Abstract:
A housing device that is used to accomodate at least one power semiconductor module has increased flexibility. Areas of the housing which are configured to receive contact elements in a variety of positions are configured such that the contact elements can be disposed and oriented in a plurality of ways when disposed in each position.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation of copending International Application No. PCT/DE01/01847, filed May 16, 2001, which designated the United States and was not published in English. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to a housing device for accommodating at least one power semiconductor module, and to a contact element for use and/or accommodation in the housing device. 
     Circuit configurations in which electronic components are connected are frequently accommodated in housings or housing devices to shield the circuit configurations from, for example, undesirable influences. In such a case, plug-in, solder and/or screw contacts are used in the housing device to make specific electrical variables externally available, for example, for the user, and/or to provide electrical connections between adjacent housing areas. 
     Plug-in frames or other housing areas are normally formed for such a purpose in the housing device, in which so-called pins, insert parts or the like are accommodated in grooves or the like. The electrical connection to the circuit configuration is then produced, for example, through so-called bonding wires. 
     These conventional housing devices have the problem that the pins or the insert parts are restricted in their use and incorporation into the housing areas. For example, a pin can normally be connected to a housing area only at one end. Furthermore, struts that are used to provide mechanical robustness for the housing and the housing device make electrical connections between different areas more difficult. 
     Furthermore, the use of conventional sprayed-in or pushed-in contacts leads to natural oscillations between the contact and the housing material during attachment of the bonding wires during the bonding process due to microscopic gaps produced during the production process, which adversely affect the quality of the bond that is to be formed. The same natural oscillation problems occur when using plug-in contacts in a retaining groove. 
     To solve these problems in the past, bonding wires were laid for flexible connection of circuit areas disposed in different housing areas, which involves additional production complexity and is inconsistent with an automation process because the respective bonds must be provided individually. 
     To avoid natural oscillations during the formation of the bonds, special apparatuses have been used until now, which minimize the natural oscillations. On the other hand, when using sprayed-in contacts, specific spraying techniques are required to form a particularly,good seat during the bonding process, while avoiding natural oscillations. This also involves additional production complexity, resulting in additional costs. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a housing device and contact element to be used in the housing device that overcome the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices of this general type and that produces a particularly flexible and mechanically reliable electrical connection. 
     With the foregoing and other objects in view, there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a housing device for accommodating at least one power semiconductor module, including housing areas having live contact elements with at least one attachment area, each having a number of contact element configuration positions substantially linear in one extent direction for placing the contact elements in a number of orientations, each being formed from an alternating sequence of apertures and web elements, and each being disposed in approximately one accommodating plane in the extent direction and being substantially mirror-image symmetrical with respect to the accommodating plane, the accommodating plane containing the extent direction, and the web elements each being substantially mirror-image symmetrical, having an approximately double-T-shaped support, and having at least one groove at least one of interlocking and force-fitting the attachment area of the contact elements. 
     The housing device for accommodating at least one circuit configuration, in particular, a power semiconductor module or the like, has housing areas that are constructed for the configuration of, in particular, live contact elements and that each provide a number of configuration positions for such a purpose. 
     The housing device according to the invention is characterized in that the housing areas, in particular, with regard to their size and/or shape, are configured such that the contact elements can be disposed in a number of orientations in each of the configuration positions. 
     A fundamental idea of the present invention is, thus, to configure the housing areas of the housing device that are intended for accommodating the contact elements in terms of their size and shape such that the contact elements that are provided can be disposed in more than one orientation when they are accommodated in the housing areas. This allows the contact elements to be inserted in a more flexible manner in the housing areas. 
     In accordance with another feature of the invention, the housing areas each are in the form of areas of a plug-in frame, of a strut, of a reinforced area, in the form of an edge or boundary area and/or the like. Such a measure makes it possible to insert the contact elements to be used at a large number of positions in the area of the housing device. In particular, the struts and reinforced regions that are intended to be used for mechanical robustness of the housing device are configured in terms of their size and/or shape such that they are also used for accommodating the contact elements. Thus, in addition to providing mechanical reinforcement, these areas, at the same time, carry out contact-making tasks, thus, further improving the flexibility of the housing device according to the invention. 
