Housings for in-vehicle electronic devices

Abstract

To provide a housing of automotive electronic equipment capable of easily removing a bracket fixed to a vehicle body.SOLUTION: A housing 1 is a housing of automotive electronic equipment having a wall 12 to which a bracket 6 is attached and detached. The wall 12 has a pair of rails 2 for guiding the bracket 6 so as to be moved in a mounting direction A along the wall 12. The wall 12 has an elastic deformation area 5 that deforms elastically towards the inside of the housing 1 by pressure. The wall 12 is arranged so that the elastic deformation area 5 protrudes outward from the housing 1, and has a locking part 3 for locking the bracket 6 that is guided by the guide. The wall 12 is arranged protruding outwards out of the housing 1 from the elastic deformation area 5 at a position in front of the locking part 3 in the mounting direction A and has a pressed part 4 to be pressed inwards of the housing 1 when removing the bracket 6.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a housing for an in-vehicle electronic device. [Background technology]

[0002] The housing of the in-vehicle electronic device is, for example, the housing of an ECU (Electronic Control Unit), and houses a printed wiring board on which electronic components are mounted, etc. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a housing of an in-vehicle electronic device to which a bracket that is fixed to the vehicle body can be attached.

[0003] The housing disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a guide portion into which a bracket having a locking hole is inserted, and a locking claw that locks the locking hole of the bracket inserted into the guide portion. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-308106 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The housing disclosed in Patent Document 1 allows the bracket to be attached or detached by engaging or unlocking the locking claw of the housing with the locking hole of the bracket. However, the housing disclosed in Patent Document 1 does not make it easy to remove the bracket, and there is room for improvement.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and has an object to provide a housing for an in-vehicle electronic device that allows easy removal of a bracket fixed to the vehicle body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problem, the housing of an in-vehicle electronic device of the present invention is a housing of an in-vehicle electronic device having a wall portion to which a bracket can be attached and detached, wherein the wall portion has a guide portion that guides the bracket so that it can move in an attachment direction along the wall portion, an elastic deformation area portion that elastically deforms toward the inside of the housing when pressed, a locking portion that protrudes from the elastic deformation area portion toward the outside of the housing and locks the bracket guided by the guide portion, and a pressed portion that protrudes from the elastic deformation area portion toward the outside of the housing at a position further ahead in the attachment direction than the locking portion and is pressed toward the inside of the housing when the bracket is removed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a housing for an in-vehicle electronic device from which a bracket fixed to a vehicle body can be easily removed. Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing a housing of the in-vehicle electronic device according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing a bracket attached to the housing shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the housing as viewed from a different direction than that of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the housing as viewed from a direction different from that shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. [Figure 5] 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a wall portion of the housing taken along line BB shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a first modified example of the housing. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a second modified example of the housing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that components with the same reference numerals in each embodiment have the same functions in each embodiment unless otherwise specified, and description thereof will be omitted.

[0011] Fig. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a housing 1 of an in-vehicle electronic device according to this embodiment. Fig. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing a state in which a bracket 6 is attached to the housing 1 shown in Fig. 1.

[0012] The housing 1 of the in-vehicle electronic device is, for example, the housing of an ECU (Electronic Control Unit), and houses a printed wiring board on which electronic components are mounted, etc. The housing 1 is molded using a resin material. A bracket 6 fixed to the vehicle body is attached to and detached from the housing 1 by a worker, etc. In this embodiment, the attachment direction of the bracket 6 to the housing 1 is indicated by arrow A.

[0013] The housing 1 is formed in a roughly rectangular box shape defined by walls 12 that form the outer periphery of the housing 1. An opening 13 is formed on one side of the roughly rectangular box-shaped housing 1 for accommodating a printed wiring board or the like in the internal space of the housing 1. The opening 13 is closed by a lid (not shown). The walls 12 of the housing 1 define the internal space of the housing 1. The walls 12 of the housing 1 have a mounting surface 11 that is an outer surface of the wall 12 and to which the bracket 6 is attached and detached. The mounting direction A of the bracket 6 is a direction along the mounting surface 11. In other words, the mounting direction A is a direction along the wall 12 that has the mounting surface 11.

[0014] The wall portion 12 having the mounting surface 11 has a pair of rails 2, a locking portion 3, a pressed portion 4, and an elastically deformable region portion 5.

[0015] The bracket 6 is made of pressed sheet metal. A locking portion 61 that is locked to the locking portion 3 of the housing 1 is formed at the tip of the bracket 6. The locking portion 61 is formed, for example, as a through hole into which the locking portion 3 can be inserted. The through hole, which is an example of the locking portion 61, is formed in a rectangular shape with a dimension in the width direction (direction perpendicular to the mounting direction A and parallel to the mounting surface 11) greater than the dimension in the depth direction (direction along the mounting direction A). A pair of protruding pieces 62 that protrude laterally are provided on both side portions 63 of the tip of the bracket 6.

