Conductive component with cooling structure

Abstract

To provide a conductive member with a cooling structure which can reduce the weight and the size.SOLUTION: A conductive member 1 with a cooling structure includes: a conductor plate 11; a groove member 12 which extends along a partial shape 11a of the conductor plate 11, has a shape such that a flow channel groove 121 constituting a part of a coolant flow channel 1a flowing a coolant therein is provided, and is formed of an insulating resin; a metal cover 13 that is a metal cover constituting a coolant flow channel 1a by blocking a groove opening 121a of the flow channel groove 121, and with which the conductor plate 11 is overlapped; a pair of coolant inlet and outlet 14 provided on the metal cover 13, and a heat transfer material 15 which is sandwiched between the metal cover 13 and the conductor plate 15, and is brought into close contact with the metal cover 13 and the conductor plate 11.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a conductive member with a cooling structure that connects a component terminal of an electric and electronic component to an electrical connection target while cooling itself.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a cooling structure is known that transfers the heat of a conductive member that connects a component terminal of an electric and electronic component to an electrical connection target to the bottom wall of the device housing for heat dissipation (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The cooling structure of this Patent Document 1 is a structure that transfers the heat of a metal conductive member to the bottom wall via an insulating member to prevent leakage of electricity while dissipating the heat of the conductive member.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Here, a conductive member with a cooling structure that employs the above-described cooling structure for heat dissipation on the bottom wall of the device housing needs to form the bottom wall so as to have a sufficient thickness and width for such heat dissipation, and tends to increase in weight and size.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention focuses on the above problems and aims to provide a conductive member with a cooling structure that can be reduced in weight and size.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above problems, the conductive member with a cooling structure comprises: a conductive plate formed in the shape of a strip of conductive metal, one end of which is connected to a component terminal of a predetermined electrical or electronic component, and the other end of which is connected to an electrically connected object of the electrical or electronic component and conducts current; a groove member formed of an insulating resin, having a shape that extends along at least a part of the shape in the longitudinal direction of the conductive plate and having a flow channel groove that constitutes part of the refrigerant flow channel; a metal cover that constitutes the refrigerant flow channel by closing the groove opening of the flow channel groove in the groove member, on which the conductive plate is placed; a pair of refrigerant inlets and outlets provided on at least one of the groove member and the metal cover for allowing the refrigerant to flow in the refrigerant flow channel; and a heat transfer material sandwiched between the metal cover and the conductive plate and in close contact with the metal cover and the conductive plate. The groove member has a groove opening edge that is recessed in a stepped shape so that the metal cover can be fitted into it, and the surrounding rib that forms the higher position in the step is erected to a height exceeding the thickness of the metal cover, and the conductor plate is joined to the edge of the surrounding rib by overlapping it with the metal cover, with the heat transfer material being compressed between them. It is characterized by the following: Furthermore, the conductive member with a cooling structure comprises a conductive metal strip-shaped conductive plate with one end connected to a component terminal of a predetermined electrical / electronic component and the other end connected to an electrically connected object of the electrical / electronic component to conduct electricity; a groove member made of insulating resin having a shape that extends along at least a portion of the longitudinal shape of the conductive plate and has a flow channel groove that constitutes part of the refrigerant flow channel; a metal cover that blocks the groove opening of the flow channel groove in the groove member and constitutes the refrigerant flow channel, on which the conductive plate is superimposed; a pair of refrigerant inlets and outlets provided on at least one of the groove member and the metal cover for allowing the refrigerant to flow into the refrigerant flow channel; and a metal cover sandwiched between the metal cover and the conductive plate. The present invention comprises a heat transfer material in close contact with the conductor plate, wherein the flow channel groove in the groove member has a pair of protruding groove portions that protrude away from the conductor plate, the pair of refrigerant inlets and outlets are cylindrical projections erected one-to-one on a pair of protruding cover portions that close the pair of protruding groove portions in the metal cover, the pair of protruding groove portions protrude away from one of the pair of longitudinal side edges of the conductor plate with the protruding side edge being the protruding side edge, and the metal cover has a plurality of bead shapes that extend in the longitudinal direction of the conductor plate formed on the central cover portion connecting the pair of protruding cover portions, the bead length of the plurality of bead shapes is characterized in that the bead ends move away from both ends of the central cover portion as they approach the protruding side edge. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The conductive member with the cooling structure described above can be made lighter and smaller. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing a conductive member with a cooling structure according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a conductive member with a cooling structure. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view along the line V11-V11 in Figure 1. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The following describes one embodiment of a conductive member with a cooling structure.

