Abstract:
A housing or other enclosure used to facilitate fluid cooling of a circuitry of a battery charger, such as but not limited to a battery charger of the type used to facilitate charging a high voltage vehicle battery with AC energy provided from a utility power grid. The housing may include a groove and seal arrangement operable to seal a fluid coolant chamber used to cool the circuitry from leaking fluid during use.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/029,432 filed Feb. 17, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,897,013, the disclosure of which is incorporated in its entirety by reference herein. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to sealing a housing or other enclosure used to facilitate fluid based cooling of circuitry, such as but not limited to circuitry associated with a battery charger of the type used to facilitate charging a high voltage vehicle battery with AC energy sourced from a utility power grid. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The ability to seal a housing against fluid leakage, whether the fluid is a liquid or a gas, can be important to preventing electronic devices and components from being harmfully exposed to the fluid. While not intending to necessarily limit the scope and contemplation of the present invention, the present invention is, for exemplary purposes, predominately described with respect to sealing a housing associated with a vehicle battery charger since the design of such a charger is particularly constrained by automotive dictated space, weight, and positional restrictions that tend to limit the amount of space available to place drainage holes and other auxiliary leakage control features relative to a cooling chamber or other area used to facilitate flowing the cooling liquid relative to circuit assemblies or other to be cooled elements. 
     SUMMARY 
     One non-limiting aspect of the present invention relates to a housing for use in cooling first and second circuit assemblies with a fluid, the housing comprising: a first coldplate having a top side operable to receive the first circuit assembly; a second coldplate having a bottom side operable to receive the second circuit assembly; a fluid cooling chamber through which the fluid flows to cool the first and second circuit assemblies, the fluid cooling chamber being sealed with a bottom side of the first coldplate adjoining with an top side of the second coldplate; a groove within the second coldplate around an entire outer perimeter of the fluid cooling chamber, the groove having a substantially uniform depth throughout the entire outer perimeter; and a seal positioned within the groove around the entire outer perimeter of the fluid cooling chamber to prevent fluid leakage. 
     One non-limiting aspect of the present invention relates to the bottom side of the first coldplate compacting the seal into the groove when adjoined to the second coldplate. 
     One non-limiting aspect of the present invention relates to the first coldplate proximate the groove being planar across a width of the groove around the entire outer perimeter, the first portion contacting the top side of the second coldplate proximate both lateral sides of the groove when the first coldplate is adjoined to the second coldplate. 
     One non-limiting aspect of the present invention relates to at least one fastening element operable to secure the first coldplate to the second coldplate with a compressive force, thereby causing the bottom side of the first coldplate to adjoin the top side of the second coldplate. 
     One non-limiting aspect of the present invention relates to a depth of the groove being between 0.5-5 mm throughout. 
     One non-limiting aspect of the present invention relates to a height of the seal being at least one of between 0.7-7 mm greater than the depth of the groove and 70% larger than the depth of the groove. 
     One non-limiting aspect of the present invention relates to each of the first and second coldplates included at least one aperture through which one or more wires pass to establish a corresponding one or more direct electrically connections between the first and second circuit assemblies. 
     One non-limiting aspect of the present invention relates to an aperture groove within the second coldplate being around an entire outer perimeter of each of the one or more apertures and an aperture seal positioned entirely within each aperture groove to prevent fluid leakage. 
     One non-limiting aspect of the present invention relates to: the bottom side of the first coldplate compacts each aperture seal into the corresponding aperture groove when adjoined to the second coldplate; each portion of the first coldplate proximate the aperture grooves is planar across a width of the aperture grooves, the portions contacting the top side of the second coldplate proximate both lateral sides of the aperture grooves when the first coldplate is adjoined to the second coldplate; and at least one fastening element operable to secure the first coldplate to the second coldplate with a compressive force, thereby causing the bottom side of the first coldplate to adjoin the top side of the second coldplate with the compressive force being sufficient to entirely compact each aperture seal within the corresponding aperture groove. 
