Conductor member cooling structure

Abstract

To provide a conductor member cooling structure capable of improving the cooling efficiency for a conductor member.SOLUTION: A conductor member cooling structure 1 is a flat-plate-like member for cooling a conductor member C1 placed on a surface 111, and includes a cooling plate 11 having a conductor groove 112 formed on the surface 111, and formed along the shape of the conductor member C1 in a longitudinal direction D11 and having a depth sufficient to accommodate a part of the conductor member C1 in a thickness direction D12, and a heat transfer member 12 formed of an insulating material that covers an area wider than the conductor groove 112 on the surface 111 of the cooling plate 11 so as to be sandwiched between an inner groove surface 112a of the conductor groove 112 and the conductor member C1, and transfers heat of the conductor member C1 to the cooling plate 11.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a conductor cooling structure for cooling a conductor member that connects a component terminal of an electric / electronic component to an electrical connection target. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a cooling structure in which the bottom wall of the device housing is used as a cooling plate, and the heat of a conductor member that connects the component terminals of an electric / electronic component to an electrical connection target is transferred to the cooling plate and dissipated (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The cooling structure of Patent Document 1 is a structure in which the heat of a metal conductor member is transferred to the cooling plate via an insulating member, preventing electric leakage and dissipating the heat of the conductor member. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-127302 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Here, in the cooling structure of the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, the heat transfer distance between the conductive member and the cooling plate via the intervening material is long, and the cooling efficiency tends to be low.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a conductor cooling structure capable of improving the cooling efficiency for a conductor member. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the conductor cooling structure is a flat plate-like member made of a conductive metal, one end of which is connected to a component terminal of a specified electrical / electronic component and the other end of which is connected to an electrical connection target of the electrical / electronic component so that a current-carrying conductor member is placed on its surface and the electrical / electronic component is fixed to its surface to cool the conductor member, and is characterized in that it comprises a cooling plate having a conductor groove formed on its surface that follows the longitudinal shape of the conductor member and has a depth sufficient to contain the conductor member in at least a portion of its thickness direction, and a heat transfer member formed of an insulating material that covers at least an area of ​​the surface of the cooling plate wider than the conductor groove so as to be sandwiched between the inner surface of the conductor groove and the conductor members, and transfers heat from the conductor member to the cooling plate. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the above-described conductor cooling structure, the cooling efficiency for the conductor member can be improved. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a conductor cooling structure according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the conductor cooling structure shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] 2 is a side view of the conductor cooling structure as viewed from the direction of arrow V11 in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] An embodiment of a conductor cooling structure will be described below.

[0010] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a conductor cooling structure according to one embodiment, and Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the conductor cooling structure shown in Fig. 1. Also, Fig. 3 is a side view of the conductor cooling structure as viewed from the direction of arrow V11 in Fig. 1.

[0011] The conductor cooling structure 1 in this embodiment is a structure for cooling conductor members C1 that connect each of component terminals E11 in a relay, which is an electric / electronic component E1, to an electrical connection target of the electric / electronic component E1. The electric / electronic component E1 is provided with a pair of component terminals E11, and a pair of conductor members C1 are provided in a one-to-one correspondence with the pair of component terminals E11. Each conductor member C1 is made of a conductive metal such as copper, and is formed into an L-shaped strip bent at 90° in the middle, with one end connected to the component terminal E11 and the other end connected to an electrical connection target to form a bus bar through which electricity flows. The conductor cooling structure 1 for cooling the pair of conductor members C1 includes a cooling plate 11 and a heat transfer member 12 that transfers heat generated in the conductor member C1 when electricity is passed through the cooling plate 11.

[0012] The cooling plate 11 is a flat member on which an electric / electronic component E1 is fixed with a pair of conductor members C1 placed on a surface 111 to cool the conductor members C1. A pair of conductor grooves 112 are formed on the surface 111 of the cooling plate 11, each of which is aligned with the L-shaped bent shape of the pair of conductor members C1 in the longitudinal direction D11. Each conductor groove 112 is formed as an L-shaped angular groove having a depth sufficient to accommodate at least a portion (approximately half in this embodiment) of the conductor member C1 in the thickness direction D12.

