Electronic Control Unit

Abstract

Provided is an electronic control device which has good assembly workability, and with which work to mate a fan-side connector and a board-side connector can be performed easily, efficiently, and reliably, without giving rise to an increase in the number of components, or defects such as mating failure (electrical connection failure). A wiring passage 30, comprising a wiring accommodating channel 31 and a through-hole 35, for routing a fan-side connector 50 having fan wiring 28 from a front surface side to a rear surface side is provided in a base housing 20, and a connector holding guide portion 40, into which the fan-side connector 50 that has passed through the through-hole 35 is fitted from the rear surface side and held, is provided in the base housing 20, wherein orthographic projections, in a direction perpendicular to a board 12, of a board-side connector 60 provided on the board 12 and the fan-side connector 50 held in the connector holding guide portion 40 overlap one another, and the fan-side connector 50 and the board-side connector 60 mate to a required mating depth.

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] In-vehicle electronic control devices used in autonomous vehicles are required to perform high-speed calculations and processing in order to realize advanced autonomous driving functions as the level of autonomous driving advances. Due to the high performance of microcomputers that support such high-speed calculations and processing, the amount of heat generated by electronic components such as microprocessors mounted on a control board increases, and forced cooling is required. For this reason, it is possible to provide a base housing with heat dissipation fins and an air-cooled fan that sends cooling air to the heat dissipation fins. However, there is a demand for a structure that suppresses the contamination of the control board caused by the wiring from the air-cooled fan, and a structure that does not increase the number of parts and has good assembly workability in order to accommodate the increase in the number of autonomous driving devices due to their popularity.

[0003] International Publication No. 2020 / 174934 (Patent Document 1) discloses an electronic control device that has heat dissipation fins and an air-cooled fan on a housing that houses a control board, and presses the wiring of the air-cooled fan with a wall that surrounds the wiring and a cover that covers the wiring passage, thereby preventing foreign matter from entering (contaminating) the control board. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2020 / 174934 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] When providing an air-cooling fan (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as a fan) in the base housing as described above, the electronic control device requires fan wiring consisting of a predetermined number of lead wires (usually three or four) to electrically connect the fan to the board, a fan-side connector attached to the tip of the fan wiring, and a board-side connector into which the fan-side connector fits. Furthermore, the base housing requires a wiring passage consisting of a wiring accommodating groove, a through hole, etc. to route the fan wiring from the fan to the board. When assembling the electronic control device, it is required to fit the fan-side connector to the board-side connector before assembling the board to the base housing.

[0006] The above-mentioned Patent Document 1 discloses measures to prevent foreign matter from getting into the control board (contamination), but does not disclose the positioning of the fan side connector or the shape of the through hole through which the fan side connector passes, nor does it disclose a structure intended to improve the ease of connecting the fan wiring to the board by passing it through the base housing.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its object is to provide an electronic control device that is easy to assemble, in which the fitting operation between the fan side connector and the board side connector can be performed easily, efficiently, and reliably without causing problems such as an increase in the number of parts or poor fitting (poor electrical connection). [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the electronic control device of the present invention basically comprises a board having a heat-generating electronic component, a base housing to which the board is positioned and fixed, fins provided on a side of the base housing opposite to the side facing the heat-generating electronic component, a blower disposed in the base housing to send cooling air to the fins, blower wiring electrically connecting the blower and the board, and a cover covering at least a portion of the blower wiring exposed from the base housing. The present invention is characterized in that a blower side connector is provided at the tip of the wiring for the blower, a board side connector into which the blower side connector fits is provided on the board, a wiring passage consisting of a wiring accommodating groove and a through hole is provided in the base housing for pulling the blower side connector with the wiring for the blower from the front side to the back side, and a connector holding guide portion is provided into which the blower side connector is fitted and held from the back side after passing through the through hole, and when the board is positioned in the base housing, vertical orthogonal projections of the board at the board side connector provided on the board and the blower side connector held in the connector holding guide portion overlap each other, and when the board is fixed to the base housing, the blower side connector and the board side connector fit together to a required fitting depth. Effect of the Invention

[0009] In the electronic control device of the present invention, when the board is positioned and fixed to the base housing, the board side connector and the blower side connector are simultaneously engaged and electrically connected, so that the engaging operation between the fan side connector and the board side connector can be performed easily, efficiently, and reliably without causing problems such as an increase in the number of parts or poor engagement (poor electrical connection), resulting in effective improvement of assembly workability, labor savings, cost reduction, etc.

