Vehicle control device

Abstract

A vehicle control device (1) comprises a control board (30) housed in a housing (20) fixed to a base body (10), and a sensor (60) for detecting movement of a vehicle. The sensor (60) is attached to the control board (30) in a range close to a first side surface (12) and a second side surface (13) of the base body (10) supported by a vehicle body (3). In this configuration, the effect of vibration on the sensor (60) attached to the control board (30) can be effectively suppressed with a simple configuration, and the detection accuracy of the sensor (60) can be improved.

Description

Vehicle control device

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle control device.

[0002] Conventionally, some vehicle control devices that control the movement of a vehicle include an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) equipped with an inertial measurement sensor that detects the acceleration and angular velocity of the vehicle, and use the detection results of the IMU to perform various types of control, such as anti-lock brake control and vehicle attitude control.Furthermore, some vehicle control devices have angular velocity sensors and acceleration sensors attached to a control board (ECU) housed in a housing fixed to a base, and have functions equivalent to those of an inertial measurement sensor (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-88328

[0004] When an inertial measurement sensor is attached to a control board, an elastic part is interposed between the control board and the base body to reduce the effect of vibrations caused by engine operation and vehicle movement on the detection results of the inertial measurement sensor. This configuration poses the problem of increasing the number of parts in the vehicle control device.

[0005] The present invention aims to provide a vehicle control device that can effectively suppress the effects of vibration on a sensor attached to a control board with a simple configuration and can improve the detection accuracy of the sensor.

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, the present invention is a vehicle control device comprising a control board housed in a housing fixed to a base, and a sensor that detects vehicle movement, the sensor being attached to the control board in an area close to the location where the base is supported by the vehicle body.

[0007] The vehicle control device of the present invention can effectively suppress the influence of vibrations on the sensors attached to the control board with a simple configuration, thereby improving the measurement accuracy of the sensors.

[0008] It is a side cross-sectional view showing the vehicle control device according to the embodiment of the present invention, a view showing the inside of a housing of the vehicle control device according to the embodiment of the present invention from the end face side of the base, and a view showing the inside of a housing of the vehicle control device according to a modified embodiment of the embodiment of the present invention from the end face side of the base.

[0009] An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, the up-down direction, the front-rear direction, and the left-right direction are defined for the convenience of explaining the vehicle control device of the present embodiment, and do not limit the configuration of the vehicle control device of the present invention or the state of assembly into the vehicle.

[0010] The vehicle control device of this embodiment will be described as an example of a brake control device used in a bar-handle vehicle such as a motorcycle or a three-wheeled motor vehicle. The vehicle control device of this embodiment can be used as a brake control device for a four-wheeled vehicle or various other vehicle control devices. As shown in FIG. 1 , the vehicle control device 1 of this embodiment includes a base 10, a housing 20 fixed to the base 10, and a control board 30 housed in the housing 20. The vehicle control device 1 is connected between the master cylinder and wheel brakes of the vehicle, and performs various types of control such as anti-lock brake control and vehicle attitude control by controlling the brake fluid pressure acting on the wheel brakes.

[0011] The base body 10 is a metal part formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. A brake fluid passage (oil passage) is formed inside the base body 10. A plurality of electromagnetic valves V, a motor M, a reciprocating pump P, etc. are assembled to the base body 10.

[0012] Of the surfaces of the base 10, a housing 20 is attached to an end surface 11. A bottomed mounting hole into which a solenoid valve V is attached is formed in the end surface 11. The base of the solenoid valve V is inserted into the mounting hole, and the tip portion of the solenoid valve V protrudes from the end surface 11. The number of solenoid valves V assembled to the base 10 varies depending on, for example, the number of wheels of the target vehicle and the control function. A coil assembly 40 is attached to the portion of the solenoid valve V protruding from the end surface 11.

