Pressing plate and circuit module

Abstract

To provide a pressing plate in which a cooling effect is hardly reduced and space saving can be achieved, and a circuit module having the pressing plate.SOLUTION: A pressing plate 50 presses an electronic component relative to a cooling plate in which a cooling fluid circulates therein, and includes a plate main body 80 and a fixing portion 84. The plate main body includes: an outer frame portion 81 formed in a rectangular shape; a pair of spring pieces 82, 82 protruding inward of an outer frame portion 81 from a pair of opposing sides 81A, 81B of four sides constituting the outer frame portion 81 and a pair of extending portions 83, 83 extending outward from the outer frame portion 81 at a diagonal position of the outer frame portion 81. The fixing portion is disposed on each of the pair of extending portions 83, 83 and fixes the plate main body 80 to the cooling plate.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a pressure plate that presses an electronic component against a cooling plate through which a cooling fluid flows, and a circuit module having the pressure plate. [Background technology]

[0002] Some electronic components generate heat when current is applied. Electronic components may also receive heat from their surroundings. However, such electronic components must be used at or below a preset maximum operating temperature in order to maintain their electrical characteristics. Therefore, technologies for cooling electronic components have been studied (for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a fixture that presses an electronic component against a heat sink. This fixture (pressure plate) has multiple claws (spring pieces) separated by notches, and is configured to press multiple electronic components against the heat sink with the multiple claws. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-28923 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] To reliably press multiple electronic components toward a heat sink using a pressure plate with spring pieces, it is preferable to use, for example, a rectangular pressure plate to individually press the electronic components while fixing them to the heat sink at their four corners. However, in this case, variations in the pressure plate's fixing points can result in uneven pressure loads on the electronic components. Therefore, if the pressure load applied by the pressure plate to the electronic components is increased to achieve a predetermined pressure or greater, the pressure load on the electronic components may become too large, resulting in damage to the electronic components. Conversely, if the pressure load applied by the pressure plate is too small, the degree of adhesion between the electronic components and the substrate (heat sink) decreases, reducing the cooling efficiency of the electronic components via the heat sink. In addition, in a circuit module including multiple electronic components, the overall occupied area of the multiple pressure plates individually arranged for the multiple electronic components becomes large, making it difficult to achieve space-saving for the circuit module.

[0006] Therefore, there is a demand for a pressure plate and a circuit module equipped with a pressure plate that are less likely to reduce cooling effect and that can achieve space savings. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The characteristic configuration of the pressure plate according to the present invention is that it is a pressure plate that presses an electronic component against a cooling plate through which a cooling fluid flows, and comprises a plate body including a rectangular outer frame portion, a pair of spring pieces that protrude inward from a pair of opposing sides of the four sides that make up the outer frame portion, and a pair of extension portions that extend outward from the outer frame portion at diagonal positions on the outer frame portion, and fixing portions that are arranged on each of the pair of extension portions and fix the plate body to the cooling plate.

[0008] In the above characteristic configuration, the pressure plate includes a rectangular outer frame portion as a plate body, a pair of spring pieces, and a pair of extensions, and a fixing portion for fixing the plate body to the cooling plate is disposed on each of the pair of extensions. As a result, even if the pressure plate is deformed away from the electronic component due to a reaction force from the pressure when the pressure plate presses against the electronic component, the diagonally positioned extensions exert a uniform restoring force, thereby suppressing variations in the pressing force. Therefore, the electronic component can be uniformly pressed against the cooling plate, making it difficult to reduce the cooling effect of the pressure plate. Furthermore, by disposing the fixing portions diagonally on the pair of extensions, there is no need to expand the area of the outer frame portion, allowing for a compact configuration of the pressure plate. This allows for a space-saving pressure plate to be realized.

