Drive device

The drive device improves assembly efficiency by using a connector unit with separate main and sub-connectors, allowing for timed assembly of vehicle and steering system connectors, thus addressing the inefficiencies in integrating torque signal terminals with torque sensors in existing systems.

JP7694144B2Active Publication Date: 2025-06-18DENSO CORP
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2021085283
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2021-05-20
Publication Date
2025-06-18
Estimated Expiration
2041-05-20

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing drive devices for electric power steering systems face inefficiencies in assembly due to the need to integrate torque signal terminals with torque sensors during vehicle assembly, rather than at the stage of assembling the drive device to the steering shaft.

Method used

The drive device incorporates a motor with two sets of windings and a control unit with a substrate, connector unit, and cover member. The connector unit is designed with main and sub-connectors that face away from the motor, allowing for separate assembly and connection of vehicle and steering system connectors, improving assembly efficiency.

Benefits of technology

This configuration enables separate assembly timing for vehicle and steering system connectors, enhancing assembly efficiency and reducing complexity, while ensuring proper integration of torque signal terminals with torque sensors during the drive device assembly.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

To provide a driving device the assembling efficiency of which can be improved.SOLUTION: A driving device includes a motor having two sets of motor windings 180, 280, and an ECU 10. The ECU 10 includes substrates 31, 32 on which electronic components regarding control of current flowing to the motor windings 180, 280 are mounted, a connector unit 50, and a cover 60 covering control components including the substrates 31, 32, and is disposed on one side in the axis direction of the motor. In the connector unit 50, the front sides of two vehicle system connectors 152, 252 that are used for connection to the outside and one or more steering system connectors 162, 262 are disposed so as to be directed to a side opposite to the motor 80. The vehicle system connectors 152, 252 are connected to a power source and a vehicle communication network. The front sides of the steering system connectors 162, 262 are disposed separately from those of the vehicle system connectors 152, 252, and the steering system connectors 162, 262 are connected to a separate member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a drive device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a drive device in which a motor and a control unit for controlling the motor are integrally provided is known. For example, in Patent Document 1, in a redundant configuration having two sets of winding groups, an opening between two connectors is provided.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In Patent Document 1, one connector is provided with a set of power supply terminals, vehicle communication terminals, and torque signal terminals. The drive device of Patent Document 1 is applied to an electric power steering device. After assembling the electric power steering device to a vehicle, a connector integrating vehicle wiring and sensor wiring is fitted with the connector of the drive device. However, since the torque sensor is provided on the steering shaft, it is desirable to assemble the torque signal terminal and the torque sensor at the stage of assembling the drive device to the steering shaft.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a drive device capable of improving assembly efficiency.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The drive device of the present invention includes a motor (80) having two sets of motor windings (180, 280) and a control unit (10 to 13). The control unit has a substrate (31, 32) on which electronic components related to energization control of the motor windings are mounted, a connector unit (50, 500), and a cover member (60, 560) that covers the control components including the substrate, and is provided on one side in the axial direction of the motor.

[0007] The connector unit is provided such that the front views of two main connectors (152, 252) used for connection to the outside and at least one sub-connector (162, 262) face away from the motor. The main connectors are connected to a power supply (5) and a communication network (6). The sub-connector is provided with a different front view from the main connector and is connected to a separate member (93). Regarding the combination of components related to the energization control of one motor winding as the first system, and the combination of components related to the energization control of the other motor winding as the second system, the region where the components related to the first system are mounted is defined as the first system region including the projection region in the axial direction, and the region where the components related to the second system are mounted is defined as the second system region including the projection region in the axial direction. The line that divides the first system region and the second system region is defined as the system division line. The two main connectors The frontage are arranged on both sides sandwiching the system division line. Adjacent so as to be line-symmetrical with respect to the system division line are arranged. The two main connectors are arranged close to one side of the base portion (51) where the main connector and the sub-connector are erected, and the sub-connector is in the first system region or the second system region and on the other side are arranged adjacent to the main connectors. By providing the front views of the main connectors and the sub-connectors separately, the assembly efficiency can be improved.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, the drive device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Hereinafter, in a plurality of embodiments, substantially the same configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted.

