EMC housing, housing portion of EMC housing, and usage thereof

Abstract

To provide a housing or a housing portion that can be manufactured at low cost while effectively shielding an electrical component.SOLUTION: An EMC housing (1) for an electric component (2) includes at least a first housing portion (3) and a second housing portion (4), which are connected to one another via a sealing surface (5) and which enclose a space (6) of the housing (1) in a liquid-tight manner. At least the first housing portion (3) includes a plastic material and a metal material (8) surrounded by the plastic material. The metal material (8) is arranged accessible at least in the area of the sealing surface (5) such that the second housing portion (4) can be in conductive contact with it.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an EMC housing, a housing part of the EMC housing, and the use of the EMC housing. The housing or the first housing part is particularly configured to ensure electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) in a configuration where electrical components are arranged by shielding the electrical components from the surroundings.

[0002] Shielding of electrical components or electrical engineering components is, in particular, to keep high-frequency electric and magnetic fields away from the electrical components or electrical engineering components, or conversely, to protect the surroundings from the electric and magnetic fields emitted from the components.

[0003] In particular, it is shielded by a conductive metal sheet, foil, or layer (connected to ground or reference potential or ground). These include, for example, plastic foil coated with metal, paper laminated with aluminum foil, graphite, a conductive lacquer layer, and the like. It is also known to coat a plastic housing with a metal layer.

[0004] In particular, the housing or the housing part is designed to serve as a shield, and the housing surrounds a space in which at least one electrical component (the object to be shielded) is arranged. Such a housing is usually designed in a plurality of parts to ensure a conductive connection of each housing part to ground or reference potential.

[0005] Designing only a metal housing or housing part is very expensive. Designing with a plastic material is more preferable, but a plastic material alone cannot provide shielding. However, since a metal layer is applied to the plastic material, this type of housing or housing part is even more expensive than a metal housing.

[0006] In the case of a housing consisting of a plurality of parts, it is also important to ensure that the space enclosed by the housing is at least liquid-tight (and in some cases airtight) with respect to the surroundings. For example, if a non-conductive sealing material is provided, each housing part is conductively connected only via connection elements such as screws.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] An object of the present invention is to at least partially solve the problems cited with reference to the prior art. In particular, a housing or a housing part that can be manufactured at low cost and at the same time enables effective shielding of electrical components is proposed.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] The housing having the features described in claim 1, the housing part having the features described in claim 11, and the use of the housing described in claim 12 contribute to the solution of the above problems. Advantageous further developments are the subject matter of the dependent claims. The features listed in the claims can be combined in technically feasible ways and may be complemented by the descriptive technical content of this specification and the details of the figures, which disclose further embodiments of the present invention.

[0009] An EMC housing (hereinafter also referred to as "housing") for electrical components (e.g., inverters, especially inverters used in automobiles, converters, etc.) is proposed. The housing comprises at least a first housing part and a second housing part, the first housing part and the second housing part being connected to each other via a sealing surface and enclosing the space of the housing in a liquid-tight manner. At least the first housing part is composed of a plastic material and a metal material surrounded by the plastic material. The metal material is arranged to be accessible at least in the region of the sealing surface so that the second housing part can make conductive contact.

[0010] The EMC housing is, in particular, a housing with dimensional stability, i.e., it has no elasticity or only slight elasticity and can only undergo plastic deformation. In particular, the same applies to the first housing part.

[0011] In particular, the metal material (as the only component of the first housing part) shields the electrical components from electrical or electromagnetic radiation. In particular, the wall of the metal material is thin or the thickness of the metal material is designed to be small, and the dimensional stability of the first housing part is at least essentially ensured by the plastic material. In particular, the plastic material has the role of manufacturing and maintaining the first housing part in the desired shape, and the metal material is designed or arranged according to this shape.

[0012] In particular, the metal material can be designed as a film, mesh, grid, fabric, knitted fabric, or scrim. In particular, since the metal material arranged in the first housing part is continuously arranged, when there is conductive contact in a certain area of the metal material, all other areas of the metal material will also have conductive contact. As the metal material, any conductive material can be applied, but in particular, a material having conductivity intermediate between aluminum (a low-cost material) and copper (the most conductive material) is suitable.

[0013] In particular, the metal material is closed and there are no holes, openings, or exposed parts. When holes (such as in the case of perforated foil), openings, or exposed areas (such as net-like, grid-like, fabric, knitted fabric, or scrim) are provided, the proportion of these areas accounts for at most 50%, in particular at most 25%, more preferably at most 10%, or even at most 1% of the total area covered by the metal material.

