Control unit

Abstract

To provide a control unit (1) for vehicles.SOLUTION: A control unit (1) includes: an electronic assembly (2) having a printed circuit board (6); at least one socket (11, 12); and at least one connector (4, 5). The connector (4, 5) is electrically connected to the socket (11, 12), whereby a part (6a) of the printed circuit board (6) is arranged at an angle greater than 0 with respect to another region (6b) of the printed circuit board (6).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle control unit having an electronic assembly and a connector conductively connected to the electronic assembly according to the generic title of claim 1.

[0002] A control unit typically includes an electronic assembly with a printed circuit board (PCB) and a connector, e.g., for connecting an external power supply. The connector is directly connected to the PCB, and is usually aligned perpendicular to the PCB. Due to limited installation space for the control unit, e.g., in a vehicle, it is often necessary to align the connector parallel to the PCB. For this purpose, for example, an internal connector can be connected between the PCB and the connector. Internal connectors have the disadvantage of being bulky and requiring additional installation space. Alternatively, two PCBs can be used, one aligned parallel to the connector and the other aligned perpendicular to the connector. The PCBs then have to be connected to each other, often by hand, during manufacturing in a limited space. This solution is expensive due to the complex manufacturing process.

[0003] French Patent No. 3031802 discloses a vehicle heater having a control unit with a bent plate. EP Patent Application Publication No. 3466769 discloses a PCB structure having two sections and a flexible connecting member for connecting the two sections to each other.

[0004] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved or at least alternative embodiment of a universal control unit in which the above-mentioned drawbacks are overcome.

[0005] This object is solved according to the invention by the object of independent claim 1. Advantageous embodiments are the subject matter of the dependent claims.

[0006] The present invention is based on the general concept of using a flex printed circuit board instead of two printed circuit boards or an internal connector to make the assembly process easier and cheaper.

[0007] The present invention provides a control unit, particularly an electronic control unit, designed for a vehicle. The control unit comprises an electronic assembly having a printed circuit board and at least one socket arranged on the printed circuit board. The control unit also comprises at least one connector having a plug and an external socket. The plug of each connector is directly connected to the respective socket of the electronic assembly in a form-fitting and conductive manner. According to the present invention, the printed circuit board comprises a first rigid portion, a second rigid portion, and a flexible connecting portion arranged between the two rigid portions. The second portion is arranged at an angle greater than 0° relative to the first portion of the printed circuit board, thereby positioning each socket on the second portion of the printed circuit board.

[0008] In the control unit according to the present invention, each connector connected to a respective socket via its plug is aligned at an angle greater than zero relative to the first rigid portion. Therefore, electronic assemblies can be connected to each connector in a space-saving manner, and the entire control unit can be formed in a space-saving manner. In particular, additional internal connectors and additional electronic assemblies are not required. As a result, the design and manufacturing process of the control unit can be simplified, thereby reducing the cost of the control unit.

[0009] The two rigid portions of the printed circuit board are flexibly connected to each other via a flexible connecting portion. As a result, the printed circuit board can be bent at the connecting portion so that the two rigid portions are disposed at a non-zero angle relative to each other. The angle between the two rigid portions of the printed circuit board can be defined by the angle between the normals to the two rigid portions and / or the angle between the normals to the respective major surfaces of the two rigid portions and / or the angle between the respective major surfaces of the two rigid portions. The two rigid portions can be integral with the connecting portion, i.e., integrally formed on the connecting portion, or can be inseparably connected to the connecting portion. In particular, the connecting portion can completely traverse the printed circuit board along a straight line, thereby separating the printed circuit board into two rigid portions. The two rigid portions can be particularly rectangular.

