Electric compressor

Abstract

To improve a degree of freedom of design.SOLUTION: An electric compressor 1 comprises: a motor 17 for driving a scroll compression mechanism 7 for compressing a refrigerant; an inverter for driving the motor 17; a housing 2 internally filled with the refrigerant, and housing the motor 17; and a lower case 40 connected to the housing 2 provided side by side in an axial direction, and housing the inverter. The housing 2 comprises a first connection part 51 having a cylindrical shape around a center axis C extending in the axial direction. The lower case 40 comprises a second connection part 55 having a cylindrical shape around the center axis C extending in the axial direction. An outer peripheral surface of the first connection part 51 and an inner peripheral surface of the second connection part 55 are in contact with each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an electric compressor. [Background technology]

[0002] An inverter-integrated electric compressor, in which an inverter device and an electric compressor are integrated, is known. The inverter-integrated electric compressor is used as a compressor for compressing refrigerant in an air conditioner mounted on a vehicle such as an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle. High-voltage direct current (DC) power supplied from a power supply unit mounted on the vehicle is converted by the inverter device into three-phase alternating current (AC) power of a required frequency, and this three-phase AC power is used to drive the electric compressor. Known inverter-integrated electric compressors include a housing that houses a motor, a compression mechanism, etc., and a housing that houses an inverter, which are connected side by side in the axial direction of the electric compressor (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes an inverter-integrated electric compressor in which a cylindrical housing that houses a motor, a compression mechanism, etc., and an inverter case that houses an inverter are arranged side by side in the axial direction (the direction in which a drive shaft provided in the compressor extends). In this device, a cylindrical protrusion that protrudes toward the housing is formed at the end of the inverter case, and this protrusion is inserted into the housing to connect the inverter case and the housing. In addition, a groove is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the protrusion of the inverter case over the entire circumferential area, and an O-ring is fitted in this groove to prevent leakage of refrigerant inside the housing from the connection between the inverter case and the housing. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-183525 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the electric compressor of Patent Document 1, a groove for accommodating an O-ring is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the protruding portion of the inverter case. Therefore, during manufacturing, a process is required to form the groove on the outer peripheral surface of the protruding portion of the inverter case. To form the groove, a processing device (e.g., a processing device for lathe machining) must be brought into contact with the outer peripheral surface from the radial outside of the protruding portion. If any structure is present on the radial outside of the protruding portion, the processing device may interfere with the structure. For this reason, for example, if the inverter case is expanded radially outward from the protruding portion to increase the internal volume of the inverter case, the expanded portion may interfere with the processing device. Therefore, the inverter case cannot be expanded radially outward from the protruding portion. Therefore, the internal volume of the inverter case cannot be increased. Furthermore, to increase the internal volume of the inverter case, the axial length of the inverter case must be increased. However, increasing the axial length of the inverter case results in an increase in the overall size of the electric compressor. This limits the design flexibility.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has an object to provide an electric compressor that allows for improved design freedom. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the electric compressor of the present disclosure employs the following measures. An electric compressor according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a motor that drives a compression mechanism that compresses a refrigerant, an inverter that drives the motor, a motor accommodating section filled with the refrigerant and accommodating the motor, and an inverter accommodating section that is connected to the motor accommodating section arranged next to each other in a predetermined direction and accommodates the inverter, wherein the motor accommodating section has a cylindrical first connection section centered on a first central axis extending in the predetermined direction, and the inverter accommodating section has a cylindrical second connection section centered on a second central axis extending in the predetermined direction, and the outer surface of the first connection section and the inner surface of the second connection section are in contact with each other. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to improve the degree of freedom in design. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view of an electric compressor according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of an electric compressor according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] 1 is an exploded vertical cross-sectional view of an electric compressor according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, illustrating a state in which a housing and a lower case are not fixed together. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a side view of an electric compressor according to a comparative example. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of an electric compressor according to a comparative example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of an electric compressor according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The electric compressor 1 according to this embodiment is an inverter-integrated electric compressor in which a scroll compression mechanism 7 driven by a motor 17 and an inverter 30 that drives the motor 17 are integrated together. The electric compressor 1 is used, for example, to compress refrigerant in an air conditioning system mounted on a vehicle such as an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle.

