Inverter and electric compressor

Abstract

An inverter for supplying power to a motor of a motor unit is provided with: a substrate; a power semiconductor mounted on the substrate; a bus bar having a first end mounted on the substrate and a second end on the opposite side from the first end; and a fixing portion that fixes a bus bar fixing thread that fastens a motor cable of the motor unit to the second end, the fixing portion being inserted into a through hole of the motor unit through which the motor cable passes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to an inverter and an electric compressor. Background Art

[0002] Patent document 1 discloses an electric compressor including an inverter, a motor driven by electric power supplied from the inverter, and a compression unit operated by the motor. The inverter includes a power module (power semiconductor) for supplying power to the motor and a substrate on which the power semiconductor is mounted. In the electric compressor of patent document 1, the inverter and the motor are electrically connected via a connector.

[0003] Previous technical literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 6256382 Summary of the invention

[0006] Technical issues to be solved by the invention

[0007] When the inverter and the motor are connected by wiring, depending on the structure of the wiring, it may be impossible to achieve miniaturization of the inverter relative to the motor structure.

[0008] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an inverter that can be reduced in size and an electric compressor including the inverter.

[0009] Means for solving technical problems

[0010] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the inverter involved in the present invention supplies power to the motor of the motor unit, and the inverter comprises: a substrate; a power semiconductor mounted on the substrate; a bus bar having a first end mounted on the substrate and a second end opposite to the first end; and a fixing portion, fixing the bus bar fixing thread that fastens the motor cable of the motor unit to the second end, and the fixing portion is inserted into the through hole of the motor unit for the motor cable to pass through.

[0011] The electric compressor according to the present invention includes the inverter, the motor unit, and a compression section connected to the motor.

[0012] Effects of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the size of the inverter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 It is a cross-sectional view of the electric compressor according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 2The image is viewed from the top side of the substrate in the axial direction of the rotation axis. Figure 1 Diagram of an electric compressor.

[0016] Figure 3 It is a diagram showing a main part of an electric compressor according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 4 It is a figure for demonstrating the process of manufacturing the electric compressor concerning the 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

[0018] Figure 5 It means continuous Figure 4 Diagram of the process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] <First embodiment>

[0020] (Structure of electric compressor)

[0021] The electric compressor of this embodiment is used for, for example, a vehicle air conditioner and is mounted on a vehicle. Figure 1 As shown, the electric compressor 1 includes a motor unit 3 , a compression section 4 , and an inverter 5 .

[0022] (Motor unit)

[0023] The motor unit 3 includes a motor 11 and a motor housing 12 having an accommodation space S1 (hereinafter referred to as a first accommodation space S1 ) for accommodating the motor 11. The motor 11 includes a rotating shaft 13, a rotor 14, and a stator 15.

[0024] The rotating shaft 13 is rotatably mounted on the motor housing 12 via bearings 16. The bearings 16 are mounted on the motor housing 12 and the compression unit housing 42 described later on both sides of the rotor 14 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13 (motor 11). The rotor 14 is formed in a cylindrical shape with the rotating shaft 13 as the center and is fixed to the rotating shaft 13 as a whole.

[0025] The stator 15 has a cylindrical stator core 17 centered on the rotating shaft 13 and a coil 18 wound on the teeth of the stator core 17. The stator 15 is arranged outside the rotor 14 in the radial direction of the rotating shaft 13. The stator 15 is embedded inside the peripheral wall of the cylindrical motor housing 12. The stator 15 is located outside the bearing 16 in the radial direction of the rotating shaft 13.

[0026] The motor cable 21 is connected to the coil 18. The motor cable 21 serves to connect the coil 18 to the inverter 5 and to supply power to the coil 18 from the inverter 5. The motor cable 21 mainly extends from the coil 18 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13. Figure 2 As shown, the number of motor cables 21 in this embodiment is three.

[0027] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, the front end of the motor cable 21 has a connection terminal 22 for connecting to the busbar 54 of the inverter 5 described later. The connection terminal 22 of this embodiment has an annular connection portion 23. The annular connection portion 23 is provided so that its axis extends along the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13. The connection terminal 22 may be, for example, a crimping terminal mounted on the front end of the motor cable 21.

