Foreign material intrusion prevention cover

Abstract

A foreign material intrusion prevention cover (20) that is to be used on an onboard apparatus that has a plurality of openings (3, 4, 5, 6) has: closing parts (31, 41, 51, 61) that respectively close the plurality of openings; and first connection parts (71, 72, 73) that connect one closing part that closes one opening and another closing part that closes another opening. The first connection parts (71, 72, 73) include a tolerance absorption part (A) that absorbs the tolerance between the one closing part and the other closing part.

Description

Foreign object intrusion prevention cover

[0001] This invention relates to a foreign object intrusion prevention cover used for various in-vehicle devices such as an inverter used in an electric vehicle.

[0002] In an electric vehicle equipped with a motor as a driving source for traveling, the motor is driven using the electric power stored in a battery or the electric power generated during traveling. Further, the motor also functions as a generator that generates regenerative power. The control of these motors is performed through an inverter unit that mutually converts direct current and alternating current.

[0003] A cable leading to a power supply device, an electronic control unit, etc. is connected to the inverter unit. A connection terminal provided at the tip of the cable is inserted into the interior through an opening provided in the housing of the inverter unit, and by inserting a tool or the like through another adjacent opening, the connection terminal of the cable and the terminal inside the housing are connected.

[0004] In various in-vehicle devices such as this type of inverter unit, the openings provided in the housing are shipped in a state blocked by a resin foreign object intrusion prevention cover. This prevents foreign objects such as dust from adhering to the terminals and circuit boards inside the housing (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Also, when connecting a cable to an in-vehicle device such as an inverter unit, the foreign object intrusion prevention cover that closes the opening is removed before performing the connection work.

[0005] International Publication No. 2019 / 198830

[0006] As described above, the in-vehicle device to which the foreign object intrusion prevention cover is to be attached has a plurality of openings on the surface of its housing. Correspondingly, the foreign object intrusion prevention cover includes a plurality of closing portions that close these openings.

[0007] Therefore, when attaching the foreign object intrusion prevention cover to the vehicle body, one closure section must be fixed to the opening, and then the other adjacent closure sections must be fixed to the adjacent openings. This process cannot be carried out smoothly unless the distance between the openings and the distance between the closure sections match. If there is a difference in the distance between the two due to tolerances, it may be necessary to attach the cover while elastically deforming it. Furthermore, when removing the foreign object intrusion prevention cover, one closure section must be fixed to the opening, and the other closure sections must be pulled away from the opening. This process also requires elastically deforming the cover. Consequently, the process of attaching and removing the foreign object intrusion prevention cover to vehicle equipment is complicated.

[0008] Therefore, the objective of this invention is to facilitate the attachment and detachment of foreign object intrusion prevention covers that are installed on in-vehicle equipment.

[0009] To solve the above problems, this invention provides a foreign matter intrusion prevention cover for use in in-vehicle equipment having multiple openings, comprising one closing portion that closes one of the openings, another closing portion that closes another of the openings, and a first connecting portion that connects the one closing portion and the other closing portions, wherein the first connecting portion includes a tolerance absorbing portion that absorbs the tolerance between the one closing portion and the other closing portions (Configuration 1).

[0010] In configuration 1, the tolerance absorption portion can adopt a configuration having a bellows structure (configuration 2).

[0011] In configuration 1 or configuration 2, one of the openings is provided on the first surface of the in-vehicle device, and the other opening is provided on the second surface of the in-vehicle device whose surface direction intersects the first surface, and the first connecting portion may be provided with a weaker portion that has lower rigidity than other parts of the first connecting portion (configuration 3).

[0012] In any one of configurations 1 to 3, at least one of the plurality of openings is made up of a collection of multiple openings, one of the closing portion or another of the closing portion has a plurality of closing regions corresponding to the plurality of openings, and is provided with a second connecting portion that connects the plurality of closing regions, and the second connecting portion is provided with a reinforcing portion that protrudes on the side opposite to the opening side to increase its rigidity (configuration 4).

[0013] In any one of configurations 1 to 4, a configuration can be adopted in which a handle portion is provided on the outer edge of at least one of the closing portions and the other closing portions, with the handle portion protruding outward from that outer edge (configuration 5).

[0014] In configuration 5, the handle portion may be configured to have a stepped portion that moves away from the in-vehicle equipment in the direction of the protrusion of the handle portion (configuration 6).

