# US 8,784,121 B2 · Control device for a motor vehicle and related method for mounting a control device for a motor vehicle

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- Number: US 8,784,121 B2
- Document ID: US8784121B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/516,287
- Filed: 2010-12-10
- Published: 2012-10-18
- Granted: 2014-07-22
- Earliest claimed: 2009-12-16
- Assignees: Robert Bosch GmbH
- Applicants: Oliver Gradtke; Walter Roethlingshoefer; Christian Luckner
- Inventors: Oliver Gradtke; Walter Roethlingshoefer; Christian Luckner
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8784121B2

## CPC

- H05K 5/0069: {having connector relating features for connecting the connector pins with the PCB or for mounting the connector body with the housing}
- H01R 12/721: {cooperating directly with the edge of the rigid printed circuits}
- H01R 12/732: {Printed circuits being in the same plane}
- Y10T 29/49117: Conductor or circuit manufacturing
- H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
- H01R: ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

The invention relates to a control device (1) for a motor vehicle, comprising a housing (10) and at least one circuit carrier (20), which is arranged in an inner chamber of the housing (10) and comprises at least one first contact element (22) that establishes an electric connection to at least one second contact element (17) of a plug receptacle (50) on at least one housing wall (11), wherein the second contact element (17) is guided through the at least one housing wall (11) and is designed on the inside as a contact spring that rests against an associated first contact element (22) by spring force, and to a related method for mounting a control device for a motor vehicle. According to the invention, the at least one housing wall (11) comprises receiving means (11.1) for a first circuit carrier (20), wherein the first circuit carrier (20) is guided through guide means (13.1) designed in the housing (10), wherein the guide means (13.1) and/or the receiving means (11.1) form a mechanical stop (19) for the first circuit carrier (20) that is designed such that the position of the first circuit carrier (20) is fixed in the mechanical stop (19) with sufficiently small tolerance such that the electric connection between the at least one first contact element (22) of the first circuit carrier (20) and the corresponding second contact element (17) designed as a contact spring is established in the plug receptacle (50).

## Claims

### Claim 1

A control device for a motor vehicle, with a housing (10, 10′, 10″) and at least one circuit carrier (20, 20′, 20″), which is arranged in an interior space of the housing (10, 10′, 10″) and has at least one first contact element (22, 22″) which, adjacent at least one housing wall (11, 11′, 11″), produces an electric connection to at least one second contact element (17, 17″) of a plug receptacle (50, 50″), wherein the at least one second contact element (17, 17″) is guided through the at least one housing wall (11, 11′, 11″) and is a contact spring which bears against the at least one first contact element (22, 22″) by means of spring force, characterized in that the at least one housing wall (11, 11′, 11″) has receiving means (11.1, 11.1′, 11.1″) to receive a first of the at least one circuit carrier (20, 20′, 20″), the first circuit carrier (20, 20′, 20″) being guided by guide means (13.1, 14.1) formed in the housing (10, 10′, 10″), at least one of the guide means (13.1, 14.1) and the receiving means (11.1, 11.1′, 11.1″) forming a mechanical stop (19, 19′, 19″) for the first circuit carrier (20, 20′, 20″), wherein the position of the first circuit carrier (20, 20′, 20″) in the mechanical stop (19, 19′, 19″) is fixed with a sufficiently small tolerance such that the electric connection is positioned between the at least one first contact element (22, 22″) of the first circuit carrier (20, 20′, 20″) and the corresponding at least one second contact element (17, 17″) of the plug receptacle (50, 50″);
wherein a second of the at least one circuit carrier (30, 30″) is guided in the guide means (13.1, 14.1) adjacent the first circuit carrier (20, 20′, 20″), at least one third contact element (37, 37″), which is a contact spring, being arranged on the second circuit carrier (30, 30″) and producing an electric connection to at least one corresponding fourth contact element (24, 24″) of the first circuit carrier (20, 20′, 20″); and
wherein at least one of the at least one first contact element (22, 22″) and the at least one fourth contact element (24, 24″) is a contact surface which is arranged on one of a surface of the first circuit carrier (20, 20′) and an outer edge of the first circuit carrier (20″) that is opposite the at least one housing wall (11, 11′, 11″) and the at least one first contact element (22, 22″).

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the guide means (13.1, 14.1) are guide grooves which are each provided in a housing wall (13, 14) and that taper in a direction toward the at least one housing wall (11, 11′, 11″).

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and fourth contact elements (22″, 24″), which are arranged on the outer edge and are contact surfaces, are formed by metallically filled vias which are arranged on a large substrate (5) in such a manner that they can be divided when the first circuit carrier (20″) is cut out of the large substrate (5).

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one second contact element (17, 17″), which is a contact spring, is at least partially injected into an end wall (11) of the housing (10).

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a heat sink (26) is arranged on the first circuit carrier (20′).

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first circuit carrier (20′) is arranged on a heat sink (26) which is guided in further guide means (13.2) formed in the housing.

### Claim 7

A method for mounting a control device for a motor vehicle, which has a housing (10, 10′, 10″) and at least one circuit carrier (20, 20′, 20″), which is arranged in an interior space of the housing (10, 10′, 10″) and has at least one first contact element (22, 22″) which, adjacent least one housing wall (11, 11′, 11″), produces an electric connection to at least one second contact element (17, 17″) of a plug receptacle (50, 50″), wherein the at least one second contact element (17, 17″) is guided through the at least one housing wall (11, 11′, 11″) and, is a contact spring which bears against the at least one first contact element (22, 22″) by means of spring force, characterized in that a first of the at least one circuit carrier (20, 20′, 20″), guided by guide means (13.1, 14.1) formed in the housing (10, 10′, 10″), is pushed into a first housing part (10.1) as far as a mechanical stop (19, 19′, 19″), the mechanical stop (19, 19′, 19″) for the first circuit carrier (20, 20′, 20″) being formed by at least one of receiving means (11.1, 11.1′, 11.1″) in the at least one housing wall (11, 11′, 11″) and the guide means (13.1, 14.1), the position of the first circuit carrier (20, 20′, 20″) in the mechanical stop (19, 19′, 19″) being fixed with a sufficiently small tolerance such that the electric connection is positioned between the at least one first contact element (22, 22″) and the corresponding at least one second contact element (17, 17″);
wherein a second of the at least one circuit carrier (30, 30″) is formed in a second housing part (10.2), is guided in the guide means (13.1, 14.1), and is pushed in until it bears against the first circuit carrier (20, 20′, 20″), and at least one third contact element (37, 37″), which is a contact spring and is arranged on the second circuit carrier (30, 30″), produces an electric connection to at least one corresponding fourth contact element (24, 24″) of the first circuit carrier (20, 20′, 20″); and
wherein with the pushing-in of the second circuit carrier (30, 30″), the second housing part (10.2) is joined together with the first housing part (10.1), the two housing parts being connected to each other at at least one connecting point (40) for electrical connection.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, further comprising forming the guide means (13.1, 14.1) as guide grooves which are each provided in a housing wall (13, 14) and that taper in a direction toward the at least one housing wall (11, 11′, 11″).

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, further comprising filling vias on a substrate (5) with metal to form at least one of the first and fourth contact elements (22″, 24″).

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, further comprising injecting the least one second contact element (17, 17″) into an end wall (11) of the housing (10).