Electrical feedthrough assembly with increased creepage distance - Patents.com

Abstract

The present disclosure relates generally to electrical feedthrough assemblies, and more particularly to electrical feedthrough assemblies that can be attached to housings, preferably housings of E-compressors, electrical storage devices, pressure sensors, etc. In particular, the present disclosure relates to electrical feedthrough assemblies that are suitable for high voltage applications while being minimal in size.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to electrical feedthrough assemblies, and more particularly to electrical feedthrough assemblies that can be attached to housings, preferably housings of E-compressors, electrical storage devices, pressure sensors, etc. In particular, the present disclosure relates to electrical feedthrough assemblies that are suitable for high voltage applications while being minimal in size. [Background technology]

[0002] Electrical feedthrough assemblies typically include a base made of a metallic material with at least one through-hole disposed therein, and a pin, also made of metal, disposed within the through-hole. The pin is held by the insulating material so as to be held in an electrically isolated manner. The pin can then be electrically contacted. These feedthrough assemblies can be employed in a variety of applications, such as in electrical storage devices such as batteries, in pressure sensors, etc. Preferably, the insulating material seals the pin within the through-hole, preferably so as to achieve a fluid-tight seal.

[0003] Various attempts have been made to optimize electrical feedthrough assemblies to accommodate a wide range of applications. In recent years, there has been a trend toward miniaturization of feedthrough assemblies, while feedthroughs are increasingly being applied in high-voltage, distance environments. This has led to an increased need for compact yet reliable feedthrough assemblies, preferably at low cost. Such miniaturized feedthroughs can be used, for example, in hybrid or electric vehicles, such as electric compressors or E-compressors.

[0004] German Patent Application Publication No. 112022000077 relates to a hermetic seal and its manufacturing process. The feedthrough assembly of German Patent Application Publication No. 112022000077 includes three feedthroughs and can be used in hybrid or electric vehicles in the E-compressor. To provide a compact overall design for the assembly, the feedthroughs are arranged in a straight line. However, in this compact design, the creepage distance is determined by the diameter of the feedthrough's insulating material. To increase the creepage distance, a cylinder made of rubber or plastic material is placed on the pin.

[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 1,141,7983 also relates to feedthrough assemblies for automotive applications. As can be seen, the sealing material of these feedthroughs not only fills the openings in the base of the assembly, but also extends along the pin material in at least some embodiments. Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 1,141,7983 suggests that a seal coating may be used, or that an additional insulating coat may be present between the pins of the feedthrough, preferably on both sides of the feedthrough. In this way, the creepage distance of leakage current is increased. However, such a design is expensive.

[0006] U.S. Patent No. 8,420,933 relates to a high-pressure hermetic seal terminal and a method for manufacturing the same. The hermetic seal described in U.S. Patent No. 8,420,933 is part of a feedthrough assembly that can be used in home appliances such as refrigerators. To increase the creepage distance, the opening has a larger diameter at the surface area on both sides of the base. The sealing material also has a portion that extends beyond the surface of the base and surrounds the pin. However, in such applications, a compact, miniaturized design is not necessary, so the feedthrough is arranged in a triangle and the distance between the pins is quite large.

[0007] Also, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020 / 107575 relates to an airtight seal for home appliances. Also, the creepage distance is increased by forming an insulating material that extends along the pin beyond the surface of the base. However, this application does not address the issue of miniaturized feedthrough assembly design.

[0008] Chinese Utility Model No. 212162147 relates to a hermetic terminal that uses a composite glass material as the insulating material for a feedthrough. Inner and outer layers of insulating material are formed within the opening in the terminal's base and on the pin. Two different glass materials with different thermal expansion coefficients must be used. Furthermore, this utility model does not address the issue of miniaturized design.

[0009] In general, with regard to electrical feedthrough assemblies for E-compressors, it must be taken into account that in E-compressor applications in particular, the housing components are exposed to temperature changes over large intervals of temperature, temperature shock and / or vibration.

[0010] Therefore, in the current state of the art, to provide a suitable feedthrough assembly, the assembly, also referred to as the "housing part," may include plastic and / or rubber material in the area of ​​the opening. This plastic and / or rubber material serves as additional electrical insulation for the conductors or pins that are fixed in or fed through the opening. This plastic and / or rubber can also help reduce the risk of short-circuit currents when a layer of water and / or contaminants may accumulate on the surface of the insulating material, such as glass or glass-ceramic material, especially in humid or high-humidity environments. Such short circuits can occur, for example, when a film of conductive material, such as water, wets the metal material and / or conductors of the housing. Such water films that wet the metal material and conductors can easily occur in E-compressors with E-compressor terminals. This is due to the fact that E-compressors have extremely low temperatures, for example, below 5°C or even below zero, while the ambient temperature, for example, in summer, can exceed 20°C. In such cases, a water film forms due to condensation. Such short circuits caused by the conductive film can be prevented by further insulating the conductors from the metallic material of the E-compressor housing, especially from the cover in the form of the E-compressor terminal.

[0011] Electric compressors, or E-compressors, are widely used in environmentally friendly vehicles to support the operation of air conditioning systems. Furthermore, E-compressors are found in air conditioners, refrigerators, and other cooling systems. Electric and hybrid vehicles feature battery-powered electric compressors. E-compressors must be sealed and function with their own internal motors. The E-compressor terminal or feedthrough assembly is a critical component of the electric compressor and must be carefully designed and manufactured for optimal performance. E-compressor terminals enable the transfer of large amounts of energy from the battery to the air conditioning compressor while remaining reliably airtight to prevent refrigerant leakage. Electric compressors also have extremely high performance and durability requirements, even while being exposed to harsh environmental conditions. These include high pressure, high humidity, and vibration. Compressor terminals or feedthroughs must be able to withstand these adverse conditions without issue. Providing reliable airtightness over the long term requires a highly controlled and precise process. Compressor terminals must also offer very high insulation resistance and high-voltage capability to support future fast-charging technology developments. High current capability is also essential to enable future 48V electrical systems.

[0012] However, neither of the above nor the following state-of-the-art technologies address the problem of miniaturizing feedthrough assemblies while simultaneously ensuring a perfect seal, especially a compression seal and high creepage distances, which is closely related to reducing the distance between pins.

[0013] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020388940 discloses a hermetic compressor terminal for large amounts of power with improved hermetic reliability. The hermetic terminal includes a metal base with a through hole and an insulating material that seals a pin within the through hole of the metal base. The pin is composed of different layers to provide stable glass-to-glass bonding properties. There are no special requirements regarding the shape of the through hole or the distance between the pins.

[0014] CN113471753 relates to a titanium alloy sealed connector in which a metal base has several through-holes in which pins or groups of pins are sealed by glass material. The through-holes have counterbore holes to increase the contact area between the glass and the metal base. Compression-sealed feedthroughs are not disclosed. Feedthroughs with matching seals used to seal components made of titanium or titanium alloys do not have the problem of compression fracture when the assembly is miniaturized.

[0015] Korean Patent No. 20110010642 discloses a sealed power terminal feedthrough, addressing the problem of feedthrough failure due to microcracks on the surface of the pin. The metal base has several openings in which the pin, including surrounding recesses, is sealed with an insulating material. There are no special requirements for the openings. However, the openings shown are created by a reshaped extension of the metal base and include a reshaped area with a larger diameter. A compression-sealed feedthrough is not disclosed.

[0016] As a result, there is a need for miniaturized electrical feedthrough assemblies that can be employed in applications requiring high accuracy and reliability, such as pressure sensors, E-compressors, or power storage applications. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0017] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an electrical feedthrough assembly that at least partially overcomes the problems of the state of the art. [Means for solving the problem]

[0018] The object of the present invention is solved by the subject matter of the independent claims. Preferred or special embodiments are disclosed in the dependent claims, the description and the drawings of the present application.

