Abstract:
The present invention relates to a throttle-valve housing having a continuous throttle opening for a throttle-valve which is arranged on a throttle-valve shaft, and a housing having a housing cover and a housing body. An electric drive and a first electronic mechanism for the drive are arranged in the housing, for displacing the throttle-valve shaft. The throttle-valve housing is especially non-complex in terms of production and assembly, and can be especially easily connected to other electronic mechanisms of the motor vehicle. To this end, the first electronic mechanism for the electric drive and the second electronic mechanism for appliances outside the housing are arranged in the cover of the housing. Both the first electronic mechanism of the electric drive for the throttle-valve shaft and the second electronic mechanism for the electrical appliances, can be brought into contact with the electrical appliances outside the housing by means of electrical connections which are at least partially arranged in the cover of the housing.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
         [0001]    The present invention is a continuation of international application PCT/DE02/01058, which designated the United States and was filed 22 Mar. 2002, and further claims priority to priority document DE10117542.6, filed on 7 Apr. 2001, the both of which are herein incorporated by reference.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The invention relates to a throttle body, in particular for an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle, with a continuous throttle opening for a throttle valve which is pivotably arranged on a throttle-valve shaft and with a housing, the housing comprising a housing cover and a housing body, an electric servodrive and a first electronic mechanism being arranged in the housing for pivoting the throttle-valve shaft. The invention also relates to an electronic module, which comprises electronic mechanisms for a motor vehicle and a base element which can be closed by a cover element, the motor vehicle having a multiplicity of electrical appliances and a throttle body, the throttle body comprising a housing with a continuous throttle opening for a throttle valve which is pivotably arranged on a throttle-valve shaft and an electric servodrive, arranged in the housing, for pivoting the throttle-valve shaft.  
           [0003]    To control the amount of fresh gas to be fed to the internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle, throttle bodies are usually used. Throttle bodies comprise a housing with a continuous throttle opening and a throttle member arranged in the throttle opening. The throttle member assumes a specific position in the throttle opening for a specific amount of fresh gas to be allowed to pass through. To this end, the throttle member can be mechanically or electronically activated.  
           [0004]    It may be the case that, in a part-range, for example the idling range, the throttle valve of a throttle body can be moved by a servodrive and, in the remaining range, it can be moved with the aid of a wire cable coupled to the gas pedal of the motor vehicle. Alternatively, however, it may also be the case that the throttle valve can be moved by a servodrive in its entire adjusting range. In the case of these last-mentioned systems, there is no mechanical connection between the set point input, in particular the gas pedal, and the throttle valve. In the case of these electronic gas-pedal or drive-by-wire systems as they are known, the power requirement is converted into an electrical signal when initiated by the pressing down of the gas pedal. The electrical signal is fed to a control unit, which in turn generates from the electrical signal an activation signal for the servodrive.  
           [0005]    In order in the case of electronic gas-pedal systems to avoid errors in the transmission of the activation signal from the control unit for driving the throttle-valve shaft, there are throttle bodies in which the control unit for the servodrive is integrated into the housing of the throttle body. The control unit may in this case be integrated into an electronic mechanism arranged in the housing. The electronic mechanism is in this case intended for further functions of the throttle body, for example for the activation of a position control of the throttle-valve shaft and the acquisition and storage of data of the throttle body. Integration of an electronic mechanism into the housing of the throttle body is often particularly complex in terms of production and assembly, since the housing must additionally have a receptacle for the electronic mechanism. What is more, the assembly of the throttle body requires an additional assembly step, in which the electronic mechanism is integrated into the housing of the throttle body.  
           [0006]    Even if transmission errors of the activation signal of the servodrive for the throttle valve can be avoided particularly reliably by integrating the electronic mechanism for the throttle body into the housing of the throttle body, it may however prove to be problematical to connect the electronic mechanism of the throttle body to the remaining electronic mechanisms of the motor vehicle. A connection of the electronic mechanism of the throttle body to the remaining electronic mechanisms of the motor vehicle is required in order, for example, to coordinate the position of the throttle valve with the operation of an ignition device and/or an injection device. This connection of the electronic mechanism of the throttle body to other electronic mechanisms, in particular electronic control mechanisms, of the motor vehicle involves particularly great complexity in terms of assembly for the installation of the throttle body or electronic gas-pedal system in a motor vehicle. The further electrical appliances activated by the other electronic mechanisms of the motor vehicle may in this case be arranged both inside and outside the internal combustion engine in the motor vehicle. Furthermore, the signals to be exchanged between the electronic mechanism of the throttle body and the other electronic mechanisms may be falsified on account of interference pulses, possibly resulting in faulty signal transmission or, in the extreme case, no transmission at all. Furthermore, each cable to be laid in the motor vehicle represents additional complexity in terms of assembly.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    The invention is therefore based on an object of providing a throttle body of the type stated at the beginning with an electronic mechanism which can be connected especially easily to other electronic mechanisms of the motor vehicle in a way which is especially non-complex in terms of production and assembly. It is also intended to provide a housing for the electronic mechanism of the type stated above which can be arranged in the motor vehicle in a way which is especially non-complex in terms of production and assembly, in particular in the engine compartment.  
