronic vehicle architecture can be divided into zones, preferably four zones, with a zone controller for each zone. In particular, the main controller can be connected via the zone controllers to other electrical and electronic components of the vehicle, especially smaller, distributed control units, as well as to a multitude of sensors and actuators of the vehicle.

[0031] Such a vehicle-centric, zone-oriented architecture of electrical and electronic components can be advantageous, at least in that it is less complex compared to domain-oriented architectures. In particular, the computational operations of complex, vehicle-specific applications can be consolidated from distributed control units onto a single or a few very powerful main controllers.

[0032] Preferably, the vehicle module can be the vehicle's main controller. Alternatively, the vehicle module can be a zone controller. Accordingly, the high-performance electronic components of a main controller or a zone controller can be cooled by using the module within its housing.

[0033] Another aspect of the invention relates to a vehicle with a vehicle module as described above. The vehicle can be a motor vehicle, for example a passenger car, a truck, a bus, a motorcycle and / or a moped.

[0034] Another aspect of the invention relates to a manufacturing process for a vehicle module. The vehicle module comprises a housing and an electronic unit arranged within the housing. The housing comprises a housing part with an opening and an insert. The housing part is made of a first material with a first thermal conductivity, and the insert is made of a second material with a second thermal conductivity that is higher than the first. The opening in the housing part is closed by the insert using thermal bonding. Thermal bonding can be achieved, at least partially, by brazing, soldering, and / or friction stir welding. The insert is designed to dissipate heat emitted by the electronic unit.

[0035] In other words, the housing component is made from the machined or cast first material, which is typically aluminum. The insert is made from a highly thermally conductive material, such as copper. The insert is placed in the opening in the housing component and then thermally joined to it. Thermal joining includes brazing, soldering, and welding. This creates a hybrid housing made of two materials, which offers several advantages. For example, the thermal joining process makes the housing watertight, preventing any leakage at the joint.

[0036] A preferred embodiment of the manufacturing process includes providing the insert with an additional layer of material, at least on the first side facing the interior of the housing. This gives the insert more material than necessary, at least on its lower or underside. This additional material allows for the compensation of inaccuracies in the joining process, for example, those resulting from post-processing of the insert after thermal joining. This improves the retention of the insert in the opening of the housing part.

[0037] Another embodiment of the manufacturing process involves machining at least the first side and / or the opposite second side of the insert after thermal joining, such that a surface of the machined side has a roughness within a predefined roughness range and / or a flatness within a predefined flatness range. For example, the bottom surface of the insert, which here is the surface of the first side, must be machined after the joining process to achieve a required surface roughness, a required thermal gap for the heat-coupling element, and / or sufficiently good flatness. The predefined roughness range can be below a roughness parameter R. aThe surface roughness is defined as 3.2 micrometers. Within this predefined roughness range, heat conduction from the electronic unit, particularly the thermal coupling element, to the insert is increased compared to an insert with a rougher surface. If the flatness is within the predefined flatness range, the direct contact surface of the insert is larger compared to a surface with a lower flatness. The flat design prevents, for example, air gaps from forming between depressions and / or material ridges on the surface.

[0038] If the second side of the insert is flat and, for example, without ribs, it should also be machined after the joining process. This means that the upper surface of the insert, which in this case is the second side, can be skimmed to achieve a sufficiently good surface roughness and flatness, which is necessary, for example, for reliable contact with the cooling plate. This machining of the second side can achieve a roughness within the predefined range and / or a flatness within the predefined range.

[0039] Roughness and / or flatness requirements may be the same or different for both sides of the application.

[0040] The exemplary embodiments described in connection with the vehicle module or the manufacturing process, both individually and in combination, may apply accordingly to the manufacturing process or the vehicle module, respectively. They also apply accordingly to the vehicle. The invention comprises combinations of the described exemplary embodiments.

[0041] The characters show in: Fig. 1 a schematic representation of a vehicle with a vehicle module; Fig. 2 an exploded view of a first embodiment of a vehicle module; Fig. 3 a schematic cross-sectional view of the exemplary embodiment of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 an exploded view of the exemplary embodiment of Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 with multiple electronic components; Fig. 5 an exploded view of a second embodiment of a vehicle module; Fig. 6 a schematic cross-sectional view of the exemplary embodiment of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 an exploded view of the exemplary embodiment of Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 with multiple electronic components; Fig. 8 a schematic representation of the embodiment of Fig. 5 to Fig. 7 with two fans; Fig. 9 an exploded view of a third embodiment of a vehicle module; Fig. 10 a schematic cross-sectional view of the exemplary embodiment of Fig. 9; Fig. 11 an exploded view of the embodiment of Fig. 9 and Fig. 10 with multiple electronic components; Fig. 12 an exploded view of a fourth embodiment of a vehicle module; Fig. 13 a schematic cross-sectional view of the embodiment of Fig. 12; and Fig. 14 an exploded view of the embodiment of Fig. 12 and Fig. 13 with several electronic components.