[0019] Accordingly, the present disclosure relates to an electrical feedthrough assembly, particularly for mounting in a housing, comprising a base having first and second sides, the base comprising at least two through holes and at least two pins disposed within the through holes, electrically insulated from the base, and sealed within the through holes by an insulating material, such that at least two feedthroughs are formed within the base. The insulating material has a thermal expansion coefficient less than that of the base, such that a compression-sealed feedthrough is provided. At least one of the through holes is configured as a stepped through hole having at least one surface portion adjacent to the base side and an intermediate portion, the surface portion having a first diameter and the intermediate portion having a second diameter smaller than the first diameter. Preferably, the through hole has a circular shape. The distance between the at least two pins, determined as the distance between the center point of one pin and the center point of the other pin, is within a range of at least 1.2 times and at most 1.6 times the second diameter of the at least one through hole at its intermediate portion. The insulating material is present in both the intermediate portion and at least one surface portion of the through hole.

[0020] Such an arrangement has many advantages. The distance between the at least two pins is at least 1.2 times, preferably at least 1.3 times, and at most 1.6 times, preferably at most 1.5 times, e.g., 1.4 times, the second diameter, i.e., the diameter of the at least one through hole at its midsection. This means that the two pins are closely spaced from one another. This allows for a very compact overall design of the electrical feedthrough assembly. However, a drawback of such close placement of the pins is that the creepage distance provided by the insulating material may be too small in such a compact design, making the feedthrough unsuitable for high-voltage applications. The small creepage distance results from the small distance between two adjacent pins. However, this is addressed in the electrical feedthrough assembly of the present disclosure by shaping at least one through hole such that its surface portion has a diameter, i.e., a first diameter, that is larger than the diameter, i.e., the second diameter, at its midsection. As a result, a stepped through hole is provided. The surface portion filled with insulating material increases the insulation distance between the base and the pin, thereby increasing the creepage distance between them. This helps prevent insulation deterioration and electrical shorts caused by, for example, fine metal powder (such as wear particles or chips from the drive system in a compressor) adhering between the base and the pin. Therefore, using at least one stepped through-hole allows for a smaller distance between adjacent pins with a larger creepage distance compared to a simple through-hole, i.e., a through-hole with only one diameter.

[0021] The intermediate portion of the through-hole is a key feature of the feed-through assembly of the present disclosure. The intermediate portion serves to provide pressure against the insulating material. The base material has a larger coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) than the insulating material, helping to provide a hermetic seal and secure the pin within the through-hole by forming a compression seal. However, the surface portion with a larger first diameter increases the creepage distance. If the distance between the at least two pins is less than 1.2 times the second diameter, the intermediate portion cannot provide sufficient pressure against the insulating material to provide a hermetic seal. Instead, plastic deformation of the base material may occur. If the distance between the at least two pins is more than 1.6 times the second diameter, the overall design of the feed-through assembly becomes too large.

[0022] Surprisingly, the inventors have found that by designing the feedthrough assembly of the present disclosure in this manner, it is possible to provide a gas-tight seal while simultaneously miniaturizing the feedthrough assembly. Prior to the feedthrough assemblies of the present disclosure, in order to provide a gas-tight feedthrough assembly, substrates were often molded to be designed to have a greater thickness in the region of the through-holes than the remainder of the substrate. That is, the substrate was reinforced in thickness adjacent the through-holes to provide high compression.

[0023] Within the scope of the present disclosure, the portion of the substrate that provides compression to seal the feedthrough is reduced to provide greater creepage. Surprisingly, the inventors have found that by doing so, not only is the creepage increased, but it is still possible to achieve sufficiently high compression. Thus, it is surprisingly possible to provide a hermetic feedthrough assembly with high creepage and at the same time a compact design suitable for high voltage applications.

[0024] The substrate, insulating material and pin form a metal-insulating material feedthrough that closes the through hole in the substrate. Preferably, the formed feedthrough is hermetically sealed. The hermeticity is such that the leakage of helium at a pressure difference of 1 bar is preferably less than 1·10 -7 mbar ls -1 , more preferably <1 10 -8 mbar ls -1 , most preferably <1 10 -9 mbar ls -1 is understood to mean that

[0025] The insulating material is preferably present in the intermediate and surface portions of the through-hole so that the surface of the substrate and the surface of the insulating material are flush with each other at the interface between the stepped through-hole and the substrate. However, it is possible for a small gap to form between the insulating material and the surface of the substrate at the interface of the through-hole. However, this can be problematic in high voltage applications.

[0026] In the sense of the present disclosure, a stepped through-hole is understood to refer to a through-hole configured with at least two portions having different diameters.

[0027] Preferably, at least one surface portion of the stepped through-hole has a height equal to or less than half the thickness of the base, so that the remaining intermediate portion can provide sufficient compression for a hermetic seal. However, it is contemplated that the height of the surface portion may be greater than half the thickness of the base.

[0028] In the sense of the present disclosure, the "middle portion" is the portion of the through hole that would be located in the middle section of the stepped through hole if the stepped through hole has surface portions with a larger diameter on both sides. In this case, the height of the surface portion is preferably less than half the thickness of the substrate. In the case where the stepped through hole has a surface portion with a larger diameter on only one side, the "middle portion" extends from the middle section of the through hole to the other side of the substrate opposite the side with the surface portion. In this case, the height of the surface portion is preferably less than half the thickness of the substrate.

[0029] Although the electrical feedthrough assemblies of the present disclosure can generally have only two through holes and consequently two pins, the electrical feedthrough assemblies of the present disclosure are well suited to assemblies with three or more pins and through holes, preferably arranged in a line, which may be an arcuate line or a straight line. Alternatively, the pins may also be arranged in a triangle, rectangle, or circle.

[0030] According to a preferred embodiment, three or more pins and through holes are arranged linearly. Thus, according to one embodiment, at least three through holes and / or pins are arranged linearly. Preferably, in this case, the assembly comprises at least three pins / through holes arranged linearly, and the pitch, i.e., the distance between at least two pins (here, the distance between two adjacent pins), determined as the distance between the center point of one pin and the center point of another pin (i.e., an adjacent pin), is at least 1.2 times and at most 1.6 times the diameter of at least one through hole in its middle portion, i.e., the second diameter of at least one through hole in its middle portion, abbreviated as "second diameter" or middle portion diameter. Preferably, the pitch is the same among all pins in such a linear assembly. A linear assembly according to the present disclosure may preferably comprise at least three pins.

[0031] According to an alternative advantageous embodiment, three or more pins and / or through holes are arranged in an arcuate line. Thus, according to one embodiment, at least three through holes and / or pins are arranged in an arcuate line. Preferably, in this case, the assembly comprises at least three pins / through holes arranged in an arcuate line, and the pitch, i.e., the distance between at least two pins (here, the distance between two adjacent pins), determined as the distance between the center point of one pin and the center point of another pin (i.e., the adjacent pin), is at least 1.2 times and at most 1.6 times the diameter of at least one through hole at its intermediate portion, i.e., the "second diameter." Preferably, the pitch is the same among all pins of such an arcuate wire assembly. An arcuate wire assembly according to the present disclosure may preferably comprise at least three pins.

[0032] According to one embodiment, all of the through holes of the electrical feedthrough assembly are configured as stepped through holes, each having at least one surface portion adjacent to the side of the base having a first diameter and an intermediate portion having a second diameter smaller than the first diameter. Preferably, the height of the at least one surface portion is equal to or less than half the thickness of the base. Preferably, all of the surface portions having the first diameter are formed on the same side of the base. This is advantageous because in this case, creepage distances are increased for all pins of the electrical feedthrough assembly. Preferably, the surface portions are formed identically, which is advantageous for overall design and manufacturing.

[0033] According to one embodiment, at least one through hole is formed as a stepped through hole, such that the at least one through hole has surface portions formed on both sides of the base, and the first diameter of the at least one through hole is larger than the second diameter of the intermediate portion of the at least one through hole, and preferably the surface portions are formed identically on both sides of the base. In other words, in this case, the at least one through hole is configured as a stepped through hole on the first and second sides of the base. Preferably, the surface portions having the first diameter are formed identically on both sides of the base. Preferably, the height of the surface portions is less than half the thickness of the base. As explained above, forming at least one through hole as a stepped through hole on both sides of the base is advantageous because in this way the creepage distance is increased on both sides of the assembly.

