Conductor member with cooling structure

Abstract

To provide a conductor member with a cooling structure that enables cooling while reducing manufacturing costs.SOLUTION: A conductor member with a cooling structure 1 includes a conductor member 11 formed in a strip shape from conductive metal, one end of which is connected to a component terminal E11 of a predetermined electric / electronic component E1 and the other end of which is connected to an electrical connection target of the electric / electronic component E1 to conduct electricity, a cooling pipe 12 through which a coolant flows, and a fixed wall 13 which is made of an insulating resin and to which the conductor member 11 is fixed together with the electric / electronic component E1, and to which the cooling pipe 12 is fixed so as to extend in contact with the connection portion of the conductor member 11 with the component terminal E11.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a conductor member with a cooling structure that connects component terminals of electric and electronic components to electrical connection targets while cooling itself. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a conductor member with a cooling structure has been known in which a cooling function is added to a conductor member that connects the component terminals of an electric / electronic component to an electrical connection target (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The conductor member with a cooling structure of Patent Document 1 uses a conductive pipe as the conductor member, and has both ends crushed to form connection parts with the component terminals of the electric / electronic component and the electrical connection target. The electrical connection is made by the conductive pipe itself, and cooling is achieved by a refrigerant flowing inside the pipe. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-018661 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Here, in the conductor component with cooling structure using the above-mentioned conductive pipe, both ends of the pipe are crushed to form a connection, which requires advanced molding technology for this connection, which tends to increase manufacturing costs.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a conductor member with a cooling structure that can perform cooling while reducing manufacturing costs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, a conductor member with a cooling structure includes a conductor member formed in a strip shape from a conductive metal, one end of which is connected to a component terminal of a predetermined electric / electronic component and the other end of which is connected to an electrical connection target of the electric / electronic component to conduct electricity, a cooling pipe through which a refrigerant flows, and a fixing wall made of insulating resin to which the conductor member is fixed together with the electric / electronic component, the fixing wall being in contact with a connection portion of the conductor member with the component terminal and fixing the cooling pipe so that the cooling pipe extends. The electric / electronic component is provided with a pair of component terminals, and the conductor members are connected one-to-one to the pair of component terminals, and are provided in pairs so as to extend in the arrangement direction of the component terminals. The cooling pipe is a single pipe, a portion of which is fixed to the fixed wall so as to contact the connection portions of the pair of conductor members, and is fixed to the fixed wall in a state where it is bent from a first contact position that contacts one of the connection portions to a second contact position that contacts the other of the connection portions. It is characterized by: [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the above-described conductor member with a cooling structure, cooling can be performed while reducing manufacturing costs. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a conductor member with a cooling structure according to a first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 2] 2 is a perspective view of the conductor member with a cooling structure shown in FIG. 1, excluding the electric and electronic components and the conductor member. FIG. [Figure 3] 2 is a plan view showing a connection point between a component terminal and a conductor member of the electric / electronic component shown in FIG. 1, together with a cooling pipe that contacts the connection point. [Figure 4] 10 is a perspective view of a conductor member with a cooling structure according to a second embodiment, similar to FIG. 2, with the electric and electronic components and the conductor member removed. [Figure 5] 5 is a plan view of the conductor member with a cooling structure shown in FIG. 4, similar to FIG. 3, showing the connection points between the component terminals of the electric / electronic component and the conductor member, together with the cooling pipes in contact therewith. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a conductor member with a cooling structure will be described. First, a first embodiment will be described.

[0010] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a conductor member with a cooling structure according to a first embodiment, and Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the conductor member with a cooling structure shown in Fig. 1, excluding the electric / electronic component and the conductor member. Also, Fig. 3 is a plan view showing a connection point between a component terminal of the electric / electronic component shown in Fig. 1 and the conductor member, together with a cooling pipe in contact therewith.

[0011] The conductor member 1 with a cooling structure in this embodiment is a member for connecting each of a pair of component terminals E11 in a relay, which is an electric / electronic component E1, to an electrical connection target of the electric / electronic component E1. This conductor member 1 with a cooling structure includes a pair of conductor members 11 connected one-to-one to the pair of component terminals E11, one cooling pipe 12, and a fixing wall 13 to which the cooling pipe 12 is fixed.