[0010] Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will become apparent from the following embodiments. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic external perspective view showing an embodiment of an electronic control device according to the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic exploded perspective view of the electronic control device shown in FIG. 1 . [Diagram 3] 2 is an enlarged plan view of a main portion of the electronic control device shown in FIG. 1 with the cover removed. [Figure 4] 3 is an exploded perspective view of a main portion of the electronic control device shown in FIG. 2 with a fan and its wiring removed. [Diagram 5] 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 3. [Figure 6A] 2 is a perspective view of a fan-side connector used in the electronic control device shown in FIG. 1; [Figure 6B] FIG. 2 is a four-sided view of a fan-side connector used in the electronic control device shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 7A] 2 is a perspective view of a board-side connector used in the electronic control device shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 7B] 2A to 2C are three-view diagrams of a board-side connector used in the electronic control device shown in FIG. 1 . [Figure 8A] 2 is a front view showing a state in which a fan-side connector and a board-side connector used in the electronic control device shown in FIG. 1 are fitted together. [Figure 8B] 2 is a side view showing a state in which a fan-side connector and a board-side connector used in the electronic control device shown in FIG. 1 are fitted together. [Figure 9] An enlarged view of part B in Figure 3. [Figure 10] An enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the CC arrow in FIG. 5 (the connector is not cross-sectional). [Figure 11] 4 is a schematic perspective view illustrating how the fan-side connector of the electronic control device shown in FIG. 1 is passed through a through hole and fitted into a connector holding guide portion; FIG. [Figure 12] 6 is an enlarged view of a portion corresponding to portion D in FIG. 5, for explaining the relationship between a connector holding guide portion and a fan-side connector in the electronic control device shown in FIG. 1, and the like. [Figure 13] 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line indicated by the arrows EE in FIG. 12 (the connector is not cross-sectional). [Figure 14] 13 is a cross-sectional view provided for explaining a glass epoxy board used in a modified example in which the board can be pressed until the fan-side connector and the board-side connector are securely fitted together. FIG. [Figure 15A] 13 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a modified example (first example) in which the board can be pressed until the fan-side connector and the board-side connector are securely fitted together. FIG. [Figure 15B] 13 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a second modified example in which the board can be pressed until the fan-side connector and the board-side connector are securely fitted together. FIG. [Figure 15C] 13 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a third modified example in which the board can be pressed until the fan-side connector and the board-side connector are securely fitted together. FIG. [Figure 16] 2 is a cross-sectional view for explaining an example of a method for preventing contamination of a board caused by air blown by a fan by pressing a fan wiring with a cover in the electronic control device shown in FIG. 1; FIG. [Figure 17] 1. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view for explaining another example of a method for preventing contamination of the board caused by air blown by the fan by pressing the fan wiring with a cover in the electronic control device shown in FIG. [Figure 18] 3. A cross-sectional view of a portion corresponding to the cross-sectional view taken along the FF arrow in FIG. 3, which is provided for explaining an example of a measure to prevent foreign matter (contamination) from entering the board due to the air blown by the fan by pressing the band-shaped wiring portion with a cover at the wiring outlet portion of the fan in the electronic control device shown in FIG. [Figure 19] 1. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view for explaining still another example of a measure for preventing contamination of the board by air blown by the fan by pressing the fan wiring with a cover in the electronic control device shown in FIG. [Figure 20] 1. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view provided for explaining still another example of a measure for preventing contamination of the board by air blown by the fan by pressing the fan wiring with a cover in the electronic control device shown in FIG. [Figure 21]2 is a plan view for explaining an example of a method for preventing contamination of a board caused by air blown by a fan by bending a wire straightening groove in the electronic control device shown in FIG. 1; FIG. [Figure 22] FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating an example of a measure to prevent foreign matter (contamination) from entering the board due to air blown by a fan by pressing the wiring in the deepened portion of the wiring straightening groove with a cover in the electronic control device shown in FIG. [Diagram 23] A cross-sectional view taken along the line GG in Figure 22. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0013] 1, 2, 3, and 4 are respectively a schematic external perspective view, a schematic exploded perspective view, an enlarged plan view of the main part with the cover removed, and an exploded perspective view of the main part with the fan and its wiring removed, showing one embodiment of the electronic control device according to the present invention. Note that in this specification, descriptions indicating positions and directions such as up and down, left and right, front and back, etc. are given for the sake of convenience according to the drawings to avoid cumbersome explanation, and do not necessarily indicate the positions and directions when actually installed in a vehicle.

[0014] The electronic control device 10 in the illustrated example is assumed to be, for example, a vehicle control device that is mounted on a vehicle (not shown) and controls various parts of the vehicle, but may be used for other purposes.

[0015] The electronic control device 10 in the illustrated example has a box shape (rectangular parallelepiped shape) basically including a rectangular flat wiring board (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as board) 12, a base housing 20 to which the wiring board 12 is positioned and assembled and fixed, and a bottom plate (not shown) to be assembled to the underside of the wiring board 12. The base housing 20 is made of a metal material with high thermal conductivity such as aluminum die casting here, but the material is not limited to this. The wiring board 12 is made of an organic material such as epoxy resin. The wiring board 12 may be a single-layer board or a multi-layer board.

[0016] The board 12 is equipped with connectors 14, 14 for transmitting and receiving signals to and from the outside (vehicle), and also has various electronic components mounted thereon, including heat-generating electronic components such as a microprocessor constituting the main part of a microcomputer (not shown). In addition, a board-side connector 60 is provided at a predetermined position on the board 12 for electrically connecting the board 12 to an air-cooling fan 25 (described later).

[0017] 2 to 4 as well as FIG. 5, the base housing 20 is provided with a fin standing portion 23 in which rectangular heat dissipation fins (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as fins) 22 are erected at a predetermined interval in the left-right direction at a position located directly above the heat-generating electronic component located on the lower surface side in the left-right center, as can be seen clearly from the above. In other words, the heat dissipation fins 22 are arranged on the surface of the base housing 20 opposite to the surface facing the heat-generating electronic component.

