Motor control device

Abstract

One embodiment of a motor control device according to the present invention comprises: a power module having a switching element; a drive substrate capable of outputting a signal for driving the switching element; a cooling jacket through which a refrigerant flows; and a control substrate that is electrically connected to the drive substrate, and controls power supply to a motor. The power module and the cooling jacket are positioned between the drive substrate and the control substrate, and are provided with a substrate connection part that connects the drive substrate and the control substrate.

Description

Motor control device

[0001] The present invention relates to a motor control device.

[0002] Conventionally, in an inverter unit constituting a motor control device, a filter circuit is generally provided in order to reduce noise radiated to an external space or a power line during a switching operation. When the filter circuit is provided in the inverter unit together with the inverter circuit, cooling of each circuit becomes necessary.

[0003] Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-210762 discloses a configuration in which a cooling housing is partitioned into a first cooling chamber and a second cooling chamber, and the inverter circuit is cooled by the cooling air in the first cooling chamber, and the coil of the filter circuit is cooled by the cooling air in the second cooling chamber.

[0004] Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication: JP-A-10-210762

[0005] In Patent Document 1, since the inverter unit and the cooling housing are provided separately, there is a problem that the device becomes large-sized.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and an object thereof is to provide a motor control device capable of reducing noise while suppressing an increase in size.

[0007] One aspect of the motor control device of the present invention includes a power module having switching elements, a drive board capable of outputting a signal for driving the switching elements, a cooling jacket through which a refrigerant flows inside, and a control board electrically connected to the drive board and controlling power supply to a motor. The power module and the cooling jacket are located between the drive board and the control board, and the motor control device includes a board connection portion connecting the drive board and the control board.

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a motor control device capable of reducing noise while suppressing an increase in size.

[0009] Figure 1 is a diagram showing the control system of the motor control device of this embodiment. Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the inverter unit of this embodiment. Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the inverter module of the first embodiment. Figure 4 is an external perspective view of the inverter module of the first embodiment. Figure 5 is a top view of the power module. Figure 6 is a perspective view of the front side of the power module viewed from below. Figure 7 is a bottom view of the power module. Figure 8 is a perspective view of the cooling jacket. Perspectives of the control board and resistor board. Bottom views of the control board and resistor board. Figure 11 is an external perspective view of the inverter module of the second embodiment. Figure 12 is an external perspective view showing a modified example of the cooling jacket. Figure 13 is an external perspective view showing a modified example of the inverter module.

[0010] The motor control device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and can be arbitrarily modified within the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention. Furthermore, in the following drawings, the scale and number of components in each structure may differ from the actual structure in order to make the components easier to understand.

[0011] In the following description, the first direction D1 will be shown in each figure as appropriate. In this embodiment, the first direction D1 is the left-right direction of the motor control device 100. In the following description, the side to which the arrow of the first direction D1 points (+D1 side) will be referred to as the "right side". The side opposite to the side to which the arrow of the first direction D1 points (-D1 side) will be referred to as the "left side".

[0012] In the following description, the third direction D3 will be shown in each figure as appropriate. In this embodiment, the third direction D3 is the vertical direction of the motor control device 100. In the following description, the side in which the arrow of the third direction D3 points (+D3 side) will be referred to as the "upper side". The side opposite to the side in which the arrow of the third direction D3 points (-D3 side) will be referred to as the "lower side".

[0013] In the following explanation, the second direction D2 will be shown in each figure as appropriate. The second direction D2 is perpendicular to both the first direction D1 and the third direction D3. The second direction D2 is the front-to-back direction of the motor control device 100. In the following explanation, the side in which the arrow of the second direction D2 points (+D2 side) will be referred to as the "front side". The side opposite to the side in which the arrow of the second direction D2 points (-D2 side) will be referred to as the "rear side".

[0014] Note that the terms "upper side," "lower side," "right side," "left side," "front side," and "rear side" are merely names used to describe the relative positional relationships of each part, and the actual arrangement may differ from those indicated by these names.

