IP Library Granted Patent US 9,277,681
Granted Patent B2
US 9,277,681 · App. 13/783,476 · Granted Mar 1, 2016

Electronic control apparatus

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,277,681
App. No.
13/783,476
Granted
Mar 1, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electronic control apparatus includes housing members, and a circuit board. At least one of the housing members is opposed to a heat-generating region which is heated by the heat-generating electronic component. A heat radiating portion of the housing member includes a convex portion protruding from an inner wall surface at a location opposed to the heat-generating region, and a concave portion opened to an outer wall surface at a location shifted from the convex portion in a thickness direction. The convex portion is close to the heat-generating region through a clearance. The concave portion has a lateral wall formed in a tapered shape such that an opening area of the concave portion is larger than a bottom area of the concave portion. A thickness of the heat radiating portion is smaller than a thickness of a region peripheral to the heat radiating portion in the housing member.

Claims (35)

1. An electronic control apparatus comprising:

a housing including a plurality of housing members combined with each other, and

a circuit board received in an internal space of the housing, a heat-generating electronic component being mounted on the circuit board,

wherein at least one of the plurality of housing members is opposed to a heat-generating region of the heat-generating electronic component,

wherein the at least one of the plurality of housing members includes at least one heat radiating portion,

wherein the at least one heat radiating portion includes

a convex portion protruding from an inner wall surface of the at least one of the plurality of housing members at a location opposed to the heat-generating region, the convex portion being close to the heat-generating region through a clearance between the convex portion and the heat-generating region, and

a concave portion opened to an outer wall surface of the at least one of the plurality of housing members at a location shifted from the convex portion in a thickness direction of the at least one of the plurality of housing members, the concave portion having a lateral wall formed in a tapered shape such that an opening area of the concave portion is larger than a bottom area of the concave portion,

wherein a thickness of the at least one heat radiating portion is smaller than a wall thickness of a region adjacent to the at least one heat radiating portion in the at least one of the plurality of housing members,

wherein the heat-generating region is included in a plurality of heat-generating regions,

wherein the heat-generating electronic component is included in a plurality of heat-generating electronic components mounted on the circuit board,

wherein the convex portion is included in a plurality of convex portions,

wherein the at least one heat radiating portion is located opposed to the plurality of heat-generating regions,

wherein the at least one heat radiating portion is formed by the plurality of convex portions corresponding to the plurality of heat-generating regions, and

wherein at least two walls define the plurality of convex portions.

2. The electronic control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the heat radiating portion includes a heat-radiating fin provided to project from a bottom surface of the concave portion between the bottom surface of the concave portion and the outer wall surface.

3. The electronic control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the heat-generating electronic component is located between a mounting surface of the circuit board and the convex portion.

4. An electronic control apparatus, comprising:

a housing including a plurality of housing members combined with each other, and

a circuit board received in an internal space of the housing a heat-generating electronic component being mounted on the circuit board,

wherein at least one of the plurality of housing members is opposed to a heat-generating region of the heat-generating electronic component,

wherein the at least one of the plurality of housing members includes at least one heat radiating portion,

wherein the at least one heat radiating portion includes

a convex portion protruding from an inner wall surface of the at least one of the plurality of housing members at a location opposed to the heat-generating region, the convex portion being close to the heat-generating region through a clearance between the convex portion and the heat-generating region, and

a concave portion opened to an outer wall surface of the at least one of the plurality of housing members at a location shifted from the convex portion in a thickness direction of the at least one of the plurality of housing members, the concave portion having a lateral wall formed in a tapered shape such that an opening area of the concave portion is larger than a bottom area of the concave portion,

wherein a thickness of the at least one heat radiating portion is smaller than a thickness of a region peripheral to the at least one heat radiating portion in the at least one of the plurality of housing members,

wherein the heat-generating region is included in a plurality of heat-generating regions,

wherein the heat-generating electronic component is included in a plurality of heat-generating electronic components mounted on the circuit board,

wherein the convex portion is included in a plurality of convex portions,

wherein the at least one heat radiating portion is located opposed to the plurality of heat-generating regions,

wherein the at least one heat radiating portion is formed by the plurality of convex portions corresponding to the plurality of heat-generating regions,

wherein each of the plurality of heat-generating electronic components is located between a mounting surface of the circuit board and the corresponding convex portion, and

wherein the plurality of convex portions form a multi-level wall shape depending on different sizes of the plurality of heat-generating electronic components in the thickness direction of the at least one of the plurality of housing members.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 25, 2021
From: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
To: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD.
Reel/Frame 056299/0447 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 4, 2013
From: KAWAI, YOSHIO; FUKUZAWA, TAKAYUKI
To: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
Reel/Frame 029912/0179 →