[0018] A fan arrangement space 26 (FIGS. 4 and 5) is formed in the front portion of the base housing 20 near the heat dissipation fins 22, and four corners of a rectangular air-cooled fan (hereinafter, sometimes simply referred to as a fan) 25 as a blower are fixed with screws onto four supports 27 provided in the fan arrangement space 26. Here, an axial fan that draws in air from an air intake port 25a on the upper end surface and discharges it directly below is used as the air-cooled fan 25. As shown in FIG. 5, the air discharged directly below from the air-cooled fan 25 is changed in the direction of blowing directly sideways by the lower surface portion 24 with the inclined surface portion 24A connected to the fin standing portion 23, and most of the air passes through the lower portion of the heat dissipation fins 22, which becomes hot, and is discharged to the rear side (white arrow in FIG. 5). In this embodiment, an axial fan is used as a blower that sends cooling air to the heat dissipation fins 22, but other types of fans, such as centrifugal fans, may be used, and blowers other than fans without rotating blades may be used.

[0019] In the electronic control device 10 of this embodiment, in order to electrically connect the air-cooled fan 25 and the board 12, a fan side connector (blower side connector) 50 is provided at the tip of the fan wiring (blower wiring) 28, which consists of a predetermined number of lead wires (four in this example) whose base ends are connected to the fan 25, and the board 12 is provided with a board side connector 60 into which the fan side connector 50 fits.

[0020] In addition, the base housing 20 is provided with a wiring passage 30 consisting of a wiring accommodating groove 31 (32, 33) and a through hole 35 (36, 37) for routing the fan side connector 50 with the fan wiring 28 from the front side to the back side (substrate 12 side), and is also provided with a connector holding guide portion 40 into which the fan side connector 50 is fitted and held from the back side (lower side) after passing through the through hole 35.

[0021] In detail, the fan-side connector 50 has a rectangular shape in plan view that is long in the front-rear direction and short in the left-right direction, as shown in Fig. 6A and Fig. 6B in a perspective view and four-sided views, and in Fig. 8A and Fig. 8B in a front view and a side view of the connector mated with the board-side connector 60. The fan-side connector 50 has a rectangular housing 51 that incorporates contact members (sockets) 52 arranged side by side to which a predetermined number (four) of lead wires are connected. In addition, a rectangular flange portion (also called a shoulder portion) 53 that protrudes outward is provided on the upper portion of the housing 51, and convex strip portions 54 that extend in the up-down direction (depth direction of the connector holding guide portion 40) are provided below the flange portion 53 on both the front and rear side surfaces of the housing 51.

[0022] On the other hand, the board-side connector 60 has a rectangular shape in plan view that is long in the front-rear direction, as shown in Fig. 7A and Fig. 7B in perspective views and three-sided views, and Fig. 8A and Fig. 8B in front and side views of the board-side connector 60 fitted with the fan-side connector 50. The board-side connector 60 has a recess 61 on the upper surface into which the housing 51 and the protruding stripe 54 of the fan-side connector 50 fit, and a pair of flanges 63 that are L-shaped in plan view and extend outward are provided on the front, rear, and side portions of the lower surface. The depth (height) of the recess 61 is approximately the same as the height of the housing 51 and the protruding stripe 54. Four contact members (pins) 62 that are inserted into the contact members (sockets) 52 of the fan-side connector 50 for electrical contact are arranged side by side in the recess 61.

[0023] The wiring accommodating groove 31 of the wiring passage 30 has a relatively deep base-end accommodating groove 32 that is L-shaped in plan view and that accommodates (base-end relaxed portion 28A of) the fan wiring 28 exiting the wiring outlet portion 34 of the fan 25, and a relatively shallow wiring straightening groove 33 that extends in the left-right direction subsequent to the base-end accommodating groove 32 and that has a bottom surface on which a predetermined number (four) of lead wires that constitute the fan wiring 28 are closely aligned to form a flat band-shaped wiring portion 28B. In other words, the width (in the front-rear direction) of the wiring straightening groove 33 is approximately the same as the width (in the front-rear direction) of the predetermined number (four) of lead wires that constitute the fan wiring 28 aligned side by side, that is, the width obtained by adding up the width (diameter) of the lead wires by a predetermined number (four).

[0024] The through hole 35 of the wiring passage 30 is composed of a wiring through hole 36 provided at the tip end side of the wiring straightening groove 33, the long side of which is approximately the same as the width of the belt-shaped wiring portion 28B, and a connector through hole 37 connected thereto, and they are T-shaped in a plan view as shown in Fig. 9. The connector through hole 37 has a short side shorter than the long side of the wiring through hole 36 but longer than the length of the fan side connector 50 in the front-rear direction, and its long side is slightly longer than the length of the fan side connector 50 in the left-right direction. Therefore, if the fan side connector 50 is turned sideways, the connector through hole 37 can be passed in the up-down direction (details will be explained later).

[0025] In other words, the through hole 35 of the wiring passage 30 has a T-shaped hole shape when viewed in a plane, and the horizontal bar portion (the portion extending in the front-to-back direction in the illustrated example) is a wiring through hole 36 having approximately the same width as the band-shaped wiring portion 28B, and the vertical bar portion (the portion extending in the left-right direction in the illustrated example) is a connector through hole 37 that is shorter (in the front-to-back dimension) than the horizontal bar portion of the wiring through hole 36 but longer than the front-to-back length of the fan side connector 50 and has a shape that allows the fan side connector 50 to pass through.

[0026] Fan wiring 28 is composed of base-end relaxed portion 28A including slack (excess length) which is accommodated in base-end accommodating groove 32, strip-shaped wiring portion 28B straightened in wiring straightening groove 33, and strip-shaped hanging portion 28C passing downward through wiring through hole 36, and fan side connector 50 is provided at the tip (lower end) of strip-shaped hanging portion 28C.

