Patent Publication Number: US-RE47423-E

Title: Integrated power-converting module

Description:
This application is a reissue of the patent application Ser. No. 14/694,949, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,559,609. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present disclosure relates to a power-converting module. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to an integrated power-converting module. 
     Description of Related Art 
     Electric power is used in almost all electronic devices, and it is the core and can affect performance thereof. 
     The demands for electric power follow the trend towards downsizing, high efficiency, and lower cost as energy saving and carbon reduction keeps promoting. A conventional power converter includes a flat circuit board, at least one transformer, and a plurality of electrical components, and the converter and the electrical components are individually placed on the circuit board for electrically connecting each other via traces formed on the circuit board. In such manner, the transformer and electrical components occupy a lot of space in the circuit board, this becomes the main obstacle of the high power converter to achieve miniaturization. Therefore, there is a need of providing an integrated power-converter in order to obviate the drawbacks encountered in the prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to one aspect of the present invention, an integrated power-converting module electrically connected to a direct current (DC) electric power includes a bobbin, at least one primary coil, a magnetic core assembly, and a plurality of power-converting units. The bobbin includes a main body, a plurality of winding portions, and a plurality of receiving portions. The main body includes a channel, and the winding portions and the receiving portions are respectively connected to the main body and arranged in a stagger manner. Each of the receiving portions has a slot communicating with the first channel. The primary winding is wound on the winding portions. The magnetic core assembly is assembled with the bobbin and partially received in the first channel. 
     The power-converting units are arranged in a parallel manner, and each of the power-converting units includes a circuit board, a rectifier, and a filter. The circuit board has a base portion and an extending portion connected to the base portion and including a penetrating hole. When the extending portion is inserted into the slot, the penetrating hole is aligned with the first channel and communicating therewith. The circuit board has two opposite surfaces, the rectifier is placed on one of the surfaces and electrically connected to the circuit board, and the filter is placed on the other surface of the circuit board and electrically connected to the rectifier. 
     When the DC electric power is conducted to the integrated power-converting module, the magnetic core assembly generates electromagnetic induction with the primary coil and the copper foils or electrically conductive sheets placed on the extending portions of the circuit boards, so that the copper foils or electrically conductive sheets respectively generate an outputting voltage. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING 
       The features of the invention believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, may be best understood by reference to the following detailed description of the invention, which describes an exemplary embodiment of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a circuit diagram of an integrated power-converting module according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the integrated power-converting module according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a partially assembled view of the integrated power-converting module according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is an assembled view of the integrated power-converting module according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a sectional view of the integrated power-converting module along line  5 - 5  shown in  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 6  is a sectional view of the integrated power-converting module along line  6 - 6  shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 
     Reference is made to  FIG. 1 , which is a circuit diagram of an integrated power-converting module according to the present invention. The integrated power-converting module having functions of changing voltage, rectification, and filtration, and includes a transformer  5 , a plurality of rectifiers  44 , and a plurality of filter  46 . The rectifier  44  and the filters  46  are electrically connected to a secondary side of the transformer  5 . The rectifier  44  receives the converted electric power outputted from the secondary side of the transformer  5  and converts the converted electric power from alternative current (AC), which periodically reverse direction, to direct current (DC), which flow in only one direction. The filter  46  is configured to remove the unwanted AC components (or called ripple) of the rectifier  44  output, thus the integrated power-converting module can output a smooth and steady DC. 
     Reference is made to  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , which are respectively an exploded view and an assembled view of the integrated power-converting module according to the present invention. The integrated power-converting module includes a bobbin  10 , at least one primary coil  20 , a magnetic core assembly  30 , and a plurality of power-converting units  41 a˜ 41 d. 
     The bobbin  10  includes a main body  100 , a plurality of winding portions  102 , and a plurality of receiving portions  104 a˜ 104 d. The main body  100  includes a first channel  101 . The amount of the receiving portions  104 a˜ 104 b is the same as that of the winding portions  102 . The receiving portions  104 a˜ 104 d are arranged in a parallel manner, and the winding portions  102  and the receiving portions  104 a˜ 104 d are arranged in a stagger manner. 