[0015] In configuration 5 or configuration 6, the handle portion may have a bellows structure (configuration 7).

[0016] In any one of configurations 5 to 7, one of the aforementioned closing portions and the other closing portion have a predetermined width along one direction, the first connecting portion is provided closer to one end in one direction with respect to the predetermined width of the one closing portion and the other closing portion, and the handle portion is provided closer to the other end in one direction of the one closing portion and the other closing portion (configuration 8).

[0017] In any one of configurations 1 to 8, the in-vehicle equipment can be configured as an inverter unit (configuration 9).

[0018] This invention makes it easier to attach and detach foreign object intrusion prevention covers that are installed on in-vehicle equipment.

[0019] This is a perspective view of an inverter unit and a foreign object intrusion prevention cover used in the inverter unit according to an embodiment of this invention. This is a perspective view showing the inverter unit with the foreign object intrusion prevention cover attached. This is a perspective view of the foreign object intrusion prevention cover. This is a close-up perspective view of the main part of the foreign object intrusion prevention cover. This is a close-up perspective view of the main part of the foreign object intrusion prevention cover. This is a close-up perspective view of the main part of the foreign object intrusion prevention cover. This is a close-up perspective view of the main part of the foreign object intrusion prevention cover.

[0020] Embodiments of this invention will be described based on the drawings. This embodiment is a foreign object intrusion prevention cover 20 that is attached to an on-board device (inverter unit) 1 that controls a motor, which serves as a drive source for a vehicle. The inverter unit 1 is shipped and transported with the foreign object intrusion prevention cover attached, and then brought into the vehicle manufacturing process.

[0021] As shown in Figure 1, the inverter unit 1 (hereinafter referred to as inverter 1) is equipped with power modules within the vehicle body 10, including a VCU (Voltage Control Unit) for controlling the boost mechanism of the vehicle, an MCU (Motor Control Unit) for controlling the motor, and a GCU (Generator Control Unit 13) for controlling the generator.

[0022] As shown in Figure 1, the structure 10 comprises a first chamber with openings 3 and 5 facing the outside, and a second chamber with openings 4 and 6. The first and second chambers house the circuit boards constituting the aforementioned power unit, terminals (busbars) for connecting cables leading to an external power supply, etc. Connection terminals provided at the ends of the cables are inserted into the chambers through openings 5 ​​and 6, and these connection terminals are connected to the terminals in the first and second chambers. Since the terminals inside the structure 10 are located directly below openings 3 and 4, it is possible to electrically connect them by inserting a tool or the like through openings 3 and 4. Note that the first and second chambers, cables, connection terminals, terminals, etc. are not shown in the figure.

[0023] The structural frame 10 is a block-shaped member having an upper surface (first surface) 2 and a side surface (second surface) 7 whose surface direction is perpendicular to the upper surface 2. In this embodiment, the structural frame 10 has two openings 3 and 4 that open to the upper surface 2, which are referred to as the first upper surface opening 3 and the second upper surface opening 4, respectively. It also has openings 5 ​​and 6 that open to the side surface 7, which are referred to as the first side surface opening 5 and the second side surface opening 6, respectively. Hereinafter, in the structural frame 10 shown in Figure 1, the direction in which the first upper surface opening 3 and the second upper surface opening 4 are parallel is referred to as the lateral direction (referred to as one direction in the claims), and the depth direction perpendicular to it is referred to as the width direction.

[0024] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first upper opening 3 is composed of a group of openings (a collection of openings) comprising three openings 3a, 3b, and 3c, and the second upper opening 4 is composed of a group of openings (a collection of openings) comprising two openings 4a and 4b. Of the three openings 3a, 3b, and 3c, two openings 3b and 3c are arranged in parallel in the lateral direction of the building structure 10, and the remaining opening 3a is located further back in the width direction than openings 3b and 3c. The two openings 4a and 4b are also arranged in parallel in the lateral direction of the building structure 10. With respect to the lateral direction of the building structure 10, the positions of openings 3b and 3c and openings 4a and 4b are almost identical; that is, the regions of the openings in the lateral direction overlap.

