CN111133625A

CN111133625A - Battery charger for use in electric or hybrid vehicles

Info

Publication number: CN111133625A
Application number: CN201780091693.1A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 黎荣辉; 何晨; 周洪洲; 杨刚; 奧文德·博贝格; 艾瑞克·史班伯格
Original assignee: Valeo Siemens eAutomotive Shenzhen Co Ltd
Current assignee: Valeo eAutomotive Shenzhen Co Ltd
Priority date: 2017-04-07
Filing date: 2017-04-07
Publication date: 2020-05-08
Anticipated expiration: 2037-04-07
Also published as: CN111133625B; EP3607604A1; WO2018184215A1; EP3607604A4

Abstract

The invention relates to a heat sink module (13), in particular for use in a battery charger (1), the heat sink module (13) comprising a bottom wall (13A) extending along a longitudinal plane (β) and a side wall (13B) extending from the bottom wall (13A) orthogonally to the longitudinal plane (β), the bottom wall (13A) and the side wall (13B) defining at least one internal space, called "housing space" (13E1, 13E2), the at least one housing space (13E1, 13E2) being configured for housing at least one magnetic element (14B, 14C) for converting electrical energy of alternating current into electrical energy of direct current, the heat sink module (13) comprising a cooling channel (13B1) formed inside the side wall (13B).

Description

Battery charger for use in electric or hybrid vehicles

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a battery charger, in particular for use in electric or hybrid vehicles, and more particularly to a heat sink module for a battery charger and a battery charger comprising such a heat sink module.

More precisely, it is an object of the present invention to provide a battery charger which is advantageously easy to adjust in order to deliver different power levels depending on the intended use.

Background

In currently existing electric or hybrid vehicles, the propulsion system includes a high voltage power supply battery that delivers a supply voltage to the electric motor for propulsion of the vehicle. To charge the battery, the propulsion system includes a battery Charger, referred to as an "On-Board Charger" (OBC), that is configured to be connected to an Alternating Current (AC) power network, such as a regional or national grid.

Such on-board chargers convert one or several alternating currents received from an AC power network into direct currents that allow charging the battery. For this purpose, the on-board charger comprises a plurality of internal components, such as one or several transformers, one or several inductors, several diodes, several transistors, etc. These internal components are mounted on a PCB that is placed in a housing equipped with an AC input connector and a DC output connector and that can further be mounted onboard a vehicle. Since some internal components may generate a large amount of heat (particularly at least one transformer) when the charger is in operation, the charger may further include a heat sink module arranged below the at least one transformer to cool the at least one transformer.

The on-board charger may be a single-phase charger or a three-phase charger for connection to a single-phase power source or a three-phase AC power source, respectively. Therefore, the charger needs to be designed before the internal components are mounted on the PCB, i.e., the number and type of the internal components need to be selected according to the power and type of the on-board charger (i.e., single-phase or three-phase). Accordingly, the design of such a charger may be complex and costly, as it can only work with a specific predetermined type of AC power network. Further, heat generated by the internal components may not be properly discharged, which may damage the in-vehicle charger.

Therefore, there is a need for a battery charger solution that is easy to design and that also provides efficient draining of heat generated by internal components.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention relates to a heat sink module, in particular for use in a battery charger, comprising a bottom wall extending along a longitudinal plane and side walls extending from the bottom wall orthogonal to the longitudinal plane, the bottom wall and the side walls defining at least one internal space, called "housing space", configured for housing at least one magnetic element for converting electrical energy of alternating current into electrical energy of direct current, the heat sink module comprising cooling channels formed at least inside the side walls.

Such a cooling channel specifically allows to drain away heat generated by the magnetic assembly mounted in the at least one accommodation space of the heat sink module.

In an embodiment, the heat sink module comprises at least one circuit element configured for connection to a complementary circuit element of a cooling circuit (cooling circuit), the at least one circuit element configured to allow a cooling fluid to flow through the heat sink module. At least one circuit element allows advantageously connecting a plurality of heat sink modules in order to build an adjustable charger.

In an embodiment, the at least one circuit element extends orthogonally to the longitudinal plane.

