Driving device

Abstract

To provide a novel and useful technique that is related to assembly between a motor unit and an inverter unit in connection to a driving device for a vehicle.SOLUTION: A driving device for a vehicle comprises a motor unit that contains a motor, and an inverter unit that contains an inverter. One of the motor unit and the inverter unit is provided with a plurality of male terminals. The other one of the motor unit and the inverter unit is provided with a plurality of female terminals. Each of the plurality of male terminals has a columnar shape extending along an assembling direction of the inverter unit to the motor unit. Each of the plurality of female terminals has a hole into which a corresponding one of the plurality of female terminals is inserted along the assembling direction. At least one of the plurality of male terminals has a larger insertion distance to a female terminal than that of the other male terminals.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5B

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a drive device, and more particularly to a drive device for a vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a connection structure for a drive device for a vehicle. This connection structure includes a terminal provided in a motor unit and a terminal provided in an inverter unit.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Generally, at least one of the motor unit and the inverter unit is provided with a positioning structure such as a positioning pin. Thus, when the motor unit and the inverter unit are assembled together, the two units are positioned relative to each other, and as a result, the terminals of the motor unit and the terminals of the inverter unit are also positioned relative to each other.

[0005] However, manufacturing errors can occur in the positions of the terminals in the motor unit and the positions of the terminals in the inverter unit, respectively. Therefore, when the two units are positioned relative to each other by the positioning structure, misalignment may occur between the terminals of the motor unit and the terminals of the inverter unit. In this case, unnecessary stress may act on the terminals and the terminal block that supports them. On the other hand, if the positioning structure is omitted between the two units, the operation of assembling the two units together becomes relatively troublesome.

[0006] In view of the above circumstances, regarding a drive device for a vehicle, a novel and useful technology related to the assembly between a motor unit and an inverter unit is provided.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The technology disclosed in this specification is embodied in a drive device for a vehicle. This drive device includes a motor unit including a motor and an inverter unit including an inverter. A plurality of male terminals are provided on one of the motor unit or the inverter unit. A plurality of female terminals are provided on the other of the motor unit or the inverter unit. Each of the plurality of male terminals has a columnar shape extending along the assembly direction of the inverter unit with respect to the motor unit. Each of the plurality of female terminals has a hole into which a corresponding one of the plurality of female terminals is inserted along the assembly direction. At least one of the plurality of male terminals has a greater insertion distance into the female terminal than the other male terminals.

[0008] Here, the insertion distance means the distance that the male terminal moves from the start of insertion into the female terminal until the insertion is completed. In other words, the insertion distance is equal to the distance in the assembly direction (insertion direction) from the tip of the male terminal to the open end of the female terminal when the male terminal is inserted into the female terminal.

[0009] In the above-described configuration, by inserting the plurality of male terminals into the plurality of female terminals respectively, the motor unit and the inverter unit are electrically and mechanically connected. That is, the connection structure by the plurality of male terminals and the plurality of female terminals also functions as a positioning structure between the motor unit and the inverter unit. In particular, at least one of the plurality of male terminals has a greater insertion distance into the female terminal than the other male terminals. According to such a configuration, for the plurality of female terminals, the insertion of at least one male terminal is first started, and then the insertion of the other male terminals is started. Thereby, when assembling the motor unit and the inverter unit with each other, the positional relationship between the plurality of male terminals and the plurality of female terminals can be easily adjusted.

[0010] In a second aspect, in the first aspect, at least one of the plurality of male terminals may be a reference male terminal that protrudes in the assembling direction more than the other male terminals. According to such a configuration, the insertion distance of the reference male terminal can be made larger than the insertion distance of the other male terminals.

[0011] In a third aspect, in the first or second aspect, the reference male terminal may have a tapered shape in which the cross-sectional area decreases toward the tip at least in a tip portion including the tip. According to such a configuration, the reference male terminal, which is the male terminal first inserted into the female terminal, can be easily aligned with the corresponding female terminal.

[0012] In a fourth aspect, in any of the first to third aspects, the tip of the reference male terminal may be formed of a curved surface. According to such a configuration, the reference male terminal first inserted into the female terminal can be more easily aligned with the female terminal.

[0013] In a fifth aspect, in any of the first to fourth aspects, the reference male terminal may have a smaller clearance with respect to the hole of the female terminal than the other male terminals. According to such a configuration, when the reference male terminal is inserted into the corresponding female terminal, the positioning between the motor unit and the inverter unit is performed more accurately. At this time, since the other male terminals have a larger clearance with respect to the holes of the corresponding female terminals, the other male terminals can be easily inserted into the female terminals.

