Manufacturing method of drive device, and drive device

Abstract

To provide a method for manufacturing a driving unit that prevents, during manufacture of the driving unit including two or more substrates, deflection of an end substrate due to assembly load of connector terminals.SOLUTION: A plurality of connector terminals 45 are connected with an end substrate 33 at one end, and exposed to frontages of connectors 57, 58 at the other end. In a first step, a general substrate assembly 310 is assembled to a motor frame 840. In a second step, an end substrate assembly 330 is assembled to the general substrate assembly 310. In a third step, the end substrate assembly 330 and the general substrate assembly 310 are covered by a connector housing 65, while the other ends of the connector terminals 45 of the end substrate assembly 330 are exposed to the frontages of the corresponding connectors, and an outer cylinder part 562 is fixed to a motor 80. The load generated in exposing the other ends of the connector terminals 45 to the frontages of the corresponding connectors in the third step is configured to be lower than the load generated in the first step and the second step.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a drive device, and to a drive device. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a drive device in which a motor and a control unit are integrally provided is known.

[0003] For example, in the drive device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the connector provided on the cover member has connector terminals for power supply and signals extending in the axial direction. The connector terminals are press-fit terminals capable of elastic deformation, and are press-fitted into conductive connection parts provided on the substrate. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6443055 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the drive device of Patent Document 1, when the cover member is brought close to the frame member and assembled, the connection points between the connector terminals and the board are not visible, which is a so-called "blind connection," but assembly is easy with a press-fit connection. However, Patent Document 1 only discloses a configuration in which there is only one board and the connector terminals are directly connected to the board.

[0006] In contrast, there is a configuration in which two or more boards are arranged in a hierarchical structure within the control unit. Hereinafter, in this specification, the board among the two or more boards arranged closest to the connector is referred to as the "end board", and the one or more boards other than the end board are referred to as the "general board". For example, in a drive device having two boards, an inverter circuit that energizes the motor windings is mounted on the general board. Components such as a filter circuit and a communication driver are mounted on the end board. The general board and the end board are connected by board-to-board terminals or board-to-board connectors or other board-to-board connecting components.

[0007] If the conventional technology of Patent Document 1 is applied to a drive device having a two-board configuration, the assembly process is assumed to be as follows. <1> The general board assembly is attached to a frame member. Here, a general board assembly is defined as a general board to which one end of a board-to-board terminal or a part of a board-to-board connection component is connected. <2> The end board is attached to the general board assembly. <3> The cover member on which the connector terminals are insert-molded is brought close to the end board, and the end of the connector terminal is press-fitted into the end board. <3> is a blind connection.

[0008] In the single-substrate configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1, the substrate to which the connector terminal is press-fitted is directly supported by a frame member, and the frame member can bear the press-fit load. On the other hand, in the two-substrate configuration, there is no support directly below the end substrate, so the process <3> The end substrate may bend due to the press-fit load at the substrate. Furthermore, in a configuration with three or more substrates, the same problem occurs with the general substrates other than the bottom substrate. Therefore, the conventional technology of Patent Document 1 cannot be directly applied to a drive device with two or more substrates.

[0009] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has an object to provide a method for manufacturing a drive device that prevents bending of an end board due to an assembly load of a connector terminal when manufacturing a drive device having two or more boards. Another object of the present invention is to provide a drive device having an effective configuration for carrying out the manufacturing method for the drive device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The target of the manufacturing method of the drive device according to the present invention is a drive device in which a motor (80) including a stator (860) and a rotor (865) and a control unit (10) that is provided on one axial side of the motor and drives and controls the motor are integrally configured. This drive device includes a metal motor frame (850), two or more boards, a resin connector housing (50), a plurality of inter-board terminals (43) or inter-board connection parts (71, 72), a plurality of connector terminals (45), and one or more resin connector terminal binders (65).

[0011] The motor frame is provided at the end of the motor on the control unit side in the axial direction. The two or more boards are provided in layers on the opposite side of the motor frame from the motor, and include an end board (33) provided on the side furthest from the motor frame, and one or more general boards (31) other than the end board. The two or more boards have electronic components mounted thereon that constitute the control unit.

[0012] The connector housing is a cylindrical member with a bottom, and has a top plate portion (561) facing the end board, and an outer tube portion (562) extending from the outer edge of the top plate portion toward the motor and having an end fixed to the motor or the motor frame. The connector housing has one or more connectors (57, 58) on the top plate portion, with their openings facing away from the end board.

[0013] The multiple inter-board terminals or inter-board connection components are connected between the general board and the end board, and between the general boards when there are two or more general boards. Two or more connector terminals are provided for one connector, one end of which is connected to the end board and the other end of which is exposed to the frontage of the connector.

[0014] The connector terminal binder holds intermediate portions of a plurality of connector terminals so as to bundle a group of connector terminals corresponding to each connector, or to bundle a plurality of groups of connector terminals corresponding to adjacent connectors.

[0015] A common board assembly (310) is defined as an assembly in which one ends of multiple inter-board terminals or parts of inter-board connection components are connected to a common board. An end board assembly (330) is defined as an assembly in which one ends of multiple connector terminals bound by a connector terminal binder are connected to an end board, or further, parts of inter-board connection components are connected to an end board.

[0016] The manufacturing method of the drive unit according to the present invention includes steps 1, 2, and 3. In step 1, the bottommost general board assembly closest to the motor frame is assembled to the motor frame, and if there are two or more general boards, the next-level general board assembly is assembled to the last-assembled general board assembly, and the assembly is continued until the topmost general board assembly is arranged directly below the end board.

[0017] After the first step, in the second step, an end board assembly is attached to the uppermost general board assembly.

[0018] After the second step, in the third step, a connector housing is placed over the end board assembly and the general board assembly while exposing the other end of the connector terminal of the end board assembly to the opening of the corresponding connector, and the outer cylinder portion is fixed to the motor or motor frame.

[0019] The load generated when the other end of the connector terminal is exposed to the frontage of the corresponding connector in the third step is configured to be lower than the loads generated in the first and second steps.

[0020] In the present invention, the connector terminals are bound with a connector terminal binder and connected to the end board in the sub-assembly process. In the third process, which is a blind connection process, the load generated when the other end of the connector terminal is exposed to the frontage of the corresponding connector is configured to be the lowest among all the assembly processes, thereby preventing the end board from warping.

[0021] In the drive device according to the first aspect of the present invention to which the above manufacturing method is applied, a bottom hole (55) is opened at the bottom of the frontage of the connector. The connector terminal binder is provided so as to cover the bottom hole of the corresponding connector from the end board side. Alternatively, the connector terminal binder is fitted into the bottom hole of the corresponding connector.