In an embodiment, the heat sink module comprises a first circuit element and a second circuit element, and the cooling channel is configured to allow cooling fluid to flow from the first circuit element to the second circuit element.

In a preferred embodiment, the circuit element is a tube.

In an embodiment, the bottom wall is located on a bottom surface of the heat sink module, from which at least one circuit element extends, thereby specifically allowing connecting the heat sink module with another heat sink module located below the heat sink module.

In an embodiment, at least one circuit element extends from a top surface of the heat sink module opposite the bottom surface, thereby allowing the heat sink module to be connected together with another heat sink module located above the heat sink module.

In an embodiment, the heat sink module comprises at least one extension portion extending from the side wall, and the at least one circuit element is part of said extension portion, thereby allowing easy connection of the heat sink module to the cooling circuit.

Advantageously, the heat sink module is a one-piece element, i.e. the at least one circuit element, the bottom wall and the side walls are derived from the same material (e.g. by a moulding material). Thus, such a one-piece element is easy to construct and resistant. Furthermore, unlike multi-piece components, such single-piece components do not have any contact interfaces between the different parts, thereby reducing the thermal resistance of the heat sink module.

In a preferred embodiment, the one-piece element is made of a metallic material, allowing the side walls of the heat sink module to be arranged close to the magnetic elements mounted in the heat sink module, thereby improving the cooling efficiency of the heat sink module. Preferably, the metal material is aluminum.

According to an embodiment, the heat sink module comprises at least one magnetic element mounted in the at least one accommodation space to convert electrical energy of alternating current into electrical energy of direct current.

In an embodiment, each of the at least one receiving space is configured for receiving a single magnetic element.

Advantageously, the heat sink module comprises at least two receiving spaces separated by a partition wall. Such a partition wall allows heat generated by the at least two magnetic elements to be discharged toward the cooling passage.

The invention also relates to a battery charger, in particular for use in an electric or hybrid vehicle, comprising at least one converting unit configured for converting alternating phase currents into direct currents, the at least one converting unit comprising a radiator module as previously described and at least one magnetic element (e.g. a transformer, an inductor … …) arranged in at least one accommodation space of the radiator module.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a battery charger includes a housing in which at least one conversion unit is mounted.

According to an embodiment, the heat sink module constitutes a housing of the battery charger.

Alternatively, the heat sink may be a separate element.

In an embodiment, the battery charger extends along a longitudinal plane, the bottom wall comprises at least one wall element extending orthogonally with respect to said longitudinal plane, and the cooling channel is formed at least in said at least one wall element.

In an embodiment, the battery charger further comprises at least one support wall mounted on the at least one wall element for supporting the at least one electronic component.

Advantageously, at least one support wall is mounted on a top edge of at least one wall element, said top edge extending parallel with respect to the bottom wall, and the electronic components are mounted on a side surface of said support wall.

According to an aspect of the invention, the at least one conversion unit comprises: at least one circuit board extending parallel to the bottom wall, the circuit board including an opening through which the at least one support wall extends; at least one electronic component mounted on at least one support wall, the at least one electronic component having a pin electrically connected to the at least one circuit board.

In an embodiment, the at least one electronic component is mounted on an exterior surface of the sidewall opposite an interior surface of the sidewall defining the at least one receiving space.

According to an aspect of the invention, the at least one conversion unit comprises a circuit board on which the heat sink module is mounted.

In an embodiment, the battery charger comprises a conversion unit.

In another embodiment, the battery charger includes a plurality of switching cells connected by their respective circuit elements.

In a preferred embodiment, the conversion units are stacked on top of each other in the housing.

Advantageously, the conversion units are electrically connected.

In a first embodiment, the conversion units are connected in a single phase configuration. This advantageously allows the battery charger to be adjustable when several switching cells are connectable in parallel, thereby making the design of the battery charger extremely easy. Thus, the power of the battery charger may be defined by the number of connected switching units arranged in the housing. For example, if the power of the conversion unit is 3.5kW, the parallel connection of three conversion units provides a charger of 10.5 kW.

