Power converter

Abstract

The present application provides a power converter (100), comprising: a housing (110) defining an accommodating cavity; the circuit board (120) is used for processing the received first voltage signal and outputting a second voltage signal; the input end of the filtering assembly (130) is connected to the circuit board (120) to receive and filter the second voltage signal, the output end of the filtering assembly (130) is connected with a connector to output the filtered second voltage signal, the filtering assembly (130) comprises a first filtering element (131) and a second filtering element (132), and the first filtering element (131) is connected with the second filtering element (132). The first filter element is arranged on the circuit board (120), and the second filter element is arranged outside the circuit board (120). The power converter has the advantages in the aspect of structural compatibility while achieving selectable EMC performance levels.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of power supply, in particular to a power converter. BACKGROUND

[0002] DC-DC (Direct Current-Direct Current) converter as a kind of power converter, DC voltage can be converted into lower value DC voltage (i.e. buck DC-DC converter) or higher value DC voltage (i.e. boost DC-DC converter) or the same value DC voltage (i.e. regulated DC-DC converter). In order to filter out the high frequency component generated by DC-DC converter in the process of work and make the output voltage remain stable in a certain range, the corresponding filter device is usually provided, which includes inductive element or capacitive element. Here, the filter device can be configured as a one-stage filter device, a two-stage filter device or a multi-stage filter device.

[0003] It should be explained that the content introduced here is only to provide background information related to the present disclosure, and does not necessarily belong to the prior art. CONTENT OF UTILITY MODEL

[0004] The purpose of the present application is to provide a power converter with a corresponding filter device, which can have advantages in structural compatibility on the basis of ensuring EMC (Electro Magnetic Compatibility) performance level selection.

[0005] In addition, the present application also aims to solve or alleviate other technical problems existing in the prior art.

[0006] According to the present application, a power converter is provided, which comprises:

[0007] A housing is provided to form a containing cavity;

[0008] A circuit board is used to process the received first voltage signal and output a second voltage signal;

[0009] A filter assembly is connected to the circuit board at the input end to receive and filter the second voltage signal, and its output end is connected with a connector to output the filtered second voltage signal,

[0010] Wherein, the filter assembly comprises a first filter element and a second filter element, the first filter element is arranged on the circuit board, and the second filter element is arranged outside the circuit board.

[0011] In the power converter according to the application, optionally, the second filter element is located after the first filter element in the path from the circuit board to the connector, wherein the second voltage signal is filtered by the first filter element and the second filter element in sequence.

[0012] In the power converter according to the application, optionally, the filter assembly is switchable between a first filter mode and a second filter mode,

[0013] wherein, in the first filter mode, the second voltage signal output by the circuit board is transmitted to the connector after being filtered by the first filter element,

[0014] and, in the second filter mode, the second voltage signal output by the circuit board is transmitted to the connector after being filtered by the first filter element and the second filter element in sequence.

[0015] In the power converter according to the application, optionally, the second filter element is connected to the first filter element and the connector via a conductive busbar.

[0016] In the power converter according to the application, optionally, the power converter further comprises a shielding member fixed on the housing and electromagnetically shielding the circuit board.

[0017] In the power converter according to the application, optionally, the shielding member comprises a first part and a second part fixed on the housing respectively, wherein the first part is located at the circuit board and the second part is located at the second filter element.

[0018] In the power converter according to the application, optionally, a receiving recess is provided on the side of the first part of the shielding member facing the circuit board, for receiving the first filter element;

[0019] and / or a receiving recess is provided on the side of the second part of the shielding member facing the second filter element, for receiving the second filter element.

[0020] In the power converter according to the application, optionally, the power converter comprises a carrier plate, which is part of the housing or is fixed on the housing as an independent component, wherein a receiving recess for the second filter element is provided on the carrier plate.

[0021] In the power converter according to the application, optionally, the second filter element is fixed in the receiving recess by potting glue.

[0022] In the power converter according to the present application, optionally, the first filter element and / or the second filter element comprises an inductor.

[0023] The power converter according to the present application can have advantages in structural compatibility on the basis of realizing EMC performance level options. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0024] The above and other features of the present application will become more apparent by reference to the following

[0025] Figure 1 A partial view of a power converter according to the present application is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The present application will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments of the application are shown. The present application may, however, be embodied in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and fully convey the scope of the application to those skilled in the art.

