Power supply device and components thereof
AssigneeIntervention Technology, Pty, Ltd
InventorDonald Victor Williams
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A power supply device including a capacitance partition, a control partition, a power switching partition, a thermal conduction partition, a magnetic partition. The thermal conduction partition includes electrical connections to connect other partitions. The thermal conduction partition provides for magnetic shielding of the magnetic partition and thermal dissipation in a substantially orthogonal direction to the electrical connections. The layering arrangement allows automated production and/or testing.
Claims28
A power supply comprising
- a capacitance partition comprising a capacitive electrical energy storage component;
- a power switching partition comprising a power semiconductor component, the power switching partition disposed below the capacitance partition;
- a thermal conduction partition comprising the thermal/electrical connector of claim 41, wherein the thermal conduction partition is disposed adjacent to the power switching partition, and wherein the heat-generating components comprise the power semiconductor component;
- and
- a magnetic partition comprising a transformer or inductor, the magnetic partition disposed adjacent to the thermal conduction partition;
- wherein each partition comprises a layer of components, and wherein most of the components in each partition provide a similar function.
2-3. (canceled)
The thermal/electrical connector of claim 41, wherein the thermally conductive layer is a compressible or profiled such that the thermally conductive layer makes good thermal contact with power semiconductor components of different heights.
(canceled)
(canceled)
The thermal/electrical connector of claim 41, wherein the integral electrical pins are moulded as part of the thermal/electrical connector.
9-10. (canceled)
The thermal/electrical connector of claim 41, wherein the thermal/electrical connector partition magnetically isolates one of the two layers from the other.
The thermal/electrical connector of claim 41, further comprising a conductive layer.
The thermal/electrical connector of claim 41, further comprising a layer comprising ferrite or ferrous material.
14-16. (canceled)
The thermal/electrical connector of claim 41, further comprising an electrically insulating layer.
18-23. (canceled)
25-32. (canceled)
A method of manufacturing a power supply comprising:
- providing a thermal conduction partition comprising a thermally conductive layer with integral electrical pins configured to provide electrical connections between electronic components on each side of the thermally conductive layer;
- using automatic placement equipment to position a magnetic partition adjacent to and on a first side of the thermal conduction partition, the magnetic partition comprising a transformer or inductor;
- using automatic placement equipment to position a capacitance partition on a second side of the thermal conduction partition, the capacitance partition comprising a capacitive electrical storage component;
- using automatic placement equipment to position a power switching partition adjacent to the thermal conduction partition such that the thermally conductive layer is in thermal contact with components in the power switching partition, the power switching partition comprising a power semiconductor component;
- and
- using automatic placement equipment to position a control partition adjacent to the capacitance partition, the control partition comprising digital logic;
- wherein each partition comprises a layer of components, and wherein most of the components in each partition provide a similar function.
34-36. (canceled)
A thermal/electrical connector comprising
- a thermally conductive layer with integral electrical pins, wherein the thermally conductive layer is disposed between two layers of electronic components, and wherein the integral electrical pins are configured to provide electrical connections between electronic components on each side of the thermally conductive layer;
- wherein the thermally conductive layer is in thermal contact with heat-generating components in at least one of the layers of electronic components,
- wherein the thermally conductive layer is configured to conduct heat from the heat-generating components to edges of the thermally conductive layer, and
- wherein substantially all of the heat from the heat-generating components is dissipated through the edges of the thermally conductive layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.