IP Library Granted Patent US 12690124
Granted Patent B2
US 12690124 · App. 18/354,147 · Granted Jul 21, 2026

High-current element for high-current printed circuit boards

Inventors: Michael Sperber (Bayreuth, DE); Ake Ewald (Bayreuth, DE); Chandra Gupta Hazarika (Duliajan, IN)
Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
H05K1/0265B60R16/0307H01R12/585H05K1/184H01R12/7094H01R13/08H05K2201/10272
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12690124
App. No.
18/354,147
Granted
Jul 21, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A high-current element for high-current printed circuit boards is formed from at least two metal sheets which are connected to form a sheet-metal stack and which have a plurality of pins at least at an end region thereof, and wherein the sheet-metal stack has a terminal region, a pin region, and a connection region, and wherein the metal sheets are connected to one another in the connection region, and the pins are arranged in the pin region and formed for contacting with the high-current printed circuit board, and the terminal region is set up to be used as a terminal region for connecting the high-current element to external power terminals.

Claims (37)

1 . A high-current element for high-current printed circuit boards, comprising:

at least two metal sheets which are connected to form a sheet-metal stack and which have a plurality of pins at least at an end region thereof,

wherein the sheet-metal stack has a terminal region, a pin region, and a connection region,

wherein the metal sheets are connected to one another in the connection region, and the pins are arranged in the pin region and formed for contacting with the high-current printed circuit board, and the terminal region is configured to be used as a terminal region for connecting the high-current element to external power terminals, and

wherein one of:

the connection region merges into the terminal region in a bent manner, or

at least one metal sheet of the connection region merges into the terminal region in a bend, and the other metal sheets end before the bend.

2 . The high-current element according to claim 1 , wherein the terminal region is part of the connection region.

3 . The high-current element according to claim 1 , wherein the connection region is arranged between terminal region and pin region.

4 . The high-current element according to claim 1 , wherein either one or more intermediate layers are arranged between the metal sheets of the sheet-metal stack.

5 . The high-current element according to claim 1 , wherein the pins are fanned out in the pin region in at least one pin bend, in such a manner that the pins are located at a predetermined spacing and parallel to one another.

6 . The high-current element according to claim 1 , wherein the metal sheets are connected to one another in the connection region by a positive or materially bonded joining.

7 . The high-current element according to claim 1 , wherein the high-current element is partially enclosed with a molding compound in the connection region.

8 . The high-current element according to claim 1 , wherein the pins are partially or completely coated with an electrically conductive material.

9 . The high-current element according to claim 1 , wherein the pin region is formed in such a manner that the pin region is configured to be inserted into a predetermined hole matrix of the high-current printed circuit board.

10 . A high-current printed circuit board comprising at least one region which is formed as a hole matrix and is configured to provide electrical contacting of at least one copper layer of the high-current printed circuit board by connection of the high-current element according to claim 1 into the hole matrix.

11 . The high-current element according to claim 1 , wherein the high-current element is arranged on the high-current printed circuit board and is configured as a connection to at least one of a DC interface of a rechargeable battery and/or a battery, an AC interface of an electric motor, and/or DC and/or AC terminals of at least one power switch arranged on the high-current printed circuit board.

12 . An inverter of an electronic module for activating an electric drive of a vehicle, comprising at least one high-current element according to claim 1 .

13 . An electric drive for a motor vehicle comprising:

at least one electric machine;

a gear device; and

the electronic module with the inverter according to claim 12 .

14 . A motor vehicle comprising the electric drive according to claim 13 .

15 . A method for producing and assembling a high-current element, comprising:

separating metal sheets from a sheet-metal blank in a single-step or multi-step process;

reshaping the metal sheets into a predetermined basic shape;

stacking the metal sheets to form a sheet-metal stack;

joining the sheet-metal stack by a joining process in a connection region thereof;

coating the sheet-metal stack partially or completely; and

connecting the high-current element initially by connecting the pins at the pin region to the high-current printed circuit board and/or connecting external power terminals at a terminal region of the high-current element.

16 . The method according to claim 15 , comprising:

coating the sheet-metal stack with an electrically non-conductive molding compound in regions in which the sheet-metal stack is not joined.

17 . A high-current element for high-current printed circuit boards, comprising:

at least two metal sheets which are connected to form a sheet-metal stack and which have a plurality of pins at least at an end region thereof,

wherein the sheet-metal stack has a terminal region, a pin region, and a connection region,

wherein the metal sheets are connected to one another in the connection region, and the pins are arranged in the pin region and formed for contacting with the high-current printed circuit board, and the terminal region is configured to be used as a terminal region for connecting the high-current element to external power terminals, and

wherein either one or more intermediate layers are arranged between the metal sheets of the sheet-metal stack.