           [0008]    This and other objects are achieved according to the invention with respect to the throttle body by arranging the first electronic mechanism of the throttle body and a second electronic mechanism for a number of electrical appliances arranged outside the housing together in the housing cover of the throttle body, it being possible for both the first electronic mechanism of the throttle body and the second electronic mechanism of the electrical appliances to be brought into contact with the electrical appliances arranged outside the housing by means of electrical connection means which are at least partially arranged in the housing cover.  
           [0009]    The invention is based in this respect on the consideration that a throttle body which is to be created in a way which is especially non-complex in terms of production and assembly can be connected especially easily to other electronic mechanisms of the motor vehicle if the electrical connection lines from the throttle body to these other electronic mechanisms are made to be particularly short. Since, however, the sensor systems of the motor vehicle, in particular of the internal combustion engine, must be arranged at specific locations in the motor vehicle, in order for example to acquire specific data such as an oil temperature and/or an oil level, the remaining electronic mechanisms of the motor vehicle cannot necessarily be arranged in the direct vicinity of the throttle body. The arrangement of the other electronic mechanisms of the motor vehicle at locations other than that of the throttle body may, however, lead to errors in the signal transmission. Faulty transmission of the signals to be transmitted can be avoided particularly well if a central acquisition, storage, evaluation, open-loop and/or closed-loop control unit is provided. All the data acquired then come together in this central unit and are prepared in such a way that the corresponding control signals can be reliably transmitted to the electrical appliances. If in this case this central unit is integrated into one of the electrical appliances or into the throttle body, faulty transmission can be avoided especially well, at least for the specific device in which the central unit is arranged.  
           [0010]    Since the acquisition, evaluation, closed-loop and/or open-loop electronic mechanism required for the drive of the throttle valve of the throttle body is already integrated into the throttle body, a further central unit, which communicates with further electrical appliances of the internal combustion engine, could be arranged in the throttle body, In this case, however, the throttle body should not have outer dimensions that are any greater than before, for reasons of space. Moreover, the throttle body should be especially non-complex in terms of production and assembly. To this end, both the first electronic mechanism for the electric drive and the second electronic mechanism for a number of electrical appliances of the motor vehicle are arranged directly on the housing cover of the housing of the throttle body. In order in this case to ensure at the same time especially easy contacting of the first and the second electronic mechanisms with further electrical appliances of the motor vehicle, both the first electronic mechanism and the second electronic mechanism can be brought into contact with electrical appliances arranged outside the housing of the throttle body by means of electrical connection means which are arranged in the housing cover.  
           [0011]    The electrical appliances are advantageously arranged in an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle. A throttle body is a conventional component for a motor vehicle, which is often arranged outside the internal combustion engine. In just the same way as the throttle body, the further electrical appliances of the internal combustion engine of the motor vehicle need a central unit, by means of which data can be read in from electrical appliances of the internal combustion engine and by means of which control signals can be output to the electrical, appliances of the internal combustion engine. Arrangement of both the first electronic mechanism for the throttle body and the second electronic mechanism for other electrical appliances together, centrally in the housing cover of the throttle body, ensures a compact type of construction of the electronic mechanisms of the motor vehicle, whereby the production and assembly costs for the electronic mechanisms of the motor vehicle concerned are especially low.  
           [0012]    The electronic mechanism for the electrical appliances arranged outside the housing of the throttle body advantageously comprises a control unit, a data acquisition unit and a data storage unit. These three units ensure especially reliable and easy acquisition and storage of data of the electrical appliances, it being possible for activation of one or more electrical appliances to be performed by means of acquired or stored data.  
