Electrical feedthrough assembly with increased creepage distance

Abstract

The present disclosure generally relates to an electrical feedthrough assembly, particularly an electrical feedthrough assembly attachable to a housing, preferably for an electric compressor, an electrical storage device, a pressure sensor, or the like. In particular, the present disclosure relates to an electrical feedthrough assembly suitable for high voltage applications while having a minimum size.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to electrical feedthrough assemblies, and in particular to electrical feedthrough assemblies attachable to housings, preferably housings for electric compressors, electrical storage devices, pressure sensors, etc. In particular, the present disclosure relates to electrical feedthrough assemblies suitable for high voltage applications while having minimal size. Background Art

[0002] The electrical feedthrough assembly generally comprises a substrate made of a metallic material and comprising at least one through hole arranged in the substrate, and a pin arranged in the through hole and also made of metal. The pin is fixed by an insulating material, thereby fixing it in an electrically insulating manner. Then, electrical contact can be made with the pin. These feedthrough assemblies can be used in various applications, such as electrical storage devices such as batteries, pressure sensors, etc. Preferably, the insulating material seals the pin in the through hole, thereby achieving a preferred fluid-tight seal.

[0003] In order to adapt electrical feedthrough assemblies to a wide range of applications, various attempts have been made to optimize them. In recent years, while feedthroughs are being applied to high voltage distance environments, the applications of feedthrough assemblies have tended to be miniaturized, thereby increasing the demand for small but highly reliable feedthrough assemblies, preferably low-cost feedthrough assemblies. Such miniaturized feedthroughs can be used, for example, in hybrid or electric vehicles, such as in electric compressors (or e-compressors).

[0004] DE 11 2022 000 077 T5 relates to a hermetic seal and a process for manufacturing the same. The feedthrough assembly of DE 11 2022 000 077 T5 comprises three feedthroughs and can be used for an e-compressor in a hybrid vehicle or electric vehicle. In order to provide an overall miniaturized design of the assembly, the feedthroughs are arranged in a straight line. However, in this miniaturized design, the creepage distance is determined by the diameter of the insulating material of the feedthrough. In order to increase the creepage distance, a cylinder made of rubber or plastic material is placed on the pin.

[0005] US11 417 983 B2 also relates to a feedthrough assembly for automotive applications. It can be seen that the sealing material of these feedthroughs not only fills the opening of the assembly substrate, but also extends along the pin material at least in some embodiments. Further, US11 417 983 B2 suggests that a sealing coating can be used, or another insulating coating can be present between the pins of the feedthrough (preferably, on both sides of the feedthrough). In this way, the creepage distance of the creepage current is enlarged. However, such designs are costly.

[0006] US 8 420 933 B2 relates to a high pressure resistant hermetic sealed terminal and a method for manufacturing the same. The hermetic seal described in US 8 420 933 B2 is part of a feedthrough assembly which can be used, for example, in household appliances such as refrigerators. In order to increase the creepage distance, the openings show a larger diameter in the surface area on both sides of the substrate. Moreover, a portion of the sealing material has a shape extending beyond the substrate surface and surrounding the pins. However, as in such applications, a compact, miniaturized design is unnecessary, the feedthroughs are arranged in a triangle, and the distance between the pins is quite large.

[0007] Japanese patent application JP 2020 / 107575 A also relates to an airtight seal for a household appliance. Moreover, the creepage distance is increased by forming a portion extending beyond the surface of the substrate along the pin by an insulating material. However, the application does not solve the problem of miniaturized feedthrough component design.

[0008] Chinese utility model CN ​​212162147 U relates to a hermetic terminal which uses a composite glass material as an insulating material for a feed-through. An inner layer and an outer layer of insulating material are formed in the opening of the terminal base and on the pin. Two different glass materials with different thermal expansion coefficients must be used. Further, the utility model does not solve the problem of miniaturized design.

[0009] Generally, with regard to electrical feedthrough assemblies for e-compressors, it must be taken into account that, particularly in e-compressor applications, housing components are exposed to temperature variations over a wide temperature range, temperature shocks and / or vibrations.

[0010] Therefore, in the prior art, in order to provide a suitable feed-through component, the component, also referred to as a "housing component", may include a plastic and / or rubber material in the area of ​​the opening. The plastic and / or rubber material serves as an additional electrical insulation for the conductor or pin fixed in or passing through the opening. Such plastic and / or rubber can also help to reduce the risk of short circuits, especially in wet or humid environments, when a layer of water and / or dirt, etc. may be deposited on the surface of the insulating material (e.g., glass or glass ceramic material). Such short circuits may occur, for example, in the case where a film of a conductive material (such as water) wets the metal material and / or the conductor of the housing. Such water films that wet the metal material and the conductor are very likely to occur in e-compressors with e-compressor terminals. This is due to the fact that the e-compressor has a very low temperature (e.g., below, for example, 5°C or even negative temperatures), while the ambient temperature (e.g., in summer time) may be above 20°C. In such cases, a water film will form due to condensation. By additionally insulating the conductor from the metallic material of the e-compressor housing, in particular a cover in the form of an e-compressor terminal, a short circuit due to the conductive film can be prevented.

[0011] Electric compressors (or e-compressors) are widely used in environmentally friendly vehicles to support the operation of air conditioning systems. Further, e-compressors are present in air conditioners, refrigerators, other cooling systems, etc. E-vehicles and hybrid vehicles are equipped with battery-powered electric compressors. These electric compressors must be hermetically sealed and function using the motor inside them. The e-compressor terminal or feedthrough assembly is an important component of the electric compressor and must be carefully designed and manufactured to achieve optimal performance. The e-compressor terminal enables a large amount of energy to be transferred from the battery to the air conditioning compressor, and at the same time, reliable airtightness must be maintained to prevent refrigerant leakage. Electric compressors have very high performance and durability requirements while also withstanding harsh environmental conditions. These include high voltage, high humidity, and vibration. The compressor terminal or feedthrough must be able to withstand such adverse conditions without any problems. In order to provide long-term reliable airtightness, highly controlled and precise processes are required. In addition, the compressor terminal must provide extremely high insulation resistance and high voltage capabilities to support the development of future fast charging technology. High current capabilities are also essential for the upcoming 48V electrical system.

[0012] However, none of the above and the following prior art documents solves the problem of miniaturizing the feedthrough assembly while ensuring perfect sealing (especially compression sealing) and high creepage distances. Miniaturization is closely related to smaller distances between pins.

[0013] US2020388940 A discloses a hermetic compressor terminal for high power with improved sealing reliability. The hermetic terminal includes a metal base provided with a through hole and an insulating material that seals a pin in the through hole of the metal base. In order to provide stable glass bonding characteristics, the pin is composed of different layers. There is no special requirement for the shape of the through hole or the distance of the pin.

[0014] CN 113471753 A relates to a titanium alloy sealed connector, wherein a metal base includes a plurality of through holes, and pins or pin groups are sealed in these through holes by glass material. These through holes include countersunk holes to increase the contact area between the glass and the metal base. A compression seal type feedthrough is not disclosed. The feedthrough having a matching sealing portion for sealing a component made of titanium or a titanium alloy does not have the problem of compression failure when the assembly is miniaturized.

[0015] KR 20110010642 A discloses a hermetically sealed power terminal feedthrough and solves the problem of feedthrough failure due to surface microcracks on the pins. The metal base includes several openings, and the pins including peripheral notches are sealed in these openings by insulating material. There are no special requirements for these openings. However, the openings shown are produced by re-molded extensions of the metal base and include re-molded areas with larger diameters. Compression sealed feedthroughs are not disclosed.

[0016]

[0006] Therefore, there is a need for a miniaturized electrical feedthrough assembly that can be used in applications requiring high accuracy and reliability, such as in pressure sensors, e-compressors, or electrical storage devices, or the like. Summary of the invention

[0017] Purpose of the Invention

[0018] It is an object of the present invention to provide an electrical feedthrough assembly that at least partially overcomes the problems of the prior art.

[0019] The objects of the invention are achieved by the subject-matter of the independent claims. Preferred or special embodiments are disclosed in the dependent claims, the description and the drawings of the present application.

