Inverter and electric compressor

Abstract

This inverter provides power to a motor of a motor unit, and comprises a substrate, a power semiconductor which is mounted on the substrate, a bus bar which has a first terminal that is mounted on the substrate and a second terminal that is on the opposite side to the first terminal, and a fixing part in which is fixed a fixing screw of the bus bar that couples a motor cable of the motor unit and the second terminal, wherein the fixing part is inserted in a through hole of the motor unit through which the motor cable passes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an inverter and an electric compressor.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an electric compressor including an inverter, a motor driven by electric power supplied from the inverter, and a compression unit operated by the motor. The inverter includes a power module (power semiconductor) for supplying electric power to the motor and a substrate on which the power semiconductor is mounted. In the electric compressor of Patent Document 1, the inverter and the motor are electrically connected by a connector.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, when connecting the inverter and the motor by wiring, miniaturization of the inverter may not be possible with respect to the structure of the motor depending on the structure of the wiring.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide an inverter capable of achieving miniaturization and an electric compressor including the same.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above problems, the inverter according to the present disclosure is an inverter that supplies power to the motor of a motor unit, comprising a substrate, a power semiconductor mounted on the substrate, a busbar mounted on the substrate having a first end and a second end opposite to the first end, and a fixing portion to which a busbar fixing screw that fastens the motor cable of the motor unit to the second end is fixed, wherein the fixing portion is inserted into a through hole of the motor unit through which the motor cable passes.

[0007] The electric compressor according to this disclosure comprises the inverter, the motor unit, and a compression unit connected to the motor. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to this disclosure, it is possible to miniaturize the inverter. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a cross-sectional view of an electric compressor according to the first embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 2] Figure 1 shows the electric compressor as viewed from the top surface of the substrate in the axial direction of the rotating shaft. [Figure 3] This figure shows the main components of an electric compressor according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] This figure illustrates the process for manufacturing an electric compressor according to the second embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 5] This figure shows the process that follows Figure 4. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] <First Embodiment> (Configuration of an electric compressor) The electric compressor of this embodiment is used, for example, in an in-vehicle air conditioner and is mounted in a vehicle or the like. As shown in Figure 1, the electric compressor 1 comprises a motor unit 3, a compression unit 4, and an inverter 5.

[0011] (Motor unit) The motor unit 3 comprises a motor 11 and a motor housing 12 having a housing space S1 (hereinafter referred to as the first housing space S1) that houses the motor 11. The motor 11 has a rotating shaft 13, a rotor 14, and a stator 15. The rotating shaft 13 is rotatably mounted to the motor housing 12 via bearings 16. The bearings 16 are attached to the motor housing 12 and the compression housing 42 (described later) on both sides of the rotor 14 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13 (motor 11). The rotor 14 is formed in a cylindrical shape with the rotating shaft 13 as its center and is integrally fixed to the rotating shaft 13.

[0012] The stator 15 has a cylindrical stator core 17 centered on the rotation axis 13, and coils 18 wound around the teeth of the stator core 17. The stator 15 is positioned outside the rotor 14 in the radial direction of the rotation axis 13. The stator 15 is also fitted inside the peripheral wall of the cylindrical motor housing 12. The stator 15 is positioned outside the bearing 16 in the radial direction of the rotation axis 13.

[0013] A motor cable 21 is connected to the coil 18. The motor cable 21 connects the coil 18 to the inverter 5 and supplies power from the inverter 5 to the coil 18. The motor cable 21 mainly extends from the coil 18 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13. As shown in Figure 2, there are three motor cables 21 in this embodiment.

[0014] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, in this embodiment, the tip of the motor cable 21 has a connection terminal 22 for connecting to the busbar 54 of the inverter 5, which will be described later. The connection terminal 22 in this embodiment has a ring-shaped connection portion 23. The ring-shaped connection portion 23 is provided such that its axis extends in the axial direction of the rotation shaft 13. The connection terminal 22 may be, for example, a crimp terminal attached to the tip of the motor cable 21.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, a through hole 31 for passing the motor cable 21 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13 is formed in the motor housing 12. The through hole 31 extends from the motor 11 to the inverter 5 described later. Specifically, the through hole 31 extends in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13 from the first accommodation space S1 of the motor housing 12 to the second accommodation space S2 of the inverter housing 51 described later. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the through hole 31 is located outside the bearing 16 and inside the outer periphery of the stator 15 when viewed in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13. Specifically, the through hole 31 is formed in a region overlapping the stator 15 (especially the coil 18) in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13. Further, the through hole 31 is formed so as to correspond to a part in the circumferential direction of the stator 15 having a cylindrical shape when viewed in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, a motor water cooling jacket 32 for cooling the motor 11 is provided in the motor housing 12. The motor water cooling jacket 32 is a flow path through which cooling water for cooling the motor 11 circulates, and is partitioned from the first accommodation space S1. In the present embodiment, the motor water cooling jacket 32 is disposed outside the outer periphery of the stator 15 (the peripheral wall of the motor housing 12).