[0014] In a sixth aspect, in any of the first to fifth aspects, the reference male terminal may have a larger maximum cross-sectional area than the other male terminals. According to such a configuration, the clearance of the reference male terminal with respect to the hole of the female terminal can be made smaller than the clearance of the other male terminals with respect to the hole of the female terminal.

[0015] In a seventh aspect, in any one of the first to sixth aspects, at least one of the plurality of female terminals may be a reference female terminal that protrudes in the assembling direction more than the other female terminals. Even with such a configuration, the insertion distance of at least one of the plurality of male terminals can be made larger than the insertion distance of the other male terminals.

[0016] In an eighth aspect, in any one of the first to seventh aspects, the hole of the reference female terminal may have a tapered shape in which the cross-sectional area expands toward the open end at least in an inlet portion including the open end. According to such a configuration, the reference female terminal, which is the female terminal into which the male terminal is first inserted, can be easily aligned with the corresponding male terminal.

[0017] In a ninth aspect, in any one of the first to eighth aspects, the hole of the reference female terminal may have a smaller clearance with respect to the male terminal than the holes of the other female terminals. According to such a configuration, when the corresponding male terminal is inserted into the reference female terminal, the positioning between the motor unit and the inverter unit can be performed more accurately. At this time, since the holes of the other female terminals have a larger clearance with respect to the corresponding male terminals, the other male terminals can be easily inserted into the female terminals.

[0018] In a tenth aspect, in any one of the first to ninth aspects, the hole of the reference female terminal may have a smaller minimum cross-sectional area than the holes of the other female terminals. According to such a configuration, the clearance in the reference female terminal can be made smaller than the clearance in the other female terminals.

[0019] In the 11th aspect, in any of the 1st to 10th aspects, the plurality of male terminals may include at least a 1st male terminal, a 2nd male terminal, and a 3rd male terminal, and the plurality of female terminals may include at least a 1st female terminal, a 2nd female terminal, and a 3rd female terminal. In this case, when the 1st male terminal is inserted into the 1st female terminal, the U-phase of the motor and the inverter may be electrically connected. When the 2nd male terminal is inserted into the 2nd female terminal, the V-phase of the motor and the inverter may be electrically connected. When the 3rd male terminal is inserted into the 3rd female terminal, the W-phase of the motor and the inverter may be electrically connected. According to such a configuration, a drive device including a three-phase motor and an inverter for driving the same can be realized.

[0020] In the 12th aspect, in the 11th aspect, the plurality of male terminals may further include a 4th male terminal, and the plurality of female terminals may further include a 4th female terminal having a hole into which the 4th male terminal is inserted. In this case, the 4th male terminal or the 4th female terminal may be electrically connected to the neutral point of the motor in the motor unit. According to such a configuration, in addition to the U-phase, V-phase, and W-phase of the three-phase motor, the neutral point of the three-phase motor can be electrically connected to the inverter unit.

[0021] In the 13th aspect, in any of the 1st to 12th aspects, the motor unit may have a motor casing to which one of the plurality of male terminals or the plurality of female terminals is fixed, and the inverter unit may have an inverter casing to which the other of the plurality of male terminals or the plurality of female terminals is fixed. In this case, with the plurality of male terminals inserted into the plurality of female terminals respectively, the mating surface formed on the motor casing may be aligned with the mating surface formed on the inverter casing. According to such a configuration, positioning can be performed between the motor casing and the inverter casing without necessarily providing a positioning structure such as a positioning pin.

[0022] The technology disclosed in this specification is also embodied in a drive device for other vehicles. This drive device includes a motor unit including a motor and an inverter unit including an inverter. One of the motor unit or the inverter unit is provided with a plurality of male terminals. The other of the motor unit or the inverter unit is provided with a plurality of female terminals. Each of the plurality of male terminals has a columnar shape extending along the assembling direction of the inverter unit with respect to the motor unit. Each of the plurality of female terminals has a hole into which a corresponding one of the plurality of female terminals is inserted along the assembling direction. At least one of the plurality of male terminals has a smaller clearance with respect to the hole of the female terminal than other male terminals.

