Current Sense Resistor

Abstract

The present invention relates to a current sensing resistor (1) for measuring a current (I), the current sensing resistor (1) comprising two connection members (2, 3), a resistive element (4), a pair of voltage sensing contacts (8-19) for measuring a voltage drop across the resistive element (4), and at least one notch (20) in at least one of the connection members (2, 3), the notch (20) surrounding the voltage sensing contacts (8-19) and preventing current from flowing beyond the notch (20). The present invention provides a plurality of pairs of voltage sensing contacts (8-19) arranged in series in the direction of current flow.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a current sensing resistor for measuring current according to four-wire technology. [Background technology]

[0002] Such a current sensing resistor is known in principle from the patent document EP 1 239 636. This known current sensing resistor essentially comprises a plate-shaped resistive element made of a resistive alloy (e.g. Manganin®) and two similarly plate-shaped connection members made of a conductive material (e.g. copper), which are welded to the resistive element on opposite sides thereof. The current to be measured is introduced into the current sensing resistor via the two connection members and is led out of the current sensing resistor, so that the current to be measured flows in the resistive element of the current sensing resistor. To measure the voltage drop in the resistive element, two voltage sensing contacts are attached to the two connection members at the interface with the resistive element. The measured voltage drop corresponds to the current flowing through the current sensing resistor according to Ohm's law. In addition, the known current sensing resistor has two arc-shaped cuts in the connection members, which surround the voltage sensing contacts in an arc-like manner and are also called current shadows. These current shadows improve the temperature dependence of the measurement. However, the above-mentioned known current sensing resistors are still not optimal in terms of measurement accuracy. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2012 / 019784 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present invention is therefore based on the task of creating a correspondingly improved current sensing resistor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] This problem is solved by a current sensing resistor according to the main claim.

[0006] The present invention includes the general technical teaching of not only providing a pair of voltage sensing contacts, but also providing multiple pairs of voltage sensing contacts that can be arranged in sequence in the direction of current flow to form multiple measurement channels, which can significantly improve the measurement accuracy of the current sensing resistor. In this way, the multiple pairs of voltage sensing contacts already physically enable multiple redundancies in voltage measurement and current measurement verification.

[0007] First, the current sensing resistor of the present invention, like the known current sensing resistor described at the beginning, has a first connecting member made of a conductive material (e.g., copper, a copper alloy) and serving to introduce the current to be measured into the current sensing resistor.

[0008] Furthermore, the current sensing resistor according to the present invention, like the known current sensing resistor described at the beginning, has a second connecting element which also consists of a conductive material (e.g. copper, copper alloy) and serves to guide the measured current out of the current sensing resistor again.

[0009] Furthermore, the current sensing resistor according to the present invention, like the known current sensing resistor mentioned at the beginning, comprises a resistive element made of a resistive material (e.g. Manganin (registered trademark)), through which the measured current flows, with the resistive element being arranged in the direction of current flow between the two connecting members.

[0010] Furthermore, the current sensing resistor according to the invention, like the known current sensing resistor mentioned at the outset, has at least one cut-out in at least one of the connection elements, which surrounds one of the voltage sensing contacts and prevents current from flowing beyond the cut-out. Such cut-outs, also called current shadows, serve to distort the equipotential lines and the current field in the current sensing resistor and thus improve the measurement accuracy.

[0011] In contrast to the known current sensing resistors mentioned at the outset, however, the current sensing resistor according to the invention has several pairs of voltage sensing contacts which are arranged in series in the direction of current flow and allow voltage measurements at different measuring points of the current sensing resistor, such that several different measurement channels can be formed by using different pairs of voltage sensing contacts for voltage measurements.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the cut-out and the voltage-sensing contact surrounded by the cut-out are arranged in the center of the connection element with respect to a position in the direction perpendicular to the current flow direction, thus differing also from known current-sensing resistors, in which the cut-outs described at the beginning start from a side edge of the connection element and are therefore arranged close to the edge, i.e. not in the center.

[0013] It should be mentioned here that the current sensing resistor has a specific central axis parallel to the direction of current flow, and the connecting member with the notch has a specific width perpendicular to the direction of current flow. The voltage sensing contact surrounded by the notch preferably has an eccentricity with respect to the central axis of the current sensing resistor of less than 50%, 40%, 30%, 20%, 10% or 5% of the width of the current sensing resistor. Eccentricity in this sense in this specification is the lateral distance between the center of the voltage sensing contact surrounded by the notch on the one hand and the central axis of the current sensing resistor on the other hand.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the cuts in the connecting members have a particular width transverse to the direction of current flow, which width is preferably at most 60%, 50% or at most 40% of the width of the connecting member.

[0015] In the known current sensing resistors described at the outset, the cutouts (current shadows) in the connection element are in each case arc-shaped, which can also be the case in the current sensing resistor according to the invention. Preferably, however, the cutouts are U-shaped with a base transverse to the current flow direction and legs parallel to the current flow direction and facing the resistive element. The base of the U-shaped cutout is therefore located in the connection element and the legs facing the resistive element. However, it is also possible, instead, for the cutouts to be V-shaped.

[0016] It should further be mentioned that the legs of the U-shaped or V-shaped notch perpendicular to the current flow direction preferably have a particular width at least as large as the thickness of the resistive element and / or the thickness of the connecting member and / or the thickness of the entire current sensing resistor.

[0017] Furthermore, it should be mentioned that the base of the U-shaped cut parallel to the current flow direction also preferably has a certain width which is at least as large as the thickness of the resistive element and / or the thickness of the connecting member and / or the thickness of the entire current sensing resistor.

