JP2003209384A - Electronic equipment cooling system - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Problem] To provide a cooling device for an electronic device which is compact and can reduce the number of parts. SOLUTION: In a cooling device 1 for an electronic device, which is installed in an engine room 8 of a vehicle and cools an electronic unit 4 in which electric components are stored, electric components 19, 20 of the electronic device.
Housing 16 in a state where it is not brought into contact with its inner surface.
And a filling means 3 for filling the inside of the casing with air in the casing, and a harness 7 for keeping the inside of the casing at a higher pressure than the surroundings or for bundling wiring 6 connected to the electronic device is provided by the filling means 3. A connector 12A to which the wiring 6 of the harness 7 is connected is provided with a connection port 14 of the tube 6, and a connector 13A of the housing 16 to which the connector 12A is connected is provided. The connection port 15 of the tube 5 is provided so that the connection of the wiring 6 and the connection of the tube 5 are simultaneously performed by joining the connectors 12A and 13A.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cooling device for an electronic device which suppresses a temperature rise of the electronic device formed by using electric parts, and more particularly, to a harness in which wirings to the electronic device are bundled from a passenger compartment. This is a configuration in which tubes for feeding air to the electronic device are bundled.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, various electronic control techniques are widely applied to a vehicle so that the comfort and convenience of a driver can be sufficiently ensured without being limited to improving the running performance. In order to perform such various controls, for example, an electronic control device (hereinafter, referred to as an electronic unit) that controls an engine and the like is mounted, and the electronic unit generates heat by its operation. It is naturally cooled or forcedly cooled with an air cooling device.

Conventionally, the electronic unit has been arranged inside the vehicle compartment, but in recent years, a structure has been adopted in which the electronic unit is arranged inside the engine compartment.

That is, when the electronic unit for controlling the engine is arranged on the indoor side, the electric wire connecting the engine and the electronic unit or the wire harness in which a plurality of electric wires are bundled is drawn around the engine room while bypassing the equipment. Since it is connected to the electronic unit on the indoor side, the electric wire becomes long.

Further, when the number of objects to be detected or controlled by the electronic unit increases or the number of required signals increases due to the sophistication of control contents, the number of electric wires transmitting these signals increases and the total length thereof increases. Will be greatly increased. Further, in order to connect the electronic unit and the engine with an electric wire, it is necessary to provide a through hole in the vehicle body panel that separates the vehicle compartment from the engine room to allow the electric wire to pass therethrough. As a result, the work of wiring the electric wire or harness becomes troublesome, and the total length of the electric wire itself becomes long, which is a factor of increasing the cost.

On the other hand, when the electronic unit is arranged in the engine compartment, it is not necessary to provide the through hole in the vehicle body panel, and the distance between the electronic unit and the engine is shortened. It can be shortened, and the weight and cost of the related parts can be reduced.
Further, in the process of mounting the engine on the vehicle, the work of arranging the electric wires is simplified, and the electric wires can be prevented from being scratched or damaged due to this work. Furthermore, the arranging work is facilitated and the maintenance serviceability is improved. There are advantages.

However, the engine compartment is in a high temperature atmosphere because the heat generated by the operation of the engine is dissipated into the air inside the engine compartment. Therefore, it is indispensable to arrange the electronic unit in the engine compartment in a state of being housed in the storage compartment, and the storage compartment suppresses the heat filled in the engine compartment from being transferred to the electronic unit. In addition, the storage box that houses this electronic unit is required to have sufficient dustproofness and waterproofness in addition to heat insulation and cooling.

In particular, since the electronic unit is often used as an electronic component originally intended for use at room temperature, the ambient temperature around the electronic unit is 80 ° C. or lower, and the operation of electronic elements in the electronic unit is high. The guaranteed temperature is 105 ° C or lower, and in addition to the heat insulation function of the storage box, it is necessary to sufficiently provide the cooling function for preventing the temperature rise of the electronic unit.

As a storage box 50 for storing and air-cooling such an electronic unit, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, an inner box 52 in which an electronic unit 51 is stored is housed in a larger outer box 53. It is known that a sealed space is formed around the inner box 52, and the space is used as a passage for passing cooling air. Therefore, according to this configuration, the suction duct 5 connected to the outer wall of the outer box 53
By supplying the cooling air from the outside to the space portion by 5 and discharging the air from the space portion by the discharge duct 56 connected to the outer wall of the outer box 53, the electronic unit 51 is transferred to the outer surface of the inner box 52. The transferred heat is carried away by air to indirectly cool the electronic device in the electronic unit 51 by air. Further, in this case, since the electronic unit 51 including the electronic components or the electronic circuit is not brought into direct contact with the cooling air, when the electronic unit 51 is installed under relatively bad environmental conditions. Also, it is said that this storage box 50 can be preferably used.

In addition, an electric small fan is installed in the passenger compartment, and the air in the passenger compartment is sent to the cooling device of the electronic device by the fan, and the storage is provided with a heat insulating function. The electronic unit is housed in a box, which normally protects the electronic unit by blocking heat transfer from the surrounding high temperature environment, and is placed inside the engine compartment when the vehicle engine is started or stopped. There is also a configuration in which the temperature of the electronic unit is suppressed by using the air flow of the electric fan that is used to make the air that has accumulated inside the storage box flow and to introduce air from outside the storage box. Proposed.