[0023] Even in the above-described configuration, by inserting the plurality of male terminals into the plurality of female terminals respectively, the motor unit and the inverter unit are electrically and mechanically connected. That is, the connection structure by the plurality of male terminals and the plurality of female terminals also functions as a positioning structure between the motor unit and the inverter unit. In particular, at least one of the plurality of male terminals has a smaller clearance with respect to the hole of the female terminal than other male terminals. According to such a configuration, when at least one male terminal is inserted into the female terminal, the positioning between the motor unit and the inverter unit is performed more accurately. At this time, since the other male terminals have a larger clearance with respect to the holes of the corresponding female terminals, the other male terminals can be easily inserted into the female terminals.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0024]

Figure 1

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BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0025] (Example 1) With reference to the drawings, the drive device 10 of Example 1 will be described. The drive device 10 of this example is mounted on a vehicle 100 such as an electric vehicle. However, the vehicle 100 is not necessarily limited to an electric vehicle, and may be a vehicle having a driving motor such as a hybrid vehicle or a fuel vehicle. Part or all of the technology described in this example can be similarly adopted for vehicles running on tracks. Also, the vehicle 100 is not limited to being operated by a user, and may be remotely operated by an external device or may be self-driving.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 100 includes a vehicle body 102 and a plurality of wheels 104. The plurality of wheels 104 are rotatably attached to the vehicle body 102. The plurality of wheels 104 include a pair of front wheels located at the front of the vehicle body 102 and a pair of rear wheels located at the rear of the vehicle body 102. The pair of front wheels are coaxially arranged with each other, and the pair of rear wheels are also coaxially arranged with each other. Note that the number of wheels 104 is not limited to four. Although not particularly limited, the vehicle body 102 is made of a metal such as a steel material or an aluminum alloy.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 100 further includes a battery 106. The battery 106 incorporates a plurality of secondary battery cells such as, for example, lithium-ion battery cells, nickel-metal hydride battery cells, or all-solid-state battery cells.

[0028] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the drive device 10 includes a motor unit 12. The motor unit 12 includes a motor 14, a female terminal unit 16, and a motor casing 18. The motor 14 is a driving motor for driving the wheel 104 of the vehicle 100, and in this embodiment, is a motor driven by three-phase AC power. Although it is an example, the motor 14 is electrically connected to the female terminal unit 16 via the bus bar 2. The motor casing 18 is a housing member and houses the motor 14. The female terminal unit 16 is fixed to the motor casing 18. The motor casing 18 is made of a conductive material such as aluminum, for example. Although not shown, the motor 14 is connected to the wheel 104 via a gear mechanism, and the power of the motor 14 driven by the power from the battery 106 is output to the wheel 104 via the gear mechanism.

[0029] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the drive device 10 further includes an inverter unit 20. The inverter unit 20 includes an inverter 22, a male terminal unit 24, and an inverter casing 26. The inverter 22 is a power converter that converts DC power into AC power, and in this embodiment, converts the DC power from the battery 106 into three-phase AC power. Although it is an example, the inverter 22 is electrically connected to the male terminal unit 24 via the bus bar 2. The inverter casing 26 is a housing member and houses the inverter 22. The male terminal unit 24 is fixed to the inverter casing 26. The inverter casing 26 is made of a conductive material such as aluminum, for example. Although not particularly limited, the inverter 22 may include a DC-DC converter circuit that boosts the DC power supplied from the battery 106.

[0030] Here, in this specification, the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction are defined based on the assembling direction of the inverter unit 20 with respect to the motor unit 12. The X direction is a direction parallel to the direction in which the inverter unit 20 is assembled with respect to the motor unit 12. The Y direction and the Z direction are perpendicular to each other and perpendicular to the X direction, respectively.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 2-5, the male terminal unit 24 includes a plurality of male terminals 28a-28d and a terminal block 30. The plurality of male terminals 28a-28d are terminals for electrical connection. These male terminals 28a-28d are fixed to the inverter casing 26 via the terminal block 30. The plurality of male terminals 28a-28d are exposed on the lower surface (i.e., the surface in the -X direction) 30a of the terminal block 30. Note that the lower surface of the terminal block 30 may not be exposed. Each male terminal 28a-28d is electrically connected to the inverter 22 via the bus bar 2. The plurality of male terminals 28a-28d include a first male terminal 28a, a second male terminal 28b, a third male terminal 28c, and a fourth male terminal 28d. These male terminals 28a-28d are arranged in order along the Z axis. That is, the first male terminal 28a, the second male terminal 28b, the third male terminal 28c, and the fourth male terminal 28d are arranged in order from the +Z direction to the -Z direction. The terminal block 30 is made of an insulating material such as resin. Note that hereinafter, when it is not necessary to distinguish the plurality of male terminals 28a-28d, the alphabet of the subscript may be omitted and they may be simply referred to as "male terminal 28".

