ELECTRICAL DEVICE, MODEL SERIES OF ELECTRICAL DEVICES, AND PRODUCTION METHOD

Abstract

In an electrical device, a model series of electrical devices, and a production method, in particular for a converter, having a circuit board including circuit traces, the circuit board has two similar and/or identical contact area arrays, the contact area arrays in particular transitioning into each other through rotation and/or displacement. A first contact area array of the contact area arrays is fitted with a first power module, and the second contact area array is able to be fitted with a second power module, e.g., so that a respective electric motor is able to be supplied from the respective power module.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. An electrical device, comprising: a circuit board including circuit traces and including two similar and/or identical contact area arrays transitioning into each other through rotation and/or displacement, a first contact area array of the contact area arrays being fitted with a first power module, a second contact area array adapted to be fitted with a second power module, each power module adapted to supply power to a respective electric motor.

17. The electrical device according to claim 16, wherein the electrical device is arranged as a converter.

18. The electrical device according to claim 16, wherein the circuit board includes a via connected in an electrically conductive manner by way of circuit traces on the circuit board to a contact area of the second contact area array.

19. The electrical device according to claim 16, further comprising at least one electrical component mounted on the circuit board, the second contact area array is situated in electrical isolation from all of the electrical components, wherein a second power module is not mounted.

20. The electrical device according to claim 16, wherein the circuit board includes a fitting slot adapted to electrically contact an electrical component of a same type as a first electrical component, the fitting slot being situated at a distance and/or being electrically isolated from the first electrical component, the fitting slot being connected in an electrically conductive manner to a contact area of the second contact area array.

21. The electrical device according to claim 19, wherein the electrical component includes a transformer, a current-measuring resistor, an opto-coupler, and/or a brake-control device.

22. The electrical device according to claim 19, further comprising a heat sink connected to the first power module in a thermally conductive manner and adapted to be connected to the second power module in a thermally conductive manner, the heat sink extending parallel to a circuit-board plane of the circuit board, from the first power module to the second contact area array, and set apart from the second contact area array so that the second power module is placeable between the heat sink and the circuit board.

23. The electrical device according to claim 22, wherein the circuit board includes two recesses, and the heat sink includes two threaded bores, each power module including a recess, a screw device being partially passed through one of the recesses in the circuit board and through the recess in a respective power module and being connected to one of the threaded bores by screws, one of the recesses in the circuit board and one of the threaded bores being aligned with each other.

24. The electrical device according to claim 16, further comprising a first housing part and a first connector piece connected in an electrically conductive manner to the first power module by circuit traces on the circuit board, the first housing part including a recess for the first connector piece, the first connector piece being inserted into the recess.

25. The electrical device according to claim 18, further comprising: an additional circuit board having additional circuit traces and at least one connection device; and a second connector piece; wherein the second power module is mounted on the circuit board on the second contact area array, and being connected in an electrically conductive manner to the via by the circuit traces, the second connector piece being fitted on the additional circuit board and connected to the connection device in an electrically conductive manner by the additional circuit traces, the via being connected in an electrically conductive manner to the connection device by a cable.

26. The electrical device according to claim 25, wherein an end region of the cable is inserted into the via is solder-connected to the via.

27. The electrical device according to claim 25, wherein the connection device is provided on the additional circuit board, the additional circuit board having a circuit-board plane, the connection device projecting from the additional circuit board perpendicular to a normal direction of the circuit-board plane, a further end region of the cable being plugged into the connection device.

28. The electrical device according to claim 25, wherein the connection device includes a via in the additional circuit board, a further end region of the cable being inserted into the connection device and solder-connected to the connection device.

29. The electrical device according to claim 25, further comprising a second housing part having a first recess for a first connector piece and a second recess for a second connector piece, the first connector piece being inserted into the first recess, the second connector piece being inserted into the second recess, the second circuit board being connected to the second housing part in a reversible manner.

30. A model series of electrical devices, comprising: a first variant; a second variant; each variant including an electrical device having a circuit board including circuit traces, and two similar and/or identical contact area arrays, the contact area arrays transitioning into each other through rotation and/or displacement, a first contact area array being fitted with a first power module, a second contact area array adapted to be fitted with a second power module; wherein the first variant includes a single connector piece adapted for supply of a single electric motor from the first power module, the electrical device of the first variant including a first housing part which includes a recess into which the connector piece is inserted, and the second power module not being mounted; wherein the second variant of the electrical device includes a second power module and two connector pieces adapted for supply of two independent electric motors from a respective power module, the electrical device of the second variant having a second housing part that differs from the first housing part and has two recesses into which a respective connector piece is inserted; wherein the second variant and the first variant differ in that in the second variant, the first housing part is replaced by the second housing part, and the second contact area array is fitted with the second power module (1).