[0018] Thus, in the base and legs of the U-shape, the cuts have a width that is at least as wide as the thickness of the resistive element and / or the thickness of the connecting member and / or the thickness of the entire current sensing resistor.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the legs of the U-shaped or V-shaped cut extend into the resistive element in the direction of current flow and terminate within the resistive element. Thus, one part of the legs of the cut is in the resistive element and another part of the legs of the cut is in the connection part. The length of the legs in the resistive element can be, for example, 6 mm, with a deviation of up to ±3 mm, ±2 mm, ±1 mm, ±0.5 mm or even ±0.2 mm. It should further be mentioned that the length of the legs of the cut in the resistive element is preferably within the range of 10% to 90%, 20% to 80%, or 30% to 70% of the length of the resistive element in the direction of current flow.

[0020] However, it is also possible within the scope of the present invention that the legs of the incisions terminate in the connection member in front of the resistive element in the direction of current flow. In this case, the incisions are therefore located completely in the respective connection member and do not protrude into the resistive element. Here, the leg length of the incisions can be, for example, 4 mm, with a deviation of up to ±2 mm, ±1 mm, ±0.5 mm or even ±0.2 mm. Furthermore, it should be mentioned that the leg length can be in the range of 10% to 90%, 20% to 80% or even 30% to 70% of the width of the current sensing resistor.

[0021] On the other hand, as another alternative, the legs of the notch terminate, in the direction of current flow, exactly at the boundary between the resistive element and the connecting member.

[0022] It has already been briefly mentioned above that the cut in the connection member surrounds the voltage sensing contact and acts as a current shadow. Thus, the cut separates the contact island from the rest of the connection member, so that the contact island between the cut and the resistive element is preferably at least 4 mm 2 , 5mm 2 , 6mm 2 , 8mm 2 , or 10mm 2 Thus, the contact island is bounded on the one hand by the cut and on the other hand by the resistive element.

[0023] It should further be mentioned that preferably at least one cut is arranged on each of the two connection members surrounding the contact island for the voltage-sensing contacts, the cuts being preferably arranged in pairs on two opposite sides of the resistive element and preferably arranged in the same lateral position relative to the central axis of the current-sensing resistor, but alternatively the cuts can also be arranged laterally offset on two opposite sides of the resistive element.

[0024] Furthermore, within the scope of the present invention, it is also possible that in at least one of the two connection members, a number of cuts are arranged next to each other in the direction of current flow, each of the cuts surrounding a contact island for the voltage detection contacts, for example, it is also possible to arrange two cuts in each of the two connection members, which are arranged symmetrically with respect to the central axis of the current detection resistor and with respect to the resistive element.

[0025] In one variant of the invention, the resistive element is divided laterally into a first part and a second part, so that the current to be measured is divided into a first current path through the first part of the resistive element and a second current path through the second part of the resistive element. This division is realized by a cutout that prevents the current from flowing beyond the cutout, so that the two currents pass on either side of the cutout. This cutout can consist, for example, of a punched-out part. It should be mentioned here that the cutout preferably extends over the entire length of the resistive element in the direction of current flow and can also extend into the connection member.

[0026] In a modified embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of voltage detection contacts may be arranged in each of the two current paths, preferably along the direction of current flow.

[0027] Furthermore, at least one pair of voltage sensing contacts are preferably provided to couple the two portions of the resistive element. For example, these voltage sensing contacts may be located directly on the resistive element. However, in a preferred embodiment, these voltage sensing contacts are located directly on the interface with the resistive element on the respective connecting members in order to measure the voltage drop between the two portions of the resistive element that are transverse to the direction of current flow.

[0028] In a variant of the invention with multiple parallel current paths, multiple voltage sensing contacts can be arranged side-by-side in the direction of current flow in the two current paths, for example in a matrix with rows transverse to the direction of current flow and columns parallel to the direction of current flow.

[0029] It has already been briefly mentioned above that the conductor material can be, for example, copper or a copper alloy. However, instead of this, the conductor material of the connection member can also be aluminum or an aluminum alloy. However, the invention is not limited to these materials for the conductor material used, and can also be realized using other materials that have electrical conductivity. However, it should be mentioned that the conductor material of the connection member should have a lower specific electrical resistance than the resistive material of the resistive element.

[0030] Concerning the resistive material of the resistive element, there are many possibilities within the scope of the invention. For example, the resistive material may be a copper alloy, in particular a copper-manganese-tin alloy, a copper-manganese-nickel alloy or a copper-chromium alloy. Another example of a resistive material that is essentially suitable is a nickel alloy, such as nickel-chromium or copper-nickel.

[0031] It has already been mentioned briefly above that the resistive element is arranged between and connected to two connecting members, for example this connection can be a welded connection (e.g. electron beam welding) as known from EP 0 605 800 A1.

[0032] The resistive material is preferably 2·10 -4 Ω m, 2 10 -5 Ω·m or 2·10 -6 It has a smaller electrical resistivity, Ω·m.

[0033] Preferably, the resistive material has a resistance of 2·10 -6 Ω m, 2 10 -7 The resistivity of the resistive material is preferably greater than 10 -6Ω m, or 10 -7 Less than Ω m.

[0034] It should be mentioned that in general, the current sensing resistor is preferably a low resistance having a resistance value of at most 1 μΩ, 10 μΩ, 50 μΩ, 100 μΩ, 500 μΩ, 10 mΩ, 5 mΩ, 2 mΩ, or 1 mΩ.

[0035] It should further be mentioned that the current sensing resistor can have a current carrying capacity of at least 1A, 10A, 100A, 1kA or 5kA based on a continuous current load or a pulse load.

[0036] Regarding the design of the current sensing resistor, it should be mentioned that the resistive element and / or the connecting member may be plate-shaped, in particular flat.

[0037] Regarding dimensions, it should be noted that the current sensing resistor may have a length in the direction of current flow that is less than 30 cm, 20 cm, or 10 cm, while the width is preferably less than 20 cm, 10 cm, or 5 cm, while the thickness of the current sensing resistor is preferably less than 10 mm, 5 mm, or 4 mm.