[0027] The connector holding guide portion 40 is connected to the lower end of the through hole 35 (through hole 36 for wiring) and is configured as a hole with a rectangular cross section and a ceiling surface 42 with an open lower surface. As shown in Fig. 10 and Fig. 12 (especially the left drawing), on the four inner surfaces (on the ceiling surface 42 side) of the connector holding guide portion 40, two rib-like protrusions 45 are provided on each of the four inner surfaces, totaling eight, symmetrically in the front, rear, left and right directions, so as to be pressed against the outer surface of the upper portion (brim-like portion 53) of the fan side connector 50 when the fan side connector 50 is fitted. When the fan side connector 50 is fitted from the lower surface side of the connector holding guide portion 40, it is held in a vertical position relative to the board 12 to be assembled and fixed later.

[0028] As described above, in this embodiment, the rib-shaped protrusions 45 are provided on the four inner surfaces of the connector holding guide portion 40, and are pressed against the outer surface of the upper portion (the flange portion 53) when the fan side connector 50 is fitted, that is, they are brought into line contact, thereby increasing the contact pressure and holding the fan side connector 50. Therefore, compared to the case where the fan side connector 50 is held by surface contact without providing the rib-shaped protrusions 45, the holding stability and fitting ability are improved, but this is not necessarily required. In addition, a plurality of rib-shaped protrusions extending in the depth direction of the connector holding guide portion 40 may be provided on the outer surface of the fan side connector 50 (for example, the flange portion 53) so as to be pressed against the inner surface of the connector holding guide portion 40 when the fan side connector 50 is fitted.

[0029] A rectangular flat cover 55 is placed and screwed to cover the air-cooling fan 25, heat dissipation fins 22, wiring accommodating groove 31, through hole 35, fan wiring 28 (portions exposed from base housing 20), and the like provided in the above-mentioned base housing 20. A round ventilation hole 55a corresponding to the air intake port 25a of the fan 25 is formed in the cover 55.

[0030] In this embodiment, the positioning of the board 12 relative to the base housing 20 is achieved by using, for example, positioning bosses 75 and holes 76 provided at multiple locations on the base housing 20 and the board 12, as shown in Fig. 13. Also, the assembly and fixing of the board 12 to the base housing 20 is achieved by fastening the base housing 20 and the board 12 at appropriate locations with screw members 72, as shown in Fig. 13. Note that in order to improve the positional accuracy of the fit between the fan side connector 50 and the board side connector 60, positioning bosses 75 and holes 76 may be provided near the fit positions of these connectors (Fig. 13).

[0031] In this embodiment, the position and dimensions of the connector holding guide portion 40 are preset so that when the board 12 is positioned in the base housing 20, the vertical orthogonal projections of the board 12 at the board side connector 60 provided on the board 12 and the fan side connector 50 held by the connector holding guide portion 40 overlap each other, and when the board 12 is assembled and fixed to the base housing 20, the fan side connector 50 and the board side connector 60 are fitted together to the required fitting depth (the required fitting depth is obtained between the fan side connector 50 and the board side connector 60).

[0032] More specifically, when the board 12 is positioned and assembled and fixed to the base housing 20, the fan side connector 50 (e.g., the upper end surface 50a) held by the connector holding guide portion 40 is pressed relatively by the connector holding guide portion 40 (e.g., the ceiling surface 42 facing the board 12) so as to fit into the board side connector 60 to the required fitting depth.

[0033] (Fitting Operation of Fan Side Connector 50 and Board Side Connector 60) The assembly work of the electronic control device 10 of this embodiment having the above-mentioned configuration, in particular the fitting work of the fan-side connector 50 and the board-side connector 60, is carried out, for example, as follows.

[0034] First, a predetermined number (four) of lead wires constituting fan wiring 28 are closely aligned to form a flat belt-like shape by utilizing wiring straightening grooves 33 of wiring accommodation grooves 31 of wiring passage 30, and fan side connector 50 in a state in which it is not twisted with respect to this belt-like portion (belt-like wiring portion 28B, belt-like hanging portion 28C) is rotated approximately 90 degrees in one direction so that it can be passed through through hole 35 (connector through hole 37) as shown in the left diagram of Fig. 11. Next, after passing through through hole 35 (connector through hole 37) from top to bottom, fan side connector 50 is rotated approximately 90 degrees in the opposite direction (opposite to the one direction) as shown in the center diagram of Fig. 11 to return to a state in which it is not twisted with respect to the belt-like portion (belt-like wiring portion 28B, belt-like hanging portion 28C). In this state, the fan-side connector 50 is fitted and held in the connector holding guide portion 40 from the back side (lower side), as shown in the right diagram of Fig. 11. The fan-side connector 50 may be fitted by pushing it up from below, or it may be pulled up from above by the fan wiring 28.

[0035] When the fan side connector 50 is fitted into the connector holding guide portion 40 (left view in FIG. 12) from the back side (lower side) and held therein, it is ideal to push in the fan side connector 50 (the flange portion 53) until the upper end surface 50a comes into contact with the ceiling surface 42 (the locking surface that relatively presses the fan side connector 50) of the connector holding guide portion 40. However, as shown in the center view in FIG. 12, even if the upper end surface 50a does not come into contact with the ceiling surface 42 and a gap Sa is formed between the upper end surface 50a and the ceiling surface 42, when the board 12 is positioned and assembled and fixed to the base housing 20, the base housing 20 is brought relatively close to the board 12, and accordingly, while the fan side connector 50 is fitted into the board side connector 60, the ceiling surface 42 of the connector holding guide portion 40 approaches and comes into contact with the upper end surface 50a, and the ceiling surface 42 of the connector holding guide portion 40 presses the upper end surface 50a.