[0017] (Compression section) The compression section 4 is disposed adjacent to one side in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13 with respect to the motor unit 3 and is connected to the motor 11. The compression section 4 includes a compression section main body 41 and a compression section housing 42. The compression section main body 41 is directly connected to the rotating shaft 13 of the motor 11 and rotates together with the rotating shaft 13 of the motor 11. The compression section housing 42 is provided integrally with the motor housing 12. In the compression section 4, when the compression section main body 41 rotates, the gas sucked into the compression section housing 42 is compressed and then discharged to the outside of the compression section housing 42. The air sucked into the compression section housing 42 is prevented from entering the first accommodation space SQ of the motor housing 12.

[0018] (Inverter) The inverter 5 is configured to supply power to the motor 11. The inverter 5 is disposed adjacent to the other side in the axial direction of the rotary shaft 13 with respect to the motor unit 3. That is, the inverter 5 is disposed such that the motor unit 3 is positioned between the inverter 5 and the compression unit 4 in the axial direction of the rotary shaft 13. The inverter 5 includes an inverter housing 51, a substrate 52, a power semiconductor 53, a bus bar 54, a fixing portion 55, and a bus bar housing 56.

[0019] (Inverter housing) The inverter housing 51 is provided integrally with the motor housing 12. The inverter housing 51 and the motor housing 12 together constitute a housing space S2 (hereinafter also referred to as the second housing space S2) for housing components of the inverter 5 such as the substrate 52, the power semiconductor 53, and the bus bar 54. A part of the second housing space S2 is defined by an end face 12a of the motor housing 12 located on the inverter 5 side. A through hole 31 is opened in the end face 12a of the motor housing 12. Thereby, the first housing space S1 of the motor housing 12 and the second housing space S2 of the inverter 5 are connected by the through hole 31.

[0020] The inverter housing 51 of the present embodiment is open on the side opposite to the motor housing 12 (the upper side in FIG. 1) in the axial direction of the rotary shaft 13. The inverter housing 51 has a lid portion 57 that closes the opening of the inverter housing 51 in an openable and closable manner.

[0021] (Substrate) The substrate 52 is positioned in the second housing space S2 such that its thickness direction is oriented in the axial direction of the rotation axis 13. The substrate 52 is held by the motor housing 12 such that a gap is formed between it and the end face 12a of the motor housing 12. The substrate 52 has a lower surface 52b facing the end face 12a of the motor housing 12 and an upper surface 52a facing the opposite side of the lower surface 52b. The upper surface 52a of the substrate 52 faces the opening side of the inverter housing 51. A wiring pattern 59 (see Figure 2) that constitutes the circuit of the inverter 5 is formed on the substrate 52.

[0022] (Power semiconductors) The power semiconductor 53 supplies power to the coil 18 of the motor 11 by being electrically connected to the coil 18. The power semiconductor 53 is mounted on a substrate 52. In this embodiment, the power semiconductor 53 is mounted on the lower surface 52b of the substrate 52, that is, it is positioned between the substrate 52 and the end face 12a of the motor housing 12. The power semiconductor 53 is also fixed to the end face 12a of the motor housing 12 by screws. This keeps the power semiconductor 53 in contact with the end face 12a of the motor housing 12.

[0023] The terminals 531 of the power semiconductor 53 connected to the coil 18 are connected to the substrate 52 by soldering or the like. As shown in Figure 2, the terminals 531 of the power semiconductor 53 are located in a region that overlaps with the bearing 16 when viewed from the axial direction of the rotation shaft 13. The power semiconductor 53 has three such terminals 531. The three terminals 531 are arranged in a line in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the power semiconductor 53 and the through hole 31 are aligned (left-right direction in Figure 2) when viewed from the axial direction of the rotation shaft 13 (up-down direction in Figure 2).

