Electric vehicle component

Abstract

In an electrical vehicle component, in particular an electrical vehicle heating device (100), with an electronic control unit (3) for operating the vehicle component, the electronic control unit (3) has: a control board (31) with a substrate (35) printed with at least two conductor tracks which, during operation of the electronic control unit (3), carry a direct voltage provided by a direct voltage source, and a DC link capacitor (40), wherein the DC link capacitor has a housing (42) in which a functional DC link capacitor component (44) is housed, wherein the functional DC link capacitor component (44) is connected to the corresponding conductor tracks of the control board (31) via at least two electrical contacts.The electrical contacts are formed by metal pins (48) protruding from the housing (42) and connected to the functional DC-link capacitor component (44), which are press-fitted into first holes (37) formed in the substrate (35) and have a through-hole connection with respect to the conductor tracks. At least one plastic pin (50, 51) protrudes from the housing (42), wherein the at least one plastic pin (50, 51) projects through at least one second hole (38) formed in the substrate (35), wherein the plastic pin (50, 51) has a hot-staking section on a side of the substrate (35) opposite the DC-link capacitor (40), which connects the DC-link to the substrate in a form-fitting manner.

Description

Technical area:

[0001] The invention relates to an electrical vehicle component with an electronic control unit for operating the vehicle component. The electrical vehicle component can, in particular, be an electric vehicle heater. Furthermore, the invention also relates to a DC link capacitor that can be used in the electronic control unit, as well as to a corresponding control unit. Technical background:

[0002] In modern vehicles, especially electric or hybrid vehicles, a multitude of electrically operated components are connected to an on-board electrical system, which both provides the voltage required for operation and facilitates communication via the corresponding wiring systems. Basic operating parameters, commands, or measured values ​​relevant to operation are transmitted via the communication lines as a bus system. These are received, evaluated, and used for control by a local electronic control unit of the respective electrical component.

[0003] The electronic control unit usually comprises one or more control boards on which the corresponding circuit arrangements required for controlling the electrical components are implemented. These include, for example, connections for the on-board voltage provided by a vehicle battery. Furthermore, the switching elements controlling a load such as an electric motor, a lighting device or a number of heating elements, etc., can be configured in a known manner within these circuit arrangements. The switching elements are in turn controlled by a control device according to, among other things, the received commands, measured values ​​or operating parameters, whereby this control device can be implemented as a controller or chip on the control board.

[0004] The conductors arranged between the vehicle battery or an intermediate DC / DC converter and the switching elements switching the load carry a direct voltage. These form a type of intermediate circuit, which is coupled by a DC link capacitor, and provide the switching elements with the DC voltage required for their operation. The DC link capacitor is usually connected between the DC voltage and the reference or ground potential. The DC link capacitor smooths the current ripples that arise from cyclic switching of the load. This prevents these current ripples from being transmitted to the vehicle electrical system (or reduces the current ripples to a permissible level (filter function). The DC link capacitor also serves to smooth pulses in the direct current provided by the power supply.

[0005] Until now, electronic components such as DC-link capacitors in the automotive sector have been electrically connected to the control board (PCB) by soldering. These are typically designed as THT (through-hole technology) components, but less frequently as SMD components. The contact terminals of the THT electronic components are inserted through through-holes in the control board substrate and soldered to the back to establish the connection to the corresponding conductor track or its connection pad.

[0006] This requires two consecutive, coordinated process steps during production: first, the placement of the electronic components on the substrate, followed by the soldering process. With regard to the DC link capacitor, in addition to the correspondingly increased effort, the local heat input into the substrate and the capacitor at the THT connections caused by selective soldering also has a disadvantageous effect.

[0007] Furthermore, especially for geometrically larger and heavier (more inert) components in the automotive sector, increased demands are placed on the mechanical stability and durability of the fastening. In other words, a certain degree of vibration resistance must be achieved. In the case of the DC link capacitor, the electrical contacts are generally not sufficient as the sole fastening means to the substrate.

[0008] It is known to attach such comparatively heavy or sluggish electronic components to the corresponding printed circuit board (PCB) substrate, e.g., by additional adhesive bonding or by means of mechanical clamps with screw connections, etc. The latter, in particular, also increases the process complexity. Furthermore, there are strict requirements for space and weight savings, which the use of clamps and screw connections can be detrimental to. Furthermore, the total number of components increases, thus also resulting in a risk of increased costs. Furthermore, increased tolerance compensation between the corresponding mechanical fixation and the respective component housing, in this case the housing of the DC link capacitor, must also be taken into account. Description of the invention:

[0009] Based on this background, the present invention aims to provide an electrical vehicle component, in particular an electrical vehicle heating device, for a vehicle, in particular an electric or hybrid vehicle, that allows for a structurally reliable, permanent contacting of a DC link capacitor and reduces manufacturing costs. Furthermore, the mechanical fixation should be space-saving.