[0020] Therefore, the present disclosure relates to an electrical feedthrough assembly, in particular an electrical feedthrough assembly for attachment to a housing, the electrical feedthrough assembly comprising a substrate having a first side and a second side, the substrate comprising at least two through holes and at least two pins arranged in the through holes, the at least two pins being electrically isolated from the substrate and sealed in the through holes by an insulating material, thereby forming at least two feedthroughs in the substrate. The thermal expansion coefficient of the insulating material is less than the thermal expansion coefficient of the substrate, thereby providing a compression-sealed feedthrough. At least one of the through holes is configured as a stepped through hole, the stepped through hole having at least one surface portion adjacent to the substrate side and a middle portion, wherein the surface portion has a first diameter, and the middle portion has a second diameter less than the first diameter. Preferably, the through holes have a circular shape. The distance between the at least two pins is in the range of at least 1.2 times and at most 1.6 times the second diameter of the middle portion of the at least one through hole, the distance being determined as the distance between the center point of one pin to the center point of another pin. The insulating material is present in both the intermediate portion and the at least one surface portion of the through hole.

[0021] Such an arrangement has many advantages. The distance between the at least two pins is at least 1.2 times, preferably at least 1.3 times, at most 1.6 times, preferably at most 1.5 times, for example 1.4 times, of the second diameter (i.e., the diameter of the at least one through hole in its middle portion), which means that the two pins are very close to each other. This makes the overall design of the electrical feedthrough assembly very compact. However, a disadvantage of such a very tight arrangement of these pins is that the feedthrough may not be suitable for applications with high voltage distances, because in such a compact design, the creepage distance provided by the insulating material may be too small. The small creepage distance is caused by the small distance between two adjacent pins. However, in the electrical feedthrough assembly of the present disclosure, this problem is solved in the following way: at least one through hole is shaped so as to form at least one surface portion in which a diameter (i.e., a first diameter) is larger than the diameter (i.e., the second diameter) of its middle portion. As a result, a stepped through hole is provided. The surface portion filled with insulating material increases the creepage distance between the substrate and the pin by increasing the insulation distance between the substrate and the pin. This helps prevent insulation degradation and electrical shorts, which may be caused, for example, by fine metal powder (such as wear debris or chips from the drive system inside the compressor) sticking between the substrate and the pins. Thus, using at least one stepped through hole, a smaller distance between adjacent pins and a larger creepage distance can be achieved compared to a simple through hole (i.e., a through hole with only one diameter).

[0022] The middle portion of the through hole is an important feature of the through hole of the feedthrough assembly of the present disclosure because the middle portion is used to provide pressure to the insulating material, because the material of the substrate has a larger coefficient of thermal expansion CTE than the insulating material, which helps to provide a tight seal and fixation of the pins in the through hole by forming a compression seal, while the surface portion with a larger first diameter expands the creepage distance. If the distance between the at least two pins is less than 1.2 times the second diameter, the middle portion cannot provide sufficient pressure on the insulating material to provide a tight seal. On the contrary, the material of the substrate may undergo plastic deformation. If the distance between the at least two pins is greater than 1.6 times the second diameter, the overall design of the feedthrough assembly will be too large.

[0023] Surprisingly, the inventors have found that by designing the feedthrough assembly of the present disclosure in this manner, it is possible to provide a hermetic seal while miniaturizing the feedthrough assembly. Prior to the feedthrough assembly of the present invention, in order to provide a hermetic feedthrough assembly, the substrate was typically shaped in such a way that in the region of the through hole, the substrate was designed to have a greater thickness than the rest of the substrate. That is, the substrate was reinforced in thickness near the through hole in order to provide high compression.

[0024] Within the scope of the present disclosure, the portion of the base body that provides compression to hermetically seal the feedthrough has been reduced in order to provide a greater creepage distance. Surprisingly, the inventors have found that by doing so, not only the creepage distance is increased, but a sufficiently high compression can still be achieved. Thus, surprisingly, a hermetic feedthrough assembly of a miniaturized design can be provided, which at the same time has a high creepage distance and is therefore suitable for high voltage applications.

[0025] The substrate, the insulating material and the pins form a metal-insulating material feedthrough, by which the through hole of the substrate is closed. Preferably, the formed feedthrough is hermetically sealed. Hermeticity is specifically understood to mean that the leakage rate of helium at a pressure difference of 1 bar is preferably <1 * 10 -7 mbar ls -1 , more preferably <1*10 -8 mbar ls -1 , and most preferably <1*10 -9 mbar ls -1 .

[0026] The insulating material is present in the middle portion and the surface portion of the through hole, preferably such that the surface of the substrate and the surface of the insulating material are flush at the boundary of the stepped through hole and the substrate. However, a small gap can also form between the insulating material and the substrate surface at the boundary of the through hole. However, this may be problematic for high voltage applications.

[0027] In the sense of the present disclosure, a stepped through-hole is understood to mean a through-hole which is configured such that it comprises at least two portions having different diameters.

[0028] Preferably, the height of at least one surface portion of the stepped through hole is equal to or less than half the thickness of the substrate. Thus, the remaining middle portion can provide sufficient compression to achieve a tight seal. However, it is conceivable that the height of the surface portion may even be higher than half the thickness of the substrate.

[0029] In the sense of the present disclosure, if the stepped through hole has surface portions with a larger diameter on both sides, the "middle portion" is that portion of the through hole which will be located in the middle section of the stepped through hole. In this case, the height of these surface portions is preferably less than half the thickness of the substrate. If the stepped through hole has surface portions with a larger diameter only on one side, the "middle portion" will extend from the middle section of the through hole to the other side of the substrate opposite to the side with the surface portions. In this case, the height of the surface portions is preferably equal to or less than half the thickness of the substrate.

[0030] Although the electrical feedthrough component of the present disclosure may generally include only two through holes, and therefore include two pins, the electrical feedthrough component of the present disclosure is very suitable for components including three or more pins and through holes, which are preferably arranged in a line, which may be an arc line or a straight line. Alternatively, the pins may also be arranged in a triangular or rectangular shape or a circular shape.

[0031] According to a preferred embodiment, three or more pins and through holes are arranged in a straight line. Therefore, according to one embodiment, the at least three through holes and / or pins are arranged in a straight line, and preferably, in this case, the component includes at least three pins / through holes arranged in a straight line, wherein the spacing determined as the distance between the center point of one pin to the center point of another pin (i.e., the adjacent pin), that is, the distance between at least two pins (here, the distance between two pins close to each other), is between at least 1.2 times and at most 1.6 times the diameter of the at least one through hole in its middle part, that is, the second diameter of the at least one through hole in the middle part, or simply referred to as the "second diameter" or the middle part diameter. Preferably, the spacing between all pins of such a linear component is the same. The linear component according to the present disclosure may preferably include at least three pins.

[0032] According to an alternative advantageous embodiment, three or more pins and / or through holes are arranged in an arc line. Therefore, according to one embodiment, the at least three through holes and / or pins are arranged in an arc line, and preferably, in this case, the component includes at least three pins / through holes arranged in an arc line, wherein the spacing determined as the distance between the center point of one pin to the center point of another pin (i.e., the adjacent pin), that is, the distance between at least two pins (here, the distance between two pins close to each other), is between at least 1.2 times and at most 1.6 times the diameter of the at least one through hole in its middle part (i.e., the "second diameter"). Preferably, the spacing between all pins of such an arc line component is the same. The arc line component according to the present disclosure may preferably include at least three pins.

[0033] According to one embodiment, all through holes of the electrical feedthrough assembly are configured as stepped through holes, each stepped through hole having at least one surface portion adjacent to the side of the substrate, and an intermediate portion, the surface portion having a first diameter, the intermediate portion having a second diameter smaller than the first diameter. Preferably, the height of the at least one surface portion is equal to or smaller than half the thickness of the substrate. Preferably, all surface portions having the first diameter are formed on the same side of the substrate. This is advantageous because in this case the creepage distances of all pins of the electrical feedthrough assembly are increased. Preferably, these surface portions are formed in the same way, which facilitates overall design and manufacturing.

[0034] According to one embodiment, the at least one through hole is shaped as a stepped through hole, so that the at least one through hole comprises surface portions formed on both sides of the substrate, wherein two first diameters of these surface portions are greater than the second diameter of the middle portion of the at least one through hole, wherein, preferably, these surface portions are formed in the same way on both sides of the substrate. In other words, in this case, the at least one through hole is configured as a stepped through hole on the first side and the second side of the substrate. Preferably, the surface portions with the first diameter are formed in the same way on both sides of the substrate. Preferably, the height of these surface portions is less than half the thickness of the substrate. As explained above, it is advantageous to shape the at least one through hole so that it is shaped as a stepped through hole on both sides of the substrate, because in this way, the creepage distance on both sides of the component is increased.