In a first embodiment, the conversion units are connected in a three-phase configuration. For example, a battery charger may include three switching cells connected by their respective circuit elements, each operating at a different phase current.

The invention also relates to an electric or hybrid vehicle comprising an on-board battery charger as described previously.

The details of one or more embodiments are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.

Drawings

In the drawings:

fig. 1 shows a front perspective view of a first embodiment of a battery charger according to the invention.

Fig. 2 shows a bottom perspective view of the battery charger of fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows a top view of the battery charger of fig. 1.

Fig. 4 shows a top perspective view of the battery charger of fig. 1.

Fig. 5 shows a top perspective view of a phase unit according to the invention.

Fig. 6 shows a bottom perspective view of the phase unit of fig. 5.

Fig. 7 shows a bottom perspective view of a heat sink module according to the present invention.

Fig. 8 shows a top perspective view of the heat sink module of fig. 7.

Fig. 9 shows a rear view of the heat sink module of fig. 7.

Fig. 10 shows a longitudinal horizontal cross-sectional view of the heat sink module of fig. 7.

Figure 11 shows a transverse cross-sectional view of the heat sink module of figure 7.

Figure 12 shows a longitudinal vertical cross-sectional view of the heat sink module of figure 7.

Figure 13 shows another longitudinal vertical cross-sectional view of the heat sink module of figure 7.

Fig. 14 shows a top perspective view of the heat sink module of fig. 7 with the magnetic assembly mounted thereon.

Figure 15 shows a top perspective view of the magnetic assembly of figure 14.

Fig. 16 shows a bottom perspective view of the magnetic assembly of fig. 14.

Fig. 17 shows a top perspective view of the phase unit of fig. 5 further including a connection pipe.

Fig. 18 shows a bottom perspective view of the phase unit of fig. 17.

Fig. 19 shows a partial front left perspective view of the battery charger 1 of fig. 1 including one phase unit, the housing being transparent.

Fig. 20 shows a partial front left perspective view of the battery charger 1 of fig. 19 further including a first set of support posts.

Fig. 21 shows a partial front left perspective view of the battery charger 1 of fig. 20 further including a second phase unit.

Fig. 22 shows a partial front left perspective view of the battery charger 1 of fig. 21 further including a second set of support posts.

Fig. 23 shows a partial front left perspective view of the battery charger 1 of fig. 22 further including a third phase cell.

Fig. 24 shows a partial front left perspective view of the battery charger 1 of fig. 23 further including a phase unit of a fixing screw, an AC connector and a DC connector.

Fig. 25 shows a partial front left perspective view of the battery charger 1 of fig. 24 further including a cover.

Fig. 26 shows a front perspective view of a second embodiment of a battery charger according to the present invention.

Fig. 27 shows a transverse cross-sectional view of the battery charger of fig. 26.

Fig. 28 shows a transverse cross-sectional view of the housing of the battery charger of fig. 26.

Fig. 29 shows a top longitudinal cross-sectional view of the battery charger of fig. 26.

Fig. 30 illustrates an embodiment of a method of assembling the battery charger of fig. 1 in accordance with the present invention.

Detailed Description

A first embodiment and a second embodiment of a battery charger according to the present invention will now be described with reference to fig. 1 to 25 and fig. 26 to 29, respectively. In these examples, the battery charger is configured for onboard installation on an electric or hybrid vehicle. However, the invention is applicable to any type of power device, in particular to any type of power device that allows charging, in particular to any type of battery charger that allows charging of a DC battery using an AC power supply.

In the preferred embodiments described below, the battery charger is configured to charge the battery from an AC powered source (e.g., a household or utility grid). In other words, the battery charger is configured to receive at least one AC current from an AC power supply, convert the at least one AC current to a DC current, and supply the DC current to charge the battery. The received at least one AC current may be a single phase AC current or several multi-phase AC currents (e.g. a three phase shifted AC current).

In the exemplary embodiments shown in fig. 1 to 25 and 26 to 29, respectively, the battery charger 1, 1 'includes three converting units (converting unit 10-1, converting unit 10-2, converting unit 10-3, converting unit 10' -1, converting unit 10'-2, converting unit 10' -3). However, in another embodiment, the battery charger 1, 1' may include more or less than three converting units 10 without limiting the scope of the present invention.