[0022] In the drive device according to the second aspect of the present invention to which the above manufacturing method is applied, each connector terminal is exposed at the opening of the connector by passing through a terminal insertion hole (54) formed at the bottom of the opening of the connector. At least one of the connector terminal and the terminal insertion hole is elastically deformed, so that each connector terminal fits into the corresponding terminal insertion hole.

[0023] The configurations of the first and second aspects described above can reduce the load generated when the other end of the connector terminal is exposed to the frontage of the corresponding connector, which makes it easier to perform the assembly work in the third step, which is a blind connection, and stabilizes the manufacturing quality. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an electric power steering device to which a drive device is applied; [Diagram 2] FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a motor unit of the drive device. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a view taken in the direction of arrow III in FIG. 2 . [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a control unit according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] 1A and 1B are enlarged cross-sectional views showing examples of connection configurations between a terminal and a board by (a) soldering and (b) press-fit connection. [Figure 6] (a) Plan view of connector terminal binder, (b) end board. [Figure 7] FIG. 2A is a plan view of an inter-board terminal binder according to an embodiment, and FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a plan view of an inter-board terminal binder according to another embodiment. [Figure 9] 9 is a development view of the board-to-board terminal binder of FIG. 7( a ) and FIG. 8 , seen in the direction of the arrow IX. [Figure 10] 3 is an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of the connector bottom (the connection portion between the connector terminal binder and the connector bottom hole) according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 11] 5A to 5C are schematic cross-sectional views illustrating a method of assembling the control unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 12] 5 is a flowchart showing a method for assembling the control unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a problem with the control unit assembly method of Comparative Example 1. [Figure 14] 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a problem with the control unit assembly method of Comparative Example 2. FIG. [Figure 15] 1A is a plan view of a connector terminal binder, FIG. 1B is a side view of a terminal, and FIG. 1C is an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of a bottom portion of a connector, illustrating a first embodiment of a manufacturing method using a hook jig. [Figure 16] 13A is a plan view of a connector terminal binder, and FIG. 13B is an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of a bottom portion of a connector, illustrating a manufacturing method using a hook jig according to a second embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 11 is an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of a bottom portion of a connector according to a second embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 11 is an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of a bottom portion of a connector according to a third embodiment. [Figure 19] 13A is an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of a connector bottom according to a fourth embodiment, and FIG. 13B is an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of a connector bottom according to a modified example of the fourth embodiment. [Figure 20] FIG. 13 is an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of a bottom portion of a connector according to a fifth embodiment. [Figure 21] FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a control unit according to a sixth embodiment. [Figure 22] 1A and 1B are plan views of connector terminal binders with a two-group connection specification and a four-group connection specification, respectively, for bundling multiple groups of connector terminals corresponding to multiple connectors. [Figure 23] FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a control unit according to a seventh embodiment. [Figure 24] FIG. 23 is an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of a connector bottom according to Example 1 of the seventh embodiment. [Diagram 25] FIG. 23 is an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of a connector bottom according to Example 2 of the seventh embodiment. [Figure 26] FIG. 23 is an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of a connector bottom according to Example 3 of the seventh embodiment. [Figure 27] 13A and 13B are schematic cross-sectional views of a control unit according to an eighth embodiment, in which (a) a board-to-board connector and (b) a socket connector are used as inter-board connection components. [Figure 28] FIG. 13 is a plan view of a general board showing mounting positions of board-to-board connection components according to an eighth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] Hereinafter, a method for manufacturing a drive device according to the present invention and a number of embodiments of the drive device will be described with reference to the drawings. In the various embodiments, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted. The first to eighth embodiments will be collectively referred to as "the present embodiment." The drive device of the present embodiment is applied, for example, as a steering assist motor for an electric power steering device, and the motor and a control unit that drives and controls the motor are integrally configured.

[0026] [Electric power steering device configuration] A schematic configuration of an electric power steering device 99 will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Although a rack-assist type electric power steering device is illustrated in Fig. 1, a drive unit 800 of this embodiment is similarly applicable to a column-assist type electric power steering device. A steering system 90 including the electric power steering device 99 includes a steering wheel 91, a steering shaft 92, a pinion gear 96, a rack shaft 97, wheels 98, the electric power steering device 99, and the like.

[0027] A torque sensor 93 that detects steering torque is provided on a steering shaft 92 to which a steering wheel 91 is connected. A pinion gear 96 that meshes with a rack shaft 97 is provided at the end of the steering shaft 92. When the driver turns the steering wheel 91, the rotational motion of the steering shaft 92 is converted into linear motion of the rack shaft 97 by the pinion gear 96. A pair of wheels 98 connected to both ends of the rack shaft 97 are steered to an angle that corresponds to the amount of displacement of the rack shaft 97.

[0028] The electric power steering device 99 includes a drive device 800 in which a motor 80 and a control unit 10 are integrated, and a reduction gear 89 that reduces the speed of rotation of the motor 80 and transmits it to a rack shaft 97. The motor 80 is a two-system three-phase brushless motor having two sets of three-phase windings. The control unit 10 has at least a "two drive systems" configuration capable of supplying power to the two sets of three-phase windings by two inverter circuits. The motor 80 outputs steering assist torque by being supplied with three-phase AC power converted from DC power by the inverter circuit of the control unit 10.

[0029] The vehicle system connector 57 of the control unit 10 is supplied with DC power from a vehicle power supply 905, and also inputs and outputs communication signals to and from a vehicle communication network ("CAN" in the figure) 906. A sensor signal detected by a torque sensor 93 is input to the signal system connector 58 via a harness 94. In this way, the vehicle system connector 57 and the signal system connector 58 are configured as connectors with different openings.

[0030] [Drive system configuration] The overall configuration of the drive device 800 will be described with reference to Figures 2 and 3. The direction parallel to the rotation axis O of the motor 80 shown in Figure 2 is referred to as the "axial direction", and the view from the upper side of Figure 2 in the axial direction is referred to as the plan view. The control unit 10 is provided on one side of the motor 80 in the axial direction. In other words, the drive device 800 has a so-called "mechanically and electrically integrated" configuration.

[0031] The motor 80 has a motor case 830, a motor frame 840, a stator 860, a rotor 865, etc. The motor case 830 is formed in a generally bottomed cylindrical shape consisting of a bottom portion 831 and a cylindrical portion 832, and the control unit 10 is provided on the opening side. A groove forming wall 834 having a thin plate thickness is formed on the opening side end of the cylindrical portion 832 via a stepped portion 833.

[0032] The stator 860 is fixed to the inside of the cylindrical portion 832 of the motor case 830, and a three-phase motor winding 880 is wound around the stator 860. A rotating magnetic field is formed in the stator 860 by controlling the supply of electricity to the motor winding 880 by the control unit 10. The rotor 865 is provided inside the stator 50, and a shaft 870 is fixed to the center. The shaft 870 is rotatably supported by a front bearing 871 held by the bottom 831 of the motor case 830, and a rear bearing 872 held by the motor frame 840.