[0028] like Figure 1 As shown, a through hole 31 is formed on the motor housing 12 for passing the motor cable 21 along the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13. The through hole 31 extends from the motor 11 to the inverter 5 described later. Specifically, the through hole 31 extends along the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13 from the first accommodation space S1 of the motor housing 12 to the second accommodation space S2 of the inverter housing 51 described later. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown in FIG. 1 , when viewed from the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13, the through hole 31 is located at a position further outward than the bearing 16 and further inward than the outer periphery of the stator 15. Specifically, the through hole 31 is formed in a region overlapping with the stator 15 (particularly the coil 18) in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13. Furthermore, the through hole 31 is formed to correspond to a portion of the circumferential direction of the cylindrical stator 15 when viewed from the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13.

[0029] like Figure 1 As shown, a motor water cooling jacket 32 ​​for cooling the motor 11 is provided in the motor housing 12. The motor water cooling jacket 32 ​​is a flow path for cooling water for cooling the motor 11, and is divided into a first accommodation space S1. In the present embodiment, the motor water cooling jacket 32 ​​is arranged outside the outer periphery of the stator 15 (the peripheral wall of the motor housing 12).

[0030] (Compression section)

[0031] The compression section 4 is arranged adjacent to the axial side of the rotating shaft 13 relative to the motor unit 3, and is connected to the motor 11. The compression section 4 includes a compression section body 41 and a compression section housing 42. The compression section body 41 is directly connected to the rotating shaft 13 of the motor 11, and rotates together with the rotating shaft 13 of the motor 11. The compression section housing 42 is provided integrally with the motor housing 12. In the compression section 4, the gas sucked into the compression section housing 42 is compressed by the rotation of the compression section body 41, and then discharged to the outside of the compression section housing 42. The air sucked into the compression section housing 42 does not enter the first accommodation space S1 of the motor housing 12.

[0032] (Inverter)

[0033] The inverter 5 is a structure for supplying power to the motor 11. The inverter 5 is arranged adjacent to the other side of the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13 with respect to the motor unit 3. That is, the inverter 5 is arranged so that the motor unit 3 is provided between the compression unit 4 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13.

[0034] The inverter 5 includes an inverter case 51 , a substrate 52 , a power semiconductor 53 , a bus bar 54 , a fixing portion 55 , and a bus bar case 56 .

[0035] (Inverter housing)

[0036] The inverter housing 51 is integrally provided with the motor housing 12. The inverter housing 51 and the motor housing 12 together constitute a storage space S2 (hereinafter also referred to as the second storage space S2) for accommodating components of the inverter 5 such as the substrate 52, the power semiconductor 53, and the busbar 54. A portion of the second storage space S2 is divided by the end surface 12a of the motor housing 12 located on the inverter 5 side. The through hole 31 opens on the end surface 12a of the motor housing 12. Thus, the first storage space S1 of the motor housing 12 and the second storage space S2 of the inverter 5 are connected through the through hole 31.

[0037] The inverter housing 51 of the present embodiment is located on the opposite side of the motor housing 12 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13 ( Figure 1 The inverter housing 51 has a cover 57 that closes the opening of the inverter housing 51 in an openable and closable manner.

[0038] (Substrate)

[0039] The substrate 52 is arranged in the second storage space S2 in such a manner that the thickness direction thereof faces the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13. The substrate 52 is held by the motor housing 12 in such a manner that a gap is formed between the substrate 52 and the end surface 12a of the motor housing 12. The substrate 52 has a lower surface 52b facing the end surface 12a of the motor housing 12 and an upper surface 52a facing the opposite side of the lower surface 52b. The upper surface 52a of the substrate 52 faces the opening side of the inverter housing 51. The wiring pattern 59 (see FIG. 5 ) constituting the circuit of the inverter 5 is formed on the substrate 52. Figure 2 ).

[0040] (Power Semiconductors)

[0041] The power semiconductor 53 supplies power to the coil 18 by being electrically connected to the coil 18 of the motor 11. The power semiconductor 53 is mounted on the substrate 52. In the present embodiment, the power semiconductor 53 is mounted on the lower surface 52b of the substrate 52, that is, arranged between the substrate 52 and the end surface 12a of the motor housing 12. And the power semiconductor 53 is fixed to the end surface 12a of the motor housing 12 by screwing. Thus, the power semiconductor 53 is held in contact with the end surface 12a of the motor housing 12.

[0042] The terminal 531 of the power semiconductor 53 connected to the coil 18 is connected to the substrate 52 by welding or the like. Figure 2 As shown in FIG. 1 , when viewed from the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13, the terminal 531 of the power semiconductor 53 is located in the region overlapping with the bearing 16. The power semiconductor 53 has three terminals 531. When viewed from the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13, the three terminals 531 are arranged in a direction ( Figure 2 The direction perpendicular to the left and right directions ( Figure 2 The middle is the up and down direction) are arranged in a row.