[0034] According to one embodiment, all the through holes are formed as stepped through holes with surface portions formed on both sides of the base, the first diameter of the two being greater than the second diameter of the middle portion of at least one of the through holes. Preferably, the surface portions are formed identically on both sides.

[0035] Preferably, when two or more surface portions having a larger diameter (i.e., a first diameter) are present in the feedthrough assembly, all surface portions are formed identically according to one embodiment. Therefore, preferably, when at least one through hole has surface portions formed on both sides of the base, the two surface portions are formed identically on both sides of the base. Also, when all through holes of the assembly have at least one surface portion having a diameter (i.e., a first diameter) larger than the diameter of the intermediate portion of each through hole formed on one side of the base (i.e., the second diameter of the through hole), i.e., when all through holes are configured as stepped through holes each having at least one surface portion adjacent to the side of the base having a first diameter and an intermediate portion having a second diameter smaller than the first diameter, the surface portions are preferably formed identically. This is advantageous in terms of the overall assembly design.

[0036] In general, without being limited to any embodiment of the present disclosure, when an electrical feedthrough assembly includes two or more so-called "stepped through-holes" according to any embodiment of the disclosed through-holes and / or electrical feedthrough assemblies, the through-holes are preferably formed identically. However, in other advantageous embodiments, the through-holes may be formed differently relative to one another, and / or at least one through-hole may have a surface portion on a first side of the substrate that is different from a surface portion on a second side of the substrate, and so on.

[0037] The upper limit of the diameter of the surface portion (i.e., the first diameter) depends on the overall design of the feedthrough assembly. Generally, since each feedthrough is formed separately, it is conceivable to design the surface portion such that its diameter or diameters (i.e., the diameter of the surface portion or the so-called "first diameter") are large enough to provide increased creepage distance, while at the same time leaving a bar on the side of the substrate, thereby forming a barrier between the insulating material of one feedthrough from the insulating material of further feedthroughs adjacent to at least one feedthrough. However, it is also conceivable to design the surface portions of adjacent feedthroughs such that the insulating material of the surface portions and the surface portions fuse together.

[0038] Generally, and without being limited to any of the specific embodiments described within this disclosure, and certainly within standard manufacturing tolerances, the through-holes are formed with a circular cross-section. That is, the intermediate and surface portions of the through-hole have a circular cross-section characterized by a certain diameter. At least one of the through-holes is formed as a stepped through-hole, as described in more detail above. The stepped through-hole comprises at least two portions, one of which is located on the side (or lateral surface) of the substrate and has a first diameter, and a further portion is located in the intermediate portion and has a second diameter smaller than the first diameter.

[0039] As explained above, if the through-hole has only one surface portion with a larger diameter, the intermediate portion and its diameter will extend to the side of the substrate opposite the side with the surface portion.

[0040] According to one embodiment, the substrate has a thickness of at least 2 mm and / or at most 6 mm, and / or the intermediate portion has a height of at least 1 mm and / or at most 4 mm. In this way, the substrate can exert sufficient pressure to ensure a hermetic seal against the insulating material, while at the same time providing a sufficient increase in creepage distance for high voltage and / or high power applications. Preferably, the substrate has a thickness of at least 2.5 mm, more preferably at least 3 mm. Furthermore, the substrate has a thickness of at most 5.5 mm, more preferably at most 5 mm. Furthermore, preferably, the intermediate portion has a height of at least 1.5 mm, preferably at least 2 mm, and even more preferably, the intermediate portion has a height of at most 3.5 mm, preferably at most 3 mm.

[0041] The height of the surface portion depends on the overall design of the feedthrough assembly and can be preferably less than half the thickness of the substrate. Preferably, the height of at least one surface portion is at least 0.2 mm, preferably at least 0.3 mm, or at least 0.5 mm. Due to the risk of glass peeling off of the surface portion, a certain minimum height is advantageous. In some variations, especially for through holes with surface portions on both sides of the substrate, an advantageous upper limit for the height of the surface portion can be 1.0 mm or 0.7 mm. An advantageous range for the height of the surface portion can be 0.2 mm to 1.0 mm, or 0.3 mm to 0.7 mm.

[0042] As further noted above, the electrical feedthrough assemblies of the present disclosure generally include feedthroughs formed as compression seals, i.e., the thermal expansion coefficient of the insulating material is less than that of the substrate, resulting in a compression seal feedthrough. According to one embodiment, the insulating material and the substrate can form a material-to-material bond, resulting in an ultra-tight seal that may even be hermetic. However, according to further embodiments, it is also possible to form a shape-lock joint that may also be hermetic. In either case, the insulating material is preferably provided as a preform that closely matches the shape of the through-hole.

[0043] According to a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, the electrical feed-through assembly includes glass as an insulating material. The insulating material includes, consists of, or is made of glass. Preferably, the surface of the glass may be at least partially a natural surface, preferably at least partially a fire-polished surface, as described in detail below. Such an embodiment in which the insulating material includes, consists of, or is made of glass is highly advantageous. For example, during the manufacture of the assembly, the insulating material may be provided in the form of a preform that may include or consist of glass, for example, in the form of pellets of glass powder that may even be pre-sintered to provide sufficient mechanical stability for handling during manufacture. The preform may preferably be shaped to closely fit the shape of the through-hole in the substrate. The preform may generally be provided with a through-hole for inserting a pin, without being limited to a specific embodiment in which the insulating material is glass. The preform may generally be disposed in the through-hole in the substrate, and the pin may be inserted into the through-hole in the preform, without being limited to any specific embodiment of the present disclosure. The substrate, preform, and pin may then be heated so that the glass melts and contacts and / or wets the surfaces of the substrate and pin. Upon heating, a bond may be formed between both the insulating material and the pin and between the insulating material and the substrate. However, the inventors have discovered that this is not necessary; a shape-locking joint may be formed by molding the through-hole as a stepped through-hole and closely matching the shape of the preform to the stepped through-hole. Surprisingly, it is still possible to form an ultra-tight seal in this manner without forming a molten reaction zone between the insulating material, particularly the glass material, and both the substrate and pin materials.

[0044] According to one embodiment of the feed-through assembly in which the insulating material comprises or consists of glass, upon heating, the glass material melts. The glass material then flows and wets the surfaces of the substrate and pin, where it may react with the substrate and / or pin material, thereby forming a so-called molten reaction zone. A material-to-material bond may then be formed. However, this need not be the case. As explained above, the molten glass typically flows, thereby contacting and / or wetting the substrate and pin material, so that a super-tight seal is generally formed and the pin is sealed within the through-hole by the insulating material. However, shaping the preform to closely fit the shape of the through-hole, particularly a stepped through-hole, generally ensures that an intimate connection can be formed, either as a material-to-material bond or a form-locking joint. In this way, a preferably hermetic glass-to-metal seal can be obtained.

[0045] When the insulating material comprises, consists of or is made of glass, preferably the surface of the glass is at least partially a natural surface, preferably at least partially a fire-polished surface. Such a natural, preferably fire-polished, surface has high chemical resistance and is also very smooth, preferably with a surface roughness (R) of at most 0.80 μm, preferably at most 0.75 μm, preferably at most 0.70 μm. a ), and / or a surface roughness (R z ) Preferably, the surface roughness (R a ) is at least 0.001 μm, and / or the surface roughness (R z ) is at least 0.001 μm. (R a ) and / or (R zAn advantageous lower limit for the surface roughness (R) can be at least 0.01 μm. This provides the opportunity to apply such electrical feed-through assemblies in highly corrosive environments, since, as pointed out, the natural surface of glass has a high chemical resistance compared to chemically or mechanically treated surfaces. In one embodiment, the surface roughness (R a ) may also be at most 0.30 μm, preferably at most 0.10 μm, and more preferably at most 0.05 μm. In one embodiment, the surface roughness (R z ) may also be at most 0.20 μm, preferably at most 0.10 μm, more preferably at most 0.05 μm, where R a refers to the arithmetic mean surface roughness, and R z refers to the maximum peak-to-valley height of the surface profile and can be measured in accordance with DIN EN ISO 4287:1984.

