IP Library Granted Patent US 7,868,259
Granted Patent B2
US 7,868,259 · App. 11/921,833 · Granted Jan 11, 2011

Device and method for producing a device

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,868,259
App. No.
11/921,833
Granted
Jan 11, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

A device has a housing ( 1 ) with a frame element ( 8 ) which is arranged within the housing ( 1 ). The frame element ( 8 ) accommodates at least one component and has at least one bending arm ( 12 ). The bending arm ( 12 ) is designed such that a contact region ( 36 ) of the bending arm ( 12 ) bears with prestress against a contact region ( 38 ) of a wall ( 34 ) of the housing ( 1 ) in a mounted state within the housing ( 1 ). The bending arm ( 12 ) is cohesively connected to the housing ( 1 ) by means of transmission laser welding by supplying a laser beam ( 46 ) of prespecified wavelength to the device in such a way that the laser beam is transmitted through the housing ( 1 ) to the contact region ( 36 ) of the bending arm ( 12 ). At least one region of the housing ( 1 ), through which region the laser beam is transmitted, is produced from a material which is transparent to the prespecified wavelength of the laser beam ( 46 ). The contact region ( 36 ) of the bending arm ( 12 ) is produced from a material which is absorbent for the wavelength of the laser beam ( 46 ).

Claims (10)

1. A method for producing a device with a housing and a frame element arranged within the housing, the frame element accommodating at least one component and having at least one bending arm, the method comprising:

forming the bending arm such that a contact region of the bending resiliently bears with prestress against a contact region of a wall in the housing when the bending arm is in a mounted state within the housing; and

cohesively connecting the bending arm to the housing by transmission laser welding by subjecting the device to a laser beam of a prescribed wavelength such that the laser beam is transmitted through the housing to the contact region of the bending arm, the housing being produced from a material which is transparent with respect to the prescribed wavelength of the laser beam, at least in a region through which the laser beam is transmitted, and the contact region of the bending arm being produced from a material which is absorbent with respect to the prescribed wavelength of the laser beam.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bending arm is elastically formed such that, in the mounted state, it bears with a prescribed prestress against the contact region of the housing and is sufficiently stiff to compensate for vibrations to which the frame element is exposed.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of forming a lug on the contact region of the bending arm.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of forming a shielding body on the bending arm, the shielding body facing away from the contact region of the housing with respect to the contact region of the bending arm and extends in line with the contact region of the housing beyond the contact region of the bending arm.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of cohesively connecting comprises using two laser beams simultaneously performing transmission laser welding.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the component comprises part of an in-vehicle control device.

7. A device comprising a housing and a frame element arranged within the housing, the frame element accommodating at least one component, the frame element having at least one bending arm formed such that a contact region of the bending arm bears resiliently with a prestress against a contact region of a wall of the housing when the frame element is in a mounted state within the housing, and the bending arm being cohesively connected to the housing by transmission laser welding, at least a region of the housing through which a laser beam of a prescribed wavelength is transmitted for the transmission laser welding being produced from a material which is transparent with respect to the prescribed wavelength of the laser beam, and at least the contact region of the bending arm which is welded to the housing being produced from a material which is absorbent with respect to the prescribed wavelength of the laser beam.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the at least one component comprises part of an in-vehicle control device.

Assignments (3)
MERGER Recorded Mar 24, 2011
From: VDO AUTOMOTIVE AG
To: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
Reel/Frame 026009/0802 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 23, 2011
From: SIEMENS VDO AUTOMOTIVE AG
To: VDO AUTOMOTIVE AG
Reel/Frame 026008/0555 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 6, 2007
From: BERMEL, ANDREAS; KROHN, THOMAS; NEUMANN-HENNEBERG, UWE
To: SIEMENS VDO AUTOMOTIVE AG
Reel/Frame 020289/0649 →