[0043] (Semiconductor water cooling jacket)

[0044] like Figure 1 As shown, the power semiconductor 53 of this embodiment is cooled by a semiconductor water cooling jacket 33 provided in the motor housing 12. The semiconductor water cooling jacket 33 is a flow path for cooling water to flow for cooling the power semiconductor 53. The semiconductor water cooling jacket 33 is arranged between the first accommodation space S1 and the end surface 12a of the motor housing 12 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the semiconductor water cooling jacket 33 is located at a position spaced apart from the through hole 31 so as not to interfere with the through hole 31 .

[0045] (Busbar)

[0046] The bus bar 54 is a strip-shaped plate made of a conductive material, and has a first end 541 mounted on the substrate 52 and a second end 542 located on the opposite side of the first end 541 and connected to the motor cable 21. The bus bar 54 constitutes a connection wiring for electrically connecting the motor cable 21 and the power semiconductor 53. The first end 541 of the bus bar 54 is connected to the substrate 52 by welding or the like.

[0047] like Figure 1 As shown in FIG. 1 , similarly to the power semiconductor 53, the bus bar 54 of the present embodiment is arranged between the substrate 52 and the end surface 12a of the motor housing 12. The bus bar 54 includes a first portion 581 extending from the substrate 52 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13 including a first end 541, and a second portion 582 extending from the front end of the first portion 581 in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13. The bus bar 54 of the present embodiment is formed in an L shape. The second end 542 of the bus bar 54 is located at the front end of the second portion 582 extending from the first portion 581.

[0048] like Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, when viewed from the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13, the first portion 581 of the busbar 54 including the first end 541 is located in the region overlapping with the bearing 16, similarly to the terminal 531 of the power semiconductor 53. When viewed from the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13, the second portion 582 of the busbar 54 extends from the region overlapping with the bearing 16 to a region located outside the "region overlapping with the bearing 16" and not overlapping with the bearing 16 (hereinafter referred to as "the region outside the bearing 16"). In addition, the second end 542 of the busbar 54 is located in the region overlapping with the through hole 31 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13.

[0049] The “outer area of ​​the bearing 16” is the area in the second accommodation space S2 when viewed from the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13. Figure 2 The space outside the dotted circle indicated by the symbol 16 in the figure. The “region overlapping with the bearing 16” is the area in the second accommodation space S2 that is larger than the area in the second accommodation space S2 when viewed from the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13. Figure 2 The space inside the dotted circle indicated by reference numeral 16 is shown.

[0050] like Figure 2 As shown, when viewed from the axial direction of the motor 11, the busbar 54 of this embodiment is located between the power semiconductor 53 and the through hole 31. In other words, the power semiconductor 53, the busbar 54 and the through hole 31 are arranged in sequence along one direction ( Figure 2 The middle is arranged in left and right direction).

[0051] The number of busbars 54 is three, corresponding to the number of motor cables 21 and the number of terminals 531 of the power semiconductor 53. When viewed from the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13, the three busbars 54 are arranged along the direction in which the three terminals 531 of the power semiconductor 53 are arranged ( Figure 2 The middle is the up and down direction) are arranged in a row.

[0052] The bus bar 54 and the terminal 531 of the power semiconductor 53 are connected via a wiring pattern 59 formed on the substrate 52. The wiring pattern 59 and the bus bar 54 together constitute connection wiring for electrically connecting the motor cable 21 and the power semiconductor 53.

[0053] (Fixed part)

[0054] like Figure 1 As shown, the fixing portion 55 is a portion for connecting the motor cable 21 and the second end 542 of the busbar 54. The busbar fixing thread 58 for fastening the motor cable 21 and the second end 542 of the busbar 54 is fixed to the fixing portion 55. The fixing portion 55 is an internal thread for screwing the busbar fixing thread 58. The fixing portion 55 of this embodiment is a nut having the internal thread. The fixing portion 55 as a nut is arranged so that the axial direction of the internal thread faces the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13.

[0055] like Figure 2As shown, the number of fixing parts 55 is 3, corresponding to the number of motor cables 21 and busbars 54. The 3 fixing parts 55 are arranged in the direction of the busbars 54 ( Figure 2 The middle is the up and down direction) and are arranged in a row.

[0056] like Figure 1 As shown in FIG. 1 , the fixing portion 55 is inserted into the through hole 31 of the motor housing 12. Figure 2 As shown, when viewed from the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13 , the fixing portion 55 is located outside the bearing 16 and inside the outer circumference of the stator 15 , similarly to the through hole 31 .

