Electric compressor

Abstract

[Problem] To reduce the number of connectors for electric connection to the outside in an electric compressor and to suppress a decrease in the shape stability of the connectors accompanying the reduction in the connectors. [Solution] In an electric compressor 1, a connector 20 attached to a connector mounting part 10 on the outer surface of an inverter casing 6 is provided for supplying high voltage power and low voltage power to an inverter 5. The connector 20 includes a connector housing 23 made of resin, and a metal plate 30 having a plurality of fastening holes 33 is fixed to the connector housing 23 by insert molding. The connector 20 is fixed to the connector mounting part 10 by fastening a bolt member 40 penetrating a bottom wall part 61 of the inverter casing 6 from the inside of the inverter casing 6 to each of the plurality of fastening holes 33 of the metal plate 30.

Description

Electric compressor

[0001] The present invention relates to an electric compressor.

[0002] An example of a conventional electric compressor is described in Patent Document 1. The electric compressor described in Patent Document 1 is a so-called inverter-integrated electric compressor in which a motor, a compression mechanism, and an inverter are housed in a housing, and the inverter is supplied with high-voltage power from an external source via a high-voltage connector and low-voltage power from an external source via a control signal connector.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2023-172599

[0004] The inventors are considering combining the high-voltage connector and the control signal connector into a single connector in order to reduce the number of parts and assembly steps. In this case, the connector housing, which is mainly made of resin, becomes larger. This may result in a decrease in the connector's shape stability, a decrease in connector installation workability, and a risk of gaps occurring between the connector and the connector installation portion.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to reduce the number of connectors for electrical connection to the outside in an electric compressor and to suppress the resulting decrease in the shape stability of the connectors.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, an electric compressor includes a motor, a compression mechanism driven by the motor, an inverter that drives and controls the motor, a compressor casing that houses the motor and the compression mechanism, an inverter casing that houses the inverter, and a connector attached to a connector mounting portion on an outer surface of the inverter casing to supply power to the inverter. The connector is provided to supply high-voltage power and low-voltage power to the inverter. The connector includes a resin connector housing, and a metal plate having a plurality of fastening holes is fixed to the connector housing by insert molding. The connector is fixed to the connector mounting portion by fastening members that penetrate a wall portion of the inverter casing from inside the inverter casing into each of the plurality of fastening holes in the metal plate.

[0007] According to the present invention, the number of connectors for electrical connection to the outside in an electric compressor can be reduced, and the resulting decrease in the shape stability of the connectors can be suppressed.

[0008] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an electric compressor according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a connector mounting portion; FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the connector; FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the connector; FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the metal plate; FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the first seal member; FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the second seal member; FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the second seal member; FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the connector to which the second seal member is attached; FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing how the connector is attached to the connector mounting portion; FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing how the connector is attached to the connector mounting portion.

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0010] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an electric compressor according to an embodiment of the present invention. The electric compressor 1 according to the embodiment is a so-called inverter-integrated electric compressor. The electric compressor 1 constitutes part of a refrigerant circuit of a vehicle air conditioner (not shown) that conditions the air inside a vehicle cabin, and is configured to compress and discharge refrigerant.

[0011] Referring to FIG. 1 , an electric compressor 1 includes a motor 2 , a compression mechanism 3 , a compressor casing 4 , an inverter 5 , and an inverter casing 6 .

[0012] The motor 2 is, for example, a three-phase synchronous motor. The motor 2 is driven by power supplied from an inverter 5 to rotate a rotary shaft 2a. The compression mechanism 3 is, for example, a scroll-type compression mechanism. The compression mechanism 3 is driven by the rotation of the rotary shaft 2a, that is, driven by the motor 2, to compress and discharge the refrigerant. The compressor casing 4 is formed in a cylindrical shape. The compressor casing 4 houses the motor 2 and the compression mechanism 3 therein. The motor 2 and the compression mechanism 3 are arranged in series within the compressor casing 4. The opening of the compressor casing 4 on the compression mechanism 3 side is closed by a first cover member 7.