[0033] Rotor 865 has a plurality of permanent magnets 867 provided on the outer periphery of rotor core 866. Rotor 865 rotates about shaft 870 due to a rotating magnetic field formed in stator 860. A sensor magnet 875 for detecting the rotation angle is provided on the end of shaft 870 on the control unit 10 side.

[0034] Motor frame 840 is made of aluminum alloy or the like, and has frame portion 841, flange portion 842, heat sink 845, etc. Frame portion 841 is press-fitted into the inside of motor case 830. Flange portion 842 formed on the outer periphery of frame portion 841 abuts against step portion 833 of motor case 830. A seal groove 843 filled with adhesive is formed in an annular space defined by the outer wall of frame portion 841, the surface of flange portion 842 facing control unit 10, and the inner wall of groove forming wall 834 of motor case 830.

[0035] The connector housing 50 is formed of a resin material such as PBT, and has a bottomed cylindrical shape having a top plate portion 561 and an outer cylinder portion 562. A ring-shaped protrusion 563 protruding in the axial direction is formed at the tip of the outer cylinder portion 562. The outer cylinder portion 562 is fixed to the motor 80 or the motor frame 840 by inserting the protrusion 563 into the seal groove 843. The top plate portion 561 is provided with connectors 57, 58 with their openings facing away from the motor 80.

[0036] Fig. 3 shows an example of an arrangement of connectors 57, 58. Although Fig. 3 is a view seen in the direction of arrow III in Fig. 2, it is not drawn to the same scale as Fig. 2, but to the same scale as Figs. 6(a), (b), and 7(a), (b), which are plan views of components inside control unit 10. In Fig. 3, the x-axis is defined as the horizontal direction, and the y-axis is defined as the vertical direction. The x-axis and y-axis are referred to in the illustration of inter-board terminal binder 63 and connector terminal binder 65.

[0037] The vehicle connector 57 and the signal connector 58 may be provided in two sets for redundancy as shown in FIG. 3, or in other arrangements, one set may be provided. The configuration in which two sets of connectors 57 and 58 are provided is mainly adopted in a "completely two-system" drive device in which two systems of inverter circuits are connected to separate power sources and various signals are input and output redundantly. On the other hand, in a "two-system" drive device in which two systems of inverter circuits are connected in parallel to a common power source and various signals are shared between the systems, one set of connectors is mainly provided. In this embodiment, matters for each system are not mentioned, so in FIG. 3, the connectors of the two systems are not distinguished from each other and are given the same reference numerals "57" and "58".

[0038] The vehicle connector 57 is provided with two power terminals 45p including a positive power terminal connected to the positive electrode of the vehicle power supply 905 and a ground terminal connected to the ground, and five communication terminals 45c, for example, connected to a vehicle communication network 906 such as CAN. The power terminal 45p, through which a large current flows, has a connection portion with the harness formed in a rectangular column shape. The signal connector 58 is provided with six sensor terminals 45s, for example, connected to a harness 94 from the torque sensor 93. The symbols "45p", "45c", and "45c" indicating the type of connector terminal 45 are used only in FIG. 3. In FIG. 4 and subsequent figures, the terminals are uniformly referred to as "connector terminals 45" without distinction of use.

[0039] Two or more boards on which electronic components constituting the control unit 10 are mounted are housed inside the connector housing 50. The two or more boards are provided in layers on the opposite side of the motor 80 (upper side in FIG. 2) to the motor frame 840. This embodiment provides a suitable assembly method for assembling the two or more boards in order, and a preferred configuration of a control unit suited to that assembly method.

[0040] Next, the configuration of the control unit of each embodiment will be described in order. The reference numerals of the control units of the first to seventh embodiments are designated by the third digit following "10" which indicates the embodiment. The configuration of the connector housing is largely different between the first to sixth embodiments and the seventh embodiment. The connector housings of the first to sixth embodiments are designated by the common reference numeral "50" although there are some minor differences in shape. The connector housing of the seventh embodiment is designated by the unique reference numeral "507". The first to eighth embodiments are provided with two boards. Configurations provided with three or more boards will be referred to as other embodiments.

[0041] (First embodiment) The configuration of the control unit 101 of the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 4 to 10. Fig. 4 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the whole, and Figs. 5(a) and 5(b) show enlarged cross-sectional views of the connection between the terminal 45 and the substrate 33. Figs. 6(a), 6(b), 7(a) and 7(b) show plan views of the connector terminal binder 65, the end substrate 33, the inter-substrate terminal binder 63 and the general substrate 31, respectively. Fig. 8 shows a plan view of the inter-substrate terminal binder 63 of another embodiment, and Fig. 9 shows a development view of the inter-substrate terminal binder 63. Fig. 10 shows an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of the bottom of the connector.

[0042] As shown in Fig. 4, two boards, a general board 31 and an end board 33, are provided in this order from the motor frame 840 side. In this specification, the names are distinguished solely by the arrangement of the boards, regardless of the functions of the electronic components mounted on the boards. The board provided on the side furthest from the motor frame 840, i.e., the board closest to connectors 57 and 58, is referred to as the "end board," and one or more boards other than the end board are referred to as the "general board."

[0043] In the first to eighth embodiments including two boards, one general board 31 and one end board 33 are provided. For example, an inverter circuit that energizes the motor windings 42 is mounted on the general board 31. Components such as a filter circuit and a communication driver are mounted on the end board 33.

[0044] 7(b), the general board 31 is formed with a screw hole 341 and a motor terminal hole 342. The general board 31 is fixed to a motor frame 840 with a screw 41, and a motor terminal 42 which is connected to a motor winding 880 is connected thereto.

[0045] As shown in Fig. 6(b) and Fig. 7(b), inter-board terminal holes 343 are formed in general board 31 and end board 33 at positions along the outer periphery. A plurality of inter-board terminals 43 are connected between general board 31 and end board 33. Fig. 4 shows only three inter-board terminals 43 on each side out of the many inter-board terminals 43. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 6(b), connector terminal holes 345 corresponding to four connectors 57, 58 are formed in end board 33 toward the center.

[0046] That is, in projection of motor 80 in the axial direction, the multiple inter-board terminals 43 are arranged in a region radially outward from the multiple connector terminals 45. Since connectors 57, 58 are provided near the center of top plate portion 561 of connector housing 50, the multiple connector terminals 45 are inevitably arranged in the central region. Therefore, by arranging the multiple inter-board terminals 43 in the radially outer region, the mounting space for boards 31, 33 can be used effectively.

[0047] Two or more connector terminals 45 are provided for each connector, with one end connected to the end board 33 and the other end exposed at the frontage of the connectors 57, 58. In Fig. 4, five connector terminals 45 are shown for the vehicle system connector 57 and two for the signal system connector 58, following the cross-sectional line of Fig. 3. However, in this embodiment, it is significant that there are two or more connector terminals 45 corresponding to each of the connectors 57, 58, and attention is not focused on the type or number of the connector terminals 45. A plurality of connector terminals 45 corresponding to each of the connectors 57, 58 is referred to as a "group of connector terminals."

