Electronic control equipment case

Abstract

An electronic control device case that prevents development of gaps is provided. An electronic control device case (100) comprises: a body case (10) of which at least the front surface is open and including a bottom surface (13) and a pair of side walls (14) formed by bending ends of the bottom surface (13); and a cover portion (20) having a frontal plate (21) closing at least the front surface of the body case (10). The body case (10) has a first flange (11) formed by bending the front end of the bottom surface (13), and second flanges (12) formed by bending the front ends of the pair of side walls (14). The second flanges (12) are positioned in a second plane different from a first plane in which the first flange (11) is positioned. The electronic control device case (100) is configured such that, of the cover portion (20), the back surface side of the lower end of the frontal plate (21) is pressed by the first flange (11), and the front surface side of the side edges of the frontal plate (21) is pressed by the second flanges (12). The configuration makes it possible to sandwich and hold the edges of the frontal plate (21) of the cover portion (20) between the first flange (11) and the second flanges (12).

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Some electronic control devices such as charge-discharge control circuits and protection circuits of a power supply device equipped with a large number of batteries are housed in a metal case. Conventionally, such an electronic control device case has been composed of sheet metal obtained by bending a metal plate. Specifically, as in the electronic control device case 900 shown in FIG. 16, the end portion of the main body case 910 is folded back to form a flange, and an L-shaped cover portion 920 is fixed to this flange by screwing.

[0003] In such a configuration, as shown in the enlarged perspective view of FIG. 19, a gap occurs at the corner of the flange of the main body case 910. There was a possibility that foreign matter such as dust entered the inside of the electronic control device case 900 through this gap, causing an unintended short circuit or the like.

[0004] In particular, conventionally, in consideration of the influence of springback that occurs when bending the sheet metal, it has been necessary to form a shape with an extra gap so that the flange portions do not interfere with each other. As a result, a large gap has occurred at the corner. In order to suppress the gap below the necessary amount, it has been necessary to fill it with resin parts, cushioning materials, or the like.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] One object of the present invention is to provide an electronic control device case in which the generation of a gap is suppressed. Means for Solving the Problems and Effects of the Invention

[0007] To achieve the above objective, an electronic control device case according to a first embodiment of the present invention comprises a main body case having at least an open front and a bottom surface and a pair of side walls formed by bending both ends of the bottom surface, and a cover portion having a front plate that closes at least the front of the main body case, wherein the main body case has a first flange formed by bending the front end of the bottom surface and second flanges formed by bending the front ends of the pair of side walls, the second flanges are located on a second plane different from the first plane on which the first flange is located, and the first flange presses the back side of the lower end of the front plate of the cover portion, and the second flanges press the front sides of both side edges of the front plate. With the above configuration, it is possible to hold the edge of the front plate of the cover portion by sandwiching it between the first flange and the second flange.

[0008] Furthermore, in the electronic control equipment case according to the second embodiment of the present invention, the second plane on which the second flange is located is located outward from the first plane.

[0009] Furthermore, in the electronic control equipment case according to the third embodiment of the present invention, in any of the above embodiments, the first flange has inclined surfaces at both ends in close proximity to the second flange, and the second flange has an inclined surface at its lower end in close proximity to the first flange.

[0010] Furthermore, in the fourth embodiment of the present invention, the electronic control device case is such that, in any of the above embodiments, the inclined surfaces of the first flange and the second flange are inclined at 45°.

[0011] Furthermore, in the fifth embodiment of the present invention, the electronic control equipment case, in any of the above embodiments, has the first flange and the second flange not overlapping in a front view.

[0012] Furthermore, in the sixth embodiment of the present invention, the electronic control equipment case, in any of the above embodiments, has the edge of the first flange bent in a direction away from the front plate, along the lower end of the front plate. With this configuration, the edge of the first flange can be bent to form a guide for the gap between the second flanges, thereby improving the convenience of the assembly work of the electronic control equipment case.

[0013] Furthermore, in any of the above embodiments, the electronic control equipment case according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention has equal widths for the first flange and the second flange.

[0014] Furthermore, in an eighth embodiment of the present invention, the electronic control equipment case, in any of the above embodiments, has a back plate that closes a rear end opening defined by the rear end of the bottom surface and the rear ends of the pair of side walls, and the cover portion has a top surface that is bent from the upper end of the front plate, and the top surface is configured to close an upper end opening that is partitioned between the upper ends of the pair of side walls of the main body case and the upper end of the back plate.

[0015] Furthermore, in any of the above embodiments, the electronic control equipment case according to the ninth embodiment of the present invention has a front panel that does not have an opening for screwing.

