Patent ID: 7660122
Filing Date: 2010-02-09
Classification: B60H,B60L,H01L,H02M,H05K,Y02T

Abstract:
1. An inverter for an automobile comprising: a fluid path forming member made of metal and having a fluid path providing for flow of cooling water, and a semiconductor module fixed to said fluid path forming member, wherein said semiconductor module acts as upper and lower arms in each of a U-phase, a V-phase, and a W-phase, and comprises a plurality of semiconductor elements for converting from DC electric power to AC electric power, and a metal base having a cooling fin at one face and carrying said plurality of semiconductor elements at another face, wherein said fluid path comprises an inlet, a cooling part, and an outlet, wherein said cooling part of said fluid path has a cross-sectional form perpendicular to the flow of cooling water, with a width that is larger than a depth, wherein a fluid path between said inlet and said cooling part has a form that changes so that a depth thereof decreases gradually and a width thereof increases gradually along with the flow of the cooling water, wherein a fluid path between said cooling part and said outlet has a changing form so that a depth thereof increases gradually and a width thereof decreases gradually along with the flow of the cooling water, wherein said metal base consists of a long side and a short side and is fixed to said cooling part of said fluid path so that the long side may meet the flow of the cooling water, and wherein said semiconductor elements are carried on said metal base along the long side of said metal base so that the U-phase precedes the V-phase and the V-phase precedes the W-phase in the direction of the flow of the cooling water, and wherein after the cooling water enters the inlet and flows through the form, the cooling water immediately enters a pre-stage cooling part where no electric devices are present and then immediately interacts with the cooling fin.