Control device

Abstract

To provide a control device capable of stably sealing the periphery of a connector by suppressing the inflow of an unnecessary adhesive into a case.SOLUTION: A control device includes a circuit board, a connector 22, a first case 10 and a second case 31, and a liquid-tight adhesive 60. The first case 10 and the second case 31 are coupled to each other to house the circuit board inside, and a holding opening 43 for holding the connector 22 is formed in a part of a mutual butting part. The adhesive 60 is filled between the holding opening 43 and the outer circumferential surface of the connector 22. A case side recess-projection engaging part is annularly arranged in an abutting part with an outer peripheral surface of the connector 22 of the holding opening part 43. A connector side recess-projection engaging part engaged with the case side recess-projection engaging part is annularly arranged in an abutting part with the holding opening part 43 on an outer peripheral surface of the connector 22.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a control device having a connector for connecting a circuit board in a case to an external device. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART There is a control device for controlling equipment such as a motor, in which a connector for electrically connecting the circuit board to an external device is attached to a case that houses the circuit board (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The control device described in Patent Document 1 has an opening in the case of the control device for attaching a connector. A circuit board is housed inside the case, and a connector is attached to the opening of the case. The inside of the case is filled with resin in this state. In this control device, the circuit board is covered with the resin filled in the case, so the inside of the case remains highly waterproof and dustproof.

[0004] However, in this case, the entire interior of the case that houses the circuit board is filled with resin, which requires a large amount of resin, which increases the product weight and can easily cause the product cost to rise.

[0005] As a countermeasure to this problem, a control device has been proposed in which a liquid-tight adhesive is filled only between the connector and the connector holding portion of the case (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

[0006] In the control device described in Patent Document 2, a case for accommodating a circuit board is formed by a first case and a second case. The first case and the second case are butted against each other at their end faces and joined in this state by bolting or the like. A holding opening for holding a connector is formed in a part of the butted portion of the first case and the second case. The connector is held in the holding opening when the first case and the second case are assembled. After the first case and the second case are joined, a liquid-tight adhesive is filled in the gap between the connector and the holding opening. In the control device thus formed, the hardened adhesive prevents liquids and dust from entering through the gap between the connector and the case. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-237557 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 4729525 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] Generally, parts have tolerances, and distortion may occur during molding. Therefore, in the case of the control device described in Patent Document 2, the gap between the retaining opening and the connector varies due to tolerances and distortion during molding. If this gap varies significantly, there is a concern that adhesive may flow into the case through the larger gap. If a large amount of adhesive flows into the case through part of the gap, it becomes difficult to stably seal the area around the connector with adhesive.

[0009] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a control device that can stably seal the periphery of a connector by preventing unnecessary adhesive from flowing into the case. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to solve the above problems, a control device according to one aspect of the present invention employs the following configuration. That is, a control device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a circuit board, a connector electrically connected to the circuit board, first and second cases coupled to each other to house the circuit board therein and having a retaining opening formed in a portion of their butt joints to hold the connector, and a liquid-tight adhesive filled between the retaining opening and the outer peripheral surface of the connector, wherein a case-side concave-convex engaging portion is provided in an annular shape at the abutment portion of the retaining opening with the outer peripheral surface of the connector, and a connector-side concave-convex engaging portion that engages with the case-side concave-convex engaging portion is provided in an annular shape at the abutment portion of the outer peripheral surface of the connector with the retaining opening.

[0011] With the above configuration, the connector-side concave-convex engaging portion on the outer periphery of the connector engages with the case-side concave-convex engaging portion of the case (first case and second case). In this state, when a liquid-tight adhesive is filled from the outside of the case between the retaining opening on the case side and the outer periphery of the connector, the adhesive penetrates into a portion of the gap between the case-side concave-convex engaging portion and the connector-side concave-convex engaging portion near the outer side of the case. At this time, the case-side concave-convex engaging portion and the connector-side concave-convex engaging portion form a labyrinth-shaped abutment portion from the outside to the inside of the case, and this labyrinth-shaped abutment portion is arranged in an annular shape so as to surround the periphery of the connector. Therefore, the labyrinth-shaped abutment portion prevents the adhesive from penetrating into the interior of the case from a portion of the periphery of the connector.

[0012] A ring-shaped recess may be provided adjacent to the edge of the holding opening near the outside of the case, forming an adhesive filling section between the opening and the connector, and the adhesive may be filled in the adhesive filling section.