[0010] This object is achieved by an electrical vehicle component according to claim 1 and is also achieved by a DC link capacitor according to claim 12.

[0011] In particular, the stated object is achieved by an electrical vehicle component with an electronic control unit for operating the electrical vehicle component, which comprises a control board and a DC link capacitor. The control board has a substrate printed with at least two conductor tracks that carry a DC voltage provided by a DC voltage source during operation of the electronic control unit. The DC link capacitor has a housing in which a functional DC link capacitor component is housed. The functional DC link capacitor component is connected to the corresponding conductor tracks of the control board via at least two electrical contacts.

[0012] The vehicle component can, in particular, be an electric vehicle heater, during whose operation high electrical currents flow. In a preferred embodiment, it is an electric vehicle liquid heater, which is suitable for heating liquids such as coolant or refrigerant in a vehicle. The vehicle component can also be integrated into a higher-level vehicle component.

[0013] Aspects of the invention now provide, on the one hand, that the electrical contacts are formed by metal pins protruding from the housing and connected to the functional DC link capacitor component, which are inserted by means of a press fit into first holes which are formed in the substrate and have a through-plating with respect to the conductor tracks.

[0014] On the other hand, at least one plastic pin also protrudes from the housing. This at least one plastic pin is inserted into at least one second hole formed in the substrate. A portion of the at least one plastic pin, in particular its end portion, is heat-staked on a side of the substrate opposite the DC link capacitor. This supports the mechanical fixation of the DC link capacitor to the control board, which is achieved by the electrical contacts.

[0015] Electrical contacting by means of metal pins, which are press-fitted into holes in the control board substrate, eliminates the need for the additional soldering process step. Instead, the electronic component can be placed on the substrate using a press and, in a single step, secured and brought into electrically conductive contact by insertion. This saves process time, material used, and costs. Furthermore, a potentially disadvantageous heat input to the substrate and into the electronic component can be eliminated through a selective soldering process. The electrically conductive contact is, in particular, free of any electrical solder connection.

[0016] The metal pins serve to establish an electrical connection between the DC link capacitor and the control board. The basic idea is that during placement and pressing, the metal pin is pressed into a hole (one of the first holes) with a comparatively smaller diameter in the substrate of the circuit board. The corresponding first hole has a through-hole, i.e. the inner wall of the first hole is at least partially, preferably completely coated with the conductive material of the conductor tracks, e.g. copper, aluminum, gold, or their alloys, etc. With this coating, the material of the pressed-in metal pin forms a gas-tight, force-, form-, and / or material-locking, electrically conductive connection with the material of the through-hole.

[0017] When used in vehicles, vibrations, particularly in the case of resonances, can exert a strong leverage effect or a large torque on the press-fitted contact. This is especially true when the contacts are concentrated on a limited surface area on the substrate, which is also a goal due to the need to save space. To compensate for this on the one hand, but also to avoid the need to resort to the surface-proportioning clamp and screw solutions, mechanical fixation via at least one, preferably several hot-stamped plastic pins is proposed here. These protrude from the housing of the DC link capacitor and are also anchored in holes formed in the substrate (second holes). The hot-stamping forms a positive connection between the plastic pin and the substrate. This creates a hot-stamped section that connects the DC link to the substrate in a positive-locking manner.The heat input usually associated with this is negligible compared to the soldering process and is locally limited to the plastic material, which also hardly conducts heat.

[0018] One advantage here is that hot-staking requires no additional materials or components, which saves process time, costs, and effort. The additional material expenditure is negligible compared to the housing as a whole. On the other hand, the positioning of the plastic pin (or the majority of plastic pins) on the housing allows them to engage further out on the substrate than the metal pins connected to the capacitor for electrical contact, which therefore have to be positioned further inward. This means that a significantly higher torque can be absorbed in the event of vibrations. At the same time, protruding brackets can be dispensed with, so that only the space on the substrate corresponding to a projection of the housing onto the substrate needs to be occupied. This optimizes the use of installation space and area.It's worth noting that the volume of the mortise heads created on the back of the substrate is much smaller than that of conventional screws or bracket mounts. Furthermore, the plastic pins can be easily adapted to the specific geometry of the component (DC link capacitor).

[0019] A further advantage that should be emphasized is that the use of one or preferably several hot-stitched plastic pins results in tolerance compensation when placing them flush on the substrate or the carrier system due to the subsequent melting of the respective plastic pin during hot-stitching between the press-fit pin(s) (i.e., metal pins), the housing of the DC link capacitor and the board holes for the press-fit and plastic pins.