[0057] (Busbar housing)

[0058] like Figure 1 As shown, the busbar case 56 has electrical insulation properties and holds the busbar 54 and the fixing portion 55. The busbar case 56 has a case body 561 and an insertion portion 562.

[0059] The housing body 561 holds the three bus bars 54. The housing body 561 is located between the substrate 52 and the end surface 12a of the motor housing 12. Specifically, the housing body 561 is placed on the end surface 12a of the motor housing 12. The housing body 561 has a contact surface 561a that is in surface contact with the end surface 12a of the motor housing 12.

[0060] The insertion portion 562 holds three fixing portions 55. The insertion portion 562 is formed integrally with the housing body 561. The fixing portions 55 held by the insertion portion 562 overlap with the second ends 542 of the bus bars 54 held by the housing body 561 and are located on the motor 11 side. The insertion portion 562 protrudes from the contact surface 561a of the housing body 561. The insertion portion 562 is inserted into the through hole 31 together with the fixing portion 55 in a state where the housing body 561 is placed on the end surface 12a of the motor housing 12.

[0061] The busbar case 56 arranged as described above is fixed to the motor case 12 by screwing. Thus, the three busbars 54 and the three fixing portions 55 are positioned together.

[0062] In this embodiment, the busbar fixing screw 58 is passed through the connection portion 23 of the connection terminal 22 provided at the front end of the motor cable 21 and then fixed to the fixing portion 55 to fasten the motor cable 21 and the busbar 54. Thus, the motor cable 21 and the busbar 54 are electrically connected.

[0063] In the electric compressor 1 configured as described above, the power semiconductor 53 and the coil 18 of the motor 11 are electrically connected via the motor cable 21 , the bus bar 54 , and the wiring pattern 59 of the substrate 52 .

[0064] (Manufacturing method of electric compressor)

[0065] In manufacturing the electric compressor 1 of the present embodiment, the motor 11 is inserted from the compression unit 4 side into the first accommodation space S1 of the motor housing 12 . This allows the motor cable 21 to be inserted into the through hole 31 .

[0066] Then, the insertion portion 562 of the busbar housing 56 is inserted into the through hole 31, and the housing body 561 is placed on the end surface 12a of the motor housing 12, and the busbar housing 56 is fixed to the motor housing 12 by screwing. Thus, the busbar 54 is arranged on the end surface 12a of the motor housing 12, and the fixing portion 55 is inserted into the through hole 31. The fixing of the busbar housing 56 can be performed before or after the motor cable 21 is inserted into the through hole 31.

[0067] Then, the busbar fixing screw 58 is fixed to the fixing portion 55 in a state where the connecting portion 23 of the connecting terminal 22 of the motor cable 21 overlaps the fixing portion 55 inserted into the through hole 31. Thus, the motor cable 21 and the second end 542 of the busbar 54 are fastened.

[0068] Then, the power semiconductor 53 is fixed to the end surface 12a of the motor housing 12. The fixing of the power semiconductor 53 may be performed before, during, or simultaneously with the above-mentioned steps.

[0069] After all the above steps, the substrate 52 is arranged on the upper side of the power semiconductor 53, the bus bar 54, the fixing portion 55, and the bus bar housing 56. In the present embodiment, by arranging the substrate 52, the terminal 531 of the power semiconductor 53 and the first end 541 of the bus bar 54 are inserted through the substrate 52 and protrude to the upper surface 52a side of the substrate 52. Then, the terminal 531 of the power semiconductor 53 and the first end 541 of the bus bar 54 are connected to the substrate 52 by welding or the like. Thus, the power semiconductor 53 and the coil 18 of the motor 11 are electrically connected via the motor cable 21, the bus bar 54, and the wiring pattern 59 of the substrate 52. After the power semiconductor 53 and the coil 18 of the motor 11 are electrically connected, the opening of the inverter housing 51 can be closed with the cover 57.

[0070] In the electric compressor 1 and the inverter 5 of the present embodiment, the fixing portion 55 for fastening the motor cable 21 and the second end 542 of the bus bar 54 is inserted into the through hole 31 of the motor housing 12. Therefore, compared with the case where the fixing portion 55 is arranged on the end surface 12a of the motor housing 12, the size of the inverter 5 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13 can be controlled to be smaller. That is, the size of the inverter 5 located outside the motor unit 3 can be controlled to be smaller. Therefore, the inverter 5 and the electric compressor 1 including the inverter 5 can be miniaturized.

