Motor compressor

Abstract

To provide a motor compressor capable of sufficiently securing an insulation distance between connection terminals of a power supply connector which electrically connects an external power source and an invertor.SOLUTION: In the motor compressor, a power supply connector 9 for electrically connecting the external power source and an invertor 6 includes a plurality of connection terminals (a positive electrode power terminal 91, a negative electrode power terminal 92, a first interlock terminal 93, and a second interlock terminal 94), and an insulation quality rib 95 arranged between the connection terminals. The plurality of connection terminals of the power supply connector 9 are electrically connected to a circuit board 63 in the state that the insulation quality rib 95 penetrates through the circuit board 63 of the invertor 6.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electric compressor.

Background Art

[0002] As an electric compressor used for compressing a refrigerant in a vehicle air conditioner or the like, an electric compressor in which an inverter is integrally incorporated is known. An example of this type of electric compressor is described in Patent Document 1. The electric compressor described in Patent Document 1 includes a compression mechanism, an electric motor, an inverter, an inverter housing, and a power connector that electrically connects an external power source and the inverter. The power connector has a bus bar (connection terminal) and is fixed to the inverter housing, and the tip of the bus bar (connection terminal) is connected to the circuit board of the inverter. A first insulating member that covers the bus bar (connection terminal) is provided on the circuit board, and a second insulating member that supports and covers the bus bar (connection terminal) is provided on the power connector. According to the electric compressor described in Patent Document 1, it is said that a short circuit from the bus bar (connection terminal) of the power connector to the inverter housing is prevented.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the electric compressor described in Patent Document 1, for example, the insulation distance (creepage distance) between bus bars (connection terminals) on the circuit board may not be sufficient. In recent years, electric compressors have become larger in capacity and higher in rated voltage, and it is desired to ensure a sufficient insulation distance between the connection terminals of the power connector, including the insulation distance on the circuit board.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an electric compressor capable of sufficiently securing an insulation distance between connection terminals of a power connector.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, a novel electric compressor is provided. The provided electric compressor includes an electric motor that rotates a rotating shaft, a compression mechanism driven by the rotation of the rotating shaft, an inverter that drives and controls the electric motor, an inverter housing that houses the inverter therein, and a power connector fixed to the inverter housing and electrically connecting an external power source and the inverter. The inverter includes a circuit board on which circuit elements are mounted. The power connector has a plurality of connection terminals and insulating ribs disposed between the connection terminals, and the plurality of connection terminals are electrically connected to the circuit board with the insulating ribs penetrating the circuit board.

Effects of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an electric compressor capable of sufficiently securing an insulation distance between connection terminals of a power connector.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the accompanying drawings. Note that terms such as "first", "second",... are used merely to distinguish similar elements, and do not limit the elements to which they are attached.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an electric compressor 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The electric compressor 1 according to the embodiment is an inverter-integrated type electric compressor in which an inverter is integrally incorporated. The electric compressor 1 is mounted on a vehicle, for example, and constitutes a part of a refrigerant circuit of a vehicle air conditioner, and is configured to compress and discharge a refrigerant.

[0011] The electric compressor 1 includes a rotating shaft 2, an electric motor 3, a compression mechanism 4, a main body housing 5, an inverter 6, an inverter housing 7, and a cover member 8.

[0012] The rotating shaft 2 is rotatably supported by the main body housing 5 by a bearing (not shown). The electric motor 3 is, for example, a three-phase synchronous motor, and is configured to be driven by power supplied from the inverter 6 to rotate the rotating shaft 2. The compression mechanism 4 is configured to be driven by the rotation of the rotating shaft 2 to compress a refrigerant. Although not particularly limited, the compression mechanism 4 can be a scroll compression mechanism. The main body housing 5 is made of metal (for example, aluminum die-cast), has a cylindrical cross-section, and houses the rotating shaft 2, the electric motor 3, and the compression mechanism 4 therein. In the main body housing 5, the electric motor 3 and the compression mechanism 4 are arranged in series.