[0015] Figure 1 shows the control system of the motor control device 100. In this embodiment, the motor control device 100 has an inverter unit 10. The inverter unit 10 is a power conversion device. The inverter unit 10 converts the DC current supplied from the external power supply 101 into AC current and supplies it to the motor M.

[0016] Motor M is, for example, a drive device mounted on a vehicle that rotates the vehicle's axle. Motor M is driven by current supplied from inverter unit 10. Vehicles on which motor M is mounted are vehicles that use motor M as a power source, such as hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), and electric vehicles (EVs).

[0017] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the inverter unit 10. As shown in Figure 2, the inverter unit 10 comprises an inverter module 11, a cover 12, and a case 13. The case 13 houses the inverter module 11. The cover 12 is attached to the upper side of the case 13. The cover 12 closes the opening of the case 13 that houses the inverter module 11 from above.

[0018] [First Embodiment of Inverter Module] Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the inverter module 11 of the first embodiment. Figure 4 is a perspective view of the inverter module 11 from the opposite side to that shown in Figure 3.

[0019] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the inverter module 11 comprises a drive board 20, a power module 40, a current sensor 50, a cooling jacket 60, a capacitor 70, a control board 80, and a board connection section 90.

[0020] The power module 40 and the cooling jacket 60 are located between the drive board 20 and the control board 80. The power module 40 and the cooling jacket 60 are positioned between the drive board 20 and the control board 80, which are separated vertically. The drive board 20, the power module 40, the cooling jacket 60, and the control board 80 are arranged sequentially in this order from top to bottom along the vertical direction. Alternatively, the drive board 20, the cooling jacket 60, the power module 40, and the control board 80 may be arranged sequentially in this order from top to bottom along the vertical direction. That is, the drive board 20 and the control board 80 are positioned separated vertically.

[0021] The power module 40 is located below the drive board 20. The power module 40 incorporates at least several switching elements (not shown) that constitute an inverter circuit. The drive board 20 is capable of outputting signals to drive the switching elements. The power module 40 has three output terminals 42. Each output terminal 42 is connected to a busbar 51 and fastened from above by fastening members (not shown). The busbar 51 is connected to a current sensor 50 that detects three-phase drive currents to the motor. The current sensor 50 has a three-phase output section 53 that outputs three phase drive currents (only two phases are shown in Figure 3). The current sensor 50 is located to the right of the power module 40. The current sensor 50 is fastened from above to the cooling jacket 60 by fastening members (not shown) at fixed sections 52 provided at both ends in the second direction D2.

[0022] Figure 5 is a top view of the power module 40. As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the power module 40 has a shaft portion 43, a first fastening portion 44, eight insertion holes 45, three first busbar connection portions 46, three second busbar connection portions 47. There are two shaft portions 43. The two shaft portions 43 are shafts that extend upward and taper at the tip. The shaft portions 43 are arranged diagonally on the front and left side and the rear and right side. There are eight first fastening portions 44 in total, arranged in two rows separated in the first direction D1, with four portions spaced apart in the second direction D2. The two shaft portions 43 are arranged between the two rows of first fastening portions 44. The eight insertion holes 45 penetrate the power module 40 in the vertical direction. The eight insertion holes 45 are provided in total, four on each side along the right and left edges of the top-view rectangle, spaced apart in the second direction D2. The three first busbar connection portions 46 are provided in each side along the left side edge of the power module 40, spaced apart in the second direction D2. The three second busbar connection portions 47 are positioned spaced apart in front of each of the three first busbar connection portions 46.

