Motor compressor

Abstract

To provide a motor compressor capable of preventing a circuit board from becoming large in order to ensure connection between a conductive pin and a connector.SOLUTION: A pin insertion hole 31d which penetrates in a plate thickness direction and through which a conductive pin 27 is inserted is formed in a circuit board 31. A housing 62 of a connector 60 is installed on a second main face 31b which is an opposite face of a first main face 31a in the circuit board 31 and a housing space H is opened to the pin insertion hole 31d. A contact terminal part 63 can elastically be deformable in the plate thickness direction of the circuit board 31. A hole defining face 311 of the pin insertion hole 31d in the circuit board 31 and a first defining face 621a and a second defining face of the housing space H in the housing 62 are spaced apart radially outward from the conductive pin 27 with respect to the conductive pin 27, and an end face of a second end part 27b is brought into contact with the contact terminal part 63 in the conductive pin 27.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] An electric compressor includes a compression part that compresses a fluid, an electric motor that drives the compression part, an inverter device that drives the electric motor and has a circuit board, and a housing. The housing forms an inverter chamber that houses the inverter device and a motor chamber that houses the electric motor, and has a partition wall that partitions the inverter chamber and the motor chamber. Further, for example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, the electric compressor has a connector that is electrically connected to the circuit board.

[0003] In the electric compressor of Patent Document 1, the connector is installed on the surface of the circuit board facing the partition wall. Further, the connector has a metal connector body. The connector body has a terminal part and a connection part. A conductive pin electrically connected to the electric motor is insertable into the terminal part. The connection part electrically connects the terminal part and the circuit board.

[0004] The terminal part has a pair of clamping parts facing each other. A clamping hole is formed between the pair of clamping parts. Then, the conductive pin electrically connected to the electric motor penetrates the partition wall and is inserted into the inverter chamber, and is also inserted into the clamping hole between the pair of clamping parts. Thereby, the electric motor and the inverter device are electrically connected by the conductive pin.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, in the plane direction of the circuit board, there may be a relative displacement between the conductive pin and the clamping hole. In order to address this displacement, for example, it is conceivable to form the connector body so as to be bendable and deformable in the plane direction of the circuit board. However, if the connector body is made bendable and deformable in the plane direction of the circuit board, a region for allowing the bending deformation must be secured on the circuit board, and the inverter device will be enlarged.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0007] An electric compressor for solving the above problems includes a compression unit that compresses a fluid, an electric motor that drives the compression unit, an inverter device that has an inverter circuit for driving the electric motor and has a circuit board, a motor chamber that houses the electric motor, an inverter chamber that houses the inverter device, a housing in which the motor chamber and the inverter chamber are formed and which has a partition wall that partitions the motor chamber and the inverter chamber, a connector that is disposed in the inverter chamber, is electrically connected to the inverter circuit, and electrically connects the inverter circuit to the electric motor, and a conductive pin that penetrates the partition wall in the wall thickness direction, has a first end electrically connected to the electric motor, and a second end electrically connected to the connector. The circuit board is housed in the inverter chamber with a first main surface in the board thickness direction facing the partition wall. A pin insertion hole that penetrates in the board thickness direction and through which the conductive pin is inserted is formed in the circuit board. The connector includes a connector body that is electrically connected to the inverter circuit and has a contact terminal portion that contacts the second end, and a housing that defines a housing space for housing the contact terminal portion. The housing is installed on a second main surface that is the opposite surface of the first main surface of the circuit board, the housing space opens toward the pin insertion hole, the contact terminal portion is elastically deformable in the board thickness direction, a hole defining surface of the pin insertion hole in the circuit board and a defining surface of the housing space in the housing are both spaced apart radially outward of the diameter of the conductive pin with respect to the conductive pin, and the gist is that an end surface of the second end of the conductive pin is in contact with the contact terminal portion.

[0008] According to this, the conductive pin penetrates the circuit board and is inserted into the accommodation space of the housing installed on the second main surface. In the housing, the end surface of the second end of the conductive pin is connected to the contact terminal portion. Here, even if the position of the end surface of the conductive pin is displaced in the thickness direction of the circuit board, the connection with the contact terminal portion can be ensured by the elastic deformation of the contact terminal portion in the thickness direction. Therefore, even if the position of the conductive pin is displaced in the plane direction of the circuit board, it is easy to ensure the connection between the conductive pin and the contact terminal portion. Thus, in order to ensure the electrical connection between the conductive pin and the connector body, it is not necessary to provide a configuration for absorbing the displacement in the plane direction of the circuit board in the connector body. And, in order to connect the conductive pin to the contact terminal portion located on the second main surface side, the conductive pin penetrates the circuit board in the thickness direction. However, the hole defining surface of the circuit board and the defining surface of the housing are both separated from the conductive pin to the outside in the radial direction of the conductive pin. Therefore, even if the position of the conductive pin is displaced in the plane direction of the circuit board, the interference between the conductive pin, the hole defining surface of the circuit board, and the defining surface of the housing is suppressed. As described above, it is possible to suppress the enlargement of the circuit board in order to ensure the connection between the conductive pin and the connector.

[0009] In the above electric compressor, a fixing bus bar is integrated with the housing, and the fixing bus bar may be fixed to the circuit board. According to this, the housing can be easily fixed to the circuit board using the fixing bus bar.

[0010] In the above electric compressor, the fixing bus bar has a housing fixing piece integrated with the housing and a board fixing piece that bends with respect to the housing fixing piece and extends from the housing. The board fixing piece may be soldered to the circuit board.

