Busbar Patents (Class 361/775)
  • Patent number: 11901838
    Abstract: A power module includes: a first substrate layer that is disposed on a first plane; a second substrate layer that is disposed on a second plane that is parallel to the first plane; first and second electrical conductors that are configured to be electrically connected to first and second direct current (DC) reference potentials, respectively, and that extend outwardly from the power module on a third plane that is parallel to the first and second planes; third, fourth, and fifth electrical conductors that are configured to be electrically connected to first, second, and third alternating current (AC) reference potentials, respectively, and that extend outwardly from the power module on a fourth plane that is parallel to the first, second, and third planes; and a plurality of dies of switches, respectively, disposed between the first and second substrate layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Ming Liu, Muhammad Hussain Alvi, Chandra S. Namuduri
  • Patent number: 11652473
    Abstract: The disclosure is directed to a power module apparatus that includes a base plate, a power substrate positioned relative to the base plate, at least two power contacts, a gate-source board mounted relative to the power substrate, gate drive connectors electrically connected to the gate-source board, a housing secured to the power substrate, and a clamping circuit electrically connected to the at least one power device. The clamping circuit being configured to clamp an input to a gate of the at least one power device. The clamping circuit being arranged with at least one of the following: the base plate, the power substrate, one of the at least two power contacts, the at least one power device, the gate-source board, the gate drive connectors, and the housing. The disclosure is further directed to a process of configuring a power module apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: WOLFSPEED, INC.
    Inventors: Austin Curbow, Daniel Martin
  • Patent number: 11652478
    Abstract: A power module apparatus includes a power substrate, at least one power device electrically connected to the power substrate and a gate-source board mounted relative to the power substrate, the gate-source board electrically connected to the at least one power device, a housing secured to the power substrate, and a clamping circuit electrically connected to the at least one power device. The clamping circuit being configured to reduce a voltage charge up at a gate of the at least one power device to within 8 V of a desired voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: WOLFSPEED, INC.
    Inventors: Austin Curbow, Daniel Martin
  • Patent number: 11617271
    Abstract: A circuit arrangement (1), in particular for an electrically driven motor vehicle, has at least one bus bar (5) which is connected electrically to a supplier (2) and which is connected to a first consumer (3) at a first transfer point (6) and to a second consumer (4) at a second transfer point (7). Both the first and the second transfer point (6, 7) are formed as flexible contact points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: VALEO SIEMENS EAUTOMOTIVE GERMANY GMBH
    Inventors: Markus Eichner, Christoph Heumann, Christoph Hoyler, Alex Mueller
  • Patent number: 11102916
    Abstract: An electric power inverter for an electrical machine of an electrically powered drive system may include a capacitor board including a plurality of capacitors and at least one semiconductor board including a plurality of power semiconductors. The capacitor board and the at least one semiconductor board may be electrically interconnected and mutually stacked in a stacking direction, with a clearance, in a stack formation. The plurality of capacitors may be arranged on the capacitor board and fitted to a side thereof facing the at least one semiconductor board. At least one open location space may be defined between the plurality of capacitors and the capacitor board. The at least one open location space may be configured to accommodate the at least one semiconductor board. The at least one semiconductor board may be arranged within the at least one open location space with a clearance to the capacitor board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Inventors: Gregor Babic, Jurij Podrzaj, Ambroz Vrtovec
  • Patent number: 11058035
    Abstract: An electric power inverter may include a capacitor board having a plurality of capacitors, and at least one semiconductor board each having a plurality of power semiconductors. The capacitor board and the at least one semiconductor board may be mutually stacked in a stacking direction, with a clearance, in a stack formation, and may be electrically interconnected. The capacitors may be arranged in the stacking direction, and fitted to a side facing the at least one semiconductor board. The capacitors may be arranged on the capacitor board to form at least one open location space between the capacitors, each positioned to accommodate one semiconductor board. Each semiconductor board may be arranged within the respective location space with a clearance to the capacitor board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Inventors: Gregor Babic, Jurij Podrzaj, Ambroz Vrtovec
  • Patent number: 11044839
