Electronic Module Bus Bar Pressing for Tolerance-Proof Heat Dissipation

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing power supply apparatuses fail to ensure contact between a bus bar and a heat transfer sheet due to design or manufacturing errors in the size of electronic components or bus bars, leading to inadequate heat dissipation.

Innovation Solution

An electronic module with a housing case, a heat transfer sheet on its inner surface, and a pressing portion that forcibly brings the bus bar into contact with the heat transfer sheet, ensuring stable heat dissipation even with size discrepancies.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If the bus bar is simply placed to contact the heat transfer sheet, then the structure is simple, but contact reliability deteriorates due to size tolerances

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructure simplicityVSAvoidcontact reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The pressing portion is pre-formed as an integral part of the housing case, creating a pre-positioned pressing action that ensures the bus bar contacts the heat transfer sheet reliably before any thermal or operational loads are applied. This preliminary structural arrangement eliminates the need for additional active pressing mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The pressing portion is merged with the housing case to form an integral structure, combining the housing function with the pressing function. This integration ensures that the pressing action is inherently built into the assembly process and maintains contact reliability without requiring separate components or complex mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Reliability

If the bus bar size is increased to ensure contact, then contact reliability improves, but the device volume increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontact reliabilityVSAvoidbus bar volume

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The pressing portion is pre-formed as an integral part of the housing case, creating a pre-positioned pressing action that ensures the bus bar contacts the heat transfer sheet reliably before any thermal or operational loads are applied. This preliminary structural arrangement eliminates the need for additional active pressing mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The pressing portion is merged with the housing case to form an integral structure, combining the housing function with the pressing function. This integration ensures that the pressing action is inherently built into the assembly process and maintains contact reliability without requiring separate components or complex mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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

The solution ensures reliable contact between the bus bar and heat transfer sheet, maintaining effective heat dissipation regardless of design or manufacturing errors, and simplifies the manufacturing process by integrating the pressing portion with the housing case.

Implementation Method 1

heat transfer sheet that is placed on an inner surface of one wall portion of the housing case, a bus bar that is connected to the electronic component and is partially in contact with the heat transfer sheet

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentUS11832424B2Electronic module

Publication Date: 2023.11.28 SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS LTD

AI summary

Provided is an electronic module including a housing case for housing a relay, a heat transfer sheet placed on one wall portion of the housing case, a bus bar that is connected to the relay and is partially in contact with the heat transfer sheet, and a pressing portion that presses the bus bar against the heat transfer sheet.