[0013] The inverter 5 drives and controls the motor 2. The inverter casing 6 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom and houses the inverter 5 therein. The inverter casing 6 is disposed at the end of the compressor casing 4 on the motor 2 side and is integrated with the compressor casing 4. Specifically, the inverter casing 6 includes a bottom wall portion 61 having a cross-sectional area larger than that of the compressor casing 4 and a peripheral wall portion 62 rising from the periphery of the bottom wall portion 61, and is formed integrally with the compressor casing 4 with a portion of the bottom wall portion 61 positioned to close the opening of the compressor casing 4 on the motor 2 side. The opening of the inverter casing 6 located on the opposite side to the bottom wall portion 61 is closed by a removable second cover member 8.

[0014] The portion of the bottom wall 61 of the inverter casing 6 that closes the opening of the compressor casing 4 on the motor 2 side forms a partition wall 9 that separates the interior of the compressor casing 4 from the interior of the inverter casing 6. The remaining portion of the bottom wall 61 of the inverter casing 6 protrudes radially outward beyond the compressor casing 4. A connector 20 for supplying high-voltage power and low-voltage power from the outside to the inverter 5 is attached to the outer surface of the remaining portion of the bottom wall 61 of the inverter casing 6. Specifically, a connector mounting portion 10 is formed on the outer surface of the remaining portion of the bottom wall 61 of the inverter casing 6, and the connector 20 is attached to this connector mounting portion 10. The high-voltage power is DC power from an on-board battery (not shown) serving as a power source, and the low-voltage power is an electrical signal (control signal) from a control unit of the vehicle air conditioning device.

[0015] The compressor casing 4 is formed with an inlet 4a through which the refrigerant flows into a space between the partition wall 9 and the motor 2, and the first cover member 7 is formed with an outlet 7a through which the refrigerant flows out. When the compression mechanism 3 is driven, the refrigerant flows from the inlet 4a into the compressor casing 4. The refrigerant that has flowed into the compressor casing 4 flows along the partition wall 9 and passes through the motor 2 to reach the compression mechanism 3, where it is compressed by the compression mechanism 3. The refrigerant compressed by the compression mechanism 3 then flows out from the outlet 7a.

[0016] The refrigerant flowing into the compressor casing 4 from the inlet 4a is a low-temperature gas refrigerant. Therefore, the partition wall 9 and the motor 2 can be cooled by the refrigerant flowing into the compressor casing 4 from the inlet 4a.

[0017] The inverter 5 will be further described. The inverter 5 includes an inverter circuit section 52, a filter circuit section 53, and a control circuit section 54, which are mounted on a circuit board 51. Note that, although the inverter circuit section 52, the filter circuit section 53, and the control circuit section 54 are mounted on a single circuit board 51 here, they may be separately mounted on multiple circuit boards.

[0018] The inverter circuit unit 52 is configured to convert DC power supplied from the vehicle battery via the connector 20 into three-phase AC power and supply it to the motor 2 via a power supply line 11 extending through the partition wall 9. Therefore, the inverter circuit unit 52 includes a plurality of switching elements (e.g., IGBTs) 521, specifically, a total of six switching elements 521, including an upper arm switching element for each phase and a lower arm switching element for each phase. However, only two of these switching elements 521 are shown in FIG. 1 .

[0019] The filter circuit section 53 includes a smoothing capacitor (not shown) that smoothes the power supplied to the inverter circuit section 52, a capacitor (not shown) that constitutes a noise filter, a coil 531, and the like.

[0020] The control circuit 54 controls the switching of the multiple switching elements 521 of the inverter circuit 52 based on an electric signal (control signal) supplied from the control unit of the vehicle air conditioning device via the connector 20. The control circuit 54 also has a function of transmitting low-voltage power, which is a signal indicating the driving state of the motor 2, to the control unit of the vehicle air conditioning device via the connector 20.

[0021] Next, a description will be given of the connector mounting portion 10 and the connector 20. As described above, in this embodiment, the connector 20 is attached to the connector mounting portion 10 provided on the outer surface of the bottom wall portion 61 of the inverter casing 6. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the connector mounting portion 10.