[0010] (First Embodiment) The drive device according to the first embodiment is shown in FIGS. 1 to 7. As shown in FIG. 1, the drive device 1 includes a motor 80 and an ECU 10 as a control unit, and is applied to an electric power steering device 8 which is a steering device for assisting the steering operation of a vehicle. FIG. 1 shows the overall configuration of a steering system 90 including the electric power steering device 8. The steering system 90 includes a steering wheel 91 as a steering member, a steering shaft 92, a pinion gear 96, a rack shaft 97, a wheel 98, and the electric power steering device 8 and the like.

[0011] The steering wheel 91 is connected to a steering shaft 92. A torque sensor 93 for detecting a steering torque is provided on the steering shaft 92. The torque sensor 93 is connected to steering connectors 162 and 262 by a harness 94. The torque sensor 93 is internally divided into two systems, and the detected values of each system are input to the corresponding steering connectors 162 and 262 of the system. A pinion gear 96 is provided at the tip of the steering shaft 92. The pinion gear 96 meshes with a rack shaft 97. A pair of wheels 98 are connected to both ends of the rack shaft 97 via tie rods or the like.

[0012] When the driver rotates the steering wheel 91, the steering shaft 92 connected to the steering wheel 91 rotates. The rotational motion of the steering shaft 92 is converted into a linear motion of the rack shaft 97 by the pinion gear 96. The pair of wheels 98 are steered at an angle corresponding to the displacement amount of the rack shaft 97.

[0013] The electric power steering apparatus 8 includes a drive device 1 and a reduction gear 89 or the like as a power transmission unit that reduces the rotation of the motor 80 and transmits it to the rack shaft 97. The electric power steering apparatus 8 of the present embodiment is a so-called "rack assist type", but it may be a so-called "column assist type" or the like that transmits the rotation of the motor 80 to the steering shaft 92.

[0014] The motor 80 is a three-phase brushless motor. The motor 80 outputs part or all of the torque required for steering, is driven by power supplied from a battery (not shown), and rotates the reduction gear 89 forward and backward. The motor 80 has a first motor winding 180 and a second motor winding 280 (see FIG. 4 etc.).

[0015] Hereinafter, the combination of configurations related to the energization control of the first motor winding 180 is regarded as the first system, and the combination of configurations related to the energization control of the second motor winding 280 is regarded as the second system. The configurations of the first system are mainly numbered in the 100s, the configurations of the second system are mainly numbered in the 200s, and the last two digits of substantially the same configurations in the first system and the second system are made the same, and the description will be omitted as appropriate. Also, in the figures and as appropriate, the suffix "1" is attached to the configurations related to the first system, and the suffix "2" is attached to the configurations related to the second system.

[0016] As shown in FIGS. 2 to 7, the drive device 1 has an ECU 10 integrally provided on one axial side of the motor 80, and is a so-called "mechatronic type". The ECU 10 is coaxially arranged with respect to the axis Ax of the shaft 870 on the side opposite to the output shaft of the motor 80. Here, "coaxial" means that, for example, errors and misalignments related to assembly and design are allowed. Note that the "mechatronics" in the drive device 1 of the present embodiment is different from simply providing an ECU having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape in the vicinity of the motor 80. By adopting the mechatronic type, the ECU 10 and the motor 80 can be efficiently arranged in a vehicle with limited mounting space. Hereinafter, the axial direction of the motor 80 is regarded as the axial direction of the drive device 1, and is simply referred to as the "axial direction".

[0017] As shown in FIG. 4, the motor 80 includes a motor case 830, a motor frame 840, a stator 860, a rotor 865, and the like. The stator 860 is fixed to the motor case 830, and the motor windings 180 and 280 are wound around it. The rotor 865 is provided inside the stator 860 in the radial direction and is provided so as to be rotatable relative to the stator 860.