[0025] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first side opening 5 is composed of a group of openings (a collection of openings) comprising two openings 5a and 5b, and the second side opening 6 is also composed of a group of openings (a collection of openings) comprising two openings 6a and 6b. The two openings 5a and 5b are arranged in parallel in the lateral direction of the building structure 10, and the two openings 6a and 6b are also arranged in parallel in the lateral direction of the building structure 10. With respect to the lateral direction of the building structure 10, the positions of openings 3b and 3c and openings 5a and 5b are approximately the same, that is, the regions of the openings in the lateral direction overlap. Also, with respect to the lateral direction of the building structure 10, the positions of openings 4a and 4b and openings 6a and 6b are approximately the same, that is, the regions of the openings in the lateral direction overlap.

[0026] The two openings 5a and 5b of the first side opening 5 are located on the first side 7a, which protrudes forward (towards the viewer in Figure 1) of the side 7, and the two openings 6a and 6b of the second side opening 6 are located on the second side 7b, which is located further back (towards the back in Figure 1) than the first side 7a of the side 7. The space between the first side 7a and the second side 7b is a stepped portion 8, which is a flat surface extending in the width direction of the structure 10.

[0027] The foreign object intrusion prevention cover 20 (hereinafter referred to as cover 20) is made of a single molded resin product, and in this embodiment, cover 20 is provided with four closing portions 31, 41, 51, and 61.

[0028] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the four closing sections 31, 41, 51, and 61 consist of a closing section 31 (referred to as the first upper closing section 31) and a closing section 41 (referred to as the second upper closing section 41) that close the first upper opening 3 and the second upper opening 4, respectively, and a closing section 51 (referred to as the first side closing section 51) and a closing section 61 (referred to as the second side closing section 61) that close the first side opening 5 and the second side opening 6, respectively.

[0029] In Figures 1 and 2, the first upper closing portion 31 and the second upper closing portion 41 are arranged horizontally along the surface direction of the upper surface 2 of the building structure 10, and the first side closing portion 51 and the second side closing portion 61 are arranged vertically (perpendicular to the horizontal direction) along the surface direction of the side 7. However, in the following explanation, based on the state of the cover 20 before folding shown in Figure 3, the side of the cover 20 facing the building structure 10 will be referred to as the bottom surface, and the opposite side will be referred to as the top surface.

[0030] In this embodiment, the upper first closing portion 31 is composed of a group of closing regions (a collection of closing regions) consisting of multiple closing regions. In this embodiment, there are three closing regions, and these three closing regions 31a, 31b, and 31c are each composed of a group of protruding portions that project toward the upper surface 2 and enter into the openings 3a, 3b, and 3c. Each of the closing regions 31a, 31b, and 31c, together with the upper first peripheral edge portion 32 that connects them, constitutes the upper first cover portion 30. Each of the closing regions 31a, 31b, and 31c is located in a position corresponding to the three openings 3a, 3b, and 3c of the upper first opening 3. The upper first peripheral edge portion 32 also serves the function of connecting the multiple closing regions 31a, 31b, and 31c to each other, and this first peripheral edge portion 32 is referred to as the second connecting portion 81.

[0031] Furthermore, the upper second closing portion 41 is also composed of a group of closing regions (a collection of closing regions) consisting of multiple closing regions. In this embodiment, there are two closing regions, and these two closing regions 41a and 41b are each composed of a group of protruding portions that project toward the upper surface 2 and enter into the openings 4a and 4b. Each closing region 41a and 41b, together with the upper second peripheral edge portion 42 that connects them, constitutes the upper second cover portion 40. Each closing region 41a and 41b is located in a position corresponding to the two openings 4a and 4b of the upper second opening 4. The upper second peripheral edge portion 42 also serves the function of connecting the multiple closing regions 41a and 41b, and this upper second peripheral edge portion 32 is referred to as the second connecting portion 82.

[0032] Furthermore, the first side closure portion 51 is also composed of a group of closure regions (a collection of closure regions) consisting of multiple closure regions. In this embodiment, there are two closure regions, and these two closure regions 51a and 51b are each composed of a group of protruding portions that project toward the side 7 and enter into the openings 5a and 5b. Each of the closure regions 51a and 51b, together with the first side peripheral edge portion 52 that connects them, constitutes the first side cover portion 50. Each of the closure regions 51a and 51b is located in a position corresponding to the two openings 5a and 5b of the first side opening 5. The first side peripheral edge portion 52 also serves the function of connecting the multiple closure regions 51a and 51b, and this first side peripheral edge portion 52 is referred to as the second connecting portion 83.