           [0013]    The electrical appliances are advantageously an ignition device and/or an injection device and/or an oil-level measuring device and/or an air-mass regulating device. In addition or alternatively, the electrical appliances may also be electronic engine-control mechanisms and/or an electromechanically integrated throttle body. These electrical appliances directly control the combustion of the fuel in the internal combustion engine and are therefore in a direct relationship with the position of the throttle valve in the throttle opening of the throttle body. Therefore, in particular in the case of the said electrical appliances, the electronic reading-out, open-loop and/or closed-loop control mechanisms should be arranged in the throttle body together with the electronic mechanism for the throttle body.  
           [0014]    The housing cover advantageously consists of plastic, the electrical connection means being at least partially embedded in the plastic. Integration of the electrical connection means into the plastic also reduces the complexity in terns of assembly of the throttle body, since it only remains for the electrical connection means integrated into the housing cover to be connected to the first and/or second electronic mechanism of the housing cover. The electrical connection means may, for example, be integrated into the housing cover by being injection-molded into the plastic during the production of the housing cover by the injection-molding process. Alternatively, the housing cover may, however, also be produced from a metal-containing plastic or else entirely from metal. When the housing cover is produced from metal, for example aluminum, however, the electrical connection means must be subsequently placed into the housing cover and additionally insulated, in order to avoid an electrical short-circuit with respect to the housing cover. This involves additional complexity in terms of assembly, which proves to be uneconomical in the production of the throttle body.  
           [0015]    Both the first electronic mechanism for the throttle body and the second electronic mechanism for the electrical appliances arranged outside the housing are advantageously arranged in a region of the housing cover which is bounded by a covering element. This covering element may in this case be produced from metal, plastic or ceramic. The covering element separates the first electronic mechanism and the second electronic mechanism especially reliably from the remaining interior region of the housing of the throttle body. This separation prevents any ingress of foreign particles from the remaining interior region of the housing of the throttle body into the first electronic mechanism and into the second electronic mechanism especially reliably.  
           [0016]    The first electronic mechanism for the throttle body and the second electronic mechanism for the electrical appliances arranged outside the housing of the throttle body are advantageously arranged on a common printed circuit board in the housing cover of the housing of the throttle body. The arrangement of the first electronic mechanism and the second electronic mechanism together on a common printed circuit board is especially non-complex in terms of production both for the first electronic mechanism and for the second electronic mechanism, since they can be brought onto a printed circuit board together in one production process. Moreover, the throttle body is made less complex to assemble, since only a single printed circuit board has to be fitted into the housing cover of the housing of the throttle body.  
           [0017]    The printed circuit board is advantageously arranged on a heat-conducting plate, in particular a metallic plate. The arrangement of the printed circuit board on a heat-conducting plate ensures especially reliably that heat of the electronic mechanism produced during the operation of the throttle body can be reliably dissipated from the housing of the throttle body over the especially large surface area of the heat-conducting plate. As a result, given a suitable design of the heat-conducting plate, excessive heating-up of the electronic mechanism is reliably prevented. Excessive heating-up of the electronic mechanism should be avoidable, in order for damage to the electronic mechanism or, in the extreme case, complete failure of the electronic mechanism to be reliably prevented. Since the housing cover of the housing of the throttle body is generally produced from plastic and not from metal for cost reasons, it cannot usually dissipate the heat. The heat-conducting plate provides a means of easily ensuring that the heat produced by the electronic mechanism during the operation of the throttle body can be dissipated from the region of the electronic mechanism.  
           [0018]    The heat-conducting plate, in particular metallic plate, is advantageously fastened by means for fastening both on the housing cover and on the housing body. Fastening of the heat-conducting plate advantageously takes place in this case by screws which predominantly consist of metal. The heat of the heat-conducting plate can then be transferred via the screws to the housing body, which consequently represents a heat sink. As a result, overheating of the electronic mechanism arranged in the housing cover of the throttle body is avoided especially reliably.  
           [0019]    The housing body advantageously consists predominantly of metal, in particular aluminum. A housing body produced from metal conducts the heat transferred to it by means of the screws away to the outside especially well, whereby overheating of the electronic mechanism is additionally avoided especially reliably. Aluminum in this case offers the advantage that it can be processed especially easily by the injection-molding process.  