[0009] A characteristic configuration of the circuit module according to the present invention is that it comprises a cooling plate through which a cooling fluid flows, and a pressure plate that presses a plurality of electronic components against the cooling plate, wherein the pressure plate has a plate body including a rectangular outer frame portion, a pair of spring pieces that protrude inward from a pair of opposing sides of the four sides that make up the outer frame portion, and a pair of extension portions that extend outward from the outer frame portion at diagonal positions on the outer frame portion, and fixing portions that are arranged on each of the pair of extension portions and fix the plate body to the cooling plate, and the plurality of pressure plates are arranged individually for the plurality of electronic components, and two adjacent pressure plates are configured so that the fixing portions can be arranged in the same straight line along the side of the plate body.

[0010] In the above characteristic configuration, the pressure plate includes a rectangular outer frame portion serving as a plate main body, a pair of spring pieces, and a pair of extensions. Fixing portions for fixing the plate main body to the cooling plate are disposed on each of the pair of extensions. As a result, even if the pressure plate is deformed away from the electronic component due to a reaction force from the pressure when the pressure plate presses against the electronic component, the diagonally positioned extensions exert a uniform restoring force, thereby suppressing variations in the pressing force. Therefore, the electronic component can be uniformly pressed against the cooling plate, thereby preventing a reduction in the cooling effect of the pressure plate. Furthermore, by disposing the fixing portions diagonally on the pair of extensions, it is not necessary to expand the area of the outer frame portion, allowing the pressure plate to be compact. Furthermore, in the circuit module, the multiple pressure plates are individually disposed relative to the multiple electronic components, and the fixing portions of two adjacent pressure plates can be arranged in the same straight line along the side of the plate main body, thereby efficiently achieving space savings in the circuit module. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the vehicle drive device. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 shows one pressure plate attached to a cooling plate. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which a plurality of pressure plates are attached to a cooling plate. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which a plurality of pressure plates (pressure plates of a comparative example) are attached to a cooling plate. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a first modified example of the pressing plate. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a second modified example of the pressing plate. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a view showing a pressing plate of the second embodiment. [Figure 9]FIG. 10 is a view showing a state in which a pressing plate of the second embodiment is attached to a cooling plate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] The pressure plate according to the present invention is configured to press a plurality of electronic components against a cooling plate through which a cooling fluid flows. The circuit module according to the present invention is configured to press a plurality of electronic components using a plurality of pressure plates. The pressure plate 50 and circuit module 1 according to the present embodiment will be described below. However, the pressure plate 50 and circuit module 1 are not limited to the following embodiment and can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0013] [First embodiment] [Vehicle drive device] 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a vehicle drive device 100 provided with a circuit module 1 having a pressing plate 50. In the drawings used in this embodiment, the direction along the axis of a motor shaft Ma (described later) is defined as the X direction, and the direction perpendicular to the X direction and in which a cooling plate 60 (described later) extends is defined as the Y direction. The direction perpendicular to both the X direction and the Y direction is defined as the Z direction.

[0014] The vehicle drive device 100 has a housing 100H, which has a first space 111, a second space 112, and a third space 113. The first space 111 houses a power conversion module PCM, the second space 112 houses a motor M driven by an inverter 3 included in the power conversion module PCM, and the third space 113 houses a gear mechanism G that reduces the rotation of the motor M and outputs it.

[0015] The power conversion module PCM includes a power supply module 2, an inverter 3, and a control unit 4. The power supply module 2 includes an AC / DC conversion unit 10 and a converter 20. The converter 20 includes a first conversion unit 31, a second conversion unit 41, a third conversion unit (not shown), and a transformer T. The control unit 4 is constructed of hardware or software, or both, with a CPU as its core component, in order to perform processing related to the control of the power conversion module PCM. The AC / DC conversion unit 10, the first conversion unit 31, the second conversion unit 41, the third conversion unit, and the inverter 3 each have a switching element.

[0016] The switching elements of the AC / DC conversion unit 10 and the first conversion unit 31 are mounted on a first substrate SS1. The switching elements of the second conversion unit 41 are mounted on a second substrate SS2. The switching elements of the third conversion unit are mounted on a fourth substrate SS4. The switching elements of the inverter 3 are modularized and provided between the third substrate SS3 and the cooling plate 60 via a pressing plate 50.

