阅读说明：本技术 用于车辆的电池充电器 (Battery charger for vehicle ) 是由 C·拉萨尼 G·西蒙纳西 于 2019-03-08 设计创作，主要内容包括：用于车辆的电池充电器(1),包括一个外部容器(2)；容纳在容器(2)内的一个电子设备(3),其可操作地连接到车辆的电池并配置为用于电池的再充电；以及电子设备(3)的至少一个冷却回路(4),其中电子设备(3)包括至少一个电子板(5),其设有与冷却回路(4)相关的绝缘金属基板(5a),在绝缘金属基板(5a)的至少一部分上形成一个电绝缘材料层(5b),并且在电绝缘材料层(5b)上形成至少一个电子电路(5c),其中电子板(5)包括至少一个导电金属条(7),用于传输和分配电流,导电金属条(7)与电子电路(5c)电连接并设有与电子板(5)的一个表面部分直接接触的一个部分,用于通过冷却回路(4)冷却导电金属条(7)。(Battery charger (1) for vehicles, comprising external containers (2), electronic devices (3) housed inside the containers (2), operatively connected to the batteries of the vehicle and configured for recharging the batteries, and at least cooling circuits (4) of the electronic devices (3), wherein the electronic devices (3) comprise at least electronic boards (5) provided with insulated metal substrates (5a) associated with the cooling circuits (4), layers (5b) of electrically insulating material being formed on at least portions of the insulated metal substrates (5a), and at least electronic circuits (5c) being formed on the layers (5b) of electrically insulating material, wherein the electronic boards (5) comprise at least conductive metal strips (7) for transmitting and distributing electric current, the conductive metal strips (7) being electrically connected with the electronic circuits (5c) and being provided with portions in direct contact with surface portions of the electronic boards (5) for cooling the conductive metal strips (7) by means of the cooling circuits (4).)

1. Battery charger (1) for vehicles, comprising at least external containers (2), at least electronic devices (3) housed inside said containers (2), said electronic devices (3) being operatively connected to the batteries of the vehicle and configured for recharging said batteries, and at least cooling circuits (4) of said electronic devices (3), wherein said electronic devices (3) comprise at least electronic boards (5), said electronic boards (5) being provided with an insulating metal base plate (5a) associated with said cooling circuits (4), layers of electrically insulating material (5b) being formed on at least a portion of said insulating metal base plate (5a), and at least electronic circuits (5c) being formed on said layers of electrically insulating material (5b), characterized in that said electronic boards (5) comprise at least conductive metal strips (7) for transmitting and distributing electric current, said conductive metal strips (7) being electrically connected to said electronic circuits (5c) and being provided with at least portions of a surface in direct contact with said electronic boards (5) for transmitting and distributing electric current through said at least 367 cooling circuits (26).

2. Battery charger (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that said conductive metal strip (7) is provided with a lower surface arranged in direct contact with at least surface portions of said electronic board (5).

3. Battery charger (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the conductive metal strip (7) is substantially plate-shaped.

4. -battery charger (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said conductive metal strip (7) comprises an upper surface opposite to said lower surface associated with said electronic board (5).

5., battery charger (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the conductive metal strip (7) has a substantially elongated shape.

6. The battery charger (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims , characterized in that said electrically conductive metal strip (7) extends on said layer (5b) of electrically insulating material, on at least a portion of said electronic board (5).

7. Battery charger (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims , characterized in that said conductive metal strip (7) comprises electrical coupling connection means (8) connecting at least electrical connection elements.

8. Battery charger (1) according to claim 7, characterized by the fact that said electrical coupling connection means (8) comprise at least electrical terminals (8) made at least portions of said conductive metal strip (7).

9. Battery charger (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that said at least electrical terminals (8) extend from said upper surface of said conductive metal strip (7).

10. Electronic board (5) comprising an insulating metal substrate (5a) associated with a cooling circuit (4), a layer of electrically insulating material (5b) formed on at least portions of said insulating metal substrate (5a), and at least electronic circuits (5c) made on said layer of electrically insulating material (5b), characterized in that it comprises at least conductive metal strips (7) for transmitting and distributing electric current, said conductive metal strips (7) being electrically connected with said electronic circuits (5c) and being provided with at least portions in direct contact with at least surface portions of said electronic board (5) for cooling said conductive metal strips (7) through said cooling circuit (4).

Technical Field

The invention relates to battery chargers for vehicles.

Background

In particular, with reference to the field of electric or hybrid vehicles, in order to convert an input voltage/current into a suitable output voltage/current, it is necessary to use power electronics installed on the vehicle, such as an OBC (on-board charger) battery charger or a DC-DC converter.

Known types of battery chargers for vehicles typically include or more power supplies or control boards, which consist of or more printed circuit boards.

The printed circuit board may be made on a support made of an electrically insulating material such as epoxy glass or on a metal support of the IMS (insulated metal substrate) type.

It should be noted in particular that in the field of realising battery chargers for vehicles, printed circuit boards with metal supports are preferably used due to the heat dissipation characteristics of metal (usually aluminium), in order to achieve high thermal efficiency.

It is also known to use so-called "busbars" on the electronic boards of battery chargers of known type, these busbars being constituted by special metal strips which can be connected to the electronic board at different points and suitably sized, allowing the transport and distribution of large currents.

However, the known solution still has disadvantages.

In fact, the busbars installed on known types of battery chargers must be able to transmit high currents between different points of the electronic board, and therefore they need to have a larger size compared to other electronic components installed on the electronic board.