[0011]

However, in the above-mentioned storage box, the space portion partitioned and formed around the electronic unit is arranged, and the cooling air is allowed to flow through this space portion.
Since the electronic unit is configured to be heat shielded and cooled, the storage box itself becomes large and occupies a relatively large volume with respect to the engine compartment. Therefore, in order to secure the space for installing the storage box, there are problems that the arrangement of other devices in the engine compartment is restricted, and it becomes difficult to assemble the components necessary for the other devices.
In particular, when the installation space in the engine room is small, interference with other equipment and parts is promoted by this storage box, so more sophisticated equipment layout plans are required and the external shape of each equipment is restricted. Therefore, the degree of difficulty in design tends to increase.

In addition to the structure of the storage box itself,
Since a suction duct that supplies air to the space and an exhaust duct that discharges air are required, the overall structure of the storage box becomes complicated, and the number of parts and assembly man-hours related to the storage box increases. As a result, there is an inconvenience that the manufacturing cost increases.

Furthermore, when the equipment including these storage boxes is carried out in an assembly line for assembly work, the assembly procedure becomes complicated, the burden on the operator increases, and the assembly failure is a factor. There is a risk that production efficiency will decrease or production cost will increase.

Further, in order to sufficiently secure the cooling performance of the electronic unit, low-temperature air needs to be supplied. Therefore, a duct is routed inside the engine room in order to introduce air other than the engine room. In addition, since the cross-sectional area of the air flow path of the duct increases, the installation space occupied by the duct itself increases and the duct installation work becomes inconvenient.

The present invention has been made in view of the above technical problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a compact cooling device for an electronic device which is easy to assemble and has a reduced number of parts. It is a thing.

[0016]

In order to achieve the above object, the invention of claim 1 suppresses a temperature rise of an electronic device which is installed in an engine compartment of a vehicle and is composed of electric parts. A cooling device for an electronic device, comprising: a housing that accommodates an electric component of the electronic device in a state of not being in contact with an inner surface of the electronic device; and a filling unit that fills the interior of the housing with air in a vehicle compartment. It is a thing.

Therefore, according to the first aspect of the invention, the electric component is housed in the housing without contacting the inner surface thereof,
Since the casing is filled with air in the passenger compartment, the air is filled between the electric components and the inner surface of the casing, so that heat from outside the casing is transferred to the electric components and electronic components. It is possible to prevent the electric components from being heated, and it is possible to suppress the temperature rise of the electric parts. In addition to this, clean air in the passenger compartment is always supplied to the electronic unit, so that the air can be brought into direct contact with the electric components in the electronic unit to suppress the temperature rise.

Further, since the air in the passenger compartment, whose temperature and humidity are adjusted to be constant by the air conditioner mounted on the vehicle to ensure the comfort of passengers, is supplied to the electronic unit, It is possible to stably cool the electric components in the electronic unit regardless of the temperature and bad weather conditions. Furthermore, since the electric components can always be operated under the same environmental conditions as in the vehicle interior, if electric components that are supposed to operate in the indoor environment are used, their rated performance must be sufficient. In addition to being able to exhibit in a stable manner, it is possible to expect improvement in durability and obtain high reliability.

Further, the housing is filled with air in the passenger compartment,
Due to the configuration in which the temperature rise of the electric parts housed in the housing is suppressed, the electronic unit is housed in the storage box provided with the cooling unit, and air is passed through the cooling unit to indirectly cool the electronic unit. Compared to the configuration, the cooling unit that occupies the space volume can be eliminated, so the structure of the equipment installed in the engine compartment can be simplified, the weight and size can be greatly reduced, and the number of parts and the number of assembly steps can be reduced. it can.

In other words, by eliminating the cooling section through which cooling air flows around the electronic unit, the members forming the cooling section, the supply duct for supplying air to the cooling section, and the discharge of air from the cooling section. Since the exhaust ducts to be used are eliminated, the number of parts themselves, the number of parts related to them, the number of steps for manufacturing the cooling part, and the number of steps for assembling the duct to the cooling part are reduced.

Further, since no extra accessory is additionally provided outside the electronic unit in this way, the size of the electronic unit itself can be kept to a necessary minimum, and the electronic unit can be made smaller or thinner. For this reason, the electronic unit is prevented from interfering with other devices and parts in the engine compartment, and the workability of assembling the electronic unit itself and other devices and parts and the degree of freedom of arrangement can be improved. Also, since it is not necessary to reduce the ventilation of the engine compartment by the electronic unit, it does not affect the cooling performance of the engine due to ventilation, especially in an air-cooled engine, etc.
It is possible to fully demonstrate the performance of the engine,
It can contribute to the improvement of running performance.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the structure of the first aspect, the filling means is arranged in the vehicle compartment or a portion in the vicinity of the vehicle compartment, and compresses the air in the vehicle compartment and supplies the compressed air to the casing. Then
It is characterized in that the casing has a structure in which the pressure of the inside of the casing can be made higher than that of the outside by the fed air.