[0022] 2 , in this embodiment, the connector mounting portion 10 is surrounded by a surrounding wall portion 63 on the outer surface of the bottom wall portion 61 of the inverter casing 6. The surrounding wall portion 63 has an inner surface 631 and a tip surface 632. The connector mounting portion 10 is also formed with a first through hole 65, a second through hole 66, and a plurality of (here, three) third through holes 67 that communicate between the inside and outside of the inverter casing 6. Note that reference numeral 68 denotes relief holes for pin portions 241 a of the connector housing 23, which will be described later.

[0023] 3 and 4 are perspective views of connector 20, and FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of connector 20. Referring to FIGS. 3 to 5, connector 20 includes a plurality of (two in this example) high-voltage terminals 21, a plurality of (three in this example) low-voltage terminals 22, and a connector housing 23. The high-voltage terminals 21 are formed in the shape of an elongated plate from a conductor such as metal. The low-voltage terminals 22 are formed in the shape of an elongated pin or plate from a conductor such as metal. The connector housing 23 is formed from an insulating resin and holds the plurality of high-voltage terminals 21 and the plurality of low-voltage terminals 22 in a state where they are spaced apart from each other.

[0024] The connector housing 23 has a plate-like or block-like base 24. The base 24 has a surface (hereinafter referred to as the "first surface") 241 facing the connector mounting portion 10 and a surface (hereinafter referred to as the "second surface") 242 facing the opposite side from the first surface.

[0025] A metal plate member (hereinafter simply referred to as the "metal plate") is fixed to the first surface 241 of the base portion 24. The metal plate 30 is fixed to the first surface 241 of the base portion 24 by being insert-molded together with the plurality of high-voltage terminals 21 and the plurality of low-voltage terminals 22 when the connector housing 23 is molded.

[0026] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the metal plate 30. The metal plate 30 is formed with a first plate through-hole 31 corresponding to the first through-hole 65 of the connector mounting portion 10, a second plate through-hole 32 corresponding to the second through-hole 66 of the connector mounting portion 10, and multiple (three) fastening holes 33 corresponding to multiple (three) third through-holes 67 of the connector mounting portion 10. The fastening holes 33 are threaded holes into which bolt members 40 (see FIG. 1 ) serving as fastening members are threadedly engaged. The fastening holes 33 are formed, for example, by burring tapping. The metal plate 30 also has two third plate through-holes 34. The distal ends of pins 241 a formed to protrude from the first surface 241 of the base 24 protrude from each of the two third plate through-holes 34 (see FIG. 3 ).

[0027] In the connector 20, one end portion of each of the high-voltage terminals 21, including one end portion 21a in the longitudinal direction, protrudes from the first surface 241 of the base portion 24 through the first plate through-hole 31 of the metal plate 30. The one end portion of each of the high-voltage terminals 21 is covered by the first covering portion 25 of the connector housing 23, except for the one end portion 21a and a predetermined area nearby. The other end portion of each of the high-voltage terminals 21, including the other end portion 21b in the longitudinal direction, protrudes from the second surface 242 of the base portion 24.

[0028] Furthermore, one end portion, including one end portion 22a in the longitudinal direction, of the plurality of low-voltage terminals 22 protrudes from the first surface 241 of the base portion 24 through the second plate through-hole 32 of the metal plate 30. The one end portion of the plurality of low-voltage terminals 22 is covered by the second covering portion 26 of the connector housing 23, except for one end portion 22a and a predetermined area in the vicinity thereof. Although not explicitly shown in the figure, the other end portion, including the other end portion in the longitudinal direction of the plurality of low-voltage terminals 22, protrudes from the second surface 242 of the base portion 24, similar to the other end portion of the plurality of high-voltage terminals 21.

[0029] The connector housing 23 further has a first mounting portion 27 and a second mounting portion 28. The first mounting portion 27 is a mounting portion to which a connector (not shown) of a high-voltage harness is attached. The first mounting portion 27 rises from the second surface 242 of the base portion 24 and is formed to surround the other end portions of the multiple high-voltage terminals 21. The second mounting portion 28 is a mounting portion to which a connector (not shown) of a low-voltage harness is attached. The second mounting portion 28 rises from the second surface 242 of the base portion 24 and is formed to surround the other end portions of the multiple low-voltage terminals 22. In this embodiment, the high-voltage harness is a power harness extending from the on-board battery, and the low-voltage harness is a signal harness extending from a control unit of the vehicle air conditioning system.

