212, one of the plurality of mounting pads 213, solder joint 321, one of the plurality of mounting pads 221, one of the plurality of vias 222, and the thermal conductor core 250. It shall be appreciated that additional heat transfer circuits thermally conductively coupling the plurality of power switches 230 with the thermal conductor core 250 are provided by other respective sets of mounting pads and vias such as those illustrated and described in connection with FIG. 1. It shall be appreciated that conductors forming heat transfer circuits according to the present disclosure generally refer to thermally conductive structures providing increased thermal conductivity or decreased thermal resistivity relative to adjacent, adjoining, proximate, or surrounding structures and may include, for example, conductors comprising metal and/or other thermal conductors.

Power converter 200 includes a child circuit board 220 which is operatively coupled with the surface 252 of the parent circuit board 205. In the illustrated embodiment, the surface 252 of the parent circuit board 205 and the plurality of power switches 240 are oriented to face in an opposite direction from the surface 251 of the child circuit board 210 and the plurality of power switches 230 and may be described as being positioned on opposite sides of the parent circuit board 205. Other embodiments contemplate a variety of other orientations, for example, perpendicular orientations or other orientations depending on the geometry of the parent circuit board 205.

A plurality of power switches 240 are operatively coupled with the child circuit board 220. In the illustrated embodiment, the plurality of power switches 240 are configured and provide in the form of packaged, surface-mount devices (SMD) which are operatively coupled with the child circuit board 220 using a surface-mount technique (SMT). The plurality of power switches 240 are further configured and provided in an orientation generally facing away from the parent circuit board 205, but may be differently oriented in other embodiments. In other embodiments, the plurality of power switches 240 may be configured and provide in other forms and may be operatively coupled with the child circuit board 220 using other techniques. In some embodiments, the plurality of power switches 240 may be configured and provide in the form through-hole mount devices and may be operatively coupled with the child circuit board 220 using through-hole mounting techniques. In some embodiments, the plurality of power switches 240 may be configured and provide in the form of embedded die devices and may be operatively coupled with the child circuit board 220 using PCB embedding techniques such as chip-on-substrate techniques, chip-in-cavity techniques, double-side micro-via techniques, or other PCB embedding techniques. In some embodiments, the plurality of power switches 240 may be configured and provide in the form of bare die devices and may be operatively coupled with the child circuit board 220 using bare die surface-mount techniques, bare die PCB embedding techniques, or other bare die mounting techniques. It shall be further appreciated that combinations and hybridizations of the foregoing and other techniques are contemplated in some embodiments.

In the illustrated embodiment, the plurality of power switches 240 include power switch 240a, power switch 240b, and power switch 240n (also referred to herein as power switches 240a-n). Other embodiments may comprise a greater number of power switches or a lesser number of power switches. The plurality of power switches 240 may be configured and provided in a number of forms, for example, as metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs), insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs), or other types of power switching devices as understood by one of skill in the art with the benefit of the present disclosure.

The plurality of power switches 240 are configured and provided with respective sets of terminals. In the illustrated embodiment, power switch 240a includes a set of terminals comprising at least two terminals 249a, power switch 240b includes a set of terminals comprising at least two terminals 249b, and power switch 240n includes a set of terminals comprising at least two terminals 249n. In other embodiments, one or more of the plurality of power switches 240 may be provided with sets of terminals comprising a different number of terminals.

Terminals 249a, 249b, and 249n are soldered with corresponding ones of a plurality of mounting pads 214 disposed on a surface 219 of the child circuit board 220 effective to provide mechanical and thermal coupling of power switch 240a, power switch 240b, and power switch 240n, respectively, with the child circuit board 220. For example, a solder joint 312 mechanically and thermally coupling one of terminals 249a of power switch 240a with a corresponding one of the plurality of mounting pads 214 is illustrated in FIG. 4. Substantially similar solder joints may be provided for other terminals of the plurality of power switches 240 and the child circuit board 220.

Child circuit board 220 includes a plurality of vias 216 thermally conductively coupled with the plurality of mounting pads 214, extending through child circuit board 220, and thermally conductively coupled with a plurality of mounting pads 215 disposed on a surface 179 of child circuit board 220. The plurality of vias 216 may comprise plated through vias, conductor-filled vias, or combinations of these and/or other types of vias as will occur to one of skill in the art with the benefit and insight of the present disclosure.

The plurality of mounting pads 215 are soldered with corresponding ones of a plurality of mounting pads 223 disposed on the surface 252 of the parent circuit board 205. For example, a solder joint 322 mechanically and thermally coupling a one of the plurality of mounting pads 215 with a corresponding one of the plurality of mounting pads 223 is illustrated in FIG. 4. Substantially similar solder joints may be provided for other ones of the plurality of mounting pads 215 of the child circuit board 220 and corresponding ones of the plurality of mounting pads 223 of the parent circuit board 205.

Parent circuit board 205 includes a plurality of vias 224 thermally conductively coupled with the plurality of mounting pads 223, extending through parent circuit board 205, and thermally conductively coupled with the thermal conductor core 250 of parent circuit board 205. The plurality of vias 224 may comprise plated through vias, conductor-filled vias, or combinations of these and/or other types of vias as will occur to one of skill in the art with the benefit and insight of the present disclosure.

