Electronic device and corresponding vehicle component

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an inverter device and a corresponding vehicle component. The inverter device (1) comprises a printed circuit board (10), power chips (20), and heat exchanger tubes (70). The power chips (20) are arranged on a first surface (11) of the printed circuit board (10) and are configured to achieve predetermined functions. The heat exchanger tubes (70) are arranged at positions located in the printed circuit board (10) and corresponding to the power chips (20), and are configured to dissipate heat generated by the power chips (20). According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the heat exchanger tubes are embedded inside the printed circuit board, which not only facilitates improving the miniaturization degree and integration level of the inverter device, but also promotes rapid signal transmission and reduces the manufacturing cost of the inverter device.

Description

Electronic devices and corresponding vehicle components Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to the field of vehicles, and more particularly to an electronic device and corresponding vehicle components with high integration. Background Art

[0002] The inverter is a power electronic device that converts direct current (DC) into alternating current (AC). It is a key component in new energy vehicles, and its performance has a crucial impact on the driving experience of the vehicle. The inverter is equipped with a printed circuit board, which is usually made of epoxy resin. However, the thermal conductivity of this material is generally poor and cannot effectively dissipate the heat generated by the power chip in the inverter. This results in the need for additional components such as active metal brazing layers in the inverter to assist in the heat dissipation of the power chip. Such a design will cause the inverter to occupy a larger volume and be more expensive.

[0003] Therefore, it is necessary to provide an improved structure so as to increase the overall integration of the inverter device while ensuring the heat dissipation effect of the inverter device.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, embodiments of the present disclosure provide an electronic device and corresponding vehicle components, aiming to solve the above-mentioned problems and / or other potential problems.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, an electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a printed circuit board, a power chip, and a heat exchange tube. The power chip is disposed on a first surface of the printed circuit board and is configured to perform a predetermined function. The heat exchange tube is disposed within the printed circuit board at a position corresponding to the power chip and is configured to dissipate heat generated by the power chip.

[0007] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle component is provided, including the electronic device according to the first aspect of the present disclosure.

[0008] This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form, which will be further described in the Detailed Description below. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the present disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent through a more detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals generally represent like components throughout the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0010] FIG1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the structure of a known inverter device for a vehicle.

[0011] FIG2 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the structure of an inverter device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0012] FIG3 shows a schematic top view illustrating the structure of an inverter device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] It is understandable that the data involved in this technical solution (including but not limited to the data itself, the acquisition or use of the data) must comply with the requirements of relevant laws, regulations and relevant provisions.

[0014] The preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure can be implemented in various forms and should not be limited by the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to make the present disclosure more thorough and complete, and to fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0015] As used herein, the term "including" and its variations represent open inclusion, i.e., "including but not limited to." Unless otherwise stated, the term "or" means "and / or." The term "based on" means "based at least in part on." The terms "an example embodiment" and "an embodiment" mean "at least one example embodiment." The term "another embodiment" means "at least one additional embodiment." The terms "first," "second," etc. may refer to different or the same objects. Other explicit and implicit definitions may also be included below.

[0016] In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "set", "open", "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be internal communication between two components. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to the specific circumstances. The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit the example embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0017] It should be noted that the numbers or numerical values ​​used in this document are for facilitating the understanding of the technology of the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0018] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a solution that can improve the integration of inverter devices. It should be noted that although the proposed solution is described herein using an inverter device for a vehicle as an example, it should be understood that this solution is equally applicable to electronic control units of other types or uses. The scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect. The implementation details of the present disclosure are described in detail below with reference to Figures 1 to 3.

[0019] Figure 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the structure of a known inverter device 1' for a vehicle. The inverter device 1' is provided with a power chip 20' for performing various predetermined functions, such as turning the circuit on and off by voltage control. The power chip 20' is a core component in the inverter device 1' and generates a large amount of heat during operation. If this heat is not dissipated quickly, it will seriously affect the overall performance of the inverter device 1'. As shown in Figure 1, the inverter device 1' also includes an active metal brazing (AMB) layer 50' for supporting the power chip 20'. The active metal brazing layer 50' includes a main body 53' made of a ceramic material and copper layers 51' and 52' brazed to both sides by a high-temperature brazing process, and has good thermal conductivity. As shown in Figure 1, the inverter device 1' also includes a cooling layer 30' located at the bottom. The copper layer 52' ​​at the bottom of the active metal brazing layer 50' is connected to the cooling layer 30'. Thus, the heat generated by the power chip 20 ′ is transferred to the cooling layer 30 ′ via the copper layer 52 ′ at the bottom of the active metal brazing layer 50 ′, so as to be effectively conducted.