[0017] The control unit 4 is mounted on a control board 4S. The control unit 4 drives each of the switching elements based on a control signal. Therefore, the control board 4S is connected to each of the first board SS1, second board SS2, and third board SS3 via control lines that transmit control signals.

[0018] The first substrate SS1, the second substrate SS2, the third substrate SS3, and the control substrate 4S are housed in the first space 111 in parallel orientations. Here, the direction perpendicular to the plate surface of the first substrate SS1 is referred to as the "vertical direction." In addition, in FIG. 1, the direction in which the control substrate 4S is viewed from the first substrate SS1, the second substrate SS2, and the third substrate SS3 along the vertical direction is referred to as the "upper direction," "upper side," etc., and the direction in which the first substrate SS1, the second substrate SS2, and the third substrate SS3 are viewed from the control substrate 4S is referred to as the "lower direction," "lower side," etc.

[0019] The opening Ha is closed by a lid 114, making the first space 111 a closed space. The second space 112 houses the motor M from the side and is closed by a motor cover 115 fastened with bolts 115A, making it a closed space. Motor shafts Ma extend from the motor M on both sides along the rotation axis, and one of the motor shafts Ma passes through the motor cover 115 and is exposed to the outside of the housing 100H.

[0020] The other motor shaft Ma penetrates into the third space 113. The third space 113 houses a gear mechanism G from the side and is closed by a gear cover 116 fastened with bolts 116A to form a closed space. The other motor shaft Ma extending from the second space 112 is connected to the gear mechanism G, and the rotation of the motor M is input via the motor shaft Ma. The gear mechanism G reduces the rotation of the motor M and outputs it from the gear shaft Ga. The gear shaft Ga penetrates the gear cover 116 and is exposed to the outside of the housing 100H.

[0021] The control board 4S is supported on the upper surface of a metal support 61 having a C-shaped cross section. The support 61 is fixed to the cooling plate 60 with bolts 61A. The first board SS1, the second board SS2, and the third board SS3 are disposed below the support 61. The control board 4S is disposed so as to overlap the second board SS2 and the third board SS3 when viewed vertically. Harnesses 142 are used to connect the second board SS2 to the control board 4S and to connect the third board SS3 to the control board 4S. This facilitates assembly of the control board 4S to the second board SS2 and the third board SS3. A harness 143 is used to connect the first board SS1 to the control board 4S. The first board SS1 and the second board SS2 are further connected by a harness (not shown). A capacitor 11 is mounted on the first board SS1. A capacitor 42 is attached to the upper side of the cooling plate 60.

[0022] In addition, a through hole 60H is formed in the cooling plate 60, and via a conductor 77 inserted into this through hole 60H, the reactor coil L1 and the first substrate SS1 are connected, and the transformer T and the second substrate SS2 are connected.

[0023] The cooling plate 60 is provided within the housing 100H of the vehicle drive device 100, and a cooling fluid flows through it. The cooling fluid may be a cooling water such as long-life coolant (LLC), insulating oil such as paraffin, or a refrigerant such as hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) or hydrofluoroolefin (HFO). The cooling fluid may also be a gas such as air. In this embodiment, it is preferable to use a cooling water such as long-life coolant (LLC) or a liquid with high electrical insulation such as a fluorine-based inert liquid, or a cooling liquid made of insulating oil. The cooling plate 60 is formed in a plate shape, and the first substrate SS1, the second substrate SS2, and the third substrate SS3 are provided parallel to and adjacent to the cooling plate 60. In this embodiment, these substrates are provided above the cooling plate 60. This allows the switching elements mounted on the first substrate SS1, the second substrate SS2, and the third substrate SS3 to be cooled by the cooling fluid.

[0024] In this embodiment, the first substrate SS1, the second substrate SS2, and the third substrate SS3 are provided on the opposite side of the cooling plate 60 from the transformer T. That is, the transformer T is provided below the cooling plate 60.