[0011] In the following description, the term "central axis C" refers to the central axis along which the drive shaft 18 connecting the motor 17 and the scroll compression mechanism 7 rotates. The term "axial direction" refers to the direction in which the central axis C extends. In addition, the right side of the paper in Figures 1 to 3 will be referred to as "one side" or "one end" in the axial direction, and the left side of the paper will be referred to as "the other side" or "the other end" in the axial direction. The direction intersecting with the central axis C will be referred to as the "radial direction."

[0012] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an inverter-integrated electric compressor 1 includes a housing 2 that forms an outer shell. The housing (motor accommodating portion) 2 has a cylindrical main body 3 and a closing portion 4 that closes one axial end of the main body 3. The other axial end of the main body 3 is closed by a lower case (inverter accommodating portion) 40, which will be described later. In other words, the housing 2 and the lower case 40 form a closed space inside the housing 2. As shown in FIG. 2 , a scroll compression mechanism 7, a motor 17, and the like, which will be described later, are accommodated inside the housing 2 (more specifically, inside the main body 3). The housing 2 is filled with a gaseous refrigerant.

[0013] The main body 3 is a cylindrical member extending along a central axis C. In this embodiment, the central axis of the main body 3 coincides with the central axis C of the drive shaft 18. Circular openings are formed at both axial ends of the main body 3. The opening at one end of the main body 3 is closed by a lid-shaped closing portion 4. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the main body 3 and the closing portion 4 are connected by a plurality of bolts 9. The opening at the other end of the main body 3 is closed by a lower case 40. As shown in FIG. 1, the main body 3 and the lower case 40 are connected by a plurality of bolts 38. A first connecting portion 51 that engages with the lower case 40 is provided at the other end of the main body 3. Details of the first connecting portion 51 will be described later.

[0014] As shown in Fig. 2, a known scroll compression mechanism (compression mechanism) 7 consisting of a pair of fixed scrolls 5 and an orbiting scroll 6 is incorporated into one end of the cylindrical main body 3. High-pressure refrigerant gas compressed by the scroll compression mechanism 7 is discharged into a discharge chamber 10 via a discharge port 8 and a discharge valve (not shown) provided at the outlet of the discharge port 8. The refrigerant gas discharged into the discharge chamber 10 is discharged to the outside of the housing 2 via a discharge port (not shown) provided in the closing portion 4.

[0015] The fixed scroll 5 is fixed to the closure portion 4 with bolts 11. The orbiting scroll 6 is rotatably supported on a thrust bearing (not shown) via a rotation-preventing means such as an Oldham link (not shown) or a pin-and-ring system (not shown). The fixed scroll 5 and the orbiting scroll 6 are meshed together to form a compression chamber 14 between them. As the orbiting scroll 6 is driven to revolve, the refrigerant gas moves within the compression chamber 14 from the outer periphery to the center, reducing the volume. In this way, the scroll compression mechanism 7 compresses the refrigerant gas.

[0016] A motor 17 consisting of a stator 15 and a rotor 16 is installed at the other end of the cylindrical main body 3. A drive shaft 18 is integrally connected to the rotor 16. The drive shaft 18 is rotatably supported by a first bearing 20 installed near the center of the main body 3 and a second bearing 21 installed in the lower case 40. The drive shaft 18 rotates around a central axis C by the driving force of the motor 17. A crank pin 19 installed at one end of the drive shaft 18 is supported by a balance bush 22. and is connected to the orbiting scroll 6 via an orbiting bearing 23. As a result, the drive shaft 18 transmits the driving force of the motor 17 to the orbiting scroll 6, i.e., the scroll compression mechanism .

