Inverter

Abstract

To provide an inverter that can reduce the size of the product, including the Hall sensor. [Solution] The inverter according to this embodiment comprises three output terminals, three output busbars, and a plurality of Hall sensors. The three output terminals are connected to each phase of a three-phase motor and are arranged in a row. The three output busbars each have a connection portion that is connected to one of the three output terminals. The plurality of Hall sensors detect the current flowing through the output busbars. At least two of the three output busbars have a bent portion that is bent in the direction of the arrangement of the three output terminals, and a notch that is cut out to narrow the width of the bent portion. The plurality of Hall sensors are each positioned at the location of the notches provided on at least two of the output busbars.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an inverter.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in an inverter connected to a three-phase motor, it is known to expose three electrode members corresponding to each phase outside the housing and connect them to each phase of the motor (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Further, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for reducing the size of the housing by bending the three electrode members corresponding to each phase inside the housing. Further, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for detecting the current flowing through the electrode member by providing a hall sensor on the electrode member exposed outside the housing.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in Patent Document 1, although the size of the housing can be reduced, the exposure length of the electrode member has to be increased in order to arrange the hall sensor outside the housing, so there is a risk that the product size of the inverter including the hall sensor will increase.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object thereof is to provide an inverter capable of reducing the product size including a hall sensor.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objective, the inverter according to the present invention comprises three output terminals, three output busbars, and a plurality of Hall sensors. The three output terminals are connected to each phase of a three-phase motor and are arranged in a row. The three output busbars each have a connection portion connected to the three output terminals. The plurality of Hall sensors detect the current flowing through the output busbars. At least two of the three output busbars have a bent portion that is bent in the direction of the arrangement of the three output terminals and a notch that is cut out to narrow the width of the bent portion. The plurality of Hall sensors are each positioned at the location of the notch provided on at least two of the output busbars. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, by positioning a Hall sensor at the location of a notch provided in the output busbar which serves as an electrode, the current can be concentrated in the part of the output busbar that is narrowed by the notch, making it possible to detect the current at the notch using the Hall sensor. Furthermore, in the present invention, the notch is provided between the bent portion and the connecting portion, that is, inside the housing. For this reason, in the present invention, there is no need to secure space to place the Hall sensor outside the housing, as in Patent Document 1, and therefore the size of the product including the Hall sensor can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of an inverter according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a top view of the inverter according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the output busbar. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a perspective view of the output busbar. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating the positioning section for the output busbar and capacitor board. [Figure 6]Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating the positioning section for the output busbar and capacitor board. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a top view of the inverter according to the second embodiment. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is an end view of the inverter according to the second embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The embodiments of the inverter disclosed herein will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown below. In the following, inverter 1 is mounted on a vehicle and is, for example, an inverter that controls the current supplied to a motor for driving the vehicle. The motor is a three-phase motor driven by a three-phase alternating current obtained by converting a direct current by the inverter.

[0010] Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of the inverter 1 according to the embodiment. Figure 2 is a top view of the inverter 1 according to the embodiment. Note that in Figure 2, for the sake of explanation, the control board 3 and capacitor board 4 are omitted.

[0011] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the inverter 1 comprises a housing 2, a control board 3, a capacitor board 4, a power busbar 5, an output busbar 6, a power board 7, a heat sink 8, and a Hall sensor 9.

[0012] The housing 2 is a component that surrounds the side of the inverter 1. Specifically, the housing 2 surrounds the control board 3, capacitor board 4, power busbar 5, output busbar 6, power board 7, and Hall sensor 9. Note that in Figure 1, the cover member that covers the opening on the control board 3 side of the housing 2 is omitted. The opening on the opposite side of the housing 2 from the aforementioned cover member is covered by the heat sink 8.

[0013] As shown in Figure 1, the housing 2 has a longitudinal side wall portion 20 along the longitudinal direction of the power board 7 and a short side wall portion 21 along the short direction of the power board 7. The longitudinal side wall portion 20 has a first longitudinal side wall portion 20a and a second longitudinal side wall portion 20b. The short side wall portion 21 has a first short side wall portion 21a and a second short side wall portion 21b.

