Bushing comprising a connection terminal, and sheet-metal housing and relay comprising such a bushing
Patent Information
- Application Number
- EP2024708710
- Authority / Receiving Office
- EP · EP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2023-03-13
- Filing Date
- 2024-02-28
- Publication Date
- 2026-01-21
Smart Images
Figure EP2024055025_19092024_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
[0001] Feedthrough with a connection terminal as well as sheet metal housing and relay with such a feedthrough
[0002] Description
[0003] The invention relates to a feedthrough with a connection terminal, in particular for a high-performance relay, comprising a housing part with a through-opening and a connection terminal arrangement that extends through the through-opening and is sealed against the through-opening with a fixing material. Further aspects of the invention relate to a housing and a relay, each comprising at least one such feedthrough.
[0004] Relays that can switch electrical currents on and off are known in the art. One example is high-performance relays, which are used in electric or hybrid vehicles to safely disconnect a traction battery, which provides the vehicle's electrical energy, from the vehicle's power supply. Such a relay comprises a housing, electrical feedthroughs for the circuit to be switched, and a contacting device that connects or disconnects two terminals to switch the current. The contacting device can be operated with an actuator, for example in the form of an electromagnet. The interior of the housing is usually sealed, on the one hand to prevent the ingress of moisture and, on the other hand, to keep any quenching gas present in the housing for extinguishing an arc inside the housing.
[0005] EP3358593 B1 discloses a hermetic terminal which is particularly suitable for a high-performance relay. The hermetic terminal comprises a metal container with a through-hole, a tube guide which is guided through the through-hole, an insulating glass element which hermetically seals the tube guide and the metal container, and a terminal base which extends through the tube guide and is hermetically secured thereto. The terminal base is made of a low-resistance metal and is arranged in the terminal such that a gap exists between an inner peripheral surface of a portion of the tube guide which is in contact with the insulating glass element and an outer peripheral surface of a corresponding portion of the terminal base element. Upon thermal expansion of the terminal base element, the tube guide element deforms, thus preventing damage to the insulating glass element.
[0006] EP 4 002 415 A1 discloses a hermetic connection element and a contact device comprising such a connection element. The connection element comprises a container with through-openings, into each of which a tube guide is inserted. The tube guide forms a glass-to-metal feedthrough with insulating glass, which is hermetically sealed against the metal container. The tube guide is connected via a weakened section to a connection base inserted into the tube guide. The weakened section can be made of a different material than the rest of the tube guide or can be formed as a thin section of the tube guide.
[0007] In the known feedthroughs, the flexibility required to compensate for thermal expansion of the connection terminal is provided by the pipe guide, which must have a minimum length or minimum height for this purpose. The known feedthroughs therefore have a comparatively high overall height. Furthermore, for the design of a glass-metal feedthrough it is necessary that the housing part is sufficiently stable and thick in order to provide a hermetically sealed and mechanically resilient glazing. In order to be able to design housings with such feedthroughs more compact overall, it is an object of the invention to provide a feedthrough with a connection terminal which has a low overall height and is mechanically stable and tight even in thin-walled housings. The known pipe guides must be elastic in order to be able to absorb changes in length due to thermal expansion of a connection terminal.If pressure glazing is desired for hermetic sealing, the necessary counterpressure cannot be applied through the known pipe guides. Furthermore, the housing material must also have a corresponding wall thickness to exert sufficient pressure for the pressure glazing. Accordingly, one object of the invention can be seen in providing a feedthrough that is suitable for pressure glazing when using a thin-walled housing.
[0008] When using screw connections between a connection terminal and a supply line, high torques can occur when tightening the connecting screws, which cannot be optimally absorbed by the known hermetically sealed connection terminals. Accordingly, a further object of the invention can be seen in providing a bushing with a connection terminal in which the absorption and transmission of torques applied to the connection terminal is improved.
[0009] Disclosure of the invention
[0010] A bushing with a connection terminal is proposed, which is particularly suitable for a high-performance relay. The bushing comprises a housing part with a through-opening and a connection terminal arrangement, which is passed through the through-opening and sealed against the through-opening with a fixing material. The bushing also has a reinforcing component that reinforces the housing part in the area of the through-opening, wherein a glazing length EL of the fixing material is greater than the thickness of the housing part.The connection terminal assembly comprises a connection terminal made of a first material and a tube guide made of a second material. The tube guide surrounds at least a portion of the connection terminal. The fixing material for sealing the connection terminal assembly is arranged between an outer wall of a sleeve portion of the tube guide and an inner wall of the through-opening. A first gap is present between an inner wall of the sleeve portion and the connection terminal. The fixing material mechanically fixes the connection terminal assembly in the through-opening and electrically insulates it from the housing part.It is further provided that the connection terminal arrangement comprises a flexible element via which the pipe guide is connected to the connection terminal, wherein the flexible element surrounds a pin portion of the connection terminal, and wherein a second gap is present between the pin portion of the connection terminal and the flexible element. In a first variant i), the flexible element is formed integrally with the pipe guide as a portion of the pipe guide with a reduced thickness. In a second variant ii), the flexible element is made of a third material. In a third variant iii), the flexible element is formed integrally with the connection terminal.
[0011] The connection terminal has a pin section which serves in particular as a current conductor in the feedthrough. The pin section is preferably substantially cylindrical, in particular in the form of a circular cylinder, although other shapes are also conceivable. For example, cylinder shapes with an oval, rectangular or square cross-section would also be conceivable. Furthermore, it would be conceivable for the pin section to be completely or partially conical. The tube guide with the sleeve section and the flexible element at least partially surround the pin section. Their cross-sectional shape is preferably selected to correspond to the cross-sectional shape of the pin section. In the first variant of the invention, the elasticity of the part of the tube guide serving as the flexible element is increased by reducing the thickness.This reduction in thickness occurs in particular with respect to the sleeve section, so that a thickness, in particular a wall thickness, of the pipe guide in the area of the flexible element is smaller than the thickness in the area of the sleeve section.