[0017] Stator 15 includes stator core 27, which is formed by laminating a required number of electromagnetic steel sheets that have been stamped into an annular shape. A plurality of teeth that protrude radially inward are provided on the inner peripheral surface of stator core 27. Coils are wound around the teeth via insulating bobbins 25. The rotor 16 is formed by laminating multiple magnetic steel plates that have been punched into an annular shape. Balance weights 29 are provided on both end surfaces of the rotor 16. A drive shaft 18 is connected to the center of the rotor 16. Furthermore, permanent magnets (not shown) in numbers corresponding to the number of motor poles are embedded in the outer periphery of the rotor 16.

[0018] Next, the inverter 30 and the lower case (inverter housing portion) 40 will be described. As shown in Fig. 3, the electric compressor 1 includes an inverter 30 that drives the motor 17 and a lower case 40 that houses the inverter 30. For convenience of illustration, the inverter 30 is omitted from Fig. 2.

[0019] The inverter 30 converts DC power supplied from an external battery or the like into three-phase AC power of a required frequency and applies it to the motor 17 via hermetic terminals (not shown) that penetrate the lower case 40, thereby driving the motor 17.

[0020] The inverter 30 also includes a power board (not shown) on which a switching circuit is mounted, which is composed of a plurality of power transistors such as IGBTs, which are power semiconductor switching elements (hereinafter referred to as "switching elements 31"); a control board (not shown) on which a control communication circuit is mounted, which is composed of elements that operate at low voltage, such as a CPU, that controls the switching circuit based on a control signal input from the outside; and electrical components such as a capacitor 33 and a coil 34 that form a filter circuit for removing noise.

[0021] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the lower case 40 is connected to the housing 2, which is arranged next to the lower case 40 in the axial direction (a predetermined direction). An inverter accommodating space 43 is formed inside the lower case 40. The inverter 30 described above is accommodated in the inverter accommodating space 43. The lower case 40 has a lid portion 41 that defines the other axial end of the inverter accommodating space 43, and a base portion 42 that defines one axial end and one radial end of the inverter accommodating space 43. The lid portion 41 and the base portion 42 are fixed together with a plurality of bolts 50.

[0022] The lid portion 41 integrally has a flat plate portion 46 that defines the other axial end side of the inverter accommodating space 43, and a cylindrical flange portion 47 that extends and bends at approximately a right angle from the radial outer end of the flat plate portion 46.

[0023] The base 42 integrally includes an installation portion 44 that defines one axial end of the inverter accommodating space 43, and a frame portion 45 that is a substantially rectangular frame body that defines the radial end of the inverter accommodating space 43. The frame portion 45 extends from the radial outer end of the installation portion 44, bending at a substantially right angle. One end of the frame portion 45 contacts the other end of the flange portion 47 of the cover 41.

[0024] The installation portion 44 is a plate-shaped member. The switching element 31, the capacitor 33, and the coil 34 are installed on the installation portion 44. The installation portion 44 has a first installation portion 44a where the switching element 31 is installed, a second installation portion 44b where the capacitor 33 is installed, and a third installation portion (outer portion) 44c where the coil 34 is installed.

[0025] The first installation portion 44a is located closer to the other end in the axial direction than the second installation portion 44b. The first installation portion 44a and the second installation portion 44b are connected via a first step portion 44d. The second installation portion 44b is located closer to the other end in the axial direction than the third installation portion 44c. The second installation portion 44b and the third installation portion 44c are connected via a second step portion 44e. In this way, the first mounting portion 44a and the second mounting portion 44b are connected via a step, and the second mounting portion 44b and the third mounting portion 44c are connected via a step. Accordingly, the axial length of the inverter accommodating space 43 is also such that the portion defined by the first mounting portion 44a is the shortest, the portion defined by the second mounting portion 44b is the second shortest, and the portion defined by the third mounting portion 44c is the longest.