    Abstract: An electric power inverter may include a capacitor board having a plurality of capacitors, and at least one semiconductor board having a plurality of power semiconductors. The capacitor board and the at least one semiconductor board may be mutually stacked in a stacking direction, with a clearance, in a stack formation, and may be electrically interconnected. The capacitors may be arranged in the stacking direction, and may be fitted to a side thereof facing the at least one semiconductor board. The capacitors may be arranged on the capacitor board to form at least one open location space between the capacitors, each location space positioned to accommodate a respective one of the at least one semiconductor board. The at least one semiconductor board may be arranged within the respective location space, with a clearance to the capacitor board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Inventors: Gregor Babic, Jurij Podrzaj, Ambroz Vrtovec
  • Patent number: 10709026
    Abstract: A Printed Circuit Board (PCB) mounting structure having an improved structure for improving assemblability of a product, and a display apparatus including the PCB mounting structure. The PCB mounting structure includes a mounting member provided on the PCB and a mounting portion provided on a chassis for mounting the PCB to the chassis without using screws.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Song Hyeon Kim, Sung Soo Jung, Dae Sung Ko, Jun Pil Oh
  • Patent number: 10637216
    Abstract: An electrical power distribution system is provided. The electrical power distribution system includes one or more power distribution cards comprising a first portion and a second portion. The electrical power distribution system further includes one or more power switching components coupled to the first portion of one of the one or more power distribution cards. The electrical power distribution system further includes one or more control devices configured to control operation of at least one of the one or more power switching components. Each control device is coupled to the second portion of one of the one or more power distribution cards. The first portion of each power distribution card is separated from the second portion, such that, during operation of the power distribution card, the control devices operate at a lower average temperature than the power switching components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: GE Aviation Systems Limited
    Inventor: David Alan Elliott
  • Patent number: 10333117
    Abstract: A battery pack may include a battery cell with a cell lead; a bus bar bonded to the cell lead and having a terminal pin; a connection board having the bus bar mounted thereon; and a printed circuit board (PCB). The PCB may have a terminal clip selectively connected to and disconnected from the terminal pin of the bus bar. The battery pack may also include a PCB housing defining a PCB accommodation space accommodating the PCB. The battery pack may further include a locking part that, in a first locking state, locks the PCB housing to the connection board at a first position where the terminal pin of the bus bar does not elastically deform the terminal clip of the PCB; and in a second locking state, lock the PCB housing to the connection board at a second position where the terminal pin elastically deforms the terminal clip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Ingook Son, Sijung Cho
  • Patent number: 10236791
    Abstract: Provided herein is a power converter component to power a drive unit of an electric vehicle drive system. The power converter component includes an inverter module formed having three half-bridge modules arranged in a triplet configuration for electric vehicle drive systems. Positive inputs, negative inputs, and output terminals of the different half-bridge inverter modules are aligned with each other. The inverter module includes a positive bus-bar coupled with the positive inputs and a negative bus-bar coupled with the negative inputs of the half-bridge inverter modules. The positive bus-bar is positioned adjacent to and parallel with the negative bus-bar. The inverter module can be coupled with a drive train unit of the electric vehicle and provide three phase voltages to the drive train unit. Each of the half bridge modules can generate a single phase voltage and three half-bridge modules arranged in a triplet configuration can provide three phase voltages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: SF Motors, Inc.
    Inventors: Nathan Chung, Jinzhu Li, Kangwei Mao, Colin Haag, Zhong Nie, Duanyang Wang, Yifan Tang
  • Patent number: 10122293
    Abstract: According to an exemplary implementation, a power module package includes a multi-phase inverter. The power module package also includes a multi-phase inverter driver configured to drive the multi-phase inverter. The power module package further includes a power factor correction (PFC) circuit where the PFC circuit is configured to regulate a bus voltage of the multi-phase inverter and a PFC driver configured to drive the PFC circuit. The multi-phase inverter, the multi-phase inverter driver, the PFC circuit, and the PFC driver are situated on a package substrate of the power module package. The multi-phase inverter driver and the PFC driver can be in a common driver integrated circuit (IC).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AMERICAS CORP.