[0014] In particular, the metal material is completely surrounded by the plastic material. In particular, the metal material is arranged inside the plastic material and is away from the outer surface of the first housing part formed by the plastic material (excluding the area of the sealing surface).

[0015] "Surrounded" particularly means that the metal material is embedded and arranged in the plastic material. For example, as a result of manufacturing the first housing part using a two-component injection molding process, it means that the metal material is arranged in a state encapsulated by the plastic material. In particular, the metal material may be partially arranged on the surface of the first housing part, whereby at least partially passing through or blocking can be achieved on the surface of the first housing part formed by the plastic material.

[0016] In particular, the metal material does not cover the plastic material.

[0017] The metal material is arranged so as to be accessible at least in the region of the sealing surface (or only in the region of the sealing surface) for electrical contact with the second housing part. This particularly means that the metal material is contactable in this region, that is, the metal material is not covered or hidden by the plastic material.

[0018] In particular, the sealing surface is arranged only in the contact region between the first housing part and the second housing part (or another housing part). In the region of the sealing surface, the housing or the space surrounded by the housing is sealed from the surroundings of the housing (particularly liquid-tight, and in some cases air-tight). In particular, for this purpose, a seal or sealing material is arranged in the region of the sealing surface.

[0019] Since the metal material is arranged to be accessible, electrical contact is particularly possible (through the plastic material). Therefore, the metal material can be conductively connected to the second housing part (or another housing part).

[0020] In particular, the metal material and the second housing part are in contact via a conductive EMC seal that seals the housing part liquid-tightly.

[0021] EMC seals are known. In particular, an EMC seal ensures the liquid tightness or airtightness of the connection between two parts and is electrically connected to each other via the EMC seal itself. Therefore, the EMC seal itself has conductivity.

[0022] In particular, the metal material is accessible in the region of the sealing surface through the groove of the plastic material of the first housing part. In particular, an EMC seal is provided in this groove.

[0023] Alternatively or additionally, the metal material and the second housing part are in contact via a direct contact part, whereby the housing part is further sealed liquid-tightly via a sealing element (gasket). In particular, the sealing element does not have conductivity and is not an EMC seal. The direct contact part is formed by expanding the metal material from the plastic material and protruding towards the second housing part in the region of the sealing surface. Alternatively or additionally, a protruding part may be provided on the second housing part and expanded towards the accessible region of the metal material of the first housing part.

[0024] In particular, the sealing surface extends so as to completely surround the space. Therefore, the sealing surface extends around each housing part or the (partial) space surrounded by each housing part. Each seal (at least one of the EMC seal and the sealing element) extends, in particular, along the sealing surface and, in particular, over the entire circumference.

[0025] In particular, the plastic material occupies at least 60% of the weight of the first housing part, preferably at least 75%, particularly preferably at least 85%, and further preferably at least 90%. If necessary, the weight ratio of the plastic material may be 95% or more, further 99% or more, and further 99.5% or more.

[0026] In particular, the metal material (regardless of the presence or absence of holes) extends continuously over at least 80%, particularly at least 90%, preferably at least 95%, or at least 99% of the surface portion of the largest side surface of the first housing portion. The largest side surface of the first housing portion is specifically the inner side facing the space surrounded by the housing or the outer side of the first housing portion facing the surroundings.

[0027] In particular, the material thickness of the first housing portion is relatively thin, for example, designed to be 1 to 5 millimeters, particularly 4 millimeters or less. In particular, the first housing portion has a very large extension portion in a direction transverse to the direction of the material thickness, which is usually at least 20 millimeters or more, preferably 40 millimeters or more. In particular, the extension portion in the direction transverse to the direction of the material thickness is 100 to 400 millimeters.

[0028] Therefore, the largest side surface extending in a direction transverse to the direction of the material thickness is particularly at least 100 cm 2 preferably at least 150 cm 2 particularly preferably at least 200 cm 2 and is. In particular, the area of the largest side surface is at most 800 cm 2 or at most 600 cm 2 and is.

[0029] In particular, the metal material extends continuously over the surface portion, whereby all portions of the metal material of the first housing portion are electrically conductively connected to each other.

[0030] The metal material extends across the surrounded space and extends at least to the sealing surface, particularly to the EMC seal, or to the direct contact portion. In particular, the metal material does not extend beyond the sealing surface, or the EMC seal, or the direct contact, and is particularly less than at least 10 millimeters, preferably less than 5 millimeters.