[0030] The connector 20 is attached to the connector mounting portion 10 by fixing the connector housing 23 to the connector mounting portion 10. Specifically, the connector 20 is fixed to the connector mounting portion 10 by fastening bolt members 40 through corresponding third through holes 67 of the connector mounting portion 10 to each of the multiple fastening holes 33 of the metal plate 30 fixed to the first surface 241 of the base 24. In other words, the connector 20 is fixed to the connector mounting portion 10 by fastening bolt members 40 that pass through the bottom wall portion 61 of the inverter casing 6 from the inside of the inverter casing 6 to each of the multiple fastening holes 33 of the metal plate 30 fixed to the first surface 241 of the base 24 (see FIG. 1 ).

[0031] Here, when the connector 20 is attached to the connector mounting portion 10, i.e., when the connector housing 23 is fixed to the connector mounting portion 10, a first sealing member 70 is placed between the connector mounting portion 10 and the connector 20, and a second sealing member 80 is provided to seal the gap between the connector 20 and the surrounding wall portion 63; these sealing members will be described in detail later.

[0032] When the connector housing 23 is fixed to the connector mounting portion 10, the one end portions of the plurality of high-voltage terminals 21 enter the inverter casing 6 through the first through-holes 65 of the connector mounting portion 10 (i.e., by penetrating the bottom wall portion 61 of the inverter casing 6). One end portion 21 a of each high-voltage terminal 21 is then electrically connected to the inverter circuit portion 52 of the inverter 5. Although not particularly limited, one end portion 21 a of each high-voltage terminal 21 can be connected to a circuit board 51 in an appropriate position and electrically connected to the inverter circuit portion 52 via a first conductive pattern on the circuit board 51, for example.

[0033] Similarly, when the connector housing 23 is attached to the connector attachment portion 10, the one end portions of the plurality of low-voltage terminals 22 enter the inverter casing 6 through the second through-holes 66 of the connector attachment portion 10 (i.e., through the bottom wall portion 61 of the inverter casing 6). One end portion 22a of each low-voltage terminal 22 is then electrically connected to the control circuit unit 54 of the inverter 5. Although not particularly limited, one end portion 22a of each low-voltage terminal 22, like one end portion 21a of each high-voltage terminal 21, may be connected to an appropriate position on the circuit board 51 and electrically connected to the control circuit unit 54 via the second conductive pattern on the circuit board 51.

[0034] Thereafter, when the connector of the high-voltage harness (power harness) is attached to the first attachment portion 27, electrical continuity is established between the multiple high-voltage terminals 21 of the high-voltage harness, making it possible to supply DC power (high-voltage power) from the vehicle battery to the inverter circuit unit 52 of the inverter 5. Furthermore, when the connector of the low-voltage harness (signal harness) is attached to the second attachment portion 28, electrical continuity is established between the multiple low-voltage terminals 22 of the low-voltage harness, making it possible to supply an electrical signal (low-voltage power) from the control unit of the vehicle air conditioning device to the control circuit unit 54 of the inverter 5, and to supply a signal (low-voltage power) indicating the driving state of the motor 2 from the control circuit unit 54 of the inverter 5 to the control unit of the vehicle air conditioning device.

[0035] Next, the first seal member 70 will be described. As described above, the first seal member 70 is disposed between the connector mounting portion 10 and the connector 20. Specifically, in this embodiment, the first seal member 70 is disposed between the connector mounting portion 10 and the metal plate 30 fixed to the first surface 241 of the base portion 24 of the connector housing 23, and is configured to seal the gap therebetween. Figure 7 is a perspective view of the first seal member 70.