[0020] A further synergistic effect from the combination of press-fitted metal pins and hot-staking plastic pins arises during the process of placing the DC-link capacitor: the plastic pins and the metal pins are inserted in one and the same work step. The plastic pins, which are longer due to the hot-staking, can enter the corresponding second holes first, providing a guiding function. Since no press fit is required, the tolerance here can be somewhat larger. Once the longer plastic pins have entered their (second) holes, the less protruding metal pins follow – after the DC-link capacitor has been pre-aligned relative to the substrate – and are now pressed in relative to the corresponding first holes.The press fit then already firmly positions the DC link capacitor, so that the substrate could even be changed in position for hot-staking, for example, rotating the substrate to perform hot-staking upside down (“bottom-up”).

[0021] The DC-link capacitor comprises the housing, the actual, functional DC-link capacitor component, the metal pins, and the plastic pin(s). According to one embodiment, the housing of the DC-link capacitor is cupped. For example, the housing has a cuboidal structure and is in the shape of a cup in which the functional DC-link capacitor component is accommodated. The DC-link capacitor component can be encapsulated in the cup or housing with an insulating material, e.g., epoxy resin.

[0022] The cupped housing can be made of a suitable plastic such as PPS (polyphenylene sulfide). However, other materials such as PP, PET, PEN, PTFE, etc. are also possible, and the invention is not limited to the choice of material. Specific embodiments that do not limit the generality of the invention provide, for example, wall thicknesses in a range of 0.5 to 2.0 mm, in particular in the range of 1.0 to 1.5 mm.

[0023] In an advantageous embodiment, at least two, preferably at least three, particularly preferably at least four, and most particularly preferably at least five or at least six plastic pins protrude from the housing, each of which protrudes through associated holes in the substrate or circuit board and each has a hot-stamping section on the side of the substrate opposite the DC link. This at least one additional hot-stamping section additionally connects the DC link to the substrate or circuit board.

[0024] If the housing has a substantially cuboidal structure, according to one embodiment, a square or rectangular wall profile can face the substrate in the attached state, which can correspond to a rim surrounding the cup opening with the width of the wall thickness. At or adjacent to each of the four resulting corners, a plastic pin can be formed protruding from the wall profile. This pin can be inserted into a corresponding second hole formed in the substrate and hot-stitched on the opposite side of the substrate. With this construction, optimal attachment of the housing to the substrate is achieved because the outermost corners are fixed, thereby relieving the internal electrical contacts of mechanical stress.

[0025] A refinement of this embodiment provides that on at least one side of the square or rectangular wall profile, preferably on two opposite sides, a further plastic pin protrudes in a central section. This pin is inserted into a corresponding second hole formed in the substrate and is heat-stacked on the opposite side of the substrate. This allows the number of plastic pins to be increased to five, six, or more. The strength of the connection is thereby further improved.

[0026] Building on the example with multiple plastic pins, in particular four or more, at least one, ideally two, of the plastic pins can be elongated in a state prior to attachment to the substrate by hot-staking. The advantage is that the plastic pin elongated prior to hot-staking can be used as a guide pin, which is inserted first (before the shorter plastic pins) into the corresponding second hole in the substrate. Ideally, two of the plastic pins are elongated. This achieves pre-alignment during placement. The leading plastic pins elongated prior to hot-staking can, for example, have a correspondingly shaped tip that enables centering.

[0027] In a further embodiment based on this, the two extended plastic pins on the housing are arranged at diagonally opposite corners of the wall profile. This ensures optimal alignment of the DC link capacitor during placement.

[0028] In the case of multiple plastic pins, according to another embodiment, these can be arranged parallel to each other, flush with the side walls of the housing, and perpendicular to the wall profile to the corresponding second holes in the substrate of the control board. This design offers significant space savings and a simple geometry.

[0029] According to aspects of the invention, the plastic pin(s) can each be formed integrally with the housing. This further simplifies the design and further addresses the need to reduce the number of components.

[0030] According to further embodiments, the plastic pins can have an angular or round cross-sectional profile. The diameter of the plastic pins can be equal to or smaller than the diameter of the corresponding second holes. To increase the tolerance in one direction in the substrate plane, some of the second holes can be formed as elongated holes.

[0031] Without limiting its generality, the housing can, according to specific embodiments, have the following dimensions for width, height and length: width: 30 to 60 mm, height: 10 to 30, length: 30 to 60 mm.

[0032] The substrate can be a printed circuit board, for example, made of FR-4 material. However, it can also be a lead frame embedded in plastic.