[0038] Furthermore, the two connecting parts can each have at least one current connection for introducing or withdrawing a current, the individual current connections each preferably having at least one hole, in particular in each case two holes, in the respective connection part, which are arranged adjacent to one another in relation to the direction of the current flow. Alternatively, the current connections can also consist of connecting screws which protrude at right angles from the plate-shaped connecting part, as is known from EP 0 605 800 A1.

[0039] The voltage sensing contacts described above preferably each comprise a contact island of conductive coating on a respective connection member, for example each individual contact island may be substantially rectangular and comprise a coating of a different conductive material than the connection member.

[0040] The contact islands may be arranged in a matrix on the current sensing resistor in a number of rows, particularly four rows, perpendicular to the direction of current flow and a number of columns, particularly three columns, parallel to the direction of current flow.

[0041] It should further be mentioned that the invention does not only claim protection for the above-mentioned current sensing resistor according to the invention as a single component. Rather, the invention also claims protection for a complete current measuring device, which comprises such a current sensing resistor and a voltage measuring device serving for voltage measurement at the voltage sensing contacts of the current sensing resistor and providing corresponding voltage measurements, the voltage measuring device being able to form several measurement channels. Furthermore, the current measuring device according to the invention preferably also comprises an evaluation unit for calculating the current through the current sensing resistor as a function of the voltage measurements, whereby the evaluation unit is able to weight the various voltage measurements by means of weighting factors. Furthermore, within the scope of the invention, the evaluation unit is also able to carry out an automatic calibration, which is possible due to multiple redundancies. It should also be mentioned that in general, the various voltage sensing contacts can also form a Wheatstone bridge circuit. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0042] Other advantageous further embodiments of the invention are given in the dependent claims or are explained in more detail below in conjunction with the description of preferred embodiments of the invention with reference to the drawings.

[0043] [Figure 1A] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a current sensing resistor according to the present invention. [Figure 1B] FIG. 1B is a top view of the current sensing resistor according to FIG. 1A. [Figure 1C] FIG. 1C is an enlarged portion of FIG. 1B and a voltage diagram. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a variation of FIG. 1B with two notches in the two connecting members. [Diagram 3]FIG. 3 shows a variation of the embodiment according to FIGS. 1A-1C, which includes a cutout in the current sensing resistor to split the current flow into two parallel current paths. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 shows a modification of FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 shows a modification of FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 shows a further variation of FIG. [Figure 7] Finally, FIG. 7 shows a current measuring device comprising a current sensing resistor according to the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0044] Hereinafter, a first embodiment of a current sensing resistor 1 according to the present invention will be described, as shown in Figures 1A to 1C. The current sensing resistor 1 basically comprises two connection members 2, 3 made of a conductive material (e.g., copper) and a resistive element 4 made of a resistive material (e.g., Manganin (registered trademark)), and the resistive element 4 is arranged in the direction of current flow between the two connection members 2, 3, so that a current I to be measured is introduced into the current sensing resistor 1 via the connection member 2, flows through the resistive element 4, and is again led out of the current sensing resistor 1 by the connection member 3. The voltage drop across the resistive element 4 is a measurement of the current I flowing through the current sensing resistor 1 according to Ohm's law, and current measurement is possible according to known four-wire techniques.

[0045] For the introduction and withdrawal of current, the two connecting members 2, 3 each have current connections in the form of two holes 5, 6 arranged on either side of a central axis 7 of the current sensing resistor 1. The holes of the current connections 5, 6 each allow screwing of a corresponding contact, as known per se from the prior art.

[0046] Voltage measurement in the current sensing resistor 1 is performed by a number of voltage sensing contacts 8-19 arranged in a matrix on the two connection members 2, 3 with rows transverse to the current flow direction and columns along the current flow direction. The voltage sensing contacts 8-19 are each formed as a rectangular contact island made of a separate conductive coating applied to the respective connection members 2 and 3. The voltage sensing contacts 8-19 can be connected in any pair within the voltage measurement range, thereby forming multiple voltage measurement channels.

[0047] The voltage detection contact 14 is surrounded by a U-shaped notch 20. First, the U-shaped notch 20 has a base within the connection member 2. Furthermore, as can be seen particularly from FIG. 1C, the U-shaped notch 20 has two legs that extend in the direction of current flow and reach within the resistive element 4. The legs of the U-shaped notch 20 have a width b s The base of the U-shaped notch 20 has a width l along the direction of current flow. s Furthermore, as can be seen from FIG. 1C, the resistive element 4 has a width l RM Finally, as is also apparent from Figure 1C, the legs of the U-shaped notch 20 in the resistive element 4 have a leg length dl.

[0048] The above quantities satisfy the following dimensional formula: dl=0,1-0,9·l RM l s ≧h b s ≧h

[0049] The current sensing resistor 1 has a length along the direction of current flow L=80 mm, a width across the direction of current flow B=40 mm, and a thickness h=3 mm.

[0050] The electrogram of FIG. 1C qualitatively illustrates the relationship between the voltage measurements for different pairs of voltage sensing contacts 8-19. The voltage value indices in the electrogram correspond to the reference signs of the corresponding voltage sensing contacts. Thus, the voltage value U1,2 represents the voltage between voltage detection contacts 1 and 2.

[0051] FIG. 2 shows a variant of the example embodiment according to FIGS. 1A-1C and, to avoid repetition, reference is first made to the above description and the same reference numerals are used for corresponding details.

[0052] A special feature of this embodiment example is that the current sensing resistor 1 comprises two notches 20.1, 20.2 arranged in the two connection members 2 and 3 on opposite sides of the resistive element 4, respectively.

