Electric compressor

Abstract

Disclosed is an electric compressor comprising: a housing; a compression portion configured to compress the refrigerant introduced into the housing; a motor portion provided in the housing and configured to drive the compression portion; and an inverter portion disposed on one side of the housing and configured to control the motor portion, and the inverter portion may include: an inverter cover coupled to one side of the housing; the inverter body is fixed in the inverter cover; and a circuit board seated on the inverter body and allowing one or more elements to be disposed on one surface of the circuit board facing the housing, and the inverter body may include: one or more protruding portions protruding from the base surface toward the circuit board, and a pressing member may be inserted into at least one of the one or more protruding portions, and the pressing member presses another surface that is an opposite side of the one surface of the circuit board.

Description

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0061787, filed on May 10, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure relates to an electric compressor, and more particularly to an electric compressor in which the inverter cover, inverter body and circuit board can be modularized and the contact between the switching element and the motor housing can be improved by pressing another surface, which is the opposite side of a surface on which the switching element on which the circuit board is disposed, by pressing a pressing member that allows insertion into a protrusion in the inverter body. Background Technology

[0004] Typically, vehicles are equipped with air conditioning (A / C) systems for cooling or heating the passenger compartment. These systems include a compressor that compresses the low-temperature, low-pressure gaseous refrigerant drawn from the evaporator into a high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous state and delivers it to the condenser.

[0005] Compressors used in such vehicles include mechanical compressors that are driven by the engine and electric compressors that use electric motors. In recent years, the use of electric compressors has increased with the acceleration of vehicle electrification.

[0006] Meanwhile, examples of compressors include reciprocating compressors that compress refrigerant based on the reciprocating motion of pistons, and rotary compressors that compress refrigerant while rotating. Depending on the power transmission from the drive source, reciprocating compressors include crank compressors that use a crank to transmit driving force from the drive source to multiple pistons, and swashplate compressors that transmit driving force from the drive source to a shaft equipped with a swashplate. Rotary compressors include vane compressors that utilize a rotating shaft and vanes, and scroll compressors that utilize a moving scroll and a stationary scroll.

[0007] Furthermore, in the field of electric compressors, research and development of compressors using an inverter method that can change the operating speed of the motor are actively underway. An example of a conventional electric compressor using an inverter method is disclosed in Korean Patent No. 2023-0017728.

[0008] According to an example of a conventional electric compressor, the electric compressor 10 includes a housing 11, a compression section 16, an electric motor 17, and an inverter 30. The housing 11 has a motor housing member 12 that houses the compression section 16 and the electric motor 17, and a discharge housing member 13. An inverter cover 25 is coupled to the shorter wall 12b of the motor housing member 12, and the inverter cover 25 is attached to the shorter wall 12b, thereby separating the inverter chamber 26.

[0009] The inverter 30 has a circuit board 31 and one or more electrical components 32 mounted on the circuit board 31. The electrical components 32 are disposed between the circuit board 31 and the shorter wall 12b of the motor housing member 12, and the electrical components 32 are thermally connected to the shorter wall 12b. That is, the electrical components 32 are in close contact with the shorter wall 12b through which the cold-drawn refrigerant flows in the motor housing member 12, thereby achieving heat dissipation.

[0010] To this end, according to existing technology, electrical component 32 is assembled into motor housing member 12 using bolts and then soldered to circuit board 31, or the electrical component 32 is first pressed toward motor housing member 12 by soldering it to circuit board 31, and then pressed toward motor housing member 12 using a resilient member, such as a clamping member. However, this method requires additional components, such as bolts or clamping members, for pressing the electrical component 32 toward motor housing member 12, and the assembly process is complex because threaded grooves need to be machined in motor housing member 12. Furthermore, a problem exists that resilient members such as clamping members cannot press the electrical component 32 evenly, resulting in contact failure with motor housing member 12, and thus potentially deteriorating heat dissipation characteristics.

[0011] Existing technical documents

[0012] Patent documents

[0013] Korean Patent No. 2023-0017728 (published on February 6, 2023) Summary of the Invention

[0014] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide an electric compressor in which the inverter cover, inverter body and circuit board can be modularized, and the accessibility between the switching element and the motor housing can be improved by pressing another surface, which is the opposite side of a surface on which the switching element on which the circuit board is disposed, by means of a pressing member that allows insertion into a protrusion in the inverter body.