     One non-limiting aspect of the present invention relates to at least one of the one or more apertures are included interior to the outer perimeter of the fluid cooling chamber. 
     One non-limiting aspect of the present invention relates to substantially all of a cavity defining the fluid cooling chamber being recessed below the top side of the second coldplate and includes a plurality of discrete partitions to direct fluid flow from an inlet to an outlet. 
     One non-limiting aspect of the present invention relates to a plurality of cooling fins extending from the bottom side of the first coldplate into the cavity below the top side of the second coldplate. 
     One non-limiting aspect of the present invention relates to a battery charger housing having at least first and second circuit assemblies operable to convert AC energy from a utility power grid to DC energy sufficient for charging a high voltage vehicle battery, the first and second circuit assemblies requiring an electrical interconnection to coordinate control required to convert the AC energy to the DC energy, the housing comprising: a first coldplate operable to receive the first circuit assembly; a second coldplate operable to receive the second circuit assembly; a fluid cooling chamber defined substantially within the second coldplate through which the fluid flows to cool the first and second circuit assemblies; apertures within each of the first and second coldplates through which a connector extends to create the electrical interconnection between the first circuit assembly and the second circuit assembly; a fluid cooling chamber groove within the second coldplate around an entire outer perimeter of the fluid cooling chamber; a fluid cooling chamber seal positioned within the fluid cooling chamber groove around the entire outer perimeter of the fluid cooling chamber to prevent fluid leakage; an aperture groove within the second coldplate around an entire outer perimeter of the aperture; and an aperture seal positioned within the fluid cooling chamber groove around the entire outer perimeter of the fluid cooling chamber to prevent fluid leakage. 
     One non-limiting aspect of the present invention relates to each of the fluid cooling chamber seal and the aperture seal being compressed entirely within the corresponding fluid cooling chamber groove and the aperture groove when the first coldplate adjoins the second coldplate. 
     One non-limiting aspect of the present invention relates to the aperture being interior to the outer perimeter of the fluid cooling chamber. 
     One non-limiting aspect of the present invention relates to each of the aperture groove and the fluid cooling chamber groove having the same, uninterrupted cross-sectional profile throughout. 
     One non-limiting aspect of the present invention relates to a housing cooled with a fluid comprising: a first coldplate; a second coldplate; a fluid cooling chamber through which the fluid flows to cool the first and second coldplates, the fluid cooling chamber being sealed with a bottom side of the first coldplate adjoining with an top side of the second coldplate; a groove within the second coldplate around an entire outer perimeter of the fluid cooling chamber, the groove being free of drainage holes; and a seal positioned within the groove around the entire outer perimeter of the fluid cooling chamber to prevent fluid leakage. 
     One non-limiting aspect of the present invention relates to the seal and the groove being the only seal and groove combination entirely surrounding the fluid cooling chamber. 
     One non-limiting aspect of the present invention relates to the seal compacting into the groove to entirely fill all areas exposed within the groove with sealing material. 
     One non-limiting aspect of the present invention relates to the housing including: apertures within each of the first and second coldplates through which a connector is operable to extend to create a connection between a first circuit assembly secured to the first coldplate and a second circuit assembly secured to the second coldplate; an aperture groove within the second coldplate around an entire outer perimeter of the aperture; and an aperture seal positioned within the fluid cooling chamber groove around the entire outer perimeter of the fluid cooling chamber to prevent fluid leakage. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention is pointed out with particularity in the appended claims. However, other features of the present invention will become more apparent and the present invention will be best understood by referring to the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompany drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  schematically illustrates a layered construction of a battery charger having a housing as contemplated by one non-limiting aspect of the present invention; 
         FIGS. 2A-2B  respectively illustrate top and bottom views of a housing in accordance with one non-limiting aspect of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a partial assembly view of the housing in accordance with one non-limiting aspect of the present invention; and 
         FIGS. 4A and 4B  illustrate operation of the seal and groove in accordance with one non-limiting aspect of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention. 