[0025] In this embodiment, the cooling plate 60 has conductive portions 62 made of metal. The conductive portions 62 are provided over the entire upper and lower surfaces of the cooling plate 60 in a plan view of the cooling plate 60. However, the conductive portions 62 may be provided on only a portion of the upper and lower surfaces of the cooling plate 60. Furthermore, the conductive portions 62 may be provided on at least one of the upper and lower surfaces of the cooling plate 60. By providing the conductive portions 62 on the cooling plate 60 in this manner, it is possible to increase the heat exchange efficiency of the cooling plate 60.

[0026] It is preferable to ground the conductive portion 62. This prevents the control signals for driving the switching elements, which are transmitted from the control substrate 4S to each of the first substrate SS1, second substrate SS2, third substrate SS3, and fourth substrate SS4, from being disturbed by external noise.

[0027] [Circuit module] The circuit module 1 includes a cooling plate 60, a pressure plate 50, and a circuit board 70. As described above, the cooling plate 60 has a cooling fluid flowing through it.

[0028] [Pressure plate] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the pressing plate 50 of this embodiment. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the positional relationship between the pressing plate 50 and the electronic components. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the state of a plurality of pressing plates 50 attached to the cooling plate 60. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the state of a pressing plate 50A1 and the like of a comparative example attached to the cooling plate 60. Note that the conductive portion 62 is not shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the pressing plate 50 is formed by subjecting a metal flat plate to sheet metal processing, and includes a plate main body 80 and an extension portion 83.

[0029] As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 , the plate body 80 of the pressure plate 50 has a plurality of pressing portions 85. The pressing portions 85 press each of a plurality of modules 91, 92, and 93 from the side opposite the cooling plate 60 of the module 90 (described later). Here, the inverter 3 drives a motor M as a three-phase motor. Therefore, the inverter 3 has three legs, and each of the three legs is provided with a high-side switching element and a low-side switching element connected in series. The high-side switching element and the low-side switching element provided in each of the three legs are modularized. Therefore, the inverter 3 has three modules 90 (an example of electronic components). In this embodiment, the above-mentioned electronic components correspond to the modules 90 included in the inverter 3, and the plurality of electronic components correspond to the three modules 90 of the inverter 3. Hereinafter, the three modules 90 will be described as module 91, module 92, and module 93, respectively.

[0030] As shown in Fig. 1, the inverter 3 is provided above the cooling plate 60. Therefore, the side of the electronic components opposite the cooling plate 60 corresponds to the upper side of the inverter 3, i.e., the side of the third substrate SS3. Therefore, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the plate main body 80 has two pressing portions 85 corresponding to a pair of opposing sides of the outer frame portion 81. The two pressing portions 85 press each of the three modules 91, 92, and 93 from above the inverter 3.

[0031] The plate main body 80 has a rectangular outer frame portion 81, a pair of spring pieces 82, 82, and a pair of extending portions 83. The outer frame portion 81 has a first upper end edge 81A and a second lower end edge 81B that face each other in the up-down direction, and a third left end edge 81C and a fourth right end edge 81D that face each other in the left-right direction, as shown in FIG. 2. The pair of spring pieces 82, 82 protrude inward from the ends 81C, 81D, which are a pair of opposing sides of the four sides that make up the outer frame portion 81. The pair of extending portions 83 are diagonally positioned on the outer frame portion 81 and extend outward from the outer frame portion 81. The pressing plate 50 includes fixing portions 84 that are disposed on the pair of extending portions 83 and fix the plate main body 80 to the cooling plate 60 (the conductive portion 62).

[0032] Specifically, the pair of extending portions 83 includes an extending portion 83 extending downward along the third end side 81C and an extending portion 83 extending upward along the fourth end side 81D. A fixing portion 84 consisting of a through-hole penetrating through the pressing plate 50 in the thickness direction is provided on the tip side of each of the pair of extending portions 83. For example, a bolt is inserted into the fixing portion 84, and the plate main body 80 is fixed to the cooling plate 60 by fastening the bolt.

