Motor

Abstract

A motor (100) includes a machine (110), a motor (120) and an inverter (130). The inverter (130) is accommodated and held in an inverter housing. The inverter housing (135) includes a front head (140) and a cover (150). The front head (140) has a bottom wall (141) and a peripheral wall (142). The peripheral wall (142) includes a front end (144) and a shoulder (145). The cover (150) includes an adjacent portion (152) and an edge portion (153). The cover (150) is arranged on the front end (144) to cover an opening (143) of the front head (140). The adjacent portion (152) is adjacent to the front end (144). In addition, a seal (160) is arranged between the front end (144) and the adjacent portion (152). The seal (160) is adhered to one of the front end (144) and the abutment portion (152) but not to the other.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electric machine. More particularly, the present invention relates to a sealing arrangement for forming a reusable and robust seal between components of an electric machine. Background Art

[0002] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a conventional motor 01 is shown, for example, an electrically driven compressor, comprising a compressor unit 02, an electric motor 03 driving the compressor unit 02, and an inverter 06, which regulates and provides power to the electric motor 03. The compressor unit 02 is generally a scroll compressor housed in a compressor housing 02a. The electric motor 03 is housed in the motor housing 03a. The inverter comprises a printed circuit board and electronic components mounted on the printed circuit board. The inverter is housed and held in an inverter housing 04. The inverter housing 04 comprises a front head 06, the front head 06 having a bottom wall 06b and a peripheral wall 06a extending from the outer end of the bottom wall 06b. The open end of the front head 04 is covered by a cover 08 by fixing the cover to one end of the peripheral wall 06a with screws or mounting bolts 07 to define a housing for housing the inverter 06. In addition, a seal 05 is disposed between the end of the peripheral wall 06a and the cover 08 to protect the inverter from external environmental conditions.

[0003] Generally speaking, a gasket or an O-ring is used as a seal 05 between the peripheral wall 06a and the cover 08. The gasket is composed of a core layer made of a metal sheet and an elastic layer coated on both sides of the core layer. By sandwiching the gasket or the O-ring between the peripheral wall 06a and the cover 08, the elastic layer of the gasket or the O-ring is elastically deformed to fit the end face of the peripheral wall 06a and the surface of the cover 08, thereby ensuring the seal therebetween. However, the gasket or the O-ring is a part independent of the inverter housing 04 or the cover 08, and therefore certain process controls are required to prevent misalignment, incorrect assembly or displacement. If the gasket is incorrectly assembled or displaced, water or adverse liquids may penetrate into the interior of the inverter housing 04 and damage the electronic components contained in the housing, thereby destroying the purpose of providing a sealing element between the cover and the front head.

[0004] As another configuration to ensure the seal between the cover 08 and the front head 06, it is suggested to use glue between the cover 08 and the peripheral wall 06a of the front head 06. The glue adheres to the cover 08 on one side and to the peripheral wall 06a of the front head 06 on the other side. After the glue is cured, a seal 05 is formed between the cover 08 and the peripheral wall 06a, thereby preventing adverse liquids from penetrating into the interior of the inverter housing. However, the glue is configured to be a permanent connection between the cover 08 and the peripheral wall 06a, resulting in a problem of maintainability. Specifically, when glue is used between the cover 08 and the peripheral wall 06a, it is difficult to remove the cover 08 from the front head 06 and enter the interior of the inverter housing 04. In addition, even if the cover 08 can be removed from the front head 06, part of the glue still remains on the cover and the front head. This residual glue is difficult to remove from the adhered surface. More specifically, the use of glue makes the glue non-reusable because its reuse is impossible.

