Tesla patents stacked voltage modules with curved cutouts for bolts
Tesla describes a design for voltage regulating modules that stack two layers of electronic components to manage power flow. The design features curved cutouts in the layers that allow bolts to pass through, with the top layer having a wider gap to keep the bolt away from sensitive parts. The connections on the module are sealed with a material called underfill to secure them in place.
In the filing’s own words
A voltage regulating module design is provided. In one aspect, a voltage regulating module (VRM) includes a first layer configured to output a regulated voltage that is based on a stepped down voltage, and a second layer stacked with the first layer, and a plurality of contacts, such as a ball grid array (BGA), on the first layer. The second layer includes a plurality of active components configured to provide the stepped down voltage to the first layer. The first and second layers have overlapping recesses, and the recess of the first layer has a larger footprint than the recess of the second layer. A plurality of the VRMS can be arranged to form an opening including a counterbore. A faster, such as a bolt, can be positioned in the opening. The first layer can have a larger clearance from the fastener positioned in the opening than the second layer.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. A voltage regulating module (VRM), comprising: a first layer configured to output a regulated voltage that is based on a stepped down voltage, the first layer having a first recess; a second layer stacked with the first layer, the second layer comprising a plurality of active components configured to receive a voltage, generate the stepped down voltage based on the voltage, and provide the stepped down voltage to the first layer, the second layer having a second recess that overlaps with the first recess, the first recess having a larger footprint than the second recess, the first and second recesses defining a curved opening that provides clearance for a fastener to be inserted through the curved opening; and a plurality of contacts on the first layer and configured to output the regulated voltage, wherein the plurality of contacts are encapsulated with an underfill, the underfill forming a fillet that extends from an edge of the first layer towards the fastener.
Facts
- Company
- Tesla (Tesla, Inc.)
- Official title
- Voltage regulating module design for the use of underfill
- Patent number
- US12748471B2
- Application number
- 18260216
- Filed
- Jan 20, 2022
- Granted
- Sep 29, 2026
- Inventors
- 3
- Claims
- 15
Classified under
G06F 1/26 Physics & computingH10W 40/22 Electricity & electronicsH10W 42/121 Electricity & electronicsH10W 90/00 Electricity & electronicsH10W 90/701 Electricity & electronicsMore from Tesla in Chips & hardware
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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.