HOLDING ARRANGEMENT

Abstract

The invention relates to a holding arrangement (10) in which at least one electrical conductor (14) and at least one cooling conductor (16) designed to carry a cooling fluid are held together by means of a holding element (12), whereby heat can be transferred from the electrical conductor (14) to the cooling conductor (16) by means of the holding element (12).

Description

Technical field

[0001] The invention relates to a holding arrangement, in particular for a motor vehicle. State of the art

[0002] Due to increasing charging capacities, thermal demands on a multitude of components, particularly in motor vehicles such as batteries, busbars, charging sockets, etc., are increasing. As a result of these increased charging capacities, the operating temperatures of these components can rise significantly. Description of the invention

[0003] The object of the present invention is to provide a solution by which local overheating of a power line can be avoided particularly well.

[0004] This problem is solved by the subject matter of the independent claim. Further possible embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims, the description, and the figures.

[0005] The invention relates to a holding arrangement, in particular a holding arrangement for a motor vehicle, in which at least one electrical conductor and at least one cooling line designed to carry a cooling fluid are jointly held by a holding element. This allows heat to be transferred from the electrical conductor to the cooling line by means of the holding element. Consequently, the electrical conductor can be cooled particularly effectively by means of the holding element through the conduction of heat and its transfer to the cooling line. The electrical conductor is in particular a high-voltage conductor. For example, the electrical conductor can be designed as a busbar. The holding element can be manufactured, for example, using a multi-component injection molding process, in particular a two-component injection molding process. For example, the holding element can comprise a rigid plastic part with an overmolded soft component, which can, for example, comprise rubber.The soft component could, for example, be a rubber lip. This soft component could then be used to securely fix the electrical cable to the retaining element.

[0006] The holding arrangement thus comprises at least one power line, at least one cooling line, and the holding element. The cooling line defines a cooling channel in which the cooling fluid can be guided. In particular, the cooling fluid is a coolant such as water or oil. It is specifically provided that the holding element is formed in one piece. Furthermore, it is specifically provided that the holding element holds the at least one power line in a central region arranged axially between the respective ends of the power line, and thus not in an end region encompassing each end of the power line. The axial direction runs in the longitudinal direction of the power line.It is therefore provided that the retaining element holds the power line not at its respective end regions, but outside the end regions in an intermediate region or central region located between the end regions. Holding the at least one power line and the at least one cooling line by means of the retaining element allows the power line and the cooling line to be held together, at least in certain areas, and thus positioned together, particularly within the vehicle. The retaining arrangement enables the at least one power line and the at least one cooling line to be routed together from a first vehicle component to a second vehicle component.The at least one electrical conductor can be cooled particularly effectively in the defined areas where the retaining element rests against the conductor by transferring heat from the conductor to the retaining element. It is possible to specify areas of the at least one electrical conductor to be cooled and to attach the retaining element to the conductor in one of these areas, thereby establishing a thermal connection between the conductor and the cooling conductor in this at least one area to be cooled.The retaining element thus enables, on the one hand, the positioning of the at least one cooling line relative to the at least one power line and thereby at least a local holding of the at least one cooling line on the at least one power line as well as at least local cooling of the at least one power line by means of the retaining element, by conducting heat away from the at least one power line to the cooling line.

[0007] In a possible further development of the invention, the retaining element is provided that it rests against the at least one conductor along a specific length, wherein this length comprises at most 30 percent, and in particular at most 10 percent, of the total length of the conductor. This means that the retaining element does not rest against the conductor along its entire length in the longitudinal direction of the at least one conductor, but only within that specific length. This allows the retaining element to be designed to be particularly small and lightweight. The retaining element also enables particularly effective local cooling of the conductor in predetermined areas.

[0008] In a further possible embodiment of the invention, the holding arrangement additionally comprises a body component for a motor vehicle, and the holding element is attached to the body component. This means that both the at least one electrical conductor and the at least one cooling line can be attached to the body component by means of the holding element. The holding arrangement thus enables several functions to be implemented: firstly, attaching the at least one electrical conductor and the at least one cooling line to the body component, and secondly, providing a thermal connection from the at least one electrical conductor to the at least one cooling line, thereby allowing the electrical conductor to be cooled particularly efficiently, at least locally.