[0018] The shaft 870 is fitted into the rotor 865 and rotates integrally with the rotor 865. The shaft 870 is rotatably supported by the motor case 830 and the motor frame 840 by bearings 871 and 872. The end portion of the shaft 870 on the ECU 10 side is inserted into a shaft hole 849 formed in the motor frame 840 and is exposed on the ECU 10 side. A magnet 875 is provided at the end portion of the shaft 870 on the ECU 10 side.

[0019] The motor case 830 is formed in a substantially bottomed cylindrical shape consisting of a bottom portion 831 and a cylindrical portion 832, and the ECU 10 is provided on the opening side. A bearing 871 is provided on the bottom portion 831. A stator 860 is fixed to the cylindrical portion 832.

[0020] The motor frame 840 has a frame portion 841, a heat sink 845, a connector connection portion 846, etc., and is formed of a material with good thermal conductivity such as aluminum. The frame portion 841 is press-fitted inside the motor case 830 in the radial direction, and as a whole, it is accommodated within a projection area (hereinafter appropriately referred to as the "motor silhouette") obtained by axially projecting the cylindrical portion 832 of the motor case 830. A flange portion 842 is formed on the outer periphery of the frame portion 841 and abuts against a stepped portion 833 formed on the inner wall of the cylindrical portion 832. Also, an extension member connection portion 843 is formed outside the heat sink 845 of the frame portion 841.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 6, the connector connection portion 846 stands upright substantially at the center of the side surface of the heat sink 845 on the side where the motor windings 180 and 280 are not taken out. The height of the connector connection portion 846 is higher than that of the heat sink 845.

[0022] As shown in FIGS. 4 to 7, the ECU 10 has a main board 31, a sub-board 32, power system connection components 141 and 241, signal system connection components 146 and 246, a connector unit 50, a cover 60, etc. The main board 31 is fixed to the end surface of the heat sink 845 with a fastening member 45. The sub-board 32 is fixed to the connector unit 50. When projected in the axial direction, the boards 31 and 32 are larger than the heat sink 845 and are formed to extend outside the heat sink 845.

[0023] On the surface of the main board 31 on the heat sink 845 side, switching elements and the like that constitute an inverter related to energization switching of the motor windings 180 and 280 are mounted and are provided so as to be able to dissipate heat to the heat sink 845. On the surface of the main board 31 opposite to the heat sink 845, components such as aluminum electrolytic capacitors are mounted.

[0024] On the main board 31, a relief recess 316 is formed to avoid interference with the connector connection portion 846. The main board 31 is partitioned into two regions by a virtual line passing through the relief recess 316 and the center of the main board 31. Electronic components related to the first system are mounted on one side, and electronic components related to the second system are mounted on the other side. The same applies to the sub-board 32. Hereinafter, as appropriate, the region where components related to the first system are mounted, including the projection region in the axial direction, is referred to as the first system region, and the region where components related to the second system are mounted, including the projection region in the axial direction, is referred to as the second system region. Also, the line that partitions the first system and the second system is referred to as the system partition line Lc.

[0025] On the sub-board 32, components such as a choke coil and a capacitor that constitute a filter circuit, and a communication driver are mounted. On the sub-board 32, a relief recess 326 is formed to allow the fixing portion 516 of the connector unit 50 described later to pass through.

[0026] The main board 31 and the sub-board 32 are connected by power system connection components 141, 241, and signal system connection components 146, 246. The power system connection components 141, 241 and the signal system connection components 146, 246 may be any components that can achieve electrical conduction, such as board-to-board (BtoB) connectors and pin headers.

[0027] The power system connection components 141, 241 are arranged on both sides sandwiching the relief recesses 316, 326 along the same side in the outer region outside the region where various elements such as switching elements are mounted. The signal system connection components 146, 246 are arranged on both sides sandwiching the relief recesses 316, 326 along the side opposite to the side where the power system connection components 141, 241 are provided in the outer region outside the region where various elements are mounted.