[0005] Therefore, there is a need for a motor equipped with a sealing arrangement that solves the problems of misalignment, incorrect assembly or displacement of sealing elements faced by conventional sealing arrangements. In addition, there is a need for a motor equipped with a sealing arrangement that is used to configure a stable seal between the cover and the peripheral wall of the front head of the inverter housing, while still allowing the assembly between the cover and the peripheral wall to be easily separated, thereby solving the maintainability problems faced in conventional sealing arrangements. Summary of the invention

[0006] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a motor is disclosed. The motor includes a machine, a motor and an inverter. The motor drives the machine. The inverter is housed and held in an inverter housing and is adapted to process and regulate power from an external power source before powering the motor. The inverter housing includes a front head and a cover. The front head has a bottom wall and a peripheral wall extending axially from the outer end of the bottom wall. The cover is disposed on the front end of the front head to cover the opening of the front head, wherein an adjacent portion of the cover abuts against the front end of the peripheral wall of the front head. A seal is disposed between the front end of the peripheral portion and the adjacent portion of the cover, wherein the seal adheres to one of the front end and the adjacent portion but not to the other.

[0007] Generally speaking, one of the abutment portion of the cap and the front end of the peripheral wall is formed with a recess to receive and retain the seal to be cured therein before the cap is assembled to the front header.

[0008] In particular, the seal extends beyond the abutment surface of the front end of the respective cap or front header after curing and is compressed between the cap and said front header when the cap is assembled onto the front header.

[0009] In general, the vertical dimension "h" of the seal is greater than the depth "d" of the groove.

[0010] Furthermore, the cross-sectional area of ​​the groove is larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the seal.

[0011] In particular, the cover includes an edge portion extending from an outer end of the abutment portion toward the axial direction of the front head.

[0012] More specifically, the abutment portion of the cover overhangs the front end of the peripheral wall, and the edge portion extends along the periphery of the peripheral wall.

[0013] Specifically, a shoulder is formed on the outer periphery of the outer peripheral wall, and the edge portion extends along the outer periphery of the shoulder with a gap therebetween.

[0014] Furthermore, the inverter housing comprises a supplementary seal arranged between an edge portion of the cover and a shoulder of the front head.

[0015] Generally, the cover is formed from sheet metal by a stamping process. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Other features, details and advantages of the present invention can be inferred from the following description of the invention. A more complete understanding of the present invention and its many attendant advantages will be readily obtained and become better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0017] Figure 1 Shows a schematic diagram of the assembly of a traditional motor.

[0018] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of motor assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0019] Figure 3 An isometric view of an inverter housing is shown in an assembled configuration according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 4 Shows Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of the inverter housing along a plane passing through the mounting bolts and depicting the seal forming a sealed connection between the cover and the front header.

[0021] Figure 5 An enlarged cross-sectional view of the sealed connection of FIG. 6 is shown.

[0022] Figure 6a-6c Shown in Figure 3 The various steps involved in deploying and curing a seal on the cover of an inverter housing.

[0023] Figure 7a A schematic diagram depicting the accommodation and curing of a seal within a groove formed in a cover is shown.

[0024] Figure 7b The seal is shown compressed between the peripheral wall of the front header and an adjacent portion of the cover in a compressed configuration.

[0025] Figure 8 An enlarged view depicting the sealing arrangement relative to the edge portion is shown.

[0026] Fig. 9 An enlarged cross-sectional view of an inverter housing according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown, depicting a seal and a supplementary seal configuring a sealed connection between the cover and the front header.

[0027] Reference Mark List

[0028] 100: Motor

[0029] 110: Machine / compressor unit

[0030] 115: Compressor housing

[0031] 120: Electric motor

[0032] 125: Motor housing

[0033] 130: Inverter

[0034] 135: Inverter housing

[0035] 140: Front head

[0036] 141: Bottom wall

[0037] 142: Outer wall

[0038] 143: Opening

[0039] 144: Front End

[0040] 145: Shoulders

[0041] 146: Second groove

[0042] 150: Cover

[0043] 151: Mounting hole

[0044] 152: Adjacent part

[0045] 153: Edge

[0046] 154: First groove

[0047] 160: Seals

[0048] 170: Mounting bolts

[0049] 180: Supplementary seals

[0050] 200: Sealed dispenser

[0051] 300: UV irradiator

[0052] d: Groove depth

[0053] h: Height of the cured seal DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0054] It must be pointed out that the drawings disclose the invention in sufficient detail to enable it to be implemented and, if necessary, help to better define the invention. However, the invention should not be limited to the embodiments disclosed in the description.