[0048] 5(a) and (b) show an example of the electrical connection between a terminal and a board, taking the connection between a connector terminal 45 and an end board 33 as an example. The same applies to the connection between one end of the inter-board terminal 43 and the general board 31, and the other end of the inter-board terminal 43 and the end board 33. In the following specification, when it is self-evident that the meaning of "connection between a terminal and a board" is electrical connection, the word "electrical" will be omitted as appropriate. A connection portion 38 such as a via hole is provided in the terminal hole 345 of the board 33. The connection portion 38 is electrically connected to the connection portion of an electronic component or another terminal via a conductive pattern, a bus bar, or the like (not shown).

[0049] 5(a), the terminal 45 and the connection portion 38 of the substrate 33 may be soldered by solder WD. As shown in FIG. 5(b), a press-fit connection may be made by pressing a press-fit portion 48 formed at the end of the terminal 45 so as to be elastically deformable into a terminal hole 345.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 6(a), the resin connector terminal binder 65 holds the middle parts of the connector terminals 45 so as to bundle a group of connector terminals 45 corresponding to each connector 57, 58. A thickness recess 649 may be provided in the excess thickness part. The connector terminal binder 65 bundles the connector terminals 45, thereby ensuring the relative positional accuracy of the connector terminals 45. The connector terminal binder 65 of the first embodiment is composed of four split connector terminal binders 65q1-65q4 corresponding to the two vehicle system connectors 57 and the signal system connector 58, respectively. In the following description referring to the schematic cross-sectional view, the connector terminal binder is simply indicated by the reference numeral "56". The location where the connector terminal binder 65 of the first embodiment is arranged will be described later with reference to FIG. 10.

[0051] As shown in Figs. 7(a) and 8, a resin inter-board terminal binder 63 holds the intermediate portions of the inter-board terminals 43 so as to bundle the adjacent inter-board terminals 43. The inter-board terminal binder 63 bundles the inter-board terminals 43, thereby ensuring the relative positional accuracy of the inter-board terminals 43. Here, the inter-board terminals 43 adjacent to each other within a specific range are defined as a "group of inter-board terminals." For example, in Figs. 6(b) and 7(b), the inter-board terminals 43 arranged along the left periphery of the end board 33 and the general board 31 constitute a "certain group of inter-board terminals." The inter-board terminals 43 arranged along the right periphery of the end board 33 and the general board 31 constitute another group of inter-board terminals.

[0052] An inter-board terminal binder 63R according to one embodiment shown in Fig. 7(a) is formed as an annular integral part, and bundles two groups of inter-board terminals 43. Inter-board terminal binders 63A and 63B according to another embodiment shown in Fig. 8 are formed by dividing them into two parts in the circumferential direction, and each of them bundles one group of inter-board terminals 43. In Fig. 9, the reference numerals of the inter-board terminal binders 63R, 63A, and 63B according to each embodiment are collectively indicated as "63". As shown in Fig. 9, the inter-board terminal binder 63 has, for example, a pin header type configuration.

[0053] 4, the resin connector housing 50 has a bottomed cylindrical shape in which an outer tube portion 562 extends from the outer edge of a top plate portion 561 facing the end board 33 toward the motor 80. A protrusion 563 formed at the tip of the outer tube portion 562 is inserted into an annular seal groove 843 filled with adhesive. When the connector housing 50 is assembled, a load receiving portion 564 provided at the end of the outer tube portion 562 abuts against a frame outer edge portion 844 of the motor frame 840.

[0054] As described above with reference to Fig. 3, the top plate portion 561 is provided with the connectors 57, 58 whose frontage faces the opposite side to the end substrate 33. At the bottom of the frontage of each of the connectors 57, 58, a bottom hole 55 is opened, through which a group of connector terminals 45 bound by a connector terminal binder 65 can be inserted. The inner wall of the top plate portion 561 around the bottom hole 55 is thinner than the surrounding area. This area is referred to as an underzone 551.

[0055] 10 shows an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of the connection between the connector terminal binder 65 and the bottom hole 55 of the connector 57, using the connector 57 as a representative example. A similar configuration is adopted for the bottom of the connector 58. In the first embodiment, the connector terminal binder 65 is disposed to face the underzone 551, and is provided to cover the bottom hole 55 of the corresponding connector 57 from the end substrate 33 side. Here, the connector terminal binder 65 and the underzone 551 do not come into contact with each other, and a gap may be provided. When the harness is inserted into the connectors 57, 58, there is no risk of water or foreign matter entering.

[0056] Next, a method for manufacturing the drive unit according to the first embodiment, specifically, a method for assembling the control unit having a two-board structure, will be described with reference to Figures 11 and 12. In the flowchart in Figure 12, the symbol "S" indicates a step. This assembly method includes a sub-assembly process carried out in advance on a separate line, and a first process, a second process, and a third process carried out on this line. In the following description, the "worker" who is the subject of the assembly work is not limited to a human being, but also includes a robot.

[0057] Here, the assembly flow of control unit 101 having a two-board configuration in which general board 31 and end board 33 are connected by a plurality of inter-board terminals 43 will be basically described. Changes to this basic flow in a configuration in which inter-board connection components are used instead of inter-board terminals 43 will be described later as an eighth embodiment. Changes in a configuration with three or more boards will be described later as other embodiments.

[0058] In sub-assembly process S0A, one ends of the multiple inter-board terminals 43 are connected to general board 31. The semi-finished product in this state is defined as "general board assembly 310." In sub-assembly process S0B, one ends of the multiple connector terminals 45 bundled with connector terminal binder 65 are connected to end board 33. The semi-finished product in this state is defined as "end board assembly 330."

[0059] In the control unit 101 having a two-board configuration, one general board assembly 310 and one end board assembly 330 are prepared. One general board assembly 310 is the "lowest general board assembly closest to the motor frame 840" and also the "uppermost general board assembly arranged directly below the end board 33."

[0060] In a first step S1, an operator assembles the general board assembly 310 to the motor frame 840. At this time, the motor terminal 42 is inserted into the motor terminal hole 342 of the general board 31 to be electrically connected. The general board assembly 310 is fixed to the motor frame 840 with the screw 41.

[0061] After the first step S1, in the second step S2, the worker assembles the end board assembly 330 to the general board assembly 310. At this time, the other ends of the multiple inter-board terminals 43 are inserted into the inter-board terminal holes 343 of the end board 33 to be electrically connected. The first step S1 and the second step S2 can be performed using a jig or the like while visually checking the connection points in an open space.

