Power converter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10454375-B2
Application number	US-201916267624-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 5, 2019
Priority date	Feb 6, 2018
Publication date	Oct 22, 2019
Grant date	Oct 22, 2019

Abstract

A power converter may include a first and second housings, each of which houses switching elements connected in parallel. Each of the first and the second housings may be provided with a first surface and a second surface. The first and the second housings may be arranged face to face. In each of the first and the second housings, the switching elements may be aligned in an alignment direction which is parallel to both of the first and the second surfaces. An emitter terminal or a source terminal of parallel connection of the switching elements may extend from the second surface at a position equidistant from the switching elements positioned at both ends in the alignment direction among the plurality of switching elements. A collector terminal or a drain terminal of the parallel connection may be positioned adjacent to the emitter or the source terminal in the alignment direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A power converter comprising:
a first housing and a second housing, each of which houses a plurality of switching elements connected in parallel,
wherein
each of the first and the second housings is provided with a first surface and a second surface, the second surface intersecting with the first surface,
the first and the second housings are arranged such that the first surface of the first housing faces the first surface of the second housing,
in each of the first and the second housings, the plurality of switching elements is aligned in an alignment direction which is parallel to both of the first and the second surfaces,
an emitter terminal or a source terminal of parallel connection of the plurality of switching elements extends from the second surface at a position equidistant from the switching elements positioned at both ends in the alignment direction among the plurality of switching elements, and
a collector terminal or a drain terminal of the parallel connection is positioned adjacent to the emitter or the source terminal in the alignment direction.

2. The power converter according to claim 1 further comprising:
a bus bar connecting another device with the emitter or the source terminal of the first housing and the collector or the drain terminal of the second housing,
wherein the bus bar includes:
a base portion connected to the collector or the drain terminal of the second housing;
a middle portion bent at an end of the base portion toward the first housing; and
an end portion bent at an end of the middle portion so as to face the emitter or the source terminal of the first housing, and connected to the emitter or the source terminal of the first housing.

3. The power converter according to claim 2 , wherein the bus bar is bent in a crank shape.

4. The power converter according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of switching elements is arranged at regular intervals in each of the first and the second housings.

5. The power converter according to claim 1 , wherein the first and the second housings are power modules.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Jojima Yuki
• Iwata Shuichi
• Yamasaki Hiromi
• Kawashima Takanori

Classifications

• H02M7/003 Primary

  Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections · CPC title

• H02M3/155

  using semiconductor devices only · CPC title

• H10W90/756

  between a chip and a stacked lead frame, conducting package substrate or heat sink · CPC title

• H10W90/736

  between a chip and a stacked lead frame, conducting package substrate or heat sink · CPC title

• H10W72/07354

  changes in dispositions · CPC title