Housing structure for electronic components

Abstract

A housing for an on-board charger including electronic components includes an upper cover having an outer enclosure formed of a plastic material and an inner part formed of a metallic material, a bottom cover having an inner component and an outer component, and a second half channel formed of a plastic material. The inner part of the upper cover includes a first half channel extending through an opening of the outer enclosure, and the second half channel is securely attached to the first half channel to form a passage for a coolant for providing thermal cooling for the electronic components disposed inside the housing. Further, the outer component of the bottom cover is attached to the outer enclosure of the upper cover by a bonding method for a sealing effect.

Description

Attorney Docket No.: 91602-00360 (ID 24050) HOUSING STRUCTURE FOR ELECTRONIC COMPONENTSFIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to electronic components for a vehicle. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a housing structure for the electronic components in the vehicle.BACKGROUND

[0002] The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.

[0003] It is known to package a printed circuit board (PCB) with heat producing electrical components in an electronic module. The electronic module (i.e., electronic enclosure) generally includes a thermal heat sink to prevent overheating of the electrical components. The metal enclosure with heat sinks, although efficient at removing heat, are less amenable to the intricate geometries that are desirable for electronic enclosures. For example, there is a possibility that a wasteful space may be generated due to a shape restriction and a mounting structure leading to an increase in size and weight of the enclosure and also the number of assembly steps to seal the enclosure. Further, in order for the insulation in the metal enclosure, it is necessary to affix a sealing component such as an epoxy to secure the insulation, which may lead to an increase in the number of components and an increase in size, and a disadvantage in that the number of assembly steps increases. Accordingly, it is desired to have a housing structure that is compact, lightweight, and also reduce the number of assembly steps to enclose the electrical components.Attorney Docket No.: 91602-00360 (ID 24050)SUMMARY

[0004] It is generally developed that an electronic enclosure is made of a polymer-based power electronic housing and provides thermal management to reduce weight and also reduce manufacturing time and cost by eliminating post processing steps and also simplifying the assembly process. Further, the present disclosure relates to a housing structure to enclose the electronic components for sealingly accommodating the PCB on which electronic components are mounted. The housing structure includes a plastic portion made of a polymer material, thereby reducing the weight of the housing structure enclosing the electronic components and also enhancing sealing effect. In addition, the housing structure of the present disclosure includes a metal portion made of a conductive material, thereby providing thermal cooling and the EMI shielding. Further, the housing structure includes a coolant passage, thereby actively providing the thermal cooling for the electronic components disposed inside the housing.

[0005] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a housing for an on-board charger including electronic components comprises an upper cover including an outer enclosure formed of a plastic material and an inner part formed of a metallic material, a bottom cover including an inner component and an outer component, and a second half channel formed of a plastic material. The inner part of the upper cover includes a first half channel extending through an opening of the outer enclosure. The outer component of the bottom cover is securely attached to the outer enclosure of the upper cover and the second half channel is securely attached to the first half channel to form a passage for a coolant for providing a thermal cooling for the electronic components disposed inside the housing.

[0006] According to a further aspect of the present disclosure, the inner part of the upper cover is formed by a die-casting process and includes a first side which has the first half channel, and a second side which is opposite from the first side and has a plurality ofAttorney Docket No.: 91602-00360 (ID 24050)protrusions. The plurality of protrusions of the inner part are arranged between the electronic components to provide thermal cooling for the electronic components.

[0007] According to a further aspect of the present disclosure, the upper cover further includes at least one side plate formed of a metallic material, and arranged along a perimeter of the outer enclosure and substantially parallel to a side surface of the outer enclosure. The upper cover comprises the outer enclosure, the inner part and the at least one side plate formed by an insert molding process, and is further configured to provide EMI shielding and thermal cooling for the electronic components disposed inside the housing.

[0008] According to a further aspect of the present disclosure, the second half channel includes a first end and a second end, which are each formed with a tubular shape and used for a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet.