[0071] Furthermore, in the electric compressor 1 and the inverter 5 of the present embodiment, the busbar 54 is used when connecting the power semiconductor 53 and the motor cable 21. Therefore, the length of the wiring pattern 59 of the substrate 52 required for connecting the power semiconductor 53 and the motor cable 21 can be shortened. As a result, the formation area of ​​the wiring pattern 59 on the substrate 52 can be controlled to be small, and the area of ​​the substrate 52 can be effectively used as a mounting area for other electrical / electronic components (for example, a capacitor constituting the inverter 5). As a result, the miniaturization of the substrate 52 can be achieved, and as a result, the miniaturization of the inverter 5 and the electric compressor 1 including the inverter 5 can be further achieved.

[0072] Furthermore, in the electric compressor 1 and the inverter 5 of the present embodiment, the bus bar 54 and the fixing portion 55 are held by the bus bar housing 56. Therefore, when the bus bar 54 is connected to the motor cable 21, relative positioning of the bus bar 54 and the fixing portion 55 is not required. Therefore, the bus bar 54 and the motor cable 21 can be easily connected.

[0073] Furthermore, since the plurality of bus bars 54 are held by the bus bar case 56, the plurality of bus bars 54 can be relatively positioned easily. Similarly, the plurality of fixing portions 55 can be relatively positioned easily.

[0074] Furthermore, in the electric compressor 1 and the inverter 5 of the present embodiment, the busbar 54 extends from the region overlapping the bearing 16 to the outer region of the bearing 16 when viewed from the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13. Therefore, even if the first end 541 of the busbar 54 is located in the region overlapping the bearing 16, the second end 542 of the busbar 54 can be arranged in the outer region of the bearing 16. Thus, the through hole 31 through which the motor cable 21 passes can be arranged in the outer region of the bearing 16. By arranging the through hole 31 in the outer region of the bearing 16, when the motor 11 is moved in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13 and inserted into the motor housing 12, the busbar 54 and the motor cable 21 can be easily connected without interfering with the bearing 16 provided in the motor housing 12.

[0075] Furthermore, in the electric compressor 1 and the inverter 5 of the present embodiment, the fixing portion 55 is located outside the bearing 16 of the motor unit 3 and inside the outer periphery of the stator 15 when viewed from the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13. Therefore, the through hole 31 through which the motor cable 21 passes can be arranged outside the bearing 16 and inside the outer periphery of the stator 15. Thus, when the motor 11 is moved in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13 and inserted into the motor housing 12, the motor cable 21 is prevented from interfering with the motor housing 12 (particularly, the portion where the motor water cooling jacket 32 ​​is provided) and the bearing 16 provided in the motor housing 12, and the bus bar 54 and the motor cable 21 can be simply connected.

[0076] Furthermore, in the electric compressor 1 of the present embodiment, a motor water cooling jacket 32 ​​for cooling the motor 11 is provided in the motor housing 12. Thus, even if the through hole 31 for connecting the first accommodation space S1 of the motor housing 12 and the inverter 5 is formed in the motor housing 12, the motor 11 accommodated in the first accommodation space S1 can be cooled by the motor water cooling jacket 32. This point will be described below.

[0077] When the through hole 31 is not formed on the motor housing 12, the gas compressed in the compression section 4 can flow in the first storage space S1 of the motor housing 12. At this time, the motor 11 can be cooled by the gas. However, it is not preferred to allow the gas to flow into the inverter 5. Therefore, in the electric compressor 1 of the present embodiment in which the first storage space S1 of the motor housing 12 and the second storage space S2 of the inverter 5 are connected by the through hole 31, the gas cannot flow in the first storage space S1. In contrast, in the electric compressor 1 of the present embodiment, a water-cooling jacket is provided in the motor housing 12. Thus, even if the first storage space S1 of the motor housing 12 is connected to the second storage space S2 of the inverter 5, the motor 11 can be cooled by the water-cooling jacket 32.

[0078] Furthermore, in the electric compressor 1 of the present embodiment, the busbar 54 electrically connecting the power semiconductor 53 and the motor cable 21 extends from the through hole 31 toward the power semiconductor 53 in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13. Therefore, the power semiconductor 53 can be located at a position away from the through hole 31. Thus, even if a semiconductor water-cooling jacket 33 for cooling the power semiconductor 53 is provided in the motor housing 12, the semiconductor water-cooling jacket 33 can be arranged near the power semiconductor 53 without interfering with the through hole 31. Thus, the water channel width of the semiconductor water-cooling jacket 33 can be sufficiently ensured on the lower side of the power semiconductor 53 in contact with the end surface 12a of the motor housing 12. Therefore, the power semiconductor 53 can be effectively cooled.

