Inverter and electric vehicle

Abstract

The utility model relates to an inverter and an electric vehicle comprising the same. The inverter includes a housing made of an insulating material, a grounding member made of a conductive material, and a plurality of components. The shell is provided with an opening, and the outer surface of the shell is covered with an electromagnetic shielding layer. The grounding component is arranged in the shell and is provided with a grounding end which extends out of the shell through the opening. The plurality of components are provided in the housing and are electrically connected to the ground member, respectively, thereby being grounded through the ground terminal. According to the inverter provided by the utility model, a component needing to be grounded is electrically connected with the grounding component, and then is electrically connected with an external part through the grounding end of the grounding component so as to be grounded. Therefore, a path of a common-mode current loop can be completed in the shell, and electromagnetic interference to other electronic equipment due to the fact that the path is diffused to the outside of the inverter is avoided.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The utility model relates to electrical equipment for vehicle, especially an inverter and electric vehicle including the inverter. BACKGROUND

[0002] With the development of new energy vehicles, the inverter for vehicle plays an important role in the electric drive system. The inverter is used to convert the direct current from the battery into alternating current to drive the motor to work and control the speed and torque of the motor.

[0003] The existing inverter is usually composed of a metal shell, a power module, a driving and control circuit board, a capacitor, an EMC filter and other components installed in the metal shell. The components that need to be grounded are reliably fixed to the bolt holes of the metal shell through bolts, and then the grounding point of the metal shell is connected with the vehicle frame through the grounding wire, so as to realize reliable grounding.

[0004] The metal shell makes the inverter have a large weight, which does not conform to the development direction of lightweight vehicles. Using a plastic shell can reduce the weight of the inverter. However, since the plastic is insulating, the components that need to be grounded cannot be directly connected to the plastic shell for grounding. Therefore, a new grounding method is needed to complete the grounding of the internal components of the inverter. SUMMARY

[0005] The utility model aims at solving at least one of the above problems and / or other problems in the prior art.

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, according to one aspect of the utility model, an inverter is provided, which comprises a shell made of insulating material, a grounding member made of conductive material and a plurality of components. The shell has an opening, and the outer surface of the shell is covered with an electromagnetic shielding layer. The grounding member is arranged in the shell and has a grounding end that extends out of the shell via the opening. The plurality of components are arranged in the shell and are respectively electrically connected with the grounding member, so as to be grounded through the grounding end.

[0007] According to an embodiment of the utility model, the inverter further comprises a cooling member, the inside of the cooling member is formed with a cooling flow channel for the flow of cooling medium, and the cooling member is provided with an inlet and an outlet for the cooling medium to enter and flow out of the cooling flow channel at the part of the cooling member arranged at the opening.

[0008] According to an embodiment of the utility model, the cooling member is made of metal material, and the grounding member is composed of at least a part of the cooling member.

[0009] According to an embodiment of the present application, the plurality of components includes a power module, and the power module is fixed to the grounding member by a metal fastener.

[0010] According to an embodiment of the present application, the plurality of components further includes a three-phase adapter, and the three-phase adapter is electrically connected to the power module or is integrated with the power module by insert injection molding.

[0011] According to an embodiment of the present application, the plurality of components further includes a circuit board, and the circuit board is disposed on a side of the power module away from the grounding member and is fixed to the grounding member by a metal fastener.

[0012] According to an embodiment of the present application, the plurality of components further includes a low-voltage connector, and the low-voltage connector is electrically connected to the circuit board or is integrated with the circuit board by insert injection molding.

[0013] According to an embodiment of the present application, the plurality of components includes a filter module, and the filter module is fixed to the grounding member by a metal fastener.

[0014] According to an embodiment of the present application, the plurality of components includes a high-voltage connector, and the high-voltage connector is electrically connected to the filter module or is integrated with the filter module by insert injection molding.

[0015] According to another aspect of the present application, an electric vehicle is provided, which includes the inverter as described above.

[0016] The housing of the inverter is made of an insulating material with light weight, and an electromagnetic shielding layer is arranged on the outer surface of the housing. This reduces the overall weight of the inverter, and on the other hand, the same electromagnetic shielding effect as the metal shell of the prior art can be achieved. In addition, the space waste caused by the need to reserve the electrical clearance and the creepage distance between the metal shell of the prior art and the conductive components inside is avoided. The grounding member made of conductive material is arranged in the housing, and the grounding ends of the components such as the power module, the circuit board and the like that need to be grounded are electrically connected to the grounding member, and are grounded by the grounding ends of the grounding member and the external components. Thus, the path of the common mode current loop can be completed in the housing, and the path is avoided from being dispersed to the outside of the inverter to generate electromagnetic interference to other electronic devices. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0017] The features and advantages of the present application will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings provided only by way of illustration, wherein:

[0018] Figure 1 A perspective view of an inverter according to a first embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0019] Figure 2 A perspective view of an inverter according to a first embodiment of the present application is shown. Figure 1 An exploded view of the inverter shown.