[0027] In this specification, terms such as "comprise" and "include" mean that the present application does not exclude the presence of other elements and steps not directly or explicitly stated in the specification and claims.

[0028] Unless otherwise specified, terms such as "first" and "second" do not indicate the order of time, space, size, etc. of the units, but are merely used to distinguish the units.

[0029] It is realized that if a power converter is provided with only a single-stage filter device that can be arranged on its circuit board, it can not be able to meet higher EMC requirements. If the power converter is provided with a multi-stage filter device that can be arranged on its circuit board, it can be able to meet higher EMC requirements, but such an arrangement can make the circuit board structure complex (e.g. multiple circuit boards or multiple wiring groups are required) and inconvenient for maintenance of the filter device or its components. Therefore, it is urgent to improve such a power converter so that it has advantages in structural compatibility on the basis of realizing EMC performance level options.

[0030] Figure 1An embodiment of the power converter according to the present application is shown in a partial view, in which the shield and other additional components (e.g. cooling device, functional components on the circuit board, etc.) are removed for the purpose of clearly showing the internal structure of the power converter. The power converter 100 according to the present application comprises a housing 110, a circuit board 120, a filter assembly 130, a connector (not shown) and a shield (not shown).

[0031] Here, the power converter 100 can be a DC-DC converter, an AC-AC (Alternating Current-Alternating Current) converter, an AC-DC (Alternating Current-Direct Current) converter, a DC-AC (Direct Current-Alternating Current) converter as described above. For the purpose of clarity of hierarchy, the following description is mainly directed to a DC-DC converter, however, the description thereon can be transferred to the other types of converters in a similar manner.

[0032] The housing 110 of the power converter 100 encloses a receiving cavity, in which the circuit board 120 and the filter assembly 130 as described above are received, and one end of the connector extends into the receiving cavity and the other end extends out of the receiving cavity to be electrically connected with an external wiring harness. Exemplarily, a cover is further provided on one side of the receiving cavity and a bottom plate is further provided on the other side to jointly form a closed receiving cavity. The housing 110 is, for example, integrally formed or composed of a plurality of components independent of each other. In addition, the material of the housing 110 can be, but is not limited to, plastic, metal or other composite materials. Here, the shape and structure of the housing are not limited in the embodiments according to the present application.

[0033] The circuit board 120 in the receiving cavity enclosed by the housing 110 comprises a power module for processing the received first voltage signal and outputting a second voltage signal. Here, the voltage value of the first voltage signal can be greater than, less than or equal to the second voltage signal, which is not limited in the embodiments according to the present application.

[0034] The second voltage signal output by the circuit board 120, i.e. the unfiltered second voltage signal, is then input to the filter assembly 130 and output to the outside through the connector after being filtered thereby. The input end of the filter assembly 130 is connected to the circuit board 120 to receive the unfiltered second voltage signal, and the output end of the filter assembly 130 is connected to the connector to output the filtered second voltage signal to the outside.

[0035] In this case, the filter assembly 130 comprises a first filter element 131 which is mechanically fixed on the circuit board 120 and electrically connected to the circuit board or wired through the same to receive the unfiltered second voltage signal. In the shown embodiment, the first filter element 131 is or comprises an inductor coil, for example two inductor coils. It is to be understood in this case that the first filter element 131 can be or comprise one or more, for example three, four or more, inductor coils, without being limited thereto in accordance with the embodiments of the present application. Furthermore, the inductor coil as the first filter element 131 can be fixed on the circuit board 120, for example by soldering, gluing, threaded fasteners, without being limited thereto in accordance with the embodiments of the present application.

[0036] Furthermore, the filter assembly 130 further comprises a second filter element 132 which is external to the circuit board 120, i.e. which is not electrically connected through wiring on the circuit board and not mechanically fixed to the circuit board. In contrast to arranging all filter elements of a filter assembly having a multi-stage filter function on a circuit board and providing a plurality of circuit boards accordingly, in the present application, by externalizing the second filter element to the circuit board 120, the circuit board structure can be simplified, for example only one circuit board can be provided, and the routine maintenance of the filter elements is facilitated.