Therefore, according to the second aspect of the invention, in addition to the operation of the first aspect of the invention, the inside of the electronic unit can be kept in a high pressure state by the air in the vehicle compartment supplied by the filling means, so that the electronic unit is maintained. In addition to being able to prevent the invasion of gas and the like from the outside to the internal electric parts, the ingress of dust and water can be prevented, and sufficient dustproof / waterproof properties for protecting the electric parts can be ensured.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the second aspect, a harness in which wirings connected to the electronic unit are bundled bundles tubes for feeding air in the vehicle compartment from a filling means to a casing. It is characterized by that.

Therefore, in the invention of claim 3, since the wiring and the tube are bundled in the harness,
The strength is improved as compared with the configuration provided in each single body, and since it is sufficient to handle a single object in which both are bundled without handling them separately, it is possible to improve handleability.

In particular, since the tubes having a predetermined diameter are bundled in order to secure the passage of air in addition to the wiring, even if the harness is made of a flexible material, the harness including the tube and the wiring is Since it is hard to bend sharply, it is possible to prevent disconnection of the wiring.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the structure of the third aspect, a connector to which the wiring of the harness is connected is provided with a tube connection port, and a connector of a housing to which the connector is connected is covered with the tube. A connection port is provided, and wiring and tube connection are performed by joining the connectors.

Therefore, according to the invention of claim 4, in addition to the effect of the invention of claim 3, when the connector on the harness side is joined to the connector on the electronic unit side, electrical connection by wiring and piping by a tube are performed. Since the connection is performed at the same time, it is possible to prevent an installation error such as a poor connection or forgetting to connect the tube.

[0029]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Next, specific examples of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the main configuration of a cooling device for an electronic device according to the present invention. Also, in FIG.
It is a perspective view showing the state where connector joining of the electronic unit was released. The electronic device cooling apparatus according to the present invention will be described as an example in which a temperature rise of the electronic device applied to a vehicle is suppressed. The electronic unit of this example is a control unit that is an important part that is installed in the engine compartment and electronically controls an engine (not shown), a transmission (not shown), and the like.

The cooling device 1 for an electronic device of this embodiment is installed in a passenger compartment 2 in which an occupant rides, and sends a compressor 3 for discharging the air in the passenger compartment 2 and the air discharged from the compressor 3 to an electronic unit 4. A wiring harness 7 (hereinafter referred to as a harness) in which the tubes 5 to be supplied are bundled together with the wiring 6 connected to the electronic unit 4, and is installed in an engine room 8 to which the wiring 6 of the harness 7 and the tube 5 are connected. The electronic unit 4 has a structure capable of maintaining the internal air pressure in a high state.

That is, the compressor 3 is installed in the passenger compartment 2 in which an occupant is seated, and is configured to constantly compress the clean air in the passenger compartment 2 to the electronic unit 4 and send it.

The compressor 3 is a silent type compressed air machine capable of compressing and feeding air in a predetermined manner, and a pressure reducing valve (not shown) is provided in a discharge port or a path leading to the discharge port. ) Is provided. Therefore, even if the pressure of the discharged air fluctuates depending on the operating condition of the compressor 3, the pressure reducing valve enables the air to be constantly and continuously fed to the electronic unit 4 at a constant pressure. .

The compressor 3 is driven by a built-in electric motor (not shown) and is provided as a dedicated means for feeding air to the electronic unit 4, so that it operates independently of other devices. Is possible.
Therefore, the compressor 3 dedicated to this electronic unit 4
Since the above is provided, a stable and required air supply amount to the electronic unit 4 is always secured, and various performances described later can be stably and sufficiently exhibited.

The air inlet (not shown) of the compressor 3 is directed toward the passenger compartment 2 so that the clean air in the passenger compartment 2 is supplied to the electronic unit 4. Therefore, since clean air is supplied to the electronic unit 4, this air is directly supplied to the electronic unit 4.
Since the electric component 18 and the electronic component 20 inside can be brought into contact with each other, the temperature rise of the electronic device including the electric component 18 and the electronic component 19 is higher than that of the conventional indirect air cooling in which air is passed outside the electronic unit 4. It can be suppressed with high efficiency.

It should be noted that the compressor 3 is installed outside the vehicle compartment 2 adjacent to the vehicle compartment 2, for example, in the vicinity of the partition wall 10 for partitioning the engine compartment 8 and the vehicle compartment 2 inside the engine compartment 8. Only the air intake port may be arranged in the vehicle interior 2.

Further, the partition wall 10 partitioning the engine compartment 8 and the vehicle compartment 2 has a circular opening (not shown).
The harness 7 is allowed to pass through the opening through the grommet type seal member while maintaining the soundproofness, airtightness, and heat insulation by the partition wall 10.

That is, this seal member is constructed such that a collar-shaped rib portion and a hemispherical insertion portion are formed with a ring-shaped base portion fitted to the inner peripheral edge of the opening sandwiched therebetween. A through hole through which the harness 7 is inserted is provided integrally with a material that is elastically deformable and has an insulating property, such as plastic and rubber.

Therefore, when the harness 7 is passed through the opening provided in the partition wall 10, the sealing member is interposed between the harness 7 and the opening while being elastically deformed. Moreover, a gap is prevented from being formed between the seal member and the opening, and the soundproofness, airtightness, and heat insulation of the partition wall 10 are maintained.