Fig. 1 to 4 show a first embodiment of a battery charger 1 according to the invention. In the present description, the surfaces of any of the elements of the battery charger 1 are defined as follows with reference to fig. 1 and 2: a top T surface, a bottom B surface, a front F surface, a back K surface, a left L surface, and a right R surface. Therefore, any reference to the positions of the elements of the battery charger 1 (top, bottom, front, rear, left or right) will be made hereinafter using those definitions.

The battery charger 1 comprises a housing 2, for example made of metal or plastic material. The casing 2 comprises a bottom wall 2A and a rectangular side wall 2B in the form of a single-piece element, and a cover 2C which closes said casing 2, fixed to the side wall 2B using screws 2D. The battery charger 1 further comprises an AC connector 3 and a DC connector 4. The AC connector 3 allows to receive at least one AC current delivered by a power supply source (not shown). The DC connector 4 allows DC current generated by the battery charger 1 to be delivered to a battery (not shown). Such a battery may be, for example, a high voltage battery, i.e., greater than 60 volts. In this non-limiting example, the battery charger 1 further comprises a signal connector 5 as will be described hereinafter.

Referring to fig. 3 and 4, the bottom wall 2A and the rectangular side wall 2B of the housing 2 define an inner space configured to accommodate the conversion unit 10 (e.g., as illustrated in fig. 17 to 25). In this example, the bottom wall 2A includes a plurality of support posts 2A1 (nine in the illustrated example of fig. 3) for supporting the circuit board 11 of the conversion unit 10 and two positioning posts 2A 2.

Each positioning post 2A2 is in the shape of an elongated element extending vertically from the bottom wall 2A and includes a protruding end to engage in a hole formed in the circuit board 11 to position the circuit board 11 on the post 2A 1.

Each post 2A1 is in the shape of an elongate element extending vertically from bottom wall 2A and includes a hollow end to receive a gear of support post 20-1 (as will be described below). The pillar 2A1 and the positioning post 2A2 may be formed in the bottom wall 2A of the housing 2 or may be inserts.

As shown on fig. 3, two holes 2A3 are formed in the bottom wall 2A to allow the passage of two connecting pipes 6 (as depicted on fig. 2) configured for connection to a cooling module (not depicted), such as a pump, that allows the circulation of a cooling fluid (such as water) to cool the battery charger 1, as explained below.

As shown in fig. 4, a hole 2B1 is formed on the front end F surface of the side wall 2B to receive the signal connector 5 (as illustrated in fig. 1) of the conversion unit 10.

In the example shown on fig. 5 and 6, each conversion unit 10 comprises a circuit board 11, some capacitor elements 12, a heat sink module 13, a magnetic assembly 14 mounted on said heat sink module 13, an input filter 15 and an output filter 16.

In this example, the Circuit Board 11 is a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) configured for electrically connecting the capacitor element 12, the heat sink module 13, the magnetic assembly 14, the input filter 15, the output filter 16, and, if present, the signal connector 5.

The signal connector 5 is optional and configured for exchanging signals between the circuit board 11 and external equipment (not shown), such as test or control equipment.

The capacitor element 12 is configured for stabilizing the internal DC-link intermediate voltage.

The heat sink module 13 is configured for housing the magnetic assembly 14 for this purpose, as shown on fig. 7, the heat sink module 13 comprises a bottom wall 13A extending along a longitudinal plane β and a side wall 13B extending from said bottom wall 13A orthogonal to said longitudinal plane β.

Referring to fig. 7 and 8, the heat sink module 13 includes first and second extension portions 13C-1 and 13-C2. each extending portion 13C-1, 13C-2 including a first circuit element 13C1 extending from a top T surface of the extension portion 13C-1, 13C-2 orthogonal to the longitudinal plane β from a rear end K surface of the side wall 13B, each extension portion 13C-1, 13C-2 including a second circuit element 13C2 extending from a bottom B surface of the extension portion 13C-1, 13C-2, opposite the top T surface, orthogonal to the longitudinal plane β.