[0033] The functional DC-link capacitor component is a capacitor that is connected in an intermediate circuit (DC link) between two of its conductor tracks that carry a direct current or a direct voltage, i.e., between the direct voltage potential and the reference or ground potential. On a substrate, the ground potential can also be carried on large-area metal layers as a conductor track. The invention is not limited to specific conductor track designs. The DC link is often described as an intermediate circuit between an output of a first AC / DC converter or a DC / DC converter supplying power and an input of a second AC / DC converter or a DC / DC converter driving a load.Such a configuration is included here, but also one in which the DC link is connected to the output of a vehicle battery and / or in which the DC link is connected to the input of, for example, a PWM circuit arrangement, as is known, for example, from electric heaters in vehicles. Strictly speaking, the two systems mentioned (battery, PWM generator - PWM: pulse width modulation) are not converters, but the same problems arise in the transition between the two systems as between the first and second converters described above. The capacitor is connected in parallel with the battery and ensures a stable voltage for the PWM generator. The capacitor helps to protect both the battery components and the circuit arrangement of the PWM generator from short-term voltage spikes, overvoltages, and EMI noise (EMI: electromagnetic interference).The EMI noise is the result of the pulsed PWM operation of the power switching elements and the stray inductance on the DC network. The functional DC-link capacitor component acts as a filter and smooths voltage and / or current spikes. The capacitance is matched to the specific circuit and its performance, especially the voltage swing. According to exemplary embodiments, the provided DC voltage can range from 48 V up to 800 V or even more than 1,000 V, which is switched at high frequency by the power switching elements of the PWM generator.

[0034] According to specific non-limiting embodiments, the capacitance of the DC link capacitor component may be between 1 and 50 µF, preferably between 5 and 20 µF.

[0035] According to further specific embodiments, the functional DC link capacitor component is a film capacitor. However, it is not excluded that it is an electrolytic capacitor or another type.

[0036] According to another embodiment of an electronic control unit, the metal pins can have a compressible press-fit zone and a connection zone, wherein the compressible press-fit zone is received and compressed within the respective first hole in the mounted state, while the connection zone is connected to the functional DC link capacitor component. The press-fitting process plastically deforms the metal pin and ensures a gas-tight connection with low electrical resistance. Such a connection is different from a spring contact, but like the latter, only low press-in forces are required, which facilitates automated assembly while achieving high retention forces.

[0037] Alternatively or additionally, the metal pins can also have a multi-edged cross-sectional profile that cuts into the material of the through-hole during press-fitting and forms a force-fitting, form-fitting and / or material-fitting connection with it by cold welding.

[0038] According to these embodiments, no additional soldering connection is provided with regard to the metal pins inserted into the first holes by press fitting, although a soldering process for other electronic components on the same control board is of course not excluded.

[0039] According to a further embodiment, at least three, preferably four, metal pins are arranged on the DC link capacitor. Two metal pins each, together with a cross connection, are formed integrally and parallel to one another. In the case of three metal pins, only two of these metal pins are formed together in this way.

[0040] In an advantageous embodiment, each resulting pair is positioned at one of the opposite ends of an interior of the housing, with the metal pins extending parallel to the plastic pin(s) out of the housing toward the corresponding first holes in the substrate. The paired formation of the metal pins increases the strength of the electrical contact and also allows for a higher current flow when receiving pulses.

[0041] It should be noted that in addition to the electric heating device, the electronic vehicle component can also be, for example, an electric motor, in particular a DC motor, or a lighting device with a ballast or driver circuit.

[0042] In the case of the electric heating device, the electronic control unit can be configured to supply one or more heating elements with a voltage, preferably a high-voltage, using a PWM controller. The heating power provided by the heating element(s) is adjusted, for example, via the duty cycle at which the power switching elements controlled by a control device are operated. The power switching elements can be located on the same control board as the DC link capacitor or on a separate board. The DC link capacitor or the DC link is connected between the arrangement of power switching elements and the power supply, e.g. the vehicle battery, and filters out pulses and electromagnetic interference, particularly those caused during switching operation, in a known manner.

[0043] The heating elements can be connected to a heat exchanger in order to transfer the heat to a medium. The heating element(s) of the heating device can preferably have a heating output in the range from 1 to 100 kW, preferably between 2 and 20 kW. Heating elements are preferably operated with direct current in the high-voltage range, i.e. in the range from approximately 100 to 1000 volts (V). Such high voltages can be present in particular in electric or hybrid vehicles, for example in passenger cars up to approximately 500 V or more, e.g. up to 800 V or more, or in commercial vehicles, such as buses or trucks, up to approximately 100 V or more. In this respect, a heater with a heating arrangement according to the invention can be referred to as a high-voltage heater.

[0044] It should be noted that in this description, vehicles are understood not only to mean passenger cars or commercial vehicles, but also construction machinery, ships, aircraft and spacecraft.