Further, the harness 7 is formed in a tube shape having a predetermined inner and outer diameter and a predetermined length, and bundles and houses a plurality of wires 6 for electrically connecting the electronic unit 4 and an external device. A tube 5 that supplies air to the electronic unit 4 is housed.

That is, the harness 7 is made of soft vinyl chloride or the like as a material and has an insulating property, a waterproof property, and a flexibility property, and protects the wiring 6 and the tube 5 housed therein. The tube 5 and the plurality of wirings 6 are bundled and put together so that they can be easily handled.

The configuration of the harness 7 is not limited to the configuration in which the outer shape is formed in the tube 5, but a configuration in which it is formed in a bellows shape, an adhesive tape, or a resin clip is used. It is assumed to include a configuration in which the wiring 6 and the tube 5 are bundled.

Although not shown, the partition 7 from the electronic unit 4 of the harness 7 located in the engine compartment 8 is not shown.
The wiring 6 is appropriately drawn out from an arbitrary intermediate point up to the above, and the wiring 6 is connected to devices such as sensors and actuators arranged in the engine compartment 8.

Further, each wiring 6 accommodated in the harness 7
Is pulled out from the end of the harness 7 by a predetermined length, the end of each wiring 6 is connected to each terminal of each connector 12, and each connector 12 is connected to the electronic unit 4 or the device side. By being joined to the connector 13 provided, the electronic unit 4 and the device are electrically connected.

That is, the connector 12 is made of a synthetic resin such as plastic having an insulating property and is formed in a rectangular frame shape.

In the connector 12, a predetermined number of cylindrical or elongated female terminals made of a conductive material are arranged in upper and lower two stages with a predetermined pitch. When the two connectors 12 and 13 are joined together, each female terminal of the connector 12 corresponds to the corresponding connector 1
The two male terminals are contacted at once. Furthermore, each of these female terminals is connected to each wiring 6 that has passed through the harness 7.

Therefore, when the connector 12 for the electronic unit 4 is joined to the connector 13 provided on the electronic unit 4 which will be described later, the electric circuit accommodated in the electronic unit 4 is connected to the external device by the wirings 6 respectively. Electrically connected via.

Also, the tube 5 accommodated in the harness 7
Has one end pulled out from a portion of the harness 7 located in the vehicle compartment 2 in the vicinity of the compressor 3 and connected to the air outlet of the compressor 3, while the other end is A predetermined length is pulled out from the end of the harness 7 on the unit side and is connected to the electronic unit 4.

That is, the outer diameter of the tube 5 is set smaller than the width dimension of the connector 12 in the vertical direction in the figure, for example, about 6 mm.

The tube 5 has electrical insulation and predetermined flexibility, and is strong enough to withstand the internal pressure of the air fed inside.

Further, a receiving portion 14 is provided at the end of the tube 5 on the harness 7 side.
The inner diameter is formed to be slightly larger than the outer diameter of the insertion port 15 of the tube 5 provided in the electronic unit 4 which will be described later, and the expanded reception port 14 has its end portion. From the opening to a predetermined length in the longitudinal direction of the tube 5.

Therefore, when the receiving portion 14 of the tube 5 on the harness 7 side is inserted into the inserting portion 15 of the electronic unit 4 and the tube 5 is connected to the electronic unit 4, the end portions of these inserting portions 15 are inserted. Since a large contact surface between the tube 5 and the end of the receiving portion 14 of the tube 5 is secured, air leakage is prevented, connection failure is avoided, and air can be reliably supplied.

The harness 7 in which the tubes 5 and the wires 6 are bundled in this way is routed along the side wall of the engine room 8 to avoid other equipment installed in the engine room 8 and avoid the engine room. The electronic unit 4 of 8 and the compressor 3 of the passenger compartment 2 are connected.

Therefore, since the tube 5 is incorporated in the harness 7 and is not exposed to the outside, the tube positioned in the harness 7 even if the harness 7 is pulled around in the engine room 8 under a high temperature atmosphere. Since ambient heat is not easily transmitted to the tube 5, the temperature rise of the air fed through the tube 5 is suppressed, and the electronic unit 4
It can be expected that the cooling performance will be improved.

In addition, the tube 5 is connected to the harness 7 in this manner.
Since it is protected by the tube 5, the handleability of the tube 5 itself can be improved, and the work of fixing the harness 7 including the wiring 6 and the tube 5 in the engine compartment 8 and the work of connecting to the electronic unit 4 can be easily performed. it can.

Furthermore, since at least the portion of the tube 5 passing through the engine compartment 8 is protected by the harness 7, damage to the tube 5 itself is prevented, and air can be supplied without causing air leakage. The stable operation of the cooling device 1 is possible.

The electronic unit 4 accommodates the electronic device in a flat box-shaped case 16 and supplies a connector 12 for electrical connection and air supply to one side surface of the case 16. It is configured to have an insertion port portion 15 into which the tube 5 to be performed is inserted.

As shown in FIG. 3, this electronic device basically has electric components 19 such as various capacitors and resistors on the surface of a circuit board 18 on which a circuit pattern is printed, and various IC elements. The electronic component 20 is mounted in a predetermined manner.