[0036] Therefore, even in such a case, when the board 12 is positioned and assembled and fixed to the base housing 20, as shown in the right diagram of Figure 12, for example, the distance from the surface of the board 12 to the upper end surface 50a of the fan side connector 50 (ceiling surface 42 of the connector holding guide portion 40) becomes a predetermined distance La, and the fitting depth between the fan side connector 50 and the board side connector 60 becomes the required fitting depth Ka.

[0037] In this manner, in the electronic control device 10 of this embodiment, the base housing 20 is provided with through holes 35 (36, 37) through which the fan wiring 28 and the fan side connector 50 can pass from the front side to the back side (the board 12 side), and a connector holding guide portion 40 into which the fan side connector 50 with the fan wiring 28 passed through the through holes 35 (36, 37) is fitted and held from the back side (the board 12 side). The position and the dimensional shape of the connector holding guide portion 40 are set in advance in the design stage so that when the board 12 is positioned in the base housing 20, the vertical orthogonal projections of the board 12 at the board side connector 60 provided on the board 12 and the fan side connector 50 held by the connector holding guide portion 40 overlap each other, and when the board 12 is fixed to the base housing 20, the fan side connector 50 and the board side connector 60 fit together to a required fitting depth (a required fitting depth is obtained between the fan side connector 50 and the board side connector 60).

[0038] Therefore, when the board 12 is positioned on the base housing 20 and assembled and fixed, the base housing 20 is brought relatively closer to the board 12, and accordingly, for example, the upper end surface 50a of the fan side connector 50 held by the connector holding guide portion 40 is pushed relatively toward the board 12 by, for example, the ceiling surface 42 of the connector holding guide portion 40, so that it properly fits into the board side connector 60 to the required fitting depth.

[0039] In this manner, in the electronic control device 10 of this embodiment, when the board 12 is positioned and fixed to the base housing 20, the board side connector 60 and the fan side connector 50 are simultaneously engaged and electrically connected. Therefore, the engaging operation between the fan side connector 50 and the board side connector 60 can be performed easily, efficiently, and reliably without causing problems such as an increase in the number of parts or poor engagement (poor electrical connection). As a result, improved assembly workability, labor savings, cost reduction, etc. can be effectively achieved.

[0040] Furthermore, since the through hole 35 (36, 37) is shaped like a T-shape in a plan view, the fitting portion between the fan side connector 50 and the board side connector 60 can be visually confirmed from the front surface side of the base housing 20. Therefore, for example, when positioning the base housing 20 and the board 12, a flat-head screwdriver or the like can be inserted into this T-shaped through hole 35 to assist in proper fitting of the fan side connector 50 and the board side connector 60, or, if the fit is not sufficient, the fan side connector 50 can be pushed to obtain the required fitting depth.

[0041] If the connector has a locking function (locking claw), it is preferable to have the locking claw open toward the vertical side of the T-shaped through hole 35 to avoid interference with the base housing 20. Also, in the same manner as above, the T-shaped through hole 35 can be used to lock or unlock the connector.

[0042] In addition, the width of the wiring straightening groove 33 and the wiring through hole 36 is approximately the same as the width of the strip-shaped wiring portion 28B, and when the fan side connector 50 is fitted into and held in the connector holding guide portion 40 from the back side (bottom side), the fan side connector 50 is returned to an untwisted state with respect to the strip-shaped wiring portion 28B and the strip-shaped hanging portion 28C, as described above, so that the fan wiring 28 can be easily straightened (styled).

[0043] In the above embodiment, the ceiling surface 42 of the connector holding guide portion 40 serves as the locking surface that presses the fan-side connector 50, but a separate locking surface may be provided. In addition, if the fan-side connector is not provided with a flange portion (shoulder portion) 53 as in the above embodiment, the upper end surface 50a of the housing 51 of the fan-side connector 50 other than the fan wiring 28 portion may be pressed.

[0044] Next, a modified example of the above-mentioned embodiment that allows the fan side connector 50 and the board side connector 60 to be securely engaged with each other when the engagement between the fan side connector 50 and the board side connector 60 is insufficient will be described with reference to Figures 14, 15A, 15B, and 15C.

[0045] The main parts of electronic control devices 10A, 10B, and 10C shown in Figures 15A, 15B, and 15C are denoted by the same reference numerals as the parts (other than substrate 12) corresponding to the parts in Figure 13 of the embodiment described above. Electronic control devices 10A, 10B, and 10C shown in Figures 15A, 15B, and 15C use, as a wiring board, an elastically deformable glass epoxy substrate 13 provided with thin-walled portion 13a to increase flexibility as shown in Figure 14, and basically, substrate 13 can be partially pushed toward base housing 20 until fan-side connector 50 and substrate-side connector 60 are securely fitted together.

[0046] 15A, when the fan-side connector 50 and the board-side connector 60 are not fully fitted together even when the board 13 is fastened to the base housing 20 with the screw members 72, the lower side of the board-side connector 60, that is, the portion of the board-side connector 60 closer to the thin portion 13a of the portion 13A of the board 13 closer to the board-side connector 60 than the thin portion 13a, is pressed upward as shown by the outline arrow. This causes the thin portion 13a to bend, and the portion 13A of the board 13 closer to the board-side connector 60 than the thin portion 13a is pushed up against the portion 13B other than the board-side connector 60, and the board-side connector 60 provided on the board 13 is pressed into the fan-side connector 50 held by the connector holding guide portion 40, thereby obtaining a proper fitted state.

