Mounting bracket for an electrical device for holding capacitors, and device with this mounting bracket

Abstract

The present invention relates to a mounting for an electrical device such as an electric motor drive, electrolyzer, or frequency converter. The mounting is designed to hold capacitors and PCBAs (populated printed circuit boards) of different sizes and / or in different positions relative to the electrical device. The mounting comprises at least one projecting part with supports and preferably a wall for holding a capacitor. The mounting also comprises a receiving part with a connection feature for receiving a nut of a spacer, wherein the spacer is designed to connect a first PCBA, such as a PCBA comprising large capacitors, to a power PCBA, and wherein the projecting part and the receiving part are provided on a main part of the mounting.The invention also relates to an electrical application such as an electric motor drive, electrolyzer or frequency converter with a holder for holding capacitors and PCBAs.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a mounting for an electrical device such as an electric motor drive, electrolyzer, or frequency converter. The mounting is designed to hold capacitors and PCBAs (populated printed circuit boards) of different sizes and / or in different positions relative to the electrical device. The mounting comprises at least one projecting part with supports and a wall for holding a capacitor. The mounting also comprises a receiving part with a connection feature for receiving a nut of a spacer, wherein the spacer is designed to connect a first PCBA, such as a PCBA comprising large capacitors, to a power PCBA, and wherein the projecting part and the receiving part are provided on a main part of the mounting.The invention also relates to an electrical device such as an electric motor drive, electrolyzer or frequency converter with a holder for holding capacitors and PCBAs.

[0002] From DE 10 2005 034 659 B3, a holding device for at least several large-capacity can capacitors for applications in electrical drive technology is known. The holding device can be disassembled into a lower and an upper holding part. Axially projecting retaining clips are arranged centrally around the capacitor cans in the upper holding part. In the assembled state, i.e., when the lower holding part is placed or fitted over the capacitors and the upper part, the retaining clips are pressed against the capacitors. The lower holding part has openings with sealing lips for each capacitor can, from which sections of the capacitors protrude and are thus directly exposed to the cooling airflow of a device.

[0003] German patent DE 10 2009 001 698 A1 describes a connector module for establishing a connection between a component (such as a capacitor) and a printed circuit board. The connector module comprises a module body with fingers and support elements that grip and support the capacitor. The module body also has multiple legs, each leg having spaced elements that fit into corresponding openings in the printed circuit board. The module body also has pins that grip the capacitor's electrodes and establish a connection to the printed circuit board.

[0004] US 2012 / 0077356A1 is a socket for electrolytic capacitors comprising a housing and removable contacts protruding from the underside of the housing. The socket also includes a holder with a clamp for detachably securing a portion of the capacitor housing adjacent to the contacts. Furthermore, the socket includes terminals for making an electrical connection between the contacts and a circuit. The holder also includes a recess formed in the top of the holder for receiving a deformed rubber gasket provided on a lower portion of the capacitor housing.

[0005] Complex electrical devices such as electric motor drives, electrolyzers, or frequency converters comprise numerous components that must be arranged logically in relation to one another. Typical problems associated with component arrangement include ensuring that different component types do not require special mountings and that the components can be positioned precisely to minimize stresses on the components and to minimize tolerances, particularly with regard to the tolerance chain of electrical connections.

[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide an improved mounting and an improved electrical device with a mounting that overcome the problems mentioned above. This object is achieved by a mounting according to claim 1 and an electronic device according to claim 10. Advantageous embodiments are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0007] According to claim 1, a mounting for an electrical device, such as an electric motor drive, electrolyzer, or frequency converter, is provided. The mounting can be a holder or a support capable of connecting various components of the electrical device in such a way that the components are held in a desired position, orientation, and condition. The mounting described here is designed to hold capacitors and PCBAs of different sizes and / or in different positions relative to the rest of the electrical device. In particular, capacitors of different sizes can be attached to the mounting at different positions. The mounting also makes it possible to precisely position at least two different PCBAs relative to each other.

[0008] The bracket comprises at least one projecting part with supports and a wall for holding at least one capacitor. Each projecting part may be designed to hold one capacitor. If two projecting parts are arranged side by side, they may share a common wall between them. The capacitors may be considered part of the bracket.

[0009] The support also includes a receiving part with a connection feature for receiving a nut of a spacer, wherein the spacer is provided for connecting a first PCBA to a power PCBA, and wherein the protruding part and the receiving part are provided on a main part. The main part of the support can be an approximately planar structure that preferably extends parallel to the planar direction of the PCBAs connected to the support. The spacer can be provided for separating the two PCBAs and fixing them relative to each other. The spacer can be oriented substantially perpendicular to the planes in which the PCBAs and / or the main part of the support extend. The first PCBA can include large and heavy capacitors.