[0015] The technical problems to be solved by this disclosure are not limited to those described above, and other technical problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

[0016] One embodiment is an electric compressor comprising: a housing; a compression section configured to compress refrigerant introduced into the housing; a motor section disposed in the housing and configured to drive the compression section; and an inverter section disposed on a side of the housing and configured to control the motor section, wherein the inverter section may include: an inverter cover coupled to a side of the housing; an inverter body fixed inside the inverter cover; and a circuit board seated on the inverter body and allowing one or more components to be disposed on a surface of the circuit board facing the housing, wherein the inverter body may include: one or more protrusions projecting from a base surface toward the circuit board, and a pressing member may be inserted into at least one of the protrusions, the pressing member pressing against another surface that is an opposite side of a surface of the circuit board.

[0017] According to an embodiment, the element may include a plurality of switching elements, and the pressing member may press another surface, which is the opposite side of a surface on which a plurality of switching elements are disposed.

[0018] According to the embodiment, the pressing member can be formed of a rubber material and can be compressively deformed when inserted into the protrusion.

[0019] According to one embodiment, a heat exchange portion may be provided on the partition wall of the housing, the heat exchange portion protruding toward the circuit board so as to allow one or more components to contact the heat exchange portion.

[0020] According to the embodiment, the pressing member can be positioned within an area in which multiple switching elements are disposed.

[0021] According to an embodiment, the electric compressor may further include: a plurality of fastening members passing through the inverter cover, the inverter body and the circuit board to be fastened to the housing, and one or more protrusions may be configured as a second fastening hole near the inverter body that allows the plurality of fastening members to pass through.

[0022] According to the implementation, every two of the plurality of switching elements can be paired, and at least one pressing member can be provided in each region in which each pair of elements is provided.

[0023] According to the implementation, the pressing member can be disposed between every two elements forming each element pair.

[0024] According to an embodiment, the pressing member may include: a body portion that contacts another surface of the circuit board; and a leg portion that extends from the body portion and is inserted into the recess of the protrusion portion.

[0025] According to the embodiment, the maximum outer diameter of the leg portion before the pressing member is inserted into the protrusion can be greater than the diameter of the inner groove of the protrusion.

[0026] According to an embodiment, the leg portion may include a support portion extending from the body portion and an edge portion protruding in the circumferential direction along the support portion.

[0027] According to the embodiment, in the main body, the diameter d1 of the side portion that is in contact with the circuit board can be formed to be smaller than the diameter d2 of the side portion that is in contact with the protrusion portion.

[0028] According to the embodiment, a through hole can be provided in the pressing member along the longitudinal direction.

[0029] According to an embodiment, the inverter body may further include: a mounting portion that protrudes from a base surface and allows a circuit board to be mounted on the mounting portion; and a heat-fusion portion that extends from the mounting portion and is heat-fused after passing through a heat-fusion hole in the circuit board.

[0030] According to the implementation method, the height h1 of the protruding portion can be lower than the height h2 of the sitting portion.

[0031] According to the embodiment, before the circuit board is placed on the mounting portion, the sum of the height h1 of the protrusion and the height h3 of the pressing member disposed outside the protrusion can be greater than the height h2 of the mounting portion.

[0032] According to an embodiment, the base surface may include a first base surface relatively close to the inverter cover and a second base surface relatively far from the inverter cover, and each of the protruding portion and the seated portion may protrude from the second base surface.

[0033] According to this disclosure, the inverter cover and circuit board can be modularized through the inverter body, since the inverter body is fixed inside the inverter cover, and the heat-fused portion of the inverter body is heat-fused in the circuit board after passing through it.

[0034] In addition, since one type of fastening component passes through the inverter cover, inverter body and circuit board to be fastened to the housing, the type of fastening component can be standardized and the number of fastening components can be reduced, thereby reducing cost and weight.

[0035] Furthermore, the pressing member inserted into the protruding portion of the inverter body presses against the opposite surface of the switching element, which serves as the surface on which the circuit board is mounted. This ensures close contact between the switching element and the motor housing, improving the accessibility between them. Consequently, the heat dissipation characteristics of the switching element can be improved. Therefore, machining of the threaded grooves in the motor housing is unnecessary, and the assembly process is simplified, as the switching element can be uniformly pressed towards the motor housing using only the pressing member without any additional parts such as bolts or clamps.

[0036] Specifically, before the circuit board is placed on the mounting portion of the inverter body, the sum of the height h1 of the protrusion and the height h3 of the pressing member provided outside the protrusion is greater than the height h2 of the mounting portion. Therefore, the pressing member is pressed when the circuit board is placed on the mounting portion, and thus, the circuit board and the switching elements soldered to the circuit board can be pressed clearly toward the motor housing side.