[0012] The conductor member 11 is formed in the shape of a rectangular strip from a conductive metal such as copper, and has one end connected to the component terminal E11 of the electric / electronic component E1 and the other end connected to an electrical connection target of the electric / electronic component E1 to form a bus bar for conducting current. The connection at both ends is performed by screw fastening, and each end is provided with a screw through-hole 111 through which a fastening screw E12 passes. The conductor members 11 are connected one-to-one to a pair of component terminals E11, and a pair of conductor members 11 are provided so as to extend in the arrangement direction D11 of the component terminals E11.

[0013] The cooling pipe 12 is a round pipe bent into a U-shape midway, and a refrigerant flows through it. In this embodiment, water, which is a fluid having electrical conductivity, is used as the refrigerant. Furthermore, a metal pipe having electrical conductivity is used as the cooling pipe 12. An example of such a metal pipe is a copper pipe.

[0014] In addition, both the conductor side contact surface 11b of the conductor member 11 that comes into contact with the cooling pipe 12 and the pipe side contact surface 12a of the cooling pipe 12 that comes into contact with the conductor member 11 are subjected to an insulating treatment such as an insulating coating.

[0015] The fixed wall 13 is a wall made of insulating resin to which the conductor member 11 is fixed together with the electric / electronic component E1, and is a portion to which the cooling pipe 12 is fixed so that the cooling pipe 12 extends in contact with the connection portion 11a with the component terminal E11 of the conductor member 11. This fixed wall 13 is a wall portion that constitutes a part of the device housing on which the conductor member 11 and the electric / electronic component E1 are mounted.

[0016] The fixed wall 13 is provided with a component-facing portion 131 on which a pair of component terminals E11 of the electric / electronic component E1 face each other via the connection portions 11a of the pair of conductor members 11, and a pair of conductor mounting grooves 132 into which the pair of conductor members 11 are fitted and attached. The pair of conductor mounting grooves 132 are formed to extend from the component-facing portion 131 in the arrangement direction D11 of the component terminals E11. Each conductor mounting groove 132 is a rectangular groove with a thin bottom that fits approximately half of the rectangular strip-shaped conductor member 11 in the thickness direction D12. A pair of piping grooves 133 into which the cooling piping 12 is fitted is formed at the boundary between the component-facing portion 131 and the pair of conductor mounting grooves 132, passing through positions in contact with the connection portions 11a of the conductor members 11.

[0017] The pair of pipe grooves 133 are angular grooves formed along the width direction D13 so that the pair of arm portions 121 of the U-shaped bent cooling pipe 12 extend across the width direction D13 of the conductor member 11 and the connecting portions 11a of the pair of conductor members 11. The cooling pipe 12 is attached such that one of the pair of pipe grooves 133 contacts one of the pair of connecting portions 11a at a first contact position P11 and the other pipe groove 133 contacts the other connecting portion 11a at a second contact position P12. The cooling pipe 12 is bent between the first contact position P11 and the second contact position P12 to form a U-shaped bent portion 122 and is fixed to the fixing wall 13. The fixing here is performed by bonding the cooling pipe 12 and the pipe grooves 133 with an adhesive, or by welding in which a portion of the pipe groove 133 in the insulating resin fixing wall 13 is melted to integrate it with the metal cooling pipe 12.

[0018] According to the conductor member 1 with a cooling structure of the first embodiment described above, the conductor member 11 that provides electrical continuity between the component terminal E11 of the electric / electronic component E1 and an electrical connection target can be used without additional processing for cooling. Furthermore, the connection portion 11a of the conductor member 11 with the component terminal E11, which tends to generate a large amount of heat when current is applied, can be effectively cooled by the cooling pipe 12 that is in contact with the conductor member 11 and through which a refrigerant flows. As described above, according to the conductor member 1 with a cooling structure of this embodiment, additional processing for the conductor member 11 is not required, and therefore cooling can be performed with reduced manufacturing costs.

[0019] In this embodiment, the refrigerant is water as a conductive fluid, the cooling pipe 12 is a conductive metal pipe such as a copper pipe, and both the conductor-side contact surface 11b and the pipe-side contact surface 12a are insulated. This configuration prevents the component terminal E11 and the connection portion 11a of the electric / electronic component E1 from being short-circuited to an unintended location via the refrigerant or the cooling pipe 12, and allows the use of ordinary water, copper pipe, or the like as the conductive refrigerant and the cooling pipe 12.