[0013] The coil assembly 40 is an electrical component fitted around the solenoid valve V, surrounding the solenoid valve V. The coil assembly 40 includes a bobbin 41, a connection terminal 42, and a coil 43. When current is applied to the coil 43 of the coil assembly 40, the valve element of the solenoid valve V is driven, causing the solenoid valve V to open and close. The bobbin 41 is a cylindrical resin component (insulating component). The base of the connection terminal 42 is embedded in the front end of the bobbin 41 by insert molding. A conductor that constitutes the coil 43 is wound around the bobbin 41. The end of the conductor of the coil 43 is wound around the connection terminal 42, electrically connecting the coil 43 and the connection terminal 42. The coil assembly 40 is fixed to the end surface 11 of the base 10 with an adhesive 50. That is, the adhesive 50 is interposed between the coil assembly 40 and the end surface 11 of the base 10. The adhesive 50 has a sealing function and has the property of hardening into an elastic body after application. That is, the adhesive 50 hardens in an elastic (cushioning) state. As the adhesive 50, for example, a silicone-based adhesive can be used.

[0014] The housing 20 is a resin box fixed to the end face 11 of the base 10. The housing 20 has openings on both the front face (the face opposite the base 10) and the rear face (the face facing the base 10). The housing 20 is fixed to the end face 11 by screw fastening, covering the solenoid valve V and the coil assembly 40. The front opening of the housing 20 is sealed by a resin lid 21. The lid 21 is fixed to the front end face of the housing 20 by a fixing means such as welding, adhesive, or screw fastening. A control board 30 is accommodated inside the housing 20.

[0015] The control board 30 is an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) having electronic components such as semiconductor chips mounted on a substantially rectangular board body (see FIG. 2 ) on which electrical circuits are printed. The control board 30 is accommodated in an area of ​​the interior space of the housing 20 opposite the base body 10. The control board 30 is disposed parallel to the end surface 11 of the base body 10. A coil assembly 40 is disposed between the control board 30 and the end surface 11 of the base body 10. As shown in FIG. 2 , the control board 30 is provided with a control unit 31 that controls the movement of the vehicle. The control unit 31 controls the movement of the vehicle based on information obtained from sensors (not shown) and the like provided in the vehicle and a pre-stored program. Specifically, the control unit 31 controls the supply of electricity to the coil assembly 40 and the motor M to control the opening and closing of each solenoid valve V and the driving of the motor M.

[0016] A sensor 60 that detects the movement of the vehicle is attached to the control board 30. In this embodiment, the sensor 60 is an inertial measurement sensor that detects the acceleration and angular velocity of the vehicle. The control unit 31 also includes a calculation unit 32 that calculates the detection values ​​detected by the sensor 60. Note that instead of an inertial measurement sensor, the sensor 60 may be at least one of an acceleration sensor and an angular velocity sensor, or a combination of two or more of them.

[0017] The control board 30 has a plurality of connection holes formed therein into which the connection terminals 42 of the coil assembly 40 are press-fitted. The control board 30 and the connection terminals 42 of the coil assembly 40 are electrically connected by a press-fit method. The control board 30 is supported by the connection terminals 42 of the coil assembly 40. In other words, the control board 30 is supported on the end surface 11 of the base 10 via the coil assembly 40. Furthermore, the right-hand region of the control board 30 in FIG. 2 has a plurality of connection holes formed therein into which the connection terminals 72 of the connector connection portion 70 are press-fitted. The control board 30 and the connection terminals 72 of the connector connection portion 70 are electrically connected by a press-fit method. A connector provided on an external wiring cable is connected to the connector connection portion 70. The temperature of the control board 30 increases near the connector of the control board due to the power supplied to the control board 30, particularly in the region of the connector connection portion 70.