[0013] In this case, when adhesive is filled into the adhesive filling section, the outer surface of the connector is stably fixed to the case (first case and second case) by the filled adhesive, and the space between the outer surface of the connector and the case is more liquid-tightly sealed.

[0014] It is desirable that the abutting portion of the first case and the second case facing the recessed portion be provided with a bent abutment surface that is bent along the thickness direction and the abutting direction of the first case and the second case.

[0015] In this case, the curved abutment surface forms a labyrinth-shaped abutment portion at the butt portion of the first and second cases that is not engaged with the connector and that faces the recessed portion, and therefore, at the butt portion of the first and second cases that faces the recessed portion, the curved abutment surface prevents adhesive from flowing from the recessed portion into the interior of the cases.

[0016] It is more desirable that the bent contact surface be bent in multiple stages.

[0017] In this case, the bent contact surface bent in multiple stages can more reliably prevent the adhesive from entering the interior of the case from the recessed portion.

[0018] The connector may have a cylindrical connector body with a bottom and a flange portion extending outward from the outer peripheral surface of the connector body, and at least a portion of the connector side concave-convex engagement portion may be formed on the flange portion.

[0019] In this case, at least a part of the connector side concave-convex engagement portion is formed on the flange portion that protrudes outward from the connector body, and by appropriately adjusting the shape and size of the flange portion, the connector can be made into a shape that makes it easy to assemble to the first case or the second case.

[0020] The connector-side concave-convex engaging portion may be formed by a concave groove, and the case-side concave-convex engaging portion may be formed by a ridge.

[0021] In this case, since the protrusions do not protrude from the outside of the flange portion of the connector, it is possible to make the connector smaller and the connector is less likely to be damaged during transportation or assembly.

[0022] The connector may be coupled to the circuit board inside the first case and the second case.

[0023] In this case, the connector, which is firmly fixed to the first case and the second case with a liquid-tight adhesive, is connected to the circuit board inside the case (first case and second case), making it possible to efficiently suppress vibration of the circuit board. [Effects of the Invention]

[0024] The control device described above has annular recessed and protruding portions formed at the contact points between the retaining opening on the case and the outer circumferential surface of the connector, which prevent unwanted adhesive from flowing into the case. Therefore, when the control device described above is used, the periphery of the connector can be reliably sealed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a control device according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] Arrow II view of Figure 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the control device according to the embodiment with some components removed. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the control device according to the embodiment with some components removed. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a connector according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 2. [Figure 7] 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. 2. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 2. [Figure 9] 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IX-IX in FIG. 2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0027] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a control device 1 of this embodiment, and Fig. 2 is a view taken along the line II in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the control device 1 with some components removed, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the control device 1 with even more components removed. The control device 1 has an inverter function that converts DC power supplied from a battery (not shown) into AC power and drives a motor (not shown) (AC motor) with the converted AC power. The control device 1 has a thin, rectangular first case 10 with one open side, and a second case 31 that is connected to the first case 10 so as to close the opening 10b of the first case 10. A plurality of fins 10a for heat dissipation protrude from the outer surface of the first case 10. The second case 31 is detachably attached to the first case 10 with a plurality of screws 50. In the following description, for convenience of explanation, the side of the first case 10 where the opening 10b is located will be referred to as the "upper" side, and the opposite side will be referred to as the "lower" side.

[0028] <Overall configuration of the control device> The first case 10 includes a base member 10A made of aluminum alloy (metal) formed by aluminum die-casting or the like, and a resin case body 10B fixed to the top of the base member 10A. The base member 10A is formed in a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from above. A first substrate 11, a plurality of capacitors 12 (see FIG. 4), and the like, which will be described in detail later, are attached to the top surface of the base member 10A. A plurality of fins 10a for heat dissipation are formed on the bottom surface of the base member 10A.

[0029] The case body 10B includes a main body block portion 10Ba having a rectangular frame shape when viewed from above, and a bus bar support portion 10Bb connected to one side of the main body block portion 10Ba. The main body block portion 10Ba has the opening 10b that opens upward. The first substrate 11 and the plurality of capacitors 12 attached to the upper surface of the base member 10A are surrounded by a peripheral wall of the main body block portion 10Ba. One end of each of the plurality of bus bars (battery-side bus bars 17A, 17B and motor-side bus bars 18A, 18B, 18C) is supported by the bus bar support portion 10Bb. Fig. 3 shows a state in which the second case 31 has been removed, and Fig. 4 shows a state in which the case body 10B and the second case 31 have been removed together with a second substrate 14, which will be described later.