[0035] According to one embodiment, all through holes are formed as stepped through holes, which include surface portions formed on both sides of the substrate, wherein two first diameters of the surface portions are greater than the second diameter of the middle portion of the at least one through hole. Preferably, the surface portions are formed in the same manner on both sides, respectively.

[0036] Preferably, in the case where there is more than one surface portion with a larger diameter (i.e., the first diameter) in a feedthrough component according to one embodiment, all surface portions are formed in the same manner. Therefore, preferably, in the case where the at least one through hole includes surface portions formed on both sides of the substrate, the two surface portions are formed in the same manner on both sides of the substrate. Moreover, in the case where all through holes of the component include at least one surface portion whose diameter (i.e., the first diameter) is greater than the diameter of the middle portion of the corresponding through hole formed on one side of the substrate (i.e., the second diameter of the through hole), that is, all through holes are configured as stepped through holes, each stepped through hole having at least one surface portion and a middle portion adjacent to the side of the substrate, the surface portion having a first diameter, and the middle portion having a second diameter smaller than the first diameter, these surface portions are preferably formed in the same manner. This is advantageous in terms of overall component design.

[0037] In general, without being limited to any embodiment of the present disclosure, in case the electrical feedthrough assembly comprises more than one so-called "stepped via" according to the disclosed through-holes and / or any embodiment of the electrical feedthrough assembly, these through-holes are preferably formed in the same way. However, in other advantageous embodiments, these through-holes may be formed differently with respect to each other, and / or the at least one through-hole may have a surface portion on the first side that is different from a surface portion on the second side of the substrate, and so on.

[0038] The upper limit of the diameter of the surface portion (i.e., the first diameter) depends on the overall design of the feedthrough assembly. Typically, each feedthrough is formed separately, so it is possible to consider designing a surface portion whose one or more diameters (i.e., the diameter of the surface portion or the so-called "first diameter") are large enough to provide an increased creepage distance while retaining the strips on the side of the substrate, thereby forming a barrier between the insulating material of one feedthrough and the insulating material of another feedthrough adjacent to the at least one feedthrough. However, it is also possible to consider designing the surface portions of adjacent feedthroughs so that these surface portions and the insulating materials in these surface portions merge with each other.

[0039] Typically, without limitation to any particular embodiment described in the present disclosure, the through holes are formed to have a circular cross section, of course within the range of standard manufacturing tolerances. That is, the middle portion and the surface portion of the through holes have a circular cross section, and the circular cross section is characterized by having a diameter. At least one of the through holes is formed as a stepped through hole, as further described in detail above. The stepped through hole includes at least two portions, one of which is arranged at the side (or side face) of the substrate and has a first diameter, and the other portion is arranged at the middle portion, and the middle portion has a second diameter smaller than the first diameter.

[0040] As explained above, in the case of through-holes having only one surface portion with a larger diameter, the intermediate portion and its diameter extend at most to the side of the basic body opposite to the side having the surface portion.

[0041] According to one embodiment, the substrate has a thickness of at least 2 mm and / or at most 6 mm, and / or the middle portion has a height of at least 1 mm and / or at most 4 mm. In this way, the substrate can exert sufficient pressure on the insulating material to ensure a tight seal while providing a sufficiently increased creepage distance for high voltage and / or high power applications. Preferably, the substrate has a thickness of at least 2.5 mm, more preferably at least 3 mm. Further, the substrate has a thickness of preferably at most 5.5 mm, more preferably at most 5 mm. In addition, preferably, the middle portion has a height of at least 1.5 mm, preferably at least 2 mm, and further preferably, the middle portion has a height of at most 3.5 mm, preferably at most 3 mm.

[0042] The height of the surface portion depends on the overall design of the feedthrough assembly and may preferably be equal to or less than half the thickness of the substrate. Preferably, the height of at least one of the surface portions is at least 0.2 mm, preferably at least 0.3 mm or at least 0.5 mm. A certain minimum height is advantageous, otherwise there is a risk of peeling of the glass in the surface portion. In some variants, in particular in the case where the through hole has surface portions on both sides of the substrate, an advantageous upper limit for the height of these surface portions may be 1.0 mm or 0.7 mm. An advantageous range for the height of these surface portions may be 0.2 mm to 1.0 mm or 0.3 mm to 0.7 mm.

[0043] As further noted above, the electrical feedthrough assembly of the present disclosure typically includes a feedthrough that is formed as a compression seal type, i.e., the thermal expansion coefficient of the insulating material is less than the thermal expansion coefficient of the substrate, thereby producing a compression seal type feedthrough. According to one embodiment, the insulating material and the substrate can form a material-to-material bond, which produces a very tight seal, which can even be an airtight seal. However, according to another embodiment, a form-locking joint can also be formed, which can also be an airtight seal. In both cases, it is preferred that the insulating material is provided in the form of a preform that very closely matches the shape of the through hole.

[0044] According to a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, the electrical feedthrough component includes glass as an insulating material. The insulating material includes glass or consists of glass or is made of glass. Preferably, the surface of the glass can be at least partially an original surface, preferably at least partially a fire-polished surface, as explained in detail below. Such embodiments in which the insulating material includes glass or consists of glass or is made of glass are very advantageous. For example, during the manufacturing process of the component, the insulating material can be provided in the form of a preform, which can, for example, include glass powder or consist of glass powder, such as in the form of glass powder pellets, and the glass powder agglomerate can even be pre-sintered to provide sufficient mechanical stability for handling during the manufacturing process. The preform can be shaped so that it preferably closely matches the through-hole shape of the substrate. The preform can also generally (not limited to the special embodiment in which the insulating material is glass) preferably include a through-hole for inserting a pin. The preform can generally (not limited to any special embodiment of the present disclosure) be placed in the through-hole of the substrate, and the pin can be inserted into the through-hole of the preform. Then, the substrate, preform and pins can be heated so that the glass melts and contacts and / or wets the surfaces of the substrate and pins. After heating, a substance-to-substance bond can be formed between the insulating material and the pins and between the insulating material and the substrate. However, this is not necessary, and the inventors have found that a form-locking joint can be formed by forming the through hole into a stepped through hole and closely matching the shape of the preform with the stepped through hole shape. Surprisingly, in this way, a very tight seal can still be formed without forming a molten reaction zone between the insulating material (especially the glass material) and the materials of both the substrate and the pins.

[0045] According to an embodiment of the feed-through component, wherein the insulating material comprises glass or is composed of glass, when heated, the glass material will melt. In this case, the glass material flows and wets the surface of the substrate and the pin, and in this case may react with the material of the substrate and / or the pin, thereby forming a so-called melting reaction zone. In this case, a combination of substance and substance can be formed. However, this is not necessarily the case. As explained above, usually, molten glass usually flows, thereby contacting and / or wetting the material of the substrate and the pin, thereby forming a very tight seal, and the pin is sealed in the through hole by the insulating material. However, the preform is shaped so that it closely matches the shape of the through hole (particularly the stepped through hole), usually ensuring that a tight connection can be formed, whether it is a combination of substance and substance or a shape-locking engagement. In this way, a preferably airtightly sealed glass-to-metal seal can be produced.

[0046] In case the insulating material comprises or consists of or is made of glass, preferably the surface of the glass is at least partially a raw surface, preferably at least partially a fire-polished surface. Such a raw surface, preferably a fire-polished surface, has a high chemical resistance and is also very smooth, preferably having a surface roughness (R ) of at most 0.80 μm, preferably at most 0.75 μm, preferably at most 0.70 μm. a ), and / or a surface roughness (R of at most 1.00 μm, preferably at most 0.80 μm, more preferably at most 0.60 μm, still more preferably at most 0.50 μm, most preferably at most 0.40 μm. z ). Preferably, the surface roughness (R a ) is at least 0.001 μm and / or the surface roughness (R z ) is at least 0.001 μm. (R a ) and / or (R z ) may be at least 0.01 μm. This provides the opportunity to apply such electrical feedthrough components in extremely corrosive environments, since, as noted, the original surface of the glass has a high chemical resistance compared to chemically or mechanically treated surfaces. In one embodiment, the surface roughness (R a ) may also be at most 0.30 μm, preferably at most 0.10 μm, and more preferably at most 0.05 μm. In one embodiment, the surface roughness (R z ) may also be at most 0.20 μm, preferably at most 0.10 μm, more preferably at most 0.05 μm. a Refers to the arithmetic mean surface roughness, R z It refers to the maximum peak-to-valley height of the surface profile and can be measured in accordance with DIN EN ISO 4287:1984.

