Electronic control device

Abstract

To provide an electronic control device which is suppressed in cost increase, large-sizing and a weight increase and furthermore which enables removal or reduction of noise superimposed on a signal line.SOLUTION: An electronic control device 500 comprises a circuit board on which electronic components are mounted, a connector block 530 in which a first connector 534 including a signal terminal ST, a power supply terminal PT and a ground terminal GT is integrated, a signal line SL which electrically connects the signal terminal ST with the circuit board, a power source line PL which electrically connects the power supply terminal PT with the circuit board, and a ground line GL which electrically connects the ground terminal GT with the circuit board. At least a part of the signal line SL, the power source line PL and the ground line G is encapsulated in the connector block 530. At least a part of the signal line SL is disposed while being more proximate to the ground line GL than the power source line PL in the connector block 530.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic control device. [Background technology]

[0002] As described in JP 2023-104960 A (Patent Document 1), an electronic control device includes a power connector having a power terminal and a ground terminal, and a signal connector having at least one signal terminal. In such an electronic control device, if noise is superimposed on a signal line connected to the signal terminal, the controlled object may behave unexpectedly, so it has been necessary to implement, for example, a noise filter. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-104960 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, when a noise filter is installed in an electronic control unit, the noise filter and its mounting area are required, which inevitably increases the cost, size, and weight of the electronic control unit. In particular, in electronic control units that have redundant power supply systems and control systems to improve safety, the above problems become more pronounced because there are multiple power supply connectors and signal connectors.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an electronic control device that can eliminate or reduce noise superimposed on a signal line while suppressing increases in cost, size, and weight. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The electronic control device includes a circuit board on which electronic components are mounted, a connector block integrated with at least one connector having a signal terminal, a power terminal, and a ground terminal, a signal line electrically connecting the signal terminal to the circuit board, a power line electrically connecting the power terminal to the circuit board, and a ground line electrically connecting the ground terminal to the circuit board. At least a portion of the signal line, the power line, and the ground line are sealed within the connector block. Furthermore, at least a portion of the signal line is disposed within the connector block closer to the ground line than to the power line. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, in an electronic control device, it is possible to remove or reduce noise superimposed on a signal line while suppressing increases in cost, size, and weight. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of an electric power steering system. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of a motor unit. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of a connector block. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 shows an example of an electric power steering system 100, which is an example of an application target of this embodiment, and is attached to a vehicle such as a passenger car, a bus, a truck, or construction machinery. Note that the electric power steering system 100 described below is merely an example showing one example of this embodiment, and should not be construed as being limited to this configuration.

[0010] The electric power steering system 100 includes a rack-and-pinion steering gear box 200 and a motor unit 300 that assists the driver's steering wheel operation force.

[0011] The steering gearbox 200 includes an input shaft 210 to which a steering wheel is connected via a steering shaft, a pinion (not shown) fixed to the tip of the input shaft 210, a rack (not shown) extending in the left-right direction and meshing with the pinion, and a gear housing 220 that houses the pinion and rack. Tie rods 230 are connected to both ends of the rack. Tie rod ends 240, which are connected to knuckle arms of the steering knuckle, are connected to the tip of the tie rod 230. Laterally expandable rubber boots 250 are attached to both ends of the gear housing 220 to prevent rainwater, dust, and other foreign matter from entering the interior. A torque sensor 260 is attached to the middle of the input shaft 210 to detect steering torque, which indicates the force with which the driver operates the steering wheel. The torque sensor 260 is duplicated (redundant) for purposes such as improving safety, and therefore outputs two output signals.

[0012] A mounting portion 270 is formed at a predetermined location on the gear housing 220 for mounting the motor unit 300 with the axis of the motor unit 300 approximately parallel to the axis of the gear housing 220. The mounting portion 270 is formed, for example, on a protruding surface that follows the outline of the joint surface of the motor unit 300, and has a reducer and ball nut gear (not shown) disposed inside it that transmits the rotational driving force of the motor unit 300 to the rack while reducing the speed.

[0013] 2, the motor unit 300 includes an electric motor 400 such as a brushless motor, and an electronic control device 500 that is integrally coupled to the electric motor 400 and controls the electric motor 400. The electronic control device 500 has a power module 510 that drives the electric motor 400, a circuit board 520 on which multiple electronic components are mounted, a resin connector block 530, an aluminum alloy cover 540, and a ventilation filter 550.