[0010] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a conductive member with a cooling structure according to one embodiment, and Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the conductive member with a cooling structure shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view along the line V11-V11 in Figure 1.

[0011] In this embodiment, the conductive member 1 with a cooling structure is a member for connecting each component terminal E11 of a relay, which is an electrical electronic component E1, to the electrical connection target of the electrical electronic component E1. The electrical electronic component E1 is provided with a pair of component terminals E11, and a pair of conductive members 1 with a cooling structure are provided so as to correspond one-to-one with those pair of component terminals E11. Each conductive member 1 with a cooling structure comprises a conductor plate 11, a grooved member 12, a metal cover 13, a pair of coolant inlets and outlets 14, and a heat transfer material 15.

[0012] The conductor plate 11 is formed in the shape of a strip of a conductive metal such as copper, with one end connected to the component terminal E11 of the relay, which is an electrical electronic component E1, and the other end connected to the electrical connection target of the electrical electronic component E1, thus forming a busbar that conducts current. The connection at both ends is made by screw fastening, and screw through holes 111 are provided at each end through which the fastening screws pass.

[0013] The groove member 12 extends along a partial shape 11a of the conductor plate 11, excluding both ends in the longitudinal direction D11, and has a shape in which a flow channel groove 121 is provided, forming part of the refrigerant flow channel 1a through which the refrigerant flows. The groove member 12 has a central groove portion 122 along the partial shape 11a of the conductor plate 11, and a pair of protruding groove portions 123 that protrude from both ends of the central groove portion 122 in the width direction D12 of the conductor plate 11, giving it a C-shaped groove when viewed from the conductor plate 11 side. Both ends of the conductor plate 11, where screw through holes 111 are provided, are positioned to protrude from the central groove portion 122 of the groove member 12 in the longitudinal direction D11.

[0014] The metal cover 13 is a metal cover made of copper or the like that constitutes the refrigerant flow path 1a by blocking the groove opening 121a of the C-shaped flow path groove 121 in the groove member 12, and is a member on which the conductor plate 11 is superimposed. The metal cover 13 has a central cover portion 131 that blocks the central groove portion 122, and a pair of protruding cover portions 132 that protrude from both ends and block a pair of protruding groove portions 123 one to one, and has a C-shaped plate shape when viewed from the conductor plate 11 side in plan view.

[0015] In this embodiment, the groove member 12 has a groove opening 121a where a portion of the opening edge 121a-1, excluding the pair of protruding groove portions 123, is recessed in a stepped shape that allows the central cover portion 131 of the metal cover 13 to be fitted. The protruding opening edge 121a-2 of the protruding groove portion 123 is contoured to be substantially the same shape as the protruding cover portion 132 so that the protruding cover portion 132 can be simply superimposed on it. The protruding cover portion 132 protrudes from the cut in the peripheral rib 121a-3 that forms a higher position in the step of the portion of the opening edge 121a-1 and is superimposed on the protruding opening edge 121a-2. The metal cover 13 is joined to the portion of the opening edge 121a-1 and the pair of protruding opening edges 121a-2 by a watertight adhesive. This joining forms a watertight joint 13a as shown in Figure 3.

[0016] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the central cover portion 131 of the metal cover 13 has three bead shapes that extend in the longitudinal direction D11 of the conductor plate 11. As a result, the surface of the central cover portion 131 of the metal cover 13 on the refrigerant flow path side has a flow path side uneven surface 131a, which is provided with multiple (three in this embodiment) protrusions 131a-1 that project inward toward the inside of the refrigerant flow path 1a. Correspondingly, the surface of the central cover portion 131 on the conductor plate 11 side has a conductor side uneven surface 131b that corresponds to the flow path side uneven surface 131a.

[0017] The pair of refrigerant inlets / outlets 14 are provided at a site where at least one of the groove member 12 and the metal cover 13, in this embodiment, only the metal cover 13, is used to allow the refrigerant to flow through the refrigerant flow path 1a. Specifically, the pair of refrigerant inlets / outlets 14 are cylindrical protrusions erected one by one on the pair of protruding cover portions 132 of the metal cover 13.

[0018] Also, in this embodiment, water, which is a conductive fluid, is used as the refrigerant. And on the channel-side uneven surface 131a facing the inside of the refrigerant flow path 1a in the metal cover 13, insulation treatment is performed, for example, by applying an insulating paint.

