Integrated Bus Bar Assembly With Single EMC Filter for Compact Converters

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional inverter designs with integrated boost converters suffer from inefficiencies in power transmission, increased heat generation, and challenges in assembly and maintenance due to the physical layout of bus bars within the inverter enclosure.

Innovation Solution

A power converter design incorporating a bus bar assembly with three bus bars - positive, negative, and boost - that pass through a single Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) filter, with all bus bars being covered in an insulating overmold part and spaced equally within the housing, allowing for efficient power transmission, reduced heat generation, simplified assembly, and enhanced reliability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Volume of stationary object

If bus bars are arranged in close proximity within the inverter enclosure, then the housing size is minimized, but power transmission efficiency deteriorates and heat generation increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehousing sizeVSAvoidpower transmission efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of stationary objectVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the positive bus bar, negative bus bar, and boost bus bar into a single integrated bus bar assembly that passes through a common EMC filter housing. This merging allows the bus bars to be positioned in close proximity (reducing housing size) while maintaining proper electrical spacing and transmission efficiency through the unified structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The EMC filter housing acts as an intermediary structure that accommodates all three bus bars. By providing a dedicated filter housing that the bus bars pass through, the patent enables compact arrangement while maintaining proper spacing and electromagnetic compatibility, thus resolving the conflict between compactness and power transmission efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Volume of stationary object

If bus bars are arranged in close proximity within the inverter enclosure, then the housing size is minimized, but heat generation increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehousing sizeVSAvoidheat generation
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of stationary objectVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The integrated bus bar assembly merges all three bus bars into a single structured unit with defined spacing. This allows compact housing while maintaining adequate thermal spacing between conductors, preventing excessive heat generation despite close proximity arrangement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Volume of stationary object

If multiple bus bars are accommodated in close proximity, then assembly and maintenance processes become more challenging, but housing size is minimized

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehousing sizeVSAvoidassembly and maintenance processes
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of stationary objectVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the installation of multiple bus bars into a single assembly operation. By designing the bus bars to pass through a common EMC filter housing as an integrated unit, the patent simplifies assembly (one operation instead of multiple separate installations) and maintenance (the assembly can be treated as a single module), while achieving compact housing size.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP4672881A1A bus bar assembly of a power converter
Publication Date: 2025.12.31 VALEO ELECTRIFICATION
  • EP4672881A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4672881A1 patent drawingFigure 2A
  • EP4672881A1 patent drawingFigure 2B

AI summary

The present subject matter relates to a bus bar assembly. More particularly, the present subject matter relates to a power converter 100 that includes an inverter, a boost converter, and a bus bar assembly 104. The inverter is provided with an inverter circuit adapted for converting a direct current (DC) to an alternate current (AC), the inverter being contained within a housing. The boost converter contained within the housing and provided with a boost converter circuit adapted to step up voltage from a low voltage level to a high voltage level. The bus bar assembly (104) includes three bus bars (106; 108; 110) passed through a single electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) filter (112). The three bus bars (106; 108; 110) include a positive bus bar (106), a negative bus bar (108), and a boost bus bar (110), all arranged within the housing and adapted to conduct positive DC power, negative DC power, and the output of the boost converter circuit, respectively.