มอดูลของส่วนประกอบที่ใช้ไฟฟ้า
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- TH · TH
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORP
- Filing Date
- 2022-02-16
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-06
AI Technical Summary
Conventional electrical component modules have limited heat transfer efficiency from heat-generating components to metal members, which hinders effective cooling.
The electrical component module incorporates a substrate with via holes and metal foils for electrical connection, a heat-generating component separated from the substrate, heat-transfer resin, a metal member, a heat dissipation member, and metal heat transfer pins to enhance heat transfer efficiency by routing heat through the resin, pins, and dissipation member to the metal member.
This configuration significantly improves heat transfer efficiency from the heat-generating component to the metal member, promoting better cooling and potentially allowing for a smaller coil size.
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Abstract
Description
Electrical Equipment Module
[0001] The present disclosure relates to an electrical component module including a heat-generating component.
[0002] Conventionally, electrical equipment modules are equipped with heat-generating components such as coils and capacitors, and therefore require a means for dissipating the heat generated by these components.
[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an electrical equipment module in which electrical components are arranged on one side of the board in the thickness direction, separated from the board, and metal members are arranged on the other side of the board in the thickness direction, separated from the board, and a heat dissipation member is further arranged so as to be sandwiched between the board and the metal members.
[0004] The electrical component disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a coil, which is a heat-generating component, a core that houses the coil, and a heat-transfer resin sandwiched between the core and a substrate. With the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, heat generated from the coil is transferred in the following order: the core, the heat-transfer resin, the substrate, the heat-dissipating member, and the metal member, and can be dissipated from the metal member. This allows the coil to be cooled.
[0005] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-088127
[0006] In order to promote cooling of the coil, it is desirable to have a higher heat transfer efficiency from the coil to the metal member. In the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, the heat generated from the coil is transferred to the substrate or the like only through the heat transfer resin, so there remains the possibility of improving the heat transfer efficiency from the coil to the metal member.
[0007] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above, and has an object to provide an electrical component module that can improve the efficiency of heat transfer from heat-generating components to metal members compared to conventional modules.
[0008] To solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the present disclosure provides an electrical component module including a substrate having a first surface, a second surface facing away from the first surface, a first metal foil on the first surface, and a second metal foil on the second surface, with via holes extending from the first surface to the second surface and electrically connecting the first metal foil and the second metal foil. The electrical component module also includes a heat-generating component spaced apart from the substrate in a thickness direction of the substrate, and a heat-transfer resin disposed between the substrate and the heat-generating component and in contact with the substrate and the heat-generating component. The electrical component module also includes a metal member disposed on the opposite side of the substrate from the heat-generating component and spaced apart from the substrate in the thickness direction of the substrate, a heat-dissipating member disposed between the substrate and the metal member and in contact with the substrate and the metal member, and a metal heat-transfer pin inserted into the via hole, with a portion of the heat-transfer pin in contact with the heat-transfer resin.
[0009] The electrical equipment module according to the present disclosure has the effect of improving the efficiency of heat transfer from heat-generating components to metal members compared to conventional modules.
[0010] 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic external appearance of an air conditioning apparatus according to a first embodiment; 2 is a perspective view showing a schematic internal structure of an air conditioning apparatus according to a first embodiment; 3 is a cross-sectional view showing an electrical component module according to the first embodiment; 4 is a cross-sectional view showing details of an electrical component module according to a second embodiment;
[0011] Hereinafter, an electrical component module according to an embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
[0012] Embodiment 1. Fig. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing the exterior of an air conditioning apparatus 10 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing the internal structure of the air conditioning apparatus 10 according to embodiment 1. As shown in Fig. 1, the air conditioning apparatus 10 includes an indoor unit 11 installed indoors and an outdoor unit 12 installed outdoors. The indoor unit 11 blows conditioned air into the room. The indoor unit 11 and the outdoor unit 12 are connected via a refrigerant pipe 13 that circulates a refrigerant. Although not specifically shown in the drawings, the refrigerant pipe 13 is connected to valve devices such as a four-way valve that switches the direction of refrigerant flow and an expansion valve that expands the refrigerant to a predetermined pressure.
[0013] As shown in Fig. 2, the outdoor unit 12 includes a sheet metal housing 12a, an outdoor fan 12b, an outdoor heat exchanger 12c, a compressor 12d, and a drive unit 12e. Arrow Y shown in Figs. 1 and 2 indicates the blowing direction of the airflow generated by the outdoor fan 12b. In this embodiment, the side of the outdoor unit 12 from which the airflow generated by the outdoor fan 12b is discharged to the outside is referred to as the front, and the side opposite the front is referred to as the back.