[0037] Furthermore, a through hole is provided in the pressing member along the longitudinal direction, and therefore, when the pressing member is inserted into the inner groove of the protrusion, it can prevent the pressing member from being dislodged due to the air pressure in the inner groove, and the pressing member can be compressed inward (along the direction of the through hole). By doing so, the pressing member cannot be dislodged from the inner groove of the protrusion due to the elastic force in the circumferential direction.

[0038] The effects of the embodiments of this disclosure are not limited to the effects described above, and it should be understood that the effects of this disclosure include all effects that can be inferred from the configuration of this disclosure as described in the detailed description of this disclosure or the appended claims. Attached Figure Description

[0039] Figure 1 It is an exploded 3D view of the electric compressor with the inverter section separated from it.

[0040] Figure 2 It is one of the ways to observe from another perspective Figure 1 An exploded 3D view of some of the components.

[0041] Figure 3 The diagram shows the inverter body from... Figure 2 A front view of the separated state.

[0042] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view illustrating the state of the pressing component inserted into the inverter cover and the inverter body. Figure 2 They are one with each other.

[0043] Figure 5 It's a diagram. Figure 1A partial cross-sectional view of the inverter section in its assembled state.

[0044] Figure 6 Is Figure 2 The diagram shows a perspective view of the pressing component being separated.

[0045] Figure 7 It is viewed from above. Figure 6 Plan view of the pressing component.

[0046] Figure 8a It is by... Figure 2 The circuit board is separated and the location of area A, where each pair of components is set, and the position of the pressing member in contact with another surface are shown in dashed lines in the front view.

[0047] Figure 8b It is by... Figure 2 The circuit board is separated and the front view of the area B on another surface, where the gate driver is located, and the position of the pressing member in contact with the other surface is shown in dashed lines.

[0048] Figure 9 It is a cross-sectional view showing a portion of the heat-fused part of the inverter body in a state of heat fusion. Detailed Implementation

[0049] In the following description, exemplary embodiments of the electric compressor of this disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0050] Furthermore, the terminology used herein is defined in consideration of the functionality of this disclosure and may vary depending on the intent or practice of the user or operator, and the following embodiments do not limit the scope of this disclosure but are merely examples of the components presented in the claims.

[0051] Furthermore, for clarity, irrelevant details have been omitted, and identical or similar parts are assigned the same reference numerals throughout the specification. It will also be understood that, unless otherwise defined, the terms "comprising" and "including" as used herein specify the presence of a stated element but do not exclude the presence or addition of other elements.

[0052] In this specification, the term "unit" refers to an element that can be combined into one element, or an element can be divided into two or more elements according to its subdivided functions. Furthermore, each element described below, in addition to its primary function, can also perform some or all of the functions performed by another element, and some of the primary functions of each element can be entirely performed by another component.

[0053] First, refer to Figure 1 A brief description of the configuration of the electric compressor 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is provided.

[0054] The electric compressor disclosed herein mainly includes a housing 10, a motor section, a compression section, and an inverter section 20.

[0055] The housing 10 forms the exterior of the electric compressor 1, and in this embodiment, the housing 10 includes a motor housing (front housing) 12 and a compressor housing (rear housing) 14.

[0056] The motor section is housed within the motor housing 12 and provides power to the compression section for compressing the refrigerant. Although not shown, the motor section may include: a rotor coupled to a rotating shaft rotatably mounted at the center of the motor housing 12; and a stator fixed to the motor housing 12 and disposed radially outward of the rotor. Furthermore, the stator may include a stator core and coils wound around the stator core.

[0057] The compression section compresses the refrigerant introduced into the housing 10. In this embodiment, the compression section is disposed in the compression housing 14, and although not shown, this compression section may include a moving scroll member connected to a rotating shaft via an eccentric bushing and a fixed scroll member forming a compression chamber together with the moving scroll member, in which the refrigerant is compressed. Therefore, since the compression section is connected to the motor section via the rotating shaft, the rotational force generated by the motor section can be transmitted to the moving scroll member of the compression section via the rotating shaft. However, this is not a limitation, and it is evident that other types of compression sections may be used.

[0058] The inverter section 20 is connected to a side of the housing 10, which is the side opposite the compression section to the motor section. The inverter section 20 is electrically connected to the motor section, supplies power to the motor section by means of externally transmitted power and control signals, and controls its operation. Specifically, the stator forms an electromagnetic field by the power applied from the inverter section 20, and when the rotor rotates by the electromagnetic field formed by the stator, it generates a rotational force for driving the compression section.

