Electrically conductive housing for an electrical device

Details Electrically conductive housing for an electrical device Electrically conductive housing for an electrical device

1999-06-01

2001-07-24

Reichard, Dean A. (Department: 2831)

Electricity: conductors and insulators

Boxes and housings

Hermetic sealed envelope type

C174S050510, C174S050510, C174S034000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06265659

ABSTRACT:

PRIOR ART
The invention is based on an electrically conductive housing for an electric device.
In one such housing found on the market, an electronic sensor to be used in a motor vehicle is disposed in it. Stringent demands are therefore made of the electromagnetic compatibility of this sensor with other electrical or electronic systems in the motor vehicle and with its electromagnetic surroundings. Furthermore, the sensor must be reliably protected by the housing against such environmental factors as moisture and solid articles.
The known housing and its lid comprise die-cast aluminum parts. The housing has an encompassing groove engaged by the lid. Before the joining of the lid, this groove is filled with silicone rubber. At various points of the housing, by means of rivets, the two housing parts are aligned with and connected to one another. A lid opening that allows the exchange of air is likewise closed with silicone rubber during the joining of the lid. This known embodiment does meet the aforementioned demands, but it is very expensive in terms of the lid design and assembly.
From U.S. Pat. No. 4,337,444, a parallelepiped housing of molded metal parts, embodied in accordance with the preamble to claim
1
, is known for electromagnetic shielding of an electrical circuit in the housing. On two adjacent peripheries, a lid of the housing has tonguelike protrusions protruding at right angles to the plane of the lid that enclose side walls of the housing. The housing is also provided on the free periphery of two opposed side walls with two sheet-metal tongues each, which reach through slots in the lid. This does not achieve self-locking of the lid to the housing. The lid finds a hold on the housing only by the fact that the sheet-metal tongues are secured on their ends to a circuit board, for instance by soldering.
Conversely, from U.S. Pat. No. 4,431,113, a housing with straight side walls extending at right angles to a flat lid is known, the side walls each being embodied on the outside, near their periphery, toward the lid, with a respective groove extending parallel to the periphery. In the region of each side wall provided with a groove, the lid is provided with a wall extending at right angles to the plane of the lid; on the outside, this wall extends at a slight distance from the side wall. Resilient tongues are cut from the respective wall, and in hooklike fashion engage the associated groove of the side wall and prevent the lid seated on the housing from being lifted away. A substantial disadvantage of the known embodiment, however, is that when the lid is placed on the housing, the tongues have to be forced back into the plane of the wall before they can spread out into the groove, forming an undercut, of the respective side wall. Moreover, the undercuts make the housing more expensive to produce.
Finally, from French Patent Disclosure FR-A 2 665 809, it is known for grooves of housing parts where the housing parts mesh with one another to be filled with a sealing composition.
ADVANTAGES OF PERFECTION
The housing of the invention has an advantage over the prior art that the molded sheet-metal part can be made considerably more economically than a cast part and can be connected to the housing in force- and/or form-locking fashion without the necessity of rivet connections or other kinds of connection. Furthermore, the shielding action of the housing with regard to magnetic fields is improved by using steel for the lid. In addition, by the engagement of the protrusions of the lid with the groove of the housing, joining of the lid to the housing in a way that puts little stress on the protrusions is attained. A housing with a groove that is open toward the lid is relatively simple to make. Finally, positional association of the lid with the housing is attained with only the protrusions of the lid.
The embodiment of the lid disclosed improves its centering relative to the housing, increases the strength of the connection between the lid and the housing, and promotes the shielding action of the housing because the lid is contacted at as many points of the lid circumference as possible.
With the provision set forth herein, the process of installing the lid on the housing is facilitated.
With the shaping of the protrusions on the lid as described herein, the anchoring of the lid is improved because the protrusions “dig into” the wall portion of the housing.
Another provision set forth is advantageous because in addition to sealing off the housing, it serves as an additional protection against the lid coming loose.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4431113 (1984-02-01), Sims, Jr.
patent: 4922380 (1990-05-01), Kuki et al.
patent: 4945448 (1990-07-01), Bremenour
patent: 5339222 (1994-08-01), Simmons et al.
patent: 5383098 (1995-01-01), Ma et al.
patent: 5551589 (1996-09-01), Nakamura
patent: 0 324 573 (1989-07-01), None

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