[0079] Furthermore, in the electric compressor 1 of the present embodiment, the through hole 31 extends from the motor 11 to the inverter 5. Thus, by passing the motor cable 21 through the through hole 31, the motor cable 21 can reliably reach the fixing portion 55 of the inverter 5 from the motor 11.

[0080] Furthermore, in the electric compressor 1 of the present embodiment, when viewed from the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13, the power semiconductor 53, the bus bar 54, and the through hole 31 are arranged in sequence in one direction. Therefore, it is possible to suppress or prevent the length of the connection wiring (the length of the bus bar 54 and the length of the wiring pattern 59 of the substrate 52) extending from the power semiconductor 53 to the through hole 31 from becoming longer. This effect is useful when there are multiple bus bars 54 and wiring patterns 59 of the substrate 52 that connect the power semiconductor 53 and the motor 11 shown in the present embodiment. This point will be described below.

[0081] When the power semiconductor 53, the bus bar 54, and the through hole 31 are not arranged in a row, some of the bus bars 54 among the plurality of bus bars 54 become longer than the other bus bars 54. In contrast, as shown in the present embodiment, when the power semiconductor 53, the bus bar 54, and the through hole 31 are arranged in a row, it is possible to suppress or prevent the length of the bus bar 54 from being different among the plurality of bus bars 54. This effect is also the same for the wiring pattern 59 of the substrate 52 connecting the power semiconductor 53 and the motor cable 21.

[0082] In the first embodiment, the fixing portion 55 may be formed integrally with the busbar housing 56, for example. That is, the fixing portion 55 may be, for example, an internal thread directly formed on the busbar housing 56. Furthermore, the fixing portion 55 (internal thread) may be formed on the busbar housing 56 by, for example, attaching a busbar fixing thread 58 as a self-tapping screw to the busbar housing 56.

[0083] As described above, the structure for holding the fixing portion 55 to the bus bar case 56 includes a structure in which the fixing portion 55 and the bus bar case 56 are formed integrally.

[0084] <Second embodiment>

[0085] Next, refer to Figures 3 to 5 In the following description, the same reference numerals are used for the same structures as those already described, and repeated description is omitted.

[0086] like Figure 3 As shown, similarly to the first embodiment, the motor housing 12 constituting the electric compressor of the second embodiment is formed with a through hole 31 which opens at the end surface 12a of the motor housing 12 and allows the motor cable 21 to pass therethrough. The connection portion 23 of the connection terminal 22 constituting the front end portion of the motor cable 21 is arranged at a position protruding from the end surface 12a of the motor housing 12.

[0087] The motor housing 12 of the second embodiment is provided with a countersunk hole 34 that is depressed from the end surface 12a thereof. The countersunk hole 34 is adjacent to the through hole 31 along the end surface 12a of the motor housing 12 and is connected to the through hole 31. The size of the countersunk hole 34 is set to a degree that a part or the entirety of the insertion portion 562 of the busbar housing 56 inserted into the through hole 31 can be accommodated in the countersunk hole 34.

[0088] When manufacturing the electric compressor of the second embodiment, the motor 11 can be inserted into the first accommodation space S1 (see FIG. 1 ) of the motor housing 12 in the same manner as in the first embodiment. Figure 1 ) and Figure 4 As shown, the motor cable 21 is inserted into the through hole 31. When the motor cable 21 is inserted into the through hole 31, the connection portion 23 of the connection terminal 22 is arranged at a position protruding from the end surface 12a of the motor housing 12. The connection portion 23 is located on the through hole 31 and not on the countersunk hole 34.

[0089] Then, if Figure 5 As shown, the busbar housing 56 holding the busbar 54 and the fixing portion 55 is arranged in the area where the countersunk hole 34 is provided between the end surface 12a of the motor housing 12 and the through hole 31. Figure 5 In the embodiment, the busbar housing 56 is disposed in the left region of the countersunk hole 34 in the end surface 12 a of the motor housing 12 . Also, the busbar housing 56 is disposed so that the insertion portion 562 of the busbar housing 56 is located on the side close to the countersunk hole 34 .

[0090] Then, the busbar housing 56 is moved toward the countersunk hole 34 along the end surface 12a of the motor housing 12 ( Figure 5 As a result, the insertion portion 562 of the busbar housing 56 is inserted into the countersunk hole 34, and the contact surface 561a of the housing body 561 is in surface contact with the end surface 12a of the motor housing 12. Furthermore, if the busbar housing 56 is further slid in the D1 direction, Figure 3 As shown, the insertion portion 562 including the fixing portion 55 enters the lower side of the connection portion 23 of the connection terminal 22 .