[0055] The present invention is illustrated by taking an inverter of an electric drive compressor as an example. The inverter includes an inverter housing and electronic components, such as a printed circuit board and a power transistor housed in the inverter housing. The inverter includes a cover and a front head. The front head has a bottom wall and a peripheral wall extending axially from the outer end of the bottom wall. The peripheral wall of the front head includes a front end and a shoulder. The cover includes an adjacent portion and an edge portion. The cover is arranged on the front end of the front head to cover the opening of the front head, wherein the adjacent portion of the cover is adjacent to the front end of the peripheral wall of the front head. The cover needs to be removable relative to the front head to provide a passage to the inside of the accommodating portion defined by assembling the cover to the front head. The edge portion of the cover is adapted to align and engage with the peripheral wall extending along the periphery of the front head to define an accommodating portion between the cover and the front head. The inverter housing is configured with a sealing arrangement, which provides an effective seal when the cover and the front head are assembled to each other, wherein the sealing arrangement is protected from damage when the cover is removed from the front head, thereby providing maintainability for the inverter and making the seal reusable. The sealing portion is provided between the front end of the peripheral portion of the front head and the adjacent portion of the cover, wherein the sealing portion adheres to one of the front end and the adjacent portion but not to the other. By such a configuration, even when the sealing portion is arranged between the front end of the front head and the adjacent portion of the cover to perform a sealing function between the front head and the cover, the cover can be separated from the front head, thereby solving the maintainability problem faced in the conventional inverter.

[0056] Although the present invention is described by taking the sealing arrangement for sealing the connection between the cover and the front head of the vehicle electric drive compressor inverter housing as an example, the sealing arrangement is also applicable to any housing used in a vehicle or non-vehicle environment and is configured by assembling two parts, wherein a stable sealing portion is required between the two parts while still ensuring maintainability and preventing damage to the sealing portion when the two parts are disassembled so that the seal can be reused.

[0057] The present invention contemplates an electric machine 100, in particular an electrically driven compressor 100. Figure 2 , shows a schematic diagram of an electrically driven compressor 100. The electrically driven compressor 100 includes a machine (eg, a compressor unit 110), an electric motor 120, and an inverter 130.

[0058] The compressor unit 110 is housed in a housing defined by a compressor housing 115. The compressor housing 115 is an open-ended housing comprising an end wall and a peripheral wall. The compressor unit 110 compresses a fluid, in particular a refrigerant that is directed through an air conditioning circuit of a vehicle air conditioning system. The compressor unit 110 is generally a scroll compressor. However, the present invention is not limited to any particular configuration of the compressor unit 110. The compressor housing 115 protects the compressor unit 110 from harmful external environmental conditions.

[0059] The motor 120 is accommodated and held in the motor housing 125. The motor 120 drives the compressor unit 110. According to an embodiment, the motor housing 125 is also an open-ended housing including an end wall and a peripheral wall arranged along the periphery of the end wall.

[0060] The inverter 130 is housed and held in an inverter housing 135. The inverter 130 is adapted to process and condition power from an external power source before supplying power to the motor 120. The inverter housing 135 includes a front header 140 (serving as a heat sink) and a cover 150. The front header 140 and the cover 150 are assembled together to define a housing for accommodating electronic components, such as a printed circuit board and a power transistor, to protect the electronic components from a harmful external environment.

[0061] The motor housing 125 is a separate housing with open ends, and is arranged between the compressor housing 115 and the inverter housing 135. In one arrangement, the open end of the motor housing 125 is adjacent to the closed end of the inverter housing 135, and the opposite end of the motor housing 125 is adjacent to the open end of the compressor housing 115 to define separate housings for accommodating the inverter 130, the motor 120, and the compressor unit 110.

[0062] Alternatively, the inverter housing 135 and the closed ends or end walls of the motor housing 125 abut each other, and the open ends of the compressor housing 115 and the motor housing 125 abut each other to define a common accommodation for the motor 120 and the compressor unit 110 .

