Vertically Oriented Bus-Bar Voltage Terminal Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
In power conversion apparatuses for hybrid vehicles, the integration of a second shunt resistor in the bus-bar assembly leads to heat dissipation issues during soldering, affecting solderability and increasing casing size due to the need for insulation and space between the control board and bus-bar assembly.
Innovation Solution
A power conversion apparatus design featuring a vertically oriented plate-like bus-bar with a voltage measuring terminal that includes a projecting portion extending upward to the circuit board, allowing for improved thermal resistance and reduced heat dissipation, while being molded within a resin case to maintain compact size and ensure insulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the second shunt resistor is provided in the bus-bar assembly and connection terminals are soldered to the control board, then voltage measurement function is achieved, but heat dissipation occurs from connection terminals to bus-bar assembly causing poor solderability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a heat-insulating member (resin material) as an intermediary between the connection terminals and the bus-bar assembly. This mediator blocks the harmful thermal conduction path from the hot bus-bar to the solder joints, allowing voltage measurement functionality while preventing heat-induced soldering failures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the heat dissipation problem by separating the thermal paths: the voltage measurement function is maintained through the bus-bar assembly, but the heat conduction path to connection terminals is removed by inserting the heat-insulating member, thus solving the solderability issue without sacrificing measurement capability.
2Reliability
If space is left between control board and bus-bar assembly to ensure solderability and insulation, then soldering quality is improved, but casing size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heat-insulating member serves as a space-efficient mediator that provides both thermal insulation and electrical isolation between the control board and bus-bar assembly. This allows maintaining high soldering quality and insulation performance while minimizing the gap distance, thus preventing unnecessary increase in casing size.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes the physical parameters of the heat-insulating member (thickness, material properties) to achieve the minimum required insulation distance. By carefully controlling the insulation parameter, the design maintains reliable soldering and insulation while minimizing the space occupation, thereby preventing casing size increase.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design enhances solderability, reduces the casing size, and improves insulation properties by increasing the length of the voltage measuring terminal for better thermal resistance and maintaining a compact configuration.
Implementation Method 1
a cooler disposed below the semiconductor element to cool the semiconductor element
Implementation Method 2
increasing the length of the voltage measuring terminal for better thermal resistance and reducing heat dissipation
Data Source
AI summary
A power conversion apparatus 2 has a configuration in which a plate-like bus-bar 80, 80′ is disposed vertically so that a width direction thereof is set in a vertical direction, electrically connected to positive electric potential of a battery and fixed to a resin case 50 to include a flat plate-like bus-bar body 81, 82, to which positive electric potential of the battery is applied, and a voltage measuring terminal 82 to 85 branched from the bus-bar body 81, 82. The voltage measuring terminal 82 to 85 includes a projecting portion 83 projecting from the bus-bar body 81, 82, an upright portion 84 extending from the projecting portion 83 upward toward a circuit board 100, and a measuring terminal portion 85 that is an upper part of the upright portion 84 and electrically connected to the circuit board 100.