[0020] In this embodiment, the fixed wall 13 is formed with a piping groove 133 into which the cooling piping 12 is fitted. With this configuration, the cooling piping 12 is fitted into the piping groove 133, so that the cooling piping 12 can be fixed without interfering with the fixation of the electric / electronic component E11 and the conductor member 11 to the fixed wall 13. Furthermore, by employing this piping fitting structure, the size of the conductor member 1 with a cooling structure can be reduced.

[0021] In this embodiment, the fixed wall 13 is a wall portion that constitutes a part of the device housing. With this configuration, by using a part of the device housing as the fixed wall 13 of the cooling pipe 12, it is possible to further reduce manufacturing costs compared to when a fixed wall is prepared as a separate part.

[0022] In this embodiment, the conductor members 11 are connected one-to-one to a pair of component terminals E11 and are provided in pairs so as to extend in the arrangement direction D11 of the component terminals E11. The cooling pipe 12 is a single pipe that is fixed to the fixed wall 13 in a state where it is bent from a first contact position P11 where it contacts one connection portion 11a to a second contact position P12 where it contacts the other connection portion 11a. With this configuration, the connection portions 11a of the pair of conductor members 11 connected to the pair of component terminals E11 in the electric / electronic component E1 can be efficiently cooled by the single cooling pipe 12.

[0023] In this embodiment, the cooling pipe 12 is bent into a U-shape between the first contact position P11 and the second contact position P12. With this configuration, the bending process for one cooling pipe 12 can be a simple U-shape bending process, which further reduces manufacturing costs.

[0024] Next, a second embodiment will be described. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the bending shape of the cooling pipe and the fixing structure of the cooling pipe on the fixing wall. The following description of the second embodiment will focus on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0025] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a conductor member with a cooling structure according to a second embodiment, similar to FIG. 2, excluding the electric / electronic component and the conductor member. FIG. 5 is a plan view of the conductor member with a cooling structure shown in FIG. 4, similar to FIG. 3, showing the connection points between the component terminals of the electric / electronic component and the conductor member, together with the cooling pipes in contact therewith. In FIGS. 4 and 5, components equivalent to those of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 are assigned the same reference numerals as in FIGS. 1 to 3 only for those elements necessary for explanation, and redundant explanations of these components will be omitted below. In FIG. 5, the fastening screws for the conductor member 11 are shown with screw heads shaped differently from those in FIG. 3, but since they are essentially the same, they are assigned the same reference numeral "E12" as in FIG. 3.

[0026] The conductor member 2 with a cooling structure of the second embodiment is similar to the first embodiment in that it includes a pair of conductor members 11 connected one-to-one to a pair of component terminals E11 of an electric / electronic component E1. However, in this embodiment, the shape of one cooling pipe 22 that contacts the connection portion 11a of the pair of conductor members 11 and the fixing structure of this cooling pipe 22 on the fixing wall 23 are different from those of the first embodiment.

[0027] The cooling pipe 22 has arm portions 221 that extend linearly at both a first contact position P11 that contacts one connecting portion 11a and a second contact position P12 that contacts the other connecting portion 11a. The section from one arm portion 221 that passes through the first contact position P11 to the other arm portion 221 that passes through the second contact position P12 is bent into a W shape as described below. The cooling pipe 22 first contacts the outside of the arrangement of the pair of screw through holes 111 in one connecting portion 11a at the first contact position P11 with one arm portion 221, and then bends toward the inside of the arrangement of the screw through holes 111 and turns back on the inside. The cooling pipe 22 then turns back toward the outside of the arrangement and contacts the outside of the arrangement of the other connecting portion 11a with one arm portion 221. The cooling pipe 22 has a W-shaped bent shape formed by a pair of arm portions 221 that pass outside the arrangement of the pair of screw through holes 111, and a bent portion 222 that includes a turn back on the inside of the arrangement.

[0028] The fixing structure of the W-shaped bent cooling pipe 22 on the fixed wall 23 includes a pair of pipe grooves 133 into which the pair of linear arm portions 221 are fitted, a folded end portion holding groove 234, and a folded end portion holding rib 235, as in the first embodiment. The folded end portion holding groove 234 is a U-shaped groove portion into which the folded end portion 222a of the cooling pipe 22 is fitted and held inside the arrangement of the pair of screw through holes 111. The folded end portion holding rib 235 is a rib inserted between the pair of straight pipe portions 222b that extend linearly from the folded end portion 222a held by the folded end portion holding groove 234. The folded end portion holding rib 235 positions the folded end portion 222a and the pair of straight pipe portions 222b in the center with respect to the arrangement direction D11 of the pair of screw through holes 111, and holds these portions in cooperation with the folded end portion holding groove 234.