Each first circuit element 13C1 is configured to fit into a second circuit element 13C2 of the same heat sink module 13, the first circuit element 13C1 and the second circuit element 13C2 being complementary parts and being fluidly connected.

In this preferred embodiment, as depicted in fig. 10 and 13, the first circuit element 13C1 and the second circuit element 13C2 of the same extension 13C-1, extension 13C-2 are advantageously fluidly connected by a through opening 13C4 to allow the passage of a cooling fluid (e.g., water) throughout said extension 13C-1, extension 13C-2. In this example, the first circuit element 13C1 and the second circuit element 13C2 are portions of a tube.

To achieve a liquid-tight (i.e. leak-proof) connection, the first circuit element 13C1 is in the shape of a hollow shaft, see fig. 8, while the second circuit element 13C2 comprises a chamfer (i.e. bevel) 13C21 at its free end, see fig. 9, and, below said chamfer 13C21, the groove 13C22 forms a shoulder (shoulder)13C23 with said chamfer 13C 21.

Gasket joints may further be inserted into the grooves 13C22 to seal the connection with the first circuit elements 13C1 of the corresponding extensions 13C-1, 13C-2 of another heat sink module 13.

The shape of the chamfer 13C21 and the flexibility created by the groove 13C22 allow for easy insertion of the second circuit element 13C2 into the first circuit element 13C1 of another heat sink module 13, while the shoulder 13C23 allows for retention of the second circuit element 13C2 in the first circuit element 13C 1.

As shown on fig. 8, the heat sink module 13 further includes a first fixing portion 13C3 protruding from the extension portion 13C-1, the extension portion 13C-2 in parallel with the first circuit element 13C1, and a second fixing portion 13D extending from the side wall 13B. Holes are formed on the protruding ends of the first fixing portion 13C3 and the second fixing portion 13D to fix the heat sink module 13 on the bottom B surface of the circuit board 11 (as shown in fig. 5 and 6).

Referring to fig. 5 and 6, the heat sink module 13 also includes some electronic components 13F, such as transistors or diodes, mounted on the outside of the side walls 13B. These electronic components are held on the side wall 13B by the wiring board 13G.

In this example, the bottom wall 13A and the side wall 13B define two inner spaces referred to as "accommodation spaces" 13E1, "accommodation spaces" 13E 2. The first accommodation space 13E1 and the second accommodation space 13E2 are separated by a partition wall 13E3 to accommodate different electrical components of the magnetic assembly 14 as described below.

As shown in fig. 10 to 13, the cooling passage 13B1 is formed inside the side wall 13B that connects the through opening 13C4 of the first extension portion 13C-1 to the through opening 13C4 of the second extension portion 13C-2. The cooling channel 13B1 is configured to contain a cooling fluid that allows absorption of heat generated by the magnetic assembly 14 in the containment space 13E1, the containment space 13E2 and absorption of heat generated by the electronic components 13F located on the outer portion of the side wall 13B. In other words, the cooling passage 13B1 defines a cooling circuit that allows a flow F1 of cooling fluid between the first extension 13C-1 and the second extension 13C-2. It should be noted that the direction of flow F1 as depicted in fig. 10 and 13 may also be reversed without departing from the scope of the present invention.

As shown on fig. 15 and 16, the magnetic assembly 14 comprises a supporting wall 14A and two

magnetic elements

14B, 14C mounted on said supporting wall 14A.

In this example, the magnetic assembly 14 includes an inductor element 14B and a transformer 14C. The inductor element 14B is configured to correct the power factor of the transformer 14C. The transformer 14C is configured for converting electrical energy of at least one AC current received from the power supply through the AC connector 3 into electrical energy of a DC current delivered through the DC connector 4, for example to a battery of a vehicle.

The input filter 15 is configured to filter noise in an AC current signal received from the power supply via the AC connector 3. The output filter 16 is configured for filtering noise in a DC current signal, for example, delivered to a battery of the vehicle via the DC connector 4.