[0033] 3 , in this embodiment, in addition to the pair of spring pieces 82, 82, a third end edge 81C and a fourth end edge 81D, which are opposed in the left-right direction, of the outer frame portion 81 of the plate main body 80 function as a pair of pressing portions 85 that press the multiple chips 94 arranged in the module 91. In this embodiment, the module 91 is arranged with a total of six multiple chips 94, two rows vertically and three rows horizontally. The pair of pressing portions 85 corresponds to the third end edge 81C and the fourth end edge 81D, with the third end edge 81C pressing the two upper and lower chips 94 on the left side of the module 91 and the fourth end edge 81D pressing the two upper and lower chips 94 on the right side of the module 91.

[0034] In the plate main body 80, a pair of spring pieces 82, 82 each have a notch 87 formed therein. The notch 87 is formed on the same side (82C) as the fixed portion 84, of both sides (82C, 82D) of the spring piece 82 in the X direction. The notch 87 is also formed in the base end portion 82a of the spring piece 82. Here, the base end portion 84 of the spring piece 82 refers to the portion of the spring piece 82 on the boundary side with the outer frame portion 81.

[0035] The circuit board 70 is provided on the opposite side of the pressure plate 50 from the cooling plate 60. That is, as shown in Fig. 1, the circuit board 70 is provided in a state where the circuit board 70, pressure plate 50, and cooling plate 60 are stacked from top to bottom in this order. The circuit board 70 is placed on the side of the plate main body 80 opposite the side where the module 90 is located, and the circuit board 70 is fastened and fixed to the plate main body 80 with bolts (not shown).

[0036] A driver module 95 including a driver that improves the drive capability of control signals transmitted from the control unit 4 to the switching elements of the inverter 3 is mounted on the circuit board 70. In FIG. 1, the control board 4S is connected to the circuit board 70 via a harness 142, and the circuit board 70 is connected to the inverter 3 via a harness (not shown). The circuit board 70 corresponds to the third board SS3 described above.

[0037] The circuit module 1 of this embodiment uses a plurality of pressure plates 50 shown in Fig. 2. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 4, three pressure plates 50A, 50B, and 50C are arranged as the plurality of pressure plates 50 for three modules 91, 92, and 93 arranged side by side on the left and right. The pressure plate 50A presses the module 91. The pressure plate 50B presses the module 92. The pressure plate 50C presses the module 92. In this way, the plurality of pressure plates 50A, 50B, and 50C are arranged individually for the plurality of modules 91, 92, and 93.

[0038] Furthermore, for the adjacent pressing plates 50A and 50B, the fixing portion 84 located on the right side of the pressing plate 50A and the fixing portion 84 located on the left side of the pressing plate 50B are arranged on the same straight line LA along the opposing side portions (fourth end edge 81D, third end edge 81C) of the plate main body 80A and the plate main body 80B. For the adjacent pressing plates 50B and 50C, the fixing portion 84 located on the right side of the pressing plate 50B and the fixing portion 84 located on the left side of the pressing plate 50C are arranged on the same straight line LB along the opposing side portions (fourth end edge 81D, third end edge 81C) of the plate main body 80B and 80C. That is, the two adjacent pressing plates 50A, 50B (or 50B, 50C) are configured so that the respective fixing portions 84, 84 can be arranged on the same straight line LA (or LB) along the fourth end edge 81D and the third end edge 81C, which are the sides of the plate main bodies 80A, 80B (or 80B, 80C). Also, the three pressing plates 50A, 50B, 50C are configured so that the respective fixing portions 84, 84, 84 can be arranged on the same straight line along the Y direction (the sides of the plate main bodies 80A, 80B, 80C).

[0039] On the other hand, in the circuit module 1A of the comparative example shown in FIG. 5, multiple pressing plates 50A1, 50B1, and 50C1 are individually arranged for modules 91, 92, and 93. The pressing plate 50A1 (B1, C1) has spring pieces 82A arranged in the Y direction, and fixing portions 84A are arranged at all four corners of the pressing plate 50A (B1, C1). Therefore, when multiple pressing plates 50A1, 50B1, and 50C1 are used to press multiple modules 91, 92, and 93 toward the cooling plate 60, a predetermined space must be secured for each of the multiple pressing plates 50A1, 50B1, and 50C1. Therefore, the circuit module 1A of the comparative example is larger than the circuit module 1 shown in FIG. 4.