[0016] Furthermore, in any of the above embodiments, the electronic control device case according to the tenth embodiment of the present invention is configured such that the main body case and the cover portion are made of metal plates.

[0017] Furthermore, an electronic control device case according to the 11th embodiment of the present invention is an electronic control device case that incorporates a control circuit of a power supply device having a plurality of secondary battery cells, in any of the above embodiments. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0018] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing an electronic control device case according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 2]It is an exploded perspective view including an enlarged view of the main part of the electronic control device case in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] It is a perspective view showing a state where the front panel of the cover part in FIG. 2 is inserted into the gap of the main body case. [Figure 4] It is an enlarged perspective view of the left broken line part of the main body case in FIG. 2. [Figure 5] It is an enlarged perspective view of the right broken line part of the main body case in FIG. 2 as seen obliquely from below. [Figure 6] It is an enlarged perspective view of the left broken line part of the electronic control device case in FIG. 1. [Figure 7] It is an enlarged perspective view of the right broken line part of the electronic control device case in FIG. 1 as seen obliquely from below. [Figure 8] It is an enlarged perspective view of the left broken line part of the electronic control device case in FIG. 1 as seen obliquely from below. [Figure 9] It is an enlarged perspective view of the left broken line part of the electronic control device case in FIG. 2 as seen obliquely from below. [Figure 10] It is a cross-sectional view of the electronic control device case in FIG. 1 along the line X-X. [Figure 11] It is a cross-sectional view of the electronic control device case in FIG. 1 along the line XI-XI. [Figure 12] It is a perspective view of the cross-section of the electronic control device case in FIG. 1 along the line XII-XII as seen from the inside. [Figure 13] It is an end view of the electronic control device case in FIG. 1 along the line XIII-XIII. [Figure 14] It is an exploded perspective view of the electronic control device case in FIG. 1 as seen from the back side. [Figure 15] It is an exploded perspective view including an enlarged view of the main part of the electronic control device case according to Embodiment 2 as seen from the back side. [Figure 16] It is an exploded perspective view showing a conventional electronic control device case. [Figure 17] It is a developed view of the lower case in FIG. 16. [Figure 18] It is an enlarged view of the main part of the lower case in FIG. 17. [Figure 19] It is an enlarged perspective view of the main part of the electronic control device case in FIG. 16. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0019] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiments shown below are illustrative examples for realizing the technical concept of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to these. Furthermore, this specification does not limit the members shown in the claims to the members of the embodiments. In particular, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, etc. of the components described in the embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to those, unless otherwise specifically stated, but are merely illustrative examples. Note that the size and positional relationships of the members shown in each drawing may be exaggerated for clarity of explanation. Furthermore, in the following description, the same name and reference numerals indicate the same or similar members, and detailed explanations are omitted as appropriate. Furthermore, each element constituting the present invention may be configured such that multiple elements are made of the same material, with one material serving multiple elements, or conversely, the function of one material can be shared among multiple materials.

[0020] The electronic control device case of the present invention is used as an outer casing for a power supply unit that controls and monitors circuits for a power supply unit in which a large number of secondary battery cells are connected in series or parallel. It can also be used as an outer casing for a power supply unit that houses secondary battery cells, or as a case for housing other electronic circuits such as control circuits and protection circuits. Power supply units are used in a variety of applications, such as backup power supplies for servers, power supplies that supply power to the motors of electric vehicles such as hybrid cars and electric vehicles, power supplies that store electricity generated from natural energy sources such as solar power and wind power, power supplies for storing off-peak electricity, and power storage power supplies for leveling power loads during peak power demand. Below, an example of using the electronic control device case according to one embodiment of the present invention as an enclosure case for housing the control circuit of a power supply unit, which is attached to the power supply unit, will be described. [Embodiment 1]

[0021] Figures 1 to 3 show an electronic control device case 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In these figures, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an electronic control device case 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view including an enlarged view of the main part of the electronic control device case 100 of Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the insertion of the front plate 21 of the cover portion 20 of Figure 2 into the first gap D1 of the main body case 10. The electronic control device case 100 shown in these figures comprises a main body case 10 and a cover portion 20. (Main case 10)

[0022] The main body case 10 is open at least on the front. The main body case 10 also has a bottom surface 13 and a pair of side walls 14 formed by bending both ends of the bottom surface 13. The upper ends of the pair of side walls 14 are each bent to form a fifth flange 18. Furthermore, the main body case 10 has a back plate 15 that closes the rear end opening defined by the rear end of the bottom surface 13 and the rear ends of the pair of side walls 14. This main body case 10 is formed by bending a metal sheet such as cold-rolled steel sheet. (Cover section 20)