[0012] In the second variant of the invention, the elasticity of the flexible element is increased by manufacturing it from a different material. The third material is preferably selected such that its modulus of elasticity is lower than that of the second material of the pipe guide. This increases the elasticity even if the flexible element has the same wall thickness as the pipe guide in the sleeve area. In addition, however, the thickness or wall thickness of the flexible element can of course also be selected to be smaller than the thickness of the pipe guide in the sleeve area in order to further increase the elasticity.
[0013] In the third variant, the flexible element is formed integrally with the connection terminal and thus made of the same material as the connection terminal. The first material of the connection terminal typically has a lower modulus of elasticity than the second material of the pipe guide. Furthermore, the thickness or wall thickness of the flexible element can be selected independently of the thickness of the sleeve section of the pipe guide, resulting in a flexible element with good elastic properties. In particular, the thickness or wall thickness of the flexible element can be selected to be smaller than the thickness of the pipe guide in the sleeve section.
[0014] Compared to the feedthroughs known from the prior art, all three variants allow the flexibility of the flexible element to be adjusted independently of the properties of the sleeve area of the pipe guide and enable the length of the flexible element to be reduced, thereby reducing the overall height of the feedthrough. The overall height is understood here in particular to be the length by which the connection terminal arrangement projects beyond the housing part. Furthermore, the reinforcement component enables the proposed feedthrough to be used even in housing components with a small thickness d, while still maintaining high mechanical stability and a secure and hermetically sealed feedthrough. This is particularly advantageous for housing components designed as sheet metal parts.
[0015] The flexible element is preferably connected to the connection terminal or pipe guide by welding or soldering.
[0016] This connection is preferably hermetically sealed. Likewise, the seal between the pipe guide and the inner wall of the through-hole with the fixing material is preferably hermetically sealed.
[0017] Hermetically sealed means in particular that at a pressure difference of 1 bar the helium leak rate is less than 1 ■ 10 -8 mbar l / s -1 , preferably less than 1 ■ 10' 9 mbar l / s -1 is.
[0018] To achieve a tight penetration, a sufficiently large glazing length EL is required. The glazing length is the length along the longitudinal axis of the penetration opening along which the fixing material is connected to the reinforced housing component and touches the housing component and, if applicable, the reinforcement component. Without further measures, the thickness d of the housing component would correspond to the glazing length EL.
[0019] To save material and thus weight and volume, it is desirable to keep the thickness d of the housing part as small as possible. Furthermore, with thinner material thicknesses, it is possible to design the housing part as a sheet metal part and easily mold it into the desired shape using forming processes such as deep drawing. Thickness d here refers to the material thickness of the housing part, especially when designed as such a sheet metal part.
[0020] If the housing part has a variable material thickness, the thickness d refers to the material thickness of the housing part in the area of the through opening.
[0021] To extend the glazing length EL, the reinforcing component is preferably designed and arranged such that it extends an inner wall of the through-opening and, together with the housing part, provides the glazing length EL. In this case, a wall of the reinforcing component adjoins the inner wall of the through-opening and extends it, with the fixing material being in direct contact with the reinforcing component and preferably being glazed thereto.
[0022] Alternatively, the housing part can be bent in the area of the through-opening to form the inner wall of the through-opening over the entire glazing length, with the reinforcing component supporting the bent section of the housing part. For this purpose, for example, the material of a housing part formed as a sheet metal part can be reshaped and bent, for example, at an angle of approximately 90°. The fixing material is in direct contact with the housing component over the entire glazing length and does not touch the reinforcing component. The reinforcing component is preferably designed such that it directly touches and supports the bent section of the housing component.
[0023] The reinforcement component is preferably connected to the housing component by means of a joining process such as soldering, welding or gluing.
[0024] The material thickness d of the housing part is preferably in the range of 0.5 mm to 1 mm. The glazing length EL, which should be greater than the material thickness d of the housing part, is preferably in the range of 1.5 mm to 3 mm to enable a hermetically sealed and mechanically resilient connection. Accordingly, it is preferred to select a thickness D of the reinforcing component in the range of 0.5 mm to 2.5 mm.
[0025] The connection terminal preferably has at least one collar. The collar is designed, in particular, as a region of the connection terminal within which an outer diameter of the connection terminal is larger than an outer diameter in the pin section. Such a collar can have a constant diameter. However, it can also be provided that the diameter changes abruptly or continuously in one or more steps in the region of the collar.
[0026] The at least one collar is preferably arranged on the connection terminal and dimensioned such that the collar is arranged outside the through opening.
[0027] Preferably, the flexible element according to variant i) or ii) is connected to the collar on a side facing the through-opening. In the case of a one-piece design of the flexible element with the connection terminal according to variant iii), it is preferred if the section of the connection terminal forming the flexible element begins on the side of the collar facing the through-opening.
[0028] The outer diameter of the collar and the outer diameter of the flexible element can be selected to be identical, so that the flexible element fits flush with the collar. Alternatively, the outer diameter of the flexible element can be selected to be smaller. As an alternative to arranging the flexible element on a surface of the collar facing the through-opening, it is preferably provided that the flexible element is connected to the collar on a lateral surface of the collar according to variant i) or ii).
[0029] The connection terminal can comprise connecting means on one or both end faces to facilitate the connection of an electrical supply line. These connecting means are designed, for example, as a threaded hole that allows a screw connection to an electrical connection. Preferably, such a threaded hole is arranged at least on one outward-facing side of the feedthrough.
[0030] Alternatively, the connecting means can also be designed, for example, in the form of a flat surface suitable for a soldered or welded connection. In this context, the surface can be coated and / or roughened to improve the adhesion of such connections.
[0031] The pipe guide or the flexible element, if formed integrally with the pipe guide, may include a flange to simplify the connection to the connection terminal, in particular to the collar of the connection terminal. For this purpose, a wall of the pipe guide may be folded into a flange or an end surface of the pipe guide may be enlarged by adjusting the outer and / or inner diameter.
[0032] By providing such a flange, the diameter of a connection point can also be increased, whereby torques acting on the connection terminal can be transmitted more effectively without damaging the connection point. If the flexible element is not formed integrally with the pipe guide, it is preferably provided that the pipe guide has a continuous or sudden increase in diameter on a side facing the flexible element outside the through-opening and that the pipe guide is connected to the flexible element with an increased diameter in this area. Here, too, the resulting increased diameter can improve the transmission of torques acting on the connection terminal, so that in particular when a connection cable is connected to the connection terminal by screwing, no damage to the bushing occurs.