[0026] The first installation portion 44a is a plate-shaped member and is provided on the central axis C. As shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of switching elements 31 are fixed to the other surface (the surface facing the inverter accommodating space 43) of the first installation portion 44a. One side surface of the first installation portion 44a faces the space (more specifically, the space 24) formed inside the housing 2. A bearing fixing portion 48 that protrudes from one end is integrally formed on one side surface of the first installation portion 44a. The bearing fixing portion 48 has a cylindrical portion centered on the central axis C. The second bearing 21 is fixed to the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion.

[0027] The second installation portion 44b is a plate-shaped member and is provided closer to one end than the first installation portion 44a. As shown in Fig. 3, an electrical component such as a capacitor 33 is fixed to the other surface of the second installation portion 44b (the surface facing the inverter accommodating space 43). A part of a second connection portion 55, which will be described later, is provided on one surface of the second installation portion 44b.

[0028] The third installation portion 44c is a plate-shaped member and is provided closer to one end than the first installation portion 44a and the second installation portion 44b. The third installation portion 44c is provided radially outward than the second connection portion 55 described below. The second installation portion 44b is provided closer to one end in the axial direction than the other end of the second connection portion 55. 3, electrical components such as the coil 34 are fixed to the other surface of the third installation portion 44c (the surface facing the inverter accommodating space 43). An HV connector 36 is attached to substantially the entire surface of one side of the third installation portion 44c.

[0029] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the lower case 40 is provided with a suction port (suction portion) 28 for drawing in low-pressure refrigerant gas from the refrigeration cycle. Although the suction port 28 is provided in the lower case 40, an opening 28a formed at the downstream end of the suction port 28 opens to the space inside the housing 2. Specifically, the opening 28a formed at the downstream end of the suction port 28 opens to the space 24 between the lower case 40 and the other end of the motor 17. Furthermore, the opening 28a is positioned so as to be located between the bearing fixing portion 48 and the first step portion 44d when viewed from above. The suction port 28 guides the drawn low-pressure refrigerant gas into the interior of the housing 2 (specifically, the space 24 between the lower case 40 and the other end of the motor 17). The low-pressure refrigerant gas introduced into the space 24 is guided to the scroll compression mechanism 7 via a refrigerant flow path (not shown) formed in the motor 17 and compressed by the scroll compression mechanism 7. In the present embodiment, an example has been described in which the opening 28a of the suction port 28 is disposed between the bearing fixing portion 48 and the first step portion 44d, but the location of the opening 28a is not limited to this. The bearing fixing portion 48 is provided on the central axis C and is spaced apart from the lower case 40. Therefore, even if the opening 28a is disposed so as to overlap with the bearing fixing portion 48, the bearing fixing portion 48 is unlikely to obstruct the flow of the sucked refrigerant. Therefore, the opening 28a does not need to be disposed to avoid the bearing fixing portion 48. Therefore, for example, the opening 28a of the suction port 28 may be disposed so as to overlap with the bearing fixing portion 48 in a plan view.

[0030] Next, the connection between the main body 3 and the lower case 40 will be described in detail. 2 and 3, a first connection portion 51 is provided at one end of the main body portion 3. The first connection portion 51 is a part of the main body portion 3 and is cylindrical. That is, the first connection portion 51 has a cylindrical shape with a central axis line (first central axis line) C as its center. The main body 3 has a protrusion 52 that protrudes radially outward from its outer peripheral surface. The first connecting portion 51 is provided closer to one end in the axial direction than the protrusion 52. A plurality of grooves 53 (two in this embodiment) are formed in the outer peripheral surface of the first connecting portion 51. Each groove 53 is formed over the entire circumferential area of ​​the first connecting portion 51. The plurality of grooves 53 are arranged side by side at predetermined intervals in the axial direction. As shown in FIG. 2, an annular O-ring (elastic member) 60 is arranged inside each groove 53. The grooves 53 are formed, for example, by a lathe machining device. For convenience of illustration, the O-rings are omitted from FIG. 3.

