Power control device

Abstract

The present application provides a kind of electric power control device, it is equipped with: first switch substrate, the first switch substrate has first wiring pattern and install multiple first switch elements in the first wiring pattern;Second switch substrate, the second switch substrate has second wiring pattern and install multiple second switch elements in the second wiring pattern;Control substrate, the control substrate has the control part of the on state and the off state of the first switch element and the second switch element are controlled;And device housing, the device housing houses the first switch substrate, the second switch substrate and the control substrate, wherein the first switch substrate, the second switch substrate and the control substrate are housed in the device housing in the state of being arranged in the height direction of the device housing with the order of the first switch substrate, the control substrate, the second switch substrate is arranged at a predetermined interval.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an electrical control device. Background Technology

[0002] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-354956 discloses an electronic circuit device in which the device housing is composed of a metal substrate on which electronic components are mounted only on one surface and a metal substrate integrally formed with a heat sink.

[0003] In this electronic circuit device, the bottom surface of the device housing is formed by a metal substrate on which electronic components are mounted, and the cover of the housing is formed by another metal substrate. The electronic components are disposed inside the device housing and sealed by filling the housing with resin, thereby releasing the heat generated from the electronic components to the outside through the two metal substrates.

[0004] Circuit elements that generate heat when energized include switching elements such as metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) and insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs). When these switching elements are used in power control devices that control the power supply between a power source and the object being powered, they are mounted on a switching substrate with high heat dissipation, such as a metal substrate.

[0005] However, in power control devices with higher output voltages, the number of switching elements increases, requiring a larger substrate area. Therefore, if all switching elements are to be mounted on a single surface of the switching substrate, the housing containing the substrate also becomes larger, making it difficult to miniaturize the device. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a power control device that can achieve both high output and miniaturization of the device.

[0007] The power control device according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises: a first switch substrate having a first wiring pattern and a plurality of first switching elements mounted on the first wiring pattern; a second switch substrate having a second wiring pattern and a plurality of second switching elements mounted on the second wiring pattern; a control substrate having a control unit for controlling the on and off states of the first and second switching elements; and a device housing accommodating the first switch substrate, the second switch substrate, and the control substrate, wherein the first switch substrate, the second switch substrate, and the control substrate are arranged in a manner that, in the order of the first switch substrate, the control substrate, and the second switch substrate, are spaced apart at predetermined intervals in the height direction of the device housing, and are housed within the device housing.

[0008] According to the power control device of the present invention, by separately mounting multiple switching elements controlled by a control board on a first switching board and a second switching board, the area of ​​each switching board can be reduced. These two switching boards are housed within a device housing at a predetermined interval in the height direction, in the order of the first switching board, the control board, and the second switching board. Thus, the mounting area of ​​the board portion within the device housing is substantially equal to the mounting area of ​​a single board, suppressing the enlargement of the device housing, thereby achieving both high output and miniaturization of the device. Attached Figure Description

[0009] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the following accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0010] Figure 1 This is a top view of the internal housing of the power control device according to the embodiment, viewed from above.

[0011] Figure 2 This is an exploded perspective view of the power control device involved in the implementation method;

[0012] Figure 3 It is along Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the device housing taken along line III-III;

[0013] Figure 4 This is a top view of the first switch substrate viewed from above;

[0014] Figure 5 This is a top view of the second switch substrate viewed from above;

[0015] Figure 6 This is a perspective view showing the state in which the first substrate side terminal and the second substrate side terminal are connected via the first power supply side terminal;

[0016] Figure 7 This is a side sectional view showing the state in which the first substrate side terminal and the second substrate side terminal are connected via an output terminal;

[0017] Figure 8 This is a top view of the control board from above;

[0018] Figure 9 This is a partial side sectional view showing the connection structure between the control substrate and the switch substrate;

[0019] Figure 10 This is an enlarged top view showing the Rogowski coil pattern formed on the control substrate;

[0020] Figure 11 It is along Figure 10 An enlarged view of the cross-section obtained by cutting along line XI-XI;

[0021] Figure 12 It is a circuit diagram of an electrical control device; and

[0022] Figure 13 This is a block diagram showing the structure of the detection processing unit. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The following is for reference Figures 1 to 13 This invention will now be described as an embodiment. In this embodiment, for ease of explanation, the directions indicated by the arrows appropriately represented in the figures (up / down, left / right, and front / back) will be defined as the up / down direction, left / right direction, and front / back direction of the power control device, respectively.

[0024] In this embodiment, as an example of the power control device according to the present invention, power control device 1 will be described. This power control device 1 controls the power supply between the battery 2 (power source) mounted on the vehicle and the three-phase AC motor 4 (power supply object). Figure 12 ).like Figure 2 As shown, the power control device 1 includes: a device housing 10 formed in the shape of a rectangular box, two switch boards 50 (50A, 50B) housed inside the device housing 10, and a control board 60 provided with a current measuring coil.

[0025] like Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the device housing 10 includes a box-shaped housing body 12 and a cover-shaped housing cover 14 mounted on the housing body 12. The housing body 12 is a rectangular box-shaped member made of metal with an upward-opening opening 13. The housing body 12 includes a front wall 12A, a rear wall 12B, a left wall 12C, a right wall 12D, and a bottom wall 12E. In addition, a heat sink 12F is provided on the outer surface of the bottom wall 12E for dissipating heat from the second switch board 50B (described later) to the outside of the housing body 12.