[0032] As shown in FIG. 2-5, the male terminal 28 has a columnar shape extending along the X direction. That is, the male terminal 28 has a columnar shape extending along the assembling direction of the inverter unit 20 with respect to the motor unit 12. The male terminal 28 includes a tip 32 and an outer surface 34 extending along the X direction from the tip 32. The male terminal 28 is made of a metal material such as copper or aluminum. Although it is an example, in the present embodiment, the columnar shape of the male terminal 28 is a cylindrical shape in which the shape of a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (X direction) of the first male terminal 28a is circular.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 2-5, the female terminal unit 16 includes a plurality of female terminals 36a-36d and a terminal block 38. The plurality of female terminals 36a-36d are terminals for electrical connection. These female terminals 36a-36d are fixed to the motor casing 18 via the terminal block 38. The plurality of female terminals 36a-36d include a first female terminal 36a, a second female terminal 36b, a third female terminal 36c, and a fourth female terminal 36d. These female terminals 36a-36d are fixed to the terminal block 38 along the Z-axis. That is, the first female terminal 36a, the second female terminal 36b, the third female terminal 36c, and the fourth female terminal 36d are arranged in order from the +Z direction to the -Z direction. The terminal block 38 is made of an insulating material such as resin.

[0034] As described above, the motor 14 in this embodiment is a motor driven by three-phase AC power. The first female terminal 36a is electrically connected to the U phase of the motor 14 via the bus bar 2. The second female terminal 36b is electrically connected to the V phase of the motor 14 via the bus bar 2. The third female terminal 36c is electrically connected to the W phase of the motor 14 via the bus bar 2. The fourth female terminal 36d is electrically connected to the neutral point of the motor 14 via the bus bar 2. Hereinafter, when it is not necessary to distinguish the plurality of female terminals 36a-36d, the alphabet of the subscript may be omitted and simply referred to as "female terminal 36".

[0035] As shown in FIG. 2-5, the female terminal 36 has a hole 40 into which one corresponding male terminal 28 is inserted. The hole 40 includes an open end 42 for receiving the male terminal 28 and an inner surface 44 extending along the X direction from the open end 42. That is, the depth direction of the hole 40 coincides with the X direction. The inner surface 44 of the female terminal 36 faces the outer surface 34 of the male terminal 28. In this embodiment, the clearance between the outer surface 34 of the male terminal 28 and the inner surface 44 of the female terminal 36 (that is, the clearance of the male terminal 28 with respect to the hole 40 of the female terminal 36) is zero. The female terminal 36 is made of a metal material such as copper or aluminum.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 5, the first male terminal 28a protrudes more than the other male terminals 28b - 28d. In this embodiment, the position of the tip 32 of the first male terminal 28a in the X direction protrudes by L1 in the -X direction more than the positions of the tips 32 of the other male terminals 28b - 28d in the X direction. In contrast, the positions of the open ends 42 of the female terminals 36 in the X direction are equal.

[0037] According to the above-described configuration, in the drive device 10 of this embodiment, when the male terminal 28 is inserted into the corresponding one female terminal 36, the motor unit 12 and the inverter unit 20 are electrically connected. Specifically, when the first male terminal 28a is inserted into the first female terminal 36a, the U phase of the motor 14 and the inverter 22 are electrically connected. When the second male terminal 28b is inserted into the second female terminal 36b, the V phase of the motor 14 and the inverter 22 are electrically connected. When the third male terminal 28c is inserted into the third female terminal 36c, the W phase of the motor 14 and the inverter 22 are electrically connected. As described above, since the fourth female terminal 36d is electrically connected to the neutral point of the motor 14, when charging the vehicle 100, the motor 14 can be used as a boost - buck circuit (so-called neutral point charging). As another embodiment, instead of the fourth female terminal 36d, the fourth male terminal 28d may be electrically connected to the neutral point of the motor 14.

