JP7614699B2 - Power Conversion Equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a power conversion device .

Conventionally, power conversion devices installed in electric vehicles and the like are provided with multiple circuit boards on which circuit configurations such as DC/DC converters and inverters are implemented. For example, miniaturization is required for such power conversion devices from the viewpoint of mountability in the vehicle.

In this situation, a technology is known that stacks multiple circuit boards to miniaturize the power conversion device while maintaining the mounting area on the multiple circuit boards. In such power conversion devices, electrical connections between components may be made by fitting connectors or other fitting parts provided on each circuit board or other component.

JP 2000-14128 A

However, if the mounting accuracy of the mating parts on each component is reduced, there is a risk that the mating parts will not fit properly during the power conversion device assembly process, resulting in poor electrical connections between the components.

The present disclosure provides a power conversion device that can expand the geometric tolerance of fitting portions that electrically connect components together.

The power conversion device according to the present disclosure includes a first part, a second part, and a plurality of pairs of fitting members. Each of the plurality of pairs of fitting members includes a male fitting member and a female fitting member. The male fitting member has an insertion portion having a substantially flat plate shape. The female fitting member has a first clamping portion and a second clamping portion arranged opposite to each other. In each of the plurality of pairs of fitting members, the male fitting member is arranged on one of the first part and the second part, and the female fitting member is arranged on the other of the first part and the second part. In each of the plurality of pairs of fitting members, the female fitting member clamps the insertion portion of the male fitting member inserted between the first clamping portion and the second clamping portion, thereby coupling the first part and the second part. Each of the first clamping portion and the second clamping portion is bent so as to form a convex portion toward the opposing surface of the other. A gap is provided at the tip of each of the first clamping portion and the second clamping portion. The first clamping portion includes a first elastic portion and a second elastic portion divided by the gap. The second clamping portion includes a third elastic portion and a fourth elastic portion divided by the gap. Each of the first elastic portion and the second elastic portion extends from a first connection portion that is a connection portion to a component provided on the rear end side of the female fitting member. Each of the third elastic portion and the fourth elastic portion extends from a second connection portion that is a connection portion to a component provided on the rear end side of the female fitting member.

According to the power conversion device according to the present disclosure, it is possible to expand the geometric tolerance of the fitting portion that electrically connects the components.

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a layered structure of a plurality of circuit boards in a power conversion device according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the male fitting member of FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing another example of the configuration of the male fitting member of FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing another example of the configuration of the male fitting member of FIG. FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the female fitting member of FIG. FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing another example of the configuration of the female fitting member of FIG. FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view showing the female fitting member of FIG. 5 mounted on a circuit board. FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a mating state between the male fitting member of FIG. 2 or 3 and the female fitting member of FIG. FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a mated state between the male fitting member of FIG. 4 and the female fitting member of FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining mounting of the male fitting member according to the first embodiment on a circuit board. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining an expansion of the geometric tolerance range in the fitting between the male fitting member and the female fitting member according to the first embodiment. FIG. 12 is a schematic perspective view illustrating another example of the insulating portion according to the first embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining an expansion of the geometric tolerance range in the fitting between the male fitting member and the female fitting member when the covering member of FIG. 12 is attached. FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow of inter-board connection according to the first embodiment. FIG. 15 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of an inter-component connection structure in a power conversion device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 16 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of an inter-component connection structure in a power conversion device according to the third embodiment. FIG. 17 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of an inter-component connection structure in a power conversion device according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 18 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of an inter-component connection structure in a power conversion device according to the fifth embodiment. FIG. 19 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another example of an inter-component connection structure in a power conversion device according to the fifth embodiment. FIG. 20 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another example of the inter-component connection structure in the power conversion device according to the fifth embodiment. FIG. 21 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another example of an inter-component connection structure in a power conversion device according to the fifth embodiment. FIG. 22 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another example of the inter-component connection structure in the power conversion device according to the fifth embodiment. FIG. 23 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another example of an inter-component connection structure in a power conversion device according to the fifth embodiment. FIG. 24 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of an inter-component connection structure in a power conversion device according to the sixth embodiment. FIG. 25 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a male fitting member according to the seventh embodiment. FIG. 26 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of an inter-component connection structure in a power conversion device according to the seventh embodiment. FIG. 27 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another example of an inter-component connection structure in a power conversion device according to the seventh embodiment. FIG. 28 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another example of an inter-component connection structure in a power conversion device according to the seventh embodiment. FIG. 29 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of an electronic component on which a male fitting member according to the seventh embodiment is mounted. FIG. 30 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another example of the inter-component connection structure in the power conversion device according to the seventh embodiment. FIG. 31 is a diagram for explaining an expansion of the geometric tolerance range in the fitting between a male fitting member and a female fitting member according to the eighth embodiment. FIG. 32 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating an example of the configuration of a power conversion device according to an embodiment.

Below, with reference to the drawings, embodiments of the power conversion device, inter-component connection structure, and inter-component connection method according to the present disclosure will be described.

(First embodiment)
As an example, a power conversion device according to the embodiment is an on-board charger that is mounted on an electric vehicle or the like, converts AC power supplied from a power source (external power source) into DC power of a predetermined voltage, and outputs the converted DC power to a battery such as a lithium-ion battery. Such a power conversion device is equipped with multiple circuit boards on which circuit configurations such as a DC/DC converter and an inverter are implemented.

Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a layered structure of multiple circuit boards in a power conversion device 1 according to an embodiment. Figure 1 illustrates a first board PCB1, a second board PCB2, and a third board PCB3 among the multiple circuit boards in the power conversion device 1.

The first substrate PCB1, the second substrate PCB2, the third substrate PCB3, and the fourth substrate PCB4 are each a printed circuit board (PCB). As an example, the printed circuit board is a glass epoxy board formed with an aluminum alloy or a copper alloy as a base material. By bringing a part of the aluminum alloy or copper alloy of the printed circuit board into contact with a water-cooled stand so as to be able to exchange heat, it is possible to suppress the temperature rise of the electronic components mounted on the printed circuit board. Note that by using a printed circuit board with a metal base material, it is possible to improve the cooling efficiency compared to using a printed circuit board with a resin base material.

The first substrate PCB1 is coupled to the second substrate PCB2 by a plurality of pairs of mating members B. In the following description, the plurality of pairs of mating members B may be referred to as a plurality of pairs of mating members B. The pair of mating members B may also be referred to as a mating portion. The first substrate PCB1 is electrically connected to the second substrate PCB2, and outputs power to a battery or the like according to the power supplied from the second substrate PCB2. The first substrate PCB1 is electrically connected to the fourth substrate PCB4, and constitutes a substrate unit X. The main surface of the first substrate PCB1 facing the second substrate PCB2 is equipped with a plurality of male mating members Bm. As an example, the first substrate PCB1 is equipped with 24 male mating members Bm.

The first substrate PCB1 is also coupled to a transformer unit (not shown) by a pair of mating members B. As an example, the first substrate PCB1 is equipped with twelve male mating members Bm or female mating members Bf for electrical connection with the transformer unit. The first substrate PCB1 and the fourth substrate PCB4 of the substrate unit X can also be coupled by a plurality of pairs of mating members B according to the embodiment. In other words, the substrate-to-substrate connection structure according to the embodiment may be applied to coupling between substrates within a substrate unit such as substrate unit X, or between substrate units, or between a substrate unit and a substrate outside the substrate unit.

The second substrate PCB2 is coupled to each of the first substrate PCB1 and the third substrate PCB3 by multiple pairs of mating members B. The second substrate PCB2 is electrically connected to each of the first substrate PCB1 and the third substrate PCB3, and outputs power to the first substrate PCB1 according to the power supplied from the third substrate PCB3. The main surface of the second substrate PCB2 facing the first substrate PCB1 and the main surface of the second substrate PCB2 facing the third substrate PCB3 each have multiple female mating members Bf mounted thereon.

The third substrate PCB3 is coupled to the second substrate PCB2 by multiple pairs of mating members B. The third substrate PCB3 is electrically connected to, for example, an external power source and inputs power from the external power source. The main surface of the third substrate PCB3 facing the second substrate PCB2 is equipped with multiple male mating members Bm. As an example, the third substrate PCB3 is equipped with six male mating members Bm.