[0033] Preferably, the flexible element is arranged and configured such that the second gap between the flexible element and the pin portion is larger than or equal to the first gap between the sleeve portion and the pin portion. For example, if the flexible element is formed by extending the tube guide with a reduced wall thickness, the inner diameter is preferably increased to reduce the thickness, while the outer diameter is maintained.
[0034] Particularly when the feedthrough is intended for an electrical connection with high voltages of, in particular, more than 100 V and particularly preferably more than 1000 V, an insulation gap provided by the fixing material is preferably extended by arranging additional insulation material. This can, in particular, reduce the occurrence of leakage currents and / or current flashovers, which could otherwise overcome the insulation gap provided solely by the fixing material in the presence of contamination and / or moisture.
[0035] For this purpose, the fixing material and an adjacent section of the housing part are preferably covered with an insulating material on a top side and / or a bottom side of the feedthrough. The insulating material can be formed as an insulating disc made of electrically insulating material. Alternatively or additionally, the insulating material can be formed in the form of a coating, in particular with a potting compound, made of an electrically insulating material.
[0036] When designed as an insulating disc, the insulating material can be selected from a glass, a glass ceramic, a ceramic, or a plastic, with plastic being preferred. The insulating material could also be selected to be identical to the fixing material.
[0037] The feedthrough is preferably designed as a pressure glazing, in which a thermal expansion coefficient of the housing part and / or the reinforcing component is greater than a thermal expansion coefficient of the fixing material. The thermal expansion coefficients of the reinforcing component and the housing part are preferably adapted to one another, but they can also be selected differently. The arrangement of the reinforcing component is particularly advantageous here, since compressive forces must be transferred to the fixing material to form the pressure glazing, and thin-walled housing components without reinforcement do not have sufficient mechanical strength. The fixing material, which is preferably glass here, is then provided, for example, as a pressed part made of glass powder and inserted into the through-opening of the housing part together with the connection terminal arrangement or at least together with the pipe guide.By heating this assembly, the pressed piece is transformed into the fixing material, which is then glazed onto the walls of the through-hole and the pipe guide. Upon cooling, the housing part and / or the reinforcing component contracts more than the fixing material due to the selected expansion coefficients, so that, during the finished feedthrough, pressure is continuously exerted by the housing part and / or the reinforcing component on the fixing material. This ensures, in particular, that the seal is of high quality and remains permanently tight, and in particular hermetically sealed, even under difficult conditions such as frequent temperature changes and high mechanical demands. The pipe guide is designed and constructed in such a way that the fixing material is supported from the inside in this pressure glazing.For this purpose, the sleeve section has a thickness which, in combination with the material selection of the pipe guide, is selected so that the sleeve section can apply sufficient counterpressure.
[0038] For a design as pressure glazing, the material of the housing part or the reinforcing component and the fixing material are preferably selected such that a thermal expansion coefficient of the housing part and / or the reinforcing component C( housing is at least 20% greater than a thermal expansion coefficient of the fixing material acias. For example, acehause is in the range of 12 ' 10- 6 1 ZK to 19 ■ 10 -6 1 ZK selected and acias in the range of 9 ■ 10' 6 1 / K to 11 ■ 10' 6 1 ZK. Where reference is made to the thermal expansion coefficient in this application, this refers to the linear thermal expansion coefficient a in the range from 20°C to 300°C.
[0039] As an alternative to pressure glazing, the thermal expansion coefficients of the housing part, reinforcing component, fixing material and pipe leadthrough can also be selected to match each other, so that the thermal expansion coefficient of the fixing material differs from those of the housing part or the reinforcing component and / or the pipe guide by less than 20%, preferably less than 10% and particularly preferably by less than 5%.
[0040] Preferably, the first material used for the connection terminal has a lower electrical resistance than the second material used for the pipe guide. Since the connection terminal serves as an electrical conductor in the feedthrough, a material with the lowest possible electrical resistance is preferred. This ensures, in particular, that the feedthrough does not heat up excessively, even at high currents.
[0041] Particularly in variants of the feedthrough in which the flexible element is formed integrally with the connection terminal, it is preferred that the first material has a lower modulus of elasticity than the second material. This allows elastic deformation of the flexible element even with greater material thicknesses.
[0042] If the flexible element is made of a third material and is therefore present as a separate component, the third material for the flexible element according to variant ii) preferably has a lower modulus of elasticity than the second material of the pipe guide. Furthermore, it is preferred that the third material also has a lower modulus of elasticity than the first material of the connection terminal.
[0043] Preferably, the first material of the connection terminal is selected from non-ferrous metals such as copper or a non-ferrous metal alloy such as a copper alloy, in particular brass, aluminum or an aluminum alloy.
[0044] Preferably, at least one inward-facing end face of the connection terminal is coated with a contact material to reduce contact resistance and / or sparking. Optionally, both end faces can also be coated with such a contact material. The contact materials are characterized by good resistance to oxidation and are also resistant to wear caused by sparks and arcs occurring during switching operations.
[0045] Suitable contact materials include, in particular, silver, gold, and platinum. Suitable alloys as contact materials include, in particular, silver-nickel and silver-tin oxide. The tube guide is made of the second material. The second material is preferably selected from a steel, in particular a thermoset steel, a steel alloy, in particular nickel steel alloys, and chromium steels.
[0046] The housing part is preferably made of a metal, whereby the materials described with reference to the pipe guide are also generally suitable as materials for the housing part. Other steels, particularly austenitic steels, are also suitable. A material with a thermal expansion coefficient greater than that of the fixing material used is preferred.
[0047] Particularly in the case of the tube guide, the second material can also be a composite material composed of several layers. However, choosing a composite material would also be conceivable for a separate flexible element or for the connection pin.
[0048] If a separate flexible element is used, the third material is preferably selected from a non-ferrous metal or a non-ferrous metal alloy. Examples of suitable materials include copper, copper alloys, especially brass.
