This invention relates to an electronic assembly and, more particularly, to an electronic assembly and repair tool for easily disassembling an electrical component from the electronic assembly without damaging the electrical component.
Motorized vehicles typically include a variety of electronically controlled vehicle systems, such as a transmission system. Electronic assemblies used to control or communicate with the vehicle systems usually include an electrical component, for example a circuit board, that is enclosed in a plastic or metal housing. The housing protects the electrical component from becoming damaged during installation, handling, and/or operation of the electrical component.
Conventionally, the electrical component is press-fit onto electrical connector pins in the housing. The electrical connector pins extend through the housing and into a harness connector on the exterior of the housing. The electrical connector pins provide an electrical connection between the electrical component and harness connector. The harness connector typically receives a vehicle wire harness, which electrically connects the electrical component with other electronic assemblies of the motorized vehicle.
Disadvantageously, these typical electronic assemblies are not designed for disassembly. There is little or no clearance gap between the electrical component and the housing, making removal of the electrical component from the housing difficult without damaging the electrical component. For example, the housing may be cut with a cutting device or the electrical component pried loose from the electrical connector pins to remove the electrical component from the housing. The housing may be destroyed during such disassembly methods and there is risk of damaging the electrical component. These disassembly methods may also be laborious, time consuming and expensive.
Accordingly, there is a need for an electronic assembly design that is easy to disassemble. This invention addresses this need and provides enhanced capabilities while avoiding the shortcomings and drawbacks of the prior art.
An exemplary electronic assembly includes a housing having an inner compartment that receives an electrical component. The housing includes connector members that secure the electrical component in the inner compartment and provide an electrical connection to the electrical component. The housing includes an opening that corresponds in position to a surface portion of the electrical component. The opening provides access for a repair tool to be inserted though the housing to press on the surface portion of the electrical component for the purpose of removing the electrical component from the connector members.
One example repair tool includes a base portion and an extended portion. The extended portion corresponds in shape to the opening in the housing of the electronic assembly. The base portion includes two opposing cavities that receive the connector members when the repair tool is inserted into the opening to disassemble the electronic assembly.
Another example electronic assembly includes a housing having a plurality of openings for disassembling the electrical component from the housing. The electrical component includes a plurality of surface portions and each opening corresponds to one of the plurality of surface portions such that electrical surface devices on the electrical component are not damaged during the disassembly. An example corresponding repair tool includes a plurality of extended portions that respectively correspond to the plurality of openings in the housing.
The electronic assembly and repair tool therefore avoid laborious and potentially damaging disassembly methods while providing a simple design that is easily disassembled.
The various features and advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the currently preferred embodiment. The drawings that accompany the detailed description can be briefly described as follows.
The connector header 14 includes a plurality of connector members 20, for example known electrical press-fit pins. The plurality of connector members 20 extend from the female boss 18, through the housing 12, and into an inner compartment 22 of the housing 12. In one example, the plurality of connector members 20 are insert-molded into the connector header 14. In another example, the plurality of connector members 20 are removably press-fit into molded-in holes in the connector header 14.
The connector header 14 of the housing 12 also includes an opening 24, such as an elongated slot. In one example, the opening 24 is located between two connector members 26, 28 of the plurality of connector members 20. The opening 24 provides access to the inner compartment 22 for disassembly of the electronic assembly 10, which will be described in more detail below.
An electrical component, such as a circuit board 30 or other electrical component, is received in the inner compartment 22 during an assembly process. The circuit board 30 includes outer peripheral edges 32. A clearance gap 34 of less than 5 millimeters, and preferably about 0.5 millimeters, remains between the outer peripheral edges 32 and walls 36 of the housing 12 when the circuit board 30 is secured in the inner compartment 22. This relatively small clearance gap 34 generally makes it difficult to disassemble the circuit board 30 from the housing 12 using a tool, such as a screwdriver or even a finger, because the tool does not easily fit into the clearance gap 34 to pry the circuit board 30 from the housing 12.
The plurality of connector members 20 are received into corresponding attachment openings 38 on the circuit board 30 and form a frictional-fit between the plurality of connector members 20 and the corresponding attachment openings 38, such as metal-plated-through-holes. The terminology “frictional-fit” as used herein refers broadly to an interference connection wherein the interference between connecting portions secures the portions together.