     The main body  100  further includes a second channel  109  communicating with the first channel  101  and substantially perpendicular thereto. 
     The bobbin  10  of the present invention includes four receiving portions  104 a˜ 104 d arranged at two opposite sides of the second channel  109 . In particular, the receiving portions  104 a and  104 b are arranged at one side of the second channel  109 , and the receiving portions  104 c and  104 d are arranged at the other side thereof. The winding portions  102  also arranged at the opposite sides of the second channel  109 , and the winding portions  102  and the receiving portions  104 a˜ 104 d are arranged in staggered manner. 
     Each of the receiving portions  104 a˜ 404 d including a slot  106  communicating with the first channel  101  and a sidewall  110  disposed opposite to the power-converting units  41 a˜ 41 d and enclose the slot  106 . 
     Each of the receiving portions  104 a˜ 104 d further includes two protrusions  105  arranged on the bottom and far away from each other. An extending direction of the protrusions  105  is substantially perpendicular to the opening direction of the slots  106 . The power-converting module further includes a plurality of electrically conductive terminals  12  and a plurality of fixing members  13 , the electrically conductive terminals  12  are connected to the protrusions  105  far away from the power-converting units  41 a˜ 41 b, and the fixing members  13  are connected to the protrusions  105  close to the power-converting units  41 a˜ 41 d. 
     The primary coil  20  is electrically connected to the electrically conductive terminals  12  and is wound on the winding portions  102  in S-shaped, and initial end of the primary coil  20  is connected to one of the electrically connective terminal  12 , and a terminal end of the primary coil  20  is connected to the other electrically connected terminal  12 , as shown in  FIG. 3 . The primary coil  20  is a primary winding of the integrated power-converting module. 
     The main body  100  further includes a plurality of spacers  108  arranged between the second channel  109  and the receiving portions  104 b and  104 c close to the second channel  109  for spacing the second channel  109  and the receiving portions  104 b and  104 c. 
     The magnetic core assembly  30  is assembled with the bobbin  102  and partially inserted into the first channel  101 . The magnetic core  30  can be assembled by two E-shaped magnetic cores, and each magnetic core includes a central led  300  and two lateral legs  302  and  304  arranged at two opposite sides of the central lag  300  and connected thereto. When the magnetic core assembly  30  is assembled with the bobbin  102 , the top surfaces of the lateral leg  302  and  304  are contacted with each other, the central leg  300  is received within the first channel  101 , and an air gap  31  is formed between the top surface of the central legs  300  and within the second channel  109 , as shown in  FIG. 5 , and then an effect of energy storage is achieved. It should be noted that if the primary coil  20  does not wind on above the air gap  31 , an eddy current loss can then be effectively reduce. 
     Besides, when the magnetic core assembly  30  is assembled with the bobbin  102 , there are air passages  50  allowing vapor flowing therethrough exist, and the air passages  50  are formed between the lateral lags  302  and  304  of each of the magnetic core and the main body  100 . Thus the integrated power-converting module has a good thermal dissipating effect. 
     The power-converting units  41 a˜ 41 d are arranged in a parallel manner and each of the power-converting units  41 a˜ 41 d includes a circuit board  42 , a rectifier  44 , and a filter  46 . 
     The circuit board  42  includes a base portion  420  and an extending portion  422  connected to the base portion  420 . The base portion  420  and the extending portion  422  are both placed with copper foil, and an electrically connected sheet  43  is placed on the extending portion  422  and attached to the copper foil formed thereon, thus the electrically conductive sheet  43 , the rectifier  44 , and the filter  46  can be electrically connected to each other. As shown in the  FIG. 2 , a profile of the base portion  420  is substantially of rectangular, and a plurality of connecting terminals  426  are connected to the bottom of each of the base portions  420 . 
     A penetrating hole  424  is formed on the extending portion  422  so that a profile of the extending portion  422  is ring shape and corresponding to that of the receiving portions  104 a˜ 104 d, and when the extending portions  422  are inserted into the receiving portions  104 a˜ 104 d, the penetrating hole  424  of each extending portion  422  is aligned with and communicating with the first channel  101 . The extending portions  422  are configured to transit alternative current to the rectifiers  44 . 