[0024] (Water-cooling jacket for semiconductors) As shown in Figure 1, the power semiconductor 53 in this embodiment is cooled by a semiconductor water-cooling jacket 33 provided inside the motor housing 12. The semiconductor water-cooling jacket 33 is a channel through which cooling water flows to cool the power semiconductor 53. The semiconductor water-cooling jacket 33 is positioned between the first housing space S1 and the end face 12a of the motor housing 12 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the semiconductor water-cooling jacket 33 is positioned with a gap between it and the through-hole 31 so as not to interfere with the through-hole 31.

[0025] (Bus bar) The busbar 54 is a strip-shaped plate made of a conductive material, and has a first end 541 that is mounted on the substrate 52, and a second end 542 located on the opposite side of the first end 541 and connected to the motor cable 21. The busbar 54 constitutes a connection wiring for electrically connecting the motor cable 21 and the power semiconductor 53. The first end 541 of the busbar 54 is connected to the substrate 52 by soldering or the like. As shown in Figure 1, the busbar 54 of this embodiment, like the power semiconductor 53, is positioned between the substrate 52 and the end face 12a of the motor housing 12. The busbar 54 has a first portion 581 that extends from the substrate 52 in the axial direction of the rotation axis 13, including a first end 541, and a second portion 582 that extends from the tip of the first portion 581 in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the rotation axis 13. The busbar 54 of this embodiment is formed in an L-shape. The second end 542 of the busbar 54 is located at the tip of the second portion 582 that extends from the first portion 581.

[0026] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the first portion 581 of the busbar 54, including the first end 541, is located in a region that overlaps with the bearing 16 when viewed from the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13, similar to the terminal 531 of the power semiconductor 53. The second portion 582 of the busbar 54 extends from the region that overlaps with the bearing 16 to a region outside the "region that overlaps with the bearing 16" and not overlapping with the bearing 16 (hereinafter referred to as the "region outside the bearing 16") when viewed from the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13. The second end 542 of the busbar 54 is located in a region that overlaps with the through hole 31 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13. Furthermore, the aforementioned "region outside the bearing 16" is the space outside the dashed circle indicated by reference numeral 16 in Figure 2, when viewed from the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13, within the second housing space S2. Also, the "region overlapping with the bearing 16" is the space inside the dashed circle indicated by reference numeral 16 in Figure 2, when viewed from the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13, within the second housing space S2.

[0027] As shown in Figure 2, the busbar 54 in this embodiment is located between the power semiconductor 53 and the through-hole 31 when viewed from the axial direction of the motor 11. In other words, the power semiconductor 53, the busbar 54, and the through-hole 31 are arranged in order in one direction (left-right direction in Figure 2). There are three busbars 54, corresponding to the number of motor cables 21 and the number of terminals 531 of the power semiconductor 53. The three busbars 54 are arranged in a line in the direction (up and down in Figure 2) where the three terminals 531 of the power semiconductor 53 are aligned, when viewed from the axial direction of the rotation axis 13.

[0028] The busbar 54 and the terminal 531 of the power semiconductor 53 are connected via a wiring pattern 59 formed on the substrate 52. The wiring pattern 59, together with the busbar 54, constitutes a connection wiring for electrically connecting the motor cable 21 and the power semiconductor 53.

[0029] (Fixed part) As shown in Figure 1, the fixing portion 55 is a part for connecting the motor cable 21 and the second end 542 of the busbar 54. A busbar fixing screw 58 for fastening the motor cable 21 and the second end 542 of the busbar 54 is fixed to the fixing portion 55. The fixing portion 55 is a female thread into which the busbar fixing screw 58 is screwed. In this embodiment, the fixing portion 55 is a nut having the female thread. The fixing portion 55, which is a nut, is positioned so that the axial direction of its female thread is oriented in the axial direction of the rotation axis 13. As shown in Figure 2, there are three fixing parts 55, which correspond to the number of motor cables 21 and busbars 54. The three fixing parts 55 are arranged in a line in the direction in which the busbars 54 are aligned (up and down in Figure 2).

[0030] As shown in Figure 1, the fixing portion 55 is inserted into the through-hole 31 of the motor housing 12. Therefore, as shown in Figure 2, when viewed from the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13, the fixing portion 55 is located outside the bearing 16 and inside the outer circumference of the stator 15, similar to the through-hole 31.