       FIG. 1  schematically illustrates a layered construction of a battery charger  10  having a housing  12  as contemplated by one non-limiting aspect of the present invention. The housing  12  includes a first coldplate  14  secured to a second coldplate  16  in a manner that defines a fluid cooling chamber  18  or passage operable to facilitate cooling of first and second circuit assemblies  20 ,  22 , which may be circuit assemblies  20 ,  22  of any type and having any number of electronic components and processors, including but not limited to assembles having electronics operable to facilitate converting AC energy source from a utility grid (not shown) to DC energy sufficient to facilitate charging a high voltage vehicle battery (not shown) used to provide energy for propelling an electric or hybrid electric vehicle (not shown). The housing  12  may further include top and bottom covers  24 ,  26  to respectively enclose top and bottom sides of the first and second coldplates  14 ,  16 , such as to prevent dust, fluid, and other debris from being exposed to the first and second circuit assemblies  20 ,  22 . 
       FIGS. 2A-2B  respectively illustrate top and bottom views of the housing  12  with the top and bottom covers  24 ,  26  being removed and the first and second circuit assemblies  20 ,  22  partially filling the top and bottom sides of the first and second coldplates  14 ,  16 . The circuits  20 ,  22  are generically shown as being comprised of electronics mounted on a single printed circuit board (PCB) for exemplary purposes. The present invention contemplates the use of any number of PCBs and/or electronics and the PCB occupying more of the top and bottom sides. The circuit assemblies  20 ,  22  may include a processor, controller, or other element that requires communication with one or more of the components on the other assembly, such as to facilitate the controlling the contemplated battery charging operations. 
     Each of the top and bottom sides may include through-hole apertures  30 ,  32  that align with recesses  42 ,  44  (recesses  42 ,  44 , do not extend through bottom of second coldplate  16 ) to facilitate fastening the first and second coldplates  14 ,  16  together and additional through-holes,  34 ,  36 ,  38 ,  40 ,  46 ,  48 ,  50 ,  52  through which a connector, wire, or other electrically conducting element (not shown) may pass from the top side of the first coldplate  14  through to the bottom side of the second coldplate  16  to establish an electrical interconnection between each circuit assembly  20 ,  22 . The second coldplate  16  is also shown in include a plurality of side-wall apertures  58 ,  60 ,  62 ,  64  (see  FIG. 3 ) through which cables, wires, and/or other connectors may project. One or more of these connectors may be used to connect the battery charger  10  to an AC source and to provide the DC output to the high voltage vehicle battery or other element or subsystem within the vehicle. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a partial assembly view of the housing  12  with exposure of a bottom side of the first coldplate  14  and a top side of the second coldplate  16 . A cavity  68  formed with the second coldplate forms the flood cooling chamber  18  through which a fluid, such as a liquid or gas, flows between an inlet  70  and an outlet  72  to facilitate cooling of the first and second coldplates  14 ,  16 , and thereby the first and second circuit assemblies  20 ,  22 . A number of fins  74 ,  76 ,  78 ,  80 ,  82 ,  84 ,  86 ,  88 ,  90 ,  92 ,  94 ,  96 ,  98 ,  100 ,  102 ,  104  may extend from the bottom side of the first coldplate  14  below the top side of the second coldplate  16  and into the cavity  68  to further facilitate the contemplated cooling. A plurality of partitions or dividers  110 ,  112 ,  114 ,  116 ,  118 ,  120 ,  122 ,  124 ,  126 ,  128 ,  130 ,  132 ,  134 ,  136 ,  138 ,  140 ,  142 ,  144  may similarly extend upwardly from a bottom of the cavity  68  to facilitate directing the fluid flow between the inlet  70  and outlet  72 . The second coldplate  16  may also include a plurality of reliefs  150 ,  152 ,  154 ,  156 ,  158 ,  160 ,  162 ,  164 ,  166  that align with a corresponding plurality of extensions  170 ,  172 ,  174 ,  176 ,  178 ,  180 ,  182 ,  184 ,  186  of the first coldplate  14 . Screws may be threaded into the extensions  170 ,  172 ,  174 ,  176 ,  178 ,  180 ,  182 ,  184 ,  186  without passing through a bottom side thereof to facilitate securing the PCB  20  to the first coldplate  14 . 
