Electrical feedthrough assembly

Abstract

To provide an electrical feedthrough assembly which can be easily manufactured and allows a reliable connection of an insulation element.SOLUTION: An electrical feedthrough assembly 1 suitable for an electric compressor includes: a base body 10 configured to attach to a housing; and at least one electrical feedthrough 2. Each electrical feedthrough 2 is such that a conductor 12 is embedded in a fixation material 16 for sealing an opening 14. The electrical feedthrough assembly 1 further includes at least one insulation element 20 affixed to the base body 10 by means of an adhesive material 40. The at least one insulation element 20 is configured and arranged such that a contact portion 26 of each insulation section 22 contacts the adhesive material 40. For each insulation section 22, an air channel 28 is formed, such that a top wall of the air channel 28 is formed by the insulation element 20, and such that the air channel 28 completely surrounds the contact portion 26 of each insulation section 22.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1b

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] explanation The present invention relates to an electrical feedthrough assembly, preferably configured as an electric compressor terminal, having at least one electrical feedthrough, each electrical feedthrough having an opening in a base for a conductor, the conductor being inserted through the opening and embedded in a fastening material that seals the opening of the electrical feedthrough, the electrical feedthrough assembly further having at least one insulating element attached to the base by an adhesive material.

[0002] Housings for electrical components typically require multiple electrical feedthroughs to allow electrical connections from the outside to the interior of the housing, e.g., housings that house components of an electric compressor. The electrical feedthroughs should be fluid-tight or even gas-tight to protect the components inside the housing from the environment and / or to contain gases or fluids within the housing. Glass-to-metal seals can be used to provide such fluid-tight or gas-tight feedthroughs for electrical conductors that are placed in openings in the housing. A fastening material, e.g., a glass material, is used to seal the openings and to hold the conductors within the openings. The fastening material also provides electrical insulation between the conductors and the housing.

[0003] In order to provide additional electrical insulation between the housing and the conductor, it is known to place additional insulating elements in the electrical feedthrough when there are two or more conductors between the conductors. The insulating elements at least partially surround the conductors and increase the so-called creepage distance between the conductor and the housing and / or between the two conductors. The insulating elements for increasing the creepage distance may for example be insulating rubber or plastic sleeves or cylinders that at least partially surround the conductors.

[0004] WO 2022259597 describes a hermetic terminal having a metal base with at least one opening, through which a connection lead is inserted and which is sealed by a fastening material. The terminal further comprises an insulating tube having at least one circumferential groove in its outer peripheral wall. The insulating tube is made of a heat-resistant, oil-resistant and refrigerant-resistant elastic rubber or plastic material and is hermetically bonded to the fastening material or base via an adhesive layer. Suitable plastic materials for the insulating tube include PBT (polybutylene terephthalate), PPS (polyphenylene sulfide) or PEEK (polyether ether ketone). Suitable rubber materials include HNBR (hydrogenated nitrile rubber) or EPDM (ethylene-propylene-diene rubber). Epoxy adhesives are used to bond insulating tubes made of PPS and EPDM.

[0005] However, it is difficult to ensure that the correct amount of adhesive is applied so that the insulating element is attached without any air bubbles or gaps in the adhesive and without excess adhesive spilling over onto other parts of the feedthrough, which could block parts of the feedthrough assembly that need to be attached to the housing or cover parts of the conductors that are intended to make electrical contact with, for example, a connector. Furthermore, any gaps or bubbles can adversely affect the insulating properties of the insulator and can also allow contaminants or water to damage the connection.

[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide a feed-through assembly with at least one sealed conductor, which can be easily manufactured and allows a reliable connection of the insulating element, and an additional insulating element for extending the creepage distance between the conductor and the base of the feed-through.

[0007] Disclosure of the Invention An electrical feedthrough assembly is provided having a base configured for mounting to a housing and including one or more electrical feedthroughs, each electrical feedthrough having an opening in the base for a conductor, the conductor being inserted through the opening and embedded in a fastening material that seals the opening of the electrical feedthrough. The electrical feedthrough assembly further includes at least one insulating element attached to the base by an adhesive material, the at least one insulating element having at least one insulating portion, each electrical feedthrough having an assigned insulating portion. Each insulating portion has a conductor opening through which each conductor is inserted, and the insulating element is configured and arranged such that a contact portion of each insulating portion contacts the adhesive material, and an air passage is formed for each insulating portion. An upper wall of the air passage is formed by the insulating element, and the air passage completely surrounds the contact portion of each insulating portion.