In addition, only some of the multiple circuit boards in the power conversion device 1 can be printed circuit boards. For example, at least one of the first board PCB1, the second board PCB2, and the third board PCB3 can be a printed circuit board. Furthermore, the connection between the circuit boards by a pair of mating members B does not necessarily have to be an electrical connection. However, the embodiment mainly illustrates a case where two circuit boards are electrically coupled by multiple pairs of mating members B.

The embodiment illustrates an example in which multiple male fitting members Bm are arranged on the first substrate PCB1 and the third substrate PCB3, and multiple female fitting members Bf are arranged on both main surfaces of the second substrate PCB2, but is not limited to this. For example, multiple female fitting members Bf may be arranged on the first substrate PCB1 and the third substrate PCB3, and multiple male fitting members Bm may be arranged on both main surfaces of the second substrate PCB2.

For example, multiple male fitting members Bm can be arranged on one main surface of the second substrate PCB2, and multiple female fitting members Bf can be arranged on the other main surface of the second substrate PCB2. In other words, when multiple circuit substrates of the power conversion device 1 form a layered structure of three or more layers, the substrate forming the intermediate layer has male fitting members Bm or female fitting members Bf arranged on both main surfaces.

In addition, for example, each of the first substrate PCB1, the second substrate PCB2, and the third substrate PCB3 can be configured to have multiple male mating members Bm and multiple female mating members Bf arranged on one main surface.

In this way, in the power conversion device 1 according to the embodiment, two of the at least two stacked circuit boards are connected by multiple pairs of fitting members B. Each of the multiple pairs of fitting members B includes a male fitting member Bm and a female fitting member Bf. In other words, the multiple pairs of fitting members B are multiple pairs of fitting members B. Also, each of the multiple pairs of fitting members B, i.e., a pair of fitting members B, is a set of a male fitting member Bm and a female fitting member Bf. Here, one of the multiple pairs of fitting members B is arranged on each of the opposing main surfaces of the two stacked circuit boards. Specifically, as described above, in each of the multiple pairs of fitting members B, the male fitting member Bm is arranged on one of the two stacked circuit boards, and the female fitting member Bf is arranged on the other of the two stacked circuit boards. Also, as described above, as an example, only one of the male fitting member Bm and the female fitting member Bf is disposed on each of the two circuit boards that are coupled by engaging the multiple pairs of fitting members B. As another example, at least one male fitting member Bm and at least one female fitting member Bf are disposed on each of the two circuit boards that are coupled by engaging the multiple pairs of fitting members B. The male fitting member Bm is a blade-shaped connector (plug) that is inserted. The male fitting member Bm can also be expressed as a flat plug blade. The female fitting member Bf is a connector (receptacle) that is inserted. The female fitting member Bf can also be expressed as a blade receiving spring.

Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the male fitting member Bm in Figure 1. The male fitting member Bm1 in Figure 2 is an example of a male fitting member Bm according to an embodiment.

The insertion portion 11 of the male fitting member Bm1 has a generally flat plate shape. The tip 13 of the insertion portion 11 is chamfered, and the thickness decreases toward the tip. This makes it easier to insert the insertion portion 11 into the receiving portion 20 of the female fitting member Bf. The connection portion 15 of the insertion portion 11 is each of the rear ends of the insertion portion 11 divided into two by the gap 17. The connection portion 15, i.e., each of the rear ends of the divided insertion portion 11, is bent generally perpendicular to the insertion portion 11. The connection portion 15 is soldered to a predetermined position on the PCB board and electrically connects between the insertion portion 11 and the wiring on the PCB board. The insertion portion 11 and the connection portion 15 can be formed, for example, by bending a single metal plate.

Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view showing another example of the configuration of the male fitting member Bm in Figure 1. The male fitting member Bm2 in Figure 3 is an example of a male fitting member Bm according to an embodiment. Here, the differences from the male fitting member Bm1 will mainly be described.

The length from the tip 13 to the connection 15 of the insertion portion 11 of the male fitting member Bm2 is greater than that of the male fitting member Bm1. On the other hand, the width and thickness of the insertion portion 11 of the male fitting member Bm2 are approximately the same as those of the male fitting member Bm1. The connection portions 15 of the insertion portion 11 are each of the rear ends of the insertion portion 11 divided into three by gaps 17.

The number of divisions on the rear end side of the insertion portion 11 of the male fitting members Bm1 and Bm2 can be designed to be any number of divisions greater than or equal to two. As an example, the number of divisions is increased as the length of the insertion portion 11 increases.

Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view showing another example of the configuration of the male fitting member Bm in Figure 1. The male fitting member Bm3 in Figure 4 is an example of a male fitting member Bm according to an embodiment. Here, the differences from the male fitting members Bm1 and Bm2 will mainly be described.

The connection portion 15 of the insertion portion 11 is located at the rear end of the insertion portion 11, similar to the male fitting members Bm1 and Bm2 described above. On the other hand, unlike the male fitting members Bm1 and Bm2, the rear end of the insertion portion 11 is not divided. In addition, a support member 19 that supports the insertion portion 11 is provided at the tip end side of the connection portion 15 of the insertion portion 11. The support member 19 is formed of, for example, PPA (polyphthalamide resin), but may be formed of any non-conductive material, such as PA (polyamide). The support member 19 has an insertion portion 19a. The insertion portion 19a is inserted into a hole provided at a predetermined position on the PCB board. This allows the position on the PCB board where the male fitting member Bm3 is mounted to be specified, thereby improving the mounting accuracy of the male fitting member Bm3. Note that FIG. 4 illustrates a support member 19 with two insertion portions 19a formed thereon, but is not limited thereto. The support member 19 may have three or more insertion portions 19a.

Figure 5 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the female fitting member Bf in Figure 1. The female fitting member Bf1 in Figure 5 is an example of a female fitting member Bf according to an embodiment. The female fitting member Bf1 clamps the insertion portion 11 of the male fitting member Bm inserted into the receiving portion 20. The female fitting member Bf1 is formed, for example, by bending a single metal plate. When viewed from the side, i.e., from the side of the first base 26a or the second base 26b, the female fitting member Bf1 has a roughly Y-shaped shape with an open tip.

Specifically, the female fitting member Bf has a first clamping portion 21 and a second clamping portion 22. The first clamping portion 21 and the second clamping portion 22 are arranged opposite each other. The surface of the first clamping portion 21 facing the second clamping portion 22 and the surface of the second clamping portion 22 facing the first clamping portion 21 form the receiving portion 20. In other words, the first clamping portion 21 and the second clamping portion 22 face each other via the receiving portion 20. The female fitting member Bf clamps the insertion portion 11 of the male fitting member Bm inserted into the receiving portion 20 between the first clamping portion 21 and the second clamping portion 22. The first clamping portion 21 is bent at the first bending portion 23a into a shape that is convex toward the opposing second clamping portion 22. Similarly, the second clamping portion 22 is bent at the first bent portion 23a into a shape that is convex toward the opposing first clamping portion 21. In other words, the first clamping portion 21 and the second clamping portion 22 are each bent at the first bent portion 23a to form a convex portion toward the opposing surface of each other. The first bent portion 23a of the first clamping portion 21 and the first bent portion 23a of the second clamping portion 22 are separated via the receiving portion 20. The distance between the first bent portion 23a of the first clamping portion 21 and the first bent portion 23a of the second clamping portion 22 is smaller than the thickness of the insertion portion 11 of the male fitting member Bm.

The first clamping portion 21 and the second clamping portion 22 each have a gap 27 from the tip to the rear end. That is, the first clamping portion 21 and the second clamping portion 22 are each divided into two by the gap 27. In other words, the tip of the female fitting member Bf1 is divided into four by the gap 27. Specifically, the first clamping portion 21 includes a first elastic portion 21a and a second elastic portion 21b divided by the gap 27. Similarly, the second clamping portion 22 includes a third elastic portion 22a and a fourth elastic portion 22b divided by the gap 27. Here, the first elastic portion 21a and the second elastic portion 21b can also be expressed as being separated by the gap 27. Similarly, the third elastic portion 22a and the fourth elastic portion 22b can also be expressed as being separated by the gap 27.