[0033] Furthermore, the side second closing portion 61 is also composed of a group of closing regions (a collection of closing regions) consisting of multiple closing regions. In this embodiment, there are two closing regions, and these two closing regions 61a and 61b are each composed of a group of protruding portions that project toward the side 7 and enter into the openings 6a and 6b. Each closing region 61a and 61b, together with the side second peripheral edge portion 62 that connects them, constitutes the side second cover portion 60. Each closing region 61a and 61b is located in a position corresponding to the two openings 6a and 6b of the side second opening 6. The side second peripheral edge portion 62 also serves the function of connecting the multiple closing regions 61a and 61b, and this side second peripheral edge portion 62 is referred to as the second connecting portion 84.

[0034] The upper first peripheral edge 32, upper second peripheral edge 42, side first peripheral edge 52, and side second peripheral edge 62 that constitute the second connecting portions 81, 82, 83, and 84 are each made of a sheet-like member of a predetermined thickness. In this embodiment, the upper first peripheral edge 32, upper second peripheral edge 42, side first peripheral edge 52, and side second peripheral edge 62 are continuously provided around the entire circumference of the upper first closing portion 31, upper second closing portion 41, side first closing portion 51, and side second closing portion 61, respectively, but an embodiment in which they are made only a part of their circumference is also conceivable.

[0035] The upper first closing portion 31, the upper second closing portion 41, the side first closing portion 51, and the side second closing portion 61 are made of a material with approximately the same thickness as the upper first peripheral edge portion 32, the upper second peripheral edge portion 42, the side first peripheral edge portion 52, and the side second peripheral edge portion 62.

[0036] The lower surfaces of the upper first closing portion 31 and the upper second closing portion 41 protrude more than the lower surfaces of the upper first peripheral edge portion 32 and the upper second peripheral edge portion 42. This protrusion direction is towards the first surface 2 of the building structure 10. Therefore, the upper surfaces of the upper first closing portion 31 and the upper second closing portion 41 are recesses that are lower than the upper surfaces of the upper first peripheral edge portion 32 and the upper second peripheral edge portion 42. Also, the lower surfaces of the side first closing portion 51 and the side second closing portion 61 protrude more than the lower surfaces of the side first peripheral edge portion 52 and the side second peripheral edge portion 62. This protrusion direction is towards the side surface 7 of the building structure 10. Therefore, the upper surfaces of the side first closing portion 51 and the side second closing portion 61 are recesses that are lower than the upper surfaces of the side first peripheral edge portion 52 and the side second peripheral edge portion 62.

[0037] First connecting portions 71, 72, and 73 are connected to the upper first closing portion 31, upper second closing portion 41, side first closing portion 51, and side second closing portion 61 at the necessary locations. In this embodiment, a first connecting portion 71 is provided between the upper first closing portion 31 (corresponding to one closing portion that closes one opening in the claims) and the side first closing portion 51 (corresponding to another closing portion that closes another opening) to connect the two. Also, a first connecting portion 72 is provided between the upper second closing portion 41 (corresponding to one closing portion that closes one opening) and the side second closing portion 61 (corresponding to another closing portion that closes another opening) to connect the two. Furthermore, a first connecting portion 73 is provided between the upper first closing portion 31 (corresponding to one closing portion that closes one opening) and the upper second closing portion 41 (corresponding to another closing portion that closes another opening) to connect the two. These first connecting parts 71, 72, and 73 connect the upper first closing part 31, the upper second closing part 41, the side first closing part 51, and the side second closing part 61 to a single member.

[0038] In this embodiment, the first connecting portion 71 is connected to the first upper closing portion 31 and the first side closing portion 51 via the first upper peripheral edge portion 32 and the first side peripheral edge portion 52, the first connecting portion 72 is connected to the second upper closing portion 41 and the second side closing portion 6 via the second upper peripheral edge portion 42 and the second side peripheral edge portion 62, and the first connecting portion 73 is connected to the first upper closing portion 31 or the second upper closing portion 41 via the first upper peripheral edge portion 32 and the second upper peripheral edge portion 42. These first connecting portions 71, 72, and 73 may also be configured to be directly connected to the first upper closing portion 31, the second upper closing portion 41, the first side closing portion 51, or the second side closing portion 61, respectively, without going through the first upper peripheral edge portion 32, the second upper peripheral edge portion 42, the first side peripheral edge portion 52, or the second side peripheral edge portion 62.

