Winding components

Abstract

A winding assembly (1) comprises: a ferromagnetic support (2); at least one conductive winding (3) wound around the ferromagnetic support (2) and suitable for conducting at least one induced current; and a temperature sensor (4) inserted between the ferromagnetic support (2) and the winding (3).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a winding assembly. Background Art

[0002] There are various winding components in the prior art, and they are generally used to manufacture various devices, such as transformers or resonant inductors.

[0003] Typically, a winding assembly in the prior art comprises at least one electrically conductive winding wound around a ferromagnetic support, which is typically made of a ferromagnetic material, such as ferrite.

[0004] Specifically, the winding is adapted to generate a magnetic field when an induction current flows therethrough, and the magnetic lines of force of the magnetic field are confined inside the ferromagnetic support.

[0005] However, it is known that the temperature of a winding assembly produced in this manner needs to be monitored.

[0006] This need is also particularly evident in the automotive sector, where battery chargers with such windings are widely used, especially in the production of electric vehicles.

[0007] In practice, the windings and the ferromagnetic support often reach very high temperatures, which can also damage the battery charger or even the winding assembly itself. Summary of the invention

[0008] The main object of the present invention is to design a winding assembly that allows accurate measurement of its temperature.

[0009] Another object of the present invention is to devise a winding assembly that allows to overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art in a simple, rational, easy and effective way of use and an affordable solution.

[0010] The above object is achieved by a winding assembly having the features of claim 1 . BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the description of some preferred but non-exclusive embodiments of the winding assembly, which are exemplarily shown in the accompanying drawings, but the embodiments of the winding assembly are not limited thereto. In the accompanying drawings:

[0012] Figure 1 is a schematic axonometric view of a winding assembly according to the present invention;

[0013] Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a winding assembly according to the present invention;

[0014] Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a winding assembly according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] The following description will be made with specific reference to the accompanying drawings, in which reference numeral 1 generally designates a winding assembly.

[0016] The winding assembly 1 comprises:

[0017] - at least one ferromagnetic support 2;

[0018] - at least one electrically conductive winding 3 wound on the ferromagnetic support 2 and suitable for conducting at least one induced current.

[0019] In the following discussion, the term winding 3 is used to denote a conductive element, such as a wire, which is wound several times around at least a portion of the ferromagnetic support 2, thereby producing a solenoid structure comprising one or more layers of winding 3, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 shown.

[0020] Advantageously, the winding assembly 1 comprises at least one temperature sensor 4 inserted between the ferromagnetic support 2 and the winding 3 .

[0021] Specifically, the temperature sensor 4 is preferably connected to a control device (not shown in the figure), which is configured to work with the temperature sensor 4 to limit the induced current circulating in the winding 3 when the temperature sensor 4 detects a particularly high temperature, such as a temperature higher than a predetermined safety temperature value.

[0022] Preferably, the temperature sensor 4 is provided with an external protective body and a measuring body encapsulated in the protective body.

[0023] In particular, the protective body is preferably a shielding body, for example made of a metal material, which is suitable for shielding the measuring body from electromagnetic radiation emitted by the induced current circulating in the winding 3 .

[0024] In fact, these radiations may induce several induced eddy currents inside the temperature sensor 4 , which may disturb the operation of the temperature sensor 4 , for example by modifying the temperature value measured by the sensor itself.

[0025] In practice, the temperature sensor 4 is preferably of the type of thermistor or a resistive electronic component whose resistance value varies with the temperature reached by the temperature sensor itself.

[0026] Therefore, the induced eddy current circulating along the temperature sensor 4 will inevitably affect the total current balance and cause the current to change.

[0027] Specifically, the temperature sensor 4 is of a negative temperature coefficient (NTC) thermistor type.

[0028] However, alternative embodiments of the winding assembly 1 cannot be excluded, in which the temperature sensor 4 is of the positive temperature coefficient thermistor (PTC) type.

[0029] Advantageously, the temperature sensor 4 is arranged equidistant from the ferromagnetic support 2 and the winding 3 .

[0030] This solution allows measuring the temperature of the winding assembly 1 taking into account equally the temperatures of the winding 3 and of the ferromagnetic support 2 .

[0031] In other words, the temperature sensor 4 arranged in this way measures the temperature of both the winding 3 and the ferromagnetic support 2 .

[0032] In practice, the ferromagnetic support 2 and the winding 3 reach temperatures that are significantly different from each other, depending on the frequency of the induced current circulating in the winding 3 .