[0013] The inverter 6 drives and controls the electric motor 3. The inverter housing 7 is provided integrally with the main body housing 5 and houses the inverter 6 therein. The inverter housing 7 is provided at the end of the main body housing 5 on the side of the electric motor 3 and has a larger projected area than the main body housing 5. The inverter housing 7 is mainly formed by a bottom wall 71 and a peripheral wall 73 rising from the periphery of the bottom wall 71, and has an opening 75 facing the bottom wall 71. The opening 75 of the inverter housing 7 is closed by a cover member 8. The cover member 8 is fixed to the peripheral wall of the inverter housing 7 (which is also a part of the main body housing 5) by screws or the like (not shown).

[0014] A power connector 9 for supplying DC power from an in-vehicle battery (not shown) as an external power source to the inverter 6 is fixed to the bottom wall 71 of the inverter housing 7. The power connector 9 is a so-called HV (high voltage) connector. That is, the power connector 9 electrically connects the in-vehicle battery (external power source) and the inverter 6. Also, a part of the bottom wall 71 of the inverter housing 7 forms a partition wall 77 that partitions the inside of the main body housing 5 and the inside of the inverter housing 7.

[0015] The main body housing 5 is formed with an inlet 5a for allowing a refrigerant to flow into the main body housing 5 and an outlet 5b for allowing the refrigerant to flow out of the main body housing 5. The inlet 5a is configured to allow the refrigerant to flow between the partition wall 77 and the electric motor 3 inside the main body housing 5. The refrigerant flowing into the main body housing 5 from the inlet 5a flows along the partition wall 77, passes through the electric motor 3, and reaches the compression mechanism 4, where it is compressed by the compression mechanism 4. Then, the refrigerant compressed by the compression mechanism 4 flows out from the outlet 5b.

[0016] The refrigerant flowing into the main body housing 5 from the inlet 5a is a low-temperature gas refrigerant. Therefore, the partition wall 77 (the bottom wall 71 of the inverter housing 7) and the electric motor 3 can be cooled by the refrigerant flowing into the main body housing 5 from the inlet 5a.

[0017] The inverter 6 will be further described. The inverter 6 is configured to convert the DC power supplied from the in-vehicle battery via the power connector 9 into three-phase AC power and supply it to the electric motor 3 via, for example, the power supply line 10 extending through the partition wall 77. The inverter 6 includes a plurality of switching elements, specifically six switching elements 61 (only one of which is shown in FIG. 1), and a circuit board 63 on which a control circuit 65 for controlling the operation of the six switching elements 61 is mounted. The switching element 61 is a power semiconductor switching element such as an IGBT or a power MOS transistor. In this embodiment, in addition to the control circuit 65, various circuit elements including a capacitor 67 and a coil (not shown) constituting a noise filter are mounted on the circuit board 63.

[0018] The six switching elements 61 are fixed to an element installation portion 79 provided in the inverter housing 7 by a pressing member (not shown). The element installation portion 79 is formed on the surface of the partition wall 77 on the side of the inverter housing 7, that is, on the inner surface of the bottom wall 71 of the inverter housing 7 (the inner bottom surface of the inverter housing 7). Although not particularly limited, the element installation portion 79 can be a machined surface that has been machined and finished among the inner surface of the bottom wall 71 of the inverter housing 7 (the inner bottom surface of the inverter housing 7). The element installation portion 79 has a function as a heat dissipation portion that dissipates the heat of the six switching elements 61 by using the low-temperature gas refrigerant flowing into the main body housing 5. A sheet-like heat dissipation member may be provided between the six switching elements 61 and the element installation portion 79.

