Receptacle for a control circuit that controls an electric motor for power assistance in a vehicle steering system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9908556-B2
Application number	US-201414888036-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 29, 2014
Priority date	Apr 29, 2013
Publication date	Mar 6, 2018
Grant date	Mar 6, 2018

Abstract

Disclosed is a receptacle for a control circuit that controls an electric motor for power assistance in a vehicle steering system. The receptacle includes a housing for holding the control circuit, wherein the housing has an opening to allow insertion of the control circuit into the housing, and a baseplate for dust-tight closure of the opening of the housing in an end position, wherein the baseplate and the housing can be connected to one another in a dust-tight fashion in a delivery position which is different from the end position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A receptacle for a control circuit that controls an electric motor for power assistance in a vehicle system, comprising:
a housing configured to hold the control circuit therein and having an opening defined therein for receiving the control circuit; and
a baseplate removeably coupled to said housing at said opening and moveable with respect to said housing between an end position and a delivery position that is different than said end position, said baseplate being configured to provide a dust tight closure of said opening when positioned in either of said end position or said delivery position, wherein said baseplate comprises at least one mounting opening defined therein through which at least one contact of the control circuit is freely accessible when said baseplate is positioned in the delivery position.

2. The receptacle of claim 1 , wherein said mounting opening is covered by said housing when said baseplate is in said end position.

3. The receptacle of claim 1 , further comprising a tamper-proof connection formed between said housing and said baseplate when said baseplate is positioned in said delivery position with respect to said housing, such that attempts to move said baseplate from said delivery position back to said end position are detectable.

4. The receptacle of claim 1 , further comprising a heat-conducting carrier element coupled in a thermally conductive manner to at least one of said baseplate or an end plate of the receptacle.

5. The receptacle of claim 1 , wherein said housing has a cylindrical shape.

6. The receptacle of claim 1 , wherein said housing is made of at least one of a wire mesh reinforced plastic or metal.

7. The receptacle of claim 1 , wherein said baseplate is made of metal.

8. The receptacle of claim 1 , further comprising a sensor disposed in said baseplate and configured to detect a property of the electric motor.

9. The receptacle of claim 8 , wherein said sensor is a rotor position sensor for a drive shaft of the electric motor.

10. The receptacle of claim 1 , wherein said baseplate further comprises a connection region configured to permanently connect said baseplate to the electric motor.

11. The receptacle of claim 10 , wherein said permanent connection is achieved by one of a bonding, soldering, welding, screwing, or press fitting process.

12. The receptacle of claim 1 , wherein said baseplate further comprises at least one connecting element configured to be permanently coupled to a corresponding connecting element of the electric motor.

13. A receptacle for a control circuit that controls an electric motor for power assistance in a vehicle system, comprising:
a housing configured to hold the control circuit therein and having an opening defined therein for receiving the control circuit; and
a baseplate removeably coupled to said housing at said opening and moveable with respect to said housing between an end position and a delivery position that is different than said end position, said baseplate being configured to provide a dust tight closure of said opening when positioned in either of said end position or said delivery position;
a first latching device configured to latch said housing to said baseplate when said baseplate is positioned in said delivery position; and
a second latching device configured to latch said housing to said baseplate when said baseplate is positioned in said end position.

14. The receptacle of claim 13 further comprising a sensor disposed in said baseplate and configured to detect a property of the electric motor.

15. The receptacle of claim 14 wherein the sensor is a rotor position sensor for a drive shaft of the electric motor.

16. The receptacle of claim 13 wherein the baseplate comprises a connection region configured to connect the baseplate to the electric motor.

17. The receptacle of claim 13 further comprising a tamper-proof connection formed between the housing and the baseplate when the baseplate is positioned in the delivery position with respect to the housing.

18. The receptacle of claim 13 wherein the housing is comprised of a wire mesh reinforced plastic.

19. The receptacle of claim 13 wherein the baseplate further comprises at least one connecting element configured to be coupled to a corresponding connecting element of the electric motor.

20. A receptacle for a control circuit that controls an electric motor for power assistance in a vehicle system, comprising:
a housing configured to hold the control circuit therein and having an opening defined therein for receiving the control circuit; and
a baseplate removeably coupled to said housing at said opening and moveable with respect to said housing between an end position and a delivery position that is different than said end position, said baseplate being configured to provide a dust tight closure of said opening when positioned in either of said end position or said delivery position;
a first seal operatively disposed between said housing and said baseplate, and configured to seal said housing to said baseplate when said baseplate is positioned in said delivery position;
a second seal operatively disposed between said housing and said baseplate, and configured to seal said housing to said baseplate when said baseplate is positioned in said end position; and
a mounting opening defined between said first seal and said second seal and through which mounting opening a contact of the control circuit is freely accessible when said baseplate is positioned in the delivery position.

Assignees

• Thyssenkrupp Presta Ag

Inventors

• Scholten Michael

Classifications

• H05K5/0208

  Interlock mechanisms; Means for avoiding unauthorised use or function, e.g. tamperproof · CPC title

• H05K5/0221

  Locks; Latches · CPC title

• H05K5/04

  Metal casings · CPC title

• H05K7/2039

  characterised by the heat transfer by conduction from the heat generating element to a dissipating body (arrangements for increasing/decreasing heat-transfer, e.g. fins details, F28F13/00) · CPC title

• B62D5/0406 Primary

  including housing for electronic control unit · CPC title