[0040] [Modification 1 of the First Embodiment] As shown in FIG. 6, the pressure plate 50 may have a configuration in which the pair of spring pieces 82, 82 does not have the notch 87.

[0041] [Modification 2 of the First Embodiment] As shown in FIG. 7, the pressing plate 50 may be configured such that notches 87A, 87B are formed on both sides (82C, 82D) of a pair of spring pieces 82 in the X direction. That is, the spring piece 82 has the notch 87A formed on the same side (82C) as the fixed portion 84, and the notch 87B formed on the opposite side (82D) from the fixed portion 84. Furthermore, the pair of spring pieces 82 have the notches 87A, 87B formed in their base end portions 82a. In the example shown in FIG. 7, the width W1 of the notch 87A formed on the side (82C) of the fixed portion 84 and the width W2 of the notch 87B formed on the opposite side (82D) from the fixed portion 84 are set to the same width, and the sum of the width W1 of the notch 87A and the width W2 of the notch 87B is smaller than the base end width W of the pair of spring pieces 82. Although not shown, the notches 87A and 87B may be formed so that the width W1 is greater than the width W2.

[0042] Second Embodiment Fig. 8 is a plan view of the pressure plate 50 of the second embodiment. Fig. 9 is a plan view showing the positional relationship between the pressure plate 50 and a module 90 which is an electronic component.

[0043] As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 , the plate body 80 of the pressure plate 50 has a plurality of pressing portions 85. The plate body 80 has a rectangular outer frame portion 81, a pair of spring pieces 82, 82, and a pair of extending portions 83. The outer frame portion 81 has a first upper end side 81A and a second lower end side 81B that face each other in the up-down direction, and a third left end side 81C and a fourth right end side 81D that face each other in the left-right direction, as shown in FIG. 2 . The pair of spring pieces 82, 82 protrude inward in an L-shape from a pair of end sides 81A, 81B (an example of opposing sides) of the four sides that make up the outer frame portion 81. The pair of extending portions 83 are provided at diagonal positions of the outer frame portion 81 and extend outward from the outer frame portion 81. The pressure plate 50 includes fixing portions 84 that are disposed on the pair of extension portions 83, respectively, and that fix the plate body 80 to the conductive portion 62 (cooling plate 60).

[0044] Specifically, the pair of extending portions 83 includes a first extending portion 83A extending downward along the third end side 81C and a first extending portion 83B extending upward along the fourth end side 81D. A fixing portion 84 consisting of a through-hole penetrating through the pressing plate 50 in the thickness direction is provided on the tip side of each of the pair of extending portions 83. For example, a bolt is inserted into the fixing portion 84, and the plate main body 80 is fixed to the cooling plate 60 by fastening the bolt.

[0045] 9 , in the second embodiment, in addition to the pair of spring pieces 82, 82, a first end edge 81A and a second end edge 81B that face each other in the vertical direction of an outer frame portion 81 of a plate main body 80 function as two pressing portions 85 that press a plurality of chips 94 arranged in a module 91. Of the pressing portions 85, the first end edge 81A presses three chips 94 lined up in the left-right direction on the upper side of the module 91, and the second end edge 81B presses three chips 94 lined up in the left-right direction on the lower side of the module 91. The pair of spring pieces 82 also function as pressing portions 85.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 8 , the pressing plate 50 has a plate body 80 with a pair of spring pieces 82, 82 each having a notch 87 formed therein. The notch 87 is formed on the same side of the spring piece 82 as the fixed portion 84. The notch 87 is formed on the side of the base end portion 82a of the spring piece 82. In this embodiment, the spring piece 82 has a width W (width W in the Y direction), and the notch 87 has a width W3 (width W3 in the Y direction) that is at least half of the width W. As a result, the spring piece 82 is formed in an L-shape. By forming the notch 87 large, the spring force of the spring piece 82 is more easily transmitted to the pair of pressing portions 85, thereby increasing the pressing force of the pair of pressing portions 85. Although not shown, the width W3 of the notch 87 may be less than half of the width W.

