CN111066378A

CN111066378A - Battery charger for use in electric or hybrid vehicles

Info

Publication number: CN111066378A
Application number: CN201780091680.4A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 黎荣辉; 何晨; 周洪洲; 杨刚
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: 2020-04-24
Anticipated expiration: 2037-04-07
Also published as: WO2018184216A1; CN111066378B

Abstract

The invention relates to a containing module (13), in particular for use in a battery charger (1), the containing 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 "containing space", the at least one containing space being configured for containing at least one magnetic element for converting electrical energy of alternating current into electrical energy of direct current, the containing module (13) comprising at least one connection portion (13C2) extending orthogonally to the longitudinal plane (β) and configured to fit into at least one complementary connection portion of the same containing module (13).

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 housing module for a battery charger and a battery charger comprising such a housing module.

More precisely, it is an object of the present invention to provide a battery charger which is advantageously easy to adjust, in particular 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 housing 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 housing module comprising at least one connection portion extending orthogonal to the longitudinal plane and configured to be fitted into at least one complementary connection portion of the same housing module.

The at least one connection portion allows advantageously stacking a plurality of housing modules in order to build an adjustable charger.

Advantageously, the containing module is a one-piece element, i.e. at least one connecting portion, the bottom wall and the side walls are derived from the same material (for example by moulding material). Thus, such a one-piece element can be easily constructed and is 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 housing module.

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

In an embodiment, the at least one connection portion is a portion of a tube. Thus, it is easy and quick to connect the two containing modules together.

Advantageously, the tube is part of a cooling system and is configured to allow a cooling fluid to flow through the housing module.

In an embodiment, the cooling channel is formed inside the side wall to allow the cooling fluid to flow from one connection portion to the other connection portion of the containing module. Such a cooling channel allows to evacuate the heat generated by at least one magnetic element mounted in the inner space of the containing module.

In an embodiment, the bottom wall is located on a bottom surface of the containing module, and the at least one connecting portion extends from said bottom surface of the containing module, thereby allowing said containing module to be connected with another containing module located below said containing module.

In an embodiment, the at least one connection portion extends from a top surface of the containing module opposite to the bottom surface, thereby allowing to connect the containing module with another containing module located above said containing module.

In an embodiment, the housing module comprises at least one extension extending from the side wall, at least one connection extending from said extension, thereby allowing to connect the housing module with another housing module while providing access to the interior space of the housing module.

Advantageously, the containing module comprises at least one first connecting portion and at least one second connecting portion extending from opposite surfaces of at least one extension portion, allowing to connect the containing module together simultaneously with another containing module located above said containing module and another containing module located below said containing module.

According to an embodiment, the receiving module includes at least one magnetic element installed in the at least one receiving space to convert electric energy of alternating current into electric energy of direct current.

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 housing module as previously described and at least one magnetic element (e.g. a transformer, an inductor … …) arranged in at least one housing space of the housing module.

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

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

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

In another embodiment, the battery charger includes a plurality of conversion units connected by their respective connection parts.

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 can be connected in parallel, thereby making the design of the 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 second embodiment, the conversion units are connected in a three-phase configuration. For example, the battery charger may include three conversion units connected by their respective connection portions, each of the conversion units 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 an embodiment of a battery charger according to the present invention.

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

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

Fig. 4 shows a top perspective view of the housing of fig. 3.

Fig. 5 shows a top perspective view of an embodiment of a conversion unit according to the invention.

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

Fig. 7 shows a bottom perspective view of the housing module of the conversion unit of fig. 6.

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

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

Fig. 10 shows a longitudinal horizontal sectional top view of the containment module of fig. 7.

Fig. 11 shows a perspective transverse cross-sectional view of the containment module of fig. 7.

Fig. 12 shows a perspective longitudinal vertical cross-sectional view of the containment module of fig. 7.

Fig. 13 shows another perspective longitudinal vertical cross-sectional view of the containment module of fig. 7.

FIG. 14 shows a top perspective view of the containment module of FIG. 7 with the magnetic assembly mounted therein.

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. 15.

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

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

Fig. 19 shows a partial front left perspective view of the battery charger 1 of fig. 1 including the first conversion 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 converting 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 switching unit

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

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

Fig. 26 shows an embodiment of the method according to the invention.

Detailed Description

An embodiment of a battery charger according to the present invention will now be described with reference to fig. 1 to 26. In this example, 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 embodiment shown on fig. 1 to 25, the battery charger 1 includes three conversion units 10. In another embodiment, the battery charger 1 may include more or less than three conversion units 10 without limiting the scope of the present invention.

Fig. 1 to 4 show an 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 shown on fig. 2) configured for connection to a cooling module (not shown) that allows the circulation of a cooling fluid (e.g., 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 housing module 13, a magnetic assembly 14 mounted on said housing 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 housing 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 containing module 13 is configured for containing the magnetic assembly 14, for this purpose, as shown on figure 7, the containing 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, containment module 13 includes first and second extensions 13C-1 and 13-C2. each extending from a rear end K surface of side wall 13B, extension 13C-2 including a first connecting portion 13C1 extending from a top T surface of extension 13C-1, extension 13C-2 orthogonal to longitudinal plane β. each extension 13C-1, extension 13C-2 includes a second connecting portion 13C2 extending from a bottom B surface of extension 13C-1, extension 13C-2, opposite the top T surface, orthogonal to longitudinal plane β.