[0026] The housing cover 14 is a rectangular plate-shaped component made of metal. The housing cover 14 is fixed to the housing body 12 by adhesive applied to the upper ends of the front, rear, left, and right walls 12A-12D and fastening screws 24. Because the housing cover 14 is fixed to the housing body 12, an accommodating space is formed inside the device housing 10. Furthermore, heat sinks 14A are provided on the outer surface of the housing cover 14 to dissipate heat from the first switch board 50A (described later) to the outside of the housing body 12. It should be noted that... Figure 1 This is a top view of the interior of the housing body 12, omitting the housing cover 14 and viewed from above.

[0027] A connector mounting portion 16 is formed on the front wall portion 12A of the housing body 12. The connector mounting portion 16 includes a through hole in the shape of an elongated hole formed in the front wall portion 12A. A sensor-side connector 30 is mounted on the connector mounting portion 16. The sensor-side connector 30 has a housing mounted on the connector mounting portion 16 and a plurality of connection terminals (not shown) disposed on the housing. When the sensor-side connector 30 is mounted on the connector mounting portion 16, one end of each of the plurality of connection terminals protrudes from the housing and extends toward the inside of the device housing 10, thereby connecting to the control board 60. A wiring harness (cable) connected to various electrical devices such as sensors mounted on the vehicle is connected to the sensor-side connector 30 via a connector (not shown).

[0028] The rear portion of the receiving space within the device housing 10 has a receiving recess 18 disposed facing the rear wall portion 12B of the housing body 12. The receiving recess 18 is integrally formed with the rear wall portion 12B, the left wall portion 12C, the right wall portion 12D, and the bottom wall portion 12E, and protrudes downward from the rear bottom surface of the device housing 10. A plurality of capacitors 3 and a terminal block 40 holding the plurality of capacitors 3 within the housing are accommodated in the receiving recess 18.

[0029] The terminal block 40 has five busbar-shaped terminal members arranged along the rear wall 12B of the housing body 12. One end of each of the five terminal members extends from the terminal block 40 toward the inside of the device housing 10, and the other end is exposed on the connection surface of the upper surface of the terminal block 40. The terminal member located at the left end is the first power supply side terminal 20P, which is electrically connected to the positive terminal of the battery 2. The terminal member located at the right end is the second power supply side terminal 20N, which is electrically connected to the negative terminal of the battery 2. Multiple capacitors 3 are connected in parallel with the battery 2 via the first power supply side terminal on the positive terminal and the second power supply side terminal 20N on the negative terminal, thus serving as a buffer for the inverter circuit 5 (described later) Figure 12 It functions by eliminating the noise generated in the components.

[0030] The three terminal components disposed between the first power supply side terminal 20P and the second power supply side terminal 20N are output terminals 26 that supply power to the three-phase AC motor 4. Each output terminal 26 (26U, 26V, 26W) corresponds to each phase (U phase, V phase, W phase) of the three-phase AC motor 4, and electrically connects the coils of each phase of the stator of the three-phase AC motor 4 to the wiring patterns 52 (52A, 52B) of the switch board 50 (50A, 50B) described later.

[0031] like Figure 3 As shown, the housing 10 contains two switch substrates 50, each consisting of a first switch substrate 50A and a second switch substrate 50B, and a control substrate 60. These substrates are arranged at predetermined intervals along the height of the housing 10 from above, in the order of first switch substrate 50A, control substrate 60, and second switch substrate 50B. Each substrate is formed into a rectangular plate of equal size when viewed from above, with its thickness along the vertical direction. Therefore, three substrates are accommodated within the housing 10 in an area roughly the size of one substrate.

[0032] As an example, the first switch substrate 50A and the second switch substrate 50B are constructed from heat-dissipating insulating substrates formed by bonding wiring patterns 52 (52A, 52B) made of metals such as copper or aluminum onto an aluminum substrate. The first switch substrate 50A, disposed in the upper part of the device housing 10, is coated on the inner surface of the housing cover 14 (on the inner surface of the housing cover 14). Figure 3The first switch substrate 50A is fixed to the housing cover 14 with an adhesive applied to the inner surface of the housing cover 14 (the lower surface of the substrate). Therefore, the first switch substrate 50A is fixed to the housing cover 14 with its upper surface in contact with the inner surface of the housing cover 14, allowing heat from the first switch substrate 50A to dissipate to the outside via the housing cover 14. The second switch substrate 50B, disposed in the lower part of the device housing 10, is fixed to the housing body 12 with an adhesive applied to the inner surface of the bottom wall portion 12E of the housing body 12. Therefore, the second switch substrate 50B is fixed to the housing body 12 with its lower surface in contact with the inner surface of the housing body 12, allowing heat from the second switch substrate 50B to dissipate to the outside via the housing body 12.

[0033] The control board 60 is supported by a plurality of spacer retaining members 46 at a predetermined interval from the second switch board 50B fixed to the housing body 12 in the height direction of the device housing 10. The spacer retaining members 46 are, for example, cylindrical or polygonal prism-shaped spacer nuts, and the lower end of the spacer retaining members 46 is engaged (bonded) with the upper surface of the second switch board 50B. In addition, the spacer retaining members 46 and the control board 60 are fixed by screws 48 inserted into and passing through the through holes (notation omitted) of the control board 60 and screwed into the screw holes at the upper end of the spacer retaining members 46.

[0034] In this way, the three substrates are stably held inside the device housing 10 at a predetermined interval in the height direction. Therefore, it is not necessary to seal the space inside the device housing 10 with potting resin to maintain the interval between the substrates.