[0010] For example, the control unit can be designed for an electronic heater, and / or for an electronic control device of the vehicle, and / or for the vehicle side, i.e., for an on-board charger of the vehicle. The control unit can include multiple connectors that are different from each other, and the electronic assembly can include multiple sockets that are different from each other. In particular, the control unit can include exactly two, or exactly three, or exactly four, or exactly five, or more connectors that are different from each other, and the electronic assembly can include exactly two, or exactly three, or exactly four, or exactly five, or more connectors that are different from each other. If multiple sockets and multiple connectors are provided, all of the respective sockets can be arranged on the second portion of the printed circuit board, and all of the respective connectors can be arranged perpendicular to the second portion of the printed circuit board and at an angle greater than zero with respect to the first portion of the printed circuit board.

[0011] The plugs of the respective connectors and the respective sockets can be suitably adapted to one another, i.e., can be form-fittingly and electrically connectable to one another. The respective sockets and the respective connectors can be provided for contacting a mismatched external device. The respective connectors can be, for example, high-voltage connectors for connecting an external high-voltage source or low-voltage connectors for connecting an external low-voltage source. Thus, the respective sockets can be provided for connecting a high-voltage connector or a low-voltage connector.

[0012] The angle between the two rigid parts can be any. Preferably, the angle between the two rigid parts can be between 60° and 120°. Particularly preferably, the angle between the two rigid parts can be equal to 90°. In particular, the first part and the second part of the printed circuit board can be arranged at an angle equal to 90° to each other. In particular, the plugs of the respective connectors and the respective sockets of the second part of the printed circuit board can be connected to each other in a connection direction, and the first part of the printed circuit board can be aligned parallel to this connection direction. In this embodiment, the control unit can be designed to be particularly space-saving, and the connection of external devices to the external sockets of the respective connectors can be particularly easy.

[0013] Each socket can be connected to a printed circuit board in a material-bonded manner, preferably by soldering. Each socket can have a plurality of metal contacts, and each connector plug can have a plurality of metal pins. Each metal pin can have a shape complementary to each metal contact. This allows the shape of each socket and each connector plug to be adjusted to connect an external device to be connected to the control unit. The shape and number of each contact and each pin can also be adjusted to connect an external device to the control unit. For example, to connect an external high-voltage source, each socket can have 24 contacts, and each connector plug can have 24 pins.

[0014] The electronic assembly may include at least one electrical and / or electronic component. Each component may be, for example, an inductor, a capacitor, a transistor, a high-pass filter (HP), a low-pass filter (LP), and / or a power semiconductor. All components of the electronic assembly may be located only on the first rigid portion of the printed circuit board. The electrical and / or electronic components may not be located on the second rigid portion of the printed circuit board. As a result, the second rigid portion of the electronic assembly may be designed to be smaller and more space-saving, and thus the control unit itself may be designed to be more space-saving. The second portion of the printed circuit board may be smaller in area, preferably several times smaller, than the first rigid portion of the support substrate. The electronic assembly may include at least one electrical wire formed on or within the printed circuit board, and each component may be electrically conductively connected to a respective socket via the respective wire. For this purpose, the respective wire may bridge, i.e., cross, the connecting portion.

[0015] The control unit may include a housing having an internal space for accommodating the electronic assembly and a housing wall that at least partially defines the internal space. Each connector may protrude through the housing wall into the internal space and be firmly fixed (e.g., screwed) to the housing wall. This allows the plug of each connector to be positioned inside the internal space of the housing and the external socket of each connector to be positioned outside the internal space of the housing. This allows the second portion of the printed circuit board to be positioned parallel to the housing wall and adjacent to the respective connector. In other words, each connector may be attached to and protrude through the housing wall. Within the housing, the plug of each connector may be connected to a respective socket on the printed circuit board. In this case, the external socket of each connector may be easily accessible from the outside, allowing an external device to easily connect to the control unit from the outside via the external socket.