[0029] As with the first embodiment described above, the conductor member 2 with cooling structure of the second embodiment described above does not require additional processing of the conductor member 11, so it goes without saying that cooling can be performed while keeping manufacturing costs down.

[0030] In this embodiment, the cooling pipes 22 are bent into a W-shape as described above. With this configuration, the bending process for one cooling pipe 22 is more complicated than bending into a U-shape, but the connection portions 11a of each conductor member 11 are cooled from two directions, that is, from the inside and the outside of the arrangement direction D11 of the screw through holes 111, thereby improving the cooling efficiency.

[0031] The first and second embodiments described above merely show typical forms of the conductor member with a cooling structure. The conductor member with a cooling structure is not limited to these and can be implemented in various modifications.

[0032] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the conductor members 1 and 2 with a cooling structure are exemplified as an example of the conductor member with a cooling structure for connecting a pair of component terminals E11 of a relay, which is an electric / electronic component E1, to an electrical connection target. However, the conductor member with a cooling structure is not limited to this, and the electric / electronic component to be connected may be an electric component other than a relay, or may be another electronic component.

[0033] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, as an example of the conductor member with a cooling structure, the conductor members 1 and 2 are exemplified as liquid-cooled conductor members with a cooling structure in which water, which is a conductive liquid, is flowed as a refrigerant through the cooling pipes 12 and 22. However, the conductor member with a cooling structure is not limited to this, and the refrigerant may be a non-conductive liquid or a gas for air cooling.

[0034] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, as an example of a conductor member with a cooling structure, conductor members 1 and 2 having a pair of conductor members 11 are exemplified. However, the conductor member with a cooling structure is not limited to this, and may be one having only one conductor member, or one having three or more conductor members, etc.

[0035] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, round cooling pipes 12 and 22 made of conductive metal pipes such as copper pipes are exemplified as examples of cooling pipes. However, the cooling pipes are not limited to these and may be made of non-conductive metals, resins, etc., and may have shapes other than round, such as square or other polygonal shapes. Note that when the cooling pipes are made of non-conductive metals, resins, etc., insulation between the cooling pipes and the conductive members is not required.

[0036] In the above-described embodiment, as an example of a conductor member with a cooling structure, conductor members 1 and 2 that have been insulated as follows are exemplified. That is, the insulation treatment here is performed on both the conductor-side contact surface 11b of the conductor member 11 and the piping-side contact surfaces 12a and 22b of the cooling pipes 12 and 22. However, the conductor member with a cooling structure is not limited to this, and insulation treatment may be performed on only one of the conductor-side contact surface of the conductor member or the piping-side contact surface of the cooling pipe. Furthermore, the range of insulation treatment is not limited to only the conductor-side contact surface and the piping-side contact surface. Insulation treatment may be performed on a wide range of the conductor member, including the conductor-side contact surface, or on a wide range of the cooling pipe, including the piping-side contact surface.

[0037] In the above-described embodiment, the conductor members 1 and 2 with a cooling structure in which both the conductor-side contact surface 11b and the piping-side contact surfaces 12a and 22a are insulated are exemplified as an example of the conductor member with a cooling structure. However, the conductor member with a cooling structure is not limited to this, and the cooling piping may be made of a non-conductive material such as insulating resin, without the above-described insulation treatment. However, as described above, by performing the above-described insulation treatment, ordinary water, copper piping, etc. can be used as the refrigerant and the cooling piping 12.

[0038] In the above-described embodiment, the fixed walls 13, 23 having the piping grooves 133 formed therein, into which the cooling piping 12, 22 are fitted, are exemplified as an example of the fixed wall. However, the fixed walls are not limited to this, and any structure may be adopted as a fixing structure for the cooling piping. However, as described above, the formation of the piping grooves 133 allows the cooling piping 12, 22 to be fixed without interfering with the fixing of the electric / electronic component E11 and the conductor member 11 to the fixed walls 13, 23, and also allows the size of the conductor members 1, 2 with cooling structures to be reduced.