[0023] As shown in Figure 3, the drive board 20 has two insertion holes 21 and eight insertion holes 22. The insertion holes 21 and 22 penetrate the drive board 20 in the vertical direction. The two insertion holes 21 are positioned to overlap with the two shaft portions 43 in the vertical direction. The shaft portions 43 are inserted into the two insertion holes 21 from below. By inserting the shaft portions 43 into the two insertion holes 21, the drive board 20 is aligned with the power module 40 in a first direction D1 and a second direction D2 that are perpendicular to the vertical direction. The eight insertion holes 22 are positioned to overlap with the eight first fastening portions 44 in the vertical direction. Fastening members (not shown) are inserted into the eight insertion holes 22 from above, and the drive board 20 is fixed to the power module 40 from above by fastening the fastening members to the first fastening portions 44.

[0024] The upper end of the board connection portion 90 is connected to the upper surface of the drive board 20. The board connection portion 90 is located on the rear side of the drive board 20 and is connected across the edge 20a that extends in the vertical direction. The board connection portion 90 passes outside the edge of the edge 20a of the drive board 20 and crosses the edge 20a. By passing outside the edge of the edge 20a, interference between the board connection portion 90 and other parts of the control board 80 can be suppressed. The board connection portion 90 may also be configured to be connected to the lower surface of the drive board 20.

[0025] Furthermore, side 20a is located in a different place from side 20b on the right side of the drive board 20 where the current sensor 50 is positioned. Therefore, interference between the board connection portion 90 and the current sensor 50 can be suppressed.

[0026] The power module 40 outputs a high-voltage current, making it prone to noise generation. If noise occurs, the control board 80 may malfunction. In this embodiment, since the control board 80 is located separately from the power module 40, noise shielding is easily achieved. This improved noise shielding allows for a simpler filter circuit, contributing to miniaturization.

[0027] Figure 6 is a perspective view of the front side of the power module 40, viewed from below. As shown in Figure 6, the power module 40 is provided with cooling fins 41 on its lower side. The cooling fins 41 may be molded integrally with the power module 40. Alternatively, the cooling fins 41 may be provided on the upper side of a cooling jacket 60, which will be described later, and may be joined to the lower surface of the power module 40 when the power module 40 is fixed to the upper side of the cooling jacket 60.

[0028] The cooling fin 41 has a plurality of plate-shaped fins F that protrude downward and extend in the second direction D2. The cooling fin 41 that protrudes downward is located inside the cooling jacket 60. The cooling fin 41 is located in the flow path portion 61 (described later) of the cooling jacket 60. The plurality of fins F are, for example, configured in a rectangular cylindrical shape that extends in the second direction D2 and whose internal space becomes a refrigerant flow path. The cooling fin 41 has an opening 41a at the lower part of the rectangular cylindrical fin F. Multiple openings 41a are provided (seven in Figure 7) at intervals in the second direction D2, including both ends of the second direction D2. Because the cooling fin 41 has openings 41a, the refrigerant that has flowed through the refrigerant flow path in the internal space of the rectangular cylindrical shape and the refrigerant located below the cooling fin 41 in the cooling jacket 60 can exchange heat through the openings 41a. This allows the heat from the refrigerant, which has risen in temperature due to heat exchange with the power module 40 as it flows through the refrigerant flow path, to be dissipated to the refrigerant located below the cooling fins 41. Therefore, the cooling efficiency for the power module 40 can be improved.

[0029] The cooling fins 41 are preferably made of metal such as copper or aluminum, from the viewpoint of thermal conductivity and noise shielding effect to the control board 80 described above. However, the cooling fins 41 may be made of resin if sufficient cooling effect can be obtained, and may be made of resin material having at least a part of it made of metal such as copper or aluminum, such as a resin material whose surface is covered with metal plating.

[0030] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, the power module 40 has shaft portions 48 on its lower surface. There are two shaft portions 48. The two shaft portions 48 are shafts that extend downward and taper towards the end. The shaft portions 48 are arranged diagonally on the rear and left side and the front and right side.