[0091] Thereafter, similarly to the first embodiment, the motor cable 21 and the second end 542 of the bus bar 54 may be fastened by fastening the bus bar fixing screw 58 to the fixing portion 55. Furthermore, the bus bar housing 56 may be fixed to the motor housing 12 by screw fastening.

[0092] According to the second embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be achieved.

[0093] Furthermore, according to the second embodiment, the countersunk hole 34 is formed on the motor housing 12, which is sunken from the end surface 12a thereof and connected to the through hole 31 along the end surface 12a of the motor housing 12. Thus, after the motor cable 21 having the connection terminal 22 provided at the front end is passed through the through hole 31, the busbar housing 56 holding the busbar 54 and the fixing portion 55 can be easily arranged at a predetermined position. Specifically, the insertion portion 562 of the busbar housing 56 including the fixing portion 55 can be easily inserted into the lower side of the connection portion 23 of the connection terminal 22.

[0094] As mentioned above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail with reference to the drawings, but the specific structure is not limited to these embodiments, and design changes that do not depart from the scope of the gist of the present invention are also included.

[0095] In the present invention, the motor cable 21 may be directly fastened to the second end 542 of the bus bar 54 by, for example, threaded fastening without having the connection terminal 22 .

[0096] <Appendix>

[0097] The inverter 5 and the electric compressor 1 described in the above embodiment can be understood, for example, as follows.

[0098] (1) The inverter 5 involved in the first embodiment is an inverter 5 for supplying power to the motor 11 of the motor unit 3, and the inverter 5 includes: a substrate 52; a power semiconductor 53 mounted on the substrate 52; a bus bar 54 having a first end 541 mounted on the substrate 52 and a second end 542 on the opposite side of the first end 541; and a fixing portion 55 for fixing a bus bar fixing thread 58 for fastening the motor cable 21 of the motor unit 3 to the second end 542, and the fixing portion 55 is inserted into the through hole 31 of the motor unit 3 through which the motor cable 21 passes.

[0099] According to the above structure, by making the fixing portion 55 of the inverter 5 connecting the motor cable 21 and the bus bar 54 enter the through hole 31 of the motor unit 3, the size of the inverter 5 (the size of the inverter 5 located outside the motor unit 3) can be controlled to be small. In other words, the inverter 5 can be miniaturized.

[0100] (2) The inverter 5 according to the second aspect is the inverter 5 described in (1), and includes the bus bar 54 and a bus bar case 56 that holds the fixing portion 55 .

[0101] In the above structure, the bus bar 54 and the fixing portion 55 are held by the bus bar case 56, so that when the bus bar 54 is connected to the motor cable 21, relative positioning of the bus bar 54 and the fixing portion 55 is not required. Therefore, the bus bar 54 and the motor cable 21 can be easily connected.

[0102] (3) The inverter 5 according to the third aspect is the inverter 5 described in (1) or (2), wherein:

[0103] When viewed in the axial direction of the motor 11 , the generatrix 54 extends from a region overlapping with the bearing 16 of the motor unit 3 to a region outside the bearing 16 .

[0104] In the above structure, even if the first end 541 of the busbar 54 is located in the region overlapping with the bearing 16, the second end 542 of the busbar 54 can be arranged in the outer region of the bearing 16. Thus, the through hole 31 through which the motor cable 21 passes can be arranged in the outer region of the bearing 16. By arranging the through hole 31 in the outer region of the bearing 16, when the motor 11 is moved in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13 and inserted into the motor housing 12, the busbar 54 and the motor cable 21 can be easily connected without interfering with the bearing 16 provided in the motor housing 12.

[0105] (4) The inverter 5 according to the fourth aspect is the inverter 5 according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein:

[0106] The fixing portion 55 is located outside the bearing 16 of the motor unit 3 and inside the outer circumference of the stator 15 of the motor 11 when viewed in the axial direction of the motor 11 .

[0107] In the above structure, the through hole 31 through which the motor cable 21 passes can be arranged at a position further outside than the bearing 16 and further inside than the outer periphery of the stator 15. Thus, when the motor 11 is moved in the axial direction and inserted into the motor housing 12, the motor cable 21 can be prevented from interfering with the motor housing 12 or the bearing 16 mounted thereon, and the bus bar 54 and the motor cable 21 can be easily connected.

[0108] (5) The electric compressor 1 according to the fifth aspect is an electric compressor 1 including the inverter 5 according to any one of (1) to (4), the motor unit 3 , and a compression unit 4 connected to the motor 11 .