[0014] The first longitudinal side wall 20a is provided with three output terminals 210, each corresponding to one of the three phases, exposed to the outside. Specifically, the three output terminals 210 are arranged in a single row along the first longitudinal side wall 20a. Hereafter, the three output terminals 210 may be referred to as output terminal 210W corresponding to the W phase, output terminal 210V corresponding to the V phase, and output terminal 210U corresponding to the U phase. The second longitudinal side wall 20b is positioned opposite the first longitudinal side wall 20a and is provided with a connector 200, which connects the control board 3 (described later) to external equipment (vehicle control device, etc.), exposed to the outside.

[0015] The three output terminals 210 are configured by electrically connecting an inner terminal located inside the first longitudinal side wall 20a and an outer terminal located outside the first longitudinal side wall 20a. Specifically, as shown in Figure 2, output terminal 210W is composed of an inner terminal 210WI and an outer terminal 210WO. Output terminal 210V is composed of an inner terminal 210VI and an outer terminal 210VO. Output terminal 210U is composed of an inner terminal 210UI and an outer terminal 210UO. In this way, by configuring the output terminals 210 so that the inner and outer terminals are electrically connected, the output busbar 6 can be housed inside the housing 2 without being exposed to the outside.

[0016] The first short side wall 21a is provided with two input terminals 220, corresponding to the positive and negative terminals of an external power supply, exposed to the outside. Hereinafter, the two input terminals 220 may be referred to as input terminal 220P corresponding to the positive terminal and input terminal 220N corresponding to the negative terminal. The second short side wall 21b is positioned opposite the first short side wall 21a.

[0017] The two input terminals 220 are each configured by electrically connecting an inner terminal disposed inside the first short side wall portion 21a and an outer terminal disposed outside the first short side wall portion 21a. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the input terminal 220P is composed of an inner terminal 220PI and an outer terminal 220PO. The input terminal 220N is composed of an inner terminal 220NI and an outer terminal 220NO. Thus, by configuring the input terminal 220 such that the inner terminal and the outer terminal are electrically connected, the power bus bar 5 can be housed inside without being exposed outside the housing 2.

[0018] The control board 3 is a board on which various electronic components for controlling the switching of the switching element 71 described later are mounted. The control board 3 controls the switching of the switching element 71 according to a control signal input from an external device connected via the connector 200.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, the control board 3 is disposed at the uppermost layer position in the height direction (Z-axis positive direction) of the inverter 1. Although not shown in the figure, a lid portion of the housing 2 is provided on the upper layer of the control board 3. Further, the control board 3 is disposed at a position overlapping the capacitor board 4, the power board 7, and the heat sink 8 in a plan view (viewed in the Z-axis direction). The control board 3 is fastened to the longitudinal side wall portion 20 and the short side wall portion 21 by fasteners in a state supported by the longitudinal side wall portion 20 and the short side wall portion 21, for example.

[0020] The capacitor board 4 is a board on which a plurality of capacitors 41 are mounted. The plurality of capacitors 41 are smoothing capacitors for smoothing the power input from an external power source, and are mounted on the main surface on the control board 3 side (Z-axis positive direction side) with respect to the capacitor board 4. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the plurality of capacitors 41 are arranged in three rows along the longitudinal direction of the capacitor board 4. The arrangement method of the capacitors 41 may be, for example, two rows or less or four rows or more, and may be any arrangement method.

[0021] Furthermore, the capacitor board 4 is positioned on the control board 3 side relative to the power board 7 in the height direction (Z-axis direction) of the inverter 1, and is positioned so as to overlap with the power board 7 in a plan view. The main surface of the capacitor board 4 on the power board 7 side is electrically connected to the power bus bar 5. The capacitor board 4 has a convex shape in a plan view, and is supported by the output bus bar 6 by contacting it via an insulating material (not shown) at the protruding portion of the convex shape.

