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WO-2026093000-A1 - CONTROL UNIT HOUSING COMPRISING A COVER WITH CENTERING AND POSITIONING RODS

WO2026093000A1WO 2026093000 A1WO2026093000 A1WO 2026093000A1WO-2026093000-A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a housing (1) for a control unit of a lighting projector, the housing comprising a cover (2), a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) (4) and a male portion (21) of an SMT connector, the pins (22) of which project beyond the PCBA by a height h b . The receiving interface (26) is integrated into the cover and comprises a receiving region (27) for receiving a female connector portion, the receiving region passing through the cover and projecting beneath the main wall (16) of the cover by a height h i greater than or equal to 0, and into which the pins are inserted when the housing is assembled. The cover also comprises at least two rods (29, 30), which project beneath the main wall toward the PCBA over a length greater than h b +h i , , and which pass through corresponding holes (35, 36) in the PCBA when the housing is assembled. These rods preferably comprise a pointed distal end (31).

Inventors

  • BRAHMI, Larbi
  • HAMDANI, Abdelmalik
  • YOUSFI, Samy
  • DUBUC, CYRIL
  • JOSSIC, Arnaud
  • JOHN-BOSCO, Edwin

Assignees

  • VALEO VISION

Dates

Publication Date
20260507
Application Date
20251013
Priority Date
20241028

Claims (11)

  1. Lighting projector control unit housing (1) comprising a cover (2) with a main wall (16), an assembled printed circuit board (4) and a male connector portion (21), in which said male connector part (21) includes pins (22), fixed to the assembled printed circuit board (4) and rising towards the cover (2) to a maximum height h b above the assembled printed circuit board (4); said cover includes a receiving interface (26), passing through the main wall (16) of the cover (2) and having a receiving area (27) for a female connector portion which is through and in which the pins (22) are engaged when the housing (1) is assembled, said receiving area (27) extending below said main wall (16) towards the assembled printed circuit board (4) by a height h i greater than or equal to 0; characterized in that: the cover (2) further includes at least a first rod (29) and a second rod (30), which have a free distal end (31) and which protrude below said main wall (16) in the direction of the assembled printed circuit board (4) by a length l 1 and l 2 respectively, with l 1 and l 2 each greater than h b +h i ; The assembled printed circuit board (4) has at least a first hole (35) and a second hole (36), which are traversed respectively by the first rod (29) and the second rod (30) when the housing (1) is assembled; and at least the first stem (29) or the second stem (30) has a section whose size decreases, in a progressively regular or stepped manner, towards its distal end (31).
  2. Housing (1) according to claim 1 characterized in that at least the first rod (29) or the second rod (30) comprises a retaining portion (37), which is a portion of length located between a distance h i and a distance x 1 or x 2 respectively with respect to the main wall (16), with x 1 and x 2 ≥h i +h b , which has a section whose area is greater than or equal to 90%, preferably greater than or equal to 95%, and less than 100% of the area respectively of the first hole (35) or the second hole (36) through which said rod (29, 30) passes when the housing (1) is assembled.
  3. Housing (1) according to claim 2 characterized in that at least the first rod (29) or the second rod (30) has, from the main wall (16) and towards its distal end (31), a first portion corresponding to said retaining portion (37) followed by a second portion whose cross-section decreases progressively or in stages up to said distal end (31), the cross-section of said second portion being less than that of said retaining portion (37).
  4. Housing (1) according to any one of the preceding claims characterized in that said at least the first hole (35) or the second hole (36) is round or oblong in shape.
  5. Housing (1) according to any one of the preceding claims characterized in that said at least the first rod (29) or the second rod (30) has a conical, frustoconical, cylindrical or several successive cylindrical stages shape, this shape having a round or oblong section.
  6. Housing (1) according to claim 5 in combination with claim 2, characterized in that said at least the first rod (29) or the second rod (30) comprises at least two successive cylindrical stages (33) separated by a frustoconical portion (34), the upper cylindrical stage (33) corresponding to said retaining portion (37), and the lower cylindrical stage (33) having a smaller cross-sectional diameter than that of the upper cylindrical stage (33) and terminating with said distal end (31).
  7. Housing (1) according to any one of the preceding claims characterized in that the first rod (29) is located near the receiving area (27) of the receiving interface (26).
  8. Housing (1) according to any one of the preceding claims characterized in that the second rod (30) is located on the periphery of the main wall (16) and preferably in a corner of the main wall (16).
  9. Housing (1) according to any one of the preceding claims characterized in that the first rod (29) and the second rod (30) have a non-symmetrical position with respect to at least one of the main axes (48, 49) and/or the center (50) of the main wall (16).
  10. Housing (1) according to any one of the preceding claims characterized in that it further comprises a shield (3), interposed between the cover (2) and the assembled printed circuit board (4), which also comprises a first hole (44) and a second hole (45), through which respectively the first rod (29) and the second rod (30) pass when the housing (1) is assembled.
  11. A housing (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that the cover (2) further comprises a set of pins (38) which protrude below the main wall (16) towards the shield (3) by a length p less than l1 and l2 ; and in that the shield (3) comprises a set of cross-shaped openings (39), each of which is passed through and deformed by one of said pins (38) when the housing (1) is assembled