    Inventors: Zhou Chen, Toshio Takahashi
  • Patent number: 10050394
    Abstract: A resilient conductive contact spring is bent to define at least three tulip-shaped receptacles for receiving conductive devices that are to be electrically connected together by the contact spring. The contact spring can be included in a socket arrangement for connecting an electrical component mounted within a housing with a bus bar power supply system arranged outside the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Inventors: Stefan Aporius, Bernd Van Giesen
  • Patent number: 9635754
    Abstract: Provided is a circuit assembly having a new structure in which a busbar circuit unit overlapped with a printed circuit board can reliably be fixed regardless of the heating temperature at the time of soldering of an electrical component. In a circuit assembly in which a busbar circuit unit constituted by a plurality of busbars is overlapped with a printed circuit board having a printed wiring and is fixed thereto via an adhesive sheet, the plurality of busbars are adhered to the surface of the adhesive sheet in a state in which the busbars are arranged adjacently and spaced apart by gaps, and the gaps between the busbars are filled with the adhesive agent. With the adhesive agent, press-cut surfaces of the busbars and at least one of the adhesive sheet and the printed circuit board that is exposed from the gaps between the busbars is adhered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd
    Inventor: Arinobu Nakamura
  • Patent number: 9620898
    Abstract: A test plug block for plugging onto a series terminal block has a plurality of interconnected test plugs and two securing parts which are arranged on both sides of the plurality of test plugs having a plug-in portion and which are connected to each other via a handle. Plugging of the test plug block onto the series terminal block is simplified in that each plug-in portion of the securing parts has two latching elements which, together with corresponding counter latching elements of the securing clamps determine a first latched position and a second latched position of the securing parts in the securing clamp, wherein the two latched positions are arranged one behind the other in the plug-on direction of the test plug block. An unlocking element is movably arranged in the housing of each securing part from a base position into first and second unlocking positions by rotating the handle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: Phoenix Contact GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Christian Kloppenburg
  • Patent number: 9583849
    Abstract: Disclosed is a tri-mode connector module comprising a module main body, a serial/parallel connector and a bus connector seat. The serial/parallel connector comprises a slot and groups of connection terminals, each including a first contact piece and a second contact piece. A foreign object enters the slot to change the connections of the first and second contact pieces, to establish serial or parallel connections. The bus connector seat comprises a rail to accommodate a bus connector and a slide clip to clip a bus rail. The connector module may further include a bus connector to connect a bus structure provided in the bus rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: DINKLE ENTERPRISE CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shang-Tsai Wu
  • Patent number: 9451712
    Abstract: An electrical module arrangement for supplying electrical power to a printed circuit board mounted within the housing of an electrical module, including a plug-in electrical connector mounted in an opening contained in an end wall of the module housing. The connector is of the conductive leaf spring S-shaped type, including two reversely-bent portions defining oppositely directed recesses for receiving a bus bar voltage source and a planar contact of the printed circuit board, respectively. In a modification, the leaf spring is W-shaped including three bends, thereby permitting connection of the PCB contact with two separate parallel spaced bus bar arrangements. A plurality of the modules are supported in side-by-side relation either by mounting the module housings on a common mounting rail, or by connecting the plug-in connectors to a common bus bar mounted on a fixed support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: Weidmueller Interface GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Wolfgang Sichmann, Bernd Van Giesen, Stefan Aporius
  • Patent number: 9425602
    Abstract: A bus bar including a bus bar pin that is mounted onto a circuit board, the bus bar including a base part that is disposed along the circuit board and supports the bus bar pin, and a pair of support columns that are formed at both ends of the base part and clamp the circuit board to fix the bus bar pin to the circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: KYB Corporation
    Inventors: Yuki Nagai, Taroh Matsumae
  • Patent number: 9385482