[0053] FIG. 3 shows a variant of the embodiment described above and, to avoid repetition, reference is again made to the above description and the same reference numerals are used for corresponding details.

[0054] Firstly, a special feature of this embodiment example is that the two notches 20.1, 20.2 are not arranged on opposite sides of the resistive element 4 but on the same side of the resistive element 4, i.e. on the connecting member 2.

[0055] A further special feature of this embodiment example is that the current sensing resistor 1 has a cutout 21 that extends along the central axis 7 of the current sensing resistor 1 over the entire length of the resistive element 4 and into the adjacent connecting members 2 and 3, respectively. The cutout 21 can, for example, be a protrusion, preventing the current from flowing beyond the cutout 21. Thus, the cutout 21 splits the current I into two current paths on either side of the cutout 21.

[0056] It should further be mentioned that in this embodiment example, there are provided four additional voltage detection contacts 22 to 25. The voltage detection contacts 8 to 25 are therefore arranged in a matrix of 4 rows and 4 columns.

[0057] FIG. 4 shows a variant of the embodiment example according to FIG. 3 and, to avoid repetition, reference is made to the above description and the same reference numerals are used for corresponding details.

[0058] It should be mentioned here that the notch 20.1 is arranged eccentrically with a certain eccentricity e with respect to the central axis 7 of the current sensing resistor.

[0059] FIG. 5 again shows a further variant of the embodiment example according to FIG. 3 and, to avoid repetition, reference is again made to the above description and the same reference numerals are used for corresponding details.

[0060] The feature of this embodiment is that the current sensing resistor 1 has a total of four notches 20.1 to 20.4.

[0061] FIG. 6 shows a variant of the embodiment example according to FIG. 3 and, to avoid repetition, reference is made to the above description and the same reference numerals are used for corresponding details.

[0062] A feature of this example embodiment is that there is only one notch 20 .

[0063] FIG. 7 shows a complete current measuring device comprising a current sensing resistor 1 according to the invention and a voltage measuring device 26 measuring the voltage in pairs at the voltage sensing contacts 8-19 and providing multiple measurement channels.

[0064] The measured voltage values ​​are then transferred to the evaluation unit 27, which calculates the current I from the measured voltage values, whereby the evaluation unit 27 can also weight the individual measured voltage values ​​individually, whereby an automatic calibration is also possible.

[0065] The present invention is not limited to the preferred embodiment described above. Rather, the present invention also allows for numerous modifications and variations that utilize the concept of the present invention and therefore fall within the scope of protection. In particular, the present invention also claims protection for the subject matter and features of the dependent claims, independently of the claims referred to in each case and in particular without the technical teaching of the main claim. Thus, the present invention includes different aspects of the invention that enjoy protection independent of each other. For example, an independent aspect of the present invention is the division of the current into two parallel current paths by a cutout extending in the direction of current flow.

[0066] [Note] [Appendix 1] A current sensing resistor (1) for measuring a current (I), a) a first connection member (2) made of a conductive material for introducing the current (I) to be measured into the current sensing resistor (1); b) a second connection member (3) made of a conductive material for conducting the current (I) to be measured from the current sensing resistor (1); c) a resistive element (4) made of a resistive material and arranged in the direction of current flow between the first connecting member (2) and the second connecting member (3) such that the current (I) to be measured flows through the resistive element (4); d) at least one pair of voltage detection contacts (8-19; 22-25) for measuring a voltage drop across the resistive element (4), the voltage detection contacts (8-19; 22-25) each engaged with one of the connecting members (2, 3); e) at least one notch (20; 20.1-20.4) in at least one of the connection members (2, 3), surrounding one of the voltage detection contacts (8-19; 22-25) and preventing current from flowing beyond the notch (20; 20.1-20.4); Equipped with f) a plurality of pairs of voltage detection contacts (8-19; 22-25) are arranged in a line in the direction of current flow; A current sensing resistor (1).

[0067] [Appendix 2] the cutouts (20; 20.1 to 20.4) and the voltage detection contacts (14) surrounded by the cutouts (20; 20.1 to 20.4) are disposed at the center of the connection member (2) in a direction perpendicular to the current flow direction. The current sensing resistor (1) according to claim 1,

[0068] [Appendix 3] a) the current sensing resistor (1) has a particular central axis (7) parallel to the direction of current flow; b) the connecting element (2) with the incision (20.1) has a certain width (B) perpendicular to the current flow direction, and c) the voltage sensing contact (10) surrounded by the notch (20.1) has an eccentricity (e) relative to the central axis (7) of the smaller current sensing resistor (1) that is less than 50%, 40%, 30%, 20%, 10% or 5% of the width (B) of the current sensing resistor (1); 3. A current sensing resistor (1) according to claim 1 or 2.

[0069] [Appendix 4] a) the connecting member has a particular width (B) perpendicular to the direction of current flow; and b) the cuts (20; 20.1 to 20.4) in the connection member extend perpendicular to the current flow direction over a maximum of 60%, 50% or 40% of the width (B) of the connection member (2, 3); A current sensing resistor (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

[0070] [Appendix 5] a) the cuts (20; 20.1 to 20.4) are arc-shaped, in particular U-shaped or V-shaped, with a base perpendicular to the current flow direction and legs facing the resistive element (4) parallel to the current flow direction, and / or b) The legs of the cuts (20; 20.1-20.4) are perpendicular to the direction of current flow and have a width (b) at least as large as the thickness (h) of the resistive element (4). s ) and / or c) The base of the cut (20; 20.1 to 20.4) is perpendicular to the direction of current flow and has a width (l) that is at least as large as the thickness (h) of the resistor element (4). s ) 5. A current sensing resistor (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