Each first connection portion 13C1 is configured to fit into a second connection portion 13C2 of the same containing module 13, the first connection portion 13C1 and the second connection portion 13C2 being complementary portions and being fluidly connected.

In this preferred embodiment, as illustrated in fig. 10 and 13, the first connection portion 13C1 and the second connection portion 13C2 of the same extension portion 13C-1, extension portion 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 portion 13C-1, extension portion 13C-2. In this example, the first connection portion 13C1 and the second connection portion 13C2 are portions of a tube.

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

A gasket joint may be further inserted into the groove 13C22 to seal the connection with the first connection portion 13C1 of the corresponding extension portion 13C-1, extension portion 13C-2 of another receiving module 13.

The shape of the chamfer 13C21 and the flexibility created by the groove 13C22 allow the second connection portion 13C2 to be easily inserted into the first connection portion 13C1 of another containing module 13, while the shoulder 13C23 allows said second connection portion 13C2 to remain in said first connection portion 13C 1.

As shown on fig. 8, the containing module 13 further includes a first fixing portion 13C3 protruding from the extension portion 13C-1, the extension portion 13C-2 in parallel to the first connecting portion 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 housing 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 housing module 13 also includes some electronic components 13F, such as transistors or diodes, mounted on the outer side of the side wall 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, for the single-phase battery charger 1, the input terminals of the circuit boards 11 of each of the converting units 10-1, 10-2, 10-3 are electrically connected together. With the three-phase battery 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.

An exemplary embodiment of a method for assembling the battery charger 1 will now be described with reference to fig. 17 to 26.

As shown on fig. 17, in the first step S1, two connection pipes 6 are installed on the second connection part 13C2 of the first conversion unit 10-1 so that the first conversion 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 connection portion 13C2 of the second conversion unit 10-2 is inserted into the first connection portion 13C1 of the first conversion unit 10-1 so as to connect the two receiving modules 13 thereof.

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 connection portion 13C1 of the third switching unit 10-3 is blocked, for example, using an adjustment cover, to close the cooling circuit extending from the connection portion 6, the extension portion 13C-1, the extension portion 13-C2, and the cooling passage 13B1 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 connection portion 13C1 of the third converting unit 10-3 may be formed of the same material as the extension portions 13C-1, 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 housing module 13 according to the present invention allows heat generated by the

magnetic components

14B, 14C mounted inside the housing space 13E1, the housing 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. Housing module (13), in particular for use in a battery charger (1), the housing 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), at least one of the housing spaces (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 housing module (13) comprising at least one connection portion (13C1, 13C2) extending orthogonally to the longitudinal plane (β) and configured to be fitted into at least one complementary connection portion (13C2, 13C1) of the same housing module (13).

2. The containing module (13) according to claim 1, wherein the containing module (13) is a one-piece element.

3. The containing module (13) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one connecting portion (13C1, 13C2) is part of a tube.

4. The containing module (13) according to the preceding claim, wherein the tube is part of a cooling system and is configured to allow a cooling fluid to flow through the containing module (13).

5. The containing module (13) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein a cooling channel (13B1) is formed inside the side wall (13B) to allow a cooling fluid to flow from one connection portion (13C1, 13C2) to the other connection portion (13C1, 13C2) of the containing module (13).

6. The containing module (13) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the bottom wall (13A) is located on a bottom surface of the containing module (13), the at least one connecting portion (13C1, 13C2) extending from the bottom surface of the containing module (13).

7. The containing module (13) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one connecting portion extends (13C1, 13C2) from a top surface of the containing module (13) opposite the bottom surface.

8. The containing module (13) of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising at least one extension portion (13C-1, 13C-2) extending from the side wall (13B) and the at least one connection portion (13C1, 13C2) extending from the extension portion (13C-1, 13C-2).

9. The containing module (13) of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising at least one first connecting portion (13C1) and at least one second connecting portion (13C2) extending from opposite surfaces of the at least one extending portion (13C-1, 13C-2).

10. The containing module (13) of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising at least one magnetic element (14B, 14C) mounted in the at least one containing space (13E1, 13E2) to convert electrical energy of alternating current into electrical energy of direct current.

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

12. Battery charger (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein said at least one conversion unit (10, 10-1, 10-2, 10-3) comprises a circuit board (11), said housing module (13) being mounted on said circuit board (11).

13. Battery charger (1) according to any of the preceding claims 11 and 12, further comprising a housing (2), the at least one conversion unit (10, 10-1, 10-2, 10-3) being mounted in the housing (2).

14. Battery charger (1) according to any of the preceding claims 11 to 13, the battery charger (1) comprising a plurality of switching cells (10-1, 10-2, 10-3) electrically connected in a single phase configuration.

15. Battery charger (1) according to any of the preceding claims 11 to 13, the battery charger (1) comprising a plurality of switching cells (10-1, 10-2, 10-3) electrically connected in a three-phase configuration.