In addition, the circuit board 18 is provided with a predetermined gap distance from the wall surface of the case 16 without coming into contact with the wall surface of the case 16 by the spacer 21 having an insulating property.
It is fixed and stored in the case 16. Therefore, as will be described later, a space is secured around the entire circumference of the circuit board 18, the electric component 19, and the electronic component 20, and this space can be filled with air sent from the inside of the vehicle compartment 2. ing.

The electric parts 19 and the electronic parts 20 are parts that inevitably generate heat when energized, and the respective parts 19 and 20 have a temperature range that guarantees their rated operations. Has been defined. Therefore, when the temperature inside the case 16 including the components rises to the vicinity of the operation guarantee temperature of each component 19 or 20 or exceeds the operation guarantee temperature with the operation of the electronic device, the operation of the circuit is electrically performed. If the ambient temperature is high, in addition to the heat shielding of the electronic device, the electronic device may not function properly due to the malfunction of the electronic device or the malfunction of parts. It is necessary to suppress the temperature rise.

That is, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 again, the case 16 is formed in a flat box shape having a size large enough to accommodate an electronic device mainly including the circuit board 18, and is made of aluminum or the like. It is made of the light metal used to protect against electromagnetic waves from the outside and to ensure impact resistance.

Further, the case 16 has an internal pressure explosion-proof structure so that the high pressure air supplied from the compressor 3 through the tube 5 can keep the pressure inside the case 16 high.

Further, the case 16 is arranged such that the surface with the largest surface area is oriented in the vertical direction,
It is fixedly installed at a predetermined position inside by fixing metal fittings or mounting members.

Therefore, since the flat box-shaped case 16 is installed horizontally, the compressor 3 will be described later.
When the air in the vehicle compartment is supplied from the
The air is evenly filled in one place in 6 and is evenly distributed between the outer wall of the case 16 and the circuit board 18 and the electric parts 19 and electronic parts 20 mounted on the circuit board 18. I'm trying to spread.

Further, when the electronic unit 4 is installed in the engine compartment 8, it can be installed stably, so that stable operation of the electronic unit 4 itself can be ensured and the installed electronic unit 4 can be harnessed. It is possible to easily connect and disconnect the connector 12 of 7 and the tube 5.

Further, although depending on the installation location of the electronic unit 4 in the engine compartment 8, the case 16 of the electronic unit 4 formed in the shape of a flat box is installed with the surface having the largest surface area facing up and down. As a result, the case 16 directed to the high heat source engine, which is the main heat source
Since the total area of the surfaces is reduced, the total amount of heat radiation received from the engine on these case 16 surfaces is reduced, and the temperature rise of the electronic unit 4 due to this heat radiation can be suppressed.

In addition, at a predetermined position on the side surface of the case 16,
A plurality of rectangular connectors 12 are provided adjacent to each other, an insertion port portion 15 of the tube 5 is provided, and electronic devices are connected to various external devices and apparatuses via wiring 6 connected to these connectors 12. The unit 4 is electrically connected.

That is, the connector 12 is made of a synthetic resin such as plastic having an insulating property and is formed in a rectangular frame shape. In the connector 12, a pin-shaped male terminal made of a conductive material is provided in a predetermined number and is arranged in upper and lower two rows with a predetermined pitch. The mold terminal is connected to the connection part of the electronic device in the case 16 via an input / output line.

Therefore, when the connectors 12 on the case 16 side and the harness 7 side are connected to each other, the harness 7
The electronic unit 4 is connected to a battery (not shown) serving as a power source through the wiring 6 of FIG. 1 to be supplied with an operating current, and is connected to output lines of various sensors (not shown) provided at predetermined locations. Sensor signals are input, various input devices (not shown) are connected, various instruction signals are input, various actuators (not shown) are connected, and command signals for controlling the operation of the actuators are output. , And is connected to a display device (not shown) or an informing device (not shown) to output a display or an informing signal.

Then, based on these sensor signals and instruction signals, the electronic device performs a predetermined judgment process, and various actuators are used to perform an operation for realizing control according to the judgment. Further, the information obtained from various sensors and the operating status of each device, the electronic device, as appropriate, using a display device or a notification device, to display information and notify,
It warns of abnormalities.

The insertion port portion 15 of the tube 5 is provided in the vicinity of the connector 12 on the same surface as the side surface of the case 16 in which the connector 12 is installed, and the connector 12 is provided in a direction orthogonal to the surface. It is provided so as to project longer than the projecting length from the surface of the case 16. Therefore, the insertion port 15 can be easily visually recognized to determine the insertion position, and a sufficient insertion length to the receiving port 14 can be secured.

Further, the insertion portion 15 of the tube 5
Is formed in the shape of a tube 5 having a circular cross-sectional shape, and at least an inner diameter equal to or larger than the diameter of the tube 5 on the harness 7 side is secured and communicated with the case 16.

Although not shown, after the connectors 12 are connected to each other, the connector 12 and the harness 7 main body which are exposed from the harness 7 main body to the outside by an adhesive tape or a dedicated cover member. The connection between the wiring 6 and the tube 5 is configured so as to cover the wiring 6 and the tube 5 between the end of the wiring 6 and the connection portion, and these are shielded and protected from the outside by an adhesive tape or a cover member. To prevent it from becoming defective.