[0008] The insulating element combined with the adhesive material serves as an electrical insulator for the conductor of the electrical feedthrough. This additional electrical insulation increases the electrical insulation distance or the creepage distance between the conductor and the substrate and / or between the two conductors. The insulating element therefore contributes to reducing the risk of short circuits, especially in the case of damp or humid environments. In such environments, layers of water and / or dirt, etc., can accumulate on the surfaces of the feedthrough assembly, in particular on the surfaces of the fastening material insulating the conductor from the substrate. Such water films that moisten the material of the feedthrough assembly can be particularly prone to occur in electric compressors with feedthrough assemblies configured as electric compressor terminals. This is because electric compressors have very low temperatures, for example lower than 5°C or even negative temperatures, whereas the ambient temperature, for example in summer, can be above 20°C. In such cases, a water film can form due to condensation. For example, in electric compressor applications, short circuits due to conductive water and / or contaminant films can be prevented by additionally insulating the conductor from the material of the substrate and thus from the housing of the device with the feedthrough assembly.

[0009] The air passages provide communication from the surface of the adhesive material to the surrounding environment, allowing any gases, such as air, that may be trapped in the adhesive to escape, thereby reducing the risk of leaving gaps, such as air bubbles, in the adhesive. Since the material of the insulating element and the adhesive material act as electrical insulators for the conductors, any gaps may weaken the insulating properties and must be avoided.

[0010] Preferably, a pocket for the adhesive material is defined by the base and the fastening material, the opening being located in said pocket, and the contact portion of the insulating part has a protrusion extending into the pocket, thereby forming a gap between a side wall of the pocket and a side wall of the protrusion. The contact portion and the adhesive can be arranged such that the adhesive is in direct contact only with the contact portion and not with the side wall of the protrusion. Alternatively, the adhesive material is arranged such that it at least partially fills said gap. Preferably, the protrusion extends into the pocket by a distance in the range of 0.05 mm to 0.5 mm. For example, it is preferably in the range of 0.1 mm to 0.2 mm.

[0011] Such an arrangement is advantageous because the pocket provides a space or a receptacle for receiving the adhesive material. In addition to the air gap, the pocket can in particular receive any excess adhesive material that is not required for connecting the contact part of the insulation to the substrate and / or the fastening material. Any spillage of the adhesive material onto other sections of the substrate, which can serve as sealing surfaces for example, is thus avoided. The provided receptacle can compensate for errors in the metering of the adhesive material.

[0012] Preferably, the pockets and / or protrusions have sloping side walls. The sloping side walls of the pockets reduce the risk of gaps in the adhesive or the risk of air bubbles being trapped in the adhesive material.

[0013] In embodiments where the pocket has sloping sidewalls, it is preferred that the protrusion of the insulation with the contact portion has a matching sloping sidewall shape. The shape of the contact portion is preferably the same as the pocket, but the dimensions of the contact portion are preferably selected to be smaller than the dimensions of the pocket, so that there is always a gap between the sidewall of the pocket and the sidewall of the protrusion of the insulation. This gap ensures that no seal can be formed between the sidewall and the insulation, thereby allowing any air trapped in the adhesive to escape.

[0014] The shape of the rubber insulating element is preferably selected in such a way that when the rubber insulating element is attached to the substrate, there is always a gap between the surface configured as the contact part of the insulating part and the fastening material and / or substrate. This ensures that there is always a layer of adhesive material with a certain minimum thickness present between the fastening material and / or substrate and the contact part. The shape of the rubber insulating element may include protrusions intended to be applied directly against the substrate to set a certain relative position between the rubber insulating element and the substrate.

[0015] Preferably, the thickness of the adhesive material is in the range of 0.05 mm to 1 mm, preferably 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm, particularly preferably 0.2 mm to 0.3 mm.

[0016] Preferably, the adhesive is an epoxy adhesive, an acrylate adhesive, a polyurethane adhesive, or a silicone adhesive.

[0017] Preferably, the width of the contact portion is in the range of 1 mm to 3 mm, which ensures that, when combined with typical materials for insulating elements, sufficient dielectric strength is provided for the portion of the insulation surrounding the conductor.

[0018] Therefore, it is preferred to select the material of the insulating element and the geometry, in particular the thickness of the material surrounding the conductor, such that a predetermined dielectric strength is achieved. Similarly, it is preferred to select the adhesive material and the width and / or height of the layer formed by the adhesive material such that a predetermined dielectric strength is achieved. For example, the width of the material of the insulating element and / or the width of the adhesive material surrounding the conductor is preferably selected to be in the range of 0.1 mm to 2 mm, more preferably 0.2 mm to 1 mm.

