Electric compressor

Abstract

This allows for the manufacture of electric compressor casings using the same mold regardless of the shape of the connector used to supply power to the inverter, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the electric compressor casing and, consequently, the electric compressor itself. [Solution] The electric compressor 1 includes a motor 2, a compression mechanism 3 driven by the motor 2, a compressor casing 4 housing the motor 2 and the compression mechanism 3, an inverter 5 for driving and controlling the motor 2, and an inverter casing 6 housing the inverter 5. A connector 20 for supplying power to the inverter 5 is attached via an adapter 30 to a connector mounting portion 10 provided on the outer surface of the inverter casing 6.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electric compressor mounted on a vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] An example of this type of electric compressor is described in Patent Document 1. The electric compressor described in Patent Document 1 is an inverter-integrated electric compressor, which is mounted on a vehicle and constitutes a part of a refrigerant circuit of a vehicle air conditioner that air-conditions the vehicle interior. In the electric compressor described in Patent Document 1, a motor, a compression mechanism, and an inverter are housed in a casing, and power from the vehicle power supply is supplied to the inverter via a connector.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] [[ID=3,5]]The casing of the electric compressor is manufactured by die casting, and the connector for supplying power to the inverter is often attached to the outer surface of the casing. However, the shape of the connector usually differs for each vehicle manufacturer. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare a "mold" used for manufacturing the casing of the electric compressor for each vehicle manufacturer, and there is a problem that it is difficult to manufacture the casing of the electric compressor, and thus the electric compressor, at a low cost.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to enable the casing of the electric compressor to be manufactured using the same mold regardless of the shape of the connector for supplying power to the inverter, and to reduce the manufacturing cost of the casing of the electric compressor, and thus the electric compressor. [

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, the electric compressor includes a motor, a compression mechanism driven by the motor, a compressor casing housing the motor and the compression mechanism, an inverter for driving and controlling the motor, and an inverter casing housing the inverter, wherein a connector for supplying power to the inverter is attached via an adapter to a connector mounting portion provided on the outer surface of the inverter case. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to manufacture the casing of an electric compressor using the same mold regardless of the shape of the connector for supplying power to the inverter, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the electric compressor casing and, consequently, the electric compressor itself. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of an electric compressor according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is an enlarged view of the main part, illustrating the connector mounting structure. [Figure 3] This is view A in Figure 2. [Figure 4A] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the adapter. [Figure 4B] This is a view B of Figure 4A. [Figure 4C] This is a view C of Figure 4A. [Figure 5] This is a diagram showing the connector mounting area. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the attached drawings.

[0010] Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an electric compressor 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The electric compressor 1 is an inverter-integrated electric compressor. The electric compressor 1 constitutes part of the refrigerant circuit of a vehicle air conditioning system (not shown) that is mounted on a vehicle and air-conditions the interior of the vehicle, and is configured to compress and discharge a refrigerant (gaseous refrigerant).

[0011] The electric compressor 1 according to this embodiment includes a motor 2, a compression mechanism 3, a compressor casing 4, an inverter 5, and an inverter casing 6.

[0012] Motor 2 is, for example, a three-phase synchronous motor. Motor 2 is driven by power supplied from inverter 5 to rotate the rotating shaft 2a. Compression mechanism 3 is, for example, a scroll-type compression mechanism. Compression mechanism 3 is driven by the rotation of the rotating shaft 2a, that is, by motor 2, to compress and discharge the refrigerant. The compressor casing 4 is formed in a cylindrical shape and houses motor 2 and compression mechanism 3 inside. Inside the compressor casing 4, motor 2 and compression mechanism 3 are arranged in series. The opening of the compressor casing 4 on the compression mechanism 3 side is closed by the first cover member 7.

[0013] The inverter 5 controls the power supply to the motor 2 to drive the motor 2. The inverter casing 6 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape and houses the inverter 5 inside. In this embodiment, the inverter casing 6 is positioned at the motor 2 side end of the compressor casing 4 and is integrated with the compressor casing 4.