As described above, according to the configuration of this example, the compressor is installed in the passenger compartment in which the passenger rides, and the compressor compresses the air in the passenger compartment to supply it to the electronic unit. Since the electric parts and the electronic parts are housed in the case of the electronic unit without contacting the case, the air is filled between the electric parts and the electronic parts and the case, so that the heat from the outside of the case is generated. Is blocked from being transmitted to the electric component and the electronic component, and the temperature rise of the electric component and the electronic component can be suppressed.

In addition to this, since clean air in the passenger compartment is always supplied to the electronic unit, this air can be brought into direct contact with the electric parts and electronic parts in the electronic unit to suppress the temperature rise. Therefore, the performance of the cooling device can be improved.

Further, since the air in the passenger compartment, whose temperature and humidity are adjusted to be constant by the air conditioner mounted on the vehicle to ensure the comfort of passengers, is supplied to the electronic unit, It is possible to stably suppress the temperature rise of the electronic device in the electronic unit regardless of the fluctuation of the temperature and the bad weather condition. In addition, since the electric components and the electronic components that make up the electronic device can always be operated under the same environmental conditions as in the vehicle interior, the electric components and the electronic components that are supposed to operate in the indoor environment are used. If so, the rated performance can be sufficiently and stably exhibited, the durability can be expected to be improved, and high reliability can be obtained.

Further, high-pressure air having a predetermined pressure is supplied to the electronic unit by the compressor, and the inside of the case of the electronic unit is kept in a high-pressure state. In addition to being able to prevent the intrusion of dust and water, it is possible to sufficiently secure the dustproof and waterproof property for protecting the electronic device in the case.

Further, the air is sent to the electronic unit, and the air is filled between the electric component and the case to shield the heat, and the air is directly contacted with the electric component in the electronic unit. As a result, as compared with a configuration in which the electronic unit is housed in a storage box provided with a cooling unit for indirectly cooling the electronic unit by allowing air to flow through the inside, the cooling unit can be eliminated, so that the equipment installed in the engine compartment The structure can be simplified, the weight and size can be significantly reduced, and the number of parts and the number of assembling steps can be reduced.

That is, since the space around the electronic unit through which the cooling air flows is eliminated,
Since the members forming the cooling unit, the supply duct that supplies air to the cooling unit, and the exhaust duct that discharges air from the cooling unit are eliminated, they themselves and the number of parts related thereto,
This reduces the man-hours for manufacturing the cooling unit, and further the man-hours for assembling the duct to the cooling unit.

Further, interference of the electronic unit with other devices and parts in the engine compartment is reduced, and the workability of assembling other devices and parts and the degree of freedom of arrangement can be improved.

Further, since no extra accessory is added to the outside of the electronic unit, the size of the electronic unit itself can be kept to a necessary minimum, and the electronic unit can be made smaller or thinner. As a result, the ventilation of the engine compartment by the electronic unit does not have to be reduced, so the cooling of the engine is not affected by the ventilation, and the engine performance is remarkably exhibited especially in air-cooled engines. This makes it possible to contribute to the improvement of traveling performance.

Further, since the case for housing the electronic device has a structure in which high pressure air is supplied and the inside of the case can be maintained at a higher pressure state than the outside of the case, a sufficient amount of air can be obtained even in an air passage having a small cross section. Therefore, it is possible to use a flexible small-diameter tube for sending high-pressure air from the air supply source to the electronic unit, and this tube can be incorporated in a harness in which wiring is bundled.

In other words, in the conventional construction, the high-pressure air is supplied into the engine compartment in comparison with the large-diameter supply duct and the exhaust duct, and the harness separate from them. A harness incorporating a small diameter tube will be routed independently. For this reason, the harness itself will be installed in the engine compartment,
It is easy to handle, the related members such as metal fittings for fixing the supply and exhaust ducts and the work for fixing are reduced, the cost can be reduced, and the restriction of the installation space in the engine room by the harness is minimized. It is possible to improve the degree of freedom of arrangement of equipment.

Furthermore, since the small-diameter tubes are bundled together with the wiring in the harness, the openings required for passing the tubes through the partition wall between the vehicle compartment and the engine compartment can be shared by the openings for passing the harness. Therefore, the number of openings provided in the partition wall can be reduced, the number of parts and assembly man-hours related thereto can be reduced, and the cost can be reduced.

Since the tube is housed in the tubular harness and is not exposed to the outside,
Since the heat from the outside of the harness is less likely to be transferred to the tube in the harness, even if the harness is routed inside the engine room in a high temperature atmosphere, the temperature rise of the air sent in the tube is suppressed and It can be expected to improve the efficiency of suppressing the temperature rise of the electronic unit.

Further, since the wiring and the tube are bundled in the harness, the strength and the handleability can be improved as compared with the structure in which they are individually provided. In particular, in addition to wiring, the tubes with the inner diameter are bundled to secure the passage of air, so even if the harness is made of a flexible material, the harness including the tube and wiring is bent sharply. Since it is difficult to break the wire, it is possible to prevent disconnection of the wiring.