[0019] The circuit board 63 is fixed by screws 13 to the upper surfaces of a plurality of board mounting portions 11 provided inside the inverter housing 7. The board mounting portions 11 are formed to protrude from the inner surface of the bottom wall 71 of the inverter housing 7 (the inner bottom surface of the inverter housing 7). Therefore, in the present embodiment, the circuit board 63 is disposed closer to the cover member 8 than the six switching elements 61 inside the inverter housing 7, that is, separated from the six switching elements 61 toward the cover member 8 side (upward in FIG. 1).

[0020] Each of the six switching elements 61 has a lead 61a extending toward the circuit board 63, or rather, a lead 61a extending through the circuit board 63. And by soldering these leads 61a to the circuit board 63, for example, the six switching elements 61 and the circuit board 63 are electrically connected.

[0021] The power connector 9 will be further described. FIG. 2 is a front view of the power connector 9, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the power connector 9.

[0022] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the power connector 9 has a connector housing 90. The connector housing 90 is made of insulating resin and is formed in a cylindrical shape. A flange portion 90a is formed on one end side of the connector housing 90.

[0023] Also, the power connector 9 has, as connection terminals, a positive power terminal 91 and a negative power terminal 92 which are power terminals, and a pair of interlock terminals (a first interlock terminal 93 and a second interlock terminal 94) which are terminals other than the power terminals. Although detailed description is omitted, the interlock terminals (the first interlock terminal 93 and the second interlock terminal 94) are terminals used to detect detachment of the power connector 9 and the like.

[0024] Each of the connection terminals, namely, the positive power supply terminal 91, the negative power supply terminal 92, the first interlock terminal 93, and the second interlock terminal 94, is made of metal and formed in a plate shape. Further, the positive power supply terminal 91, the negative power supply terminal 92, the first interlock terminal 93, and the second interlock terminal 94 are integrated with the connector housing 90 by insert molding, for example. The positive power supply terminal 91, the negative power supply terminal 92, the first interlock terminal 93, and the second interlock terminal 94 each have a protruding portion that protrudes from the end face on the one end side of the connector housing 90, and are arranged at intervals from each other.

[0025] Furthermore, the power connector 9 has an insulating rib 95, a first surrounding rib 96, and a second surrounding rib 97. The insulating rib 95, the first surrounding rib 96, and the second surrounding rib 97 are formed integrally with the connector housing 90. The insulating rib 95, the first surrounding rib 96, and the second surrounding rib 97 are made of insulating resin like the connector housing 90, and are formed to protrude from the end face on the one end side of the connector housing 90.

[0026] The insulating rib 95 is disposed between the connection terminals. The insulating rib 95 is a rib for ensuring insulation between the connection terminals. In the present embodiment, the insulating rib 95 is formed in a T-shaped cross section, and includes a first portion 95a corresponding to the horizontal bar of the T located between the power terminals (the positive power terminal 91 and the negative power terminal 92) and the interlock terminals (the first interlock terminal 93 and the second interlock terminal 94) which are terminals other than the power terminals, and a second portion 95b corresponding to the vertical bar of the T located between the positive power terminal 91 and the negative power terminal 92. Further, the insulating rib 95 is formed to protrude more than the power terminals (the positive power terminal 91 and the negative power terminal 92) and the interlock terminals (the first interlock terminal 93 and the second interlock terminal 94) which are terminals other than the power terminals. In other words, the protruding height (protrusion amount) of the insulating rib 95 from the surface on the one end side of the connector housing 90 is greater than the protruding height (protrusion amount) of the positive power terminal 91, the protruding height (protrusion amount) of the negative power terminal 92, the protruding height (protrusion amount) of the first interlock terminal 93, and the protruding height (protrusion amount) of the second interlock terminal 94.

[0027] The first surrounding rib 96 is formed so as to surround the positive power terminal 91. The protruding height (protrusion amount) of the first surrounding rib 96 from the surface on the one end side of the connector housing 90 is smaller than the protruding height (protrusion amount) of the positive power terminal 91.