Note that, although FIG. 5 illustrates a female fitting member Bf divided into four by gaps 27, this is not limiting. The number of divisions by gaps 27 may be five or more. However, it is preferable that the number of divisions of the first clamping portion 21 and the number of divisions of the second clamping portion 22 are equal, and the number of divisions by gaps 27 is, for example, an even number of six or more. The relative rotational position shift between a pair of fitting members B described below can occur in either direction. Therefore, by making the number of divisions of the first clamping portion 21 and the number of divisions of the second clamping portion 22 equal, the geometric tolerance range of the fitting portion can be expanded regardless of the direction of the rotational position shift.

Each of the first elastic portion 21a and the third elastic portion 22a extends from the first base portion 26a. In other words, each of the first elastic portion 21a and the third elastic portion 22a is connected to the first base portion 26a in a continuous integral manner via the second bent portion 23b. Also, each of the second elastic portion 21b and the fourth elastic portion 22b extends from the second base portion 26b. In other words, each of the second elastic portion 21b and the fourth elastic portion 22b is connected to the second base portion 26b in a continuous integral manner via the second bent portion 23b. Also, each of the first base portion 26a and the second base portion 26b extends from the connection portion 25 to the printed circuit board. In other words, the first base portion 26a and the second base portion 26b are each connected in a continuous, integral manner to the connecting portion 25 via the third bend portion 23c.

Therefore, each of the first elastic portion 21a, the second elastic portion 21b, the third elastic portion 22a, and the fourth elastic portion 22b corresponds to a shape obtained by dividing the first clamping portion 21 or the second clamping portion 22, and therefore can deform independently depending on the contact state with the insertion portion 11.

Figure 6 is a schematic perspective view showing another example of the configuration of the female fitting member Bf in Figure 1. The female fitting member Bf2 in Figure 6 is an example of the female fitting member Bf according to the embodiment. Here, the differences from the female fitting member Bf1 will be mainly explained. The female fitting member Bf2 has a roughly M-shape when viewed from the side.

A gap 27 is provided at the tip of each of the first clamping portion 21 and the second clamping portion 22. Unlike the female fitting member Bf1, the gap 27 is provided only at the tip. However, the tip of each of the first clamping portion 21 and the second clamping portion 22 is divided into two by the gap 27, similar to the female fitting member Bf1. In other words, the tip of the female fitting member Bf2 is also divided into four by the gap 27. Here, the first elastic portion 21a and the second elastic portion 21b can also be expressed as being at least partially separated by the gap 27. Similarly, the third elastic portion 22a and the fourth elastic portion 22b can also be expressed as being at least partially separated by the gap 27.

The first elastic portion 21a and the second elastic portion 21b each extend from a first base portion 26a. The first base portion 26a extends from a first connection portion 25a to the printed circuit board. That is, the first elastic portion 21a and the second elastic portion 21b each extend from the first connection portion 25a. In other words, the first elastic portion 21a and the second elastic portion 21b each are continuously and integrally connected to the first connection portion 25a via the first base portion 26a.

The third elastic portion 22a and the fourth elastic portion 22b each extend from the second base portion 26b. The second base portion 26b extends from the second connection portion 25b to the printed circuit board. That is, the third elastic portion 22a and the fourth elastic portion 22b each extend from the second connection portion 25b. In other words, the third elastic portion 22a and the fourth elastic portion 22b each are continuously and integrally connected to the second connection portion 25b via the second base portion 26b.

The first connecting portion 25a and the second connecting portion 25b are spaced apart, unlike the female fitting member Bf1. On the other hand, the first clamping portion 21 and the second clamping portion 22 are connected in a continuous, integral manner via the fourth bend portion 23d.

Even with this configuration, the first elastic portion 21a, the second elastic portion 21b, the third elastic portion 22a, and the fourth elastic portion 22b can each deform independently depending on the contact state with the insertion portion 11.

The male fitting member Bm and the female fitting member Bf are each made of a metal material. As an example, the male fitting member Bm and the female fitting member Bf are made of copper, a copper alloy including brass, aluminum, or an aluminum alloy.

In addition, a conductor plating is applied to a part or all of the surface areas of the male fitting member Bm and the female fitting member Bf. As the conductor plating, for example, tin plating, silver plating, or gold plating can be appropriately used.

Here, tin has a property of being easily alloyed with nickel used as the base for the male fitting member Bm and the female fitting member Bf. When the ambient temperature rises, the alloying of tin and nickel progresses, and the resistance value becomes 1 [mΩ] or more. On the other hand, silver and gold do not easily alloy with nickel, but their use is expensive. If the contact resistance between the male fitting member Bm and the female fitting member Bf is large, a temperature rise occurs at the contact portion between the male fitting member Bm and the female fitting member Bf. Therefore, in the power conversion device 1 according to the embodiment, the contact resistance at the contact portion between the male fitting member Bm and the female fitting member Bf is set to 1 [mΩ] or less. In other words, the contact resistance between the insertion portion 11 of the male fitting member Bm and the convex portion of the first clamping portion 21 or the second clamping portion 22 when the pair of fitting members B are engaged is set to 1 [mΩ] or less.

The magnitude of the contact resistance is determined by the "contact pressure," "material (such as tin on the surface)," and "contact area." In the power conversion device 1 according to the embodiment, the contact resistance is adjusted to 1 mΩ or less by adjusting the elastic force of the four elastic parts of the female fitting member Bf, for example. In other words, the elastic force of the four elastic parts of the female fitting member Bf according to the embodiment is designed so that the contact resistance is 1 mΩ or less. The elastic force of the four elastic parts depends on, for example, the material (base material) of the female fitting member Bf and its shape.

The male fitting member Bm according to the embodiment has an approximately flat plate-shaped plug-in portion 11. The female fitting member Bf according to the embodiment is configured to fit with the male fitting member Bm by clamping the inserted approximately flat plate-shaped plug-in portion 11. As a result, the board-to-board connection structure according to the embodiment can increase the contact area between the pair of fitting members B compared to a board-to-board connection structure realized using a male fitting member having a pin-shaped plug-in portion, for example, and can reduce the contact resistance. Reducing the contact resistance between the pair of fitting members B contributes to suppressing heat generation and power loss in the pair of fitting members B, improving the degree of freedom regarding the shape and material of the female fitting member Bf, and simplifying the determination of the connection state, which will be described below.

For example, when the diameter of the pin shape and the thickness of the flat plate shape are the same, the width of the flat plate shape can be set arbitrarily, so the flat plate-shaped male fitting member Bm can have a larger contact area with the female fitting member Bf than a pin-shaped male fitting member of the same length. Also, when the cross-sectional areas of the pin shape and the flat plate shape parallel to the substrate are the same, the area of the main surface of the flat plate shape can be made larger than the surface area of a pin shape of the same length by appropriately setting the thickness and width of the flat plate shape. In other words, the flat plate-shaped male fitting member Bm can have a larger contact area with the female fitting member Bf than a pin-shaped male fitting member of the same length.

The thickness of the insertion portion 11 is defined as the size of the insertion portion 11 in the left-right direction in the state shown in FIG. 1. The length of the insertion portion 11 is defined as the size of the insertion portion 11 in the up-down direction in the state shown in FIG. 1. The width of the insertion portion 11 is defined as the size of the insertion portion 11 in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in the state shown in FIG. 1.

An insulating portion is provided on the outer periphery of the female fitting member Bf. As an example, the insulating portion is a layer 31 of an insulator formed on the outer periphery of the female fitting member Bf (see FIG. 11). The layer 31 of the insulator may be formed by applying an insulator to the outer periphery of the female fitting member Bf, or may be formed by attaching an insulating film made of an insulator to the outer periphery of the female fitting member Bf. As an example, the insulator is a resin. Here, the outer periphery of the female fitting member Bf refers to the surface area of the female fitting member Bf excluding the area of the first clamping portion 21 facing the second clamping portion 22, the area of the second clamping portion 22 facing the first clamping portion 21, and the area of the connection portion 25 that contacts the printed circuit board (see FIG. 11). This allows electrical testing to detect poor connection when a problem occurs with the fitting of a pair of male fitting members Bm and female fitting members Bf due to misalignment between the insertion portion 11 and the receiving portion 20. Here, electrical testing involves measuring the resistance value through the contact area between the male fitting member Bm and the female fitting member Bf.