[0016] Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the housing 1 viewed from a direction different from that of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the housing 1 viewed from a direction different from that of Figs. 1 and 3. Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the wall portion 12 of the housing 1 taken along line BB shown in Fig. 1.

[0017] The pair of rails 2 are guide portions that movably guide the bracket 6 in the mounting direction A of the bracket 6. The pair of rails 2 are formed to extend along the mounting direction A of the bracket 6. The pair of rails 2 extend parallel to each other to match the shapes of both side portions 63 at the tip of the bracket 6. Grooves 21 are formed on the opposing surfaces of the pair of rails 2. One end of the groove 21 is formed with an open end 23 into which the both side portions 63 at the tip of the bracket 6 are inserted. The other end of the groove 21 is formed with a closed end 24 against which the tip surfaces of the both side portions 63 inserted from the open end 23 abut. The lower surface 22 of the groove 21, which is close to the mounting surface 11, is formed in a tapered shape that slopes slightly downward from the closed end 24 toward the open end 23 so as to approach the mounting surface 11. The lower surface 22 of the open end 23 is an inclined surface that slopes downward so as to approach the mounting surface 11 as it moves in the opposite direction to the mounting direction A of the bracket 6.

[0018] The locking portion 3 locks the locked portion 61 of the bracket 6 guided by the pair of rails 2. The locking portion 3 is provided to protrude from the elastic deformation region 5 toward the outside of the housing 1. The locking portion 3 is disposed between the pair of rails 2. The locking portion 3 protrudes from the mounting surface 11 toward the outside of the housing 1 and is formed as a convex portion that can be inserted into the locked portion 61, which is a through-hole, of the bracket 6. The locking portion 3 is formed in the shape of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped with chamfered side edges. The locking portion 3 attaches the bracket 6 to the housing 1 by locking the locked portion 61 of the bracket 6.

[0019] The pressed portion 4 is pressed toward the inside of the housing 1 by an operator or the like when the bracket 6 is removed. The pressed portion 4 is provided to protrude from the elastic deformation region 5 toward the outside of the housing 1 at a position further forward in the mounting direction A than the locking portion 3. The pressed portion 4 is disposed forward in the mounting direction A than the pair of rails 2. In other words, the pressed portion 4 is disposed at a position not located between the pair of rails 2. The locking portion 3 and the pressed portion 4 are spaced apart from each other along the mounting direction A of the bracket 6, and are disposed side by side in this order: locking portion 3, pressed portion 4. The pressed portion 4 is formed as a convex portion that protrudes from the mounting surface 11 toward the outside of the housing 1. The convex portion that is the pressed portion 4 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape that is larger in height (normal direction to the mounting surface 11), smaller in depth, and larger in width than the convex portion that is the locking portion 3.

[0020] The elastic deformation region 5 is a part of the wall 12 having the mounting surface 11. The elastic deformation region 5 elastically deforms toward the inside of the housing 1 when pressed. The elastic deformation region 5 is formed in an area extending between the pair of rails 2 and beyond the pair of rails 2 in the mounting direction A. A locking portion 3 and a pressed portion 4 are provided in the elastic deformation region 5. The elastic deformation region 5 elastically deforms toward the inside of the housing 1 when pressed against the pressed portion 4. As a result, the protrusion that is the locking portion 3 comes out of the through hole that is the locked portion 61, and the locked state between the locking portion 3 and the locked portion 61 is released.

[0021] The elastic deformation region 5 is formed as a thin-walled portion that is thinner than other portions different from the elastic deformation region 5. The elastic deformation region 5 is positioned closer to the inside of the housing 1 than other portions different from the elastic deformation region 5 of the wall 12 having the mounting surface 11. That is, the outer surface of the wall 12 having the mounting surface 11 has a region where the elastic deformation region 5 is provided recessed toward the inside of the housing 1. On the other hand, the inner surface 14 of the wall 12 having the mounting surface 11 is flat.

[0022] Next, the procedure for attaching the bracket 6 to the housing 1 will be described. The worker or the like inserts both side portions 63 of the tip of the bracket 6 into the groove 21 while being guided along the underside 22 of the open end 23 of the groove 21 of the pair of rails 2. The tip surface 64 of the bracket 6 then abuts against the locking portion 3. When the bracket 6 is further inserted, the locking portion 3 is pressed against the tip surface 64 of the bracket 6, and the elastic deformation region 5 near the locking portion 3 elastically deforms toward the inside of the housing 1. When the bracket 6 is further inserted, the position of the locked portion 61 coincides with the position of the locking portion 3, and the elastically deformed elastic deformation region 5 returns to its original state. The locking portion 3 is inserted into the locked portion 61 of the bracket 6 and locks the locked portion 61. At the same time, the pair of protrusions 62 of the bracket 6 abut against the open end 23 of the pair of rails 2. The bracket 6 is thus attached to the housing 1.