[0019] The contact portion of the insulating element is constructed and arranged so as not to contact the entire surface of the adhesive material facing the insulating element, thus leaving a portion of the surface of the adhesive material open to allow any gas, such as air, to leave the adhesive material and enter the air passageway.

[0020] Preferably, the width of the air passage is in the range of 0.2mm to 1mm. For example, the width of the air passage is 0.5mm. Preferably, the height of the air passage is in the range of 0.2mm to 1mm. For example, the height of the air passage is 0.5mm. This dimension provides an air passage of sufficient size to allow any trapped gas, such as air, to escape from the adhesive material and to provide space to accommodate excess adhesive material.

[0021] Preferably, the insulating elements have one insulating portion for each electrical feedthrough and are formed as a single integral element. Alternatively, the electrical feedthrough assembly has one insulating element for each electrical feedthrough and each insulating element has one insulating portion.

[0022] Preferably, at least one of the insulating parts of the insulating element has a cylindrical portion having a conductor opening and extending along a portion of the conductor, and preferably the cylindrical portion has an annular groove and / or annular rib, especially on the exterior facing wall, which can be used to provide a seal with a connector that can be attached to the conductor.

[0023] The position of such connectors can be secured by ridges or grooves. Additionally, the ribs, ridges or grooves can provide a seal to prevent contaminants or fluids from entering the space between the conductor and the cylindrical portion when the connector is attached. The ribs, rings, ridges and / or grooves can be arranged to form an annular ring or groove. A mating ring can also be disposed on the exterior facing wall of the cylindrical portion. Such a mating ring can be secured within a groove disposed in the exterior facing wall of the extension portion, for example.

[0024] Preferably, the upper surface of the insulating portion is provided with an annular groove surrounding the conductor opening, which further increases the creepage distance between the base and the conductor.

[0025] Preferably, the conductor opening in each insulation portion is configured to provide an airtight seal around the conductor, ensuring that moisture and contaminants cannot affect the contact between the adhesive and the conductor.

[0026] The feedthrough assembly may have additional insulation on the opposite second side of the substrate. In such a case, the additional insulation may be configured similarly to the insulating elements on the first side of the substrate, or may be configured differently. For example, the first side may have a single insulating element as a single integral element, and the second side may have one insulating element per conductor.

[0027] Preferably, the substrate material is a metal. More preferably, the substrate comprises as a material steel, particularly stainless steel, most preferably structural steel, preferably in the form of microalloyed steel, most preferably microalloyed steel. Microalloyed steel is a type of alloy steel that contains small amounts of alloying elements (0.05-0.15%), including niobium, vanadium, titanium, molybdenum, zirconium, boron and rare earth metals. These are utilized to refine the grain microstructure or to promote precipitation hardening. The yield strength of microalloyed steel is 275-750 MPa without heat treatment. Weldability is good and can be further improved by reducing the carbon content while maintaining strength. Fatigue life and wear resistance are better than similar heat treated steels. Cold worked microalloyed steel does not require as much cold working as other carbon steels to achieve the same strength, which also results in greater ductility. The use of microalloyed steel as a material can provide high bending stiffness and strength.

[0028] To improve resistance to high voltage flashover, the edges of the through holes may be provided with rounded edges or chamfers, which reduces the occurrence of sharp edges and reduces the strength of the electric field.

[0029] Preferably, the substrate comprises means for improving resistance to bending, these means being preferably selected from raised areas within which the openings are located, and / or raised edges.

[0030] Such a raised region may be a single region that includes all of the openings in the substrate. In an alternative embodiment, the substrate may have multiple separate raised regions, where each raised region includes a single opening. The raised regions may be formed in, for example, a plate, such as a precursor to the substrate, for example, by a stamping process that forms the substrate.

[0031] The raised edge and the base may be constructed as a single part, or the raised edge may be constructed as a separate part that can be joined to the base by fusion. The advantage of the raised edge being a separate part is that the manufacture of both parts - base and raised edge - can be planned separately.

[0032] However, in an alternative embodiment, the substrate is reshaped to provide the raised edge. Such a reshaping process may be, for example, the stamping of a plate such as a precursor element to form the substrate.