Figure 7 is a schematic perspective view showing the female fitting member Bf1 of Figure 5 mounted on a circuit board. As shown in Figure 7, the female fitting member Bf1 is surface mounted on the printed circuit board. Specifically, the connection portion 25 of the female fitting member Bf1 is electrically connected to the printed circuit board by soldering via solder SL. Note that while Figure 7 illustrates the female fitting member Bf1, the same applies to the male fitting members Bm1 and Bm2.

Figure 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of the mating state between the male fitting member Bm of Figure 2 or Figure 3 and the female fitting member Bf of Figure 5. As shown in Figure 8, the female fitting member Bf clamps the insertion portion 11 of the male fitting member Bm inserted between the first clamping portion 21 and the second clamping portion 22, thereby connecting the substrate PCB on which the female fitting member Bf is arranged and the substrate PCB on which the male fitting member Bm is arranged. (a1) of Figure 8 illustrates an example of a combination of the male fitting member Bm1 of Figure 2 and the female fitting member Bf1 of Figure 5. (a2) of Figure 8 illustrates an example of a combination of the male fitting member Bm2 of Figure 3 and the female fitting member Bf1 of Figure 5. The male fitting member Bm1 and the male fitting member Bm2 have different lengths of the insertion portion 11, for example, as described above with reference to Figures 2 and 3. In this way, the male fitting members Bm1, Bm2 and the female fitting member Bf1 can be combined as appropriate depending on factors such as the distance between the boards to be joined. Also, FIG. 8 (b1) illustrates a state in which the tip of the insertion portion 11 is inserted to a position where it contacts the bottom of the receiving portion 20 of the female fitting member Bf1. FIG. 8 (b2) illustrates a state in which the tip of the insertion portion 11 is inserted to an arbitrary position just before it contacts the bottom of the receiving portion 20 of the female fitting member Bf1. In this way, the length by which the male fitting members Bm1, Bm2 are inserted into the female fitting member Bf1, i.e., the insertion height, can be set as appropriate depending on factors such as the distance between the boards to be joined.

When the combination of the pair of engaging members B constituting the board-to-board connection structure of the power conversion device 1 is selected as shown in FIG. 8, the man-hours required for assembling the power conversion device 1 can be reduced due to the ease of surface mounting.

9 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a mating state between the male fitting member Bm3 of FIG. 4 and the female fitting member Bf2 of FIG. 6. As shown in FIG. 9, the female fitting member Bf2 clamps the insertion portion 11 of the male fitting member Bm3 inserted between the first clamping portion 21 and the second clamping portion 22, thereby connecting the board PCB on which the female fitting member Bf2 is arranged and the board PCB on which the male fitting member Bm3 is arranged. As shown in FIG. 9, the male fitting member Bm3 is mounted on the printed circuit board with the connection portion 15 inserted into the hole portion H3 provided at a predetermined position on the printed circuit board and the insertion portion 19a inserted into the holes H4 and H5. Specifically, the connection portion 15 inserted so as to penetrate the printed circuit board is electrically connected to the printed circuit board by dip soldering. The female fitting member Bf2 is mounted on the printed circuit board with the first connection portion 25a inserted into a hole H1 provided at a predetermined position on the printed circuit board and the second connection portion 25b inserted into a hole H2. Specifically, the first connection portion 25a and the second connection portion 25b inserted to penetrate the printed circuit board are electrically connected to the printed circuit board by dip soldering.

When the combination of the pair of engaging members B constituting the board-to-board connection structure of the power conversion device 1 is selected as shown in FIG. 9, the high robustness of the DIP mounting makes it possible to realize a power conversion device 1 that can handle large currents.

10 is a diagram for explaining the mounting of the male fitting member Bm on a circuit board according to the embodiment. FIG. 10(a) illustrates the male fitting member Bm in a state where it is mounted in a predetermined position. FIG. 10(b) illustrates the male fitting member Bm in a state where it is rotated by an angle θ from the predetermined position. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the expansion of the geometric tolerance range in the fitting of the male fitting member Bm and the female fitting member Bf according to the embodiment. The cross-sectional view of FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the fitting portion according to the embodiment. A-A' portion of FIG. 11 shows the contact portion where the male fitting member Bm and the female fitting member Bf contact each other in the fitting portion. The view of A-A' portion of FIG. 11 viewed from above illustrates the cross-sectional view of A-A' portion. Here, the basic state corresponds to the state shown in FIG. 10(a). Also, the rotated state corresponds to the state shown in FIG. 10(b).

8 and 9, the male fitting member Bm mounted on the printer circuit board is inserted into the receiving portion 20 of the female fitting member Bf. Specifically, the insertion portion 11 is inserted so as to push the gap between the first clamping portion 21 and the second clamping portion 22 while contacting the first clamping portion 21 and the second clamping portion 22. However, when mounting the male fitting member Bm on the printer circuit board, the arrangement of the male fitting member Bm may be shifted from the intended position, as shown in FIG. 10, for example. Similarly, when mounting the female fitting member Bf on the printer circuit board, the arrangement may be shifted. In such a case, the pair of fitting members B may not be properly fitted together, and a connection failure may occur between the boards. Even if the male fitting member Bm and the female fitting member Bf are each mounted in a predetermined arrangement, depending on the positional accuracy during assembly, the pair of fitting members B may not be properly fitted together, and a connection failure may occur between the boards.

In the power conversion device 1 according to the embodiment, the first clamping portion 21 and the second clamping portion 22 are each bent in a convex shape toward the receiving portion 20. That is, as shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 11, the tip of the female fitting member Bf is formed in a shape that opens toward the male fitting member Bm. This allows the tip of the female fitting member Bf to guide the insertion portion 11 of the male fitting member Bm into the receiving portion 20. Specifically, even if the insertion portion 11 is in the state shown in FIG. 10(b), the tip 13 of the insertion portion 11 can be inserted into the receiving portion 20 along the inner wall of the tip of the female fitting member Bf. Therefore, according to the fitting portion according to the embodiment, the range of relative rotational positional deviation between a pair of fitting members B that can be properly fitted can be expanded.

In addition, in the power conversion device 1 according to the embodiment, a gap 27 is provided at the tip of each of the first clamping portion 21 and the second clamping portion 22. In other words, the tip of each of the first clamping portion 21 and the second clamping portion 22 is divided into at least two by the gap 27. That is, the tip of the female fitting member Bf according to the embodiment is divided into at least four. The rotation diagram in FIG. 11 illustrates a state in which the third elastic portion 22a is displaced in the direction of the arrow D by receiving a force from the insertion portion 11 that is misaligned in its rotational position. The rotation diagram in FIG. 11 also illustrates a direction in which the first elastic portion 21a can be deformed by receiving a force from the insertion portion 11 that is misaligned in its rotational position. In this way, the first elastic portion 21a, the second elastic portion 21b, the third elastic portion 22a, and the fourth elastic portion 22b, i.e., the four divided tip portions, can be displaced and/or deformed independently when subjected to a force from the insertion portion 11. Therefore, even when the insertion portion 11 is in the state shown in FIG. 10(b), the four divided tip portions can properly contact the insertion portion 11, as shown by the open circles in the rotation diagram of FIG. 11. Therefore, according to the fitting portion of the embodiment, it is possible to expand the range of relative rotational positional deviation between a pair of fitting members B that can achieve a good connection.

In this way, the inter-board connection structure realized by the pair of engaging members B according to the embodiment can expand the geometric tolerance range of the engaging portion.

As shown in FIG. 11, an insulating layer 31 is formed on the outer periphery of the female fitting member Bf as an insulating portion. This allows the inter-board connection state to be determined in the inter-board connection flow according to the embodiment described below.