[0010] The present invention enables the connection of four or more different PCBA variants, preferably with different capacitor variants, using a single mounting type, the mounting providing vibration protection to the capacitor connections. The invention described here thus reduces the number of different mounting types required and therefore offers a cost-effective solution with a reduced number of parts, reduced production resource requirements, reduced tooling investment, simplified production steps, reduced development time, and reduced time to market.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the supports and the wall are aligned relative to each other in a circumferential direction, the supports comprising connecting elements for connection to the capacitor, preferably via snap connections. Each of the projecting parts can thus include a circumferentially arranged support structure for holding a preferably cylindrical capacitor. The circumferential direction of the support structure of the projecting parts can therefore be related to the circumferential direction of the cylindrical capacitor it supports.

[0012] In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, two adjacent projecting parts share the same wall and / or connecting parts are provided closer to the main part than the distant connecting parts.

[0013] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the near connecting parts of a certain projecting part are offset in a circumferential direction with respect to the distant connecting parts, and / or each support comprises a near connecting part and a distant connecting part that are spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction. The two connecting parts can therefore be spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction and in an axial direction.

[0014] In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, four projecting parts are provided, which are aligned in a linear direction. The projecting parts can be spaced apart from one another at equal intervals. Within the scope of protection of the present invention, any suitable number of projecting parts can be selected.

[0015] In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the connection feature comprises three snap connections and three separators, all of which are aligned circumferentially with respect to one another. The connection feature can be provided radially within the separators. The circumferential direction of these features can be related to the circumferential direction of the nut they hold. The snap connections can be oriented such that they hold the nut against the main part of the holder.

[0016] In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the receiving part has a passage for receiving a portion of the spacer. The passage can be provided in a central part of the receiving part. The passage can be a cylindrically shaped hole. Its size can be selected such that the spacer can only be partially received within the passage.

[0017] In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the spacer comprises an external threaded portion and an internal threaded portion, wherein the external threaded portion has a smaller outer diameter than the internal threaded portion and wherein the external threaded portion is screwed into the nut to establish a distance between the two PCBAs. The external threaded portion and the internal threaded portion can be spaced apart from each other in an axial direction of the spacer. The axial direction of the spacer can be related to the axial direction of the at least partially cylindrical shape of the spacer. The axial direction of the spacer can be substantially perpendicular to the main part of the holder.

[0018] The internally threaded section can serve as a spacer to maintain distance between the two PCBAs. The axial ends of the internally threaded section can each rest against one of the two PCBAs. The externally threaded section can be screwed into the nut to such an extent that a desired distance is achieved between the main part and one of the two PCBAs.

[0019] In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the projecting part extends in a direction opposite to that of the connection feature with respect to the main part. The different orientation of the projecting part and the connection feature makes it possible to position the capacitors relative to the PCBAs with respect to the main part.

[0020] The invention also relates to an electrical device such as an electric motor drive, electrolyzer or frequency converter with a mounting.

[0021] Further details and advantages of the invention are described with reference to the figures. The figures show: Fig. 1a, Fig. 1b: different views of an embodiment of the bracket; Fig. 2a, Fig. 2b: Detailed views of an embodiment of the bracket with different capacitors; Fig. 3: a detailed view of the recording area; Fig. 4: a detailed sectional view of the spacer part; Fig. 5: a detailed sectional view of two spacer pieces; and Fig. 6: A perspective view of another embodiment of the bracket.

[0022] The Fig. 1a and Fig. 1b shows different views of an embodiment of the bracket, Fig. Figure 1a shows a perspective view and Fig. Figure 1b shows a top view of the bracket. The bracket is designed for an electrical device such as an electric motor drive, electrolyzer, or frequency converter, the electrical device not shown in the figures. The bracket can be integrally formed from a single injection-molded part.

[0023] The mounting can be a holder or a support capable of connecting various components of the electrical device in such a way that the components are held in a desired position, orientation, and condition relative to the rest of the electrical device. The mounting ensures the desired precision and rigidity of the connection between the components, the mounting, and the rest of the electrical device.

[0024] The bracket comprises at least one projecting part 1 with supports 11. In the embodiment of the Fig. 1a and Fig. 1b Four projecting parts 1 are provided, each comprising several supports 11. Four supports can be provided per projecting part 1.