The electrical connection between the transforming units 10-1, 10-2, 10-3 may be adjusted according to the configuration of the battery charger 1. For example, with the single-phase charger 1, the input terminals of the circuit boards 11 of each of the converting unit 10-1, the converting unit 10-2, and the converting unit 10-3 are electrically connected together. With the three-phase charger 1, the input terminals of the circuit boards 11 of each of the converting units 10-1, 10-2, 10-3 are connected to the phases (e.g., phase a, phase B, and phase C) different in phase, respectively.

Fig. 26 to 29 show a second embodiment of a battery charger 1' according to the invention. In this embodiment, the battery charger 1' may be a single phase charger or a three phase charger, depending on the electrical connections as previously described.

As shown on fig. 26, the battery charger 1' comprises a housing 2', an AC input connector 3', a DC output connector 4', a signal connector 5' and two connection pipes 6' for connecting the battery charger 1' to a cooling module allowing the circulation of a cooling fluid the battery charger 1' extends along a longitudinal plane β '.

In this second embodiment, the housing 2 'of the battery charger 1' forms a heat sink comprising cooling channels. Alternatively, in another embodiment, the heat sink may be a separate element (e.g., a one-piece element) that is insertable into a housing having a flat bottom wall (similar to the housing 2 of the first embodiment).

As shown on fig. 27, the housing 2 'comprises a bottom wall 2' a and a side wall 2'B, the bottom wall 2' a comprising a wall element 2'a1 extending orthogonally to the longitudinal plane β', and the cooling channels 2'ACC are formed in said wall element 2' a1 and side wall 2'B in that wall element 2' a1 and side wall 2'B further define a containment space 2' E1, a containment space 2'E2, a containment space 2' E3.

As shown in fig. 28 and 29, the battery charger 1' includes three conversion units 10' -1, 10' -2, and 10' -3 mounted in parallel in the housing 2 '. Each of the transforming units 10'-1, 10' -2, 10'-3 includes at least one magnetic element 14' B, 14'C, such as an inductor 14' B and a transformer 14'C, installed in the accommodating space 2' E1, the accommodating space 2'E2, the accommodating space 2' E3.

Therefore, the cooling fluid flowing in the cooling passage 2' ACC allows to absorb heat generated by the transformer 14' C (or other magnetic elements) installed in the accommodation space 2' E1, the accommodation space 2' E2, the accommodation space 2' E3.

As shown on fig. 28, the battery charger 1 'further comprises some support walls 2' F mounted on the wall elements 2'a1 orthogonal to the longitudinal plane β' for supporting at least one conversion unit some electronic components 2'G are mounted on said support walls 2' F and may generate some heat, in particular these electronic components 2'G are mounted on the sides of the support walls 2' F, in which case the cooling channels 2'ACC also allow to absorb some of the heat generated by said electronic components 2' G.

The pins of the electronic component 2' G are inserted into holes in the circuit board to be electrically connected thereto. As explained with respect to fig. 5 and 6, the electronic component 2' G may be held on the side wall by the wiring board 13G.

An exemplary embodiment of a method for assembling the battery charger 1 of the first embodiment will now be described with particular reference to fig. 30.

As shown on fig. 17, in the first step S1, two connection pipes 6 are mounted on the second circuit element 13C2 of the first switching unit 10-1 so that the first switching unit 10-1 can be further connected to the cooling module in the cooling circuit.

As shown in fig. 19, in step S2, the first conversion unit 10-1 shown in fig. 18 is then placed on the support post 2a1 and the positioning post 2a2 (not shown in fig. 19 to 25 for clarity) in the casing 2.

In step S3, as shown in fig. 20, the first group of support columns 20-1 is fixed on the circuit board 11 of the first conversion unit 10-1 to support the second conversion unit 10-2. Each support post 20-1 includes a bottom end having a gear that is inserted into a corresponding hole formed in the circuit board 11 and a corresponding hollow end of the post 2a 1.

As shown in fig. 21, in step S4, the second conversion unit 10-2 is mounted on the first group column 20-1 and the first conversion unit 10-1. For this purpose, the second circuit element 13C2 of the second switching unit 10-2 is inserted into the first circuit element 13C1 of the first switching unit 10-1 in order to connect its two heat sink modules 13.