[0030] As shown in Fig. 4, a plurality of support pillars 13A, 13B, and 13C are provided on the upper surface of base member 10A, protruding upward. As shown in Fig. 3, a second substrate 14 is supported on the upper portions of the plurality of support pillars 13A, 13B, and 13C. Second substrate 14 is disposed above first substrate 11 and the plurality of capacitors 12 so as to be substantially parallel to first substrate 11. As shown in Fig. 4, first substrate 11 is disposed near one side of the upper surface of base member 10A, which has a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from above, and the plurality of capacitors 12 are disposed near the other side of the upper surface of base member 10A.

[0031] The first substrate 11 is a printed circuit board (PWB) on which a plurality of electronic components including switching elements 15 are mounted. A plurality of switching elements 15 are combined together to form the main part of a power control circuit 16 together with the capacitor 12. The power control circuit 16 performs ON / OFF operation by controlling the switching elements 15 using a control unit (not shown), thereby converting the DC power of the battery into three-phase AC power.

[0032] A pair of battery-side bus bars 17A, 17B, which are electrodes for supplying current to the battery, and three motor-side bus bars 18A, 18B, 18C, which are electrodes for supplying current to the motor, are connected to the power control circuit 16. The pair of battery-side bus bars 17A, 17B can be connected to the positive and negative poles of the battery via connection cables (not shown). The three motor-side bus bars 18A, 18B, 18C can be connected to the U-phase, V-phase, and W-phase power supply parts of the motor via connection cables (not shown).

[0033] As shown in Fig. 4, capacitor 12 arranged near the other side of base member 10A is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape. These multiple capacitors 12 are arranged in parallel in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (axial direction). The multiple capacitors 12 are connected to the circuit on first substrate 11 via connection bus bars 19A, 19B surface-mounted on first substrate 11. Capacitor 12 is formed, for example, from an aluminum electrolytic capacitor or the like.

[0034] Hereinafter, the direction along the longitudinal direction (axial direction) of capacitor 12 will be referred to as the X direction. The direction in which capacitors 12 are arranged in parallel will be referred to as the Y direction, and the direction perpendicular to the X and Y directions will be referred to as the Z direction. Arrows indicating the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction are shown at appropriate positions in the drawings.

[0035] Positive and negative circuit terminals (not shown), which are power input sections from a battery, are mounted on the top surface of first substrate 11. These circuit terminals are arranged near both ends in the Y direction of first substrate 11. Battery-side bus bars 17A and 17B, which are electrodes for supplying current, are connected to the positive and negative circuit terminals on first substrate 11, respectively.

[0036] Each of the battery-side busbars 17A and 17B is formed from a long, conductive metal plate. One longitudinal end of each of the battery-side busbars 17A and 17B is a terminal fixing portion 17Aa or 17Ba attached to the upper surface of one end of the first case 10 in the X direction, and the other longitudinal end is a circuit fixing portion 17Ab or 17Bb connected to the positive circuit terminal and the negative circuit terminal on the first circuit board 11. The terminal fixing portions 17Aa or 17Ba and the circuit fixing portions 17Ab or 17Bb of the battery-side busbars 17A and 17B are fixed to the busbar support portion 10Bb and the first circuit board 11, respectively, so that the longitudinal direction of each of the battery-side busbars 17A and 17B is aligned with the X direction. A portion of each of the battery-side busbars 17A and 17B penetrates and is embedded in the peripheral wall of the main body block portion 10Ba.

[0037] Furthermore, three output circuit terminals (not shown) for the U phase, V phase, and W phase, which are power output sections to the motor, are mounted on the upper surface of first substrate 11. These output circuit terminals are arranged in the central region in the Y direction of first substrate 11, spaced apart approximately evenly in the Y direction. Motor side bus bars 18A, 18B, and 18C, which are current-carrying electrodes, are connected to each of these output circuit terminals.

