Housing element for a control device housing used in a motor vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9468119-B2
Application number	US-201214238002-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 24, 2012
Priority date	Aug 16, 2011
Publication date	Oct 11, 2016
Grant date	Oct 11, 2016

Abstract

A housing element for a control unit housing has one or more first edge sections for contact with a second edge section of a second housing element allocated to the control unit housing an intermediate layer of sealant is able to be hardened with the assistance of air moisture, whereas at least one of the first edge sections features at least one recess for the communication of the sealant in the state of contact of the housing elements with air containing the air moisture.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A control unit housing for electronic control components, comprising:
a first housing element, and a second housing element;
the first housing element having first edge sections configured for contact with second edge sections of the second housing element, the first edge sections comprising a bendable edge section that bends in a U-shaped configuration in a clamping manner around the second edge sections;
an intermediate layer of sealant between the first edge sections and second edge sections, the sealant hardened by absorption of air moisture;
at least one of the first edge sections further comprising a recess disposed such that, in a contacting state of the first and second housing elements, air is conveyed through the recess to the sealant for hardening the sealant in the contacting state of the first and second housing elements, the recess connecting at least two surfaces of the at least one of the first edge sections, the at least two surfaces facing opposite directions, the recess defined in a base center section of the U-shaped configuration of the bendable edge.

2. The control unit housing as in claim 1 , wherein the recess is disposed in the first edge sections relative to the sealant such that a portion of the second housing element is disposed between the recess and the sealant in order to prevent a direct line of impact to the sealant through the recess.

3. The control unit housing as in claim 1 , wherein a space is defined between the base center section of the U-shaped configuration of the bendable edge and an end of the second edge sections.

4. The control unit housing as in claim 3 , further comprising at least one radius in the base center section.

5. The control unit housing as in claim 1 , wherein the second housing element comprises a groove for intake of the sealant, and a supply channel for air disposed between the recess and the intake groove.

6. The control unit housing as in claim 5 , wherein the supply channel is disposed alongside of the recess.

7. A housing element for use as a component in a control unit housing for electronic control components, the housing element comprising:
a first edge section configured for contact with a second edge section of a second housing element in the control unit housing, wherein an intermediate layer of sealant is placeable between the first edge section and the second edge section, the sealant hardened by absorption of air moisture, the first edge section comprising a bendable edge section that bends in a U-shaped configuration so as to clamp around the second edge section of the second housing element;
a recess disposed in the first edge section such that, in a contacting state of the housing element and the second housing element, air is conveyed through the recess to the sealant for hardening the sealant in the contacting state of the housing element and the second housing element, the recess connecting at least two surfaces of the first edge section, the at least two surfaces facing opposite directions, the recess defined in a base center section of the U-shaped configuration of the bendable edge.

8. The housing element as in claim 7 , wherein the recess is disposed in the first edge section relative to the sealant such that a portion of the second housing element is disposed between the recess and the sealant in order to prevent a direct line of impact to the sealant through the recess.

9. The housing element as in claim 7 , wherein the U-shaped configuration is formed such that a space is defined between the base center section of the U-shaped configuration and an end of the second edge section in a connected state of the housing element with the second housing element.

10. The housing element as in claim 9 , further comprising at least one radius in the base center section.

11. A method for producing a control unit housing for electronic control components, the method comprising:
forming a first housing element and a second housing element, wherein the first housing element has first edge sections configured for contact with second edge sections of the second housing element;
defining a recess in at least one of the first edge sections, the recess connecting at least two surfaces of the at least one of the first edge sections, the at least two surfaces facing opposite directions;
joining the first housing element to the second housing element with an intermediate layer of sealant between the first edge sections and second edge sections; and
wherein the sealant hardens through contact with moisture in air conveyed through the recess to the sealant, the recess defined in a bendable section of the first edge sections that overlap the second edge sections, the joining step comprising bending the bendable section around an end of the second edge sections such that the recess is opposite to the end of the second edge sections and a section of the bendable section is brought into contact against an upper external surface of the second edge sections.

12. The method as in claim 11 , further comprising defining a supply channel in the second housing element for conveying air from the recess to the sealant.

13. The method as in claim 12 , wherein the sealant is conveyed in liquid form into a sealant intake groove formed between the first edge sections and the second edge sections after the first housing element and second housing element are joined together, the supply channel conveying air to the sealant intake groove.

Assignees

• Beck Werner
• Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen

Inventors

• Beck Werner

Classifications

• H05K5/062

  sealed by a material injected between a non-removable cover and a body, e.g. hardening in situ · CPC title

• Y10T29/49002

  Electrical device making · CPC title

• H05K5/06 Primary

  Hermetically-sealed casings {(specially adapted for small components H05K5/0095)} · CPC title

• H05K5/0052 Primary

  characterized by joining features of the housing parts · CPC title