[0047] In the sense of the present disclosure, glass is understood to be an inorganic material which is obtained in a melting process and which is an amorphous material after melting. In the sense of the present disclosure, a glass can be a completely amorphous material or can be a crystallizable or at least partially crystallized glass, which can sometimes also be referred to as a so-called "glass ceramic".

[0048] According to another preferred embodiment, the insulating material includes an extension portion of the insulating material, so that the insulating material extends along the at least one pin to outside at least one side of the substrate and surrounds the pin, preferably completely surrounds the pin, wherein the extension portion has a third diameter (i.e., the extension portion diameter), the third diameter is equal to or smaller than the diameter of the at least one surface portion (i.e., the first diameter) or equal to or smaller than the diameter of the middle portion of the through hole (i.e., the middle portion diameter or the second diameter), and wherein the third diameter of the extension portion continuously decreases from the side of the substrate along the at least one pin, thereby forming an arc. Preferably, the extension portion of the insulating material contacts the at least one pin.

[0049] Such an embodiment is very advantageous because the creepage distance, i.e. the insulation distance, is further increased. While in the prior art the increase in the creepage distance is achieved by implementing a component made of a material different from the insulating material forming the compression seal and located on top of the through hole (e.g. using an organic component such as rubber), according to this embodiment the creepage distance is increased by the insulating material itself, for example the insulating material is made of glass, melted during the manufacturing process, thereby preferably forming an extension along at least one pin in contact therewith by surface tension and / or capillary forces. In order to provide the extension, the preform of the insulating material can be shaped accordingly so that the preform comprises an extension part. In the case where the insulating material comprises glass or consists of glass or is made of glass, the surface of the extension preferably has a pristine surface, which further improves the chemical stability of the feedthrough assembly.

[0050] In the sense of the present disclosure, the expression "the extension completely surrounds the pin" means that the extension forms a tapered structure around the circumference of the pin without any cutouts or openings in the extension along the circumference of the pin, and thus the extension does not have any cutouts or openings. However, since the pin must make an electrical connection, the extension does not cover the entire surface of the pin.

[0051] According to a very preferred embodiment, the height of the extension is at least 1.5 mm, preferably at least 2.0 mm, preferably at least 3 mm and / or at most 10 mm, preferably at most 7 mm.

[0052] Preferably, according to one embodiment, the feedthrough assembly comprises two extensions of insulating material formed on two sides of the substrate, and / or each pin of the assembly comprises an extension of insulating material. This is advantageous for the overall design, in particular when considering creepage distances. Preferably, for each of these variants, each extension may be formed on the same side of the substrate for each pin, and / or two extensions of insulating material may be formed on two sides of the substrate for each pin. This is advantageous for the overall design.

[0053] Typically, according to one embodiment, not every pin of the electrical feedthrough assembly has an extension of insulating material. That is, according to one embodiment, several but not all pins include at least one extension of insulating material, and the at least one extension of insulating material may be formed on different sides of the substrate for different pins.

[0054] According to another embodiment, the at least one surface portion has a diameter (i.e., a first diameter) that decreases along the height of the at least one surface portion from the side of the substrate to the middle portion of the through hole. In other words, in this particular embodiment, the surface portion of the stepped through hole has the shape of a cross section of a cone. Of course, all the surface portions at all pins and on both sides of the substrate can generally be formed in this way, but are not limited to any exemplary embodiment described in detail in the present disclosure. Moreover, generally, all through holes can be formed in the same way, i.e., surface portions with a cone cross-section shape formed in the same way. However, these shapes can also be different from each other and / or can be different with respect to the side of the substrate. In an advantageous variation, the diameter of the at least one surface portion (i.e., the first diameter) remains constant along the height of the at least one surface portion from the side of the substrate to the middle portion of the through hole. In other words, in this particular embodiment, the surface portion of the stepped through hole has the shape of a cross section of a cylinder.

[0055] According to another embodiment, at least one of the pins comprises a nickel-plated (also referred to as "Ni-plated") or oxidized surface. In the sense of the present disclosure, "Ni-plated" refers to a Ni coating formed on top of a surface, for example, in an electroplating process common to those skilled in the art. Preferably, the entire surface of the pin, i.e., the portion of the surface of the pin that is in contact with the insulating material, can be Ni-plated (or Ni-coated). In other words, this means that a pin that has been Ni-plated (or Ni-coated) before forming the feedthrough assembly of the present disclosure can be used. The nickel layer provides corrosion protection and a contact layer for better contact.

[0056] In the sense of the present disclosure, Ni coating is understood to refer to a coating (or coating) preferably obtained in a wet chemical process, preferably in an electrochemical coating method known in the prior art. Although usually referred to as "Ni plating" or "nickel plating", the coating may contain other elements other than nickel, thereby forming a nickel alloy. For example, in addition to nickel, the coating may also contain elements such as cobalt, zinc or iron. In a preferred embodiment, the nickel layer does not contain phosphorus. Typically, the film thickness of the nickel layer is between at least 1 μm and at most 15 μm, preferably between at least 2 μm and at most 8 μm.

[0057] Moreover, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one pin (preferably all pins) and the substrate include a Ni-plated surface. Here, in the context of Ni-plating the surfaces of the pins and the substrate, the surface is understood to be related to the chemical properties / composition of the surface (rather than the side surface or geometrical surface of the substrate). Preferably, the nickel plating is completed before forming the electrical feedthrough assembly of the present disclosure.

[0058] Typically, using pins that have been nickel plated prior to assembling the feedthrough assembly has been very challenging so far. The Ni-plated surface is not easily wetted by molten glass, so unless special measures are taken, a strong connection will not be formed between the nickel-plated pins and the glass material. However, for the feedthrough assembly of the present invention that is formed as a compression seal and includes a stepped through hole, it is now possible to form a tight seal even when using Ni-plated pins, because this allows a very easy but efficient formation of a compression seal. This is also advantageous because the nickel plating of the substrate and / or pins can be completed before assembling the feedthrough assembly. This means that the nickel plating does not need to be performed after assembly, which has the advantage that the surface of the insulating material will not be subjected to any chemical treatment used in the known subsequent nickel plating process, which will affect the surface of the insulating material. Therefore, the surface quality (particularly the surface roughness) of the outer surface of the insulating material (particularly at least part of the original glass surface) derived from the assembly process can be retained.

[0059] In the sense of the present disclosure, a raw surface is understood to be a surface that has not been subjected to any surface treatment (such as a chemical treatment, e.g. chemical etching, mechanical treatment, etc.) after formation. Preferably, the surface is at least partially (i.e., at least in its parts) a fire-polished surface. This means that the surface is at least partially formed without contact with any further components (e.g. machine components, materials and / or molds). In other words, the surface of the insulating material being at least partially a fire-polished surface means that it is at least partially formed without contact.

[0060] Typically, in a preferred embodiment, the insulating material comprises or consists of or is made of glass, wherein a surface of the glass is a raw surface, preferably at least partially a fire-polished surface.

[0061] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the material of the matrix is ​​metal. Preferably, the matrix comprises steel, preferably stainless steel. In an advantageous embodiment, the material of the matrix comprises structural steel, preferably microalloyed steel, most preferably structural steel in the form of microalloyed steel. Microalloyed steel is an alloy steel containing a small amount of alloying elements (0.05% to 0.15%), which include niobium, vanadium, titanium, molybdenum, zirconium, boron and rare earth metals. They are used to refine the grain microstructure or promote precipitation hardening. Without heat treatment, the yield strength of microalloyed steel is between 275MPa and 750MPa. The weldability is good, and the weldability can even be improved by reducing the carbon content while maintaining the strength. Fatigue life and wear resistance are better than similar heat-treated steels. Cold-worked microalloyed steel does not need to be cold-worked as much as other carbon steels to achieve the same strength; this also achieves greater ductility. By using microalloyed steel as a material, high bending stiffness and strength can be provided.

