Electrical contact device

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electrical contact device for an electric power component, the electrical contact device comprising: a circuit board for mounting the electric power component; a conductor element fixed to the circuit board, wherein the conductor element has a metallic base body, wherein the base body has electrical connection contacts for electrically contacting the conductor element with the circuit board or one of the electrical components, and wherein the base body has a fastening section for fixing the conductor element to the circuit board, wherein the conductor element is manufactured separately from the circuit board, and the electrical connection contacts and the fastening section are designed separately from each other.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of invention patent application 2016800455150, entitled “Electrical Contact Device”, filed on May 17, 2016. Technical Field

[0002] The present invention relates to an electrical contact device for an electric power component, comprising: a circuit board for mounting the electric power component; a conductor element fixed to the circuit board and having a metal base, wherein the base has electrical connection contacts for electrically contacting the conductor element with one of the circuit board or the electrical component, and wherein the base has a fastening section for fixing the conductor element to the circuit board.

[0003] The invention further relates to an electric power control unit for a motor vehicle having at least one electric power component. Background Art

[0004] Such electrical contact arrangements are used for electrically contacting power components, in particular in motor vehicles, and for conducting high drive currents, for example for supplying electric motors.

[0005] It is well known in the prior art that power components for high-current applications are electrically contacted using separate busbars without a printed circuit board, and that these busbars are used to conduct the high drive currents. Such "housingless" power electronics with a central control unit are known, for example, from DE 10 2012 017 799 A1. However, such busbar-based contacting of power components is technically complex and requires high costs and a large amount of installation space, making busbar-based contacting disadvantageous for use in electrically driven motor vehicles.

[0006] Conventional printed circuit board-based integration of power electronics in motor vehicles is not feasible for high-current applications for controlling electric motors, since high currents subject the electrical lines to high thermal loads and require large line cross-sections. Summary of the Invention

[0007] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an electrical contact arrangement for a power component, which allows electrical contacting of the power component with low technical effort and in a small installation space.

[0008] In the electrical contact arrangement mentioned in the introduction, this object is achieved in that the conductor element is produced separately from the printed circuit board and the electrical connection contacts and the fastening section are designed separately from one another.

[0009] In the power control unit mentioned in the introduction, this object is achieved by an electrical contact arrangement according to the invention.

[0010] Since the conductor element is manufactured separately from the printed circuit board and can be fastened to the printed circuit board via a fastening section, the conductor element can be designed, for example, as a convenient stamped part and can carry correspondingly high currents with low resistance and low heat generation. By designing the electrical connection contacts and the fastening section separately from each other, the conductor element can be fixed to the printed circuit board using standard soldering processes, as the fastening section does not have to carry high currents and is therefore not subject to high thermal loads. Overall, this provides printed circuit board-based electrical contacting of power components, enabling cost-effective integration of the power components within a small footprint.

[0011] The objects of the present invention are therefore fully achieved.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment, the base body is arranged spaced apart from the circuit board.

[0013] As a result, the conductor element can be thermally decoupled from the printed circuit board, so that the thermal load on the printed circuit board can be reduced and the printed circuit board can thus be produced cost-effectively.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment, the base body has a thermal contact section for thermally contacting the conductor element.

[0015] As a result, the Joule heat generated in the conductor element by the current flow can be dissipated from the conductor element, so that in particular the thermal load from the mechanical and electrical contacts can be reduced.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment, the thermal contact section is designed separately from the electrical connection contact and separately from the fastening section.

[0017] As a result, the generated Joule heat can be dissipated particularly effectively from the fastening section of the conductor element.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment, the conductor element is designed as a punched part.

[0019] As a result, the conductor elements can be prefabricated individually at low technical expense.

[0020] In a preferred embodiment, the electrical contact device has a plurality of conductor elements, which are fixed to the printed circuit board and are each electrically conductively and / or thermally connected to one another by means of connecting sections.

[0021] As a result, electrical contacting of the power components can be achieved via a plurality of standardized conductor elements, so that electrical contacting of these conductor components can be achieved in a modular manner with low technical complexity.