[0011] According to this, components of the inverter circuit are soldered to the circuit board. Along with the operation of soldering the components of this inverter circuit, the board fixing piece of the fixing bus bar can be soldered to the circuit board. For example, compared with the case of fixing the fixing bus bar to the circuit board by a method other than soldering, the process of fixing components to the circuit board can be reduced. Also, compared with the case of screwing the housing to the circuit board or the like, the circuit board can be miniaturized.

[0012] In the above electric compressor, the contact terminal portion may have a pair of plate portions that face each other and are connected via a bent portion, and at least one of the pair of plate portions may be elastically deformable in the plate thickness direction.

[0013] According to this, an elastic force can be easily provided to the contact terminal portion. Thereby, in the contact of the conductive pin with the contact terminal portion, it becomes easy to absorb the displacement of the conductive pin in the plate thickness direction of the circuit board.

[0014] In the above electric compressor, the circuit board may be fixed to the partition wall by a pair of fixing members arranged so as to sandwich the housing. According to this, by fixing the circuit board to the partition wall by the fixing member, the vibration at the installation location of the housing on the circuit board can be suppressed. For this reason, even in a structure in which the end face of the second end portion of the conductive pin is brought into contact with the contact terminal portion, the contact between the contact terminal portion and the end face of the second end portion of the conductive pin can be maintained.

[0015] In the above electric compressor, the connector may have a plurality of the connector bodies, a plurality of the contact terminal portions may be accommodated in the accommodation space, and the housing may have a separation wall that separates adjacent contact terminal portions.

[0016] According to this, due to the separation wall, the conductive pins do not come into contact with each other, and insulation between the conductive pins can be achieved.

Advantages of the Invention

[0017] According to this, it is possible to suppress an increase in the size of the circuit board in order to ensure the connection between the conductive pin and the connector.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] Hereinafter, an embodiment in which an electric compressor is embodied will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8. The electric compressor of this embodiment is used, for example, as an electric compressor of a vehicle air conditioner. <Electric Compressor> As shown in FIG. 1, the electric compressor 10 has a cylindrical housing 11. The housing 11 has a discharge housing 12, a motor housing 13, and an inverter cover 14. The discharge housing 12, the motor housing 13, and the inverter cover 14 are made of a metal material. The metal material is, for example, aluminum. The discharge housing 12 has a discharge port 12h. The electric compressor 10 has a rotating shaft 15, a compression part 16, an electric motor 17, and an inverter device 30.

[0020] The motor housing 13 has a plate-shaped partition wall 13a, a cylindrical peripheral wall 13b, and a cylindrical extending wall 13c. The peripheral wall 13b extends cylindrically from the outer peripheral portion of the partition wall 13a. The extending wall 13c extends cylindrically from the outer peripheral portion of the partition wall 13a to the side opposite to the peripheral wall 13b. The motor housing 13 has a suction port 13h. The suction port 13h is formed in the peripheral wall 13b of the motor housing 13. The suction port 13h is formed in a portion of the peripheral wall 13b located closer to the partition wall 13a.

[0021] A pin through-hole 13d through which a conductive pin 27 to be described later penetrates is formed in the partition wall 13a. Further, a plurality of bosses 53 are provided on the partition wall 13a. Each of the plurality of bosses 53 extends cylindrically from the partition wall 13a to the side opposite to the peripheral wall 13b. As shown in FIG. 3, a bolt screw hole 53a is formed in each boss 53.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 1, the rotating shaft 15 is disposed inside the peripheral wall 13b of the motor housing 13. The rotating shaft 15 is rotatably supported by the housing 11. The rotating shaft 15 is accommodated in the housing 11 in a state where the axial direction, which is the direction in which the axis of rotation of the rotating shaft 15 extends, coincides with the axial direction of the peripheral wall 13b of the motor housing 13. Therefore, the axial direction of the rotating shaft 15 coincides with the axial direction of the housing 11.

[0023] The compression part 16 compresses the refrigerant as a fluid. The compression part 16 is disposed inside the peripheral wall 13b of the motor housing 13. The compression part 16 is driven by the rotation of the rotating shaft 15. The compression part 16 is, for example, of a scroll type composed of a fixed scroll and a turning scroll (not shown).

[0024] The electric motor 17 is disposed inside the peripheral wall 13b of the motor housing 13. The compression part 16 and the electric motor 17 are arranged side by side in the axial direction of the rotary shaft 15. The electric motor 17 is disposed closer to the partition wall 13a of the motor housing 13 than the compression part 16. Therefore, the space between the compression part 16 and the partition wall 13a inside the peripheral wall 13b of the motor housing 13 forms a motor chamber 18 that houses the electric motor 17. Thus, a motor chamber 18 is formed in the housing 11. The motor chamber 18 communicates with the suction port 13h.

[0025] The electric motor 17 drives the compression part 16 by rotating the rotary shaft 15. The electric motor 17 has a cylindrical stator 20 and a cylindrical rotor 21. The rotor 21 is disposed inside the stator 20. The rotor 21 rotates integrally with the rotary shaft 15. The rotor 21 has a rotor core 21a fixed to the rotary shaft 15 and a plurality of permanent magnets (not shown) provided on the rotor core 21a. The stator 20 surrounds the rotor 21. The stator 20 has a cylindrical stator core 20a and a three-phase motor coil 22 wound around the stator core 20a.

