MULTILAYERED LATENT-HEAT STORE

Abstract

Latent-heat store for an electrical conductor for fitting in a housing, with at least two latent-heat storage elements, at least one heat-transporting means, in particular at least two heat-transporting means, which are electrically conductively connected to one another, wherein the latent-heat storage elements and the heat-transporting means are arranged in layers in such a way that the latent heat-storage elements are contacted by the heat-transporting means on at least one surface side in each case, and so heat is conducted from the heat-transporting means into a latent-heat storage element with which it is in contact in such a way that heat can be removed from the electrical conductor into the latent-heat store.

Claims

1.-14. (canceled)

15. A plug connector, comprising: a first contact element; a first metal plate in thermal communication with said first contact element; a second metal plate in thermal communication with said first contact element; a first phase-change heat storage element; and a second phase-change heat storage element, wherein substantially an entirety of a first major surface of said first metal plate thermally contacts said first phase-change heat storage element, substantially an entirety of a second major surface of said second metal plate thermally contacts said second phase-change heat storage element, said first major surface is substantially orthogonal to a first longitudinal axis of said first contact element, and said second major surface is substantially orthogonal to said first longitudinal axis.

16. The plug connector of claim 15, comprising: a housing; and a first layer of elastically compressible material abuttingly situated between said first phase-change heat storage element and a component selected from the group consisting of said second phase-change heat storage element and said housing.

17. The plug connector of claim 15, comprising: a first layer of thermally conductive paste; and a second layer of thermally conductive paste, wherein said first major surface thermally contacts said first phase-change heat storage element via said first layer of thermally conductive paste, and said second major surface thermally contacts said second phase-change heat storage element via said second layer of thermally conductive paste.

18. The plug connector of claim 15, wherein: at least one of said first phase-change heat storage element and said second phase-change heat storage element comprises a mixture of a phase-change material and graphite.

19. The plug connector of claim 15, comprising: a plurality of supports that mechanically stabilize said first metal plate and said second metal plate, wherein at least one of said plurality of supports is electrically conductive and electrically interconnects said first metal plate and said second metal plate.

20. The plug connector of claim 15, comprising: a third phase-change heat storage element, wherein substantially an entirety of a third major surface of said second metal plate thermally contacts said third phase-change heat storage element.

21. The plug connector of claim 20, comprising: a third metal plate in thermal communication with said first contact element; and a fourth phase-change heat storage element, wherein substantially an entirety of a fourth major surface of said third metal plate thermally contacts said fourth phase-change heat storage element. said fourth major surface is substantially orthogonal to said first longitudinal axis.

22. The plug connector of claim 21, comprising: a plurality of supports that mechanically stabilize said first metal plate, said second metal plate, and said third metal plate, wherein at least one of said plurality of supports is electrically conductive and electrically interconnects said first metal plate, said second metal plate, and said third metal plate.

23. The plug connector of claim 15, wherein: an area of said first major surface is many times larger than a cross-sectional area of said first contact element, and an area of said second major surface is many times larger than a cross-sectional area of said first contact element.

24. The plug connector of claim 15, comprising: a second contact element, a fifth metal plate in thermal communication with said second contact element, a sixth metal plate in thermal communication with said second contact element, a fifth phase-change heat storage element, and a sixth phase-change heat storage element, wherein said second contact element, said fifth metal plate, and said sixth metal plate are collectively electrically insulated from said first contact element, said first metal plate, and said second metal plate, a second longitudinal axis of said second contact element is substantially parallel to said first longitudinal axis, substantially an entirety of a fifth major surface of said fifth metal plate thermally contacts said fifth phase-change heat storage element, substantially an entirety of a sixth major surface of said sixth metal plate thermally contacts said sixth phase-change heat storage element, said fifth major surface is substantially orthogonal to said second longitudinal axis, and said sixth major surface is substantially orthogonal to said second longitudinal axis.

25. An assembly, comprising: a first electrical conductor; a first metal plate in thermal communication with said first electrical conductor; a second metal plate in thermal communication with said first electrical conductor; a first phase-change heat storage element; a second phase-change heat storage element; and a first plurality of supports that mechanically stabilize said first metal plate and said second metal plate, wherein substantially an entirety of a first major surface of said first metal plate thermally contacts said first phase-change heat storage element, substantially an entirety of a second major surface of said second metal plate thermally contacts said second phase-change heat storage element, at least one of said first plurality of supports is electrically conductive and electrically interconnects said first metal plate and said second metal plate, and said at least one electrically conductive support is substantially orthogonal to said first metal plate and said second metal plate.

26. The assembly of claim 25, comprising: a first layer of elastically compressible material abuttingly situated between said first phase-change heat storage element and a component selected from the group consisting of said second phase-change heat storage element and a housing.

