Aggregation Module

Abstract

To provide an intensive module that can be downsized.SOLUTION: An intensive module 1 includes a plurality of drivers 82 that supply current to each of a plurality of auxiliary devices 2 mounted on a vehicle, a common board 20 on which the plurality of drivers 82 are mounted, a plurality of bus bar bodies 90 that respectively supply power to the plurality of drivers 82, and a module housing 30 that holds the board 20 and the plurality of bus bar bodies 90. Each of the plurality of busbar bodies 90 is a primary molded product in which a plurality of bus bars 80 are integrally molded, and the module housing 30 holds each of the plurality of primary molded products.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an aggregation module that includes a driver for energizing accessories mounted on a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, vehicles are equipped with various accessories (for example, electric pumps, valve devices, etc.). These accessories are energized by the driver. Technology relating to such drivers is disclosed, for example, in Patent Document 1, the source of which is shown below.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes an inverter device that includes a power module with a switching element, a cooling module that cools the power module, a control board that includes a control circuit that controls the switching element, an AC bus bar that is connected to an AC terminal of the power module, and a current sensor that detects the current flowing through the AC bus bar. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-153228 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The inverter device described in Patent Document 1 is miniaturized by providing a control board with a power module mounted on one side of the cooling module and providing an AC bus bar and a current sensor on the other side of the cooling module. However, as described above, a vehicle is equipped with various accessories, and providing an inverter device for each accessory would result in a large size. Therefore, when considering compatibility with multiple accessories, there is room for improvement in miniaturization.

[0006] Therefore, there is a demand for an aggregation module that can be made smaller. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The cooling module according to the present invention has a characteristic configuration including a plurality of drivers for supplying current to a plurality of auxiliary devices mounted on a vehicle, a common board on which the plurality of drivers are mounted, and before The above driver and the auxiliary machine. Multiple With busbar The module housing includes a busbar body and a module housing that holds the substrate and the plurality of busbar bodies, each of the plurality of busbar bodies being a primary molded product in which a plurality of busbars are integrally molded, and the module housing holds each of the plurality of primary molded products.

[0008] With this characteristic configuration, a common board on which multiple drivers are mounted and multiple 、 driver and a plurality of bus bars provided across the auxiliary machinery. Since the busbar body is held in a common module housing, it can be made smaller than, for example, a case in which multiple drivers are mounted on separate boards and the busbars are provided separately from the boards. This allows for a lighter aggregated module. Furthermore, considering installation in a vehicle, the downsizing allows for greater flexibility in installation. Furthermore, since the busbar body is made as a one-piece molded product, the cumbersome process of positioning each busbar and manufacturing the module housing can be eliminated.

[0009] Preferably, the module housing is formed from a secondary molded product obtained by integrally molding a plurality of the primary molded products into one.

[0010] With this configuration, the busbar body can be easily held in the module housing. Furthermore, since the primary molded product can be molded from resin or the like to form a secondary molded product, the busbars can be easily positioned, improving molding accuracy. In this way, a module housing that holds multiple busbars can be easily constructed.

[0011] Preferably, the busbar body includes a main body having a groove, the busbar accommodated in the groove, a holding member that holds the busbar in the groove, and a cover member that covers the busbar held by the holding member, including at least a portion of the main body.

[0012] With this configuration, the holding member can position and hold each of the multiple bus bars housed in the grooves of the main body, and the cover member can improve the waterproofness and mechanical strength of the bus bars.

[0013] Preferably, one of the bus bars is housed in one of the grooves.

[0014] With this configuration, the module housing is configured to individually hold the bus bars, which prevents the bus bars from shorting out with each other, thereby preventing short-circuiting failure of the driver.

[0015] Alternatively, a plurality of the bus bars may be accommodated in one of the grooves, and an insulating member may be provided between two of the plurality of bus bars that are adjacent to each other.