[0022] The power busbar 5 is a rod-shaped metal component that electrically connects the input terminals 220P and 220N with the conductive patterns 72P and 72N. Specifically, the power busbar 5 consists of a power busbar 5a corresponding to the positive terminal and a power busbar 5b corresponding to the negative terminal.

[0023] The power busbar 5a electrically connects the input terminal 220P corresponding to the positive terminal to the conductive pattern 72P. Specifically, the power busbar 5a has a first portion 51a and a second portion 52a. The first portion 51a is a portion that extends along the longitudinal direction of the power board 7, and is electrically connected to the conductive pattern 72P by the surface facing the power board 7 contacting the conductive pattern 72P. The second portion 52a is a portion that extends from one end of the first portion 51a on the side of the first short side wall 21a toward the first longitudinal side wall 20a along the short direction of the power board 7. The second portion 52a is electrically connected to the inner terminal 220PI.

[0024] The power busbar 5b electrically connects the input terminal 220N corresponding to the negative terminal to the conductive pattern 72N. Specifically, the power busbar 5b has a first portion 51b and a second portion 52b. The first portion 51b is a portion that extends along the longitudinal direction of the power board 7, and is electrically connected to the conductive pattern 72N by the surface facing the power board 7 contacting the conductive pattern 72N. Furthermore, the first portion 51b is positioned away from the switching element 71 and the three output busbars 6 located on the conductive pattern 72N, thereby insulating it from the switching element 71 and the three output busbars 6. The second portion 52b is a portion that extends from one end of the first portion 51b on the side of the first short side wall 21a toward the second long side wall 20b along the short direction of the power board 7. The second portion 52b is electrically connected to the inner terminal 220NI.

[0025] The output busbar 6 is a metal component that electrically connects the output terminals 210W, 210V, and 210U of each phase to the conductive patterns 72W, 72V, and 72U. Specifically, the output busbar 6 consists of an output busbar 6W corresponding to the W phase, an output busbar 6V corresponding to the V phase, and an output busbar 6U corresponding to the U phase. More specifically, the output busbar 6W electrically connects the output terminal 210W to the conductive pattern 72W. The output busbar 6V electrically connects the output terminal 210V to the conductive pattern 72V. The output busbar 6U electrically connects the output terminal 210U to the conductive pattern 72U.

[0026] The power board 7 is a board on which switching elements 71 are mounted on the main surface (hereinafter referred to as the mounting surface) on the capacitor board 4 side. The power board 7 is fixed in contact with the heat sink 8 via an insulating material (not shown). Specifically, the power board 7 is positioned so that the back surface of the mounting surface of the switching elements 71 faces the heat sink 8, and an insulating material is provided between the back surface of the mounting surface and the heat sink 8. In the height direction, the power board 7 is positioned between the power bus bar 5 and the output bus bar 6 and the heat sink 8. In addition, the power board 7 has multiple conductive patterns 72 formed on its mounting surface that are electrically connected to the power bus bar 5 and the output bus bar 6.

[0027] Specifically, the multiple conductive patterns 72 consist of conductive patterns 72P and 72N that are electrically connected to the power bus bar 5, and conductive patterns 72W, 72V, and 72U that are electrically connected to the output bus bar 6.

[0028] Conductive pattern 72P is connected to power busbar 5a corresponding to the positive terminal, and via power busbar 5a, it is connected to input terminal 220P corresponding to the positive terminal. Conductive pattern 72N is connected to power busbar 5b corresponding to the negative terminal, and via power busbar 5b, it is connected to input terminal 220N corresponding to the negative terminal. Conductive pattern 72W is connected to output busbar 6W corresponding to the W phase, and via output busbar 6W, it is connected to output terminal 210W corresponding to the W phase. Conductive pattern 72V is connected to output busbar 6V corresponding to the V phase, and via output busbar 6V, it is connected to output terminal 210V corresponding to the V phase. Conductive pattern 72U is connected to output busbar 6U corresponding to the U phase, and via output busbar 6U, it is connected to output terminal 210U corresponding to the U phase.