More specifically, the circuit board 11 of the second conversion unit 10-2 is placed on the first group of support columns 20-1, and the second conversion unit 10-2 is electrically connected to the first conversion unit 10-1.

In step S5, as shown in fig. 22, the second group of support posts 20-2 are fixed on the circuit board 11 of the second conversion unit 10-2 so as to support the third conversion unit 10-3.

In this example, the support columns 20-2 in the second set of support columns 20-2 are identical to the support columns 20-1 in the first set of support columns 20-1. In this case, the gear of the bottom end of each support column 20-1 is inserted through a corresponding hole in the circuit board 11 into a corresponding hole of the top end of the support column 20-1 located below the corresponding hole.

As shown on fig. 23, in step S6, a third switching cell 10-3 is disposed on the second set of posts 20-2 and electrically connected to the second switching cell 10-2. The signal connectors 5 are mounted on the corresponding holes 2B1 of the housing 2 to allow signals to be collected from the circuit boards 11 of the first switching unit 10-1, the second switching unit 10-2, and the third switching unit 10-3.

The first circuit element 13C1 of the third switching unit 10-3 is blocked, for example, using an adjustment cover, to close the cooling circuit 13B1 extending from the circuit element 6, the extension portion 13C-1, the extension portion 13-C2, and the cooling passage of each of the first switching unit 10-1, the second switching unit 10-2, and the third switching unit 10-3.

Alternatively, the first circuit element 13C1 of the third converting unit 10-3 may be formed of the same material as the extension 13C-1, the extension 13C-2, so that the third converting unit 10-3 is ready to act as a closing element of the cooling circuit.

In step S7, some screws 25 are used to fix the circuit board 11 of the third conversion unit 10-3 to the second group of support posts 20-2 through corresponding holes of the circuit board 11, and the AC connector 3 and the DC connector 4 are mounted on the side wall 2B of the housing 2 and electrically connected to the first conversion unit 10-1, the second conversion unit 10-2, and the third conversion unit 10-3.

Advantageously, the present invention allows electrically connecting the first converting unit 10-1, the second converting unit 10-2 and the third converting unit 10-3 in a single-phase configuration (i.e. the battery charger is a single-phase battery charger configured for connection to a single-phase AC supply source) or in a three-phase configuration (i.e. the battery charger is a three-phase battery charger configured for connection to a three-phase AC supply source).

In the latter configuration, each of the first, second and third conversion units 10-1, 10-2 and 10-3 converts a different AC current into the same DC current.

In step S8, as shown on fig. 25, the cover 2C is screwed onto the side wall 2B using the screws 2D, and the battery charger 1 is ready to be mounted on the vehicle.

Therefore, the heat sink module 13 according to the present invention allows heat generated by the

magnetic components

14B, 14C mounted inside the accommodation space 13E1, the accommodation space 13E2, and heat generated by the electronic components 13F mounted on the outer portion of the side wall 13B to be efficiently discharged, thereby avoiding damage to the battery charger 1.

Although embodiments have been described with reference to a number of illustrative embodiments thereof, it should be understood that numerous other modifications and embodiments can be devised by those skilled in the art that will fall within the spirit and scope of the principles of this disclosure.

More particularly, various variations and modifications are possible in the component parts and/or arrangements of the subject combination arrangement within the scope of the disclosure, the drawings and the appended claims. In addition to variations and modifications in the component parts and/or arrangements, alternative uses will also be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A heat sink module (13; 2'), in particular for use in a battery charger (1; 1'), the heat sink module (13; 2') comprising a bottom wall (13A; 2' A) extending along a longitudinal plane (β, β ') and side walls (13B; 2' B) extending from the bottom wall (13A; 2'A) orthogonally to the longitudinal plane (β, β'), the bottom wall (13A; 2'A) and the side walls (13B; 2' B) defining at least one internal space, called "accommodation space" (13E1, 13E 2; 2'E1, 2' E2, 2'E3), the at least one accommodation space (13E1, 13E 2; 2' E1, 2'E2, 2' E3) being configured for accommodating at least one magnetic element (14B, 14C; 14'B, 14' C) for converting electrical energy of alternating current into electrical energy of direct current, the heat sink module (13; 2 'E1) comprising at least one internal cooling channel (ACC 1; 2B, 13B, 2' B) forming an ACC 1).