[0020] Figure 3 A perspective view of an inverter according to a first embodiment of the present application is shown. Figure 1 A left side view of the inverter shown.

[0021] Figure 4 A perspective view of an inverter according to a first embodiment of the present application is shown. Figure 3 A sectional view of the inverter shown along line A-A.

[0022] Figure 5 A perspective view of an inverter according to a second embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0023] Figure 6 A perspective view of an inverter according to a second embodiment of the present application is shown. Figure 4 An exploded view of the inverter shown.

[0024] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS:

[0025] 1, housing; 11, first opening; 12, second opening; 13, third opening; 14, fourth opening; 2, grounding member; 21, grounding end; 22, accommodating portion; 221, accommodating hole; 3, cooling member; 31, inlet; 32, outlet; 33, through hole; 4, power module; 5, three-phase adapter; 6, circuit board; 7, low-voltage connector; 8, capacitor; 9, filter module; 10, high-voltage connector. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] Embodiments of the present application are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present application. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that the present application can be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well known process steps and / or structures have not been described in detail in order to not unnecessarily obscure the present application. It will be understood that the present application is not limited to the particular embodiments described herein. Rather, the scope of the present application includes any combination of the various features and elements described below without regard to the particular embodiment in which they are used. Thus, the following aspects, features, embodiments and advantages are merely illustrative and are not required.

[0027] The terms "comprise" and "have" used in the following are used to denote the inclusion of something induding an open ended inclusion of additional elements.

[0028] Figures 1 to 4 An inverter according to a first embodiment of the present application is shown. The inverter according to the embodiment can include a housing 1, a grounding member 2, and a plurality of components.

[0029] The housing 1 can be of a split structure, for example, including a housing body and a cover. The housing body can form an open structure as shown in a substantially cuboid shape with an opening, including a bottom wall and a side wall vertically extending from the periphery of the bottom wall. The cover can be fixed at the opening of the housing body by fasteners or in a laser welding manner to cooperatively define a receiving cavity with the housing body. The housing 1 is made of an insulating material, for example, plastic, which is advantageous to reduce the weight of the inverter. An electromagnetic shielding layer is covered on the outer surface of the housing 1 to achieve the electromagnetic shielding effect of the metal shell in the prior art. Figure 2

[0030] In the embodiment, the bottom wall of the housing body is provided with a first opening 11, a second opening 12, and a third opening 13, and the side wall is provided with a fourth opening 14 for a part of the plurality of components inside the housing 1 to protrude out of the housing 1. It can be understood that the first opening 11, the second opening 12, the third opening 13, and the fourth opening 14 can be arranged at any appropriate position for the corresponding components to protrude out, and the number thereof can vary according to the number of components protruding out of the housing 1.

[0031] The grounding member 2 is made of a conductive material and is arranged inside the housing 1. The grounding member 2 can be arranged in any shape inside the housing 1 and has a grounding end 21. A part of the grounding member 2 corresponds to the first opening 11, and the grounding end 21 is arranged at the part and protrudes out of the housing 1 via the first opening 11. In this way, the grounding end 21 can be connected to the frame or other parts for grounding. As an example, the grounding member 2 can include a first section close to the bottom wall of the housing 1, a second section close to the top wall (cover) of the housing 1 and parallel to the first section, and a connecting section extending substantially perpendicularly from the first section to the second section.

[0032] A plurality of components requiring grounding, such as filter modules, circuit boards, power modules, etc., are arranged inside the housing 1, which are respectively electrically connected to the grounding member 2 and then reliably grounded through the grounding end 21. In this way, the path of the common-mode current loop can be completed inside the inverter, avoiding the path being dispersed to the outside of the inverter to cause electromagnetic interference to other electronic devices.

[0033] Reference is made to Figure 2 ​As shown, the inverter may further include a cooling component 3, the interior of which is formed with cooling channels (not shown) for the flow of a cooling medium (e.g., cooling oil or water). The cooling component 3 has an inlet 31 and an outlet 32 ​​at positions corresponding to the first opening 11. The cooling medium enters the cooling channel from the inlet 31. As the cooling medium flows within the cooling channel, it carries away heat from inside the inverter, thereby dissipating heat from the multiple components housed within the housing 1. The cooled medium, having absorbed heat, flows out of the cooling channel from the outlet 32.