[0029] Each conductive pattern 72P, 72N, 72W, 72V, and 72U is insulated from one another by being spaced apart. Furthermore, conductive pattern 72P is electrically connected to conductive patterns 72W, 72V, and 72U via switching elements 71. Specifically, conductive pattern 72P is electrically connected to conductive patterns 72W, 72V, and 72U via switching elements 71 mounted on each of the conductive patterns 72W, 72V, and 72U. Similarly, conductive pattern 72N is electrically connected to conductive patterns 72W, 72V, and 72U via switching elements 71. Specifically, conductive pattern 72N is electrically connected to conductive patterns 72W, 72V, and 72U via switching elements 71 mounted on the conductive pattern 72N.

[0030] The heatsink 8 is positioned on the back of the mounting surface of the power board 7 and dissipates the heat generated by the switching elements 71 on the mounting surface of the power board 7 to the outside.

[0031] The Hall sensor 9 is a sensor that detects the current output from the inverter 1 to the three-phase motor. As shown in Figure 1, the Hall sensor 9 is mounted on the capacitor board 4 on the mounting surface of the capacitor 41 and detects the current flowing through the output busbar 6 located on the back side of the mounting surface of the capacitor board 4. Specifically, the Hall sensor 9 detects the current by detecting the magnetic field generated in the output busbar 6. In the example shown in Figure 1, the Hall sensor 9 detects the current flowing through the output busbar 6W corresponding to the W phase and the output busbar 6U corresponding to the U phase. The current flowing through the output busbar 6V corresponding to the V phase can be estimated based on the W phase and U phase current values ​​detected by the Hall sensor 9.

[0032] In this disclosure, the Hall sensor 9 is positioned at the location of a notch formed in the output busbars 6W and 6U, and detects the current flowing through the portion of the output busbars 6W and 6U that is narrowed by the notch.

[0033] Here, we will explain in detail the structure of the 6W, 6V, and 6U output busbars using Figures 3 and 4. Figure 3 is a perspective view of the 6W output busbar. Figure 4 is a perspective view of the 6V output busbar.

[0034] First, we will explain output busbar 6W using Figure 3. Note that output busbar 6U has the same configuration as output busbar 6W except that the bending direction of the bent section 62W is reversed. Therefore, we will explain output busbar 6W below, and omit the explanation of output busbar 6U.

[0035] As shown in Figure 3, the output busbar 6W has a terminal connection portion 61W, a bent portion 62W, a pattern connection portion 63W, a connecting portion 64W, and a notched portion 65W.

[0036] The terminal connection portion 61W is located at the tip of the bent portion 62W and is electrically connected to the inner terminal 210WI by being fixed to the inner terminal 210WI via a fastener (not shown). The bent portion 62W is connected to the connecting portion 64W and extends from one end of the connecting portion 64W on the first longitudinal side wall portion 20a side along the short direction of the power board 7 toward the output busbar 6V. In other words, the bent portion 62W is a portion that bends from the connecting portion 64W in the direction of the arrangement of the three output terminals 210 (X-axis direction). The pattern connection portion 63W is located at the end of the connecting portion 64W opposite to the bent portion 62W and is electrically connected to the conductive pattern 72W by being fixed to the conductive pattern 72W via a fastener (not shown). The connecting portion 64W is the portion that connects the terminal connection portion 61W and the pattern connection portion 63W. Specifically, the connecting portion 64W is connected at one end to the terminal connection portion 61W via the bent portion 62W, and at the other end to the pattern connection portion 63W. The connecting portion 64W is positioned to pass between the power bus bar 5b and the conductive pattern 72N, but is insulated from the power bus bar 5b and the conductive pattern 72N by being positioned with a gap between them. The notch portion 65W is a portion cut out to narrow the width of the bent portion 62W. Specifically, the notch portion 65W is formed between the connecting portion 64W and the terminal connection portion 61W. As shown in Figure 3, the notch portion 65W is a shape cut out from both sides in the width direction (Y-axis direction) of the bent portion 62W. More specifically, the notch portion 65W is a position where the cutouts on both sides in the width direction of the bent portion 62W are offset in the extension direction (X-axis direction) of the bent portion 62W. In other words, in the width direction, the notched portion of the notch 65W is located on the terminal connection portion 61W side, and the notched portion on the other side is located on the connecting portion 64W side.