[0031] (Bus bar housing) As shown in Figure 1, the busbar housing 56 has electrical insulation and holds the busbar 54 and the fixing part 55. The busbar housing 56 has a housing body 561 and an insertion part 562. The housing body 561 holds three busbars 54. The housing body 561 is positioned between the substrate 52 and the end face 12a of the motor housing 12. Specifically, the housing body 561 rests on the end face 12a of the motor housing 12. The housing body 561 has a contact surface 561a that makes surface contact with the end face 12a of the motor housing 12.

[0032] The insertion portion 562 holds the three fixing portions 55. The insertion portion 562 is integrally formed with the housing body 561. Each fixing portion 55 held by the insertion portion 562 is positioned overlapping the second end 542 of each busbar 54 held by the housing body 561 on the motor 11 side. The insertion portion 562 protrudes from the contact surface 561a of the housing body 561. The insertion portion 562 is inserted into the through hole 31 together with the fixing portions 55 when the housing body 561 is placed on the end face 12a of the motor housing 12. The busbar housing 56, positioned as described above, is fixed to the motor housing 12 by screws. This allows the three busbars 54 and the three fixing parts 55 to be positioned collectively.

[0033] In this embodiment, the motor cable 21 and the busbar 54 are fastened together by passing the busbar fixing screw 58 through the connection portion 23 of the connection terminal 22 provided at the end of the motor cable 21 and then fixing it to the fixing portion 55. This electrically connects the motor cable 21 and the busbar 54. In the electric compressor 1 configured as described above, the power semiconductor 53 and the coil 18 of the motor 11 are electrically connected via the motor cable 21, the busbar 54, and the wiring pattern 59 of the circuit board 52.

[0034] (Manufacturing method for electric compressors) In the manufacture of the electric compressor 1 of this embodiment, the motor 11 is inserted into the first housing space S1 of the motor housing 12 from the compression section 4 side. This allows the motor cable 21 to be inserted into the through hole 31. Furthermore, the insertion portion 562 of the busbar housing 56 is inserted into the through hole 31, and the housing body 561 is placed on the end face 12a of the motor housing 12, and the busbar housing 56 is fixed to the motor housing 12 by screw fastening. As a result, the busbar 54 is positioned on the end face 12a of the motor housing 12, and the fixing portion 55 is inserted into the through hole 31. The fixing of the busbar housing 56 may be performed either before or after inserting the motor cable 21 into the through hole 31.

[0035] Subsequently, with the connection portion 23 of the connection terminal 22 of the motor cable 21 superimposed on the fixing portion 55 inserted into the through hole 31, the busbar fixing screw 58 is fixed to the fixing portion 55. This fastens the motor cable 21 to the second end 542 of the busbar 54. Furthermore, the power semiconductor 53 is fixed to the end face 12a of the motor housing 12. The fixing of the power semiconductor 53 may be performed before, after, or simultaneously with the above-described process.

[0036] After all the above steps are completed, the substrate 52 is placed above the power semiconductor 53, busbar 54, fixing part 55, and busbar housing 56. In this embodiment, by placing the substrate 52, the terminals 531 of the power semiconductor 53 and the first end 541 of the busbar 54 are inserted into the substrate 52 and protrude towards the upper surface 52a of the substrate 52. Then, the terminals 531 of the power semiconductor 53 and the first end 541 of the busbar 54 are connected to the substrate 52 by soldering or the like. As a result, the power semiconductor 53 and the coil 18 of the motor 11 are electrically connected via the motor cable 21, the busbar 54, and the wiring pattern 59 of the substrate 52. After the power semiconductor 53 and the coil 18 of the motor 11 are electrically connected, the opening of the inverter housing 51 may be closed with the cover part 57.

[0037] In the electric compressor 1 and inverter 5 of this embodiment, a fixing portion 55 for fastening the motor cable 21 to the second end 542 of the busbar 54 is inserted into a through hole 31 of the motor housing 12. Therefore, compared to the case where the fixing portion 55 is located on the end face 12a of the motor housing 12, the dimensions of the inverter 5 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13 can be kept smaller. In other words, the size of the inverter 5 located on the outside of the motor unit 3 can be kept smaller. Thus, the inverter 5 and the electric compressor 1 including it can be miniaturized.