     The power-converting unit  41 a˜ 41 d can further includes the electrically conductive sheets  43  placed on each of the extending portions  423  and attached on the copper foil. A profile of the electrically conductive sheet  43  is corresponding to that of the extending portion  423  and has an opening  430 , thus the electrically conductive sheets  43  is of C-shaped. The electrically conductive sheets  43  configured to conduct current can be made of tinned copper for providing a good electrical conduction and thermal dissipation. 
     In the present invention, the primary coil  20  wound on the winding portion  102 , the magnetic core assembly  30  assembled with the bobbin  10 , the extending portions  422  where placed with copper foil (and the electrically conductive sheet  43 ) and inserted into the slots  106  of the bobbin  10 , collectively construct the transformer  5  shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     The rectifier  44  is placed on one surface of the base portion  420  of the circuit boards  42 , and the filter  46  is placed on the other surface of the base portion  420  thereof. The rectifier  44  can be synchronous rectifier composed of four metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs). Each of the power-converting units  41 a˜ 41 d further includes a electrically conductive plate  48  placed on the base portion  420 , and the electrically conductive plate  48  and the rectifier  44  are placed on the same surface. The filter  46  is, for example, choke. 
     The surface of the power-converting unit  41 b placed with the filter  46  faces the surface of the power-converting unit  41 c placed with the filter  46 , which means that the filters  46  of the two power-converting units  41 b and  41 c close to the second channel  109  face each other, and the length of two filters  46  aforementioned is substantially equal to the width of the second channel  109 . 
     Moreover, the surface of the circuit board  42  of the power-converting unit  41 a placed with the rectifier  44  faces the surface of the circuit board  42  of the power-converting unit  41 b placed with the rectifier  44 . In the other words, two power-converting units  41 a and  41 b (or  41 c and  41 d) arranged at the same side of the second channel  109  face each other. In such manner, the integrated power-converting module is compact since the power-converting units  41 a˜ 41 d are tightly arranged. 
     The integrated power-converting module of the present invention having circuit diagram shown in  FIG. 1  and arrangement shown in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 6 , which has advantage of compact and eddy current loss and switching loss can be effectively reduced. 
     The integrated power-converting module can be mounted on a circuit main board, in the other words, the circuit main board is disposed below the integrated power-converting module. The fixing members  13  is inserted into the circuit main board, so that the integrated power-converting module can stand on the circuit main board to prevent the integrated power-converting module from tilt caused by heavy weight. It should be noted that if the integrated power-converting module includes both the fixing members  13  and the electrically conductive terminals  12 , the electrically conductive terminals  12  can be disposed at the bottom of the receiving portions  104 a˜ 104 d, and the primary coil  30  can be connected to the electrically connected terminals  12  and electrically connected to the circuit main board via the electrically connected terminals  12 . The fixing members  13  are disposed at the bottom of the receiving portions  104 a˜ 104 d where the electrically conductive terminal is not disposed, such that the integrated power-converting module can stand firmly on the circuit main board. If the integrated power-converting module only includes the fixing members  13 , the fixing members  13  are disposed at the bottom of the receiving portions  104 a˜ 104 d, and the primary coil  20  wound on the bobbin  10  is directly connected to the circuit main board (by fly line connection). In the practical application, the arrangement of the electrically connective terminals  12  and the mixing member  13  can be adjusted based on the different situations. 
     The integrated power-converting module of the present invention for outputting multiple direct current electric powers integrates secondary windings (the copper foil or electrically conductive sheet  43  formed on the extending portions  422 ), the rectifier  44 , and the filter  46  into one circuit board  42 , which is assembled with the bobbin  10  by inserting the extending portions  422  into the receiving portions  104 a˜ 104 d respectively. Thus it is compact and easily to manufacture and assemble. 
     Although the present invention has been described with reference to the foregoing preferred embodiment, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the details thereof. Various equivalent variations and modifications can still occur to those skilled in this art in view of the teachings of the present invention. Thus, all such variations and equivalent modifications are also embraced within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.