[0039] In the above-described embodiment, the fixed walls 13, 23 that are wall portions that constitute part of the device housing are exemplified as an example of the fixed wall. However, the fixed walls are not limited to this, and may be provided as separate parts from the device housing. However, as described above, by using part of the device housing as the fixed walls 13, 23 of the cooling pipes 12, 22, manufacturing costs can be further reduced.

[0040] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, as an example of a conductor member with a cooling structure, conductor members 1, 2 in which one cooling pipe 12, 22 is bent midway so as to contact the connection portion 11a of a pair of conductor members 11 and fixed to fixed walls 13, 23 are exemplified. However, the conductor member with a cooling structure is not limited to this, and for example, two straight cooling pipes that contact the connection portion 11a of the pair of conductor members one-to-one may be provided. However, as described above, by configuring one cooling pipe 12, 22 to bend and contact the connection portion 11a of the pair of conductor members 11, the connection portion 11a of the pair of conductor members 11 can be efficiently cooled by one cooling pipe 12.

[0041] In the above-described embodiment, cooling pipes 12 bent in a U shape and cooling pipes 22 bent in a W shape are exemplified as examples of cooling pipes bent midway. However, the bending shape of the cooling pipes is not limited to a U shape or a W shape, and any bending shape can be adopted as long as it can contact and cool the connection portions of a pair of conductor members. However, as described above, a U-shaped bending shape can further reduce manufacturing costs due to the ease of bending, and a W-shaped bending shape can improve cooling efficiency by cooling each connection portion from two directions. [Explanation of symbols]

[0042] 1,2 Conductor member with cooling structure 11 Conductor material 11a Connection 11b Conductor side contact surface 12,22 Cooling piping 12a, 22a Piping side contact surface 13 Fixed wall 111 screw through hole 121,221 Arm part 122 U-shaped bend 131 Part facing part 132 Conductor mounting groove 133 Pipe Groove 222 Bent part 222a Folded end 222b Straight pipe section 234 Folded end retaining groove 235 Folded retaining rib D11 Array direction D12 Thickness direction D13 Width direction E1 Electrical and electronic components E11 Component terminal E12 Fastening screw P11 1st contact position P12 2nd contact position

Claims

1. a conductor member formed in a strip shape from a conductive metal, one end of which is connected to a component terminal of a predetermined electric / electronic component, and the other end of which is connected to an electrical connection target of the electric / electronic component to conduct electricity; a cooling pipe through which a refrigerant flows; a fixing wall made of insulating resin to which the conductor member is fixed together with the electric / electronic component, the fixing wall being such that the cooling pipe extends in contact with a connection portion of the conductor member with the component terminal; Equipped with The electrical / electronic component is provided with a pair of component terminals, the conductor members are connected to the pair of component terminals one-to-one and are provided in pairs so as to extend in the arrangement direction of the component terminals, A conductor member with a cooling structure, characterized in that the cooling piping is a single piping whose portion is fixed to the fixed wall so as to contact the connection portion of each of the pair of conductor members, and which is fixed to the fixed wall in a bent state from a first contact position that contacts one of the connection portions to a second contact position that contacts the other of the connection portions.

2. the refrigerant is a fluid having electrical conductivity, The cooling pipe is a metal pipe having electrical conductivity, A conductor member with a cooling structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that at least one of the conductor side contact surface of the conductor member that contacts the cooling piping and the piping side contact surface of the cooling piping that contacts the conductor member is subjected to an insulating treatment.

3. 2. The conductor member with a cooling structure according to claim 1, wherein the fixing wall has a piping groove formed therein, into which the cooling piping is fitted so as to pass through a position where the fixing wall contacts the connecting portion.

4. 2. The conductive member with a cooling structure according to claim 1, wherein the fixed wall is a wall portion that constitutes a part of a housing of a predetermined device.

5. 2. The conductive member with a cooling structure according to claim 1, wherein the cooling pipe is bent in a U-shape between the first contact position and the second contact position.

6. a screw through-hole for screw fastening to the component terminal is formed in the connection portion of the conductor member; the first contact position and the second contact position are provided to sandwich the pair of screw through holes between them in the arrangement direction, The conductor member with cooling structure described in claim 1, characterized in that the shape from the first contact position to the second contact position is bent in a W-shape so that the cooling pipe contacts the outside of the arrangement of a pair of the screw through holes at one of the connection parts, then bends toward the inside of the arrangement and folds back on the inside, and then folds back toward the outside of the arrangement to contact the outside of the arrangement at the other connection part.

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