[0031] The lower case 40 has a second connection portion 55 that protrudes from the other surface of the installation portion 44. The second connection portion 55 is provided so as to overlap the first installation portion 44a and the second installation portion 44b when viewed in the axial direction. The second connection portion 55 is provided integrally with the installation portion 44. The second connection portion 55 has a cylindrical shape centered on a central axis (second central axis) C. The second connection portion 55 has a larger diameter than the first connection portion 51. When the lower case 40 and the housing 2 are connected, the inner circumferential surface of the second connecting portion 55 contacts the outer circumferential surface of the first connecting portion 51. The inner circumferential surface of the second connecting portion 55 also contacts the O-ring 60 disposed in the groove 53. One axial end (tip end) of the second connecting portion 55 abuts against the protruding portion 52. The other axial end (base end) of the second connecting portion 55 is connected to the installation portion 44.

[0032] In this way, the connection portion between the housing 2 (more specifically, the main body 3) and the lower case 40 has the first connection portion 51 inserted into the second connection portion 55. Furthermore, the connection portion between the housing 2 and the lower case 40 is sealed to prevent leakage of the refrigerant inside the housing 2 by surface contact between the inner circumferential surface of the first connection portion 51 and the outer circumferential surface of the second connection portion 55, which extend in the axial direction. Furthermore, the O-ring 60 housed in the groove 53 formed in the inner circumferential surface of the first connection portion 51 is pressed by the first connection portion 51 and the second connection portion 55 and deforms, thereby sealing the connection portion.

[0033] According to this embodiment, the following advantageous effects are achieved. For example, as in the electric compressor 100 according to the comparative example shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , if the first connection portion 151 of the housing 102 is located radially outward of the second connection portion 155 of the lower case 140 and a groove 153 for accommodating an O-ring 160 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the second connection portion 155, it is necessary to perform machining to form the groove on the outer peripheral surface of the second connection portion 155 of the lower case 140. In this case, a machining device (e.g., a lathe machining device) must reach the outer peripheral surface from the radially outer side of the second connection portion 155. In this case, for example, if a component that can be removed from the lower case 140, such as the HV connector 136, is machined in the removed state, it will not interfere with the machining device. However, if an inseparable structure, such as a part of the lower case 140 (e.g., the third installation portion 44c in this embodiment) is located radially outward of the second connection portion 155, there is a possibility that the machining device will interfere with the structure. For this reason, in the electric compressor 100 according to the comparative example, it is difficult to provide a structure (particularly a structure that cannot be separated from the lower case 140) on the radially outer side of the second connecting portion 155.

[0034] On the other hand, in this embodiment, the second connection portion 55 of the lower case 40 seals the connection portion between the main body 3 and the lower case 40 with its inner circumferential surface. This eliminates the need for sealing the outer circumferential surface of the second connection portion 55. Therefore, even if a structure (e.g., the third installation portion 44c) is provided radially outward of the second connection portion 55, the structure does not interfere with a processing device. This allows a structure to be provided radially outward of the second connection portion 55. As a result, the lower case 40 can be expanded radially outward of the second connection portion 55. That is, the axial length of the inverter accommodating space 43 defined by the third installation portion 44c can be increased toward one axial end compared to the lower case 140 according to the comparative example. This allows the volume of the inverter accommodating space 43 formed inside the lower case 40 to be increased without increasing the axial length of the electric compressor 1. Furthermore, the volume of the inverter accommodating space 43 formed inside the lower case 40 can be increased without increasing the length by which the lower case 40 protrudes from the housing 2 toward one end in the axial direction. Furthermore, if the volume of the inverter accommodating space 43 in the lower case 40 is not increased, the lower case 40 can be expanded radially outward from the second connecting portion 55, thereby shortening the axial length of the electric compressor 1. In this way, the degree of freedom in design can be improved, and the internal volume of the lower case 40 can be increased in the radial and axial directions without any manufacturing constraints. In addition, the shape can be made to match the layout of the installation (in this embodiment, a vehicle, as an example) of the electric compressor 1, making it easier to install it in the installation location.