[0031] In particular, the shape of the metal material is at least partially a structural shape that is different from the flat shape, in some cases only outside the sealing surface, inside the plastic material. The structural shape is, for example, a folded shape such as a zigzag shape, a waveform such as a sine curve, or a protrusion or a depression.

[0032] In particular, in terms of weight ratio, at least 75%, particularly at least 85%, preferably at least 90% of the metal material has a structural shape.

[0033] In particular, the "flat shape" refers to a region (such as a foil, mesh, fabric, etc.) of the metal material that extends (basically) parallel to the region immediately adjacent to the largest side surface of the first housing part.

[0034] On the one hand, the structural shape can stabilize the geometric shape of the first housing part. On the other hand, due to the structural shape, the surface of the metal material is oriented in various directions, so that the electromagnetic radiation of the electrical component is diffusely reflected.

[0035] In particular, the first housing part is a two-component injection-molded part, and the metal material is encapsulated by the plastic material.

[0036] In particular, in order to shield the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the electrical component, the space is completely surrounded by the metal material that at least partially constitutes the housing. Therefore, the metal material (in some cases various metal materials) is arranged in the first housing part and further arranged in the second housing part (in some cases, the housing part surrounding the space).

[0037] Furthermore, a housing part of the above EMC housing is proposed. The housing part is the first housing part.

[0038] In particular, the entire EMC housing is composed (only) of a plurality of appropriately designed first housing parts.

[0039] It is also proposed to use the above EMC housing as an electrical component instead of an inverter.

[0040] In particular, the EMC housing is intended to be arranged inside a motor vehicle and is used, in particular, as a housing for electrical components used in connection with a traction drive or an electromechanical machine of a motor vehicle.

[0041] The description of the EMC housing applies, in particular, to the first housing part and its use, and vice versa.

[0042] In particular, in the claims and the recitations of these claims, the indefinite articles ("an", "a") are not intended to be used as numerals and are to be understood as such. Accordingly, the terms and components introduced in correspondence therewith are intended to be understood as being present at least once, but in particular may be present several times.

[0043] For the sake of clarity, the ordinal numbers ("first", "second", etc.) used in this specification are mainly for distinguishing several similar objects, sizes, and processes. That is, in particular, these ordinal numbers do not necessarily define any mutual dependencies or orders of these objects, sizes, and processes. If dependencies or orders are required, this will be explicitly stated in this specification or will be apparent to those skilled in the art by examining the actually described configuration. When components can occur one or more times ("at least one"), the description of one of these components can be equally applied to all or some of these multiple components, but this is not essential.

[0044] Hereinafter, the present invention and the technical background will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the present invention is not intended to be limited by the embodiments described in detail. In particular, it should be noted that the figures and especially the illustrated ratios are merely schematic.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0045]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0046] FIG. 1 shows a known configuration of an inverter (electrical component 2) and an electric motor 15. This configuration includes the electrical component 2 in the EMC housing 1, the electric motor 15 and its electrical connection 16, and the signal line 17.

[0047] FIG. 2 is a side sectional view and an enlarged sectional view of the inverter. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the inverter. FIG. 4 is a side sectional view showing a known design of the housing 1 of the inverter. Regarding FIGS. 2 to 4, they will be described together below. Refer to the description of FIG. 1.

[0048] The electrical component 2 shown here as an inverter is arranged inside the EMC housing 1. The housing 1 has a role of ensuring electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) in the configuration of the electrical component 2 by shielding the electrical component 2 from the surroundings 18.

[0049] Shielding of the electrical component or the electrical engineering component 2 means, in particular, distancing the electric field and magnetic field at high frequencies from the electrical component or the electrical engineering component 2, or, conversely, protecting the surroundings 18 from the electric field and magnetic field emitted from the electrical component or the electrical engineering component 2.

[0050] The conductive housing parts 3, 4 connected to the ground 22 perform a shielding function. The housing parts 3, 4 surround the space 6 in which the electrical component 2 (the object to be shielded) is arranged. It is necessary to ensure a conductive connection between each housing part 3, 4 and the ground 22.

[0051] When the housing 1 consists of a plurality of parts, the space 6 surrounded by the housing 1 needs to be sealed at least liquid-tight (in some cases airtight) with respect to the surroundings 18. For example, it is known to provide a non-conductive sealing element 11 in the region of the sealing surface 5 of the housing parts 3, 4 in contact with each other. The conductive connection of each housing part 3, 4 is ensured mainly via a connecting element 21 such as a screw or via only that (see FIG. 4).