[0038] Like the battery-side busbars 17A and 17B, the motor-side busbars 18A, 18B, and 18C are formed from long, conductive metal plates. One longitudinal end of each of the motor-side busbars 18A, 18B, and 18C is a terminal fixing portion 18Aa, 18Ba, or 18Ca attached to the upper surface of one end of the first case 10 in the X direction, and the other longitudinal end is a circuit fixing portion 18Ab, 18Bb, or 18Cb connected to the output-side circuit terminals on the first circuit board 11. The terminal fixing portions 18Aa, 18Ba, or 18Ca and the circuit fixing portions 18Ab, 18Bb, or 18Cb of each of the motor-side busbars 18A, 18B, and 18C are fixed to the busbar support portion 10Bb and the first circuit board 11, respectively, so that the longitudinal direction of each of the motor-side busbars 18A, 18B, and 18C is aligned with the X direction. A portion of each of motor-side bus bars 18A, 18B, 18C penetrates the peripheral wall of main body block portion 10Ba and is embedded in the peripheral wall, similar to terminal fixing portions 17Aa, 17Ba.

[0039] The second substrate 14 is a printed circuit board (PWB) on which electronic components are mounted. The circuit printed on the second substrate 14 is connected to the circuit on the first substrate 11 via an inter-board connector 21 (see FIG. 4). A connector 22 for signal input / output is coupled to the other end of the second substrate 14 in the X direction. The connector 22 is sandwiched between the first case 10 and the second case 31 from above and below, and is held by the first case 10 and the second case 31 in this state. A plurality of signal terminals protruding from the connector 22 are connected to the circuit on the second substrate 14. In this embodiment, the second substrate 14 constitutes a circuit board housed inside the first case 10 and the second case 31. The structure for holding the connector 22 by the first case 10 and the second case 31 will be described below.

[0040] <Connector retention structure> Fig. 5 is a perspective view of connector 22. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in Fig. 2, Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII in Fig. 2, Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in Fig. 2, and Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IX-IX in Fig. 2. The connector 22 includes a cylindrical connector body 35 with a bottom, and a pair of flanges 36 that protrude outward from the outer surface of one longitudinal end of the connector body 35. The connector body 35 has a cylindrical peripheral wall 35a that has an elongated hole shape when viewed from the front, and a bottom wall 35b (see FIG. 9) that closes one longitudinal end of the peripheral wall 35a. For ease of explanation, the side where the peripheral wall 35a opens will be referred to as the "front" and the side where the bottom wall 35b is located will be referred to as the "rear" in relation to the connector 22. Also, the first case 10 and the second case 31 may be collectively referred to as the "cases 10, 31."

[0041] 9, the connector 22 is held in the case 10, 31 with the bottom wall 35b (rear wall) of the connector body 35 facing the interior of the case 10, 31. A plurality of signal pins 37 are fixed to the bottom wall 35b of the connector body 35, penetrating the bottom wall 35b in the thickness direction. One end of each of the signal pins 37 protrudes from the inside of the peripheral wall 35a of the connector body 35 along the longitudinal direction of the peripheral wall 35a. The other end of each of the signal pins 37 is bent upward and connected to a circuit on the second board 14 (circuit board).

[0042] Furthermore, substantially L-shaped connecting brackets 38 are integrally formed at two positions spaced apart in the Y direction on the rear of the bottom wall 35b of the connector main body 35. Each connecting bracket 38 has an upper side 38a extending rearward from the top of the bottom wall 35b. A connecting protrusion 39 protrudes from the upper surface of the upper side 38a of each connecting bracket 38. Each protrusion 39 is fitted into a corresponding connecting hole 40 (see FIG. 8) on the edge of the second board 14. This connects the connector 22 to the edge of the second board 14.

[0043] The pair of flanges 36 extend from the outer surface of the rear of the connector main body 35 to one side and the other side in the Y direction. The left and right flanges 36 are formed in a horizontally long rectangular shape when viewed from the front together with the connector main body 35. That is, the pair of flanges 36 have a flat upper edge 36a that continues linearly with the flat upper surface of the connector main body 35 and a flat lower edge 36b that continues linearly with the flat lower surface of the connector main body 35. The left and right flanges 36 also have flat side edges 36c that connect the extending ends of the upper edge 36a and the lower edge 36b. A continuous annular groove 41 having a predetermined depth is formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the rear of the connector main body 35 and on the outer surfaces of the left and right flanges 36 (the surfaces facing outward of the upper edge 36a, the side edge 36c, and the lower edge 36b). In this embodiment, the recessed groove 41 constitutes the connector-side recessed and protruding engagement portion.