[0047] Other Embodiments Next, other embodiments of the pressure plate 50 will be described.

[0048] In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the notch 87 is formed in the base end portion 82a of the spring piece 82. The notch 87 may be formed at a position closer to the tip end than the base end portion 82a of the spring piece 82.

[0049] In the second modification of the first embodiment, the example in which the notch 87A and the notch 87B have the same shape is shown. However, the notch 87A and the notch 87B may have different shapes, for example, the notch 87A may be formed larger than the notch 87B.

[0050] The spring piece 82 in the above embodiment has been described as being cut and raised in a strip shape from the base end 82a toward the module 90. However, the spring piece 82 can also be configured as a convex body that extends from the base end 82a along the plate body 80 and curves at its end toward the cooling plate 60.

[0051] [Summary of the above embodiment] The above-described pressing plate 50 and circuit module 1 will now be outlined.

[0052] <1> The pressing plate (50) is a pressing plate (50) that presses electronic components (90) against a cooling plate (60) through which a cooling fluid flows, and includes a plate main body (80) that includes a rectangular outer frame portion (81), a pair of spring pieces (82) that protrude inward from a pair of opposing sides of the four sides that make up the outer frame portion (81) of the plate main body (80), and a pair of extension portions (83) that are diagonally positioned on the outer frame portion (81) and extend outward from the outer frame portion (81), and fixing portions (84) that are arranged on each of the pair of extension portions (83) and fix the plate main body (80) to the cooling plate (60).

[0053] With the above-described characteristic configuration, the pressure plate (50) has a rectangular outer frame (81) as the plate main body (80), a pair of spring pieces (82), and a pair of extensions (83), and each of the pair of extensions (83) is provided with a fixing portion (84) for fixing the plate main body (80) to the cooling plate (60). As a result, even if the pressure plate (50) is deformed away from the electronic component (90) due to a reaction force caused by the pressure when the pressure plate (50) presses against the electronic component (90), the diagonally positioned extensions (83) exert a uniform restoring force, thereby suppressing variations in the pressing force. Therefore, the electronic component (90) can be uniformly pressed against the cooling plate (60), thereby making it difficult for the pressure plate (50) to reduce its cooling effect on the electronic component (90). Furthermore, since the fixing portions 84 are disposed diagonally to the pair of extending portions 83, there is no need to increase the area of the outer frame portion 81, and the pressure plate 50 can be configured compactly, thereby realizing a space-saving pressure plate 50.

[0054] <2> <1> In the pressure plate (50) described above, the plate body (80) has notches (87) formed in the pair of spring pieces (82), and it is preferable that the notches (87) are formed on the same side of the spring pieces as the fixed portion (84).

[0055] In this configuration, when the notches 87 of the pair of spring pieces 82 are formed on the same side as the fixing portion 84, deformation of the outer frame portion 81, which is continuous with the fixing portion 84, is more likely to be tolerated when the pressure plate 50 is fixed by the fixing portion 84. That is, the end edges (81A and 81B, or 81C and 81D) of the outer frame portion 81 from which the pair of spring pieces 82 protrude are less likely to suppress the reaction force against the pressure of the spring pieces 82, and the plate main body 80 is more likely to deform toward the electronic component 90 (chip 94). Therefore, the pressure plate 50 can properly press the electronic component 90 with the spring pieces 82 and the outer frame portion 81, thereby achieving the desired cooling effect.

[0056] <3> <2> In the pressure plate (50) described above, the notch (87) is preferably formed in the base end (82a) of the spring piece (82).

[0057] When the notches 87 are formed in the base ends 82a of the spring pieces 82 as in this configuration, even if the spring pieces 82 are deformed relative to the end edges 81A and 81B, or 81C and 81D, the rigidity of the outer frame portion 81 relative to the plate body 80 can be ensured. Furthermore, since the base ends 82a of the spring pieces 82, which apply stress to the plate body 80, can be provided at a distance from the fixing portions 84, it is possible to prevent damage to the plate body 80 when the pressing plate 50 is fixed by the fixing portions 84.