[0047] 15B, after positioning the board 13 on the base housing 20 using the boss 75 or the like, before tightening the screw member 72, a portion of the board 13 near the thin portion 13a of the portion 13A on the board-side connector 60 side from the thin portion 13a of the board 13 is pressed upward as shown by the outline arrow. As a result, the thin portion 13a bends, etc., and the portion 13A on the board-side connector 60 side from the thin portion 13a of the board 13 is pushed up against the portion 13B other than the board-side connector 60 side, and the board-side connector 60 provided on the board 13 is pressed into the fan-side connector 50 held by the connector holding guide portion 40, and a proper fitting state is obtained. Thereafter, the board 13 is fastened and fixed to the base housing 20 with the screw member 72.

[0048] 15C, when the screw member 72 used in the above example is not used and the fit between the fan-side connector 50 and the board-side connector 60 is insufficient, the portion 13A of the board 13 closer to the board-side connector 60 than the thin portion 13a is pressed upward as shown by the outline arrow. This causes the thin portion 13a to bend, and the portion 13A of the board 13 closer to the board-side connector 60 than the thin portion 13a is pushed up against the portion 13B other than the board-side connector 60 side, and the board-side connector 60 provided on the board 13 is pressed into the fan-side connector 50 held by the connector holding guide portion 40, thereby obtaining a proper fit state.

[0049] (Configuration to prevent contamination of the board caused by wiring from the cooling fan 25) Next, several examples of measures to prevent contamination of the board through the wiring passage 30 caused by the air blown by the cooling fan 25 will be described.

[0050] As explained with reference to Fig. 5, the air discharged directly downward from the air-cooling fan 25 flows into the heat dissipation fins 22 which become hot, and if the prevention of contamination of the board from the wiring of the air-cooling fan 25 is insufficient, the air flows through the wiring outlet 34 of the fan 25, along the wiring accommodation grooves 31 (32, 33), and through the through holes 35 (36, 37) to the board side (see Figs. 3 and 4). In this case, the air blown from the air-cooling fan 25 may cause foreign matter to be mixed into the board.

[0051] In the example shown in Figure 16, as shown in the left diagram of Figure 16, the depth of the wiring straightening groove 33 is made shallower than the diameter of a certain number (four) of lead wires that make up the belt-shaped wiring portion 28B, and as shown in the right diagram of Figure 16, the cover 55 is provided with a thick-walled protrusion 55b that serves as a pressing protrusion that partially presses the belt-shaped wiring portion 28B above the wiring straightening groove 33.

[0052] In this example, by attaching the cover 55 to the base housing 20, a part of the belt-shaped wiring portion 28B is pressed against the wiring rectification groove 33 by the thick protruding portion (pressing protruding portion) 55b of the cover 55. As a result, the elastic and flexible synthetic resin covering portions of the predetermined number (four) of lead wires constituting the belt-shaped wiring portion 28B are crushed, and as shown in the right diagram of FIG. 16, the lead wires, the lead wires and the wiring rectification groove 33, and the lead wires and the thick protruding portion 55b of the cover 55 are brought into close contact with each other, and the gaps between the lead wires, the wiring rectification groove 33, and the thick protruding portion 55b of the cover 55 are reduced. As a result, the pressure loss in the wiring passage 30 increases, and therefore contamination of the board through the wiring passage 30 caused by the air blown by the air-cooling fan 25 can be suppressed.

[0053] 17, similarly to the example shown in Fig. 16, the depth of the wiring rectifying groove 33 is made shallower than the diameter of a predetermined number (four) of lead wires constituting the belt-shaped wiring portion 28B, and the sheet metal cover 56 is provided by drawing with groove-shaped recesses 56b as pressing protrusions that partially press the belt-shaped wiring portion 28B above the wiring rectifying grooves 33. Note that the cover 56 is not limited to being made of sheet metal, and may be made of resin.

[0054] In this example, by attaching the cover 56 to the base housing 20, a part of the belt-shaped wiring portion 28B is pressed against the wiring straightening groove 33 by the groove-shaped recess (pressing protrusion) 56b of the cover 56. This provides substantially the same effect as the example shown in Fig. 16. In this example, the groove-shaped recess 56b also serves as a reinforcing portion.

[0055] In the example shown in Fig. 18, the base housing 20 is provided with a groove-shaped wiring outlet 34 shallower than the diameter of the lead wires, in which a predetermined number (four) of lead wires constituting the fan wiring 28 are closely aligned to form a flat belt-shaped wiring portion 28H, in order to pull out the fan wiring 28 from the fan 25 to the wiring accommodation groove 31 (see also Fig. 3 of the above-mentioned embodiment). By attaching the cover 55 to the base housing 20, the flat belt-shaped wiring portion 28H is pressed against the wiring outlet 34 by the cover 55, and the gap between the predetermined number (four) of lead wires constituting the flat belt-shaped wiring portion 28H, the wiring outlet 34, and the cover 55 is reduced. This increases the pressure loss in the wiring passage 30, and therefore contamination of the board through the wiring passage 30 caused by the air blown by the air-cooling fan 25 can be suppressed.