[0014] Specifically, the inverter casing 6 includes a bottom wall portion 61 having a larger area than the cross-section of the compressor casing 4, and a peripheral wall portion 62 rising from the periphery of the bottom wall portion 61. A portion of the bottom wall portion 61 is integrated with the compressor casing 4, with the bottom wall portion 61 closing the opening on the motor 2 side of the compressor casing 4. The opening of the inverter casing 6 on the opposite side of the bottom wall portion 61 is closed by the second cover member 8.

[0015] The compressor casing 4, the inverter casing 6, the first cover member 7, and the second cover member 8 are made of metal such as aluminum alloy and are mainly manufactured by die casting. In this embodiment, the compressor casing 4 and the inverter casing 6 are manufactured by die casting using one mold. However, it is not limited to this. The compressor casing 4 and the inverter casing 6 may be manufactured individually and integrated by bolt fastening or the like. The casings of the electric compressor 1 are formed by the compressor casing 4, the inverter casing 6, the first cover member 7, and the second cover member 8.

[0016] A part of the bottom wall portion 61 of the inverter casing 6, that is, a portion that closes the opening on the motor 2 side of the compressor casing 4 in the bottom wall portion 61 of the inverter casing 6, forms a partition wall 61a that separates the internal space of the compressor casing 4 and the internal space of the inverter casing 6. The remaining portion of the bottom wall portion 61 of the inverter casing 6 protrudes radially outward from the compressor casing 4.

[0017] A connector 20 for supplying external power to the inverter 5 is attached to the outer surface of the inverter casing 6. In this embodiment, the connector 20 is a high-voltage connector (HV connector) for supplying high-voltage power to the inverter 5, and the external power (the high-voltage power) is DC power from the vehicle-mounted battery (not shown) of the vehicle.

[0018] Specifically, the connector 20 is attached to the outer surface of the remaining portion of the bottom wall portion 61 of the inverter casing 6, that is, the outer surface of the overhanging portion 61b that protrudes radially outward from the compressor casing 4 in the bottom wall portion 61 of the inverter casing 6. Furthermore, in this embodiment, a connector mounting portion 10 is provided on the outer surface of the overhanging portion 61b of the bottom wall portion 61 of the inverter casing 6, and the connector 20 is attached to this connector mounting portion 10.

[0019] Further, the compressor casing 4 is provided with an inlet 4a for allowing refrigerant from the outside to flow into the compressor casing 4, specifically, between the partition wall 61a and the motor 2. The first cover member 7 is provided with an outlet 7a for allowing the refrigerant in the compressor casing 4 to flow out to the outside.

[0020] In the electric compressor 1, when the motor 2 is driven by power supply from the inverter 5, the motor 2 drives the compression mechanism 3 via the rotary shaft 2a. When the compression mechanism 3 is driven, the refrigerant flows into the compressor casing 4 from the inlet 4a. The refrigerant flowing into the compressor casing 4 passes through the motor 2 and reaches the compression mechanism 3, and is compressed by the compression mechanism 3. Then, the refrigerant compressed by the compression mechanism 3 flows out from the outlet 7a.

[0021] The inverter 5 will be further described. In the present embodiment, the inverter 5 is mounted on the circuit board 51 and includes an inverter circuit section 52, a filter circuit section 53, and a control circuit section 54. Here, an example in which the inverter circuit section 52, the filter circuit section 53, and the control circuit section 54 are mounted on the same circuit board 51 is shown. However, it is not limited thereto, and the inverter circuit section 52, the filter circuit section 53, and the control circuit section 54 may be separately mounted on a plurality of circuit boards.

[0022] The inverter circuit section 52 is configured to convert the DC power supplied from the in - vehicle battery via the connector 20 into three - phase AC power and supply this three - phase AC power to the motor 2 via the power supply line 9 extending through the partition wall 61a. The inverter circuit section 52 includes a plurality of switching elements 521, specifically, a total of six switching elements 521 including the switching elements on the upper arm side and the lower arm side of each phase. The switching element 521 is, for example, an IGBT. Note that in FIG. 1, two of the six switching elements 521 are shown.

