Motor Controller Assembly With Integrated Cover Cooling

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing motor assemblies for vehicles face challenges with heat generation and size limitations due to high current usage in controllers, making it difficult to achieve miniaturization and lightweighting while maintaining effective heat dissipation.

Innovation Solution

A controller and motor assembly design that incorporates a power module with a metal cover, utilizing an insert injection method for mold units, allows for vertical placement of large elements, and includes a MOSFET for reverse connection prevention, enhancing heat dissipation and compact structure.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If the size of the substrate is increased to solve heat-generation problem, then heat dissipation is improved, but the size and weight of the motor assembly increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheat dissipationVSAvoidweight of motor assembly

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The controller cover is integrated with a heat dissipation fin structure, merging the protective cover function with the heat dissipation function into a single component. This eliminates the need for a separate large substrate and dedicated heat dissipation components, reducing overall assembly size and weight while maintaining effective heat dissipation capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of increasing the substrate area in the horizontal plane, the solution extends heat dissipation into the vertical dimension by adding fins that protrude from the controller cover. This allows heat dissipation surface area to increase without increasing the footprint or overall size of the motor assembly.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Temperature

If the size of the substrate is increased to solve heat-generation problem, then heat dissipation is improved, but the size of motor assembly increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheat dissipationVSAvoidsize of motor assembly

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The controller cover is integrated with a heat dissipation fin structure, merging the protective cover function with the heat dissipation function into a single component. This eliminates the need for a separate large substrate and dedicated heat dissipation components, reducing overall assembly size and weight while maintaining effective heat dissipation capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of increasing the substrate area in the horizontal plane, the solution extends heat dissipation into the vertical dimension by adding fins that protrude from the controller cover. This allows heat dissipation surface area to increase without increasing the footprint or overall size of the motor assembly.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Power

If high current is used in the controller, then motor control capability is improved, but heat-generation problem occurs in the substrate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemotor control capabilityVSAvoidheat-generation in substrate

Core Design Contradiction:

PowerVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The high-current power circuit is extracted from the substrate and relocated to a dedicated power module. This separates the heat-generating power conversion function from the control substrate, preventing substrate overheating while maintaining the capability to handle high currents for motor control.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

A power module serves as an intermediary component between the substrate and the motor. This power module handles the high-current power conversion and generates heat away from the substrate, while still allowing the substrate to perform control functions. The power module acts as a buffer that protects the substrate from thermal damage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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 design effectively addresses heat-generation issues, enables compact and lightweight motor assemblies, improves heat dissipation, and allows for component sharing, thereby enhancing reliability and design freedom.

Implementation Method 1

a power module with a metal cover, utilizing an insert injection method for mold units, allows for vertical placement of large elements, and includes a MOSFET for reverse connection prevention, enhancing heat dissipation

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentEP3691093B1Controller and motor assembly comprising same

Publication Date: 2025.08.27 LG INNOTEK CO LTD

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AI summary

One embodiment relates to a controller and a motor assembly comprising same, the controller comprising: a controller housing; a controller cover disposed at an opening of the controller housing; a DM filter unit disposed over the controller cover; a CM filter unit disposed over the DM filter unit; a power module unit disposed under the controller cover; a substrate disposed under the power module unit; and a first connector and a second connector which penetrate the controller cover and have one side thereof disposed at the substrate. Accordingly, a heat generation problem can be resolved while miniaturization and weight lightening are realized, and some parts of the controller can be shared.