[0037] In this disclosure, the Hall sensor 9 is positioned at the location of the notch 65W. Specifically, the Hall sensor 9 is positioned on the mounting surface of the capacitor 41 on the capacitor substrate 4, in a position that overlaps with the notch 65W in a plan view. Because the output busbar 6W narrows in width due to the notch shape of the notch 65W, current concentrates and flows through that area, generating a strong magnetic field. Therefore, by positioning the Hall sensor 9 at the location of the notch 65W, it becomes possible to accurately detect the current flowing through the output busbar 6W. Furthermore, in this disclosure, the notch 65W is provided between the bent portion 62W and the terminal connection portion 61W, that is, inside the housing 2. Therefore, by positioning the Hall sensor 9 at the location of the notch 65W, it becomes possible to place it inside the housing 2. Consequently, in this disclosure, there is no need to secure space to place the Hall sensor outside the housing, and the product size of the inverter 1, including the Hall sensor 9, can be reduced. Furthermore, in this disclosure, the output busbar 6W is bent by the bent portion 62W, thereby shortening its length in the shorter direction (Y-axis direction).

[0038] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the output busbar 6W has a stepped shape. Specifically, the connection point between the bent portion 62W and the connecting portion 64W of the output busbar 6W is crank-shaped, resulting in a stepped shape with the bent portion 62W being the upper step and the connecting portion 64W being the lower step. In this way, the stepped shape of the output busbar 6W allows the pattern connection portion 63W to contact the conductive pattern 72 of the power board 7, while bringing the notch portion 65W closer to the Hall sensor 9 of the capacitor board 4. In other words, the Hall sensor 9 can accurately detect current at the position of the notch portion 65W.

[0039] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, bends and notches are provided in the output busbars 6W and 6U, which are located at both ends of the three output busbars 6W, 6V, and 6U. In other words, the output busbar 6V, which does not require a Hall sensor 9, does not have a bend or notch. This prevents the output busbar 6V, which does not require a Hall sensor 9, from becoming excessively long due to the bend, and also avoids the need to make the output busbar 6V unnecessarily thin due to the notch, thus avoiding an increase in the component cost of the output busbar 6V.

[0040] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the output busbars 6W and 6U located at both ends of the three output busbars 6W, 6V, and 6U have bent sections that curve toward the output busbar 6V located in the center, thereby minimizing the spacing between the three output busbars 6W, 6V, and 6U. In other words, the spacing between the three output terminals 210W, 210V, and 210U can be minimized.

[0041] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the notch 65W has a shape in which it is cut out at different positions from both ends in the width direction of the output busbar 6W. Specifically, the notch 65W is cut out in such a way that the current flowing through the notch 65W is perpendicular to the current flowing through the bent portion 62W. In this disclosure, the notch portion of the notch 65W from the first longitudinal sidewall 20a side is located closer to the output busbar 6V than the notch portion from the second longitudinal sidewall 20b side. As a result, the current flowing through the notch 65W of the output busbar 6W flows from the first longitudinal sidewall 20a side to the second longitudinal sidewall 20b side. In other words, the magnetic field generated in the notch 65W is in the direction along the first longitudinal sidewall 20a. Furthermore, the first portion 51b of the power bus bar 5b, located near the notch 65W, extends in a direction along the first longitudinal side wall 20a. In other words, the first portion 51b is parallel to the direction from the bent portion 62W of the output bus bar 6W to the terminal connection portion 61W. Therefore, the current flowing through the first portion 51b of the power bus bar 5b flows in a direction along the first longitudinal side wall 20a. That is, the magnetic field generated in the first portion 51b is in a direction perpendicular to the first longitudinal side wall 20a.