27. The assembly of claim 25, comprising: a first layer of thermally conductive paste; and a second layer of thermally conductive paste, wherein said first major surface thermally contacts said first phase-change heat storage element via said first layer of thermally conductive paste, and said second major surface thermally contacts said second phase-change heat storage element via said second layer of thermally conductive paste.

28. The assembly of claim 25, wherein: at least one of said first phase-change heat storage element and said second phase-change heat storage element comprises a mixture of a phase-change material and graphite.

29. The assembly of claim 25, wherein: a major portion of said first electrical conductor is situated outside a volume between said first metal plate and said second metal plate.

30. The assembly of claim 25, comprising: a third phase-change heat storage element, wherein substantially an entirety of a third major surface of said second metal plate thermally contacts said third phase-change heat storage element,

31. The assembly of claim 25, comprising: a third metal plate in thermal communication with said first electrical conductor; and a fourth phase-change heat storage element, wherein substantially an entirety of a fourth major surface of said third metal plate thermally contacts said fourth phase-change heat storage element. said at least one electrically conductive support is substantially orthogonal to said third metal plate.

32. The assembly of claim 25, wherein: an area of said first major surface is many times larger than a cross-sectional area of first electrical conductor, and an area of said second major surface is many times larger than a cross-sectional area of first electrical conductor.

33. The assembly of claim 25, comprising: a second electrical conductor; a fifth metal plate in thermal communication with said second electrical conductor; a sixth metal plate in thermal communication with said second electrical conductor; a fifth phase-change heat storage element; and a sixth phase-change heat storage element; a second plurality of supports that mechanically stabilize said fifth metal plate and said sixth metal plate, wherein said second electrical conductor, said fifth metal plate, and said sixth metal plate are collectively electrically insulated from said first electrical conductor, said first metal plate, and said second metal plate, substantially an entirety of a fifth major surface of said fifth metal plate thermally contacts said fifth phase-change heat storage element, substantially an entirety of a sixth major surface of said sixth metal plate thermally contacts said sixth phase-change heat storage element, at least one of said second plurality of supports is electrically conductive, electrically interconnects said fifth metal plate and said sixth metal plate, and is substantially orthogonal to said first metal plate and said second metal plate.

34. The assembly of claim 33, comprising: a housing that forms at least part of a mechanical interface of a plug connector, wherein said first electrical conductor electrically and mechanically contacts said first metal plate, said second electrical conductor electrically and mechanically contacts said fifth metal plate, said first electrical conductor is affixed to said housing and constitutes a first contact element of an electrical interface of said plug connector, and said second electrical conductor is affixed to said housing and constitutes a second contact element of said electrical interface of said plug connector.

Description

INDICATION OF CONTENTS OF THE DRAWING

[0050] The present invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the exemplary embodiments specified in the schematic figures of the drawing. In this case:

[0051] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of one embodiment in accordance with the present disclosure;

[0052] FIG. 2 shows a sectional illustration of a schematic perspective view according to one embodiment in accordance with the present disclosure;

[0053] FIG. 3 shows a schematic perspective view according to one embodiment in accordance with the present disclosure;

[0054] FIG. 4 shows a schematic perspective view of one embodiment in accordance with the present disclosure;

[0055] FIG. 5 shows a schematic perspective view of components according to one embodiment in accordance with the present disclosure;

[0056] FIG. 6 shows a schematic sectional view of an electrical component according to one embodiment in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0057] The appended figures of the drawing are intended to impart a further understanding of the embodiments of the invention. Said figures illustrate embodiments and serve to explain principles and concepts of the invention in connection with the description. Other embodiments and many of the mentioned advantages result with respect to the drawings. The elements of the drawings are not necessarily shown in a manner true to scale with respect to one another.

[0058] In the figures of the drawing, identical, functionally identical and identically acting elements, features and componentsunless otherwise statedare each provided with the same reference signs. In the following text, the figures are described coherently and comprehensively.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

[0059] FIG. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a pair of latent-heat storage devices 10. For the sake of simplicity, reference signs are simply indicated in the drawings on one side of a conductor of the conductor pair 12.

[0060] The latent-heat storage device 10 is connected to several sections 12.1, 12.2, 12.3, 12.4 of conductors of a pair of conductors 12. The pair of conductors 12 comprises a first conductor with sections 12.1 and 12.2 and a second conductor which also has two sections. The latent-heat storage device 10 is of identical design for the two conductors of the conductor pair 12.