[0016] This configuration allows multiple bus bars to be stacked in one groove, which reduces the size of the bus bar body along the line (width direction) of the multiple bus bars compared to when a single bus bar is placed in one groove, thereby improving the degree of freedom in placement when installing the aggregation module in a vehicle.

[0017] Preferably, the module housing has a flow path housing formed therein with a cooling flow path for circulating a cooling liquid.

[0018] With this configuration, the substrates and bus bars are aggregated by the aggregation module, and the cooling flow paths are aggregated by the flow path housing, so the module housing can be made smaller.

[0019] Preferably, the module housing is provided with a heat sink extending from the bus bar body to the cooling flow path.

[0020] With this configuration, a heat sink is provided across the busbar body having the busbar and the cooling flow path, so heat generated in the busbar can be dissipated via the heat sink to the coolant flowing through the cooling flow path. This allows the busbar to be appropriately cooled, resulting in an integrated module with excellent cooling efficiency. Furthermore, by configuring the driver so that heat generated in the driver is transferred to the busbar, the driver can also be cooled via the busbar and the heat sink. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the cooling module. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a busbar body. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating another example of a busbar body. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating another example of a busbar body. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] The aggregation module according to the present invention is configured so that a plurality of drivers can be mounted on a board. The aggregation module 1 of this embodiment will be described below.

[0023] Fig. 1 is a side cross-sectional view of an aggregation module 1. As shown in Fig. 1, aggregation module 1 is configured to include a driver 82, a substrate 20, a busbar body 90, and a module housing 30. Fig. 2 shows a view of substrate 20 as seen from above.

[0024] A plurality of drivers 82 are provided, and each driver supplies electricity to a plurality of accessories 2 mounted on the vehicle. The plurality of accessories 2 mounted on the vehicle are a plurality of devices that assist in driving a power source (for example, an engine or a rotating electric machine) that runs (drives) the vehicle in which the aggregation module 1 is mounted. Examples of such accessories 2 include a generator, a radiator, an oil pump, a water pump, motors for driving these pumps, and valve devices. A vehicle is equipped with such a plurality of accessories 2, and in this embodiment, the plurality of accessories 2 includes a motor 81, a water pump 3, and a valve device 4. Details will be described later, but in this embodiment, the motor 81 drives the valve device 4. The motor 81, the water pump 3, and the valve device 4 will be described later.

[0025] The driver 82 energizes the motor 81 and the water pump 3. The driver 82 can be configured to include a plurality of arm sections each having a high-side switching element and a low-side switching element connected in series with each other, such as an H-bridge or a three-phase inverter.

[0026] An operation command is transmitted from a control unit (not shown) to each of the drivers 82. The operation command includes command values ​​such as rotation speed and output torque, and the driver 82 is controlled based on these command values. As a result, a current of a current value corresponding to the command value flows from the driver 82 to the coil of the motor 81 that drives the valve device 4 and the coil of the motor (not shown) of the water pump 3.

[0027] A plurality of drivers 82 are mounted on the substrate 20. In this embodiment, the plurality of drivers 82 are mounted on a common substrate 20. That is, a plurality of drivers 82 are mounted on a single substrate 20. In FIG. 1, the drivers 82 are shown as a driver 82A that energizes the motor 81, a driver 82B that energizes the motor of the water pump 3A, and a driver 82C that energizes the motor of the water pump 3B.

[0028] In this embodiment, a motor 81, a driver 82A, a driver 82B, and a driver 82C are mounted on the substrate 20. The drivers 82A, 82B, and 82C are configured using switching elements, and terminals of the switching elements can be fixed by soldering to lands provided on the substrate 20. Of course, the terminals of the switching elements can also be fixed by inserting them into through holes provided in the substrate 20.

[0029] Furthermore, a control unit (not shown) that controls at least one of the plurality of drivers 82 may be mounted on the substrate 20. The control unit that controls at least one of the plurality of drivers 82 corresponds to a PWM control unit, for example, when the motor 81 or the water pump 3 is driven by PWM control. The control unit is not limited to a PWM control unit, and may be, for example, a power supply control unit that is provided at the input stage of the driver 82 and is capable of cutting off power supplied to the driver 82.