[0042] The figures show identical components with the same reference symbols.

[0043] Fig. Figure 1 shows a vehicle module 1, which is encompassed by a vehicle 2. The vehicle 2 can be a motor vehicle 2. The vehicle module 1 can be a control unit of the vehicle 2, in particular an electronic control unit (ECU). The vehicle module 1 can be configured to provide a function for the vehicle 2, such as a driver assistance system.

[0044] Fig. Figure 2 shows a first embodiment of the vehicle module 1. The vehicle module 1 comprises a housing 3 and an electronics unit 4 arranged in the housing 3. In this example, the electronics unit 4 comprises a printed circuit board (PCB) 5 and at least one electronic component 6 that is electronically coupled to the PCB 5. Furthermore, the electronics unit 4 can have several connections 7, 8, 9, for example, for connecting other vehicle modules 1, a power supply, a sensor device of the vehicle 2, and / or any other electronic device in the vehicle 2. The several connections 7, 8, 9 can include a PCB connection, a high-speed modular twisted-pair data (H-MTD) connection, and / or a specialist automotive connector (FAKRA connector). Other connections 7, 8, 9 are possible.

[0045] The housing 3 has a housing part 10. Viewed in the vertical direction (z-direction), this housing part 10 can be an upper part of the housing 3. The housing part 10 is made of a first material, in particular a first metal, with a first thermal conductivity. In a preferred example, this first material is aluminum. The housing 3 has an insert 11 which engages with the housing part 10 in an opening 16 (see reference numeral 16 in [reference number]). Fig. 3) of the housing part 10 is thermally connected. The opening 16 of the housing part 10 is directly closed to the insert 11 of the housing 3 by means of a thermal connection.

[0046] The insert 11 is made of a second material, in particular a second metal, with a second thermal conductivity. The second thermal conductivity is higher than the first thermal conductivity. In a preferred example, the second material is copper or silver. The insert 11 is designed to dissipate heat emitted by the electronic unit 4. More precisely, the heat can be dissipated by the electronic component 6, especially if it is a high-performance electronic component 6.

[0047] In the outlined example, there can be a thermal coupling element 12 located between the electronic component 6 and the insert 11. The thermal coupling element 12 can be made of a thermal interface material (TIM), such as thermal paste.

[0048] The housing part 10 can have at least one screw 13, in particular a captive screw 13, for attaching the vehicle module 1 to a support frame by means of a screw connection. When the at least one screw 13 is tightened, the housing 3 remains securely attached to the support frame. This also allows for quick assembly. The at least one screw 13 can be tightened by hand and / or with a screwdriver.

[0049] The motor vehicle 1 can have a housing base 14. The housing base 14 can be connected to the PCB 5 and the housing part 10 by means of at least one further screw 15. In this connected state, the housing 3 is assembled (not shown here). In this connected state, the electronic unit 4 is located inside the housing 3.

[0050] Fig. Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the first embodiment. The cross-sectional view shows the opening 16, which is already closed here by the insert 11. The insert 11 has a first side 17, which faces the interior of the housing 3 containing the electronic unit 4. The first side 17 is thermally coupled directly to the electronic unit 4. Here, the first side 17 is thermally coupled directly to the electronic component 6 by means of the thermal coupling element 12.

[0051] Opposite the first side 17, the insert 11 comprises a second side 18, which faces the environment of the vehicle module 1. The insert 11 can have a base plate 19 and at least one rib 20 extending from the base plate 19 along the second side 18. The at least one rib 20 can alternatively be referred to as a lamella. The base plate 19 can have a flat surface on the first side 17.

[0052] As an example, the base plate 19 can have projections 21 on the first side 17, such that, for example, the width and / or length of the base plate 19 is greater on the first side 17 compared to the second side 18. This increases a surface area of ​​the insert 11 that is in direct contact with the housing part 10 at an edge of the opening 16. The insert is thermally bonded to the housing part 10 at this surface area. This thermal bonding can be achieved, for example, by brazing, soldering, and / or friction stir welding.