[0023] Next, the procedure for removing the bracket 6 from the housing 1 will be described. The worker or the like presses the pressed portion 4 toward the inside of the housing 1. This causes the elastic deformation area 5 to elastically deform toward the inside of the housing 1. This causes the locking portion 3 to move toward the inside of the housing 1, and the locked state between the locked portion 61 of the bracket 6 and the locking portion 3 is released. Then, both side portions 63 of the tip of the bracket 6 are pulled out from within the grooves 21 of the pair of rails 2. This causes the bracket 6 to be removed from the housing 1.

[0024] As described above, the housing 1 is a housing for an in-vehicle electronic device that has a wall 12 to which the bracket 6 is attached and detached. The wall 12 has a guide portion (a pair of rails 2) that guides the bracket 6 so that it can move in the mounting direction A along the wall 12. The wall 12 has an elastic deformation region 5 that elastically deforms toward the inside of the housing 1 when pressed. The wall 12 is provided so as to protrude from the elastic deformation region 5 toward the outside of the housing 1, and has a locking portion 3 that locks the bracket 6 guided by the guide portion. The wall 12 is provided so as to protrude from the elastic deformation region 5 toward the outside of the housing 1 at a position further forward in the mounting direction A than the locking portion 3, and has a pressed portion 4 that is pressed toward the inside of the housing 1 when the bracket 6 is removed.

[0025] As a result, when the pressed portion 4 is pressed, the elastic deformation region 5 of the housing 1 elastically deforms toward the inside of the housing 1, allowing the locking portion 3 to move toward the inside of the housing 1. Furthermore, since the pressed portion 4 of the housing 1 is disposed at a position separated from the locking portion 3, it is possible to increase the amount of deformation of the elastic deformation region 5 near the locking portion 3, which elastically deforms when the pressed portion 4 is pressed. Therefore, the locked state between the locking portion 3 and the locked portion 61 of the housing 1 can be released simply by pressing the pressed portion 4, allowing the bracket 6 to be easily removed.

[0026] Furthermore, the guide portion that guides the bracket 6 movably in the mounting direction A is formed as a pair of rails 2 extending along the mounting direction A. The locking portion 3 is disposed between the pair of rails 2. The pressed portion 4 is disposed ahead of the pair of rails 2 in the mounting direction A. The elastic deformation region 5 is formed in a region that extends between the pair of rails 2 and ahead of the pair of rails 2 in the mounting direction A.

[0027] As a result, the housing 1 has the pair of rails 2, just like existing housings, and can therefore be easily attached to an existing bracket. Furthermore, the housing 1 has a structure that makes it easy to press the pressed portion 4, since the pressed portion 4 is not covered by the bracket 6. Therefore, the housing 1 can make it even easier to release the locked state between the locking portion 3 and the locked portion 61, and can make it even easier to remove the bracket 6.

[0028] Furthermore, the elastic deformation region 5 is formed as a thin-walled portion.

[0029] As a result, even if the housing 1 is molded using a single resin material, the elastic deformation area 5 can be formed on the wall 12 having the mounting surface 11. Therefore, the housing 1 can easily provide a housing from which the bracket 6 can be easily removed.

[0030] Furthermore, the bracket 6 has a locked portion 61 that is locked by the locking portion 3. The locked portion 61 is formed as a through hole into which the locking portion 3 can be inserted.

[0031] This allows the locking portion 3 to be visually confirmed with the bracket 6 attached to the housing 1, making it easy to check the locked state between the locking portion 3 and the locked portion 61. Furthermore, the locking structure between the locking portion 3 and the locked portion 61 of the housing 1 can be made relatively simple, making it easy to provide a housing from which the bracket 6 can be easily removed.

[0032] Furthermore, the mounting surface 11, which is the outer surface of the wall portion 12, has a region where the elastic deformation region portion 5 is provided that is recessed toward the inside of the housing 1. The inner surface 14 of the wall portion 12 having the mounting surface 11 is flat.

[0033] As a result, the housing 1 does not need to have the elastic deformation area 5 formed by recessing the inner surface 14 of the wall 12, and therefore does not need to have an undercut shape when molded from resin. The housing 1 can be easily molded from resin. Therefore, the housing 1 can easily provide a housing from which the bracket 6 can be easily removed.