[0030] Such a substrate 20 is configured as a rigid substrate from the viewpoint of heat dissipation and load resistance. In particular, by configuring it using a printed circuit board, it can be realized at low cost.

[0031] A plurality of busbar bodies 90 are provided (see FIG. 4 ), and supply power to each of the plurality of drivers 82. The busbar body 90 has a plurality of bus bars 80. For example, if the driver 82 is configured as an H-bridge, the busbar body 90 has two bus bars 80, and if the driver 82 is configured as a three-phase inverter, the busbar body 90 has three bus bars 80. In this embodiment, the busbar body 90 will be described as having three bus bars 80. A busbar body 90 having three bus bars 80 is provided corresponding to each driver 82. That is, for example, in the case where the driver 82 is configured with a driver 82A, a driver 82B, and a driver 82C, as in this embodiment, three busbar bodies 90 are provided. Note that, for example, two of the three busbar bodies 90 may be shared (one busbar body 90 supplies power to two drivers 82), thereby providing two busbar bodies 90 for three drivers 82.

[0032] Each of the multiple busbar bodies 90 is formed as a primary molded product in which multiple busbars 80 are integrally molded. FIG. 3 shows a side cross-sectional view of the busbar body 90. As shown in FIG. 3, the busbar body 90 has a main body portion 91, busbars 80, a holding member 93, and a cover member 95. The main body portion 91 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape using an insulating resin material. One surface (e.g., the top surface 91A) of the main body portion 91 has grooves 92 aligned in a predetermined direction. The grooves 92 are formed in accordance with the number of busbars 80 included in the busbar body 90. In the example of FIG. 3, the busbar body 90 has three busbars 80, and therefore three grooves 92 are formed in the main body portion 91.

[0033] The busbar 80 is accommodated in the groove 92. In this embodiment, one groove 92 accommodates one busbar 80. Therefore, the inner dimension of the groove 92 is set to be slightly larger than the outer dimension of the busbar 80. The busbar 80 accommodated in the groove 92 is held by a holding member 93 to position it within the groove 92. In the example shown in FIG. 3 , the holding member 93 is provided on the bottom 92A of the groove 92 and is further provided to cover the busbar 80 with the busbar 80 placed on the holding member 93 provided on the bottom 92A. In this case, it is preferable that the holding member 93 is provided so as to include not only the busbar 80 but also at least a portion of the top surface 91A of the main body 91. This makes it possible to sandwich and hold the busbar 80 accommodated in the groove 92 between the bottom 92A and the top surface 91A of the groove 92. Such a holding member 93 can be made of, for example, an insulating thermosetting resin or a foam adhesive. In this case, in order to harden the thermosetting resin or foam adhesive, it is possible to heat it using a heater or induction heating.

[0034] A cover member 95 is provided to cover the bus bar 80 held by the holding member 93, including at least a portion of the main body 91. The cover member 95 may be made of, for example, an insulating resin paste. By hardening this resin paste, it is possible to improve the waterproofing properties of the bus bar 80 and also improve its mechanical strength. Such a bus bar body 90 is made as a primary molded product integrally formed with the bus bar 80 by, for example, insert molding. In this embodiment, a plurality of such primary molded products are made. Note that the holding member 93 and the cover member 95 are omitted from FIG. 1 for ease of understanding.

[0035] Returning to FIG. 1 , the module housing 30 holds the substrate 20 and the busbar body 90. The module housing 30 is made of, for example, resin. The module housing 30 has a flow path housing 40, which will be described later. In this embodiment, the substrate 20 is held on an outer surface 41 of the flow path housing 40. The outer surface 41 of the flow path housing 40 is provided with a protrusion 42 that protrudes from the outer surface 41, and the substrate 20 is placed on the protrusion 42 and fastened with bolts 43.