[0059] In this configuration, the motor section and the inverter section 20 can be electrically connected to each other via connecting pins. Since a three-phase motor is used in this embodiment, three connecting pins are provided, each connected to one of the three phases, to supply three-phase power from the inverter section 20 to the motor section. The three connecting pins are electrically connected to the three-phase coils of the stator, pass through the motor housing 12, and protrude toward the interior of the inverter section 20. Each of the connecting pins protruding toward the interior of the inverter section 20 passes through and is electrically connected to the circuit board 300 of the inverter section. For this purpose, a through-hole can be formed on one side of the front housing 12 and on the circuit board 300 to allow the connecting pins to pass through the through-hole.

[0060] In the following text, reference will be made to Figures 1 to 8b The inverter section 20 is described in detail. The inverter section 20 may mainly include an inverter cover 100, an inverter body 200, a circuit board 300, a pressing member 400, and a fastening member 500.

[0061] The inverter cover 100 is attached to the housing 10, and more specifically to a side of the motor housing 12, and serves to protect the circuit board 300 from external impacts, etc. The inverter cover 100 is attached to the motor housing 12 by a fastening member 500, which will be described below, and for this purpose, a first fastening hole 120 is formed in the inverter cover 100 to allow the fastening member 500 to pass through.

[0062] like Figure 2 As illustrated, the inverter body 200 is fixed inside the inverter cover 100 to be integrated with the inverter cover 100. Preferably, the inverter body 200 is made of plastic material to reduce costs and make the inverter body 200 compact. In this case, the inverter cover 100 is made of metal material, and therefore, the inverter cover 100 and the inverter body 100 can be manufactured integrally by dual injection.

[0063] The inverter body 200 has a shape corresponding to the inverter cover 100, and in particular, the inverter body 200 may be formed with a base surface 210 and a wall surface 220, the wall surface 220 surrounding the base surface 210 and having a constant height. The wall surface 220 has a shape corresponding to the periphery of the circuit board 300, and includes both straight segments and curved segments.

[0064] In this embodiment, the base surface 210 includes a first base surface 211 relatively close to the inverter cover 100 and a second base surface 212 relatively far from the inverter cover 100. (Refer to...) Figure 2 and Figure 3As can be seen, the first base surface 211 is formed to be recessed in a suitable hexagonal shape on the second base surface 212. Therefore, the material cost and weight of the inverter body 200 can be reduced.

[0065] A second fastening hole 240 is formed in the inverter body 200, allowing the fastening member 500 to pass through. The second fastening hole 240 of the inverter body is located at the same position as the first fastening hole 120, so that the second fastening hole 240 is aligned with the first fastening hole 120, and the fastening member 500 passing through the first fastening hole 120 can simultaneously pass through the second fastening hole 240.

[0066] A circuit board 300 (PCB) is mounted on the inverter body 200. One or more components are disposed on one surface of the circuit board 300 facing the motor housing 12. In this embodiment, the components are multiple switching elements 350, mounted as SMD (surface mount device) type on one surface of the circuit board 300. However, the disclosed technology is not limited thereto, and the multiple switching elements 350 can be THT (through-hole) switching elements. For example, the switching elements 350 can be IGBTs or MOSFETs.

[0067] A third fastening hole 320 is formed in the circuit board 300 to allow the fastening member 500 to pass through. The third fastening hole 320 of the circuit board is located at the same position as the first fastening hole 120 and the second fastening hole 240, so that the third fastening hole 320 is aligned with the first fastening hole 120 and the second fastening hole 240, so that the fastening member 500 passing through the first fastening hole 120 and the second fastening hole 240 can pass through the third fastening hole 320 at the same time.

[0068] Therefore, the fastening member 500 passes through the inverter cover 100, the inverter body 200, and the circuit board 300, and is fastened to the motor housing 12. For example, the fastening member 500 may be a fastening bolt. More specifically, the fastening member 500 is fastened to a support portion 13 that protrudes from the motor housing 12 toward the circuit board 300 and supports one surface of the circuit board 300. Thus, a type of fastening member 500 is fastened together to the inverter cover 100, the circuit board 300, and the motor housing 12, and therefore, the type of fastening member can be standardized and the number of fastening members can be reduced, thereby reducing cost and weight.

[0069] In this embodiment, a plurality of fastening members 500 are provided. In particular, it is preferred that at least one of the plurality of fastening members 500 is positioned closer to the central portion of the inverter cover 100 than to the outer side of the inverter cover 100. In this embodiment, eight fastening members 500 are provided, with seven fastening members 500 positioned on the outer side of the inverter cover 100 and one fastening member 500 positioned at the central portion of the inverter cover 100. However, the disclosed technology is not limited thereto, and the arrangement of the plurality of fastening members 500 can be freely varied. By doing so, at least one fastening member 500 can support the central portion of the inverter cover 100, and the distance between the fastening members 500 is reduced, thereby improving the resonant noise of the inverter cover 100 by increasing the natural frequency. Furthermore, the plurality of fastening members 500 are positioned to pass through the circuit board 300, and therefore, the outer dimension of the inverter section can be reduced.