[0009] According to a further aspect of the present disclosure, the inner component of the bottom cover is formed of a metallic material and the outer component of the bottom cover is formed of a plastic material. The bottom cover comprises the inner component and the outer component formed by an insert molding process and is configured to provide the thermal cooling and EMI shielding for the electronic components disposed inside the housing.

[0010] According to a further aspect of the present disclosure, the outer component of the bottom cover is attached to the outer enclosure by a bonding method to provide a sealing effect.

[0011] According to a further aspect of the present disclosure, the on-board charger includes an AC connector, a LV connector, and a HVDC connector, which are each attached to the upper cover for connecting with other electronic devices and / or a power supply.

[0012] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a method for a housing assembly for an on-board charger including electronic components includes the steps ofAttorney Docket No.: 91602-00360 (ID 24050) providing an upper cover having an outer enclosure formed of a plastic material and an inner part formed of a metallic material, providing a bottom cover including an inner component formed of a metallic material and an outer component formed of a plastic material, attaching the outer enclosure of the upper cover to the outer component of the bottom cover, providing a second half channel formed of a plastic material, and attaching the second half channel to a first half channel formed in the inner part of the upper cover to form a coolant passage for providing thermal cooling.

[0013] Further details and benefits will become apparent from the following detailed description of the appended drawings. The drawings are provided herewith purely for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] In order that the disclosure may be well understood, there will now be described various forms thereof, given by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a housing for an on-board charger including electronic components in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 1 A is an exploded view of the electronic components and a printed circuit board (PCB) of FIG. 1;

[0016] FIG. 2A is a perspective view of an upper cover of the housing of FIG. 1 , and FIG.2B is an exploded view of the upper cover of FIG. 2A;

[0017] FIG. 3A is a top perspective view of an inner part of the upper enclosure of FIG.2A, and FIG. 3B is a bottom perspective view of the inner part of FIG. 3A;

[0018] FIG. 4A is a top perspective view of a second half channel of the housing of FIG.1 , and FIG. 4B is a bottom perspective view of the second half channel of FIG. 4A;Attorney Docket No.: 91602-00360 (ID 24050)

[0019] FIG. 5A is a perspective view of a bottom cover of the housing of FIG. 1, and FIG.5B is an exploded view of the bottom cover of FIG. 5A; and

[0020] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional side view of the housing, line 6-6 of FIG. 1.

[0021] The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the present disclosure or its application or uses. It should be understood that throughout the drawings, corresponding reference numerals indicate like or corresponding parts and features.

[0023] FIG. 1 shows an on-board charger formed with a housing 10 with the thermal management. The on-board charger housing 10 includes an upper cover 12, a bottom cover 14, and a passage 16 (i.e. , a coolant pipe) securely coupled to the upper cover 12. The onboard charger housing 10 further includes an AC connector 46, a LV connector 48, and a HVDC connector 50 attached to the outside of the upper cover 12 to connect with other electronic devices and / or a power supply (not shown). Further, the on-board charger includes a plurality of electronic components 17 attached to a printed circuit board 19 disposed inside the housing 12. As shown in FIG. 1A, the printed circuit board (PCB) 19 physically supports the electronic components 17 and also provide an electric circuit (not shown) to operate all of the electronic components 17 attached on the printed circuit board 19 inside the housing 10.

[0024] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 1A, the on-board charger housing 10 is formed with a power electronic housing, including integrated thermal managements such as the coolant pipe, a plurality of fins formed on the housing, a combined materials including polymerAttorney Docket No.: 91602-00360 (ID 24050)materials and also metallic materials. Accordingly, the on-board charger housing 10 with the integrated thermal management reduces the weight of the components and also the manufacturing time and cost. Compared to the electronic housing formed with a metallic material, the on-board charger housing 10 of the present disclosure may eliminate the post processing step (e.g., surface treatment, drilling, etc.) such that the assembly process of the on-board charger may be simplified.