[0009] In a further possible embodiment of the invention, the retaining element is designed to hold two electrical conductors and / or two cooling lines. The more electrical conductors held by the retaining element, the more conductors can be cooled, at least locally, by the retaining element, as heat is transferred from these conductors to the at least one cooling line. Furthermore, in such an embodiment, where the retaining element can hold at least two electrical conductors, a particularly large number of conductors can be fixed relative to the at least one cooling line using a particularly small number of retaining elements and, if necessary, held to the body panel. The more cooling lines the retaining element can hold, the more heat, or rather, the more efficiently heat can be transferred away from the at least one electrical conductor.The retaining element thus enables a particularly large number of electrical cables and / or cooling lines to be routed together from one vehicle component to another, and furthermore, allows for particularly efficient cooling of at least one, and especially multiple, electrical cables. One possible function of the retaining element is to equalize the temperature of the electrical cables relative to each other. This prevents large temperature differences between the cables, which is particularly advantageous from a thermomechanical perspective.

[0010] In this context, it is specifically intended that the retaining element is used to hold a power line connected to a positive terminal and a power line connected to a negative terminal, and / or a supply cooling line and a return cooling line. If the retaining element holds two power lines, one of these power lines can be the one connected to the positive terminal (and thus a positive line), and the other power line can be the one connected to the negative terminal (and thus a negative line). If the retaining element holds at least two cooling lines, one of these cooling lines can be the supply line and the other the return line.This allows all electrical connections between vehicle components to be held in place by the retaining element. Alternatively or additionally, the retaining element can also be used to hold all cooling lines connecting one vehicle component to another, allowing the other component to be connected to a cooling fluid circuit by connecting both the supply and return cooling lines.

[0011] In a further embodiment of the invention, the retaining element may provide that the at least one cooling line is held between two power lines, or that the retaining element holds at least one power line between two cooling lines. In other words, the at least one cooling line may be arranged such that it is covered on opposite sides by one of the power lines. Alternatively, if the at least one power line is arranged between the two cooling lines, it may be covered on opposite sides by one of the cooling lines. In this case, the direction along which the respective sides are opposite each other is at least substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the at least one power line.If at least one cooling line is arranged between the two power lines, then this cooling line is particularly well protected from damage by the power lines. If at least one power line is arranged between the two cooling lines, then, especially if the power line has a larger cross-section than the respective cooling lines, the mounting arrangement can be designed to be particularly compact.

[0012] In a further possible embodiment of the invention, the retaining element is made of a thermally conductive material. This thermally conductive material has a particularly high thermal conductivity. In particular, the thermally conductive material has a thermal conductivity of at least one watt per meter Kelvin (W / mK), more specifically a thermal conductivity of at least 5 W / mK, and more specifically a thermal conductivity of at least 10 W / mK. The higher the thermal conductivity of the thermally conductive material from which the retaining element is made, the more efficiently the at least one electrical conductor can be cooled by dissipating heat via the thermally conductive element.

[0013] In a further possible embodiment of the invention, the electrical conductor and / or the cooling conductor are held to the holding element by means of a snap-fit ​​connection and / or a screw connection and / or by overmolding with a material of the holding element. In other words, it is particularly provided that the at least one electrical conductor and / or the at least one cooling conductor are held to the holding element by means of a positive-locking and / or force-locking connection. The snap-fit ​​connection can be manufactured particularly easily, which allows the at least one electrical conductor and / or the at least one cooling conductor to be attached to the holding element particularly easily and quickly. The at least one screw connection enables a particularly secure hold of the electrical conductor and / or the cooling conductor to the holding element, and the screw connection can be designed to be releasable without damage.By overmolding the electrical conductor and / or cooling line to create the connection with the material from which the retaining element is made, the electrical conductor and / or cooling line can be attached to the retaining element in a particularly secure, form-fitting manner. The retaining element can thus be directly molded onto the electrical conductor and / or cooling line. This ensures that, despite any tolerances in the electrical conductor or cooling line, it can be held securely by the retaining element.