[0022] It is particularly preferred here if the connecting sections are designed as couplings which form a surface contact between two of the conductor elements.

[0023] This allows good thermal contact to be established between the conductor elements.

[0024] It is also preferred here that the couplings are designed to be complementary.

[0025] As a result, these conductor elements can be contacted with one another in a modular manner at low technical expense, so that any electrical contacting on the printed circuit board can be achieved.

[0026] It is also preferred that the fastening section is fixed to the printed circuit board by means of a soldered connection.

[0027] As a result, the conductor element can be fastened to the printed circuit board with low technical effort using standard production processes.

[0028] It is also preferred that the electrical contacts that come into contact with the printed circuit board are designed as pressure contacts.

[0029] As a result, electrical contacts with the printed circuit board can be provided with low technical effort.

[0030] It is also preferred that the thermal contact section is designed as an arc-shaped end section of the base body.

[0031] This makes it possible to provide a robust and effective contact with a low transition resistance.

[0032] It is also preferred that the base body is designed as a hollow body.

[0033] This makes it possible to provide a conductor element which is lightweight and at the same time has effective convection cooling properties.

[0034] It is also preferred that the base body has a plurality of recesses which are assigned to the fastening section in order to thermally decouple the fastening section from the base body.

[0035] As a result, the thermal load on the soldered connection of the fastening section can be reduced, so that the reliability of the fastening is further increased.

[0036] It is also preferred that the fastening section has a plurality of longitudinally extending soldering sections, which are each thermally decoupled from the base body by means of at least one recess or constriction.

[0037] As a result, the thermal load on the soldering section can be further reduced, so that the reliability of the soldered connection to the printed circuit board can be increased overall.

[0038] In a preferred embodiment, the metal matrix is ​​formed of aluminum, copper, copper-aluminum bimetal or copper-steel.

[0039] As a result, a low electrical resistance of the base body can be provided at low technical expense.

[0040] Overall, by manufacturing the conductor elements separately (e.g., as stamped parts), the electrical contacting of the power components can be provided by means of busbars, thereby achieving a high current-carrying capacity and low resistance. Furthermore, the conductor elements can be securely connected to the printed circuit board using standard manufacturing processes (e.g., soldering) using the fastening sections, as these are designed separately from the electrical connection contacts and are therefore subject to significantly lower thermal loads.

[0041] This makes it possible to integrate the power component on a standard printed circuit board, so that it can be contacted with low technical effort and in a small installation space.

[0042] The technical complexity for contacting the power components can be achieved in particular by modular electrical contacting using a plurality of conductor elements which, as a standard assembly, can have any shape, thereby enabling any desired arrangement on the printed circuit board.

[0043] The technical complexity for electrical contacting of these power components can thereby be further reduced.

[0044] It goes without saying that the features mentioned above and those still to be explained below can be used not only in the respectively stated combination but also in other combinations or alone without departing from the scope of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0045] Several exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings and are described in more detail in the following description. In the drawings:

[0046] Figure 1 A schematic perspective view showing a circuit board with electrical power components;

[0047] Figure 2 A perspective view showing a conductor element for contacting an electrical power component;

[0048] Figure 3 An alternative embodiment of a conductor element for contacting an electrical power component is shown;

[0049] Figure 4 A perspective view showing an alternative embodiment of a conductor element for contacting an electrical power component;

[0050] Figure 5 An alternative embodiment of a conductor element having a hollow body for contacting an electrical power component is shown;

[0051] Figures 6a-6eDifferent shapes of conductor elements for contacting electrical power components are shown;

[0052] Figures 7a-7d schematic cross-sectional views showing the different contacts between these conductor elements; and

[0053] Figure 8a 、 8b A schematic sectional view shows various thermally decoupled soldering elements for connecting a conductor element to a printed circuit board. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0054] exist Figure 1 , an electrical contact arrangement for electrical power components is shown in a schematic perspective view and is generally designated 10. The contact arrangement 10 has a printed circuit board 12 or circuit board 12, on which a plurality of electrical power components 14 are mounted or fixed. Also fixed on the circuit board 12 are a plurality of other electrical components 16, which can be designed as passive components or active components.