[0053] The insert 11 can be provided with a material addition on at least one side 17. For example, at least the first side 17 is machined after thermal joining, so that a surface of the machined side, which can be the first side 17 and / or at least partially the second side 18, has a roughness within a predefined roughness range and / or a flatness within a predefined flatness range. The result is that the direct thermal contact with the heat coupling element 12 on the first side 17 can be particularly effective.

[0054] In Fig. Figure 3 shows heat arrows 22 possible directions of heat emitted by the electronic unit 4, more precisely by the heat-emitting electronic component 6. The heat is then transported by the thermal coupling element 12 to the insert 11 and then towards the surroundings of the vehicle module 1.

[0055] Fig. Figure 4 shows an example of the first embodiment with several heat-emitting electronic components 6 and several thermal coupling elements 12. The several heat-emitting electronic components 6 are grouped together on the PCB 5. For example, there are three adjacent thermal coupling elements 12 and several heat-emitting electronic components 6. At least two of the several heat-emitting electronic components 6 can be thermally coupled directly to the first side 17 by means of spatially separated thermal coupling elements 12. Here, there is a separate thermal coupling element 12 for each of the three heat-emitting electronic components 6. However, a single insert 11 can cover all the heat-emitting electronic components 6.

[0056] In an alternative, unsketched example, there can be several areas on the PCB 5, each containing at least one heat-emitting electronic component 6. In this example, the housing part 10 can have several openings 16, each directly closed with a single insert 11, so that one insert 11 is provided for each of the areas with the at least one heat-emitting electronic component 6. Alternatively, the single insert 11 can be large enough to cover all areas with heat-emitting electronic components 6.

[0057] Fig. Figure 5 shows an exploded view of a second embodiment of the vehicle module 1. The vehicle module includes at least one fan 23. The at least one fan 23 is located adjacent to the at least one rib 20, such that an airflow generated by the at least one fan 23 runs parallel to the at least one rib 20. The fan 23 can be located on an outer surface 24 of the housing part 10. Here, the at least one fan 23 is located directly next to the insert 11 with the ribs 20. The outer surface 24 faces away from the interior of the housing 3 and thus towards the environment of the housing 3 and the vehicle module 1.

[0058] Fig. Figure 6 shows a cross-sectional view of the second embodiment with two fans 23 located next to each other. Fig. Figure 6 also shows the example of several thermal coupling elements 12 for several individual heat-emitting electronic components 6, which are grouped together on the PCB 5. In the example for the second embodiment, the insert 11 has the base plate 19 and the extending ribs 20.

[0059] Fig. Figure 7 shows an example of the second embodiment with several separate heat coupling elements 12. This also shows how two fans 23 can be located on the outer surface 24 with respect to the fins 20 next to the second side 18 of the insert 11. More than two fans 23 are possible.

[0060] Fig. Figure 8 shows a section of Fig. Figure 7 in detail. The section shows a cold airflow 25, which is attracted by the fans 23 and directed towards the fins 20. Behind the fins 20, a warmer airflow 26 can be detected compared to the cold airflow 25, since the cold airflow 25 is heated by the heat dissipated by the insert 11. Fig. Figure 9 shows a third embodiment of the vehicle module 1. Here, the insert 11 is shaped as a plate. It can therefore only have the base plate 19. The surface of the insert 11 is flat on both the first side 17 and the second side 18. Furthermore, the vehicle module 1 has a cooling plate 27, which is thermally coupled directly to the insert 11 by means of a heat coupling element 12 on the second side 18. The cooling plate 27 can be designed for active cooling, meaning that a cooling fluid, such as a coolant or a cooling liquid, flows through cooling channels in the cooling plate 27 (not shown here). The third embodiment can have two heat coupling elements 12, one on the first side 17 and another on the second side 18. They can differ in size from one another.For example, the size of the thermal coupling element 12, which is directly coupled to the first side 17, can depend on the size of the heat-dissipating electronic components 6, whereas the size of the thermal coupling element 12 between the second side 18 and the cooling plate 27 can depend on the size of the second side 18 of the insert 11. In a preferred example, the thermal coupling element 12 covers at least a total surface area of ​​the insert 11 on the first side 17 or the second side 18. Alternatively, the thermal coupling element 12 can only partially cover the first side 17 or the second side 18.

[0061] Fig. Figure 10 shows the third embodiment in a cross-sectional view. This better illustrates the different sizes of the two heat coupling elements 12 that can be used here. It also shows that the cooling plate 27 can be larger than the insert 11 in terms of its width and / or length, so that, for example, only a part of the cooling plate 27 is in contact with the insert 11 via the heat coupling element 12.