[0062] After the second step S2, in a third step S3, the worker covers the end board assembly 330 and the general board assembly 310 with the connector housing 50 while exposing the other ends of the connector terminals 45 of the end board assembly 330 to the openings of the corresponding connectors 57, 58. Then, the convex portion 563 of the connector housing 50 is inserted into the seal groove 843 filled with adhesive, and the outer cylinder portion 562 is fixed to the motor frame 840. Note that since the motor frame 840 is fixed to the motor 80, it may be expressed that the outer cylinder portion 562 is fixed to the motor 80. The third step S3 results in a blind connection in which the connection point is shielded by the connector housing 50.

[0063] In the first embodiment, a group of connector terminals 45 corresponding to each connector 57, 58 is bound by a connector terminal binder 65, and no press-fit load is generated for each terminal. Moreover, the connector terminal binder 65 is merely provided in a position facing the underzone 551 of the connector housing 50 so as to cover the bottom holes 55 of the connectors 57, 58 from the end substrate 33 side, and even a contact load is not generated.

[0064] In this manner, in the first embodiment, the load generated when the other end of the connector terminal 45 is exposed to the opening of the corresponding connector 57, 58 in the third step S3 is configured to be lower than the load generated in the first and second steps.

[0065] 13 and 14, the problems with the assembly method of the control unit in Comparative Examples 1 and 2, which are compared with the first embodiment, will be described. In describing the configurations of Comparative Examples 1 and 2, the terminology of the first embodiment will be used as appropriate. In contrast to general board assembly 310 according to the first embodiment, Comparative Examples 1 and 2 use general board assembly 319 in which one ends of a plurality of inter-board terminals 43 are connected separately to general board 31 and no inter-board terminal binder 63 is provided.

[0066] 13 shows the configuration of a control unit 191 of Comparative Example 1. First, a general board assembly 319 without an inter-board terminal binder 63 is assembled to a motor frame 840. An end board 33 to which a connector terminal 45 is connected is fixed to the inside of a connector housing 50 with screws 41 to form a connector housing assembly 591. In the final assembly process which is a blind connection, the other ends of the multiple inter-board terminals 43 of the general board assembly 319 are connected to the end board 33 of the connector housing assembly 591. Note that instead of the multiple inter-board terminals 43, an inter-board connection component as in the eighth embodiment may be used.

[0067] Here, as shown in Fig. 6(b) and other figures, there are a large number of inter-board terminals 43. Since the load during assembly is roughly proportional to the number of connection terminals, the greater the number of connection terminals, the higher the total load. Furthermore, since the positional accuracy of the mating portion of the end board 33 assembled to the resin connector housing 50 is low, even if a guide mechanism is provided, the assembly load is likely to be high. The same problem would arise even if a general board assembly 310 having an inter-board terminal binder 63 was used.

[0068] In the first embodiment, as opposed to the comparative example 1, in the final third step S3, which is a blind connection, the connector terminal binder 65 is simply opposed to the underzone 551 of the connector housing 50, so that the assembly load can be kept low. Even in a configuration in which each connector terminal 45 is inserted into the terminal insertion hole 54 as in the seventh embodiment described later, the number of connection terminals in the final assembly step is less than the inter-board terminals 43, so that the load can be reduced. Also, in the first embodiment, the general board assembly 310 and the end board assembly 330 are assembled in order to the metal motor frame 840, so that the positional accuracy in the final assembly step is improved. Therefore, no load is generated due to the correction of positional deviation.

[0069] 14 shows a control unit 192 in Comparative Example 2, which is an application of the conventional technology of Patent Document 1 (Patent Publication No. 6443055, corresponding US Publication: US10424991B2) to a two-board configuration. After a general board assembly 319 without an inter-board terminal binder 63 is assembled to a motor frame 840, a single end board 33 is assembled to the general board assembly 319.

[0070] Further, the multiple connector terminals 45 are insert- or outsert-molded into the connector housing 50 in the central region of the top plate portion 561 to form a connector housing assembly 592. No connector terminal binder 65 is provided. The end portion of the connector terminal 45 on the end substrate 33 side has a press-fit shape.

[0071] In the final assembly process in Comparative Example 2, which is a blind connection, connector terminals 45 of connector housing assembly 592 are press-fitted and connected to end board 33. At this time, a press-fit load is applied to the center of end board 33, which is not supported directly below, and this may cause end board 33 to bend. The same problem occurs even if general board assembly 310 having inter-board terminal binder 63 is used.

[0072] Furthermore, not only in the configuration of Comparative Example 2 in which the connector terminals 45 are insert- or outsert-molded into the connector housing 50, but also when the insertion load of the connector terminals 45 in the final assembly step is high, there is a risk of the end substrate 33 bending. For example, in the third step of the first embodiment, when the end substrate assembly 330 is fitted into the connector housing 50 by an interference fit, the load generated in the third step is higher than the loads generated in the first and second steps, and there is a risk of the end substrate 33 bending.

[0073] One approach is to mechanically strengthen the final assembly portion to prevent bending of the end board 33, but if a structure for increasing strength takes up space, the purpose of securing the mounting area by adopting a two-board configuration is lost. Therefore, it is necessary to achieve assembly with a low load without adding a structure.

[0074] Therefore, in the first embodiment, the load generated when the other end of the connector terminal 45 is exposed to the opening of the corresponding connector 57, 58 in the third step S3 is configured to be lower than the load generated in the first and second steps. Therefore, during the manufacture of a drive device having a two-board configuration, bending of the end substrate 33 due to the assembly load of the connector terminal 45 is prevented.

[0075] Next, a method for manufacturing a drive unit improved to efficiently perform the blind connection in the third step will be described with reference to Figures 15(a)-(c) and 16(a) and (b). In this manufacturing method, a worker uses a hook jig HK with a hook-shaped tip to hoist the end board assembly 330 toward the connector housing 50 while performing the assembly work. Two examples of the configuration of the hook engagement portion with which the hook jig HK engages will be shown.

[0076] 15(a) and 15(b), in the first embodiment, a hook hole 49 is formed as a "hook engagement portion" at the base of, for example, a power connector terminal 45 held in a connector terminal binder 65. Note that the hook hole 49 is formed at a position that does not affect the conduction of current, avoiding the portion that is fitted with the harness.

[0077] 15(c), in the third step, the hook jig HK is engaged with the hook hole 49 of the connector terminal 45 inside the bottom hole 55 of the connector 57. The worker performs the assembly work while hoisting the end board assembly 330 toward the connector housing 50 by the hook jig HK. This makes it possible to suppress the downward load applied to the end board 33 when the connector housing 50 is assembled.