           [0020]    The electric servodrive of the throttle-valve shaft is advantageously connected to the first electronic mechanism of the throttle body by means of an electrical plug-in connection. The electric servodrive can be brought into contact with the electronic mechanism especially easily by means of an electrical plug-in connection. As a result, the connection of the first electronic mechanism to the electric servodrive is especially non-complex in terms of assembly.  
           [0021]    A restoring spring device for resetting the throttle valve into a starting position is advantageously arranged in the housing. This restoring spring device ensures in the event of a failure of the electric servodrive of the throttle-valve shaft that the throttle valve can be reset into a starting position even without the electric servodrive. In this case, this starting position is often not the closed position of the throttle valve but a position with a small opening angle of the throttle valve, in order to ensure that the driver of the motor vehicle can still reach a repair workshop even in the event of failure of the electric servodrive of the throttle-valve shaft.  
           [0022]    A device for acquiring the position of the throttle-valve shaft is advantageously arranged in the housing. This device for acquiring the position of the throttle-valve shaft ensures that, given appropriate activation of the electric drive of the throttle-valve shaft, the latter is also brought into a well-defined position. If a signal of the device for acquiring the position of the throttle-valve shaft indicates that the latter does not assume the desired position in spite of proper electrical activation, an error signal is produced, signaling to the driver of the motor vehicle that the gas pedal is not functioning properly.  
           [0023]    The object is achieved according to the invention with respect to the electronic module by a first electronic mechanism for the throttle body and a second electronic mechanism for a number of electrical appliances of the motor vehicle being arranged in the cover element, it being possible for the first electronic mechanism of the throttle body and the second electronic mechanism of the electrical appliances to be connected to the electrical devices of the throttle body and the electrical appliances of the motor vehicle by means of electrical connection means, the connection means being at least partially arranged in the cover element.  
           [0024]    The invention is based in this respect on the consideration that the electronic mechanism for a motor vehicle can be divided into the electronic mechanism of the throttle body and a second electronic mechanism for the other electrical appliances of the motor vehicle. In order for transmission errors of coupling signals between the first electronic mechanism of the throttle body and the second electronic mechanism of the other electrical appliances of the motor vehicle to be reliably avoided, the first electronic mechanism for the throttle body and the second electronic mechanism for the multiplicity of electrical appliances of the motor vehicle should be arranged close together. The first electronic mechanism and the second electronic mechanism can be arranged especially close together if they are combined in a common electronic module, In this case, the assembly of the electronic module proves to be especially non-complex, since only a single module has to be fitted in the motor vehicle instead of a first electronic mechanism for the throttle body and a second electronic mechanism for the multiplicity of electrical appliances of the motor vehicle. Moreover, an electronic module which combines the first electronic mechanism for the throttle body with the second electronic mechanism of the other electrical appliances of the motor vehicle offers the advantage that this electronic module can be arranged anywhere in the motor vehicle, and consequently the electronic module can also be fitted in what are known as dead angles.  
           [0025]    The electrical appliances are advantageously an ignition device and/or an injection device and/or an oil-level measuring device and/or an air-mass regulating device. These electrical appliances are in a relationship with the position of the throttle valve in the throttle body and therefore, to avoid transmission errors, should have an electronic mechanism which is arranged in the direct vicinity of the first electronic mechanism of the throttle body.  
           [0026]    The housing cover is advantageously produced from plastic, the electrical connection means being at least partially embedded in the plastic. If, for example, the housing cover is produced from plastic by the injection-molding process, the electrical connection means can already be embedded in the plastic during the injection-molding operation. As a result, the cover element is especially non-complex in terms of production.  
           [0027]    The first electronic mechanism for the throttle body and the second electronic mechanism for the electrical appliances of the internal combustion engine are advantageously arranged on a common printed circuit board in the cover element, A common printed circuit board for the first electronic mechanism of the throttle body and the second electronic mechanism of the electrical appliances of the motor vehicle makes it possible for the first electronic mechanism and the second electronic mechanism to be applied to the printed circuit board in a single production step, making production of the printed circuit board especially non-complex.  
           [0028]    The printed circuit board is advantageously arranged on a heat-conducting plate, in particular a metallic plate. On account of being easy to work, aluminum is suitable as the metal. Since the housing cover will generally be produced from plastic for cost reasons, it is ensured by means of the heat-conducting plates that the heat produced during the operation of the throttle body is transported away from the electronic mechanism especially well by means of the heat-conducting plate.  