[0061] The first section 12.1 of the electrical conductor is connected by means of a press connection to a heat transport means which is formed as a metal plate 14. Electrical current and heat is therefore transferred from the first section of the conductor 12.1 to the metal plate 14. The interface, that is to say the press connection, between the first section 12.1 of the electrical conductor and the metal plate 14 forms an input interface. The metal plate 14 has four bores, one of which is occupied by a bore of the first section 12.1 of the electrical conductor. The three remaining bores are occupied by supports 34, 35, 36 (not shown in FIG. 1) in that the supports extend between the metal plate 14 and the metal plate 15.

[0062] A thermally conductive paste 22, which fills air inclusions between the metal plate 14 and the latent-heat storage element 26, is applied to the underside of the metal plate 14, that is to say the side facing the latent-heat storage element. The thermally conductive paste 22 is more thermally conductive than air, with the result that the paste 22 ensures an improvement with regard to the thermal conductivity between the metal plate 14 and the latent-heat storage element 26. Another latent-heat storage element 27 is arranged between the two metal plates 14 and 15. Between the latent-heat storage elements 26 and 27, there is arranged a compressible layer 24 which presses the latent-heat storage elements 26 and 27 against the metal plates 14 and 15 and in particular against a housing 18 (not shown in FIG. 1). If the components of the latent-heat storage device 10 expand due to thermal expansion, the compressible layer 24 is compressed accordingly. Another layer of thermally conductive paste 23 is applied between the metal plate 15 and the latent-heat storage element 27.

[0063] FIG. 2 shows a perspective sectional view of a pair of latent-heat storage devices 10 similar to FIG. 1. FIG. 2 also illustrates the support 36 which extends between the metal plates 14 and 15. The support 36 is connected to the metal plates 14 and 15 via a press connection in each case.

[0064] FIG. 3 shows another schematic perspective view of a pair of latent-heat storage devices 10.1. The latent-heat storage device 10.1 comprises four latent-heat storage elements 26, 27, 32, 33 for each electrical conductor of the conductor pair 12. The latent-heat storage device according to FIG. 3 accordingly has eight latent-heat storage elements.

[0065] From the formula (Number of latent-heat storage elements)/2+1, it follows that the latent-heat storage device 10.1 has three metal plates 14, 15, 30.

[0066] For the purpose of better illustration, the housing 18 in the latent-heat storage devices 10 and 10.1 according to FIGS. 1-3 is hidden.

[0067] FIG. 4 shows a sectional illustration of a perspective view of a latent-heat storage device 10 according to FIG. 1. FIG. 4 also illustrates a housing 18 which encloses the components of the latent-heat storage device. It is clear from FIG. 4 that the sections 12.1, 12.2, 12.3 and 12.4 of the electrical conductors do not have to pass through a common plane. The sections 12.1 and 12.3 of the input interface can occupy one of several bores in the metal plates 14 according to the application. Accordingly, the sections 12.2 and 12.4 of the output interface can occupy any bore of the metal plates 15, that is to say the sections of the electrical conductor of the input and/or output interface do not necessarily have to be inserted in opposite bores.

[0068] FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of several components of a latent-heat storage device. FIG. 5 shows only the sections of the electrical conductors 12.1 and 12.2, the metal plates 14 and 15 and three supports 34, 35, 36. In order to illustrate the supports 34-36 between the metal plates 14 and 15, the latent-heat storage elements 26, 27 are not shown in FIG. 5.

[0069] FIG. 6 shows an electronic component 50 having a latent-heat storage device 10 as has been described above. The electronic component 50 comprises a pair of conductors 12 having a conductor having a first section 12.1 to an input interface of the latent-heat storage device 10 and a second section 12.2 forming an output interface to the latent-heat storage device 10. The first section of the electrical conductor is designed as a busbar.

[0070] The second section 12.2 of the electrical conductor is designed as a pair of male connector contact pins 38. The male connector 38 forms what is known as a charging socket, which can be connected to a female connector in order to charge a battery.

[0071] Although the present invention has been described completely above on the basis of exemplary embodiments, it is not restricted thereto, but rather may be modified in diverse ways.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0072] 10 Latent-heat storage device [0073] 10.1 Latent-heat storage device [0074] 12 Conductor pair [0075] 12.1 First section [0076] 12.2 Second section [0077] 14 Metal plate [0078] 15 Metal plate [0079] 18 Housing [0080] 20 Bore [0081] 22 Thermally conductive paste [0082] 23 Thermally conductive paste [0083] 24 Compressible layer [0084] 26 Latent-heat storage element [0085] 27 Latent-heat storage element [0086] 28 Thermally conductive paste [0087] 29 Thermally conductive paste [0088] 30 Metal plate [0089] 32 Latent-heat storage element [0090] 33 Latent-heat storage element [0091] 34 Support [0092] 35 Support [0093] 36 Support [0094] 38 Connector [0095] 50 Electrical component