     In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the housing areas are in each case substantially linear, at least in sections and/or locally, at least in one extent direction, and are, preferably, in the form of web, wall or plate elements there. In such a case, it is, furthermore, preferable for the housing areas each to be disposed in approximately one accommodating plane, which contains the respective extent direction, in the extent direction, and, preferably, to be configured to be substantially mirror-image symmetrical with respect to this accommodating plane. These measures result in the housing areas that are intended to accommodate the contact elements having a particularly simple configuration. In particular, the mirror-image symmetry with respect to the accommodating plane means that the number of orientations for the contact elements in the configuration positions can, likewise, be configured to be substantially mirror-image symmetrical with respect to the accommodating plane. 
     In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the housing areas are each formed substantially from an alternating sequence of apertures and web elements, which are each configured to be substantially the same and/or to have the same effect, in particular, geometrically and/or mechanically. This, then, means that the contact elements can in each case be accommodated in the apertures. If required, the alternating sequence of apertures and web elements maintains the functionality of the mechanical robustness of the housing in principle, to be precise, while at the same time providing flexibility with regard to the accommodation of the contact elements in the large number of apertures. In such a case, the invention, likewise, provides for the configuration positions each to be defined substantially by the position of the apertures or recesses. 
     Further improved robustness is obtained if the housing areas are each based on a base area that is, preferably, substantially flat or in the form of a plate and is substantially formed in a base plane at right angles to the accommodating plane. Such a configuration means that the housing area has a cross-section substantially in the form of an inverted T, with the base area being formed transversely, for example, on one housing surface, and, thus, giving that housing area sufficient robustness for the configuration in the housing. 
     The invention, furthermore, provides for a cutout to be formed in each case in the base area, which is configured for interlocking and/or force-fitting accommodation and/or fixing—in particular, by an undersize or a push fit—of one area of a contact element, preferably, of a contact area of it. The provision of the cutouts and of the interlock and/or force fit associated with them ensures particularly reliable mechanical fixing and retention of the contact elements to be accommodated so that natural oscillations, which could detract from the contact formation, are reliably avoided even when forming further contacts, for example, bonds or the like. 
     Provision is advantageously made as a further attachment measure for the web elements each to have at least one groove, which is configured for interlocking and/or force-fitting accommodation of at least one attachment area of a contact element. This alternatively or additionally results in mechanically reliable retention of a contact element that is to be accommodated. To improve the flexibility, provision is made for the web elements each to be configured to be substantially mirror-image symmetrical, and, preferably, approximately in the form of a double-T support. The grooves so formed in the web areas, thus, form a type of guide rail for insertion and retraction of the contact elements that are to be accommodated. 
     In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, at least one of the housing areas has a contact device, at least one of the web elements is disposed in the at least one housing area, the contact element has at least one substantially electrically conductive contact area contacting the contact device, the contact device accommodating the contact element and at least one attachment area attaching the contact element to the at least one housing area when the contact element is accommodated in the at least one housing area, and at least one of the contact area and the attachment area being at least partially complementary to the at least one web element to hold the at least one of the contact area and the attachment area in at least one of an interlock and a force-fit when the contact element is accommodated in the at least one housing area and to dispose the contact element in the number of orientations at the configuration position. 
     A contact element for use and accommodation in a housing device has at least one contact area that is configured to be substantially electrically conductive and to make contact with a contact device for accommodating the contact element in a housing area of the housing device. Furthermore, the contact element has at least one attachment area, which is configured for attachment in a housing area when the contact element is accommodated in a housing area of the housing device. 
     It is particularly preferable for the contact element, especially as a first contact area of it, to have a substantially planar contact plate, preferably, an insert plate. In such a case, the contact plate can, itself, form the actual contact element as an entity, or can be provided as part thereof. In any case, the provision of such a planar contact plate can be regarded as a particularly simple refinement form of a contact area. 
     In accordance with yet another feature of the invention, the attachment area is at least one recess in the contact plate. 
     In accordance with yet a further feature of the invention, the contact plate has an edge and a central area and the recess is formed in at least one of the edge and the central area. 
     The contact element according to the invention for use and for accommodation in a housing device according to the invention is characterized by choosing the size and/or the shape of the contact area and/or of the attachment area such that the contact element can be disposed in a number of orientations at a configuration position in the housing area of the housing device when the contact element is accommodated in a housing area of the housing device. 