[0016] The control unit may include a frame for holding the electronic assembly. The frame may be made of plastic. This allows the frame to position and secure the first rigid portion and the second portion of the printed circuit board at an angle greater than 0° relative to each other. The frame may include at least one clip, where the first rigid portion of the printed circuit board can be positioned at its edge in the clip and held in a form-fitting manner. The frame may include at least one elongated groove, where the second portion of the printed circuit board can be positioned at its edge in the groove and held in a form-fitting manner. In other words, the printed circuit board, i.e., the electronic assembly, can be held in the frame in a form-fitting manner. As a result, the electronic assembly can be fixed with higher tolerances without screws, thereby making it easier to connect the respective connectors to the respective sockets during the manufacturing process.

[0017] In particular, the printed circuit board may have a semi-flex structure. The first rigid portion of the printed circuit board and the second portion of the printed circuit board may be integral with, i.e., integrally formed with, the connecting portion of the printed circuit board. During fabrication, the connecting portion may be formed, for example, by removing material from the printed circuit board stack. The first rigid portion and the second portion of the printed circuit board may have a thickness greater than that of the connecting portion of the printed circuit board. In particular, the thickness of the connecting portion may be less than 250 μm. The printed circuit board may be bendable at the connecting portion. The bending radius of the connecting portion may be 5 mm or greater. To reinforce the connecting portion of the printed circuit board, the printed circuit board may include at least one reinforcing strand disposed on the connecting portion. The reinforcing strand may be made of metal.

[0018] Further important features and advantages of the invention are evident from the dependent claims, from the drawings and from the accompanying figure description based on the drawings.

[0019] It is understood that the features mentioned above and those to be described below can be used not only in the combinations shown in each case, but also in other combinations or by themselves, without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0020] Preferred embodiments of the present invention are illustrated in the drawings and will be described in more detail in the following description, where like reference numerals refer to identical or similar or functionally identical components.

[0021] The drawings show, in each case, the following diagrammatically: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a partial view of a control unit according to the invention shown without the housing. [Figure 2] 2 is a partial view of the control unit of the present invention shown in FIG. 1 having a housing.

[0023] 1 shows a partial view of a vehicle control unit 1 according to the present invention. The control unit 1 comprises an electronic assembly 2, a frame 3 supporting the electronic assembly 2, and two connectors 4 and 5. In this embodiment, the connector 4 is designed to connect an external high voltage source, and the connector 5 is designed to connect an external low voltage source.

[0024] The electronic assembly 2 comprises a printed circuit board 6 having a first rigid part 6a, a second rigid part 6b, and a flexible connecting part 7. The two parts 6a and 6b are flexibly connected to each other via the connecting part 7 and are aligned with each other at an angle W equal to 90°. The angle W is here defined by the angle between a main surface 8a of the first part 6a and a main surface 8b of the second part 6b.

[0025] The two portions 6a and 6b are arranged at an angle W by a frame 3. The frame 3 comprises a first section 3a for supporting the first portion 6a of the printed circuit board 6 and a second section 3b for supporting the second portion 6b of the printed circuit board 6. The two sections 3a and 3b are aligned perpendicularly or at an angle W equal to 90° to each other. A plurality of clips 9 (only two are visible here) are formed on the first section 3a of the frame 3. The first portion 6a of the printed circuit board 6 is placed at its edge in the clips 9, thereby being form-fittingly secured to the first section 3a of the frame 3. Two elongated grooves 10 (only one is visible here) are further formed on the second section 3b of the frame 3. The second portion 6b of the printed circuit board 6 is placed at its edge in the groove 10, thereby being form-fittingly secured to the second section 3b of the frame 3. As the sections 3a and 3b of the frame 3 are aligned vertically with respect to one another, the two portions 6a and 6b of the printed circuit board 6 are also aligned with respect to one another by the frame 3, i.e., positioned vertically with respect to one another.