[0044] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the upper end surface 10s of the peripheral wall of the first case 10 and the lower end surface 31s of the peripheral wall of the second case 31 abut against each other. In this embodiment, the upper end surface 10s of the peripheral wall of the first case 10 and the lower end surface 31s of the peripheral wall of the second case 31 form the abutment portion between the first case 10 and the second case 31. Hereinafter, the upper end surface 10s of the peripheral wall of the first case 10 will be referred to as the "lower abutment portion 10s," and the lower end surface 31s of the peripheral wall of the second case 31 will be referred to as the "upper abutment portion 31s."

[0045] A notch 42L that is recessed downward and has a generally rectangular shape in front view is formed in the wall portion on the other end side in the X direction of the peripheral wall of the first case 10. This notch 42L is recessed downward so as to separate a portion of the lower butted portion 10s of the first case 10 in the circumferential direction. Similarly, a notch 42U that is recessed upward and has a generally rectangular shape in front view is formed in the wall portion on the other side in the X direction of the peripheral wall of the second case 31. This notch 42U is recessed upward so as to separate a portion of the upper butted portion 31s in the circumferential direction. The two notches 42L, 42U are positioned to face each other when the first case 10 and the second case 31 are connected.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 9 , the cutouts 42L, 42U of the first case 10 and the second case 31 face each other to form a substantially rectangular retaining opening 43. The retaining opening 43 is formed at a position closer to the inside of the cases 10, 31 than the cutouts 42L, 42U. The retaining opening 43 has an abutment portion that abuts against the outer peripheral surface of the rear side of the connector 22 (the outer peripheral surface formed by combining the connector body 35 and the flange portion 36). A protrusion 45 that protrudes inward of the retaining opening 43 is formed at the abutment portion. The protrusion 45 is formed in a continuous ring shape along the inner peripheral surface of the retaining opening 43. The ring-shaped protrusion 45 is fitted into an annular recess 44 formed in the outer peripheral surface of the connector 22 closer to the rear. In this embodiment, the protrusions 45 constitute the case-side concave-convex engaging portions.

[0047] Additionally, within the notches 42L, 42U, an annular recess 44 is formed adjacent to the holding opening 43 and has a larger opening area than the holding opening 43. The recess 44 is formed across the two notches 42L, 42U. The recess 44 is connected to the edge of the holding opening 43 closer to the outer side of the case (closer to the other end in the X direction). The recess 44 has a stepped portion that extends from the edge of the holding opening 43 closer to the outer side of the case in a direction away from the outer peripheral surface of the connector 22, resulting in an overall inner surface shape that is slightly larger than the inner surface of the holding opening 43. The annular recess 44 forms an annular adhesive filling portion between itself and the outer peripheral surface of the connector body 35 of the connector 22.

[0048] The adhesive filling portion between the annular recess 44 and the connector body 35 is filled with a liquid-tight adhesive 60. The adhesive filled in the adhesive filling portion flows into a part of the gap between the connector body 35 and the retaining opening 43 adjacent to the recess 44. Within the retaining opening 43, an annular ridge 45 protruding from the retaining opening 43 is engaged with an annular groove 41 on the outer periphery of the connector body 35. Therefore, the adhesive 60 that has flowed into the gap is blocked from flowing into the cases 10, 31 by the labyrinth-like abutment between the ridge 45 and the groove 41.

[0049] Incidentally, on the outside in the left-right direction (Y direction) of the engagement portion between the holding opening 43 and the connector 22 (see FIGS. 8 and 9), there is a portion where the lower butt portion 10s and the upper butt portion 31s butt up and down at a position facing the inside of the recessed portion 44 (see FIG. 7). As shown in FIG. 7, the connector 22 is not present in this portion, and the lower butt portion 10s and the upper butt portion 31s do not overlap with the connector 22 in the front-to-rear direction. For this reason, in this portion, the labyrinth-like sealing effect of the protrusion 45 on the holding opening 43 side and the recessed groove 41 on the connector 22 side cannot be obtained.

[0050] 7, a rectangular cutout 55 is formed in the upper rear surface of the wall of the first case 10 that forms the lower abutting portion 10s. The cutout 55, together with the front region of the lower abutting portion 10s, forms the bent abutment surface 10b that is crank-shaped in side view.