[0026] The first end of the external refrigerant circuit 23 is connected to the suction port 13h. The second end of the external refrigerant circuit 23 is connected to the discharge port 12h. The refrigerant flowing through the external refrigerant circuit 23 is inhaled into the motor chamber 18 through the suction port 13h. The refrigerant inhaled into the motor chamber 18 is compressed by the compression part 16 by driving the compression part 16. The refrigerant compressed by the compression part 16 is discharged to the external refrigerant circuit 23 through the discharge port 12h. The refrigerant discharged from the discharge port 12h to the external refrigerant circuit 23 flows through the heat exchanger and expansion valve of the external refrigerant circuit 23 and then refluxes into the motor chamber 18 through the suction port 13h. The electric compressor 10 and the external refrigerant circuit 23 constitute a vehicle air conditioner 24.

[0027] The inverter cover 14 is plate-shaped. The inverter cover 14 is fixed to the extending wall 13c of the motor housing 13 while closing the opening of the extending wall 13c. And the partition wall 13a and the extending wall 13c of the motor housing 13 and the inverter cover 14 define an inverter chamber 19. Therefore, an inverter chamber 19 is formed in the housing 11. The partition wall 13a of the motor housing 13 partitions the motor chamber 18 and the inverter chamber 19. Thus, a motor chamber 18 and an inverter chamber 19 are formed in the housing 11, and the housing 11 has a partition wall 13a that partitions the motor chamber 18 and the inverter chamber 19. Also, the compression part 16, the electric motor 17, and the inverter device 30 are arranged in this order along the axial direction of the rotating shaft 15. For this reason, in the housing 11, the motor chamber 18 and the inverter chamber 19 are arranged along the axial direction of the rotating shaft 15 with the partition wall 13a in between.

[0028] The inverter device 30 has an inverter circuit 33 that drives the electric motor 17. The inverter device 30 is housed in the inverter chamber 19. <Conductive pin> As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 5, the electric compressor 10 includes a conductive member 26. The conductive member 26 has three conductive pins 27. Therefore, the electric compressor 10 has conductive pins 27. Note that in FIG. 1, only one conductive pin 27 is shown for illustration purposes. The conductive pin 27 is cylindrical and made of iron. A copper layer (not shown) is formed on the entire surface of the conductive pin 27 by plating. The conductive pin 27 has a first end portion 27a at one axial end and a second end portion 27b at the other axial end.

[0029] The conductive member 26 has a support plate 28a that supports each conductive pin 27 and also has a fixing plate 28b. The support plate 28a is made of, for example, ceramics. The fixing plate 28b is made of metal. The support plate 28a and the fixing plate 28b are integrated. The fixing plate 28b is attached to the partition wall 13a of the motor housing 13. The three conductive pins 27 are inserted through the support plate 28a in a row. The three conductive pins 27 are arranged in a row in row R. Each conductive pin 27 and the fixing plate 28b are insulated by the support plate 28a. As described above, the support plate 28a that supports the three conductive pins 27 is attached to the partition wall 13a by the fixing plate 28b, and the three conductive pins 27 penetrate the partition wall 13a in the wall thickness direction at the pin through-hole 13d.

[0030] The first end 27a of each conductive pin 27 protrudes into the motor chamber 18. The second end 27b of each conductive pin 27 protrudes into the inverter chamber 19. A cluster block 29 is arranged in the motor chamber 18. A motor wiring 21b is drawn out from each of the three-phase motor coils 22. The three first ends 27a and the three motor wirings 21b are electrically connected to each other via the cluster block 29. Therefore, the first end 27a of the conductive pin 27 is electrically connected to the electric motor 17.

[0031] The second end 27b side of the three conductive pins 27 penetrates through a pin insertion hole 31d formed in a circuit board 31 described later. <Inverter device> As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the inverter device 30 has an inverter circuit 33 and also has a circuit board 31.

[0032] <Circuit board> The circuit board 31 is supported by a plurality of bosses 53. A fixing member 54 penetrating the circuit board 31 is screwed into the bolt screwing hole 53a of each boss 53. A plurality of bosses 53 among all the bosses 53 are erected from the partition wall 13a so as to face the peripheral edge portion of the circuit board 31. Also, among all the bosses 53, other plurality of bosses 53 are erected from the partition wall 13a so as to face a portion of the circuit board 31 close to the three conductive pins 27. By screwing the fixing member 54 to each boss 53, the circuit board 31 is fixed to the partition wall 13a of the motor housing 13.

[0033] The circuit board 31 has a first main surface 31a and a second main surface 31b which are opposite surfaces in the plate thickness direction. The circuit board 31 is accommodated in the inverter chamber 19 with the first main surface 31a in the plate thickness direction facing the partition wall 13a. Also, the circuit board 31 is accommodated in the inverter chamber 19 with the second main surface 31b in the plate thickness direction facing the inverter cover 14. The circuit board 31 is supported by a plurality of bosses 53 in a state where the first main surface 31a is in contact with the bosses 53. The plate thickness direction of the circuit board 31 coincides with the axial direction of the rotation shaft 15. Therefore, the plate thickness direction of the circuit board 31 coincides with the axial direction of the housing 11. Also, the circuit board 31 is accommodated in the inverter chamber 19 as a part of the inverter device 30. And since the inverter chamber 19 is formed by the motor housing 13 and the inverter cover 14, the motor housing 13 and the inverter cover 14 are housings for accommodating the inverter device 30.