[0019] The heat transfer material 15 is a flexible sheet-like member sandwiched between the metal cover 13 and the conductor plate 11 and adhered to the metal cover 13 and the conductor plate 11. As an example of this heat transfer material 15, for example, a heat transfer sheet of Laird's Tflex SF600 Series (registered trademark) can be used. As shown in FIG. 3, this heat transfer material 15 is sandwiched between the conductor-side uneven surface 131b in the central cover portion 131 of the metal cover 13 and the conductor plate 11 and adhered to the conductor-side uneven surface 131b and the conductor plate 11. And the conductor plate 11 sandwiches this heat transfer material 15 slightly crushed between it and the conductor-side uneven surface 131b of the metal cover and is overlapped with the edge of the peripheral rib 121a-3 surrounding the central cover portion 131 in the groove member 12. The edge of this peripheral rib 121a-3 and the conductor plate 11 are joined by an adhesive having watertight performance to form a watertight joint portion 111b.

[0020] According to the conductive member 1 with a cooling structure of the embodiment described above, the heat generated in the electrical and electronic component E1 and transmitted to the conductor plate 11 is cooled by being transferred to the refrigerant in the refrigerant flow path 1a through the metal cover 13 and the heat transfer material 15. According to this configuration, since the cooling is performed by the refrigerant and the metal cover 13 only serves to transfer heat to the refrigerant, the metal cover 13, which tends to be a heavy object, can be of the minimum required size, so that weight reduction and miniaturization can be achieved. Also, in terms of forming the refrigerant flow path 1a by combining the resin-made and lightweight groove member 12 with the metal cover 13, sufficient weight reduction and miniaturization can be achieved compared to the case of using a heavy object such as a cooling plate made of metal and having a sufficient thickness and width for heat dissipation.

[0021] Here, in the present embodiment, a part of the opening edge 121a-1 at the groove opening 121a of the groove member 12 has a shape that is recessed in a stepped manner into which the metal cover 13 can be fitted. The conductor plate 11 is joined to the peripheral portion of the groove opening 121a in a state of being overlapped with the metal cover 13 with the heat transfer material 15 interposed therebetween. According to this configuration, since the metal cover 13 is fitted into a part of the opening edge 121a-1 at the groove opening 121a, it can be suppressed to a size comparable to that of the groove opening 121a, so that further weight reduction and miniaturization can be achieved.

[0022] Also, in the present embodiment, the surface of the metal cover 13 on the side of the refrigerant flow path 1a is the flow path side uneven surface 131a. According to this configuration, by providing the flow path side uneven surface 131a on the metal cover 13, the contact area with the refrigerant increases, so that the cooling efficiency can be improved.

[0023] Also, in the present embodiment, the surface of the metal cover 13 on the side of the conductor plate 11 is the conductor side uneven surface 131b, and the heat transfer material 15 is sandwiched between the conductor side uneven surface 131b and the conductor plate 11 and is in close contact with both. According to this configuration, by providing the conductor side uneven surface 131b on the metal cover 13, the contact area with the heat transfer material 15 increases, so that the cooling efficiency can be improved.

[0024] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the pair of refrigerant inlets and outlets 14 are cylindrical projections erected one-to-one on the pair of protruding cover portions 132 of the metal cover 13. With this configuration, by providing the refrigerant inlets and outlets 14 on the protruding cover portions 132 that are separated from the conductor plate 11 in the metal cover 13, the central cover portion 131 that overlaps with the conductor plate 11 can contribute sufficiently to heat transfer to the refrigerant, thereby improving cooling efficiency. In addition, by making the refrigerant inlets and outlets 14 cylindrical projections, it becomes possible to connect them with flow paths of other shapes, such as pipes, thereby improving the degree of freedom regarding flow path connections.

[0025] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the refrigerant is water, which is a conductive fluid, and the uneven surface 131a on the flow path side facing the inside of the refrigerant flow path 1a in the metal cover 13 is insulated from the refrigerant. With this configuration, even if the metal cover 13 were to come into contact with the conductive plate 11, the insulating treatment applied to the metal cover 13 would reliably prevent the conductive plate 11 from being short-circuited to other components via the refrigerant.

[0026] It should be noted that the embodiments described above merely represent typical forms of conductive members with cooling structures. Conductive members with cooling structures are not limited to these and can be implemented in various modified forms.