[0038] Furthermore, in the electric compressor 1 and inverter 5 of this embodiment, a busbar 54 is used to connect the power semiconductor 53 and the motor cable 21. Therefore, the length of the wiring pattern 59 on the substrate 52 required for connecting the power semiconductor 53 and the motor cable 21 can be set to be shorter. As a result, the area for forming the wiring pattern 59 on the substrate 52 can be kept small, and the area of ​​the substrate 52 can be effectively utilized as a mounting area for other electrical and electronic components (for example, capacitors that make up the inverter 5). This makes it possible to miniaturize the substrate 52, and as a result, further miniaturization of the inverter 5 and the electric compressor 1 including it can be achieved.

[0039] Furthermore, in the electric compressor 1 and inverter 5 of this embodiment, the busbar 54 and the fixed part 55 are held by the busbar housing 56. Therefore, when connecting the busbar 54 to the motor cable 21, relative positioning between the busbar 54 and the fixed part 55 is unnecessary. Consequently, the busbar 54 and the motor cable 21 can be easily connected. Furthermore, since the multiple busbars 54 are held by the busbar housing 56, the relative positioning of the multiple busbars 54 can be easily performed. Similarly, the relative positioning of the multiple fixing parts 55 can be easily performed.

[0040] Furthermore, in the electric compressor 1 and inverter 5 of this embodiment, the busbar 54 extends from the region overlapping with the bearing 16 to the region outside the bearing 16 when viewed from the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13. Therefore, even if the first end 541 of the busbar 54 is located in the region overlapping with the bearing 16, the second end 542 of the busbar 54 can be positioned in the region outside the bearing 16. This allows the through-hole 31 through which the motor cable 21 passes to be positioned in the region outside the bearing 16. By positioning the through-hole 31 in the region outside the bearing 16, when the motor 11 is moved in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13 and inserted into the motor housing 12, the motor cable 21 is prevented from interfering with the bearing 16 provided in the motor housing 12, and the busbar 54 and the motor cable 21 can be easily connected.

[0041] Furthermore, in the electric compressor 1 and inverter 5 of this embodiment, the fixed portion 55 is located outside the bearing 16 of the motor unit 3 and inside the outer circumference of the stator 15 when viewed from the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13. Therefore, the through hole 31 through which the motor cable 21 passes can be positioned outside the bearing 16 and inside the outer circumference of the stator 15. This prevents the motor cable 21 from interfering with the motor housing 12 (especially the part where the motor water cooling jacket 32 ​​is provided) or the bearing 16 provided in the motor housing 12 when the motor 11 is moved in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13 and inserted into the motor housing 12, and allows for easy connection of the busbar 54 and the motor cable 21.

[0042] Furthermore, in the electric compressor 1 of this embodiment, a motor water cooling jacket 32 ​​for cooling the motor 11 is provided inside the motor housing 12. As a result, even if a through hole 31 is formed in the motor housing 12 connecting the first housing space S1 of the motor housing 12 and the inverter 5, the motor 11 housed in the first housing space S1 can be cooled by the motor water cooling jacket 32. This point will be explained below.

[0043] If the motor housing 12 does not have a through hole 31, the gas compressed in the compression section 4 can be circulated through the first housing space S1 of the motor housing 12. In this case, the motor 11 can be cooled by the gas. However, it is undesirable to allow the gas to flow into the inverter 5. For this reason, in the electric compressor 1 of this embodiment, where the first housing space S1 of the motor housing 12 and the second housing space S2 of the inverter 5 are connected by a through hole 31, the gas cannot be circulated through the first housing space S1. In contrast, in the electric compressor 1 of this embodiment, a water-cooling jacket is provided inside the motor housing 12. As a result, even though the first housing space S1 of the motor housing 12 and the second housing space S2 of the inverter 5 are connected, the motor 11 can be cooled by the motor water-cooling jacket 32.

[0044] Furthermore, in the electric compressor 1 of this embodiment, the busbar 54 that electrically connects the power semiconductor 53 and the motor cable 21 extends from the through hole 31 toward the power semiconductor 53 in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the rotation axis 13. Therefore, the power semiconductor 53 can be positioned away from the through hole 31. As a result, even if a semiconductor water cooling jacket 33 for cooling the power semiconductor 53 is provided inside the motor housing 12, the semiconductor water cooling jacket 33 can be positioned close to the power semiconductor 53 without interfering with the through hole 31. This ensures that the water channel width of the semiconductor water cooling jacket 33 is sufficiently secured on the lower surface side of the power semiconductor 53 that contacts the end face 12a of the motor housing 12. Therefore, the power semiconductor 53 can be cooled efficiently.