[0023] The filter circuit section 53 includes a smoothing capacitor (not shown) for smoothing the power supplied to the inverter circuit section 52, and capacitors and coils (both not shown) that constitute a noise filter.

[0024] The control circuit unit 54 controls the switching of multiple switching elements 521 of the inverter circuit unit 52 based on a low-voltage electrical signal (low-voltage power) supplied from the control unit of the vehicle air conditioning system via a control signal connector (not shown). The control circuit unit 54 also has the function of transmitting a low-voltage signal indicating the driving state of the motor 2 to the control unit of the vehicle air conditioning system via the control signal connector. The control signal connector, like the connector 20, is mounted on the outer surface of the inverter casing 6.

[0025] Next, the mounting structure of the connector 20 to the outer surface of the inverter casing 6 will be described. As described above, the connector 20 is attached to the connector mounting portion 10 provided on the outer surface of the protruding portion 61b of the bottom wall portion 61 of the inverter casing 6. Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the main part of Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a view A of Figure 2.

[0026] In this embodiment, the protruding portion 61b of the bottom wall portion 61 of the inverter casing 6 has a rectangular shape when viewed from the compressor casing 4 side (the lower side in Figure 1). The connector mounting portion 10 is formed as a rectangular flat surface that occupies most of the outer surface of the protruding portion 61b of the bottom wall portion 61 of the inverter casing 6.

[0027] In this embodiment, the connector 20 is attached to the connector mounting portion 10 via the adapter 30. Specifically, the connector 20 is fixed to the adapter 30 by a plurality (four in this case) of connector fixing bolts 41, and the adapter 30 is fixed to the connector mounting portion 10 by a plurality (four in this case) of adapter fixing bolts 43. Furthermore, a sheet-like first sealing material 45, such as a gasket, is placed between the connector 20 and the adapter 30, and a sheet-like second sealing material 47, such as a gasket, is placed between the adapter 30 and the connector mounting portion 10.

[0028] The connector 20 includes a plurality of terminals 21 (two in this case) and a connector housing 22. The plurality of terminals 21 are high-voltage terminals. Each of the plurality of terminals 21 is formed in an elongated plate shape from a conductor such as metal. The connector housing 22 is made of an insulating resin. The connector housing 22 holds the plurality of terminals 21 spaced apart from each other and with both ends exposed.

[0029] In this embodiment, the connector housing 22 has a base portion 23, a protruding portion 24, and a connector mounting portion 25 on which the mating connector is attached.

[0030] The base portion 23 is formed in the shape of a rectangular plate. A first through hole 26 is formed in each of the four corners of the base portion 23 through which the shaft portion of the connector fixing bolt 41 passes. Each first through hole 26 penetrates the base portion 23 in the thickness direction.

[0031] The protruding portion 24 protrudes from the center of one face of the base portion 23 (it does not need to be exactly in the center, but approximately in the center is sufficient). The aforementioned one face of the base portion 23 is the face that faces the connector mounting portion 10 when the connector 20 is attached to the connector mounting portion 10 via the adapter 30. The protruding portion 24 covers one end portion of each of the multiple terminals 21, except for the one end portion 21a and a predetermined area near it. The other end portions of the multiple terminals 21 protrude from the aforementioned other face of the base portion 23.

[0032] A connector (not shown) of a high-voltage harness extending from the vehicle battery is mounted as the mating connector to the connector mounting portion 25. The connector mounting portion 25 rises from the other surface of the base portion 23 and is formed to surround the other end 21b of each of the multiple terminals 21 and a predetermined area near them. The other surface of the base portion 23 is the surface that faces away from the connector mounting portion 10 when the connector 20 is attached to the connector mounting portion 10 via the adapter 30.

[0033] The adapter 30 is not particularly limited, but is made of, for example, metal. Figures 4A to 4C show the adapter 30. Figure 4A is a schematic cross-sectional view of the adapter 30, Figure 4B is a view B of Figure 4A, and Figure 4C is a view C of Figure 4A.