[0051] Meanwhile, a wrap wall 56 is provided at the upper abutting portion 31s to protrude from the cutout portion 55 and engage with the rear side of the wall portion of the first case 10. The wrap wall 56 is formed in a rectangular shape in side view, similar to the cutout portion 55. The wrap wall 56, together with the front region of the upper abutting portion 31s, forms the curved abutment surface 31b on the second case 31 side.

[0052] The bent contact surfaces 10b, 31b of the first case 10 and the second case 31 are bent along the thickness direction and the butting direction of the peripheral walls of the cases 10, 31. In this embodiment, the bent contact surfaces 10b, 31b are bent in two stages. However, the number of bent stages of the bent contact surfaces 10b, 31b may be one stage or three or more stages.

[0053] 7, the curved abutment surfaces 31b, 10b abut against each other in a labyrinth shape at the upper butt portion 31s and the lower butt portion 10s facing the recessed portion 44. Therefore, even if the adhesive 60 filled in the adhesive filling portion enters the gap between the upper butt portion 31s and the lower butt portion 10s from the recessed portion 44 side, the flow of the adhesive 60 into the cases 10, 31 is blocked by the curved abutment surfaces 31b, 10b.

[0054] <Connector assembly> Connector 22 is assembled to cases 10 and 31 that house devices such as substrates (first substrate 11, second substrate 14) and capacitor 12 inside as follows. Before fastening the first case 10 and the second case 31 together, the grooves 41 on the outer periphery of the rear side of the connector 22 are engaged with the ridges 45 of the holding openings 43 on the first case 10 side. At this time, the connector 22 can be slid from above while being aligned with the holding openings 43 on the first case 10 side, so that the ridges 45 can be engaged with the grooves 41. In this embodiment, the flanges 36 that protrude laterally in a substantially rectangular shape are extended from the rear of the connector 22, so that the connector 22 can be slid from above to below, so that the ridges 45 can be easily engaged with the grooves 41.

[0055] Thereafter, the second case 31 is aligned with the first case 10, and the second case 31 is lowered so that the ridges 45 of the holding openings 43 on the second case 31 engage with the upper regions of the recessed grooves 41 on the outer periphery of the rear side of the connector 22. In addition, the lap wall 56 of the upper mating portion 31s, which is positioned in a position facing the recessed portion 44, engages with the notch 55 of the lower mating portion 10s, as shown in FIG. A seal material 49 is placed on the upper surface of the lower butted portion 10s of the first case 10. The seal material 49 may be a liquid-tight adhesive.

[0056] Thereafter, the four corners of the first case 10 are fastened to the second case 31 with screws 50 . Finally, adhesive 60 is filled into the adhesive filling portion between the outer peripheral surface of connector 22 and the recessed portions 44 formed in cutouts 42L, 42U of first case 10 and second case 31. At this time, some of the adhesive 60 filled into the adhesive filling portion enters the gap between the ridge 45 on the connector 22 side and the recessed groove 41 on the holding opening 43 side. However, as described above, the adhesive 60 that has entered the gap is prevented from flowing into cases 10, 31 by the labyrinth-shaped abutment portion between ridge 45 and recessed groove 41.

[0057] In this state, when the adhesive 60 filled in the adhesive filling portion hardens, the hardened adhesive 60 fixes the connector 22 to the cases 10, 31 and creates a liquid-tight seal between the connector 22 and the cases 10, 31. Note that, since a sealant 49 is interposed between the lower butt portion 10s of the first case 10 and the upper butt portion 31s of the second case 31, the entire area between the first case 10 and the second case 31, including the attachment portion of the connector 22, is sealed.

[0058] <Action and effect> In the control device 1 of this embodiment, a protrusion 45 serving as a case-side concave-convex engagement portion is formed in an annular shape in the holding opening 43 of the case, and a recessed groove 41 serving as a connector-side concave-convex engagement portion is formed in an annular shape on the outer periphery of the rear side of the connector 22. The case-side protrusion 45 is engaged with the recessed groove 41 of the connector, and in this state, a liquid-tight adhesive 60 is filled from the outside of the case 10, 31 between the holding opening 43 and the connector 22. When this adhesive 60 is filled, the adhesive 60 enters a portion of the gap between the protrusion 45 and the recessed groove 41 near the outside of the case 10, 31. However, the protrusion 45 and the recessed groove 41 form a labyrinth-shaped abutment portion from the outside to the inside of the case 10, 31, and the labyrinth-shaped abutment portion is arranged in an annular shape to surround the periphery of the connector 22. Therefore, in the control device 1 of this embodiment, unwanted flow of the adhesive 60 from the periphery of the connector 22 into the interior of the case 10, 31 can be suppressed. In this embodiment, the case side concave-convex engagement portion is formed by the protrusion 45, and the connector side concave-convex engagement portion is formed by the groove 41, but conversely, the case side concave-convex engagement portion may be formed by the groove, and the connector side concave-convex engagement portion may be formed by the protrusion.