[0036] 7 , the first seal member 70 is formed as an annular sheet material. The first seal member 70 has a plurality of (three) bolt insertion holes 71 formed therein, corresponding to the plurality of (three) third through holes 67 of the connector mounting portion 10 and the plurality of (three) fastening holes 33 of the metal plate 30. A corresponding bolt member 40 is inserted into each of the plurality of bolt insertion holes 71 when the connector housing 23 is fixed to the connector mounting portion 10. The first seal member 70 also has two pin insertion holes 72 formed therein, corresponding to the two pin portions 241 a of the connector housing 23. When the connector 20 is mounted to the connector mounting portion 10, the first seal member 70 is positioned by inserting the two pin portions 241 a of the connector housing 23 into the two pin insertion holes 72. The first seal member 70 may be, for example, a metal gasket, although this is not a limitation.

[0037] Next, the second seal member 80 will be described. As described above, the second seal member 80 seals the gap between the connector 20 and the surrounding wall portion 63. Specifically, in this embodiment, the second seal member 80 is configured to be attached to the connector housing 23 of the connector 20 and seal the gap between the connector housing 23 and the surrounding wall portion 63. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the second seal member 80, and Fig. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the second seal member 80.

[0038] 8 and 9 , the second seal member 80 is formed in an annular shape and includes a first seal portion 81, a second seal portion 82, and a bridge portion 83. The second seal portion 82 is disposed axially (in the height direction) away from the first seal portion 81, and the bridge portion 83 connects the first seal portion 81 and the second seal portion 82. In other words, when the first seal portion 81 is defined as the lower portion of the second seal member 80, the second seal portion 82 constitutes the upper portion of the second seal member 80, and the bridge portion 83 constitutes the middle portion of the second seal member 80. The second seal member 80 is formed of an elastic material such as rubber.

[0039] Referring to FIG. 9 , two inner protrusions 811 that protrude inward are formed on the inner surface (inner peripheral surface) of the first seal portion 81. In this embodiment, the two inner protrusions 811 are spaced apart from each other in the axial direction. Specifically, one of the two inner protrusions 811 is located at or near one end of the inner surface of the first seal portion 81 in the axial direction, and the other of the two inner protrusions 811 is located at or near the other end of the inner surface of the first seal portion 81 in the axial direction. Furthermore, the tip ends of the two inner protrusions 811 are formed as flat surfaces. However, this is not limited to this. As long as at least one inner protrusion 811 is formed on the inner surface of the first seal portion 81, the number, arrangement, and shape of the inner protrusions 811 can be set as desired.

[0040] Two outer protrusions 812 that protrude outward are formed on the outer surface (outer peripheral surface) of the first seal portion 81. In this embodiment, the two outer protrusions 812 are positioned at positions offset in the axial direction from the two inner protrusions 811. Specifically, the two outer protrusions 812 are positioned adjacent to each other in the axially central portion of the outer surface of the first seal portion 81. The two outer protrusions 812 are also formed with a wedge-shaped cross-section whose thickness gradually decreases toward the tip. However, this is not limited to this. As long as at least one outer protrusion 812 is formed on the outer surface of the first seal portion 81, the number, arrangement, and shape of the outer protrusions 812 can be set as desired.

[0041] The second seal portion 82 includes an annular inner protruding portion 821 that protrudes inward relative to the bridge portion 83, and an annular outer protruding portion 822 that protrudes outward.

[0042] The inward protruding portion 821 has a wedge-shaped cross section whose thickness gradually decreases toward the inside. Specifically, the inward protruding portion 821 has a surface (hereinafter referred to as the "third surface") 823 on the first seal portion 81 side (the bridge portion 83 side) and a surface (hereinafter referred to as the "fourth surface") 824 on the opposite side from the first seal portion 81 side. The third surface 823 is formed as a flat surface parallel to a direction perpendicular to the axial direction, and the fourth surface 824 is formed as an inclined surface (including an inclined curved surface) that gradually approaches the third surface 823 toward the inside.

[0043] The outward protruding portion 822 has a wedge-shaped cross section that gradually becomes thinner toward the outside. Specifically, the outward protruding portion 822 has a surface (hereinafter referred to as the "fifth surface") 825 on the first seal portion 81 side (the bridge portion 83 side) and a surface (hereinafter referred to as the "sixth surface") 826 on the opposite side from the first seal portion 81 side. The fifth surface 825 is formed as a flat, inclined surface that gradually approaches the first seal portion 81 toward the outside, and the sixth surface 826 is formed as an inclined surface (including an inclined curved surface) that gradually approaches the fifth surface toward the outside.

