Vehicle Control Module PCB Chip Protection Partition
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Solution Overview
Problem
The electrical contacting of actuators in automatic transmissions is prone to short circuits due to swarf in transmission oil, requiring protective measures that can compromise the mounting area and manufacturing simplicity of control modules, especially when using the dam-and-fill encapsulation method.
Innovation Solution
A control module design featuring a printed circuit board with a dam and potting compound, incorporating a chip protection element that protrudes from the board to create a partition between contact surfaces, which is fixed by the encapsulation compound and provides a labyrinth effect with actuator protective walls to prevent short circuits, while allowing for easier manufacturing and mounting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If recesses are provided in the printed circuit board for protective walls, then chip protection is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The protective function is extracted from the printed circuit board structure itself and transferred to separate protective walls that are attached to the actuator housing. This eliminates the need for complex recesses in the PCB while maintaining chip protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The protection system is segmented into separate components: the actuator housing with integrated protective walls, and the PCB without recesses. This separation simplifies PCB manufacturing while maintaining protection functionality.
2Reliability
If the dam is placed around recesses to prevent potting compound flow, then encapsulation reliability is improved, but mounting area is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The dam structure is extracted from being positioned around PCB recesses and repositioned to surround the actuator housing. This allows the dam to prevent potting compound flow while preserving PCB mounting area.
3Reliability
If protective walls are attached to the actuator, then short circuit prevention is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The protective walls are merged with the actuator housing as an integrated structure rather than separate attachable components. This reduces assembly steps and overall device complexity while maintaining short circuit prevention functionality.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design achieves effective chip protection, prevents short circuits, and simplifies the manufacturing process by allowing the dam and potting compound to run close to the edge of the board, reducing the need for recesses in the printed circuit board and maintaining a compact, inexpensive control module.
Implementation Method 1
a potting compound that embeds the electronic components and is potted within the dam
Implementation Method 2
a chip protection element is inserted into the opening, which protrudes on the back of the circuit board and provides a partition between the contact surfaces
Implementation Method 3
DE 10 2010 030 170 A1 shows a control device in which a frame is arranged on a circuit carrier so that a trough is formed which is filled with a molding compound
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~6
AI summary
A control module (10) for a vehicle comprises a printed circuit board (12) carrying electronic components (14) for controlling at least one actuator (54); a dam (24) applied to the printed circuit board (12) that surrounds the electronic components (14); a potting compound (26) in which the electronic components (14) are embedded and which is potted within the dam (24); electrical contact surfaces (34) for the at least one actuator (54) arranged on a rear side (36) of the printed circuit board (12) opposite a front side (38) with the dam (24) and the potting compound (26); and an opening (32) extending through the printed circuit board (12) between the electrical contact surfaces (34). wherein a chip protection element (30) is inserted into the opening (32), which protrudes on the back (36) of the circuit board (12) and provides a partition (42) between the contact surfaces (34).