GB2296604A - Electric device - Google Patents

Description

2296604 Electric device

Prior art

The invention relates to an electric device, in particular an electronic controller or regulator for an electromechanical arrangement, according to the preamble of the main claim.

An electric device has already been disclosed by DE-A 42 22 838, in which power components, which produce heat losses, for the controller electronics are arranged on a circuit board which carries the entire circuit arrangement. In order to dissipate the heat losses of the power component, this is located on a heat- conducting layer which is applied firmly on the circuit board. This heat- conducting layer also has contact with parts of the housing, so that the housing can also be considered as cooling element. However, only making contact with one separate circuit board is described here, special cooling problems presenting themselves in the case of more complex arrangements.

Advantages of the invention Th e electric device according to the invention, having the characterizing features of Claim 1, is in particular advantageous in that as a result of the complex accommodation of electronic components on at least two circuit boards and the arrangement of power components which produce heat losses at different locations on these circuit boards, optimum heat dissipation can be ensured in a simple manner.

A large functional scope of the electric device is in particular achieved by the fitting of metallic webs in accordance with Claim 2, with which targeted heat dissipation at necessary locations on the circuit boards can be carried out and, at the same time, the mechanical stability of the circuit boards and thus of the entire - 2 device is improved.

Claims (8)

1. in particular by means of the capability for comb-like meshing of these

   webs in accordance with Claim 3, the cooperation of heat dissipation, mechanical strength and, if appropriate, the production of electric connections (for example the earth connections to the housing) can be improved in an advantageous manner.

   The possibility of the combination of a mechanical contact, for example during joining of the housing parts, and simultaneous heat dissipation via the heat-conducting layers on the circuit boards, also produces good preconditions for the optimum accommodation of power components in the electric device.

   Further advantageous embodiments of the electric device according to the invention are specified in the subclaims.

   Drawing Exemplary embodiments of the electric device according to the invention are explained using the drawing, in which:

   Figure 1 shows a section through an arrangement having two opposite circuit boards which are connected via a web; Figure 2 shows a section through an expanded embodiment according to Figure 1 with webs joined like a comb between the circuit boards; Figure 3 shows a section through housing parts which can be joined of the electric device, with two opposite circuit boards and Figures 4 and 5 show a section and a view of a further exemplary embodiment of the electric device with plug contacts.

   Description of the exemplary embodiments Shown in Figure 1 is an arrangement of a metallic web 1, for example made of copper sheet, between a base circuit board 2 and an additional circuit board 3. Arranged on the circuit boards 2 and 3 are layers 4 which 3 - can produce a heat-conducting connection between power components, not shown here, and the web 1. The web 1 can be plugged into fastening holes 5 of the circuit boards 2 and 3 and connected via soldered connections 6 to the layers 4, which consist as a rule of copper plating.

   The webs 1 according to Figure 2 are shaped in such a way that they can be meshed in one another like a comb and in the process, as in the exemplary embodiment according to Figure 1, can produce a mechanical, thermal and electrical contact. The elements having the same ef f ect as in Figure 1 are provided here with the same reference symbols. Using the webs 1 according to Figure 2, an arbitrarily adaptable heat distribution between the circuit boards and, if appropriate, also the housing parts, can be carried out.

   In the case of the exemplary embodiment according to Figure 3, the essential function of webs 7 is the mechanical fixing of a distance between the circuit boards 2 and 3, since the heat dissipation is carried out on the basis of making contact between metallic housing parts 8 and 9 and the layers 4 on the circuit boards 2 and 3. The two housing parts 8 and 9 are, in the case of the exemplary embodiment shown, pressed together via metallic clamps 10 and 11 in order that the necessary contact pressure for the heat dissipation of the heat losses of the power components 12 is produced. The clamp connection can also be substituted by screw fixing of the two housing parts 8 and 9.

   A further exemplary embodiment, shown in Figure 4, shows as an alternative to the web 1 according to Figure 1, plug contacts 13, 14, via which the circuit boards 2 and 3 are connected to each other. The two plug contacts 13, 14 can in each case be connected to the circuit boards 2 and 3 via soldered connections 6. on one side of the two circuit boards 2 and 3 there is additionally irranged here a male connector strip 15 which, on the one hand, serves to make electrical contact with the two circuit boards 2 and 3 and, on the other hand, as can be seen from the top view according to Figure 5, via - 4 the formation of a projection on the upper part 16, which can be inserted into a groove in the lower part 17, can be used for the mechanical fixing of the two circuit boards 2 and 3.

   CLAIMS 1. Electric device, in a particular a controller or regulator for an electromechanical arrangement, having - electric power components arranged at least on one circuit board and having - heat-dissipating elements which are at least partially in mechanical and/or thermal contact with the power components, characterized in that - there are at least two circuit boards present and the heat-dissipating elements are a component part of a mechanical holding device on which the at least two circuit boards are held, and in that - the at least two circuit boards carry layers which are both electrically and thermally conductive and are connected to the power components.
2. 2. Electric device according to claim 1, characterized in that - the heatdissipating elements are solid metal webs which can be inserted between the two opposite circuit boards via a mechanically fixed connection, in particular by soldering.
3. 3. Electric device according to claim 2, charapterized in that - a plurality of metal webs can be meshed in one another like a comb and each web can be plugged in each case via pins into fastening holes of the circuit boards and be fixed via a soldered connection.
4. 4. Electric device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that - the two opposite circuit boards can be pressed with their heatdissipating layers onto housing parts of the electric device.
5. 5. Electric device according to claim 4, characterized in that - the two housing parts are pressed against each other via a clamp connection and the heat-dissipating contact with the circuit boards is thereby produced.
6. 6. Electric device according to claim 4, characterized in that - the two housing parts are pressed against each other via a screw connection and the heat-dissipating contact with the circuit boards is thereby produced.
7. 7. Electric device according to claim 1, characterized in that - the two housing circuit boards are connected to each other via at least one plug connection it being possible to produce a mechanically fixed connection, an electric connection and a thermal connection between the circuit boards.
8. 8. An electric device constructed and adapted to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.