[0023] The cover portion 20 has a front plate 21 that closes the front of the main case 10. In the example shown in Figures 1 to 3, the cover portion 20 has a top surface 22 that is integrally formed with the front plate 21. The top surface 22 and the front plate 21 are formed by bending a metal plate. Preferably, they are made of the same metal as the main case 10. The top surface 22 of the cover portion 20 closes the upper end opening that is partitioned between the upper ends of the pair of side walls 14 of the main case 10 and the upper end of the back plate 15. The top surface 22 of the cover portion 20 is screwed into the fifth flange 18 by screw holes that are opened in the fifth flange 18. (First flange 11, second flange 12)

[0024] Furthermore, the main case 10 has a first flange 11 formed by bending the front end of the bottom surface 13, and second flanges 12 formed by bending the front ends of a pair of side walls 14. As shown in Figure 2, the first flange 11 and the second flange 12 do not overlap in a front view. Specifically, the first flange 11 has inclined surfaces at both ends where it is close to the second flange 12, and the second flange 12 has an inclined surface at its lower end where it is close to the first flange 11. These inclined surfaces of the first flange 11 and the second flange 12 are inclined at 45°. In addition, the width of the protrusions from the bent portions of the first flange 11 and the second flange 12 are equal.

[0025] The front panel 21 of the cover portion 20 is sandwiched between the first flange 11 and the second flange 12 so that the front of the main case 10 is closed by the front panel 21 of the cover portion 20. Specifically, as shown in the enlarged perspective view of the main part in Figure 2, a first gap D1 is provided between the first flange 11 and the second flange 12, and the front panel 21 is inserted or press-fitted into this first gap D1 as shown in Figure 3 to close it. For this reason, the first flange 11 and the second flange 12 are not on the same plane. The positional relationship between the first flange 11, the second flange 12, and the front panel 21 is shown in Figures 4 to 13. In these figures, Figure 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the left dashed line portion of the main case 10 in Figure 2, Figure 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the right dashed line portion of the main case 10 in Figure 2 viewed from diagonally below, Figure 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the left dashed line portion of the electronic control equipment case 100 in Figure 1, Figure 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the right dashed line portion of the electronic control equipment case 100 in Figure 1 viewed from diagonally below, Figure 8 is an enlarged perspective view of the left dashed line portion of the electronic control equipment case 100 in Figure 1 viewed from diagonally below, and Figure 9 is the electronic control equipment case 100 in Figure 2 Figure 10 is an enlarged perspective view of the left dashed line portion of the sub-control device case 100, viewed from diagonally below; Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view of the electronic control device case 100 in Figure 1 along line XX; Figure 12 is a perspective view of the cross-section of the electronic control device case 100 in Figure 1 along line XII-XII, viewed from the inside; and Figure 13 is an end view of the electronic control device case 100 in Figure 1 along line XIII-XIII.

[0026] The second flange 12 is located on a second plane different from the first plane on which the first flange 11 is located. Here, as shown in Figures 4, 5, 8, 10, and 11, the second plane on which the second flange 12 is located is located further out than the first plane. As shown in Figure 11, the back side of the lower end of the front plate 21 is pressed by the first flange 11, and as shown in Figure 10, the front sides of both edge corners of the front plate 21 are pressed by the second flange 12. With this configuration, the edge of the front plate 21 of the cover portion 20 can be held in place by being sandwiched between the first flange 11 and the second flange 12.

[0027] In conventional electronic control equipment cases 900, as shown in Figure 16, the first flange 911 and the second flange 912 are located on the same plane, and the front plate 921 is screwed to these first flanges 911 and second flanges 912. In electronic control equipment cases 900 with this configuration, as shown in the exploded view of Figure 17, the main case 910 is formed from sheet metal, and the edges of the sheet metal are bent at 90° to form the first flange 911 and the second flange 912. When bending metal sheets such as sheet metal, springback occurs. Therefore, bending at an angle of 90° or more is required, which may cause interference between the end faces of the first flange 911 and the second flange 912.

[0028] Therefore, as shown in the unfolded view in Figure 18, it was necessary to form a gap GP at the boundary between the first flange 911 and the second flange 912 so that they would not interfere with each other during bending. As a result, a relatively large gap remained at the corner of the electronic control equipment case 900 after bending, as shown in Figure 19. For this reason, it was necessary to fill the gap with resin material or cushioning material to prevent foreign matter such as dust from entering from the corner of the electronic control equipment case 900.