[0049] The pipe guide can be designed as a solid component or as a folded sheet metal part. For example, the pipe guide is designed as a sheet metal part, with the thickness of the sleeve section being increased by folding the sheet metal part one or more times compared to the section designed as a flexible element.
[0050] Preferably, the sheet metal part is a one-sided coated bleaching part, wherein the bleaching part is folded and arranged such that a coated side of the sheet metal part points in the direction of a connection with the flexible element or the connection terminal and an uncoated side of the bleaching part points in the direction of the fixing material
[0051] The coating on the sheet metal part can be a nickel layer or another layer that facilitates joining, particularly with a soldering process. This is particularly advantageous when the sheet metal part is made of steel.
[0052] The coated sheet metal part is preferably always folded and arranged in such a way that the coating does not come into contact with the fixing material. Accordingly, the coated side in the area of the sleeve section is preferably always on the inside and does not border the fixing material. If the pipe guide is designed with a flange, the coating in the area of this flange preferably points towards the joining partner. This ensures that the pipe guide can be provided with a surface that promotes welding and / or soldering, even if this surface bonds less well to the fixing material. By folding the sheet metal part accordingly, the surface most suitable for connecting to the respective joining partner always borders it.
[0053] A pipe guide designed as a solid component can also be partially coated in order to simplify joining to the flexible element and / or the connection terminal, particularly in a soldering process. A nickel layer, in particular, can be used here as well. The coating is preferably applied selectively only to the surfaces facing the joining partner. In particular, the surfaces facing in the direction of the fixing material preferably remain free of the coating. The fixing material both mechanically holds the connection terminal arrangement and electrically insulates it from the housing part. The fixing material is preferably selected from a glass, a glass ceramic, or a ceramic.
[0054] Particularly preferred is a glass as the fixing material, wherein the glass is selected from borosilicate glass, sodium-barium glass, alkali glass, silicate glass, or soda glass. Borosilicate glasses and sodium-barium glasses are particularly suitable for customized glazing, while alkali glasses, silicate glasses, and soda glasses are particularly suitable for pressure glazing.
[0055] An example of a material selection for the bushing is copper as the first material for the connection terminal, and a ferritic steel as the second material for the pipe guide. Soda glass, for example, can be used as the fixing material.
[0056] Copper has a lower modulus of elasticity here, at approximately 110 GPa, than the ferritic steel of the pipe guide, which has a modulus of elasticity of approximately 200 GPa. An elastic element made of the copper material of the connecting pin can therefore deform elastically even with a lower force, even with the same geometry of the elastic element, and thus absorb the deformation caused by thermal expansion of the connecting pin without transferring harmful forces to the fixing material. While maintaining the elasticity of a pipe feedthrough made of ferritic steel, the dimensions of an elastic element made of copper can be correspondingly smaller, allowing the feedthrough to be more compact.
[0057] The connection terminal arrangement may additionally comprise a further flexible element which is connected to the pipe guide, wherein the flexible element and the further flexible element are connected to the connection terminal on opposite sides with respect to the through opening or, in the case of a one-piece design, merge into the latter.
[0058] The additional flexible element is also preferably substantially sleeve-shaped and preferably at least partially surrounds the pin section of the connection terminal. With respect to the through-opening in the housing part, one of the flexible elements can be oriented toward the top side and the other flexible element toward the bottom side, so that the connection terminal can be held from both sides of the housing part.
[0059] The described bushings are particularly suitable for safely conducting large currents in the range of several amperes, in particular more than 10 amperes and particularly preferably more than 100 amperes, through a hermetically sealed housing.
[0060] A further aspect of the invention is the provision of a housing comprising at least one of the feedthroughs described herein. The housing can be, for example, the housing of an electrical safety device, the housing of a control device such as a relay, or the housing of a battery module.
[0061] The housing preferably comprises a deep-drawn component formed from a sheet metal blank, which is part of one of the feedthroughs described herein. The housing part is preferably pot-shaped or cup-shaped with a base and side walls. It is preferred to arrange the through-opening(s) for forming one or more feedthroughs in the base. Accordingly, it is also preferred to use cup-shaped housing parts for the feedthrough described herein. Alternatively, it is also possible to design the housing part to be essentially flat, for example as a cover part for a cup-shaped additional housing part. The reinforcing component is preferably annular in order to lengthen and / or support the through-opening of the housing part.
[0062] In a further aspect of the invention, a relay is proposed which comprises a housing with at least two of the feedthroughs described herein and a contacting device for establishing an electrical connection between the connection terminals of the two feedthroughs.
[0063] The contacting device can in particular comprise an actuator that can be controlled via an electrical signal, so that a current flow between the two connection terminals can be controlled depending on such a control signal. An example of such an actuator is an electromechanical actuator with an electromagnet and a movable armature. Additionally or alternatively, the contacting device can comprise a pyrotechnic actuator in which an explosive charge can be ignited via an electrical signal, causing a rapid severing of an electrical connection between the two connection terminals. The housing can comprise further electrical feedthroughs for the passage of the electrical signals.
[0064] The relay housing is preferably hermetically sealed, so that the interior of the housing is protected from environmental influences, while also preventing any leakage from the interior of the housing to the outside. This makes it possible to fill the interior of the housing, or at least an area around the contacting device, with a so-called quenching gas. Such a quenching gas serves the purpose of extinguishing an arc that may occur when the electrical contact to the connection terminals is broken as quickly as possible. The invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the figures, without any limitation thereto.
[0065] They show:
[0066] Fig. 1 : A first embodiment of the bushing in a schematic sectional view from the side,
[0067] Fig. 2: a second embodiment of the bushing in a schematic sectional view from the side,
[0068] Fig. 3: a third embodiment of the bushing in a schematic sectional view from the side,
[0069] Fig. 4: a fourth embodiment of the bushing in a schematic sectional view from the side,
[0070] Fig. 5: a fifth embodiment of the bushing in a schematic sectional view from the side,
[0071] Fig. 6: a sixth embodiment of the bushing in a schematic sectional view from the side,
[0072] Fig. 7: a seventh embodiment of the bushing in a schematic sectional view from the side and
[0073] Fig. 8: an embodiment of a relay with two feedthroughs according to the invention according to the sixth embodiment in a schematic sectional view from the side. Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of a feedthrough 10 with a connection terminal 22. The feedthrough 10 comprises a thin-walled housing part 12 with a through-opening 14 therein, which has a material thickness d in the vicinity of the through-opening 14. The material of the housing part 12 is bent by 90° at the through-opening 14. The bent section of the housing part 12 is reinforced and supported by a reinforcing component 18. A connection terminal arrangement 20 is passed through this through-opening 14 and is held therein by a fixing material 16. The fixing material 16 hermetically seals the connection terminal arrangement 20 against the walls of the through-opening 14, so that the through-opening 14 is hermetically sealed.By bending the material of the housing part 12, a glazing length EL is provided for the fixing material 16, which is substantially greater than the thickness d of the housing part 12.