[0045] Furthermore, in the electric compressor 1 of this embodiment, the through-hole 31 extends from the motor 11 to the inverter 5. This ensures that the motor cable 21 can be reliably reached from the motor 11 to the fixed part 55 of the inverter 5 by passing it through the through-hole 31.

[0046] Furthermore, in the electric compressor 1 of this embodiment, the power semiconductor 53, the busbar 54, and the through-hole 31 are arranged sequentially in one direction when viewed from the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13. Therefore, it is possible to suppress or prevent the length of the connecting wiring (length of the busbar 54 and length of the wiring pattern 59 on the substrate 52) extending from the power semiconductor 53 to the through-hole 31 from becoming excessive. This effect is useful when there are multiple busbars 54 and wiring patterns 59 on the substrate 52 connecting the power semiconductor 53 and the motor 11, as in this embodiment. This point will be explained below.

[0047] If the power semiconductor 53, busbar 54, and through-hole 31 are not aligned in a line, some of the busbars 54 will be longer than others. In contrast, when the power semiconductor 53, busbar 54, and through-hole 31 are aligned in a line, as in this embodiment, it is possible to suppress or prevent differences in the length of the busbars 54 among the multiple busbars 54. The same effect applies to the wiring pattern 59 of the substrate 52 that connects the power semiconductor 53 and the motor cable 21.

[0048] In the first embodiment, the fixing portion 55 may be formed integrally with the busbar housing 56, for example. That is, the fixing portion 55 may be, for example, a female thread directly formed in the busbar housing 56. Alternatively, the fixing portion 55 (female thread) may be formed in the busbar housing 56 by attaching, for example, a busbar fixing screw 58, which is a tapping screw, to the busbar housing 56. As described above, the configuration in which the fixing portion 55 is integrally formed with the busbar housing 56 is included in the configuration in which the fixing portion 55 is held by the busbar housing 56.

[0049] <Second Embodiment> Next, the electric compressor of the second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 3 to 5. In the following description, components that are common to those already described will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0050] As shown in Figure 3, the motor housing 12 constituting the electric compressor of the second embodiment has a through hole 31 formed in the end face 12a of the motor housing 12 for passing the motor cable 21, similar to the first embodiment. The connection portion 23 of the connection terminal 22, which forms the end of the motor cable 21, is positioned to protrude from the end face 12a of the motor housing 12.

[0051] In the second embodiment, the motor housing 12 has a counterbore 34 formed in its end face 12a. The counterbore 34 is adjacent to the through hole 31 along the end face 12a of the motor housing 12 and is connected to the through hole 31. The dimensions of the counterbore 34 are set to accommodate part or all of the insertion portion 562 of the busbar housing 56 that is inserted into the through hole 31.

[0052] When manufacturing the electric compressor of the second embodiment, the motor 11 is inserted into the first housing space S1 (see Figure 1) of the motor housing 12, similar to the first embodiment, so that the motor cable 21 can be inserted into the through hole 31, as shown in Figure 4. When inserting the motor cable 21 into the through hole 31, the connection portion 23 of the connection terminal 22 is positioned so as to protrude from the end face 12a of the motor housing 12. Note that the connection portion 23 is located on the through hole 31 and not on the counterbore 34.

[0053] Next, as shown in Figure 5, the busbar housing 56, which holds the busbar 54 and the fixing portion 55, is positioned in the area of ​​the end face 12a of the motor housing 12 where the counterbore 34 is located between it and the through hole 31. In Figure 5, the busbar housing 56 is positioned in the area of ​​the end face 12a of the motor housing 12 to the left of the counterbore 34. The busbar housing 56 is also positioned so that the insertion portion 562 of the busbar housing 56 is located on the side closer to the counterbore 34.

[0054] Subsequently, the busbar housing 56 is slid along the end face 12a of the motor housing 12 in a direction approaching the counterbore 34 (direction D1 in Figure 5). This causes the insertion portion 562 of the busbar housing 56 to be inserted into the counterbore 34, and the contact surface 561a of the housing body 561 to make surface contact with the end face 12a of the motor housing 12. Then, as the busbar housing 56 is slid further in the direction D1, the insertion portion 562, including the fixing portion 55, fits under the connection portion 23 of the connection terminal 22, as shown in Figure 3. Subsequently, as in the first embodiment, the motor cable 21 and the second end 542 of the busbar 54 can be fastened together by fixing the busbar fixing screw 58 to the fixing part 55. The busbar housing 56 can also be fixed to the motor housing 12 by screw fastening.