[0020] However, while this traditional design can provide a heat transfer path for the power chip 20' to facilitate the conduction of heat generated by the power chip 20', it still has many shortcomings. For example, the inverter device 1' is also equipped with a printed circuit board 10' for signal transmission and control. The main material of the printed circuit board 10' is epoxy resin, which has limited thermal conductivity. As shown in Figure 1, the printed circuit board 10' is arranged above the active metal brazing layer 50' and is separated from the active metal brazing layer 50' by a significant distance. This design separates the printed circuit board 10' from the active metal brazing layer 50', thus occupying a large space and hindering the overall miniaturization of the inverter device 1'. Secondly, as shown in Figure 1, because the printed circuit board 10' is separated from the active metal brazing layer 50' by a significant distance, a flexible connector 60' is required to electrically connect the copper layer 51' on top of the active metal brazing layer 50' and the printed circuit board 10', which significantly increases the manufacturing cost of the inverter device 1'. In addition, since the flexible connector 60' is connected between the active metal brazing layer 50' and the printed circuit board 10', the data transmission speed of this board-to-board connection is also limited, thereby limiting the performance improvement of the inverter device 1'.

[0021] At least to solve the above problems, embodiments of the present disclosure provide an improved inverter device 1. Referring now to FIG2 , it shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the structure of an inverter device 1 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0022] As shown in Figure 2, the inverter device 1 includes a printed circuit board 10 having a first surface 11 and a second surface 12 opposite the first surface 11. A power chip 20 is disposed on the first surface 11 to perform various predetermined functions. These functions, for example, involve turning a circuit on and off through voltage control. For example, the power chip 20 may be a field-effect transistor. The specific type and form of the power chip 20 are not limited by the embodiments of the present disclosure. As described above, the power chip 20 generates a significant amount of heat during operation. Referring to Figure 2, a heat exchange tube 70 is disposed within the printed circuit board 10 at a position corresponding to the power chip 20. The heat exchange tube 70 is a heat transfer device that transfers heat between two solid interfaces using phase change. At the hot interface of the heat exchange tube 70, a volatile liquid in contact with a heat-conducting solid surface absorbs heat from the surface and turns into vapor. The vapor then travels along the heat exchange tube 70 to the cold interface and condenses back into liquid, releasing latent heat. The liquid then returns to the hot interface through capillary action, centrifugal force, or gravity, and the cycle repeats.

[0023] FIG3 shows a schematic top view of the structure of the inverter device 1 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG2 and FIG3 , the heat exchange tubes 70 are connected to each other, and a heat-conducting fluid may be provided inside the heat exchange tubes 70, and the heat-conducting fluid may circulate in the heat exchange tubes 70. In the embodiment shown in FIG2 , a metal layer having good thermal conductivity is provided on the first surface 11 of the printed circuit board 10. In addition, a metal layer having good thermal conductivity may also be provided on the second surface 12 of the printed circuit board 10. In some embodiments, the metal layer of the first surface 11 and the metal layer of the second surface 12 may be made of copper. Of course, it should be understood that the materials of the metal layers listed here are merely exemplary and non-restrictive. The metal layer may be made of other materials. The specific materials are not limited to the embodiments of the present disclosure. Moreover, the metal layer of the first surface 11 and the metal layer of the second surface 12 may be made of different materials.

[0024] Continuing with FIG2 , the inverter device 1 further includes a cooling layer 30 connected to a heat exchange tube 70 . The cooling layer 30 is provided with an inlet and outlet for facilitating the entry and exit of cooling fluid, allowing the cooling fluid to circulate within it and remove heat transferred from the heat exchange tube 70 . Thus, heat generated by the power chip 20 during operation can be transferred to the heat exchange tube 70 via the metal layer on the first surface 11 and then to the cooling layer 30 located at the bottom via the metal layer on the second surface 12 . Referring to FIG2 and FIG3 , since heat conduction is not required in the area of ​​the printed circuit board 10 where the power chip 20 is not located, the heat exchange tube 70 is not required in this area. However, since heat conduction is required in the area of ​​the printed circuit board 10 where the power chip 20 is located, the heat exchange tube 70 is provided in this area to effectively conduct the heat generated by the power chip 20. Therefore, the main body of the printed circuit board 10 does not transfer heat from the power chip 20, but only serves as mechanical support and electrical connection for the power chip 20. Heat transfer from the power chip 20 is accomplished through the specially designed heat exchange tube 70, thereby achieving heat separation. In this way, it is unnecessary to provide the active metal brazing layer 50 ′ in the conventional solution in the inverter device 1 .

[0025] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, by embedding a heat exchange tube 70 with a high thermal conductivity in the printed circuit board 10 of the inverter device 1, the logic control and power control of the inverter device 1 can be integrated into the printed circuit board 10. This can bring many benefits. For example, since the active metal brazing layer 50' in the traditional solution is no longer required, the integration level of the inverter device 1 can be increased and the occupied space can be reduced. In addition, since there is no need for a flexible connector between the active metal brazing layer and the printed circuit board, the data transmission speed can be increased. In addition, since there is no need to purchase components such as the active metal brazing layer and the flexible connector, the total cost of the inverter device will also be reduced. Furthermore, since the welding process of the active metal brazing layer 50' is no longer required, the complexity of manufacturing will be significantly reduced.