[0039] Furthermore, the first connecting portions 71, 72, and 73 include tolerance absorption portions A that absorb tolerances between the upper first closing portion 31, upper second closing portion 41, side first closing portion 51, and side second closing portion 61 that are connected to each other. The tolerance absorption portion A is a member that includes regions with lower rigidity than the upper first peripheral portion 32, upper second peripheral portion 42, side first peripheral portion 52, and side second peripheral portion 62. In this embodiment, the entire area of ​​each first connecting portion 71, 72, and 73 is designated as the tolerance absorption portion A, but only a part of it may be designated as the tolerance absorption portion A.

[0040] The procedure for attaching the cover 20 to the frame 10 will be explained below. In the following example, the cover is fixed to the frame 10 in the order of the upper first closing section 31, the upper second closing section 41, the side second closing section 51, and the side second closing section 61, but this order can be changed as appropriate.

[0041] First, the upper first closing portion 31 of the upper first cover portion 30 is fixed to the upper first opening 3. This fixing is achieved by pushing the protrusions 31a, 31b, and 31c of the upper first closing portion 31 into the openings 3a, 3b, and 3c of the upper first opening 3, so that the outer surfaces of the protrusions 31a, 31b, and 31c slide against the inner edges of the openings 3a, 3b, and 3c and are pressed in, thereby stabilizing the fixation.

[0042] At this time, ribs 35 each consisting of ridges extending in the lateral direction are provided on the bottom surfaces of the protruding portions 31a, 31b, and 31c of the upper surface first closing portion 31, so that the rigidity of the upper surface first closing portion 31 is enhanced. As a result, the protruding portions 31a, 31b, and 31c are more firmly fixed to the openings 3a, 3b, and 3c, and the effect of preventing detachment can be exhibited. Note that ribs 45, 55, and 65 that can exhibit the same effect are also provided on the upper surface second closing portion 41, the side surface second closing portion 51, and the side surface second closing portion 61.

[0043] Further, on the upper surface first peripheral portion 32 (second connecting portion 81), a reinforcing portion 34 that protrudes upward (opposite to the upper surface first opening portion 3 side) to enhance its rigidity is formed. This reinforcing portion 34 has the same effect as the rib 35 by enhancing the rigidity of the upper surface first cover portion 30. Note that reinforcing portions 44, 54, and 64 that can exhibit the same effect are also provided on the upper surface second peripheral portion 42 (second connecting portion 82), the side surface first peripheral portion 52 (second connecting portion 83), and the side surface second peripheral portion 62 (second connecting portion 84).

[0044] Thereafter, the upper surface second closing portion 41 of the upper surface second cover portion 40 is fixed to the upper surface second opening portion 4. This fixing is achieved by pushing the protruding portions 41a and 41b of the upper surface second closing portion 41 into the openings 4a and 4b of the upper surface second opening portion 4, and the outer peripheral surfaces of the protruding portions 41a and 41b are in sliding contact with the inner edges of the openings 4a and 4b and are press-fitted to be stabilized.

[0045] At this time, the distance between the first upper opening 3 and the second upper opening 4 varies within the tolerance range of the material. The cover 20, which is a resin molded product, also varies within the tolerance range of the material. However, since the cover 20 is equipped with a first deformable connecting portion 73 between the first upper closing portion 31 and the second upper closing portion 41, the second upper closing portion 41 can be smoothly fixed to the second upper opening 4 by elastically deforming the first connecting portion 73. In other words, conventionally, misalignment of surfaces (a state in which surfaces that should be on the same plane are not on the same plane) or misalignment of steps (a state in which the step between surfaces that should be parallel to each other is not at a predetermined height) occurred due to the tolerances of the body 10 and the cover 20, making it impossible to smoothly attach the cover 20. However, the intervention of the tolerance absorption portion A of the first connecting portion 73 can resolve these problems.