[0034] Optionally, the cooling component 3 is made of a metallic material. In this embodiment, reference is made to... Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, the grounding component 2 and the cooling component 3 can be integral components; in other words, the grounding component 2 is composed of at least a part of the cooling component 3.

[0035] refer to Figures 2 to 4 As shown, the multiple components disposed within the housing 1 may include a power module 4. The power module 4 may be fixed to the cooling member 3 by means of metal fasteners (e.g., metal screws), thereby achieving reliable grounding on the overall structure of the cooling member 3 and the grounding member 2 via a grounding terminal 21.

[0036] Optionally, the plurality of components may also include, for example: Figure 1 and Figure 2 The three-phase adapter 5 is shown. One end of the three-phase adapter 5 can be electrically connected to the power module 4. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the other end of the three-phase adapter 5 can extend out of the housing 1 through the second opening 12 provided on the housing 1, and is used as the output terminal of the inverter for AC power.

[0037] Optionally, the plurality of components may also include, for example: Figure 2 and Figure 4 The circuit board 6 is shown. The circuit board 6 can be disposed on the side of the power module 4 away from the cooling member 3, and can be fixed to the cooling member 3 via metal fasteners. Thus, the circuit board 6 can be connected to the cooling member 3 via the metal fasteners.

[0038] Optionally, the plurality of components may also include, for example: Figure 2 and Figure 4 The low-voltage connector 7 is shown. One end of the low-voltage connector 7 can be electrically connected to the circuit board 6, thereby grounding via the connection between the circuit board 6 and the cooling component 3. The other end of the low-voltage connector 7 extends out of the housing 1 through the third opening 13 of the housing 1, serving as the low-voltage input terminal for the DC power of the inverter.

[0039] Figure 2 and Figure 4It is also shown that the side of the peripheral wall of the second section of the grounding member 2 facing the power module 4 and the circuit board 6 is raised, thereby forming a receiving portion 22 surrounding the power module 4 and the circuit board 6. The side wall of the receiving portion 22 is provided with a receiving hole 221 for facilitating the three-phase adapter 5 to pass through. The circuit board 6 can be fixed to the receiving portion 22 by metal fasteners, and the circuit board 6 is supported by the receiving portion 22. The grounding member 2 is provided with a through hole (not shown) in the inner region of the receiving portion 22 for the low-voltage connector 7 to pass through, and the low-voltage connector 7 can pass through the through hole and then pass through the third opening 13 in the bottom wall of the shell 1.

[0040] Optionally, the plurality of components can further include a capacitor 8 as shown in Figure 2 and Figure 4 The capacitor 8 is arranged on the side of the cooling member 3 away from the power module 4 and the circuit board 6. The capacitor 8 can be configured such that its input end is electrically connected to the input end of the inverter (for example, the output end of the low-voltage connector 7), and its output end is electrically connected to the power module 4. For example, when the capacitor 8 is a thin film capacitor, it can be grounded via its connection with the low-voltage connector 7 and the circuit board 6. When the capacitor 8 is a grounded capacitor, it can be grounded by being fixed to the grounding member 2 by metal fasteners.

[0041] Optionally, the plurality of components can further include a filter module 9 as shown in Figure 2 and Figure 4 The filter module 9 is arranged in the space between the first section of the grounding member 2 and the cover of the shell 1. The filter module 9 can be grounded by being fixed to the grounding member 2 by metal fasteners.

[0042] Optionally, the plurality of components can further include a high-voltage connector 10 as shown in Figure 2 and Figure 4 The high-voltage connector 10 is arranged on the side of the first section of the grounding member 2 facing the cover of the shell 1, alongside the filter module 9, and can be fixed to the first section of the grounding member 2 by metal fasteners (not shown).

[0043] In the above embodiments, two or more components that need to be fixed or electrically connected can also be fixed by insert molding. For example, stable electrical connections are required between the three-phase adapter 5 and the power module 4, between the low-voltage connector 7 and the circuit board 6, and between the high-voltage connector 10 and the filter module 9. Therefore, the corresponding two components can be integrated by insert molding to ensure reliable electrical connections.

[0044] Figure 5 and Figure 6 An inverter according to a second embodiment of the present application is shown. The differences between the second embodiment and the first embodiment will be mainly described below, and the contents that are basically the same or similar to those in the first embodiment will be omitted or simply mentioned.