[0078] In the second embodiment, as shown in Fig. 16(a), a through hole 691 is formed in the middle of the connector terminal binder 65, penetrating in the thickness direction. Also, an escape groove 692 capable of receiving the hook-shaped portion of the hook jig HK is formed in the lower surface of the connector terminal binder 65. The through hole 691 and the escape groove 692 constitute a "hook engagement portion." Note that a step portion or an inclined portion may be formed instead of the escape groove, and depending on the shape and size of the hook-shaped portion, an escape groove or the like may not be provided.

[0079] 16(b), in the third step, the hook jig HK engages with the through hole 691 and the escape groove 692 of the connector terminal binder 65 inside the bottom hole 55 of the connector 57. The worker performs the assembly work while hoisting the end board assembly 330 toward the connector housing 50 using the hook jig HK. This makes it possible to suppress the downward load applied to the end board 33 when the connector housing 50 is assembled.

[0080] Next, second to fifth embodiments showing other configurations for assembling the connector terminal binder 65 with the bottom holes 55 of the connectors 57, 58 will be described in order with reference to the bottom cross-sectional view of the connector 57 corresponding to Fig. 10. In any of these embodiments, the assembly load in the third step can be reduced.

[0081] Second embodiment 17, the control unit 102 has a connector terminal binder 65 fitted into a bottom hole 55 of a corresponding connector 57. Specifically, the connector terminal binder 65 and the inclined surface 652 and the inclined surface 552, which are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the connector terminal binder 65 and the inner peripheral surface of the bottom hole 55 and have the same gradient, are fitted together so as to abut against each other. With this configuration, the connector terminal binder 65 can be positioned in the bottom hole 55.

[0082] Third embodiment 18, the control unit 103 of the third embodiment is fitted to the bottom hole 55 of the corresponding connector 57 by elastically deforming the connector terminal binder 65, that is, by a press-fit method. Specifically, the claw portions 653 provided on the connector terminal binder 65 pass through the inner wall of the bottom hole 55 while elastically deforming inward, and then engage with the receiving portions 553 formed around the bottom hole 55. For example, the claw portions 653 are provided on two opposing sides out of the four sides.

[0083] (Fourth embodiment) FIG. 19(a) shows the control unit 104 of the fourth embodiment. After assembling the connector housing 50 in the same configuration as the first embodiment, a laser is irradiated around the outer wall of the connector 57 in the top plate portion 561 toward the overlapping portion of the underzone 551 and the connector terminal binder 65. At least the portion to be irradiated with the laser is made of a laser-transparent resin material. The overlapping portion of the underzone 551 and the connector terminal binder 65 becomes the joint portion LWD by the laser irradiation. The laser irradiation method of FIG. 19(a) can also be applied when the connector terminal 45 is close to the inner wall of the connector 57 or when the connector 57 is relatively deep.

[0084] 19(b) is applicable when the gap between the inner wall of the connector 57 and the connector terminal 45 is relatively large and the depth of the connector 57 is relatively shallow, without the laser interfering with the connector terminal 45. In this modification, the laser is obliquely irradiated from the inside of the frontage of the connector 57 toward the boundary between the edge of the bottom hole 55 and the connector terminal binder 65. The portion along the edge of the bottom hole 55 becomes the joining portion LWD.

[0085] In the fourth embodiment, by joining the underzone 551 of the connector housing 50 and the connector terminal binder 65, the performance of preventing the intrusion of water or foreign matter when the harness is removed is improved.

[0086] Fifth embodiment In the control unit 105 of the fifth embodiment shown in Fig. 20, after the connector housing 50 is assembled in the same configuration as in the first embodiment, the potting material POT is injected into the bottom hole 55 from the opening of the connector 57. The potting material POT is filled so as to fill the gap between the underzone 551 of the connector housing 50 and the connector terminal binder 65. This improves the performance of preventing the intrusion of water and foreign matter when the harness is removed, as in the fourth embodiment.

[0087] Sixth embodiment In the control unit 106 of the sixth embodiment shown in Fig. 21, Fig. 22(a) and (b), the connector terminal binder 65 commonly bundles a plurality of groups of connector terminals 45 corresponding to a plurality of adjacent connectors 57, 58. In contrast to the first embodiment shown in Fig. 6(a), the connector terminal binder 65 shown in Fig. 22(a) is composed of two connector terminal binders 65h1, 65h2 of the two-group coupling specification. The connector terminal binders 65h1, 65h2 of the two-group coupling specification commonly bundle a plurality of groups of connector terminals 45 corresponding to the adjacent vehicle system connectors 57 and signal system connectors 58 for each system. The connector terminal binder 65 shown in Fig. 22(b) is composed of one connector terminal binder 65w of the four-group coupling specification. The connector terminal binder 65w of the four-group coupling specification commonly bundles a plurality of groups of connector terminals 45 corresponding to all of the connectors 57, 58.

[0088] In the sixth embodiment, the number of parts of the connector terminal binder 65 can be reduced compared to the first embodiment. This is advantageous in cases where the connector housing 50 is relatively small and the change in the opening dimensions of each of the connectors 57, 58 due to temperature characteristics or the like is small. The configuration of the connector terminal binder 65 of the sixth embodiment may be combined with the laser irradiation of the fourth embodiment or the potting of the fifth embodiment.

[0089] Seventh embodiment Next, the configuration of the control unit 107 of the seventh embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 23 to 26. Fig. 23 shows the overall configuration of the control unit 107. In the connector housing 50 of the first to sixth embodiments, a bottom hole 55 is opened at the bottom of the opening of the connectors 57, 58, whereas in the connector housing 507 of the seventh embodiment, a bottom plate portion 540 continuing from a top plate portion 561 forms the bottom of the opening of the connectors 57, 58. A plurality of terminal insertion holes 54 through which the connector terminals 45 can be inserted are formed in the bottom plate portion 540. One end of each connector terminal 45 is connected to the end substrate 33, and the other end is inserted through the terminal insertion hole 54 to be exposed at the opening of the connectors 57, 58.

[0090] The connector terminal binder 65 is disposed between the connector housing 50 and the end substrate 33 at a distance from the connector housing 50. In the example of Fig. 23, a two-group or four-group coupling connector terminal binder 65 conforming to the sixth embodiment is used. The connector terminal binder 65 holds intermediate portions of the multiple connector terminals 45 so as to bundle the multiple groups of connector terminals 45 corresponding to the multiple adjacent connectors 57, 58.

[0091] In the seventh embodiment, at least one of the connector terminals 45 or the terminal insertion holes 54 is elastically deformed, i.e., by a press-fit method, each connector terminal 45 fits into the corresponding terminal insertion hole 54 with a low load. Figures 24 to 26 show three specific examples of two connector terminals 45 appearing in a cross section of a connector 58. The left side of each figure shows a state in the middle of insertion of the connector terminals 45, and the right side shows a state after the connector terminals 45 have been inserted.