[0046] In the sense of the present disclosure, glass is understood as an inorganic material obtained in a melting process, i.e. an amorphous material after melting. Glass in the sense of the present disclosure may be a completely amorphous material or a crystallizable or at least partially crystallized glass, sometimes called a "glass ceramic".

[0047] According to a further preferred embodiment, the insulating material comprises an extended portion of insulating material, such that the insulating material extends beyond at least one side of the base along at least one pin and preferably completely surrounds it, the extended portion having a third diameter (i.e., extended portion diameter) that is equal to or smaller than at least one surface portion (i.e., first diameter) or the diameter of the intermediate portion of the through-hole (i.e., intermediate portion diameter or second diameter), the third diameter of the extended portion continuously decreasing from the side of the base along at least one pin, thereby forming a circular arc. Preferably, the extended portion of insulating material is in contact with at least one pin.

[0048] This embodiment is highly advantageous because it further increases the creepage distance, i.e., the insulation distance. While this has been achieved in the state of the art by using organic components, such as rubber, to form a compression seal and mount components made of materials other than the insulating material above the through-hole, this embodiment increases the creepage distance through the insulating material itself, e.g., glass, which is melted during manufacturing and thus forming, preferably by surface tension and / or capillary forces, and the extension along at least one pin is in contact with it. To provide the extension, a preform of insulating material can be correspondingly shaped so that the preform has an extension. If the insulating material includes, consists of, or is made of glass, the extension preferably has a natural surface, which further improves the chemical stability of the feed-through assembly.

[0049] In the sense of the present disclosure, the expression "extension completely surrounds the pin" refers to an extension that forms a conical structure around the periphery of the pin without any cuts or openings in the extension along the periphery of the pin, and thus along the periphery of the pin. However, the extension does not cover the entire structure of the pin, since the pin must be electrically connected.

[0050] According to a highly preferred embodiment, said extension has a height of at least 1.5 mm, preferably at least 2.0 mm, preferably at least 3 mm, and / or at most 10 mm, preferably at most 7 mm.

[0051] Preferably, according to one embodiment, the feedthrough assembly comprises two extensions of insulating material formed on opposite sides of the base, and / or all pins of the assembly comprise an extension of insulating material. This is advantageous for the overall design, particularly in terms of creepage distance. Preferably, for each of these variants, each pin and / or the two extensions of insulating material are formed on the same side of the base per pin, so that each extension can be formed on the same side of the base. This is advantageous for the overall design.

[0052] Generally, according to one embodiment, not all pins of an electrical feedthrough assembly may have an extending portion of insulating material, i.e., according to one embodiment, some but not all pins may include at least one extending portion of insulating material, and this at least one extending portion of insulating material may be formed on different sides of the base for different pins.

[0053] According to a further embodiment, at least one surface portion has a diameter (i.e., a first diameter) that decreases along its height from the base side toward the middle of the through hole. In other words, the surface portion of the stepped through hole, in this particular embodiment, has the shape of a conical cross section. Naturally, without being limited to any of the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure described in detail, all surface portions of all pins on both sides of the base may generally be formed in this manner. Also generally, all through holes may be formed identically, i.e., have surface portions shaped like identically formed conical cross sections. However, the shapes may also differ from one another and / or from one side of the base to the other. In an advantageous variant, at least one surface portion has a constant diameter (i.e., a first diameter) along its height from the base side toward the middle of the through hole. In other words, the surface portion of the stepped through hole, in this particular embodiment, has the shape of a cylindrical cross section.

[0054] According to a further embodiment, at least one pin has a nickel-plated (also "Ni-plated") or oxidized surface. In the sense of the present disclosure, "Ni-plated" relates to a Ni coating formed on the surface, for example, by a galvanic process familiar to those skilled in the art. Preferably, all of the pin's surface, i.e., also the part of the pin's surface that is in contact with the insulating material, can be Ni-plated (or coated). This means, in other words, that Ni-plated (or coated) pins can be employed before forming the feed-through assembly of the present disclosure. The nickel layer provides corrosion protection and a contact layer for better contact.

[0055] In the sense of the present disclosure, Ni plating is understood to refer to a coating (or plating) preferably obtained by a wet chemical process, preferably by an electrochemical plating method known in the state of the art. Although usually referred to simply as "Ni plating" or "nickel plating," the coating may contain elements other than nickel, so as to obtain a nickel alloy. For example, the coating may contain elements such as cobalt, zinc, or iron in addition to nickel. In a preferred embodiment, the nickel layer does not contain phosphors. Typically, the thickness of the nickel layer is between at least 1 μm and at most 15 μm, preferably between at least 2 μm and at most 8 μm.

[0056] Also, according to further embodiments of the present disclosure, at least one pin, and preferably all pins and the substrate, comprise a Ni-plated surface. Here, in the context of Ni-plated pin and substrate surfaces, surface is understood to relate to the chemistry / composition of the surface (and not to the lateral or geometrical surface of the substrate). Preferably, the Ni-plating is performed prior to forming the electrical feed-through assembly of the present disclosure.

[0057] In general, it has been very difficult to use Ni-plated pins before assembling a feed-through assembly. Ni-plated surfaces are not easily wetted by molten glass, preventing a strong connection between the Ni-plated pin and the glass material unless special measures are taken. However, in the feed-through assembly of the present disclosure, which includes a stepped through-hole formed as a compression seal, it is possible to form a hermetic seal even when using Ni-plated pins, and the compression seal can be formed in a very easy yet efficient manner. This is also advantageous because Ni plating of the substrate and / or pins can be achieved before assembling the feed-through assembly. This means that Ni plating does not need to be performed after assembly, which is advantageous in that the insulating material surface does not undergo any chemical treatments used in known nickel plating processes that affect the insulating material surface. As a result, the surface quality, particularly the surface roughness, of the insulating material outer surface resulting from the assembly process, particularly the at least partially natural surface of the glass, can be preserved.

[0058] In the sense of the present disclosure, a natural surface is understood as a surface that has not been subjected to any surface treatment after formation, such as chemical treatment, for example chemical etching, mechanical treatment, etc. Preferably, the surface is at least partially, i.e. at least in part, a fire-polished surface. This means that the surface is at least partially formed without contact with any further parts, such as machine parts, materials and / or molds. In other words, the surface of an insulating material being at least partially a fire-polished surface means that it is at least partially formed without contact.

[0059] Generally, in one preferred embodiment, the insulating material comprises, consists of or is made of glass, the surface of which is a natural surface, preferably an at least partially fire-polished surface.

[0060] According to a further embodiment of the present disclosure, the substrate material is a metal. Preferably, the substrate comprises steel, preferably stainless steel. In one advantageous embodiment, the substrate material comprises structural steel, preferably micro-alloyed steel, most preferably structural steel in the form of micro-alloyed steel. Micro-alloyed steel is a type of alloy steel containing small amounts of alloying elements (0.05 to 0.15%), including niobium, vanadium, titanium, molybdenum, zirconium, boron, and rare earth metals. These are used to refine the grain microstructure or promote precipitation hardening. The yield strength of micro-alloyed steel is between 275 and 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 superior to similar tempered steels. Cold-worked micro-alloyed steels do not require as much cold working to achieve the same strength as other carbon steels. This also results in greater ductility. The use of micro-alloyed steels as a material can provide high bending stiffness and strength.

[0061] According to a further embodiment, the material of the pin is metal. Preferably, the pin comprises or consists of stainless steel or a Ni-Fe material or a Fe-Cr material, or the pin comprises a central core made of copper surrounded by stainless steel or surrounded by a Ni-Fe material.

[0062] According to a further embodiment, the insulating material is 8×10 -6 / K to 12 x 10 -6 / K. For example, insulating materials have a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) between 9 and 10 × 10 -6The glass may be an alkali silicate glass containing CaO having a CTE in the range of 0.1 / K. In the context of this disclosure, the coefficient of expansion is specified as the linear thermal expansion coefficient. When this specification relates to the linear thermal expansion coefficient of a glass, this is the nominal average coefficient of thermal expansion according to ISO 7991, particularly ISO 7991:1987-12, as determined by static measurements (using a push rod dilatometer). The linear thermal expansion coefficient of a glass is determined by dilatometry. Generally, unless otherwise specified, values ​​are determined in the temperature range of 20°C to 300°C.