[0045] Reference Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown in FIG. 2, the inverter according to the second embodiment can also include a housing 1, a grounding member 2, a cooling member 3, a power module 4, a three-phase adapter 5, a circuit board 6, a low-voltage connector 7, a capacitor 8, a filter module 9 and a high-voltage connector 10, and the connection modes and structures of the components relative to each other are basically the same as those in the first embodiment. The difference between the first and second embodiments mainly lies in that the grounding member 2 and the cooling member 3 in the second embodiment are in a split structure.

[0046] On the second section of the grounding member 2 close to the cover, a plurality of support columns are arranged. Metal fasteners (e.g. screws) are screwed through the holes on the circuit board 6 and the support columns, so that the circuit board 6 can be supported between the grounding member 2 and the cover of the housing 1.

[0047] In the present embodiment, the length of the second section of the grounding member 2 can be shorter than the length of the cooling member 3. Thus, the low-voltage connector 7 can extend laterally from the grounding member 2 and pass through the through hole 33 arranged on the cooling member 3. One end of the low-voltage connector 7 is electrically connected to the circuit board, and the other end extends out of the housing 1 through the through hole 33 and the third opening 13 on the bottom wall of the housing 1.

[0048] According to the present application, an electric vehicle including the inverter as described above is also provided.

[0049] As described above, the housing 1 of the inverter of the present application is made of an insulating material with relatively light weight, and an electromagnetic shielding layer is arranged on the outer surface of the housing 1. This reduces the overall weight of the inverter, and at the same time, achieves the same electromagnetic shielding effect as the metal shell of the prior art. In addition, the space waste caused by the need to maintain the electrical clearance and creepage distance between the metal shell and the conductive components inside the prior art is avoided.

[0050] The grounding member 2 made of conductive material is arranged inside the housing 1. The grounding ends of components such as the power module 4 and the circuit board 6 that need to be grounded are electrically connected to the grounding member 2, and are grounded by being electrically connected to the external components through the grounding end 21 of the grounding member 2. Thus, the path of the common-mode current loop can be completed inside the housing 1, and the path is prevented from being dissipated to the outside of the inverter to cause electromagnetic interference to other electronic devices.

[0051] The two components inside the housing 1 that are electrically connected to each other can be formed in one piece by insert molding, so as to ensure the connection reliability between the two components and effectively reduce the volume of the inverter.

[0052] Various modifications and changes can be made to the embodiments disclosed in the foregoing without departing from the scope or spirit of the present application. Other embodiments of the present application will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from the disclosure of this specification. It is contemplated that the application disclosed in this specification and its equivalents can be practiced without specific reference to the above examples. It is intended to include all such variations and modifications within the scope of the present application. The specification and examples given should be considered exemplary only, with the true scope of the application being indicated by the following claims.

Claims

1. An inverter, characterized by comprising: The inverter comprises: a housing (1) made of an insulating material, the housing (1) having an opening (11), and an outer surface of the housing (1) being covered with an electromagnetic shielding layer; and a grounding member (2) made of an electrically conductive material, the grounding member (2) being disposed inside the housing (1), and the grounding member (2) having a grounding end (21) protruding outside the housing (1) via the opening (11); and a plurality of components disposed inside the housing (1) and electrically connected to the grounding member (2) respectively, whereby grounding is performed through the grounding end (21).

2. The inverter of claim 1, wherein, The inverter further comprises a cooling member (3), an inside of the cooling member (3) being formed with a cooling flow passage for a cooling medium to flow, and the cooling member (3) being provided at a portion thereof disposed at the opening (11) with an inlet (31) and an outlet (32) for the cooling medium to enter and flow out of the cooling flow passage.

3. The inverter of claim 2, wherein, The cooling member (3) is made of a metal material, and the grounding member (2) is constituted by at least a portion of the cooling member (3).

4. The inverter according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by, The plurality of components include a power module (4) fixed to the grounding member (2) by a metal fastener.

5. The inverter of claim 4, wherein, The plurality of components further include a three-phase adapter (5) electrically connected to the power module (4) or integrated with the power module (4) by insert molding.

6. The inverter of claim 4, wherein, The plurality of components further include a circuit board (6) disposed on a side of the power module (4) facing away from the grounding member (2) and fixed to the grounding member (2) by a metal fastener.

7. The inverter of claim 6, wherein, The plurality of components further include a low-voltage connector (7) electrically connected to the circuit board (6) or integrated with the circuit board (6) by insert molding.

8. The inverter of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The plurality of components include a filter module (9) fixed to the grounding member (2) by a metal fastener.

9. The inverter of claim 8, wherein, The plurality of components include a high-voltage connector (10) electrically connected to the filter module (9) or integrated with the filter module (9) by insert molding.

10. An electric vehicle characterized by comprising: An inverter according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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