[0044] As described above, the second seal member 80 is attached to the connector housing 23 of the connector 20. Fig. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the connector 20 to which the second seal member 80 is attached. Referring to Fig. 10 , the first seal portion 81 of the second seal member 80 is attached to a seal attachment portion 243 provided on the base portion 24 of the connector housing 23. The seal attachment portion 243 is formed between the first surface 241 and the second surface 242 of the base portion 24. The seal attachment portion 243 constitutes part of the side surface of the base portion 24, part of the side surface of the connector housing 23, and part of the side surface of the connector 20.

[0045] When the second seal member 80 is attached to the seal mounting portion 243 of the connector housing 23, the tip ends of the two inner protrusions 811 of the first seal portion 81 contact the seal mounting portion 243, and the third surface 823 of the inner protrusion 821 of the second seal portion 82 contacts the second surface 242 of the base portion 24 of the connector housing 23.

[0046] 11 and 12 are cross-sectional views showing how the connector 20 is attached to the connector mounting portion 10. Referring to Figures 11 and 12, in this embodiment, the connector 20 with the second seal member 80 attached is attached to the connector mounting portion 10 (Figure 11 → Figure 12). At this time, the first seal member 70 is disposed between the connector mounting portion 10 and the metal plate 30 fixed to the first surface 241 of the base portion 24.

[0047] Furthermore, when the connector 20 is attached to the connector mounting portion 10, the tip ends of the two outer protrusions 812 of the first seal portion 81 of the second seal member 80 come into contact with the inner surface 631 of the surrounding wall portion 63 that surrounds the connector mounting portion 10. The tip ends of the two inner protrusions 811 of the first seal portion 81 come into contact with the seal mounting portion 243 of the connector housing 23. Therefore, the first seal portion 81 of the second seal member 80 is sandwiched and pressed between the seal mounting portion 243 of the connector housing 23 and (the inner surface of) the surrounding wall portion 63.

[0048] Furthermore, when the connector 20 is attached to the connector attachment portion 10, the fifth surface 825 of the outer protrusion 822 of the second seal portion 82 of the second seal member 80 contacts and is pressed against the tip surface 632 of the surrounding wall portion 63, deforming the outer protrusion 822. This deformation causes the third surface 823 of the inner protrusion 821 to contact and be pressed against the second surface 242 of the base portion 24 of the connector housing 23, and the restoring force causes the fifth surface 825 of the outer protrusion 822 to contact and be pressed against the tip surface 632 of the surrounding wall portion 63. In other words, the second seal member 80 is disposed so as to cover the gap between (the base portion 24 of) the connector housing 23 and (the inner surface of) the surrounding wall portion 63, and contacts the second surface 242 of the base portion 24 and the tip surface 632 of the surrounding wall portion 63.

[0049] As described above, the connector 20 is fixed to the connector mounting portion 10 by fastening the bolt members 40 through the corresponding third through holes 67 of the connector mounting portion 10 to each of the multiple fastening holes 33 of the metal plate 30 fixed to the first surface 241 of the base portion 24 of the connector housing 23. As a result, the gap between the connector mounting portion 10 and the connector 20 is sealed by the first seal member 70, and the gap between the surrounding wall portion 63 and the connector 20 is sealed by the second seal member 80.

[0050] According to the electric compressor 1 according to the embodiment, for example, the following effects can be obtained.

[0051] The connector 20 attached to the connector attachment portion 10 formed on the outer surface of the inverter casing 6 is provided to supply high-voltage power and low-voltage power to the inverter 5. Therefore, the number of connectors can be reduced compared to the prior art in which a connector for high-voltage power and a connector for low-voltage power were provided separately.

[0052] The connector 20 also includes a resin connector housing 23, to which a metal plate 30 having a plurality of fastening holes 33 is fixed by insert molding, and the connector 20 is fixed to the connector mounting portion 10 by fastening bolt members 40 that penetrate the bottom wall portion 61 of the inverter casing 6 from inside the inverter casing 6 into each of the plurality of fastening holes 33 of the metal plate 30.

