Electronic control unit and method of manufacturing the same

US9320178B2 · US · B2

Patent metadata
FieldValue
Publication numberUS-9320178-B2
Application numberUS-201213611203-A
CountryUS
Kind codeB2
Filing dateSep 12, 2012
Priority dateApr 2, 2009
Publication dateApr 19, 2016
Grant dateApr 19, 2016

How to read this patent

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  1. Title

    What the patent document calls the invention.

  2. Abstract

    A short plain-language summary of the technical disclosure.

  3. Assignees and inventors

    Who owns or filed the patent and who is credited as inventor.

  4. Key dates

    Filing, priority, publication, and grant dates set the timeline.

  5. First independent claim

    The legal scope of protection — read this for what is actually claimed.

  6. CPC / IPC classifications

    Technology tags used to group this patent with similar filings.

  7. Citations and related patents

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Abstract

Official abstract text for this publication.

An electronic control unit is disclosed. The electronic control unit includes: a resin board; a power device that is surface-mounted on the resin board; a microcomputer that is configured to control the power device; first heat radiation means for radiating heat, the first heat radiation means being disposed on an opposite side of the resin board from the power device; and first heat conduction means for conducting the heat generated by the power device to the first heat radiation means.

First claim

Opening claim text (preview).

What is claimed is: 1. An electronic control unit comprising: a resin board; a power device that is surface-mounted on the resin board; a microcomputer that is configured to control the power device; a heat sink for radiating heat, the heat sink being disposed on an opposite side of the resin board from the power device, wherein the heat sink has a projection part projecting toward the resin board and has a base part extending generally parallel to the resin board; an insulating heat-radiation sheet for conducting the heat generated by the power device to the heat sink, the insulating heat-radiation sheet being placed between the resin board and the heat sink; a first fixation member that fixes the heat sink and a corner part of the resin board; a second fixation member that fixes the heat sink and a center part of the resin board, wherein the first fixation member and the second fixation member are screwed into the same projection part of the heat sink, wherein the power device on the resin board is disposed between the first fixation member and the second fixation member and disposed to correspond to the projection part of the heat sink into which both the first fixation member and the second fixation member are screwed, and wherein the insulating heat-radiation sheet is positioned by the first fixation member and the second fixation member; a cover configured to protect the power device, wherein the cover, the resin board and the heat sink are tighten together by using the first and second fixation members in such a way that: a corner part of the cover, the corner part of the resin board and a corner part of the heat sink are screwed together with the first fixation member, and a center part of the cover, the center part of the resin board and a center part of the heat sink are screwed together with the second fixation member; and a heat conduction layer that is disposed inside the resin board and extends in a direction perpendicular to a thickness direction of the resin board, wherein the heat conduction layer is connected to the first and second fixation members, such that heat is conductable between the heat conduction layer and the first and second fixation members. 2. The electronic control unit according to claim 1 , wherein: the insulating heat-radiation sheet has a first notch at a position corresponding to the first fixation member and a second notch at a position corresponding to the second fixation member. 3. The electronic control unit according to claim 1 , wherein: the power device is one of a plurality of power devices; and all the plurality of power devices are disposed between the first fixation member and the second fixation member and, disposed to correspond to the projection part of the heat sink. 4. The electronic control unit according to claim 3 , further comprising: a heat radiation grease for conducting the heat generated by the plurality of power devices to the heat sink, the heat radiation grease being disposed between the insulating heat-radiation sheet and the resin board, wherein: the heat radiation grease fills an inside of a through-hole via of the resin board. 5. The electronic control unit according to claim 1 , further comprising: a heat radiation grease filling an inside of a through-hole via of the resin board and disposed between the insulating heat-radiation sheet and the resin board, wherein the heat conduction layer disposed inside the resin board is an inner layer copper foil that is connected to (i) the first and second fixation members and (ii) an outer wall of the through-hole via filled with the heat radiation grease. 6. The electronic control unit according to claim 1 , further comprising: a connector mounted on the resin board for supplying a current to the power device and inputting a signal to the microcomputer, wherein the connector on the resin board is disposed to correspond to the base part of the heat sink.

Assignees

Inventors

Classifications

  • Package configurations · CPC title

  • Bolts or screws · CPC title

  • the projecting parts being wire-shaped or pin-shaped · CPC title

  • Fillings or auxiliary members in containers or in encapsulations for thermal protection or control · CPC title

  • Arrangements for heating · CPC title

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Frequently asked questions

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What does patent US9320178B2 cover?
An electronic control unit is disclosed. The electronic control unit includes: a resin board; a power device that is surface-mounted on the resin board; a microcomputer that is configured to control the power device; first heat radiation means for radiating heat, the first heat radiation means being disposed on an opposite side of the resin board from the power device; and first heat conduction…
Who is the assignee on this patent?
Oota Shinsuke, Saitou Mitsuhiro, Oohashi Yutaka, and 1 more
What technology area does this patent fall under?
Primary CPC classification H05K7/20854. Mapped technology areas include Electricity.
When was this patent published?
Publication date Tue Apr 19 2016 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) (B2). Legal status and post-grant events are not shown on this page.
What related patents are in patentsdb?
We list 8 related publications on this page (citations in our corpus or others sharing the same primary CPC).