[0035] like Figure 4 As shown, a first wiring pattern 52A is formed in the mounting area on the lower surface side of the first switch substrate 50A facing the control substrate 60. This first wiring pattern 52A electrically connects the battery 2 to the three-phase AC motor 4, and a plurality of switching elements 54 are mounted on this first wiring pattern 52A. It should be noted that... Figure 4 In the diagram, the outline of the first switch substrate 50A is shown with a double-dotted line, and the components of the mounting area disposed on the lower surface side are shown with solid lines.

[0036] like Figure 5 As shown, a second wiring pattern 52B is formed in the mounting area on the upper surface side of the second switch substrate 50B facing the control substrate 60. The second wiring pattern 52B electrically connects the battery 2 to the three-phase AC motor 4, and a plurality of switching elements 54 are mounted on the second wiring pattern 52B.

[0037] The first wiring pattern 52A of the first switching substrate 50A and the second wiring pattern 52B of the second switching substrate 50B, along with multiple switching elements 54, constitute an inverter circuit 5 that converts the DC current from the two sides of the battery into AC current (see reference). Figure 12 The inverter circuit 5 has a high-side switching element electrically connected to the positive side of the three-phase AC motor 4 and the battery 2, and a low-side switching element electrically connected to the negative side of the three-phase AC motor 4 and the battery 2.

[0038] In this embodiment, a plurality of switching elements 54 mounted on the first switching substrate 50A constitute high-side switching elements, and a plurality of switching elements 54 mounted on the second switching substrate 50B constitute low-side switching elements. As an example, each switching element 54 includes an n-type metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (nMOSFET) to switch the power supplied to each phase of the three-phase AC motor 4.

[0039] Specifically, six high-side switching elements 54UH, six high-side switching elements 54VH, and six high-side switching elements 54WH, corresponding to each phase (U phase, V phase, W phase) of the three-phase AC motor 4, are mounted on the first wiring pattern 52A of the first switch substrate 50A. For example... Figure 4 As shown, the high-side switching elements 54UH, 54VH, and 54WH of each phase are arranged separately for each phase and in one direction (in Figure 4 They are arranged in columns (with the center facing forward and backward).

[0040] The first wiring pattern 52A includes a drain connection pattern 521, a source connection pattern 522, and a connecting pattern 523, forming a high-voltage current path between the positive terminal of the battery 2 and the three-phase AC motor 4. The drain connection pattern 521 and the source connection pattern 522 are disposed on both sides of an arrangement formed by the high-side switching elements 54UH, 54VH, and 54WH of each phase, and extend substantially parallel to each other in the arrangement direction (front-back direction). The drain connection pattern 521 is connected to the drain electrode of each phase's high-side switching element 54UH, 54VH, and 54WH. The source connection pattern 522 is connected to the source electrode of each phase's high-side switching element 54UH, 54VH, and 54WH. Thus, the six corresponding high-side switching elements are connected in parallel to each other. Furthermore, the connecting pattern 523 extends in the left-right direction at the front end of the first switch substrate 50A and connects the ends of the drain connection pattern 521 of each phase to each other. With this pattern configuration, on the rear end side of the first switch substrate 50A, one end of the drain connection pattern 521 and one end of the source connection pattern 522 of each phase are arranged to avoid the connection pattern 523. Therefore, the five first substrate side terminals 56A connected to the first wiring pattern 52A can be centrally arranged on the rear end side of the first switch substrate 50A. These five first substrate side terminals 56A include terminal members with a basic structure of the same busbar type.

[0041] In this embodiment, a first substrate-side terminal 56A connected to one end of the drain connection pattern portion 521 of the U phase, three first substrate-side terminals 56A connected to one end of the source connection pattern portions 522 of the U phase, V phase, and W phase, and a first substrate-side terminal 56A connected to one end of the noise removal pattern portion 524 are arranged from left to right on the rear end side of the first switch substrate 50A. The noise removal pattern portion 524 is connected to a ceramic capacitor (not shown) for noise removal.

[0042] A first substrate-side terminal 56A, connected to one end of the drain connection pattern 521 of phase U, is connected to a first power supply-side terminal 20P, which is connected to the positive terminal of battery 2. Additionally, the first substrate-side terminal 56A, connected to one end of each source connection pattern 522 of phases U, V, and W, is connected to the three output terminals 26U, 26V, and 26W, respectively, which supply power to each phase of the three-phase AC motor 4. Furthermore, the first substrate-side terminal 56A, connected to one end of the noise removal pattern 524, is connected to a second power supply-side terminal 20N, which is connected to the negative terminal of battery 2.

[0043] like Figure 5As shown, six low-side switching elements 54UL, six low-side switching elements 54VL, and six low-side switching elements 54WL, corresponding to each phase (U phase, V phase, W phase) of the three-phase AC motor 4, are mounted on the second wiring pattern 52B of the second switch substrate 50B. The low-side switching elements 54UL, 54VL, and 54WL for each phase are arranged separately for each phase and along one direction (in... Figure 5 They are arranged in columns (with the center facing forward and backward).