[0033] In the embodiment, in which the substrate preferably has a ridge surrounding and / or having the through opening of the electrical feedthrough, and in which the insulating element is arranged on the conductor on the side of the substrate having the ridge, it is preferred that the insulating element has a skirt. The skirt is configured to surround at least a part of the side wall of the ridge, so that an additional air passage is formed between the side wall and the surrounding skirt. This additional air passage allows any air trapped in the adhesive to escape, while the skirt provides a barrier between the predetermined position of the adhesive and the sealing area of ​​the substrate. In this case, any excess adhesive can be trapped by the skirt, so that the sealing area remains clean and free of adhesive material.

[0034] The fastening material is preferably selected from a glass, ceramic, or glass-ceramic material. Preferably, the fastening material is a glass material, thereby providing a glass-to-metal seal (GTMS) between the substrate, the conductor, and the fastening material.

[0035] Preferably, the substrate, the at least one conductor and the fastening material form a compression seal. Thus, the first thermal expansion coefficient of the substrate is preferably selected to be greater than the second thermal expansion coefficient of the fastening material. Preferably, to obtain a compression seal, the difference between the first thermal expansion coefficients is at least 2 ppm / K, more preferably the difference between the first thermal expansion coefficients is at least 5 ppm / K. The third thermal expansion coefficient of the conductor material is preferably selected to be approximately equal to or less than the second thermal expansion coefficient of the fastening material. If the difference is less than 2 ppm / K, the two thermal expansion coefficients are considered to be approximately equal.

[0036] As an alternative to a compression seal, the substrate material, the fastener material, and the conductor material may be selected to have approximately equal respective thermal expansion coefficients, where a difference of less than 2 ppm / K is considered approximately equal.

[0037] Preferably, the seal formed between the opening in the substrate, the fixing material and the conductor is a hermetic seal. In particular, a feedthrough having a He leak rate better than 1·10-7 mbar l / s, in particular better than 1·10-8 mbar l / s at 1 bar differential pressure, is considered to be hermetic.

[0038] Preferably, the substrate has roughness for adhesion with the adhesive, preferably with adhesive areas located within the pockets.

[0039] Areas with roughness may be provided, for example, by a stamping or embossing process, in order to improve the adhesion of the adhesive. The roughness can also be provided by rolled textured sheet material or by a rolled texture with a stamping step by a tool. Good adhesion improves the connection between the material of the substrate and the adhesive. Additionally or alternatively, structures such as tenons and / or pins and / or spigots can be provided in the adhesive region. Furthermore, structures such as embossed rings and / or ring-shaped grooves can be formed in order to improve adhesion. Such tenons can be formed from a sheet, possibly in the form of a mushroom-shaped head. An embossed ring can also be provided around the fastening material, through which the conductor is inserted. In any case, the surface structure of the substrate in the adhesive region can improve the connection of the adhesive to the substrate. In addition to structuring a part of the surface of the substrate, additionally or alternatively, it is also conceivable to provide such structures on a part of the surface of the insulating element.

[0040] Preferably, a part of the surface of the substrate is configured as a sealing region. In the sealing region, the surface of the substrate is preferably smooth and flat. In particular, in the sealing region, the surface of the substrate preferably has a flatness of at least 0.1 mm, preferably at least 0.07 mm, most preferably 0.01 mm to 0.07 mm. Such a smooth and / or flat region promotes the formation of a good and tight seal. The surface roughness is preferably R Z It is 10 μm or more.

[0041] Preferably, the base of the feed-through assembly has mounting means for facilitating mounting of the feed-through assembly to a housing or housing part of a device such as an electric compressor. Preferably, the mounting means are configured as mounting or threaded holes, in which case the base preferably has at least two of said holes. The base may additionally or alternatively include centering means such as protrusions or recesses to facilitate accurate positioning of the base and thus the feed-through assembly relative to the housing or housing part of the device.

[0042] The substrate may be configured to have an elongated shape, in which all openings for the conductors are arranged in a straight line, however, other configurations are also possible, for example a circular substrate in which the openings are evenly distributed along a circle.

[0043] The fastening material is preferably arranged so that it does not extend beyond the at least one opening in the substrate, at least on the side facing the insulating element. In particular, a glass meniscus surrounding the conductor and extending beyond the substrate should be avoided. In such an arrangement, the fastening material can be arranged flush with the surface of the opening or can be recessed relative to the surface of the opening.

[0044] By arranging the fastening material so that it does not extend beyond the substrate, the conductor can be bent without damaging the fastening material. For example, if a glass material is used as the fastening material, the glass meniscus that surrounds the conductor and is formed to extend beyond the opening will be subjected to high forces when the conductor is bent, which may cause the glass to crack or break. Therefore, the proposed fastening material arrangement allows the conductor to be bent as needed. Furthermore, there is a large variability in the shape of such a glass meniscus, making it difficult to determine the correct amount of adhesive.