[0058] <4> The circuit module (1) includes a cooling plate (60) through which a cooling fluid flows, and a pressing plate (50) that presses a plurality of electronic components (90) against the cooling plate (60). The pressing plate (50) includes a rectangular outer frame (81), a pair of spring pieces (82) that protrude inward from a pair of opposing sides (81A and 81B, or 81C and 81D) of the four sides that make up the outer frame (81), and a pair of spring pieces (82) that protrude outward from the outer frame (81) at diagonal positions of the outer frame (81). The pressing plates (50) are individually arranged for the electronic components (90), and two adjacent pressing plates (91 and 92, or 92 and 93) are configured so that their respective fixing portions (84) can be positioned on the same straight line (LA or LB) along the side of the plate body (50).

[0059] With the above-described characteristic configuration, in the circuit module 1, the pressure plate 50 has a rectangular outer frame 81 as a plate body 80, a pair of spring pieces 82, and a pair of extensions 83. A fixing portion 84 for fixing the plate body 80 to the cooling plate 60 is disposed on each of the pair of extensions 83. As a result, even if the pressure plate 50 is deformed away from the electronic component 90 due to a reaction force caused by the pressure when the pressure plate 50 presses against the electronic component 90, the diagonally positioned extensions 83 exert a uniform restoring force, thereby suppressing variations in the pressing force. Therefore, the electronic component 90 can be uniformly pressed against the cooling plate 60, thereby making it difficult for the pressure plate 50 to reduce the cooling effect of the electronic component 90. In addition, since the fixing portions 84 are arranged diagonally to the pair of extending portions 83, there is no need to increase the area of the outer frame portion 81, and the pressure plate 50 can be configured compactly. Furthermore, in the circuit module 1, the multiple pressing plates 50 are arranged individually for the multiple electronic components 90, and two adjacent pressing plates 50 are configured so that the fixing portions 84 can be arranged on the same straight line (LA, LB) along the side of the plate body 50, so that the circuit module 1 can easily achieve space saving. [Industrial Applicability]

[0060] The technology according to the present disclosure can be used in a pressure plate that presses an electronic component against a cooling plate through which a cooling fluid flows, and in a circuit module. [Explanation of symbols]

[0061] 1: circuit module, 50: pressure plate, 60: cooling plate, 80: plate body, 81: outer frame portion, 81a, 81b, 81c, 81d: end sides (opposite sides), 82: spring piece, 82a: base end portion, 83: extension portion, 84: fixing portion, 85: pressure portion, 87: notch, 90: module (electronic component)

Claims

1. A pressure plate that presses an electronic component against a cooling plate through which a cooling fluid flows, a plate body including a rectangular outer frame portion, a pair of spring pieces protruding inward from a pair of opposing sides of the four sides constituting the outer frame portion, and a pair of extension portions extending outward from the outer frame portion at diagonal positions of the outer frame portion; a pressing plate including a fixing portion disposed on each of the pair of extension portions and fixing the plate body to the cooling plate.

2. The plate body has a pair of spring pieces each having a notch formed therein, The pressure plate according to claim 1 , wherein the notch is formed on the same side of the spring piece as the fixed portion.

3. The pressure plate according to claim 2 , wherein the notch is formed at a base end of the spring piece.

4. a cooling plate through which a cooling fluid flows; a pressing plate that presses a plurality of electronic components against the cooling plate, The pressing plate is a plate body including a rectangular outer frame portion, a pair of spring pieces protruding inward from a pair of opposing sides of the four sides constituting the outer frame portion, and a pair of extension portions extending outward from the outer frame portion at diagonal positions of the outer frame portion; a fixing portion disposed on each of the pair of extension portions and fixing the plate body to the cooling plate, the plurality of pressing plates are individually disposed with respect to the plurality of electronic components; The circuit module is configured such that the fixing portions of two adjacent pressing plates can be arranged on the same straight line along the side of the plate body.

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