[0045] It should also be noted that the electric heating device according to the aspects and embodiments described here can in particular be a liquid heater. Liquid heating means that the medium flowing through the heat exchanger of the heating device is liquid. The medium can in particular be liquid coolant of a vehicle, which transports heat in the vehicle and can release it at various points. Additionally or alternatively, the liquid heater can, for example, also be part of a heat pump of a vehicle, so that the heat transfer medium can be or comprise, for example, a coolant of a heat pump. It can be the case that the coolant is only in completely liquid form under certain conditions and only temporarily, or perhaps never, and is otherwise partially or completely gaseous. Nevertheless, this is also understood to mean a liquid heater.

[0046] Another aspect of the invention provides a DC link capacitor for attachment to the control board, which has the features described above with regard to the attached DC link capacitor.

[0047] Further embodiments of the invention emerge from the subclaims. Short description of the drawings:

[0048] Embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an electric heating device for a vehicle with an electronic control unit of an electric vehicle component according to an embodiment; Fig. 2 a schematic representation of a Fig. 1 with features for its mechanical attachment (electrical connection omitted), in top and side views, according to an embodiment; Fig. 3 a schematic representation of a Fig. 1 with features for its electrical attachment (purely mechanical connection omitted), in top and side views, according to an embodiment; Fig. 4 a schematic representation of the Fig. 1 to 3 shown DC link capacitor with combined features, according to an embodiment; Fig. 5 a schematic representation of the attachment of the embodiment according to Fig. 1 to 3 on a control board of the electronic control unit according to the embodiment, with attachment direction from above; Fig. 6 like Fig. 5, but with attachment direction from below; Fig. 7 a simplified schematic overview of an electrical vehicle component with DC link capacitor in the intermediate circuit and load (heater core). Detailed description of preferred embodiments:

[0049] In the following description of preferred embodiments, it should be noted that the present disclosure of the various aspects is not limited to the details of the construction and arrangement of the components or components as shown in the following description and in the figures. The embodiment can be practiced or carried out in a variety of ways. It should also be noted that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of specific description only and should not be construed as such by one skilled in the art.

[0050] In the following description of the invention, the same reference numerals are used for identical and identically acting elements, so that in some cases a repeated detailed description of the same is omitted in order to maintain the compactness and clarity of the illustration.

[0051] The Fig. 1 shows a heating device 100 as an electrical vehicle component according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. The heating device 100 is preferably designed as a high-voltage heater, which is particularly suitable for heating the vehicle interior or other vehicle components in electric or hybrid vehicles. The heating device 100 comprises a heat exchanger 1, a plurality of electrical heating elements 2a, 2b, 2c, an electronic control unit 3, and a plurality of electrical contact lines 4a, 4b, 4c, which are connected to the electronic control unit 3 and serve to electrically contact the heating elements 2a, 2b, 2c.

[0052] The heat exchanger 1 comprises a plate-shaped support body 10 for the heating elements 2a, 2b, 2c, which is made of aluminum. The support body 10 has a heating side 12 with the heating elements 2a, 2b, 2c and an opposite heat transfer side 11. The support body 10 has a plurality of through-openings 13a, 13b, 13c extending from the heat transfer side to the heating side 12, through which the contact lines 4a, 4b, 4c extend. In the specific embodiment, three heating elements 2a, 2b, 2c with a rectangular basic shape are applied, in particular glued, to the surface of the carrier body 10 in a heat transfer section 14, wherein each heating element 2a, 2b, 2c is designed as a layer heating element and has at least one electrical heating conductor 20 running spirally in a main extension plane of the heating elements 2a, 2b, 2c.The heating elements 2a, 2b, 2c may comprise a ceramic carrier layer bonded to the surface of the carrier body 10. Each heating element 2a, 2b, and 2c is assigned a through-opening 13a, 13b, and 13c, respectively, and a corresponding group of contact lines 4a, 4b, and 4c, respectively.

[0053] The through-openings 13a, 13b, 13c with the contact lines 4a, 4b, 4c are arranged in a connection section 15 of the carrier body 10. In the connection section 15, outside the heat transfer section 14, a control housing 30 with a control board 31 is arranged in the edge region of the carrier body 10 on the heat transfer side 11. The control housing 30 is connected to the carrier body 10 and thus to the heat exchanger 1 via screws 51 inserted into screw openings.

[0054] Between the contact lines 4a, 4b, 4c and the heating elements 2a, 2b, 2c, a power switching part 5a, 5b, 5c is placed on the carrier body 10. Each power switching part includes a temperature sensor 6a, 6b, 6c for monitoring the heating temperature of the respective associated heating element 2a, 2b, 2c and for regulating the thermal and / or electrical power of the respective heating element 2a, 2b, 2c. The temperature sensors 6a, 6b, 6c are each arranged on a circuit board of the power switching part 5a, 5b, 5c.