[0045] Alternatively, the fixing material may be arranged to fill the opening and extend onto the substrate in the area surrounding the opening, preferably in such a case being arranged to have no glass meniscus surrounding the conductor, in which case the fixing material covering a portion of the substrate surface acts as an additional electrical insulator.

[0046] The insulating element is preferably made from an elastic material, in particular natural or synthetic rubber, in particular fluoroelastomer, ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber, hydrogenated nitrile butadiene rubber (HNBR) or silicone rubber.

[0047] Additionally, suitable materials for the insulating elements include thermoplastic or thermoset plastic materials.

[0048] With respect to the housing of the electric compressor to which the electrical feedthrough assembly can be attached, the insulating element may be disposed on an exterior-facing side of the housing. Additionally or alternatively, the insulating element may be disposed on an interior-facing side of the housing. In particular, the assembly may have two insulating elements, one disposed on the exterior-facing side and one disposed on the interior-facing side.

[0049] For example, if the proposed electrical feedthrough assembly is to be connected to the housing of an electric compressor, it is preferable to use silicone rubber for the insulating elements on the side of the assembly facing the inverter, and HNBR rubber for the insulating elements facing the motor side.

[0050] Preferably, the electrical feedthrough assembly is configured as a motorized compressor terminal and the base is configured for mounting to a housing of the motorized compressor.

[0051] Also disclosed is a method for manufacturing an electrical feedthrough assembly as described herein, the method comprising: - providing a substrate assembly, the substrate assembly including a substrate having at least one conductor embedded in a fastening material, the conductor being inserted through an opening in the substrate to provide a glass-to-metal seal (GTMS); - providing an insulating element, - covering the adhesive areas of the base assembly and / or the contact areas of the insulating element with the adhesive, and positioning the insulating element on the base assembly such that the conductors are inserted through the conductor openings in each insulating portion of the insulating element, the insulating element being configured such that an air passage is formed around each contact area.

[0052] Optionally, another insulating element can be placed on the opposite side of the substrate by flipping the substrate and repeating each assembly step.

[0053] The electrical feedthrough assemblies described herein are particularly suited for use as connection terminals for an electrically-driven compressor. The feedthrough assembly may be configured as part of a housing for the electrically-driven compressor or may be attached to or part of a housing for the electrically-driven compressor.

[0054] Accordingly, another aspect of the present invention is to provide an electrically-driven compressor having one of the electrical feedthrough assemblies described herein.

[0055] It is to be understood that the features mentioned above and those to be described below can be used not only in the combinations indicated in each case, but also in other combinations or alone, without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0056] Preferred embodiments of the present invention are illustrated in the drawings and will be explained in more detail in the following description, where identical reference symbols refer to the same or similar components or elements. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0057] [Figure 1a] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first exemplary embodiment of a feedthrough assembly including a base and an insulating element. [Figure 1b] FIG. 1b is a cross-sectional side view of an embodiment of the feedthrough assembly of FIG. [Figure 2a] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a second embodiment of a feedthrough assembly including a base and an insulating element. [Figure 2b] FIG. 2b is a cross-sectional side view of a second embodiment of the feedthrough assembly of FIG. 2a. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional side view of a third embodiment of a feedthrough assembly. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 is a bottom view of a third embodiment of a feedthrough assembly.

[0058] Figure 1a shows a perspective view of a first exemplary embodiment of a feedthrough assembly 1. The feedthrough assembly 1 has, in the illustrated example, three electrical feedthroughs 2. Each electrical feedthrough 2 has an opening 14 (see Figure 1b) in the substrate 10 and a conductor 12 inserted through each opening 14. A fixing material 16 (see Figure 1b) fixes the conductors 12 and seals the openings 14.

[0059] The substrate 10 has two drilled holes 19 in the illustrated example for mounting the feedthrough assembly 1 to a housing (not shown).

[0060] The feed-through assembly 1 additionally comprises an insulating element 20 for enhancing electrical insulation, which is further explained with reference to FIG. 1b.

[0061] FIG. 1b shows the feed-through assembly 1 of FIG. 1a in a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 1a.

[0062] As can be seen from the cross-sectional view of FIG. 1b, each of the three conductors 12 is inserted through an opening 14 in the substrate 10 and is held by a fastening material 16. The fastening material 16 is, for example, selected from glass and is electrically insulating. Moreover, the fastening material 16 is arranged so as not to protrude beyond the opening 14. In particular, the fastening material 16 does not form a glass meniscus surrounding the conductors 12 and extending beyond the substrate 10. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1a and 1b, the substrate 10 has an elongated shape with the three openings 14 arranged along a line. Other configurations are also possible, for example with multiple openings 14 evenly distributed along a circle.