[0036] Furthermore, the flow path housing 40 is formed with a plurality of wall portions 48 standing upright from the outer surface 41, and a top plate 46 is supported across these wall portions 48. As a result, the substrate 20 is accommodated in a space 47 surrounded by the flow path housing 40, the wall portions 48, and the top plate 46.

[0037] The module housing 30 also holds each of the multiple primary molded products described above. Each of the multiple primary molded products may be fastened to the module housing 30 using bolts, as in the case of the substrate 20, or holes may be formed in the module housing 30 in advance according to the outer dimensions of the primary molded products, and the primary molded products may be fitted into the holes to hold the primary molded products. In this embodiment, the module housing 30 is a secondary molded product formed by integrally molding multiple primary molded products into one. That is, the module housing 30 is formed using resin as described above. In this case, it is possible to further integrally mold each of the primary molded products formed in advance by insert molding into a secondary molded product. When the module housing 30 is formed as such a secondary molded product, the substrate 20 described above may be fastened to the secondary molded product using bolts 43 after the secondary molded product is formed.

[0038] Power is supplied between the busbar 80 of the busbar body 90 and a predetermined land of the substrate 20 via wiring 97 and press-fit 23. In the example of FIG. 1 , wiring 98 electrically connected to the busbar 80 is provided inside the wall portion 48, and a connector portion 49 is formed so as to protrude from the wall portion 48 on the side opposite to the space 47. This makes it possible to extract power from the busbar 80 via the connector portion 49.

[0039] The motor 81 drives the valve device 4. In this embodiment, a gear 81C is provided at one end of a rotation shaft 81B of a rotor 81A of the motor 81. A gear 81D that reduces the rotation speed of the motor 81 is provided to mesh with this gear 81C, and this gear 81D is configured to mesh with a gear 4B that is provided on the rotation shaft 4A of the valve device 4. This enables the motor 81 to drive the valve device 4.

[0040] The motor 81 is provided so that the other end of the rotation shaft 81B passes through the circuit board 20, and is supported on the circuit board 20 via a motor housing 81F. The motor housing 81F and the circuit board 20 may be fastened together using, for example, bolts, or may be fixed together by other methods. The motor 81 and the circuit board 20 can be electrically connected by inserting a press fit 22 into a through hole 21 provided in the circuit board 20.

[0041] As described above, the rotating shaft 81B of the motor 81 has the gear 81C provided at one end, and the other end is supported by a bearing inserted into a recess 44 formed in the outer surface 41. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the rotating shaft 81E of the gear 81D is also supported by a bearing inserted into a recess 45 formed in the outer surface 41. Therefore, the motor 81 and the gear 81D are held by the module housing 30.

[0042] The water pump 3 circulates coolant through a cooling flow path 70. The cooling flow path 70 is connected to a power source, such as an engine or a rotating electrical machine, or to a device other than the power source, such as a generator or a battery. The coolant discharged from the water pump 3 is supplied through the cooling flow path 70. The coolant may be a cooling water such as long-life coolant (LLC), insulating oil such as paraffin, or a refrigerant condensate such as hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) or hydrofluoroolefin (HFO). This allows the coolant to cool a supply destination (such as an engine, a rotating electrical machine, a generator, or a battery). In this embodiment, two water pumps 3 are provided as shown in FIG. 1 , and when distinguishing between them, one water pump 3 will be referred to as water pump 3A and the other water pump 3 will be referred to as water pump 3B.

[0043] The valve device 4 is configured to be able to adjust the amount of coolant flowing through the cooling flow path 70 or switch the flow path based on the output of the motor 81. As shown in FIG. 1 , the valve device 4 is provided in the cooling flow path 70. The valve device 4 may be provided to adjust the amount of coolant drawn into the water pump 3 or to switch the flow path, or may be provided to adjust the amount of coolant discharged from the water pump 3 or to switch the flow path. In this embodiment, the valve device 4 is provided in the cooling flow path 70 in which the water pump 3A is provided.