[0062] According to another embodiment, the material of the pin is metal. Preferably, the pin comprises stainless steel or Ni-Fe material or Fe-Cr material, or consists of stainless steel or Ni-Fe material or Fe-Cr material, or the pin comprises a central core made of copper, and the central core is surrounded by stainless steel or surrounded by Ni-Fe material.

[0063] According to another embodiment, the thermal expansion coefficient CTE (or α) of the insulating material is in the range of 8*10 -6 / K and 12*10 -6 For example, the insulating material may be an alkali metal silicate glass containing CaO, and its CTE is between 9*10 -6 / K to 10*10 -6 / K. In the context of the present disclosure, the expansion coefficient is designated as the linear thermal expansion coefficient. If the specification refers to the linear thermal expansion coefficient of the glass, this is the nominal average linear thermal expansion coefficient according to ISO 7991, in particular ISO 7991:1987-12, which is determined in a static measurement (using a push rod dilatometer). The linear thermal expansion coefficient of the glass is determined by expansion. In general, unless otherwise stated, these values ​​are determined in the temperature range of 20°C to 300°C.

[0064] In the sense of the present disclosure, a compression seal is understood to refer to an electrical feedthrough assembly in which the CTE of the individual components (i.e. the metal parts, such as the substrate and at least one pin of the electrical feedthrough assembly) and the insulating material are selected such that the substrate exerts compression on the insulating material, thereby sealing the feedthrough. In order to obtain such a compression seal, in particular a glass-to-metal seal, the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE, as explained above) of the substrate is selected here to be greater than the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the insulating material, so that after the heat treatment in which the insulating material is melted and embedded in the through-hole, the thermal contraction of the substrate during cooling is stronger than the thermal contraction in the insulating material. Therefore, the substrate permanently exerts compressive forces on the insulating material. These compressive forces preload the insulating material and ensure that the seal is particularly durable.

[0065] In the case of a compression glass to metal seal, the difference between the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE, as explained further above) of the substrate and the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the insulating material is preferably at least 2*10 -6 / K, and more preferably, the difference may be at least 5*10 -6 / K. In an advantageous embodiment, the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the base body is preferably selected to be at least 5% greater than the coefficient of thermal expansion of the insulating material, in particular at least 10% greater, preferably at least 20% greater, and for some variants, preferably at least 50% greater. The coefficient of thermal expansion of the pin material is preferably selected to be approximately equal to or less than the coefficient of thermal expansion of the insulating material. If the difference is less than 2*10 -6 / K, the two thermal expansion coefficients are considered to be approximately equal.

[0066] With regard to the values ​​of the expansion coefficients mentioned above and below with respect to the press mounting with materials, these values ​​refer to the linear thermal expansion coefficients α which are usually given for glass-metal feedthroughs in the temperature interval 20-300° C.

[0067] Preferably, the electrical feedthrough assembly is configured for attachment to a housing for an electric compressor, an electrical storage device, a pressure sensor, or the like.

[0068] The electrical feedthrough assembly described herein is particularly suitable for use as a connection terminal of an electric compressor. The feedthrough assembly may be configured as a part of a housing of an electric compressor, or may be attached to a housing of an electric compressor or a part of the housing.

[0069] Therefore, another aspect of the present invention is to provide an electric compressor including one of the electrical feedthrough assemblies described herein.

[0070] It is to be understood that the features mentioned above and those yet to be explained hereinafter can be used not only in the combination indicated in each case but also in other combinations or alone, without departing from the scope of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0071] The present invention will now be further explained with reference to the following drawings. These drawings show:

[0072] Figures 1 to 9 is a schematic and not-to-scale illustration of an electrical feedthrough assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure,

[0073] Fig.10 and Fig.11 is a depiction of a finite element simulation of plastic strain of an electrical feedthrough assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0074] Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of a portion of an electrical feedthrough assembly 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown. The electrical feedthrough assembly 1 is particularly suitable for attachment to a housing, preferably a housing for an electric compressor, an electrical storage device, a pressure sensor, etc. Although the electrical feedthrough assembly 1 generally includes at least two through holes 5 and at least two pins 7 arranged in the through holes 5, the pins 7 are electrically isolated from the substrate 3 and sealed in the through holes 5 by an insulating material 9, thereby forming at least two feedthroughs 2 in the substrate 3, Figure 1 In general, for an electrical feedthrough assembly 1 according to the present disclosure, but not limited to any particular embodiment shown in any figure of the present application and / or described within the scope of the present disclosure, the thermal expansion coefficient of the insulating material 9 is less than the thermal expansion coefficient of the substrate 3, thereby providing a compression-sealed feedthrough 2.

[0075] Figure 1 as well as Figures 2 to 6 , depicting at least one through hole 5 in a schematic and not to scale manner, the through hole is configured as a stepped through hole, i.e., the stepped through hole has at least one surface portion 11 adjacent to one side or one side surface 33 of the base body 3 and an intermediate portion 13, the surface portion 11 having a first diameter a1 (not marked here), the intermediate portion 13 having a second diameter a2 (not marked here), the second diameter a2 being smaller than the first diameter a1. Typically, in Fig. 9 Dimensions such as diameter, height, thickness, etc. are depicted as examples. Figure 1In the embodiment, the height h1 (not indicated here) of at least one surface portion 11 is less than half the thickness t of the substrate 3, and the distance between at least two pins is within the range of at least 1.2 times and at most 1.6 times the second diameter a2 (not indicated here) of the middle portion 13 of at least one through hole 5, which is determined as the distance between the center point of one pin 7 and the center point of another pin 7. The insulating material 9 is present in the middle portion 13 of the through hole 5 and in the at least one surface portion 11. Figure 7 and Figure 8 To further explain the distance between pin 7, Figure 7 and Figure 8 1 and 2 are top and cross-sectional views of an electrical feedthrough assembly 1 including several pins 5, respectively. It should be noted here that, as in all depictions, Figure 7 and Figure 8 It is only a schematic diagram and is not drawn to scale.

[0076] The distance between pins 7 is the center point of the corresponding pin (for example, Figure 7 The center point c p ), or alternatively about Figure 8 ,exist Figure 8 The center line c l The distance between.

[0077] exist Figure 1 In the depiction of FIG. 3 , a surface portion 11 is formed on the side 33 of the base 3, which has a first diameter greater than the middle portion 13 of the through hole 5. Typically, the base 3 is plate-shaped, i.e., its width and length (extending in a direction perpendicular to the pin 7, i.e., in Figures 1 to 6 ) is greater than its thickness t. Figure 7 and Figure 8 The plate-like shape of the base body 3 can also be seen.

[0078] In this example, the height h1 of the surface portion 11 is less than half the thickness t of the base 3. In general, without limitation to any of the specific embodiments, examples, and exemplary depictions of the electrical feedthrough assembly of the present disclosure, in embodiments having only one surface portion 11, the height of the surface portion 11 may be equal to (or possibly even greater than) or less than half the thickness t of the base 3. Since the base 3 is compressed onto the insulating material 9 in the region of the middle portion 13, a tight seal may be achieved.

[0079] Reference Figure 1 , the insulating material 9 fills the surface portion 11 and the middle portion 13 without forming any gap. Figure 1As shown in the exemplary depiction of the electrical feedthrough assembly 1 of FIG. 1 , the surface of the insulating material 9 and the surface of the substrate 3 are flush on the two sides (or surfaces) 31, 33 of the substrate 3. It should be noted here that for the substrate 3, the "surface" relates to the protruding face of the substrate 3, that is, the side surface or side 31, 33 for short. Although in all depictions of the present disclosure, the side 33 is the lower side of the substrate 3, it should be noted here that this does not necessarily correspond to this side being the "lower" side or "inner" side of the electrical feedthrough assembly 1 in the subsequent use.

[0080] As in Figure 1 As can be seen in the exemplary depiction of , since the surface portion 11 of the through hole 5 is filled with the insulating material 9, the creepage distance between the pin 7 and the substrate 3 is longer on the side 33 of the substrate 3 than the creepage distance on the side 31. This is a general effect of the surface portion 11 in any feedthrough component of the present disclosure and is not limited to any of the specific embodiments, examples and exemplary depictions of the electrical feedthrough component of the present disclosure.