[0033] Therefore, in a configuration where the temperature sensor 4 is arranged close to the ferromagnetic support 2 or the winding 3, the temperature measured by the sensor itself may be different from the actual temperature of the winding assembly 1, that is, the temperature measured by the sensor near the winding 3 may be particularly low, while on the contrary, due to the high temperature of the ferromagnetic support 2, the temperature of the winding assembly 1 may be significantly higher.

[0034] Advantageously, the temperature sensor 4 is arranged in contact with the ferromagnetic support 2 and the winding 3 .

[0035] Furthermore, the winding assembly 1 comprises at least a first electrically insulating element 5 a which is inserted between the temperature sensor 4 and the winding 3 .

[0036] Preferably, the electrically insulating element 5 is a tape-type element wound on the winding 3 , and the temperature sensor 4 is placed on the electrically insulating element 5 .

[0037] In particular, the electrical insulation element 5 is adapted to electrically separate the winding from the temperature sensor 4 .

[0038] Furthermore, the electrically insulating element 5 is made of a material resistant to high temperatures, for example a thermoplastic material of the polyamide type.

[0039] Suitably, the winding assembly 1 comprises at least one second electrically insulating element 5 b interposed between the temperature sensor 4 and the ferromagnetic support 2 .

[0040] The second electrically insulating element 5b is preferably made of the same material as used to produce the first electrically insulating element 5a.

[0041] In this way, the temperature sensor 4 is encapsulated between two electrically insulating elements 5 a , 5 b , one of which is arranged in contact with the winding 3 and the other of which is in contact with the ferromagnetic support 2 .

[0042] However, alternative embodiments cannot be excluded in which a plurality of first electrically insulating elements 5a and second electrically insulating elements 5b are present so as to arrange a plurality of first insulating layers between the winding 3 and the temperature sensor 4 and a plurality of second insulating layers between the temperature sensor 4 and the ferromagnetic support 2.

[0043] In the embodiment shown in the figures, the ferromagnetic support 2 comprises at least one first support section 6 and at least one second support section 7, which are arranged substantially opposite to each other.

[0044] Advantageously, the winding 3 is wound on the first supporting section 6 .

[0045] On the other hand, the temperature sensor 4 is arranged between at least one of the first supporting section 6 and the second supporting section 7 and the winding 3 .

[0046] Preferably, the ferromagnetic support member 2 comprises a pair of second support segments 7 , which are arranged opposite to each other and parallel to the first support segment 6 , and the first support segment 6 is centrally arranged and equidistant from the second support segment 7 .

[0047] Suitably, the ferromagnetic support 2 comprises a pair of mutually opposite and parallel basic support sections 8 , with the first support section 6 and the second support section 7 being orthogonally associated with the basic support section 8 , thereby forming a monolithic ferromagnetic support 2 .

[0048] Preferably, the first supporting segment 6 is substantially cylindrical in order to facilitate the arrangement of the winding 3 around the same first supporting segment.

[0049] On the other hand, the second support segment 7 is two internally curved walls whose radius of curvature is substantially equal to that of the first support segment 6 so as to define two openings 9 together with the first support segment 6 and the basic support segment 8, wherein the winding 3 is accommodated in the openings 9 and wound around the first support segment 6.

[0050] In fact, according to the embodiment shown in the figure, the winding 3 is repeatedly wound around the first support segment 6, thereby forming a solenoid, the layers of which extend uniformly from the first support segment 6 to the second support segment 7, as shown in FIG. Figure 3 shown.

[0051] Conveniently, the winding 3 is arranged to occupy approximately all of the openings 9 .

[0052] In particular, the winding assembly 1 produced in this way is preferably used as an inductor.

[0053] Advantageously, the temperature sensor 4 is arranged equidistant from the winding 3 and from at least one of the first support section 6 and the second support section 7 .

[0054] Specifically, the temperature sensor 4 is arranged in contact with the winding 3 and at least one of the first supporting segment 6 and the second supporting segment 7 .

[0055] The temperature sensor 4 is preferably arranged between the winding 3 and the second supporting section 7 .

[0056] Furthermore, the temperature sensor 4 is arranged within an opening 9 which is located substantially centrally with respect to the second supporting section 7 at a base supporting section 8 .

[0057] In this way, the temperature sensor 4 is moved away from the point of the winding assembly 1 having the highest magnetic field strength, namely in the vicinity of the first supporting section 6 .

[0058] For example, in a configuration where the temperature sensor 4 is arranged between the winding 3 and the first support section 6 , the magnetic field strength acting on the temperature sensor 4 may interfere with the operation of the temperature sensor 4 or may induce eddy currents inside the temperature sensor 4 , which may distort the temperature measurement.

[0059] Suitably, a first electrically insulating element 5 a is inserted between the temperature sensor 4 and the second supporting section 7 .