[0044] In this embodiment, the module housing 30 holds the substrate 20, as well as the water pump 3A, the water pump 3B, and the valve device 4. In this embodiment, the water pump 3A and the water pump 3B are provided so that the vane portions 3A1 and 3B1 are located on the cooling flow path 70 side of the module housing 30, and the valve device 4 is provided so that the valve portion 4C is located on the cooling flow path 70 side of the module housing 30.

[0045] The above-mentioned cooling flow passages 70 are formed inside the flow passage housing 40, and a coolant flows through these cooling flow passages 70. The flow passage housing 40 is made of resin, and the cooling flow passages 70 can be formed, for example, by drilling holes in the split surface.

[0046] The heat sink 50 is provided across the substrate 20 and the cooling channel 70. In this embodiment, one side of the heat sink 50 is attached to the substrate 20 via a gap filler 54, and the other side of the heat sink 50 is exposed to the cooling channel 70. As shown in FIG. 2 , the heat sink 50 may be attached to, for example, the back side of the area of ​​the substrate 20 where the driver 82 is mounted. Furthermore, when viewed from above, the heat sink 50 may be configured so that at least the portion where the cooling channel 70 overlaps with the heat sink 50 extends outward from the heat sink 50. That is, when viewed from above, the cooling channel 70 may be configured so that the heat sink 50 overlaps with the cooling channel 70. This allows heat from the driver 82 to be easily transferred to the heat sink 50. A sealing member 56 (e.g., an O-ring) may be provided on the flange 55 of the heat sink 50.

[0047] In this embodiment, the heat sink 50 is provided in the flow path housing 40 and has fins 51 that stand upright toward the inside of the cooling flow path 70. This allows the heat sink 50, to which heat from the driver 82 has been transferred, to be directly cooled by the coolant flowing through the cooling flow path 70. This allows the driver 82 to be cooled more efficiently. The heat sink 50 may be configured so that the fins 51 stand upright, intersecting (preferably perpendicular to) the flow direction of the coolant flowing through the cooling flow path 70, or so that the fins 51 stand upright, parallel to the flow direction of the coolant flowing through the cooling flow path 70. The heat sink 50 may also be configured to have a plurality of plate-like members or pins instead of the fins 51.

[0048] In this embodiment, the module housing 30 is provided with a heat sink 150 spanning the bus bar element 90 and the cooling flow path 70. The heat sink 150 is provided such that one side of the heat sink 150 is attached to the bus bar element 90 via a gap filler 154, and the other side of the heat sink 150 is exposed to the cooling flow path 70. As shown in FIG. 4 , the heat sink 150 may be attached to, for example, the rear side of the bus bar element 90 in an area where the bus bar 80 is provided. Furthermore, the heat sink 150 may be configured so that at least the cooling flow path 70 overlaps with the heat sink 150 when viewed from above the bus bar element 90. That is, the cooling flow path 70 may be configured so that the heat sink 150 overlaps with the cooling flow path 70 when viewed from above the bus bar element 90. This facilitates heat transfer from the bus bar 80 to the heat sink 150. A seal member 156 (e.g., an O-ring) may be provided on a flange 155 of the heat sink 150.

[0049] As described above, by configuring the module housing 30 to hold the busbar element 90 having the busbars 80 electrically connected to the drivers 82, it is possible to configure an aggregation module 1 that aggregates the drivers 82 and the busbars 80. With this type of aggregation module 1, it is possible to reduce the size even when the board 20 is provided with the drivers 82. The drivers 82 can also be appropriately cooled.

[0050] Other Embodiments In the above embodiment, the module housing 30 has been described as holding the motor 81, the gear 81D, the valve device 4, and the water pump 3. However, the module housing 30 may be configured to hold at least one of the motor 81, the gear 81D, the valve device 4, and the water pump 3. Furthermore, the module housing 30 does not have to hold the motor 81, the gear 81D, the valve device 4, and the water pump 3.

