Electrical device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016233597-A1
Application number	US-201615017567-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 5, 2016
Priority date	Feb 6, 2015
Publication date	Aug 11, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electrical device may include a housing, a printed circuit board arranged in the housing, an electrical component arranged in electrical contact with the printed circuit board, and a clamp. The clamp may be configured to bias the electrical component against a cooling structure disposed in the housing and hold the printed circuit board in the housing relative to the housing. The clamp may include a clamp snap-in structure forming at least part of a snap-in connection with the housing.

First claim

1 . An electrical device, comprising:
a housing, a printed circuit board arranged in the housing, an electrical component arranged in electrical contact with the printed circuit board, and a clamp configured to bias the electrical component against a cooling structure disposed in the housing and hold the printed circuit board in the housing relative to the housing, wherein the clamp includes a clamp snap-in structure forming at least part of a snap-in connection with the housing.

2 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the clamp rests against the printed circuit board exclusively on one side of the printed circuit board.

3 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the clamp is connected to at least one of the printed circuit board and the housing without fasteners.

4 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the clamp further includes a clamp engagement structure arranged away from the clamp snap-in structure and forming an engagement with the housing.

5 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the clamp surrounds at least one of the printed circuit board and the electrical component in a radiation-isolating manner.

6 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the clamp has a first clamp section which biases the electrical component against the cooling structure, the clamp has a second clamp section which extends inclined with respect to the first clamp section, and the first clamp section includes a clamp engagement structure forming an engagement with the housing and the second clamp section includes the clamp snap-in structure.

7 . The device according to claim 6 , wherein at least one of the clamp engagement structure projects from the first clamp section and the clamp snap-in structure projects from the second clamp section.

8 . The device according to claim 6 , wherein the second clamp section mounts the printed circuit board in the housing relative to the housing.

9 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a ridge on a side facing towards the printed circuit board, and wherein the printed circuit board rests on the ridge.

10 . The device according to claim 9 , wherein the clamp has a locating element associated with the ridge, and wherein the locating element projects towards the printed circuit board from the clamp and pushes the printed circuit board against the ridge.

11 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the clamp further includes at least one holding structure facing towards the printed circuit board arranged to hold the printed circuit board on the clamp.

12 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the clamp is at least one of formed from one piece and composed of a single material.

13 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the cooling structure on an outer side that faces away from the electrical component is exposed at least partially to a surrounding environment.

14 . The device according to claim 1 , further comprising a cover closing the housing.

15 . The device according to claim 2 , wherein the clamp is composed of a radiation-isolating material and surrounds at least the printed circuit board.

16 . The device according to claim 3 , wherein the clamp is contoured to include the clamp snap-in structure at one free end and further includes a clamp engagement structure at another free end, wherein the clamp engagement structure forms an engagement with the housing.

17 . The device according to claim 16 , wherein:
the clamp has a first clamp section biasing the electrical component against the cooling structure; the clamp has a second clamp section extending inclined to the first clamp section; and the first clamp section includes the clamp engagement structure and the second clamp section includes the clamp snap-in structure.

18 . The device according to claim 17 , wherein the second clamp section mounts the printed circuit board in the housing relative to the housing.

19 . The device according to claim 6 , wherein the first clamp section further includes at least one holding structure facing towards the printed circuit board arranged to mount the printed circuit board on the clamp.

20 . An electrical device, comprising:
a housing; a printed circuit board arranged in the housing; an electrical component arranged in the housing and in electrical contact with the printed circuit board; a cooling structure arranged in the housing; a clamp arranged in the housing, wherein the clamp has a first clamp section biasing the electrical component against the cooling structure and a second clamp section extending transversely to the first clamp section configured to mount the printed circuit board in the housing relative to the housing; and wherein the second clamp section includes a clamp snap-in structure defining a snap-in connection with the housing and the first clamp section includes a clamp engagement structure forming an engagement with the housing.

Assignees

• Mahle Int Gmbh

Inventors

• Binder Tobias

Classifications

• H05K7/2049 Primary

  Pressing means used to urge contact, e.g. springs · CPC title

• H01R13/639

  Additional means for holding or locking coupling parts together, after engagement, {e.g. separate keylock, retainer strap} · CPC title

• H01R4/4809

  using a leaf spring to bias the conductor toward the busbar · CPC title

• H01R12/7029 Primary

  not integral with the coupling device · CPC title

• H01R12/712

  co-operating with the surface of the printed circuit or with a coupling device exclusively provided on the surface of the printed circuit (H01R12/72 takes precedence) · CPC title