[0063] The fastening material 16 is, for example, selected from a glass material and is configured and arranged to seal each opening 14. In the example shown in Fig. 1b, the fastening material 16 is further arranged such that it does not protrude beyond the openings 14. In particular, no glass meniscus is formed surrounding the conductors 12.

[0064] To further improve the electrical insulation between the substrate 10 and the conductor 12, an insulating element 20 is provided. In the exemplary embodiment of Figures 1a and 1b, the insulating element 20 is attached to the top surface of the substrate 10. However, the insulating element 20 may also be located on the bottom surface of the substrate 10, or two insulating elements 20 may be provided, one attached to the bottom surface of the substrate 10 and one attached to the top surface of the substrate 10.

[0065] The insulating element 20, in the illustrated exemplary embodiment, has three insulating parts 22, one for each feedthrough 2 and its respective conductor 12. Each insulating part 22 has a conductor opening through which a respective conductor 12 is inserted, and each insulating part 22 forms a seal with each conductor 12. Furthermore, the insulating parts 22 of the first embodiment have one common top wall with a groove 32 for further increasing the creepage distance between two adjacent conductors 12.

[0066] An adhesive material 40 is used to attach the insulating element 20 to the substrate 10 and the fastening material 16. The substrate 10 and fastening material 16 form pockets 18, with each insulating portion 22 having a protrusion 30 facing each pocket 18. The adhesive material 40 is contained within the pockets 18 and is in direct contact with the contact surface 26 of each protrusion 30 of the insulating portion 22. The fastening material 16 is substantially flat and does not form a glass meniscus, providing a substantially flat surface of the fastening material 16 that transitions without steps or gaps into the sidewalls of the pockets 18 provided by the substrate 10.

[0067] An air passage 28 is formed surrounding the protrusion 30 and thus the conductor 12. The sidewalls of the air passage 28 are defined by the sidewalls of the protrusion 30, and the recessed area of ​​the insulating element 20 defines the top wall of the air passage 28. The contact surface 26 of the insulating portion 22 is configured and arranged to not cover the entire surface of the adhesive material 40 that faces the insulating element 20. A portion of the surface of the adhesive material 40 remains uncovered to allow gases, such as air, to escape from the adhesive material 40 and into the air passage 28. The air passage 28 is also open to the surrounding environment of the electrical feedthrough assembly 1, allowing any gas or air to escape. This allows the adhesive material 40 to form a substantially void-free and bubble-free layer.

[0068] To improve the resistance of the substrate 10 to bending and flexing, the substrate 10 has a raised region 50 on the upper surface of the substrate 10 and a corresponding recessed region 52 on the lower surface. The raised region 50 in the illustrated example is formed as a single raised region 50, and all electrical feedthroughs 2 are located in said raised region 50. Alternatively, the substrate 10 may have one raised region 50 for each electrical feedthrough 2.

[0069] Figure 2a shows a perspective view of a second exemplary embodiment of a feedthrough assembly 1. The feedthrough assembly 1 has, in the illustrated example, three electrical feedthroughs 2. Each electrical feedthrough 2 has an opening 14 (see Figure 2b) in the substrate 10 and a conductor 12 inserted through each opening 14. A fixing material 16 (see Figure 2b) fixes the conductors 12 and seals the openings 14.

[0070] The substrate 10 has two drilled holes 19 in the illustrated example for mounting the feedthrough assembly 1 to a housing (not shown).

[0071] The feedthrough assembly 1 additionally comprises three insulating elements 20 - one insulating element 20 for each electrical feedthrough 2 - for enhancing electrical insulation. The insulating elements 20 are further explained with reference to Figure 2b.

[0072] Figure 2b shows the feed-through assembly 1 of Figure 2a in a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of Figure 2a. The feed-through assembly 1 of the second exemplary embodiment is similar to the first exemplary embodiment described with respect to Figures 1a and 1b, except for the structure of the insulating element 20. Instead of a single insulating element 20 with three insulating portions 22, the second exemplary embodiment of Figures 2a and 2b has three insulating elements 20, each with a single insulating portion 22.