    Abstract: An electrical connector assembly includes a first electrical connector and a second electrical connector mated with each other. The first electrical connector includes an insulative housing, a plurality of conductive terminals and a grounding plate. The insulative housing extending along a longitudinal direction includes a base portion and a plurality of side walls extending forwardly from the base portion and forming a mating cavity. The insulative housing defines a plurality of first passageways and second passageways separately formed in two opposite side walls thereof communicating with the mating cavity. The conductive terminals include a plurality of first terminals and second terminals received in the corresponding first and second passageways. Each of the first and second terminals has a contact portion extending into the mating cavity. The grounding plate is disposed between the first and second terminals and defines at least one pressing portion located in the mating cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Xin-Xin Li, Qiu Qian, Chun-Sheng Li, Jian-Kuang Zhu
  • Patent number: 9380704
    Abstract: A through-hole stub AC termination circuit including a resistor and a capacitor, is connected to an open end of a stub of a through-hole provided in a circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Kashiwakura
  • Patent number: 9236826
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating an electrical machine (1) controlled by an inverter (2), wherein the inverter (2) comprises half-bridge branches (10-U, 10-V, 10-W) having power components in the form of controllable power switching elements (3) and power diodes (4) respectively connected in parallel therewith, wherein each of the half-bridge branches (10-U; 10-V; 10-W) is arranged on a separate semiconductor module (11-U; 11-V; 11-W), which are arranged jointly on a baseplate (12), wherein the phase currents (1_U, 1_V, 1_W) flowing through the half-bridge branches (10-U, 10-V, 10-W), the voltages present at the power components and temperatures (t_Sens_U, t_Sens_V, t_Sens_W) on the semiconductor modules (11-U, 11-V, 11-W) are determined, from the current (1_U; 1_V; 1_W) respectively flowing at a power component and from the voltage respectively present a power loss (P) is calculated for each of the power components, from the power losses (P) a relevant temperature swing (?t; ?t_Sens) is determ
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Christian Djonga, Stefan Gaab, Tobias Werner, Michele Hirsch, Michael Heeb, Markus Kretschmer, Torsten Heidrich
  • Patent number: 9124078
    Abstract: A meter socket block assembly for a meter socket connected to a meter having at least one meter blade, wherein the meter socket includes at least one conductor. The meter socket block assembly includes at least one lug and jaw body, the body having a lug portion and a first jaw portion which are unistructurally formed and wherein the lug portion is connected to the conductor. The meter socket block assembly also includes a second jaw portion attached to the first jaw portion to form a jaw for connecting to the meter blade. Further, the meter socket block assembly includes a base having a lug cavity for receiving the body and at least one snap tab for attaching the body to the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: SIEMENS INDUSTRY, INC.
    Inventors: Fan Zhang, Brian J. Rusch
  • Patent number: 9036355
    Abstract: A printed wiring board (PWB) includes a substrate having first and second opposing surfaces and a busbar coupled to the substrate. The busbar includes a power input connector and a cross-sectional dimension configured and disposed to carry at least 100 amperes. At least one semiconductor device is mounted to the busbar. The at least one semiconductor device includes an input electrically coupled to the busbar and an output. One or more output conductors are electrically coupled to the output of the at least one semiconductor device. The one or more output conductors include a cross-sectional dimension configured and disposed to carry at least 50 amperes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey T. Wavering, Rainer J. Seidel, Norbert J. Simper, Josef Maier, Carl A. Wagner, Michael Krenz, Michael William Foster
  • Patent number: 9036360
    Abstract: A power casing apparatus of an image display module includes a display panel configured to have a Light-Emitting Diode module disposed in a front thereof; a bus bar unit installed in the rear of the display panel and configured to supply driving power to the LED module and to have a pair of electrode blades disposed on one side thereof; and a power casing unit disposed in the bus bar unit in such a way as to be attached to or detached from the bus bar unit and configured to supply the driving power to the bus bar unit and to have a pair of power supply connectors disposed at positions corresponding to the respective electrode blades on one side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: EVERBRIGHTEN CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yong Min Kim
  • Patent number: 9019716
    Abstract: The present invention is to provide a plate member which can improve material yield. The plate member forms a bus bar attached to a box main body of an electric junction box and includes a first terminal portion, a second terminal portion, and a connection coupling the first terminal portion to the second terminal portion. The plate member includes a first terminal portion equivalent corresponding to the first terminal portion, a second terminal portion equivalent corresponding to the second terminal portion, and arranged with a space against the first terminal portion equivalent along a longitudinal direction of a first terminal equivalent, and a connection equivalent corresponding to the connection. The connection equivalent couples the first terminal equivalent to the second terminal equivalent so that longitudinal directions of the first and second terminal equivalents are arranged parallel to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventors: Suguru Sakai, Yoshihito Imaizumi, Hiroaki Takahashi, Ryouta Ando