The frictional-fit secures the circuit board 30 in the inner compartment 22 of the housing 12. In one example, the plurality of connector members 20 are electrically conductive and provide an electrical connection between the circuit board 30 and the corresponding male electrical harness connector. The circuit board 30 is further secured in the inner compartment 22 with fasteners 40 that extend through the circuit board 30 and into corresponding fastener bosses 42 in the inner compartment 22.
The circuit board 30 also includes a surface portion 44 that corresponds in position to the opening 24. In one example, the circuit board 30 includes a plurality of electrical circuit devices 46, such as capacitors, resistors, and/or other devices, but the surface portion 44 of the circuit board 30 does not include electrical circuit devices 46 (sometimes referred to as a keep-out zone). This may provide the benefit of disassembling the circuit board 30 from the housing 12 without damaging the electrical circuit devices 46, as will be explained in more detail below. Although only one surface portion 44 is shown in this example, the circuit board 30 may include additional surface portions 44 in other examples having more than one opening 24.
A cover 48 is received onto the housing 12 to enclose the circuit board 30 in the inner compartment 22. The cover 48 includes snap-fit portions 50 that secure the cover 48 to corresponding housing snap-fit portions 52 of the housing 12 to form the assembled electronic assembly 10, as illustrated in
One example method of disassembling the assembled electronic assembly 10 utilizes a repair tool 62, as illustrated in the schematic cross-sectional view of
The base portion 64 of the repair tool 62 also includes two opposing cavities 68, 70. The two opposing cavities 68, 70 extend into the base portion 64 and receive the plurality of connector members 20 when the repair tool 62 is inserted into the opening 24 to disassemble the electronic assembly 10. In the example shown, the opposing cavities 68, 70 are generally rectangular-shaped, however, circular or other shapes may also be utilized.
As the extended portion 66 is received into the opening 24, the two opposing cavities 68, 70 at least partially receive the plurality of connector members 20. This may provide the advantage of maintaining an elongated shape of the plurality of connector members 20 by avoiding stressful contact between the plurality of connector members 20 and the base portion 64, which could deform, bend, or loosen the plurality of connector members 20. Alternatively, a similar benefit may be gained without the two opposing cavities 68, 70 if the extended portion 66 is made long enough to contact the circuit board 30 without the base portion 64 contacting the plurality of connector members 20.
Once the extended portion 66 contacts the surface portion 44, a removal force is applied to the repair tool 62. Since the surface portion 44 does not include electrical circuit devices 46, the electrical circuit devices 46 on the circuit board 30 are not subjected to the potentially damaging removal force. This feature may provide the benefit of preventing damage to the electrical circuit devices 46 during disassembly of the circuit board 30.
The removal force is generally applied in a direction opposite a direction that the circuit board was received onto the plurality of connector members 20 to overcome the frictional-fit between the plurality of connector members 20 and the circuit board 30. Generally, the removal force moves the circuit board 30 relative to the plurality of connector members 20. The removal force may be applied manually, such as by an operator, or automatically using a known automated machine. When the removal force overcomes the frictional-fit, the circuit board 30 detaches from the plurality of connector members 20 and slides out of the housing 12, as illustrated in
Utilizing the repair tool 62 in the above disassembly method may provide the benefit of avoiding having to pry the circuit board 30 from the housing 12 or having to cut the housing 12 to free the circuit board 30 from the plurality of connector members 20. The electronic assembly 10 and repair tool 62 therefore provide a simple design that is easily disassembled.
In one example, arranging the opening 24 between at least two connector members 26, 28 of the plurality of connector members 20 may also provide the benefit of limiting stress on the plurality of connector members 20 during the time when the circuit board 30 is pushed off of the connector members 20 using the repair tool 62 (reducing a risk of damaging the connector members 20). That is, stress on the plurality of connector members 20 may be more evenly distributed among the plurality of connector members 20 rather than generally concentrated on only one or a few connector members 20.
Generally, the repair tool 62 is static and the second member 72 moves to exert the removal force, which results in the connector members 26, 28 moving relative to the circuit board 30. However, in other examples, the both the repair tool 62 and second member 72 move to respectively exert the removal force on the circuit board 30 and the connector members 26, 28 and the circuit board 30 and the connector members 26, 28 move relative to each other.
Although a preferred embodiment of this invention has been disclosed, a worker of ordinary skill in this art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this invention. For that reason, the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this invention.
The application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/524,151, filed on Nov. 21, 2003.
Number | Date | Country | |
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60524151 | Nov 2003 | US |