           [0029]    The heat-conducting plate, in particular metallic plate, is advantageously fastened by means for fastening both on the cover element and on the base element. In this case, the means for fastening are advantageously screws which predominantly consist of metal. The screws can be used to establish a heat bridge to the base element, via which heat produced [lacuna] operation of the electronic mechanism can be dissipated especially easily.  
           [0030]    The base element advantageously consists predominantly of metal, in particular of aluminum. The base element then dissipates the heat of the first electronic mechanism and the second electronic mechanism that has been transferred through the screws to the base element to the surroundings especially reliably, whereby excessive heating-up of the first electronic mechanism arranged on the printed circuit board and the second electronic mechanism is avoided especially reliably.  
           [0031]    The advantages achieved with the invention are in particular that the integration of the electronic mechanisms required for the motor vehicle and the electronic mechanism for the throttle body in a single common printed circuit board and the arrangement in turn of this printed circuit board in the housing cover of the throttle body or in the electronic module have the effect of creating a central element that represents the heart of the electronic mechanisms of the motor vehicle. This central element, which can be arranged either in the housing of the throttle body or else as an electronic module anywhere in the motor vehicle, makes it possible for the entire electronic mechanisms of the motor vehicle to be arranged especially easily in the motor vehicle by means of a single assembly step. Particular flexibility of the arrangement is in this case obtained in particular if the electronic module is used. Even when there is a defect of the central element, only a single printed circuit board has to be investigated for defects and, if need be, can also be brought into a functional state again by exchanging it. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0032]    The novel features and method steps believed characteristic of the invention are set out in the claims below. The invention itself, however, as well as other features and advantages thereof, are best understood by reference to the detailed description, which follows, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 1 shows a throttle body,  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 2 shows the housing cover and electronic mechanism and also a plug-in connection, and  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 3 shows an electronic module. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0036]    The throttle body  10  according to FIG. 1 serves for feeding an air or fuel/air mixture to a consumer not represented, for example an injection device, of a motor vehicle likewise not represented, the amount of fresh gas to be fed to the consumer being controllable by means of the throttle body  10 . To this end, the throttle body  10  has a housing  12 , which is produced predominantly from aluminum  14 . Alternatively, however, the housing may also be produced from plastic, The housing  12  comprises a housing body  15 , in which there is arranged a continuous throttle opening  16 , via which air or a fuel/air mixture can be fed to the consumer not represented. For setting the volume of fresh gas to be fed, a throttle valve  22  is arranged on a throttle-valve shaft  18  with the aid of fastening means  20 . The throttle-valve shaft  18 , the fastening means  20  and the throttle valve  22  are depicted in FIG. 1 in an exploded representation.  
         [0037]    Rotation of the throttle-valve shaft  18  at the same time brings about pivoting of the throttle valve  22  arranged on the throttle-valve shaft  18 . Pivoting of the throttle valve  22  brings about an increase or decrease in the size of the opening of the throttle opening  16 . As a result, the amount of flow medium passing through the throttle opening  16  can be set. Consequently, regulation of the throughput of the air or fuel/air mixture through the throttle opening  16  of the throttle body  10  takes place by means of a movement of the throttle valve  22 .  
         [0038]    The throttle-valve shaft  18  may be connected to a cable pulley (not represented in any more detail), which in turn is connected via a Bowden cable to a setting device for a power requirement, The setting device may in this case be designed as a gas pedal of a motor vehicle, so that, [lacuna] actuation of this setting device by the driver of the motor vehicle, the throttle valve  22  can be brought from a minimum opening position, in particular a closed position, into a maximum opening position, in particular an open position, in order in this way to control the power delivery of the motor vehicle.  
         [0039]    In contrast to this, the throttle-valve shaft  18 , shown in FIG. 1, of the throttle body  10  can be set either in a part-range by a servodrive and otherwise by means of the gas pedal, or else the throttle valve  22  can be set by a servodrive over the entire adjusting range. In the case of these electronic gas-pedal or drive-by-wire systems as they are known, the mechanical power control, for example pressing down of a gas pedal, is converted into an electrical signal. This signal is in turn fed to a control unit, which generates an activation signal for the servodrive. In the case of these systems, there is no mechanical coupling between the gas pedal and the throttle valve  22  in normal operation.  