[0071] [Appendix 6] a) the legs of the notches (20; 20.1 to 20.4) protrude into the resistor element (4) in the direction of the current flow and terminate within the resistor element (4), in particular within the resistor element (4): a1) 6 mm with a maximum deviation of ±3 mm, ±2 mm, ±1 mm, ±0.5 mm, or ±0.2 mm; and / or a2) The length (l) of the resistive element (4) in the direction of current flow. RM ) is 10% to 90%, 20% to 80%, or 30% to 70% of and / or b) the legs of the cuts (20; 20.1 to 20.4) terminate in the direction of current flow at a connecting element (2, 3) in front of the resistive element (4), in particular b1) 4 mm with a deviation of up to ±2 mm, ±1 mm, ±0.5 mm, or ±0.2 mm; and / or b2) 10% to 90%, 20% to 80%, or 30% to 70% of the width of the current sensing resistor (1); Having a leg length, or c) the legs of the notches (20; 20.1 to 20.4) terminate at the boundary between the resistive element (4) and the connecting member (2, 3) in the direction of current flow; The current sensing resistor (1) according to claim 5,

[0072] [Appendix 7] The cuts (20; 20.1-20.4) in the connection members (2, 3) define contact islands, and the contact islands between the cuts (20; 20.1-20.4) and the resistor element (4) are at least 4 mm 2 , 5mm 2 , 6mm 2 , 8mm 2 or 10mm 2 having an area of 7. A current sensing resistor (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

[0073] [Appendix 8] a) at least one notch (20.1-20.4) is arranged in each of the two connection members (2, 3), the notches (20.1-20.4) surrounding a contact island for a voltage detection contact (9, 10, 23, 24); and b) the notches (20.1 to 20.4) are arranged in pairs on opposing sides of the resistive element (4) in the connecting member (2, 3), i.e., at the same lagging position with respect to the central axis (7) of the current sensing resistor (1); 8. A current sensing resistor (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

[0074] [Appendix 9] In at least one of the two connection members (2, 3), a plurality of notches (20.1 to 20.4) are arranged adjacent to each other in the current flow direction, and the plurality of notches each surround a contact island for a voltage detection contact (9, 10, 23, 24). 9. A current sensing resistor (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

[0075] [Appendix 10] a) the resistive element (4) is divided into a first portion and a second portion, whereby the current (I) to be measured is divided into a first current path through the first portion of the resistive element (4) and a second current path through the second portion of the resistive element (4); b) a cutout (21) is provided in the resistive element (4), the cutout (21) preventing current from flowing beyond the cutout (21) so that the two current paths pass on either side of the cutout (21); c) the cutout (21) extends in the direction of current flow, preferably over the entire length of the resistive element (4); d) the cutout (21) preferably extends into the connecting element (2, 3) in the direction of the current flow; 10. A current sensing resistor (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

[0076] [Appendix 11] a) in each of the first current paths, a plurality of voltage detection contacts (8-19; 22-25) are arranged side by side along the direction of current flow; b) in the second current path, in each case, a plurality of voltage detection contacts (8-19; 22-25) are arranged side by side along the current flow direction, and c) a pair of voltage-sensing contacts (8-19; 22-25) couple the two parts of the resistive element (4), in particular at the direct interface with the resistive element (4) in the connecting member, in order to measure the voltage drop between the two parts of the resistive element (4) transversely to the current flow direction; The current sensing resistor (1) according to claim 10,

[0077] [Appendix 12] a) in each of the first current paths, a plurality of voltage detection contacts (8-19; 22-25) are arranged adjacent to each other in a direction perpendicular to the current flow direction, b) in the second current path, in each case, a plurality of voltage detection contacts (8-19; 22-25) are arranged adjacent to each other in a direction perpendicular to the current flow direction, and c) in each case a number of voltage detection contacts (8-19; 22-25) are arranged on the two parts of the resistive element (4), i.e. adjacent to each other in a direction perpendicular to the current flow direction, in particular directly at the interface with the resistive element (4) within the connecting member (2, 3); 12. The current sensing resistor (1) according to claim 10 or 11.

[0078] [Appendix 13] a) the conductor material is copper, a copper alloy, aluminium or an aluminium alloy; and / or b) the conductive material of the connection members (2, 3) has a smaller specific electrical resistivity than the resistive material of the resistive element (4); and / or c) The resistive material of the resistive element (4) is an alloy of c1) Copper alloys, especially copper-manganese-tin alloys, especially CuMn 12 Ni2 or CuMn7Sn 2,3 , or copper-manganese-nickel alloys, especially Cu 84 Ni4Mn 12 , or Cu 65 Mn 25 Ni 10 , or copper-chromium alloys, c2) nickel alloys, in particular NiCr or CuNi; and / or d) the resistive element (4) is electrically and mechanically connected to the two connecting members, in particular by means of a welded joint, in particular by means of electron beam welding, and / or e) The resistive material is 2·10 -4 Ω m, 2 10 -5 Ω·m or 2·10 -6 have a specific electrical resistivity of less than Ω·m; and / or f) The resistive material is 2·10 -6 Ω m, 2 10 -7and / or has an electrical resistivity greater than Ω·m; g) The conductive material is 10 -6 Ω m, or 10 -7 have a specific electrical resistivity less than Ω·m; and / or h) the resistor is a low resistor having a resistance of at most 1 μΩ, 10 μΩ, 50 μΩ, 100 μΩ, 500 μΩ, 10 mΩ, 5 mΩ, 2 mΩ, or 1 mΩ; and / or i) the current sensing resistor (1) has a current carrying capacity of at least 1 A, 10 A, 100 A, 1 kA, or 5 kA; and / or j) the resistive element (4) is plate-shaped, in particular flat, and / or k) the connecting members (2, 3) are each plate-shaped, in particular flat, and / or l) the current sensing resistor (1) has a length (L) in the direction of current flow of less than 30 cm, 20 cm, or 10 cm; and / or m) the current sensing resistor (1) has a width (B) perpendicular to the direction of current flow of 20 cm, 10 cm, or 5 cm; and / or n) the current sensing resistor (1) has a thickness (h) of less than 10 mm, 5 mm, or 4 mm; and / or o) the two connecting elements (2, 3) each have at least one current connection (5, 6) for introducing and withdrawing a current, each current connection (5, 6) preferably having at least one hole in each of the respective connecting elements (2, 3), in particular two holes arranged adjacent to each other in the direction of the current flow, and / or p) the individual voltage-detecting contacts (8-19; 22-25) are in each case contact islands consisting of a conductive coating on the respective connecting element (2, 3), and / or q) each of the contact islands is substantially rectangular; and / or r) the coating of the contact islands is made of a different conductive material than the connection elements (2, 3); and / or s) the contact islands on the current sensing resistor (1) are arranged in a matrix with a number of columns, in particular four columns, perpendicular to the current flow direction and a number of rows, in particular three rows, parallel to the current flow direction; 13. A current sensing resistor (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