[0025] FIG. 2A shows a perspective view of the upper cover 12 and FIG. 2B shows an exploded view of the upper cover 12. The upper cover 12 includes an outer enclosure 18 formed of a polymer material, and an inner part 20 and a side plate 22 are each formed of a metallic material such as an aluminum. Further, the upper cover 12 is combined with the outer enclosure 18, the inner part 20, and the side plate 22 by an insert molding process (e.g., a metal polymer adhesive (MPA) technology) such that the inner part 20 and the side plate 22 are each securely attached to the outer enclosure 18. Further, the side plate 22 is formed of the metallic material such as an aluminum and arranged around a perimeter of the outer enclosure 18. Accordingly, the upper cover 12 coupled with the inner part 20 and the side plate 22, which are both formed of the metallic material is configured to provide an EMI shielding for the electronic components 17 disposed inside the housing 10. Further, the inner part 20 and the side plate 22 formed of the metallic material are also configured to provide the thermal cooling for the electronic components 17 disposed inside the housing 10.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 2B, the outer enclosure 18 includes a top surface 24 having an opening 26 for the coolant passage 16. Further, the outer enclosure 18 includes side surfaces 28 around the perimeter of the outer enclosure 18. The side surfaces 28 of the outer enclosure 18 are formed with a plurality of fins 30 formed on the outer side of the side surfaces 28 to provide the thermal cooling for the electronic components 17 disposed insideAttorney Docket No.: 91602-00360 (ID 24050)the housing 12. In FIG. 2B, the side plate 22 is securely attached to the side surfaces 28 of the outer enclosure 18 and configured to provide the EMI shielding and the thermal cooling for the electronic components 17 disposed inside the housing 12.

[0027] FIG. 3A shows a top perspective view of the inner part 20 and FIG. 3B shows a bottom perspective view of the inner part 20 of the present disclosure. The inner part 20 is formed of a metallic material such as an aluminum by a die-casting process. It is also understood that the inner part 20 may be formed by other manufacturing methods such as a machining process, etc. As shown in FIG. 3A, a first side 32 of the inner part 20 is formed with a first half channel 36 to form the coolant passage 16 such that the coolant flows through the coolant passage 16 configured for actively cooling the electronic components 17 disposed inside the housing 12.

[0028] In FIG. 3B, the second side 34 of the inner part 20 is formed with a plurality of protrusions 35 having the various geometrical shapes such as rectangular shapes, oval shapes, etc. The plurality of protrusions 35 are each fitted with the electronic components 17 disposed inside the housing 12. The shapes of the plurality of protrusions 35 are determined according to the arrangement of the electronic components 17 inside the housing 10 to effectively provide the thermal cooling. As shown in FIG. 3B, the plurality of protrusions 35 of the inner part 20 are each arranged closely between the electronic components 17 inside the housing 10 such that the plurality of protrusions 35 are configured to provide the thermal cooling and also the EMI shielding for the electronic components 17.

[0029] FIG. 4A shows a top perspective view of a second half channel 38 and FIG. 4B shows a bottom perspective view of the second half channel 38 of the present disclosure. The second half channel 38 is formed of a polymer material and is securely and sealingly attached to the first half channel 36 of the inner part 20 by fastening elements 40 to form the cooling passage 16 (see FIG. 1). As shown in FIG. 1, accordingly, the coolant passage 16Attorney Docket No.: 91602-00360 (ID 24050)is formed by the first half channel 36 formed of the metallic material and the second half channel 38 formed of the plastic material and is configured for actively cooling the electronic components 17 disposed inside the housing 10.

[0030] As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the second half channel 38 includes a first end 37 and a second end 39, which are each formed with a tubular shape. It is understood that each of the first and second ends 37 and 39 may be formed with other shapes. Each of the first and second ends 37 and 39 is used for a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet such that the first end 37 and the second end 39 are connected to the respective coolant pipe for the coolant flow. In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the first end 37 may use as the coolant inlet and the second end 39 may be used as the coolant outlet such that the coolant enters through the first end 37 and exits through the second end 39.