         [0040]    For adjusting the throttle-valve shaft  18 , and consequently the throttle valve  22 , the throttle body  10  therefore has a drive housing  24 . The drive housing  24  is formed in one piece with the housing  12  of the throttle body  10 . The housing  12  of the throttle body  10  and the drive housing  24  may alternatively also be formed in two pieces. Arranged in the drive housing  24  is an electric servodrive  26 , designed as an electric motor. The electric servodrive  26 , designed as an electric motor, is connected to the throttle-valve shaft  18  via a transmission  28 . The throttle-valve shaft  18  is consequently able to be pivoted by the servodrive  26  designed as an electric motor.  
         [0041]    The region of the housing  12  in which the servodrive  26  designed as an electric motor and the transmission  28  are arranged can be closed by a housing cover  40 . The housing cover  40  is produced from plastic  42 . Alternatively, however, the housing cover  40  may also be produced from metal, in particular aluminum. The housing cover  40  is produced from plastic  42  by the injection-molding process. In this case, electrical connection means  44  have been placed into the injection mold provided for the housing cover  40  and have been embedded at least partially into the plastic  42  during the injection-molding process, The throttle body  10  can be connected by means of the electrical connection means  44  to electrical appliances  46  which are arranged outside the throttle body  10 . According to this exemplary embodiment, the electrical appliances, which are schematically indicated in FIG. 1, are an ignition device  48 , an injection device  50 , an oil-level measuring device  52  and an air-mass regulating device  54 . Like the throttle body  10 , the electrical appliances  46  are arranged in the internal combustion engine of the motor vehicle, neither the engine nor the motor vehicle being represented in any more detail in the drawing.  
         [0042]    The electrical connection means  44  of the housing cover  40  are connected to the electric drive  26  by means of a printed circuit board  56  and an electrical plug-in connection  58 , In this case, an electrical contact plate  60 , which is arranged between the housing cover  40  and the printed circuit board  56 , is provided for connecting the electrical connection means  44  of the housing cover  40  to the printed circuit board  56 . Between the electrical contact plate  60  and the printed circuit board  56  there is also a metallic plate  62 . The printed circuit board  56  is connected to the electrical plug-in connection  58  by means of an electrical contact  62 . The electrical plug-in connection  58  engages in corresponding contacts  64  of the electric drive  26 . To protect the printed circuit board  56  from contamination, which may be caused by the electric drive  26 , the transmission  28  and the position acquisition means  32 , a covering element  68  is used to separate the printed circuit board  56 , the metallic plate  62  and also the contact plate  60  and the metallic plate  62  from the remaining housing region of the throttle body.  
         [0043]    The covering element  68 , the printed circuit board  56 , the metallic plate  62  in each case have bores  70 , via which they are to be arranged on the housing  12  of the throttle body  10  by means of fastening means  72  designed as metallic screws. To this end, the fastening means  72  designed as screws are inserted into openings  74  provided for this purpose in the housing cover. The fastening means  72  designed as screws are then passed through the metallic plate  62 , the printed circuit board  56  and the covering element  68  and then engage in the thread  76  of the housing  12 , in order to arrange the metallic plate  62 , the printed circuit board  56  and the covering element  68  securely on the housing  12  of the throttle body  10 . The fastening means  72  in this case do not serve exclusively as means for fastening but also dissipate heat produced in the printed circuit board  56  during operation of the throttle body  10  via the metallic plate  62  to the housing  12  of the throttle body  10 .  
         [0044]    Arranged on the printed circuit board  56  is a first electronic mechanism  80  for the electric drive  26  and a second electronic mechanism  82  for the electrical appliances  46  arranged outside the housing  12 . Both the first electronic mechanism  80  and the second electronic mechanism  82  can be brought into contact with the electrical appliances  56  arranged outside the throttle body  10  by means of the electrical contact plate  60  and the connection means  44  which are at least partially arranged in the housing cover  40 . The first electronic mechanism  80  and the second electronic mechanism  82  are applied in an integrated form of construction to the printed circuit board  56 . Therefore, it cannot be decided from the outside which region of the printed circuit board  56  belongs to the first electronic mechanism  80  and which region of the printed circuit board belongs to the second electronic mechanism  82 . Alternatively, however, the printed circuit board  46  may also have regions which can be clearly identified from the outside, provided for the first electronic mechanism  80  and the second electronic mechanism  82 . The second electronic mechanism  82  for the appliances  46  arranged outside the housing  12  of the throttle body  10  comprises a control unit  84 A, a data acquisition unit  84 B and a data storage unit  84 C, which are arranged together in an integrated way in a single module  84 .  