The insulating portion is not limited to the insulating layer 31, and can be realized by other configurations. FIG. 12 is a schematic perspective view showing another example of the insulating portion according to the embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the expansion of the geometric tolerance range in the engagement between the male fitting member Bm and the female fitting member Bf when the covering member 32 of FIG. 12 is attached. As shown in FIG. 12, the insulating portion may be formed by the covering member 32 attached to the outer periphery of the female fitting member Bf. The covering member 32 has flexibility. The covering member 32 may have elasticity. The covering member 32 is formed by an insulator. As an example, the insulator is an insulating material such as silicone resin. The covering member 32 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape. The diameter of the upper end side of the covering member 32, i.e., the dimension L1, is smaller than the dimension L2 of the lower end side. Accordingly, the dimension of the upper end side of the inner periphery 321 of the covering member 32 is also smaller than the dimension of the lower end side. This is a dimension determined in accordance with the shape of the outer periphery of the female fitting Bf, which becomes smaller from the lower end side to the upper end side, as shown in Figures 5 and 6. As shown in Figure 13, when the covering member 32 is attached to the outer periphery of the female fitting Bf, the inner periphery 321 of the covering member 32 is circumscribed by the first clamping portion 21 and the second clamping portion 22. Also, as shown in Figure 13, a gap G exists at both ends in the width direction of the insertion portion 11. As shown in the rotation diagram of Figure 13, due to the flexibility of the covering member 32 and the degree of freedom of deformation caused by the gap G, the covering member 32 can deform following each of the four divided tip portions that are independently displaced and/or deformed by the insertion portion 11 that is misaligned in rotation. Even with this configuration, the inter-board connection state can be determined in the flow of inter-board connection according to the embodiment described below. Furthermore, due to its flexibility, the covering member 32 can be simply attached to the female fitting member Bf, providing an insulating section that fits almost perfectly around the outer periphery of the female fitting member Bf.

Below, an example of the flow of inter-board connection according to the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 14 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of inter-board connection according to the embodiment.

First, a male fitting member Bm is placed on the main surface of the first substrate PCB1 facing the second substrate PCB2 (S201). A female fitting member Bf is placed on the main surface of the second substrate PCB2 facing the first substrate PCB1 (S202). After each of the pair of fitting members B is placed on the printed circuit board, the mounting state of each of the pair of fitting members B on the printed circuit board is inspected using, for example, an automated optical inspection (AOI) device. If this inspection detects a defect in the mounting state of each of the pair of fitting members B on the printed circuit board, the subsequent steps are not carried out for the printed circuit board in which the defect is detected.

Then, the first board PCB1 and the second board PCB2 are joined by engaging the pair of engaging members B (S203). In this step, after the contact between the male engaging member Bm and the female engaging member Bf is detected by the sensor, one printed circuit board is pushed into the other printed circuit board to form a fixed state of the layered structure. The female engaging member Bf has an elastic force (spring force) in the opposite direction to the insertion direction of the insertion portion 11 of the male engaging member Bm. Therefore, if multiple male engaging members Bm are simultaneously pushed into multiple female engaging members Bf, some of the male engaging members Bm may come off the receiving portion 20 of the female engaging member Bf. Therefore, in this step, after a reliable engagement state is created once, one printed circuit board is further pushed into the other printed circuit board to achieve a good engagement. Here, a secure fit refers to a steady state in which the insertion portion 11 is pressed into the receiving portion 20, for example, by about 1 mm.

Then, the electrical resistance is measured through the mating portion (S204). The measurement of the electrical resistance through the mating portion is, for example, the measurement of the electrical resistance between an arbitrary position of the circuit configuration on the first substrate PCB1 electrically connected to the male mating member Bm and an arbitrary position of the circuit configuration on the second substrate PCB2 electrically connected to the female mating member Bf.

When the electrical resistance through the mating portion indicates an insulated state (S205: Yes), the mating portion is determined to have a poor connection (S206). On the other hand, when the electrical resistance through the mating portion does not indicate an insulated state (S205: No), the mating portion is determined to have a good connection (S207). After S206 or S207, the flow in FIG. 14 ends.

In this way, the method for connecting boards using a pair of mating members B according to the embodiment can expand the geometric tolerance range of the mating portion.

As described above, the power conversion device 1 according to the first embodiment can expand the geometric tolerance of the fitting portion that electrically connects the circuit boards. This allows multiple circuit boards to be appropriately stacked, thereby achieving a reduction in the size of the power conversion device 1.

Second Embodiment
Hereinafter, a power conversion device, a component connection structure, and a component connection method according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Here, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and overlapping descriptions will be omitted as appropriate.

In the first embodiment, the component connection structure according to the present disclosure has been described using a board-to-board connection as an example, but is not limited thereto. The component connection structure according to the present disclosure can be applied to, for example, a connection between a circuit board and an electronic component. FIG. 15 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a component connection structure in a power conversion device 1 according to a second embodiment. FIG. 15 illustrates a first board PCB1, multiple pairs of fitting members B, and an electronic component 51.

The electronic component 51 is mounted on the first substrate PCB1. The electronic component 51 has a second substrate PCB2 and a third substrate PCB3. The electronic component 51 is mounted on the first substrate PCB1 by coupling the first substrate PCB1 and the third substrate PCB3 by engaging multiple pairs of engaging members B.

15 illustrates an example in which a female fitting member is provided on the first substrate PCB1 and a male fitting member is provided on the third substrate PCB3, but this is not limited thereto. A male fitting member may be provided on the first substrate PCB1 and a female fitting member may be provided on the third substrate PCB3. The number of substrates that the electronic component 51 has may be one, or may be three or more. For example, the electronic component 51 illustrated in FIG. 15 is a magnetic component such as a transformer, a transformer, a reactor, or a choke. In the substrate that the electronic component 51 has, for example, a conductor pattern forms a winding. Furthermore, the electronic component 51 functions as a magnetic component by penetrating a magnetic core on the inside and outside of the winding formed on the substrate to form a closed magnetic circuit. In this case, the electronic component 51 can be expressed as a printed circuit board transformer or a transformer-integrated printed circuit board.

In this manner, the inter-component connection structure according to the present disclosure can also be applied to electrical connections between a circuit board and electronic components 51. This can improve the mounting density of components such as electronic components, circuit boards, and board units in the power conversion device 1, and can improve the freedom of component placement. The improved mounting density and freedom of placement of components each contribute to the miniaturization of the power conversion device 1.

Third Embodiment
Hereinafter, a power conversion device, a component connection structure, and a component connection method according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Here, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and overlapping descriptions will be omitted as appropriate.

Figure 16 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a component connection structure in a power conversion device 1 according to the third embodiment. Figure 16 illustrates a first substrate PCB1, a second substrate PCB2, a third substrate PCB3, and multiple pairs of fitting members B.

The first substrate PCB1 and the third substrate PCB3 are coupled together by engaging multiple pairs of engaging members B. The second substrate PCB2 is provided between the first substrate PCB1 and the third substrate PCB3. The second substrate PCB2 is provided with, for example, multiple holes H. Each of the multiple male engaging members provided on the first substrate PCB1 or the third substrate PCB3 passes through each of the multiple holes H when assembled.

In this way, according to the component connection structure of the present disclosure, a board that is not to be connected can be interposed between boards that are to be connected. Of course, according to the component connection structure of the present disclosure, electronic components and board units that are not to be connected can also be interposed between boards that are to be connected. This makes it possible to improve the mounting density of components such as electronic components, circuit boards, and board units in the power conversion device 1, and to improve the freedom of component placement. Improving the mounting density and improving the freedom of placement of components each contributes to the miniaturization of the power conversion device 1.

Note that FIG. 16 illustrates an example in which a second substrate PCB2 that is not a target for connection is interposed between a first substrate PCB1 and a third substrate PCB3 that are a target for connection, but this is not limited to the above. Electronic components or substrate units that are not a target for connection can also be interposed between the first substrate PCB1 and the third substrate PCB3 that are a target for connection.

(Fourth embodiment)
Hereinafter, a power conversion device, a component connection structure, and a component connection method according to the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Here, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and overlapping descriptions will be omitted as appropriate.

In the first embodiment, an example has been described in which a pair of circuit boards are coupled approximately parallel with multiple pairs of engaging members B, but this is not limited thereto. A pair of circuit boards can also be coupled approximately vertically with multiple pairs of engaging members B. FIG. 17 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of an inter-component connection structure in a power conversion device 1 according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. 17 illustrates an example of a connection between the first substrate PCB1 and the second substrate PCB2, and a connection between the first substrate PCB1 and the third substrate PCB3.

