Capacitor arrangement and method for producing a capacitor arrangement

• US 8,649,158 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2009
• Issued: 02/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MTU Aero Engines GmbH (MTU)
• Original Assignee: MTU Aero Engines AG (MTU)
• Inventors: Herrmann, Hubert, Riebesel, Werner, Kneissl, Jrgen
• Primary Examiner(s): Gandhi, Jayprakash N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ferguson, Dion
• Application Number:
  US13/123,507
• Publication Number:
  US 20110242725A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,587 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 361/306.1
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 2/04 specially adapted for mounting on a chassis
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 2/06 specially adapted for mounting on a printed-circuit support
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/003 Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4913 Assembling to base an electrical component, e.g., capacitor, etc.

Abstract

The present invention relates to a capacitor arrangement having a capacitor and a first terminal plate and a second terminal plate. The capacitor has a first contact face and a second contact face arranged opposite one another. The terminal plates are each connected to one of the contact faces and have protrusions on one end suitable for engaging in recesses in a power rail.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a capacitor having a first contact face and a second contact face, the first and second contact faces being spaced apart from one another;

a first terminal plate connected to the first contact face, the first terminal plate having protrusions on one end, the protrusions extending over the entire length of the end of the terminal plate and being suitable for engaging in recesses in a first angled area of a first power rail of an electronic power module; and

a second terminal plate connected to the second contact face, the second terminal plate having protrusions on one end, the protrusions extending over the entire length of the end of the terminal plate and being suitable for engaging in recesses in a first angled area of a second power rail of the electronic power module;

whereby the capacitor with connected first and second terminal plates may be arranged directly on the electronic power module.

2. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first and second terminal plates are aligned parallel to one another.

3. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1,

wherein the first power rail is aligned parallel to the first terminal plate and the second power rail is aligned parallel to the second terminal plate and the protrusions on the first and second terminal plates engage, respectively, in the recesses in the first angled areas of the first and second power rails.

4. An apparatus in accordance with claim 3, further comprising:

a first connection between at least a few of the protrusions on the first terminal plate and the first power rail, the first connection having been formed by one of soldering and welding; and

a second connection between at least a few of the protrusions on the second terminal plate and the second power rail, the second connection having been formed by one of soldering and welding.

5. An apparatus in accordance with claim 4, wherein the first and second connections are each disposed on a side of the respective power rails opposite the capacitor.

6. An apparatus in accordance with claim 3, further comprising:

an angled area formed on each of the first and second terminal plates;

a second angled area formed on each of the first and second power rails; and

wherein the angled areas of the terminal plates are configured to lie next to the second angled areas of the respective power rails in a form-fitting manner when the protrusions on the terminal plates engage in the respective recesses of the power rails.

7. An apparatus in accordance with claim 6, wherein the angled areas of each of the first and second terminal plates and the second angled areas of each of the first and second power rails are configured to accommodate a screw connection between the respective terminal plate and the respective power rail.

8. A method for connecting a capacitor to a substrate, the method comprising the following steps:

providing a capacitor having a first contact face and a second contact face, the first and second contact faces being spaced apart from one another;

providing a first power rail and a second power rail, each power rail having a first angled area with recesses;

providing a first terminal plate and a second terminal plate, each terminal plate having protrusions on one end, the protrusions extending over the entire length of the end of the terminal plate and being suitable for engaging in the recesses in the respective power rails;

connecting the first and second terminal plates to the respective contact faces so that the first terminal plate is aligned toward the first contact face and the second terminal plate is aligned toward the second contact face; and

connecting the first and second terminal plates to the respective power rails so that the first terminal plate is aligned parallel to the first power rail and the second terminal plate is aligned parallel to the second power rail and the protrusions on the first terminal plate engage in the recesses in the first power rail and the protrusions on the second terminal plate engage in the recesses in the second power rail.

9. A method in accordance with claim 8, further comprising the step of:

joining the first and second power rails to a substrate before the first and second terminal plates are connected to the respective power rails.

10. A method in accordance with claim 8, further comprising the step of:

creating a connection between at least some of the protrusions on the first terminal plate to the first power rail, the connection being created using one of soldering and welding; and

creating a connection between at least some of the protrusions on the second terminal plate to the second power rail, the connection being created using one of soldering and welding.

11. A method in accordance with claim 8, wherein:

the first and second terminal plates each have an angled area and the first and second power rails each have a second angled area and the angled areas of the terminal plates are configured to lie adjacent to the second angled areas of the respective power rails in a form-fitting manner when the protrusions on the terminal plates engage in the respective recesses of the power rails and further comprising the steps of

creating a first screw connection for connecting the angled area of the first terminal plate to the second angled area of the first power rail; and

creating a second screw connection for connecting the angled area of the second terminal plate to the second angled areas of the second power rail.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a capacitor having a first contact face and a second contact face, the first and second contact faces being spaced apart from one another;

a first terminal plate connected to the first contact face, the first terminal plate having a plurality of protrusions on one end;

a second terminal plate connected to the second contact face, the second terminal plate having a plurality of protrusions on one end;

a first power rail having a side portion with a first orientation and a connection portion with a second orientation, the side portion and the connection portion being disposed on opposite sides of a first angled area including recesses formed therein;

a second power rail having a side portion with a first orientation and a connection portion with a second orientation, the side portion and the connection portion being disposed on opposite sides of a first angled area including recesses formed therein; and

wherein the side portion of the first power rail is aligned parallel to, and in contact with, the first terminal plate and the side portion of the second power rail is aligned parallel to, and in contact with, the second terminal plate and the protrusions on the first and second terminal plates engage, respectively, in the recesses in the first angled areas of the first and second power rails.

13. An apparatus in accordance with claim 12, wherein the respective side portions of the first and second terminal plates are aligned parallel to one another.

14. An apparatus in accordance with claim 12, wherein each of the recesses on the first and second power rails are formed by punching on three sides in the respective first angled area prior to forming the bend of the first angled area.

15. An apparatus in accordance with claim 14, further comprising a plurality of protrusions on the first and second power rails, at lease one protrusion disposed adjacent to each recess on the respective power rails.

16. An apparatus in accordance with claim 15, wherein the protrusions on the first and second terminal plates protrude beyond the protrusions on the first and second power rails.

17. An apparatus in accordance with claim 12, wherein the protrusions on the first and second terminal plates protrude completely through the recesses in the respective power rails to the opposite side of the power rails.

18. An apparatus in accordance with claim 12, further comprising terminal contacts formed on the respective connection portions of the first and second power rails.

19. An apparatus in accordance with claim 18, wherein each terminal contact is configured with multiple bends.

20. An apparatus in accordance with claim 12, further comprising:

an angled area formed on each of the first and second terminal plates;

a second angled area formed on the side portion of each of the first and second power rails; and

wherein the angled areas of the terminal plates are configured to lie next to the second angled areas of the respective power rails in a form-fitting manner when the protrusions on the terminal plates engage in the respective recesses of the power rails.