ECU assembly with rotating PCB
AssigneeVeoneer US, Inc.
InventorJacob Jay Yoder
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of assembling an electronic control unit comprises assembling a printed circuit board (PCB) substrate with a terminal carrier holding a plurality of terminal pins comprising a right angle bend into a housing using a rotational motion. The terminal carrier generally extends perpendicularly from the PCB substrate. A first end of each of the plurality of terminal pins is inserted into the PCB substrate and a second end of each of the plurality of terminal pins extends through the terminal carrier. The second ends of the plurality of terminal pins generally extend into one or more connector openings in one of four sides of the housing and the terminal carrier interlocks with the housing to hold the PCB substrate with the terminal carrier and the plurality of terminal pins in place.
Claims20
A method of assembling an electronic control unit comprising:
- assembling a terminal carrier holding a plurality of terminal pins to a printed circuit board substrate, wherein (i) said terminal carrier extends perpendicularly from a first surface of said printed circuit board substrate, (ii) each of said plurality of terminal pins comprises a right angle bend, (iii) a first end of each of said plurality of terminal pins is inserted into said printed circuit board substrate, (iv) a second end of each of said plurality of terminal pins extends through said terminal carrier, and (v) said terminal carrier comprises a first alignment feature and a second alignment feature;
- and
- assembling said printed circuit board substrate with said terminal carrier and said terminal pins into a housing using a rotational motion followed by a translational motion into the housing in a direction normal to said first surface of said printed circuit board substrate, wherein said housing comprises four sides extending perpendicularly from a fifth side, said sides of said housing define a rectilinear volume, at least one of said four sides comprises a third alignment feature and a fourth alignment feature, said second end of said plurality of terminal pins extend into one or more connector openings in one of said four sides of said housing and said first alignment feature and said second alignment feature of said terminal carrier interlock with said third alignment feature and said fourth alignment feature of said housing during said translational motion to hold said printed circuit board substrate with said terminal carrier and said plurality of terminal pins in place adjacent to said one or more connector openings.
An apparatus comprising:
- a housing comprising four sides extending perpendicularly from a fifth side, wherein said sides of said housing define a rectilinear volume and one of said four sides comprises one or more connector openings;
- and
- a circuit assembly comprising a terminal carrier holding a plurality of terminal pins and a printed circuit board substrate, wherein said terminal carrier extends perpendicularly from a first surface of said printed circuit board substrate, each of said plurality of terminal pins comprises a right angle bend, a first end of each of said plurality of terminal pins is inserted into said printed circuit board substrate, a second end of each of said plurality of terminal pins extends through said terminal carrier, and said terminal carrier comprises a first alignment feature and a second alignment feature, wherein (i) said housing is configured to allow assembling of said printed circuit board substrate with said terminal carrier and said plurality of terminal pins into said housing using a rotational motion followed by a translational motion into said housing in a direction normal to said first surface of said printed circuit board substrate, and (ii) a third alignment feature and a fourth alignment feature of said housing interlock with said first alignment feature and said second alignment feature of said terminal carrier during said translational motion to hold said printed circuit board substrate with said terminal carrier and said plurality of terminal pins in place adjacent to said one or more connector openings.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.