The present invention generally relates to embodiments of a contacting module for a transmission controller, which module serves to make contact with solenoid valves and an electronic control unit, preferably also sensors. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for producing such a contacting module, to a transmission control module having such a contacting module, as well as to a method for manufacturing the transmission control module.
Contacting modules of the general type under consideration serve as parts of transmission controllers for performing various complex contacting operations. In this context, the electronic control unit is placed in contact with the respective solenoid valves that are to be actuated, and in general with sensors, for example acceleration sensors, rotational speed sensors, pressure sensors.
The contacting modules are embodied in general with a plastic housing and a line carrier, which is in turn embodied as a flex film or punched grill. Flex films are generally soldered or welded. Contact is conventionally made with punched grills by means of plug-type contacts.
However, contacting devices of this type are generally not without their problems. Soldered connections are inclined to slip under or fail in the case of mechanical loading, in particular mechanical micro-movements. Plug-type connections are subject to wear in the case of mechanical micro-movements, with the result that an oxide layer can form and the ohmic resistance of the contacting device rises, with the result that, under certain circumstances, sensor signals can be influenced and falsified, and, under certain circumstances, undesired contact interruptions can occur.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a contacting module, and a transmission control module with such a contacting module, which can be produced at relatively low cost and nevertheless permit contact to be made securely even in the case of relatively high or relatively complex mechanical loading.
This object can be achieved by means of a contacting module as claimed in claim 1 and a transmission control module as claimed in claim 12, and further by methods for producing the contacting module according to the invention and the transmission control module. The dependent claims describe additional features.
According to embodiments of the present invention, free spaces that run in the vertical direction and in which the free ends of the punched grill or at least some of the free ends of the punched grill are accommodated are formed in the module housing. The free ends can project outwardly from the module housing, in particular, in the vertical direction, i.e. upwardly or downwardly, in order to make contact with corresponding contact tongues of the relevant components, i.e. the solenoid valves and, if appropriate, sensors. In this context, the contacting module can, for example, be fitted onto the control housing with the pre-mounted components. As a result, the contact tongues of the components pass through the vertical free spaces and remain spaced apart somewhat in the lateral direction with respect to the contact surfaces of the free ends of the punched grill. Also, contact tongues of the components and the free ends of the punched grill can subsequently be compressed, for example by a resistance welding device, and placed in contact with one another.
According to embodiments of the present invention, the free ends are elastically resilient to such an extent that they can be easily placed in contact with the contact tongues. Furthermore, in the case of the movements that occur, in particular the micro-movements, they are elastically resilient and therefore absorb the movements, with the result that the contacting devices, i.e. for example the welded connections, are not loaded. In this context in particular, there may be provision for the free ends to be contoured with a bent and/or curved profile of the conductor tracks.
The housing can advantageously be embodied as two shells with an upper shell and a lower shell latched to one another. For example, the shells can be clipped to one another, or welded, caulked, stamped or riveted, as appropriate. In this context, the two shells are also held together by the attachment of the housing to the control housing and the components by means of corresponding screws or the like. With a two-shell construction of this type, the punched grill can firstly be placed in one of the shells, for example the upper shell, and secured, for example, by means of stamping, and subsequently the other shell can be fitted on, wherein the free ends are accommodated in the free spaces and advantageously project upwardly. The contacting module, which is formed cost-effectively and quickly, subsequently permits secure contact to be made in a way that withstands the mechanical loading that occurs, in particular also micro-movements. For this purpose, a welding device can successively move the contact-forming parties in the free spaces or above the free spaces and make contact between them.
The present invention will be explained in greater detail below on the basis of an exemplary embodiment and with reference to the appended drawings, in which:
A contacting module 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown in
The punched grill 4 is produced in a known manner by punching out a piece of sheet metal, for example made of bronze, and has conductor tracks 4a and free ends 4b, which serve to make contact and are connected to one another by means of the conductor tracks 4a. The entire contacting module 1 serves to alternately make contact with the connected components, in particular sensors 7, for example pressure sensors or travel sensors, and solenoid valves 6 as well as a control unit (not shown). The attachment of the fitted-together contacting module 1 to the controller housing 2 is shown in
According to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, free spaces 10 are formed in the two shells 3, 5. The free spaces 10 are aligned with one another and therefore form continuous free spaces 10 in the vertical direction V—which corresponds to the mounting direction. The conductor tracks 4a of the punched grill 4 run essentially within the horizontal plane, wherein the free ends 4a are bent, and the contact surfaces 12 of the free ends 4b are formed in turn in the vertical direction V or, if appropriate, also partially somewhat bent with respect thereto, as is shown in detail with respect to
The free ends 4b can, according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, be adjusted in an elastically resilient or flexible fashion owing to their contouring, advantageously in all three spatial directions. As a result, the punched grill 4 can compensate tolerances in all the spatial directions through the flexible embedding in the two shells or half-shells 3, 5. Furthermore, as a result of this connection, the transmission of relative movements from the fixedly embedded regions around the securing regions 14 is reduced. Since the punched grill 4 with its conductor tracks 4a is no longer secured over a large area in the two-shell housing 3, 5, but is instead secured only in the securing regions 14, oscillations induced in the housing 3, 5 are transmitted directly as far as the free ends 4b to a small degree. The punched grill 4 can therefore be adjusted around the securing regions 14 between the shells 3, 5.
The free ends 4b can therefore each be formed by subsequently bending the initially planar punched grill 4. The bending of the free ends 4b can already take place during the punching process out of the piece of sheet metal as a separate bending process or else during the stamping of the two shells 3, 5.
The contouring of the free ends 4b therefore permits resilience in the three spatial directions, both during the contacting and also in the case of loading during subsequent operation.
Solenoid valves 6 and sensors 7 are mounted or pre-mounted, partly by means of the screws 8 and/or by means of plug-type contacts, on the control housing 2 shown in
In the embodiment shown, contact is made by means of a welded connection, in particular a resistance welded connection. For this purpose, in
The control unit (ECU) is subsequently fitted onto the contacting module 1 from above, for which purpose it has, for example, a suitable multi-pin connector with which it is fitted onto a plug receptacle 20 formed in the central right-hand region of the contacting module 1. The transmission control module 22 is therefore formed and is subsequently fitted onto the respective transmission.
In
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10 2009 041 756.7 | Sep 2009 | DE | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/EP2010/004242 | 7/13/2010 | WO | 00 | 3/1/2012 |