The aforementioned mounting pad and via structures provide a plurality of heat transfer circuits comprising respective sets of conductors thermally conductively coupling the plurality of power switches 240 with the thermal conductor core 250. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 4, a heat transfer circuit 302 thermally conductively coupling power switch 240a and thermal conductor core 250 comprises one of terminals 249a, solder joint 312, one of the plurality of mounting pads 214, one of the plurality of vias 216, one of the plurality of mounting pads 215, solder joint 332, one of the plurality of mounting pads 223, one of the plurality of vias 224, and the thermal conductor core 250. It shall be appreciated that additional heat transfer circuits thermally conductively coupling the plurality of power switches 240 with the thermal conductor core 250 are provided by other respective sets of mounting pads and vias such as those illustrated and described in connection with FIG. 1.

It shall be appreciated that the terminals, mounting pads, vias, and solder joints illustrated and described in connection with FIGS. 2-4 may be dedicated to heat transfer and may be non-participatory in signal communication or electrical power conduction aspects of power converter 200 and provided separately from structures participating in such aspects. In such embodiments, separate electrically conductive terminals mounting pads, solder joints, and vias may be utilized to provide electrical signal communication and electrical power conduction between the plurality of power switches 230, the plurality of power switches 240 and other components of the power converter 200, including the following examples.

As further illustrated in FIG. 1, a microcontroller 284 operatively coupled with the surface 251 of the parent circuit board 205. In other embodiments, and the microcontroller 284 and/or another microcontroller may be operatively coupled with the second surface 251 of the parent circuit board 205 on one or both of child circuit board 210 and child circuit board 220.

Microcontroller 284 is communicatively electrical coupled with driver 282 via one or more electrically conductive signal communication paths which may comprise sets of electrically conductive terminals mounting pads, solder joints, vias, and other components as will occur to one of skill in the art with the benefit and insight of the present disclosure. In the illustrated embodiment, driver 282 is operatively coupled with surface 217 of child circuit board 210. In other embodiments, driver 282 may be operatively coupled with parent circuit board 205 or in other locations.

Driver 282 is communicatively electrical coupled with the plurality of power switches 230 via one or more electrically conductive signal communication paths which may comprise sets of electrically conductive terminals, mounting pads, solder joints, vias, and other components as will occur to one of skill in the art with the benefit and insight of the present disclosure. During operation of power converter 200, driver 282 may receive logical control signals from microcontroller 284 and, in response to the received logical control signals, output driver control signals effective to actuate (e.g., open and close) the plurality of power switches 230.

Microcontroller 284 is communicatively electrical coupled with driver 286 via one or more electrically conductive signal communication paths which may comprise sets of electrically conductive terminals mounting pads, solder joints, vias, and other components as will occur to one of skill in the art with the benefit and insight of the present disclosure. In the illustrated embodiment, driver 286 is operatively coupled with surface 219 of child circuit board 210. In other embodiments, driver 286 may be operatively coupled with parent circuit board 205 or in other locations.

Driver 286 is communicatively electrical coupled with the plurality of power switches 240 via one or more electrically conductive signal communication paths which may comprise sets of electrically conductive terminals, mounting pads, solder joints, vias, and other components as will occur to one of skill in the art with the benefit and insight of the present disclosure. During operation of power converter 200, driver 286 may receive logical control signals from microcontroller 284 and, in response to the received logical control signals, output driver control signals effective to actuate (e.g., open and close) the plurality of power switches 240.

The plurality of power switches 230 and the plurality of power switches 240 are also electrical coupled with power connector 281 and power connector 283. In the illustrated embodiment, power connector 281 and power connector 283 are coupled with surface 217 of the child circuit board 210. In other embodiments, power connector 281 and power connector 283 may be coupled with child circuit board 220, parent circuit board 205, or other mounting locations. In the illustrated embodiment, power connector 281 is conductively coupled with and receives a DC power input (DC_in) from a power source and power connector 283 is conductively coupled with and provides a converted (e.g., boosted) DC power output (DC_out) to a load. In the illustrated embodiment, the plurality of power switches 230 and the plurality of power switches 240 are configured and coupled in a parallel arrangement relative to power connector 281 and power connector 283. In other embodiments, the plurality of power switches 230 and the plurality of power switches 240 may be configured and coupled in a series arrangement, a parallel-series arrangement, or other arrangements as will occur to one of skill in the art with the benefit and insight of the present disclosure. Furthermore, in other embodiments, additional power connector terminals may be provided and may be dedicated to the plurality of power switches 240.

In the embodiment, of FIG. 2, the thermal conductor core 250, is provided in the form of a thermally conductive bus bar and is conductively thermally coupled with a condenser 260. Condenser 260 may be contained within the housing 135 of HCU 134 or may include one or more portions 260′ extending exterior of the housing 135. In the illustrated embodiment, the condenser 260 includes an active cooling fan system 264 which is contained in the housing 135 which is configured to facilitate heat transfer from the condenser 260 to the surrounding environment. In other embodiments, the active cooling fan system 264 may be provided at and coupled with the one or more portions 260′ extending exterior of the housing 135. In other embodiments, the active cooling fan system 264 may be omitted and the condenser 260 may be passively cooled.

In the illustrated embodiment, power converter 200 is depicted as including two child circuit boards (child circuit board 210 and child circuit board 220) which are operatively coupled with respective surfaces of the parent circuit board 205. Some embodiments may include additional child circuit boards. For example, some embodiments, may include one or more additional child circuit boards coupled with surface 251 of the parent circuit board 205, and/or one or more additional child circuit boards coupled with surface