[0027] For example, in the embodiment described above, a conductive member 1 with a cooling structure is provided as an example of a conductive member with a cooling structure, which connects each of the pair of component terminals E11 of a relay, which is an electrical electronic component E1, to an electrical connection target. However, the conductive member with a cooling structure is not limited to this, and the electrical electronic component to be connected may be an electrical component other than a relay, or any other electronic component.

[0028] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, a liquid-cooled conductive member 1 with a cooling structure is provided as an example of a conductive member with a cooling structure, in which water, a conductive liquid, is flowed as a refrigerant through the refrigerant flow path 1a. However, the conductive member with a cooling structure is not limited to this, and the refrigerant may be a non-conductive liquid or an air-cooling gas. When a non-conductive liquid or an air-cooling gas is used as the refrigerant, insulation treatment on the inner surface of the metal cover that partitions the refrigerant flow path is unnecessary. However, as mentioned above, when water, a conductive fluid, is used as the refrigerant, applying insulation treatment to the flow path side uneven surface 131a, which is the inner surface of the metal cover 13, ensures reliable prevention of short circuits between the conductor plate 11 and other components via the refrigerant.

[0029] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, a conductive member 1 with a cooling structure is exemplified in which the groove member 12 extends along a partial shape 11a of the conductor plate 11, excluding both ends. However, the conductive member with a cooling structure is not limited to this, and the groove member may be formed to extend along the entire length of a strip-shaped conductor plate.

[0030] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, a conductive member 1 with a cooling structure is exemplified as an example of a conductive member with a cooling structure, in which both of the pair of refrigerant inlets and outlets 14 are provided on the metal cover 13. However, the conductive member with a cooling structure is not limited to this, and one of the refrigerant inlets and outlets may be provided on one of the groove member and the metal cover, and the other refrigerant inlet and outlet may be provided on the other member. Alternatively, both of the pair of refrigerant inlets and outlets may be provided on the groove member.

[0031] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, as an example of a conductive member with a cooling structure, a conductive member 1 with a cooling structure is provided in which a part of the opening edge 121a-1 of the groove opening 121a of the groove member 12 has a stepped recessed shape that allows a metal cover 13 to be fitted into it. However, the conductive member with a cooling structure is not limited to this, and a metal cover wider than the groove opening may be simply overlapped and joined to the groove opening without providing any stepped recesses in the groove opening of the groove member. However, as mentioned above, by providing stepped recesses on a part of the opening edge 121a-1 of the groove opening 121a to fit the metal cover 13, the conductive member 1 with a cooling structure can be made even lighter and smaller. In the above-described embodiment, the stepped recess for fitting the metal cover 13 is provided only on a part of the opening edge 121a-1 of the groove opening 121a, but the location of the recess is not limited to this, and the recess may be provided around the entire circumference of the opening edge.

[0032] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, a metal cover 13 is provided as an example of a metal cover, in which the surface facing the refrigerant flow path 1a is a flow path-side uneven surface 131a. However, the metal cover is not limited to this, and may have a flat surface facing the refrigerant flow path. However, as mentioned above, a metal cover 13 having a flow path-side uneven surface 131a can increase the contact area with the refrigerant and improve cooling efficiency.

[0033] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, as an example of a metal cover, a metal cover 13 is provided in which the surface facing the conductor plate 11 is a conductor-side uneven surface 131b, and the heat transfer material 15 is in close contact with this conductor-side uneven surface 131b. However, the metal cover is not limited to this, and the surface facing the conductor plate may be a flat surface. However, as mentioned above, a metal cover 13 having a conductor-side uneven surface 131b increases the contact area with the heat transfer material 15, thereby improving cooling efficiency.

[0034] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, a refrigerant inlet / outlet 14 is provided as an example of a refrigerant inlet / outlet, which is a cylindrical projection erected on a protruding cover portion 132 that is separated from the conductor plate 11 in the metal cover 13. However, the refrigerant inlet / outlet is not limited to this, and may be provided so as to penetrate the conductor plate in the portion that overlaps with the conductor plate, and its shape may also be a rectangular tube or the like, other than a cylindrical projection. However, as mentioned above, providing a refrigerant inlet / outlet 14 as a cylindrical projection on the protruding cover portion 132 that is separated from the conductor plate 11 can improve cooling efficiency, and making the refrigerant inlet / outlet 14 a cylindrical projection improves the degree of freedom regarding flow path connection. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0035] 1. Conductive member with cooling structure 1a Refrigerant flow path 11 Conductor plate 11a Partial shape 11b,13a Water tight joint 12 Groove member 13 Metal cover 14 Refrigerant inlet / outlet 15 Heat transfer material 111 Screw through hole 121 Flow channel groove 121a Groove opening 121a-1 Opening edge 121a-2 Protruding opening edge 121a-3 Surrounding rib 122 Central groove part 123 Protruding groove part 131 Central cover section 131a Flow channel side uneven surface 131a-1 Convex part 131b Conductor side uneven surface 132 Protruding cover portion D11 Length direction D12 Width direction E1 Electrical and Electronic Components E11 component terminal