Figure 17 (a) illustrates an example in which a female fitting member Bf is provided on the first substrate PCB1 and a male fitting member Bm is provided on the second substrate PCB2. As shown in Figure 17, the male fitting member Bm is provided on the end of the second substrate PCB2. A support member 40 is provided on the end of the second substrate PCB2 and clamps the end of the second substrate PCB2. The support member 40 determines the angle of the male fitting member Bm relative to the second substrate PCB2. The connection portion 15 of the male fitting member Bm is joined to the support member 40. The insertion portion 11 of the male fitting member Bm is approximately parallel to the main surface of the second substrate PCB2.

In the configuration of FIG. 17(a), the male mating member Bm and the second substrate PCB2 may be electrically connected via the support member 40.

Figure 17 (b) illustrates a case where a male fitting member Bm is provided on the first substrate PCB1 and a female fitting member Bf is provided on the third substrate PCB3. In this case, a support member 40 is provided on the end of the third substrate PCB3 and clamps the end of the third substrate PCB3. The support member 40 determines the angle of the female fitting member Bf relative to the third substrate PCB3. Unlike Figure 17 (a), the connection portion 25 of the female fitting member Bf is joined to the support member 40. The receiving portion 20 of the female fitting member Bf is approximately parallel to the main surface of the third substrate PCB3. In other words, the main surface of the third substrate PCB3 on which the female fitting member Bf is provided and the insertion portion 11 of the male fitting member Bm that fits with the female fitting member Bf are approximately parallel.

In the configuration of FIG. 17(b), the female fitting member Bf and the third substrate PCB3 may be electrically connected via the support member 40.

Thus, according to the component connection structure of this embodiment, at least one pair of fitting members B can be used to connect a pair of components approximately vertically. In other words, according to the component connection structure of this embodiment, at least one pair of fitting members B can be used to connect a pair of components at an angle defined by the support member 40. This makes it possible to improve the mounting density of components such as electronic components, circuit boards, and board units in the power conversion device 1, and to improve the freedom of component placement. Improving the mounting density and the freedom of placement of components each contribute to the miniaturization of the power conversion device 1.

The support member 40 may be formed integrally with any one of the male mating member Bm, the female mating member Bf, and the second substrate PCB2, or may be formed as a separate part from the male mating member Bm, the female mating member Bf, and the second substrate PCB2.

In the configuration of FIG. 17, the first substrate PCB1 provided with at least one of the male fitting member Bm and the female fitting member Bf can be replaced with an electronic component 51 provided with at least one of the male fitting member Bm and the female fitting member Bf.

Fifth Embodiment
Hereinafter, a power conversion device, a component connection structure, and a component connection method according to the fifth embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Here, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and overlapping descriptions will be omitted as appropriate.

Figure 18 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a component connection structure in a power conversion device 1 according to the fifth embodiment. Figure 18 illustrates a connection between a first substrate PCB1 provided with a male fitting member Bm and a second substrate PCB2 provided with a female fitting member Bf. A support member 41 is provided on the first substrate PCB1. The support member 41 defines the angle of the male fitting member Bm relative to the first substrate PCB1. The support member 41 has, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped shape. The bottom surface 411 of the support member 41 is fixed to the first substrate PCB1. The connection portion 15 of the male fitting member Bm is joined to the side surface 412 of the support member 41. The insertion portion 11 of the male fitting member Bm is approximately parallel to the main surface of the first substrate PCB1.

Figure 19 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another example of an inter-component connection structure in a power conversion device 1 according to the fifth embodiment. As shown in Figure 19, the first substrate PCB1 provided with the male fitting member Bm of Figure 18 can also be electrically connected to an electronic component 51 provided with a female fitting member Bf.

In the configuration of FIG. 18, the support member 41 of the first substrate PCB1 may be joined to a female fitting member Bf, not limited to a male fitting member Bm. FIG. 20 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another example of a component connection structure in a power conversion device 1 according to the fifth embodiment. FIG. 20 illustrates a connection between a first substrate PCB1 provided with a female fitting member Bf and a second substrate PCB2 provided with a male fitting member Bm. In the configuration of FIG. 20, the support member 41 determines the angle of the male fitting member Bm relative to the first substrate PCB1. The connection portion 25 of the female fitting member Bf is joined to the side surface 412 of the support member 41. The receiving portion 20 of the female fitting member Bf is approximately parallel to the main surface of the first substrate PCB1 on which the female fitting member Bf is provided, and the insertion portion 11 of the male fitting member Bm provided on the second substrate PCB2 that fits with the female fitting member Bf is approximately parallel.

Figure 21 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another example of an inter-component connection structure in the power conversion device 1 according to the fifth embodiment. As shown in Figure 21, the first substrate PCB1 provided with the female fitting member Bf in Figure 20 can also be electrically connected to an electronic component 51 provided with a male fitting member Bm. The male fitting member Bm may be formed integrally with the electronic component 51. In this case, as shown in Figure 21, the connection portion 15 may be provided inside the electronic component 51.

20, the receiving portion 20 of the female fitting member Bf may be approximately perpendicular to the main surface of the first substrate PCB1. FIG. 22 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another example of the inter-component connection structure in the power conversion device 1 according to the fifth embodiment. FIG. 22 illustrates a connection between the first substrate PCB1 provided with the female fitting member Bf and the second substrate PCB2 provided with the male fitting member Bm. Unlike the configurations of FIG. 20 and FIG. 21, the receiving portion 20 of the female fitting member Bf is approximately perpendicular to the main surface of the first substrate PCB1. That is, in the configuration of FIG. 22, the support member 41 determines the angle of the female fitting member Bf with respect to the first substrate PCB1. The main surface of the first substrate PCB1 on which the female fitting member Bf is provided is approximately perpendicular to the insertion portion 11 of the male fitting member Bm provided on the second substrate PCB2, which fits with the female fitting member Bf.

Figure 23 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another example of an inter-component connection structure in the power conversion device 1 according to the fifth embodiment. As shown in Figure 23, the first substrate PCB1 provided with the female fitting member Bf in Figure 22 can also be electrically connected to an electronic component 51 provided with a male fitting member Bm. Note that the male fitting member Bm may be formed integrally with the electronic component 51, similar to the configuration in Figure 21.

In the configurations of Figures 18 and 19, similar to the configurations of Figures 22 and 23, the insertion portion 11 of the male fitting member Bm may be approximately perpendicular to the main surface of the first substrate PCB1.

In the configurations of FIG. 18 and FIG. 19, the male fitting member Bm and the first substrate PCB1 may be electrically connected via the support member 41, or may be connected without the support member 41. Similarly, in the configurations of FIG. 20 to FIG. 23, the female fitting member Bf and the first substrate PCB1 may be electrically connected via the support member 41, or may be electrically connected without the support member 41. In the configurations of FIG. 20 to FIG. 23, when the female fitting member Bf and the first substrate PCB1 are electrically connected without the support member 41, any position on the rear end side of the female fitting member Bf, such as the first base 26a or the second base 26b on the rear end side of the female fitting member Bf1, or the side of the connection portion 25 on the rear end side of the female fitting member Bf2, may be electrically connected to the first substrate PCB1.

In the configurations of Figures 18 to 23, the first substrate PCB1 and the support member 41 may be formed integrally or as separate parts. In the configurations of Figures 18 and 19, the male fitting member Bm and the support member 41 may be formed integrally or as separate parts. In the configurations of Figures 20 to 23, the female fitting member Bf and the support member 41 may be formed integrally or as separate parts.

In this way, according to the component connection structure of this embodiment, a pair of components can be joined approximately perpendicularly by at least a pair of fitting members B. In other words, according to the component connection structure of this embodiment, a pair of components can be joined at an angle defined by the support member 41 by at least a pair of fitting members B.

Sixth Embodiment
Hereinafter, a power conversion device, a component connection structure, and a component connection method according to the sixth embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Here, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and overlapping descriptions will be omitted as appropriate.