[0044] Similar to the first wiring pattern 52A, the second wiring pattern 52B also includes a drain connection pattern 521, a source connection pattern 522, and a connecting pattern 523. This second wiring pattern 52B forms a current path with a lower voltage level than the first wiring pattern 52A between the negative terminal of the battery 2 and the three-phase AC motor 4. The drain connection pattern 521 and the source connection pattern 522 of the second wiring pattern 52B are arranged on both sides of an arrangement formed by the low-side switching elements 54UL, 54VL, and 54WL of each phase, and extend parallel to each other. Thus, they are connected in parallel to each of the six corresponding low-side switching elements. Furthermore, the connecting pattern 523 extends in the left-right direction at the front end of the second switch substrate 50B and connects the ends of the source connection pattern 522 of each phase to each other. With this pattern configuration, five second substrate side terminals 56B connected to the second wiring pattern 52B are centrally arranged at the rear end of the second switch substrate 50B. The five second substrate-side terminals 56B include busbar-type terminal members having the same basic structure as the first substrate-side terminals 56A.

[0045] Specifically, a second substrate-side terminal 56B connected to one end of the noise removal pattern section 524, three second substrate-side terminals 56B connected to one end of the drain connection pattern sections 521 of the U phase, V phase, and W phase, and a second substrate-side terminal 56B connected to one end of the source connection pattern section 522 of the W phase are arranged from left to right on the rear end side of the second switch substrate 50B, wherein the noise removal pattern section 524 is connected to a ceramic capacitor (not shown) for noise removal.

[0046] A second substrate-side terminal 56B, connected to one end of the noise removal pattern section 524, is connected to a first power supply-side terminal 20P, which is connected to the positive terminal of the battery 2. Additionally, the second substrate-side terminal 56B, connected to one end of the drain connection pattern section 521 for each of the U, V, and W phases, is connected to the three output terminals 26U, 26V, and 26W, respectively, which supply power to each phase of the three-phase AC motor 4. The second substrate-side terminal 56B, connected to one end of the source connection pattern section 522 for the W phase, is connected to a second power supply-side terminal 20N, which is connected to the negative terminal of the battery 2.

[0047] like Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, in the first switch substrate 50A and the second switch substrate 50B of the above structure, five first substrate side terminals 56A and five second substrate side terminals 56B provided on the rear end side of each substrate are arranged opposite each other in the height direction of the device housing 10.

[0048] Here, the first substrate-side terminal 56A and the second substrate-side terminal 56B each have an integrally formed connecting portion 561, a vertical portion 562, a bent portion 563, and a horizontal portion 564. The connecting portion 561 is mounted and soldered to the mounting surface of the switch substrate 50 (50A, 50B) to connect with the wiring pattern 52 (52A, 52B). The vertical portion 562 is formed from the end of the connecting portion 561 in a right-angle bend and extends toward the control substrate 60. The bent portion 563 extends from the front end of the vertical portion 562 in a generally crank-shaped bend toward the outside of the substrate. The horizontal portion 564 extends horizontally from the front end of the bent portion 563, and the front end of the horizontal portion 564 abuts against one side of the first power-side terminal 20P and the second power-side terminal 20N or the output terminal 26 extending from the terminal block 40 and is soldered or resistance soldered.

[0049] The first substrate-side terminal 56A and the second substrate-side terminal 56B have the same basic structure and are arranged in opposite directions in the height direction of the device housing 10. Therefore, when the first substrate-side terminal 56A and the second substrate-side terminal 56B are installed inside the device housing 10, the opposing set of the first substrate-side terminal 56A and the second substrate-side terminal 56B are connected via the terminal members in a manner that is intended to clamp the sides of a common terminal member (20P, 20N, 26) from both sides. In this way, the connection line between the first wiring pattern 52A of the first switch substrate 50A and the second wiring pattern 52B of the second switch substrate 50B is provided using the space in the height direction of the device housing 10, thereby shortening the connection line between the substrates.

[0050] Furthermore, the source electrodes of the high-side switching elements 54UH, 54VH, and 54WH of each phase of the three-phase AC motor 4 are connected to the drain electrodes of the low-side switching elements 54UL, 54VL, and 54WL via three first substrate-side terminals 56A and three second substrate-side terminals 56B. Moreover, the opposing first substrate-side terminals 56A and second substrate-side terminals 56B are connected via a common output terminal 26, thereby eliminating the need for complex wiring using busbars and achieving high-efficiency wiring (see reference). Figure 7 ).

[0051] Here, three first substrate side terminals 56A and three second substrate side terminals 56B, which are respectively provided corresponding to the three-phase AC motor 4, are inserted into and pass through six current measuring coils provided on the control substrate 60.

[0052] like Figure 8 As shown, the control substrate 60 is composed of a rectangular printed circuit board. Six through-holes 62 are formed along the left-right direction on the rear end side of the control substrate 60. These through-holes 62 are slit-like cuts formed at the rear end of the control substrate 60 and penetrate the control substrate 60 in the thickness direction. Around each of the six through-holes 62, a Rogowski coil pattern 70 is formed as a current measuring coil, constituting part of a current detection sensor. This Rogowski coil pattern 70 is formed as a wiring pattern on the control substrate 60 and is integrally formed with the control substrate 60. Hereinafter, these patterns 70 will be referred to as Rogowski coils 70.