  • Patent number: 8942009
    Abstract: A power switch assembly includes a flip-chip type integrated circuit chip and a lead-frame with a plurality of spaced apart parallel lead sections. The flip-chip type integrated circuit chip includes a distributed transistor, and first and second pluralities of flip-chip interconnects connected to source and drain regions, respectively. The first and second lead sections at least partially overlap along the first axis. Each of the plurality of lead sections includes a contact portion and an extended portion extending laterally from the contact portion. The extended portions of the first and second lead section extend from the contact portion in opposite directions. The first side of the first and second lead section contacts at least two of the first and plurality of flip-chip interconnects, respectively. The second side of the first and second lead are configured to contact a first and second contact area on a printed circuit board, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Volterra Semiconductor LLC
    Inventors: Efren M. Lacap, Ilija Jergovic
  • Patent number: 8923003
    Abstract: An electronic device may contain components such as flexible printed circuits and rigid printed circuits. Electrical contact pads on a flexible printed circuit may be coupled electrical contact pads on a rigid printed circuit using a coupling member. The coupling member may be configured to electrically couple contact pads on a top surface of the flexible circuit to contact pads on a top surface of the rigid circuit. The coupling member may be configured to bear against a top surface of the flexible circuit so that pads on a bottom surface of the flexible circuit rest against pads on a top surface of the rigid circuit. The coupling member may bear against the top surface of the flexible circuit. The coupling member may include protrusions that extend into openings in the rigid printed circuit. The protrusions may be engaged with engagement members in the openings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander D. Schlaupitz, Joshua G. Wurzel
  • Patent number: 8917522
    Abstract: A semiconductor device that can suppress variation of GND potential of a control board and prevent malfunction of IC without restricting a mounting direction of the IC of the control board is provided. In a power module 10 as a semiconductor device in which an insulating board 31 having a power switching element 24 and a control board 22 having IC 50 for controlling the power switching element 24 are vertically provided in a case body 19, GND pins 61 are provided at both the sides of the IC 50, a GND pattern 51 to which the GND pins 61 of the IC 50 are connected is provided in the control board 22, and a GND loop breaking slit 70 as a breaking portion for breaking a GND loop formed by electrical connection of the IC 50, the GND pins 61 at both the sides of the IC 50 and the GND pattern 51 is provided to the GND pattern 51.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahiro Nakamura, Haruei Kokuho, Takahiro Yamada, Koichi Kimura
  • Patent number: 8879241
    Abstract: A server rack configured for a plurality of servers is disclosed, in which each of the servers has a power supply circuit board. The server rack includes: a case having a first face and a second face opposed to each other, the first face having an opening for the servers to be arranged in the case in an orientation; a power supply module provided on the second face of the case; and a power transmission assembly composed of a busbar provided on the second face in the orientation and electrically connected to the power supply module; and a plurality of electrical connectors provided on the busbar and coupled respectively with the power supply circuit boards of the servers. Through the power transmission assembly, the servers may be powered in a centralized way by the power supply module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Giga-Byte Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tung-Ke Lu, Chin-Han Tsai
  • Publication number: 20140254122
    Abstract: A power supply control apparatus includes: a control board that is configured to control a voltage of a battery module; and a bus bar module that is configured to electrically connect the control board to the battery module, the control board and the bus bar module are arranged in a stacked manner, and the bus bar module includes a plurality of bus bars that are made to be independent by cutting off junctions connecting the bus bars to each other and a resin member that supports the bas bars in a state where the junctions are exposed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2012
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Inventors: Takeshi Nakamura, Daiki Kudo, Masashi Ueda, Kosuke Tachikawa, Tetsuya Hasebe
  • Patent number: 8797758
    Abstract: An electrical connection structure of an electronic board includes: a board support member formed of synthetic resin; an electronic board fixed to the board support member; an electrical connection pad disposed on the electronic board; a bus bar disposed in the board support member; and a bonding wire that electrically connects the electrical connection pad and the bus bar. The bus bar includes: an exposed portion exposed in a face of the board support member; an embedded portion embedded in the board support member; and a connection portion extending from the exposed portion and being electrically connected to an electrical component. An end of the bonding wire is bonded to the exposed portion, and a first cut portion is formed in the embedded portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Nissan Kogyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masatoshi Iyatani