[0014] In a further possible embodiment of the invention, the retaining element is made of an electrically insulating material, in particular plastic. This ensures that an electrical connection between the power line and another component, in particular the at least one cooling line, is prevented by means of the retaining element. Furthermore, due to the design of the retaining element from the electrically insulating material, the retaining element can serve as contact protection for people. In other words, a person can touch the retaining arrangement in the area of ​​the retaining element without an electrically conductive connection being established between the person and the at least one power line, thus preventing the person from potentially receiving an electric shock.

[0015] In a further possible embodiment of the invention, the retaining element is designed as part of a charging socket for a motor vehicle. This allows the retaining element to position the at least one power line and the at least one cooling line relative to each other within the charging socket, and enables the power line to be cooled in the immediate vicinity of the charging socket. Heat can be conducted away from a charging port of the charging socket by means of the at least one power line, and this heat can then be transferred to the retaining element and, via the retaining element, to the cooling fluid contained in the cooling line. This allows for particularly effective cooling of the charging port, thereby significantly reducing the risk of overheating of the charging port, especially when the charging socket transmits high currents.The particularly efficient cooling of the charging port of the charging socket enables particularly large electrical currents to be transmitted via the charging socket, which in turn allows a motor vehicle connected electrically to the charging socket to be supplied with a large amount of electrical energy particularly quickly and thus, for example, to be charged electrically particularly quickly.

[0016] In a further possible embodiment of the invention, it is provided that at least one additional component, for example a sensor, in particular a temperature sensor, or a signal line, is held by means of the holding element. Thus, a particularly large number of different components, such as the at least one component, the at least one power line, and the at least one cooling line, can be positioned relative to each other and, in particular, at the respective positions provided for these components in the motor vehicle.

[0017] Further advantages, features, and details of the invention may become apparent from the following description of possible embodiments and from the drawings. The features and combinations of features mentioned above in the description, as well as those shown below in the figure description and / or in the figures themselves, can be used not only in the combinations specified, but also in other combinations or individually, without departing from the scope of the invention. Brief character description

[0018] The drawing shows in: Fig. 1 a schematic sectional view of a holding arrangement in a first embodiment; and Fig. 2 a schematic sectional view of the holding arrangement in a second embodiment that differs from the first embodiment.

[0019] Identical and functionally equivalent elements are provided with the same reference symbols in the figures.

[0020] In the Fig. 1 and Fig. Figure 2 shows a holding arrangement 10, each holding arrangement 10 being specifically designed for use in a motor vehicle. In the present case, each holding arrangement 10 comprises a holding element 12 made of an electrically insulating thermally conductive material. Specifically, the holding element 12 is made of a plastic. Furthermore, in each of the illustrated embodiments of the holding arrangement 10, the holding arrangement 10 comprises two power lines 14 and two cooling lines 16. The cooling lines 16 can be, as shown in the Fig. 1 and Fig. As shown in Figure 2, the cooling lines 16 have a cross-section that is at least substantially circular. Alternatively, the cooling lines 16 may have a different cross-sectional shape. It is also possible for the individual cooling lines 16 to have different cross-sectional areas along their lengths. This could save installation space or height and / or allow for a particularly large cooling surface area provided by the outer surface of the cooling line 16. For example, the cooling line 16 could have a circular cross-section outside the retaining element 12 and be locally compressed in the area of ​​the retaining element 12. Alternatively or additionally, the cooling line 16 could have an S-bend in the area of ​​the retaining element 12, thereby achieving a particularly large contact area between the cooling line 16 and the retaining element 12 for a particularly high heat transfer rate.