[0026] As shown in FIG3 , the heat exchange tube 70 is correspondingly arranged at the position of the power chip 20. In the embodiment shown in FIG3 , the heat exchange tube 70 is arranged in a serpentine manner to increase the contact area with the power chip 20. Taking the power chip 20 on the left side of FIG3 as an example, there are two overlapping areas 72 between the serpentine heat exchange tube 70 and the power chip 20. It should be understood that the shape and size of the heat exchange tube 70 shown in FIG3 are merely schematic, and the shape and size of the heat exchange tube 70 can be changed to further increase the number and area of ​​the overlapping areas with the power chip 20, thereby further optimizing the heat dissipation performance of the heat exchange tube 70.

[0027] In some embodiments, a groove may be pre-definetd within the printed circuit board 10. The groove's extension direction and dimensions roughly match those of the heat exchange tube 70, facilitating installation of the heat exchange tube 70 within the groove. This allows the heat exchange tube 70 to be securely embedded within the printed circuit board 10. Of course, it should be understood that the process described here is merely one feasible method. Those skilled in the art may also devise other manufacturing methods for disposing the heat exchange tube 70 within the printed circuit board 10.

[0028] Referring back to FIG. 2 , as shown, inverter device 1 is further provided with a package 40 for encapsulating components located therein, such as power chip 20, printed circuit board 10, and heat exchange tube 70, thereby isolating these components from corrosive media and protecting them. In some embodiments, package 40 may be made of a gel material.

[0029] In some embodiments, the printed circuit board 10 embedded with the heat exchange tube 70 can be directly soldered to the cooling layer 30, and the entirety serves as a substrate for the power chip 20. In other embodiments, the power chip 20 can be attached to the heat exchange tube 70 using a sintering or soldering process to ensure good heat transfer.

[0030] Compared with the traditional solution, the embodiment of the present disclosure embeds the heat exchange tube into the printed circuit board, so that the logic control and power control of the inverter device 1 can be integrated, which not only facilitates the miniaturization of the inverter device 1, but also facilitates the rapid transmission of signals and reduces the manufacturing cost of the inverter device 1.

[0031] While the electronic device of the embodiments of the present invention is described above using a vehicle inverter as a scenario, it should be understood that the embodiments of the present invention can also be used in other scenarios and systems, such as a vehicle power conversion assembly. It should also be understood that those skilled in the art can conceive of other feasible embodiments of the solenoid valve without departing from the principles of this disclosure. Such embodiments also fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0032] The embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above. The above description is exemplary, not exhaustive, and is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein is selected to best explain the principles of the embodiments, practical applications, or improvements to the technology in the market, or to enable other persons skilled in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

1. An electronic device (1), comprising: Printed circuit board (10); a power chip (20) disposed on the first surface (11) of the printed circuit board (10) and configured to implement a predetermined function; and A heat exchange tube (70) is provided in a position corresponding to the power chip (20) within the printed circuit board (10), and the heat exchange tube (70) is configured to conduct heat generated by the power chip (20).

2. The electronic device (1) according to claim 1, further comprising: A cooling layer (30) is provided below a second surface (12) of the printed circuit board (10) opposite to the first surface (11), and is configured to conduct heat from the heat exchange tube (70).

3. The electronic device (1) according to claim 1, wherein a groove is provided in the printed circuit board (10), and the groove matches the heat exchange tube (70) so that the heat exchange tube (70) is located in the groove.

4. The electronic device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first surface (11) of the printed circuit board (10) is provided with a metal layer to thermally couple the heat exchange tube (70) with the power chip (20).

5. The electronic device (1) according to claim 2, wherein the second surface (12) of the printed circuit board (10) is provided with a metal layer to thermally couple the heat exchange tube (70) with the cooling layer (30).

6. The electronic device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and 5, wherein the power chip (20) is attached to the heat exchange tube (70) using a sintering or welding process.

7. The electronic device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and 5, wherein the heat exchange tube (70) is arranged in a circuitous manner in the printed circuit board (10), and there are at least two overlaps between the heat exchange tube (70) and the power chip (20).

8. The electronic device (1) according to any one of claims 2 and 5, wherein the printed circuit board (10) is directly soldered on the cooling layer (30) to provide support for the power chip (20).

9. The electronic device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and 5, further comprising a package (40), wherein the package (40) packages the printed circuit board (10) and the power chip (20).

10. The electronic device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and 5, wherein the power chip (20) is configured to convert a direct current signal into an alternating current signal.

11. A vehicle component comprising the electronic device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

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