[0070] In this embodiment, the inverter body 200 includes one or more protrusions 260 projecting from the base surface 210 toward the circuit board 300, and a pressing member 400 is inserted into at least one of the protrusions 260. In this embodiment, the pressing member 400 is inserted into each of the protrusions 260. In this case, the pressing member 400 presses against another surface that is the opposite side of one surface of the circuit board 300, causing the switching element 350 to be in close contact with the motor housing 12. That is, the pressing member 400 presses against another surface opposite to the surface on which the plurality of switching elements 350 are disposed. Therefore, the accessibility between the switching element 350 and the motor housing 12 can be improved, and the heat dissipation characteristics of the switching element 350 can be improved.

[0071] In this case, such as Figure 1 and Figure 5 As illustrated, a heat exchange section 12b may be provided in the partition wall 12a of the motor housing 12. This heat exchange section 12b protrudes toward the circuit board 300, allowing it to contact a plurality of switching elements 350. The partition wall 12a of the motor housing 12 separates the space where the motor section is located from the space where the inverter section 20 is located. The space where the inverter section 20 is located is open and is therefore covered by the inverter cover 100. Thus, heat from the switching elements 350 is delivered to the heat exchange section 12b, and the heat delivered to the heat exchange section 12b can be effectively cooled by a low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant contained inside the heat exchange section 12b.

[0072] Additionally, a TIM (thermal interface material) can be provided between the switching element 350 and the motor housing 12, more specifically between the heat exchange portion 12b of the switching element 350 and the motor housing, and the type of TIM can be freely chosen. That is, a TIM made of sheet material, a TIM made of grease, or a TIM in liquid form can be used.

[0073] The pressing member 400 must be made of a material with excellent electrical insulation properties because it directly contacts the other surface of the circuit board 300. Therefore, the pressing member 400 can be formed of a rubber material, particularly EPDM rubber. EPDM rubber has excellent insulation properties, the unique flexibility of rubber, and is more cost-effective than silicone rubber. Furthermore, when the pressing member 400 is inserted into the protrusion 260, it can compressively deform because it is made of rubber.

[0074] Preferably, the protrusion 260 and the pressing member 400 are disposed in the region where the plurality of switching elements 350 are disposed. Here, the region where the plurality of switching elements 350 are disposed may refer to the region located between the outermost switching elements 350. Therefore, the pressing member 400 can effectively press the switching elements 350 toward the motor housing 12.

[0075] The number of protrusions 260 and the number of pressing members 400 can be varied depending on the number of switching elements 350. In this embodiment, such as Figure 8a and Figure 8b As illustrated, six switching elements 350 are disposed on one surface of the circuit board 300, and the six switching elements 350 are paired into three element pairs by pairing every two adjacent elements. More specifically, one of the two switching elements in each element pair may correspond to the high-side IGBT 350a, and the other of the two switching elements in each element pair may correspond to the low-side IGBT 350b.

[0076] In this case, such as Figure 8a As illustrated, preferably, at least one pressing member 400 is disposed in each region A in which each element pair is disposed. In this disclosure, a total of three element pairs are disposed, and therefore, at least three pressing members 400 are disposed. Thus, each element pair can be pressed evenly toward the motor housing 12. Figure 8a In the diagram, the area A containing each pair of elements and the position where the pressing member 400 contacts the other surface are indicated by dashed lines. That is, the positions of the multiple pressing members 400 relative to the multiple switching elements 350 are indicated.

[0077] In particular, preferably, the pressing member 400 is disposed between every two switching elements forming each element pair, i.e., between a high-side IGBT 350a and a low-side IGBT 350b.

[0078] However, if a gate driver 360 for controlling a pair of elements is provided between a high-side IGBT 350a and a low-side IGBT 350b on the other surface of the circuit board 300, the position of the pressing member 400 can be tilted toward one of the two switching elements forming the pair of elements in order to avoid the gate driver 360.

[0079] exist Figure 8b In the diagram, the region B on another surface of the circuit board 300, where the gate driver 360 is disposed, and the position where the pressing member 400 contacts the other surface are indicated by dashed lines. As illustrated, the gate driver 360 may be disposed between the elements forming an element pair, and therefore, the pressing member 400 is configured to be inclined toward the higher side of the two elements forming the element pair, i.e., IGBT 350a, such that the pressing member 400 can avoid the gate driver 360.