     One fundamental idea of the contact element according to the invention is, thus, to use the size and shape of the contact element to ensure that the contact element can be disposed in a particularly flexible manner, in a number of orientations at a given configuration position in a housing area of the housing device. 
     Provision is, advantageously, made for the contact area and/or the attachment area to be configured to be at least partially complementary to an accommodation area that can be provided in the housing area of the housing device, in particular, of a web element, in order to be held in an interlocking and/or force-fitting manner when the contact element is accommodated in the housing area of the housing device. This ensures, in a particularly simple manner, not only the greatest possible flexibility for accommodation of the contact elements, but also that they are reliably mechanically fixed and made contact with, in particular, to prevent natural oscillations during the further contact-making process and during the formation of bonds. 
     It is further preferable for at least one recess to be formed in the contact plate, especially as a first attachment area. This recess can respectively be provided in an edge area and/or in a central area of the contact plate. The recess is in each case configured such that it engages with a corresponding mating piece of the housing area, preferably, with a corresponding web element, in an at least partially complementary manner, to hold and fix the contact element appropriately when it is accommodated in the housing area of the housing device. 
     It is particularly advantageous for the contact plate to have a size and/or shape such that it comes to rest at least between areas of two adjacent configuration positions when the contact element is accommodated in a housing area of the housing device and, in the process, substantially surrounds at least one web element of the housing area, in particular, with its recess. In consequence, the corresponding web element substantially passes through the contact element to be accommodated, in a particularly simple manner that is, at the same time, reliable, thus, being fixed and held in an appropriate manner in the housing area. 
     In accordance with yet an added feature of the invention, the contact plate has a size and/or shape such that it comes to rest between two web elements when the contact element is accommodated in a housing area of the housing device. In such a form, the contact element is effectively clamped in between two adjacent web elements, with the web elements at least partially engaging, in a cooperating manner, with the contour of the recess of the contact plate, which is provided such that it is substantially complementary. This, likewise, results in particularly reliable mechanical retention and fixing of the contact elements to be accommodated in the housing area, while preventing natural oscillations during the bonding process. 
     It is, furthermore, preferable to provide an area that can be made to engage with a push fit in a housing area when the contact element is accommodated in the housing area of the housing device, in particular, based upon its size and/or shape as the attachment area, in particular, in the area of the contact plate. The provision of a push fit allows the contact element to be mounted in a particularly simple manner in the housing area of the housing device and, furthermore, ensures that it is mechanically held and fixed reliably while avoiding natural oscillations during the bonding process. 
     In accordance with yet an additional feature of the invention, a substantially electrically conductive tap area, which is configured for tapping off an electrical potential and/or current, is provided as a—possibly further—contact area. Such a measure means that the electrical variables that are required in some circumstances during use are externally accessible in a particularly simple manner through the corresponding tap areas. 
     In accordance with again another feature of the invention, the attachment area has a size and a shape and engages with the push fit when the contact element is accommodated in the at least one housing area based upon at least one of the size and the shape. 
     In accordance with again a further feature of the invention, the attachment area is an area of the contact plate. 
     It is advantageous for the tap area to in each case extend substantially at right angles to any contact plate that may be provided. Because the contact plate is normally substantially planar and is configured to be parallel to a base area of the housing device, the tap areas, then, consequently, extend at right angles to this base area, and the desired electrical variables can, then, be provided in a particularly favorable manner, in particular, to the exterior. 
     It is, furthermore, preferable that the tap area is substantially in the form of a plate and, preferably, has edge areas that can be made to engage in an interlocking and/or force-fitting manner with grooves of a corresponding web element in a housing area when the contact element is accommodated in the housing area of the housing device. Such a configuration also provides particularly reliable mechanical fixing and retention while avoiding natural oscillations. 
     Other features that are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims. 
     Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a housing device and contact element to be used in the housing device, it is, nevertheless, not intended to be limited to the details shown because various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims. 