[0034] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the circuit board 31 is formed with pin insertion holes 31d that penetrate in the plate thickness direction of the circuit board 31 and through which the conductive pins 27 are inserted. When the circuit board 31 is viewed in the plate thickness direction, the pin insertion holes 31d are in a track shape. The pin insertion holes 31d are defined by a hole defining surface 311 in the circuit board 31. The pin insertion holes 31d are in a track shape extending in the longitudinal and short directions in the plane direction of the circuit board 31. The length L1 in the longitudinal direction of the track shape of the pin insertion holes 31d is larger than the length N of the row R of the conductive pins 27.

[0035] Here, a virtual line M passing through the central axes of the three conductive pins 27 is set. Among the three conductive pins 27, the conductive pin 27 located at the first end of the row R is defined as the first conductive pin 271, and the conductive pin 27 adjacent to the first conductive pin 271 is defined as the second conductive pin 272. Among the three conductive pins 27, the conductive pin 27 located at the second end of the row R is defined as the third conductive pin 273. And the length N of the row R between both ends of the row R, that is, between the outer peripheral surface of the first conductive pin 271 and the outer peripheral surface of the third conductive pin 273, is shorter than the longitudinal length L1 of the track shape of the pin insertion hole 31d.

[0036] <Circuit board and mounted components> As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a switching element 34, a capacitor 35, and a connector 60 are mounted on the circuit board 31.

[0037] A plurality of switching elements 34 are mounted on the circuit board 31. Specifically, a power module 36 in which a plurality of switching elements 34 are modularized is mounted on the circuit board 31. The power module 36 is disposed between the circuit board 31 and the partition wall 13a of the motor housing 13. Also, the power module 36 is disposed near the center of the circuit board 31 so as to be aligned with the rotor 21 of the electric motor 17 in the axial direction of the housing 11.

[0038] The power module 36 has a module body 37 and a plurality of lead portions 38. The plurality of switching elements 34 are embedded inside the module body 37. The module body 37 is fixed to the partition wall 13a of the motor housing 13. Each switching element 34 converts a DC voltage from an external power source into an AC voltage by performing a switching operation. And the AC voltage converted by the switching operation of each switching element 34 is supplied to the electric motor 17 as a driving voltage. The plurality of lead portions 38 are soldered to the second main surface 31b of the circuit board 31.

[0039] The capacitor 35 is disposed between the circuit board 31 and the partition wall 13a of the motor housing 13. The capacitor 35 is a filter element that reduces noise included in an externally input current. A lead portion (not shown) of the capacitor 35 is soldered to the second main surface 31b of the circuit board 31.

[0040] <Connector> Next, the connector 60 will be described. The connector 60 is disposed in the inverter chamber 19. Further, the connector 60 is electrically connected to the inverter circuit 33 and electrically connects the inverter circuit 33 to the electric motor 17.

[0041] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the connector 60 is surface-mounted on the second main surface 31b of the circuit board 31. The connector 60 includes three connector bodies 61, a housing 62, and a plurality of fixing bus bars 65.

[0042] As shown in FIGS. 3, 6, and 7, the housing 62 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. The housing 62 is formed of an insulating member. Examples of the insulating member include resin materials. The housing 62 includes a rectangular plate-shaped top plate 62a, a rectangular tube-shaped side wall 62b, and two separating walls 62c. A housing space H defined by the top plate 62a and the side wall 62b is formed in the housing 62. The housing space H opens on a surface opposite to the top plate 62a.

[0043] The side wall 62b includes a pair of short wall portions 621 facing each other in the longitudinal direction of the housing 62 and a pair of long wall portions 622 facing each other in the short direction of the housing 62. The housing 62 has a first defining surface 621a on the inner surface of the short wall portion 621 and a second defining surface 622a on the inner surface of the long wall portion 622. Let the distance between the opposing surfaces of the pair of first defining surfaces 621a be a first distance E. Let the distance between the opposing surfaces of the pair of second defining surfaces 622a be a second distance F. The first distance E is greater than the second distance F. The first distance E is equal to or greater than the longitudinal length L1 of the pin insertion hole 31d. The second distance F is equal to or greater than the short-side length K of the pin insertion hole 31d.

[0044] The two separation walls 62c are formed from the top plate 62a towards the pin insertion holes 31d. Each of the two separation walls 62c is installed on the opposing second defining surface 622a. The two separation walls 62c are spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the housing 62. Also, the two separation walls 62c divide the accommodation space H of the housing 62 into three spaces in the longitudinal direction. And the accommodation space H of the housing 62 is divided into a first space H1, a second space H2, and a third space H3 by the two separation walls 62c. The dimensions of each of the first to third spaces H1 to H3 in the short and longitudinal directions of the housing 62 are sufficiently larger than the diameter T of the conductive pin 27.

[0045] The three connector bodies 61 are metal parts that electrically connect the conductive pins 27 and the circuit board 31, and are formed, for example, by shaping a long plate made of a copper alloy. As shown in FIG. 8, the connector body 61 has a plate-shaped contact terminal portion 63 and a connection portion 64. Since the three connector bodies 61 have the same configuration, one connector body 61 will be described as an example. The contact terminal portions 63 face each other and have a pair of plate portions 63a connected via a bent portion. Also, each plate portion 63a is formed by bending a long plate so as to be curved. For this reason, the contact terminal portion 63 can be elastically deformed in the direction in which the pair of plate portions 63a face each other, specifically, in the thickness direction of the circuit board 31.