[0079] [Appendix 14] a) a current sensing resistor (1) according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 13; b) a voltage measuring device (26) for measuring the voltage at the voltage sensing contacts (8-19; 22-25) of the current sensing resistor (1) and for determining a corresponding voltage measurement value; c) an evaluation unit (27) for determining the current (I) flowing through the current sensing resistor (1) from the voltage measurements; A current measuring device comprising:

[0080] [Appendix 15] a) the voltage detection contacts (8-19; 22-25) form a Wheatstone bridge circuit; and / or b) the voltage detection contacts (8-19; 22-25) form a plurality of redundant current measurement channels; 15. The current measuring device according to claim 14, [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] 1 Current Sensing Resistor 2,3 Connection members 4 Resistance elements 5,6 Current connection (hole in the connection member) 7 Center axis of current sensing resistor 8~19 Voltage detection contacts 20,20.1~20.4 Notch 21 Cutout in current sense resistor 22~25 Voltage detection contacts 26 Voltage measuring device 27 Evaluation Units B Width of the current-sensing resistor perpendicular to the direction of current flow b S Width of the leg of the cut perpendicular to the current direction dl Length of the leg of the internal notch of the resistor element e Eccentricity of the cut h Thickness of current sensing resistor I current l RM The width of the resistor element along the direction of current flow l S Width of the base of the notch along the current direction L is the length of the current sensing resistor along the current direction

Claims

1. A current sensing resistor (1) for measuring a current (I), a) a first connection member (2) made of a conductive material for introducing the current (I) to be measured into the current sensing resistor (1); b) a second connection member (3) made of a conductive material for conducting the current (I) to be measured from the current sensing resistor (1); c) a resistive element (4) made of a resistive material and arranged in the direction of current flow between the first connecting member (2) and the second connecting member (3) such that the current (I) to be measured flows through the resistive element (4); d) at least one pair of voltage detection contacts (8-19; 22-25) for measuring a voltage drop across the resistive element (4), each of which is engaged with one of the connecting members (2, 3); e) at least one notch (20; 20.1-20.4) in at least one of said connection members (2, 3), surrounding one of said voltage sensing contacts (8-19; 22-25) and preventing current from flowing beyond said notch (20; 20.1-20.4); Equipped with f) a plurality of pairs of voltage detection contacts (8-19; 22-25) are arranged side by side in the direction of current flow; g) the connecting member has a particular width (B) perpendicular to the direction of current flow; and h) the cuts (20; 20.1-20.4) in the connecting element extend perpendicular to the current flow direction over a maximum of 60%, 50% or 40% of the width (B) of the connecting element (2, 3); A current sensing resistor (1).

2. A current sensing resistor (1) for measuring a current (I), comprising: a) a first connection member (2) made of a conductive material for introducing the current (I) to be measured into the current sensing resistor (1); b) a second connection member (3) made of a conductive material for conducting the current (I) to be measured from the current sensing resistor (1); c) a resistive element (4) made of a resistive material and arranged in the direction of current flow between the first connecting member (2) and the second connecting member (3) such that the current (I) to be measured flows through the resistive element (4); d) at least one pair of voltage detection contacts (8-19; 22-25) for measuring a voltage drop across the resistive element (4), each of which is engaged with one of the connecting members (2, 3); e) at least one notch (20; 20.1-20.4) in at least one of said connection members (2, 3), surrounding one of said voltage sensing contacts (8-19; 22-25) and preventing current from flowing beyond said notch (20; 20.1-20.4); Equipped with f) a plurality of pairs of voltage detection contacts (8-19; 22-25) are arranged side by side in the direction of current flow; g) g1) the incisions (20; 20.1 to 20.4) are arc-shaped, in particular U-shaped or V-shaped, with a base perpendicular to the current flow direction and legs facing the resistive element (4) parallel to the current flow direction; and / or g2) the legs of the cuts (20; 20.1-20.4) are perpendicular to the direction of current flow and have a width (b) at least as large as the thickness (h) of the resistive element (4). ｓ ) and / or g3) the base of the incision (20; 20.1-20.4) is perpendicular to the direction of current flow and has a width (l) at least as large as the thickness (h) of the resistive element (4). ｓ ) A current sensing resistor (1).

