IP Library Granted Patent US 12697924
Granted Patent B2
US 12697924 · App. 18/369,395 · Granted Aug 4, 2026

Electronic unit for a vehicle and manufacturing method

Inventors: Tobias Huth (Langenselbold, DE); Thomas Schaper (Mosbach, DE); Jörg Thomas (Dietzenbach, DE); Doris Schäfer (Offenbach am Main, DE); Sergej Wittmeier (Münster, DE); David Saar (Groß-Umstadt, DE)
Assignee: Continental Automotive Technologies GmbH
B60R11/00B60R2011/0052
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12697924
App. No.
18/369,395
Granted
Aug 4, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electronic unit for a vehicle, comprising surface elements arranged next to one another with a visible surface side and a surface underside is disclosed. The surface elements are fixed in a housing. The housing has a top side facing the surface underside and an underside, wherein a carrier plate is provided. Each housing on its underside has at least one protruding fixing element for fixing the surface elements to the carrier plate. The carrier plate connects the surface elements together, wherein each fixing element has an index element arranged on the fixing element between the carrier plate and the underside and is releasably connected to the fixing element. The index elements are connected to the carrier plate by substance bonding so each surface element is releasably fixed to the carrier plate, and wherein by the index elements, the surface elements are arranged relative to and level with one another.

Claims (32)

1 . An electronic unit for a vehicle, comprising:

two or more surface elements arranged next to one another and with a visible surface side and an opposite surface underside,

wherein the surface elements are each fixed in a housing, and

wherein the housing has a housing top side facing the surface underside and an opposite housing underside, and

wherein a carrier plate is provided, and wherein each housing on its housing underside has at least one protruding fixing element for fixing the surface elements to the carrier plate,

wherein the carrier plate connects the two or more surface elements together,

wherein each fixing element has an index element which is arranged on the fixing element between the carrier plate and the housing underside and is releasably connected to the fixing element by force fit and/or form fit and secured to the fixing element by a screw accessible via a recess through the carrier plate in which the index element is at least partially arranged,

wherein the index elements are connected to the carrier plate by substance bonding so that each surface element is separately releasably fixed to the carrier plate,

wherein the index elements have cutouts pointing away from a recess edge configured as circumferential channels that receive an adhesive for a mechanical fixing of the carrier plate to the index elements, and

wherein by the index elements, the surface elements are arranged relative to and level with one another.

2 . The electronic unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the index elements have a central recess and the fixing elements are configured as elongate mounting elements, and the index elements are push-fitted onto the mounting elements.

3 . The electronic unit as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the index elements are rotatably mounted on the mounting elements.

4 . The electronic unit as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the fixing elements are configured as screws or screw-like mounting elements, and the index elements each have an annular recess for receiving the screw or screw-like mounting element so that the index elements and the fixing elements form a releasable screw connection.

5 . The electronic unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the index elements and the carrier plate are bonded together by the adhesive as a substance-bonded connection, wherein the carrier plate has corresponding passages for passage of the adhesive onto the index elements.

6 . The electronic unit as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the index elements have a central recess for receiving the fixing elements.

7 . The electronic unit as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the index elements are configured as round index plates with round recesses for receiving the fixing elements.

8 . The electronic unit as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the index elements have undercuts pointing away from the recess edge for receiving the adhesive.

9 . The electronic unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the surface elements are configured as a display and the housing is configured as a display housing.

10 . The electronic unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the index elements are configured as plastic injection moldings.

11 . A method for manufacturing an electronic unit with two or more surface elements arranged next to one another and with a visible surface, for a vehicle, comprising the steps:

provisioning two or more surface elements arranged next to one another on a first device and with a visible surface side and an opposite surface underside, wherein the surface elements are each fixed in a housing, and wherein the housing has a housing top side facing the surface underside and an opposite housing underside, and wherein each housing on its housing underside has at least one protruding fixing element for fixing the surface elements to a carrier plate which connects the two or more surface elements together;

having releasable connection of the fixing elements to a respective index element by force fit and/or form fit; adjusting of the surface elements in a first position relative to one another and to the first device, so that the surface elements are arranged level with one another, and freezing of the position of the surface elements in the first adjusted position on the first device;

adjusting of the carrier plate relative to the housings with the surface elements by orientation points on the surface elements and/or the housings, and also adjustment of the carrier plate relative to the index elements by a second device so that at least one air gap is present between the carrier plate and the respective index elements;

and having substance-bonded connection of the index elements to the carrier plate so that the air gap is at least partially closed by means of the substance-bonded connection, so that each surface element is separately releasably fixed to the carrier plate, and wherein by the index elements, the surface elements can be adjusted relative to and level with one another and

securing the index element to the fixing element by a screw accessible via a recess through the carrier plate in which the index element is at least partially arranged;

bonding the index elements and the carrier plate together by an adhesive as a substance-bonded connection,

wherein the index elements have cutouts pointing away from a recess edge configured as circumferential channels that receive the adhesive for a mechanical fixing of the carrier plate to the index elements.

12 . The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the first device also orients the surface elements relative to the components adjacent to the surface elements.

13 . The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the carrier plate has corresponding passages for passage of the adhesive onto the index elements, and wherein the index elements have a central recess for receiving the fixing elements, wherein the index elements have undercuts pointing away from the recess edge for receiving the adhesive.

14 . The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the index elements are annular and have a central recess, and the fixing elements are configured as screws or screw-like mounting elements, and the index elements are screwed onto the screws or screw-like mounting elements so that a releasable screw connection is formed between the index elements and the fixing elements.

15 . The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the index elements are rotatably mounted on the fixing elements.

16 . The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the surface elements are a display device with multiple mutually adjacent displays, wherein the housing is configured as a display housing, and wherein the multiple mutually adjacent displays are each optically bonded to a glass plate.