[0013] Further, component fixing studs 113 are provided on the surface 111 of the cooling plate 11 to fix an electric / electronic component E1 having a pair of conductor members C1 connected to component terminals E11. A pair of fixing flanges E12 protrude from the outer surface of the electric / electronic component E1 for screw fastening, and a pair of component fixing studs 113 are provided on the cooling plate 11 in a one-to-one correspondence with the pair of fixing flanges E12. With the pair of conductor members C1 fixed to the electric / electronic component E1, each fixing flange E12 is placed on the tip surface of each component fixing stud 113. Then, the screw E13 that passes through the fixing flange E12 is screwed into the screw hole 113a of the component fixing stud 113, whereby the electric / electronic component E1 is fixed to the cooling plate 11 together with the pair of conductor members C1.

[0014] The heat transfer member 12 is a flexible sheet material that is placed on the surface 111 of the cooling plate 11 so as to be sandwiched between the groove inner surfaces 112a of the pair of conductor grooves 112 and the pair of conductor members C1. As an example of this flexible sheet material, a heat transfer sheet such as Tflex SF600 Series (registered trademark) by Laird Corporation can be used. In this embodiment, the heat transfer member 12 is arranged to cover the entire surface of the surface 111 of the cooling plate 11, thereby covering a wider area than the pair of conductor grooves 112 and transferring heat from the pair of conductor members C1 to the cooling plate 11. The heat transfer member 12 is provided with stud through holes 121 through which the pair of component fixing studs 113 of the cooling plate 11 penetrate. The electric / electronic component E1 is fixed to the cooling plate 11 by the above-mentioned screw fastening so as to press the pair of conductor members C1 to the pair of conductor grooves 112 with the heat transfer member 12 sandwiched therebetween.

[0015] Moreover, each conductor groove 112 in the cooling plate 11 is wider than each conductor member C1 by an amount corresponding to the thickness of the heat transfer member 12. When the electric / electronic component E1 is fixed by the above-mentioned screw fastening, the portion of the heat transfer member 12 covering each conductor groove 112 is pressed into the inside of the conductor groove 112 by the conductor member C1. When the conductor member C1 is pressed into the conductor groove 112, the heat transfer member 12, which is a soft sheet material, is pressed into the inside of the conductor groove 112 so as to be crushed in the member thickness direction D13 of the heat transfer member 12. This pressing brings the heat transfer member 12 into close contact with the following points between the groove inner surface 112a of each conductor groove 112 and the outer surface of the conductor member C1. First, the heat transfer member 12 is sandwiched and in close contact with both the groove bottom surface 112a-1 of the groove inner surface 112a of each conductor groove 112 and the groove facing surface C11 facing the groove bottom surface 112a-1 side among the front and back surfaces of the conductor member C1. Furthermore, the heat transfer member 12 is sandwiched and in close contact with both a pair of opposing groove side surfaces 112a-2 on the groove inner surface 112a and a pair of side end surfaces C12 extending in the thickness direction D12 of the conductive member C1.

[0016] According to the conductor cooling structure 1 described above, the distance between the conductor member C1 and the cooling plate 11 is kept to a short distance corresponding to the thickness of the heat transfer member 12 inside the conductor groove 112. Furthermore, since the heat transfer member 12 covers a wider area than the conductor groove 112, the heat transfer member 12 transfers heat to the cooling plate 11 and cools the following areas. First, the groove-facing surface C11 on the cooling plate 11 side of the front and back surfaces of the conductor member C1 is cooled. In addition, the heat transfer member 12 transfers heat to the cooling plate 11 and cools the surface portion of the side end surface C12 of the conductor member C1 that is contained inside the conductor groove 112 in the thickness direction D12. Since the cooled area extends to the side end surface C12 of the conductor member C1 in this way, coupled with the above-mentioned short distance between the conductor member C1 and the cooling plate 11, the cooling efficiency for the conductor member C1 can be improved.

[0017] Here, in this embodiment, the conductor groove 112 is a groove that is wider than the conductor member C1 by an amount corresponding to the thickness of the heat transfer member 12. According to this configuration, the heat transfer member 12 is effectively inserted between the side end surface C12 of the conductor member C1 and the groove side surface 112a-2 of the conductor groove 112, and heat is effectively transferred between them, thereby further improving the cooling efficiency.