[0056] 16, 17, and 18, a wiring straightening groove for closely aligning a predetermined number (four) of lead wires constituting the fan wiring 28 may be provided on the surface of the cover 55 (56) on the wiring passage 30 side of the base housing 20 together with the wiring straightening groove 33 and the wiring outlet portion 34, or instead of the wiring straightening groove 33 and the wiring outlet portion 34. FIG. 19 shows an example in which a wiring straightening groove 57 similar to the wiring straightening groove 33 is provided on the cover 55 (thick-walled convex portion 55b) of the example shown in FIG. 16. FIG. 20 shows an example in which a wiring straightening groove 58 similar to the wiring straightening groove 33 is provided on the cover 56 (groove-shaped concave portion 56b) of the example shown in FIG. 17.

[0057] 21, the wiring rectification groove 33 shown in FIG 3 of the above-mentioned embodiment is linear over substantially the entire length in plan view, whereas the wiring rectification groove 33 is bent in a U-shape or a key shape in plan view. By bending the wiring rectification groove 33 in this way, the passage resistance of the wiring passage 30 increases, and the pressure loss increases, so that contamination of the board through the wiring passage 30 caused by the air blown by the air-cooling fan 25 can be suppressed.

[0058] 22 and 23, while (the bottom surface of) the wiring rectification groove 33 shown in Fig. 3 of the above-mentioned embodiment was flat over almost the entire length, (the bottom surface of) the wiring rectification groove 33 is partially deepened, and the cover 55 is bent to provide a groove-shaped recess 55c so that the fan wiring 28 in the deepened portion 33C is pressed by the cover 55 in the same manner as the other portions (Fig. 23). Even with such a configuration, the passage resistance of the wiring passage 30 increases, causing a large pressure loss, and therefore contamination of the board through the wiring passage 30 caused by the air blown by the air-cooling fan 25 can be suppressed.

[0059] In the electronic control device 10 of the present embodiment described above, as a method for preventing the intrusion of foreign matter (contamination) originating from the wiring from the air-cooled fan (blower) 25, a wiring straightening groove 33 constituting a wiring passage 30 is provided in the base housing 20 between the air-cooled fan (blower) 25 and the wiring board 12, the fan wiring 28 (a predetermined number (4) of lead wires constituting the belt-shaped wiring portion 28B) is stored in the wiring straightening groove 33, and the fan wiring 28 (a predetermined number (4) of lead wires constituting the belt-shaped wiring portion 28B) is pressed against the wiring straightening groove 33 with a cover 55, thereby making the gap in the wiring passage 30 small enough that there is no practical problem, and by crushing the coating of the fan wiring 28 (a predetermined number (4) of lead wires constituting the belt-shaped wiring portion 28B), the gap is further narrowed, causing a pressure loss, and it is possible to prevent the inflow of contaminants due to the air blown by the air-cooled fan (blower) 25 into the wiring board 12.

[0060] Furthermore, the base housing 20 is provided with a through hole 35 (36, 37) through which a fan side connector 50 of the fan wiring 28 connecting from the air-cooled fan (blower) 25 to the wiring board 12 passes, and a connector holding guide portion 40 into which the fan side connector 50 fits after the fan side connector 50 passes through the through hole 35 (36, 37), and the fan side connector 50 is fixed to the connector holding guide portion 40 at a position where it overlaps vertically with the board side connector 60 on the board 12 so as to fit with the board side connector 60 when the board 12 is assembled and fixed.

[0061] Therefore, according to the electronic control device 10 of this embodiment, by improving the shape and configuration of the existing base housing and cover, it is possible to prevent the intrusion of foreign matter (contamination) from the wiring from the air-cooled fan (blower) 25 without adding or increasing parts or auxiliary materials such as by locking the wiring portion from the air-cooled fan (blower) 25 to the wiring board 12 with an elastic material or applying a sealing material.

[0062] Furthermore, a through hole 35 (36, 37) is provided in the base housing 20 to pass the fan side connector 50 of the fan wiring 28, and a shape (connector holding guide portion 40) is provided that engages and fixes the fan side connector 50 at a position that will be the mating position with the board side connector 60 on the board 12 when the board 12 is assembled and fixed after the fan side connector 50 has been passed through the through hole 35 (36, 37). This results in good workability, as the connector fitting work can be completed at the same time as the board 12 is assembled.

[0063] That is, in order to prevent the entry of foreign matter (contamination), the airflow is suppressed by pressing the fan wiring 28 in the wiring passage 30 from the air-cooled fan (blower) 25 to the wiring board 12, and at the same time, the fan side connector 50 is fixed to the mating position of the board side connector 60 on the board 12 by the base housing 20 (connector holding guide portion 40 thereof), thereby enabling the connector mating operation to be performed efficiently.

[0064] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above in detail, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and various modifications are included. For example, the above-mentioned embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to those having all of the configurations described. Other aspects conceivable within the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention are also included in the scope of the present invention. In addition, it is possible to replace a part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, and it is also possible to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. In addition, it is possible to add, delete, or replace a part of the configuration of each embodiment with another configuration. [Explanation of symbols]