[0080] In particular, preferably, the plurality of protrusions 260 are positioned close to one of the plurality of second fastening holes 240 through which the plurality of fastening members 500 pass on the inverter body 200. This is to facilitate the delivery of the fastening force of the fastening members 500 to the adjacent pressing member 400 through the inverter cover 100 and the inverter body 200, so that the pressing member 400 firmly presses the circuit board 300. More specifically, in this disclosure, three protrusions 260 are configured such that one protrusion 260 is provided between two adjacent second fastening holes 240, but said one protrusion 260 is positioned closer to one of the two adjacent fastening holes 240.

[0081] In this embodiment, the protrusion 260 protrudes from the base surface 210 in a circular shape. At the end of the protrusion 260, an inner groove 262 is formed into which the pressing member 400 is inserted.

[0082] The pressing member 400 includes: a body portion 410 that contacts another surface of the circuit board 300; and a leg portion 420 that extends from the body portion 410 and is inserted into a recess 262 of the protrusion 260.

[0083] In this configuration, the maximum outer diameter of the leg portion 420 before the pressing member 400 is inserted into the protrusion 260 is larger than the diameter of the inner groove 262 of the protrusion 260. In this embodiment, the leg portion 420 includes a support portion 422 extending from the body portion 410 and an edge portion 424 extending in the circumferential direction along the support portion 422; therefore, the maximum outer diameter of the leg portion 420 can be the outer diameter of the edge portion 424. However, if the edge portion 424 is not included in this embodiment, the maximum outer diameter of the leg portion 420 can be the outer diameter of the support portion 422. Therefore, the edge portion 424 is provided, and thus, a groove is formed between the body portion 410 and the edge portion 424 or between adjacent edge portions 424, improving assembly efficiency. That is, it prevents the pressing member 400 from dislodging when inserted into the inner groove 262 of the protrusion 260.

[0084] Furthermore, it is preferable that the diameter d1 of the side of the body portion 410 that contacts the circuit board 300 is formed to be smaller than the diameter d2 of the side of the body portion 410 that contacts the protrusion 260. Therefore, when the diameter d1 that contacts the circuit board 300 is smaller, interference between the pressing member 400 and the components disposed on the other surface of the circuit board 300 can be prevented to the greatest extent.

[0085] A through hole 430 is provided in the pressing member 400 along the longitudinal direction. That is, the through hole 430 extends from the end of the body portion 410 along the entire longitudinal direction to the end of the leg portion 420. Therefore, by providing a through hole 430 in the pressing member 400, separation of the pressing member 400 due to air pressure in the inner groove 262 of the protrusion portion 260 when the pressing member 400 is inserted into the inner groove 262 is prevented, and the pressing member 400 is allowed to compress inward (along the direction of the through hole) when the pressing member 400 is inserted into the inner groove 262. By doing so, the pressing member 400 cannot easily leave the inner groove 262 of the protrusion portion 260 due to the elastic force in the circumferential direction.

[0086] The inverter body 200 also includes: a mounting portion 270 protruding from the base surface 210 and on which the circuit board 300 is mounted; and a heat-fusion portion 280 extending from the mounting portion 270 and passing through a heat-fusion hole 330 in the circuit board 300 for heat-fusion within the heat-fusion hole 330. The inverter body 200 is made of plastic material, and therefore, heat fusion can be performed within the inverter body 200. Figure 9The diagram illustrates the state in which the fusible portion 280 passes through the fusible hole 330 of the circuit board and is fused. Before the fusible portion 280 is fused, it guides the circuit board 300. After the fusible portion 280 is fused, it is fixed in the fusible hole 330 of the circuit board 300, thus fixing the position of the circuit board 300 inside the inverter body 200.

[0087] To ensure sufficient space for component placement on the circuit board 300, it is preferable that the diameter of the fusible hole 330 in the circuit board 300 is smaller than the diameter of the third fastening hole 320. In this embodiment, the fusible hole 330 is formed as a through-hole passing through the circuit board; however, depending on the circumstances, the fusible hole 330 may be formed as a cut hole cut inward from the outer periphery of the circuit board.

[0088] When the circuit board 300 is placed on the mounting portion 270, the circuit board 300 is supported in a state spaced apart from the base surface 210 of the inverter body 200. With this configuration, unevenness of the circuit board caused by interference between the inverter body 200 and the circuit board 300 can be prevented, and the circuit board can be reliably placed on the inverter body 200.

