# US 12,222,366 B2 · Current sensor assembly and inverter assembly having a plurality of sensors

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- Number: US 12,222,366 B2
- Document ID: US12222366B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/919,644
- Filed: 2020-04-27
- Published: 2023-05-11
- Granted: 2025-02-11
- Earliest claimed: 2020-04-27
- Assignees: LG Magna E-Powertrain Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: LG Magna E-Powertrain Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Somi Sim; Sungjin Kim; Kyusung Park
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12222366B2

## CPC

- G01R 1/04: Housings; Supporting members; Arrangements of terminals
- H02P 27/04: using variable-frequency supply voltage, e.g. inverter or converter supply voltage
- G01R 1/18: Screening arrangements against electric or magnetic fields, e.g. against earth's field
- G01R 15/207: {Constructional details independent of the type of device used}
- G01R 19/0092: {Measuring current only}
- G01R 31/343: {in operation}
- H05K 1/0216: {Reduction of cross-talk, noise or electromagnetic interference (grounding H05K1/0215)}
- H05K 1/0263: {High current adaptations, e.g. printed high current conductors or using auxiliary non-printed means; Fine and coarse circuit patterns on one circuit board (H05K1/0293 takes precedence)}
- H05K 2201/10272: Busbars, i.e. thick metal bars mounted on the printed circuit board [PCB] as high-current conductors
- G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12)
- H02P: CONTROL OR REGULATION OF ELECTRIC MOTORS, ELECTRIC GENERATORS OR DYNAMO-ELECTRIC CONVERTERS; CONTROLLING TRANSFORMERS, REACTORS OR CHOKE COILS
- H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS

## Abstract

A current sensor assembly includes a housing; a plurality of shields which are accommodated inside the housing and open toward the top of the housing; a plurality of bus bars to which three-phase current is applied and which are arranged spaced apart from each other so as to go past the plurality of shields, respectively; and a current sensor unit which includes a printed circuit board and a plurality of current sensors disposed on the printed circuit board to measure the current applied to the bus bars. The shields, the bus bars, and the current sensor unit are configured to be accommodated inside the housing, and the current sensors are spaced apart from the bus bars and disposed in the inner spaces of the shields.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A current sensor assembly comprising:
a housing;
a plurality of shields located in the housing, each shield having an inner space open toward a top of the housing;
a plurality of spaced apart bus bars configured to have three phase current applied thereto located in the housing, each bus bar extending through a corresponding shield of the plurality of shields;
a printed circuit board located in the housing; and
a plurality of current sensors located on the printed circuit board, each current sensor being configured to measure a current applied to a corresponding bus bar of the plurality of bus bars, and each current sensor being spaced from the corresponding bus bar in the inner space of the corresponding shield,
wherein each shield includes:
a base located at an inner side of the housing; and
a pair of protruding sides extending from opposite ends of the base,
wherein each bus bar is located near the base of the corresponding shield and extends between the pair of protruding sides of the corresponding shield,
wherein a center of each current sensor is centrally located between the pair of protruding sides of the corresponding shield,
wherein, for each shield, a first axis is defined in a direction in which the corresponding bus bar extends over the base of the shield, a second axis is defined in a direction extending between the pair of protruding sides of the shields, and a third axis is defined in a direction in which the pair of protruding sides extend from the bases toward the printed circuit board, and
wherein the center of each current sensor is spaced apart from a center line of the corresponding bus bar by a fourth distance along the second axis, and
wherein the center line of the corresponding bus bar is spaced apart from a center between the pair of protruding sides of the corresponding shield by the fourth distance along the second axis.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The current sensor assembly of claim 1, further comprising a housing cover located at an upper end of the housing to cover the inside of the housing, the housing cover having a main body and at least one support portion extending downward to contact the printed circuit board.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The current sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the printed circuit board includes a plurality of grooves separating the current sensors, and
wherein portions of the shields extend into the grooves.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The current sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein volumes of each of the shields are estimated according to widths and thicknesses of the plurality of shields and lengths of the protruding surfaces, and
wherein the volumes of each of the shields are selected to ensure linearity in a numerical range in which the plurality of current sensors measure the current applied to the plurality of bus bars for a range of currents passing though the plurality of bus bars.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The current sensor assembly of claim 4, wherein the plurality of shields and the plurality of bus bars are spaced apart from each other by a first distance along the third axis to ensure the linearity in the numerical range in which the plurality of current sensors measure the current applied to the plurality of bus bars for the range of the currents passing through the plurality of bus bars.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The current sensor assembly of claim 5, wherein the centers of the plurality of current sensors and the plurality of bus bars are spaced apart from each other by a second distance along the third axis to ensure the linearity in the numerical range in which the plurality of current sensors measure the current applied to the plurality of bus bars for the range of the currents passing through the plurality of bus bars.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The current sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the center of each current sensor is spaced apart from the base of the corresponding shield by a third distance along the third axis.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The current sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the centers of the plurality of current sensors are spaced apart from upper surfaces of the plurality of bus bars by a constant distance along the third axis.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The current sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein a width of a portion of each bus bar between the pair of protruding sides of the corresponding shield is less than a width of a portion of each bus bar outside of the corresponding shield.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The current sensor assembly of claim 1, further comprising a mold configured to fix the locations of the plurality of shields and the plurality of bus bars in the housing.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The current sensor assembly of claim 10, wherein the pair of protruding sides of each of the shields extends beyond the mold.

### Claim 12

An inverter assembly for an integrated power device, the inverter assembly comprising:
a bulk capacitor;
a control board; and
a current sensor assembly including:
a housing;
a plurality of shields located in the housing, each shield having an inner space open toward a top of the housing;
a plurality of spaced apart bus bars configured to have three phase current applied thereto located in the housing, each bus bar extending through a corresponding shield of the plurality of shields;
a printed circuit board located in the housing; and
a plurality of current sensors located on the printed circuit board, each current sensor being configured to measure a current applied to a corresponding bus bar of the plurality of bus bars, and each current sensor being spaced from the corresponding bus bar in the inner space of the corresponding shield, and
wherein each shield includes:
a base located at an inner side of the housing; and
a pair of protruding sides extending from opposite ends of the base,
wherein each bus bar is located near the base of the corresponding shield and extends between the pair of protruding sides of the corresponding shield,
wherein a center of each current sensor is centrally located between the pair of protruding sides of the corresponding shield,
wherein, for each shield, a first axis is defined in a direction in which the corresponding bus bar extends over the base of the shield, a second axis is defined in a direction extending between the pair of protruding sides of the shields, and a third axis is defined in a direction in which the pair of protruding sides extend from the bases toward the printed circuit board, and
wherein the center of each current sensor is spaced apart from a center line of the corresponding bus bar by a fourth distance along the second axis, and
wherein the center line of the corresponding bus bar is spaced apart from a center between the pair of protruding sides of the corresponding shield by the fourth distance along the second axis.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The inverter assembly of claim 12,
wherein the center of each current sensor is spaced apart from the base of the corresponding shield by a third distance along the third axis.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The inverter assembly of claim 12,
wherein the centers of the plurality of current sensors are spaced apart from upper surfaces of the plurality of bus bars by a constant distance along the third axis.