[0046] The connection portion 64 is in the shape of an L-shaped long plate. The connection portion 64 has a long plate-shaped first plate portion 64a continuous with the contact terminal portion 63 and a long plate-shaped second plate portion 64b extending orthogonally to the first plate portion 64a. At the first end in the longitudinal direction of the first plate portion 64a, the base end of the contact terminal portion 63 is continuous. The contact terminal portion 63 can be bent and deformed around the vicinity of the intersection with the first plate portion 64a.

[0047] The first plate portion 64a is embedded in one of the pair of long wall portions 622 of the housing 62. Thereby, the connector body 61 is integrated with the housing 62. The second plate portion 64b extends from the second end in the longitudinal direction of the first plate portion 64a and protrudes from the outer surface of one of the long wall portions 622.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 7, each of the three connector bodies 61 houses and arranges one contact terminal portion 63 in each of the first to third spaces H1 to H3. Therefore, a plurality of contact terminal portions 63 are housed in the housing space H of the housing 62. Further, the first to third spaces H1 to H3 are formed by partitioning the housing space H by two separating walls 62c. For this reason, the two separating walls 62c separate the adjacent contact terminal portions 63. Therefore, the housing 62 has a separating wall 62c that separates the contact terminal portions 63 adjacent in the longitudinal direction.

[0049] As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the plurality of fixing busbars 65 are L-shaped metal plates. The fixing busbar 65 has a housing fixing piece 65a and a substrate fixing piece 65b that bends with respect to the housing fixing piece 65a and extends orthogonally. The housing fixing piece 65a is integrated with a long wall portion 622 different from the integrated long wall portion 622 of the connector body 61 by press-fitting or the like. Further, the housing fixing piece 65a is integrated with both short wall portions 621 of the connector body 61 by press-fitting or the like. The substrate fixing piece 65b extends from the outer surfaces of the short wall portion 621 and the long wall portion 622. Therefore, each fixing busbar 65 has a housing fixing piece 65a integrated with the housing 62 and a substrate fixing piece 65b that bends with respect to the housing fixing piece 65a and extends from the housing 62.

[0050] As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the housing 62 of the connector 60 is installed on the second main surface 31b, which is the opposite surface of the first main surface 31a of the circuit board 31. Further, the housing 62 is installed at a position axially aligned with the motor coil 22 of the electric motor 17. Then, the housing 62 is installed on the second main surface 31b of the circuit board 31 at a position sandwiched between a plurality of fixing members 54 screwed to the bosses 53 on both sides in the longitudinal direction of the housing 62. Specifically, the two fixing members 54 are arranged on a virtual line M passing through the central axis of the three conductive pins 27 and on the surface of the circuit board 31 so as to sandwich the housing 62. Therefore, the circuit board 31 is fixed to the partition wall 13a by a pair of fixing members 54 arranged so as to sandwich the housing 62.

[0051] Also, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 7, the housing 62 is installed on the circuit board 31 with its longitudinal direction aligned with the longitudinal direction of the pin insertion hole 31d and its short-side direction aligned with the short-side direction of the pin insertion hole 31d. Further, the housing 62 is installed on the circuit board 31 with the accommodation space H opened toward the pin insertion hole 31d.

[0052] The housing 62 is fixed to the circuit board 31 by soldering the board fixing piece 65b to the second main surface 31b of the circuit board 31. Thereby, the connector 60 is surface-mounted on the circuit board 31. Also, the second plate portions 64b of the three connector bodies 61 are soldered to a conductor pattern (not shown) of the circuit board 31. Thereby, the connector body 61 is electrically connected to the inverter circuit 33.

[0053] As shown in FIGS. 3, 7, and 8, a conductive pin 27 penetrating the pin insertion hole 31d is inserted into the accommodation space H of the housing 62. A first conductive pin 271 is inserted into the first space H1, and a second conductive pin 272 is inserted into the second space H2. A third conductive pin 273 is inserted into the third space H3. The first to third conductive pins 271 to 273 are separated from the separation wall 62c.

[0054] The peripheral surface of the first conductive pin 271 is spaced apart from the first defining surface 621a and the second defining surface 622a with a gap S therebetween. Also, the peripheral surface of the third conductive pin 273 is spaced apart from the first defining surface 621a and the second defining surface 622a with a gap S therebetween. The peripheral surface of the second conductive pin 272 is spaced apart from the second defining surface 622a with a gap S therebetween. Therefore, the first defining surface 621a and the second defining surface 622a of the accommodation space H in the housing 62 are spaced apart radially outward of the conductive pin 27 with respect to the conductive pin 27.

[0055] Further, the circumferential surface of the first conductive pin 271 is spaced apart from the hole defining surface 311 of the pin insertion hole 31d by a gap S in the longitudinal direction of the pin insertion hole 31d. Also, the circumferential surface of the third conductive pin 273 is spaced apart from the hole defining surface 311 of the pin insertion hole 31d by a gap S in the longitudinal direction of the pin insertion hole 31d. The first conductive pin 271 and the second conductive pin 272 are spaced apart by a gap S in the longitudinal direction of the pin insertion hole 31d, and the second conductive pin 272 and the third conductive pin 273 are spaced apart by a gap S in the longitudinal direction of the pin insertion hole 31d.