[0021] The design of the retaining element 12, made of thermally conductive material, allows heat to be dissipated particularly efficiently from the power lines 14, especially towards the cooling lines 16. This enables the power lines 14 to be cooled particularly efficiently, at least locally, and thus in the area where the retaining element 12 is in contact with the power lines 14. To enable a particularly lightweight design of the retaining element 12, it is designed so that the retaining element 12 only contacts the power lines 14 over a portion of their length that is shorter than the total length of the power lines 14 running in their longitudinal direction.In particular, the retaining element 12 can be in contact with the power lines 14 in a length range of the power line 14, the length of which running in the longitudinal direction of the power lines 14 is at most 30 percent, in particular at most ten percent, in particular at most five percent of a total length of the power lines 14 running in the longitudinal direction of the power lines 14.

[0022] The respective power lines 14 are busbars – and thus conductor rails – designed to transmit electrical energy between vehicle components. Specifically, the power lines 14 are designed to transmit electrical energy from a first vehicle component to a second vehicle component. In this case, the power lines 14 serve to safely conduct electrical current between a high-voltage storage device and / or a control unit and / or a drive unit and / or a charging unit within the vehicle. The power lines 14 are metallic sheets or rails made of copper or aluminum, used in the electrical power distribution system within the vehicle. Specifically, the power lines 14 are used as high-current lines.The power lines 14 enable a safe, short-circuit-free transmission of electrical energy. In this case, it is provided that of the two power lines 14 of the respective holding arrangement 10, the first power line 14 is connected to a positive terminal – and is thus configured as a positive power line – and the second power line 14 is connected to a negative terminal – and is thus configured as a negative power line. The positive terminal and the negative terminal are, in particular, part of the motor vehicle, specifically a traction battery of the motor vehicle.

[0023] The respective cooling lines 16 are each designed to carry a cooling fluid, in particular a coolant. In this design, the first of the cooling lines 16 is configured as the supply line and the second as the return line. The retaining element 12 thus holds both the two power lines 14 and the two cooling lines 16. In this design, the retaining element 12 is molded onto the power lines 14 and the cooling lines 16. The power lines 14 and the cooling lines 16 are therefore held to the retaining element 12 by being overmolded with the electrically insulating thermally conductive material of the retaining element 12. Alternatively, at least one of the power lines 14 and / or at least one of the cooling lines 16 can be attached to the retaining element 12 by means of a snap-fit ​​connection and / or a screw connection.

[0024] It may be provided that the holding arrangement 10 additionally comprises a body component of the motor vehicle, wherein the holding element 12 is attached to the body component, whereby the power lines 14 and the cooling lines 16 are attached to the body component and positioned relative to the body component by means of the holding element 12.

[0025] In the Fig. 1 and Fig. In the two cross-sectional views of the respective support arrangements 10 shown, the longitudinal direction of the power lines 14 runs perpendicularly into the plane of the image. The support arrangement 10 is thus in the Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 shown cut in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the power lines 14.

[0026] At the in Fig. In the illustration shown in Figure 1, both cooling lines 16 are arranged between the two power lines 14 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the power lines 14. In the illustration shown in Fig. In the embodiment of the holding arrangement 10 shown in Figure 2, the two power lines 14 are arranged between the two cooling lines 16 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the power lines 14. To ensure that, in the Fig. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, to enable particularly efficient heat transfer from the respective power lines 14 to the cooling lines 16, the cooling lines 16 are arranged side by side in a first vertical direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the power lines 14. This vertical direction is perpendicular to a lateral direction, which is also perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the power lines 14. In the lateral direction, the cooling lines 16 are arranged between the power lines 14. This results in each cooling line 16 being very close to each power line 14, allowing heat to be transferred particularly efficiently from the power lines 14 to both cooling lines 16.

[0027] At the in Fig.In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the two power lines 14 are arranged side by side in the direction in which they are arranged between the cooling lines 16. This ensures that the power lines 14 are arranged particularly close to each other, which allows for particularly good compensation of any temperature difference between the power lines 14 through heat transfer between them.