[0081] Figure 2 is an illustration of another electrical feedthrough assembly 1 according to an embodiment. Here, in addition to the surface portion 11 of the feedthrough 2, the insulating material 9 also includes an extension portion 15 of the insulating material, so that the insulating material 9 extends along at least one pin 7 beyond one of the sides 31, 33 of the substrate 3 and completely surrounds the at least one pin. It can be seen that the extension portion 15 is in contact with the pin 7. The extension portion 15 has a third diameter a3 (not marked here), which is smaller than the first diameter a1 (not marked here) of at least one surface portion 11 of the through hole 5. In this example, the maximum value of the third diameter a3 is as large as the second diameter a2 (not marked here) of the middle portion 13. The third diameter a3 of the extension portion 15 continuously decreases from the side 31 of the substrate 3 along the at least one pin 7, thereby forming an arc.

[0082] As in Figure 2 As can be seen in the figure, on the side 31 of the substrate 3, the creepage distance between the pin 7 and the substrate 3 is extended due to the extension portion 15 of the insulating material, which is a general effect of the extension portion 15 in any feedthrough component of the present disclosure and is not limited to any of the specific embodiments, examples and exemplary depictions of the electrical feedthrough component of the present disclosure. In order to further extend the creepage distance, a stepped through hole with a surface portion and an extension portion (e.g., as Figure 3 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 shown).

[0083] Although in Figure 2 In the depiction, the extension 15 of the insulating material 9 is formed on the side 31 of the substrate 3, and the surface portion 11 is formed on the side 33, but it is worth noting that, generally, not limited to Figure 2 In the depicted embodiment, the extension 15 of the insulating material 9 can be formed on the same side of the base body 3 including the surface portion 11, that is, on the Figure 3 In the exemplary depiction of electrical feedthrough assembly 1 , φ 1 is formed on side 33 instead of side 31 .

[0084] Figure 3 Another embodiment of an electrical feedthrough assembly 1 is depicted. Here, the electrical feedthrough assembly 1 comprises two extensions 15 of insulating material 9 formed on two sides 31 , 33 of the base body 3 .

[0085] Figure 4 Yet another embodiment of an electrical feedthrough assembly 1 is depicted. Here, the through hole 5 is formed as a stepped through hole, which includes surface portions 11 formed on two sides 31, 33 of the substrate 3, each surface portion having two first diameters a1 (not indicated here), which are greater than the second diameter a2 (not indicated here) of the middle portion 13 of the through hole 5. Here, the surface portions 11 are formed on the two sides 31, 33 of the substrate 3 in the same manner. In a variant, these surface portions may be different. As shown in this figure, the height h1 (not indicated here) of the surface portion 11 is less than half of the thickness t (not indicated here) of the substrate 3. The middle portion 13 has a height h2 (not indicated here). It should be noted here that the middle portion is a portion of the substrate, which specifically provides compression to hermetically seal the feedthrough, which is a general effect of the middle portion 13 in any feedthrough assembly of the present disclosure, and is not limited to any of the specific embodiments, examples and exemplary depictions of the electrical feedthrough assembly of the present disclosure. Of course, the surface portion 11 is the pin 7, and here Figure 4 In the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an extended creepage distance is provided on both sides 31, 33 of the electrical feedthrough assembly 1. As described above, this extended creepage distance is a general effect of the surface portion 11 in any feedthrough assembly of the present disclosure and is not limited to any of the specific embodiments, examples, and exemplary depictions of the electrical feedthrough assembly of the present disclosure.

[0086] Figure 5 A further embodiment of an electrical feedthrough assembly 1 is depicted. Figure 4 As in the embodiment of the present invention, at least one through hole 5 is formed as a stepped through hole, which includes a surface portion 11 formed on two sides 31, 33 of the base body 3. However, in addition to the surface portion 11 on the side 31, the electrical feedthrough assembly 1 also includes an insulating material 9, which includes an extension portion 15 of the insulating material, so that the insulating material 9 extends along the pin 7 outside the side 31 of the base body 3 and completely surrounds the pin 7. It can be seen that the extension portion is in contact with the pin 7 and has a third diameter a3 (not marked here), Figure 5In the example depicted, this third diameter is at most as large as the first diameter a1 (not indicated here) of the surface portion 11 formed on the side 31 of the base body 3. This third diameter a3 (not indicated here) decreases continuously from the surface of the base body 3 along the pin 7, forming an arc.

[0087] at last, Figure 6 A further embodiment of an electrical feedthrough assembly 1 is shown, comprising a surface portion 11 on each side 31 , 33 of the substrate 3 , and two extensions 15 of the insulating material 9 of the feedthrough 2 .

[0088] In general, without limitation to any of the specific embodiments, examples and exemplary depictions of the electrical feedthrough assembly of the present disclosure, where the stepped via includes surface portions 11 formed on both sides 31, 33 of the base body 3, the surface portions 11 may be formed in the same manner or in different manners, taking into account the diameter a1 and / or the height h1.

[0089] Figure 7 is a top view of an electrical feedthrough assembly 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In the embodiment depicted exemplarily and not drawn to scale, the electrical feedthrough assembly 1 includes three feedthroughs 2, each feedthrough 2 including an insulating material 9, preferably a glass material, which electrically insulates the pin 7 from the substrate 3 and seals the pin 7 within the through hole 5. Further, the electrical feedthrough assembly 1 includes a mounting hole 17. The center point c of the pin 7 is also marked. p , to further illustrate the distance d between the pins 7 aligned along a straight line in the electrical feedthrough assembly 1 depicted here. The distance d between at least two pins 7 is determined as the center point c of one pin 7 p To the center point c of the other pin 7 p , and the distance d between them is in the range of at least 1.2 times and at most 1.6 times the second diameter a2 (not indicated here) of at least one through hole 5, and the through hole 5 is formed as a stepped through hole in its middle portion. Preferably, the distance between all pins of the electrical feedthrough assembly 1 of the present disclosure is in the range of at least 1.2 times and at most 1.6 times the second diameter a2 of at least one through hole 5. Further preferably, all through holes 5 of the electrical feedthrough assembly 1 of the present disclosure are formed as so-called stepped through holes, which include a surface portion having a first diameter a1 (not indicated here), and the first diameter a1 is greater than the second diameter a2 (not indicated here) of the middle portion of the corresponding through hole 5. Further preferably, generally, all through holes 5 of the electrical feedthrough assembly 1 of the present disclosure are formed in the same manner.

[0090] Figure 7 Also shown is the generally elongated shape of the plate-like base body 3 , which means that the length l of the base body 3 is greater than the width w.

[0091] For example, refer to Figure 8 , an electrical feedthrough assembly 1 according to another embodiment is schematically depicted and not drawn to scale. The elongated plate-like shape of the base body 3 can be seen, wherein the thickness t of the base body 3 is smaller than the length l of the base body 3. In the sense of the present disclosure, "elongated" may be understood to mean that the length l of the base body 3 is greater than the width w (see also Figure 7 ). The electrical feedthrough component 1 includes three through holes 5, so that the pin 7 in each through hole 5 is insulated by an insulating material 9 (preferably a glass material), forming three feedthroughs 2. Moreover, a surface portion 11 of the through hole 5 is formed on the side 33 of the electrical feedthrough component 1. It should be noted here that Figure 8 All through holes 5 and thus all surface portions 11 of the electrical feedthrough assembly 1 are formed in the same way, of course within standard manufacturing tolerances. Further, for all feedthroughs 2 in this embodiment, the insulating material 9 includes two extensions 15 formed on the two sides 31, 33 of the base body 3.

[0092] Of course, the extension 15 of the insulating material 9 can be formed only on one of the sides 31, 33 of the base body 3, and it is generally also possible to form the extension 15 on one of the sides 31, 33 of the surface portion 11 of the base body 3 including the through hole 5. Generally, all combinations of extensions 15 and surface portions 11 are possible. However, it may be preferred to form the extension 15 on one of the sides 31, 33 of the base body 3 including the surface portion 11. Therefore, a longer creepage distance is provided. Moreover, preferably, all through holes 5 and all feedthroughs 2 of the electrical feedthrough assembly 1 are formed in the same way within standard manufacturing tolerances.