[0056] The dimension of the gap S between the hole defining surface 311 of the pin insertion hole 31d and the conductive pin 27 in the longitudinal direction of the pin insertion hole 31d, and the dimension of the gap S between the adjacent conductive pins 27 in the longitudinal direction are larger than the diameter T of the conductive pin 27. Therefore, sufficiently large gaps S exist on both sides in the longitudinal direction sandwiching the conductive pin 27.

[0057] The circumferential surface of each conductive pin 27 is spaced apart from the hole defining surface 311 of the pin insertion hole 31d by a gap S in the short direction of the pin insertion hole 31d. The hole defining surface 311 of the pin insertion hole 31d is spaced apart from the circumferential surface of the conductive pin 27 by a gap S on both sides in the short direction of the pin insertion hole 31d with the conductive pin 27 interposed therebetween. Therefore, the hole defining surface 311 of the pin insertion hole 31d in the circuit board 31 is spaced apart from the conductive pin 27 on the outside in the radial direction of the conductive pin 27. Thus, the hole defining surface 311 of the pin insertion hole 31d in the circuit board 31 and the first defining surface 621a and the second defining surface 622a of the accommodation space H in the housing 62 are both spaced apart from the conductive pin 27 on the outside in the radial direction of the conductive pin 27.

[0058] The contact terminal portion 63 is in contact with the axial end surface at the second end portion 27b of the three conductive pins 27. Therefore, the connector body 61 has the contact terminal portion 63 with which the second end portion 27b of the conductive pin 27 comes into contact. And by the contact between the end surface of the second end portion 27b of the conductive pin 27 and the contact terminal portion 63, the second end portion 27b of the conductive pin 27 is electrically connected to the connector 60, and the conductive pin 27 is electrically connected to the inverter circuit 33.

[0059] [Operation of this Embodiment] When connecting the inverter device 30 and the electric motor 17 electrically via the conductive pin 27, the conductive pin 27 is connected to the connector 60. At this time, the conductive pin 27 penetrates the pin insertion hole 31d of the circuit board 31 from the first main surface 31a side toward the second main surface 31b side, and is inserted into the accommodation space H of the housing 62. Then, the end surface of the second end portion 27b of the conductive pin 27 contacts and is connected to the contact terminal portion 63 on the second main surface 31b side of the circuit board 31.

[0060] [Effect of this Embodiment] (1) The conductive pin 27 penetrates the circuit board 31 in the plate thickness direction, and is inserted into the accommodation space H of the housing 62 installed on the second main surface 31b and is connected to the contact terminal portion 63. Here, even if the position of the end surface of the conductive pin 27 is displaced in the plate thickness direction of the circuit board 31, connection with the contact terminal portion 63 can be ensured by elastic deformation of the contact terminal portion 63 in the plate thickness direction. Therefore, when connecting the conductive pin 27 to the connector 60, even if the position of the conductive pin 27 is displaced in the surface direction of the circuit board 31, it is easy to ensure the connection between the conductive pin 27 and the contact terminal portion 63. Thus, in order to ensure the electrical connection between the conductive pin 27 and the connector main body 61, it is not necessary to provide a configuration for absorbing the displacement of the conductive pin 27 in the surface direction of the circuit board 31 in the connector main body 61 or the housing 62 in the surface direction of the circuit board 31.

[0061] And, in order to connect the conductive pin 27 to the contact terminal portion 63 located on the second main surface 31b side, the conductive pin 27 penetrates the circuit board 31 in the plate thickness direction, but the hole defining surface 311 of the pin insertion hole 31d is spaced apart from the peripheral surface of each conductive pin 27 by a gap S. Also, the peripheral surface of each conductive pin 27 is spaced apart from the first defining surface 621a and the second defining surface 622a of the housing 62 by a gap S. Thereby, the conductive pin 27 can move for position adjustment within the pin insertion hole 31d and within the housing 62 in the surface direction of the circuit board 31. For this reason, displacement when inserting the conductive pin 27 into the accommodation space H of the housing 62 is absorbed. As described above, it is possible to suppress the enlargement of the circuit board 31 in order to ensure the connection between the conductive pin 27 and the connector 60.

[0062] (2) The housing 62 is integrated with a fixing bus bar 65. The connector 60 is fixed to the second main surface 31b of the circuit board 31 by soldering the fixing bus bar 65 to the circuit board 31. Therefore, for example, the housing 62 can be easily installed on the circuit board 31 as compared with the case where the housing 62 is fixed to the circuit board 31 by screwing or the like.

[0063] (3) The housing 62 is integrated with a fixing bus bar 65. The connector 60 is fixed to the second main surface 31b of the circuit board 31 by soldering the fixing bus bar 65 to the circuit board 31. The leads of the switching element 34 and the capacitor 35 in the inverter circuit 33 are soldered to the circuit board 31. Together with the operation of soldering these leads 38 to the circuit board 31, the board fixing piece 65b of the fixing bus bar 65 can be soldered to the circuit board 31. For example, compared with the case where the fixing bus bar 65 is fixed to the circuit board 31 by a method other than soldering, the steps of fixing components to the circuit board 31 can be reduced.

[0064] (4) The contact terminal portions 63 face each other and have a pair of plate portions 63a connected via a bent portion. Thereby, an elastic force can be given to the contact terminal portion 63 with a simple configuration. Therefore, when contacting the conductive pin 27 to the contact terminal portion 63, it becomes easy to absorb the displacement of the conductive pin 27 in the plate thickness direction of the circuit board 31.