[0037] In the shown embodiment, the second filter element 132 is implemented as an LC filter circuit, i.e. it comprises an inductor coil which is external to the circuit board 120 and a capacitor which is connected in parallel to the inductor coil. Specifically, the inductor coil is arranged with a first electrically conductive member 140 for receiving the second voltage signal which has been primarily filtered through the first filter element 131 from the first electrically conductive member 140, and an output end is provided with a second electrically conductive member 150 which is electrically connected to the capacitor at one end and electrically connected to a connector at the other end to output the second voltage signal which has been secondarily filtered through the second filter element 132 to an external consumer device. Exemplarily, the connector is electrically connected to the external consumer device through an external wiring harness, wherein the external consumer device is a vehicle-mounted electronic device requiring a stabilized DC voltage when the power converter is used in a vehicle.

[0038] In this case, the first electrically conductive member 140 and the second electrically conductive member 150 can be electrically conductive busbars made of copper, aluminum or other electrically conductive materials. The first electrically conductive member 140 and the second electrically conductive member 150 can be, for example, plug-in connected, crimped, soldered or electrically connected in other reliable ways to the inductor coil.

[0039] In a feasible embodiment, the first filter element 131 and the second filter element 132 are arranged such that, on the electrical path from the circuit board 120 towards the connector, the second filter element 132 is located behind the first filter element 131. That is, the filter assembly 130 forms a two-stage filter mode as follows: the second voltage signal output by the circuit board 120 is first filtered by the first filter element 131 arranged on the circuit board 120; the second voltage signal filtered in the first stage is transmitted to the second filter element 132 through the first conductive element 140 for filtering in the second stage; and the second voltage signal filtered in the second stage is output to the external power consuming device through the second conductive element 150 via the connector.

[0040] Instead of the filter assembly with two-stage filtering function as described above, in another feasible embodiment, the filter assembly 130 can be switched between a first filter mode (i.e. single-stage filter mode) and a second filter mode (i.e. two-stage filter mode), wherein in the first filter mode, the second voltage signal is filtered only by the first filter element 131 before being output to the external power consuming device via the connector, and in the second filter mode, the second voltage signal is filtered by the first filter element 131 and the second filter element 132 in sequence before being output to the external power consuming device via the connector. Here, the single-stage filtering or two-stage filtering of the second voltage signal can be selected as needed, thereby improving the application flexibility.

[0041] Exemplarily, the switchability between different modes is realized by a switching element located between the first filter element 131 arranged on the circuit board 120 and the first conductive element 140. Specifically, by closing the switching element, the second filter element 132 external to the circuit board 120 is connected to perform two-stage filtering. By opening the switching element, the second filter element 132 is disconnected to perform single-stage filtering, i.e. only the first filter element 131 on the circuit board 120 filters the second voltage signal, and the second filter element 132 does not function. Here, the switching element should not be limitedly understood as an element, unit or circuit that can realize electrical connection and disconnection, which is not specifically limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0042] It should be noted that the above embodiments of the structure of the first filter element and the second filter element and the filtering order are only exemplary and not limiting, and can be modified as needed. Then, the first filter element and the second filter element can be different or the same in terms of filtering parameters, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application. In addition, the filter assembly is not limited to the structure that can realize two-stage filtering as described above, for example, it can also realize more-stage filtering, i.e. it includes more filter elements, part of which is arranged on the circuit board and part of which is external to the circuit board.

[0043] As a shield for the components on the circuit board 120 from the outside, the shield is fixed on the housing 110 and covers the circuit board 120 completely or at least partially. In the assembled state, the shield can also cover the part of the first conductive member 140 and the second conductive member 150 that is located on the circuit board 120. It is not excluded here that the first conductive member 140 is located on the side of the shield opposite the circuit board 120, i.e. it is located on a different side of the shield with respect to the circuit board 120, and is electrically connected to the first filter element 131 located on the circuit board 120 by a connection that passes through a through-hole of the shield; or that the second conductive member 150 is located on the side of the shield opposite the circuit board 120 and is electrically connected to the capacitor located on the circuit board 120 by a connection that passes through a through-hole of the shield.

[0044] The material of the shield can be, but is not limited to, copper, aluminum, alloys or other materials that have a shielding effect against electromagnetic interference. The shield can be fixed on the housing 110 by means of threaded fasteners, by welding, by clamping, by gluing or by any other feasible means.