[0065] 10 Electronic control device 12 Wiring board (substrate) 14 Connectors 20 Base housing 22 Heat dissipation fin (fin) 25 Air-cooled fan (blower) 25a Air intake 28 Fan wiring (blower wiring) 28A Proximal slack section 28B Belt Wiring Section 28C Strip hanging part 28H Band Wiring Section 30 Wiring passage 31 Wiring groove 32 Base end housing groove 33 Wiring rectification groove 34 Wiring outlet 35 Through Hole 36 Wiring through hole 37 Through hole for connector 40 Connector holding guide 42 Ceiling surface 45 Rib-shaped protrusion 50 Fan side connector (blower side connector) 50a Top end surface 51 Housing 52 Contact member (socket) 53 Flange 54 Convex strip 55 Cover 55a Ventilation hole 55b Thick protrusion (pressing protrusion) 56 Cover 56b Groove-shaped recess (pressure protrusion) 60 Board side connector 61 Recess 62 Contact material (pin) 63 Flange 72 Screw member 75 Positioning boss 76 holes

Claims

1. A substrate having a heat-generating electronic component; a base housing to which the substrate is positioned and fixed; fins provided on a surface of the base housing opposite to a surface facing the heat-generating electronic component; a blower disposed on the base housing for blowing cooling air to the fins; a fan wiring that electrically connects the fan and the board; a cover for covering at least a portion of the blower wiring that is exposed from the base housing, a blower-side connector is provided at a tip of the blower wiring, and a board-side connector into which the blower-side connector is fitted is provided on the board; a wiring passage including a wiring accommodating groove and a through hole for routing the fan-side connector with the fan wiring from the front side to the back side is provided in the base housing, and a connector holding guide portion is provided in which the fan-side connector is fitted and held from the back side after being passed through the through hole; An electronic control device characterized in that, when the board is positioned in the base housing, the vertical orthogonal projections of the board at the board side connector provided on the board and the blower side connector held in the connector holding guide portion overlap each other, and when the board is fixed to the base housing, the blower side connector and the board side connector are fitted together to a required fitting depth.

2. 2. The electronic control device according to claim 1, An electronic control device characterized in that when the board is positioned and fixed to the base housing, the blower side connector held in the connector holding guide portion is pushed relatively by the connector holding guide portion so as to fit into the board side connector to a required fitting depth.

3. 2. The electronic control device according to claim 1, The electronic control device is characterized in that the connector holding guide portion is connected to the lower end of the through hole and is composed of a hole with a ceiling surface that is open at the bottom, and the blower side connector is inserted from the bottom side and held in a vertical position relative to the board.

4. 4. The electronic control device according to claim 3, An electronic control device characterized in that a rib-shaped protrusion extending in the depth direction of the connector holding guide portion is protruded on the ceiling surface side of the connector holding guide portion so as to be in pressure contact with the blower side connector.

5. 3. The electronic control device according to claim 2, The electronic control device according to claim 1, wherein the connector holding guide portion is provided with a locking surface for relatively pressing the blower-side connector.

6. 2. The electronic control device according to claim 1, The blower side connector is an electronic control device characterized in that it has a housing that incorporates contact members arranged side by side to which a certain number of lead wires that constitute the blower wiring are connected, and the housing is provided with a flange-shaped portion that protrudes outward.

7. 2. The electronic control device according to claim 1, An electronic control device characterized in that a portion of the wiring accommodating groove is a wiring straightening groove in which a certain number of lead wires constituting the blower wiring are aligned closely together on its bottom surface to form a flat, band-shaped wiring portion.

8. 8. The electronic control device according to claim 7, An electronic control device characterized in that the band-shaped wiring portion is pressed against the wiring straightening groove by the cover, thereby reducing the gap between a certain number of lead wires that make up the band-shaped wiring portion, the wiring straightening groove, and the cover.

9. 8. The electronic control device according to claim 7, This electronic control device is characterized in that the blower side connector, which is not twisted relative to the band-shaped wiring portion, can be rotated a predetermined angle in one direction so that it can be passed through the through hole, and after being passed through the through hole, the blower side connector is returned to a state where it is not twisted relative to the band-shaped wiring portion by rotating it a predetermined angle in the opposite direction, and in this state the blower side connector can be fitted into and held in the connector holding guide portion.

10. 8. The electronic control device according to claim 7, The electronic control device is characterized in that the through hole is provided at the tip side of the wiring straightening groove, has a T-shaped hole shape when viewed in a plane, has a horizontal bar portion which is a wiring through hole having approximately the same width as the band-shaped wiring portion, and has a vertical bar portion which is a connector through hole which is shorter than the horizontal bar portion of the wiring through hole but has a shape which allows the blower side connector to pass through.

11. 2. The electronic control device according to claim 1, an electronic control device, wherein a boss for positioning with the board is protruded near a fitting position of the blower side connector and the board side connector in the base housing;

12. 2. The electronic control device according to claim 1, An electronic control device characterized in that the base housing is provided with a groove-shaped wiring outlet portion in which a predetermined number of lead wires constituting the blower wiring are aligned closely together to form a flat, band-shaped wiring portion so as to pull the blower wiring from the blower into the wiring accommodating groove, and the band-shaped wiring portion is pressed against the wiring outlet portion by the cover, thereby reducing the gap between the predetermined number of lead wires constituting the band-shaped wiring portion, the wiring outlet portion, and the cover.

13. 8. The electronic control device according to claim 7, 2. An electronic control device, comprising: a wiring straightening groove that is bent;

14. 8. The electronic control device according to claim 7, The electronic control device is characterized in that the wiring straightening groove is partially deepened, and the wiring for the blower in this deepened portion is pressed by the cover in the same manner as the other portions.

15. 2. The electronic control device according to claim 1, An electronic control device characterized in that an elastically deformable glass epoxy board is used as the board so that the board can be partially pressed toward the base housing until the blower side connector and the board side connector are securely engaged.

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