[0059] Therefore, when the control device 1 of this embodiment is adopted, it is possible to prevent unnecessary flow of adhesive 60 into the cases 10, 31 and stably seal the periphery of the cases 10, 31. This makes it possible to contribute to Goal 7 "Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all" and Goal 8 "Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all" of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) led by the United Nations.

[0060] Furthermore, in the control device 1 of this embodiment, an annular recess 44 is provided adjacent to the edge of the holding opening 43 near the outer side of the case, forming an adhesive filling section between the holding opening 43 and the connector 22, and the adhesive filling section inside the recess 44 is filled with a liquid-tight adhesive 60. Therefore, when the adhesive filling section is filled with adhesive 60, the outer peripheral surface of the connector 22 is stably fixed to the case 10, 31 by the adhesive 60, and the gap between the outer peripheral surface of the connector 22 and the case 10, 31 is more liquid-tightly sealed. Therefore, when this configuration is adopted, unnecessary flow of adhesive 60 from the periphery of connector 22 into the interior of case 10, 31 can be suppressed, while the sealing between case 10, 31 and connector 22 and the fixation of connector 22 can be more reliably achieved.

[0061] Furthermore, in the control device 1 of this embodiment, the lower butt portion 10s and the upper butt portion 31s, which are arranged in positions facing the recessed portion 44, are provided with bent abutment surfaces 10b, 31b that are bent along the thickness direction and the butt direction of the cases 10, 31. The bent abutment surfaces 10b, 31b are formed in a labyrinth shape by a wrap wall 56 on the upper butt portion 31s side and a notch 55 on the lower butt portion 10s side. Therefore, the bent abutment surfaces 10b, 31b can prevent the adhesive 60 from flowing into the cases 10, 31 from the recessed portion 44 through a gap between the lower butt portion 10s and the upper butt portion 31s, which are arranged in positions facing the recessed portion 44. Therefore, when this configuration is adopted, it is possible to prevent adhesive 60 from flowing from recess 44 into the inside of cases 10 and 31 even in areas where connector 22 and holding opening 43 are not engaged with each other.

[0062] In particular, in the control device 1 of this embodiment, the bent contact surfaces 10b, 31b are configured to be bent in multiple stages. Therefore, the bent contact surfaces 10b, 31b bent in multiple stages can more reliably prevent the adhesive 60 from flowing from the recessed portion 44 into the inside of the case 10, 31.

[0063] Furthermore, the control device 1 of this embodiment is provided with a flange portion 36 that protrudes outward from the outer peripheral surface of the connector body 35, and a portion of the recessed groove 41, which is the connector-side concave-convex engagement portion, is formed in the flange portion 36. Therefore, by appropriately adjusting the shape and size of the flange portion 36, it is possible to make the connector 22 into a shape that is easy to assemble into the notches 42L, 42U of the cases 10, 31. In particular, when the flange portion 36 has a rectangular shape that protrudes on both the left and right sides, as in this embodiment, forming the side edges 36c of the flange portion 36 linear in the vertical direction makes it possible to easily slide the connector 22 into the notch 42L from above. Therefore, when this configuration is adopted, the connector 22 can be assembled with good workability.

[0064] In this embodiment, the connector-side concave-convex engaging portion is formed by the recessed groove 41, and the case-side concave-convex engaging portion is formed by the ridge 45. Therefore, when this configuration is adopted, the ridge does not protrude from the outside of the flange portion 36 of the connector 22, which makes it possible to reduce the size of the connector 22 and makes the connector 22 less susceptible to damage during transportation or assembly.

