Electrical device, particularly for driving a motively and/or regeneratively operable electric machine

#The present invention relates to an electrical device for driving a motively and/or regeneratively operable electric machine.

#The U.S. Patent 2004/0062005 A1 discusses a power converter which is used to drive electric industrial motors. This device has circuit modules which are disposed on a heat sink. In addition to the circuit modules, electrical conductors are also provided. In this design, it is disadvantageous that the electrical conductors take up a relatively great amount of space.

#The electrical device of the exemplary embodiments and/or exemplary methods of the present invention, particularly for driving a motively and/or regeneratively operable electric machine, having at least one switching-element module which may be provided for inverting and/or rectifying electric voltages, and the switching-element module being able to be cooled by a cooling device on which it at least indirectly rests, is advantageously characterized in that a fixation element, at least one conductor as well as the switching-element module and the cooling device are disposed one above the other. Advantageously, the area used in one plane can thereby turn out to be considerably less, and therefore the space requirements can be better utilized, quite especially in a motor vehicle in which there is relatively little space available as it is.

#FIG. 1 shows a partial section through a first exemplary embodiment.

#FIG. 2 shows a second cross-section through the first exemplary embodiment from FIG. 1 according to line A-A.

#FIG. 3 shows a cross-section of a second exemplary embodiment.

#FIG. 1 shows a partial cross-section through an electrical device 10, which is used here for driving a motively and/or regeneratively operable electric machine (not shown). This electrical device 10 is made up of a housing 13, which is structured from a plurality of components. Housing 13 is made of a cup-shaped housing part 16, in which various electrical and electronic components are disposed, which will be discussed later. Cup-shaped housing part 16 has a housing wall 19 which ends in a housing edge 25 facing away from a housing bottom 22. Housing bottom 22 has a housing section, denoted here as platform 28, whose material thickness is somewhat greater. On its side facing away from the bottom floor of housing 13, this platform 28 has a plurality of cooling channels 31 that are closed by a closing cover 34. Cooling channels 31 are closed on the whole in fluid-tight manner by a seal 37. Initially, a switching-element module 40 sits on this platform 28 and in housing 13.

#The relative position between switching-element module 40 and platform 28, i.e., housing bottom 22 is produced here in this exemplary embodiment by positive-locking elements. In this exemplary embodiment, pins 41 secured on switching-element module 40 extend into holes 42 in housing bottom 22, that is, platform 28.

#In this context, a flat surface 43 of switching-element module 40 rests on an equally flat surface 46 of platform 28. An elastic element 52 which, e.g., may be in the form of elastomer or a round loop or something similar, is inserted in a recess 49 in switching-element module 40. Switching-element module 40 and elastic element 52 are disposed or braced between platform 28 or housing bottom 22 and a fixation element 55, as will be explained in greater detail in the specification. Fixation element 55 is essentially bar-shaped here, and extends lengthwise over platform 28 which is elongated as well. Fixation element 55 has the task of pressing switching-element module 40 onto platform 28, and thus to improve the heat transfer between platform 28 and switching-element module 40.