[0042] In other words, the magnetic field generated at the notch 65W and the magnetic field generated at the first part 51b are perpendicular to each other. Therefore, when detecting the magnetic field generated at the notch 65W with the Hall sensor 9, the influence of the magnetic field generated at the first part 51b can be minimized. In other words, current detection by the Hall sensor 9 can be performed with high accuracy. Note that the current flowing through the notch 65W and the current flowing through the first part 51b do not need to be strictly perpendicular; an angle close to perpendicular is sufficient. That is, when detecting the magnetic field generated at the notch 65W with the Hall sensor 9, the closer the direction of the magnetic field is to perpendicular, the less it will be affected by the magnetic field generated at the first part 51b, but the accuracy necessary to operate the inverter 1 should be maintained.

[0043] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, since the Hall sensor 9 is mounted on the capacitor substrate 4, there is no need to prepare a dedicated substrate for mounting the Hall sensor 9, for example, thus enabling miniaturization while keeping costs down.

[0044] Next, we will explain output busbar 6V using Figure 4. As shown in Figure 4, output busbar 6V has a terminal connection section 61V, a pattern connection section 63V, and a connecting section 64V. In other words, output busbar 6V does not have bends or notches compared to output busbar 6W.

[0045] The terminal connection portion 61V is located at the tip of the output busbar 6V and is electrically connected to the inner terminal 210VI by being fixed to the inner terminal 210VI via a fastener (not shown). The pattern connection portion 63V is located at the end opposite to the terminal connection portion 61V and is electrically connected to the conductive pattern 72V by being fixed to the conductive pattern 72V via a fastener (not shown). The connecting portion 64V is the portion that connects the terminal connection portion 61V and the pattern connection portion 63V. The connecting portion 64V is positioned to pass between the power busbar 5b and the conductive pattern 72N, but is insulated from the power busbar 5b and the conductive pattern 72N by being positioned with a gap between them.

[0046] As described above, the Hall sensor 9 is provided on output busbars 6W and 6U, but not on output busbar 6V. Therefore, output busbar 6V does not perform current detection by the Hall sensor 9, and thus there is no need to provide a notch there.

[0047] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the output busbars 6W and 6U at both ends bend towards the central output busbar 6V, narrowing the spacing between the three output terminals 210W, 210V, and 210U. Therefore, if the objective is to minimize the spacing between the three output terminals 210W, 210V, and 210U, there is no need to bend the central output busbar 6V. On the other hand, if the product requirements for inverter 1 necessitate positioning the central output terminal 210V closer to either of the output terminals 210W or 210U at both ends, then the output busbar 6V has a bend and bends to move closer to either of the output terminals 210W or 210U at both ends.

[0048] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4, the output busbar 6V has a stepped shape. Specifically, the connection point between the terminal connection part 61V and the connecting part 64V ​​of the output busbar 6V is crank-shaped, so the terminal connection part 61V is on the upper level and the connecting part 64V ​​is on the lower level. In this way, the stepped shape of the output busbar 6V allows the pattern connection part 63V to contact the conductive pattern 72 of the power board 7, while aligning the upper positions of the output busbars 6W and 6U at both ends. Also, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the stepped shape of the three output busbars 6W, 6V, and 6U allows the length in the shorter direction (Y-axis direction) to be shortened.

[0049] As mentioned above, the Hall sensor 9 and the notch 65W must be precisely assembled due to the need for accurate current detection. For this reason, a positioning section may be provided to accurately align the Hall sensor 9 and the notch 65W. This point will be explained using Figures 5 and 6.

[0050] Figures 5 and 6 illustrate the positioning sections of the output busbar 6W and the capacitor board 4. While Figures 5 and 6 show the positioning section (protrusion 600) on the output busbar 6W as an example, a similar positioning section is also provided on the output busbar 6U.

[0051] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the positioning portion is composed of a protrusion 600 provided on the output busbar 6W and a recess 400 provided on the capacitor substrate 4. Specifically, the protrusion 600 is provided on the bent portion 62W of the output busbar 6W, which is the contact point with the capacitor substrate 4. The recess 400 is provided on the back surface of the mounting surface of the capacitor 41 on the capacitor substrate 4, at a position that overlaps with the protrusion 600.