[0028] The second surrounding rib 97 is formed so as to surround the negative power terminal 92. The protruding height (protrusion amount) of the second surrounding rib 97 from the surface on the one end side of the connector housing 90 is smaller than the protruding height (protrusion amount) of the negative power terminal 92.

[0029] The power connector 9 has connection terminals (positive power terminal 91, negative power terminal 92, first interlock terminal 93, second interlock terminal 94) and ribs (insulating rib 95, first surrounding rib 96, second surrounding rib 97) located within the inverter housing 7. The flange portion 90a of the connector housing 90 is fixed to the bottom wall 71 of the inverter housing 7 by screws (not shown) such that the connection terminals and ribs are positioned within the inverter housing 7. Further, the power connector 9 fixed to the bottom wall 71 of the inverter housing 7 is electrically connected to the circuit board 63 of the inverter 6. Hereinafter, the electrical connection structure between the power connector 9 and the circuit board 63 of the inverter 6 will be described.

[0030] First, the circuit board 63 of the inverter 6 will be described. FIG. 4 is a front view of the main part of the circuit board 63, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the main part of the circuit board 63.

[0031] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the circuit board 63 is formed with first through holes 631, 631 for the positive power terminal 91, second through holes 632, 632 for the negative power terminal 92, third through holes 633, 633 for the first interlock terminal 93, and fourth through holes 634, 634 for the second interlock terminal 94.

[0032] Further, the circuit board 63 is formed with a rib through hole 635 through which the insulating rib 95 passes. The rib through hole 635 is formed as a T-shaped hole in a plan view so as to correspond to the insulating rib 95 formed in a T-shaped cross section. Specifically, the rib through hole 635 has a first hole portion 635a corresponding to the horizontal bar of the T-shape located between the first through holes 631, 631 and the second through holes 632, 632 (i.e., the through holes for the power terminals) and the third through holes 633, 633 and the second through holes 634 (i.e., the through holes for the interlock terminals), and a second hole portion 635b corresponding to the vertical bar of the T-shape located between the first through holes 631, 631 (i.e., the through holes for the positive power terminal 91) and the second through holes 632, 632 (i.e., the through holes for the negative power terminal 92), and is formed as a hole having these two hole portions.

[0033] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, two legs of a metal first adapter 81 are soldered to the first through-holes 631, 631, two legs of a metal second adapter 82 are soldered to the second through-holes 632, 632, two legs of a metal third adapter 83 are soldered to the third through-holes 633, 633, and two legs of a metal fourth adapter 84 are soldered to the fourth through-holes 634, 634. The first adapter 81 is configured to removably hold the positive power supply terminal 91, the second adapter 82 is configured to removably hold the negative power supply terminal 92, the third adapter 83 is configured to removably hold the first interlock terminal 93, and the fourth adapter 84 is configured to removably hold the second interlock terminal 94.

[0034] With respect to such a circuit board 63, in the present embodiment, the power connector 9 has a plurality of connection terminals (positive power supply terminal 91, negative power supply terminal 92, first interlock terminal 93, second interlock terminal 94) electrically connected to the circuit board 63 in a state where the insulating rib 95 penetrates the circuit board 63.

[0035] FIG. 6 is a front view showing a state where the power connector 9 is connected to the circuit board 63 of the inverter 6, and FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a state where the power connector 9 is connected to the circuit board 63 of the inverter 6.

[0036] Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, the insulating rib 95 of the power connector 9 penetrates the rib through-hole 635 of the circuit board 63, and the tip side of the insulating rib 95 protrudes from the circuit board 63 (rib through-hole 635).

[0037] The positive power terminal 91 of the power connector 9 is removably attached to the first adapter 81 soldered to the first through-holes 631, 631 of the circuit board 63, and the negative power terminal 92 of the power connector 9 is removably attached to the second adapter 82 soldered to the second through-holes 632, 632 of the circuit board 63. That is, the positive power terminal 91 of the power connector 9 is electrically connected to the first through-holes 631, 631 of the circuit board 63 via the first adapter 81, and the negative power terminal 92 of the power connector 9 is electrically connected to the second through-holes 632, 632 of the circuit board 63 via the second adapter 82.