[0028] The connector unit 50 includes a base portion 51, vehicle connectors 152 and 252, and steering connectors 162 and 262. The base portion 51 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape in plan view. A groove portion 511 is formed along the outer edge on the surface of the base portion 51 opposite to the motor 80. Also, a substrate insertion portion 512 to be inserted into the sub-substrate 32 is formed on the surface of the base portion 51 on the motor 80 side (see FIG. 7). By inserting the substrate insertion portion 512 into the sub-substrate 32, the sub-substrate 32 and the connector unit 50 are positioned. The substrate insertion portion 512 may be fixed to the sub-substrate 32 by welding or the like. Also, the sub-substrate 32 may be fixed to the connector unit 50 by a fixing member such as a screw as in the third embodiment described later.

[0029] A fixing portion 516 is formed on the base portion 51. A through bolt 519 is inserted through the fixing portion 516 and screwed to the connector connection portion 846 of the motor frame 840. Thereby, the connector unit 50 is fixed to the motor frame 840. The connection position in the axial direction between the connector connection portion 846 of the motor frame 840 and the fixing portion 516 of the connector unit 50 is between the main substrate 31 and the sub-substrate 32. Details of the connector unit 50 will be described later.

[0030] The cover 60 is formed in a substantially bottomed cylindrical shape and houses the substrates 31 and 32, the heat sink 845, etc. inside. A substantially rectangular hole portion 61 is formed at the bottom of the cover 60. The connectors 152, 162, 252, and 262 are inserted through the hole portion 61. The end portion 611 of the hole portion 61 is bent inward. The end portion 611 is inserted into the groove portion 511 of the connector unit 50 coated with an adhesive member such as an adhesive. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the intrusion of water droplets and dust from between the connector unit 50 and the cover 60.

[0031] The extension member 70 has a base portion 71, an annular convex portion 72, a cover insertion groove 73, a fixing portion 74, etc., and is integrally formed of resin or the like. The extension member 70 is formed in an annular shape as a whole, on the ECU 10 side of the frame portion 841 of the motor frame 840, and is disposed on the radially outer side of the heat sink 845. In other words, the heat sink 845 is formed to protrude toward the ECU 10 side on the inner peripheral side of the extension member 70. At least a part of the outer edge of the extension member 70 is located outside the motor silhouette.

[0032] The annular convex portion 72 is provided to protrude along the inner peripheral surface on the surface of the base portion 71 on the motor 80 side, and is inserted into the cylindrical portion 832 of the motor case 830. A cover insertion groove 73 is formed along the outer edge on the surface of the extension member 70 on the side opposite to the motor 80. The end portion on the opening side of the cover 60 is inserted into the cover insertion groove 73 coated with an adhesive member such as an adhesive. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the intrusion of water droplets, dust, etc. from between the extension member 70 and the cover 60. In the present embodiment, sealing is performed at three locations: the connection portion between the motor frame 840 and the extension member 70, the connection portion between the extension member 70 and the cover 60, and the connection portion between the connector unit 50 and the cover 60.

[0033] The fixing portion 74 is formed to protrude radially inward from the inner peripheral wall of the extension member 70. A collar is inserted into the fixing portion 74 and fixed to the frame portion 841 with a screw 79. By providing the extension member 70, compared with the case where the extension member 70 is not provided, the ECU 10 can be extended to the outside of the motor silhouette, so that a larger mounting area of the substrates 31, 32, etc. can be secured. Thereby, the degree of freedom in designing the substrates 31, 32, etc. can be increased.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 7, on the surface of the base portion 71 on the main board 31 side, a recess 75 is formed radially inside the cover insertion groove 73. The recess 75 has a central portion deeper than the peripheral portion. On the peripheral portion of the recess 75, the board connection terminals 142 of the power system connection component 141 are arranged. Also, in the central portion of the recess 75, the positioning pins 144 and 244 of the power system connection components 141 and 241 are inserted. The positioning pins 144 and 244 penetrate the boards 31 and 32. By providing the positioning pins 144 and 244, the boards 31 and 32 and the extension member 70 can be positioned with the power system connection components 141 and 241. Although not shown in FIG. 7, the signal system connection components 146 and 246 are generally the same as the power system connection components 141 and 241 except for the different terminal shapes and the like. Also, FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view and is described without distinguishing the systems for the purpose of explanation.