[0074] The connection terminal arrangement 20 comprises a connection terminal 22 and a pipe guide 26. In the exemplary embodiment shown, a longitudinal axis of the connection terminal 22 runs coaxially to a longitudinal axis of the pipe guide 26, with the pipe guide 26 surrounding a part of the connection terminal 22. The fixing material 16 for sealing the connection terminal arrangement 20 is arranged between an outer wall of a sleeve section 27 of the pipe guide 26 and an inner wall of the through-opening 14, with a first gap 32 being present between an inner wall of the sleeve section 27 and the connection terminal 22. As can be seen from the illustration in Figure 1, the sleeve section 27 is thus the section of the pipe guide 26 that is arranged directly adjacent to the fixing material 16 within the through-opening 14.
[0075] In the first embodiment of Figure 1, the pipe guide 26 has a section of reduced thickness which serves as a flexible element 28. In the section of reduced thickness, the outer diameter of the pipe guide 26 remains unchanged; only the inner diameter is reduced to reduce the thickness, whereby the wall thickness of the pipe guide 26 and thus its thickness is reduced in this section. As a result, a second gap 34 between the flexible element 28 and a cylindrically designed pin section of the connection terminal 22 is larger than the first gap 32. Furthermore, the reduced thickness increases the flexibility of the pipe guide 26, so that the formed flexible element 28 can be comparatively short compared to known feedthroughs with pipe guides and can nevertheless compensate for changes in the dimensions of the connection terminal 22 caused by temperature fluctuations through elastic deformation.
[0076] At an upper end, the connection terminal 22 has a collar 24 which, in the exemplary embodiment of Figure 1, is designed in the form of two steps, in each of which a diameter of the cylindrically designed connection terminal 22 increases. Furthermore, the connection terminal 22 has a threaded bore 23 on its upper side. The threaded bore 23 is designed in particular to establish a connection to an electrical supply line (not shown), wherein the supply line is screwed to the connection terminal 22. In other embodiments, other connecting means can of course also be provided instead of the threaded bore 23, or connecting means can be omitted, so that the connection terminal 22 has, for example, a flat surface on its upper side which can be connected to an electrical supply line, for example by soldering or welding.
[0077] In the first embodiment shown in Figure 1, the flexible element 28 formed by the region of reduced wall thickness of the pipe guide 26 is connected to a side wall of the first step of the collar 24 of the connection terminal 22. Accordingly, the outer diameter of the first step of the collar 24 is smaller than the inner diameter of the fixing material 16. Furthermore, in the example shown, the outer diameter of the second, larger step of the collar is smaller than the inner diameter of the through-opening 14. In further embodiments, however, this diameter could also be selected to be larger than the diameter of the through-opening 14. In the example shown, the connection is made via a soldered connection 30, although other connection methods such as welding can of course also be used.The connection between the flexible element 28 and the collar 24 is also hermetically sealed, so that the bushing 10 as a whole hermetically seals the through opening 14 of the housing part 12.
[0078] The portion of the flexible element 28 located between the collar 24 and the sleeve portion 27 is configured and designed to elastically deform upon application of force, with the first gap 32 and the second gap 34 providing the necessary space for this. In this way, it is possible, particularly without exerting a damaging force on the fixing material 16, to absorb the force resulting from thermal expansion of the connection terminal 22 via an elastic deformation of the flexible element 28. Such thermal expansion can occur in particular when the connection terminal 22 is subjected to high electrical currents and heats up due to the existing electrical resistance.
[0079] Advantageously, a wall thickness of the pipe guide 26 in the sleeve section 27 is not reduced, so that the stirring guide 26, the fixing material 16, and the housing part 12 can form a pressure glazing in which a thermal expansion coefficient of the housing part 12 and the reinforcing component 18 is selected to be greater than a thermal expansion coefficient of the fixing material 16. As a result, after the fixing material 16 has been glazed in, the housing part 12 and the reinforcing component 18 contract more strongly than the fixing material 16 and thus exert pressure on the fixing material 16. The pipe guide 26 with the greater wall thickness in the region of the sleeve section 27 can thereby form the necessary counterpressure, wherein at the same time the flexible element 28 has the necessary elasticity to absorb thermal expansion of the connection terminal 22.
[0080] The connection terminal 22 of the first embodiment shown in Figure 1 is made of a first material, and the pipe guide 26 is made of a second material. This allows the material properties to be optimally selected for both parts of the connection terminal arrangement 20. Thus, in particular, a material with low electrical resistance can be selected for the connection terminal 22, and a rigid material with a high modulus of elasticity can be selected for the pipe guide 26, and in particular for its sleeve section 27.
[0081] Figure 2 shows a second embodiment of a feedthrough 10. In contrast to the first embodiment shown in Figure 1, the pipe guide 26 is designed in two pieces, so that the sleeve section 27 and the flexible element 28 are composed of two parts and are connected to one another via a connection 30, which is designed, for example, as a soldered or welded connection. This allows the section of the pipe guide 26 that serves as the flexible element 28 to be manufactured from a third material and only the sleeve section 27 to be manufactured from the second material. The third material is preferably selected such that it has a lower modulus of elasticity than the second material and can therefore exhibit elastic deformation even with the application of a lower force.
