Vehicle ECU Housing Locking Structure for Rattle-Free Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ECUs for vehicles face issues with fluctuation and rattle noise due to the assembly complexity of the housing body and housing cover, leading to dimension and assembly errors.
Innovation Solution
The ECU design incorporates a housing body with protruding body locking portions and a housing cover with cover locking portions, allowing for increased fixing force through a simplified assembly process that reduces dimension and assembly errors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the housing body and housing cover are assembled with complex assembly processes, then the fixing force may be increased, but the assembly complexity increases and dimension errors increase
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is divided into a body and cover that are assembled together, with the body further segmented into an upper part and lower part. The locking portions are segmented into body locking portions on the housing body and cover locking portions on the housing cover, allowing for simplified assembly while maintaining fixing force.
Solution Approach 2:
The body locking portions are inserted into and coupled with the cover locking portions in a nested manner. The upper part of the housing body is inserted into the lower part, and the locking portions fit together like nested dolls, simplifying the assembly process while ensuring proper alignment and fixing force.
2Strength
If the housing body and housing cover are assembled with complex assembly processes, then the fixing force may be increased, but assembly errors increase
Solution Approach 1:
The body locking portions and cover locking portions have asymmetric shapes that complement each other. The locking portions are designed with specific geometric features that allow only one correct assembly orientation, reducing assembly errors while maintaining the fixing force through the interlocking design.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking portions are pre-formed on the housing body and cover during manufacturing, with predetermined shapes and positions. This preliminary action ensures that when assembly occurs, the parts align correctly without requiring complex adjustment procedures, thereby reducing assembly errors while maintaining fixing force.
3Device complexity
If the housing body and housing cover are assembled with simplified assembly processes, then the assembly complexity is reduced, but the fixing force may decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The locking portions are designed with curved surfaces and rounded features that facilitate easy insertion and coupling. The body locking portions have curved outer surfaces that fit into the corresponding curved inner surfaces of the cover locking portions, allowing for simplified assembly while maintaining adequate fixing force through the curved interlocking design.
Solution Approach 2:
The design changes the geometric parameters of the locking portions, such as the size, shape, and distribution of the locking features. By optimizing these parameters, the invention achieves sufficient fixing force with a simpler assembly process, as the locking portions are designed to engage easily while providing adequate mechanical strength.
4Device complexity
If the housing body and housing cover are assembled with simplified assembly processes, then the assembly complexity is reduced, but dimension errors may increase
Solution Approach 1:
The locking portions serve multiple functions: they provide mechanical interlocking for fixing force, guide the assembly process to ensure proper alignment, and define the final dimensional relationship between the housing body and cover. This multi-functionality allows for simplified assembly while maintaining dimensional accuracy, as the same structural features achieve multiple objectives simultaneously.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments provide an ECU for a vehicle, including a housing body which has a body locking portion formed to protrude outward from a periphery of an upper part and on which a printed circuit board is seated; and a housing cover which has a cover locking portion at a lower end thereof coupled to the housing body so that the body locking portion is inserted and coupled into the cover locking portion.