[0035] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 7, the connectors 152, 162, 252, and 262 are erected along the axial direction from the base portion 51, and the frontage is formed facing the outside in the axial direction. The vehicle connectors 152 and 252 are integrated hybrid connectors in which a power connector connected to the vehicle power supply 5 and the ground and a communication connector connected to the vehicle communication network 6 (see FIG. 1) such as CAN (Controller Area Network) are integrated.

[0036] The vehicle system connectors 152 and the steering system connectors 162 of the first system are used for power supply to the first motor winding 180 and signal transmission related to energization control. The vehicle system connectors 252 and the steering system connectors 262 of the second system are used for power supply to the second motor winding 280 and signal transmission related to energization control. In this embodiment, control components such as a microcomputer and power supply paths are redundant. However, when there is only one system of control components and power supply paths, one of the vehicle system connectors 152 and 252 is filled with potting or the like. In other words, when the power supply from the vehicle power supply 5 and the information obtained through communication with the vehicle communication network 6 are commonly used for the energization control of the two sets of motor windings 180 and 280, one of the vehicle system connectors 152 and 252 is filled so as to be non-connectable. This enables the common use of components. Also, when there is only one system of control components and power supply paths, one of the vehicle system connectors 152 and 252 may be eliminated. The same applies to the steering system connectors 162 and 262.

[0037] The vehicle system connectors 152 and 252 are provided with vehicle system terminals 154 and 254 that are connected to the sub-board 32. The vehicle system terminals 154 and 254 include power supply terminals 155 and 255, ground terminals 156 and 256, and communication terminals 157 and 257. In this embodiment, there are six communication terminals 157 and 257 each, and a total of eight terminals are provided for each of the vehicle system connectors 152 and 252.

[0038] The steering system connectors 162 and 262 include sensor terminals 164 and 264 that are connected to the sub-board 32. In this embodiment, there are eight sensor terminals 164 and 264 each. The connection between the vehicle system terminals 154 and 254 and the sensor terminals 164 and 264 and the sub-board 32 may be any means that can achieve electrical conduction, such as press-fit or socket connectors.

[0039] In this embodiment, since the vehicle system connectors 152 and 252 and the steering system connectors 162 and 262 have different breadths, the connection between the vehicle system connectors 152 and 252 and the vehicle power supply 5 and the vehicle communication network 6 and the connection between the steering system connectors 162 and 262 and the torque sensor 93 can be performed separately.

[0040] Specifically, when assembling the drive device 1 to the steering shaft 92 to form the electric power steering device 8 into an assembly, the steering system connectors 162 and 262 and the torque sensor 93 are connected by the harness 94. Then, the electric power steering device 8 is mounted on the vehicle, and the vehicle system connectors 152 and 252 are connected to the vehicle power supply 5 and the vehicle communication network 6. Thereby, as the electric power steering device 8, various inspections and the like can be carried out in a state where the gears are assembled.

[0041] On the substrates 31 and 32, the components related to the first system and the components related to the second system are arranged separately in regions. When projected in the axial direction, the vehicle system connector 152 and the steering system connector 162 are provided on the first system region side, and the vehicle system connector 252 and the steering system connector 262 are provided on the second system region side. Also, the vehicle system connectors 152 and 252 are arranged side by side on both sides sandwiching the system partition line Lc. Similarly, the steering system connectors 162 and 262 are arranged side by side on both sides sandwiching the system partition line Lc.

[0042] The vehicle system connectors 152 and 252 are connected to the vehicle power supply 5 and the vehicle communication network 6 by fitting with connection connectors (not shown). On the side walls of the vehicle system connectors 152 and 252, lock pins 153 and 253 that engage with the levers of the connection connectors protrude. The lock pins 153 and 253 are formed on a straight line Lp orthogonal to the system partition line Lc. That is, the lock pins 153 and 253 are arranged on the same straight line. Here, the "same straight line" means that a deviation within the manufacturing error range is allowed. The same applies to terms such as orthogonal. By forming the lock pins 153 and 253 on the same straight line, the mold used for molding the connector unit 50 can be simplified.