[0031] Referring back to FIG. 1, the on-board charger housing 10 further includes the bottom cover 14, which is securely attached to the upper cover 12 such that the housing 10 securely encloses the electronic components 17. FIG. 5A shows a perspective view of the bottom cover 14 including an inner component 42 and an outer component 44, and FIG. 5B shows the exploded view of the bottom cover 14. As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the inner component 42 of the bottom cover 14 is formed of the metallic material such as an aluminum and has around 0.5 mm thickness, and the outer component 44 of the bottom cover 14 is formed of a polymer material. In FIG. 5A, further, the inner component 42 is attached to the outer component 44 by an insert molding process such as a MPA technology. The bottom cover 14 includes the metallic inner component 42, which is configured to provide the EMI shielding and / or the thermal cooling for the electronic components disclosed inside the housing 10.

[0032] Referring back to FIG. 1, further, the housing 10 is formed with the upper cover 12 having the outer enclosure 18 and the bottom cover 14 having the outer component 44.Attorney Docket No.: 91602-00360 (ID 24050)The outer enclosure 18 of the upper cover 12 and also the outer component 44 of the bottom cover 14 are each formed of a polymer material and both the outer enclosure 18 and the outer component 44 are securely and sealingly attached to each other by one of the bonding methods such as a welding (e.g., a laser welding) or an adhesive material. Accordingly, the upper cover 12 and the bottom cover 14 are securely attached to form the housing 10 of the on-board charger of the present disclosure.

[0033] FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional side view along line 6-6 of FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 6, the on-board charger housing 10 is formed with the upper cover 12 and the bottom cover 14. Further, each of the upper cover and the bottom cover 12 and 14 includes the metallic parts, which are each arranged inside the upper and bottom covers 12 and 14, and are configured to provide the thermal cooling and also the EMI shielding for the electronic components 17 (see FIGS. 1 and 1A) located inside the housing 10. As shown in FIG. 6, further, the upper cover 12 and the bottom cover 14 include the plastic parts, which are each arranged outside the upper and bottom covers 12 and 14 such that the housing 10 includes the plastic portions made of a polymer material, thereby reducing the weight of the housing structure and further reducing its manufacturing time and cost.

[0034] The foregoing description of various forms of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Numerous modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The forms discussed were chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in various forms and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claims whenAttorney Docket No.: 91602-00360 (ID 24050) interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally, and equitably entitled.

Claims

Attorney Docket No.: 91602-00360 (ID 24050)CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. A housing for an on-board charger including electronic components, the housing comprising:an upper cover including:an outer enclosure formed of a plastic material, the outer enclosure having an opening, andan inner part formed of a metallic material, the inner part having a first half channel extending through the opening of the outer enclosure;a bottom cover including an inner component and an outer component, the outer component is securely attached to the outer enclosure of the upper cover; anda second half channel formed of a plastic material,wherein the second half channel is securely attached to the first half channel to form a passage for a coolant for providing thermal cooling for the electronic components disposed inside the housing.

2. The housing of claim 1 , wherein the inner part is formed by a die-casting process and includes a first side formed with the first half channel, and a second side opposite from the first side and formed with a plurality of protrusions.

3. The housing of claim 2, wherein the plurality of protrusions of the inner part are arranged between the electronic components to provide the thermal cooling for the electronic components disposed inside the housing.Attorney Docket No.: 91602-00360 (ID 24050)4. The housing of claim 1, wherein the upper cover further includes at least one side plate formed of a metallic material, and arranged along a perimeter of the outer enclosure and substantially parallel to a side surface of the outer enclosure.

5. The housing of claim 4, wherein the upper cover comprises the outer enclosure, the inner part and the at least one side plate formed by an insert molding, and is configured to provide the thermal cooling and EMI shielding for the electronic components disposed inside the housing.