[0026] The electronic assembly 2 also includes two sockets 11 and 12, where socket 11 is provided for electrical and form-fit connection to connector 4, and socket 12 is provided for electrical and form-fit connection to connector 5. The two sockets 11 and 12 are disposed on and soldered to second portion 6b of printed circuit board 6. Respective connectors 4 and 5 each include a plug 13 and 14 and an outer socket 15 and 16. The plugs 13 and 14 are electrically and form-fit connected to the respective sockets 11 and 12, and the outer sockets 15 and 16 can be electrically and form-fit connected to respective external sources.

[0027] In the control unit 1, the first portion 6a of the printed circuit board 6 and the second portion 6b of the printed circuit board 6 are arranged perpendicularly or at an angle W equal to 90° to each other. As a result, the connectors 4 and 5 are aligned perpendicularly to the second portion 6b of the printed circuit board 6 and parallel to the first portion 6a of the printed circuit board 6. Therefore, an external source can be connected to the control unit 1 parallel to the first portion 6a of the printed circuit board 6. Therefore, the control unit 1 is formed in a space-saving manner, and the connection of an external source to the control unit 1 is simplified.

[0028] FIG. 2 shows a partial view of a control unit 1 according to the present invention, which has a housing 17. The housing 17 comprises an interior space 18 and a housing wall 19 that partially defines the interior space 18 from the outside. The electronic assembly 2 and the frame 3 are arranged in the interior space 18 and are partially protected from the outside by the housing wall 19. The respective connectors 4 and 5 protrude through the housing wall 19 into the interior space 18 and are firmly connected, for example by screws, to the housing wall 19 at connection points 20. Thereby, the plugs 13 and 14 of the respective connectors 4 and 5 are arranged inside the interior space 18, and the outer sockets 15 and 16 of the respective connectors 4 and 5 are arranged outside the interior space 18. Advantageously, the second part 6b is aligned parallel to and adjacent to the housing wall 19 at a distance such that connection between the sockets 12 and 13 and the plugs 13 and 14 of the respective connectors 4 and 5 is possible.

[0029] 2 also shows electrical and / or electronic components 21 of the electronic assembly 2. The components 21 may be, for example, coils and / or capacitors and / or transistors and / or HP filters and / or LP filters and / or power semiconductors. The respective components 21 are suitably conductively connected to one another and to the respective sockets 11 and 12. For this purpose, the electronic assembly 2 comprises a plurality of formed electrical wires (not visible here) formed on or in the printed circuit board 6. At least some of the wires thereby bridge the connecting portions 7 of the printed circuit board 6 and electrically connect the respective components 21 to the respective sockets 11 and 12 in an electrically conductive manner.

[0030] In this case, all of the components 21 are arranged only on the first portion 6a of the printed circuit board 6, and the sockets 11 and 12 are arranged only on the second portion 6b of the printed circuit board 6. As a result, the area of the second portion 6b of the printed circuit board 6 can be made smaller than that of the first portion 6a, allowing the control unit 1 to be designed to consume less space. Furthermore, the connections between the components 21 can be simplified.

Claims

1. A vehicle control unit (1), The control unit (1) comprises an electronic assembly (2) having a printed circuit board (6) and at least one socket (11, 12) arranged on the printed circuit board (6), The control unit (1) comprises at least one connector (4, 5) having a plug (13, 14) and an external socket (15, 16), the plugs (13, 14) of each of the connectors (4, 5) are directly connected in a form-fitting and electrically conductive manner to the respective sockets (11, 12) of the electronic assembly (2); The printed circuit board (6) comprises a first rigid portion (6a) and a second rigid portion (6b), and a flexible connecting portion (7) disposed between the two rigid portions (6a, 6b); Each of the sockets (11, 12) is disposed on the second portion (6b) of the printed circuit board (6), and the second portion (6b) is disposed at an angle (W) greater than 0 with respect to the first portion (6a) of the printed circuit board (6). A control unit (1).