[0093] In an advantageous example, the substrate may include a thermal expansion coefficient CTE in the range of 10*10 -6 / K to 14*10 -6 / K range of stainless steel, insulation materials can include CTE in the range of 8*10 -6 / K to 10*10 -6 / K range (for example, including glass with a CTE of 9*10 -6 / K to 10*10 -6 / K range of calcium oxide (CaO) alkali metal silicate glass), and the pin may include a CTE of 9*10 -6 / K to 10*10 -6 In order to provide a compression seal type feedthrough, the thermal expansion coefficient of the substrate is selected to be greater than the thermal expansion coefficient (CTE) of the insulating material, so that after a heat treatment in which the insulating material is melted and glazed in the through hole, the thermal contraction of the substrate during cooling is stronger than the thermal contraction in the insulating material.

[0094] However, in order to form a tight compression seal type feedthrough 2, the distance d between adjacent pins 7 cannot be arbitrarily selected to be small for a specific through hole diameter. It is important to retain a sufficient minimum wall thickness or minimum section of the substrate between two adjacent through holes 5 to provide a compression seal. If the minimum wall thickness or minimum section is too small, the substrate 3 will undergo plastic deformation. Therefore, as described above, the reference Fig.10 and Fig.11 To explain further, it is important that the distance d between the two pins 7 (determined as the distance between the center point of one pin to the center point of the other pin) is within at least 1.2 times the second diameter a2 of the middle portion 13 of at least one through hole 5. Since the through hole is configured as a stepped through hole, the surface portion 11 having a larger first diameter a1 and filled with the insulating material 9 provides a longer creepage distance between the substrate 3 and the pin 7.

[0095] Now refer to Fig. 9 The schematic and not to scale depiction in FIG. 1 further explains the dimensions of the surface portion 11, the middle portion 13 and the extension portion 15. Both the height h1 and the height 2 extend along the thickness t of the substrate 3, as shown in FIG. Fig. 9 They represent the heights of the corresponding parts formed in the through hole 2. The diameters a1, a2 and a3 are respectively the heights of the surface part 11 (or Fig. 9 The surface portion 11 in Fig. 9 In the depiction of FIG. 1 , the through hole 2 includes the lateral dimensions of two surface portions 11 formed on each side 31, 33 of the substrate 3), a middle portion 13 and an extension portion 15. It should be noted here that although Fig. 9 In the depiction, the two surface portions 11 of the through hole 2 are formed in the same manner, ie, have the same diameter a1 and height h1, but generally, not limited to Fig. 9 , the surface portion 11 may have different diameters a1 and / or heights h1. Within the scope of the present disclosure, the diameter a1 may also be simply denoted as a “first diameter” or the diameter of the surface portion 11. Fig. 9 Also depicted is a middle portion 13 of the through hole 2, which has a diameter a2, which in the sense of the present disclosure is also indicated as "second diameter" or "second diameter of the middle portion 13". Of course, the first diameter a1 and the second diameter a2 can also be understood as the first diameter a1 of the through hole 2 in its surface portion and the second diameter a2 of the through hole 2 in its middle portion 13. Further, the diameter a3 is the lateral dimension of the extension 15 of the insulating material 9. In the sense of the present disclosure, the diameter a3 is also referred to as the "third diameter". As in Fig. 9As can be seen from the depiction, the diameter a3 varies along the height of the pin 7, is at most as large as the diameter a1 on the side close to the base 3 (here, side 31) (or, in the case where no surface portion 11 is formed on the side of the base 3 forming the extension portion 15, is at most as large as the diameter a2), and continuously decreases along the length direction of the pin 9.

[0096] It should also be noted here that a1, a2 and a3 are referred to herein as "diameters" because preferably, the through hole 2 is formed to have a circular (or arc) shape. However, in the case where the through hole 2 has a shape other than a circle, in the sense of the present disclosure, "diameter" should be understood to refer to the maximum lateral dimension of the through hole 2 parallel to the sides 31, 33 of the base 3. Moreover, typically, the sides 31, 33 of the base 3 are parallel to each other, such as Figures 1 to 6 , Figure 8 and Fig. 9 Depicted.

[0097] Fig.10 and Fig.11 A cross section through two feedthroughs 2 (longitudinal section through the pins) of an electrical feedthrough assembly 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown in a bottom perspective view, respectively. The total length of the scale shown represents 10.0 mm in each case. The results of a finite element simulation are depicted, illustrating the plastic strain of the substrate 3 between two adjacent stepped through holes 5 for different distances d between two pins 7, wherein the distance d is determined as the center point c of one pin 7. p (Transverse to the center line c in the cross section shown l ) and the center point c of the other pin 7 p (i.e. center line c l ) between the two.

[0098] The simulation shows that the electrical feedthrough assembly 1 includes a substrate 3 (steel, CTE is 12.0ppm / K), an insulating material 9 (glass, CTE is 9.6ppm / K) and a pin 7 (stainless steel, CTE is 10.9ppm / / K), thereby simulating a compression feedthrough. The simulation assumes that for a given glass, the approximate solidification temperature of the glass (T set ) and room temperature CTE difference is in the range of 600℃ to 22℃. The T set Press T set =T f –1 / 3(T f –T g ) is calculated, where T g is the transition temperature, and T f is the expansion softening point, that is, the temperature at which the thermal expansion curve of the glass stops rising and decreases with increasing temperature (i.e., the peak of the curve). Fig.10 and Fig.11In each case, the larger diameter of the stepped through-hole (corresponding to Figures 1 to 9 the diameter a1 of the surface portion 11 of the stepped through-hole in Figures 1 to 9 is assumed to be 10.0 mm, and the smaller diameter of the stepped through-hole (corresponding to

[0099] the diameter a2 of the intermediate portion 13 of the stepped through-hole in

[0100] Fig.10 is assumed to be 8.5 mm. Here, the height of the surface portion 11 is approximately half of the thickness t of the base body 3.

[0101] Fig.11 Considering the 0.2% offset yield strength (a known material property of the metal), the plastic strain of the base body 3 was analyzed when the distance d between adjacent pins 7 was reduced (i.e., the pin pitch was reduced). For a plastic strain exceeding 0.2% (the 0.2% offset yield strength rule), it is assumed that yielding / deformation has occurred. In practice, if plastic deformation occurs in the base body of the compression-sealed feedthrough, the base body cannot provide sufficient compression to the insulating material of the inserted pins, and as a result, the compression seal will fail, posing a risk of leakage. Fig.10In comparison, the area of ​​the substrate 3 held between adjacent stepped through holes 5 is narrower due to the smaller pin pitch. Looking at the area of ​​the substrate 3 held between adjacent stepped through holes 5, the maximum strain is still below 0.001 (corresponding to <0.1%) in the section A between the middle portions 13 of the stepped through hole 5 with a smaller diameter a2 (here 8.5 mm). For section A, the distance d between the two pins 7 is 1.3 times the diameter a2. Under this "1.3 times relationship", the substrate 3 does not undergo permanent plastic deformation. However, in the section B between the surface portions 11 of the stepped through hole 5 with a larger diameter a1 (here 10.0 mm), the strain increases to more than 0.002 (corresponding to >0.2%). Therefore, the 0.2% threshold of plastic strain is exceeded, and yielding will occur in the substrate 3. For section B, the distance d between the two pins 7 is 1.1 times the diameter a1. Under this "1.1-fold relationship", the base body 3 undergoes permanent plastic deformation, as indicated in section B by the dark grey color.

[0102] In other words, a feedthrough assembly with a pin pitch of 11.0mm and a via diameter of 8.5mm will not experience permanent plastic deformation. The base material will be subject to normal loads. However, due to the small via diameter, the creepage distance between the pin and the base will be small. In contrast, a feedthrough assembly with a pin pitch of 11.0mm and a via diameter of 10.0mm (which is better considering the creepage distance) will experience permanent plastic deformation in the cross section of the base where the vias are closest to each other. The material of the base will be overloaded. Therefore, the compression in this area will be affected, increasing the risk of leakage.

[0103] Therefore, according to the present invention, it is important that at least one through hole 5 is configured as a stepped through hole having at least one surface portion 11 adjacent to the sides 31, 33 of the base body 3 and a middle portion 13, wherein the surface portion 11 has a first diameter a1, and the middle portion 13 has a second diameter a2, which is smaller than the first diameter a1, and it is important that the distance d between at least two pins 7 is at least 1.2 times the second diameter a2 of the middle portion 13 of the at least one through hole 5, which distance is determined as the center point c of one pin 7. p The center point c of the other pin 7 p The distance between.