[0018] Moreover, in this embodiment, the heat transfer member 12 is disposed so as to cover the entire surface 111 of the cooling plate 11. According to this configuration, the heat transfer member 12 does not require fine shaping, and the heat transfer member 12 can be effectively interposed between the groove inner surface 112a of the conductor groove 112 and the conductor member C1, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.

[0019] In this embodiment, component fixing studs 113 are provided on the surface 111 of the cooling plate 11, and stud through holes 121 are provided in the heat transfer member 12. When the electric / electronic component E1 is fixed to the cooling plate 11 via the component fixing studs 113, the conductor member C1 is pressed into the conductor groove 112 with the heat transfer member 12 sandwiched between the component fixing studs 113 and the groove inner surface 112a. With this configuration, the conductor member C1 can be effectively pressed into the conductor groove 112 of the cooling plate 11 with the heat transfer member 12 sandwiched therebetween by fixing the electric / electronic component E1, so that the manufacturing cost can be reduced compared to providing a separate pressing structure for the conductor member C1.

[0020] In this embodiment, the heat transfer member 12 is a flexible sheet material, and when the conductor member C1 is pressed against the conductor groove 112, the heat transfer member 12 adheres closely to both the groove bottom surface 112a-1 and the groove opposing surface C11, and both the groove side surface 112a-2 and the side end surface C12. According to this configuration, by using a flexible sheet material for the heat transfer member 12, the degree of adhesion between the conductor member C1 and the heat transfer member 12 at the above-mentioned locations in the conductor groove 112 can be increased, thereby further improving the cooling efficiency.

[0021] The above-described embodiment merely shows a typical embodiment of the conductor cooling structure, but the conductor cooling structure is not limited to this and can be implemented in various modifications.

[0022] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the conductor cooling structure 1 for cooling the conductor member C1 connected to a relay, which is an electric / electronic component E1, is illustrated as an example of the conductor cooling structure. However, the conductor cooling structure is not limited to this, and the cooling target may be a conductor member connected to an electric component other than a relay, or a conductor member connected to another electronic component.

[0023] In the above-described embodiment, as an example of a conductor cooling structure, a conductor cooling structure 1 in which a pair of conductor grooves 112 are provided in a cooling plate 11 in one-to-one correspondence with a pair of conductor members C1 connected to an electric / electronic component E1 is exemplified. However, the conductor cooling structure is not limited to this, and may be one in which there is one conductor member connected to an electric / electronic component and only one conductor groove is provided in the cooling plate in one-to-one correspondence with the conductor member. Alternatively, three or more conductor members may be connected to an electric / electronic component, and a plurality of conductor grooves may be provided in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of conductor members.

[0024] In the above-described embodiment, as an example of the conductor cooling structure, a conductor cooling structure 1 in which a conductor groove 112 is formed as an L-shaped angular groove in a cooling plate 11 corresponding to a conductor member C1 formed in an L-shaped band plate shape is exemplified. However, the conductor cooling structure is not limited to this, and the shape of the conductor member to be cooled may be any shape other than L as long as it is band plate-shaped, and the conductor groove provided in the cooling plate may also be formed in a shape other than L depending on the shape of the conductor member. In addition, the conductor groove is not limited to a square groove, and may be a polygonal groove other than a rectangle, a round groove, or the like, as long as it has a depth sufficient to accommodate the conductor member in at least a part of its thickness direction.

[0025] In the above-described embodiment, the heat transfer member 12 may be, for example, a heat transfer sheet such as Tflex SF600 Series (registered trademark) by Laird Corporation. However, the heat transfer member is not limited to this, and any material may be used as long as the heat transfer member is made of an insulating material that is sandwiched between the inner surface of the conductor groove and the conductor members to transfer heat from the conductor members to the cooling plate.

[0026] In the above-described embodiment, the conductor groove 112 is exemplified as an example of the conductor groove, which is wider than the conductor member C1 by an amount corresponding to the thickness of the heat transfer member 12. However, the conductor groove is not limited to this, and any width may be adopted as long as the groove is formed along the length direction of the strip-shaped conductor member and can accommodate at least a part of the conductor member in the thickness direction. However, as described above, the conductor groove 112 wider than the conductor member C1 by an amount corresponding to the thickness of the heat transfer member 12 can effectively transfer heat through the heat transfer member 12, thereby further improving the cooling efficiency.