[0031] The capacitor 70 is located between the drive board 20 and the control board 80. By positioning the capacitor 70 between the drive board 20 and the control board 80, the space between the drive board 20 and the control board 80 can be effectively utilized. Furthermore, by providing the capacitor 70 with the metal first busbar 72 and second busbar 73 described later, it becomes easier to obtain a noise shielding effect from the power module 40 to the control board 80 due to high-voltage current output.

[0032] As shown in Figure 3, the capacitor 70 includes a smoothing capacitor 71, a first busbar 72, and a second busbar 73. The smoothing capacitor 71 smooths the current supplied to the motor M. Multiple smoothing capacitors 71 are stacked. The first busbar 72 and the second busbar 73 extend to the right. Three first busbars 72 are provided spaced apart in the second direction D2. The second busbars 73 are spaced apart in front of each of the three first busbars 72. The first busbars 72 are connected from above to the first busbar connection portion 46 of the power module 40 and fastened to the first busbar connection portion 46 by fastening members (not shown). The second busbars 73 are connected from above to the second busbar connection portion 47 of the power module 40 and fastened to the second busbar connection portion 47 by fastening members (not shown).

[0033] Figure 8 is a perspective view of the cooling jacket 60. The cooling jacket 60 is, for example, an insert molded body in which a metal part is inserted into a mold and then resin-molded. A coolant flows through the inside of the cooling jacket 60.

[0034] As shown in Figure 8, the cooling jacket 60 includes a flow path section 61, a first flow path pipe (flow path pipe) 62, a second flow path pipe (flow path pipe) 63, a DC input section 64, eight second fastening sections 65, two insertion holes 66, four fastening sections 14, a grounding section 15, a first grounding member 16, and a second grounding member 17.

[0035] The flow path section 61 is provided inside the cooling jacket 60. The flow path section 61 is a channel through which the refrigerant flows. The flow path section 61 is capable of accommodating the refrigerant. The refrigerant is, for example, LLC (Long Life Coolant). The flow path section 61 is rectangular in shape when viewed from above, recessed downwards from the upper surface of the cooling jacket 60, and opening up to the upper surface of the cooling jacket 60.

[0036] The first flow channel pipe 62 extends forward from the flow channel section 61. The internal space of the first flow channel pipe 62 opens at the rear to the front end of the flow channel section 61. Refrigerant is supplied to the first flow channel pipe 62 from the front. The refrigerant supplied to the internal space of the first flow channel pipe 62 is introduced into the flow channel section 61. The second flow channel pipe 63 extends downward from the rear end of the flow channel section 61. The internal space of the second flow channel pipe 63 opens at the upper to the rear end of the flow channel section 61. The second flow channel pipe 63 can discharge the refrigerant from the flow channel section 61.

[0037] The first flow channel 62 extends forward from the flow channel section 61. The substrate connection section 90 is located on the opposite side from the first flow channel 62 in the second direction D2. The second flow channel 63 is located away from the substrate connection section 90 in the first direction D1, as shown in Figure 4. Therefore, interference between the substrate connection section 90 and the first flow channel 62 and the second flow channel 63 can be suppressed. The DC input section 64 is, for example, a connector into which a DC current is input from a battery. As shown in Figure 4, the DC input section 64 is located away from the substrate connection section 90 in the first direction D1 and the second direction D2, and is located at a different position from side 20a. Therefore, interference between the substrate connection section 90 and the DC input section 64 can be suppressed.

[0038] The four fastening portions 14 are the points where the case 13 is fastened. The four fastening portions 14 penetrate the cooling jacket 60 in the vertical direction. Of the four fastening portions 14, the two located on the left side have insert-molded metal cylindrical portions 14A. The cylindrical portion 14A has a hole that penetrates in the vertical direction. As shown in Figure 2, the two fastening portions 14 located on the left side are fixed to a base portion 13A located at the bottom left side inside the case 13. The two fastening portions 14 located on the left side are each fixed by fastening fastening members (not shown) inserted through the cylindrical portion 14A to the base portion 13A of the case 13. The fastening portions 14 have metal cylindrical portions 14A and are fastened to the case 13 via metal fastening members. When the case 13 is grounded, the cooling jacket 60 can be grounded via the fastening members.