[0038] In addition, in the drive device 10 of the present embodiment, when the male terminal 28 is inserted into the corresponding one female terminal 36, the motor unit 12 and the inverter unit 20 are mechanically connected. That is, the connection structure of the male terminal 28 and the female terminal 36 also functions as a positioning structure between the motor unit 12 and the inverter unit 20. In particular, the insertion distance D1 of the first male terminal 28a into the female terminal 36 is greater than the insertion distance D2 of the other male terminals 28b-28d into the female terminal 36. Here, the insertion distances D1 and D2 mean the distances that the male terminal 28 moves from the start of insertion into the female terminal 36 until the insertion is completed. In other words, the insertion distances D1 and D2 are equal to the distances in the assembly direction (insertion direction) from the tip 32 of the male terminal 28 to the open end 42 of the female terminal 36 when the male terminal 28 is inserted into the female terminal 36. According to such a configuration, for the plurality of female terminals 36a-36d, first, the insertion of the first male terminal 28a is started, and then the insertion of the other male terminals 28b-28d is started. Thereby, when assembling the motor unit 12 and the inverter unit 20 with each other, the positional relationship between the plurality of male terminals 28b-28d and the plurality of female terminals 36b-36d can be easily aligned. Note that the first male terminal 28a in the present embodiment is an example of the reference male terminal in the present invention.

[0039] Although it is an example, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, in the drive device 10 of the present embodiment, an alignment surface 18a is formed on the motor casing 18, and an alignment surface 26a is also formed on the inverter casing 26. And in the state where the male terminal 28 is inserted into the corresponding one female terminal 36, the alignment surface 18a formed on the motor casing 18 is aligned with the alignment surface 26a formed on the inverter casing 26. According to such a configuration, positioning can be performed between the motor casing 18 and the inverter casing 26 without necessarily providing a positioning structure such as a positioning pin.

[0040] In the above-described embodiment, a seal member 46 is provided on the mating surface 18a of the motor casing 18. Thereby, in the drive device 10 of the embodiment, the sealing performance between the mating surface 18a of the motor casing 18 and the mating surface 26a of the inverter casing 26 is ensured.

[0041] (Embodiment 2) Next, with reference to FIG. 6, the drive device of Embodiment 2 will be described. Embodiment 2 is different from Embodiment 1 in that the clearance between the male terminal 28 and the hole 40 of the female terminal 36 is changed. Specifically, in Embodiment 2, the clearance C1 between the male terminal 28a of the first male terminal 28a and the hole 40 of the female terminal 36 is smaller than the clearance C2 between the other male terminals 28b-28d and the hole 40 of the female terminal 36. In this embodiment, the clearance C1 is zero. In this case, although it is an example, as shown in FIG. 6, the diameter of the first male terminal 28a may be made larger than the diameters of the other male terminals 28b-28d. In other words, the area of the cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (X direction) of the first male terminal 28a may be made larger than the area of the cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (X direction) of the other male terminals 28b-28d. Thereby, the maximum cross-sectional area S1 of the first male terminal 28a becomes larger than the maximum cross-sectional area S2 of the other male terminals 28b-28d, and a difference can be provided in the clearances C1 and C2. Here, the position of the tip 32 of the first male terminal 28a in the X direction protrudes by L2 in the -X direction from the position of the tips 32 of the other male terminals 28b-28d in the X direction, and the insertion distance D3 of the first male terminal 28a into the female terminal 36 is larger than the insertion distance D4 of the other male terminals 28b-28d into the female terminal 36.

[0042] With such a configuration, when the first male terminal 28a is inserted into the corresponding first female terminal 36a, the positioning between the motor unit 12 and the inverter unit 20 is performed more accurately. At this time, since the other male terminals 28b - 28d have a large clearance C2 with respect to the holes 40 of the corresponding female terminals 36b - 36d, the other male terminals 28b - 28d can be easily inserted into the female terminals 36b - 36d. Although not particularly limited, a contact member 48 is provided on the inner surface 44 of the female terminals 36b - 36d corresponding to the other male terminals 28b - 28d. Thereby, even if the other male terminals 28b - 28d have a relatively large clearance C2 with respect to the holes 40 of the female terminals 36b - 36d, an electrical connection can be ensured.

[0043] In the above-described first and second embodiments, the first male terminal 28a has the same cross-sectional shape from the tip 32 to the base end. However, as another embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 7A - 7D, the first male terminal 28a may have a tapered shape in which the cross-sectional area decreases toward the tip 32 in the tip portion 33 including the tip 32. In this case, the dimension of the tip 32 of the first male terminal 28a in the Z direction can be appropriately changed. Also, the rate at which the cross-sectional area decreases may be constant as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, or may vary as shown in FIGS. 7C and 7D. According to these configurations, the reference male terminal, which is the first male terminal 28a inserted first into the female terminal 36, can be easily aligned with the corresponding first female terminal 36a.