[0065] Furthermore, in the control device 1 of this embodiment, the connector 22 is coupled to the second board 14, which is a circuit board, inside the case 10, 31. As a result, the second board 14 inside the case 10, 31 is fixed to the connector 22, which is firmly fixed to the holding opening 43 of the case 10, 31 by the liquid-tight adhesive 60. This makes it possible to efficiently suppress vibration of the second board 14. Therefore, when this configuration is adopted, even when the control device 1 is used in an environment where vibrations are input from outside, such as a vehicle, it is possible to prevent the second board 14 (circuit board) from vibrating significantly and thereby preventing the equipment on the board from deteriorating.

[0066] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various design modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the wall portions of both the first case 10 and the second case 31 are provided with the notches 42L, 42U, and the holding opening 43 is formed inside these notches 42L, 42U. However, the notch may be formed in only one of the first case 10 and the second case 31.

[0067] In addition, in the above embodiment, the flange portion 36 is formed so as to protrude on both the left and right sides at the rear of the connector main body 35, but the flange portion 36 may be formed so as to protrude outward in an annular shape from the periphery of the rear of the connector main body 35. It is not necessary to provide the flange portion 36.

[0068] In the above embodiment, one protrusion 45 on the holding opening 43 side of the case 10, 31 and one recessed groove 41 on the outer peripheral surface of the connector 22 are configured to engage with each other. However, the shape of the recessed / recessed engaging portion is not limited to this. For example, two or more protrusions may be provided on one side of the holding opening 43 and the outer peripheral surface of the connector 22, and two or more corresponding recessed grooves that engage with these protrusions may be provided on the other side.

[0069] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the connector 22 is mechanically coupled to the second substrate 14 (circuit board), but the connector 22 does not necessarily have to be mechanically coupled to the second substrate 14 (circuit board). [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] 1...control device, 10...case, 10A...base member, 10B...case body, 10Ba...body block portion, 10Bb...bus bar support portion, 10a...fin, 10b...bent abutment surface, 10s...lower butt portion (butt portion), 11...first board, 12...capacitor, 13A, 13B, 13C...support portion, 14...second board (circuit board), 15...switching element, 16...power control circuit, 17A, 17B...battery side bus bar, 18A, 18B, 18C...motor side bus bar, 19A, 19B...bus bar, 21...inter-board connector, 22...connector Connector, 31... second case, 31b... bent abutment surface, 31s... upper butt portion (butt portion), 35... connector body, 35a... peripheral wall, 35b... bottom wall, 36... flange portion, 36a... upper edge, 36b... lower edge, 36c... side edge, 37... signal pin, 38... connecting bracket, 38a... upper edge, 39... protrusion, 40... connecting hole, 41... groove (connector side concave / convex engagement portion), 42L, 42U... notch portion, 43... retention opening, 44... recess portion, 45... protrusion (case side concave / convex engagement portion), 49... sealing material, 50... screw, 55... notch portion, 56... wrap wall, 60... adhesive

Claims

1. A circuit board; a connector electrically connected to the circuit board; a first case and a second case that are joined together to house the circuit board therein and have a holding opening formed in a part of their butted portions for holding the connector; a liquid-tight adhesive that is filled between the holding opening and the outer peripheral surface of the connector, a case-side concave-convex engaging portion is provided in an annular shape at a contact portion of the holding opening with the outer peripheral surface of the connector; A control device characterized in that a connector-side concave-convex engaging portion that engages with the case-side concave-convex engaging portion is provided in an annular shape at the abutment portion of the outer peripheral surface of the connector with the holding opening.

2. an annular recessed portion is formed adjacent to an edge of the holding opening near the outer side of the case, the recessed portion forming an adhesive filling portion between the holding opening and the connector; 2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive is filled in the adhesive filling section.

3. The control device according to claim 2, characterized in that the butting portion of the first case and the second case facing the recessed portion is provided with a curved abutment surface that is curved along the thickness direction and the butting direction of the first case and the second case.

4. 4. The control device according to claim 3, wherein the curved contact surface is curved in multiple stages.

5. The connector comprises: a cylindrical connector body with a bottom; a flange portion extending outward from the outer circumferential surface of the connector body, 2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the connector-side concave-convex engaging portion is formed on the flange portion.

6. 6. The control device according to claim 5, wherein the connector-side concave-convex engaging portion is formed by a concave groove, and the case-side concave-convex engaging portion is formed by a ridge.

7. 2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the connector is coupled to the circuit board inside the first case and the second case.

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