[0035] In this embodiment, a groove 53 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the first connecting portion 51, and a groove 53 is formed in the groove 53 to accommodate an O-ring 60 that contacts the inner peripheral surface of the second connecting portion 55. As a result, the O-ring 60 elastically deforms when it comes into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the second connecting portion 55. Therefore, leakage of refrigerant from the connecting portion between the main body 3 and the lower case 40 can be further suppressed.

[0036] Furthermore, since the groove 53 is formed in the first connecting portion 51 of the main body 3, there is no need to form a groove 53 in the lower case 40. This reliably makes it possible to achieve a structure in which it is not necessary to perform sealing processing on the outer peripheral surface of the second connecting portion 55 of the lower case 40.

[0037] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the second connection portion 55 of the lower case 40 is located radially outward of the first connection portion 51 of the housing 2. That is, the second connection portion 55 abuts against the first connection portion 51 from the radially outer side. Therefore, the outer peripheral surface of the second connection portion 55 is exposed. As a result, the area of ​​the outer peripheral surface of the lower case 40 is increased by the amount that the second connection portion 55 is exposed to the outside. Therefore, the intake port 28 can be provided on the outer peripheral surface of the lower case 40. That is, in the case of lower case 140 according to the comparative example, as shown in Fig. 4, the area of ​​the outer peripheral surface of lower case 140 is insufficient, making it difficult to provide suction port 128 on the outer peripheral surface of lower case 140. For this reason, electric compressor 100 according to the comparative example provides suction port 128 on the outer peripheral surface of housing 102. By providing suction port 128 in housing 102, the position of suction port 128 overlaps with motor 117, as shown in Fig. 5. For this reason, refrigerant drawn in through suction port 128 is likely to collide with motor 117. On the other hand, by providing the suction port 28 in the lower case 40 as in this embodiment shown in Fig. 2, the suction port 28 can be provided on the other axial end side of the electric compressor 1, compared to when the suction port 28 is provided in the housing 2. This allows the suction port 28 to be provided in a position that does not overlap with the motor 17. Therefore, the refrigerant drawn through the suction port 28 is less likely to collide with the motor 17. This reduces the pressure loss of the refrigerant drawn through the suction port 28.

[0038] Furthermore, since the suction port 28 is provided in the lower case 40, the low-temperature refrigerant drawn in from the suction port 28 flows closer to the inverter 30 than when the suction port 28 is provided in the main body 3. Therefore, the inverter 30 can be more suitably cooled by the refrigerant.

[0039] 5, in the electric compressor 100 according to the comparative example, the first connection portion 151 is located radially outward of the second connection portion 155. Therefore, the end portion of the first connection portion 151 located on the outside is located near a corner close to the lower case 140, and foreign matter such as moisture (condensed water) is likely to remain in the corner, and the first connection portion 151 and members in contact with the first connection portion 151 are likely to corrode. 2, the second connection portion 55 is located radially outward of the first connection portion 51. Therefore, the end of the second connection portion 55 located on the outside is located away from the lower case 40 and away from corners, making it difficult for moisture (condensed water) and other foreign matter to accumulate, thereby suppressing corrosion of the second connection portion 55 and members in contact with the second connection portion 55.

[0040] 5, in the electric compressor 100 according to the comparative example, the first connection portion 151 is located radially outward of the second connection portion 155. The first connection portion 151 is an end portion of the cylindrical main body portion 103 that is long in the axial direction, and is therefore prone to deformation. 2, the second connection portion 55 is located radially outward of the first connection portion 51. The second connection portion 55 has a relatively short axial length and is therefore highly rigid. This makes it difficult for the second connection portion 55 to deform and move away from the first connection portion 51. This makes it difficult for a gap to form between the second connection portion 55 and the first connection portion 51, thereby further suppressing refrigerant leakage.

[0041] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. For example, in the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the switching element 31 is installed in the first installation portion 44a, the capacitor 33 is installed in the second installation portion 44b, and the coil 34 is installed in the third installation portion 44c, but the arrangement of the components that make up the inverter installed in the lower case 40 is not limited to this. The arrangement of the components that make up the inverter installed in the lower case 40 may be changed as appropriate depending on various conditions.