[0052] FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view of the first housing part 3 according to the first embodiment (two alternative embodiments). FIG. 6 is a side cross-sectional view of the EMC housing 1 including the first housing part 3 of FIG. 5. FIGS. 5 and 6 will be described together below. Refer to the description of FIGS. 1 to 4.

[0053] The housing 1 includes a first housing part 3 and a second housing part 4, which are connected to each other via a sealing surface 5 and surround the space 6 of the housing 1 in a liquid-tight manner. At least the first housing part 3 is composed of a plastic material 7 and a metal material 8 surrounded by the plastic material 7. The metal material 8 is arranged so as to be accessible at least in the region of the sealing surface 5 so that the second housing part 4 can make conductive contact.

[0054] The EMC housing 1 is a dimensionally stable housing that has no elasticity or only slight elasticity and is only capable of plastic deformation. The same applies to the first housing part 3.

[0055] The metal material 8 (as the only component of the first housing part 3) has the role of shielding the electrical component 2 from electrical or electromagnetic radiation. The wall of the metal material 8 is thin, or the thickness of the metal material 8 is small, and the plastic material 7 can at least basically ensure the dimensional stability of the first housing part 3. Therefore, the plastic material 7 serves to shape and maintain the first housing part 3 in the desired shape, and the metal material 8 is designed or arranged according to this shape.

[0056] The metal material 8 can be designed as a film, mesh, grid, fabric, knitted fabric, or scrim. Since the metal material 8 arranged in the first housing part 3 is continuously arranged, when a certain area of the metal material 8 makes conductive contact, all other areas of the metal material 8 also make conductive contact with each other.

[0057] The metal material 8 is completely surrounded by the plastic material 7 (outside the accessible area in the region of the sealing surface 5). The metal material 8 is arranged inside the plastic material 7 and is arranged away from the outer surface of the first housing part 3 formed by the plastic material 7 (excluding the region of the sealing surface 5).

[0058] The metal material 8 is only accessible in the region of the sealing surface 5 so that the second housing part 4 can make conductive contact. In such a region, the metal material 8 is contactable. That is, the metal material 8 is not covered or hidden by the plastic material 7.

[0059] The sealing surface 5 is provided only in the contact region between the first housing part 3 and the second housing part 4. In the region of the sealing surface 5, the housing 1 or the space 6 surrounded by the housing 1 is sealed from the periphery 18 of the housing 1. For this purpose, a seal designed as an EMC seal 9 is arranged in the region of the sealing surface 5.

[0060] The metal material 8 and the second housing part 4 are in contact via a conductive EMC seal 9 that seals the housing parts 3 and 4. The EMC seal 9 itself has conductivity.

[0061] The metal material 8 is accessible in the region of the seal surface 5 via the groove 19 of the plastic material 7 of the first housing part 3. The EMC seal 9 is arranged in the groove 19.

[0062] The seal surface 5 extends so as to completely surround the space 6. Therefore, the seal surface 5 spreads so as to surround each housing part 3, 4 and the (partial) space 6 surrounded by them. The EMC seal 9 also extends over the entire circumference of the seal surface 5.

[0063] In the weight of the first housing part 3, the proportion of the weight of the plastic material 7 is larger than the proportion of the weight of the metal material 8.

[0064] The metal material 8 continuously spreads over the surface portion of the largest side surface 12 of the first housing part 3 and occupies about 95%. The largest side surface 12 of the first housing part 3 corresponds to the inner side facing the space 6 surrounded by the housing 1 or the outer side of the first housing part 3 facing the periphery 18.

[0065] The material thickness 20 of the first housing part 3 is designed to be relatively thin. The largest side surface 12 extends in a direction transverse to the material thickness 20.

[0066] The metal material 8 spreads at least up to the seal surface 5 or up to the EMC seal 9 beyond the surrounded space 6. The metal material 8 does not extend beyond the seal surface 5 or extends only a small range beyond the EMC seal 9.

[0067] Inside the plastic material 7, but only outside the sealing surface 5, the shape of the metal material 8 is at least partially a structural shape 14 that is different from the flat shape 13. The "flat shape 13" is a region that is directly adjacent to the largest side surface 12 of the first housing part 3, here, for example, a region of the metal material 8 that extends substantially parallel to the region of the sealing surface 5.

[0068] Figure 5 shows two alternative embodiments of the structural shape 14. The upper part of the figure shows a sinusoidal waveform structure. The lower part of the figure shows a zigzag structure. In Figure 6, only the waveform structural shape 14 is shown.