[0065] (5) The circuit board 31 is fixed to a boss 53 erected from the partition wall 13a by a pair of fixing members 54 arranged so as to sandwich the connector 60 in the longitudinal direction. By fixing the circuit board 31 to the partition wall 13a by the pair of fixing members 54, vibration in the vicinity of the installation location of the housing 62 on the circuit board 31 can be suppressed. Therefore, even in a structure where the end face of the second end portion 27b of the conductive pin 27 is brought into contact with the contact terminal portion 63, the contact between the contact terminal portion 63 and the end face of the conductive pin 27 can be maintained.

[0066] (6) Each contact terminal portion 63 is separated in the longitudinal direction of the housing 62 by the separation wall 62c of the housing 62. Since the separation wall 62c of the housing 62 is an insulating member, the conductive pins 27 do not contact each other, and the space between the conductive pins 27 can be insulated.

[0067] (7) The fixing bus bar 65 has a housing fixing piece 65a embedded in the housing 62 and a substrate fixing piece 65b extending from the housing 62. The substrate fixing piece 65b is soldered to the circuit board 31. When the conductive pin 27 is brought into contact with the contact terminal portion 63, a load in the axial direction of the conductive pin 27 is applied to the housing 62, and the load is supported by the housing 62. Therefore, the load applied to the solder that fixes the housing fixing piece 65a to the circuit board 31, and thus the load applied to the solder that fixes the housing 62 to the circuit board 31, can be reduced.

[0068] [Modification Example] Note that each of the above embodiments can be implemented with the following modifications. The above embodiments and the following modification examples can be implemented in combination with each other within a technically non - conflicting range.

[0069] ○ The housing 62 may not be installed on the circuit board 31 by soldering the fixing bus bar 65 to the circuit board 31. In this case, a screw - fixing protrusion is extended from the side wall 62b of the housing 62. Then, a screw inserted through the screw - fixing protrusion may be screwed into the circuit board 31 to fix the housing 62 to the circuit board 31.

[0070] ○ The separation wall 62c of the housing 62 may not be formed. In this case, the first distance E of the housing 62 is adjusted so that the conductive pins 27 do not contact each other. ○The contact terminal portion 63 does not necessarily have a pair of plate portions 63a that face each other and are connected via a bent portion. For example, the contact terminal portion 63 may have only one plate portion 63a. In this case, the single plate portion 63a is curved to make the plate portion 63a itself elastically deformable. Alternatively, the plate portions 63a may be stacked in three or more layers and formed in a bellows shape to be elastically deformable. In short, as long as the contact terminal portion 63 is configured to be elastically deformable, the form of the plate portion 63a can be appropriately changed.

[0071] ○Of the fixing members 54 that fix the circuit board 31 to the partition wall 13a, the fixing member 54 disposed near the housing 62 may be fixed to the boss 53 at a position that sandwiches the housing 62 in the short direction, or may be fixed to the boss 53 at a position that sandwiches the housing 62 from both sides in the longitudinal and short directions.

[0072] ○The connector body 61 may have a connection portion 64 that branches from the contact terminal portion 63 toward both long wall portions 622. In this case, the second plate portion 64b of each connection portion 64 protrudes from the outer surface of each long wall portion 622. For this reason, the housing 62 is soldered to the circuit board 31 on both sides in the short direction of the housing 62. When the current flowing from the connector 60 to the circuit board 31 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the connector body 61 can be efficiently cooled.

[0073] ○The pin insertion hole 31d does not necessarily have to be a single hole through which the three conductive pins 27 are inserted together. For example, the circuit board 31 may have three pin insertion holes 31d through which each conductive pin 27 can be individually inserted.

[0074] ○The number of contact terminal portions 63 accommodated in the accommodation space H of the housing 62 may be one or two. In this case, the contact terminal portions 63 not accommodated in the accommodation space H are disposed outside the housing 62.

[0075] ○ The motor housing 13 may be formed such that the inverter chamber 19 is disposed on the radially outer side of the peripheral wall 13b. In this case, within the housing 11, the motor chamber 18 and the inverter chamber 19 are not arranged side by side in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 15, but are arranged side by side in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction. In this case, the peripheral wall 13b also serves as a partition wall that partitions the motor chamber 18 and the inverter chamber 19. And the circuit board 31 is housed in the inverter chamber 19 with the first main surface 31a in the plate thickness direction of the circuit board 31 facing the peripheral wall 13b. The conductive pin 27 that electrically connects the electric motor 17 and the connector 60 extends in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 15 and then bends toward the peripheral wall 13b. And the conductive pin 27 penetrates the peripheral wall 13b in the wall thickness direction, the first end portion 27a is electrically connected to the electric motor 17 via the cluster block 29, and the second end portion 27b is inserted into the pin insertion hole 31d of the circuit board 31 and is electrically connected to the connector 60 on the second main surface 31b side.

[0076] ○ In the embodiment, the electric compressor 10 has been used in the vehicle air conditioner 24, but is not limited thereto. For example, the electric compressor 10 may be mounted on a fuel cell vehicle and may compress air as a fluid supplied to the fuel cell.