[0027] In the above-described embodiment, the heat transfer member 12 arranged to cover the entire surface 111 of the cooling plate 11 is exemplified as an example of the heat transfer member. However, the heat transfer member is not limited to this, and may be, for example, a conductor member or a member processed into a shape corresponding to the shape of the conductor groove, as long as it covers an area wider than the conductor groove on the surface of the cooling plate. However, as described above, according to the heat transfer member 12 arranged to cover the entire surface 111 of the cooling plate 11, fine shape processing is not required for the heat transfer member 12, and manufacturing costs can be reduced.

[0028] In the above-described embodiment, as an example of a conductor cooling structure, a conductor cooling structure 1 is exemplified in which component fixing studs 113 are provided on the surface 111 of the cooling plate 11 and stud through holes 121 are provided in the heat transfer member 12. However, the conductor cooling structure is not limited to this, and any manner of mounting the electric / electronic component to the cooling plate may be adopted, and the heat transfer member may be formed in various shapes that do not hinder the mounting. However, as described above, the electric / electronic component E1 is mounted to the cooling plate 11 via the component fixing studs 113, and by adopting a heat transfer member 12 shaped to avoid the component fixing studs 113, the manufacturing costs can be reduced.

[0029] In the above-described embodiment, as an example of the heat transfer member, the heat transfer member 12 is formed of a soft sheet material, and is crushed when the conductor member C1 is pressed against the conductor groove 112, so as to come into close contact with each location on the groove inner surface 112a of the conductor groove 112 and each location on the conductor member. However, the heat transfer member is not limited to this, and may be, for example, a hard resin formed into a shape corresponding to the inner surface shape of the conductor groove and the outer surface shape of the conductor member. However, as described above, by making the heat transfer member 12 of a soft sheet material and crushing the heat transfer member 12 by pressing the conductor member C1 against it so as to come into close contact with the above-described locations, the cooling efficiency can be further improved. [Explanation of symbols]

[0030] 1 Conductor cooling structure 11 Cooling plate 12 Heat transfer material 111 Surface 112 Conductor Groove 112a Groove inner surface 112a-1 Groove bottom surface 112a-2 Groove side 113 Parts fixing stud 113a screw hole 121 Stud through hole C1 Conductor material C11 Groove facing surface C12 side end face D11 Longitudinal direction D12 Thickness direction D13 Material thickness direction E1 Electrical and electronic components E11 Component terminal E12 Fixed flange E13 Screw

Claims

1. a cooling plate made of conductive metal in a strip shape, one end of which is connected to a component terminal of a predetermined electric / electronic component and the other end of which is connected to an electrical connection target of the electric / electronic component, and which is a flat plate-like member on which an electric / electronic component is fixed in a state in which the electric / electronic component is placed and which cools the electric / electronic component, the cooling plate having a conductor groove formed on the surface thereof, the conductor groove being formed to conform to the longitudinal shape of the conductor member and to a depth sufficient to accommodate the conductor member in at least a portion of its thickness direction; a heat transfer member formed of an insulating material that covers at least an area of ​​the surface of the cooling plate that is wider than the conductor groove so as to be sandwiched between the inner surface of the conductor groove and the conductor member, and transfers heat from the conductor member to the cooling plate; A conductor cooling structure comprising:

2. 2. The conductor cooling structure according to claim 1, wherein the conductor groove is wider than the conductor member by an amount corresponding to a thickness of the heat transfer member.

3. The conductor cooling structure according to claim 1 , wherein the heat transfer member is disposed so as to cover the entire surface of the cooling plate.

4. a component fixing stud is provided on the surface of the cooling plate, and the component fixing stud is configured to fix the electric / electronic component having the conductor member connected to the component terminal, so as to press the conductor member against the conductor groove with the heat transfer member sandwiched between the component fixing stud and the inner surface of the groove; 4. The conductor cooling structure according to claim 3, wherein the heat transfer member is provided with a stud through hole through which the component fixing stud passes.

5. 2. The conductor cooling structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, when the conductor member is pressed against the conductor groove, the heat transfer member is crushed in the thickness direction of the heat transfer member, and is in close contact with both the groove bottom surface on the inner surface of the groove and the groove opposing surfaces of the front and back surfaces of the conductor member facing the groove bottom surface, as well as both the groove side surfaces on the inner surface of the groove and the side end surfaces extending in the thickness direction of the conductor member.

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