[0029] In contrast, in the electronic control equipment case 100 according to this embodiment, the first flange 11 and the second flange 12, which are formed by bending, are positioned on different planes, thereby preventing interference between them even when bending at an angle of 90° or more. As a result, the need to create a large gap to avoid interference is avoided, and the effort required to prepare and arrange a member to fill the gap is also reduced. For example, in the conventional electronic control equipment case 900 shown in Figure 19, the gap was relatively large, but in the electronic control equipment case 100 according to this embodiment, as shown in Figure 9, the gap can be reduced to a narrow, elongated slit shape, effectively preventing the intrusion of foreign matter.

[0030] In addition, by designing the first gap D1 between the first flange 11 and the second flange 12 to be approximately the same as or narrower than the thickness of the front plate 21, the front plate 21 can be fixed by press-fitting. As a result, the effort of fixing the front plate 21 to the first flange 11 and the second flange 12 by screwing can be eliminated. In particular, with screwing, as shown in Figure 16, it is necessary to apply a screwdriver or the like from the side of the front plate 21, and space is required around the electronic control equipment case. For example, during maintenance, depending on the environment in which the electronic control equipment case is installed, it may not be possible to secure sufficient space around it. Even in such cases, as shown in Figure 3, the electronic control equipment case 100 according to this embodiment allows the main body case 10 to be screwed in from the top surface 22 side of the cover part 20, thus improving accessibility when attaching or detaching the cover part 20. Furthermore, while conventionally it was necessary to screw from both the top and side surfaces as shown in Figure 16, in the electronic control equipment case 100 according to this embodiment, the cover portion 20 can be fixed by screwing only from the top surface 22, thus concentrating the work to the top direction and improving workability during assembly. In addition, it becomes unnecessary to provide openings such as screw holes for screwing in the front plate 21. Furthermore, openings for screwing can also be eliminated in the first flange 11 and the second flange 12 in the same way. This reduces the processing cost of sheet metal. Moreover, by not forming openings or notches for screwing, the strength of the first flange 11 and the second flange 12 can be improved, and the contact area for pressing and crimping against the front plate 21 can be increased, which is expected to improve rigidity and stability.

[0031] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the first flange 11 has a bent piece 11b at the edge on the side into which the lower end of the front plate 21 is inserted, which is bent away from the front plate 21. By bending the edge of the first flange 11 in this way, a guide can be formed for the first gap D1 between it and the second flange 12, as shown in the perspective view of Figure 12, thereby improving the convenience of the assembly work of the electronic control equipment case 100. As shown in the end view of Figure 13, the angle θ at which the bent piece 11b is bent can be set to any angle, such as 5° to 45°.

[0032] Figure 14 shows an exploded perspective view of the electronic control equipment case 100 according to Embodiment 1, viewed from the rear. As shown in this figure, the rear panel 15 of the main case 10 is made of a separate component. The rear panel 15 is fixed to the side wall 14 and the bottom surface 13 via a third flange 16 and a fourth flange 17, which are bent at the rear edge of the main case 10.

[0033] In the example shown in Figure 14, the third flange 16 and the fourth flange 17 are located on the same plane. The back plate 15 is fixed by screwing it in through screw holes that are opened in the third flange 16 and the fourth flange 17, respectively. [Embodiment 2]

[0034] As described above, in the electronic control equipment case 100 according to Embodiment 1, the first flange 11 and the second flange 12 on the front side are not on the same plane but are arranged with a first gap D1, and the front plate 21 is sandwiched between them, while the rear plate 15 has the third flange 16 and the fourth flange 17 arranged on the same plane and fixed by screwing. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and the rear plate 15 may also be configured to be fixed by sandwiching it between the third flange 16 and the fourth flange 17, similar to the front plate 21. Such an example is shown in the exploded perspective view of Figure 15 as the electronic control equipment case 200 according to Embodiment 2. In the electronic control equipment case 200 shown in this figure, the same reference numerals are used for the same components as in the electronic control equipment case 100 according to Embodiment 1 described above, and detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0035] As shown in the enlarged view of the main part in Figure 15, the fourth flange 17' is positioned on a fourth plane different from the third plane on which the third flange 16' is located. Therefore, when determining the folding positions of the third flange 16' and the fourth flange 17' in the unfolded state, and when folding these third flange 16' and fourth flange 17', they are designed in advance to be located on different planes. The height difference between the third flange 16' and the fourth flange 17', i.e., the second gap D2, is designed to be approximately the same as the thickness of the back plate 15'. In particular, by designing the second gap D2 to be the same as or slightly narrower than the thickness of the back plate 15', the back plate 15' can be press-fitted into the second gap D2 during the assembly of the electronic control equipment case 200, and the back plate 15' can be fixed to the main case 10' by a fitting structure, eliminating the need for screws or the like. Preferably, the design can be simplified by constructing the back panel 15' and the front panel 21 from the same metal plate and setting the second gap D2 to the same width as the first gap D1.