[0038] Here, in the present embodiment, when the positive power terminal 91 is attached to the first adapter 81, the tip side of the first adapter 81 is positioned inside the first surrounding rib 96. That is, the first surrounding rib 96 is formed so as to surround not only the positive power terminal 91 but also the first adapter 81. Similarly, when the negative power terminal 92 is attached to the second adapter 82, the tip side of the second adapter 82 is positioned inside the second surrounding rib 97, and the second surrounding rib 97 is formed so as to surround not only the negative power terminal 92 but also the second adapter 82.

[0039] The first interlock terminal 93 of the power connector 9 is removably attached to the third adapter 83 soldered to the third through-holes 633, 633 of the circuit board 63, and the second interlock terminal 94 of the power connector 9 is removably attached to the fourth adapter 84 soldered to the fourth through-holes 634, 634 of the circuit board 63. That is, the first interlock terminal 93 of the power connector 9 is electrically connected to the third through-holes 633, 633 of the circuit board 63 via the third adapter 83, and the second interlock terminal 94 of the power connector 9 is electrically connected to the fourth through-holes 634, 634 of the circuit board 63 via the fourth adapter 84.

[0040] According to the electric compressor 1 according to the embodiment, for example, the following effects can be obtained.

[0041] A power connector 9 that electrically connects an external power source (vehicle-mounted battery) and an inverter 6 has a plurality of connection terminals (a positive power terminal 91, a negative power terminal 92, a first interlock terminal 93, a second interlock terminal 94), and an insulating rib 95 disposed between the connection terminals. And, in the power connector 9, the plurality of connection terminals are electrically connected to the circuit board 63 in a state where the insulating rib 95 penetrates the circuit board 63 of the inverter 6.

[0042] Specifically, on the circuit board 63, a plurality of through holes (first through holes 631, 631, second through holes 632, 632, third through holes 633, 633, fourth through holes 634, 634) to which the plurality of connection terminals of the power connector 9 are electrically connected, and a rib through hole 635 through which the insulating rib 95 of the power connector 9 can penetrate are formed. And, in the power connector 9, the insulating rib 95 penetrates the rib through hole 635 of the circuit board 63 and the tip side protrudes from the circuit board 63 (rib through hole 635), and each of the plurality of connection elements is electrically connected to the corresponding through hole of the circuit board 63.

[0043] In this way, since the insulating rib 95 disposed between the connection terminals of the power connector 9 penetrates the circuit board 63, the insulation distance between the connection terminals of the power connector 9 can be sufficiently ensured including the insulation distance on the circuit board 63. Therefore, it is relatively easy to cope with the increase in the high rated voltage of the electric compressor. Also, on the circuit board 63, in addition to the plurality of through holes to which the plurality of connection terminals of the power connector 9 are electrically connected, a rib through hole 635 through which the insulating rib 95 of the power connector 9 penetrates is formed. Therefore, positioning and the like when assembling the power connector 9 to the circuit board 63 can also be easily performed.

[0044] Each of the plurality of connection terminals of the power connector 9 is removably attached to an adapter soldered to the corresponding through-holes of the circuit board 63. Specifically, the positive power terminal 91 is removably attached to a first adapter 81 soldered to the first through-holes 631, 631 for the positive power terminal 91, whereby it is electrically connected to the first through-holes 631, 631. The negative power terminal 92 is removably attached to a second adapter 82 soldered to the second through-holes 632, 632 for the negative power terminal 92, whereby it is electrically connected to the second through-holes 632, 632. Also, the first interlock terminal 93 is removably attached to a third adapter 83 soldered to the third through-holes 633, 633 for the first interlock terminal 93, whereby it is electrically connected to the third through-holes 633, 633. The second interlock terminal 94 is removably attached to a fourth adapter 84 soldered to the fourth through-holes 634, 634 for the second interlock terminal 94, whereby it is electrically connected to the fourth through-holes 634, 634.