[0043] Here, in the reference example shown in FIG. 14, the vehicle system connector 152 and the steering system connector 262 are arranged side by side, and the vehicle system connector 252 and the steering system connector 162 are arranged side by side. When the steering system connectors 162 and 262 are cross - arranged as in the reference example, when assembling the steering system connectors 162 and 262 and the torque sensor 93, the harness 94 may pass through the upper surface of the frontage between the vehicle system connectors 152 and 252. If the harness 94 runs on the upper surface of the frontage between the vehicle system connectors 152 and 252, when fitting the vehicle system connectors 152 and 252 with the connection connector, the harness 94 must be avoided, making the assembly difficult.

[0044] In the present embodiment, since the vehicle system connectors 152 and 252 are arranged side by side and the steering system connectors 162 and 262 are arranged side by side, by connecting the harness 94 from the side of the steering system connectors 162 and 262, it is possible to prevent the harness 94 from crossing the upper surface of the frontage between the vehicle system connectors 152 and 252.

[0045] Also in the present embodiment, the vehicle system connectors 152 and 252 are formed to be taller from the base portion 51 than the steering system connectors 162 and 262. By forming the steering system connectors 162 and 262 on the side to be assembled first to be low and the vehicle system connectors 152 and 252 on the side to be assembled later to be high, it is difficult to inhibit the assembly of the vehicle system connectors 152 and 252 with the connection connector.

[0046] As described above, the drive device 1 includes a motor 80 having two sets of motor windings 180 and 280, and an ECU 10. The ECU 10 has substrates 31 and 32 on which electronic components related to energization control of the motor windings 180 and 280 are mounted, a connector unit 50, and a cover 60 that covers the control components including the substrates 31 and 32, and is provided on one side in the axial direction of the motor 80.

[0047] In the connector unit 50, the front widths of the two vehicle connectors 152 and 252 used for connection to the outside and at least one steering connector 162 and 262 are provided so as to face the side opposite to the motor 80. The vehicle connectors 152 and 252 are connected to the vehicle power source 5 and the vehicle communication network 6. The steering connectors 162 and 262 are provided with a different front width from that of the vehicle connectors 152 and 252 and are connected to a separate member (the torque sensor 93 in the present embodiment). That is, in the present embodiment, the front widths of the steering connectors 162 and 262 are not integrated with the front widths of the vehicle connectors 152 and 252.

[0048] In the present embodiment, since the front widths of the vehicle connectors 152 and 252 and the steering connectors 162 and 262 are provided separately, for example, after connecting the steering connectors 162 and 262 to the torque sensor 93, the vehicle connectors 152 and 252 can be connected to the vehicle power source 5 or the like. Thus, the assembly timing can be separated, and the assembly efficiency can be improved.

[0049] The vehicle connectors 152 and 252 are provided with two or more power terminals and two or more communication terminals 157 and 257. The power terminals are the power terminals 155 and 255 and the ground terminals 156 and 256. Further, the steering connectors 162 and 262 are provided with three or more sensor terminals 164 and 264. Specifically, the power terminals include at least the power terminal and the ground terminal, the communication terminals include at least the terminals for one channel of CAN communication, and the sensor terminals include at least the power terminal, the ground terminal, and the signal terminal. In the present embodiment, by unitizing the connectors with a relatively large number of terminals, the size of the connector unit can be made relatively small even if the front width is separated.

[0050] On the side walls on both sides of the vehicle connectors 152 and 252, there are provided lock pins 153 and 253 that engage with the levers of the connection connectors that are the connection partners. The four lock pins 153 and 253 provided on the two vehicle connectors 152 and 252 are formed to be on the same straight line. Thereby, the mold used for molding the connector unit 50 can be simplified.

[0051] The vehicle connectors 152 and 252 are formed taller than the steering connectors 162 and 262. Thereby, even after connecting the steering connectors 162 and 262, the harness 94 is less likely to interfere with the connection of the vehicle connectors 152 and 252, and the assemblability can be improved.

[0052] The connector unit 50 is provided separately from the cover 60 and is fixed to the motor frame 840 provided at one end of the motor 80. For example, by means of through bolts 519 or the like, the connector unit 50 can be firmly fixed to the motor 80.