[0089] The seating portion 270 and the hot-melt portion 280 can be configured in multiple ways, and such as Figure 3 As illustrated in the figure, in this embodiment, seven mounting portions 270 and seven hot-melt portions 280 are provided. Each mounting portion 270 has the same height, so that the circuit board 300 can be stably mounted on the mounting portion 270. In this embodiment, the mounting portion 270 is illustrated as having a cross shape, but is not limited to a cross shape, and can have various shapes, such as a circular pillar shape, a quadrilateral pillar shape, etc.

[0090] The height h1 of the protrusion 260 is lower than the height h2 of the mounting portion 270. In this case, both the protrusion 260 and the mounting portion 270 can protrude from the second base surface 212. Therefore, since both the protrusion 260 and the mounting portion 270 protrude from the second base surface 212, which is higher than the base surface 210 of the inverter body, the protrusion height of the protrusion 260 and the mounting portion 270 can be minimized, and thus the stability of the protruding structure can be improved while reducing material costs.

[0091] The inverter body 200 is integrally fixed inside the inverter cover 100, and the position of the circuit board 300 is fixed by heat melting of the inverter body 200. Therefore, the inverter cover 100 and the circuit board 300 can be modularized through the inverter body 200.

[0092] By heat-melting the circuit board 300 while it is seated on the inverter body 200, the inverter cover 100, inverter body 200, and circuit board 300 are modularized into an inverter module. The inverter module can be fastened to the motor housing 12 by fastening members 500. Therefore, the assembly efficiency of the inverter section 20 can be improved. A seal for sealing can be provided between the inverter module and the motor housing 12.

[0093] Specifically, before the circuit board 300 is placed on the mounting portion 270, the sum of the height h1 of the protrusion 260 and the height h3 of the pressing member 400 disposed outside the protrusion 260 can be made greater than the height h2 of the mounting portion 270. In this embodiment, the height h3 of the pressing member 400 disposed outside the protrusion 260 corresponds to the height of the body portion 410. Therefore, when the circuit board 300 is placed on the mounting portion 270, the pressing member 400 is pressed, and thus, when the inverter module is fastened to the motor housing 12, the circuit board 300 and the switching element 350 soldered to the circuit board 300 can be firmly compressed toward the motor housing 12.

[0094] Additionally, according to an embodiment, the inverter body 200 may further include a protrusion 290 that protrudes from the base surface 210 while surrounding the second fastening hole 240, allowing the fastening member 500 to pass through the protrusion 290 and simultaneously support the circuit board 300. The protrusion 290 has the shape of a hollow pillar, and an elastic member 600 for connecting the inverter cover 100 and the grounding member of the circuit board 300 may be provided inside the protrusion 290. The elastic member 600, made of a metallic material, has two ends, each of which contacts the inverter cover 100 and the circuit board 300 respectively, and the position of the elastic member 600 is constrained between the inverter cover 100 and the circuit board 300, thus preventing the elastic member 600 from separating from this position without the need for a separate fastening member. As an example, the elastic member 600 is illustrated as a coil spring. Therefore, the elastic member 600 can connect the inverter cover 100 and the grounding member of the circuit board 300, and thus, no additional grounding device for the circuit board 300 is required. For this purpose, a copper foil (not shown) can also be provided in the circuit board 300 surrounding the third fastening hole 320 and allowing the elastic member 600 to contact. The copper foil refers to a thin copper foil and may have an annular shape surrounding the third fastening hole 320.

[0095] Furthermore, the fastening member 500 passes through the interior of the elastic member 600 and fastens the inverter cover 100 together with the circuit board 300 to the motor housing 12, and the elastic member 600 is used to support the circuit board 300, thereby reducing the number of fastening members 500 and absorbing noise and vibration.

[0096] As described above, both the elastic member 600 and the pressing member 400 press against the circuit board 300, which is a commonality between them. However, the elastic member 600 contacts the inverter cover 100, which is made of a metallic material, while the pressing member 400 contacts the inverter body 200, which is made of a non-metallic material (resin material). This is a difference between them. Furthermore, the elastic member 600 is made of a metallic material (conductive material), and therefore becomes conductive (grounded) when in contact with the copper foil of the circuit board 300. The pressing member 400, on the other hand, is made of a non-conductive material, namely rubber, and is not conductive to the circuit board 300. Additionally, the elastic member 600 is fastened together with the fastening member 500, while the pressing member 400 is formed in a position corresponding to the switching element 350, rather than in the position fastened by the fastening member 500. This is another difference between them.