[0044] Alternatively, as yet another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7E, the tip 32 of the first male terminal 28a may be configured as a curved surface. According to this configuration, the reference male terminal, which is the first male terminal 28a inserted first into the female terminal 36, can be more easily aligned with the corresponding first female terminal 36a.

[0045] (Example 3) Next, with reference to FIG. 8, the drive device of Example 3 will be described. In Example 3, a reference female terminal is adopted instead of the reference male terminal in Examples 1 and 2. As shown in FIG. 8, in Example 3, the first female terminal 36a protrudes more than the other female terminals 36b - 36d. Specifically, the position of the open end 42 of the first female terminal 36a in the X direction protrudes by M1 in the +X direction more than the position of the open ends 42 of the other female terminals 36b - 36d in the X direction. In contrast, the positions of the tips 32 of the male terminals 28 in the X direction are equal. Therefore, the insertion distance D5 of the first male terminal 28a into the female terminal 36 is larger than the insertion distances D6 of the other male terminals 28b - 28d into the female terminal 36. In this embodiment, the clearance between the outer surface 34 of the male terminal 28 and the inner surface 44 of the female terminal 36 is zero.

[0046] Even with such a configuration, for the plurality of female terminals 36a - 36d, the insertion of the first male terminal 28a is first started, and then the insertion of the other male terminals 28b - 28d is started. Thereby, when assembling the motor unit 12 and the inverter unit 20 with each other, the positional relationship between the plurality of male terminals 28b - 28d and the plurality of female terminals 36a - 36d can be easily aligned. Note that the first female terminal 36a in this embodiment is an example of the reference female terminal in the present invention.

[0047] (Example 4) Next, with reference to FIG. 9, the drive device of Example 4 will be described. Example 4 is different from Example 3 in that the clearance between the male terminal 28 and the hole 40 of the female terminal 36 is changed. Specifically, in Example 4, the clearance C3 between the male terminal 28a of the first male terminal 28 and the hole 40 of the female terminal 36 is smaller than the clearance C4 between the male terminals 28b - 28d of the other male terminals and the hole 40 of the female terminal 36. In this embodiment, the clearance C3 is zero. In this case, although it is an example, as shown in FIG. 9, the diameter of the hole 40 of the first female terminal 36a may be made smaller than the diameter of the holes 40 of the other female terminals 36b - 36d. In other words, the area of the cross-section perpendicular to the depth direction (X direction) of the hole 40 of the first female terminal 36a may be made smaller than the area of the cross-section perpendicular to the depth direction (X direction) of the holes 40 of the other female terminals 36b - 36d. Thereby, the minimum cross-sectional area A1 of the hole 40 of the first female terminal 36a becomes smaller than the minimum cross-sectional area A2 of the holes 40 of the other female terminals 36b - 36d, and a difference can be provided in the clearances C3 and C4. Here, the position of the open end 42 of the first female terminal 36a in the X direction protrudes by M2 in the +X direction from the position of the open ends 42 of the other female terminals 36b - 36d in the X direction, and the insertion distance D7 of the first male terminal 28a into the female terminal 36 is larger than the insertion distance D8 of the other male terminals 28b - 28d into the female terminal 36.

[0048] According to such a configuration, when the corresponding first male terminal 28a is inserted into the first female terminal 36a, the positioning between the motor unit 12 and the inverter unit 20 is performed more accurately. At this time, since the holes 40 of the other female terminals 36b - 36d have a large clearance C4 with respect to the corresponding male terminals 28b - 28d, the other male terminals 28b - 28d can be easily inserted into the female terminals 36b - 36d. Although not particularly limited, a contact member 48 is provided on the inner surface 44 of the female terminals 36b - 36d corresponding to the other male terminals 28b - 28d. Thereby, even if the other male terminals 28b - 28d have a relatively large clearance C4 with respect to the holes 40 of the female terminals 36b - 36d, an electrical connection can be ensured.

