Electrical connectors – With circuit component or comprising connector which fully... – Termination circuit
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-20
2001-05-22
Paumen, Gary F. (Department: 2835)
Electrical connectors
With circuit component or comprising connector which fully...
Termination circuit
C439S076100, C439S485000, C361S707000, C361S785000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06234842
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a power converter connector assembly.
In network systems which require high reliability in power conversion, such as computer networks in banks, hospitals, and airports, multiple power converter modules are employed to implement fault tolerant redundancy (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,694,309, incorporated by reference). The power conversion circuitry includes components which monitor parameters, such as input voltage, operating temperature, and internal operating parameters. If any of these parameters is outside an allowable operating range the power converter is isolated and disabled.
One way to provide for automatic isolation is to include an OR diode in series with the positive output of a power converter to isolate the power converter from the common output bus, in case of failure, and to allow connection of a replacement power converter without interruption in the network operation.
Referring to
FIG. 1
, the positive outputs of an array of three power converters
70
,
72
, and
74
, are connected in series with forward biased OR diodes
71
,
73
, and
75
, respectively. The diodes
71
,
73
, and
75
are connected to a common output voltage bus
79
which provides power to load
80
. The array is fault-tolerant in that the diodes will isolate a failed module from the output voltage bus
79
and failure of one or more of the converter modules will not interrupt delivery of power to the load
80
, provided that the load power does not exceed the combined power ratings of the remaining, operating, converters.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In general, in one aspect, the invention features an apparatus for electrically connecting a power converter to an external device. The apparatus includes a connector for making an electrical connection to a terminal on the power converter, a component interface subassembly having an electronic component and an enclosure receiving the connector and the component interface subassembly.
Implementations of the invention may include one or more of the following features. The electronic component may be a diode or a MOSFET. The component interface subassembly may connect the electronic component to the connector. The apparatus may further have a wire for making electrical connection to the external device. The external device may be a load and the electronic component may be connected in series between the load and the power converter output terminal.
The component interface subassembly may include a thermally conductive plate and the electronic component may be thermally coupled to the thermally conductive plate. A surface of the thermally conductive plate may form a portion of the outside surface of the enclosure. The thermally conductive plate may be aluminum or zinc.
The terminal may be a pin and the connector may be an electrical socket for receiving the pin. The socket may be connected to a printed circuit board within the enclosure. The printed circuit board may have a conductive trace, and the trace may have one end connected to the electrical socket and a free end for making electrical connections. The wire may be connected to the free end of the conductive trace. A termination on the electronic component may connect to the free end of the conductive trace. The wire may connect to the electronic component. The wire may be connected to a termination on the component other than the termination to which the free end of the conductive trace is connected. The electronic component may be a semiconductor diode. The wire may be part of a cable having insulated wires.
The enclosure may include a body having a top surface, a bottom surface and at least one opening passing through the top surface and the bottom surface and being adapted to receive a fastener for securing the apparatus to another device. The other device may be a heat sink or the power converter. The enclosure may be polyphenylene sulfate. The connector may be located within the enclosure and inset from an aperture in a surface of the enclosure. The enclosure may have parts which are fastened together. The enclosure may further have at least one opening adapted to receive and retain a fastener for securing the apparatus to the power converter. The fastener may be a screw having a head, and an elongated member attached to the head and the elongated member may have a smooth portion adjacent to the head and a threaded portion.
The power converter may have a threaded opening adapted to receive the threaded portion of the screw. Rotation of the screw in a one direction may advance the screw in a longitudinal direction into the threaded opening and engage connector sockets to power converter output pins. Rotation of the screw in the opposite direction may withdraw the threaded portion of the screw in a longitudinal direction out of the threaded opening and disengage the connector sockets from the power converter output pins. The smooth portion of the screw may be surrounded by a washer. The washer may be permanently affixed within the opening of the enclosure and may have an inner diameter smaller than an outer diameter of the threaded portion thus retaining the screw within the enclosure.
The component interface subassembly may include a thermally conductive plate, a first insulation layer, a metal layer, an insulating plate, a metal plate, a first ceramic substrate, and a first component. The thermally conductive plate may have top and bottom surfaces. The first insulation layer may have top and bottom surfaces and the bottom surface may be in contact with the top surface of the thermally conductive plate. The metal layer may have top and bottom surfaces and the bottom surface may be in contact with the top surface of the first insulation layer. The insulating plate may have top and bottom surfaces and the bottom surface may be in contact with the top surface of the metal layer. The metal plate may have top and bottom surfaces and the bottom surface may be in contact with the top surface of the insulating plate. The first ceramic substrate may have top and bottom surfaces and the bottom surface may have a metallic film which is bonded to the top surface of the metal layer, and the top surface may have metallic pads covered with a metallic film. The first component may be mounted on top of the first ceramic substrate surface and may have terminations which are connected to the pads.
The component interface subassembly may further include a first conductive strap connecting a first pad on the top surface of the first ceramic substrate with the top surface of the metal layer, a first conductive busbar having a first end attached to a second pad on the first ceramic substrate, and a second conductive busbar having a first end attached to the top surface of the metal layer.
The component interface subassembly may further include a second ceramic substrate having top and bottom surfaces and a second component mounted on the top surface of the second ceramic substrate. The bottom surface may have a continuous metallic film, the film providing a bond of the bottom ceramic substrate surface to the top surface of the metal layer. The top surface may have pads covered with a metallic film and the second component may have terminations which are connected to the pads.
The component interface subassembly may further include a second conductive strap for connecting a first pad on the top surface of the second ceramic substrate with the top surface of the metal layer, and a second end on said first busbar for connecting to a second pad on said second ceramic substrate. The first component may be a diode and a first pad on the first ceramic substrate may be connected to the cathode of the diode and a second pad on the first ceramic substrate may be connected to the anode of the diode. The second component may be a diode and a first pad on the second ceramic substrate is connected to the cathode of the diode and a second pad on the second ceramic substrate is connected to the anode of the diode. The first component may be a MOSFET and the second component ma
Keay Gary C.
Vinciarelli Patrizio
Fish & Richardson P.C.
Paumen Gary F.
VLT Corporation
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