Power converter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12525887-B2
Application number	US-202318449991-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 15, 2023
Priority date	Apr 13, 2023
Publication date	Jan 13, 2026
Grant date	Jan 13, 2026

Abstract

This power converter includes: a board having a power supply terminal portion; a power module; a control circuit; and a transformer having a winding. The power module has an input terminal, an output terminal, and a control terminal. The power supply terminal portion and the input terminal are connected via the board, the control circuit and the control terminal are connected via the board, and the winding and the output terminal are connected not via the board. The winding has a wound portion, and a lead portion connected to the output terminal. A length in the lead portion from a body portion of the transformer in which the wound portion is stored to a connection portion between the output terminal and the lead portion is greater than a length in the output terminal from a body portion of the power module to the connection portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A power converter comprising:
a board having a power supply terminal portion electrically connected to an external power supply; a power module having a plurality of switching elements and connected to the power supply terminal portion; a control circuit which is provided to the board and controls the power module; and a transformer arranged side by side with the power module and having a winding connected to the power module, wherein the power module has an input terminal electrically connected to the power supply terminal portion, an output terminal electrically connected to the winding, and a control terminal electrically connected to the control circuit, the power supply terminal portion and the input terminal are connected via the board, the control circuit and the control terminal are connected via the board, and the winding and the output terminal are connected not via the board, the winding has a wound portion, and a lead portion extending from the wound portion toward the output terminal and connected to the output terminal, and a length in the lead portion from a body portion of the transformer in which the wound portion is stored to a connection portion between the output terminal and the lead portion is greater than a length in the output terminal from a body portion of the power module to the connection portion.

2 . The power converter according to claim 1 , wherein
the plurality of switching elements include a first switching element and a second switching element, the first switching element and the second switching element are connected in series to each other, and a first connection portion at which the first switching element and the second switching element are connected is electrically connected to a first output terminal which is the output terminal.

3 . The power converter according to claim 2 , wherein
the plurality of switching elements include a third switching element and a fourth switching element, the third switching element and the fourth switching element are connected in series to each other, a second connection portion at which the third switching element and the fourth switching element are connected is electrically connected to a second output terminal which is the output terminal, and the first output terminal and the second output terminal are located adjacently to each other.

4 . The power converter according to claim 1 , wherein
the power module is located with a gap provided from a board surface of the board, a direction perpendicular to the board surface and extending from the power module toward the board is defined as a Z direction, and the input terminal extends in the Z direction and is connected to the board.

5 . The power converter according to claim 1 , wherein
the power module is located with a gap provided from a board surface of the board, a direction perpendicular to the board surface and extending from the power module toward the board is defined as a Z direction, and the lead portion has at least one bending portion which is a part bent in the Z direction.

6 . The power converter according to claim 1 , wherein
the power module is located with a gap provided from a board surface of the board, a direction perpendicular to the board surface and extending from the power module toward the board is defined as a Z direction, the lead portion has, on the output terminal side, a bending end which is a part bent in the Z direction and extending in the Z direction, the output terminal has, on the lead portion side, an output bending end which is a part bent in the Z direction and extending in the Z direction, and the bending end and the output bending end are electrically connected so as to form the connection portion.

7 . The power converter according to claim 5 , wherein
the lead portion protrudes from the body portion of the transformer and then has the bending portion bent in the Z direction or a direction opposite to the Z direction, and the lead portion extends in the Z direction or the direction opposite to the Z direction from the bending portion and then is further bent to extend toward the connection portion.

8 . The power converter according to claim 1 , wherein
the power module is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape having a first surface, a second surface on a side opposite to the first surface, and a third surface, a fourth surface, a fifth surface, and a sixth surface which are four surfaces surrounding the first surface and the second surface, the output terminal is located at one of the third surface and the fourth surface opposed to each other, and the lead portion has, at least partially, a part extending obliquely toward the third surface or the fourth surface at which the output terminal is located.

9 . The power converter according to claim 1 , wherein
the power module is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape having a first surface, a second surface on a side opposite to the first surface, and a third surface, a fourth surface, a fifth surface, and a sixth surface which are four surfaces surrounding the first surface and the second surface, the input terminal is located at one of the third surface and the fourth surface opposed to each other, the output terminal is located at another of the third surface and the fourth surface opposed to each other, and the transformer is located on the surface side where the output terminal is located.

10 . The power converter according to claim 1 , further comprising a cooler for cooling the power module, wherein
the power module is thermally connected to a cooling surface of the cooler, a board surface of the board is located, with a gap provided from the power module, on a side opposite to the cooler side of the power module, and the connection portion is located in an area between the board and the cooler.

11 . The power converter according to claim 1 , wherein
the power module is located with a gap provided from a board surface of the board, a direction perpendicular to the board surface and extending from the power module toward the board is defined as a Z direction, and as seen in the Z direction,
the output terminal and at least a part of the lead portion are located so as to overlap the board, and
a length of a part where the lead portion overlaps the board is greater than a length of a part where the output terminal overlaps the board.

12 . The power converter according to claim 6 , wherein
the bending end and the output bending end are electrically connected by TIG welding.

13 . The power converter according to claim 1 , wherein
the output terminal and the lead portion are electrically connected by a screw.

14 . The power converter according to claim 13 , wherein
the output terminal extends from the body portion of the power module toward the body portion of the transformer, the lead portion extends from the body portion of the transformer toward the body portion of the power module, the connection portion is formed at a part where an end of the output terminal and an end of the lead portion are overlaid on each other, and the output terminal and the lead portion are fastened by the screw at the connection portion.

15 . The power converter according to claim 1 , wherein
the transformer has, as the winding, a primary-side winding and a secondary-side winding, a number of turns of the primary-side winding is larger than a number of turns of the secondary-side winding, and the output terminal is connected to the primary-side winding.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Takahashi Yuya

Classifications

• H02M3/003 Primary

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

• H05K7/209

  Heat transfer by conduction from internal heat source to heat radiating structure (H05K7/20909 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02M3/33573 Primary

  Full-bridge at primary side of an isolation transformer · CPC title

• H05K7/2089

  for power electronics, e.g. for inverters for controlling motor · CPC title

• H02M1/44

  Circuits or arrangements for compensating for electromagnetic interference in converters or inverters · CPC title