[0039] Two of the four fastening portions 14 located on the right side are positioned on the ground portion 15. The ground portion 15 has a first ground portion 15A located on the front side and a second ground portion 15B located on the rear side. The first ground portion 15A and the second ground portion 15B are made of insert-molded metal and are oval-shaped, extending in a first direction D1 when viewed from above. The first ground portion 15A and the second ground portion 15B penetrate the resin portion of the cooling jacket 60 in the vertical direction. The fastening portion 14 penetrates the first ground portion 15A and the second ground portion 15B in the vertical direction, respectively.

[0040] The two fastening portions 14 located on the right side are fixed to a base portion 13B located at the bottom right side inside the case 13, as shown in Figure 2. The two fastening portions 14 located on the right side are each fixed by fastening members (not shown) inserted through the fastening portions 14 to the base portion 13B of the case 13. The fastening portions 14 are located on a metal grounding portion 15 and are fastened to the case 13 via metal fastening members. When the case 13 is grounded, the cooling jacket 60 can be grounded via the fastening members.

[0041] The first grounding portion 15A is provided with a first grounding member 16. The first grounding member 16 is made of metal and is integrated with the first grounding portion 15A. The first grounding member 16 is located to the left of the fastening portion 14 in the first grounding portion 15A. The first grounding member 16 is an axial boss extending upward from the first grounding portion 15A. When the cooling jacket 60 is assembled as the inverter unit 10, the first grounding member 16 contacts the drive board 20 from below, as shown in Figure 4. As described above, the first grounding portion 15A is grounded by being fastened to the case 13 via the fastening portion 14 and the metal fastening member, so the drive board 20 can be grounded by the first grounding member 16 contacting the drive board 20 from below.

[0042] The second grounding portion 15B is provided with a second grounding member 17. The second grounding member 17 is made of metal and is integrated with the second grounding portion 15B. The second grounding member 17 is located to the left of the fastening portion 14 in the second grounding portion 15B. The second grounding member 17 is an axial boss extending downward from the second grounding portion 15B. When the cooling jacket 60 is assembled as the inverter unit 10, the second grounding member 17 contacts the control board 80 from above, as shown in Figure 4. As described above, the second grounding portion 15B is grounded by being fastened to the case 13 via the fastening portion 14 and the metal fastening member, so the control board 80 can be grounded by the second grounding member 17 contacting the control board 80 from above.

[0043] The two insertion holes 66 are recessed downward from the upper surface of the cooling jacket 60. The two insertion holes 66 are positioned to overlap vertically with the two shaft portions 48 that extend downward from the power module 40 shown in Figure 6. By inserting the shaft portions 48 into the two insertion holes 66, the power module 40 is aligned with the cooling jacket 60 in the first direction D1 and the second direction D2.

[0044] The eight second fastening parts 65 are arranged in four each on both sides in the first direction D1 sandwiching the flow path part 61, with an interval in the second direction D2, for a total of eight. The eight second fastening parts 65 are respectively arranged at positions overlapping vertically with the eight insertion holes 45 of the power module 40 shown in FIG. 5. The eight second fastening parts 65 have, as an example, insert-molded metal nuts. The eight second fastening parts sixty-five are female screw parts of the nuts. A metal fastening member (not shown) is inserted into the eight insertion holes 45 of the power module 40 from above, and the power module 40 is fastened to the cooling jacket 60 from above by the fastening member being fastened to each of the second fastening parts 65 respectively.

[0045] The eight second fastening parts 65 are electrically connected to, for example, the grounding part 15 by wiring (not shown). As described above, since the grounding part 15 is grounded by being fastened to the case 13 via a metal fastening member, the power module 40 in which the metal fastening member is inserted into the insertion hole 45 and fastened at the second fastening part 65 is grounded.