[0045] According to such a configuration, the attachment and detachment of the power connector 9 to and from the circuit board 63 are easy, which not only improves the assemblability of the power connector 9 but also improves the reusability of the power connector 9.

[0046] In the above-described embodiment, one circuit board 63 is shown as the circuit board of the inverter 6. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the inverter 6 may include a plurality of circuit boards electrically connected to each other. In this case, the power connector 9 is electrically connected to any one of the plurality of circuit boards.

[0047] In the above-described embodiment, each of the plurality of connection terminals of the power connector 9 is removably attached to an adapter soldered to a corresponding through hole. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Each of the plurality of connection elements of the power connector 9 may be directly soldered to a corresponding through hole. For example, on the circuit board 63, one first through hole 631 for the positive power terminal 91, one second through hole 632 for the negative power terminal 92, one third through hole 633 for the first interlock terminal 93, and one fourth through hole 634 for the second interlock terminal 94 are respectively formed, and the positive power terminal 91 is soldered to the first through hole 631, the negative power terminal 92 is soldered to the second through hole 632, the first interlock terminal 93 is soldered to the third through hole 633, and the second interlock terminal 94 may be soldered to the fourth through hole 634.

[0048] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, terminals other than the power terminals are a pair of interlock terminals (the first interlock terminal 93 and the second interlock terminal 94). However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the type and number of terminals other than the power terminals can be arbitrary.

[0049] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention and their modifications have been described. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications, and it goes without saying that further modifications are possible based on the technical idea of the present invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0050] 1... Electric compressor, 2... Rotating shaft, 3... Electric motor, 4... Compression mechanism, 5... Main body housing, 6... Inverter, 7... Inverter housing, 8... Cover member, 9... Power connector, 81... First adapter, 82... Second adapter, 83... Third adapter, 84... Fourth adapter, 91... Positive power terminal, 92... Negative power terminal, 93... First interlock terminal, 94... Second interlock terminal, 95... Insulating rib, 96... First surrounding rib, 97... Second surrounding rib, 61... Switching element, 61a... Lead, 63... Circuit board, 631... First through hole, 632... Second through hole, 633... Third through hole, 634... Fourth through hole, 635... Through hole for rib

Claims

1. An electric compressor having an electric motor that rotates a rotating shaft, a compression mechanism driven by the rotation of the rotating shaft, an inverter that drives and controls the electric motor, an inverter housing that houses the inverter therein, and a power connector fixed to the inverter housing to electrically connect an external power source and the inverter, wherein: the inverter includes a circuit board on which circuit elements are mounted; the power connector has a plurality of connection terminals and insulating ribs disposed between the connection terminals, and the plurality of connection terminals are electrically connected to the circuit board with the insulating ribs penetrating the circuit board; Electric compressor.

2. The electric compressor according to claim 1, wherein the circuit board is formed with a plurality of through holes to which the plurality of connection terminals of the power connector are electrically connected, and rib through holes through which the insulating ribs of the power connector penetrate.

3. The electric compressor according to claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of connection terminals is removably attached to an adapter soldered to a corresponding one of the plurality of through holes.

4. The electric compressor according to claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of connection terminals is soldered to a corresponding one of the plurality of through holes.

5. The plurality of connection terminals include a positive power supply terminal and a negative power supply terminal that are power supply terminals, and terminals other than the power supply terminals; the insulating ribs protrude more than the power supply terminals and the terminals other than the power supply terminals; the insulating ribs are formed in a T-shaped cross section and have a portion located between the power supply terminals and the terminals other than the power supply terminals and a portion located between the positive power supply terminal and the negative power supply terminal; The electric compressor according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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