[0014] The sheet metal housing 12a is a box-shaped member that forms the outer shell of the outdoor unit 12. The sheet metal housing 12a is made of metal. The sheet metal housing 12a has a separator 12f. The separator 12f divides the interior of the sheet metal housing 12a into a fan chamber 12g and a machine chamber 12h. The fan chamber 12g and the machine chamber 12h are formed side by side in the width direction of the outdoor unit 12.
[0015] The fan chamber 12g is equipped with an outdoor fan 12b and an outdoor heat exchanger 12c. The outdoor fan 12b generates an airflow. The outdoor heat exchanger 12c exchanges heat between the refrigerant and outdoor air. Outdoor air passes through the outdoor heat exchanger 12c to be taken into the outdoor fan 12b. As shown in FIG. 1, a wire grill 12i is provided on a portion of the front wall of the sheet metal housing 12a facing the fan chamber 12g. An air intake port (not shown) is provided on a portion of the rear wall of the sheet metal housing 12a facing the fan chamber 12g. When the outdoor fan 12b shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is driven, air outside the outdoor unit 12 flows into the fan chamber 12g through the air intake port, passes through the outdoor heat exchanger 12c, and is then discharged outside the fan chamber 12g through the wire grill 12i.
[0016] As shown in Fig. 2, a compressor 12d and a drive unit 12e are disposed in the machine room 12h. The compressor 12d is a device that compresses a refrigerant using a motor (not shown) as a drive source. The drive unit 12e receives power from an external power source (not shown) and outputs power to the motor. The drive unit 12e is installed on the surface of the separator 12f that faces the machine room 12h.
[0017] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the electrical equipment module 1 according to the first embodiment. The electrical equipment module 1 shown in FIG. 3 is mounted inside the drive unit 12e. The electrical equipment module 1 includes a substrate 2, a coil 3, a heat-transfer resin 4, a metal member 5, a heat-dissipating member 6, and a plurality of heat-transfer pins 7. Hereinafter, when describing the directions of the components of the electrical equipment module 1, the thickness direction of the substrate 2 will be referred to as a first direction, and a direction intersecting the first direction will be referred to as a second direction. In the following description, the direction from the end of the substrate 2 in the second direction toward the center of the substrate 2 in the second direction will be referred to as the inside, and the side opposite the inside will be referred to as the outside.
[0018] 4 is a cross-sectional view showing details of the electrical equipment module 1 according to the first embodiment. The substrate 2 is a flat member having a conductor portion. The substrate 2 includes a base material 2a, a first metal foil 2d, and a second metal foil 2e. The substrate 2 also includes via holes 2f.
[0019] The cross-sectional shape of the substrate 2a is a rectangle that is longer in the second direction than in the first direction. The substrate 2a is made of an insulating resin. The substrate 2a has a first surface 2b and a second surface 2c facing opposite to the first surface 2b.
[0020] The first metal foil 2d is provided on the first surface 2b of the base material 2a. The first metal foil 2d is partially attached to the first surface 2b of the base material 2a. The second metal foil 2e is provided on the second surface 2c of the base material 2a. The second metal foil 2e is partially attached to the second surface 2c of the base material 2a. In this embodiment, copper is used as the material for the first metal foil 2d and the second metal foil 2e, but other materials such as copper alloys, aluminum, aluminum alloys, nickel, and nickel alloys may also be used.
[0021] The via hole 2f penetrates from the first surface 2b to the second surface 2c and electrically connects the first metal foil 2d and the second metal foil 2e. The via hole 2f is composed of a hole 2g that penetrates the base material 2a in the first direction from the first surface 2b to the second surface 2c, and a conductor layer 2h that covers the inner wall of the hole 2g. The conductor layer 2h is formed in a cylindrical shape. The conductor layer 2h is formed by plating. The conductor layer 2h electrically connects the first metal foil 2d and the second metal foil 2e. The conductor portion of the substrate 2 is the first metal foil 2d, the second metal foil 2e, and the conductor layer 2h of the via hole 2f.
[0022] Electronic components (not shown) are mounted on the substrate 2. The electronic components include, for example, a noise filter, a smoothing capacitor, a sensor for detecting current and voltage, a microcomputer, and peripheral circuits for the microcomputer. The electronic components are joined by soldering to the first metal foil 2d, the second metal foil 2e, or the via holes 2f.