[0046] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the control board 80 and the resistor board 30. FIG. 10 is a bottom view of the control board 80 and the resistor board 30.

[0047] The control board 80 is arranged at the lowermost side in the inverter module 11. The control board 80 is electrically connected to the drive board 20 via the board connection part 90. The control board 80 controls the power supply to the motor M via the drive board 20.

[0048] As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the board connection part 90 is located at the rear side of the control board 80 and is connected across the side 80a extending along the first direction D1. The board connection part 90 passes through the rear side outside the edge of the side 80a of the control board 80 and straddles the side 80a. By the board connection part 90 passing through the outside of the edge of the side 80a, it is possible to prevent the board connection part 90 from interfering with other parts between the drive board 20. Incidentally, the board connection part 90 may be configured to be connected to the upper surface of the control board 80.

[0049] The control board 80 has a connector 81. The connector 81 outputs, for example, a control signal to the motor M. The connector 81 is, as an example, a VCU (Vehicle Control Unit) connector. The connector 81 may be a different connector from the VCU connector.

[0050] The connector 81 is located on the left side 80b of the control board 80. In other words, the connector 81 is located in a different location from the side 80a where the board connection portion 90 is located. Therefore, interference between the board connection portion 90 and the connector 81 can be suppressed.

[0051] The connector 81 is mounted on the circuit board 82. The circuit board 82 is a rectangular plate perpendicular to the first direction D1. The connector 81 is mounted on the circuit board 82 facing left. The connector 81 is connected to the harness 83. The harness 83 is bent in an L-shape, with a portion extending upward and a portion extending to the right when viewed from the second direction D2 (+D2 side). The portion of the harness 83 extending upward is connected to the connector 81. The portion of the harness 83 extending to the right is connected to a connector 84 provided on the lower surface of the control board 80.

[0052] The resistor substrate 30 is positioned in front of the control substrate 80 and to its left, independently of the control substrate 80. The resistor substrate 30 comprises a substrate 31, a discharge resistor 32, and X,Y capacitors 33. The substrate 31 is a rectangular plate and is flush with the control substrate 80. The substrate 31 is fastened from below to the cooling jacket 60 by two fastening members 35.

[0053] The discharge resistor 32 and the X,Y capacitors 33 are located on the underside of the substrate 31. The X,Y capacitors 33 remove noise from the power supply line. The discharge resistor 32 discharges the residual charge of the X,Y capacitors 33 when they are disconnected from the circuit. By providing the resistor substrate 30 independently, manufacturing becomes easier compared to manufacturing it together with other components, and no substrate is wasted by using surplus substrate.

[0054] In the motor control device 100 with the above configuration, the power module 40 and the cooling jacket 60 are located between the drive board 20 and the control board 80, so that the drive board 20 and the control board 80 are separated by a long distance. Therefore, in the motor control device 100 of this embodiment, it is easier to obtain a shielding effect against noise from the power module 40 to the control board 80 due to high-voltage current output. In the motor control device 100 of this embodiment, the ease with which the shielding effect can be obtained can reduce the need to install filter circuits, thus contributing to miniaturization.

[0055] Furthermore, in the motor control device 100 of this embodiment, since the cooling fins 41 having metal parts are located inside the cooling jacket 60, the noise shielding effect to the control board 80 can be further enhanced even when a resin cooling jacket 60 is used.

[0056] Furthermore, in the motor control device 100 of this embodiment, the fastening portion 14 for fastening the cooling jacket 60 to the case 13 is located on the grounding portion 15 which is grounded via the case 13. The first grounding member 16 provided on the first grounding portion 15A of the grounding portion 15 contacts the drive board 20 to ground the drive board 20, and the second grounding member 17 provided on the second grounding portion 15B of the grounding portion 15 contacts the control board 80 to ground the control board 80. Thus, by fastening and fixing the cooling jacket 60 to the case 13, the drive board 20 and the control board 80 can be effectively grounded.