[0053] This prevents a decrease in the shape stability of the connector 20 (connector housing 23), and also prevents a decrease in the ease of attaching the connector 20 to the connector attachment portion 10 and the occurrence of a gap between the connector 20 and the connector attachment portion 10. Furthermore, because the bolt members 40 penetrate the bottom wall portion 61 of the inverter casing 6 from inside the inverter casing 6 and are fastened to the fastening holes 33 of the metal plate 30, an increase in the connector installation space on the outer surface of the inverter casing 6 can also be prevented.

[0054] In addition, a seal member (first seal member 70) formed as an annular sheet material through which the bolt member 40 passes is disposed between the connector mounting portion 10 and the metal plate 30. This provides an excellent seal between the connector mounting portion 10 and the connector 20, preventing water from entering the inverter casing 6.

[0055] Furthermore, the connector mounting portion 10 is surrounded by the surrounding wall portion 63, and a seal member (second seal member 80) formed of an elastic material is attached to the connector 20 to seal the gap between the connector 20 and the surrounding wall portion 63. This seal member (second seal member 80) has a first seal portion 81 that is sandwiched and pressed between the connector 20 and the surrounding wall portion 63, a second seal portion 82 that is arranged so as to cover the gap between the connector 20 and the surrounding wall portion 63, and a bridge portion 83 that connects the first seal portion 81 and the second seal portion 82.

[0056] Specifically, in this embodiment, the connector 20 includes a connector housing 23 having a base portion 24, and the base portion 24 has a first surface 241 facing the connector mounting portion 10 and a second surface 242 facing away from the first surface 241. The seal member (second seal member 80) is attached to a seal mounting portion 243 formed between the first surface 241 and the second surface 242 of the base portion 24 of the connector housing 23 to seal the gap between the connector housing 23 and the surrounding wall portion 63. When the connector 20 is attached to the connector mounting portion 10, the first seal portion 81 is sandwiched and pressed between the seal mounting portion 243 and the surrounding wall portion 63, and the second seal portion 82 is disposed so as to cover the gap between the connector housing 23 and the surrounding wall portion 63 and contacts the second surface 242 of the base portion 24 and the tip surface 632 of the surrounding wall portion 63.

[0057] Therefore, the gap between the connector 20 (connector housing 23) and the surrounding wall portion 63 is well sealed, and water can be prevented from entering the connector mounting portion 10 and, ultimately, the inverter casing 6. In particular, preventing water from entering the connector mounting portion 10 prevents corrosion of the seal member (first seal member 70) disposed between the connector mounting portion 10 and the metal plate 30, and also suppresses deterioration in the sealing property of the seal member (first seal member 70).

[0058] The second seal portion 82 has an inner protruding portion 821 that protrudes inward and has a surface (third surface 823) that contacts the second surface 242 of the base portion 24, and an outer protruding portion 822 that protrudes outward and has a surface (fifth surface 825) that contacts the tip surface 632 of the surrounding wall portion 63. When the connector 20 is attached to the connector attachment portion 10, the second seal portion 82 is deformed as the outer protruding portion 822 is pressed against the tip surface 632 of the surrounding wall portion 63. This deformation presses the inner protruding portion 821 toward the second surface 242 of the base portion 24, and the outer protruding portion 822 is configured to contact the tip surface 632 of the surrounding wall portion 63 while being pressed against it by a restoring force. Therefore, water can be effectively prevented from entering the gap between the connector 20 (connector housing 23) and the surrounding wall portion 63, and ultimately from entering the connector mounting portion 10.

[0059] Furthermore, the inner overhanging portion 821 has a wedge-shaped cross-sectional shape whose thickness gradually decreases toward the inside, and the outer overhanging portion 822 has a wedge-shaped cross-sectional shape whose thickness gradually decreases toward the outside. This ensures stable contact between the inner overhanging portion 821 and the second surface 242 of the base portion 24 and stable contact between the outer overhanging portion 822 and the tip surface 632 of the surrounding wall portion 63, and can more effectively prevent water from entering the gap between the connector 20 (connector housing 23) and the surrounding wall portion 63, and ultimately water from entering the connector mounting portion 10.