[0055] Also arranged on the circuit board 12 are a plurality of metallic conductor elements 18, which are fixed to the circuit board 12 and electrically contact the power components 14. The conductor elements 18 have connecting sections 20 that are connected to the circuit board 12 by means of soldering, thereby securing the conductor elements 18 to the circuit board 12. Every two conductor elements 18 are electrically or thermally connected by means of a connecting section 22 to achieve an electrical and thermal connection between the power components 14. One of the conductor elements 18 is electrically connected to the power component 14 by means of an electrical connection contact 24 to electrically contact the power component 14.

[0056] The conductor element 18 is produced separately from the circuit board 12 and is preferably designed as a metal stamping part, so that a high current carrying capacity and a low electrical resistance of the conductor element 18 can be provided.

[0057] Since the conductor element 18 is manufactured separately from the printed circuit board 12 and can be connected to the printed circuit board 12 by means of the fastening section 20 (for example by means of standard processing), the power component 14 can be integrated on the printed circuit board 12 cost-effectively and in a small installation space and can be electrically contacted by means of the conductor element 18.

[0058] The conductor element 18 is preferably fixed to the circuit board 12 at a distance therefrom, so that the circuit board 12 is subjected to a low thermal load and thus the power component 14 can be integrated on the circuit board 12. The fastening section 20 is formed separately from the electrical connection contacts 24, so that the thermal load on the fastening section 20 and the solder connection can be reduced, so that despite the high current flowing in the conductor element 18, the conductor element 18 can still be fixed to the circuit board 12 using standard soldering processes.

[0059] The power component 14 is preferably electrically contacted by means of a plurality of conductor elements 18, wherein the conductor elements 18 are electrically and thermally connected to one another, so that the conductor elements 18 can be produced as standard components, for example, using a stamping process, and can be connected accordingly to the printed circuit board 12. As a result, the contact device 10 can be produced as a modular assembly for different applications and arrangements of the power component 14, thereby reducing the overall technical complexity of producing the contact device 10.

[0060] In an alternative embodiment, the conductor element 18 can also be produced independently, for example by means of finite element optimization, so that an optimal design can be achieved.

[0061] The conductor element 18 preferably has thermal contact in order to be able to dissipate the Joule heat generated in the conductor element 18 by the current flow and thus to reduce the overall thermal load.

[0062] The conductor element 18 can preferably be manufactured from aluminum, copper, a copper-aluminum bimetal or copper-steel and can be produced in an automated stamping process, for example as a copper stamped grid.

[0063] exist Figure 2 shows a perspective view of one embodiment of a conductor element 18. The conductor element 18 has a base body 26 on which a connection section 22 and an electrical connection contact 24 are formed. The connection section 22 has a plurality of solder bumps 28 designed to securely contact the base body 26 with the circuit board 12 using a standard soldering process. The electrical connection contact 24 has a plurality of solder bumps 28 for electrically connecting the power component 14 to the base body 26. Thermal contact can be established with another conductor element 18 or an external heat sink at the end of the base body 26 opposite the electrical connection contact 24.

[0064] exist Figure 3shows an alternative embodiment of a conductor element 18. This conductor element has a base 26 on which a fastening section 20 is formed. The fastening section 20 has a plurality of legs 30 for mechanically fastening the base 26 to the circuit board 12. These legs can advantageously be secured to the circuit board 12 by SMD soldering or crimping. In this embodiment, the electrical connection contacts 24 are designed as soldering legs 32. The electrical connection contacts 24 are formed separately from the fastening section 20, thereby reducing the thermal load on the soldering contacts 30 of the fastening section 20. A heat conducting element 34 is arranged between the soldering legs 32. Depending on the positioning between the soldering legs 32, the heat conducting element can be thermally connected to one of the electrical power components 14, allowing heat loss from the power component 14 to be dissipated via the conductor element 18. The heat conducting element 34 is designed as a spring element, so that thermal contact with the surface of the power component 14 can be established by the spring force of the heat conducting element 34. This allows for particularly simple installation.