[0063] In the context of this disclosure, a compression seal is understood to refer to an electrical feedthrough assembly in which the CTE of each of the components, i.e., the substrate and at least one pin of the electrical feedthrough assembly, and the insulating material, are selected so that the substrate exerts compression on the insulating material, thereby sealing the feedthrough. To obtain such a compression seal, particularly a glass-to-metal seal, the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE, as further explained above) of the substrate is selected to be greater than the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the insulating material, so that after a heat treatment in which the insulating material melts and vitrifies within the through-hole, the substrate's thermal contraction during cooling is stronger than that of the insulating material. As a result, a compressive force is permanently applied by the substrate to the insulating material. These compressive forces preload the insulating material, ensuring a particularly durable seal.

[0064] For compressive glass-to-metal seals, the difference between the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the substrate and the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the insulating material is preferably at least 2×10 -6 / K, more preferably the difference is at least 5×10 -6 / K. In one advantageous embodiment, the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the substrate is preferably selected to be at least 5%, in particular at least 10%, preferably at least 20%, and in some variants preferably at least 50% greater than the coefficient of thermal expansion of the insulating material. The coefficient of thermal expansion of the pin material is preferably selected to be approximately equal to or less than the coefficient of thermal expansion of the insulating material. The difference is preferably 2×10 -6 / K, the two thermal expansion coefficients are considered to be approximately equal.

[0065] Wherever values ​​of the coefficient of expansion are mentioned above and below in relation to the pressure at which the material is vitrified, these refer to the coefficient of linear thermal expansion α in the temperature interval 20-300 °C, usually given in relation to glass-to-metal feedthroughs.

[0066] Preferably, the electrical feedthrough assembly is configured to attach to a housing of an E-compressor, an electrical storage device, a pressure sensor, or the like.

[0067] The electrical feedthrough assemblies described herein are particularly suited for use as connection terminals for electric compressors. The feedthrough assemblies may be configured as part of the housing of the electric compressor or may be attached to the housing or part of the housing for the electric compressor.

[0068] Accordingly, a further aspect of the present invention is to provide an electric compressor comprising one of the electrical feedthrough assemblies described herein.

[0069] It is understood that the features mentioned above and those to be described below can be used not only in the combinations shown in each case, but also in other combinations or alone, without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0070] The invention will now be further described with reference to the following drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0071] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic, not-to-scale, view of an electrical feedthrough assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic, not-to-scale, view of an electrical feedthrough assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; [Figure 3]1 is a schematic, not-to-scale, view of an electrical feedthrough assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic, not-to-scale, view of an electrical feedthrough assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; [Figure 5] 1 is a schematic, not-to-scale, view of an electrical feedthrough assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic, not-to-scale, view of an electrical feedthrough assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; [Figure 7] 1 is a schematic, not-to-scale, view of an electrical feedthrough assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; [Figure 8] 1 is a schematic, not-to-scale, view of an electrical feedthrough assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; [Figure 9] 1 is a schematic, not-to-scale, view of an electrical feedthrough assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; [Figure 10] 1A-1C illustrate finite element simulations of plastic strain in an electrical feedthrough assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 11] 1A-1C illustrate finite element simulations of plastic strain in an electrical feedthrough assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0072] FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a portion of an electrical feedthrough assembly 1 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The electrical feedthrough assembly 1 is particularly suited for attachment to a housing, preferably the housing of an E-compressor, an electrical storage device, a pressure sensor, or the like. Generally, the electrical feedthrough assembly 1 includes at least two through-holes 5 and at least two pins 7 disposed within the through-holes 5, the pins 7 being electrically insulated from the substrate 3 and sealed within the through-holes 5 by an insulating material 9 such that at least two feedthroughs 2 are formed within the substrate 3, although only one through-hole 5 (or respective feedthrough 2) is shown in FIG. 1 . Generally, in an electrical feedthrough assembly 1 according to the present disclosure, the coefficient of thermal expansion of the insulating material 9 is less than the coefficient of thermal expansion of the substrate 3 such that a compression-seal feedthrough 2 is provided, without being limited to any of the specific embodiments shown in any figure of the present application and / or described within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0073] 1 and 2 to 6 illustrate, not to scale, at least one through hole 5 configured as a stepped through hole, i.e., having at least one surface portion 11 adjacent to a side or lateral surface 33 of the substrate 3, and having a first diameter a1 (not shown), and an intermediate portion 13 having a second diameter a2 (not shown) smaller than the first diameter a1. In general, dimensions such as diameter, height, and thickness are exemplarily shown in FIG. 9. In FIG. 1, the height h1 (not shown) of the at least one surface portion 11 is exemplarily smaller than half the thickness of the substrate 3, and the distance between the at least two pins, determined as the distance from the center point of one pin 7 to the center point of the other pin 7, is in the range of at least 1.2 to at most 1.6 times the second diameter a2 (not shown) of the at least one through hole 5 in its intermediate portion 13. The insulating material 9 is present in both the intermediate portion 13 and at least one surface portion 11 of the through hole 5. The distance between pins 7 is further explained below with reference to Figures 7 and 8, which are plan and cross-sectional views, respectively, of an electrical feedthrough assembly 1 including several pins 7. It should be noted that, like all figures, Figures 7 and 8 are schematic views and are not to scale.

[0074] The distance between the pins 7 is determined by the center point of each pin, e.g., the center point c in Fig. 7. p or alternatively, referring to FIG. 8, the distance between the center line c in FIG. l is the distance between

[0075] In the view of Figure 1, a surface portion 11 having a first diameter larger than the intermediate portion 13 of the through-hole 5 is formed on a side 33 of the base 3. Generally, the base 3 is plate-like in shape, i.e. its width and length (extending perpendicular to the pin 7, i.e., left to right in the views of Figures 1 to 6) are larger than its thickness t. The plate-like shape of the base 3 can also be seen in both Figures 7 and 8.

[0076] In this example, the height h1 of surface portion 11 is less than half the thickness t of substrate 3. Generally, in embodiments having only one surface portion 11, without being limited to any of the specific embodiments of the examples and illustrative figures of electrical feedthrough assemblies of the present disclosure, the height of surface portion 11 may be as great as (or greater than) or less than half the thickness t of substrate 3. Compression of substrate 3 against insulating material 9 in the region of intermediate portion 13 may achieve a hermetic seal.

[0077] 1, insulating material 9 fills both surface portion 11 and middle portion 13 without forming any gaps. As seen in the exemplary illustration of electrical feedthrough assembly 1 in FIG. 1, insulating material 9 and the surface of base 3 are flush on both sides (or surfaces) 31, 33 of base 3. Note that "surface" here, with respect to base 3, refers to the protruding faces of base 3, i.e., side surfaces or sides 31, 33 for short. Note that in all illustrations of this disclosure, side 33 is the underside of base 3, but this does not necessarily correspond to the side that is the "underside" or "inside" of electrical feedthrough assembly 1 in later use.

[0078] As can be seen in the exemplary illustration of FIG. 1 , on side 33 of base 3, the creepage distance between pin 7 and base 3 is longer than on side 31 due to surface portion 11 of through hole 5 being filled with insulating material 9; this is a general effect of surface portion 11 in any of the feedthrough assemblies of the present disclosure and is not limited to any of the particular embodiments, examples and exemplary illustrations of the electrical feedthrough assemblies of the present disclosure.

[0079] 2 is a diagram of a further electrical feedthrough assembly 1 according to one embodiment. Here, in addition to the surface portion 11 of the feedthrough 2, the insulating material 9 comprises an extending portion 15 of the insulating material such that the insulating material 9 extends beyond one of the sides 31, 33 of the base 3 along and completely surrounds the at least one pin 7. As can be seen, the extending portion 15 contacts the pin 7. The extending portion 15 has a third diameter a3 (not shown here) that is smaller than the first diameter a1 (not shown here) of the at least one surface portion 11 of the through-hole 5. In this example, the maximum value of the third diameter a3 is the same as the second diameter a2 (not shown here) of the intermediate portion 13. The third diameter a3 of the extending portion 15 continuously decreases from the side 31 of the base 3 along the at least one pin 7, thereby forming a circular arc.