         [0045]    The electronic module  100  according to FIGS. 2 and 3 has an electronic mechanism  102  for a motor vehicle. The electronic module  100  comprises a base element  106 , which can be closed by a cover element  104 . The cover element  104  is produced from plastic  108 . In this case, electrical connection means  110 , which are at least partially enclosed completely by the plastic  108 , have been integrated into the cover element  104  during the production process of the cover element  104 . The electrical connection means  110  are used to connect the cover element  104  of the electronic module  100  to a throttle body  112 , an ignition device  114 , an injection device  116 , an oil-level measuring device  118  and an air-mass regulating device  120 . The electrical appliances  122  are arranged in the motor vehicle, the ignition device  114 , the injection device  116 , the oil-level measuring device  118  being arranged in the region of the internal combustion engine of the motor vehicle. Furthermore, the electronic module  100  is connected by means of the cover element  104  to a power source, which is not represented in any more detail in the drawing.  
         [0046]    The throttle body  112  comprises a housing  112 A with a continuous throttle opening  112 B and a throttle valve  112 D, which is pivotably arranged in the throttle opening  112 B on a throttle-valve shaft  112 C. Also arranged in the housing  112 A of the throttle body  112  is an electric servodrive  112 E for the pivoting of the throttle-valve shaft  112 C.  
         [0047]    A printed circuit board  124  is arranged in the cover element  104  of the electronic module  100 . Arranged on the printed circuit board  124  is a first electronic mechanism  140  for the electric servodrive  112 E of the throttle-valve shaft  112 C of the throttle body  112  and a second electronic mechanism  142  for the multiplicity of electrical appliances  122 . The first electronic mechanism  140  of the electric servodrive  112 E of the throttle-valve shaft  112 C and the second electronic mechanism for the multiplicity of electrical appliances  122  can be connected to the throttle body  112  and the electrical appliances  122  by means of the electrical connection means  110  arranged in the cover element  104 . The first electronic mechanism  140  and the second electronic mechanism  142  are applied to the printed circuit board  124  in an integrated way. In this case, spatial regions in which the first electronic mechanism  140  and the second electronic mechanism  142  are arranged on the printed circuit board  124  cannot be specified on account of the integrated form of construction. Alternatively, the printed circuit board  124  may also be subdivided into regions which can be identified from the outside, in which the first electronic mechanism  140  and the second electronic mechanism  142  are arranged.  
         [0048]    For removing the heat produced during the operation of the first electronic mechanism  140  and the second electronic mechanism  142 , a metallic plate  144  is additionally arranged in the electronic module  100 . The metallic plate  144  is to be arranged on the base element  106  by means of fastening means  146 . To this end, the fastening means  146 , designed as screws, are passed through openings  148  of the cover element  104  and bores of the metallic plate  144 , in order subsequently to engage in threads  150  of the base element  106 , in order to be screwed into said threads. The printed circuit board  124  is fastened on the base element  106  from the side of the base element  106  by screws. During the operation of the first electronic mechanism  140  and the second electronic mechanism  142 , heat is produced on the printed circuit board  124 . This heat is absorbed by the metallic plate  144  and then passed on to the base element  106  produced from metal via the fastening means  146  designed as screws. The base element  106  is in this case arranged in the motor vehicle in such a way that it undergoes cooling from the outside.  
         [0049]    As an alternative to the electronic module  100  shown in FIG. 2, the electronic module  100  according to FIG. 3 may also be able to be connected to the surroundings, in particular to the electrical appliances  122 , by means of electrical connection means  110 , which are arranged on the outer wall of the cover element  104 . The reference numerals in FIG. 3 correspond to those in FIG. 2, As they coincide in this way, you are referred to the description of FIG. 2 for the function of the individual components.  
         [0050]    Both the throttle body  10  and the electronic module  100  of FIGS. 1 and 2 to  3  have an especially low space requirement as a result of their especially compact form of construction. Moreover, in the case of the throttle body  10  there is no longer the risk of faulty signal transmissions from the first electronic mechanism  80  of the electric drive  26  of the throttle body  10  to the second electronic mechanism  82  of the electrical appliances  46  of the motor vehicle. The electronic module  100  can be used universally and can be fitted at any desired location in the motor vehicle. It simply has to be ensured in this case, for especially reliable signal transmission, that the connections to the electrical appliances  122  are not all that long.