[0018] In the base body 10 of this embodiment, with the end face 11 facing forward (as shown in FIG. 1 ), a first side face 12 (left side face) adjacent to the left side of the end face 11 and a second side face 13 (lower face) adjacent to the underside of the end face 11 and the underside of the first side face 12 are formed. A first boundary line L1 (ridge line) is formed between the end face 11 and the first side face 12, and a second boundary line L2 (ridge line) is formed between the end face 11 and the second side face 13. When the base body 10 is mounted on a vehicle, the end face 11 faces forward and the second side face 13 is positioned on the lower side.

[0019] The base body 10 is attached to the vehicle body 3 via a bracket 2. A first support portion 12a connected to the bracket 2 is provided on a first side surface 12 of the base body 10, and a second support portion 13a connected to the bracket 2 is provided on a second side surface 13. The first support portion 12a and the second support portion 13a are fixed to the bracket 2 via a mount member (not shown) or by direct screw fastening. In this way, the first side surface 12 and the second side surface 13 of the base body 10 are supported on the vehicle body 3 via the bracket 2.

[0020] In the vehicle control device 1 of this embodiment, a first virtual line L10 is set between the first boundary line L1 and the second boundary line L2, connecting ends P12 and P22 on the opposite sides of ends P11 and P21 where one end P11 of the first boundary line L1 and one end P21 of the second boundary line L2 meet. In a side view (as shown in FIG. 2 ) from the end face 11 side (front side) of the base 10, the sensor 60 is attached to the control board 30 within an area A2 surrounded by the first boundary line L1, the second boundary line L2, and the first virtual line L10. Furthermore, in the vehicle control device 1 of this embodiment, in a side view (as shown in FIG. 2 ) from the end face 11 side (front side) of the base 10, the sensor 60 is attached to the control board 30 within an area A1 surrounded by the first boundary line L1, the second boundary line L2, and a second virtual line L20 connecting the first support portion 12 a and the second support portion 13 a. In the control board 30, the range A1 where the sensor 60 is attached is a range close to the portion where the base 10 is supported by the vehicle body 3, and is away from the connector connection portion 70. In other words, the range A1 is set so as to include the corners of the four corners of the control board 30 that are closest to the first support portion 12a and the second support portion 13a.

[0021] In the vehicle control device 1 described above, the sensor 60 attached to the control board 30 is disposed in the range A1 close to the portion where the base 10 is supported by the vehicle body 3, so that the influence of vibrations caused by engine operation and vehicle travel on the detection results of the sensor 60 can be effectively suppressed. Therefore, in the vehicle control device 1, the detection accuracy of the sensor 60 attached to the control board 30 can be improved with a simple configuration without providing a vibration-damping component between the control board 30 and the base 10. In particular, in bar-handle vehicles such as motorcycles and tricycles, the vehicle control device 1 is likely to be strongly affected by vibrations from the vehicle behavior and the engine or other prime mover. As a result, if vibrations are transmitted to the sensor 60 attached to the control board 30, the measurement accuracy of acceleration and angular velocity may be impaired, and the sensor 60 itself may be affected. However, in the vehicle control device 1 of this embodiment, the influence of vibrations on the sensor 60 attached to the control board 30 can be effectively suppressed with a simple configuration, so that the measurement accuracy of the sensor 60 can be improved and toughness against vibrations can be improved.

[0022] 1, in the vehicle control device 1 of this embodiment, the control board 30 is supported on the end surface 11 of the base 10 via the coil assembly 40, and the coil assembly 40 is fixed to the end surface 11 of the base 10 via an elastic adhesive 50. In this configuration, the elastic adhesive 50 can suppress vibrations transmitted from the base 10 to the control board 30, making it difficult for vibrations to be transmitted to the sensor 60.

[0023] In the vehicle control device 1 of this embodiment, the sensor 60 can utilize various devices such as a calculation device, a power supply device, and a communication device provided on the control board 30 shown in Fig. 2, which reduces the number of parts and reduces manufacturing costs compared to when the sensor 60 and the control board 30 are configured separately. Furthermore, by utilizing the calculation unit 32 of the control unit 31 of the control board 30, processing can be performed without going through a communication device, thereby increasing the processing speed of the detection value by the sensor 60. This in turn improves the accuracy of vehicle control.