[0052] During assembly, when placing the capacitor board 4 onto the output busbar 6W, the recess 400 is fitted into the protrusion 600 as shown in Figure 6. This allows for precise positioning of the capacitor board 4 and the output busbar 6W, thereby enabling the accurate placement of the notch 65W and the Hall sensor 9.

[0053] Next, a second embodiment will be described using Figures 7 and 8. Figure 7 is a top view of the inverter 1 according to the second embodiment. Figure 8 is an end view of the inverter 1 according to the second embodiment. Note that in Figure 7, the control board 3 located at the top layer is omitted for the sake of explanation, and in Figure 8, the housing 2 is omitted.

[0054] As shown in Figures 7 and 8, in the second embodiment, the capacitor board 4 and the power board 7 are arranged on the same plane. Specifically, the capacitor board 4 is positioned on the second longitudinal side wall 20b side relative to the power board 7 in the short direction (Y-axis direction). The heat sink 8 is located in the bottom layer, opposite to the topmost control board 3, and the capacitor board 4 and power board 7 are stacked on top of it.

[0055] In the second embodiment, the input terminals 220P and 220N are located on the second longitudinal side wall portion 20b. In other words, the input terminals 220P and 220N are located on the side wall portion opposite to the output terminals 210W, 210V, and 210U.

[0056] The power busbars 5 (5a1, 5b1, 5a2, 5b2) and output busbars 6W, 6V, 6U are arranged in a line along the longitudinal direction. Specifically, the two power busbars 5a1 and 5b1, which are directly connected to the input terminals 220P and 220N, are located at both ends along the longitudinal direction and are electrically connected to the capacitor board 4 and the power board 7, respectively. In addition, two power busbars 5a2 and 5b2, which are not directly connected to the input terminals 220P and 220N, are provided between the two power busbars 5a1 and 5b1. Power busbar 5a2 is connected to power busbar 5a1 via wiring not shown, and power busbar 5b2 is connected to power busbar 5b1 via wiring not shown.

[0057] The three output busbars 6W, 6V, and 6U, connected to output terminals 210W, 210V, and 210U, are positioned longitudinally between power busbars 5a1, 5b1, 5a2, and 5b2. Specifically, output busbar 6W is positioned between power busbars 5a1 and 5b2. Output busbar 6V is positioned between power busbars 5a2 and 5b2. Output busbar 6V is positioned between power busbars 5a2 and 5b1.

[0058] As shown in Figure 8, the power busbars 5a1, 5b1, 5a2, 5b2 and the output busbars 6W, 6V, 6U are configured to support the control board 3 in the upper section of the stepped shape. Specifically, the power busbar 5a1 has the part connected to the input terminal 220P located in the upper section, and the part that contacts the capacitor board 4 and the power board 7 located in the lower section. The power busbar 5a1 is then screwed together with the control board 3 by screws 500 while supporting the control board 3 in the upper section. Although not shown in Figure 8, the power busbar 5b1 is similarly screwed in while supporting the control board 3.

[0059] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8, the output busbar 6W extends to a position where the bent portion 62W located in the upper section contacts the control board 3. The output busbar 6W is then screwed together with the control board 3 by screws 510 while supporting the control board 3 in the upper section. Although not shown in Figure 8, the output busbars 6V and 6U are similarly screwed together while supporting the control board 3. In other words, the output busbars 6W, 6V, and 6U are positioned so that their upper sections support the control board 3, which is located at the top layer, and the upper sections are fastened to the control board 3 by screws 510, which are fasteners.

[0060] In other words, the control board 3 is supported at one end on the second longitudinal side wall portion 20b by power bus bars 5a1 and 5b1, and at the other end on the first longitudinal side wall portion 20a by output bus bars 6W, 6V, and 6U.

[0061] As a result, there is no need to thicken the side walls 20a, 20b, 21a, and 21b of the housing 2 to provide a support for the control board 3, thus the housing 2 can be made thinner and the inverter 1 can be miniaturized.