[0034] In this embodiment, the adapter 30 is formed in the shape of a rectangular plate or rectangular block, which is larger than the base portion 23 of the connector 20. The adapter 30 has a first surface 31 and a second surface 32. The first surface 31 is the surface facing away from the connector mounting portion 10, and the second surface 32 is the surface facing away from the first surface 31, that is, the surface facing the connector mounting portion 10. The first surface 31 and the second surface 32 are flat surfaces, and the shape and area of ​​the first surface 31 and the second surface 32 are substantially the same as those of the connector mounting portion 10.

[0035] A first through-hole 33 is provided in the center of the adapter 30 (it does not need to be exactly in the center, but approximately in the center is sufficient), extending from the first surface 31 to the second surface 32. The protruding portion 24 of the connector 20 can be inserted into the first through-hole 33. In this example, the first through-hole 33 is formed as a rectangular through-hole (rectangular cross-section). However, it is not limited to this. The first through-hole 33 only needs to be formed as a through-hole into which the protruding portion 24 of the connector 20 can be inserted, and the shape of the first through-hole 33 can be arbitrarily set.

[0036] Furthermore, each of the four corners of the adapter 30 is provided with a second through-hole 34 through which the shaft of the adapter fixing bolt 43 passes. Each second through-hole 34 penetrates from the first surface 31 to the second surface 32.

[0037] Four first female threads (screw holes) 35 are provided around the first through hole 33 on the first surface 31 of the adapter 30. The four first female threads 35 are blind holes and do not penetrate the second surface 32. They are positioned to correspond to the four first through holes 26 formed in the base portion 23 of the connector 20. A connector fixing bolt 41 can be screwed into each of the four first female threads 35.

[0038] On the second surface 32 of the adapter 30, a cylindrical projection 36 is formed that rises in a rectangular shape from around the first through hole 33. In other words, the cylindrical projection 36 has a rectangular outer shape, and the first through hole 33 is located inside the cylindrical projection 36.

[0039] The connector 20 is fixed to the first surface 31 of the adapter 30 with its protruding portion 24 (i.e., a part of the connector 20) inserted into the first through-hole 33 of the adapter 30. Specifically, the connector 20 is fixed to the first surface 31 of the adapter 30 by screwing each of the four connector fixing bolts 41 through the corresponding first through-hole 26 into the corresponding first female thread 35 of the adapter 30. Furthermore, when the connector 20 is fixed to the first surface 31 of the adapter 30, the first sealing material 45 is positioned between the connector 20 and the first surface 31 of the adapter 30, more specifically, between one surface of the base portion 23 of the connector 20 and the first surface 31 of the adapter 30.

[0040] Although detailed drawings are omitted here, the first sealing material 45 has a rectangular shape that is approximately the same size as the base portion 23 of the connector 20, and the first sealing material 45 is provided with a total of five through holes, corresponding to the four first through holes 26 of the connector 20 and the first through holes 33 of the adapter 30. Therefore, when the connector 20 is fixed to the first surface 31 of the adapter 30, the protruding portion 24 of the connector 20 and the multiple connector fixing bolts 41 pass through the first sealing material 45, thereby preventing displacement of the first sealing material 45.

[0041] Figure 5 shows the connector mounting section 10, and illustrates the state after the connector 20, first sealing material 45, adapter 30, and second sealing material 47 have been removed from Figure 3.

[0042] A second through-hole 11 is provided in the center of the connector mounting portion 10 (it does not need to be exactly in the center, but approximately in the center is sufficient), which connects the inside and outside of the inverter casing 6. The second through-hole 11 penetrates the protruding portion 61b of the bottom wall portion 61 of the inverter casing 6 (i.e., the wall portion of the inverter casing 6), and is formed so that the cylindrical projection portion 36 of the adapter 30 fits into it. The second through-hole 11 is formed as a rectangular through-hole (rectangular cross-section) to correspond to the outer shape of the cylindrical projection portion 36 of the adapter 30.

[0043] Second female threads (screw holes) 12 are provided at the four corners of the connector mounting portion 10. The second female threads 12 are blind holes into which adapter fixing bolts 43 can be screwed.

