US-12627090-B2 - Connector packages for fastenerless circuit coupling

Abstract

A system for high-voltage interconnecting and interfacing can include: a package for a circuit, wherein the package comprises a housing for the circuit; and a gate connector located centrally on a face of an exterior surface of the housing, wherein the gate connector enables wiring outside the package to couple to the gate connector from any of a plurality of directions. In certain embodiments, the package for the housing further comprises a pressure applicator about an exterior surface of the housing; and the system further comprises a leadline that extends from the circuit within the housing and beyond the exterior surface through an aperture in the housing, wherein the leadline can be deformed over the pressure applicator at the exterior surface such that the pressure applicator can apply pressure to the leadline against a contact surface of a second structure.

Inventors

• Geraldo Nojima

Assignees

• EATON INTELLIGENT POWER LIMITED

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20221012

Claims (18)

1. 1 . A system for interconnecting and interfacing, the system comprising: a package for a circuit, wherein the package comprises a housing for the circuit; and a gate connector located centrally on a recessed face of an exterior surface of the housing and configured to enable connection to a complementary connector and associated wiring from outside the housing, wherein the exterior surface of the housing includes slits in communication with the recessed face, wherein the slits are configured to receive the associated wiring of the complementary connector for the associated wiring to reach the gate connector from a plurality of directions.
2. 2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the gate connector has a circular acceptor and the complementary connector is rotatable with respect to the gate connector to enable connection of the complementary connector to the gate connector in any direction or orientation.
3. 3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the gate connector is L shaped.
4. 4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises ribs allowing wiring outside the package to reach the gate connector through a peripheral face.
5. 5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the package for the circuit further comprises: a pressure applicator about the exterior surface of the housing; and a leadline that extends from the circuit within the housing and beyond the exterior surface through an aperture in the housing, wherein the leadline can be deformed over the pressure applicator at the exterior surface such that the pressure applicator can apply pressure to the leadline against a contact surface of a second structure.
6. 6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the pressure applicator is provided in plurality about the exterior surface of the housing and positioned symmetrically with respect to the gate connector.
7. 7 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the pressure applicator comprises a stack of Belleville washers.
8. 8 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the second structure is a busline interface.
9. 9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the busline interface comprises the contact surface for contacting the leadline at one face and a second contact surface at an opposite face, the system further comprising: a second package for a second circuit, wherein the second package comprises a second housing for the second circuit and a second pressure applicator about an exterior surface of the second housing; and a second leadline that extends from the second circuit within the second housing and beyond the exterior surface through a second aperture in the second housing, wherein the second leadline can be deformed over the second pressure applicator at the exterior surface such that the second pressure applicator can apply pressure to the second leadline against the second contact surface of the busline interface.
10. 10 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the circuit is a power electronics circuit.
11. 11 . The system, of claim 10 , wherein the power electronics circuit comprises a wide bandgap transistor.
12. 12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises an insulative material.
13. 13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the insulative material is Polyphenylene Sulfide resin.
14. 14 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises a heat sink.
15. 15 . A system for interconnecting and interfacing, the system comprising: a package for a circuit, wherein the package comprises a housing for the circuit and a pressure applicator about an exterior surface of the housing; a leadline that extends from the circuit within the housing and beyond the exterior surface through an aperture in the housing, wherein the leadline can be deformed over the pressure applicator at the exterior surface such that the pressure applicator can apply pressure to the leadline against a contact surface of a second structure, wherein the second structure is a busline interface that comprises the contact surface for contacting the leadline at one face and a second contact surface at an opposite face; a second package for a second circuit, wherein the second package comprises a second housing for the second circuit and a second pressure applicator about an exterior surface of the second housing; and a second leadline that extends from the second circuit within the second housing and beyond the exterior surface through a second aperture in the second housing, wherein the second leadline can be deformed over the second pressure applicator at the exterior surface such that the second pressure applicator can apply pressure to the second leadline against the second contact surface of the busline interface.
16. 16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the circuit is a power electronics circuit that comprises a wide bandgap transistor.
17. 17 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the pressure applicator comprises a stack of Belleville washers.
18. 18 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the system further comprises a heat sink.

Description

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT This invention was made with Government support under contract no. DE-EE0009135 awarded by DOE. The Government has certain rights in this invention. BACKGROUND In power electronics, voltages are transformed by converter circuits, which are then coupled to other components through busses or other interconnecting or interfacing structures. Traditionally, silicon-based semiconductors have been used heavily in such converter circuits; however, wide-bandgap semiconductors are seeing increasing use in converter circuits due to their many superior physical traits, including operation in a wider range of temperatures, voltages, and frequencies. In combination, this leads to faster, more efficient designs that are able to perform in more compact architectures. To cope with the faster wide-bandgap semiconductor transistors, such as silicon carbide MOSFET, a converter circuit has to have significantly reduced parasitic components (e.g., components that introduce inductance and capacitance)—by at least ten times. State-of-the-art interconnecting structures rely on bolts, nuts, and screws for connecting to packages. Insertion of bolts and nuts causes loss of power density due to required dimensional allowances for electric insulation and for their mechanical placement. Moreover, use of large-sized bolts, nuts, and screws forces the package housing design to align semiconductor switch power terminals, which causes further dimensional increases when arranging the conducting plates of the interconnecting structure. These dimensional increases cause the parasitic components to increase and also reduce the semiconductor switch performance. BRIEF SUMMARY Connector packages for fastenerless circuit coupling are provided. Rather than connecting a terminal using holes and corresponding screws or nuts, the terminal can connect by direct contact and pressure to the interconnecting or interfacing structure. Packages without the need of fasteners not only provide compact, lower parasitic architecture but also allow the underlying circuitry to have more flexibility in geometry and terminal location as compared to fastener-based packaging. The described connector package configurations allow for the whole package to be rotatable to fit different wire/package connection configurations. A system for high-voltage interconnecting and interfacing can include: a package for a circuit, wherein the package includes a housing for the circuit and a pressure applicator about an exterior surface of the housing; and a leadline that extends from the circuit within the housing and beyond the exterior surface through an aperture in the housing, wherein the leadline can be deformed over the pressure applicator at the exterior surface such that the pressure applicator can apply pressure to the leadline against a contact surface of a second structure. This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate a system for high-voltage interconnecting and interfacing. FIG. 2 illustrates a system of two assemblies sandwiching a busline interface. FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate an example pressure applicator for a system for high-voltage interconnecting and interfacing. FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate an example housing of a package. FIGS. 5A-5C illustrate a further embodiment of a package. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Connector packages for fastenerless circuit coupling are provided. Rather than connecting a terminal using holes and corresponding screws or nuts, the terminal can connect by direct contact and pressure to the interconnecting or interfacing structure. Packages without the need of fasteners not only provide compact, lower parasitic architecture but also allow the underlying circuitry to have more flexibility in geometry and terminal location as compared to fastener-based packaging. The described connector package configurations allow for the whole package to be rotatable to fit different wire/package connection configurations. The described connector package can connect to an interconnecting or interfacing structure directly via compression (e.g., without the use of fasteners such as nuts, bolts, and screws). This feature affords a housing for the package freedom to use any geometry and for the power and control terminals to be anywhere within an enclosure, with no alignment requirements nor limit on the number of terminals for a given switch. These factors give the package the optimum framework to reduce parasitic components, balance transmission line effects amongst the switch die population on both the power connections, as well as the control connections such as th