[0063] According to another embodiment, the front head 140 of the motor housing 125 and the inverter housing 135 are integrally formed, having two opening ends opposite to each other and a common wall between the front head 140 and the motor housing 125. The first opening end is closed by the opening end of the compressor housing 115 to define a common accommodation portion for the motor 120 and the compression unit 110. The second opening end is closed by the cover 150 to define an accommodation portion for accommodating the inverter 130.

[0064] However, the present invention is not limited to any specific configuration and arrangement of the compressor housing 115, the motor housing 125 and the inverter housing 135, as long as the compressor housing 115, the motor housing 125 and the inverter housing 135 are capable of enclosing the compressor unit 110, the motor 120 and the inverter 130, respectively, to protect them from harmful external environmental conditions.

[0065] Figure 3 1 shows an isometric view of an inverter housing 135 and a motor housing 125 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 As shown, the inverter housing 135 has a larger radial dimension than the motor housing 125, at least along one side thereof, and at least a portion of the inverter housing 135 extends outside the motor housing 125. The front header 140 and the cover 150 have substantially the same profile. The cover 150 is fixed to the front header 140 by a plurality of bolts 170.

[0066] Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of the inverter housing 135 is shown, wherein the cover 150 is depicted assembled to the front header 140 , with the seal 160 configured to seal the connection between the cover 150 and the front header 140 . Figure 5 An enlarged cross-sectional view of the sealed connection between the front header 140 and the cover 150 is shown.

[0067] The front head 140 is a housing with an open end, which includes a bottom wall 141 and a peripheral wall 142 extending axially from the outer end of the bottom wall 141. The peripheral wall 142 of the front head 140 includes a front end 144 located on the side opposite to the bottom wall 141. The front end 144 is parallel to the end of the bottom wall 141 facing the motor housing 125. In addition, a shoulder 145 is formed on the periphery of the peripheral wall 142. The front head 140 is made of aluminum casting. At least the end of the bottom wall, the front end 144 and the shoulder 145 are machined from the casting to ensure the necessary tolerance and accuracy.

[0068] The cover 150 is disposed on the front end 144 of the front header 140 to cover the opening 143 of the front header 140. The cover 150 needs to be removable relative to the front header 140 to access the electronic components contained in the front header 140 for maintenance and repair. The cover 150 includes an abutment portion 152, an edge portion 153, and a groove 154 on the side facing the front header 140. The abutment portion 152 abuts on the front end 144 of the peripheral wall 142. The edge portion 153 extends from the outer end of the abutment portion 152 toward the axial direction of the front header 140. In addition, in one embodiment, the groove 154 is formed in the abutment portion 152. In this embodiment, the shape of the cover 150 including the abutment portion 152, the edge portion 153 and the groove 154 is formed by a metal plate through a stamping process.

[0069] The seal 160 is disposed between the front end 144 of the peripheral wall 142 and the abutment portion 152 of the cover 150. The seal 160 is adhered to one of the front end 144 and the abutment portion 152, but not to the other. This configuration of the seal 160 allows the cover 150 to be removable relative to the front head 140 to achieve maintainability of the inverter 130 without being damaged, and thus can be reused.

[0070] In addition, any one of the front end 144 and the adjacent portion 152 is adapted to accommodate the seal 160 so as to be cured thereon before the cover 150 is assembled to the front head 140. In one embodiment, the adjacent portion 152 is formed with a groove 154, which is adapted to accommodate and retain the seal 160 in place to be cured before the cover 150 is assembled to the front head 140. The seal 160 adheres to the surface of the groove 154 when it is accommodated, retained and cured in the groove 154. In another embodiment not shown, the peripheral wall 142 of the front head 140 is formed with a groove 146 so as to accommodate and retain the seal 160 therein for curing before the cover 150 is assembled to the front head 140. Since the seal 160 is cured on the front head 140 or the cover 150 and adheres to the front head 140 or the cover 150, the misalignment, wrong assembly or displacement of the seal 160 is prevented. Furthermore, after the cover 150 is assembled to the front header 140 , a sealed connection between the front header 140 and the cover 150 is ensured.