3. a) the legs of the cuts (20; 20.1 to 20.4) project into the resistive element (4) in the direction of the current flow and terminate in the resistive element (4), in particular in the resistive element (4): a1) 6 mm with a maximum deviation of ±3 mm, ±2 mm, ±1 mm, ±0.5 mm, or ±0.2 mm; and / or a2) The length (l) of the resistive element (4) in the direction of current flow ＲＭ ) 10% to 90%, 20% to 80%, or 30% to 70% of and / or b) the legs of the cutouts (20; 20.1 to 20.4) terminate in a connecting element (2, 3) in front of the resistive element (4) in the direction of current flow, in particular b1) 4 mm with a maximum deviation of ±2 mm, ±1 mm, ±0.5 mm, or ±0.2 mm; and / or b2) 10% to 90%, 20% to 80%, or 30% to 70% of the width of the current sensing resistor (1); Having a leg length, or c) the legs of the cuts (20; 20.1 to 20.4) terminate, in the direction of current flow, at the boundary between the resistive element (4) and the connecting member (2, 3); 3. A current sensing resistor (1) according to claim 2.

4. A current sensing resistor (1) for measuring a current (I), comprising: a) a first connection member (2) made of a conductive material for introducing the current (I) to be measured into the current sensing resistor (1); b) a second connection member (3) made of a conductive material for conducting the current (I) to be measured from the current sensing resistor (1); c) a resistive element (4) made of a resistive material and arranged in the direction of current flow between the first connecting member (2) and the second connecting member (3) such that the current (I) to be measured flows through the resistive element (4); d) at least one pair of voltage detection contacts (8-19; 22-25) for measuring a voltage drop across the resistive element (4), each of which is engaged with one of the connecting members (2, 3); e) at least one notch (20; 20.1-20.4) in at least one of said connection members (2, 3), surrounding one of said voltage sensing contacts (8-19; 22-25) and preventing current from flowing beyond said notch (20; 20.1-20.4); Equipped with f) a plurality of pairs of voltage detection contacts (8-19; 22-25) are arranged side by side in the direction of current flow; g) the cuts (20; 20.1-20.4) in the connecting members (2, 3) define contact islands, and the contact islands between the cuts (20; 20.1-20.4) and the resistive element (4) are at least 4 mm ２ , 5 mm ２ , 6mm ２ , 8mm ２ or 10 mm ２ having an area of A current sensing resistor (1).

5. A current sensing resistor (1) for measuring a current (I), comprising: a) a first connection member (2) made of a conductive material for introducing the current (I) to be measured into the current sensing resistor (1); b) a second connection member (3) made of a conductive material for conducting the current (I) to be measured from the current sensing resistor (1); c) a resistive element (4) made of a resistive material and arranged in the direction of current flow between the first connecting member (2) and the second connecting member (3) such that the current (I) to be measured flows through the resistive element (4); d) at least one pair of voltage detection contacts (8-19; 22-25) for measuring a voltage drop across the resistive element (4), each of which is engaged with one of the connecting members (2, 3); e) at least one notch (20; 20.1-20.4) in at least one of said connection members (2, 3), surrounding one of said voltage sensing contacts (8-19; 22-25) and preventing current from flowing beyond said notch (20; 20.1-20.4); Equipped with f) a plurality of pairs of voltage detection contacts (8-19; 22-25) are arranged side by side in the direction of current flow; g) at least one recess (20.1-20.4) is arranged in each of the two connection members (2, 3), said recesses (20.1-20.4) surrounding a contact island for a voltage-detecting contact (9, 10, 23, 24); and h) the cuts (20.1 to 20.4) are arranged in pairs on the connecting members (2, 3) on opposite sides of the resistive element (4), i.e. in the same lagging position with respect to the central axis (7) of the current sensing resistor (1); A current sensing resistor (1).

6. A current sensing resistor (1) for measuring a current (I), comprising: a) a first connection member (2) made of a conductive material for introducing the current (I) to be measured into the current sensing resistor (1); b) a second connection member (3) made of a conductive material for conducting the current (I) to be measured from the current sensing resistor (1); c) a resistive element (4) made of a resistive material and arranged in the direction of current flow between the first connecting member (2) and the second connecting member (3) such that the current (I) to be measured flows through the resistive element (4); d) at least one pair of voltage detection contacts (8-19; 22-25) for measuring a voltage drop across the resistive element (4), each of which is engaged with one of the connecting members (2, 3); e) at least one notch (20; 20.1-20.4) in at least one of said connection members (2, 3), surrounding one of said voltage sensing contacts (8-19; 22-25) and preventing current from flowing beyond said notch (20; 20.1-20.4); Equipped with f) a plurality of pairs of voltage detection contacts (8-19; 22-25) are arranged side by side in the direction of current flow; g) in at least one of the two connection members (2, 3), a number of cutouts (20.1 to 20.4) are arranged adjacent to one another in the direction of current flow, and the cutouts each surround a contact island for a voltage detection contact (9, 10, 23, 24); A current sensing resistor (1).

7. A current sensing resistor (1) for measuring a current (I), comprising: a) a first connection member (2) made of a conductive material for introducing the current (I) to be measured into the current sensing resistor (1); b) a second connection member (3) made of a conductive material for conducting the current (I) to be measured from the current sensing resistor (1); c) a resistive element (4) made of a resistive material and arranged in the direction of current flow between the first connecting member (2) and the second connecting member (3) such that the current (I) to be measured flows through the resistive element (4); d) at least one pair of voltage detection contacts (8-19; 22-25) for measuring a voltage drop across the resistive element (4), each of which is engaged with one of the connecting members (2, 3); e) at least one notch (20; 20.1-20.4) in at least one of said connection members (2, 3), surrounding one of said voltage sensing contacts (8-19; 22-25) and preventing current from flowing beyond said notch (20; 20.1-20.4); Equipped with f) a plurality of pairs of voltage detection contacts (8-19; 22-25) are arranged side by side in the direction of current flow; g) the resistive element (4) is divided into a first portion and a second portion, whereby the current (I) to be measured is divided into a first current path through the first portion of the resistive element (4) and a second current path through the second portion of the resistive element (4); h) a cutout (21) is provided in the resistive element (4), the cutout (21) preventing current from flowing beyond the cutout (21), so that the two current paths pass on either side of the cutout (21); i) the cutout (21) extends over the entire length of the resistive element (4) in the direction of current flow; j) said cutout (21) extends into said connecting element (2, 3) in the direction of the current flow; A current sensing resistor (1).