[0053] When configured as a power control device 1, the control board 60 is disposed between the first switch board 50A and the second switch board 50B within the receiving space of the device housing 10, with a predetermined interval provided between each switch board 50A, 50B in the height direction. In this state, the vertical portions 562 of the three first board side terminals 56A and the three second board side terminals 56B are inserted into and pass through the six through portions 62 of the control board 60 without contacting the edges of the through portions 62. Thus, a structure is formed in which the current flowing through the three first board side terminals 56A and the three second board side terminals 56B, which are respectively provided for the three-phase AC motor 4, is sensed using Rogowski coils 70. These measured currents are obtained by measuring the current flowing between the battery 2 and the three-phase AC motor 4 between the source electrode on the high side and the drain electrode on the low side. Therefore, the input and output currents of the three-phase AC motor 4 can be detected at a location unaffected by losses caused by the switching element 54, thereby improving the accuracy of current detection. It should be noted that the three first substrate-side terminals 56A and the three second substrate-side terminals 56B are arranged parallel to each other, and the slope and distance of the Rogowski coil 70 relative to these terminals are set to be the same.

[0054] Here, refer to Figure 10 and Figure 11 The Rogowski coil 70 formed on the control substrate 60 will be described below. The Rogowski coil 70 is formed on the control substrate 60 and is disposed at intervals from the through-section 62 in a U-shaped annular region surrounding the through-section 62. One end of the Rogowski coil 70 is connected to an electrode connecting piece 75, and from there, a coil with a diameter equal to the thickness of the control substrate 60 is formed spirally (clockwise in the direction of travel) around the through-section 62. Furthermore, at approximately one circumference around the through-section 62, the other end of the Rogowski coil 70 is connected to a return line 71.

[0055] The Rogowski coil 70 is formed by connecting multiple conductor films 72, 73 respectively formed on two surfaces of the control substrate 60 via multiple vias 74 formed through the control substrate 60 in the thickness direction (see reference). Figure 10 (See the lower right figure). Thus, because the Rogowski coil 70 is an air-core coil, its impedance is low, resulting in minimal power loss during current measurement. Furthermore, the Rogowski coil 70 can also handle large current measurements even under conditions of unsaturated magnetic flux.

[0056] One end of the return line 71 is connected to the Rogowski coil 70, and when viewed axially from the through-section 62, it is formed to surround the Rogowski coil 70. The other end of the return line 71 is connected to the electrode connection piece 76, which is arranged side by side with the electrode connection piece 75. Therefore, the Rogowski coil 70 surrounds the through-section 62 approximately once around the electrode connection piece 75, and the return line 71 folds back from there and surrounds the outer side of the Rogowski coil 70 approximately once in the opposite direction, entering the inner side of the Rogowski coil 70 beyond the outer side of the electrode connection piece 75, thereby connecting with the electrode connection piece 76. When current flows in the conductor that is being measured by the Rogowski coil 70 (in this embodiment, the first substrate-side terminal 56A and the second substrate-side terminal 56B), an induced electromotive force is generated on the electrode connection pieces 75 and 76 at both ends of the coil. This induced electromotive force is output as a signal from the Rogowski coil 70 to the detection processing unit 7, which will be described later. In the detection processing unit 7, the current value flowing through the first substrate side terminal 56A and the second substrate side terminal 56B is calculated based on the signal output from the Rogowski coil 70.

[0057] It should be noted that, due to the characteristics of the Rogowski coil 70, an induced current is generated that corresponds to the magnetic flux passing through the area surrounded by the Rogowski coil 70. However, since the induced current of the reverse component is generated by the return line 71 and cancels each other out, the induced current of the reverse component corresponds to the reverse magnetic flux passing through the area surrounded by the return line 71. Therefore, the current flowing through the first substrate side terminal 56A and the second substrate side terminal 56B inserted into and passing through the through portion 62 can be accurately detected.

[0058] Furthermore, since the current of the detected object does not flow through the Rogowski coil 70 itself, the heat generated by the Rogowski coil 70 will not increase due to energization. Suppressing the heating of the Rogowski coil 70 helps to improve the performance of the Rogowski coil 70 and the detection processing unit 7 described later (see reference). Figure 12 The accuracy of current detection.

[0059] Furthermore, regarding the characteristics of the Rogowski coil 70, the correction value used to correct (calibrate) the error between the actual current value flowing through the conductor and the calculated value obtained through calculation varies depending on the slope of the Rogowski coil 70 relative to the conductor. Therefore, in the post-assembly stage, an initial value correction is performed to correct the error caused by the aforementioned slope of the Rogowski coil 70 installed on each power control device 1. This initial value correction is performed, for example, by connecting a diagnostic testing board to a control board 60, initializing the correction value pre-stored in a memory installed on the control board 60, and re-storing the correction value calculated based on the testing current. Therefore, when multiple Rogowski coils 70 are installed on the power control device 1, if a structure is adopted where the slope of each Rogowski coil 70 deviates, each individual Rogowski coil 70 requires the aforementioned initial value correction. In addition, each individual Rogowski coil 70 requires connection terminals for connecting to the testing board and diagnostic circuitry.

[0060] However, according to this embodiment, a plurality of Rogowski coils 70 are formed on a control board 60 by a wiring pattern. Therefore, since the slant of each Rogowski coil 70 does not deviate, initial value correction can be performed by applying a common correction value to the plurality of Rogowski coils 70. Therefore, the time required for initial value correction is reduced.

[0061] Return to Figure 8 On the front end side of the control substrate 60, a plurality of through holes 68 extending through the control substrate 60 in the thickness direction are formed. The front ends of a plurality of connection terminals of the sensor-side connector 30 are inserted from below and pass through these through holes 68 and are soldered thereon, thereby connecting to the control substrate 60. Signals detected by various sensors mounted on the vehicle are output to the control substrate 60 via the sensor-side connector 30 and output to the central processing unit (CPU) 64 via the wiring pattern formed on the control substrate 60.

