Bus Bar Assembly and Method of Manufacturing Same

• US 20120273252A1
• Filed: 04/29/2011
• Published: 11/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Energy Power Conversion Technology Limited (GE Vernova, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Converteam Technology Ltd. (GE Vernova, Inc.)
• Inventors: Benavides, Nicholas David
• Granted Patent: US 9,979,173 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 174/117.R
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 5/005 Laminated bus-bars
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4913 Assembling to base an electrical component, e.g., capacitor, etc.

Abstract

A bus bar assembly includes a first main conductor, a second main conductor, and an insulator member provided between the main conductors. The insulator member includes: (i) an insulator component, (ii) a first conductor layer provided on the top surface of the insulator component, and (iii) a second conductor layer provided on the bottom surface of the insulator component, wherein the first conductor layer includes an outer edge around a perimeter thereof, wherein the outer edge is located at least a certain distance from the outer edge around the perimeter of the insulator component, wherein the second conductor layer includes an outer edge around a perimeter thereof, wherein the outer edge is located at least the same certain distance from the outer edge of the insulator component, and wherein the certain distance is sufficient to cause the bus bar assembly to satisfy the creepage requirement of the assembly.

Claims

1. A bus bar assembly for use in an application having a creepage distance requirement, comprising:

a first main conductor;

a second main conductor; and

an insulator member provided between the first main conductor and the second main conductor, the insulator member including (i) an insulator component having a top surface, a bottom surface, and a first outer edge around a perimeter thereof, (ii) a first conductor layer provided on the top surface of the insulator component, and (iii) a second conductor layer provided on the bottom surface of the insulator component, wherein the first conductor layer includes a second outer edge around a perimeter thereof, wherein the second outer edge is located at least a certain distance from the first outer edge around the perimeter of the insulator component, wherein the second conductor layer includes a third outer edge around a perimeter thereof, wherein the third outer edge is located at least the certain distance from the first outer edge around the perimeter of the insulator component, and wherein the certain distance is sufficient to cause the bus bar assembly to satisfy the creepage requirement.

2. The bus bar assembly according to claim 1, wherein no air is trapped between the first conductor layer and the top surface of the insulator component, and wherein no air is trapped between the second conductor layer and the bottom surface of the insulator component.

3. The bus bar assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first conductor layer is formed by depositing a first conductive material onto the top surface of the insulator component and removing a portion of the first conductive material such that the second outer edge of the first conductor layer is located at least the certain distance from the first outer edge around the perimeter of the insulator component, and wherein the second conductor layer is formed by depositing a second conductive material onto the bottom surface of the insulator component and removing a portion of the second conductive material such that the third outer edge of the second conductor layer is located at least the certain distance from the first outer edge around the perimeter of the insulator component.

4. The bus bar assembly according to claim 3, wherein the depositing a first conductive material onto the top surface comprises plating, vapor depositing or sputtering the first conductive material onto the top surface, and wherein the depositing a second conductive material onto the top surface comprises plating, vapor depositing or sputtering the second conductive material onto the top surface.

5. The bus bar assembly according to claim 3, wherein the removing a portion of the first conductive material comprises etching away the portion of the first conductive material, and wherein the removing a portion of the second conductive material comprises etching away the portion of the second conductive material.

6. The bus bar assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first and second conductive materials are copper.

7. The bus bar assembly according to claim 1, wherein the insulator component is a dielectric.

8. The bus bar assembly according to claim 7, wherein the insulator component is a sheet of dielectric material selected from the group consisting of FR-4, GPO-2, GPO-3, and a ceramic dielectric material.

9. The bus bar assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first conductor includes a first outer conductor edge, wherein the second conductor includes a second outer conductor edge, and wherein the insulator component extends beyond and overhangs the first outer conductor edge and the second outer conductor edge.

10. The bus bar assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first conductor includes a plurality of first outer conductor edges, wherein the second conductor includes a plurality of second outer conductor edges, and wherein the insulator component extends beyond and overhangs each of the first outer conductor edges and each of the second outer conductor edges.