[0023] The coil 3 is a heat-generating component that is disposed apart from the substrate 2 in a first direction. When the driving device 12e is driven, heat is generated from the coil 3. The coil 3 has two lead wires 3a that extend toward the substrate 2. The two lead wires 3a are spaced apart from each other in a second direction.
[0024] The heat transfer resin 4 is a member disposed between the substrate 2 and the coil 3 and comes into contact with the substrate 2 and the coil 3. The heat transfer resin 4 serves to transfer heat generated from the coil 3 to the heat transfer pins 7 and the substrate 2. It is preferable that a resin with high thermal conductivity be used for the heat transfer resin 4. The heat transfer resin 4 is sandwiched between the substrate 2 and the coil 3. The heat transfer resin 4 is thermally bonded to the first metal foil 2d and the coil 3. A portion of the heat transfer resin 4 penetrates the first metal foil 2d in the first direction and comes into contact with the first surface 2b.
[0025] The metal member 5 is a member that is disposed on the opposite side of the base material 2a from the coil 3 and is spaced apart from the substrate 2 in the first direction. The metal member 5 has electrical conductivity and heat dissipation properties. The metal member 5 serves to dissipate heat generated from the coil 3 to the outside of the drive unit 12e. In this embodiment, the metal member 5 is a metal plate, but it may also be a heat sink, a housing that forms the outer shell of the device in which the drive unit 12e is mounted, or the like. When the drive unit 12e is mounted in the air conditioning device 10, the metal member 5 may be the metal plate housing 12a of the outdoor unit 12.
[0026] The heat dissipation member 6 is a member that is disposed between the substrate 2 and the metal member 5 and that is in contact with the substrate 2 and the metal member 5. The heat dissipation member 6 serves to dissipate heat generated from the coil 3. A heat dissipation sheet, gel, or the like that has heat dissipation properties is used for the heat dissipation member 6. The heat dissipation member 6 is sandwiched between the substrate 2 and the metal member 5. The heat dissipation member 6 is thermally bonded to the second metal foil 2e and the metal member 5. A portion of the heat dissipation member 6 penetrates the second metal foil 2e in the first direction and is in contact with the second surface 2c.
[0027] The heat transfer pins 7 are metal members inserted into the via holes 2f. It is preferable that a metal with high thermal conductivity be used for the heat transfer pins 7. The heat transfer pins 7 protrude further toward the heat transfer resin 4 than the first surface 2b of the substrate 2 and the first metal foil 2d. A portion of the heat transfer pins 7 is in contact with the heat transfer resin 4. A portion of the heat transfer pins 7 is embedded in the heat transfer resin 4. The heat transfer pins 7 protrude further toward the heat dissipation member 6 than the second surface 2c of the substrate 2 and the second metal foil 2e. A portion of the heat transfer pins 7 is in contact with the heat dissipation member 6. A portion of the heat transfer pins 7 is embedded in the heat dissipation member 6. The heat transfer pins 7 pass from the heat transfer resin 4 through the via holes 2f to reach the heat dissipation member 6.
[0028] The number of heat transfer pins 7 is not particularly limited, but is four in this embodiment. The four heat transfer pins 7 are arranged at intervals from one another in the second direction. One heat transfer pin 7 is inserted per via hole 2f. The heat transfer pins 7 are arranged in a position overlapping the coil 3 in the first direction. The heat transfer pins 7 are arranged in a position closer to the center of the coil 3 in the second direction. The heat transfer pins 7 are arranged between the two lead wires 3a in the second direction. The heat transfer pins 7 are arranged inside each lead wire 3a.
[0029] Next, the effects of the electrical equipment module 1 according to the first embodiment will be described.