31. The model series according to claim 30, wherein the electrical devices include converters.

32. A method for producing two variants of an electrical device having a circuit board that includes circuit traces and two similar and/or identical contact area arrays, the contact area arrays transitioning into each other through rotation and/or displacement, a first contact area array adapted to be fitted with a first power module, a second contact area array adapted to be fitted with a second power module, a first variant of the electrical device having a first housing part, which includes a single recess for a motor-connection piece, a second variant of the electrical device having a second housing part, which includes a first recess for a first motor-connection piece and a second recess for a second motor-connection piece, comprising: for production of the first variant of the electrical device, mounting the first power module, as a sole power module, on the first contact area array, and connecting the first power module in an electrically conductive manner to a first motor-connection piece, as a sole first motor-connection piece, which is inserted into the recess of the first housing part, and the second contact area array is not fitted with a component; and for producing of the second variant of the electrical device, additionally mounting a second power module on the second contact area array, which is connected in an electrically conductive manner to a second motor-connection piece, which is inserted into the second recess of the second housing part installed in the electrical device instead of the first housing part, the first motor-connection piece being inserted into the first recess of the second housing part.

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein the electrical devices include converters.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] FIG. 1 shows an electrical device according to an example embodiment of the present invention in an oblique view.

[0045] FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of the electrical device.

[0046] FIG. 3 shows a loaded circuit board of the electrical device.

[0047] FIG. 4 shows a loaded circuit board of an electrical device according to an example embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] An electrical device, e.g., a converter, as shown in FIGS. 1 through 3, includes a circuit board 9 on which a first power module 5 and a second power module 1 are mounted.

[0049] Circuit board 9 includes contact areas 41 for the electrical contacting of the power modules (1, 5). First contact areas for the contacting of first power module 5 are disposed as a first contact area array. Second contact areas 41 for the contacting of second power module 1 are disposed as a second contact area array.

[0050] Each contact area array has at least five contact areas 41, and, e.g., seven to eleven contact areas, especially eleven contact areas. The first and the second contact area arrays are arranged in an identical fashion. The first contact area array is able to be transferred into the second contact area array through translation and rotation in the circuit-board plane of circuit board 9, so that the first and the second contact area arrays cover each other. The first and the second contact area arrays may have an identical number of contact areas 41.

[0051] The contact areas may be arranged as vias.

[0052] Each power module (1, 5) includes an inverter, which encompasses controllable semiconductor switches, in particular IGBTs. The first power module 5 and the second power module 1 may have different outputs and are suited for the supply of different electric motors.

[0053] The electrical device has a rectifier and a constant-voltage DC link that is supplied from there. The first and second power modules (1, 5) may be supplied from a single shared constant-voltage DC link.

[0054] First power module 5 is connected in an electrically conductive manner to a first connector piece 13 by circuit traces on circuit board 9. First connector piece 13 is configured for the connection to a first mating connector piece. For instance, the first mating connector piece is connected in an electrically conductive manner to a first electric motor, so that the first electric motor may be supplied by the electrical device and, in particular, may be supplied from first power module 5.

[0055] A connector piece (12, 13) for connecting an electric motor may also be referred to as a motor-connector piece.

[0056] Second power module 1 is connected to three vias (2, 3, 4) in circuit board 9 with the aid of circuit traces on circuit board 9. Second power module 1 has electrical contact devices for this purpose, which are connected to the circuit traces by soldering.

[0057] The vias (2, 3, 4) are connected in an electrically conductive manner to a respective cable (6, 7, 8), for which purpose a first end region of each cable (6, 7, 8) is inserted into the respective via (2, 3, 4) and connected to the respective via (2, 3, 4) by soldering.

[0058] A respective second end region of each cable (6, 7, 8) is connected in an electrically conductive manner to a respective connection device (10, 14, 16). The connection devices (10, 14, 16) are situated, in particular mounted, on an additional circuit board 11. A second connector piece 12 is fitted on additional circuit board 11. The connection devices (10, 14, 16) are connected to the second connector piece 12 in an electrically conductive manner with the aid of additional circuit traces on additional circuit board 11. The connection devices (10, 14, 16) and the second connector piece 12 include for that purpose electrical contact devices, which are connected to the additional circuit traces by soldering.