[0044] As described above, in this embodiment, the protruding portion 61b of the bottom wall portion 61 of the inverter casing 6 has a rectangular shape when viewed from the compressor casing 4 side, and the connector mounting portion 10 is formed as a rectangular flat surface that occupies most of the outer surface of the protruding portion 61b of the bottom wall portion 61 of the inverter casing 6. Therefore, in this embodiment, the four second female threads 12 are formed using the peripheral wall portion 62 of the inverter casing 6. Consequently, less build-up material 13 is required to form the second female threads 12, and the occurrence of localized uneven thickness in the inverter casing 6 is suppressed.

[0045] The adapter 30 is fixed to the connector mounting portion 10 with its second surface 32 facing the connector mounting portion 10. Specifically, the adapter 30 is fixed to the connector mounting portion 10 by fitting a cylindrical projection 36 formed on the second surface 32 into the second through hole 11 of the connector mounting portion 10, and by screwing each of the four adapter fixing bolts 43 through the corresponding second through hole 34 into the corresponding second female thread 12 of the connector mounting portion 10. In addition, when the adapter 30 is fixed to the connector mounting portion 10, the second sealing material 47 is placed between the second surface 32 of the adapter 30 and the connector mounting portion 10.

[0046] Although detailed drawings are omitted here, the second sealing material 47 has a rectangular shape that is approximately the same size as the adapter 30. In other words, the second sealing material 47 is larger than the first sealing material 45. To put it another way, the second sealing material 47 has a larger sealing area than the first sealing material 45. Furthermore, the second sealing material 47 is provided with a total of five through holes, corresponding to the four second through holes 34 of the adapter 30 and the second through holes 11 of the connector mounting portion 10. Therefore, when the adapter 30 is fixed to the connector mounting portion 10, the cylindrical projection 36 of the adapter 30 and the multiple adapter fixing bolts 43 pass through the second sealing material 47, thereby preventing displacement of the second sealing material 47.

[0047] When the adapter 30, on which the connector 20 is fixed to the first surface 31, is fixed to the connector mounting portion 10, or when the connector 20 is fixed to the first surface 31 of the adapter 30 fixed to the connector mounting portion 10, the attachment of the connector 20 to the outer surface of the inverter casing 6 is completed. The tip of the protruding portion 24 of the attached connector 20 enters the inverter casing 6 through the second through hole 11 of the connector mounting portion 10. In other words, the portions on one end of the multiple terminals 21 penetrate the bottom wall portion 61 of the inverter casing 6 and enter the inverter casing 6. Then, one end 21a of each terminal 21 is electrically connected to the inverter circuit portion 52 of the inverter 5. Although not particularly limited, one end 21a of each terminal 21 can be connected to a suitable location on, for example, a circuit board 51 and electrically connected to the inverter circuit portion 52 via a conductive pattern on the circuit board 51.

[0048] Subsequently, when the connector of the high-voltage harness is attached to the connector mounting portion 25 of the connector 20, the multiple terminals 21 and the high-voltage harness become electrically connected, making it possible to supply DC power from the vehicle battery to the inverter circuit portion 52 of the inverter 5.

[0049] In this embodiment, the second through-hole 11 of the connector mounting portion 10 (and the cylindrical projection 36 of the adapter 30) is set to be larger to accommodate the connectors 20 of each vehicle manufacturer. Therefore, the shape and size of the first through-hole 33 of the adapter 30 and the number and arrangement of the first female threads 35 of the adapter 30 should be appropriately set according to the connector 20 actually used. In other words, the adapter 30 should be appropriately modified according to the connector 20 actually used, and no modification of the connector mounting portion 10, i.e., the inverter casing 6, is required. Thus, it is possible to easily accommodate the connectors 20 of each vehicle manufacturer.

[0050] According to the electric compressor 1 of this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained, for example.