[0025] The supports 11 can have essentially the same shape. The supports 11 of a particular projecting part 1 can be arranged in a circular pattern and / or spaced apart from one another in a circumferential direction. The circumferential direction can refer to the circumference of a circle along which the supports 11 of a particular projecting part 1 are arranged. The projecting parts 1 can be spaced apart from one another at equal intervals.

[0026] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 1b, a wall 12 can be provided between two adjacent projecting parts 1. If two projecting parts 1 are arranged side by side, they can share a common wall between them. The wall 12 and the supports 11 can be designed to hold a capacitor 10. In the illustration, the wall 12 and the supports 11 surround a substantially cylindrical capacitor 10. The geometry of the wall 12 and / or the supports 11 can be identical or different. Each projecting part 1 can be designed to hold a single capacitor 10.

[0027] The supports 11 and the wall 12 are aligned relative to each other in a circumferential direction, the supports 11 having connecting parts 111, 111' for connection to a capacitor 10, preferably via snap connections. Each of the aforementioned parts 1 can thus comprise a circumferentially arranged support structure for holding a preferably cylindrical capacitor 10.

[0028] The connecting parts 111, 111' can include close connecting parts 111 that are located closer to the main part 3 than distant connecting parts 111'. The distant connecting parts 111' can be located at an end of each of the supports 11. All distant connecting parts 111' of a given projecting part 1 and / or all projecting parts 1 can be spaced from the main part 3 by the same greater distance, and / or all close connecting parts 111 can be spaced from the main part 3 by the same smaller distance. The distance of the connecting parts 111, 111' from the main part 3 defines the size of the capacitor 10 that can be connected to the connecting parts 111, 111' and thus to the support.

[0029] The near connecting parts 111 of a given projecting part 1 can be offset in a circumferential direction relative to the distant connecting parts 111'. Each support 11 has a near connecting part 111 and a distant connecting part 111' spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction. The two connecting parts 111, 111' can therefore be spaced apart from each other in the circumferential and axial directions.

[0030] The holder also includes a receiving part 23, wherein the protruding part 1 and the receiving part 23 are provided on the main part 3. The main part 3 can be a flat part, preferably extending parallel to the plane in which the protruding parts 1 are aligned. The receiving part 23 is provided for receiving a connecting component for connecting the holder to a PCBA. The receiving part 23 and the protruding part 1 can be oriented in opposite directions, so that the PCBA and the capacitors 10 can be provided on opposite sides of the main part 3.

[0031] The Fig. 2a and Fig. Figure 2b shows detailed views of an embodiment of the holder with different capacitors 10. The larger capacitor 10 of Fig. 2a is connected to the remote connecting parts 111' and is held in position by them. The smaller capacitor 10 of Fig. 2b is connected to the nearby connecting parts 111 and is held in position by them. The holder described here is thus designed to hold capacitors 10 of different sizes and in different positions relative to the rest of the electrical device and relative to the holder itself. In particular, capacitors 10 of different sizes, i.e., lengths, can be attached to the holder in different positions.

[0032] Fig. Figure 3 is a detailed view of the main part 3 with a number of receiving parts 23, which include a connection feature 22. The receiving parts 23 and the connection feature 22 are intended for connecting the main part 3 to PCBAs. The receiving parts 23 are oriented away from the projecting parts 1. The receiving parts 23 may be offset from the position of the projecting parts 1 along the flat main part 3.

[0033] Fig. Figure 4 is a detailed sectional view of a spacer 2 that is provided between the main part 3 of the bracket and two PCBAs 30, 40.

[0034] The two PCBAs 30, 40 are a first PCBA 30 and a power PCBA 40, wherein the first PCBA 30 can include heavy capacitors and can therefore be described as a capacitor PCBA 30 located closer to the support than the power PCBA 40. The capacitor PCBA 30 can be directly connected to the capacitors 10. The capacitor PCBA 30 can be sandwiched on one side by receiving parts 23 and / or connection features 22 and on the other side by one or more elastic retaining parts 26 connected to the main part 3 of the support. The support can therefore be provided for positioning the capacitor PCBA 30 at a single fixed position. The one or more elastic retaining parts 26 and / or the receiving parts 23 with their components, i.e., the connection features 22 and separators 24, can be wholly or partially integral with one another.

[0035] The receiving parts 23 are designed to receive a nut 20 of the spacer 2, the spacer 2 being designed to connect the capacitor PCBA 30 to the power PCBA 40. The spacer 2 can be designed to space the two PCBAs 30 and 40 apart and fix them relative to each other.

[0036] The receiving part 23 has a feedthrough 25 for receiving a portion of the spacer part 2. The feedthrough 25 can be located in a central part of the receiving part 23. Its size can be chosen such that the spacer part 2 can only be partially received within the feedthrough 25.