[0024] In the vehicle control device 1 of this embodiment, the sensor 60 is located away from the connector connection portion 70 on the control board 30, so the sensor 60 is less susceptible to the effects of heat generated at the connector connection portion 70 when power is applied.

[0025] While the above describes an embodiment of the present invention, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the vehicle control device 1 shown in FIG. 3 , a first imaginary line L10 is set between the first boundary line L1 and the second boundary line L2, connecting ends P12 and P22 on the opposite sides of the ends P11 and P21 where one end P11 of the first boundary line L1 and one end P21 of the second boundary line L2 meet. In a side view of the base 10 from the end surface 11 side, the sensor 60 is attached to the control board 30 within an area A2 surrounded by the first boundary line L1, the second boundary line L2, and the first imaginary line L10.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 2, the sensor 60 in this embodiment is an inertial measurement sensor that detects both the acceleration and angular velocity of the vehicle, but the sensor attached to the control board 30 may also be an acceleration sensor that detects the acceleration of the vehicle or an angular velocity sensor that detects the angular velocity of the vehicle.

[0027] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Vehicle control device 2 Bracket 3 Vehicle body 10 Base body 11 End face 12 First side surface 12a First support portion 13 Second side surface 13a Second support portion 20 Housing 30 Control board 31 Control unit 32 Calculation unit 40 Coil assembly 41 Bobbin 42 Connection terminal 43 Coil 50 Adhesive 60 Sensor (inertial measurement sensor) 70 Connector connection portion 72 Connection terminal L1 First boundary line L2 Second boundary line L10 First imaginary line L20 Second imaginary line M Motor P Reciprocating pump V Solenoid valve

Claims

1. A vehicle control device comprising: a base; a housing fixed to an end face of the base; a control board accommodated within the housing; and a sensor for detecting vehicle movement, wherein the base is supported by a vehicle body at a first side surface adjacent to the end face and a second side surface adjacent to the end face and the first side surface, and the sensor is attached to the control board within an area surrounded by a first boundary line between the end face and the first side surface, a second boundary line between the end face and the second side surface, and a first imaginary line connecting ends of the first boundary line and the second boundary line, in a side view from the end face side.

2. A vehicle control device as described in claim 1, characterized in that a first support portion connected to the vehicle body is provided on the first side surface, and a second support portion connected to the vehicle body is provided on the second side surface.

3. A vehicle control device as described in claim 2, characterized in that, in a side view from the end face side, the sensor is attached to the control board within an area surrounded by the first boundary line, the second boundary line, and a second virtual line connecting the first support portion and the second support portion.

4. A vehicle control device according to claim 1, characterized in that the sensor comprises at least one of an acceleration sensor for detecting the acceleration of the vehicle and an angular velocity sensor for detecting the angular velocity of the vehicle.

5. A vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor includes at least one inertial measurement sensor for detecting the acceleration and angular velocity of the vehicle.

6. A vehicle control device as described in claim 1, characterized in that an electrical component is accommodated within the housing, the electrical component has a connection terminal electrically connected to the control board, the control board is supported by the connection terminal, the electrical component is fixed to the end face of the base by an adhesive, and the adhesive has elasticity in a hardened state.

7. A vehicle control device as described in claim 6, wherein the electrical component is a coil assembly that drives an electromagnetic valve mounted on the base, and the coil assembly includes a coil and the connection terminal electrically connected to the coil.

8. A vehicle control device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the base is supported by the vehicle body with the second side surface disposed below the base.

9. A vehicle control device as described in claim 1, wherein the control board is provided with a control unit that controls the movement of the vehicle, and the control unit is provided with a calculation unit that calculates the detection value detected by the sensor.