[0055] The heat exchanger 1 comprises, in addition to the support body 10, a cover body 17, which together form a heat exchanger housing with an intermediate cavity through which a heat transfer medium flows during operation. The cover body 17 forms an inflow connection 18 and an outflow connection for the heat transfer medium, wherein Fig. 1 only the inflow connection 18 is visible.

[0056] In the connecting section 15 of the carrier body 10, the latter and the partially congruent cover body 17 are penetrated by the through-openings 13a, 13b, and 13c. A connecting area of ​​the control housing 30 is designed with three plastic inserts 32, which are inserted into the through-openings 13a, 13b, 13c from the heat transfer side 11 during assembly with the pre-assembled, for example, cast-in or overmolded, contact lines 4a, 4b, 4c. The plastic inserts 32 form, in particular, lead frames.

[0057] In Fig. 1, a cover for the control housing 30 and for the heating side 12 is omitted for the sake of illustration in order to allow at least a rough insight into the electrical components.

[0058] The control board 31 has a control device (controller), high-voltage power supply connections, and low-voltage connections (not shown). For this purpose, a high-voltage connector section and a high-voltage connector section are provided in the control housing (also in Fig. 1 not shown, in the perspective of the Fig. 1, these are located on the rear side of the control housing, into which plugs from a corresponding vehicle electrical system can be inserted. The high-voltage connector section can, for example, provide power from the vehicle battery.

[0059] The control device is connected to the power switching parts 5a, 5b, 5c or the power switching elements mounted thereon (e.g., power MOSFETs or IGBTs, etc.) via a portion of the contact lines 4a, 4b, 4c in order to switch them. Furthermore, the high-voltage power supply terminals are also connected to the power switching parts 5a, 5b, 5c or the power switching elements mounted thereon via another portion of the contact lines 4a, 4b, 4c.

[0060] The control board 31 has a substrate 35, for example a printed circuit board substrate made of FR-4 material, which is printed with conductor tracks made of or with copper alloys and equipped with electronic components, including the controller of the control device and the aforementioned connections. Conductor tracks extending between the high-voltage power supply connections 28 of the heating device 100 for providing the high-voltage voltage supplied by a vehicle battery 200 and the power switching parts of the load (heating elements 2a, 2b, 2c) form an intermediate circuit 39, as shown in the Fig. 7 is shown schematically and very simplified. In order to smooth pulses caused by switching operation and to filter out electromagnetic interference, the control board 31 is further equipped with a DC link capacitor 40, as shown in Fig. 1 is only shown schematically, since in perspective it is located on the back of the control panel.

[0061] The DC link capacitor 40 includes a housing 42, a functional DC link capacitor component 44, a potting compound 46, and metal pins 48 serving as electrical contacts for the capacitor, as shown in the Fig. 2 to 4 is shown in a schematic representation. The housing 42 is formed by a cup, in particular made of PPS, which accommodates the functional DC-link capacitor component 44 and the potting compound 46. The functional DC-link capacitor component 44 can be designed as a film capacitor, in particular as a metal film capacitor or metallized plastic film capacitor. The production and design in such a way that the required storage capacity is achieved is sufficiently known in the technical field, so that a detailed description can be omitted. In addition, reference can be made to the corresponding Wikipedia article, for example. The potting compound can be epoxy resin.

[0062] The functional DC link capacitor component is connected parallel to the terminals of the vehicle battery between the conductor tracks carrying the high-voltage direct current potential and the conductor tracks carrying the reference or ground potential. In the exemplary embodiment, the high-voltage direct current is, for example, 400 V or 800 V. The functional DC link capacitor component 44 has a capacitance of, for example, 8 or 10 µF.

[0063] The Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 show the DC link capacitor 40 with a focus on the electrical contacts ( Fig. 3) and the purely mechanical fastening ( Fig. 2). The Fig. 4 shows the inventive combination of the two focal points in the DC link capacitor 40 in summary.

[0064] As in Fig. As can be seen in Figure 2, which shows a top view from below in the middle and a side view at the top and right, plastic pins 50 and 51 are arranged at the corners 41 of the cup-shaped or cuboid-shaped housing 42. They extend from a narrow wall profile 43 framing the (lower) opening of the housing, flatly terminating with the side walls 421 of the housing 42 in a direction parallel to one another. The plastic pins 50, 51 are formed integrally with the housing 42 from PPS and protrude from the lower wall profile 43 perpendicular to a plane defined by the latter. Two of the plastic pins, namely the plastic pins 51 arranged at diagonally opposite corners 41, are slightly extended, in the exemplary embodiment by 0.5 mm, see Fig. 4. In Fig. 2, the features of the electrical contacts are omitted for the sake of illustration.

[0065] The Fig. Figure 2 shows the DC link capacitor 40 before being attached to the substrate 35 or the control board 31.