[0082] In contrast to the first embodiment shown in Figure 1, the material of the housing component 12 is not bent in the region of the through-opening 14, so that the fixing material 16 directly touches the reinforcing component 18. However, it is of course also possible in this embodiment to bend the material of the housing component 12 as shown in Figure 1 and to support it with the reinforcing component 18, so that the fixing material 16 is connected to the inner wall of the through-opening 14 formed by the material of the housing component 12 over the entire glazing length EL.
[0083] Figure 3 shows a third embodiment of a feedthrough 10. As already described with reference to Figure 1, the feedthrough 10 has a housing part 12 with a through-opening 14 through which a connection terminal assembly 20 with a connection terminal 22 and a pipe guide 26 is passed. The connection terminal assembly is held in the through-opening 14 by a fixing material 16, hermetically sealing it.
[0084] Similar to the first two embodiments of Figures 1 and 2, the connection terminal 22 has a collar 24 on one side, which here, however, is designed as a single-stage collar and is arranged flush with one of the end faces of the connection terminal 22. A threaded bore 23 is again arranged in this end face, which allows for screwing in an electrical supply line.
[0085] In the third exemplary embodiment of Figure 3, the pipe guide 26 is formed by a coated sheet metal part comprising a sheet metal 38 with a coating 39 applied on one side. The sheet metal part is essentially tubular and surrounds a cylindrical pin section of the connection terminal 22, with a longitudinal axis of the pipe guide 26 running coaxially to a longitudinal axis of the connection terminal 22. The bleached part forms a sleeve region 27 with increased thickness at a first end and forms a flange at a second end. The bleached part is designed such that the coating 39 points inward toward the cylindrical pin section of the connection terminal 22 and the uncoated side of the sheet metal part correspondingly points outward. The sleeve region 27 is obtained by folding the sheet metal part one or more times.The sheet metal part is formed in such a way that the coating 39 of the sheet metal 38 is folded over and thus lies on the inside. Accordingly, the uncoated side of the sheet metal 38 in the sleeve region 27 points in the direction of the fixing material 16. The flange is also obtained by forming the sheet metal part, wherein here the coating 39 of the sheet metal 38 points in the direction of the collar 24 of the connection terminal 22 and is connected to it via a connection 30, which is designed, for example, as a soldered connection. In order to provide the largest possible area for the connection 30 to the flange, an outer diameter of the collar, as shown, is preferably selected to be larger than an inner diameter of the fixing material 16. In the exemplary embodiment shown in Figure 3, the diameter of the collar 24 is selected to be smaller than the inner diameter of the through-opening 14.To further increase the connection surface, the outer diameter of the collar 24 can also be selected to be larger than the inner diameter of the through opening 14.
[0086] Between the flange and the sleeve portion 27, the sheet metal part is not folded, forming a section there that has a smaller thickness than the sleeve portion 27 and serves as a flexible element 28. A first gap 32 between the sleeve portion 27 and the cylindrical pin portion of the connection terminal 22 is therefore smaller than a second gap 34 between the flexible element 28 and the cylindrical pin portion of the connection terminal 22.
[0087] Figure 4 shows a fourth embodiment of a feedthrough 10. The feedthrough 10 again has a housing part 12 with a through-opening 14 through which a connection terminal assembly 20 with a connection terminal 22 and a pipe guide 26 is passed. The connection terminal assembly is held in the through-opening 14 by a fixing material 16, hermetically sealing it.
[0088] Similar to the first two embodiments of Figures 1 and 2, the connection terminal 22 has a collar 24 on one side, which here is also designed with multiple steps. Starting from a bottom side, which is opposite the top side with a threaded bore 23, the collar 24 has a first step and a second step, with a diameter of the first step being larger than a diameter of the second step. In further embodiments, however, it would of course also be possible to design the collar 24 differently, for example with only one step, which is arranged flush with the top side of the connection terminal 22.
[0089] On an underside of the collar 24, the pipe guide 26 is connected to the collar 24 via a connection 30, which is designed, for example, as a soldered connection. The pipe guide 26 is designed in two pieces here, with a sleeve section 27 opposite the fixing material 16 being made of the second material and a part serving as a flexible element 28 being made of a third material which has a lower modulus of elasticity than the second material. In the example shown, the two parts of the pipe guide 26 are also connected via a connection 30, which is designed, for example, as a soldered connection. The pipe guide 26 is arranged such that the flexible element 28 points towards the collar 24.The tube guide 26 is essentially cylindrical in design and surrounds a cylindrical pin section of the connection terminal 22 such that the longitudinal axis of the tube guide 26 runs coaxially with a longitudinal axis of the connection terminal 22. The dimensions of the collar 24 and the tube guide 26 are selected such that the outer diameter of the tube guide 26 corresponds to the larger diameter of the collar 24 and the two parts thus merge into one another without a step.
[0090] Figure 5 shows a fifth embodiment of the feedthrough 10, which is similar to the fourth embodiment in Figure 4. In contrast to the fourth embodiment, the diameter of the pipe guide 26 is smaller than the diameter of the collar 24. Furthermore, to improve the dielectric strength of the feedthrough 10, an additional insulating material 36 is provided, which is designed here as two insulating disks. A first insulating disk covers an upper side of the fixing material 16 as well as an adjacent part of the upper side of the housing part 12. A second insulating disk covers an underside of the fixing material 16 as well as an adjacent part of the underside of the housing part 12. The arranged insulating material 36 in particular increases a creepage distance between the connection terminal arrangement 20 and the housing part 12, so that the dielectric strength of the feedthrough 10 is improved.Instead of insulating discs, the insulating material 36 could also be applied, for example, as an insulating coating. Furthermore, depending on the application, it may be sufficient to arrange the insulating material 36 only on one side, for example, the top side, of the bushing 10.
[0091] Figure 6 shows a sixth embodiment of a feedthrough 10. The feedthrough 10 again has a housing part 12 with a through-opening 14 through which a connection terminal assembly 20 with a connection terminal 22 and a pipe guide 26 is passed. The connection terminal assembly 20 is held in the through-opening 14 by a fixing material 16, hermetically sealing it.