[0080] 2, at side 31 of base 3, the creepage distance between pin 7 and base 3 is extended due to extension 15 of insulating material, which is a general effect of extension 15 in any of the feedthrough assemblies of the present disclosure and is not limited to any of the particular embodiments, examples, and exemplary figures of the electrical feedthrough assemblies of the present disclosure. To further extend the creepage distance, stepped through holes with surface portions and extensions can be combined (e.g., as shown in FIGS. 3, 5, and 6).

[0081] 2, the extension 15 of the insulating material 9 is formed on side 31 of the base 3 and the surface portion 11 is formed on side 33, it should be noted that in general, and without being limited to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the extension 15 of the insulating material 9 may be formed on the same side of the base 3 as the surface portion 11, i.e., on side 33 instead of side 31 in the exemplary illustration of the electrical feedthrough assembly 1 in FIG. 3.

[0082] 3 shows a further embodiment of an electrical feedthrough assembly 1. Here, the feedthrough assembly 1 comprises two extensions 15 of insulating material 9 formed on opposite sides 31, 33 of a substrate 3.

[0083] FIG. 4 shows a further embodiment of an electrical feed-through assembly 1. Here, the through-hole 5 is formed as a stepped through-hole with surface portions 11 formed on both sides 31, 33 of the base 3, each having two first diameters a1 (not shown) greater than a second diameter a2 (not shown) of an intermediate portion 13 of the through-hole 5. Here, both surface portions 11 are formed identically on both sides 31, 33 of the base 3. In one variant, they may be different. As shown here, the height h1 (not shown) of the surface portions 11 is less than half the thickness t (not shown) of the base 3. The intermediate portion 13 has a height h2 (not shown). Note that the intermediate portion is a portion of the base that specifically provides compression to seal the feed-through, which is a general effect of the intermediate portion 13 in any of the feed-through assemblies of the present disclosure, and is not limited to any of the particular embodiments, examples, and illustrative figures of the electrical feed-through assemblies of the present disclosure. Of course, surface portion 11 provides an increased creepage distance for pin 7 on both sides 31, 33 of electrical feed-through assembly 1, and here in the exemplary embodiment of Figure 4. This increased creepage distance, as already mentioned above, is a general effect of surface portion 11 in any of the feed-through assemblies of the present disclosure, and is not limited to any of the particular embodiments, examples, and exemplary figures of the electrical feed-through assemblies of the present disclosure.

[0084] FIG. 5 illustrates yet another embodiment of an electrical feed-through assembly 1. Here, as shown in FIG. 4, at least one through-hole 5 is formed as a stepped through-hole with a surface portion 11 formed on both sides 31, 33 of the base 3. However, in addition to the surface portion 11 on side 31, the electrical feed-through assembly 1 also includes an insulating material 9 with an extension 15 of the insulating material such that the insulating material 9 extends along and beyond the side 31 of the base 3 and completely surrounds the pin 7. As can be seen, the extension contacts the pin 7 and, in the example illustrated in FIG. 5, has a third diameter a3 (not shown) that is at most as large as the first diameter a1 (not shown) of the surface portion 11 formed on the side 31 of the base 3. This third diameter a3 (not shown) decreases continuously from the surface of the base 3 along the pin 7, thereby forming a circular arc.

[0085] FIG. 6 finally shows a further embodiment of an electrical feedthrough assembly 1 comprising surface portions 11 on each side 31 , 33 of the substrate 3 as well as two extensions 15 of the insulating material 9 of the feedthrough 2 .

[0086] In general, without being limited to any of the particular embodiments, examples and illustrative figures of the electrical feedthrough assembly of the present disclosure, for stepped through holes having surface portions 11 formed on both sides 31, 33 of the base 3, the surface portions 11 may be formed identically or differently with respect to diameter a1 and / or height h1.

[0087] 7 is a plan view of an electrical feedthrough assembly 1 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. In an embodiment shown schematically and not to scale, the feedthrough assembly 1 comprises three feedthroughs 2, each including an insulating material 9, preferably a glass material, that electrically insulates the pins 7 from the substrate 3 and seals the pins 7 within the through-holes 5. Additionally, the electrical feedthrough assembly 1 comprises mounting holes 17. Furthermore, the center points c of the pins 7 are shown to further illustrate the distance d between the linearly aligned pins 7 in the electrical feedthrough assembly 1 shown herein. pThe distance d between at least two pins 7 is p and the center point c of the other pin 7 p The distance d between all pins of the electrical feed-through assembly 1 of the present disclosure is determined as the distance d between the pins of the at least one through-hole 5 and the pins of the at least one through-hole 5, which is at least 1.2 times and at most 1.6 times the second diameter a2 (not shown) of the at least one through-hole 5 formed as a stepped through-hole in its intermediate portion. Preferably, the distance between all pins of the electrical feed-through assembly 1 of the present disclosure is at least 1.2 times and at most 1.6 times the second diameter a2 of the at least one through-hole 5. More preferably, all through-holes 5 of the electrical feed-through assembly 1 of the present disclosure are formed as so-called stepped through-holes, with a surface portion having a first diameter a1 (not shown) that is larger than the second diameter a2 (not shown) of the intermediate portion of each through-hole 5. More preferably, all through-holes 5 of the electrical feed-through assembly 1 of the present disclosure are generally formed equally.

[0088] FIG. 7 also shows the general elongated shape of the plate-like substrate 3, which means that the length l of the substrate 3 is greater than the width w.

[0089] Referring to FIG. 8 , for example, an electrical feedthrough assembly 1 according to a further embodiment is shown diagrammatically and not to scale. The elongated plate-like shape of the substrate 3 can be seen, with the thickness t of the substrate 3 being smaller than the length l of the substrate 3. "Elongated" in the sense of the present disclosure is understood to mean that the length l of the substrate 3 is greater than the width w (see also FIG. 7 ). The electrical feedthrough assembly 1 includes three through-holes 5 such that, in each through-hole 5, the pin 7 is insulated with an insulating material 9, preferably a glass material, to provide three feedthroughs 2. Furthermore, a surface portion 11 of the through-holes 5 is formed on a side 33 of the feedthrough assembly 1. Note that all through-holes 5, and therefore all surface portions 11, of the electrical feedthrough assembly 1 of FIG. 8 are, of course, formed identically within standard manufacturing tolerances. Furthermore, in this embodiment, for all feedthroughs 2, the insulating material 9 includes two extensions 15 formed on both sides 31, 33 of the substrate 3.

[0090] Of course, the extension 15 of the insulating material 9 may be formed on only one of the sides 31, 33 of the base 3, and this extension 15 may generally be formed on the side 31, 33 of the base 3 that comprises the surface portion 11 of the through-hole 5. In general, all combinations of extensions 15 and surface portions 11 are possible. However, it may be preferable for the extension 15 to be formed on the side 31, 33 of the base 3 that comprises the surface portion 11. As a result, a long creepage distance is provided. Also, preferably, all of the through-holes 5 and all of the feedthroughs 2 of the electrical feedthrough assembly 1 are formed identically within standard manufacturing tolerances.

[0091] In an advantageous embodiment, the substrate is 10 to 14×10 -6 / K, and the insulating material may comprise stainless steel having a coefficient of thermal expansion CTE in the range of 8 to 10×10 -6 Glasses with CTEs in the range of / K (e.g., 9 to 10 × 10 -6 / K), and the pin may comprise an alkali silicate glass containing CaO having a CTE in the range of 9 to 10 × 10 -6 / K range. To provide a compression seal feedthrough, the coefficient of thermal expansion of the substrate is selected to be greater than the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the insulating material so that, after a heat treatment that melts and vitrifies the insulating material within the through hole, the substrate thermally contracts more strongly than the insulating material during cooling of the substrate.