[0073] The insulating portion 22 of each insulating element 20 has a conductor opening through which each conductor 12 is inserted, and each insulating portion 22 forms a seal with each conductor 12. Furthermore, the upper wall of the insulating portion 22 has grooves 32 for further increasing the creepage distance between two adjacent conductors 12 and between the conductors 12 and the substrate 10.

[0074] An adhesive material 40 is used to attach the insulating elements 20 to the substrate 10 and the fastening material 16. The substrate 10 and the fastening material 16 form pockets 18, and the insulating portion 22 of each insulating element 20 has a protrusion 30 facing each pocket 18. The adhesive material 40 is contained within the pockets 18 and is in direct contact with the contact surface 26 of each protrusion 30 of the insulating portion 22.

[0075] An air passage 28 is formed surrounding the protrusion 30 and thus the conductor 12. The sidewalls of the air passage 28 are defined by the sidewalls of the protrusion 30, and the recessed area of ​​the insulating element 20 defines the top wall of the air passage 28. The contact surface 26 of the insulating portion 22 is configured and arranged to not cover the entire surface of the adhesive material 40 that faces the insulating element 20. A portion of the surface of the adhesive material 40 remains uncovered to allow gases, such as air, to escape from the adhesive material 40 and into the air passage 28. The air passage 28 is also open to the surrounding environment of the electrical feedthrough assembly 1, allowing any gas or air to escape. This allows the adhesive material 40 to form a substantially void-free and bubble-free layer.

[0076] Figure 3 illustrates in cross-sectional side view a third exemplary embodiment of a feedthrough assembly 1. Similar to the embodiment described with respect to Figures 1a and 1b, the electrical feedthrough assembly 1 includes three electrical feedthroughs 2, each having an opening 14 in a base 10 for inserting a conductor 12 therethrough. A fastener material 16 seals each opening 14 and retains the conductor 12.

[0077] In this third exemplary embodiment, the electrical feedthrough assembly 1 includes two insulating elements 20, 20'. One insulating element 20 is disposed on the upper surface of the substrate 10, and another insulating element 20' is disposed on the lower surface of the substrate 10.

[0078] To improve the mechanical stability of the substrate 10, the substrate 10 is provided with recessed regions 52 and corresponding raised regions 50. Three electrical feedthroughs 50 are disposed within the recessed regions 52 and corresponding raised regions 50 described above.

[0079] The insulating element 20 disposed on the upper surface is configured as a single insulating element 20 having three insulating portions 22. Each insulating portion 22 has a protrusion 30 that defines a contact portion 26 that is in direct contact with the adhesive material 40. The side walls of the protrusion 30 define the side walls of the air passage 28, and the concave portion of the insulating element 20 defines the upper wall of the air passage 28. Furthermore, each insulating portion 22 has a cylindrical section 38 that extends along each conductor 12 and forms a seal between the conductor 12 and the insulating portion 22. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the cylindrical section 38 is provided with ribs 34 that may be used to form a seal between the insulating portion 22 and a connector (not shown) that is attached to each conductor 12.

[0080] The further insulating element 20' arranged on the lower surface is also constructed as a single insulating element having, in this example, three insulating portions 22. Each insulating portion 22 has a protrusion 30 that defines a contact portion 26 that is in direct contact with the adhesive material 40. The side walls of the protrusions 30 define the side walls of the air passages 28, and the concave portion of the further insulating element 20 defines the upper wall of the air passages 28. To increase the height of the air passages 28, the insulating portion 22 of the further insulating element 20' has a step 25. Furthermore, each insulating portion 22 has a cylindrical section 38 that extends along each conductor 12 and forms a seal between the conductor 12 and the insulating portion 22.

[0081] In the example shown in Fig. 3, the fastening material 16 is not flush with the surface of the opening 14, but is concave, thus forming a pocket 18 for accommodating the adhesive material 40. Any excess adhesive material 40 can be accommodated inside said pocket 18. In the case of the alternative insulating element 20', a skirt 36 is provided which surrounds the raised area 50 and forms another air passage 37. The skirt 36 serves as a further means for accommodating excess adhesive material 40, whilst still allowing any gas or trapped air to escape to the surrounding environment.

[0082] 4 illustrates a bottom view of a third embodiment of the electrical feedthrough assembly 1. The skirt 36 of the alternative insulating element 20' completely surrounds the raised area 50 and acts as an additional barrier to prevent any excess adhesive material 40 from spilling onto the sealing area 60. The sealing area 60 may be utilized to form a seal, for example by an O-ring, between the electrical feedthrough assembly 1 and a housing in which the electrical feedthrough assembly 1 is mounted.