[0062] As described above, the inverter 1 according to this embodiment includes three output terminals 210W, 210V, and 210U, three output busbars 6W, 6V, and 6U, and a Hall sensor 9. The three output terminals 210W, 210V, and 210U are connected to each phase of a three-phase motor and are arranged in a row. The three output busbars 6W, 6V, and 6U each have a connection portion (terminal connection portion 61W, etc.) connected to the three output terminals 210W, 210V, and 210U. The Hall sensor 9 detects the current flowing through the output busbars. At least two of the three output busbars 6W, 6V, and 6U have a bent portion (bent portion 62W, etc.) that is bent in the direction of the arrangement of the three output terminals 210W, 210V, and 210U, and a notch (notch portion 65W, etc.) that is cut out to narrow the width of the bent portion. The Hall sensor 9 is positioned at the location of the notches provided in at least two output busbars.

[0063] According to this disclosure, by positioning the Hall sensor 9 at the location of a notch provided in the output busbar 6 which serves as an electrode, the current can be concentrated in the part of the output busbar 6 that is narrowed by the notch, making it possible for the Hall sensor 9 to detect the current at the notch. Furthermore, in this disclosure, the notch is provided between the bent portion and the connection portion, that is, inside the housing 2. Therefore, in this disclosure, there is no need to secure space to place the Hall sensor 9 outside the housing 2, and thus the size of the product including the Hall sensor 9 can be reduced.

[0064] Further effects and modifications can be readily derived by those skilled in the art. Therefore, broader aspects of the present invention are not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments expressed and described above. Accordingly, various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit or scope of the overall concept of the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0065] 1 Inverter 2 cabinets 3. Control board 4 Capacitor board 5 Power busbars 6 Output Busbars 7 Power board 8 Heatsink 9 Hall sensors 20 Longitudinal side wall section 21 Short side wall section 41 Capacitors 71 Switching elements 72 Conductive Patterns 200 connectors 210 Output terminals 220 input terminals 400 recess 600 protrusion

Claims

1. It is connected to each phase of a three-phase motor and has three output terminals arranged in a row, Three output busbars, each having a connection portion connected to the three output terminals, Multiple Hall sensors for detecting the current flowing through the output busbar, Equipped with, Of the three output busbars, at least two of the output busbars are: It has a bent portion that is bent in the direction of the arrangement of the three output terminals, and a notch that is cut out to narrow the width of the bent portion. The aforementioned multiple Hall sensors are The notches provided in at least two of the output busbars are respectively positioned at the locations of the notches. Inverter.

2. The bent portion and the notched portion are Provided on each of the two output busbars located at both ends of the three output busbars The inverter according to claim 1.

3. The bent portions of each of the two output busbars located at both ends are It has a shape that is curved toward the output busbar located in the center. The inverter according to claim 2.

4. A power busbar connected to an external power supply, further comprising a power busbar having a portion parallel to the direction from the bent portion of the output busbar toward the connection portion, The aforementioned notch is The notch is shaped such that the current flowing through the notch is perpendicular to the current flowing through the bent portion. The inverter according to claim 1.

5. The output terminal is configured such that an internal terminal provided inside the housing and an external terminal provided outside the housing are electrically connected. The aforementioned connection part is Electrically connected to the inner terminal at a position that overlaps with the inner terminal in a plan view. The inverter according to claim 1.

6. The at least two of the output busbars are, At least the portion from the notch to the connecting portion is a stepped shape, The aforementioned multiple Hall sensors are On the substrate stacked in the upper layer, they are arranged in positions that overlap with the notches in a plan view. The inverter according to claim 1.

7. The aforementioned substrate is This is a capacitor board on which smoothing capacitors are mounted. The inverter according to claim 6.

8. The heatsink is located at the bottom layer, A power board stacked on the heat sink, Furthermore, The aforementioned substrate is This is the control board located on the top layer. The at least two of the output busbars are, The upper section is positioned to support the control board, and the upper section and the control board are fastened together by fasteners. The inverter according to claim 6.

9. The aforementioned output busbar is A protrusion is provided on the contact surface with the substrate in the upper section. The aforementioned substrate is A recess is provided on the contact surface with the upper section that fits into the protrusion. The inverter according to claim 6.

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