[0062] In addition, components are mounted on the mounting area of ​​the control board 60. Figure 12 The circuitry of the control unit 6 and the detection processing unit 7 is shown. The control unit 6 has a central processing unit (CPU) 64 (see reference 64) that serves as a control IC. Figure 8 This controls the on and off states of multiple switching elements 54. For example... Figure 9As shown, the control board 60 is connected to the first switch board 50A and the second switch board 50B in the height direction via floating connectors 90 having multiple conductor pins 92. The conductor pins 92 are connected to male connectors 94 connected to each switch board 50A, 50B, and the signal lines of the control unit 6 are electrically connected to the first wiring pattern 52A of the first switch board 50A and the second wiring pattern 52B (the gate electrode of the switching element 54) of the second switch board 50B.

[0063] In this device structure, the second switch substrate 50B and the control substrate 60 located on the lower layer are assembled, and then the first switch substrate 50A, which is disposed in the upper part of the device housing 10, is assembled onto the control substrate 60. Therefore, because tolerances caused by assembly are easily generated, the front end of the male connector 94 is connected to the female connector 96 disposed on the opposite side of the control substrate 60. It should be noted that, for the reasons mentioned above, the second switch substrate 50B located in the lower part of the device housing 10 is less prone to tolerances caused by assembly, so the male connector 94 connected to the second switch substrate 50B is directly connected to the control substrate 60. However, the present invention is not limited to this; the second switch substrate 50B can also be connected to the female connector 96 disposed on the opposite side of the control substrate 60 in the same manner as the first switch substrate 50A.

[0064] In this embodiment, a current detection sensor is constituted by a Rogowski coil 70 and a detection processing unit 7. The control unit 6 calculates the current value based on the signal input from the detection processing unit 7 and switches the on and off states of multiple switching elements 54 to control the power supplied to each phase of the three-phase AC motor 4.

[0065] like Figure 12 As shown, the power control device 1 includes an inverter circuit 5 mounted on two switchboards 50A and 50B. The inverter circuit 5 converts the DC current from the battery 2 side into AC current and supplies it to each phase of the three-phase AC motor 4. The drain electrodes of the switching elements 54UH, 54VH, and 54WH, which correspond to the higher voltage level (high side) of phases U, V, and W, are connected to the positive terminal of the battery 2. The source electrodes of the switching elements 54UL, 54VL, and 54WL, which correspond to the lower voltage level (low side), are connected to the negative terminal of the battery 2. Furthermore, the gate electrodes of all switching elements 54 are connected to the signal lines of the control signals output from the control unit 6.

[0066] The six Rogowski coils 70 include three Rogowski coils 70U1, 70V1, and 70W1, and three Rogowski coils 70U2, 70V2, and 70W2. The three Rogowski coils 70U1, 70V1, and 70W1 measure the current flowing between the source electrodes of the high-side switching elements 54UH, 54VH, and 54WH in the inverter circuit 5 and the three-phase AC motor 4, respectively. The three Rogowski coils 70U2, 70V2, and 70W2 measure the current flowing between the three-phase AC motor 4 and the drain electrodes of the low-side switching elements 54UL, 54VL, and 54WL, respectively. Among these six Rogowski coils 70, the current value is measured at the instant the corresponding switching element 54 of the three-phase AC motor 4 is switched between on and off states. Furthermore, the output signal (induced electromotive force) from each Rogowski coil 70 is input to the detection and processing unit 7 mounted on the control board 60.

[0067] like Figure 13 As shown, the detection processing unit 7 is configured with six integrating circuits 80A to 80F corresponding to the six Rogowski coils 70, and three adders 82U to 82W corresponding to each of the three-phase AC motors 4. In the detection processing unit 7, the output signals of the six Rogowski coils 70 are respectively input to the six integrating circuits 80A to 80F. Each integrating circuit 80 is configured, for example, to include an operational amplifier, a resistor, and a capacitor. The integrating circuit 80 integrates the output signals from the Rogowski coils 70 and outputs a signal corresponding to a voltage waveform proportional to the measured current at each location.

[0068] Adder 82 includes adder 82U corresponding to U of the three-phase AC motor 4, adder 82V corresponding to V, and adder 82W corresponding to W. In adder 82U, the voltage waveforms obtained by integrating the output signals of the two Rogowski coils 70U1 and 70U2 corresponding to U are added together. Thus, the detection value on the positive side of battery 2 is added to the detection value on the negative side, thereby obtaining an output signal UC proportional to the DC current output from battery 2 to phase U. Similarly, in adder 82V, an output signal UV proportional to the DC current output from battery 2 to phase V is obtained. Furthermore, in adder 82W, an output signal UW proportional to the DC current output from battery 2 to phase W is obtained. The signals output from adders 82U, 82V, and 82W are input to control unit 6, and processed by control unit 6 to obtain the output current of each phase of the three-phase AC motor 4 from battery 2.

[0069] (Functions and effects)

[0070] As explained above, in the power control device 1 according to the above embodiment, by separately mounting multiple switching elements 54 controlled by the control board 60 on the first switching board 50A and the second switching board 50B, the area of ​​each switching board can be reduced. These two switching boards 50A and 50B are housed within the device housing 10 at a predetermined interval in the height direction, following the order of the first switching board 50A, the control board 60, and the second switching board 50B. Thus, the mounting area of ​​the board portion within the device housing 10 is substantially equal to the mounting area of ​​a single board, and the device housing 10 becomes miniaturized. Therefore, it is possible to achieve both high output and device miniaturization.