[0030] 4 , the electrical component module 1 includes a coil 3 disposed apart from the substrate 2 in the thickness direction of the substrate 2, and a heat-transfer resin 4 disposed between the substrate 2 and the coil 3 and in contact with the substrate 2 and the coil 3. The electrical component module 1 also includes a metal member 5 disposed on the opposite side of the substrate 2 from the coil 3 and separated from the substrate 2 in the thickness direction of the substrate 2, and a heat-dissipating member 6 disposed between the substrate 2 and the metal member 5 and in contact with the substrate 2 and the metal member 5. The electrical component module 1 also includes metal heat-transfer pins 7 inserted into the via holes 2 f, and portions of the heat-transfer pins 7 are in contact with the heat-transfer resin 4. A portion of the heat-transfer pins 7 is in contact with the heat-dissipating member 6. With these configurations, in this embodiment, the heat generated from the coil 3 is mainly transferred through two routes: the heat transfer resin 4, the heat transfer pins 7, the heat dissipation member 6, and the metal member 5 in this order, and the heat generated from the coil 3 is transferred through the heat transfer resin 4, the substrate 2, the heat dissipation member 6, and the metal member 5 in this order. The heat transferred from each route to the metal member 5 can be dissipated from the metal member 5 to the outside of the drive unit 12e. The heat transferred from the heat transfer resin 4 to the substrate 2 is transferred through the first metal foil 2d, the via hole 2f, and the second metal foil 2e in this order.
[0031] In this embodiment, in addition to the heat generated from the coil 3 being transferred to the substrate 2 through the heat transfer resin 4, the heat generated from the coil 3 is also transferred to the heat dissipation member 6 through the heat transfer pins 7. Therefore, compared to when the heat generated from the coil 3 is transferred to the substrate 2 only through the heat transfer resin 4, the efficiency of heat transfer from the coil 3 to the metal member 5 can be improved, and cooling of the coil 3 can be promoted. In particular, in this embodiment, by connecting the heat transfer resin 4 and the heat dissipation member 6 with the metal heat transfer pins 7, the efficiency of heat transfer from the heat transfer resin 4 to the heat dissipation member 6 can be improved.
[0032] In addition, by increasing the efficiency of heat transfer from the coil 3 to the metal member 5, the coil 3 can be made smaller, and the impact of heat from the coil 3 on surrounding components can be mitigated, thereby reducing the area of the substrate 2.
[0033] 4, in this embodiment, the heat transfer pins 7 protrude further toward the heat transfer resin 4 than the first surface 2b of the substrate 2 and the first metal foil 2d, thereby increasing the surface area of the heat transfer pins 7 that receive heat from the heat transfer resin 4. This makes it possible to efficiently transfer heat from the heat transfer resin 4 to the heat transfer pins 7, further improving the efficiency of heat transfer from the coil 3 to the metal member 5.
[0034] 4, in this embodiment, the heat transfer pins 7 protrude further toward the heat dissipation member 6 than the second surface 2c of the substrate 2 and the second metal foil 2e, thereby increasing the surface area of the heat transfer pins 7 that transfer heat to the heat dissipation member 6. This makes it possible to efficiently transfer heat from the heat transfer pins 7 to the heat dissipation member 6, thereby further improving the efficiency of heat transfer from the coil 3 to the metal member 5.
[0035] 4 is made of resin, which facilitates deformation of the heat transfer resin 4. This allows the heat transfer resin 4 to be tightly attached to the uneven coil 3, enabling efficient heat transfer from the coil 3 to the heat transfer resin 4, and further improving the efficiency of heat transfer from the coil 3 to the metal member 5.
[0036] In this embodiment, the heat transfer pins 7 are inserted into the via holes 2f and fixed to the heat transfer resin 4 and the heat dissipation member 6, but they may also be soldered to the substrate 2. This increases the volume of the metal portion of the heat transfer pins 7, further improving the efficiency of heat transfer from the coil 3 to the metal member 5.
[0037] Second Embodiment Next, an electrical equipment module 1A according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing details of the electrical equipment module 1A according to the second embodiment. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that a liquid metal 6a is used as the heat dissipation member 6 and that a housing portion 5a for housing the liquid metal 6a is provided in the metal member 5. In the second embodiment, parts that overlap with those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and will not be described again.
[0038] A ring-shaped housing portion 5a that protrudes toward the substrate 2 is formed in the portion of the metal member 5 that faces the substrate 2. The tip of the wall of the housing portion 5a is in contact with the second metal foil 2e of the substrate 2. A recess 5b that opens toward the substrate 2 is formed inside the housing portion 5a. Liquid metal 6a is contained in the recess 5b. The liquid metal 6a is in contact with the second metal foil 2e, the heat transfer pins 7, and the lead wires 3a of the coil 3. Parts of the heat transfer pins 7 and the lead wires 3a are embedded in the liquid metal 6a.