[0069] On the one hand, the structural shape 14 can stabilize the geometric shape of the first housing part 3. On the other hand, due to the structural shape 14, the surface of the metal material 8 is oriented in various directions, so the electromagnetic radiation of the electrical component 2 is diffusely reflected.

[0070] The first housing part 3 is shown as a two-component injection-molded part, and the metal material 8 is encapsulated by the plastic material 7.

[0071] In order to shield the electromagnetic radiation emitted from the electrical component 2, the space 6 is completely surrounded by the metal material 8 that at least partially constitutes the housing 1. Therefore, the metal material 8 is arranged in the first housing part 3 and also in the second housing part 4. The second housing part 4 is entirely composed of only the metal material 8.

[0072] Figure 7 is a side cross-sectional view of the first housing part 3 according to the second embodiment. Figure 8 is a side cross-sectional view of the EMC housing 1 including the first housing part 3 of Figure 7. Figures 7 and 8 will be described together below. For the description of Figures 1 to 6, in particular, refer to the description of Figures 5 and 6.

[0073] In contrast to the first embodiment, in the second embodiment, the metal material 8 and the second housing part 4 are in contact via the direct contact part 10, whereby the housing parts 3 and 4 are more tightly sealed via the sealing element 11. The sealing element 11 is not electrically conductive. That is, it is not the EMC seal 9 as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.

[0074] The metal material 8 is expanded from the plastic material 7 and is arranged toward the second housing part 4 in the region of the sealing surface 5, thereby forming the direct contact part 10.

[0075] The sealing element 11 is arranged in the region of the sealing surface 5 toward the periphery 18, that is, outside the direct contact part 10. Alternatively, the sealing material can also be arranged toward the space 6, that is, inside the direct contact part 10 in the region of the sealing surface 5.

Explanation of reference numerals

[0076] 1 (EMC) housing 2 electrical component 3 first housing part 4 second housing part 5 sealing surface 6 space 7 plastic material 8 metal material 9 EMC seal 10 contact part 11 sealing element 12 maximum side surface 13 flat shape 14 structural shape 15 electric motor 16 connection 17 signal line 18 periphery 19 groove 20 material thickness 21 connection element 22 ground

Claims

1. An EMC housing (1) for an electrical component (2), the EMC housing (1) comprising at least a first housing part (3) and a second housing part (4), the first housing part (3) and the second housing part (4) being connected to each other via a sealing surface (5) and liquid-tightly enclosing a space (6) of the housing (1), at least the first housing part (3) including a plastic material (7) and a metal material (8) surrounded by the plastic material (7), the metal material (8) being disposed accessibly at least in a region of the sealing surface (5) so that the second housing part (4) can make conductive contact, EMC housing (1).

2. The EMC housing (1) according to claim 1, wherein the metal material (8) and the second housing part (4) are in contact via a conductive EMC seal (9) that liquid-tightly seals the housing parts (3, 4), EMC housing (1).

3. The EMC housing (1) according to claim 1, wherein the metal material (8) and the second housing part (4) are in contact via a direct contact part (10), and the housing parts (3, 4) are further liquid-tightly sealed via a sealing element (11), EMC housing (1).

4. The EMC housing (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the sealing surface (5) is designed to completely surround the space (6), EMC housing (1).

5. The EMC housing (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a weight ratio of the plastic material (7) in the weight of the first housing part (3) is at least 60%, EMC housing (1).

6. The EMC housing (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the metal material (8) extends continuously over at least 80% of a surface portion of a maximum side surface (12) of the first housing part (3), EMC housing (1).

7. The EMC housing (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, outside the sealing surface (5) and inside the plastic material (7), the metal material (8) has at least partially a structural shape (14) different from a flat shape (13), EMC housing (1).

8. The EMC housing (1) according to claim 7, In terms of weight ratio, at least 75% of the metal material (8) has the structural shape (14). EMC housing (1).

9. The EMC housing (1) according to any one of Claims 1 to 8, wherein the first housing part (3) is a two-component injection-molded part, and the metal material (8) is encapsulated by the plastic material (7). EMC housing (1).

10. The EMC housing (1) according to any one of Claims 1 to 9, wherein in order to shield electromagnetic radiation emitted from the electrical component (2), the space (6) is completely surrounded by the metal material (8) that at least partially constitutes the housing (1). EMC housing (1).

11. The housing parts (3, 4) of the EMC housing (1) according to any one of Claims 1 to 10, wherein the housing parts (3, 4) are the first housing part (3). Housing parts (3, 4).

12. Use of the EMC housing (1) according to any one of Claims 1 to 10 for an inverter as the electrical component (2).

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