[0014] A power module 510 is disposed on the back surface of the electric motor 400, i.e., on the end surface opposite to the end surface from which the output shaft 410 connected to a steering gear (not shown) protrudes, and applies a voltage to the stator of the electric motor 400 to rotate the output shaft 410. Four cylindrical mounting bosses 420 are provided at predetermined locations on the back surface of the electric motor 400, extending axially from the back surface. A connector block 530 is fastened and fixed to the tip ends of the mounting bosses 420 with four screws 560, with the circuit board 520 interposed therebetween. The number of mounting bosses 420 provided on the back surface of the electric motor 400 is not limited to four, and any number may be used depending on, for example, the sizes of the circuit board 520 and the connector block 530.

[0015] The circuit board 520 is configured to include two printed circuit boards 522 and 524 on which a plurality of electronic components are mounted, and a flexible cable 526 that electrically connects the two printed circuit boards 522 and 524. Note that the circuit board 520 is not limited to the configuration shown in the figure, and may be configured to include one printed circuit board, or three or more printed circuit boards. Furthermore, the two printed circuit boards 522 and 524 are not limited to being electrically connected by the flexible cable 526, and may be electrically connected by, for example, lead wires.

[0016] 3, the connector block 530 is a resin member that integrates a bottom plate 532 made of a plate member that is approximately rectangular in plan view, two first connectors 534 each having a signal terminal ST, a power terminal PT, and a ground terminal GT, and two second connectors 536 each having a torque sensor terminal TT. Here, the first connector 534 is an example of a connector.

[0017] The signal terminal ST of the first connector 534 is a terminal for transmitting and receiving arbitrary data to and from other electronic control devices, etc., and is connected to other electronic control devices, etc., mounted on the vehicle, for example, via a wire harness and a CAN (Controller Area Network) bus. The power supply terminal PT of the first connector 534 is a terminal for receiving current from a DC power supply (battery) mounted on the vehicle, and is connected to the positive pole of the DC power supply, for example, via a wire harness. The ground terminal GT of the first connector 534 is a terminal for returning current to the DC power supply mounted on the vehicle, and is connected to the negative pole of the DC power supply, for example, via a wire harness. The torque sensor terminal TT of the second connector 536 is a terminal for receiving an output signal from the torque sensor 260, and is connected to the output terminal of the torque sensor 260, for example, via a wire harness. The connector block 530 will be described in detail later.

[0018] Here, resin connector block 530 is generally manufactured by injection molding using a mold. In injection molding, a material such as synthetic resin is heated and melted, injected into a mold, and then cooled and hardened, allowing products of a variety of shapes, including complex shapes, to be continuously manufactured at low cost.

[0019] The cover 540 has a cylindrical shape with a bottom, including a cylindrical peripheral wall portion 540A and a bottom wall portion 540B that closes one axial opening end of the peripheral wall portion 540A so that the cover 540 can accommodate the circuit board 520 fixed to the back surface of the electric motor 400. The bottom wall portion 540B of the cover 540 is formed with an opening portion 540C through which the first connector 534 and the second connector 536 can pass together. Therefore, the leading ends of the first connector 534 and the second connector 536 protrude to the outside through the opening portion 540C, allowing a wire harness (not shown) to be detachably coupled to the opening portion. Furthermore, a cylindrical inner end portion 540D that extends parallel to the axial direction of the peripheral wall portion 540A is integrally joined to the inner peripheral end of the opening portion 540C of the cover 540 toward the other axial direction of the peripheral wall portion 540A. The peripheral wall portion 540A, the bottom wall portion 540B, the opening portion 540C, and the inner end portion 540D can be integrally formed by, for example, pressing during the manufacturing process of the cover 540.

[0020] A circumferential groove 430 into which the opening end (outer edge 540E) at the other end of the peripheral wall 540A of the cover 540 can be fitted over a predetermined depth is formed on the peripheral edge of the back surface of the electric motor 400. Furthermore, a circumferential groove 538 into which the inner end 540D of the cover 540 can be fitted over a predetermined depth is formed on the peripheral edge of one surface of the bottom plate 532 of the connector block 530 on which the first connector 534 and the second connector 536 are erected.

[0021] Therefore, the outer edge 540E and inner end 540D of the cover 540 are fitted into the circumferential groove 430 of the electric motor 400 and the circumferential groove 538 of the connector block 530, respectively, thereby making the internal space of the cover 540 a sealed space. At this time, it is desirable that a well-known sealant be applied to the circumferential groove 430 of the electric motor 400 and the circumferential groove 538 of the connector block 530 to ensure sealing performance with the cover 540.