[0045] In an alternative embodiment, the shield comprises a first part and a second part that are fixed on the housing 120 separately. The first part covers the circuit board 120 from above, i.e. the first part is for the circuit board 120. The second part is located at the second filter element 132, e.g. is laid under the second filter element 132, i.e. the second part is for the second filter element 132. Exemplarily, the first part and the second part are independent of each other, i.e. the shield is two-piece; or the first part and the second part are integrally formed, i.e. the shield is one-piece.

[0046] On the side of the shield (i.e. of the above-mentioned first part thereof) facing the circuit board 120, a receiving recess is provided for receiving, in particular form-fittingly receiving, the first filter element 131. And / or on the side of the shield (i.e. of the above-mentioned second part thereof) facing the second filter element 132, a receiving recess is provided for receiving and fixing the second filter element 132 therein. Exemplarily, the second filter element 132 (e.g. the inductor coil contained therein) is fixed in the receiving recess by means of potting, e.g. by means of an insulating gel having heat-conducting and fixing properties.

[0047] Instead of fixing the second filter element 132 outside the circuit board 120 on the shielding, in another alternative embodiment, the second filter element 132 is fixed on a carrier plate, which is a part of the housing 110, or which is fixed on the housing 110 as a component independent of the housing 110. Here, a receiving groove for receiving and fixing the second filter element 132 therein is provided on the carrier plate. Exemplarily, the second filter element 132 is fixed in the receiving groove of the carrier plate by the above-mentioned potting glue.

[0048] In the power converter according to the present application, by fixing a part of the filter elements outside the circuit board, the EMC performance level is selectable, the structural compatibility is improved, and the maintenance is facilitated. In one embodiment according to the present application, by the switchability of the power converter between different modes, the application flexibility thereof is improved. In another embodiment of the present application, by arranging the second filter element outside the circuit board at the shielding, the EMC performance of the power converter as a whole is improved.

[0049] The embodiments and examples presented herein are provided in order to illustrate embodiments in accordance with the present application and its particular application, and thus to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to practice and use the present application. However, it will be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art that the above description and examples are provided for the purpose of illustration and example only. The description is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the application to the precise forms disclosed.

Claims

1. A power converter (100), characterized by, Comprising: a housing (110) which encloses a receiving cavity; a circuit board (120) for processing a received first voltage signal and outputting a second voltage signal; a filter assembly (130) having an input connected to the circuit board (120) for receiving the second voltage signal and filtering it, and having an output connected to a connector for outputting the filtered second voltage signal, wherein the filter assembly (130) comprises a first filter element (131) arranged on the circuit board (120) and a second filter element (132) arranged outside the circuit board (120).

2. The power converter (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that The second filter element (132) is located behind the first filter element (131) on a path from the circuit board (120) to the connector, wherein the second voltage signal can be filtered by the first filter element (131) and the second filter element (132) in sequence.

3. The power converter (100) according to claim 2, characterized in that The filter assembly (130) is switchable between a first filter mode and a second filter mode, wherein in the first filter mode the second voltage signal output by the circuit board (120) is transmitted to the connector after being filtered by the first filter element (131), and in the second filter mode the second voltage signal output by the circuit board (120) is transmitted to the connector after being filtered by the first filter element (131) and the second filter element (132) in sequence.

4. The power converter (100) of claim 2, characterized in that The second filter element (132) is connected to the first filter element (131) and the connector via a conductive busbar.

5. The power converter (100) of claim 1, characterized by The power converter further comprises a shield which is fixed to the housing (110) and which electromagnetically shields the circuit board (120).

6. The power converter (100) of claim 5, characterized by The shield comprises a first part and a second part which are fixed to the housing (110), wherein the first part is located at the circuit board (120) and the second part is located at the second filter element (132).

7. The power converter (100) according to claim 6, characterized in that An accommodating recess is provided on a side of the first part of the shield facing the circuit board for accommodating the first filter element (131); and / or an accommodating recess is provided on a side of the second part of the shield facing the second filter element (132) for accommodating the second filter element (132).

8. The power converter (100) of claim 1, characterized by The power converter comprises a carrier plate which is part of the housing (110) or is fixed to the housing (110) as a separate component, wherein an accommodating recess for the second filter element (132) is provided on the carrier plate.

9. The power converter (100) according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that The second filter element (132) is fixed in the accommodating recess by potting compound.

10. The power converter (100) of claim 1, characterized by The first filter element (131) and / or the second filter element (132) comprise an inductor coil.

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