[0092] 24, a large diameter portion 471 having a larger outer diameter than other portions is formed at one axial position of the connector terminal 45. The terminal insertion hole 54 has a flexible portion 541 whose inner diameter is slightly smaller than that of the large diameter portion 471 of the connector terminal 45 in a natural state and whose inner diameter can be expanded by elastic deformation. When the large diameter portion 471 of the connector terminal 45 abuts against the flexible portion 541 from the end substrate 33 side, the flexible portion 541 expands due to the pressing load, allowing the large diameter portion 471 to pass through.

[0093] In the second embodiment shown in FIG. 25, a locking protrusion 542 protruding inwardly in the radial direction is formed on the inner wall of the terminal insertion hole 54. For example, a plurality of locking protrusions 542 formed in the axial direction are arranged so that their circumferential positions are staggered. A locking recess 472 corresponding to the locking protrusion 542 is formed on the outer wall of the connector terminal 45. When the connector terminal 45 is inserted into the terminal insertion hole 54 from the end board 33 side, the locking protrusion 542 is crushed by elastic deformation. When the locking recess 472 of the connector terminal 45 is inserted up to the position of the locking protrusion 542, the locking protrusion 542 fits into the locking recess 472.

[0094] In the third embodiment shown in FIG. 26, a claw portion 473 is formed on the outer wall of the connector terminal 45. The claw portion 473 spreads outwardly from the other end, which is the exposed end of the connector terminal 45, toward one end on the end substrate 33 side. When pressed inwardly, the claw portion 473 can be elastically deformed along the axis of the connector terminal 45. When the connector terminal 45 is inserted into the terminal insertion hole 54 from the end substrate 33 side, the connector terminal 45 passes through the terminal insertion hole 54 with the claw portion 473 being pressed by the inner wall of the terminal insertion hole 54. After the insertion, the tip of the claw portion 473 abuts against the bottom plate portion 540.

[0095] As described above, in the seventh embodiment, in the third assembly step, at least one of the connector terminals 45 and the terminal insertion holes 54 is elastically deformed to form a press-fit connection. By configuring the load during elastic deformation to be smaller than the loads generated in the first and second steps, the control unit 107 having a two-board configuration can be suitably assembled.

[0096] Eighth embodiment An eighth embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 27(a), (b) and 28. In the eighth embodiment, inter-board connection components are used instead of the inter-board terminals 43 as a configuration for electrically connecting the general board 31 and the end board 33. Figures 27(a) and (b) show a state before connection in which the inter-board connection components attached to the boards 31 and 33 are separated.

[0097] 27(a), a commercially available board-to-board (BtoB) connector 71 is used. A lower component 711 of the board-to-board connector 71 is surface-mounted on an upper surface 312 of a general board 31, and an upper component 713 is attached to a lower surface 332 of an end board 33. A plurality of pins 714 of the upper component 713 are inserted through holes in the end board 33 and electrically connected to a pattern (not shown) on the upper surface 333.

[0098] 27(b), a commercially available socket connector 72 is used. The socket connector 72 is surface-mounted on the upper surface 312 of the general board 31. A plurality of pins 724 of a pin header type, which are inserted through holes in the end board 33 and electrically connected to a pattern (not shown) on the upper surface 333, are connected to the respective terminals of the socket connector 72.

[0099] 28, the board-to-board connector 71 and the socket connector 72 are disposed in a radially outer region with respect to the multiple connector terminals 45 when projected in the axial direction of the motor 80, similar to the multiple board-to-board terminals 43 in the first embodiment and the like. The type and number of the board-to-board connection parts 71, 72 are selected depending on the number of available pins, ratings, and the like.

[0100] The method of assembling the control unit using the inter-board connection parts 71, 72 is interpreted by replacing "plurality of inter-board terminals 43" with "part of the inter-board connection part" in the assembling method of the first embodiment described above with reference to Figures 13 and 14. For example, in the configuration of Figure 27(a), a general board 31 is connected to a lower part 711 that is part of the inter-board connection part 71, and the assembly is defined as a "general board assembly 310". Also, an end board 33 is connected to one ends of the multiple connector terminals 45 and an upper part 713 that is part of the inter-board connection part, and the assembly is defined as an "end board assembly 330". The manufacturing method of the drive device having this configuration also provides the same effects as those of the first embodiment.

[0101] (Other embodiments) (a) The number of general boards is not limited to one, and two or more boards may be provided in a hierarchical structure. A plurality of inter-board terminals 43 are connected between the general boards. For example, a control unit having a four-board configuration including three general boards and one end board is assumed.

[0102] A first general board assembly is defined as a first general board arranged on the motor frame 840 side to which one ends of the multiple inter-board terminals 43 or parts of the inter-board connection components are connected. A second general board assembly is defined as a second general board assembly arranged directly above the first general board to which one ends of the multiple inter-board terminals 43 or parts of the inter-board connection components are connected. A third general board assembly is defined as a third general board arranged between the second general board and the end board to which one ends of the multiple inter-board terminals 43 or parts of the inter-board connection components are connected. The first general board assembly corresponds to the "lowest general board assembly closest to the motor frame". The third general board assembly corresponds to the "uppermost general board assembly arranged directly below the end board".

[0103] In the first step, the worker first assembles the first general board assembly to the motor frame 840. Next, the worker assembles the second general board assembly, which is the "next tier general board assembly," to the first general board assembly, which is the "last assembled general board assembly." Next, the worker repeats the same process of assembling the third general board assembly to the second general board assembly. In this way, the worker assembles in order up to the third general board assembly at the top. The second and third steps are the same as the assembly procedure for the two-board configuration shown in FIG. 11.

[0104] In the above four-substrate configuration example, for example, the second general substrate assembly and the third general substrate assembly may be assembled in a sub-assembly process, and the two-stage general substrate assembly may be assembled to the first general substrate assembly at once in the main assembly process. Such an applied assembly procedure is also considered to be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0105] (b) There may be one or more connectors provided on the top plate portion 561 of the connector housing 50. The number of connectors and the use of each connector terminal are not limited to those in the above embodiment, and may be set appropriately according to needs.

[0106] (c) Not limited to the examples shown in the first to sixth embodiments, other configurations may be adopted as a specific configuration in which the connector terminal binder 65 covers the bottom holes 55 of the connectors 57, 58 from the end substrate 33 side, or fits into the bottom holes 55 of the connectors 57, 58. Furthermore, not limited to the example shown in the seventh embodiment, other configurations may be adopted as a specific configuration in which the connector terminals 45 or the terminal insertion holes 54 elastically deform to make a press-fit connection.

[0107] (d) The drive unit 800 of the present invention is not limited to being used as a steering assist motor for an electric power steering device, and may be used as a reaction motor or a steering motor for a steer-by-wire system, or as a drive unit for any other motor.