[0049] In the above-described Examples 3 and 4, the hole 40 of the first female terminal 36a has the same cross-sectional shape from the open end 42 to the other end. However, as another embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 10A - 10C, the hole 40 of the first female terminal 36a may have a tapered shape in which the cross-sectional area expands toward the open end 42 in the entrance portion 43 including the open end 42. In this case, the size of the range in which the cross-sectional area changes in the depth direction (i.e., the X direction) of the hole 40 is not particularly limited. For example, as shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, the cross-sectional area of the hole 40 may change in a partial range in the depth direction, or as shown in FIG. 10C, the cross-sectional area of the hole 40 may change over the entire depth direction. According to these configurations, the reference female terminal, which is the first female terminal 36a into which the male terminal 28 is first inserted, can be easily aligned with the corresponding first male terminal 28a.

[0050] In the above-described Examples 1 and 2, the reference male terminal is the first male terminal 28a located on the leftmost side (+Z direction side) among the plurality of male terminals 28. According to such a configuration, since it is inserted from the first male terminal 28a located at the end portion among the plurality of male terminals 28 into the female terminal 36, positioning between the motor casing 18 and the inverter casing 26 can be easily performed. However, the position of the reference male terminal is not particularly limited. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, the position of the tip 32 of the second male terminal 28b located at the central portion among the plurality of male terminals 28 in the X direction may protrude by L3 toward the -X direction more than the positions of the tips 32 of the other male terminals 28a, 28c - 28d in the X direction. In this case, the insertion distance D9 of the second male terminal 28b becomes larger than the insertion distances D10 of the other male terminals 28a, 28c - 28d, and the second male terminal 28b becomes the reference male terminal. According to such a configuration, since it is inserted from the second male terminal 28b located at the central portion among the plurality of male terminals 28 into the female terminal 36, misalignment can be suppressed in the connection structure by the male terminals 28 and the female terminals 36.

[0051] Similarly, in the above-described Examples 3 and 4, the reference female terminal is the first female terminal 36a located on the leftmost side (+Z direction side) among the plurality of female terminals 36. However, the position of the reference female terminal is not particularly limited. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, the position of the opening end 42 of the second female terminal 36b located in the central portion among the plurality of female terminals 36 in the X direction may protrude by M3 in the +X direction from the positions of the opening ends 42 of the other female terminals 36a, 36c-36d in the X direction. In this case, the insertion distance D11 of the second male terminal 28b becomes larger than the insertion distances D12 of the other male terminals 28a, 28c-28d. Here, the second female terminal 36b into which the male terminal 28 is first inserted becomes the reference female terminal.

[0052] (Example 5) Next, with reference to FIG. 13, the drive device of Example 5 will be described. Example 5 is the same as Example 2 in that the positions of the tips 32 of the male terminals 28 in the X direction are made equal. Therefore, in Example 5, the clearance C5 of the first male terminal 28a with respect to the hole 40 of the female terminal 36 is smaller than the clearance C6 of the other male terminals 28b-28d with respect to the hole 40 of the female terminal 36. In this example, the clearance C5 is zero. In this case, although it is an example, as shown in FIG. 13, the diameter of the first male terminal 28a may be made larger than the diameters of the other male terminals 28b-28d. In other words, the area of the cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (X direction) of the first male terminal 28a may be made larger than the area of the cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (X direction) of the other male terminals 28b-28d. Thereby, the maximum cross-sectional area S3 of the first male terminal 28a becomes larger than the maximum cross-sectional area S4 of the other male terminals 28b-28d, and a difference can be provided in the clearances C5 and C6.

[0053] Even with such a configuration, when the plurality of male terminals 28 are inserted into the plurality of female terminals 36 respectively, the motor unit 12 and the inverter unit 20 are electrically and mechanically connected. That is, the connection structure formed by the plurality of male terminals 28 and the plurality of female terminals 36 also functions as a positioning structure between the motor unit 12 and the inverter unit 20. In particular, since the clearance C5 of the first male terminal 28a with respect to the hole 40 of the female terminal 36 is small, when the first male terminal 28a is inserted into the first female terminal 36a, the positioning between the motor unit 12 and the inverter unit 20 is performed more accurately. At this time, since the clearances C6 of the other male terminals 28b - 28c with respect to the holes 40 of the corresponding female terminals 36 are large, the other male terminals 28b - 28d can be easily inserted into the female terminals 36. Although not particularly limited, contact members 48 are provided in the holes 40 of the female terminals 36b - 36d corresponding to the other male terminals 28b - 28d. Thereby, even if the other male terminals 28b - 28d have a relatively large clearance C6 with respect to the holes 40 of the female terminals 36b - 36d, an electrical connection can be ensured.