[0042] In the above embodiment, an example in which two grooves 53 are formed in the first connection portion 51 has been described, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The number of grooves 53 may be one, or may be three or more.

[0043] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the central axis of the first connecting portion 51 and the central axis of the second connecting portion 55 coincide, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The central axis of the first connecting portion 51 and the central axis of the second connecting portion 55 do not have to coincide.

[0044] The electric compressor according to the above-described embodiment can be understood, for example, as follows. An electric compressor according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a motor (17) that drives a compression mechanism (7) that compresses a refrigerant, an inverter (30) that drives the motor, a motor accommodating section (2) that is filled with the refrigerant and that accommodates the motor, and an inverter accommodating section (40) that is connected to the motor accommodating sections that are arranged side by side in a predetermined direction and that accommodates the inverter, wherein the motor accommodating section has a cylindrical first connection section (51) centered on a first central axis (C) that extends in the predetermined direction, and the inverter accommodating section has a cylindrical second connection section (55) centered on a second central axis (C) that extends in the predetermined direction, and the outer peripheral surface of the first connection section and the inner peripheral surface of the second connection section are in contact with each other.

[0045] In the above configuration, the outer peripheral surface of the first connection portion of the motor accommodating portion and the inner peripheral surface of the second connection portion of the inverter accommodating portion are in contact with each other. This makes it possible to prevent refrigerant from leaking from the connection portion between the motor accommodating portion and the inverter accommodating portion. The connection portion between the motor accommodating portion and the inverter accommodating portion can be sealed. For example, when performing some processing on the outer peripheral surface of the second connection portion of the inverter accommodating portion, it is necessary to have a processing device or the like reach the outer peripheral surface from the radial outside of the second connection portion (the direction intersecting with the second center axis). In this case, if there is some structure on the radial outside of the second connection portion, there is a possibility that the processing device will interfere with the structure. For this reason, when performing some processing on the outer peripheral surface of the second connection portion of the inverter accommodating portion, it is difficult to provide a structure on the radial outside of the second connection portion. On the other hand, in the above configuration, the second connection portion of the inverter accommodating portion seals the connection portion between the motor accommodating portion and the inverter accommodating portion with its inner circumferential surface. This eliminates the need for sealing the outer circumferential surface of the second connection portion. Therefore, even if a structure is provided radially outward of the second connection portion, the structure does not interfere with a processing device. This allows a structure to be provided radially outward of the second connection portion. As a result, the inverter accommodating portion can be expanded radially outward of the second connection portion. This allows the internal volume of the inverter accommodating portion to be increased without increasing the length of the electric compressor in the predetermined direction. Furthermore, the internal volume of the inverter accommodating portion can be increased without increasing the protruding length of the inverter accommodating portion from the motor accommodating portion in the predetermined direction. Furthermore, if the internal volume of the inverter accommodating portion is not increased, the inverter accommodating portion can be expanded radially outward of the second connection portion, thereby shortening the length of the electric compressor in the predetermined direction. In this way, the degree of freedom in design can be improved, and the internal volume of the inverter accommodating section can be increased in the radial direction and in a predetermined direction without any manufacturing constraints. In addition, the shape can be made to match the layout of the installation location of the electric compressor, making it easier to install it in the installation location.

[0046] In addition, in the electric compressor according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a groove (53) is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the first connecting portion to accommodate an elastic member (60) that contacts the inner peripheral surface of the second connecting portion.

[0047] In the above configuration, a groove is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the first connection portion, and a groove is formed in the groove to accommodate an elastic member that contacts the inner peripheral surface of the second connection portion. As a result, the elastic member elastically deforms when it comes into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the second connection portion. This makes it possible to further suppress refrigerant leakage from the connection portion between the motor accommodating portion and the inverter accommodating portion. Furthermore, because a groove is formed in the first connection portion of the motor accommodating portion, there is no need to form a groove in the inverter accommodating portion, which reliably eliminates the need to perform sealing processing on the outer peripheral surface of the second connection portion of the inverter accommodating portion.