[0097] This disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments and descriptions described above, and those skilled in the art can make various modifications without departing from the spirit of this disclosure as claimed in the claims. Such variations are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0098] Figure Labels

[0099] 1: Flexible compressor 10: Housing

[0100] 12: Motor housing; 12a: Partition wall

[0101] 12b: Heat exchange section; 13: Support column section

[0102] 14: Compression housing; 20: Inverter section

[0103] 100: Inverter cover; 120: First fastening hole

[0104] 200: Inverter body 210: Base surface

[0105] 211: First base surface; 212: Second base surface

[0106] 220: Wall surface 240: Second fastening hole

[0107] 260: Protruding part; 262: Inner groove

[0108] 270: Sealing part; 280: Hot melt part

[0109] 290: Protrusion; 300: Circuit board

[0110] 320: Third fastening hole; 330: Hot melt hole

[0111] 350: Switching element; 350a: High-side IGBT

[0112] 350b: Low-side IGBT; 360: Gate driver

[0113] 400: Pressing component; 410: Main body part

[0114] 420: Leg section 422: Support section

[0115] 424: Edge portion; 430: Through hole

[0116] 500: Fastening component; 600: Elastic component

Claims

1. An electric compressor, comprising: case; A compression section configured to compress the refrigerant introduced into the housing; A motor portion, which is disposed in the housing and configured to drive the compression portion; as well as An inverter section is disposed on one side of the housing and configured to control the motor section; The inverter section includes: An inverter cover, the inverter cover being attached to one side of the housing; Inverter body, the inverter body being fixed inside the inverter cover; and A circuit board, which sits on the inverter body and allows one or more components to be disposed on a surface of the circuit board facing the housing. The inverter body includes: One or more protrusions protruding from the base surface toward the circuit board, and In this embodiment, at least one of the one or more protrusions is inserted with a pressing member, and the pressing member presses against another surface that is the opposite side of one surface of the circuit board.

2. The electric compressor according to claim 1, in, The component includes multiple switching elements, and The pressing member presses the other surface, which is the opposite side of the first surface, and the plurality of switching elements are provided on the first surface.

3. The electric compressor according to claim 1, in, The pressing member is formed of rubber material and deforms compressively when inserted into the protrusion.

4. The electric compressor according to claim 1, in, A heat exchange section is provided on the partition wall of the housing, the heat exchange section protruding toward the circuit board so as to allow one or more components to contact the heat exchange section.

5. The electric compressor according to claim 2, in, The pressing member is positioned within the area where the plurality of switching elements are located.

6. The electric compressor according to claim 5, further comprising: Multiple fastening components pass through the inverter cover, the inverter body, and the circuit board to be fastened to the housing. The one or more protrusions are configured as a second fastening hole near the inverter body, which is one of a plurality of second fastening holes through which the plurality of fastening members pass.

7. The electric compressor according to claim 5, in, Each pair of the plurality of switching elements is paired, and at least one pressing member is provided in each region where each pair of elements is provided.

8. The electric compressor according to claim 7, in, The pressing member is disposed between every two elements forming each element pair.

9. The electric compressor according to claim 1, in, The pressing member includes: a body portion that contacts another surface of the circuit board; and a leg portion that extends from the body portion and is inserted into an inner groove of the protrusion.

10. The electric compressor according to claim 9, in, The maximum outer diameter of the leg portion before the pressing member is inserted into the protrusion is greater than the diameter of the inner groove of the protrusion.

11. The electric compressor according to claim 10, in, The leg portion includes a support portion extending from the body portion and an edge portion projecting in the circumferential direction along the support portion.

12. The electric compressor according to claim 9, in, In the main body portion, the diameter d1 of the side portion that is in contact with the circuit board is formed to be smaller than the diameter d2 of the side portion that is in contact with the protruding portion.

13. The electric compressor according to claim 1, in, A through hole is provided in the pressing member along the longitudinal direction.

14. The electric compressor according to claim 1, in, The inverter body further includes: a mounting portion that protrudes from the base surface and allows the circuit board to be mounted on the mounting portion; and a heat-fused portion that extends from the mounting portion and is heat-fused after passing through a heat-fused hole in the circuit board.

15. The electric compressor according to claim 14, in, The height h1 of the protruding portion is lower than the height h2 of the seated portion.

16. The electric compressor according to claim 15, in, Before the circuit board is placed on the seated portion, the sum of the height h1 of the protrusion and the height h3 of the pressing member disposed outside the protrusion is greater than the height h2 of the seated portion.

17. The electric compressor according to claim 14, in, The base surface includes a first base surface relatively close to the inverter cover and a second base surface relatively far from the inverter cover, and Each of the protruding portion and the seated portion protrudes from the surface of the second base.

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