[0051] In the above embodiment, the busbar element 90 has been described as including a main body 91, a busbar 80, a holding member 93, and a cover member 95. For example, the busbar element 90 may be configured to include a main body 91, a busbar 80, and either a holding member 93 or a cover member 95. FIG. 5 shows a side cross-sectional view of such a busbar element 90. In this case, the holding member 93 and the cover member 95 may be provided as a common member. That is, the holding member 93 may have a function of holding the busbar 80 in the groove 92, while the cover member 95 may have a function of improving waterproofing and mechanical strength. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the busbar 80 may be accommodated in the groove 92 of the main body 91, and the cover member 95 (or the holding member 93) may be provided to include at least a portion of the top surface 91A of the main body 91 together with the busbar 80 accommodated in the groove 92. In this case, the cover member 95 (or the holding member 93) may or may not be provided on the bottom 92A of the groove 92.

[0052] In the above embodiment, one bus bar 80 is accommodated in one groove 92. For example, as shown in FIG. 6 , it is also possible to configure one groove 92 to accommodate multiple bus bars 80. In this case, a holding member 93 may be provided on the bottom 92A of one groove 92 formed in the main body 91, and the bus bars 80 and the holding member 93 may be alternately stacked on top of the holding member 93. In this case, a single sheet-like member may be used as the holding member 93, and the sheet may be folded as shown in FIG. 6 . Of course, the holding member 93 may be provided separately for each pair of adjacent bus bars 80. In either case, the holding member 93 between each pair of adjacent bus bars 80 among the multiple bus bars 80 may be made of an insulating material.

[0053] In the above embodiment, it has been described that a control unit that controls at least one of the plurality of drivers 82 is mounted on the board 20. However, the board 20 does not necessarily have to be mounted with a control unit.

[0054] In the above embodiment, the substrate 20 has been described as being supported on the outer surface 41 of the flow path housing 40. However, the substrate 20 may be supported at a location different from the outer surface 41 of the flow path housing 40, or may be supported in a state separated from the outer surface 41, for example.

[0055] The present invention can be used in an aggregation module that includes a driver that energizes accessories on a vehicle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 1: Aggregation module 2: Auxiliary equipment 20: Circuit board 30:Module housing 40: Flow path housing 80: Busbar 82: Driver 90: Busbar body 91: Main body 92: Groove 93: Holding member 95: Cover material 150: Heat sink

Claims

1. a plurality of drivers for energizing a plurality of auxiliary devices mounted on the vehicle, respectively; a common substrate on which a plurality of the drivers are mounted; a busbar body having a plurality of busbars provided across the driver and the auxiliary equipment; a module housing that holds the substrate and the plurality of bus bar bodies, each of the plurality of busbar bodies is a primary molded product in which a plurality of busbars are integrally molded; The module housing is an aggregation module that holds each of the plurality of primary molded products.

2. 2. The aggregation module according to claim 1, wherein the module housing is formed as a secondary molded product obtained by integrally molding a plurality of the primary molded products into one.

3. 3. The aggregation module according to claim 1, wherein the busbar body comprises: a main body having a groove; the busbar housed in the groove; a holding member that holds the busbar in the groove; and a cover member that covers the busbar held by the holding member, including at least a portion of the main body.

4. The aggregation module according to claim 3 , wherein one of the grooves accommodates one of the bus bars.

5. A plurality of the bus bars are housed in one of the grooves, The aggregation module according to claim 3 , wherein an insulating member is provided between two adjacent bus bars among the plurality of bus bars.

6. 3. The aggregation module according to claim 1, wherein the module housing has a flow passage housing formed therein with a cooling flow passage for circulating a cooling liquid.

7. The aggregation module according to claim 6 , wherein the module housing is provided with a heat sink across the bus bar body and the cooling flow path.

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