[0066] As in Fig. As can be seen in Figure 3, electrical contacts are attached to the end faces of the housing 42 in an interior space 422 filled with the potting compound 46. The electrical contacts each comprise a pair of metal pins 48 and a bridge or cross connection 483. The electrical contacts are each formed in one piece. Each of the metal pins 48 has a connection zone 482, with which it is connected to the functional DC link capacitor component 44 or to the cross connection 482, which in turn establishes contact with the functional DC link capacitor component 44. At a distal end, protruding outside of the housing 42 or the near wall profile 43 parallel to the plastic pins 50, 51, the metal pin 48 has a compressible compression zone 481. Here, the metal pin 48 forms two filaments in one section, which are spaced apart from each other and are connected by a very thin, film-like metal section.The filaments can be forced towards each other, destroying the thin metal section.

[0067] The Fig. Figure 4 shows the features of the DC link capacitor 40, with length dimensions intended purely as examples. The DC link capacitor has four metal pins 48 and six plastic pins 50, 51, two of which (plastic pins 51) are extended.

[0068] In the Fig. 5 shows a simplified representation of a method for attaching the DC link capacitor 40 to a substrate 35 of a control board 31.

[0069] In a first step (1), the DC link capacitor 40 is gripped by a placement tool (not shown) and placed opposite the substrate 35. The metal pins 48 and the plastic pins 50, 51 face opposite first holes 37 and second holes 38, respectively. The metal pins 48 have an oversize in the press-fit zone 481, while the plastic pins preferably have a slightly smaller diameter than the second holes 38 opposite them in order to accommodate tolerances in the plastic of the housing 42.

[0070] In the second step (2), the metal pins 48 and the plastic pins 50, 51 are inserted into the corresponding holes, whereby the press-fit zone 481 is pressed into the first holes 37. The aforementioned filaments are pressed together, and the film-like metal section between them is destroyed and fills any remaining cavities. The edges of the two filaments cut into a via provided in the holes (metal coating of the inner hole wall, which is connected to a surface conductor track on the substrate 35) and thus form a gas-tight, force-, material- and / or form-fitting connection with this by cold welding. The two diagonally opposite plastic pins 51 first enter the corresponding second holes 38 shortly beforehand, aligning the housing with respect to the substrate 42. After this alignment, the four further plastic pins 50 enter the corresponding second holes 38.

[0071] In step 3, the six distal end portions of the plastic pins 50, 51 projecting on the back of the substrate 35 are heat-stitched, so that only the corresponding staking heads 52 remain on the surface of the substrate 35 surrounding the second holes 38. As a result, the DC link capacitor 40 is now reliably electrically and mechanically connected to the control board 31.

[0072] Various processes can be used for hot staking, and the examples are not limited to specific procedures. For example, a classic heat forming process can be carried out in which a heated punch approaches the end of the plastic pin in question in its axial direction, melts this end upon contact, and forms it into the corresponding dome-like shape, e.g., in accordance with guideline DVS 2216-3 (09 / 2017) / Joining of plastics. Hot air processes (hot air or hot jet) offer improved bonding of the molten material to the underlying, not yet melted shaft area. In these processes, the end is first melted using locally injected hot air, and only then, in a further step, is the desired shape of the staking head or dome created using a punch. Various sub-variants of this riveting process with diverse temporal temperature profiles and punch designs are possible.

[0073] In the Fig. 6 shows an alternative embodiment in which the DC link capacitor 40 is attached from below to the substrate 35 of the control board 31. Differences from the Fig. The limitations of the processes described in section 5 arise from the fact that not all of the diverse options for hot staking are available: hot air riveting processes such as hot air or hot jet are considered, in which the section to be staking is first melted by hot air or radiation (laser, IR) and then shaped with a stamp (staking head, dome). This achieves maximum strength and a very flat dome structure. Alternatively, the classic hot staking processes can be considered, which differ from one another according to the temporal temperature profile applied to the heated stamp. When proceeding as in Fig.6, i.e. when hot-staking from below, the hot-air process, which promises a very high production throughput, is not available.

[0074] At this point, it should be noted that all features of the invention described above, viewed individually and in any technically reasonable combination, in particular the details shown in the drawings, belong to the invention. List of reference symbols 1 heat exchanger 2a, 2b, 2c heating element 3 Control unit 4a, 4b, 4c Contact line (e.g. in the lead frame) 5, 5a, 5b, 5c Power switching part 6a, 6b, 6c Temperature sensor 10 carrier bodies 11 Heat transfer side 12 Heating side 13a, 13b, 13c passage opening 14 Heat transfer section 15 Connection section 17 cover bodies 18 Inflow connection 20 heating conductors 28 connections 30 control housings 31 Control board 32 plastic insert for punched grid 35 Substrat 37 first holes in the substrate for electrical contact 38 second holes in the substrate for mechanical fastening 39 intermediate circuit 40 DC link capacitor 41 corners of the case 42 housings 421 Side panel of the housing 43 lower wall profile 44 functional DC link capacitor component 46 Potting compound 48 metal pins for electrical contacts 481 Press pass zone 482 Connection zone 483 Bridge, cross connection 50 plastic pins for mechanical fastening 51 plastic pins for mechanical fastening (extended before hot-staking) 52 Dom (hot caulking), caulking head 100 heating device 200 vehicle battery