[0053] (Second Embodiment) The second embodiment is shown in FIG. 8. In the ECU 11, the sub-board 32 and the connection components connecting between the boards 31 and 32 are omitted, and the vehicle terminals 154, 254 and the sensor terminals 164, 264 are connected to the main board 31. In the present embodiment, there is one board and the sub-board 32 is not provided, but for convenience, the single board is taken as the main board 31. The same applies to the fourth embodiment. Even with such a configuration, the same effects as those of the above embodiments can be achieved.

[0054] (Third Embodiment, Fourth Embodiment) The third embodiment is shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. The ECU 12 has a connector unit 500. In the connector unit 500, the vehicle connectors 152, 252, the steering connectors 162, 262, and the cover portion 560 are integrally formed by resin or the like. The cover portion 560 is formed in a substantially bottomed cylindrical shape, and the vehicle connectors 152, 242 and the steering connectors 162, 262 are erected on the outer side in the axial direction of the bottom portion 561.

[0055] The sub-board 32 is fixed to the connector unit 500 by a fastening member 46 such as a screw. The fixing method of the sub-board 32 may be the same as that of the first embodiment. Also, the sub-board 32 may be omitted as in the ECU 13 according to the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 11.

[0056] In this embodiment, the extension member 70 is omitted, and a convex portion 563 formed at the tip of the cylindrical portion 562 of the cover portion 560 is inserted into a seal groove 851 formed in the motor frame 850. By applying an adhesive or the like to the seal groove 851, the connection portion between the motor frame 850 and the connector unit 500 is sealed. Thereby, the connector unit 500 is provided so as to fit within the motor silhouette.

[0057] In this embodiment, the connector unit 500 is provided integrally with the cover portion 560. A convex portion 563 formed at the tip of the cover portion 560 formed in a cylindrical shape is inserted into a seal groove 851 formed in the motor frame 840. By using the vehicle connectors 152, 252, the steering connectors 162, 262, and the connector unit 500 integrally formed with the cover portion 560, the number of sealing locations can be reduced. Also, the degree of freedom in the arrangement of the vehicle connectors 152, 252 and the steering connectors 162, 262 is increased. Also, the same effects as those of the above embodiment are achieved.

[0058] (Fifth Embodiment, Sixth Embodiment) The fifth embodiment is shown in FIG. 12, and the sixth embodiment is shown in FIG. 13. FIG. 12 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 3, and except for the connector unit, it is the same as the first embodiment. In the connector unit 56 of the fifth embodiment shown in FIG. 12, the steering connectors 362 are formed by combining the widths of two systems into one. Further, FIG. 13 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 10, and except for the connector unit, it is the same as the third embodiment. In the connector unit 57 of the sixth embodiment shown in FIG. 13, similar to the fifth embodiment, the steering connectors 362 are formed by combining the widths of two systems into one. In FIGS. 12 and 13, the steering connector 356 is provided on the second system region side, but it may be provided on the first system region side, or may be provided so as to straddle the system partition line Lc. Even with such a configuration, the same effects as those of the above embodiments can be obtained.

[0059] In the embodiment, the vehicle power source 5 corresponds to the "power source", the vehicle communication network 6 corresponds to the "communication network", the ECUs 10 to 13 correspond to the "control units", the vehicle system connectors 152 and 252 correspond to the "main connectors", and the steering connectors 162, 262, and 362 correspond to the "sub-connectors". The power terminals 155 and 255 and the ground terminals 156 and 256 correspond to the "power supply terminals", and the sensor terminals 164 and 264 correspond to the "connection terminals". The cover 60 and the cover portion 560 correspond to the "cover member", and the seal groove 851 corresponds to the "groove portion". Note that the main connector and the sub-connector are referred to as "main" and "sub" for the sake of distinction, but they only need to be connected to other members, and functionally, they do not necessarily have a main-sub relationship.

[0060] (Other embodiments) In the vehicle system connector of the above embodiment, the power system connector and the communication system connector are integrated. In other embodiments, as the main connector, the power system connector and the communication system connector may be separate and provided in two each.