[0057] [Second Embodiment of Inverter Module] Next, a second embodiment of the inverter module 11 will be described with reference to Figure 11. In this figure, elements identical to those of the first embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 10 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions are omitted.

[0058] Figure 12 is an external perspective view of the inverter module 11 of the second embodiment. The inverter module 11 of the second embodiment differs from that of the first embodiment in the configuration of the drive board 20, the control board 80, and the board connection section 90.

[0059] As shown in Figure 12, the inverter module 11 has a bent substrate 110A in which a single substrate 110 is bent into a U-shape in cross-section. The bent substrate 110A has a first substrate portion 111 and a second substrate portion 112 that are spaced apart from each other, and a third substrate portion 113 that connects the first substrate portion 111 and the second substrate portion 112.

[0060] The first substrate portion 111 has the same shape and size as the drive substrate 20 when viewed from above, and a first protrusion 111A is provided at the position in the first direction D1 where the substrate connection portion 90 is located, with a shorter length in the first direction D1 and projecting to the rear. The second substrate portion 112 has the same shape and size as the control substrate 80 when viewed from below, and a second protrusion 112A is provided at the position in the first direction D1 where the substrate connection portion 90 is located, with a shorter length in the first direction D1 and projecting to the rear. The third substrate portion 113 is plate-shaped perpendicular to the second direction D2, extends vertically, and connects the first protrusion 111A and the second protrusion 112A.

[0061] The drive board 20 is located in the first board portion 111. The control board 80 is located in the second board portion 112. The board connection portion 90 is located in the third board portion 113. The other configurations are the same as in the first embodiment described above.

[0062] In the inverter module 11 with the above configuration, the components of the drive board 20 are manufactured on a single circuit board 110 at the location that will become the first circuit board portion 111, the components of the control board 80 are manufactured at the location that will become the second circuit board portion 112, and the components of the circuit board connection portion 90 are manufactured at the location that will become the third circuit board portion 113. Since the components of the drive board 20, the control board 80, and the circuit board connection portion 90 are manufactured on a single circuit board 110, manufacturing becomes easier.

[0063] Subsequently, by bending the single substrate 110 into a U-shaped cross-section, a bent substrate 110A can be obtained in which the drive substrate 20 is located in the first substrate portion 111, the control substrate 80 is located in the second substrate portion 112, and the substrate connection portion 90 is located in the third substrate portion 113.

[0064] In this embodiment, in addition to obtaining the same functions and effects as in the first embodiment, the drive board 20, control board 80, and board connection part 90 can be easily manufactured.

[0065] Preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the attached drawings, but it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to these examples. The shapes and combinations of the constituent members shown in the above examples are merely examples, and can be modified in various ways based on design requirements, etc., without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0066] In the above embodiment, a configuration in which the drive board 20 is located on the upper side and the control board 80 is located on the lower side of the inverter module 11 was illustrated, but the configuration is not limited to this. For example, the control board 80 may be located on the upper side and the drive board 20 may be located on the lower side. In this case, the control board 80, the cooling jacket 60, the power module 40, and the drive board 20 may be arranged sequentially in this order from top to bottom along the vertical direction, or the control board 80, the power module 40, the cooling jacket 60, and the drive board 20 may be arranged sequentially in this order from top to bottom along the vertical direction.

[0067] In the above embodiment, a configuration in which the connector 81 is provided on the control board 80 was illustrated, but the configuration is not limited to this. For example, as shown in Figure 12 as a modified example of the cooling jacket 60, the connector 81 may be provided on the cooling jacket 60. In this configuration, it is preferable to use an insert molded body in which the connector 81 is inserted together with the cylindrical portion 14A, the first ground portion 15A, the second ground portion 15B, and the second flow channel pipe 63 and then molded in resin. This eliminates the need to use the circuit board 82 and harness 83, thereby reducing the number of parts. Furthermore, by being integrally molded in resin, the connector 81 can be easily positioned when assembling it to the case 13. In addition, the number of bolts used during assembly and the number of assembly steps can be reduced.