[0092] However, to form a tight compression-sealing feedthrough 2, the distance d between adjacent pins 7 cannot be selected arbitrarily small for a particular diameter of the through-hole. It is important that a sufficient minimum wall thickness or minimum section of the base remains between two adjacent through-holes 5 to provide a compression seal. If the minimum wall thickness or section is too small, plastic deformation of the base 3 may occur. For this reason, as described above and further explained with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11 , it is important that the distance d between two pins 7, determined as the distance between the center point of one pin and the center point of the other pin, is within a range of at least 1.2 times the second diameter a2 of at least one through-hole 5 at its intermediate portion 13. Because the through-hole is configured as a stepped through-hole, the surface portion 11, which has a larger first diameter a1 and is filled with insulating material 9, provides a long creepage distance between the base 3 and the pin 7.

[0093] The dimensions of the surface portion 11, the intermediate portion 13, and the extension portion 15 are further explained with reference to the schematic diagram, not drawn to scale, in FIG. 9 . The heights h1 and h2 extend along the thickness t of the base 3 as shown in FIG. 9 . These indicate the heights of the respective portions formed within the through-hole 5. The diameters a1, a2, and a3 are the lateral dimensions of the surface portion 11 (or multiple surface portions 11 as shown in FIG. 9 ; as shown in FIG. 9 , the through-hole 5 comprises two surface portions 11 formed on each side 31, 33 of the base 3), the intermediate portion 13, and the extension portion 15, respectively. Note that, although in the diagram of FIG. 9 both surface portions 11 of the through-hole 5 are formed identically, i.e., with the same diameter a1 and height h1, it should be noted that, in general, the surface portions 11 may have different diameters a1 and heights h1, without being limited to the diagram of FIG. 9 . The diameter a1 may also be referred to simply as the “first diameter” or the diameter of the surface portion 11 within the scope of this disclosure. FIG. 9 further shows the intermediate portion 13 of the through hole 5, which has a diameter a2, which is also referred to as the "second diameter" or "second diameter of the intermediate portion 13" in the sense of the present disclosure. Naturally, the first and second diameters a1 and a2 can also be understood as the first diameter a1 of the through hole 5 at its surface portion and the second diameter a2 of the through hole 5 at its intermediate portion 13. Furthermore, the diameter a3 is the lateral dimension of the extended portion 15 of the insulating material 9. In the sense of the present disclosure, the diameter a3 is also referred to as the "third diameter." As can be seen from the diagram in FIG. 9, the diameter a3 varies with the height of the pin 7, being at most as large as the diameter a1 close to the side of the base 3 (here, side 31) (or at most as large as the diameter a2 if the surface portion 11 is not formed on the side of the base 3 where the extended portion 15 is formed), and further decreasing along the length of the pin 7.

[0094] It should also be noted that a1, a2, and a3 are referred to as "diameters" because the through-hole 5 preferably has a circular (or round) shape. However, if the through-hole 5 has a shape other than circular, "diameter" is understood to refer to the largest lateral dimension of the through-hole 5 parallel to the sides 31, 33 of the substrate 3, within the meaning of the present disclosure. Also, the sides 31, 33 of the substrate 3 are generally parallel to each other, as shown in Figures 1 to 6 and 8 and 9.

[0095] 10 and 11 show, in a perspective view from below, cross sections (longitudinal cross sections through the pins) of an electrical feedthrough assembly 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, each through two feedthroughs 2. The total length of the scale shown represents 10.0 mm in each case. Results of finite element simulations are shown showing the plastic strain of the substrate 3 between two adjacent stepped through-holes 5 for different distances d between the two pins 7, where d is the distance from the centerline c of the illustrated section of one of the pins 7. l Translate inwards - center point c p From the other pin 7 to the center point c p - i.e., center line c l - determined as the distance to

[0096] The simulation represents an electrical feedthrough assembly 1 comprising a substrate 3 (steel, CTE of 12.0 ppm / K), an insulating material 9 (glass, CTE of 9.6 ppm / K), and a pin 7 (stainless steel, CTE of 10.9 ppm / K), thus simulating a compression feedthrough. The simulation is performed at room temperature relative to the glass set temperature (T set ) CTE difference is assumed around T set is T set =T f -1 / 3(T f -T g ) can be calculated for each glass as T g is the transition temperature, and T fis the expansion softening point, which is the temperature at which the thermal expansion curve of the glass stops increasing and starts decreasing with increasing temperature (i.e., the peak of the curve). In both Figures 10 and 11, the larger diameter of the stepped through hole (corresponding to the diameter a1 of the surface portion 11 of the stepped through hole in Figures 1 to 9) is assumed to be 10.0 mm, and the smaller diameter of the stepped through hole (corresponding to the diameter a2 of the intermediate portion 13 of the stepped through hole in Figures 1 to 9) is assumed to be 8.5 mm. Here, the height of the surface portion 11 is approximately the same as half the thickness t of the substrate 3.

[0097] The plastic strain of the substrate 3 to reduce the distance d between adjacent pins 7 (i.e., reduce the pin pitch) is analyzed in terms of the 0.2% offset yield strength, a known material property of metals. At plastic strains greater than 0.2% (the 0.2% offset yield strength rule), yielding / deformation is assumed to occur. In practice, if plastic deformation occurs in the substrate of a compression seal feedthrough, the substrate will not be able to provide sufficient compression against the insulating material with the inserted pins, and as a result, the compression seal will fail, risking leakage.

[0098] Figure 10 shows the results of a finite element simulation for a distance d between two pins 7 of 13.2 mm. As can be seen, in the region of the base 3 remaining between adjacent stepped through-holes 5, the maximum strain is at most 0.001 (corresponding to less than 0.1%). This applies to both section A, which remains between the intermediate portions 13 of the stepped through-holes 5 with the smaller diameter a2 (8.5 mm), and section B, which remains between the surface portions 11 of the stepped through-holes 5 with the larger diameter a1 (10.0 mm). Therefore, the simulation results show that a pin pitch of 13.2 mm is safe with respect to plastic strain due to the 0.2% offset yield stress / strength. There is no permanent plastic deformation in the base 3.

[0099] FIG. 11 shows the results of a finite element simulation for a distance d between two pins 7 of 11.0 mm. As can be seen, the area of ​​the substrate 3 remaining between adjacent stepped through-holes 5 is narrower due to the smaller pin pitch compared to FIG. 10. Looking at the area of ​​the substrate 3 remaining between adjacent stepped through-holes 5, in section A, which remains between the intermediate portions 13 of the stepped through-holes 5 with the smaller diameter a2 (here, 8.5 mm), the maximum strain is still below 0.001 (corresponding to <0.1%). In section A, the distance d between the two pins 7 is 1.3 times the diameter a2. With this "1.3 relationship," no permanent plastic deformation occurs in the substrate 3. However, in section B, which remains between the surface portions 11 of the stepped through-holes with the larger diameter a1 (here, 10.0 mm), the strain increases to more than 0.002 (corresponding to >0.2%). Therefore, the 0.2% threshold for plastic strain is crossed, and thus the substrate 3 yields. In section B, the distance d between the two pins 7 is 1.1 times the diameter a1. Having this "1.1 relationship" causes permanent plastic deformation of the substrate 3, as indicated by the dark grey color in section B.

[0100] In other words, a feedthrough assembly with a pin pitch of 11.0 mm and through holes of 8.5 mm diameter will not show permanent plastic deformation. The substrate material will be subjected to normal loads. However, the creepage distance between the pins and the substrate will be small due to the small diameter of the through holes. Conversely, a feedthrough assembly with a pin pitch of 11.0 mm and through holes of 10.0 mm diameter (which is better in terms of creepage distance) will show permanent plastic deformation in the section of the substrate where the through holes are closest to each other. The substrate material will be overloaded. As a result, compression in this area will be compromised, which will increase the risk of leakage.

[0101] Therefore, according to the present invention, it is important that at least one of the through holes 5 is configured as a stepped through hole having at least one surface portion 11 adjacent to the sides 31, 33 of the base 3 and an intermediate portion 13, the surface portion 11 having a first diameter a1 and the intermediate portion 13 having a second diameter a2 smaller than the first diameter a1, and the distance d between the at least two pins 7, determined as the distance from the center point cp of one pin 7 to the center point cp of the other pin 7, is at least 1.2 times the second diameter a2 of at least one through hole 5 in its intermediate portion 13.