[0046] As shown in Figures 3 and 6, the tolerance absorption section A in the first connection section 73 of the embodiment is composed of a bellows section with alternating protrusions 73a and grooves 73b extending in a direction perpendicular to the direction connecting the first upper peripheral edge 32 and the second upper peripheral edge 42. By composing the tolerance absorption section A with a bellows section, the strength of the member can be ensured while making it easy to bend and expand / contract, and it is easy to achieve the desired deformation performance. The direction of the bellows is not limited to the embodiment, but it is desirable that the direction in which the protrusions 73a and grooves 73b extend intersects the direction connecting the first upper peripheral edge 32 and the second upper peripheral edge 42. These matters are also true for the protrusions 71a, 72a and grooves 71b, 72b in other first connection sections 71 and 72 equipped with bellows sections (see Figures 3, 4 and 5).

[0047] Furthermore, as a tolerance absorption section A other than the bellows section, for example, a configuration in which the material is made thinner to facilitate deformation is also conceivable. That is, since the first upper peripheral edge 32, the second upper peripheral edge 42, the first side peripheral edge 52, the second side peripheral edge 62, and the first connecting sections 71, 72, and 73 are each made of sheet-like material, if the thickness of the portion of the first connecting sections 71, 72, and 73 corresponding to the tolerance absorption section A is set to be thinner than the thickness of the first connecting sections 71, 72, and 73, the first upper peripheral edge 32, the second upper peripheral edge 42, the first side peripheral edge 52, and the second side peripheral edge 62 excluding the tolerance absorption section A, it can be made easily bendable and easily expandable.

[0048] Thereafter, the side first closing portion 51 of the side first cover portion 50 is fixed to the side first opening portion 5. This fixing is the same in that the protruding portions 51a and 51b of the side first closing portion 51 are pushed into the openings 5a and 5b of the side first opening portion 5, and the outer peripheral surfaces of the protruding portions 51a and 51b are in sliding contact with the inner edges of the openings 5a and 5b and are press-fitted. Also, the effects of the first connecting portion 71 and the tolerance absorbing portion A at this time are the same.

[0049] Finally, the side second closing portion 61 of the side second cover portion 60 is fixed to the side second opening portion 6. This fixing is the same in that the protruding portions 61a and 61b of the side second closing portion 61 are pushed into the openings 6a and 6b of the side second opening portion 6, and the outer peripheral surfaces of the protruding portions 61a and 61b are in sliding contact with the inner edges of the openings 6a and 6b and are press-fitted. Also, the effects of the first connecting portion 72 and the tolerance absorbing portion A at this time are the same.

[0050] Next, the procedure for removing the cover 20 from the housing 10 will be described. In the following example, the side second closing portion 61, the side first closing portion 51, the upper surface second closing portion 41, and the upper surface first closing portion 31 are removed from the housing 10 in this order, but the order can be changed as appropriate.

[0051] First, from the state shown in FIG. 2, the side second closing portion 61 of the side second cover portion 60 is detached from the side second opening portion 6. This detachment is possible by pulling out (pulling) the protruding portions 61a and 61b of the side second closing portion 61 from the openings 6a and 6b of the side second opening portion 6. When the side second closing portion 61 is detached from the side second opening portion 6, the upper surface second closing portion 41 is fixed to the upper surface second opening portion 4, but since the tolerance absorbing portion A of the first connecting portion 72 is easily deformable, the removal of the side second cover portion 60 is smooth.

[0052] At this time, a handle portion 63 that protrudes outward from the outer edge is connected to the outer edge of the side second peripheral portion 62, so if the handle portion 63 is grasped, the removal operation can be performed with a light force.

[0053] Furthermore, the handle portion 63 is provided on the opposite side of the first connecting portion 72. That is, the side second cover portion 60 (side second opening 6) and the top second cover portion 40 (top second opening 4) each have a predetermined width along the lateral direction (one direction). The first connecting portion 72 is provided closer to one end (to the right in the figure) than the lateral center of the side second cover portion 60 (side second opening 6), and the handle portion 63 is provided closer to the other end (to the left in the figure) than the lateral center of the side second cover portion 60 (side second opening 6). As a result, a longer distance can be secured between the handle portion 63 and the first connecting portion 72, making it easier to pull out the side second closing portion 61 from the side second opening 6.