In the first embodiment, an example was described in which a pair of circuit boards are connected approximately in parallel using multiple pairs of fitting members B, but this is not limited to the above. A pair of circuit boards can also be connected at any angle using multiple pairs of fitting members B. FIG. 24 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of an inter-component connection structure in a power conversion device according to the sixth embodiment. FIG. 24 illustrates a connection between a first substrate PCB1 provided with a female fitting member Bf and a second substrate PCB2 provided with a male fitting member Bm.

The second substrate PCB2 is provided with a support member 44. The support member 44 is provided on the main surface of the second substrate PCB2. The support member 44 determines the angle of the male fitting member Bm relative to the second substrate PCB2. The support member 44 has, for example, a triangular prism shape. The rectangular first side 441 of the support member 44 is fixed to the second substrate PCB2. The connection portion 15 of the male fitting member Bm is joined to the rectangular second side 442 of the support member 44. The insertion portion 11 of the male fitting member Bm is approximately parallel to the main surface of the first substrate PCB1 and has an arbitrary angle between the main surface of the second substrate PCB2 and the triangular shape of the bottom surface of the support member 44, i.e., the angle formed by the sides 441 and 442.

In this way, according to the inter-component connection structure of this embodiment, at least one pair of fitting members B can be used to join a pair of components at any angle defined by the support member 44. This makes it possible to improve the mounting density of components such as electronic components, circuit boards, and board units in the power conversion device 1, and to improve the freedom of component placement. The improved mounting density and freedom of placement of components each contribute to the miniaturization of the power conversion device 1.

In the configuration of FIG. 24, the support member 44 may be provided between the first substrate PCB1 and the female fitting member Bf. In other words, the support member 44 may be a member that determines the angle of the female fitting member Bf relative to the first substrate PCB1. The support member 44 may also be provided on both the first substrate PCB1 and the second substrate PCB2.

In the configuration of FIG. 24, the support member 44 may be formed integrally with either the male mating member Bm or the second substrate PCB2, or may be formed as a separate part from the male mating member Bm and the second substrate PCB2.

In the configuration of FIG. 24, at least one of the first substrate PCB1 and the second substrate PCB2 can be replaced with an electronic component 51.

Seventh Embodiment
Hereinafter, a power conversion device, a component connection structure, and a component connection method according to the seventh embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Here, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and overlapping descriptions will be omitted as appropriate.

Figure 25 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a male fitting member Bm according to the seventh embodiment. The male fitting member Bm4 in Figure 25 is an example of a male fitting member Bm according to the embodiment. The side portion 14 of the male fitting member Bm4 is chamfered, similar to the tip portion 13 of the male fitting member Bm according to the first embodiment, and the thickness decreases toward the tip. This makes it easier to insert the insertion portion 11 from the side into the receiving portion 20 of the female fitting member Bf.

Figure 26 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a component connection structure in a power conversion device 1 according to the seventh embodiment. Figure 26 illustrates a connection between a first substrate PCB1 provided with a male fitting member Bm4 and a second substrate PCB2 provided with a female fitting member Bf. The male fitting member Bm4 is joined to the first substrate PCB1 at the connection portion 15. The insertion portion 11 of the male fitting member Bm4 is approximately perpendicular to both main surfaces of the first substrate PCB1 and the second substrate PCB2.

Figure 27 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another example of an inter-component connection structure in a power conversion device 1 according to the seventh embodiment. As shown in Figure 27, the second substrate PCB2 provided with the male fitting member Bm4 in Figure 26 can also be electrically connected to an electronic component 51 provided with a female fitting member Bf.

Figure 28 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another example of an inter-component connection structure in a power conversion device 1 according to the seventh embodiment. Figure 28 illustrates a connection between a first substrate PCB1 provided with a female fitting member Bf and a second substrate PCB2 provided with a male fitting member Bm4. The insertion portion 11 of the male fitting member Bm4 is approximately perpendicular to both main surfaces of the first substrate PCB1 and the second substrate PCB2. In the configuration of Figure 28, the direction of movement of the second substrate PCB2 when assembling the second substrate PCB2 to the first substrate PCB1 is different from the configuration of Figure 26.

The first substrate PCB1 provided with the female fitting member Bf in FIG. 28 can also be electrically connected to an electronic component 51 provided with a male fitting member Bm4. FIG. 29 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of an electronic component 51 mounted with a male fitting member Bm4 according to the seventh embodiment. In the configuration of FIG. 29, the male fitting member Bm4 is integrally configured with the electronic component 51. FIG. 30 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another example of an inter-component connection structure in the power conversion device 1 according to the seventh embodiment. FIG. 30 illustrates a connection between the first substrate PCB1 provided with the female fitting member Bf and an electronic component 51 formed with a male fitting member Bm4.

In this way, according to the component connection structure of this embodiment, a pair of components can be connected approximately vertically using at least one pair of fitting members B. In addition, by changing which side between the components to be connected on which the male fitting member Bm4 is provided, the assembly direction of the components can be changed. This improves the degree of freedom in arranging the components in the power conversion device 1.

Eighth embodiment
Hereinafter, an embodiment of a power conversion device, a component connection structure, and a component connection method according to the eighth embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Here, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and overlapping descriptions will be omitted as appropriate.

Figure 31 is a diagram for explaining the expansion of the geometric tolerance range in the engagement between the male fitting member Bm and the female fitting member Bf according to the eighth embodiment. The cross-sectional view of Figure 31 is a schematic example of a cross-section of the engagement portion according to the embodiment. Part A-A' in Figure 31 shows the contact portion where the male fitting member Bm and the female fitting member Bf come into contact in the engagement portion. The top view of part A-A' in Figure 31 illustrates the cross-sectional view of part A-A'. Here, the basic state corresponds to the state shown in Figure 10(a), as in Figure 11. Moreover, the rotated state corresponds to the state shown in Figure 10(b), as in Figure 11.

As shown in FIG. 31, each of the first clamping portion 21 and the second clamping portion 22 of the female fitting member Bf according to this embodiment has a substantially hemispherical convex portion 33a that bulges toward the receiving portion 20 in the fitting portion that is bent in a convex shape toward the receiving portion 20. Each convex portion 33a can be formed, for example, by press working. In this case, each of the first clamping portion 21 and the second clamping portion 22 has a hemispherical concave recess 33b on the opposite side of each convex portion 33a.

According to this configuration, even if the four divided tip portions of the female fitting member Bf are subjected to a force from the insertion portion 11 of the male fitting member Bm and are displaced and/or deformed independently, the approximately hemispherical convex portion 33a can continue to contact the insertion portion 11. In other words, according to the configuration of this embodiment, the contact state between the male fitting member Bm and the female fitting member Bf can be maintained in a point contact mode. This makes it possible to stabilize the electrical contact between the male fitting member Bm and the female fitting member Bf.

(Application example)
FIG. 32 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of the power conversion device 1 according to the embodiment. FIG. 32 illustrates the first board PCB1, the second board PCB2, the third board PCB3, the fourth board PCB4, and the cooling plate WJ. Various electronic components 51 can be mounted on these boards by the inter-component connection structure according to each of the above-mentioned embodiments. In FIG. 32, in order to show each component in a schematic manner while ensuring ease of viewing, there may be a gap between components that are in contact with each other by fastening or fixing. As an example, the cooling plate WJ is a metal plate-like member having a refrigerant flow path formed therein. The cooling plate WJ is not limited to a metal plate having a refrigerant flow path therein, but may be a heat sink, a heat pipe, a non-metallic heat diffusion plate, a metal housing, or a combination thereof as appropriate. Here, using a metal housing is not limited to the case of using a metal plate-like member that does not have a refrigerant flow path therein as the cooling plate WJ, but also includes the case of forming the housing of the power conversion device 1 from metal and using a part of the housing as the cooling plate WJ.

For example, the electronic component 51 includes at least one of a semiconductor element, a semiconductor module, a magnetic body, a capacitor, and a circuit breaker. The semiconductor module is, for example, composed of multiple semiconductor elements. Here, the magnetic body is a transformer, a transformer-integrated printed circuit board, a transformer, a reactor, and a choke. The circuit breaker is a relay or a fuse. FIG. 32 illustrates a transformer TR and a coil Coil as examples of the magnetic body. FIG. 32 also illustrates transistors MOSFET1 and MOSFET2 and diodes D1 and D2 as examples of the semiconductor module or semiconductor element. FIG. 32 also illustrates multiple capacitors Cap. FIG. 32 also illustrates a relay RL.

