ECU Bracket Elastic Locking Against Accidental Detachment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic control component brackets fail to securely attach electronic control components like ECUs, allowing them to be easily detached even under unexpected external forces.
Innovation Solution
A resin-injected electronic control component bracket with elastic extending portions and disengagement-preventing features that prevent detachment by elastic deformation and contact inhibition, ensuring secure assembly and disassembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the bracket uses a simple attachment structure, then the ease of manufacture is improved, but the reliability of attachment is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket employs elastic extending portions that can dynamically change their stiffness state. During assembly, the elastic wall portion has low stiffness to allow easy insertion of the case. Once assembled, the elastic extending portion engages with the disengagement-preventing portion, transforming into a high-stiffness state that prevents detachment. This dynamic stiffness change enables both easy manufacture and reliable attachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the stiffness parameter of the elastic wall portion based on the assembly state. The elastic wall portion is designed with variable stiffness characteristics - soft during insertion and hard during retention. This parameter change allows the same structure to provide both ease of assembly and secure attachment, resolving the contradiction between manufacturing simplicity and attachment reliability.
2Reliability
If the bracket uses a complex elastic structure, then the attachment reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functions into a single integrated structure. The elastic extending portion simultaneously serves as the attachment mechanism, the locking mechanism, and the disengagement-preventing mechanism. The disengagement-preventing portion is integrated directly into the side wall portion of the bracket. This merging reduces the number of separate components while maintaining high attachment reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic extending portion automatically performs both assembly and locking functions without external assistance. During assembly, it elastically deforms to allow case insertion, then automatically locks when the upper end engages with the disengagement-preventing portion. The structure is self-sufficient, requiring no additional fastening operations or complex control systems, thereby reducing overall device complexity while ensuring reliable attachment.
3Strength
If the elastic wall portion has high stiffness, then the strength is improved, but the ease of operation worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic wall portion exhibits dynamic stiffness characteristics. During the assembly operation, it maintains low stiffness to facilitate easy insertion of the case into the bracket. Once assembled, the engagement with the disengagement-preventing portion transforms it into a high-strength structure that can withstand external forces and prevent detachment. This dynamic behavior resolves the contradiction between strength and ease of operation.
4Ease of operation
If the bracket allows easy disassembly, then the ease of operation is improved, but the attachment reliability worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The disengagement-preventing portion is designed to preemptively prevent unintended detachment by engaging with the elastic extending portion. This preliminary anti-action counteracts external forces that might otherwise cause accidental disassembly. However, when intentional disassembly is required, the elastic wall portion can be manually depressed to disengage the elastic extending portion from the disengagement-preventing portion, allowing controlled disassembly. This resolves the contradiction between preventing accidental detachment and allowing intentional disassembly.
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
The bracket effectively prevents detachment of electronic control components by elastic deformation and contact inhibition, maintaining a secure assembly even under external forces.
Implementation Method 1
the elastic extending portion is moved over the disengagement-preventing portion, to cause elastic deformation of the elastic wall portion, the elastic deformation is released after the elastic extending portion has been moved over the disengagement-preventing portion
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is an electronic control component bracket that does not allow an electronic control component such as an ECU to be easily detached even if an unexpected external force is applied to the electronic control component, in a case where the bracket is assembled with the electronic control component. When a case of the electronic control component is assembled with an electronic control component bracket, an upper end of an elastic extending portion is moved into a bottom wall portion side of a disengagement-preventing portion so as to be stored in a gap.