Claims

1. A conductive plate formed in the shape of a strip of conductive metal, with one end connected to the component terminal of a predetermined electrical or electronic component and the other end connected to the electrical connection target of the said electrical or electronic component, and which conducts current. A groove member made of insulating resin has a shape that extends along at least a portion of the longitudinal shape of the conductive plate and is provided with a flow channel groove that constitutes a part of the refrigerant flow channel through which the refrigerant flows, A metal cover that constitutes the refrigerant flow path by closing the groove opening of the flow path groove in the groove member, the metal cover on which the conductive plate is superimposed, A pair of refrigerant inlets and outlets are provided in at least one of the groove member and the metal cover for allowing the refrigerant to flow through the refrigerant passage, A heat transfer material sandwiched between the metal cover and the conductor plate and in close contact with the metal cover and the conductor plate, Equipped with, The groove member has a stepped recessed shape at least on a portion of the opening edge of the groove opening, into which the metal cover can be fitted, and the surrounding ribs forming a higher position in the step are erected to a height exceeding the thickness of the metal cover. A conductive member with a cooling structure, characterized in that the conductive plate is joined to the edge of the surrounding rib by being superimposed on it while the heat transfer material is compressed between it and the metal cover.

2. A conductive plate formed in the shape of a strip of conductive metal, with one end connected to the component terminal of a predetermined electrical or electronic component and the other end connected to the electrical connection target of the said electrical or electronic component, and which conducts current. A groove member made of insulating resin has a shape that extends along at least a portion of the longitudinal shape of the conductive plate and is provided with a flow channel groove that constitutes a part of the refrigerant flow channel through which the refrigerant flows, A metal cover that constitutes the refrigerant flow path by closing the groove opening of the flow path groove in the groove member, the metal cover on which the conductive plate is superimposed, A pair of refrigerant inlets and outlets are provided in at least one of the groove member and the metal cover for allowing the refrigerant to flow through the refrigerant passage, A heat transfer material sandwiched between the metal cover and the conductor plate and in close contact with the metal cover and the conductor plate, Equipped with, The flow channel groove in the groove member has a pair of protruding groove portions that detach from and protrude from the conductive plate. The pair of refrigerant inlets and outlets are cylindrical projections erected one-to-one on a pair of protruding cover portions that close the pair of protruding groove portions in the metal cover. The pair of protruding groove portions protrude from one of the pair of longitudinal side edges of the conductor plate, with the latter being the protruding side edge. In the metal cover, a plurality of bead shapes extending in the longitudinal direction of the conductor plate are formed in the central cover portion connecting the pair of protruding cover portions. The conductive member with a cooling structure is characterized in that the length of the beads of the plurality of beads decreases as they approach the protruding side edge, so that the bead ends move further away from both ends of the central cover portion.

3. The groove member has a stepped recessed shape in which at least a portion of the opening edge of the groove opening allows the metal cover to be fitted. The conductive member with a cooling structure according to claim 2, characterized in that the conductive plate is joined to the surrounding portion of the groove opening of the groove member while being superimposed on the metal cover with the heat transfer material in between.

4. The conductive member with a cooling structure according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the metal cover has an uneven surface on the side facing the refrigerant flow path.

5. The metal cover has an uneven surface on the side facing the conductor plate. The conductive member with a cooling structure according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the heat transfer material is sandwiched between the uneven surface on the conductor plate side and the conductor plate itself, and is in close contact with the uneven surface on the conductor plate side and the conductor plate.

6. The flow channel groove in the groove member has a pair of protruding groove portions that detach from and protrude from the conductive plate. The conductive member with a cooling structure according to claim 1, characterized in that the pair of refrigerant inlets and outlets are cylindrical protrusions erected one-to-one on a pair of protruding cover portions that close the pair of protruding groove portions in the metal cover.

7. The refrigerant is a conductive fluid, The conductive member with a cooling structure according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the metal cover has an insulating treatment applied to the surface facing inward into the refrigerant flow path.

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