[0062] Fig. Figure 11 shows an example of the third embodiment with several individual thermal coupling elements 12 between the insert 11 and the heat-emitting electronic components 6. Therefore, in this example, the insert 11 is larger in one longitudinal direction (x-direction) compared to, for example, the insert 11 shown in Fig. 9 is shown.

[0063] This results in the use of 11 all heat-emitting electronic components 6 on the PCB 5 and in comparison to Fig. 9 covers a larger part of the cooling plate 27.

[0064] Fig. Figure 12 shows a fourth embodiment of the vehicle module 1. Here, the insert 11 has at least a portion of at least one cooling channel 28 for a cooling unit 29 of the vehicle module 1. Here, the insert 11 has only a portion of the cooling channel 28 and the cooling unit 29. Thus, the insert 11 is surrounded by portions of the cooling channel 28 provided by the housing part 10, meaning that the housing part 10 encompasses the remainder of the cooling channel 28 or the remainder of the cooling unit 29. The insert 11 can be mechanically attached to the surrounding portions of the cooling unit 29. For example, the edges of the insert 11 can be connected to a channel base or a channel side wall of the cooling channel 28 of the cooling unit 29. In a preferred example, the cooling unit 29 is a liquid cooling unit through which a coolant flows.

[0065] The housing 3 can have a cover plate 30, which is attached to the housing part 10. The cover plate 30 provides an upper part of the at least one cooling channel 28 and covers the cooling unit 29 towards the surroundings of the vehicle module 1. In particular, the cover plate 30 is made of the first material and welded to the housing part 10, made of the same first material, by friction stir welding.

[0066] Fig. Figure 13 shows a cross-sectional view of the fourth embodiment with the insert 11 forming the base of the cooling channel 28. The connection between the insert 11 and, for example, other base components of the cooling channel 28 and / or the side walls of the cooling channel 28 can be provided by mechanical attachment, such as welding or gluing. The insert 11 can be understood as a base plate 19, with the first side 17 facing the interior of the housing 3 and the opposite second side 18 facing the cover plate 30. At least one thermal element 31 can be present, extending from the base plate 19 onto the second side 18. This at least one thermal element 31 can, for example, be at least one rib 20, as sketched here. Alternatively or additionally, it can be at least one pin and / or at least one turbulator.The cooling fluid can flow or stream in the empty spaces between the insert 11, the housing part 10 and the cover plate 30.

[0067] Fig. Figure 14 shows an example of the fourth embodiment with several heat-emitting electronic components 6 and several separate thermal coupling elements 12.

[0068] In comparison to the first embodiment, the other embodiments show combinations with active cooling techniques using at least one fan 23, the cooling plate 27 or the cooling device 29.

[0069] The sketched sizes and proportions of the individual features in the figures, especially of insert 11, may depend on a specific application and are to be understood as examples.

[0070] The invention relates to a hybrid housing for a control unit for a vehicle 2 with passive air cooling and optionally additional active air cooling. The housing 3 can be made of cast or machined aluminum. A highly thermally conductive heat distributor, such as the copper insert 11, is embedded in the aluminum housing 3 and thermally bonded to the aluminum, forming a hybrid material. Thermal connections between the aluminum and copper parts include soldering, brazing, and friction stir welding. During the thermal bonding process, both materials fuse, and their atoms mix, forming the hybrid material. This bond is also leak-proof, making it possible to use the housing in cooling channels 28. The insert 11 can have fins 20 on its upper surface that dissipate heat to its surroundings.

[0071] The insert 11 has a material allowance on its underside to compensate for inaccuracies in the manufacturing process. One bottom surface of the insert 11 (first side 17) must be machined after the joining process. This serves to achieve the required surface roughness, the thermal gap for the heat-coupling element 12, and good flatness. In the third embodiment, the insert 11 can have a material allowance on both sides 17, 18 to compensate for inaccuracies in the joining process. The second side 18 must be skimmed to achieve the necessary surface roughness and flatness for good contact with the cooling plate 27. The first side 17 of the insert 11 must also be machined after the joining process. This is necessary to achieve the required thermal gap for the heat-coupling element 12 and good flatness.

[0072] Advantages of these embodiments include the fact that copper's thermal conductivity is twice that of aluminum, making it an excellent heat distribution solution for PCB components with high power concentration (high power and a small surface area for heat dissipation). The copper insert 11 is designed to be positioned directly above high-power electronic components 6 on the PCB 5 to distribute heat over a larger surface area. This larger surface area increases heat transfer between the copper insert 11 and a passive and / or active cooling system.