[0037] The spacer part 2 comprises an external threaded part 211 and an internal threaded part 211', wherein the external threaded part 211 has a smaller outer diameter than the internal threaded part 211'.

[0038] The external threaded section 211 can be screwed into the nut 20 to adjust the distance between the two PCBAs 30 and 40. The internal threaded section 211' can serve as a spacer for spacing the two PCBAs 30 and 40. At least one axial end portion of the internal threaded section 211' can bear against at least one of the PCBAs 30 and 40, in particular the power PCBA 40. The external threaded section 211 can be screwed into the nut 20 to a degree that provides a desired distance between the main part 3 and the power PCBA 40, i.e., the PCBA that is farther from the main part 3 than the capacitor PCBA 30. The mounting allows the two PCBAs 30 and 40 to be positioned precisely relative to each other and with a variable distance that can be adjusted by the position of the nut 20 on the external threaded section 211.

[0039] By using dedicated spacers 2, the holder described herein can accommodate PCBAs 30, 40 of different sizes and in different positions relative to the rest of the electrical device and relative to the holder itself. In particular, different types of PCBAs 30, 40 with different thicknesses can be connected to the main part 3 using spacers 2 with different geometries. For example, the threads on the internal threaded part 211' and / or the external threaded part 211 of the spacers 2 can extend over different distances to space the PCBAs 30, 40 apart at different intervals. Alternatively or additionally, the axial extension of the internal threaded part 211' can be adjusted to the desired distance between the two PCBAs 30, 40. The nut 20 of the spacer 2 can always be screwed onto the spacer 2 such that it contacts the first PCBA 30.

[0040] Fig. Figure 5 is a detailed sectional view of two spacers 2 located between the main part 3 of the bracket and the capacitor PCBA 30. Other components of the electrical device containing the bracket are also shown and may include electrical components, housing parts, fasteners, connectors, and controls. The electrical device may be an electric motor drive, electrolyzer, or frequency converter with the bracket described herein.

[0041] Fig. Figure 6 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the holder. Here, two receiving parts 23 and two projecting parts 1 are provided on opposite sides of the main part 3 of the holder. At least one elastic retaining part 26 is provided for pressing a PCBA towards the main part 3. The PCBA is not shown in the figure.

Claims

[1] Mounting bracket for an electrical device such as an electric motor drive, electrolyzer or frequency converter for holding capacitors (10) and PCBAs (30, 40) of different sizes and / or in different positions, comprising at least a projecting part (1) with supports (11) and a wall (12) for holding a capacitor (10) and a receiving part (23) with a connecting feature (22) for receiving a nut (20) of a spacer part (2), wherein the spacer part (2) is provided for connecting a first PCBA (30) to a power PCBA (40) and wherein the projecting part (1) and the receiving part (23) are provided on a main part (3). [2] Mounting bracket according to the preceding claim, characterized by, that the supports (11) and the wall (12) are aligned with each other in a direction extending around the circumference, wherein the supports (11) comprise connecting parts (111, 111') for connection to a capacitor (10), preferably via snap connections. [3] Mounting bracket according to the preceding claim, characterized by , that two adjacent projecting parts (1) share the same wall (12) and / or that the near connecting parts (111) are provided closer to the main part (3) than the distant connecting parts (111'). [4] Mounting bracket according to the preceding claim, characterized by , that the near connecting parts (111) of a certain projecting part (1) are offset in a circumferential direction with respect to the distant connecting parts (111') and / or that each support (11) comprises a near connecting part (111) and a distant connecting part (111') spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction. [5] Mounting bracket according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that four projecting parts (1) are provided and aligned in a linear direction. [6] Mounting bracket according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the connection feature (22) comprises three snap connections and three separators (24) which are all aligned in a circumferential direction relative to each other. [7] Mounting bracket according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the receiving part (23) includes a passage (25) for receiving part of the spacer part (2). [8] Mounting bracket according to the preceding claim, characterized by, that the spacer part (2) comprises an external threaded part (211) and an internal threaded part (211'), wherein the external threaded part (211) has a smaller outer diameter than the internal threaded part (211') and wherein the external threaded part (211) is screwed into the nut (20) to set a distance between the two PCBAs (30, 40). [9] Mounting bracket according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the foreground part (1) extends in a direction opposite to the connecting feature (22) with respect to the main part (3). [10] Electrical device such as an electric motor drive, an electrolyzer or a frequency converter with a mounting according to any of the preceding claims.

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