Further, since the tube is protected by the harness in this way, the handling of the tube itself can be improved, and the fixing work of the harness itself including the wiring and the tube to the engine room and the connection work to the electronic unit can be performed. It can be done easily.

Further, when connecting the above-mentioned plurality of connectors and a single tube to the electronic unit, these connectors and tubes are distributed from the end of the single harness, so that they are positioned close to each other. Since these can be grasped promptly, the handling is easy, and the connector and the tube 5 are connected to one place of the electronic unit. Since the inserting directions are the same, the connection work can be performed quickly and reliably, and as a result, the workability of each connector and tube connection can be improved.

In the above-described specific example, the plurality of connectors 13 on the electronic unit 4 side are arranged on the single surface of the case 16 so as to be gathered together. The number and the shape thereof are not limited to this.

That is, each connector 12 is connected to the case 16 according to the request of the electronic device housed in the case 16 and the arrangement of peripheral devices and parts in the installation place in the engine room 8 where the electronic unit 4 is fixed. May be respectively provided on different surfaces, and facilitates connection and disconnection work of each wiring 6 by the connector 12 without interfering with other parts and devices, thereby ensuring connection reliability and maintainability. It is possible to improve.

Next, another specific example of the present invention will be described.

As shown in FIG. 4, the cooling device 1 for the electronic unit 4 of this example has a single large connector 1 on the case 16 side.
3A is provided, the connector 13A is provided with the insertion port 15 of the tube 5, and the harness 7 is provided with a single large connector 12A, and the connector 12A is provided with the receiving port 14 of the tube 5 in a predetermined manner. When the two connectors 12A and 13A are provided, the wiring 6 on the harness 7 side is connected to the electronic unit 4 and the tube 5 on the harness 7 side is connected to the electronic unit 4 at the same time.

That is, a single large connector 13A is provided on one side surface of the case 16 of the electronic unit 4, and the insertion port 15 of the tube 5 is provided on one side of this connector 13A.

The connector 12A on the harness 7 side is
A single large connector 12A is formed corresponding to the connector 12A, and a receiving portion 14 for the tube 5 is provided at one end of the connector 12A.

Furthermore, the position of the air outlet in the case 16 of the insertion port 15 depends on the operating frequency and importance of each electric component housed in the case 16, but these components It is extended so as to be located at a place where the amount of heat generated by the device or the temperature becomes high, or in the vicinity thereof.

Therefore, by blowing the air to or near the above-mentioned place, the air in the place can be more positively flown, so that the temperature rise in the case 16 is further suppressed, and the temperature of the electric and electronic parts is suppressed. The efficiency of suppressing the rise is improved.

As described above, according to the configuration of this example, the tube receiving portion is arranged at the side end of the connector on the harness side joined to the electronic unit, and the side inside the connector on the electronic unit side is arranged. When the connector for the harness side is joined to the connector on the electronic unit side, the configuration is such that the insertion portion of the tube is provided at the end, and the wiring and the tube are connected by a combination of a single connector. Since the electrical connection by the wiring and the pipe connection by the tube are performed at the same time, it is possible to prevent an installation error such as a defective connection of the tube or a forgotten connection.

Further, since the size of the connector is increased, the strength of the connection is increased. Therefore, even if an external force, vibration, or shock is applied from the outside after the connection of the connector, the connection of the connector is prevented. Bonding defects can be suppressed and the reliability of the wiring and tube connections can be improved.

Furthermore, since the insertion portion of the tube is provided at one position which is asymmetric in the longitudinal direction of the connector,
Reverse insertion of the connector can be prevented. That is,
If the pin arrangement in the connector in the left-right direction in the figure is symmetric and confusing, you can connect even if you make a mistake in the left-right direction of the connector, but in the case of this example, the side end side in the left-right direction Since there is a tube insertion port on the
Even if the right and left directions of the connector are wrong, the connectors will not be joined incorrectly.

Correspondence between the configuration of the above embodiment and the configuration of the present invention will be described. That is, the cooling device 1 corresponds to the cooling device for the electronic device of the present invention, the passenger compartment 2 corresponds to the passenger compartment of the present invention, the compressor 3 corresponds to the filling means of the present invention, and the tube 5 corresponds to the tube of the present invention. The wiring 6 corresponds to the wiring of the invention, the harness 7 corresponds to the harness of the invention, the engine room 8 corresponds to the engine room of the invention, and the connectors 12 and 12A correspond to the wiring of the harness of the invention. Corresponds to the connector connected to the connector 1
3, 13A corresponds to the connector of the electronic unit of the present invention, the insertion port portion 15 corresponds to the connected port of the tube of the present invention, the receiving portion 14 corresponds to the connection port of the tube of the present invention, and the case 16 is The circuit board 18 and the electric component 19 and the electronic component 20 correspond to the electric component of the present invention.

In each of the specific examples described above, an example is described in which the temperature rise of the electronic unit 4 in which the electronic device including the electric parts and the electronic parts is housed in the case 16 is suppressed, but the case 16 includes a relay and a fuse. , Other types of electrical components such as connectors may be housed to suppress the temperature rise of these electrical components.

