Housing for containing a fragile element such as a logic circuit

Abstract

A housing designed to contain a logic circuit (15) comprising two shells (11a, 11b) each including a welding area (17a, 17b) having an appropriate geometry permitting ultrasonic welding, such that when both shells are assembled before a welding phase, they are shifted along a vertical axis (20). The supporting plate (13) comprises a mounting ear (23) while the shells comprise a receptacle (33a, 33b). During the welding phase, there is no concomitant contact between any of the upper face (26) and lower face (27) of the ear (23) and the corresponding bearing faces (34a, 34b) of the receptacles, owing to a shift (21). The shift is reduced and the concomitant contact takes place between the bearing faces (34a, 34b) of the receptacles and each of the upper and lower faces (26, 27) of the ear (23) only when the welding phase is completed.

I claim: 
     
       1. A housing, suitable for containing at least one fragile element such as a logic circuit, comprising: two shells assembled by ultrasonic welding, each shell comprising at least one welding area having a form permitting ultrasonic welding and being such that when both shells are assembled before welding a shift directed along a vertical axis separates the shells; and   at least one supporting plate for supporting a fragile element, said supporting plate comprising at least one mounting portion,   wherein at least one of the shells comprises a receptacle for said mounting portion of the corresponding shell, and receptacle and said mounting portion cooperating so that a movement of the supporting plate along transverse and axial axes is limited to respective transverse and axial clearances and movement of the supporting plate of said two shells after welding along the vertical axis is limited to a vertical clearance (JV).   
     
     
       2. A housing according to claim 1, wherein; at least one of said transverse and axial clearances is reduced to zero by said assembly and welding.   
     
     
       3. A housing according to claim 1, wherein: the mounting portion comprises a substantially parallelpipedic mounting ear extending in a transverse-axial plane, the receptacle has a similar parallelpipedic shape, the relative sizes of the supporting plate, the mounting ear and the receptacle being such that the height of the ear is not greater than the total height of the receptacle once the housing is assembled and welded, the ear comprising on a transverse end adjacent the welding area a lateral face positioned in an axial-vertical plane with no contact possible between said lateral face and a corresponding face of the receptacle.   
     
     
       4. A housing according to claim 1, wherein: a supporting plate is engaged in at least one notch in at least one of said shells,   two mounting portions being provided, each mounting portion being associated with an end lateral face of a supporting plate, and   said at least one notch comprises two corresponding lateral faces, the relative size of the notch and of the supporting plate being such that contact is prevented between said notch and said supporting plate, the end lateral faces of the supporting plate being denied simultaneous contact with corresponding faces of the notch.   
     
     
       5. A housing according to claim 1, wherein: the mounting portion comprises a selected number of rounded edges.   
     
     
       6. A housing according to claim 1, wherein: the shells and the mounting portion are manufactured from respective materials not liable to become amalgamated during ultrasonic welding of said at least two shells. .Iadd.   
     
     
       7.  A housing according to claim 1, wherein said housing has a square shape in the transverse-axial plane..Iaddend..Iadd.8. A housing according to claim 1, wherein said housing has a rectangular shape in the transverse-axial plane..Iaddend..Iadd.9. A housing according to claim 1, further comprising a connector connected to said fragile element for releasably connecting said fragile element to an external circuit..Iaddend..Iadd.10. A housing according to claim 9, wherein said connector is attached to said supporting plate..Iaddend..Iadd.11. A housing, suitable for containing at least one fragile element such as a logic circuit, comprising: two shells assembled by welding, each shell comprising at least one welding area having a form permitting welding and being such that when both shells are assembled before welding a shift directed along a vertical axis separates the shells; and   at least one supporting plate for supporting a fragile element, said supporting plate comprising at least one mounting portion,   wherein at least one of the shells comprises a receptacle for said mounting portion of the corresponding shell, said receptacle and said mounting portion cooperating so that a movement of the supporting plate along transverse and axial axes is limited to respective transverse and axial clearances and movement of the supporting plate of said two shells after welding along the vertical axis is limited to a vertical clearance (JV)..Iaddend..Iadd.12. A housing according to claim 11, wherein:   the shells and the mounting portion are manufactured from respective materials not liable to be come amalgamated during welding of said two shells..Iaddend..Iadd.13. A housing according to claim 11, wherein said welding is ultrasonic welding..Iaddend..Iadd.14. A housing according to claim 13, wherein said shells are formed of ABS..Iaddend..Iadd.15. A housing according to claim 13, wherein said shells are formed of nylon..Iaddend..Iadd.16. A housing according to claim 13, wherein said shells are formed of ABS, and wherein said mounting portion is formed of nylon..Iaddend..Iadd.17. A housing comprising:   two shells assembled by welding, each shell comprising at least one welding area having a form permitting welding and being such that when both shells are assembled before welding a shift directed along a vertical axis separates the shells; and   at least one supporting plate including at least one mounting portion,   wherein at least one of the shells comprises a receptacle for said mounting portion of the corresponding shell, said receptacle and said mounting portion cooperating so that a movement of the supporting plate along transverse and axial axes is limited to respective transverse and axial clearances and movement of the supporting plate of said two shells after welding along the vertical axis is limited to a vertical clearance (JV)..Iaddend..Iadd.18. A housing according to claim 17, wherein:   the shells and the mounting portion are manufactured from respective materials not liable to be come amalgamated during welding of said two shells..Iaddend..Iadd.19. A housing according to claim 17, wherein said welding is ultrasonic welding..Iaddend.