[0051] A connector 20 for supplying power to the inverter 5 is attached to a connector mounting portion 10 on the outer surface of the inverter casing 6 via an adapter 30. Therefore, by using an adapter 30 corresponding to the connector 20, it becomes possible to attach connectors 20 of various shapes to the connector mounting portion 10 of the inverter casing 6. Thus, regardless of the shape of the connector 20, the inverter casing 6 can be manufactured using the same mold, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the inverter casing 6 and, consequently, the electric compressor 1.

[0052] Here, the adapter 30 is formed in a plate-like or block-like shape and has a first surface 31 and a second surface 32 facing the opposite side of the first surface 31. The adapter 30 has a first through-hole 33 that penetrates from the first surface 31 to the second surface 32. The connector 20 is fixed to the first surface 31 of the adapter 30 with a protruding portion 24, which is part of the connector, inserted into the first through-hole 33. The adapter 30 is fixed to the connector mounting portion 10 with the second surface 32 facing the connector mounting portion 10. Therefore, the connector 20 can be attached to the connector mounting portion 10 using an adapter 30 with a relatively simple shape.

[0053] Furthermore, a cylindrical projection 36 is formed on the second surface 32 of the adapter 30, rising cylindrically from around the first through hole 33, and the connector mounting portion 10 is provided with a second through hole 11 that penetrates the wall of the inverter casing 6 and is formed so as to accommodate the cylindrical projection 36. Therefore, the adapter 30 can be easily positioned relative to the connector mounting portion 10. In particular, in this embodiment, the outer shape of the cylindrical projection 36 and the second through hole 11 have a rectangular shape. Therefore, it is possible to easily fix the adapter 30 to the connector mounting portion 10 while simultaneously positioning and preventing rotation of the adapter 30.

[0054] Furthermore, the connector 20 is fixed to the first surface 31 of the adapter 30 by four connector fixing bolts 41 that are screwed into four first female threads 35 provided on the first surface 31 of the adapter 30, and the adapter 30 is fixed to the connector mounting portion 10 by four adapter fixing bolts 43 that are screwed into four second female threads 12 provided on the connector mounting portion 10. Therefore, it is possible to easily and stably fix the connector 20 to the adapter 30 and fix the adapter 30 to the connector mounting portion 10.

[0055] Furthermore, a first sealing material 45 is placed between the connector 20 and the first surface 31 of the adapter 30, and a second sealing material 47 is placed between the second surface 32 of the adapter 30 and the connector mounting portion 10. As a result, the number of sealing materials and the sealing area at the connector mounting portion of the inverter casing can be increased compared to conventional designs, and water ingress into the inverter casing can be effectively prevented.

[0056] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the inverter casing 6 has a bottom wall portion 61 and a peripheral wall portion 62 rising from the periphery of the bottom wall portion 61, the connector mounting portion 10 is provided on the outer surface of the bottom wall portion 61 of the inverter casing 6, and four second female threads 12 are formed using the peripheral wall portion 62. As a result, less build-up material 13 is required to form the second female threads 12, the occurrence of localized uneven thickness in the inverter casing 6 is suppressed, and stable manufacturing of the inverter casing 6 becomes possible.

[0057] In the above embodiment, four connector fixing bolts 41 are used to fix the connector 20 to the adapter 30, and four adapter fixing bolts 43 are used to fix the adapter 30 to the connector mounting portion 10. However, it is not limited to this. At least one connector fixing bolt 41 and at least one adapter fixing bolt 43 may be used. The same number of first female threads 35 are provided on the adapter 30 as the number of connector fixing bolts 41, and the same number of second through holes 34 on the adapter 30 and second female threads 12 on the connector mounting portion 10 as the number of adapter fixing bolts 43 are provided.

[0058] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the outer shape of the cylindrical projection 36 formed on the second surface 32 of the adapter 30 and the second through-hole 11 provided in the connector mounting portion 10 are rectangular. However, it is not limited to this. As long as the cylindrical projection 36 fits into the second through-hole 11, the outer shape of the cylindrical projection 36 and the shape of the second through-hole 11 can be arbitrarily set. For example, the outer shape of the cylindrical projection 36 and the second through-hole 11 may be circular, oval, or a polygonal shape other than a rectangle. However, in particular, when they are rectangular or oval, fitting the cylindrical projection 36 into the second through-hole 11 is easy, and the positioning of the adapter 30 and the rotation prevention of the adapter 30 can be performed simultaneously, which is more convenient.