[0077] [Appendix] The technical idea that can be grasped from the above embodiment and modification examples will be described below. [Appendix 1] A compressor that compresses a fluid, an electric motor that drives the compressor, an inverter device that has an inverter circuit for driving the electric motor and has a circuit board, a motor chamber that houses the electric motor, an inverter chamber that houses the inverter device, a housing in which the motor chamber and the inverter chamber are formed and that has a partition wall partitioning the motor chamber and the inverter chamber, a connector that is disposed in the inverter chamber, is electrically connected to the inverter circuit, and electrically connects the inverter circuit to the electric motor, and a conductive pin that penetrates the partition wall in the wall thickness direction, has a first end electrically connected to the electric motor, and a second end electrically connected to the connector. The circuit board is housed in the inverter chamber with a first main surface in the plate thickness direction of the circuit board facing the partition wall. A pin insertion hole that penetrates in the plate thickness direction and through which the conductive pin is inserted is formed in the circuit board. The connector includes a connector body that is electrically connected to the inverter circuit and has a contact terminal portion with which the second end contacts, and a housing that defines a housing space for housing the contact terminal portion. The housing is installed on a second main surface that is the opposite surface of the first main surface of the circuit board, the housing space opens toward the pin insertion hole, the contact terminal portion is elastically deformable in the plate thickness direction, a hole defining surface of the pin insertion hole in the circuit board and a defining surface of the housing space in the housing are both spaced apart radially outward of the conductive pin with respect to the conductive pin, and the electric compressor is characterized in that an end surface of the second end contacts the contact terminal portion.

[0078] <Appendix 2> The electric compressor according to <Appendix 1>, wherein a fixing bus bar is integrated with the housing, and the fixing bus bar is fixed to the circuit board.

[0079] <Appendix 3> The fixing bus bar has a housing fixing piece integrated with the housing, and a board fixing piece that bends with respect to the housing fixing piece and extends from the housing. The board fixing piece is soldered to the circuit board. The electric compressor according to <Appendix 2>.

[0080] <Appendix 4> The contact terminal portion has a pair of plate portions that face each other and are connected via a bent portion. At least one of the pair of plate portions is elastically deformable in the plate thickness direction. The electric compressor according to any one of <Appendix 1> to <Appendix 3>.

[0081] <Appendix 5> The circuit board is fixed to the partition wall by a pair of fixing members arranged so as to sandwich the housing. The electric compressor according to any one of <Appendix 1> to <Appendix 4>.

[0082] <Appendix 6> The connector has a plurality of the connector bodies. A plurality of the contact terminal portions are accommodated in the accommodation space. The housing has a separation wall that separates adjacent contact terminal portions. The electric compressor according to any one of <Appendix 1> to <Appendix 5>.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0083] H... Accommodation space, 10... Electric compressor, 11... Housing, 13a... Partition wall, 16... Compression part, 17... Electric motor, 18... Motor chamber, 19... Inverter chamber, 27... Conductive pin, 27a... First end, 27b... Second end, 30... Inverter device, 31... Circuit board, 31a... First main surface, 31b... Second main surface, 31d... Pin insertion hole, 33... Inverter circuit, 54... Fixing member, 60... Connector, 61... Connector body, 62... Housing, 62c... Separation wall, 63... Contact terminal portion, 63a... Plate portion, 65... Fixing bus bar, 65a... Housing fixing piece, 65b... Board fixing piece, 311... Hole defining surface, 621a... First defining surface, 622a... Second defining surface.

Claims

1. a compression unit that compresses a fluid; an electric motor that drives the compression unit; an inverter device having an inverter circuit that drives the electric motor and having a circuit board; a motor chamber that houses the electric motor; an inverter chamber that houses the inverter device; a housing in which the motor chamber and the inverter chamber are formed and having a partition wall that partitions the motor chamber and the inverter chamber; a connector that is disposed in the inverter chamber, is electrically connected to the inverter circuit, and electrically connects the inverter circuit to the electric motor; an electric compressor having a conductive pin that penetrates the partition wall in the wall thickness direction, a first end of which is electrically connected to the electric motor and a second end of which is electrically connected to the connector; the circuit board is housed in the inverter chamber with a first main surface in the board thickness direction of the circuit board facing the partition wall, and a pin insertion hole that penetrates in the board thickness direction and into which the conductive pin is inserted is formed in the circuit board; the connector is a connector body that is electrically connected to the inverter circuit, the connector body having a contact terminal portion that the second end contacts, and a housing that defines a housing space for housing the contact terminal portion; the housing is installed on a second main surface that is the opposite surface of the first main surface of the circuit board, and the housing space opens toward the pin insertion hole; the contact terminal portion is elastically deformable in the board thickness direction; a hole defining surface of the pin insertion hole in the circuit board and a defining surface of the housing space in the housing are both spaced apart radially outward of the diameter of the conductive pin with respect to the conductive pin, and the conductive pin is characterized in that an end surface of the second end contacts the contact terminal portion.

2. The electric compressor according to claim 1, wherein a fixing bus bar is integrated with the housing, and the fixing bus bar is fixed to the circuit board.

3. The electric compressor according to claim 2, wherein the fixing bus bar has a housing fixing piece integrated with the housing and a substrate fixing piece that bends with respect to the housing fixing piece and extends from the housing, and the substrate fixing piece is soldered to the circuit board.

4. The contact terminal portion has a pair of plate portions that face each other and are connected via a bent portion, and at least one of the pair of plate portions is elastically deformable in the plate thickness direction. The electric compressor according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that.

5. The circuit board is fixed to the partition wall by a pair of fixing members arranged so as to sandwich the housing. The electric compressor according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that.

6. The connector has a plurality of the connector bodies, a plurality of the contact terminal portions are accommodated in the accommodation space, and the housing has a separation wall that separates adjacent contact terminal portions. The electric compressor according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that.

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