6. The housing of claim 1 , wherein the second half channel includes a first end and a second end, which are each formed with a tubular shape and used for a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet.

7. The housing of claim 1 , wherein the inner component of the bottom cover is formed of a metallic material and the outer component of the bottom cover is formed of a plastic material.

8. The housing of claim 7, wherein the bottom cover comprises the inner component and the outer component formed by an insert molding, and is configured to provide the thermal cooling and EMI shielding for the electronic components disposed inside the housing.

9. The housing of claim 1 , wherein the bottom cover is attached to the upper cover by a bonding method to provide a sealing effect.Attorney Docket No.: 91602-00360 (ID 24050)10. The housing of claim 1, wherein the on-board charger further includes an AC connector, a LV connector, and a HVDC connector, which are each attached to the upper cover for connecting with other electronic devices and / or a power supply.

11. A housing for on-board charger including electronic components, the housing comprising:an upper cover including an outer enclosure formed of a plastic material; and a bottom cover including an inner component and an outer component receiving the inner component, the inner component of the bottom cover formed of a metallic material and the outer component of the bottom cover formed of a plastic material,wherein the outer enclosure of the upper cover abuts and is securely attached to the outer component of the bottom cover by a bonding method for a sealing effect.

12. The housing of claim 11, wherein the upper cover further includes an inner part formed of a metallic material by a die-casting process.

13. The housing of claim 12, wherein the inner part includes a first side formed with a first half channel, and a second side opposite from the first side and formed with a plurality of protrusions arranged between the electronic components.

14. The housing of claim 13, wherein the housing further includes a second half channel formed of a plastic material and attached to the first half channel extending through an opening of the outer enclosure to form a passage for a coolant.Attorney Docket No.: 91602-00360 (ID 24050)15. The housing of claim 14, wherein the second half channel includes a first end and a second end, which are each formed with a tubular shape and used for a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet, respectively.

16. The housing of claim 11 , wherein the upper cover further includes at least one side plate formed of a metallic material, and arranged along a perimeter of the outer enclosure and substantially parallel to a side surface of the outer enclosure.

17. The housing of claim 16, wherein the upper cover comprises the outer enclosure, an inner part, and the at least one side plate formed by an insert-molding, and is configured to provide the thermal cooling and EMI shielding for the electronic components disposed inside the housing.

18. The housing of claim 11 , wherein the bottom cover comprises the inner component and the outer component formed by an insert-molding, and is configured to provide the thermal cooling and EMI shielding for the electronic components disposed inside the housing.

19. The housing of claim 11, wherein the outer enclosure of the upper cover and the outer component of the bottom cover are securely attached to each other by a bonding method to provide a sealing effect.

20. A method for a housing assembly for an on-board charger including electronic components, the method comprising the steps of:Attorney Docket No.: 91602-00360 (ID 24050) providing an upper cover including an outer enclosure formed of a plastic material and an inner part formed of a metallic material;providing a bottom cover including an inner component formed of a metallic material and an outer component formed of a plastic material; andattaching the outer enclosure of the upper cover to the outer component of the bottom cover by a bonding method for a sealing effect.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising the steps of providing a second half channel formed of a plastic material, and attaching the second half channel to a first half channel formed in the inner part of the upper cover to form a coolant passage for providing thermal cooling.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the outer enclosure includes an opening to extend the first half channel of the inner part formed by a die-casting process through the opening.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of providing at least one side plate formed of a metallic material to be arranged along a perimeter of the outer enclosure and substantially parallel to a side surface of the outer enclosure.

24. The method of claim 23, the step of providing the upper cover includes the step of forming the outer enclosure, the inner part and the at least one side plate by an insert molding process.

25. The method of claim 20, the step of providing the bottom cover includes the step of forming the inner component and the outer component by an insert molding process.

Images