8. a) in the first current path, in each case a plurality of voltage detection contacts (8 to 19; 22 to 25) are arranged side by side along the direction of the current flow, b) in the second current path, in each case a plurality of voltage detection contacts (8 to 19; 22 to 25) are arranged side by side along the direction of the current flow, and c) a pair of voltage sensing contacts (8-19; 22-25) couple the two parts of the resistive element (4), in particular at the direct interface with the resistive element (4) in the connecting member, in order to measure the voltage drop between the two parts of the resistive element (4) transversely to the current flow direction; A current sensing resistor (1) according to claim 7.

9. a) in the first current path in each case a plurality of voltage sensing contacts (8 to 19; 22 to 25) are arranged next to each other in a direction perpendicular to the current flow direction, b) in the second current path, in each case a plurality of voltage-detecting contacts (8 to 19; 22 to 25) are arranged next to each other in a direction perpendicular to the current flow direction, and c) in each case a number of voltage-detecting contacts (8-19; 22-25) are arranged on the two parts of the resistive element (4), i.e. adjacent to each other in a direction perpendicular to the current flow direction, in particular directly at the interface with the resistive element (4) within the connecting member (2, 3); A current sensing resistor (1) according to claim 7 or 8.

10. The cuts (20; 20.1 to 20.4) and the voltage detection contact (14) surrounded by the cuts (20; 20.1 to 20.4) are disposed at the center of the connection member (2) in a direction perpendicular to the current flow direction. A current sensing resistor (1) according to any one of the preceding claims.

11. a) the current sensing resistor (1) has a particular central axis (7) parallel to the direction of current flow; b) the connecting element (2) with the incision (20.1) has a certain width (B) perpendicular to the current flow direction, and c) the voltage sensing contact (10) surrounded by the notch (20.1) has an eccentricity (e) with respect to the central axis (7) of the smaller current sensing resistor (1) that is less than 50%, 40%, 30%, 20%, 10% or 5% of the width (B) of the current sensing resistor (1); A current sensing resistor (1) according to any one of the preceding claims.

12. a) the conductor material is copper, a copper alloy, aluminium or an aluminium alloy; and / or b) the conductive material of the connection elements (2, 3) has a smaller specific electrical resistivity than the resistive material of the resistive element (4); and / or c) the resistive material of the resistive element (4) is an alloy of c1) Copper alloys, in particular copper-manganese-tin alloys, especially CuMn １２ Ni ２ , or CuMn ７ Sn ２，３ , or copper-manganese-nickel alloys, especially Cu ８４ Ni ４ Mn １２ , or Cu ６５ Mn ２５ Ni １０ , or copper-chromium alloys; c2) nickel alloys, in particular NiCr or CuNi; and / or d) the resistive element (4) is electrically and mechanically connected to the two connecting members, in particular by means of a welded joint, in particular by means of electron beam welding; and / or e) the resistive material is 2.10 －４ Ω·m, 2·10 －５ Ω·m or 2·10 －６ and / or has a specific electrical resistivity of less than Ω·m; f) the resistive material is 2.10 －６ Ω·m, 2·10 －７ and / or has an electrical resistivity greater than Ω·m; g) the conductive material is 10 －６ Ω·m, or 10 －７ and / or has a specific electrical resistivity of less than Ω·m; h) the current sensing resistor (1) is a low resistance with a resistance value of at most 1 μΩ, 10 μΩ, 50 μΩ, 100 μΩ, 500 μΩ, 10 mΩ, 5 mΩ, 2 mΩ, or 1 mΩ; and / or i) the current sensing resistor (1) has a current carrying capacity of at least 1 A, 10 A, 100 A, 1 kA, or 5 kA; and / or j) the resistive element (4) is plate-shaped, in particular flat, and / or k) the connecting members (2, 3) are each plate-shaped, in particular flat, and / or l) the current sensing resistor (1) has a length (L) in the direction of current flow of less than 30 cm, 20 cm, or 10 cm; and / or m) the current sensing resistor (1) has a width (B) perpendicular to the direction of current flow of 20 cm, 10 cm, or 5 cm; and / or n) the current sensing resistor (1) has a thickness (h) of less than 10 mm, 5 mm, or 4 mm; and / or o) the two connecting elements (2, 3) each have at least one current connection (5, 6) for introducing and withdrawing a current, each current connection (5, 6) having at least one hole in the respective connecting element (2, 3), in particular two holes arranged adjacent to each other in each case in the direction of the current flow, and / or p) the individual voltage-detecting contacts (8-19; 22-25) are in each case contact islands consisting of a conductive coating on the respective connecting element (2, 3), and / or q) each of the contact islands is substantially rectangular; and / or r) the coating of the contact islands is of a different conductive material than the connection elements (2, 3); and / or s) the contact islands on the current sensing resistor (1) are arranged in a matrix with a number of columns, in particular four columns, perpendicular to the current flow direction and a number of rows, in particular three rows, parallel to the current flow direction; A current sensing resistor (1) according to any one of the preceding claims.

13. a) a current sensing resistor (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 12; b) a voltage measuring device (26) for measuring the voltage at the voltage sensing contacts (8-19; 22-25) of the current sensing resistor (1) and for determining a corresponding voltage measurement value; c) an evaluation unit (27) for determining the current (I) flowing through the current sensing resistor (1) from the voltage measurements; A current measuring device comprising:

14. a) the voltage sensing contacts (8-19; 22-25) form a Wheatstone bridge circuit; and / or b) said voltage sensing contacts (8-19; 22-25) form a plurality of redundant current measurement channels; 14. The current measuring device according to claim 13.

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