     A seal  200  may be positioned within a groove  202  around an entire outer perimeter of the fluid cooling chamber  68  to prevent fluid leakage.  FIGS. 4A and 4B  illustrate operation of the seal and groove in accordance with one non-limiting aspect of the present invention where the seal  200  may be substantially cylindrically shaped and compacts into the groove  202  when the first coldplate  14  adjoins with the second coldplate  16 . A compressive force between the first and second coldplates  14 ,  16  may be sufficient to compact the seal  200  flush against planar portion  204  of the first coldplate  14  that extends across the groove  202  from one side to the other. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the first and second coldplates may be secured together with one or more fasteners (not shown) or other securing agents being inserted through one or more receptacles  210 ,  212 ,  214 ,  216 ,  218 ,  220 ,  222 ,  224 ,  226 ,  228 ,  230  to provide the compressive action shown in  FIGS. 4A-4B . 
     The compressive force may be sufficient to generate a metal to metal contact between the first and second coldplates  14 ,  16 , or a similar material to material interface in the event to coldplates  14 ,  16  are comprised of a ceramic, plastic, or other material. The illustrated groove  202  is shown be rectangular with a depth of 2.2 mm and a width of 2.5 mm throughout relative to an approximate 2.8 mm diameter of the seal  200 . The difference between the seal diameter and the seal groove depth may be select as a function of the seal material (rubber, plastic, etc.) and the shape of the corresponding groove  202  as required to allow the seal  200  to be sufficiently compacted to provide the desired fluid leakage resistance. Additional seal and groove conditions may be included around the through-hole apertures  42 ,  44 ,  46 ,  48 ,  50 ,  52  and constructed in a similar manner. 
     The grooves and seals  200 ,  202 ,  240 ,  246 ,  248 ,  250 ,  252  may be uniform throughout at least in so far as having the same, uninterrupted profile where a bottom of each groove is free of a drainage hole or other feature to control fluid flow. Of course, the present invention fully contemplates the grooves  202 ,  240 ,  242 ,  246 ,  248 ,  250 ,  252  including drainage holes and/or the use of drainage holes proximate the grooves  202 ,  240 ,  242 ,  246 ,  248 ,  250 ,  252 , such as holes shaped to borough though the second coldplate  16  to a collecting area away from the first and second circuit assemblies  20 ,  22 . One non-limiting aspect of the present contemplates a design free of drainage holes and other auxiliary fluid control features in order to provide a compact configuration free of the extra space needed to shape such auxiliary fluid control features and to limit the amount of work required to form and/or cut the coldplates  14 ,  16  to include such auxiliary fluid control features. The present invention fully contemplates the seals and/or grooves  202 ,  240 ,  242 ,  246 ,  248 ,  250 ,  252  having non-spherical shapes, such as but not limited to being square, double-humped, etc. 
     As supported above, one non-limiting aspect of the present invention contemplates sealing for a coolant passage within an electronic module that contains a coolant passage in the center of the package with electronics mounted on both sides of the coolant passage. The illustrated configurations are believed, at least on some respects, to be beneficial in that if the seal around the outer perimeter of the coolant passage were to fail the coolant would not likely come in contact with the electronics due to the additional seals being separately included around the through-hole apertures, which may be particularly helpful since a coolant leak to the electronics may go undetected until protection circuit shutdown or module failure. The present invention contemplates selecting the location of the coolant seal such that if the seal were to fail the coolant leaks to the outside of the electronics housing, thus keeping the coolant away from the electronics within the assembly. Also, since the coolant leaks to the outside of the module the opportunity for detection is increased. 
     While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, the features of various implementing embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the invention.