[0065] exist Figure 4 , another embodiment of a conductor element 18 is shown in FIG. , in which a base body 26 is formed in a T-shape and has an electrical connection contact 24 at the head, which has a plurality of soldering protrusions 28. A fastening section 20 is formed separately from the electrical connection contact to mechanically fasten the base body 26 to the circuit board 12. This reduces the thermal load on the fastening section 20.

[0066] Due to the different shapes of the base body 26 , any desired arrangement of the power components 14 on the printed circuit board 12 and modular electrical contacting with standardized conductor elements 18 are possible.

[0067] exist Figure 5 shows another embodiment of a conductor element 18 in perspective view. In this embodiment, a base body 26 is designed as a longitudinally extending hollow body, with a fastening section 20 formed laterally thereon and a connecting section 22 formed at one axial end for connecting the base body 26 to another conductor element 18. The hollow design of the base body 26 allows for convective heat dissipation, wherein, in the vertical orientation shown here, a favorable chimney effect enhances convective heat transfer. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the hollow base body 26 can reduce the weight of the conductor element 18. The hollow structure of the base body 26 allows for the use of the skin effect for high-frequency currents.

[0068] exist Figures 6a-6e , different embodiments of conductor elements 18 are shown, which can be assembled in different ways and thus provide a modular system for contacting different power components 14 .

[0069] Figure 6a The longitudinally extending I-shape of the conductor element 18 is shown in FIG. Figure 6b The bent L-shape of the conductor element 18 is shown in FIG. Figure 6c The U-shaped conductor element 18 is shown in FIG. Figure 6d The S-shape of the conductor element 18 is shown in FIG. Figure 6e The T-shape of the conductor element 18 is shown in FIG.

[0070] These different shapes can be provided as standard as stamped parts and thus contact different components on the circuit board 12 .

[0071] exist Figures 7a-7d , different embodiments of a connecting section 22 between two conductor elements 18 are shown in order to form an electrical and thermal connection of the two conductor elements 18 . Figure 7a , a screw connection is shown which connects the conductor elements 18 to one another electrically and thermally by means of a connecting element 36 and a plurality of screws 38 .

[0072] Figure 7b , a clamping connection is shown as a connecting section 22 , wherein the conductor elements 18 are connected to one another via a clamping band 14 .

[0073] Figure 7c , wherein rivets 42 firmly connect the overlapping parts of the conductor elements 18 to each other. The conductor elements 18 are formed in an arc-shaped manner in the region of the connecting sections 22, so that an improved support surface can be formed between the conductor elements 18.

[0074] Figure 7d , a simple overlapping, arc-shaped connection between conductor elements 18 is shown. The arc-shaped sections of the conductor elements 18 engage with one another and form a common contact surface.

[0075] exist Figure 8a and 8b , various embodiments of the fastening section 20 are shown, wherein the fastening section 20 has a plurality of soldering projections 28 in order to fasten the base body 26 to the printed circuit board 14 by means of a soldering process.

[0076] The soldering projections 28 have a soldering section 44 at their outer ends, which is soldered to the printed circuit board 12 by means of solder. Each of the soldering projections 28 has a narrowing 46, which is formed between the soldering section 40 and the base body 26 and reduces the thermal conductivity of the soldering projection 28. The narrowing 46 is formed as a notch or constriction in the soldering projection 28.

[0077] As in Figure 8bIn a particular embodiment shown in , a plurality of recesses 48 can be provided in the base body 26 adjacent to the soldering projections 28. These recesses serve as heat sinks or thermal decoupling elements, thereby reducing the heat transfer from the base body 26 to the soldering projections 28 or the soldering sections 44, thereby further reducing the thermal load on the soldered connection. As a result, the conductor element 18 can be mechanically connected to the printed circuit board 12 using a standard soldering process, further reducing the technical complexity for contacting the conductor element 18.