Claims

[1] Electric vehicle component, in particular electric vehicle heating device (100), with an electronic control unit (3) for operating the vehicle component, wherein the electronic control unit (3) comprises: - a control board (31) with a substrate (35) printed with at least two conductor tracks which, during operation of the electronic control unit (3), carry a DC voltage provided by a DC voltage source, and - a DC link capacitor (40), wherein the DC link capacitor has a housing (42) in which a functional DC link capacitor component (44) is housed, wherein the functional DC link capacitor component (44) is connected to the corresponding conductor tracks of the control board (31) via at least two electrical contacts; characterized by , that - the electrical contacts are formed by metal pins (48) projecting from the housing (42) and connected to the functional DC link capacitor component (44), which are press-fitted into first holes (37) formed in the substrate (35) and having a through-plating with respect to the conductor tracks; and - at least one plastic pin (50, 51) protrudes from the housing (42), wherein the at least one plastic pin (50, 51) protrudes through at least one second hole (38) formed in the substrate (35), wherein the plastic pin (50, 51) has a hot-staking section on a side of the substrate (35) opposite the DC link capacitor (40), which hot-staking section connects the DC link to the substrate in a form-fitting manner. [2] The electric vehicle component of claim 1, wherein the housing of the DC link capacitor is cupped. [3] Electrical vehicle component according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the housing (42) has an outer wall with a wall thickness of 0.5 to 1.5 mm. [4] Electrical vehicle component according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the housing (42) has a substantially cuboidal structure, wherein a square or rectangular wall profile (43) faces the substrate (35) in the fastened state, wherein at or adjacent to each of the four resulting corners (41) one of the plastic pins (50, 51) protrudes from the wall profile (43), is inserted into a corresponding second hole (38) formed in the substrate (36'5) and is hot-stacked on the opposite side of the substrate (35). [5] Electric vehicle component according to claim 4, wherein on at least one side of the square or rectangular wall profile (43), preferably on two opposite sides, in a middle section, a further plastic pin (50) protrudes, which is inserted into a corresponding second hole (38) formed in the substrate (36) and is hot-stacked on the opposite side of the substrate (35). [6] Electrical vehicle component according to one of claims 4 to 5, wherein the plastic pin(s) (50, 51) are each formed integrally with the housing (42). [7] Electrical vehicle component according to one of claims 4 to 6, wherein in the case of a plurality of plastic pins (50, 51), these extend parallel to one another, flush with side walls (421) of the housing (42) and perpendicular to the wall profile (43) to the corresponding second holes (38) in the substrate (35) of the control board (31). [8] An electrical vehicle component according to any preceding claim, wherein the metal pins (48) have a compressible press-fit zone (481) and a terminal zone (482), wherein the compressible press-fit zone (481) is received and compressed within the respective first hole (37) in the mounted state, and the terminal zone (482) is connected to the functional DC link capacitor component (44). [9] Electrical vehicle component according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the metal pins (48) have a polygonal cross-sectional profile which cuts into the material of the through-hole during press-fitting and forms a positive and material-locking connection therewith by cold welding. [10] Electrical vehicle component according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the metal pins (48) are free of an additional electrical solder connection. [11] Electric vehicle component according to one of the preceding claims, wherein four of the metal pins (48) are arranged, wherein two metal pins each together with a respective cross connection (483) are formed in one piece and parallel to one another, and wherein each pair is positioned at one of the opposite end faces of an interior of the housing (44), wherein the metal pins (48) extend parallel to the plastic pin(s) (50, 51) out of the housing towards the corresponding first holes in the substrate. [12] DC link capacitor (40) for an electronic control unit (3), comprising: a housing (42); a functional DC link capacitor component (44) accommodated in the housing (42), a set of electrical contacts formed by metal pins (48) projecting from the housing and connected to the functional DC link capacitor component (44), which are adapted to be inserted by means of a press fit into first holes (37) of a substrate (35) of a control board (31); and at least one plastic pin (50, 51) protruding from the housing (42), wherein the at least one plastic pin (50, 51) is adapted to be inserted respectively into at least one second hole (38) formed in the substrate (35), wherein a portion of the at least one plastic pin (50, 51) can be hot-staked on a side of the substrate (35) opposite the DC link capacitor (40).

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