Power Converter

• US 20090002956A1
• Filed: 06/20/2008
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Astemo Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Suwa, Tokihito, Kunii, Keiji, Shimizu, Hisaya
• Granted Patent: US 8,054,633 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/728
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/14 Boost converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/14 Synchronous machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/441 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/443 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/461 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/463 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/465 Slip
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/28 Four wheel or all wheel drive
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/106 for maintaining or recovering the adhesion of the drive wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/14 for vehicles propelled by ac motors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/26 for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/30 utilising a screw or nut clamping member H01R4/50 takes precedence; utilising a clamping member acted on by screw or nut H01R4/38; for coaxial cables H01R9/0521
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/2425 : Structural association with built-in components for coupling parts H01R13/66
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/003 : Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1432 : specially adapted for power drive units or power converters
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/14329 : specially adapted for the configuration of power bus bars
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

A power converter which can attain a reliable electric connection with electrodes of a power module by facilitating positioning of conductors connected to the electrodes of the power module. The power converter includes the power module having the plurality of electrodes in the form of plate-shaped conductors within a casing having a lid, and also includes a plurality of plate-shaped conductors connected to the electrodes of the power module. Male screws are embedded in ones of the electrodes of the power module provided at least on the side of the lid to be projected therefrom, the plate-shaped conductors connected to the electrodes having the male screws are formed therein with holes at locations corresponding to the male screws, the male screws being inserted in the corresponding holes, and electrically connected with the electrodes with nuts fastened to the male screws.

Claims

1. A power converter comprising:

a power module having a plurality of electrodes each made of a plate-shaped conductor and mounted within a casing having a lid;

a plurality of plate-shaped conductors connected to the electrodes of the power module respectively; and

male screws embedded in ones of the electrodes of the power module projected at least from a side of the lip,

wherein the plate-shaped conductors connected to the electrodes having the male screws are formed therein with corresponding holes at positions corresponding to the male screws, the male screws are inserted into the corresponding holes, located therein, and tightened in corresponding nuts to cause the plate-shaped conductors to be electrically connected to the electrodes.

2. The power converter according to claim 1, wherein a smoothing capacitor is provided within the casing, electrodes of the smoothing capacitor are connected to the electrodes of the power module having the male screws by bus bars made of plate-shaped conductors, the bus bars are formed therein with holes at locations corresponding to the male screws, the male screws are inserted into the corresponding holes, located therein, and tightened in corresponding nuts to cause the bus bars to be electrically connected to the electrodes.

3. The power converter according to claim 1, wherein the plate-shaped conductors of the plate-shaped conductors of the power module connected to terminals of a rotary electric machine have male screws, the bus bars are formed therein with holes at positions corresponding to the male screws, the male screws being inserted in the corresponding holes, and electrically connected to the electrodes with nuts fastened to the male screws.

4. The power converter according to claim 2, wherein the electrodes of the power module connected to the smoothing capacitor are overlapped with each other with an insulating plate disposed therebetween, the electrodes located at a lid side are formed to be shorter in a current direction than the other electrodes, a male screw is embedded in each of the electrodes to be projected toward the lid side, the plate-shaped conductors connected to the electrodes are formed therein with holes at locations corresponding to the corresponding male screws, the male screws are inserted, positioned in the corresponding holes and tightened in the corresponding nuts to be electrically connected with the electrodes and to be overlapped each other with an insulating material disposed therebetween.

5. The power converter according to claim 1, wherein the electrodes of the power module are projected from a side wall of the power module.

6. The power converter according to claim 1, wherein the power converter is screwed to a rotary electric machine.

7. A power converter comprising:

a power module including semiconductor elements electrically connected between a power supply source and a power supply destination for controlling a power between the power supply source and the power supply destination; and

first and second plate-shaped connection conductors electrically connected to said semiconductor elements,

wherein the power module includes first plate-shaped outer conductors connected to the first plate-shaped connection conductors and second plate-shaped outer conductors connected to the second plate-shaped connection conductors outside of the power module, a projection is provided in at least one of the first and second plate-shaped outer conductors, the projection is fitted into each of the connection conductors connected to at least one of the first and second outer conductors and tightened in a tightening member.

8. A power converter comprising:

a power module including semiconductor elements electrically connected between a power supply source and a power supply destination for controlling a power between the power supply source and the power supply destination; and

first and second plate-shaped connection conductors electrically connected to said semiconductor elements,

wherein the power module has first plate-shaped outer conductors connected with the first plate-shaped connection conductors and second plate-shaped outer conductors connected to the second plate-shaped connection conductors outside of the power module, projection members are provided in at least one of the first and second plate-shaped outer conductors to be projected from at least one of conductor sides of the power module, each of the projection members has a head having a flange part fixed to the corresponding plate-shaped outer conductor and thinner than the corresponding plate-shaped outer conductors and also has a projection erected on one surface of the head and having a threaded mechanism having a diameter smaller than a shortest distance between a center of the head and an outer edge thereof, at least one of the connection conductors connected to at least one of the first and second outer conductors has a hole, the projection member is fitted into the hole and fixedly and tightened in the hole by means of a tightening member.