As a result, this involves the problem that the bus bars used occupy a non-negligible amount of space, which, given the ever-increasing demand for small battery chargers, also entails several complications in the design and arrangement of the internal electronics of the battery charger.

Disclosure of Invention

The main object of the present invention is to design battery chargers for vehicles which are small in size and at the same time simple and fast to assemble.

Another object of the invention is to design battery chargers for vehicles that can be effectively maintained at a desired operating temperature.

Another object of the invention is to devise a battery charger for vehicles which allows to overcome the above mentioned drawbacks of the prior art with a simple, rational, easy, effective way of use and low cost solution.

The above object is achieved by a battery charger for a vehicle having the features of claim 1.

Drawings

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge more clearly from the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of a battery charger for vehicles, illustrated by way of indicative but non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a general view of a possible battery charger according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the battery charger of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view of an IMS (insulated metal substrate) electronic board of a battery charger according to the present invention;

fig. 4 shows a detail of the IMS electronics board of fig. 3.

Detailed Description

With particular reference to these figures, reference numeral 1 generally indicates a battery charger for a vehicle, in particular a battery charger that can be mounted on an electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle or the like and is suitable for recharging the battery of the vehicle.

The battery charger 1 comprises an external container 2, which external container 2 is adapted to house and protect the entire electronics of the battery charger itself and to be mounted and fixed inside the vehicle.

The battery charger 1 comprises an electronic device, indicated in the figures with the reference number 3, housed inside the container 2, operatively connected to the battery of the vehicle and configured for recharging the battery itself.

The battery charger also comprises a cooling circuit 4 to limit the temperature of the electronic device 3 during use of the battery charger 1.

For example, the cooling circuit 4 may consist of a conventional liquid cooling circuit.

According to the particular but not exclusive embodiment shown in the figures, the cooling circuit 4 is made directly on the bottom of the container 2.

The electronic device 3 comprises at least electronic boards 5, the electronic boards 5 being provided with an Insulated Metal Substrate (IMS)5a associated with the cooling circuit 4.

The electronic board 5 further comprises a layer 5b of electrically insulating material formed on at least the part of the insulated metal substrate 5a, and at least electronic circuits 5c made on the layer 5b of electrically insulating material.

The electronic device 3 may comprise several electronic boards.

For example, with reference to the specific but non-limiting embodiment shown in the figures, the electronic device 3 comprises two electronic boards 5 and 6, wherein, in particular, the electronic board 5 is an IMS-type electronic board.

The electronic board 5 comprises at least conductive metal strips 7 for transmitting and distributing electric current, the conductive metal strips 7 being electrically connected to the electronic circuit 5 c.

This conductive metal strip 7 is a so-called "busbar" for allowing the transmission and distribution of high currents to several different points of the electronic board.

Advantageously, the conductive metal strip 7 is provided with at least portions arranged in direct contact with at least surface portions of the electronic board 5.

In this way, the conductive metal strip 7 can be cooled during use of the battery charger 1 and thus kept at a lower operating temperature. In fact, the cooling circuit 4 allows to cool the insulating metal substrate 5a of the electronic board 5 and to cool the conductive metal strip 7 by thermal conduction.

The fact that the conductive metal strip 7 is positioned directly on the electronic board 5 and that the conductive metal strip 7 is cooled by thermal conduction through the cooling circuit 4, the insulating metal substrate 5a of the electronic board itself, allows the use of a conductive metal strip 7 of reduced dimensions compared to known types of strip.

In particular, the conductive metal strip 7 is provided with a lower surface arranged in direct contact with at least surface portions of the electronic board 5.

Preferably, the conductive metal strip 7 is substantially plate-shaped and comprises an upper surface opposite to the lower surface associated with the electronic board 5.

In addition, the conductive metal strip 7 preferably has a substantially elongated shape.

However, it cannot be excluded that the conductive metal strips 7 have different shapes.

With reference to the particular embodiment shown in the figures, the electronic board 5 comprises a plurality of conductive metal strips 7 arranged at different portions of the electronic board itself and adapted to connect different points.

The respective conductive metal strip 7 extends over the layer 5b of electrically insulating material on at least the portion of the electronic board 5.

Advantageously, each conductive metal strip 7 comprises electrical coupling connection means 8 connecting at least electrical connection elements the electrical connection elements not shown in the figures may comprise, for example, special cables adapted to carry a predetermined current on the conductive metal strip 7.

The electrical coupling connection means 8 are constituted, for example, by an electrical terminal made at least at the portion of the conductive metal strip 7.

As shown, the terminals extend from the upper surface of the conductive metal strip 7.

The above-mentioned electronic board 5 is used in the battery charger 1 of the electric vehicle.

However, the use of an electronic board similar to the electronic board 5 described above, provided with at least conductive metal strips 7, cannot be excluded in different applications.

The described invention has been determined in practice to be able to achieve the intended aim.

It is particularly emphasized that the battery charger according to the invention has the characteristics of small size, while being simple and fast to assemble.

In fact, the fact that the conductive metal strip 7 is positioned directly on the electronic board 5, and that the conductive metal strip 7 is cooled by thermal conduction through the cooling circuit 4, the insulating metal substrate 5a of the electronic board itself, allows the use of a conductive metal strip 7 of reduced dimensions compared to known types of strip.

Furthermore, it is because of the cooling of the conductive metal strips used that allows maintaining the desired operating temperature in an efficient manner.