[0055] According to the second embodiment, the same effects as the first embodiment can be achieved. Furthermore, according to the second embodiment, the motor housing 12 has a recessed area from its end face 12a and a counterbore 34 that runs along the end face 12a of the motor housing 12 and is connected to the through hole 31. This allows the busbar housing 56, which holds the busbar 54 and the fixing part 55, to be easily positioned after the motor cable 21, which has a connection terminal 22 at its tip, has been passed through the through hole 31. Specifically, the insertion part 562 of the busbar housing 56, including the fixing part 55, can be easily inserted below the connection part 23 of the connection terminal 22.

[0056] While embodiments of this disclosure have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configurations are not limited to these embodiments and may include design changes and the like that do not depart from the gist of this disclosure.

[0057] In this disclosure, the motor cable 21 may not have, for example, a connection terminal 22, and may be directly fastened to the second end 542 of the busbar 54 by screw fastening.

[0058] <Note> The inverter 5 and electric compressor 1 described in the above embodiment can be understood, for example, as follows.

[0059] (1) The inverter 5 according to the first embodiment is an inverter 5 that supplies power to the motor 11 of the motor unit 3, and comprises a substrate 52, a power semiconductor 53 mounted on the substrate 52, a busbar 54 mounted on the substrate 52 having a first end 541 and a second end 542 opposite to the first end 541, and a fixing part 55 to which a busbar fixing screw 58 that fastens the motor cable 21 of the motor unit 3 to the second end 542 is fixed, wherein the fixing part 55 is inserted into a through hole 31 of the motor unit 3 through which the motor cable 21 passes.

[0060] With the above configuration, the fixing part 55 of the inverter 5 that connects the motor cable 21 and the busbar 54 fits into the through hole 31 of the motor unit 3, which allows the size of the inverter 5 (the size of the inverter 5 located on the outside of the motor unit 3) to be kept small. In other words, the inverter 5 can be made smaller.

[0061] (2) The inverter 5 according to the second embodiment is the inverter 5 according to (1), which includes a busbar housing 56 that holds the busbar 54 and the fixed part 55.

[0062] In the above configuration, the busbar 54 and the fixing part 55 are held in the busbar housing 56, eliminating the need for relative positioning between the busbar 54 and the fixing part 55 when connecting the busbar 54 to the motor cable 21. Therefore, the busbar 54 and the motor cable 21 can be easily connected.

[0063] (3) The inverter 5 according to the third embodiment is the inverter 5 according to (1) or (2), wherein the bus bar 54 extends from the region overlapping with the bearing 16 of the motor unit 3 to the region outside the bearing 16 when viewed from the axial direction of the motor 11.

[0064] In the above configuration, even if the first end 541 of the busbar 54 is located in a region overlapping with the bearing 16, the second end 542 of the busbar 54 can be positioned in a region outside the bearing 16. This allows the through-hole 31 through which the motor cable 21 passes to be positioned in a region outside the bearing 16. By positioning the through-hole 31 in a region outside the bearing 16, when the motor 11 is moved in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13 and inserted into the motor housing 12, the motor cable 21 is prevented from interfering with the bearing 16 provided in the motor housing 12, and the busbar 54 and the motor cable 21 can be easily connected.

[0065] (4) The inverter 5 according to the fourth embodiment is the inverter 5 according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the fixed portion 55 is located outside the bearing 16 of the motor unit 3 and inside the outer circumference of the stator 15 of the motor 11 when viewed from the axial direction of the motor 11.

[0066] In the above configuration, the through-hole 31 through which the motor cable 21 passes can be positioned outside the bearing 16 and inside the outer circumference of the stator 15. This prevents the motor cable 21 from interfering with the motor housing 12 or the bearing 16 attached thereto when the motor 11 is moved in its axial direction and inserted into the motor housing 12, and allows for easy connection of the busbar 54 and the motor cable 21.

[0067] (5) The electric compressor 1 according to the fifth embodiment is an electric compressor 1 comprising an inverter 5 according to any one of (1) to (4) the motor unit 3 and a compression unit 4 connected to the motor 11.