[0036] In each of the embodiments described above, the back panel may be made of a separate component from the main body case, or it may be made by bending the rear end of the bottom surface of the main body case. [Industrial applicability]

[0037] The electronic control device case according to the present invention can be suitably used as a backup electronic control device case that can be mounted on the power supply module of a computer server. It can also be appropriately used as a backup electronic control device case for wireless base stations such as mobile phones, a power supply for energy storage in homes and factories, a power supply for streetlights, a power storage device combined with solar cells, a backup power supply for traffic lights, or a power supply for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, electric vehicles, etc., that can switch between EV driving mode and HEV driving mode. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0038] 100, 200, 900... Electronic control equipment cases 10, 10', 910... Main unit case 11, 911…First flange; 11b…Folded piece 12, 912... Second flange 13…Bottom 14…Side wall 15, 15'...Back plate 16, 16'... Third flange 17, 17'... Fourth flange 18…Fifth flange 20,920...cover section 21, 921...front plate 22... Top surface D1...First gap D2...Second gap GP... Gap

Claims

1. A main body case having at least an open front, a bottom surface, and a pair of side walls formed by bending both ends of the bottom surface, A cover portion having a front panel that closes at least the front of the main body case, An electronic control device case comprising, The main body case has a first flange formed by bending the front end of the bottom surface, and second flanges formed by bending the front ends of the pair of side walls, The second flange is located on a second plane different from the first plane on which the first flange is located. The cover portion, The lower end of the front plate is attached to the back side by the first flange. An electronic control device case configured such that the surface side of both edge ends of the front plate is pressed by the second flange.

2. An electronic control device case according to claim 1, An electronic control device case in which the second plane on which the second flange is located is located outward from the first plane.

3. A main body case having at least an open front surface, a bottom surface, and a pair of side walls formed by bending both ends of the bottom surface, A cover portion having a front panel that closes at least the front of the main body case, An electronic control device case comprising, The main body case has a first flange formed by bending the front end of the bottom surface, and second flanges formed by bending the front ends of the pair of side walls, The second flange is located on a second plane different from the first plane on which the first flange is located. The cover portion, The lower end of the front plate is attached to the back side by the first flange. The front plate is configured to be pressed against the surface side of both end edges by the second flange. The first flange has inclined surfaces at both ends that are close to the second flange. The second flange is an electronic control device case in which the portion of its lower end adjacent to the first flange is inclined.

4. An electronic control device case according to claim 3, The inclined surfaces of the first and second flanges are tilted at a 45° angle, forming an electronic control equipment case.

5. A main body case having at least an open front surface, a bottom surface, and a pair of side walls formed by bending both ends of the bottom surface, A cover portion having a front panel that closes at least the front of the main body case, An electronic control device case comprising, The main body case has a first flange formed by bending the front end of the bottom surface, and second flanges formed by bending the front ends of the pair of side walls, The second flange is located on a second plane different from the first plane on which the first flange is located. The cover portion, The lower end of the front plate is attached to the back side by the first flange. The front plate is configured to be pressed against the surface side of both end edges by the second flange. The first flange and the second flange are an electronic control equipment case that do not overlap in a front view.

6. An electronic control device case according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The first flange is an electronic control equipment case in which the edge along the lower end of the front plate is bent in a direction away from the front plate.

7. An electronic control device case according to any one of claims 1 to 6, An electronic control device case having equal widths for the first flange and the second flange.

8. An electronic control device case according to any one of claims 1 to 7, The main body case has a back plate that closes the rear end opening defined by the rear end of the bottom surface and the rear ends of the pair of side walls. The cover portion has a top surface that is bent from the upper end of the front panel. An electronic control device case configured such that the top surface closes an upper opening that is partitioned between the upper ends of the pair of side walls of the main body case and the upper end of the back panel.

9. An electronic control device case according to any one of claims 1 to 8, The aforementioned front panel is an electronic control equipment case that does not have openings for screwing.

10. An electronic control device case according to any one of claims 1 to 9, An electronic control device case in which the main body case and cover portion are made of metal plates.

11. An electronic control device case according to any one of claims 1 to 10, An electronically controlled device case that incorporates the control circuit of a power supply unit equipped with multiple secondary battery cells.

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