[0102] The inventors have surprisingly found that by designing the feedthrough assembly of the present disclosure in this manner, it is possible to provide a hermetic seal with increased creepage distance (on at least one side of the substrate) while simultaneously miniaturizing the feedthrough assembly by reducing the pin pitch. This is possible because the compression of substrate 3 against insulating material 9 in section A is sufficient to provide a hermetic seal, even when section B is less compressed due to plastic deformation of substrate 3. However, due to the larger diameter a1 of the stepped through-hole in sealing portion 11, i.e., the portion with less compression, a longer creepage distance is achieved by insulating material 9.

[0103] The electrical feedthrough assembly of the present disclosure allows for a miniaturized and very compact overall design of such components due to the close arrangement of the pins, while at the same time providing sufficient or even improved creepage distance through the insulating material due to at least one stepped through-hole and preferably an extension. Thus, the electrical feedthrough assembly is designed and manufactured to allow for the transfer of large amounts of energy from the battery to the air conditioning compressor while remaining reliably airtight, particularly to prevent any refrigerant leakage, and thus can be used as a component of the electric compressor. Furthermore, electric compressors are subject to high pressure, high humidity, and vibration. The feedthrough assembly of the present disclosure can withstand such adverse conditions. Furthermore, it has extremely high insulation resistance and high voltage capability, for example, for a 48V electrical system.

[0104] In addition to E-compressors, the electrical feedthrough assemblies of the present disclosure can be used in other applications where there are stringent requirements, for example with respect to hermeticity, heat resistance, thermal shock resistance, etc. In particular, they can be used in pressure sensors and in electrical storage devices such as batteries, accumulators, capacitors, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0105] 1 Electrical Feedthrough Assembly 2 Feedthrough 3 Base 5 through holes 7-pin 9. Insulating Materials 11 Surface area 13 Middle part 15 Extension portion of insulating material 9 17 Mounting holes 31, 33 Side of base 3 c p center point c l center line d Pin distance, pitch t: thickness of substrate 3 w Width of base 3 l length of base 3 a1 first diameter, diameter of surface portion 11 a2 second diameter, diameter of intermediate portion 13 a3 third diameter, diameter of extension 15 h1 Height of surface part 11 h2 Height of middle part 13 A: Section of substrate 3 between through holes 5 B. Section of substrate 3 between through-holes 5

Claims

1. An electrical feedthrough assembly (1), particularly for mounting in a housing, comprising: The electrical feedthrough assembly (1) comprises a base (3) having first and second sides (31, 33), the base (3) comprising at least two through holes (5) such that at least two feedthroughs (2) are formed in the base (3), and at least two pins (7) disposed in the through holes (5), the pins being electrically insulated from the base (3) and sealed in the through holes (5) by an insulating material (9); The thermal expansion coefficient of the insulating material (9) is less than that of the substrate (3) so that a compression seal feedthrough is provided; At least one of the through holes (5) is configured as a stepped through hole having at least one surface portion (11) adjacent to a side (31, 33) of the base (3) and an intermediate portion (13); The surface portion (11) has a first diameter (a1), and the intermediate portion (13) has a second diameter (a2) that is smaller than the first diameter (a1); The insulating material (9) is present in both the intermediate portion (13) and the at least one surface portion (11) of the through hole (5), and is located at the center point (c ｐ ) and the center point (c) of the other pin (7) ｐ a distance (d) between the at least two pins (7), determined as the distance between the at least two pins (7) and the second diameter (a2) of the at least one through hole (5) of the intermediate portion (13) thereof, is in the range of at least 1.2 times and at most 1.6 times, Electrical feedthrough assembly (1).

2. The at least one surface portion (11) of the through hole (5) has a height (h1) that is equal to or less than half the thickness (t) of the base (3). An electrical feedthrough assembly (1) according to claim 1.

3. all through holes (5) are configured as stepped through holes each having at least one surface portion (11) adjacent to a side (31, 33) of said base (3) having a first diameter (a1) and an intermediate portion (13) having a second diameter (a2) smaller than said first diameter (a1); and / or At least one of the through holes (5) is formed as a stepped through hole such that the at least one through hole (5) has surface portions (11) formed on both sides (31, 33) of the base (3) and two first diameters (a1) are larger than the second diameter (a2) of the intermediate portion (13) of the at least one through hole (5); An electrical feedthrough assembly (1) according to claim 1 or 2.

4. All the through holes (5) have surface portions (11) formed on both sides (31, 33) of the base (3), and are formed as stepped through holes with two first diameters (a1) larger than the second diameter (a2) of the intermediate portion (13) of at least one of the through holes (5). An electrical feed-through assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. said intermediate portion (13) having a height of at least 1 mm and / or at most 4 mm; and / or The substrate (3) has a thickness (t) of at least 2 mm and / or at most 6 mm, An electrical feed-through assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. the insulating material (9) comprises, consists of or is made of glass, An electrical feed-through assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. the surface of the glass is at least partially a natural surface, preferably at least partially a fire-polished surface; A natural surface is a surface that has not undergone any surface treatment since its formation; Preferably, the surface roughness of said natural surface, preferably fire polished surface, is at most 0.80 μm (R ａ ) and / or up to 1.00 μm (R ｚ ) An electrical feedthrough assembly (1) according to claim 6.

8. the insulating material (9) comprises an extension (15) of the insulating material (9) such that the insulating material (9) extends beyond at least one of the sides (31, 33) of the base (3) along and surrounding at least one of the pins (7); The extending portion (15) of the insulating material (9) is in contact with at least one of the pins (7); the extending portion (15) has a third diameter (a3) ​​that is equal to or smaller than the first diameter (a1) of the at least one surface portion (11) or the second diameter (a2) of the intermediate portion (13) of the through hole (5); the third diameter (a3) ​​of the extension (15) continuously decreases from the side (31, 33) of the base (3) along at least one of the pins (7), thereby forming a circular arc; An electrical feed-through assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The extension (15) has a height of at least 1.5 mm and / or at most 10 mm. An electrical feedthrough assembly (1) according to claim 8.

10. The electrical feedthrough assembly (1) comprises two extensions (15) of the insulating material (9) formed on opposite sides (31, 33) of the substrate (3), and / or All pins (7) of the electrical feedthrough assembly (1) are provided with an extension (15) of the insulating material (9). An electrical feed-through assembly (1) according to claim 8 or 9.

11. each extension (15) of the insulating material (9) is formed on the same side (31, 33) of the base (3) for each pin (7); and / or Two extensions (15) of the insulating material (9) are formed on both sides (31, 33) of the base (3) for each pin (7); An electrical feedthrough assembly (1) according to claim 10.

12. the at least one surface portion (11) has a first diameter (a1) that decreases along its height from the side (31, 33) of the base (3) towards the middle portion (13) of the through hole (5), or the at least one surface portion (11) has a constant first diameter (a1) along its height from the side (31, 33) of the base (3) towards the intermediate portion (13) of the through hole (5); An electrical feed-through assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. At least one of said pins (7) has a Ni-plated or oxidized surface; An electrical feed-through assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. At least one of the pins (7), preferably all of the pins (7) and the base (3) have a Ni-plated surface; An electrical feed-through assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

15. The feedthrough assembly (1) has the following features: The substrate (3) comprises steel, preferably stainless steel, preferably structural steel; At least one of said pins (7) comprises a central core made of stainless steel or Ni-Fe material or Fe-Cr material, or copper surrounded by stainless steel or Ni-Fe material, The insulating material (9) is 8 x 10 －６ / K to 12 x 10 －６ / K, comprising one or more of the following features: An electrical feed-through assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

16. The electrical feedthrough assembly is configured to be attached to a housing of an E-compressor, an electrical storage device, a pressure sensor, etc. An electrical feed-through assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

17. An electric compressor comprising an electrical feedthrough assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

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