Claims

1. An electrical contact device for an electrical power component, the electrical contact device comprising: - Circuit boards for mounting electrical power components, a plurality of conductor elements fixed to the printed circuit board and electrically or thermally connected by means of connecting sections, wherein each connecting section is designed as a coupling portion, which couples two of the conductor elements in a surface contact, wherein each conductor element has a metallic base body, wherein the metallic base body has electrical connecting contacts for electrically contacting the respective conductor element with the printed circuit board or one of the electrical power components, and wherein the metallic base body has a fastening section for fastening the respective conductor element to the printed circuit board, and wherein each conductor element is manufactured separately from the circuit board, and the electrical connection contact and the fastening section are designed separately from each other, wherein the fastening section has a plurality of elongated soldering sections, which are each thermally decoupled from the metallic base body by means of at least one recess or constriction, wherein the metallic base body has a thermal contact section for thermally contacting the corresponding conductor element, and the thermal contact section comprises a heat-conducting element which is designed as a spring element and is in thermal contact with a surface of the electrical power component, The thermal contact section is designed separately from the electrical connection contact and separately from the fastening section. 2 . The electrical contact device according to claim 1 , wherein the metal base body is arranged spaced apart from the circuit board. 3 . The electrical contact device according to claim 1 , wherein each conductor element is designed as a stamped part. The electrical contact device according to claim 1 , wherein the fastening section is fixed to the printed circuit board by means of a solder connection.

5. The electrical contact device according to claim 1, wherein the electrical contacts that come into contact with the circuit board are designed as pressure contacts. 6 . The electrical contact device according to claim 1 , wherein the thermal contact section is designed as an arc-shaped end section of the metal base body. 7 . An electric power control unit for a motor vehicle, comprising at least one electric power component and an electric contact arrangement according to claim 1 .

8. An electrical contact device for an electric power component, the electrical contact device comprising: - Circuit boards for mounting electrical power components, a plurality of conductor elements fixed to the printed circuit board and electrically or thermally connected by means of connecting sections, wherein each connecting section is designed as a coupling portion, which couples two of the conductor elements in a surface contact, wherein the conductor elements have a metallic base body, wherein the metallic base body has electrical connecting contacts for electrically contacting the conductor elements with the printed circuit board or one of the electrical power components, and wherein the metallic base body is formed as a hollow body and has a fastening section for fastening the conductor elements to the printed circuit board, and wherein the conductor element is manufactured separately from the circuit board, and the electrical connection contact and the fastening section are designed separately from each other, wherein the metallic base body has a thermal contact section for thermally contacting the corresponding conductor element, and the thermal contact section comprises a heat-conducting element which is designed as a spring element and is in thermal contact with a surface of the electrical power component, The thermal contact section is designed separately from the electrical connection contact and separately from the fastening section.

9. An electrical contact device for an electric power component, the electrical contact device comprising: - Circuit boards for mounting electrical power components, a plurality of conductor elements, which are fixed to the printed circuit board and are electrically or thermally connected by means of connecting sections, wherein each connecting section is designed as a coupling portion, which couples two of the conductor elements in a surface contact, wherein the conductor elements have a metallic base body, wherein the metallic base body has electrical connecting contacts for electrically contacting the conductor elements with the printed circuit board or one of the electrical power components, wherein the metallic base body has a plurality of recesses which are assigned to the fastening section in order to thermally decouple the fastening section from the metallic base body, and the metallic base body has the fastening section in order to fix the conductor element on the printed circuit board, and wherein the conductor element is manufactured separately from the circuit board, and the electrical connection contact and the fastening section are designed separately from each other, wherein the metallic base body has a thermal contact section for thermally contacting the corresponding conductor element, and the thermal contact section comprises a heat-conducting element which is designed as a spring element and is in thermal contact with a surface of the electrical power component, The thermal contact section is designed separately from the electrical connection contact and separately from the fastening section.

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