[0054] As described above, several specific examples have been explained in detail, but these are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the claims. The technology described in the claims includes various modifications and changes of the specific examples illustrated above. The technical elements described in this specification or the drawings exhibit technical utility either individually or in combination.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0055] 2: Bus bar, 10: Driving device, 12: Motor unit, 14: Motor, 16: Female terminal unit, 18: Motor casing, 18a: Joint surface, 20: Inverter unit, 22: Inverter, 24: Male terminal unit, 26: Inverter casing, 26a: Joint surface, 28, 28a - 28d: Male terminals, 30: Terminal block, 32: Tip, 33: Tip portion, 34: Outer surface, 36a - 36d: Female terminals, 38: Terminal block, 40: Hole, 42: Open end, 43: Entrance portion, 44: Inner surface, 46: Sealing member, 48: Contact member, 100: Vehicle, 102: Vehicle body, 104: Wheel, 106: Battery

Claims

1. A drive device for a vehicle, comprising: a motor unit including a motor; an inverter unit including an inverter; One of the motor unit or the inverter unit is provided with a plurality of male terminals, the other of the motor unit or the inverter unit is provided with a plurality of female terminals, each of the plurality of male terminals has a columnar shape extending along the assembling direction of the inverter unit with respect to the motor unit, each of the plurality of female terminals has a hole into which a corresponding one of the plurality of female terminals is inserted along the assembling direction, at least one of the plurality of male terminals has a greater insertion distance into the female terminal than other male terminals. A drive device.

2. The drive device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of male terminals is a reference male terminal that protrudes in the assembling direction more than other male terminals.

3. The drive device according to claim 2, wherein the reference male terminal has a tapered shape in which the cross-sectional area decreases toward the tip at least in a tip portion including the tip.

4. The drive device according to claim 2, wherein the tip of the reference male terminal is formed of a curved surface.

5. The drive device according to claim 2, wherein the reference male terminal has a smaller clearance with respect to the hole of the female terminal than other male terminals.

6. The drive device according to claim 5, wherein the reference male terminal has a larger maximum cross-sectional area than other male terminals.

7. The drive device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of female terminals is a reference female terminal that protrudes in the assembling direction more than other female terminals.

8. The drive device according to claim 7, wherein the hole of the reference female terminal has a tapered shape in which the cross-sectional area increases toward the opening end at least in an entrance portion including the opening end.

9. The drive device according to claim 7, wherein the hole of the reference female terminal has a smaller clearance with respect to the male terminal than the holes of the other female terminals.

10. The drive device according to claim 9, wherein the hole of the reference female terminal has a smaller minimum cross-sectional area than the holes of the other female terminals.

11. The plurality of male terminals include at least a first male terminal, a second male terminal, and a third male terminal, the plurality of female terminals include at least a first female terminal, a second female terminal, and a third female terminal. ​ When the first male terminal is inserted into the first female terminal, the U-phase of the motor and the inverter are electrically connected. When the second male terminal is inserted into the second female terminal, the V-phase of the motor and the inverter are electrically connected. The drive device according to claim 1, wherein when the third male terminal is inserted into the third female terminal, the W-phase of the motor and the inverter are electrically connected.

12. The plurality of male terminals further includes a fourth male terminal. The plurality of female terminals further includes a fourth female terminal into which the fourth male terminal is inserted. The drive device according to claim 11, wherein the fourth male terminal or the fourth female terminal is electrically connected to the neutral point of the motor in the motor unit.

13. The motor unit has a motor casing to which one of the plurality of male terminals or the plurality of female terminals is fixed. The inverter unit has an inverter casing to which the other of the plurality of male terminals or the plurality of female terminals is fixed. The drive device according to claim 1, wherein in a state where the plurality of male terminals are respectively inserted into the plurality of female terminals, a mating surface formed on the motor casing is aligned with a mating surface formed on the inverter casing.

14. A drive device for a vehicle, comprising: a motor unit including a motor; an inverter unit including an inverter; The drive device further includes: a plurality of male terminals provided on one of the motor unit or the inverter unit; a plurality of female terminals provided on the other of the motor unit or the inverter unit; each of the plurality of male terminals has a columnar shape extending along an assembling direction of the inverter unit with respect to the motor unit; each of the plurality of female terminals has a hole into which a corresponding one of the plurality of female terminals is inserted along the assembling direction; at least one of the plurality of male terminals has a smaller clearance with respect to the hole of the female terminal than other male terminals. Drive device.

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