In the power conversion device 1, the semiconductor elements, semiconductor modules, magnetic bodies, capacitors, and circuit breakers exemplified as the electronic components 51 have large losses during operation and tend to become hot. For this reason, in order to efficiently cool the electronic components 51, it is preferable to mount each electronic component 51 close to the cooling plate WJ.

Conventionally, when assembling a power conversion device 1 having a configuration as shown in FIG. 32, it was customary to first fasten electronic components 51 to the water-cooled plate WJ with screws or the like, or to fix them to the water-cooled plate WJ with TIM (thermal interface material), and then mount each of the boards PCB2, PCB3, and PCB4 by soldering them to the electronic components 51. In this case, there were assembly and quality issues, such as the need for large soldering equipment and the risk of contamination with solder balls, etc.

In this situation, the connection structure disclosed herein allows for free component placement that achieves both ease of assembly and component cooling. Specifically, the electronic component 51 is fastened to the water-cooled plate WJ with screws or the like, or fixed to the water-cooled plate WJ with TIM, and then each of the boards PCB2, PCB3, and PCB4 is joined to the electronic component 51 with the fitting member B, thereby easily and reliably connecting the electronic component 51 to each of the boards PCB2, PCB3, and PCB4.

The electronic component 51 may be disposed on the board via a support member 45, for example, in the fifth embodiment where the male fitting member Bm or the female fitting member Bf is provided on the board via a support member 41, or in the sixth embodiment where the male fitting member Bm or the female fitting member Bf is provided on the board via a support member 44. In other words, the fastening of the electronic component 51 to the water-cooled plate WJ with screws or the like, or the fixing of the electronic component 51 to the water-cooled plate WJ with a TIM may each be connected via a support member 45.

Here, the support member 45 is a member that thermally connects the electronic component 51 and the cooling plate WJ. Therefore, the shape and material of the support member 45 can be appropriately selected so that the amount of heat transferred from the electronic component 51 to the cooling plate WJ is increased. As an example, the support member 45 can be formed of a metal when the electronic component 51 and the cooling plate WJ are electrically insulated from each other. Of course, materials other than metal may be used as the support member 45. The support member 45 may be formed integrally with the cooling plate WJ, and a coolant flow path may be provided inside the support member 45. The shape and material of the support members 19, 40, 41, and 44 according to each of the above-mentioned embodiments may be appropriately selected so that the amount of heat transferred from the electronic component 51 to each of the boards PCB1, PCB2, PCB3, and PCB4 via the pair of fitting members B is increased. In this case, the heat generated by the electronic component 51 can be diffused or dissipated using the board.

As described above, the power conversion device 1 according to the present disclosure can expand the geometric tolerance range of the fitting portion that electrically connects the components.

As described above, the inter-component connection structure according to the present disclosure is a structure for connecting any of the components to be connected, among electronic components, circuit boards, and board units. As one example, the inter-component connection structure is a connection structure between circuit boards. As another example, the inter-component connection structure is a connection structure between an electronic component and a circuit board or board unit. As another example, the inter-component connection structure is a connection structure between a circuit board and a board unit.

The techniques according to the above-described embodiments can be combined in any manner. For example, in multiple pairs of fitting members B that connect a pair of circuit boards, a different inter-component connection structure may be applied to each pair of fitting members B. Also, for example, two or more circuit boards that are coupled to a given circuit board may have different angles relative to the given circuit board.

In the description of this disclosure, components having the same or nearly the same functions as those described above with respect to the previously-mentioned figures may be given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof may be omitted as appropriate. In addition, even when the same or nearly the same parts are shown, the dimensions and ratios of the components may be different depending on the drawing. In addition, for example, from the viewpoint of ensuring the visibility of the drawings, reference numerals may be given to only the main components in the description of each drawing, and reference numerals may not be given to components having the same or nearly the same functions as those described above with respect to the previously-mentioned figures.

Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are within the scope of the invention and its equivalents as set forth in the claims, as well as the scope and gist of the invention.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Power conversion device 11 Insertion portion 13 Tip portion 14 Side portion 15 Connection portion 17 Gap 19 Support member 19a Insertion portion 20 Receiving portion 21 First clamping portion 21a First elastic portion 21b Second elastic portion 22 Second clamping portion 22a Third elastic portion 22b Fourth elastic portion 23a First bent portion 23b Second bent portion 23c Third bent portion 23d Fourth bent portion 26a First base portion 26b Second base portion 25 Connection portion 25a First connection portion 25b Second connection portion 27 Gap 31 Insulator layer 32 Covering member 33a Convex portion 33b Concave portion 40, 41, 44 Support member 51 Electronic component Bf Female fitting member Bm Male mating member PCB1 First board PCB2 Second board PCB3 Third board

Claims (14)

A first part;
A second part; and
A male fitting member having a generally flat insertion portion;
a female fitting member having a first clamping portion and a second clamping portion arranged opposite to each other; and a plurality of pairs of fitting members each including a first clamping portion and a second clamping portion,
In each of the plurality of pairs of fitting members,
the male mating member is disposed on one of the first component and the second component;
the female fitting member is disposed on the other of the first part and the second part;
The first part and the second part are coupled to each other by the female fitting member clamping the insertion portion of the male fitting member inserted between the first clamping portion and the second clamping portion in each of the pairs of fitting members,
each of the first clamping portion and the second clamping portion is bent so as to form a convex portion toward a surface facing each other;
A gap is provided at a tip end of each of the first clamping portion and the second clamping portion,
the first clamping portion includes a first elastic portion and a second elastic portion separated by the gap,
the second clamping portion includes a third elastic portion and a fourth elastic portion separated by the gap,
Each of the first elastic portion and the second elastic portion is extended from a first connecting portion which is a connecting portion to a component provided on a rear end side of the female fitting member,
Each of the third elastic portion and the fourth elastic portion is extended from a second connecting portion which is a connecting portion to a component provided on a rear end side of the female fitting member.
Power conversion equipment. The power conversion device according to claim 1, further comprising a support member provided between a connection portion to a part provided on the rear end side of the male fitting member or the female fitting member and the part in at least one pair of the multiple pairs of fitting members, the support member defining the angle of the male fitting member or the female fitting member relative to the part. the first component and the second component are each a substrate;
the first component is coupled to the second component at an angle defined by the support member;
The power conversion device according to claim 2 . the first component and the second component are each a substrate;
The first component is coupled to the second component substantially perpendicularly.
The power conversion device according to claim 1 . a third part coupled to the second part;
the plurality of pairs of fitting members are further disposed between the second part and the third part;
In each of the pairs of fitting members disposed between the second part and the third part,
the male mating member is disposed on one of the second component and the third component;
the female fitting member is disposed on the other of the second part and the third part;
The power conversion device according to claim 1 . the first component, the second component, and the third component are each a substrate;
the first part, the second part, and the third part form a three-layered structure;
The second part forming an intermediate layer of the layered structure has at least one of the male fitting member and the female fitting member disposed on both sides thereof.
The power conversion device according to claim 5 . The power conversion device of claim 5, wherein at least one of the first component, the second component, and the third component is a printed circuit board. The power conversion device according to claim 7, wherein each of the male and female mating members is electrically connected to the printed circuit board by a solder joint. The power conversion device according to claim 5, wherein the first component, the second component, and the third component are each one of an electronic component, a board, and a board unit. The power conversion device according to claim 9, wherein the electronic components include at least one of a semiconductor element, a semiconductor module, a magnetic body, a capacitor, and a circuit breaker. The power conversion device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the protrusions formed on each of the first clamping portion and the second clamping portion have a substantially hemispherical shape. The power conversion device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the male fitting member and the female fitting member are each made of a metal material. The power conversion device according to claim 12, wherein a conductor plating is applied to a part or all of the surface area of the metal material. The power conversion device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein an insulating layer is formed on the outer periphery of the female fitting member.

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