[0092] The connection terminal 22 here has a collar 24 flush with an upper side having a threaded bore 23, wherein a sleeve-shaped section of the connection terminal 22 serving as a flexible element 28 is connected to an underside of the collar 24 facing the through-opening 14. The outer diameter of the sleeve-shaped section corresponds in this example to the outer diameter of the collar 24, although the outer diameter can also be selected to be smaller. Furthermore, in the exemplary embodiment shown in Figure 6, the outer diameter of the collar 24 is selected to be larger than the inner diameter of the fixing material 16 and smaller than the inner diameter of the through-opening 14. Alternatively, the outer diameter of the collar 24 could also be selected to be larger than the inner diameter of the through-opening 14.
[0093] The sleeve-shaped section serves as a flexible element 28 and is connected to a tube guide 26 via a connection 30, which is designed, for example, as a soldered connection. The tube guide 26 comprises a sleeve section 27 that borders the fixing material 16. A first gap 32 exists between the sleeve section 27, which surrounds a cylindrical pin section of the connection terminal 22, and the connection terminal 22. In the embodiment shown in Figure 6, the sleeve section 27 is extended upwards and widens at an end facing the collar 24 to form a connecting flange. At the connecting flange, the tube guide 26 is connected to the flexible element 28 of the connection terminal 22. The tube guide 26 is made of a second material that has a higher modulus of elasticity than a first material from which the connection terminal 22 is made.Accordingly, forces occurring during thermal expansion of the connection terminal 22 are absorbed by an elastic deformation of the flexible element 28 of the connection terminal 22. Advantageously, no force resulting from the thermal expansion is thus transmitted via the tubular sleeve 26 and in particular its sleeve section 27 to the fixing material 16, or such transmission is at least reduced to a harmless level.
[0094] The sleeve-shaped section of the connection terminal 22 serving as a flexible element 28 encloses the cylindrical pin section of the connection terminal 22, wherein a longitudinal axis of the sleeve-shaped section is arranged concentrically to a longitudinal axis of the cylindrical pin section and a second gap 34 is present between an inner side of the sleeve-shaped section or the flexible element 28 formed thereby and the cylindrical pin section. Figure 7 shows a seventh embodiment of a feedthrough 10 in which, similar to the sixth embodiment of Figure 6, a sleeve-shaped section of the connection terminal 22 is designed as a flexible element 28.
[0095] In contrast to the embodiment of Figure 6, the section of the connection terminal 22 serving as the flexible element 28 here has a smaller outer diameter than the collar 24, and the collar 24 is designed in several stages, similar to the embodiments of Figures 4 and 5. Furthermore, the pipe guide 26 here does not have a region with an enlarged diameter serving as a connecting flange. In the example shown, the outer and inner diameters of the pipe guide 26 and the flexible element 28 are identical. Since the first material of the connection terminal 22, and thus of the flexible element 28 formed integrally therewith, has a lower modulus of elasticity than the second material of the pipe guide 26, forces arising from thermal expansion of the connection terminal 22 are absorbed by an elastic deformation of the flexible element 28, and the shape of the pipe guide 26 remains essentially unchanged.
[0096] Figure 8 shows an example of a relay 200, which is designed, for example, as a high-performance relay for an electric vehicle. The relay 200 comprises a housing 100 with a cup-shaped housing part 12. The housing part 12 has a base 101 and a side wall 102. The housing part 12 is joined to the housing 100 by a cover 103. The housing part 12 comprises two electrical feedthroughs 10 arranged in the base 101, with connection terminals 22, to which a circuit to be switched by the relay 200 can be connected. For example, electrical connectors can be screwed to the connection terminals 22 for this purpose. In the example shown in Figure 8, the feedthroughs 10 are designed as described with reference to Figure 6. However, other feedthroughs 10 described herein can of course also be used.A contacting device 110 is arranged inside the housing 100. This contacting device is configured to electrically connect the two connection terminals 22 in a first position, allowing current flow, and to electrically separate the two connection terminals 22 in a second position, preventing current flow. As shown in the illustration in Figure 8, the connection terminals 22 can have a contact coating 40 made of a contact material on their end face facing the contacting device 110. The contact material, for example, silver or a silver-copper or silver-nickel alloy, is resistant to oxidation and reduces electrical contact resistance between the respective connection terminal 22 and the contacting device 110.
[0097] To transfer the contacting device from one position to another, an actuator 120, designed as an electromagnetic actuator, is provided in the embodiment shown in Figure 8. For electrical contacting of the actuator 120, the housing 100 has additional electrical feedthroughs, which are not visible in the sectional view of Figure 6.
[0098] By means of an electromagnet 122 of the actuator 120, the contacting device 110 can then, for example, be moved into the first position when the electromagnet 122 is energized, so that an electric current can flow between the two connection terminals 22. When the energization of the electromagnet 122 is discontinued, the contacting device 110 can, for example, be moved into the second position via a spring 124, so that no current can flow between the two connection terminals 22. To quickly extinguish an arc that may occur when the contacting device 110 is separated from the connection terminals 22, it can be provided to fill the interior of the housing 100 with a so-called quenching gas. Since the feedthroughs 10 according to the invention are hermetically sealed, the quenching gas cannot escape from the housing 100.In the relay 200, it may be provided to provide, in addition to the actuator 120, a further actuating device for moving the contacting device 110. For example, a pyrotechnic device (not shown in Figure 8) may be provided which, when energized, triggers an explosive charge, which then quickly moves the contacting device 110 into the second position, in which the connection terminals 22 are electrically separated from one another.
[0099] The claims are not limited to the embodiments described herein. In particular, numerous modifications are possible in which individual features of the embodiments described herein are combined with one another.