[0073] Copper offers excellent thermal conductivity in all directions, so heat distribution is not the only function of the hybrid housing 3. Another significant advantage of the hybrid housing 3 is the heat evacuation from the electronic unit 4 by directly extracting heat from hot electronic components 6 of the PCB 5 via the thermal coupling element 12 and dissipating the heat by means of a natural or artificial airflow 25, 26, a freestanding cooling plate and / or the cooling device 29.

Claims

[1] Vehicle module (1) with a housing (3) and an electronic unit (4) arranged in the housing (3), wherein the housing (3) has a housing part (10) with an opening (16) which is directly closed with an insert (11) of the housing (3) by thermal joining, wherein the housing part (10) is made of a first material with a first thermal conductivity and the insert (11) is made of a second material with a second thermal conductivity which is higher than the first thermal conductivity, wherein the insert (11) is configured to dissipate heat emitted by the electronic unit (4). [2] Vehicle module (1) according to claim 1, wherein the insert (11) has a first side (17) which faces an inside of the housing (3), wherein the first side (17) is thermally coupled directly to the electronic unit (4) by means of at least one thermal coupling element (12). [3] Vehicle module (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the electronic unit (4) comprises several heat-emitting electronic components (6), which are in particular grouped together on the electronic unit (4), and several thermal coupling elements (12), wherein at least two of the several heat-emitting electronic components (6) are thermally coupled directly to the first side (17) by means of spatially separated thermal coupling elements (12). [4] Vehicle module (1) according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the insert (11) has a base plate (19) with the first side (17) and an opposite second side (18) and at least one rib (20) extending from the base plate (19) on the second side (18). [5] Vehicle module (1) according to claim 4, wherein the vehicle module (1) has at least one fan (23) located adjacent to the at least one rib (20), such that an airflow (25, 26) generated by the at least one fan (23) is parallel to the at least one rib (20). [6] Vehicle module (1) according to claim 5, wherein the at least one fan (23) is located on an outer surface (24) of the housing part (10), in particular directly next to the at least one rib (20), wherein the outer surface (24) faces away from an interior of the housing (3). [7] Vehicle module (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the vehicle module (1) has a cooling plate (27) which is thermally coupled directly to the insert (11) by a heat coupling element (12) on a second side (18) of the insert (11) which is facing away from the interior of the housing (3). [8] Vehicle module (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the insert (11) comprises at least a part of at least one cooling channel (28) of a cooling device (29) of the vehicle module (1). [9] Vehicle module (1) according to claim 8, wherein the insert (11) has at least a part of a bottom part of the at least one cooling channel (28) and the housing (3) has a cover plate (30) attached to the housing part (10), wherein the cover plate (30) provides an upper part of the at least one cooling channel (28) and covers the cooling device (29) in the direction of the environment of the motor vehicle (1). [10] Vehicle module (1) according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the insert (11) has a base plate (19) with a first side (17) facing an interior of the housing (3) and an opposite second side (18) facing the cover plate (30), and has at least one thermal element (31) extending from the base plate (19) on the second side (18), wherein the at least one thermal element (31) is in particular at least one rib (20) and / or at least one pin and / or at least one turbulator. [11] Vehicle module (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the first material is aluminium and / or the second material is copper and / or silver. [12] Vehicle (2) with a vehicle module (1) according to any of the preceding claims. [13] Manufacturing method for a vehicle module (1) comprising a housing (3) and an electronic unit (4) arranged in the housing (3), wherein the housing (3) comprises a housing part (10) with an opening (16) and an insert (11), wherein the housing part (10) is made of a first material with a first thermal conductivity and the insert (11) is made of a second material with a second thermal conductivity higher than the first thermal conductivity, wherein the opening (16) in the housing part (10) is closed with the insert (11) by thermal joining, in particular at least partially by brazing, soldering and / or friction stir welding, wherein the insert (11) is configured to dissipate heat emitted by the electronic unit (4). [14] Manufacturing method according to claim 13, wherein the insert (11) is provided with a material addition at least on a first side (17) which faces an interior of the housing (3). [15] Manufacturing method according to claim 14, wherein at least the first side (17) and / or an opposing second side (18) of the insert (11) is machined after thermal joining, such that a surface of the machined side has a roughness in a predefined roughness range and / or a flatness in a predefined flatness range.

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