[0028] The retaining arrangement 10 enables power cables 14 to be routed from a battery to a charging socket of the vehicle, with the cooling lines 16 simultaneously being held by the retaining element 12. The cooling lines 16 can be used both to cool the power cables 14 and to cool a charging socket of the vehicle at the end of the power cables 14. Alternatively, instead of the retaining arrangement 10 being configured such that the retaining element 12 holds two power cables 14 and two cooling lines 16, a single retaining element 12 can be used to hold only one power cable 14 and one cooling line 16. In this case, two retaining elements 12 can be provided for cooling the two power cables 14, with the first retaining element 12 holding one power cable 14 and one cooling line 16, and the second retaining element 12 holding the second power cable 14 and the second cooling line 16.The retaining element 12 serves two purposes: firstly, to secure the power lines 14 and the cooling lines 16; secondly, its thermal design enables the cooling of at least one, and in particular both, of the power lines 14. The respective retaining arrangements 10 offer a particularly efficient way of cooling the power lines 14 and, if applicable, the vehicle's charging socket. Furthermore, the retaining arrangement 10 is designed to be particularly space-saving and can be manufactured very cost-effectively.

[0029] As charging capacities increase, so does the challenge of efficient thermal management for charging sockets, the power lines 14 leading to the vehicle's high-voltage battery, and the high-voltage battery itself with its components. Above certain power requirements, charging sockets require some form of cooling, either passive, particularly in the form of heat sinks, or even active. Active cooling of the charging socket can be difficult to implement if space is limited. One way to cool the charging socket is to utilize the high-voltage battery's cooling fluid circuit by connecting cooling lines 16, which are fluidically connected to the high-voltage battery's cooling fluid circuit, to the charging socket via a suitable connection. Alternatively, the cooling lines 16 can be fluidically connected to another cooling fluid circuit of the vehicle.The retaining element 12 is designed to mechanically hold at least one, and in particular two, power lines 14. This can be achieved, in particular, by snapping or clipping them into place, by screwing them in, or by overmolding. Furthermore, the retaining element 12 is designed to hold at least one, and in particular two, cooling lines 16, in particular by snapping or clipping them in place, by screwing them in, or by overmolding. The retaining element 12 does not extend along the entire length of the power line 14 in its longitudinal direction, but rather rests against the at least one power line 14 only within a defined section of its length. The retaining element 12 can rest against the power lines 14 at predetermined points where securing the power lines 14 is deemed necessary.The design of the mounting assembly 10 such that the cooling lines 16 are arranged between the power lines 14, or vice versa, may depend on the available installation space and / or electromagnetic requirements and / or a desired mechanical mounting mechanism for the power lines 14 or the cooling lines 16 and / or available cooling options. Heat dissipation from the power lines 14 by means of the mounting element 12 allows the power lines 14 to be at least locally reduced in cross-section, in particular to be made thinner. Due to the reduced cross-section of the respective power lines 14, heat generation in the respective power line 14 during operation can be mitigated.

[0030] The retaining element 12 provides a particularly space-saving solution for mounting the power lines 14 and the cooling lines 16. Furthermore, the retaining element 12 is a particularly cost-effective component. The cooling lines 16 allow heat to be absorbed from the power lines 14. The retaining element 12 is designed in such a way that it can also serve, at least partially, as contact protection, particularly due to its construction from electrically insulating material. The retaining element 12 allows the power lines 14 and the cooling lines 16 to be attached to the body component. It is also possible for the retaining element 12 to be designed to accommodate and / or guide other components, such as power lines, especially sensor lines.The retaining element 12 can be configured to serve for fastening at least one power line 14 to the body component, even if no cooling line 16 is held on the retaining element 12.

[0031] It is possible for the retaining element 12 to function as a heat sink for the charging socket. In this case, the charging socket can be cooled by conducting heat away from it via the power lines 14, and the power lines 14 can in turn be cooled by conducting heat via the retaining element 12 to the at least one cooling line 16. Alternatively or additionally, the cooling lines 16 can be routed to the charging socket, in particular to a component of the charging socket that serves as a heat sink. This allows the component serving as the heat sink to be cooled by the cooling fluid flowing in the at least one cooling line 16. It is possible for the supply cooling line 16 and the return cooling line 16 to be fluidically connected via a deflection. The supply cooling line and the return cooling line can thus be provided by a single component that includes the deflection.