[0071] refer to Figure 6a-6c , depicts the various steps involved in deploying and curing the seal 160 within the groove 154 formed in the cover 150. More specifically, first, as Figure 6a As shown, the cover 150 is placed in a vertical position with the first groove 154 facing upward. Figure 6b As shown, the seal 160 in a paste state is deployed in the groove 154 by using the seal dispenser 200. Liquid silicone rubber may be used as the material of the seal 160. More specifically, the seal dispenser 200 moves relative to the cover to deploy the seal 160 in the groove 154. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. Figure 6c As shown, the seal 160 accommodated and held in the groove 154 is cured by placing the seal 160 under ultraviolet radiation using an ultraviolet radiator 300. After curing, the seal 160 adheres to the surface of the groove 154, and the adhered portion forms a complete seal between the seal 160 and the groove 154, and the cured seal 160 has elasticity.

[0072] refer to Figure 7a, the size of the seal 160, in particular the height "h" of the cured seal 160 is greater than the depth "d" of the grooves 154, 146. Preferably, the ratio d / h is in the range of 0.6 to 0.8. According to one embodiment, the ratio d / h is 0.7. The ratio d / h depends on the material of the seal 160. Specifically, the seal 160 extends beyond the abutment surface of the corresponding cover 150 or the front head 140 when cured, and when the cover 150 is assembled to the front head 140, the seal 160 is compressed between the cover 150 and the front head 140, as shown in FIG. Figure 7b Regardless of whether the seal 160 is cured on the cover 150 or the front head 140, the cross-sectional area of ​​the grooves 154, 146 is larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the seal 160 accommodated and cured therein. This configuration of the grooves 154, 146 allows the grooves 154, 146 to accommodate the seal 160 after the seal 160 is compressed between the cover 150 and the front head 140, and to expand radially outward when the seal 160 is compressed between the cover 150 and the front head 140 when the cover 150 is mounted on the front head 140 by the mounting bolts 170.

[0073] In another embodiment, at least one of the cap 150 and the front header 140 is formed with a plurality of concentric grooves 154, 146, respectively, to receive and retain the corresponding seals 160 therein for curing before the cap 150 is assembled to the front header 140. The present invention is not limited to any particular configuration, number, and placement of the seals 160 and the corresponding grooves 154, 146 that receive the seals 160 for curing therein, as long as the seals 160 are permanently adhered to at least one of the front header 140 and the cap 150 to configure a sufficient sealing connection between the front header 140 and the cap 150, while still allowing the cap 150 to be removed from the front header 140 without being damaged to allow it to be reused.

[0074] The seal 160 defines a sealed connection between the front header 140 and the cover 150 to define a receiving portion between the front header 140 and the cover 150. The receiving portion thus formed receives electronic components, such as a printed circuit board and a power transistor, therein. More specifically, the cover 150 is adapted to cover an opening 143 of the front header 140, wherein the opening 143 is used to receive the printed circuit board in the receiving portion. Generally speaking, due to the roughness of the abutting surface, a slight gap is inherently generated between the front end 144 and the adjacent portion 152, even when the cover is assembled on the front header 140.

[0075] In order to prevent moisture and dust particles from leaking through the gap between the peripheral wall 142 and the cover 150, the seal 160 is deployed between the front end 144 and the adjacent portion 152. More specifically, the seal 160 prevents moisture and dust particles from leaking inside the inverter housing 135. The seal 160 is suitable for adhering to the surface on which the seal 160 is deployed after curing. According to a preferred embodiment, the seal 160 is a curing-in-place gasket of a silicone rubber material, which is in a paste state and solidifies after curing. In the assembly configuration of the cover 150 and the front head 140, the seal 160 should be able to provide a substantial seal between the adjacent portion 152 and the front end 144. In addition, the seal 160 should allow the cover 150 to be easily removed from the front head 140 so as to provide maintainability for the inverter 130 without damaging it, so that the seal 160 can be reused.