[0109] In the above-described configuration, since the electric compressor 1 includes the inverter 5 that can be reduced in size, the electric compressor 1 can be reduced in size.

[0110] (6) The electric compressor 1 according to the sixth aspect is the electric compressor 1 described in (5), wherein:

[0111] The motor unit 3 includes a motor housing 12 that accommodates the motor 11 , and a motor water cooling jacket 32 ​​that cools the motor 11 is provided in the motor housing 12 .

[0112] In the above structure, even if the through hole 31 that connects the accommodation space of the motor housing 12 that accommodates the motor 11 and the inverter 5 is formed in the motor housing 12, the motor 11 can be cooled.

[0113] (7) The electric compressor 1 according to the seventh aspect is the electric compressor 1 described in (5) or (6), wherein:

[0114] The motor unit 3 includes a motor housing 12 that accommodates the motor 11 , and a semiconductor water cooling jacket 33 for cooling the power semiconductor 53 is provided in the motor housing 12 .

[0115] In the electric compressor 1, by extending the busbar 54 electrically connecting the power semiconductor 53 and the motor cable 21 from the through hole 31 in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the motor 11, the power semiconductor 53 can be located at a position away from the through hole 31. Therefore, the semiconductor water cooling jacket 33 can be arranged near the power semiconductor 53 without interfering with the through hole 31. As a result, the water channel width of the semiconductor water cooling jacket 33 can be sufficiently ensured on the lower side of the power semiconductor 53 in contact with the motor housing 12. Therefore, the power semiconductor 53 can be effectively cooled.

[0116] (8) An electric compressor 1 according to an eighth aspect is the electric compressor 1 according to any one of (5) to (7), wherein:

[0117] The through hole 31 extends from the motor 11 to the inverter 5 .

[0118] In the above configuration, by passing the motor cable 21 through the through hole 31 , the motor cable 21 can reliably reach the fixing portion 55 , which is a component of the inverter 5 , from the motor 11 .

[0119] (9) The electric compressor 1 according to a ninth aspect is the electric compressor 1 according to any one of (5) to (8), wherein:

[0120] When viewed from the axial direction of the motor 11 , the power semiconductor 53 , the bus bar 54 , and the through hole 31 are arranged in sequence along a direction.

[0121] In the above structure, it is possible to suppress or prevent the length of the connection wiring extending from the power semiconductor 53 to the through-hole 31 (the length of the bus bar 54 , the length of the wiring pattern 59 of the substrate 52 ) from increasing.

[0122] Explanation of symbols

[0123] 1-electric compressor, 3-motor unit, 4-compression part, 5-inverter, 11-motor, 16-bearing, 21-motor cable, 31-through hole, 32-motor water cooling jacket, 33-semiconductor water cooling jacket, 52-base plate, 53-power semiconductor, 54-busbar, 541-first end of busbar 54, 542-second end of busbar 54, 55-fixing part, 56-busbar housing, 58-busbar fixing thread.

Claims

1. An inverter for supplying power to a motor of a motor unit, the inverter comprising: substrate; A power semiconductor mounted on the substrate; a bus bar having a first end mounted on the substrate and a second end opposite to the first end; and a fixing portion, fixing a busbar fixing thread that fastens the motor cable of the motor unit to the second end, The fixing portion is inserted into a through hole of the motor unit through which the motor cable passes. 2 . The inverter according to claim 1 , comprising the bus bar and a bus bar case that holds the fixing portion.

3. The inverter according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: When viewed in the axial direction of the motor, the generatrix extends from a region overlapping with a bearing of the motor unit to an outer region of the bearing.

4. The inverter according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The fixing portion is located outside a bearing of the motor unit and inside an outer circumference of a stator of the motor when viewed in an axial direction of the motor. 5 . An electric compressor comprising the inverter according to claim 1 or 2 , the motor unit, and a compression section connected to the motor.

6. The electric compressor according to claim 5, wherein: The motor unit has a motor housing accommodating the motor, A motor water cooling jacket for cooling the motor is arranged in the motor housing.

7. The electric compressor according to claim 5, wherein: The motor unit has a motor housing accommodating the motor, A semiconductor water cooling jacket for cooling the power semiconductor is arranged in the motor housing.

8. The electric compressor according to claim 5, wherein: The through hole extends from the motor to the inverter.

9. The electric compressor according to claim 5, wherein: When viewed from the axial direction of the motor, the power semiconductor, the bus bar, and the through hole are arranged in sequence along a direction.

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