[0059] Second connector piece 12 is designed for the connection to a second mating connector piece. The second mating connector piece is electrically conductively connected to a second electric motor, for example, so that the second electric motor is able to be supplied with the aid of the electrical device and in particular, is able to be supplied from second power module 1.

[0060] The electrical device has at least one second housing part 17. First connector piece 13 is partially routed through a first recess in second housing part 17 and connected to second housing part 17 and/or circuit board 9, in particular in a force-locking manner, e.g., by clamping. First connector piece 13 may be plugged into second housing part 17.

[0061] Second housing part 17 has recesses for ventilation 18. The recesses for the ventilation 18 are designed for ventilating, in particular for convectively cooling, the electrical device.

[0062] Second housing part 17 is arranged as a stamped and bent part, in particular as a stamped and bent sheet metal part.

[0063] Second connector piece 12 is partially routed through a second recess in second housing part 17 and connected to second housing part 17 and/or additional circuit board 11, in particular in a force-locking manner, e.g., by clamping. Second connector piece 12 may be plugged into second housing part 17.

[0064] The first recess, the second recess, and the recesses for ventilation 18 are implemented in the form of continuous recesses.

[0065] Additional circuit board 11 is connected to second housing part 17 in a reversible manner. At least one retaining part 20 is connected to second housing part 17, in particular by rivets, for this purpose. Retaining part 20 has at least one bore through which a screw part 15 is able to be guided. Additional circuit board 11 has at least one bore through which screw part 15 may be routed. Using screw part 15, which is guided through the bores and may be fixed in place with the aid of a nut, second circuit board 11 is reversibly connected to retaining part 20.

[0066] Retaining part 20 is arranged as a stamped and bent part, in particular as a stamped and bent sheet metal part. Second housing part 17 defines a plane. Additional circuit board 11 may be connected to second housing part 17 such that this plane is situated at a non-vanishing angle to the circuit board plane of additional circuit board 11; the normal vector of the circuit board plane of additional circuit board 11 may be situated at a right angle to the normal vector of the plane of second housing part 17. Retaining part 20, situated on additional circuit board 11, is set apart from second housing part 17.

[0067] FIG. 3 shows loaded circuit board 9 of the electrical device.

[0068] Circuit board 9 is loaded with first power module 5 and second power module 1, with current-measuring resistors 35 and additional current-measuring resistors 34, with opto-couplers 32 and additional opto-couplers 33, with a transformer 37 and a further transformer 36, and with a brake-control device 30 and an additional brake-control device 31, each of the brake-control devices (30, 31) including a transistor.

[0069] With the aid of circuit traces situated on circuit board 9, opto-couplers 32 are connected to transformer 37 in an electrically conductive manner and are supplied by the transformer. First power module 5 is controlled with the aid of opto-couplers 32. Opto-couplers 32 are electrically conductively connected to power module 5 for this purpose with the aid of circuit traces situated on circuit board 9. Current-measuring resistors 35 measure the output current of power module 5. To do so, current-measuring resistors 35 are connected in an electrically conductive manner to first power module 5 by circuit traces located on circuit board 9.

[0070] A first brake is able to be controlled by the electrical device, and the electrical device includes a brake-control means 30 toward that end.

[0071] Additional opto-couplers 33 are connected in an electrically conductive manner to additional transformer 36 by circuit traces situated on circuit board 9 and are supplied by transformer 36. Second power module 1 is controlled with the aid of additional opto-couplers 33. For this purpose, additional opto-couplers 33 are connected to second power module 1 in an electrically conductive manner with the aid of circuit traces on circuit board 9.

[0072] Additional current-measuring resistors 34 measure the output current of second power module 1. To do so, additional current-measuring resistors 34 are connected to second power module 1 in an electrically conductive manner by circuit traces situated on circuit board 9.

[0073] A second brake is able to be controlled by the electrical device. The electrical device includes an additional brake-control device 31 for this purpose.

[0074] Circuit board 9 has two recesses 40 through which a respective screw means is partially able to be guided in order to connect a respective power module (1, 5) to circuit board 9. Toward that end, the respective power module (1, 5) includes a recess through which the screw devices may be partially routed.

[0075] The electrical device includes a heat sink, which is connected in a thermally conductive manner to first power module 5 and to second power module 1. The heat sink may include threaded bores, in particular a separate threaded bore for each power module (1, 5). Thus, the screw device is able to be guided through one of recesses 40 in circuit board 9 and through the recess in the respective power module (1, 5) and connected to the heat sink by screws. The power modules (1, 5) are situated between the heat sink and circuit board 9.