  • Patent number: 8743556
    Abstract: In at least one embodiment, a vehicle power module comprises a first printed circuit board (PCB) including a first plurality of electrical components for providing a first voltage and a second voltage. The vehicle power module further comprises a second PCB including a second plurality of electrical components, the second PCB being spaced away from the first printed circuit board and a first connector assembly being coupled to the first PCB and to the second PCB for providing the first voltage to the second PCB. The vehicle power module further comprises a second connector assembly being coupled to the first PCB and to the second PCB for providing the second voltage to the second PCB. The first connector assembly provides the first voltage of up to 14V and the second connector assembly provides the second voltage of 200V or greater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: Richard J. Hampo, Slobodan Pavlovic, Nadir Sharaf, Rutunj Rai, Aftab Ali Khan
  • Patent number: 8724325
    Abstract: An example solid state switching arrangement includes at least one bus bar configured to carry electrical current and at least one switch that is silicon carbide based. The switch is secured relative to the bus bar and the bus bar is configured to communicate thermal energy away from the switch. An example method of arranging a switch includes mounting a silicon carbide based switch relative to a bus bar and communication thermal energy away from the silicon carbide based switch using the bus bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Ted R. Schnetker, Steven J. Sytsma
  • Patent number: 8701971
    Abstract: A printed board includes a printed board body having a first side, a second side opposing the first side, and a through-hole; a printed conductor disposed on the first side of the printed board body; and a bus bar disposed on the second side of the printed board body, the bus bar including a terminal that extends through the through-hole. The terminal includes a plurality of branched terminal portions at a position corresponding to an interior of the through-hole, and at least one of the branched terminal portions is bent and attached to the printed conductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Tagano, Teruyuki Kitahara
  • Patent number: 8692360
    Abstract: According to example configurations herein, a leadframe includes a first conductive strip, a second conductive strip, and a third conductive strip disposed substantially adjacent and substantially parallel to each other. A semiconductor chip substrate includes a first array of switch circuits disposed adjacent and parallel to a second array of switch circuits. Source nodes in switch circuits of the first array are disposed substantially adjacent and substantially parallel to source nodes in switch circuits of the second array. When the semiconductor chip and the leadframe device are combined to form a circuit package, a connectivity interface between the semiconductor chip and conductive strips in the circuit package couples each of the source nodes in switch circuits of the first array and each of the multiple source nodes in switch circuits of the second array to a common conductive strip in the leadframe device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: International Rectifier Corporation
    Inventors: Donald J. Desbiens, Gary D. Polhemus, Robert T. Carroll
  • Patent number: 8670245
    Abstract: A system and method is provided for transmitting a signal to a plurality of slave devices (e.g., memory devices, etc.) via a communication circuit having a plurality of segments that are substantially equal in length and/or impedance. Specifically, according to one embodiment of the invention, an electronic system includes a processor, a plurality of memory devices, and a communication circuit (i.e., a bus) having a central node and a plurality of segments. Specifically, the plurality of segments are used to connect the plurality of devices (e.g., the processor, the plurality of memory devices) to the central node. For example, the processor is connected to the central node via a primary segment, the first memory device (M0) is connected to the central node via a first segment, etc. In one embodiment of the invention, the plurality of segments are substantially equal in length. In other words, the central node is substantially electrically-equidistant from each memory device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventor: Quang Nguyen
  • Patent number: 8625295
    Abstract: An interface circuit board apparatus can include a shared circuit board base, a transceiver section disposed on the circuit board base, and having circuit transceiver sites configured to receive a plurality of transceiver component types, a termination section disposed on the circuit board base, and having circuit termination sites configured to receive a plurality of termination component types, and a connection section operatively coupled to the transceiver and termination sections, wherein the transceiver section, the termination section and the connection section are configurable to support a plurality of interface types based on the plurality of transceiver component types and the plurality of termination component types.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Daniel Milton Alley, Longhui Shen, Ye Xu