[0059] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, all four second female threads 12 are formed using the peripheral wall portion 62 of the inverter casing 6. However, it is not limited to this. It is sufficient that at least one of the four second female threads 12 is formed using the peripheral wall portion 62 of the inverter casing 6.

[0060] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the adapter 30 and the connector mounting portion 10 have a rectangular shape when viewed from above or from below. However, this is not limited to this. The shapes of the adapter 30 and the connector mounting portion 10 can be arbitrarily set.

[0061] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the connector 20 is a high-voltage connector for supplying high-voltage power to the inverter 5. However, it is not limited to this. The connector 20 may also serve as the control signal connector. That is, the connector 20 may be for supplying high-voltage power and low-voltage power (electrical signals) to the inverter 5. In this case, the connector 20 further has a plurality of low-voltage terminals, and the connector housing 22 holds the plurality of terminals 21 and the plurality of low-voltage terminals spaced apart from each other with both ends exposed, and has a further connector mounting portion to which the connector of the low-voltage harness is attached.

[0062] Although embodiments and some modifications of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments and modifications described above, and can of course be modified based on the technical concept of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0063] 1…Electric compressor, 2…Motor, 3…Compression mechanism, 4…Compressor casing, 5…Inverter, 6…Inverter casing, 10…Connector mounting section, 11…Second through hole, 12…Second female thread, 13…Build-up material, 20…Connector, 21…Terminal, 22…Connector housing, 23…Base section, 24…Protrusion, 25…Connector mounting section, 26…First through hole, 30…Adapter, 31…First surface, 32…Second surface, 33…First through hole, 34…Second through hole, 35…First female thread, 36…Cylindrical projection, 41…Connector fixing bolt, 43…Adapter fixing bolt, 45…First sealant, 47…Second sealant, 61…Bottom wall of inverter casing, 61a…Partition, 61b…Protruding section, 62…Peripheral wall of inverter casing

Claims

1. An electric compressor comprising a motor, a compression mechanism driven by the motor, a compressor casing housing the motor and the compression mechanism, an inverter for driving and controlling the motor, and an inverter casing housing the inverter, wherein a connector for supplying power to the inverter is attached via an adapter to a connector mounting portion provided on the outer surface of the inverter casing.

2. The adapter is formed in the shape of a plate or block and has a first surface and a second surface facing the opposite side of the first surface, and the adapter is provided with a first through hole that penetrates from the first surface to the second surface. The connector is fixed to the first surface of the adapter with a portion of it inserted into the first through-hole. The adapter is fixed to the connector mounting portion with the second surface facing the connector mounting portion. The electric compressor according to claim 1.

3. The second surface of the adapter has a cylindrical projection that rises cylindrically from around the first through hole. The connector mounting portion is provided with a second through-hole that penetrates the wall of the inverter casing and is formed so that the cylindrical projection is fitted into it. The electric compressor according to claim 2.

4. The electric compressor according to claim 3, wherein the cylindrical projection and the second through hole have a rectangular or oval shape.

5. The connector is fixed to the first surface of the adapter by at least one connector fixing bolt that screws into a first female thread provided on the first surface of the adapter. The adapter is fixed to the connector mounting portion by at least one adapter fixing bolt that is screwed into a second female thread provided on the connector mounting portion. A first sealing material is placed between the connector and the first surface of the adapter. A second sealing material is placed between the second surface of the adapter and the connector mounting portion. An electric compressor according to any one of claims 2 to 4.

6. The inverter casing has a bottom wall and a peripheral wall that rises from the periphery of the bottom wall. The connector mounting portion is provided on the outer surface of the bottom wall portion of the inverter casing, The connector mounting portion is provided with a plurality of second female threads, and at least one of the second female threads is formed using the peripheral wall portion of the inverter casing. The electric compressor according to claim 5.

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