[0076] After that, the seal 160 is cured on the cover 150 and adhered to the cover 150, and the cover 150 and the front head 140 are assembled to each other using the mounting bolts 170. More specifically, the cover 150 is provided with a through mounting hole 151, and the front end 144 is provided with a blind mounting hole. The through mounting hole 151 on the cover 150 is aligned with respect to the blind mounting hole formed on the front end 144 to allow the mounting bolts 170 to pass therethrough for mounting the cover 150 on the front head 140. Figure 4-5 As shown, the mounting bolts are located radially outwardly of the seal 160 to prevent moisture from leaking through the mounting hole 151 .

[0077] In order to improve the sealing between the cover 150 and the front head 140 and prevent the sealing effect of the seal 160 from being deteriorated due to corrosion, the cover 150 is formed as follows Figure 4 and Figure 5 The edge portion 153 is shown. In the assembled configuration of the front header 140 and the cover 150, the abutment portion 152 of the cover 150 is located on the front end 144, and the edge portion 153 extends from the outer end of the abutment portion 152 toward the axial direction of the front header 140. In the assembled configuration of the front header 140 and the cover 150, the edge portion 153 extends along the outer periphery of the peripheral wall 142. This configuration of the edge portion 153 hinders water or any corrosive liquid from penetrating into the abutment surfaces of the front header 140 and the cover 150. Therefore, the seal 160 is protected from harmful corrosion of the edge portion 153, so that the cover 150 can be reused.

[0078] When the cap is not assembled on the front header 140, the height "hr" of the edge portion 153 is greater than the height "hp" of the seal 160 protruding from the adjacent portion 152. Since the edge 153 is higher than the seal 160, when the cap 150 with the cured seal 160 is placed on the seal 160, the seal 160 is prevented from undesired contact with other objects.

[0079] Typically, the edge portion 153 is radially spaced outwardly relative to the seal 160. The edge portion 153 extends along the periphery of the shoulder 145 with a gap therebetween. More specifically, when the cover 150 is mounted on the front head 140, at least a portion of the edge portion 153 is adapted to be suspended relative to the front end 144 and urged toward the shoulder 145. The surface of the front end 144 that interacts with the abutment portion 152 is machined to ensure a tight fit between the cover 150 and the front head 140, thereby preventing any moisture or dust from reaching the seal 160. The edge portion 153 is adapted to overlap at least a portion of the shoulder 145. The edge portion 153 extends along the entire periphery of the cover 150. The present invention is not limited to any particular configuration of the edge portion 153, as long as the edge portion 153 is capable of preventing direct access to the gap between the front end 144 and the abutment portion 152 by blocking the gap.

[0080] according to Fig. 9 In another embodiment shown, at least one supplemental seal 180 is disposed between the cover 150 and the shoulder 145. More specifically, the shoulder 145 is adapted to retain the supplemental seal 180 between itself and the edge portion 153. The supplemental seal 180 is adapted to further prevent direct access to the gap between the front end 144 and the adjacent portion 152 by blocking the gap. The supplemental seal 180 is radially spaced outwardly relative to the seal 160, thereby limiting any moisture or dust from reaching the seal 160 and escaping through the seal-front head interface. When the cover 150 is mounted on the front head 140 by the mounting bolts 170, the supplemental seal 180 blocks the gap to prevent any leakage through the gap and is pressed against the shoulder 145.

[0081] like Fig. 9As shown, the seal 160 and the supplementary seal 180 are configured to be sealed between the front head 140 and the cover 150. The supplementary seal 180 also extends along the peripheral portion of the cover 150. The shoulder 145 is complementary to the supplementary seal 180 to ensure the correct sealing and positioning of the supplementary seal 180 thereon. In addition, the shoulder 145 is relatively larger than the supplementary seal 180 to stably support the supplementary seal 180 between the edge portion 153 and the shoulder 145. According to another embodiment of the present invention, the supplementary seal 180 is a curing-in-place gasket of a silicone rubber material, which is in a paste state and solidifies after curing. The supplementary seal 180 is U-shaped and is suitable for accommodating the edge portion 153. According to another embodiment, the edge portion 153 of the cover 150 includes a plurality of legs, and each leg portion is suitable for being accommodated in a corresponding supplementary seal 180 of the plurality of supplementary seals 180. However, the present invention is not limited to any particular configuration of the supplemental seal 180, so long as the supplemental seal 180 is capable of preventing direct entry into the gap between the front head 144 and the adjacent portion 152 by blocking the gap, thereby preventing moisture or dust from reaching the seal 160 and escaping through the gasket-front head interface.