[0060] Furthermore, at least one inner protrusion 811 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the first seal portion 81, the tip of which contacts the seal mounting portion 243, and at least one outer protrusion 812 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the first seal portion 81, the tip of which contacts the inner surface 631 of the surrounding wall portion 63. This makes it possible to more effectively prevent water from entering the connector mounting portion 10.

[0061] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and it goes without saying that modifications are possible based on the technical concept of the present invention.

[0062] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1...electric compressor, 2...motor, 3...compression mechanism, 4...compressor casing, 5...inverter, 6...inverter casing, 10...connector mounting portion, 20...connector, 21...high voltage terminal, 22...low voltage terminal, 23...connector housing, 24...base portion, 27...first mounting portion, 28...second mounting portion, 30...metal plate, 31...first plate through-hole, 32...second plate through-hole, 33...fastening hole, 40...bolt member, 61...bottom wall portion of inverter casing, 6 3...surrounding wall portion, 65...first through hole, 66...second through hole, 67...third through hole, 70...first seal member, 71...bolt insertion hole, 80...second seal member, 81...first seal portion, 82...second seal portion, 83...bridge portion, 241...first surface, 242...second surface, 243...seal mounting portion, 811...inner protruding portion, 812...outer protruding portion, 821...inner protruding portion, 822...outer protruding portion, 823...third surface, 824...fourth surface, 825...fifth surface, 826...sixth surface

Claims

1. An electric compressor including a motor, a compression mechanism driven by the motor, an inverter that drives and controls the motor, a compressor casing that houses the motor and the compression mechanism, an inverter casing that houses the inverter, and a connector attached to a connector attachment portion on the outer surface of the inverter casing to supply power to the inverter, wherein the connector is provided to supply high-voltage power and low-voltage power to the inverter, the connector includes a resin connector housing to which a metal plate having a plurality of fastening holes is fixed by insert molding, and the connector is fixed to the connector attachment portion by fastening members that penetrate a wall portion of the inverter casing from the inside of the inverter casing into each of the plurality of fastening holes in the metal plate.

2. The electric compressor according to claim 1, wherein an annular seal member through which the fastening member passes is disposed between the connector mounting portion and the metal plate.

3. The electric compressor according to claim 1, wherein the connector includes a plurality of high-voltage terminals, one end portions of which extend into the inverter casing and are electrically connected to the inverter, and a plurality of low-voltage terminals, one end portions of which extend into the inverter casing and are electrically connected to the inverter, and the connector housing holds the plurality of high-voltage terminals and the plurality of low-voltage terminals, and has a first attachment portion formed to surround the other end portions of the plurality of high-voltage terminals and to which a connector of a high-voltage harness is attached, and a second attachment portion formed to surround the other end portions of the plurality of low-voltage terminals and to which a connector of a low-voltage harness is attached.

4. The electric compressor according to claim 3, wherein the connector housing has a base portion having a first surface facing the connector mounting portion and a second surface facing away from the first surface, the metal plate is fixed to the first surface of the base portion, and the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion are formed on the second surface of the base portion.

5. An electric compressor as set forth in claim 4, wherein the connector mounting portion is formed with a first through hole, a second through hole and a plurality of third through holes that communicate between the inside and outside of the inverter casing, the metal plate has a first plate through hole corresponding to the first through hole and a second plate through hole corresponding to the second through hole, and the plurality of fastening holes are formed corresponding to the plurality of third through holes, and in the connector, portions of the one end side of the plurality of high-voltage terminals protrude from the first surface of the base portion through the first plate through hole and portions of the other end side of the plurality of high-voltage terminals protrude from the second surface of the base portion, and portions of the one end side of the plurality of low-voltage terminals protrude from the first surface of the base portion through the second plate through hole and portions of the other end side of the plurality of low-voltage terminals protrude from the second surface of the base portion.

6. An electric compressor according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the inverter includes an inverter circuit section having a plurality of switching elements and a control circuit section that controls the plurality of switching elements, wherein one ends of the plurality of high-voltage terminals are electrically connected to the inverter circuit section, wherein one ends of the plurality of low-voltage terminals are electrically connected to the control circuit section, wherein the high-voltage harness is a power supply harness, and wherein the low-voltage harness is a signal harness.

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