[0068] In the above configuration, the electric compressor 1 is equipped with an inverter 5 that allows for miniaturization, thus enabling miniaturization of the electric compressor 1.

[0069] (6) The electric compressor 1 according to the sixth embodiment is the electric compressor 1 according to (5), wherein the motor unit 3 has a motor housing 12 that houses the motor 11, and a motor water cooling jacket 32 ​​for cooling the motor 11 is provided inside the motor housing 12.

[0070] In the above configuration, even if the motor housing 12 has a through-hole 31 connecting the housing space of the motor housing 12 in which the motor 11 is housed to the inverter 5, the motor 11 can still be cooled.

[0071] (7) The electric compressor 1 according to the seventh embodiment is the electric compressor 1 according to (5) or (6), wherein the motor unit 3 has a motor housing 12 that houses the motor 11, and a semiconductor water cooling jacket 33 for cooling the power semiconductor 53 is provided inside the motor housing 12.

[0072] In the aforementioned electric compressor 1, the busbar 54 that electrically connects the power semiconductor 53 and the motor cable 21 is extended from the through-hole 31 in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the motor 11, thereby positioning the power semiconductor 53 away from the through-hole 31. As a result, the semiconductor water cooling jacket 33 can be placed close to the power semiconductor 53 without interfering with the through-hole 31. This ensures sufficient water channel width for the semiconductor water cooling jacket 33 on the lower side of the power semiconductor 53 that contacts the motor housing 12. Therefore, the power semiconductor 53 can be cooled efficiently.

[0073] (8) The electric compressor 1 according to the eighth embodiment is the electric compressor 1 according to any one of items (5) to (7), wherein the through hole 31 extends from the motor 11 to the inverter 5.

[0074] In the above configuration, by passing the motor cable 21 through the through hole 31, the motor cable 21 can be reliably reached from the motor 11 to the fixed part 55, which is a component of the inverter 5.

[0075] (9) The electric compressor 1 according to the eighth embodiment is the electric compressor 1 according to any one of items (5) to (8), wherein, when viewed from the axial direction of the motor 11, the power semiconductor 53, the bus bar 54, and the through hole 31 are arranged in order in one direction.

[0076] In the above configuration, it is possible to suppress or prevent the length of the connection wiring extending from the power semiconductor 53 to the through hole 31 (length of the bus bar 54, length of the wiring pattern 59 on the substrate 52) from becoming too long. [Explanation of symbols]

[0077] 1. Electric compressor 3 Motor Unit 4 Compression section 5 Inverter 11 Motor 16 bearings 21 Motor Cable 31 through holes 32 Motor Water Cooling Jacket 33. Water-cooled jacket for semiconductors 52 circuit boards 53 Power Semiconductors 54 Bus Bar 541 First end of bus bar 54 542 Second end of bus bar 54 55 Fixed part 56 Busbar Housing 58 Busbar fixing screws

Claims

1. An inverter that supplies power to the motor of a motor unit, circuit board and The power semiconductor mounted on the aforementioned substrate, A busbar having a first end mounted on the substrate and a second end opposite to the first end, The motor unit comprises a fixing part to which a busbar fixing screw that fastens the motor cable of the motor unit to the second end is fixed, The fixed portion is an inverter that is inserted into a through-hole of the motor unit through which the motor cable passes.

2. The inverter according to claim 1, further comprising a busbar housing that holds the busbar and the fixing portion.

3. The inverter according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the busbar extends from a region overlapping with the bearing of the motor unit to a region outside the bearing, as viewed from the axial direction of the motor.

4. The inverter according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the fixed portion is located outside the bearing of the motor unit and inside the outer circumference of the stator of the motor, when viewed from the axial direction of the motor.

5. An electric compressor comprising an inverter according to claim 1 or claim 2, the motor unit, and a compression unit connected to the motor.

6. The motor unit has a motor housing that houses the motor, The electric compressor according to claim 5, wherein a water-cooling jacket for the motor is provided inside the motor housing for cooling the motor.

7. The motor unit has a motor housing that houses the motor, The electric compressor according to claim 5, wherein a water-cooling jacket for semiconductors for cooling the power semiconductors is provided inside the motor housing.

8. The electric compressor according to claim 5, wherein the through hole extends from the motor to the inverter.

9. The electric compressor according to claim 5, wherein, when viewed from the axial direction of the motor, the power semiconductor, the busbar, and the through hole are arranged in order in one direction.

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