[0054] Here, the first connecting portion 72 is provided with a weak portion 74 that has lower rigidity than other parts of the first connecting portion 72. The weak portion 74 in this embodiment employs a cut line that separates the side second peripheral portion 62 side from the top second peripheral portion 42 side. The cut line has alternating sections where the side second peripheral portion 62 side and the top second peripheral portion 42 side are separated and where they are connected, making it easy to cut between them. By cutting the cut line when pulling out the side second closing portion 61 from the side second opening 6, it becomes even easier to pull out the side second closing portion 61. In addition to the cut line, another embodiment of the weak portion 74 is also conceivable in which the rigidity is reduced by making the thickness of the weak portion 74 thinner than other parts.

[0055] Furthermore, the handle portion 63 is equipped with a bellows section having alternating ridges and grooves that intersect its protruding direction. As a result, the handle portion 63 is easily deformed, and the side second closing portion 61 is easily pulled.

[0056] The same applies to the handle portion 63, the weak portion 74 of the first connecting portion 72, the protrusion 72a and groove 72b of the first connecting portion 72, etc., on the side second cover portion 60, as well as the handle portion 53, the cut line 74 of the first connecting portion 71, the protrusion 71a and groove 71b of the first connecting portion 71 on the side first cover portion 50, as described later. The same also applies to the cut line 74, the protrusion 73a and groove 73b of the first connecting portion 73 on the upper second cover portion 40, as described later. Furthermore, the same applies to the handle portion 33 on the upper first cover portion 30, as described later (see Figures 3, 4, and 5).

[0057] Next, the first side cover portion 51 of the first side cover portion 50 is detached from the first side opening 5. This detachment is possible by pulling out (pulling) the protruding portions 51a and 51b of the first side cover portion 51 from inside the openings 5a and 5b of the second side opening 5. Here, since the tolerance absorption portion A of the first connecting portion 71 is easily deformable, the removal of the first side cover portion 50 is smooth. In addition, a handle portion 53 that protrudes outward from the outer edge of the first side peripheral edge portion 52 is connected to the outer edge, so the removal work can be done with little force.

[0058] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the handle portion 53 protrudes from the first side surface 7a to the second side surface 7b of the body 10, extending out from the stepped portion 8. This provides the advantage of making the handle portion 53 easier to grasp. Also, the first connecting portion 71 is equipped with a weak portion 74 that separates the first peripheral edge 52 side of the side surface from the first peripheral edge 32 side of the top surface, similar to the first connecting portion 72.

[0059] Next, the upper second closing portion 41 of the upper second cover portion 40 is detached from the upper second opening 4. This detachment is possible by pulling out (pulling) the protruding portions 41a and 41b of the upper second closing portion 41 from inside the openings 4a and 4b of the upper second opening 4. Here, since the tolerance absorption portion A of the first connecting portion 73 is easily deformable, the removal of the upper second cover portion 40 is smooth. Also, since the first connecting portion 72, which was cut at the fragile portion 74, is connected to the outer edge of the upper second peripheral portion 42, the remaining first connecting portion 72 can be pulled out with little force.

[0060] Finally, the first upper cover portion 31 of the first upper cover portion 30 is detached from the first upper opening 3. This detachment is possible by pulling out (pulling) the protruding portions 31a, 31b, and 31c of the first upper cover portion 31 from within the openings 3a, 3b, and 3c of the first upper opening 3. At this point, since the second upper cover portion 40, the first side cover portion 50, and the second side cover portion 60 have already been removed, the removal of the first upper cover portion 30 is smooth. In addition, since a handle portion 33 is attached to the outer edge of the first upper peripheral edge portion 32, the removal can be done with light force.

[0061] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, the handle portion 33 on the first peripheral edge 52 of the side is provided with a stepped portion 33e that moves away from the surface of the main body 10 in the direction of its protrusion. Since the tip of the handle portion 33 moves away from the surface of the main body 20, it is easy to grasp the handle portion 33. In addition, the handle portion 33 is easily deformable by the bellows portion 33f, and the base portion 33b connected to the upper first cover portion 30 is provided with a protruding ridge 33c and a recessed groove 33g with an arc cross-section, so that a certain degree of rigidity is ensured while maintaining a certain degree of deformation performance, preventing the handle portion 33 from falling towards the main body 10.