[0083] Although the invention has been described with reference to preferred examples of embodiments, the invention is not limited thereto but may be varied in various ways. [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] 1 Electrical Feedthrough Assembly 2 Electrical Feedthrough 10 Base 12 Conductors 14 Aperture 16 Fixed material 18 Pockets 19 Perforation 20,20' Insulating Element 22 Insulation section 24 Conductor opening 26 Contact area 28 Air passage 30 Protrusion 32 Groove 34 Ribs 36 Skirt 37 Separate air passage 38 Cylindrical division 40 Adhesive material 50 raised area 52 Concave area 60 Sealing area

Claims

1. An electrical feedthrough assembly (1), particularly for an electric compressor, comprising a base (10) configured for mounting to a housing and comprising at least one electrical feedthrough (2), each electrical feedthrough (2) having an opening (14) in said base (10) for a conductor (12), said conductor being inserted through said opening (14) and embedded in a fastening material (16) sealing said opening (14) of said electrical feedthrough (2), said electrical feedthrough assembly (1) further comprising at least one insulating element (20, 20') attached to said base (10) by means of an adhesive material (40), 1. An electrical feedthrough assembly (1), comprising: said at least one insulating element (20, 20') having at least one insulating portion (22); each electrical feedthrough (2) having an assigned insulating portion (22), each insulating portion (22) having a conductor opening (24) through which each conductor (12) is inserted; said insulating elements (20, 20') being configured and arranged such that a contact portion (26) of each insulating portion (22) is in contact with said adhesive material (40); and an air passage (28) is formed for each insulating portion (22), an upper wall of said air passage (28) being formed by said insulating element (20, 20'), and said air passage (28) completely surrounding said contact portion (26) of each insulating portion (22).

2. a pocket (18) for the adhesive material (40) is defined by the base (10) and the fixing material (16), the opening (14) is located within the pocket (18), and the contact portion (26) of the insulating portion (22) has a protrusion (30) that extends into the pocket (18) thereby forming a gap between a sidewall of the pocket (18) and a sidewall of the protrusion (30), and the adhesive material (40) at least partially fills the gap; An electrical feedthrough assembly (1) according to claim 1.

3. The electrical feedthrough assembly (1) of claim 2, wherein the pocket (18) and / or the protrusion (30) have sloping sidewalls.

4. The electrical feed-through assembly (1) of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the maximum thickness of the adhesive material (40) is in the range of 0.05 mm to 1 mm.

5. The electrical feed-through assembly (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the width of the contact portion (26) is in the range of 1 mm to 3 mm.

6. The width of the air passage (28) is in the range of 0.2 mm to 1 mm; and / or The height of the air passage (28) is in the range of 0.2 mm to 1 mm. An electrical feed-through assembly (1) according to any one of the preceding claims.

7. said insulating element (20, 20') being formed as a single integral element, with one insulating portion (22) for each electrical feedthrough (2); or The electrical feed-through assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the electrical feed-through assembly (1) has one insulating element (20, 20') for each electrical feed-through (2), each insulating element (20, 20') having one insulating portion (22).

8. The substrate (10) has a means for improving resistance to bending, the means comprising: a raised area (50) in which the opening (14) is located, and / or Raised edge 8. The electrical feed-through assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, selected from:

9. The electrical feedthrough assembly (1) of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the substrate (10), the at least one conductor (12), and the fastener material (16) form a compression seal.

10. 10. The electrical feed-through assembly (1) of claim 1, wherein the substrate (10) has a bonding area having roughness for bonding with the adhesive (40), the bonding area being preferably located within a pocket (18).

11. the fastening material (16) does not extend beyond the at least one opening (14) in the base (10) on the side facing the insulating element (20, 20'); or the fastening material (16) is flush with the opening (14); or the fixing material (16) extends over the base (10) in an area surrounding the opening (14), and the fixing material (16) is preferably free of a glass meniscus surrounding the conductor (12); An electrical feed-through assembly (1) according to any one of the preceding claims.

12. The electrical feed-through assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the assembly (1) comprises at least one further insulating element (20') arranged on an opposite side of the base (10) to the at least one insulating element (20).

13. The electrical feed-through assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the insulating element (20, 20') is made of a fluoroelastomer, an ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber, a hydrogenated nitrile butadiene rubber (HNBR), or a silicone rubber.

14. The electrical feedthrough assembly (1) of any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the electrical feedthrough assembly (1) is configured as an electric compressor terminal and the base (10) is configured for mounting to a housing of an electric compressor.

15. An electric compressor equipped with an electrical feed-through assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

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