2. Radiator module (13) according to claim 1, wherein the radiator module comprises at least one circuit element (13C1, 13C2) configured for connection to a complementary circuit element of a cooling circuit, the at least one circuit element (13C1, 13C2) being configured to allow a cooling fluid to flow through the radiator module (13).

3. The heat sink module (13) according to claim 2, wherein the heat sink module (13) comprises a first circuit element (13C1, 13C2) and a second circuit element (13C1, 13C2), and the cooling channel (13B1) is configured to allow a cooling fluid to flow from the first circuit element (13C1, 13C2) to the second circuit element (13C1, 13C 2).

4. Radiator module (13) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the radiator module (13) comprises at least one magnetic element (14B, 14C) mounted in at least one of the housing spaces (13E1, 13E2) to convert electrical energy of alternating current into electrical energy of direct current.

5. Radiator module (13) according to the preceding claim, wherein each of at least one said housing spaces (13E1, 13E2) is configured for housing a single magnetic element (14B, 14C).

6. Radiator module (13) according to the preceding claim, the radiator module (13) comprising at least two accommodation spaces (13E1, 13E2) separated by a partition wall (13E 3).

7. A battery charger (1; 1'), in particular for use in an electric or hybrid vehicle, the battery charger (1, 1') comprising at least one converting unit (10; 10-1, 10-2, 10-3; 10' -1, 10' -2, 10' -3) configured for converting alternating phase currents into direct current, the at least one converting unit (10; 10-1, 1-2, 10-3; 10' -1, 10' -2, 10' -3) comprising a radiator module (13; 2') according to any one of the preceding claims and at least one magnetic element (14B, B) arranged in at least one of the accommodation spaces (13E1, 13E 2; 2' E1, 2' E2, 2' E3) of the radiator module (13; 2') 14C, 14'B, 14' C).

8. The battery charger (1; 1') according to the preceding claim, further comprising a housing (2, 2'), the at least one conversion unit (10; 10-1, 10-2, 10-3; 10'-1, 10' -2, 10'-3) being mounted in the housing (2; 2').

9. The battery charger (1') according to the preceding claim, wherein said heat sink module constitutes said housing (2') of said battery charger (1 ').

10. Battery charger (1') according to any one of the preceding claims 7 to 9, the battery charger (1') extending along a longitudinal plane (β '), the bottom wall (13A; 2' a) comprising at least one wall element (2'a1) extending orthogonally with respect to the longitudinal plane (β'), and the cooling channel (2'ACC) being formed at least in the at least one wall element (2' a 1).

11. The battery charger (1') according to the preceding claim, wherein said battery charger (1') further comprises at least one support wall (2' F) mounted on said at least one wall element (2' a1) for supporting at least one electronic component (2' G).

12. Battery charger according to the preceding claim, wherein said at least one support wall (2F ') is mounted on a top edge (2' a2) of said at least one wall element (2' a1), said top edge (2' a2) extending parallel with respect to said bottom wall (2' a), and said electronic component (2' G) is mounted on a side surface of said support wall (2' F).

13. Battery charger (1') according to any of claims 11 or 12, wherein the at least one conversion unit comprises at least one circuit board (11') extending parallel to the bottom wall (2' a), the circuit board (11') comprising an opening through which the at least one support wall (2F ') extends, at least one electronic component (2' G) being mounted on the at least one support wall (2F '), the at least one electronic component (2' G) having a pin electrically connected to the at least one circuit board (11 ').

14. Battery charger (1) according to any one of claims 7 or 8, wherein at least one electronic component (13F) is mounted on an external surface of the side wall (13B) opposite to an internal surface of the side wall (13B) delimiting at least one said housing space (13E 1).

15. Battery charger (1) according to any of the preceding claims 7, 8 or 14, wherein the at least one conversion unit comprises a circuit board (11), the heat sink module (13) being mounted on the circuit board (11).