[0062] The weak portion 74 provided on the first connecting portion 71 can be located anywhere in the direction connecting the upper first cover portion 30 and the side first cover portion 50, but if the weak portion 74 is located at the base of the first connecting portion 71 to the upper first cover portion 30 or at the base of the side first cover portion 40, it is easier to cut when removing the cover 20. In this embodiment, the weak portion 74 of the first connecting portion 71 is along the ridge line between the first surface 2 and the second surface 7, that is, the weak portion 74 is formed along the fold line of the cover 20, so cutting is particularly smooth.

[0063] Similarly, the weak portion 74 provided on the first connecting portion 72 can be located in any position with respect to the direction connecting the upper second cover portion 40 and the side second cover portion 60, but if the weak portion 74 is located at the base portion of the first connecting portion 72 to the upper second cover portion 40 or at the base portion of the side second cover portion 60, cutting is easier when removing the cover 20. In this embodiment, the weak portion 74 of the first connecting portion 72 is along the ridge line between the first surface 2 and the second surface 7, and the weak portion 74 is formed along the folding line of the cover 20, so cutting is particularly smooth.

[0064] Furthermore, the vulnerable portion 74 provided on the first connecting portion 73 can be located anywhere in the direction connecting the upper first cover portion 30 and the upper second cover portion 40, but if the vulnerable portion 74 is located at the base of the first connecting portion 73 to the upper first cover portion 30, or at the base of the upper first cover portion 40, it is easier to cut when removing the cover 20.

[0065] In the above embodiment, the top surface (first surface) 2 and the side surface (second surface) 7 of the in-vehicle device 1 were in a positional relationship where their surface directions were perpendicular to each other. However, the positional relationship between the surface directions of the top surface (first surface) 2 and the side surface (second surface) 7 is not limited to the case where they are perpendicular to each other, but is also conceivable in the case where their surface directions intersect at an angle greater than 90 degrees or at an angle less than 90 degrees.

[0066] 1 Inverter unit 10 Body 3, 4, 5, 6 Openings 3a, 3b, 3c, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b Openings 20 Foreign object intrusion prevention cover (cover) 31, 41, 51, 61 Closure part 32, 42, 52, 62 Peripheral part 33, 53, 63 Handle part 34, 44, 54, 64 Reinforced part 71, 72, 73 First connection part 74 Weak part (cut line) 81, 82, 83, 84 Second connection part A Tolerance absorption part

Claims

1. A foreign matter intrusion prevention cover used in an in-vehicle device having multiple openings, comprising: one closing portion that closes one of the openings; another closing portion that closes another of the openings; and a first connecting portion that connects the one closing portion and the other closing portions, wherein the first connecting portion includes a tolerance absorbing portion that absorbs the tolerance between the one closing portion and the other closing portions.

2. The foreign matter contamination prevention cover according to claim 1, wherein the tolerance absorption portion has a bellows structure.

3. The foreign matter contamination prevention cover according to claim 1 or 2, wherein one of the openings is provided on the first surface of the in-vehicle device, and the other opening is provided on the second surface of the in-vehicle device whose surface direction intersects the first surface, and the first connecting portion has a weak portion that is less rigid than other parts of the first connecting portion.

4. A foreign object intrusion prevention cover according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein at least one of the plurality of openings is made up of a collection of multiple openings, one of the closing portion or another of the closing portion has a plurality of closing regions corresponding to the plurality of openings, and is provided with a second connecting portion that connects the plurality of closing regions, and the second connecting portion has a reinforcing portion that protrudes on the side opposite to the opening side to increase its rigidity.

5. A foreign object intrusion prevention cover according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein at least one of the outer edges of one of the aforementioned closing portions and the other closing portion is provided with a handle portion that protrudes outward from that outer edge.

6. The foreign object intrusion prevention cover according to claim 5, wherein the handle portion is provided with a stepped portion that moves away from the in-vehicle equipment in the direction of the protrusion of the handle portion.

7. The foreign object intrusion prevention cover according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the handle portion has a bellows structure.

8. A foreign object intrusion prevention cover according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein one of the aforementioned closing portions and the other closing portion have a predetermined width along one direction, the first connecting portion is provided closer to one end in one direction with respect to the predetermined width of the one of the aforementioned closing portion and the other closing portion, and the handle portion is provided closer to the other end in one direction of the one of the aforementioned closing portion and the other closing portion.

9. The foreign object intrusion prevention cover according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the in-vehicle equipment is an inverter unit.

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