[0076] The heat sink has cooling fins and/or cooling fingers. The electrical device may include a fan, which conveys a flow of cool air along the cooling fins and/or cooling fins.

[0077] Thus, the electrical device shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 is designed to supply and/or control two independent electric motors having a brake in each case.

[0078] An electrical device is suitable for controlling a single electric motor including a brake.

[0079] Circuit board 9, shown in FIG. 4, of the electrical device has circuit traces that are arranged in the same manner as the circuit traces of circuit board 9 shown in FIG. 3. Thus, circuit boards 9 of the electrical devices illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 have an identical design.

[0080] Circuit board 9 illustrated in FIG. 4 is fitted with a single first power module 5, current-measuring resistors 35, opto-couplers 32, a transformer 37, and a brake-control device 30. In other words, the second contact-area array is not fitted with a component.

[0081] Circuit board 9 includes vias (2, 3, 4), which are connected by circuit traces to a respective contact area 41 of the second contact area array. Contact areas 41 are suitable for the electrical contacting of second power module 1. In the electrical device, vias (2, 3, 4) and contact areas 41 terminate blindly. The vias (2, 3, 4) and contact areas 41 are situated in electrical isolation from electrical components of the electrical device.

[0082] In the electrical device, only first power module 5 is mounted on circuit board 9. A recess 40 in circuit board 9, which is suitable for connecting second power module 1 to circuit board 9, is situated at a distance from first power module 5.

[0083] The electrical device shown in FIG. 4 has a heat sink whose design is identical to that of the heat sink of the electrical device shown in FIG. 3. First power module 5 is connected to the heat sink in a thermally conductive manner. First power module 5 is disposed between the heat sink and circuit board 9. A threaded bore in the heat sink is situated at a distance from first power module 5.

[0084] The electrical device does not include further opto-couplers 33. The insertion slots on circuit board 9 provided for additional opto-couplers 33 remain empty.

[0085] Circuit board 9 includes recesses 42, which are suitable for accommodating connection elements of a transformer (36, 37). In the electrical device shown in FIG. 4, these recesses 42 are set apart from connection elements of the transformer (37).

[0086] The electrical device has no further current-measuring resistors 34. The circuit traces situated on circuit board 9 for the electrical connection of the additional current-measuring resistors 34 to additional power module 1 terminate blindly in electrical device. Insertion slots on circuit board 9, which are suitable for the additional current-measuring resistors remain empty.

[0087] The electrical device has no further brake-control device 31. Therefore, an insertion slot on circuit board 9 that is suitable for further brake-control device 31 remains empty. Thus, the electrical device shown in FIG. 4 is suitable for the control of a single brake.

[0088] The insertion slot may be arranged as a via, a plug-in slot or a recess.

[0089] The electrical device shown in FIG. 4 includes at least a first housing part. The configuration of the first housing part differs from the configuration of second housing part 17. First connector piece 13 is partially guided through a recess in the first housing part and is connected to the first housing part and/or circuit board 9, in particular in a force-locking manner, e.g., by clamping. Connector piece 13 may be plugged into the first housing part.

[0090] The first housing part includes recesses for ventilation purposes. The recesses for the ventilation are designed for ventilating, in particular for convectively cooling, the electrical device.

[0091] The first housing part is arranged as a stamped and bent part, in particular as a stamped and bent sheet-metal part.

[0092] The recess and the recesses for the ventilation are arranged as continuous recesses.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0093] 1 power module

[0094] 2 via

[0095] 3 via

[0096] 4 via

[0097] 5 power module

[0098] 6 cable

[0099] 7 cable

[0100] 8 cable

[0101] 9 circuit board

[0102] 10 connection device

[0103] 11 circuit board

[0104] 12 connector piece

[0105] 13 connector piece

[0106] 14 connection device

[0107] 15 screw part

[0108] 16 connection device

[0109] 17 housing part

[0110] 18 recess for ventilation

[0111] 20 retaining part

[0112] 30 brake-control device, in particular transistor

[0113] 31 brake-control device, in particular transistor

[0114] 32 opto-coupler

[0115] 33 opto-coupler

[0116] 34 current-measuring resistor

[0117] 35 current-measuring resistor

[0118] 36 transformer

[0119] 37 transformer

[0120] 40 recess

[0121] 41 contact area

[0122] 42 recess