  • Patent number: 8587977
    Abstract: In a power inverter, a coolant passage is fixed to a chassis to cool the chassis; the chassis is divided into a first region and a second region by providing the coolant passage in the chassis; a power module is provided in the first region as fixed to the coolant passage; a capacitor module is provided in the second region; and the DC terminal of the capacitor module is directly connected to the DC terminal of the power module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Fusanori Nishikimi, Kinya Nakatsu
  • Patent number: 8576573
    Abstract: A controller includes: a circuit board; a retaining member; a bus bar that has an embedded portion embedded in and retained by the retaining member and an exposed portion that is exposed from the retaining member and that is electrically connected to the circuit board; and an electrical element that has a terminal connected to the exposed portion. The bus bar is formed in such a manner that a metal plate of which an outer surface is plated with a plating layer is cut along a predetermined cutting plane. The cutting plane at the exposed portion has a parallel portion that is arranged substantially parallel to a principal surface of the circuit board. The parallel portion and the terminal are joined to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: JTEKT Corporation
    Inventor: Naoki Tani
  • Patent number: 8570762
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to computer buses that can be used to distribute data between components of various computer systems. In one aspect, a computer bus includes multiple opto-electronic engines disposed within a housing and multiple flexible connectors. Each flexible connector extends through an opening in the housing and is coupled at a first end to an opto-electronic engine and at a second to an electronic device. The flexible connectors enable the bus to be placed in different orientations and positions in order to optimize space and connectivity requirements or limitations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Paul Kessler Rosenberg, Michael Renne Ty Tan, Sagi Varghese Mathai
  • Patent number: 8570715
    Abstract: A load center comprising a housing and, mounted within the housing as a single pre-fabricated unit of interconnected elements, two power buses, conductive paths branching off from each power bus, respective branch circuit breaker mounting sites each conductively linked to a corresponding one of the two power buses by a respective one of the conductive paths, and current sensors each association with a respective one of the conductive paths branching off from the power buses to provide an output responsive to current passing through said respective conductive path from the corresponding one of the two power buses to the respective branch circuit breaker mounting site. A processor in the housing receives current level signals indicative of the current passing through the conductive paths to produce, and preferably transmit, data for consideration in terms of power consumption by branch circuits fed through the load center.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Inventor: Darcy Cook
  • Publication number: 20130258626
    Abstract: A printed wiring board (PWB) includes a substrate having first and second opposing surfaces and a busbar coupled to the substrate. The busbar includes a power input connector and a cross-sectional dimension configured and disposed to carry at least 100 amperes. At least one semiconductor device is mounted to the busbar. The at least one semiconductor device includes an input electrically coupled to the busbar and an output. One or more output conductors are electrically coupled to the output of the at least one semiconductor device. The one or more output conductors include a cross-sectional dimension configured and disposed to carry at least 50 amperes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2012
    Publication date: October 3, 2013
    Applicant: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jeffrey T. Wavering, Rainer J. Seidel, Norbert J. Simper, Josef Maier, Carl A. Wagner, Michael Krenz, Michael William Foster
  • Patent number: 8462531
    Abstract: In a power inverter, a coolant passage is fixed to a chassis to cool the chassis; the chassis is divided into a first region and a second region by providing the coolant passage in the chassis; a power module is provided in the first region as fixed to the coolant passage; a capacitor module is provided in the second region; and the DC terminal of the capacitor module is directly connected to the DC terminal of the power module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Fusanori Nishikimi, Kinya Nakatsu
  • Patent number: 8446733
    Abstract: In at least one embodiment, a vehicle power module comprises a first printed circuit board (PCB) including a first plurality of electrical components for providing a first voltage and a second voltage. The vehicle power module further comprises a second PCB including a second plurality of electrical components, the second PCB being spaced away from the first printed circuit board and a first connector assembly being coupled to the first PCB and to the second PCB for providing the first voltage to the second PCB. The vehicle power module further comprises a second connector assembly being coupled to the first PCB and to the second PCB for providing the second voltage to the second PCB. The first connector assembly provides the first voltage of up to 14V and the second connector assembly provides the second voltage of 200V or greater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: Richard J. Hampo, Slobodan Pavlovic, Nadir Sharaf, Rutunj Rai, Aftab Ali Khan