[0108] As described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0109] 10(101-107)···Control unit, 31... General board; 310... General board assembly; 33 end board; 330 end board assembly; 43 .... Board-to-board terminal, 45 .... Connector terminal, 50, 507... Connector housing, 54 ... terminal insertion hole, 55 ... bottom hole, 561 ... top plate portion, 562 ... outer cylinder portion, 57, 58: Connector, 65 ...connector terminal binder, 71, 72 ...board-to-board connection parts, 80···motor, 860···stator, 865···rotor.

Claims

1. A motor (80) including a stator (860) and a rotor (865) and a control unit (10) provided on one side of the motor in the axial direction and driving and controlling the motor are integrally configured, a metal motor frame (840) provided at an axial end of the motor on the control unit side; two or more boards on which electronic components constituting the control unit are mounted, the two or more boards including an end board (33) provided on the side opposite to the motor frame and furthest from the motor frame, and one or more general boards (31) other than the end board, the two or more boards being provided in layers on the side opposite to the motor frame and on which electronic components constituting the control unit are mounted; a resin connector housing (50, 507) having a bottomed tubular shape including a top plate portion (561) facing the end board and an outer tubular portion (562) extending from an outer edge of the top plate portion toward the motor and having an end fixed to the motor or the motor frame, the top plate portion having one or more connectors (57, 58) with an opening facing the opposite side to the end board; a plurality of inter-board terminals (43) or inter-board connection components (71, 72) connected between the general board and the end board, and between the general boards when the number of the general boards is two or more; A plurality of connector terminals (45) are provided for one of the connectors, one end of which is connected to the end board and the other end of which is exposed to an opening of the connector; one or more resin connector terminal binders (65) for bundling a group of the connector terminals corresponding to each of the connectors, or for holding intermediate portions of the connector terminals so as to bundling a plurality of groups of the connector terminals corresponding to adjacent connectors; A method for manufacturing a drive device comprising: A general board assembly (310) is defined as a general board assembly in which one ends of the plurality of inter-board terminals or a part of the inter-board connection components are connected to the general board; If one end of the plurality of connector terminals bound by the connector terminal binder is connected to the end board, or a part of the board-to-board connection component is further connected to the end board, an end board assembly (330) is defined as: a first step of assembling the general board assembly in the lowest level closest to the motor frame to the motor frame, and when there are two or more general boards, repeating the process of assembling the general board assembly in the next level to the last assembled general board assembly, until the general board assembly in the highest level is arranged immediately below the end board; a second step of assembling the end substrate assembly to the uppermost general substrate assembly after the first step; a third step of covering the end board assembly and the general board assembly with the connector housing while exposing the other end of the connector terminal of the end board assembly to an opening of the corresponding connector after the second step, and fixing the outer cylinder portion to the motor or the motor frame; Including, A method for manufacturing a drive device, wherein the load generated when exposing the other end of the connector terminal to the opening of the corresponding connector in the third step is configured to be lower than the loads generated in the first step and the second step.

2. A bottom hole (55) is opened at the bottom of the frontage of the connector, through which a group of the connector terminals bound by the connector terminal binder can be inserted, The end board assembly has a hook engagement portion (49, 691, 692) formed on the connector terminal or the connector terminal binder, with which a hook jig (HK) having a hook-shaped tip can be engaged, A method for manufacturing a drive unit as described in claim 1, wherein in the third step, the hook jig is engaged with the hook engagement portion inside the bottom hole of the connector, and the assembly work is performed while lifting the end board assembly toward the connector housing.

3. A drive device comprising a motor (80) including a stator (860) and a rotor (865), and a control unit (10) provided on one side of the motor in the axial direction for controlling the motor, the drive device being integrally configured, a metal motor frame (840) provided at an axial end of the motor on the control unit side; two or more boards on which electronic components constituting the control unit are mounted, the two or more boards including an end board (33) provided on the side opposite to the motor frame and furthest from the motor frame, and one or more general boards (31) other than the end board, the two or more boards being provided in layers on the side opposite to the motor frame and on which electronic components constituting the control unit are mounted; a resin connector housing (50) having a bottomed tubular shape with a top plate portion (561) facing the end board and an outer tube portion (562) extending from the outer edge of the top plate portion toward the motor and having an end fixed to the motor or the motor frame, the top plate portion having one or more connectors (57, 58) with an opening facing the opposite side to the end board and a bottom hole (55) opening at the bottom of the opening; a plurality of inter-board terminals (43) or inter-board connection components (71, 72) connected between the general board and the end board, and between the general boards when the number of the general boards is two or more; A plurality of connector terminals (45) are provided for one of the connectors, one end of which is connected to the end board and the other end of which is exposed to an opening of the connector; one or more resin connector terminal binders (65) for bundling a group of the connector terminals corresponding to each of the connectors, or for holding intermediate portions of the connector terminals so as to bundling a plurality of groups of the connector terminals corresponding to adjacent connectors; Equipped with The connector terminal binder is provided so as to cover the bottom hole of the corresponding connector from the end board side, or is a drive device that is fitted into the bottom hole of the corresponding connector.

4. The drive device according to claim 3 , wherein the connector terminal binder is elastically deformed to fit into the bottom hole of the corresponding connector.

5. A drive device comprising a motor (80) including a stator (860) and a rotor (865), and a control unit (10) provided on one side of the motor in the axial direction for controlling the motor, the drive device being integrally configured, a metal motor frame (840) provided at an axial end of the motor on the control unit side; two or more boards on which electronic components constituting the control unit are mounted, the two or more boards including an end board (33) provided on the side opposite to the motor frame and furthest from the motor frame, and one or more general boards (31) other than the end board, the two or more boards being provided in layers on the side opposite to the motor frame and on which electronic components constituting the control unit are mounted; a resin connector housing (507) having a bottomed tubular shape including a top plate portion (561) facing the end board and an outer tubular portion (562) extending from an outer edge of the top plate portion toward the motor and having an end fixed to the motor or the motor frame, the top plate portion having one or more connectors (57, 58) with an opening facing the opposite side to the end board; a plurality of inter-board terminals (43) or inter-board connection components (71, 72) connected between the general board and the end board, and between the general boards when the number of the general boards is two or more; a plurality of connector terminals (45) provided for one of the connectors, one end of which is connected to the end board and the other end of which is inserted through a terminal insertion hole (54) formed in the bottom of the frontage of the connector and exposed at the frontage of the connector; one or more resin connector terminal binders (65) for bundling a group of the connector terminals corresponding to each of the connectors, or for holding intermediate portions of the connector terminals so as to bundling a plurality of groups of the connector terminals corresponding to adjacent connectors; Equipped with At least one of the connector terminals and the terminal insertion holes is elastically deformed, so that each of the connector terminals fits into the corresponding terminal insertion hole.

6. A drive device as described in any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein, in an axial projection of the motor, the plurality of board-to-board terminals or board-to-board connection components are arranged in a radially outer region relative to the plurality of connector terminals.

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