[0034] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and can include various modifications. For example, the elastic deformation region 5 may be molded from a flexible resin material that elastically deforms toward the inside of the housing 1 as the pressed portion 4 is pressed. In this way, by selecting the resin material, the housing 1 can flexibly adjust the amount of deformation of the elastic deformation region 5 and the pressing force on the pressed portion 4 required to release the locking portion 3 from the locked portion 61. Another method for flexibly adjusting the amount of deformation and pressing force is to devise a method of adjusting the shape and thickness of the elastic deformation region 5, as shown in Figures 6 and 7.

[0035] Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating a first modified example of the elastic deformation region 5. Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating a second modified example of the elastic deformation region 5. Figs. 6 and 7 correspond to Fig. 5.

[0036] For example, the elastic deformation region 5 may be formed so as to become gradually thinner as the mounting direction A of the bracket 6 progresses, as shown in FIG. Pressed part 4 The part where 52 The thickness of Locking part 3 The part where 51 The thickness of the insulating film 10 may be thinner than that of the insulating film 10.

[0037] As a result, the elastic deformation region 5 shown in FIG. Pressed part 4 The part where 52 6 can reduce the pressing force on the pressed portion 4 required to release the engagement between the locking portion 3 and the locked portion 61. Therefore, the housing 1 shown in FIG. 6 can make it even easier to remove the bracket 6.

[0038] 7, for example, the elastic deformation region 5 is disposed closer to the inside of the housing 1 than another portion of the wall 12 having the mounting surface 11 that is different from the elastic deformation region 5. A connection portion 15 between the elastic deformation region 5 and the other portion may be inclined from the center of the wall 12 having the mounting surface 11 toward the periphery as it moves from the inside to the outside of the housing 1.

[0039] 7, the connecting portion 15 is more likely to elastically deform in response to the pressing force on the pressed portion 4 toward the inside of the housing 1, thereby increasing the amount of deformation of the elastic deformation region 5. Therefore, the housing 1 shown in FIG. 7 allows the bracket 6 to be removed even more easily.

[0040] The present invention can also include modified examples other than the elastic deformation region 5. For example, the shape of the locking portion 3 of the housing 1 can be a triangular prism, a cylinder, or the like, to match the shape of the bracket 6, or multiple locking portions 3 can be provided. The shape of the pressed portion 4 of the housing 1 can be a triangular prism, a cylinder, or the like, to match the shape of the bracket 6, or multiple pressed portions 4 can be provided.

[0041] The above-described embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those including all of the described configurations. Furthermore, it is possible to replace part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, or to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. Furthermore, it is possible to add, delete, or replace part of the configuration of each embodiment with another configuration. [Explanation of symbols]

[0042] 1...housing, 11...mounting surface (outer surface), 12...wall portion, 14...inner surface, 15...connecting portion, 2...pair of rails (guide portion), 3...locking portion, 4...pressed portion, 5...elastic deformation area portion, 51...portion where locking portion is provided, 52...portion where pressed portion is provided, 6...bracket, 61...locked portion, A...mounting direction

Claims

1. A housing for an in-vehicle electronic device having a wall portion to which a bracket is attached and detached, The wall portion is a guide portion that guides the bracket movably in an attachment direction along the wall portion; an elastic deformation region that is elastically deformed toward the inside of the housing when pressed; a locking portion that protrudes from the elastic deformation region toward the outside of the housing and locks the bracket that is guided by the guide portion; a pressed portion that is provided at a position further forward than the locking portion in the mounting direction and that protrudes from the elastic deformation region toward the outside of the housing, and that is pressed toward the inside of the housing when the bracket is removed, The thickness of the elastically deformable region where the pressed portion is provided is thinner than the thickness of the region where the locking portion is provided. A housing for an in-vehicle electronic device.

2. the guide portion is formed as a pair of rails extending along the mounting direction, the locking portion is disposed between the pair of rails, the pressed portion is disposed forward of the pair of rails in the mounting direction, The elastic deformation region is formed in a region that extends between the pair of rails and beyond the pair of rails in the mounting direction.

2. The housing for an in-vehicle electronic device according to claim 1.

3. The elastic deformation region is formed as a thin-walled portion.

2. The housing for an in-vehicle electronic device according to claim 1.

4. the bracket has a locked portion that is locked to the locking portion, The locked portion is formed as a through hole into which the locking portion can be inserted.

2. The housing for an in-vehicle electronic device according to claim 1.

5. the outer surface of the wall portion is recessed toward the inside of the housing in a region where the elastic deformation region is provided; The inner surface of the wall is flat.

2. The housing for an in-vehicle electronic device according to claim 1.

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