Further, the case where the case 16 formed in the shape of a flat box is installed horizontally has been described, but the case 16 may be installed upright, and the outer shape of the case 16 is a circuit to be housed inside. It may be shaped according to the substrate 18 and the electronic / electrical components 19 and 20.

Further, a dustproof filter is appropriately provided in the intake port of the compressor 3 for feeding air from the passenger compartment or in the air feeding path from the compressor 3 to the electronic unit 4, and the filter is used for further cleaning. It may be configured to supply the air in the passenger compartment with a high degree of degree to the electronic unit 4. In this case, the circuit board 18 and the electric / electronic components 19 and 20 that are delicate against dust and the like are the electronic unit. No. 4 case 16 can be accommodated even if it is included in the electronic device housed in the case 16, and the scope of application of the present invention can be expanded.

[0103]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the electric parts are housed in the housing without making contact with the inner surface thereof, and the housing is filled with the air in the passenger compartment. As a result, the air is filled between the electric component and the electronic component and the case, so that the heat from the outside of the case is blocked from being transferred to the electric component and the electronic component. The rise can be suppressed. In addition to this, clean air in the passenger compartment is always supplied to the electronic unit, so that the air can be brought into direct contact with the electric components and the electronic components in the electronic unit to suppress the temperature rise. As a result, the performance as a cooling device can be improved.

Further, according to the invention of claim 2, claim 1
In addition to the effect of the above, since the inside of the electronic unit can be maintained in a high pressure state by the air in the vehicle compartment supplied by the filling means, the invasion of gas etc. from the outside of the electronic unit that affects the internal electric parts can be prevented. In addition to the prevention, the invasion of dust and water can be prevented, the dustproof and waterproof property for protecting the electric parts can be sufficiently ensured, and the reliability of the electronic device can be improved.

Further, according to the invention of claim 3, in addition to the effect of claim 2, since the wiring and the tube are bundled in a harness, the strength is improved as compared with the structure provided individually. It is also possible to improve the handleability. In particular, in addition to wiring, the tubes with a certain diameter are bundled to secure the passage of air, so even if a flexible material is used for the harness, Since it is difficult to bend, disconnection of the wiring can be prevented, and reliability as a cooling device can be improved.

According to the invention of claim 4, in addition to the effect of claim 3, when the connector on the harness side is joined to the connector on the electronic unit side, the electrical connection by wiring and the pipe connection by the tube are performed. Since it is carried out at the same time, it is possible to prevent installation mistakes such as poor connection of the tube and forgetting to connect the tube, and it is possible to improve assemblability and maintainability.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an overall configuration of a specific example of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an overall configuration of a specific example of the present invention and showing a state in which a harness is disconnected from an electronic unit.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a specific example of the present invention and showing an arrangement of components in an electronic unit.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating an overall configuration of a specific example of the present invention and showing a state in which a harness is disconnected from an electronic unit.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of a conventional storage box that houses an electronic unit and cools it with air.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Electronic device cooling device, 2 ... Vehicle compartment, 3 ... Compressor, 4 ... Electronic unit, 5 ... Tube, 6 ... Wiring, 7 ... Harness, 8 ... Engine room, 12 ... Harness connector, 13 ... Electronic unit connector,
14 ... Tube receiving port, 15 ... Tube insertion port, 16 ... Case, 18 ... Circuit board, 19 ... Electrical component, 20 ... Electronic component.

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Shuji Iwamoto             1-5-1 Kiba Stock Market, Koto-ku, Tokyo             Inside Fujikura (72) Inventor Atsushi Sato             1-5-1 Kiba Stock Market, Koto-ku, Tokyo             Inside Fujikura (72) Inventor Toshiki Suga             1-5-1 Kiba Stock Market, Koto-ku, Tokyo             Inside Fujikura (72) Inventor Keiichi Kato             1-5-1 Kiba Stock Market, Koto-ku, Tokyo             Inside Fujikura F-term (reference) 4E352 AA09 AA16 BB02 BB10 BB15                       CC18 CC40 CC52 DD10 DR19                       DR27 GG04 GG20                 5E322 BA01 BA03 BA05 CA05 CA06                       EA03                 5G361 BC03

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A cooling device for an electronic device, which is installed in an engine compartment of a vehicle and suppresses a temperature rise of an electronic device composed of electric parts, wherein the electric parts of the electronic device are accommodated in a state of not being in contact with an inner surface thereof. A cooling device for an electronic device, comprising: the casing; and a filling unit for filling the interior of the casing with air in a vehicle compartment. 2. The filling means is disposed in the vehicle compartment or in a vicinity of the vehicle compartment, compresses air in the vehicle compartment and sends the compressed air to a casing, and the casing supplies the fed air. The cooling device for an electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the internal pressure of the electronic device is higher than that of the external pressure. 3. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the harness that bundles the wires connected to the electronic device bundles the tubes that feed the air in the vehicle compartment from the filling means to the housing. Equipment cooling system. 4. The connector to which the wiring of the harness is connected is provided with a tube connection port, the connector of the housing to which the connector is connected is provided with a tube connection port, and the connector is joined to connect the wiring. 4. The cooling device for an electronic device according to claim 3, wherein the connection of (1) and the connection of the tube are performed.