[0032] The retaining element 12 can be designed to serve as a heat sink for the charging socket. A conduit element that includes or provides the supply cooling line and the return cooling line can have a U-shaped bend or a 180-degree turn in the vicinity of or within the charging socket, through which the supply cooling line and the return cooling line are fluidically connected.

[0033] It is possible that the charging socket is designed such that it has a cooling connection to the mounting arrangement 10 in higher power classes of motor vehicles, but not in lower power classes. This can be implemented with a high proportion of identical parts.

[0034] Depending on the available installation space, different designs of mounting arrangements 10 can be used in a single motor vehicle. This allows for increased cooling of the power lines 14 at specific locations in the vehicle, cooling of different vehicle components, or variation in the routing of the cooling lines 16.

[0035] Depending on how much heat from the power lines 14 is to be absorbed by the retaining element 12, the material selection, material thickness, and / or width of the retaining element 12 can be adjusted or varied. The retaining element 12 can be designed, in particular, using thermal simulation or CFD. Thus, the heat transfer from the power lines 14 to the respective cooling lines 16 can be adjusted by modifying the retaining element 12.

[0036] A component connected to at least one power line 14, which cannot be cooled directly, can be cooled via this power line 14. This component could be the charging socket, which is electrically connected to the power line 14. Alternatively, the component could have a different design. For example, the charging socket could be located at one end of the power line 14, and the component could be located at the other end, particularly in the region of the end of the power line 14 where it is connected to a battery. Cooling the at least one power line 14 thus allows the component connected to the power line 14 to be cooled by transferring heat to the power line 14.Cooling the power line 14 can therefore be used for indirect cooling of the component, even in areas of the power line 14 where a temperature development of the power line 14 itself is not critical.

[0037] Overall, the invention shows how a holder, namely the holding element 12, can be provided for power lines 14 with integrated cooling lines 16. REFERENCE MARK LIST 10 Holding arrangement 12 retaining elements 14 Power line 16 Cooling line

Claims

[1] Holding arrangement (10) in which at least one power line (14) and at least one cooling line (16) provided for carrying a cooling fluid are held together by means of a holding element (12), whereby heat can be conducted from the power line (14) to the cooling line (16) by means of the holding element (12). [2] Holding arrangement (10) according to claim 1, characterized by , that the retaining element (12) is in contact with the at least one power line (14) in a length range whose length is at most 30%, in particular at most 10% of a total length of the power line (14). [3] Holding arrangement (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by , that the holding arrangement (10) additionally comprises a body component for a motor vehicle and the holding element (12) is attached to the body component. [4] Holding arrangement (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by, that two power lines (14) and / or two cooling lines (16) are held by means of the retaining element (12). [5] Holding arrangement (10) according to claim 4, characterized by , that by means of the retaining element (12) - a power line (14) connected to a positive terminal and a power line (14) connected to a negative terminal and / or - a supply cooling line (16) and a return cooling line (16) are maintained. [6] Holding arrangement (10) according to claim 4 or 5, characterized by , that by means of the retaining element (12) the at least one cooling line (16) is held between two power lines (14) or by means of the retaining element (12) at least one power line (14) is held between two cooling lines (16). [7] Holding arrangement (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the retaining element (12) is made of a thermally conductive material. [8] Holding arrangement (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the power line (14) and / or the cooling line (16) are held on the retaining element (12) by means of a snap connection and / or by means of a screw connection and / or by overmolding with a material of the retaining element (12). [9] Holding arrangement (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the retaining element (12) is made of an electrically insulating material, in particular plastic. [10] Holding arrangement (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the retaining element (12) is designed as part of a charging socket for a motor vehicle. [11] Holding arrangement (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by that at least one additional component, in particular a sensor or a signal line, is held by means of the holding element.

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