     The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, plan view of a housing area of an embodiment of the housing device according to the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a partially cross-sectional side view of the housing area of FIG. 1; 
     FIGS. 3A to  3 C are fragmentary, cross-sectional side views through web elements of the housing area of FIGS. 1 and 2; 
     FIGS. 4A to  4 C are fragmentary plan views of three different embodiments of the contact element according to the invention; 
     FIG. 5A is a side elevational view of a further embodiment of the contact element according to the invention; 
     FIG. 5B is a front elevational view of the contact element of FIG. 5A; 
     FIG. 6 is a fragmentary, plan view of a circuit configuration with one embodiment of the housing device according to the invention and a corresponding embodiment of contact elements according to the invention; and 
     FIGS. 7A and 7B are schematic not-to-scale views of a housing area and selected contact elements before and after assembly. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first, particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2 thereof, there is shown a plan view of one exemplary embodiment of the housing device  1  according to the invention, having a housing area  3  that extends in a first extent direction  7  and is formed by a base area  12 , which runs in a first plane  13 , and by a web area  10 , which is formed on the base area  12  and extends in a second plane  8  at right angles to the first plane  13 . The web area  10  is formed by an alternating sequence of web elements  10   a  and apertures  9  disposed in between them. The web elements  10   a  and the apertures  9  each have substantially identical geometric shapes. The web elements  10   a  are substantially in the form of double-T supports and have recesses or grooves  15  running at right angles. Recesses  14  are, likewise, optionally provided in the base area  12  and can be used as the basis for a push fit during insertion of contact elements with a correspondingly complementary configure. 
     FIG. 2 shows a schematic and partially sectioned side view of the housing area  3  shown in FIG. 1, to be precise along the section line II—II in FIG.  1 . As can be seen, the base area  12  substantially forms a narrow planar foot area of the housing area  3 . The recesses  14  for the push fit are incorporated in the base area  12 . From left to right, four web elements  10   a  of the web area  10  can be seen, with apertures  9  or recesses disposed therebetween. 
     The first web element  10   a  seen from the left is illustrated sectioned on its rear surface. The following one is illustrated sectioned centrally, and the areas of the recesses or grooves  15  can be seen to the right and left of the actual section surface. The next web element  10   a  in the direction from left to right is illustrated sectioned in the area of its front surf ace, with the edges of the areas of the grooves  15  being indicated by vertical dashed lines. The web element  10   a  on the extreme right in FIG. 2 is not sectioned, but is illustrated as a front view, with the areas of the grooves  15 , likewise, being indicated as dashed vertical lines. 
     It can also be seen from FIG. 2 that the web area  10  with its web elements  10   a  runs in an accommodation direction or accommodating plane  8  at right angles to the extent direction or extent plane  7  of the entire housing area  3 . 
     FIGS. 3A,  3 B, and  3 C show sectioned side views of the web elements  10   a  used in FIGS. 1 and 2, to be precise along the section planes A, B and C, respectively, which are indicated in FIG.  1 . 
     In FIG. 3A along the section plane A shown in FIG. 1, the web element  10   a  is illustrated sectioned only in its base area  12 . This results in a side view of the actual web element  10   a  with a groove  15 . 
     In FIG. 3B, the section is both in the base area  12  and in the area of the actual web element  10   a , with the side walls of the area of the groove  15  being sectioned, and the rear wall of the groove is being illustrated in the form of a plan view. 
     Finally, FIG. 3C shows the section along the section plane C from FIG. 1, to be precise, in the central area of the web element  10   a.    
     FIGS. 4A to  4 C show plan views of three exemplary embodiments of contact elements  20  according to the invention. In use, all of these contact-elements  20  act, in particular, as links or bushings between different areas. The contact elements  20  are each an entity formed as so-called contact plates  23  or insert parts or plates, and are used as contact areas  21 . Recesses  24  are in each case provided as attachment areas  22  and, when the contact plates  23  or contact elements  20  are disposed in the housing area  3 , are made to engage with the contour of the respective web element  10   a  in some way. 
     In the example of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4A, the recess  24  is in the form of an attachment area  22  in a central area  25  of the contact plate  23  or of the contact element  20 . The contact element  20  has an approximately rectangular or square base area, whose edge areas  26  are intact. 
     In contrast thereto, in the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 4B, the central area  25  of the contact element  20  or of the contact plate  23  is intact while, in contrast, at the edge areas  26  on opposite edges there are provided corresponding recesses  24  with attachment areas  22 . 
     The embodiment shown in FIG. 4C has two recesses  24  in the central area  25  of the contact element  20 ,  40  or of the contact plate  23  that is used as a contact area  21 , which are used as attachment areas  22  and are, in turn, configured to be approximately complementary to the base area of the web elements  10   a  shown in FIG. 1 so as to engage with the contour of the web elements  10   a  when the contact element  20 ,  40  is in place. 