[0048] In the electric compressor according to one aspect of the present disclosure, a suction portion (28) that guides the refrigerant into the motor housing portion is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the inverter housing portion.

[0049] In the above configuration, the inverter housing is provided with a suction section. This allows the low-temperature refrigerant drawn in through the suction section to flow closer to the inverter than when the suction section is provided in the motor housing. This allows the inverter to be more efficiently cooled by the refrigerant.

[0050] In addition, in an electric compressor according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the inverter accommodating portion has an outer portion (44c) located radially outward of the second connection portion, and the outer portion is located closer to the motor accommodating portion than the end of the second connection portion opposite the motor accommodating portion side.

[0051] In the above configuration, the inverter accommodating portion is provided with an outer portion located radially outward from the second connection portion. This allows the inverter accommodating portion to expand radially outward by the amount of the outer portion. This makes it possible to increase the internal volume of the inverter accommodating portion without increasing the length of the electric compressor in the predetermined direction. Furthermore, if the internal volume of the inverter accommodating portion is not increased, the inverter accommodating portion can be expanded radially outward from the second connection portion, thereby shortening the length of the electric compressor in the predetermined direction. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 1: Electric compressor 2: Housing 3: Main body 4: Closed part 5: Fixed scrolling 6: Rotating scroll 7: Scroll compression mechanism 8:Discharge port 9: Bolt 10: Discharge chamber 11: Bolt 14: Compression chamber 15: Stator 16: Rotor 17: Motor 18: Drive shaft 19: Crank pin 20: First bearing 21: Second bearing 22: Balance bush 23: Slewing bearing 24: Space 25: Insulated bobbin 27: Stator core 28: Intake port 28a:Aperture 29: Balance weight 30: Inverter 31: Switching element 33: Capacitor 34: Coil 36: HV connector 38: Bolt 40: Lower case 41: Lid part 42: Base 43: Inverter housing space 44: Installation part 44a: 1st installation part 44b: 2nd installation part 44c: 3rd installation part 44d: First stage 44e: Second stage 45: Frame 46: Flat plate part 47: Flange part 48: Bearing fixing part 50: Bolt 51: First connection part 52:Protrusion 53: Groove 55: Second connection part 60: O-ring

Claims

1. a motor that drives a compression mechanism that compresses a refrigerant; an inverter that drives the motor; a motor housing portion that is filled with the refrigerant and that houses the motor; an inverter accommodating section that is connected to the motor accommodating sections that are arranged side by side in a predetermined direction and that has an inverter accommodating space that accommodates the inverter, a motor accommodating space for accommodating the motor is formed by the motor accommodating portion and the inverter accommodating portion, the motor accommodating portion has a cylindrical first connection portion centered on a first central axis extending in the predetermined direction, the inverter accommodating portion includes a cylindrical second connection portion centered on a second central axis extending in the predetermined direction, and an installation portion that defines one end of the inverter accommodating space in the predetermined direction, an outer circumferential surface of the first connection portion and an inner circumferential surface of the second connection portion are in contact with each other, the installation portion of the inverter accommodating portion has one surface facing the motor accommodating space and the other surface facing the inverter accommodating space, an intake portion provided on an outer peripheral surface of the inverter accommodating portion to guide the refrigerant toward a space within the inverter accommodating portion in the motor accommodating space without passing through the inverter accommodating space;

2. The electric compressor according to claim 1 , wherein the outer peripheral surface of the first connecting portion is formed with a groove for accommodating an elastic member that contacts the inner peripheral surface of the second connecting portion.

3. the inverter accommodating portion has an outer portion located radially outward of the second connection portion, The electric compressor according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the outer portion is located closer to the motor accommodating portion than an end of the second connecting portion opposite to the motor accommodating portion.

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