Description

CONTROL UNIT HOUSING WITH A CENTERING AND POSITIONING ROD COVER TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION TECHNOLOGICAL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a control unit housing for the functions of a motor vehicle headlight. More specifically, the invention relates to the component parts of this housing and in particular its cover which includes centering and positioning rods for mounting the shield and the printed circuit board. In the automotive field, control unit boxes (called "drivers" in English) are used to electronically control the various functions of the headlights, for example high beams, low beams, position lights, hazard lights, fog lights… Control unit housings typically consist of a metal cover, a printed circuit board (PCB) on which electronic components are assembled (the board is then designated by the acronym PCBA, meaning "Printed Circuit Board Assembly"), and an aluminum heat sink that dissipates the heat generated by the electronic components using fins extending along its underside. In this case, the metal cover acts as a shield against electromagnetic interference that could affect the electronic components (electromagnetic compatibility). This type of housing is typically equipped with the male part of a connector whose pins pass through the PCBA board. These connection pins are surrounded by a plastic sleeve, directly overmolded around the pins, and whose upper part is shaped into a receiving interface for the female part of the connector. This interface passes through an opening in the central part of the cover and is thus accessible for inserting the female part of the connector, which is connected to the lighting projector. This allows the lighting projector to be connected to the electronic components of the PCBA board and thus controlled electronically. However, when space is limited, it is sometimes necessary to reduce the size of the control unit enclosure and, consequently, the size of the PCB on which the electronic components are mounted. In such cases, it is essential to use both sides of the PCB to accommodate all the necessary electronic components. The use of conventional connectors, whose through-hole pins occupy the underside of the PCB, is no longer feasible. They must be replaced by SMT (Surface Mount Technology) connectors, whose non-through-hole pins are soldered to the top side of the PCB. Performing such a precise and delicate soldering operation at the base of each pin is incompatible with the presence of a plastic casing overmolded around the pins at that point. This complexly shaped plastic component, which serves as a receiving interface for the female part of the connector to ensure a proper connection with the pins, must therefore be relocated to the cover. It is thus independent and initially separated from the pins. The invention relates to this type of control box in which the receiving interface of the female part of the connector is located at the level of the cover and is independent of the pins soldered on the PCBA board. To simplify manufacturing, the cover can be made entirely of plastic, with the receiving interface of the female part of the connector then being directly integrated into the rest of the cover. Generally, the female connector's receiving interface is positioned on a section called a "chimney" within the cover. This chimney is designed to be inserted into a recess on the projector side, allowing the control unit housing to be attached to the projector. Another advantage of this type of plastic cover is its ability to accommodate constraints regarding the placement of the receiving interface and the chimney. For example, in a specific constraint, the chimney and the receiving interface may be misaligned. In this case, the plastic molding allows for this positioning while still incorporating both the chimney and the receiving interface into the cover. An independent shield, in the form of an additional metal plate inserted between the cover and the PCBA board, is then added to protect the electronic components from electromagnetic interference. During the assembly of the various components of the control unit housing, the cover is placed over the PCBA board and any shield. The pins, which are soldered to the top surface of the PCBA board, must then be engaged in the receiving interface located on the cover in order to recreate the male part of the connector. For this to work, the pins must be correctly positioned opposite the opening of the receiving interface. If the relative positioning of the PCBA board to the cover is not perfect, the pins will be misaligned with the opening and cannot engage. Worse, when the cover is closed, they can hit the interface wall or the cover and/or shield and be damaged, or even torn off. Assembling the control unit housing is therefore a delicate operation, often leading to defects or damage. There is therefore an unmet need for an improved device that would simplify the assembly