  • Patent number: 8441805
    Abstract: A structure for mounting a compound circuit on a circuit board is provided. The compound circuit includes a high voltage circuit and a low voltage circuit whose supply voltages are different from each other. The structure includes: a main circuit board on which constituents of the low voltage circuit are mounted; and a hybrid IC which includes a sub circuit board on which at least a part of constituents of the high voltage circuit is mounted and a moisture preventing agent coating the sub circuit board, and is arranged over the main circuit board. Both an insulation distance between terminals provided on the main circuit board for connecting to the hybrid IC and an insulation distance between terminals provided on the hybrid IC for connecting to the main circuit board are larger than a minimum insulation distance between terminals provided on the constituents mounted on the sub circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Kawamura
  • Patent number: 8411456
    Abstract: An inverter device is provided with a semiconductor device, an input terminal, an intermediate terminal, an output terminal and an insulated substrate on which the semiconductor device, the input terminal, the intermediate terminal and the output terminal are mounted. Each of the input terminal, the intermediate terminal and the output terminal is a separated module such that one of the input terminal, the intermediate terminal and the output terminal is spatially independent from the other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Keihin Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichi Sato, Noriya Kishino, Jin Kurihara
  • Patent number: 8405339
    Abstract: A system and method for detecting a rotor fault condition in an AC induction machine is disclosed. The system includes a processor programmed to receive voltage and current data from an AC induction machine, generate a current frequency spectrum from the current data, and identify rotor-fault related harmonics in the current frequency spectrum. The processor is also programmed to calculate a fault severity indicator using the voltage and current data, identified rotor-fault related harmonics, and motor specifications, analyze the fault severity indicator to determine a possibility of rotor fault. The processor generates an alert based on the possibility of rotor fault.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: Pinjia Zhang, Bin Lu, Thomas G. Habetler
  • Patent number: 8400784
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses related to packaging a monolithic voltage regulator are disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes: (i) a monolithic voltage regulator with a transistor arranged as parallel transistor devices; (ii) bumps on the monolithic voltage regulator to form connections to source and drain terminals of the transistor; (iii) a single layer lead frame with a plurality of interleaving lead fingers coupled to the monolithic voltage regulator via the bumps, where the single layer lead frame includes first and second surfaces, where the first surface includes a first pattern to form connections to the bumps, and where the second surface includes a second pattern that is different from the first pattern; and (iv) a flip-chip package encapsulating the monolithic voltage regulator, the bumps, and the single layer lead frame, where the flip-chip package has external connectors of the monolithic voltage regulator at the second surface of the single layer lead frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Silergy Technology
    Inventor: Budong You
  • Patent number: 8400775
    Abstract: A subcomponent is provided for a power inverter module. The apparatus comprises a capacitor having a terminal and integrated into a housing. A substrate is mounted on the housing. The substrate incorporates a power semiconductor switch and has at least one direct current (DC) tab. The direct current tab is directly connected to the terminal of the capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Terence G. Ward, George John, Edward P. Yankoski, David F. Nelson, Gregory S. Smith, James M. Nagashima
  • Patent number: 8369100
    Abstract: A power converter is disclosed in which the structure of a connecting portion is highly resistant against vibration and has a low inductance. The power converter includes a plurality of capacitors and a laminate made up of a first wide conductor and a second wide conductor joined in a layered form with an insulation sheet interposed between the first and second wide conductors. The laminate comprises a first flat portion including the plurality of capacitors, which are supported thereon and electrically connected thereto, a second flat portion continuously extending from the first flat portion while being bent, and connecting portions formed at ends of the first flat portion and the second flat portion and electrically connected to the exterior.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsunori Azuma, Masamitsu Inaba, Mutsuhiro Mori, Kenichiro Nakajima