11. The bus bar assembly according to claim 1, wherein the insulator member further includes a plurality of additional insulator components each having a top surface, a bottom surface, and an additional first outer edge around a perimeter thereof, wherein for each additional insulator component (i) a first additional conductor layer is provided on the top surface of the additional insulator component, and (ii) a second additional conductor layer is provided on the bottom surface of the additional insulator component, wherein each first additional conductor layer includes an additional second outer edge around a perimeter thereof, wherein the additional second outer edge is located at least the certain distance from the additional first outer edge around the perimeter of the additional insulator component, wherein each second additional conductor layer includes an additional third outer edge around a perimeter thereof, wherein the additional third outer edge is located at least the certain distance from the additional first outer edge around the perimeter of the additional insulator component, and wherein the certain distance is sufficient to cause the bus bar assembly to satisfy the creepage requirement.

12. The bus bar assembly according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of additional insulator components comprises three additional insulator components.

13. The bus bar assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first conductor layer is formed by depositing a first conductive material onto the top surface of the insulator component in a manner such that the second outer edge of the first conductor layer is located at least the certain distance from the first outer edge around the perimeter of the insulator component, and wherein the second conductor layer is formed by depositing a second conductive material onto the bottom surface of the insulator component in a manner such that the third outer edge of the second conductor layer is located at least the certain distance from the first outer edge around the perimeter of the insulator component.

14. A method of making a bus bar assembly, comprising:

determining a creepage distance requirement for the bus bar assembly;

forming an insulator member by providing a first conductor layer on a top surface of an insulator component and a second conductor layer on a bottom surface of the insulator component, wherein the insulator component has a first outer edge around a perimeter thereof, wherein the first conductor layer includes a second outer edge around a perimeter thereof, wherein the second outer edge is located at least a certain distance from the first outer edge around the perimeter of the insulator component, wherein the second conductor layer includes a third outer edge around a perimeter thereof, wherein the third outer edge is located at least the certain distance from the first outer edge around the perimeter of the insulator component, and wherein the certain distance is sufficient to cause the bus bar assembly to satisfy the creepage requirement; and

affixing the insulator member between a first main conductor and second main conductor.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein following the providing step no air is trapped between the first conductor layer and the top surface of the insulator component and no air is trapped between the second conductor layer and the bottom surface of the insulator component.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the providing step comprises depositing a first conductive material onto the top surface of the insulator component and removing a portion of the first conductive material such that the second outer edge of the first conductor layer is located at least the certain distance from the first outer edge around the perimeter of the insulator component and depositing a second conductive material onto the bottom surface of the insulator component and removing a portion of the second conductive material such that the third outer edge of the second conductor layer is located at least the certain distance from the first outer edge around the perimeter of the insulator component.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the depositing a first conductive material onto the top surface comprises plating, vapor depositing or sputtering the first conductive material onto the top surface, and wherein the depositing a second conductive material onto the top surface comprises plating, vapor depositing or sputtering the second conductive material onto the top surface.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the removing a portion of the first conductive material comprises etching away the portion of the first conductive material, and wherein the removing a portion of the second conductive material comprises etching away the portion of the second conductive material.

19. The method according to claim 14, wherein the first conductor includes a first outer conductor edge, wherein the second conductor includes a second outer conductor edge, and wherein the insulator component extends beyond and overhangs the first outer conductor edge and the second outer conductor edge.

20. The method according to claim 14, wherein the first conductor includes a plurality of first outer conductor edges, wherein the second conductor includes a plurality of second outer conductor edges, and wherein the insulator component extends beyond and overhangs each of the first outer conductor edges and each of the second outer conductor edges.

21. The method according to claim 14, wherein the providing step comprises depositing a first conductive material onto the top surface of the insulator component in a manner such that the second outer edge of the first conductor layer is located at least the certain distance from the first outer edge around the perimeter of the insulator component and depositing a second conductive material onto the bottom surface of the insulator component in a manner such that the third outer edge of the second conductor layer is located at least the certain distance from the first outer edge around the perimeter of the insulator component.