[0104] The inventors have found that by designing the feedthrough assembly of the present disclosure in such a manner, it is surprisingly possible to provide a hermetic seal with an increased creepage distance (at least at one side of the substrate) while miniaturizing the feedthrough assembly by reducing the pin pitch. This is possible because in section A, the compression of the substrate 3 on the insulating material 9 is sufficient to provide a hermetic seal, even when the compression in section B is reduced due to plastic deformation of the substrate 3. However, by virtue of the larger diameter a1 of the surface portion 11 of the stepped through hole (i.e., the section with reduced compression), a longer creepage distance is achieved through the insulating material 9.

[0105] Due to the close arrangement of the pins, the electrical feedthrough assembly of the present invention enables a miniaturized, very compact overall design of such components, wherein, at the same time, sufficient or even improved creepage distances are provided by means of at least one stepped through hole, through the insulating material and preferably through the extension portion. Therefore, the design and manufacture of the electrical feedthrough assembly enables a large amount of energy to be transmitted from the battery to the air-conditioning compressor, while maintaining reliable airtightness to prevent any leakage, in particular leakage of refrigerant, and can therefore be used as a component in an electric compressor. In addition, electric compressors are subject to high pressure, high humidity and vibration. The feedthrough assembly of the present invention is able to withstand such adverse conditions. In addition, the feedthrough assembly has extremely high insulation resistance and high voltage capability, and is suitable for, for example, 48V electrical systems.

[0106] In addition to electric compressors, the electrical feedthrough assemblies of the present disclosure can also be used in other applications with strict requirements such as air tightness, temperature resistance, thermal shock resistance, etc. Specifically, these electrical feedthrough assemblies can be used in pressure sensors, electrical storage devices such as batteries, accumulators, capacitors, etc.

[0107] Reference numerals 1 Electrical Feedthrough Assemblies 2 Feedthrough 3 Matrix 5 Through Hole 7 Pinout 9 Insulation Materials 11 Surface 13 Middle part 15 Extension of the insulating material 9 17 Mounting holes 31、33 The side of the base 3 <![CDATA[c p ]]> Center Point <![CDATA[c l ]]> Centerline d The distance between pins, the pitch t Thickness of substrate 3 w Width of base 3 l Length of base 3 a1 First diameter, diameter of surface portion 11 a2 The second diameter, the diameter of the middle portion 13 a3 The third diameter, the diameter of the extension 15 h1 Height of surface portion 11 h2 Height of middle part 13 A Section of the base body 3 between the through holes 5 B Section of the base body 3 between the through holes 5

Claims

1. An electrical feedthrough assembly (1), particularly for attachment to a housing, the electrical feedthrough assembly (1) comprising a base (3) having a first side (31) and a second side (33), the base (3) comprising at least two through holes (5) and at least two pins (7) arranged in the through holes (5), the at least two pins (7) being electrically isolated from the base (3) and sealed in the through holes (5) by an insulating material (9), thereby forming at least two feedthroughs (2) in the base (3), wherein the thermal expansion coefficient of the insulating material (9) is less than the thermal expansion coefficient of the base (3), thereby providing a compression-sealed feedthrough, At least one of the through holes (5) is configured as a stepped through hole, the stepped through hole having at least one surface portion (11) adjacent to the side (31, 33) of the base body (3) and a middle portion (13), wherein the surface portion (11) has a first diameter (a1), the middle portion (13) has a second diameter (a2), the second diameter (a2) being smaller than the first diameter (a1), wherein the insulating material (9) is present in the middle portion (13) and the at least one surface portion (11) of the through hole (5), characterized in that The distance (d) between the at least two pins (7) is within a range of at least 1.2 times and at most 1.6 times the second diameter (a2) of the middle portion (13) of the at least one through hole (5), and the distance is determined as the center point (c p ) to the center point (c) of the other pin (7) p ) between the two.

2. The electrical feedthrough assembly (1) according to claim 1, wherein the height (h1) of the at least one surface portion (11) of the through hole (5) is equal to or less than half the thickness (t) of the base body (3).

3. An electrical feedthrough assembly (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein all through holes (5) are configured as stepped through holes, each stepped through hole having at least one surface portion (11) and a middle portion (13), the at least one surface portion (11) being adjacent to a side (31, 33) of the substrate (3), the at least one surface portion (11) having a first diameter (a1), the middle portion (13) having a second diameter (a2), the second diameter (a2) being smaller than the first diameter (a1); and / or wherein the at least one through hole (5) is formed as a stepped through hole so that the at least one through hole (5) includes surface portions (11) formed on two sides (31, 33) of the substrate (3), the surface portions having two first diameters (a1), the two first diameters (a1) being larger than the second diameter (a2) of the middle portion (13) of the at least one through hole (5).

4. The electrical feedthrough assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein all through holes (5) are formed as stepped through holes, the stepped through holes comprising surface portions (11) formed on two sides (31, 33) of the substrate (3), the surface portions (11) having two first diameters (a1), the first diameters (a1) being larger than the second diameter (a2) of the middle portion (13) of the at least one through hole (5).

5. The electrical feedthrough assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the height of the intermediate portion (13) is at least 1 mm and / or at most 4 mm; and / or wherein the thickness (t) of the base body (3) is at least 2 mm and / or at most 6 mm.

6. The electrical feed-through assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the insulating material (9) comprises, consists of or is made of glass.

7. The electrical feedthrough assembly (1) according to claim 6, wherein the surface of the glass is at least partially a raw surface, preferably at least partially a fire-polished surface, wherein the raw surface is a surface that has not been subjected to any surface treatment after formation, wherein preferably the raw surface, preferably the fire-polished surface, has a surface roughness of at most 0.80 μm (R a ) and / or at most 1.00 μm (R z ).

8. The electrical feedthrough assembly (1) of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the insulating material (9) includes an extension portion (15) of the insulating material (9) such that the insulating material (9) extends along the at least one pin (7) beyond at least one of the sides (31, 33) of the substrate (3) and around the at least one pin (7), wherein the extension portion (15) of the insulating material (9) is in contact with the at least one pin (7), wherein the extension portion (15) has a third diameter (a3), the third diameter (a3) ​​being equal to or smaller than the first diameter (a1) of the at least one surface portion (11) or being equal to or smaller than the second diameter (a2) of the middle portion (13) of the through hole (5), and wherein the third diameter (a3) ​​of the extension portion (15) decreases continuously from the side (31, 33) of the substrate (3) along the at least one pin (7) to form an arc shape.

9. The electrical feed-through assembly (1) according to claim 8, wherein the height of the extension (15) is at least 1.5 mm and / or at most 10 mm.

10. An electrical feedthrough assembly (1) according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the electrical feedthrough assembly (1) comprises two extensions (15) of the insulating material (9) formed on the two sides (31, 33) of the substrate (3), and / or wherein each pin (7) of the electrical feedthrough assembly (1) comprises an extension (15) of the insulating material (9).

11. The electrical feedthrough assembly (1) according to claim 10, wherein each extension (15) of the insulating material (9) is formed on the same side (31, 33) of the base (3) for each pin (7), and / or the two extensions (15) of the insulating material (9) are formed on both sides (31, 33) of the base (3) for each pin (7).

12. An electrical feedthrough assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the at least one surface portion (11) has a first diameter (a1), which decreases along the height of the at least one surface portion (11) from the side (31, 33) of the substrate (3) to the middle portion (13) of the through hole (5), or wherein the at least one surface portion (11) has a first diameter (a1), which remains constant along the height of the at least one surface portion (11) from the side (31, 33) of the substrate (3) to the middle portion (13) of the through hole (5).

13. The electrical feedthrough assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the at least one pin (7) comprises a nickel plated or oxidized surface.

14. The electrical feedthrough assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the at least one pin (7), preferably all pins (7) and the base body (3) comprise nickel-plated surfaces.

15. The electrical feedthrough assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the feedthrough assembly (1) comprises one or more of the following features: - the base body (3) comprises steel, preferably stainless steel, preferably structural steel, - the at least one pin (7) comprises a stainless steel or Ni-Fe material or Fe-Cr material, or a central core made of copper, the central core being surrounded by stainless steel or by Ni-Fe material, - The thermal expansion coefficient CTE of the insulating material (9) is between 8*10 -6 / K and 12*10 -6 / K.

16. An electrical feedthrough assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the electrical feedthrough assembly is configured for attachment to a housing for an e-compressor, an electrical storage device, a pressure sensor or the like.

17. An electric compressor comprising an electrical feedthrough assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

Images