[0022] Furthermore, a ventilation filter 550 that is breathable and exhibits waterproof and dustproof properties is disposed on the back surface of the electric motor 400 at a position facing the shaft portion of the output shaft 410. Therefore, the internal space of the cover 540 attached to the back surface of the electric motor 400 communicates with the external space via the ventilation filter 550 and the internal space of the electric motor 400, and pressure fluctuations in the internal space of the cover 540 can be suppressed even if, for example, temperature changes occur.

[0023] Referring again to FIG. 3, details of connector block 530 will now be described. The bottom plate 532 of the connector block 530 is made of a plate material having a rounded rectangular shape with four arc-shaped corners when viewed from a plan view in the direction in which the first connector 534 and the second connector 536 extend. A plurality of signal terminals ST, power terminals PT, and ground terminals GT are attached to predetermined locations on the bottom plate 532, and a cylindrical first connector 534 is erected from one surface of the bottom plate 532 so as to surround them. Here, the signal terminals ST are pin-shaped metal terminals and are arranged, for example, within the opening of the first connector 534, side by side in the longitudinal direction of the bottom plate 532 (the up-down direction in FIG. 3). The power terminals PT and the ground terminals GT are made of thin metal plates and are arranged, for example, within the opening of the first connector 534, side by side in the up-down direction of the bottom plate 532. The layout of the signal terminals ST, power terminals PT, and ground terminals GT in the first connector 534 can be changed as desired, for example, within the limits that allow for ensuring the respective insulation distances.

[0024] Furthermore, a plurality of torque sensor terminals TT are attached to predetermined locations on the bottom plate 532, and a cylindrical second connector 536 stands upright from one surface of the bottom plate 532 so as to surround them. Here, the torque sensor terminals TT are pin-shaped metal terminals, and are arranged, for example, within the opening of the second connector 536, in the vertical direction of the bottom plate 532 or in a direction perpendicular thereto (the horizontal direction in FIG. 3). Note that the layout of the torque sensor terminals TT in the second connector 536 can be changed as desired, for example, within the limits that allow the respective insulation distances to be ensured.

[0025] The power supply terminal PT and the ground terminal GT of the first connector 534 are electrically connected to the circuit board 520 via a power supply line PL and a ground line GL, respectively, which are made of bus bars partially enclosed in the bottom plate 532 of the connector block 530. The signal terminal ST of the first connector 534 is electrically connected to the circuit board 520 via a signal line SL, respectively, which is made of lead wires partially enclosed in the bottom plate 532 of the connector block 530.

[0026] 3, the power supply line PL and the ground line GL extend in the longitudinal direction (upward and downward) of the bottom plate 532 so as to be spaced apart from each other, and then bend and extend in a proximal direction (leftward) in a direction (leftward or rightward) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the bottom plate 532 near the outer edge of the first connector 534. The power supply line PL and the ground line GL have their distal ends projecting outward from the side surface located on the left of the bottom plate 532, and then further bend toward the circuit board 520. The signal line SL extends downward between the power supply terminal PT and the ground terminal GT and the signal terminal ST, extends obliquely downward and left near the outer edge of the first connector 534, and then bends and extends to the left of the bottom plate 532. The signal line SL has its distal end projecting outward from the side surface located on the left of the bottom plate 532, and then further bends toward the circuit board 520.

[0027] 3, the power supply line PL extends obliquely toward the upper right and then bends upward and right along the outer edge of the second connector 536 located on the right. The tip of the power supply line PL protrudes outward from the side surface located on the right of the bottom plate 532, and then bends further toward the circuit board 520. The ground line GL extends rightward between the power supply terminal PT and the ground terminal GT, bends upward near the outer edge of the first connector 534, and then bends toward the upper right near the outer edge of the first connector 534. The tip of the ground line GL protrudes outward from the side surface located on the right of the bottom plate 532, and then bends further toward the circuit board 520. The signal line SL extends obliquely toward the upper right and then bends right near the outer edge of the first connector 534. The signal line SL has its tip end projecting outward from the side surface located on the right side of the bottom plate 532, and then is further bent toward the circuit board 520.

