Metal working – Method of mechanical manufacture – Disassembling
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-23
2001-02-27
Hughes, S. Thomas (Department: 3726)
Metal working
Method of mechanical manufacture
Disassembling
C029S402030, C029S402080, C029S762000, C174S050500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06192570
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention concerns the remanufacture of electronic control modules, such as for use with electronically controlled engines. In particular, the invention concerns a system and method for opening a sealed module and resealing the module after servicing the internal components.
Most modern internal combustion engines have some form for electronic controller that governs the operation of the engine. In the case of larger vehicles, a substantial engine control module is provided that performs a wide range of functions. For example, the module provides signals via an electrical harness to various electrical components throughout the engine and vehicle. In addition, the module receives signals from a number of sensors disposed at various locations throughout the engine.
For example, as shown in
FIG. 1
, an engine control module (ECM)
10
includes a housing
11
with a top mounting boss
12
and side bosses
13
extending therefrom. The mounting bosses provide a means for mounting the ECM
10
within the vehicle or engine compartment. The ECM
10
includes a number of electrical components and microprocessors within the housing
11
. A pair of connectors
17
are provided for engaging a pair of cables or harnesses
18
,
19
. These cables
18
,
19
link the electronic and microprocessor components of the ECM
10
to the various sensors and engine control devices.
These electronic control or engine control modules utilize microelectronic components mounted on a substrate. In one type of ECM
10
, a circuit board
20
is provided that includes a number of components
21
mounted thereon (see FIG.
2
). In one particular approach, the circuit board
20
is formed of a flexible material, such as polyimide. The circuit board
20
is mounted to a rigidizer
15
, which is formed of a relatively rigid substrate that is capable of withstanding the harsh environment of the engine. With this ECM, the rigidizer material has properties that allow the rigidizer to be folded or bent. In one example, the rigidizer is formed of aluminum.
One particular rigidizer
15
is shown in FIG.
2
. The rigidizer
15
includes a top plate
16
A, a bottom plate
16
B and an integral intermediate bend region
16
C between the two plates. The bottom plate
16
B defines a number of connecting holes
22
, which receives a number of screws therethrough for attaching the connectors
17
to the outside surface of the bottom plate. A number of slots
23
are formed at the bend region
16
C of the circuit board
20
as a bend relief feature and to accommodate a hinge support component of the housing
11
, as described herein. The rigidizer
15
also defines certain features for retaining and supporting circuit board
20
. For example, the rigidizer defines a sealing or alignment rim
27
around the perimeter of the top plate
16
A and bottom plate
16
B. The outer perimeter of the circuit board
20
follows the contour of the sealing rim
27
. Preferably, the circuit board
20
is engaged to the rigidizer
15
with a compatible adhesive. The sealing rim
27
is offset from the edges of the rigidizer
15
for reasons made clear herein. The rigidizer
15
also defines a plurality of housing mounting holes
25
that are used to receive a like number of screws
26
(
FIG. 1
) for closing the rigidizer
15
about the housing
11
to form the sealed module
10
. A number of mounting boss reliefs
24
can also be defined around the edge of the rigidizer
15
to correspond to the location of the side mounting bosses
13
of the housing
11
.
Details of the housing
11
are shown in FIG.
3
. Like the rigidizer
15
, the housing is preferably formed of a rigid metal, such as aluminum. The housing
11
is generally sized to correspond to half of the rigidizer
15
, since the housing is disposed between the top plate
16
A and bottom plate
16
B. Thus, the features depicted in
FIG. 3
appear on both sides of the housing
11
. For example, the housing includes an outer rim
30
that follows the outer perimeter of the housing. An inner rim
31
is also formed in the housing offset inward from the outer rim. The inner rim
31
corresponds to the configuration to the sealing rim
27
defined on rigidizer
15
.
The housing
11
defines a number of connector holes
37
that align with the corresponding mounting holes
22
in the circuit board
20
and rigidizer
15
. A number of mounting holes
38
pass through the housing
11
and are aligned with the housing mounting holes
25
to receive the screws
26
. The housing
11
also includes a number of hinge supports
35
that are aligned with the slots
23
formed in the circuit board
20
. These hinge supports
35
are preferably rounded and provide a surface about which the bend portion
16
C of the rigidizer
16
is folded.
As shown in
FIG. 4
, the housing
11
is sandwiched between the top plate
16
A and the bottom plate
16
B of the rigidizer
15
. A number of connector mounting screws
39
pass through the mounting holes
37
in the housing
11
and the holes
22
in the bottom plate
16
B to engage the connectors
17
. In the construction of this module
10
, the rigidizer
15
is bent around the housing
11
. The rigidizer
15
is configured to essentially sit within the outer rim
30
of the housing, as shown most clearly in FIG.
5
. When the rigidizer
15
is bent around the housing
11
, the various rims, namely the sealing rim
27
of the rigidizer
15
, and the outer and inner rims
30
,
31
of the housing
11
, define a bead groove
33
that travels around three sides of the perimeter of the module
10
. The bead groove
33
need not extend to the bend region
16
C of the rigidizer
15
, since that side or edge of the module
10
is already closed. Before the top plate
16
A and bottom plate
16
B of the rigidizer
15
are bent to their final position, an adhesive or sealant bead
40
is applied along the bead groove
33
. This sealant bonds the rigidizer
15
to the housing
11
. Preferably, the bead material is capable of bonding metal-to-metal, while withstanding the high temperatures experienced in the engine compartment. In one embodiment, the bead is an RTV material.
While the ECM
10
depicted in
FIGS. 1-5
provides an environmentally sound and sealed module, difficulties arise when the module must be remanufactured. This remanufacturing process may be required when there is an update to some of the components
21
mounted on the circuit board
20
. In other instances, direct diagnosis of the components is necessary, necessitating access to the circuit board
20
. In the absence of remanufacturing, the ECM
10
is simply disposed of or scavanged, and replaced with a new module. Of course, this approach unnecessarily wastes resources and can lead to delays where the module is difficult to obtain.
Consequently, there is a need for a system and method that permits the remanufacture of modules, such as the ECM
10
described above. The system and method must be capable of opening the module without disturbing or compromising the rigidizer
15
, or the circuit board
20
and its components.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to address these needs, the present invention contemplates a system and method for opening a sealed module for remanufacture. In one aspect of the invention, the housing is machined at its perimeter to expose a sealing bead. The machining operation is precisely controlled to prevent any impingement on the rigidizer or the circuit board mounted on the rigidizer. Instead, only the housing is machined to provide access to the bead groove. In a next step of the method, the sealing bead is disrupted substantially around the perimeter of the module. In one embodiment, a slot saw is operated along the entire perimeter at the bead groove to cut a channel or slot along the sealing bead at both the top and bottom plates of the rigidizer. In another embodiment, an array of wedges is driven into the bead groove.
Once the sealing bead has been disrupted or weakened, the top plate and bottom plate can be unbent relative
Castro F. Ivan
Fernandez Robert
Ontiveros Paul A.
Saad Jose L.
Traver Terry N.
Hong John C.
Hughes S. Thomas
LandOfFree
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