[0071] According to the power control device 1, the high-side switching elements 54UH, 54VH, and 54WH of the inverter circuit 5 are mounted on the first switch substrate 50A, and the low-side switching elements 54UL, 54VL, and 54WL are mounted on the second switch substrate 50B. Therefore, since the independence of the wiring pattern can be ensured on the high-side and low-side of the inverter circuit 5, the wiring efficiency can be improved.

[0072] According to the power control device 1, the source electrodes of the corresponding high-side switching elements 54UH, 54VH, and 54WH of the three-phase AC motor 4 are electrically connected to the drain electrodes of the low-side switching elements 54UL, 54VL, and 54WL by three first substrate-side terminals 56A connected to the first wiring pattern 52A and three second substrate-side terminals 56B connected to the second wiring pattern 52B. Since these first substrate-side terminals 56A and second substrate-side terminals 56B are arranged opposite each other in the height direction of the device housing 10, the connection lines between the high-side source electrodes and the low-side drain electrodes can be shortened, thereby reducing transmission losses.

[0073] According to the power control device 1, it includes busbar-type output terminals 26U, 26V, and 26W that connect the source electrodes of the high-side switching elements 54UH, 54VH, and 54WH to the drain electrodes of the low-side switching elements 54UL, 54VL, and 54WL. Similarly, the source and drain electrodes are connected by clamping the sides of each output terminal 26 from both sides using a first substrate-side terminal 56A and a second substrate-side terminal 56B, which are composed of busbar-type terminals. Therefore, since the first substrate-side terminal 56A and the second substrate-side terminal 56B can be directly connected to the common output terminal 26, the complex connection using a busbar is not required, and wiring can be easily achieved.

[0074] According to the power control device 1, in each phase of the three-phase AC motor 4, a current measuring coil composed of two Rogowski coils 70 can be used to measure the current flowing through the first substrate side terminal 56A and the second substrate side terminal 56B. This measured current is obtained by measuring the current flowing between the battery 2 and the three-phase AC motor 4 between the high-side source electrode and the low-side drain electrode. Therefore, since the current on the input side and the output side of the three-phase AC motor 4 can be detected at a location unaffected by losses caused by the switching element 54, the accuracy of current detection can be improved.

[0075] Furthermore, since the Rogowski coil 70 is used to measure the current flowing between the battery 2 and the three-phase AC motor 4, the measuring current does not flow through the Rogowski coil 70 itself. Therefore, the heat generated by the Rogowski coil 70 does not increase due to the measuring current. For example, even when a large current flows between the battery 2 and the three-phase AC motor 4, the Rogowski coil 70 can be used to detect this large current with high accuracy. Additionally, since the control board 60 on which the pattern of the Rogowski coil 70 is formed is positioned at a predetermined interval relative to the first switch board 50A and the second switch board 50B, which have multiple switching elements 54, the Rogowski coil 70 is less affected by the heat generated by the switching elements 54. This further improves the accuracy of current detection.

[0076] According to the power control device 1, the first switch board 50A and the control board 60, and the second switch board 50B and the control board 60, are respectively connected in the height direction of the device housing 10 via multiple conductor pins 92 provided by the floating connector 90. The multiple conductor pins 92 electrically connect the first wiring pattern 52A to the signal line of the control unit 6, and the multiple conductor pins 92 electrically connect the second wiring pattern 52B to the signal line of the control unit 6, thereby transmitting control signals from the control unit 6 to multiple switching elements 54. In this structure, since the connection lines between the wiring patterns 52A, 52B of each switch board 50A, 50B and the signal line of the control unit 6 can be shortened, transmission losses can also be reduced.

[0077] Furthermore, according to the above embodiment, the male connector 94 of the floating connector 90 connected to the first switch substrate 50A is connected to the female connector 96 disposed on the opposite side of the control substrate 60, thereby connecting the substrates. As a result, since tolerances such as connector position can be absorbed during the connection between the substrates, assembly can be easily performed.

[0078] According to the power control device 1, the first switch substrate 50A and the second switch substrate 50B are fixed in contact with the bottom surface of the housing body 12 and the inner surface of the housing cover 14, respectively, thereby maintaining the spacing between the two substrates in the height direction of the device housing 10. Furthermore, since the control substrate 60 is supported at a predetermined interval from the second switch substrate 50B fixed to the housing body 12 in the height direction of the device housing 10, the spacing between each switch substrate 50A, 50B can be maintained in the height direction of the device housing 10. As described above, since the spacing between the three substrates can be stably maintained, damage to the welded parts caused by thermal deformation during use can be reduced, eliminating the need for potting resin within the device housing 10 for retention, thereby achieving weight reduction.

[0079] In addition, multiple heat sinks 12F and 14A are formed on the outer surfaces of the housing body 12 and the housing cover 14, respectively. This allows the heat from the multiple switching elements 54 to be efficiently dissipated to the outside.

[0080] [Additional Explanation]

[0081] In the above embodiments, the power source in this invention is battery 2, and the power supply object is a three-phase AC motor 4, but this invention is not limited thereto. The power source and the power supply object can be appropriately set. For example, the power source can also be a generator or a socket. In addition, the power supply object can appropriately be a single-phase AC motor, a three-phase or higher AC motor such as a four-phase AC or five-phase AC motor, or various electrical equipment.