2. the plugs (13, 14) of each of the connectors (4, 5) and the respective sockets (11, 12) in the second part (6b) of the printed circuit board (6) are connected to each other in a connection direction, and the first part (6a) of the printed circuit board (6) is aligned parallel to this connection direction; and / or The first portion (6a) of the printed circuit board (6) and the second portion (6b) of the printed circuit board (6) are arranged at an angle (W) equal to 90° to each other. A control unit (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that it

3. Each of the sockets (11, 12) is connected to the printed circuit board (6) in a materially bonded manner, preferably by soldering. A control unit (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it

4. said electronic assembly (2) comprising at least one electric and / or electronic component (21), preferably a coil and / or a capacitor and / or a transistor and / or a HP filter and / or a LP filter and / or a power semiconductor; and / or the electronic assembly (2) comprises at least one electrical and / or electronic component (21), all components (21) of the electronic assembly (2) being arranged only on the first part (6a) of the printed circuit board (6), and / or the electronic assembly (2) comprises at least one electrical and / or electronic component (21), which electrical and / or electronic component (21) is not arranged on the second part (6b) of the printed circuit board (6); and / or The electronic assembly (2) comprises at least one electrical and / or electronic component (21) and at least one electrical wire formed on or in the printed circuit board (6), each of the components (21) being conductively connected to a respective one of the sockets (11, 12) via a respective one of the wires. A control unit (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it

5. The second portion (6b) of the printed circuit board (6) is smaller in area than the first portion (6a) of the printed circuit board (6), preferably several times smaller. A control unit (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it

6. The control unit (1) comprises a housing (17) having an interior space (18) for accommodating the electronic assembly (2) and a housing wall (19) that at least partially defines the interior space (18) on the outside; Each of the connectors (4, 5) protrudes through the housing wall (19) into the interior space (18) and is firmly fixed to the housing wall (19); the plugs (13, 14) of each of the connectors (4, 5) are arranged inside the internal space (18) of the housing (17), and the outer sockets (15, 16) of each of the connectors (4, 5) are arranged outside the internal space (18) of the housing (17); The second portion (6b) of the printed circuit board (6) is arranged parallel to the housing wall (19) and adjacent to each of the connectors (4, 5). A control unit (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it

7. The control unit (1) comprises a frame (3), preferably made of plastic, The frame (3) positions and fixes the first portion (6a) of the printed circuit board (6) and the second portion (6b) of the printed circuit board (6) at the angle (W) greater than 0 relative to each other. A control unit (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it

8. the frame (3) comprises at least one clip (9), and the first part (6a) of the printed circuit board (6) is placed on its edge in the clip (9) and held in a form-fitting manner; and / or The frame (3) comprises at least one elongated groove (10), and the second portion (6b) of the printed circuit board (6) is placed on its edge in the groove (10) and held in a form-fitting manner. Control unit (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that

9. said printed circuit board (6) is a semi-flex plate; and / or the first portion (6a) and the second portion (6b) of the printed circuit board (6) have a thickness greater than the connecting portion (7) of the printed circuit board (6); and / or the first portion (6a) of the printed circuit board (6) and the second portion (6b) of the printed circuit board (6) are integrally formed with the connecting portion (7) of the printed circuit board (6); and / or the thickness of the printed circuit board (6) at the connection portion (7) is less than 250 μm, and / or The printed circuit board (6) comprises at least one reinforcing strand, preferably made of metal, arranged on the connecting portion (7) of the printed circuit board (6) to reinforce the connecting portion (7). A control unit (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it

10. Each of the connectors (4, 5) is a high-voltage connector for connecting an external high-voltage source, and each of the sockets (11, 12) is provided for connecting the high-voltage connector; and / or Each of the connectors (4, 5) is a low-voltage connector for connecting an external low-voltage source, and each of the sockets (11, 12) is provided for connecting the low-voltage connector; and / or The control unit (1) is provided for an electronic heater of a vehicle, and / or the control unit (1) is provided for an electronic control unit of the vehicle, and / or The control unit (1) is provided for a vehicle-side charger of a vehicle. A control unit (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that it

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