[0061] In the above-described embodiment, the vehicle connector is provided with two power supply terminals and six communication terminals, and the steering connector is provided with eight sensor terminals. In other embodiments, the number of terminals may be different as long as there are two power supply terminals including a power supply terminal and a ground terminal as power supply terminals and, for example, two or more for one channel of CAN communication as communication terminals. The communication network may be other than CAN. Also, as the sensor terminals of the steering connector, the number of terminals may be different as long as there are three or more including a power supply terminal, a ground terminal, and a signal terminal. Further, the terminal arrangement may be different from that of the above-described embodiment.

[0062] In the above-described embodiment, the sub-connector is the steering connector and is connected to the torque sensor. In other embodiments, the sensor to which the steering connector is connected may be a sensor within the steering device and may be a sensor other than a torque sensor such as a steering sensor. Also, the sub-connector may be connected to something other than a sensor, such as another actuator.

[0063] In the above-described embodiment, the steering device is an electric power steering device. In other embodiments, the steering device may be a steer-by-wire device, and the drive device may be used as a steering device for steering the wheels or as a reaction force device for applying a reaction force to the steering wheel. Also, the drive device may be applied to a device other than the steering device. As described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and can be implemented in various forms without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0064] 1 ··· Drive device 5 ··· Vehicle power supply (power supply) 6 ··· Vehicle communication network (communication network) 10 to 13 ··· ECU (control unit) 31, 32 ··· Substrate 50, 56, 57, 500 ··· Connector unit 60 ··· Cover (cover member) 560 ··· Cover part (cover member) 152, 252... Vehicle system connectors (main connectors) 162, 262, 362... Steering system connectors (sub-connectors) 80... Motors 180, 280... Motor windings

Claims

1. A motor (80) having two sets of motor windings (180, 280), a substrate (31, 32) on which electronic components related to energization control of the motor winding are mounted, a connector unit (50, 56, 57, 500) provided such that the front ends of two main connectors (152, 252) and at least one sub-connector (162, 262) used for connection to the outside face the side opposite to the motor, and a cover member (60, 560) covering the control components including the substrate, and a control unit (10 - 13) provided on one side in the axial direction of the motor, comprising, the main connector is connected to a power source (5) and a communication network (6), the sub-connector has a front end provided separately from that of the main connector and is connected to a separate member (93), taking the combination of components related to energization control of one of the motor windings as the first system, and the combination of components related to energization control of the other motor winding as the second system, taking the region where the components related to the first system are mounted including the projection region in the axial direction as the first system region, taking the region where the components related to the second system are mounted including the projection region in the axial direction as the second system region, and taking the line partitioning the first system region and the second system region as the system partitioning line, the front ends of the two main connectors are adjacently arranged on both sides sandwiching the system partitioning line so as to be line-symmetrical with respect to the system partitioning line, the two main connectors are arranged close to one side of a base portion (51) on which the main connector and the sub-connector are erected, and the sub-connector is in the first system region or the second system region and is arranged adjacent to the main connector on the other side. A drive device.

2. The main connector is provided with two or more power supply terminals (155, 156, 255, 256) and two or more communication terminals (157, 257), The drive device according to claim 1, wherein the sub-connector is provided with three or more connection terminals (164, 264).

3. Lock pins (153, 253) that engage with the levers of the connectors to be connected are provided on the side walls on both sides of the main connector. The drive device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lock pins of the two main connectors are formed to be on the same straight line.

4. The drive device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the main connector is formed taller than the sub-connector.

5. The drive device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the connector unit is provided separately from the cover member and is fixed to a motor frame (840) provided at one end of the motor.

6. The drive device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the connector unit is provided integrally with the cover member, and a convex portion (563) formed at the tip of the cover member formed in a cylindrical shape is inserted into a groove portion (851) formed in a motor frame (850) provided at one end of the motor.

7. When the power supply from the power source and the information obtained by communication with the communication network are commonly used for energization control of the two sets of motor windings, one of the main connectors is filled so as to be non-connectable. The drive device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

Citation Information

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