     The embodiment shown in FIG. 4A vertically completely surrounds the circumferential edge of a web element  10   a  when accommodated in a housing area  3 , with the areas of two adjacent apertures  9  being at least partially covered at the same time by the contact element  20  in the area of the base  12 . 
     In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 4B, on the other hand, the opposite areas of the grooves  15  of directly adjacent web elements  10   a  of the housing area  3  are made to engage with the recesses  24  in the contact element  20  when the contact element  20  is in place, with the contact plate  23  coming to rest in the base area  12  between the respective web elements  10   a  as the contact element  21  of the contact element  20 . 
     The embodiment shown in FIG. 4C acts in a similar way as the embodiment shown in FIG. 4A, but with the grooves  15  of two directly adjacent web elements  10   a , of the housing area  3  being made to engage with the two recesses  24  in the contact element  20 ,  40 . 
     The embodiments shown in FIGS. 4A to  4 C have the common feature that they help to bridge the web area  10  of the housing area  3  in the configuration in that electrical connections, in particular, in the form of so-called bonding wires, can be soldered both on the one side of the web area  10  and on the opposite other side of the contact plate  23 , on the substantially electrically conductive contact plate  23 . 
     Another embodiment of a contact element  20 ,  50  according to the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 5A and 5B by a schematic side view and a schematic front view. 
     The embodiment shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B is that of a so-called contact pin  50 . As the contact element  20 , this contact pin  50  has a contact plate  23  that is used both as the first, contact area  21  and as the attachment area  22 . Firstly, electrical connections can be soldered on the contact plate  23  as the first contact area  21  when the pin  50  is disposed in the housing area  3 . Secondly, the contact plate  23  is shaped such that it acts as the attachment area  22 , in that, for example, it can be pushed into and held in the recesses  14  (which are shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) in the base area  12 , resulting in a type of push fit. 
     On the other hand, as the contact element  20  according to the invention, the pin  50  has a tap area  27  that extends at right angles to the contact plate  23  and whose thickness is chosen such that at least the edge areas  28  of the tap area  27  can be inserted into a housing area  3  (for example, into the grooves  15  in two adjacent web elements  10   a  that, for example, are shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) when the pin  50  is disposed as the contact element  20  according to the invention. As such, in addition to forming the push fit, the pin  50  is furthermore fixed by recesses  14  and the first attachment area  21 . The edge areas  28  of the tap area  27  are, thus, used as further attachment areas  22 . When the pin  50  is used as the contact element  20  according to the invention, the user can, then, tap off appropriate electrical variables on the upper section  29  of the tap area  27 , which runs to a point. 
     FIG. 6 shows a schematic plan view of the configuration of one embodiment of the housing device  1  according to the invention using contact elements  20 ,  40 , and  50  according to the invention. 
     The housing device  1  according to the invention has a housing area  3  that is formed substantially by a base area  12  with a web area  10  formed on it. The web area  10  has an alternating sequence of web elements  10   a  with apertures  9  disposed in between them. The web elements  10   a  each have one groove  15 . 
     A circuit configuration  2  is accommodated in the housing device  1 . This circuit configuration  2  is formed by electrical components  60 , by electrical contact areas  61  and by appropriately configured electrical connecting devices  62 , in particular, in the form of bonding wires. The circuit configuration  2  is subdivided by the housing area  3  and, in particular, by the web area  10  into a first lower section  63  and a second upper section  64 . 
     An insert element  40 , substantially having the shape shown in FIG. 4C, is introduced as the contact element  20  in the right-hand area of the web area  10  to connect the two sections  63  and  64  of the circuit configuration  2  across the separating housing area  3 . Appropriate connecting devices  62  in the sections  63  and  64  connect the two sections  63  and  64  of the circuit configuration  2  to one another. 
     To tap off the electrical variables of the circuit configuration  2  that are provided by the sections  63  and  64 , two pins  50  are incorporated in the left-hand area of the web area  10  illustrated in FIG. 6, as the contact element  20  according to the invention in a first orientation  6 A in the form shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, in order to provide electrical variables from the area  63  of the circuit configuration  2 . On the other hand, two pins  50  are disposed as the contact elements  20  in the center of the web area  10 , in a second orientation  6 B in the form shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B to make it possible to tap off electrical variables in the area  64  of the circuit configuration  2 .