[0082] The sealing arrangement of the present invention includes at least one of the seals 160 and at least one supplementary seal 180 arranged in different combinations. In a preferred embodiment, the sealing arrangement includes the seal 160 and at least the supplementary seal 180 arranged radially outward from the seal 160. The seal 160 and the supplementary seal 180 can be arranged in any order to ultimately prevent direct access to the gap between the front head 144 and the adjacent portion 152. This sealing arrangement including the edge portion 153 and the supplementary seal 180 effectively limits any moisture or dust from reaching the seal 160 and escaping through the seal-front head interface. When the cover 150 is installed on the front cover 140 by the mounting bolts 170, the seal 160 and the supplementary seal 180 are compressed.

[0083] In any case, the present invention cannot and should not be limited to the embodiments specifically described herein, as other embodiments are possible. The present invention should be extended to any equivalent means and any combination of technically operable means.

Claims

1. A motor (100), comprising: Machine (110); An electric motor (120) for driving the machine (110); an inverter (130) housed and held in an inverter housing (135) and adapted to process and condition power from an external power source before powering the electric motor (120); The inverter housing (135) comprises: A front head portion (140) having a bottom wall (141) and an outer peripheral wall (142) extending axially from an outer end of the bottom wall (141); and A cover (150) is arranged on the front end (144) of the front head (140) to cover the opening (143) of the front head (140), wherein an adjacent portion (152) of the cover (150) abuts against the front end (144) of the peripheral wall (142) of the front head (140), characterized in that a seal (160) is arranged between the front end (144) of the peripheral wall (142) and the adjacent portion (152) of the cover (150), wherein the seal (160) adheres to one of the front end (144) and the adjacent portion (152) but not to the other.

2. The electric machine (100) according to claim 1, wherein: The adjacent portion (152) of the cover (150) and one of the front ends (144) of the peripheral wall (142) are formed with grooves (154, 146) so as to accommodate and retain the seal (160) to be cured therein before the cover (150) is assembled to the front head (140).

3. The electric machine (100) according to claim 2, wherein: The seal (160) extends beyond the abutment surface of the front end (144) of the corresponding cover (150) or the front head (140) after curing, and when the cover (150) is assembled to the front head (140), the seal is compressed between the cover (150) and the front head (140).

4. The electric machine (100) according to claim 2, wherein: The vertical dimension "h" of the seal (160) is greater than the depth "d" of the grooves (154, 146).

5. The electric machine (100) according to claim 3, wherein: The cross-sectional area of ​​the grooves (154, 146) is greater than the cross-sectional area of ​​the seal (160).

6. The electric machine (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein The cap (150) includes an edge portion (153) extending from an outer end of the abutment portion (152) toward the axial direction of the front head portion (140).

7. The electric machine (100) according to claim 1, wherein: The abutment portion (152) of the cover (150) is overhung from the front end (144) of the peripheral wall (142), and the edge portion (153) extends along the periphery of the peripheral wall (142).

8. The electric machine (100) according to claim 7, wherein: A shoulder (145) is formed on the outer periphery of the outer peripheral wall (142), and the edge portion (153) extends along the outer periphery of the shoulder (145) with a gap therebetween.

9. The electric machine (100) of claim 8, further comprising a supplemental seal (180) disposed between the edge portion (153) of the cover (150) and the shoulder (145) of the front head (140).

10. The electric machine (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein The cover (150) is formed from a metal plate by a stamping process.

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