[0060] However, alternative embodiments of the winding assembly 1 cannot be excluded, in which the temperature sensor 4 is arranged between the first support segment 6 and the winding 3, and in which the first electrically insulating element 5a is arranged between the first support segment 6 and the temperature sensor 4 and the second electrically insulating element 5b is arranged between the temperature sensor 4 and the winding 3.

[0061] Furthermore, alternative embodiments of the winding assembly 1 cannot be excluded, in which the winding assembly 1 comprises one or more auxiliary electrically insulating elements 10 inserted between one or more layers of the winding 3 .

[0062] In an alternative embodiment, the winding assembly is a power transformer comprising:

[0063] - at least one ferromagnetic support 2;

[0064] - at least one pair of electrically conductive windings 3, wound on the ferromagnetic support 2 and adapted to be inductively coupled to each other when an inductive current flows through one of the windings 3;

[0065] At least one temperature sensor 4 inserted between the ferromagnetic support 2 and the pair of windings 3 .

[0066] Specifically, it differs from the previous embodiment in that it includes a pair of windings 3 wound around the first support segment 6 so that the solenoid structure is substantially the same as that described with reference to the previous embodiment.

[0067] Furthermore, alternative embodiments of the transformer in which there are more than two windings 3 cannot be excluded.

[0068] The present invention relates to a battery charger for an electric or hybrid vehicle, comprising:

[0069] - at least one container body, mountable on a motor vehicle and defining at least one receiving chamber;

[0070] - at least one electronic device housed in the housing and connectable to at least one battery of the motor vehicle and configured to charge the battery;

[0071] Therein, the electronic device comprises at least one winding assembly 1, and wherein the battery charger comprises a temperature monitoring device for monitoring a temperature measured by a temperature sensor 4, the temperature sensor 4 being operatively connected to the temperature monitoring device.

[0072] Practice has shown that the described invention achieves the intended purpose.

[0073] It is particularly important to emphasize that the use of a temperature sensor allows monitoring the temperature of a winding assembly or a transformer in order to adjust the induction current according to the temperature value measured by the temperature sensor.

[0074] Furthermore, positioning the temperature sensor between one of the second support segments and the winding enables measuring the temperature of the winding assembly or transformer and taking into account the temperature of the ferromagnetic support and the winding or windings in the same way.

Claims

1. A winding assembly (1), comprising: - at least one ferromagnetic support (2), the ferromagnetic support (2) comprising a first support section (6), a pair of second support sections (7) arranged opposite to each other and parallel to the first support section (6), the first support section (6) being centrally arranged and equidistant from the second support section (7), and a pair of basic support sections (8) opposite to each other and parallel to each other, the first support section (6) and the second support section (7) being orthogonally associated with the basic support section (8), thereby forming an integral ferromagnetic support (2); - at least one electrically conductive winding (3) wound around the first support section (6) of the ferromagnetic support (2) and suitable for conducting at least one induced current; Characterized in that it comprises at least one temperature sensor (4) arranged between the winding (3) and one of the pair of second support segments (7); wherein the temperature sensor (4) is arranged in contact with one of the basic support sections (8) of the ferromagnetic support (2) and the winding (3), and The winding assembly (1) comprises at least two electrical insulating elements (5a, 5b), wherein the at least two electrical insulating elements (5a, 5b) are inserted between the temperature sensor (4) and the winding (3) and between the temperature sensor (4) and the ferromagnetic support (2).

2. The winding assembly (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that The temperature sensor (4) is of the type of thermistor.

3. The winding assembly (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The temperature sensor (4) is of the type of negative temperature coefficient (NTC) thermistor.

4. The winding assembly (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The temperature sensor (4) is of the type of positive temperature coefficient (PTC) thermistor.

5. The winding assembly (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The winding assembly (1) is a power transformer, which comprises: - at least one ferromagnetic support (2); - at least one pair of electrically conductive windings (3) wound around said ferromagnetic support (2) and adapted to be inductively coupled to each other when an inductive current flows through one of said windings (3); - at least one temperature sensor (4) inserted between said ferromagnetic support (2) and said pair of windings (3).

6. Battery chargers for electric or hybrid vehicles, including: - at least one container body, mountable on a motor vehicle and defining at least one receiving chamber; - at least one electronic device housed in the housing and connectable to at least one battery of the motor vehicle and configured to charge the battery; Characterized in that the electronic device comprises at least one winding assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, and the battery charger comprises a temperature monitoring device for monitoring the temperature measured by the temperature sensor (4), the temperature sensor (4) being operatively connected to the temperature monitoring device.

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