[0028] The torque sensor terminal TT of the second connector 536 is electrically connected to the circuit board 520 via a sensor line (not shown) made of a lead wire, part of which is enclosed in the bottom plate 532 of the connector block 530.

[0029] 3, at least a portion of the signal line SL is arranged closer to the ground line GL than the power line PL within the connector block 530 (see part A in the figure). Similarly, at least a portion of the signal line SL is arranged closer to the ground line GL than the power line PL within the connector block 530 for the first connector 534 located on the lower side in FIG. 3 (see part B in the figure).

[0030] Therefore, even if noise is superimposed on the signal line SL, the noise is removed or reduced by the ground line GL arranged nearby within the connector block 530, so that the noise superimposed on the signal line SL can be removed or reduced while suppressing increases in cost, size, and weight. In this case, the ground line GL is made up of a bus bar with a relatively large cross-sectional area, which makes it easier to achieve the above-mentioned effects. Furthermore, because the signal line SL and the ground line GL are arranged nearby, the signal line SL is less susceptible to the effects of external noise.

[0031] A specific configuration for arranging at least a portion of the signal line SL closer to the ground line GL than the power line PL within the connector block 530 is to arrange at least a portion of the signal line SL along at least a portion of the ground line GL in a plan view of the connector block 530. Here, "along" means that the two lines extend parallel to each other without contacting each other. In this way, at least a portion of the signal line SL can be arranged closer to the ground line GL than the power line PL on a plane parallel to the bottom plate 532 of the connector block 530, making it easier to route the signal line SL, power line PL, and ground line GL.

[0032] Another specific configuration for arranging at least a portion of the signal line SL closer to the ground line GL than the power line PL within the connector block 530 is to arrange the signal line SL so that at least a portion of the signal line SL overlaps with at least a portion of the ground line GL in a plan view of the connector block 530. Here, "overlapping" means that the two lines overlap but are electrically insulated in a plan view of the connector block 530. In this way, at least a portion of the signal line SL can be arranged closer to the ground line GL than the power line PL in the thickness direction of the connector block 530, which makes it easier to route the signal line SL, power line PL, and ground line GL while improving the noise reduction effect.

[0033] Furthermore, since at least a portion of the power supply line PL and the ground line GL, which are made of metal bus bars, are sealed within the resin connector block 530, the mechanical strength of the connector block 530 is improved, making it less susceptible to deformation.

[0034] Furthermore, a person skilled in the art will easily understand that new embodiments can be created by omitting parts of the technical ideas of the above embodiments, combining parts as appropriate, or replacing parts with well-known technology.

[0035] As an example, the signal lines SL, power lines PL, and ground lines GL of the first connector 534 in the connector block 530 are not limited to the configuration shown in Fig. 3 and can be changed as desired on the condition that they can be enclosed in the bottom plate 532 of the connector block 530. Furthermore, the routing of the signal lines SL, power lines PL, and ground lines GL of the first connector 534 in the connector block 530 is not limited to the configuration shown in Fig. 3 and, for example, the above two routing configurations may be combined on the condition that the lines are electrically insulated from each other.

[0036] Furthermore, the electronic control device 500 is not limited to being integrated into the rear surface of the electric motor 400, but may be housed in a housing separate from the electric motor 400. In addition, the electronic control device 500 is not limited to being configured to control the electric motor 400 of the electric power steering system 100, but may also control various devices mounted on a vehicle, a ship, or the like, for example. [Explanation of symbols]

[0037] 520...circuit board, 530...connector block, 534...first connector (connector), ST...signal terminal, PT...power terminal, GT...ground terminal, SL...signal line, PL...power line, GL...ground line

Claims

1. a circuit board on which electronic components are mounted; a connector block integrated with at least one connector having signal terminals, power terminals, and ground terminals; a signal line electrically connecting the signal terminal and the circuit board; a power supply line electrically connecting the power supply terminal and the circuit board; a ground line electrically connecting the ground terminal and the circuit board; Equipped with At least a portion of the signal line, the power supply line, and the ground line are sealed within the connector block; At least a portion of the signal line is disposed in the connector block closer to the ground line than to the power line. Electronic control unit.

2. In a plan view of the connector block, at least a portion of the signal line is arranged along at least a portion of the ground line. The electronic control device according to claim 1 .

3. In a plan view of the connector block, at least a portion of the signal line is arranged to overlap at least a portion of the ground line. The electronic control device according to claim 1 .

4. The ground line is composed of a bus bar. The electronic control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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