[0039] In this embodiment, the heat dissipation member 6 is a liquid metal, and the metal member 5 has a housing portion 5a that houses the liquid metal 6a. As a result, convection occurs in the liquid metal 6a due to heat transferred from the heat transfer pins 7 to the liquid metal 6a. In other words, the heated liquid metal 6a transfers heat to the metal member 5 while causing convection. Therefore, by taking advantage of the liquid property of the liquid metal 6a, which causes convection, and the metal property of the liquid metal 6a, which has high thermal conductivity, it becomes possible to efficiently transfer heat from the heat dissipation member 6 to the metal member 5, and the efficiency of heat transfer from the coil 3 to the metal member 5 can be further improved.
[0040] In the present embodiment, the configuration in which the accommodation portion 5a is formed by partially protruding the portion of the metal member 5 facing the substrate 2 toward the substrate 2 has been exemplified, but the configuration is not limited to this. For example, the accommodation portion 5a may be formed by partially recessing the portion of the metal member 5 facing the substrate 2 so as to move away from the substrate 2 in the first direction.
[0041] The configurations shown in the above embodiments are merely examples, and may be combined with other known technologies, or different embodiments may be combined with each other. It is also possible to omit or modify parts of the configurations as long as they do not deviate from the gist of the invention.
[0042] In the above-described embodiments, the number of heat transfer pins 7 is four, but the number of heat transfer pins 7 may be increased or decreased as appropriate. Furthermore, while the heat transfer pins 7 shown in Figures 3 to 5 are aligned horizontally, they may also be aligned vertically, or both horizontally and vertically. Furthermore, while the heat transfer pins 7 shown in Figures 3 to 5 are positioned inside the lead wires 3a, they may also be positioned outside the lead wires 3a. In such a configuration, via holes 2f may be provided in the substrate 2 in a portion located outside the lead wires 3a, and the heat transfer pins 7 may be inserted through the via holes 2f.
[0043] In the above-described embodiments, the heat transfer pins 7 protrude further from the first metal foil 2d toward the heat transfer resin 4, but the heat transfer pins 7 may be in contact with the heat transfer resin 4 without protruding further from the first metal foil 2d toward the heat transfer resin 4. In other words, the end face of the heat transfer pins 7 facing the heat transfer resin 4 and the end face of the first metal foil 2d facing the heat transfer resin 4 may be flush with each other.
[0044] Furthermore, in each of the above-described embodiments, the heat transfer pins 7 protrude further from the second metal foil 2e toward the heat dissipation member 6, but the heat transfer pins 7 may be in contact with the heat dissipation member 6 without protruding further from the second metal foil 2e toward the heat dissipation member 6. In other words, the end face of the heat transfer pins 7 facing the heat dissipation member 6 and the end face of the second metal foil 2e facing the heat transfer resin 4 may be flush with each other.
[0045] Furthermore, in each of the above-described embodiments, a portion of the heat transfer pin 7 is in contact with the heat dissipation member 6, but a portion of the heat transfer pin 7 may be separated from the heat dissipation member 6 without contacting the heat transfer member 6. In this way, the heat generated from the coil 3 is transferred in two routes: one in which the heat is transferred through the heat transfer resin 4, the heat transfer pin 7, the substrate 2, the heat dissipation member 6, and the metal member 5 in that order, and the other in which the heat is transferred through the heat transfer resin 4, the substrate 2, the heat dissipation member 6, and the metal member 5 in that order. In other words, in addition to the heat generated from the coil 3 being transferred to the substrate 2 through the heat transfer resin 4, the heat generated from the coil 3 is also transferred to the substrate 2 through the heat transfer pin 7. Therefore, the efficiency of heat transfer from the coil 3 to the metal member 5 can be improved compared to conventional methods, and cooling of the coil 3 can be promoted.
[0046] The heat-generating component to be cooled is not limited to the coil 3, but may be any electronic device that generates heat. The heat-generating component may be, for example, a capacitor.
[0047] 1, 1A Electrical equipment module, 2 Substrate, 2a Base material, 2b First surface, 2c Second surface, 2d First metal foil, 2e Second metal foil, 2f Via hole, 2g Hole, 2h Conductor layer, 3 Coil, 3a Lead wire, 4 Heat transfer resin, 5 Metal member, 5a Storage section, 5b Recess, 6 Heat dissipation member, 6a Liquid metal, 7 Heat transfer pin, 10 Air conditioning device, 11 Indoor unit, 12 Outdoor unit, 12a Sheet metal housing, 12b Outdoor fan, 12c Outdoor heat exchanger, 12d Compressor, 12e Drive unit, 12f Separator, 12g Fan chamber, 12h Machine chamber, 12i Wire grill, 13 Refrigerant piping.