[0082] In the above embodiments, the case of supplying power from battery 2 to three-phase AC motor 4 is described, but the present invention can also be used to control power supplied (charged) from motor to battery, such as regenerated power.

[0083] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a structure is used to measure the current flowing through three first substrate side terminals 56A and three second substrate side terminals 56B corresponding to each phase (U, V, W) of the three-phase AC motor 4, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, if the current corresponding to two phases of the three-phase AC motor can be measured, the detected value of the current can be used to calculate and control the power supplied to the remaining phase. In this case, any structure that measures the current flowing through two first substrate side terminals 56A and two second substrate side terminals 56B corresponding to any two phases of the three-phase AC motor is acceptable. In this case, four Rogowski coils 70 are formed on the control board 60.

[0084] In the power control device 1 of the above embodiments, a structure in which multiple capacitors 3 are connected in parallel with the battery 2 is adopted, but a structure without capacitors 3 can also be adopted.

[0085] In the above embodiments, examples have been described where the conductors connecting the first switch substrate 50A and the control substrate 60, and the conductors connecting the second switch substrate 50B and the control substrate 60, are composed of conductor pins 92 of the floating connector 90; however, the present invention is not limited thereto. The "conductor" involved in the present invention may also be composed of plate-shaped terminal members, wires, cables, etc.

[0086] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0087] 1 Power control device

[0088] 2 batteries (power supply)

[0089] 4. Three-phase AC motor (power supply target)

[0090] 6. Control Department

[0091] 10. Device housing

[0092] 12. Shell Body

[0093] 12F heatsink

[0094] 14. Housing cover

[0095] 14A heatsink

[0096] 26 output terminals (26U, 26V, 26W)

[0097] 50A First Switchboard

[0098] 50B Second Switchboard

[0099] 54 Switching Elements (First Switching Element, Second Switching Element)

[0100] 52A First Wiring Pattern

[0101] 52B Second Wiring Pattern

[0102] 56A First Substrate Side Terminal

[0103] 56B Second Substrate Side Terminal

[0104] 60 Control board (coil board, current detection board)

[0105] 62 Through Section

[0106] 90 floating connector

[0107] 92 Conductor Pin (Conductor Material)

[0108] 94 Male connector

[0109] 96 Female connector

[0110] 70 Rogowski coil (coil for current measurement, diagram of Rogowski coil)

Claims

1. An electrical control device, comprising: A first switch substrate, the first switch substrate having a first wiring pattern and a plurality of first switch elements mounted on the first wiring pattern; A second switch substrate, the second switch substrate having a second wiring pattern and a plurality of second switch elements mounted on the second wiring pattern; A control board having a control unit that controls the on and off states of the first switching element and the second switching element; as well as A device housing that accommodates the first switch substrate, the second switch substrate, and the control substrate, wherein... The first switch substrate, the second switch substrate, and the control substrate are arranged in a manner that, in the order of the first switch substrate, the control substrate, and the second switch substrate, are spaced apart at predetermined intervals in the height direction of the device housing, and are housed within the device housing. The first wiring pattern and the second wiring pattern are formed in a manner that electrically connects the power source to the power supply object. The first switching element is composed of a high-side switching element electrically connected to the positive side of the power source relative to the power supply object. The second switching element is composed of a low-side switching element electrically connected to the negative side of the power supply relative to the power supply object. The power control device has: The first substrate side terminal is disposed at the end of the first switch substrate and is connected to the first wiring pattern; as well as The second substrate side terminal is disposed at the end of the second switch substrate and connected to the second wiring pattern. The first substrate-side terminal and the second substrate-side terminal are arranged opposite each other in the height direction of the device housing, and electrically connect the source electrode of the first switching element and the drain electrode of the second switching element. The device housing also has a vertical portion extending toward the control substrate side, which inserts into and passes through a Rogowski coil pattern for current measurement formed on the control substrate side.

2. The power control device according to claim 1, comprising: An output terminal is electrically connected between the source electrode of the first switching element and the drain electrode of the second switching element, and supplies power to the power supply object. The first substrate-side terminal, the second substrate-side terminal, and the output terminal include busbar-type terminals. The first substrate-side terminal and the second substrate-side terminal are connected via the output terminal in such a way that the sides of the output terminal are clamped from both sides.

3. The power control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, A slit-shaped through portion extending through the control substrate in the thickness direction is provided on the control substrate. The first substrate side terminal is inserted into and passes through a Rogowski coil pattern formed around a through portion of the control substrate, and the second substrate side terminal is inserted into and passes through a Rogowski coil pattern formed around another through portion of the control substrate.

4. The power control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The first switch substrate and the control substrate, as well as the second switch substrate and the control substrate, are each connected in the height direction of the device housing via multiple conductors. The plurality of conductors electrically connect the first wiring pattern to the signal line of the control unit, and the plurality of conductors electrically connect the second wiring pattern to the signal line of the control unit.

5. The power control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The device housing includes: a housing body and a housing cover mounted on the housing body. One of the first switch substrate and the second switch substrate is fixed to the housing body in a state of contact with the bottom surface of the housing body. The control board is fixed to the switch board in a state where it is supported at a predetermined interval from the switch board fixed to the main body of the housing in the height direction of the device housing. The other of the first switch substrate and the second switch substrate is fixed to the housing cover in a state of contact with the inner surface of the housing cover.

6. The power control device according to claim 5, wherein, Multiple heat sinks are formed on the outer surface of the housing body and the outer surface of the housing cover.

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