[0100] List of reference symbols
[0101] 10 Implementation
[0102] 12 Housing part
[0103] 14 passage opening
[0104] 16 Fixing material
[0105] 18 Reinforcing component
[0106] 20 Connection terminal arrangement
[0107] 22 connection terminal
[0108] 23 threaded hole
[0109] 24 collars
[0110] 26 Pipe routing
[0111] 27 Sleeve section
[0112] 28 flexible element
[0113] 30 solder connection
[0114] 32 first gap
[0115] 34 second gap
[0116] 36 Insulation material
[0117] 38 sheet metal
[0118] 39 Coating
[0119] 40 Contact coating
[0120] 100 housings
[0121] 101 Floor
[0122] 102 side wall
[0123] 103 lids
[0124] 110 Contacting device
[0125] 120 Actuator 122 Electromagnet
[0126] 124 spring
[0127] 200 relays
[0128] EL Glazing length d Thickness of housing component
[0129] D Thickness of reinforcement component
Claims
Patent claims 1. A bushing (10) with a connection terminal (22), in particular for a high-performance relay (200), comprising a housing part (12) with a through-opening (14) and a connection terminal arrangement (20) which is guided through the through-opening (14) and is sealed against the through-opening (14) with a fixing material (16), wherein the bushing (10) has a reinforcing component (18) which reinforces the housing part (12) in the region of the through-opening (14), and a glazing length (EL) of the fixing material (16) is greater than the thickness (d) of the housing part (12), wherein the connection terminal arrangement (20) comprises a connection terminal (22) made of a first material and a pipe guide (26) made of a second material,wherein the pipe guide (26) surrounds at least a part of the connection terminal (22) and the fixing material (16) for sealing the connection terminal arrangement (20) is arranged between an outer wall of a sleeve section (27) of the pipe guide (26) and an inner wall of the through-opening (14), wherein a first gap (32) is present between an inner wall of the sleeve section (27) and the connection terminal (22), characterized in that the connection terminal arrangement (20) further comprises a flexible element (28) via which the pipe guide (26) is connected to the connection terminal (22), wherein the flexible element (28) surrounds a pin section of the connection terminal (22), and wherein a second gap (34) is present between the pin section of the connection terminal (22) and the flexible element (28), wherein i) the flexible element (28) is formed integrally with the pipe guide (26) as a section of the pipe guide (26) with reduced thickness, or, ii) the flexible element (28) is made of a third material, or iii) the flexible element (28) is formed integrally with the connection terminal (22).
2. Feedthrough (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the reinforcing component (18) extends an inner wall of the through-opening (14) and, together with the housing part (12), provides the glazing length (EL), or in that the housing part (12) is bent over in the region of the through-opening (14) in order to form the inner wall of the through-opening (14) over the entire glazing length (EL), the reinforcing component (16) supporting the bent-over section of the housing part (12).
3. Feedthrough (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the material thickness (d) of the housing part (12) is selected in the range from 0.5 mm to 1 mm, wherein preferably a thickness (D) of the reinforcing component (18) is selected such that the glazing length (EL) is in the range from 1.5 to 3 mm.
4. Feedthrough (10) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the connection terminal (22) has a collar (24) and the flexible element (26) according to variant i) or ii) is connected to the collar (24) on a side of the collar facing the through-opening (14) or that in the case of a one-piece design with the pipe guide (26) according to variant iii) the section of the connection terminal (22) forming the flexible element (28) begins on the side of the collar (24) facing the through-opening (14).
5. Feedthrough (10) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the connection terminal (22) has a collar (24) and the flexible element (28) according to variant i) or ii) is connected to the collar (24) on a lateral surface thereof.
6. Feedthrough (10) according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the collar (24) is arranged outside the through opening (14).
7. A bushing (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the pipe guide (26) has a continuous or sudden increase in diameter on a side facing the flexible element (28) outside the through-opening (14) and the pipe guide (26) is connected to the flexible element (28) in this area with an increased diameter.
8. Feedthrough (10) according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the connection terminal (22) has a threaded bore (23) on an outwardly facing side for fastening a connection cable.
9. Feedthrough (10) according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the fixing material (16) and an adjacent section of the housing part (12) are covered on an upper side and / or on an underside of the feedthrough (10) with an insulating material (36), wherein the insulating material (36) is preferably designed as a disc made of electrically insulating material or as a coating made of an electrically insulating material.
10. A feedthrough (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the feedthrough (10) is designed as a pressure glazing, in which a thermal expansion coefficient of the housing part (12) and / or of the reinforcing component (18) is greater than a thermal expansion coefficient of the fixing material (16).
11. Feedthrough (10) according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the first material has a lower electrical resistance than the second material and / or that the first material has a smaller modulus of elasticity than the second material.
12. Feedthrough (10) according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the third material according to variant ii) has a smaller modulus of elasticity than the second material and preferably has a smaller modulus of elasticity than the first material.
13. Feedthrough (10) according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the first material is selected from a non-ferrous metal such as copper or a copper alloy, in particular brass, aluminum or an aluminum alloy.
14. Feedthrough (10) according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that an end face of the connection terminal (22) is coated with a contact material to reduce the contact resistance and / or to reduce sparking.
15. A bushing (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the pipe guide (26) is designed as a sheet metal part, wherein in the sleeve section (27) the thickness is increased by folding the sheet metal part one or more times compared to the section designed as a flexible element (28).
16. Feedthrough (10) according to the preceding claim, wherein the sheet metal part is a bleaching part coated on one side and the bleaching part is folded and arranged such that a coated side of the sheet metal part points in the direction of a connection (30) with the flexible element (28) or the connection terminal (22) and an uncoated side of the bleaching part points in the direction of the fixing material (16).
17. Feedthrough (10) according to one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that the second material is selected from a steel, in particular a high-alloy steel, or a steel alloy, in particular a nickel steel alloy or a chromium steel.
18. Feedthrough (10) according to one of claims 1 to 17, characterized in that the fixing material (16) is selected from a glass, a glass ceramic or a ceramic.
19. Feedthrough (10) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the glass is selected from a borosilicate glass, a sodium-barium glass, an alkali glass, a silicate glass or a soda glass.
20. A bushing (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the connection terminal arrangement (20) comprises a further flexible element which is connected to the pipe guide (26), wherein the flexible element (28) and the further flexible element are connected to the connection terminal (22) on opposite sides relative to the through-opening (14) or, in the case of a one-piece design, merge into the latter.
21. Feedthrough (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the housing part (12) is a cup-shaped housing part (12) with a bottom (101) and side walls (102).
22. Housing (100) comprising at least one feedthrough (10) according to one of claims 1 to 21.
23. Relay (200) comprising at least two bushings (10) according to one of claims 1 to 21 or a housing according to claim 22 and a Contacting device (110) for establishing an electrical connection between the connection terminals (22) of the two bushings (10).