[0068] Furthermore, although the above embodiment illustrates a configuration in which the discharge resistor 32 is provided on the substrate 31, the configuration is not limited to this. For example, as shown in Figure 13 as a modified example of the inverter module, the discharge resistor 32 may be provided on the substrate connection portion 90. This allows for space saving. Also, although not shown in the figures, the discharge resistor 32 may be provided on the cooling jacket 60. This allows for increased cooling efficiency of the discharge resistor 32.

[0069] Furthermore, although the above embodiment illustrates a configuration in which the cooling jacket 60 is made of resin, the system is not limited to this configuration. The cooling jacket 60 may be made of metal, for example. If the cooling jacket 60 is made of metal, the noise shielding effect from the power module 40 to the control board 80 associated with high-voltage current output can be further improved.

[0070] Furthermore, this technology can take the following configurations: (1) A motor control device comprising: a power module having a switching element; a drive board capable of outputting a signal to drive the switching element; a cooling jacket through which a refrigerant flows; and a control board electrically connected to the drive board and controlling the supply of power to the motor, wherein the power module and the cooling jacket are located between the drive board and the control board, and a board connection portion is provided to connect the drive board and the control board. (2) The motor control device according to (1), wherein at least a portion of the board connection portion passes outside the edges of the respective sides of the drive board and the control board, and straddles the sides. (3) The motor control device according to (2), comprising: a flow channel pipe connected to the cooling jacket; a connector to which a control signal to the motor is output; and a current sensor to detect the drive current to the motor, wherein the flow channel pipe, the connector, and the current sensor are located at locations different from the sides. (4) The motor control device according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the cooling jacket is made of metal. (5) A motor control device according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein a single substrate is bent into a U-shaped cross-section, the bent substrate has a first substrate portion and a second substrate portion spaced apart from each other, and a third substrate portion connecting the first substrate portion and the second substrate portion, the drive substrate is located in the first substrate portion, the control substrate is located in the second substrate portion, and the substrate connection portion is located in the third substrate portion. (6) A motor control device according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein a capacitor is located between the drive substrate and the control substrate. (7) A motor control device according to any one of (1) to (6), comprising a case for housing at least the cooling jacket, wherein the cooling jacket has fastening portions fastened to the case and grounding portions on which the fastening portions are located and grounded via the fastening portions and the case, and the grounding portions have a first grounding member provided that contacts the drive board and a first grounding portion for grounding the drive board, and a second grounding member provided that contacts the control board and a second grounding portion for grounding the control board.

[0071] 10...Inverter unit, 11...Inverter module, 13...Case, 14...Fastening part, 15...Grounding part, 15A...First grounding part, 15B...Second grounding part, 16...First grounding member, 17...Second grounding member, 20...Drive board, 20a, 80a...Side, 40...Power module, 41...Cooling fin, 50...Current sensor, 60...Cooling jacket, 61...Flow path section, 62...First flow path tube (flow path tube), 63...Second flow path tube (flow path tube), 70...Capacitor, 80...Control board, 90...Board connection part, 100...Motor control device, 110...Single board, 110A...Bent board, 111...First board section, 111...First board section, 112...Second board section, 113...Third board section, M...Motor

Claims

1. A motor control device comprising: a power module having a switching element; a drive board capable of outputting a signal to drive the switching element; a cooling jacket through which a refrigerant flows; and a control board electrically connected to the drive board and controlling the power supply to the motor, wherein the power module and the cooling jacket are located between the drive board and the control board, and the device includes a board connection portion connecting the drive board and the control board.

2. The motor control device according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the board connection portion passes outside the edges of the respective sides of the drive board and the control board, and straddles the edges.

3. The motor control device according to claim 2, comprising: a flow channel pipe connected to the cooling jacket; a connector for outputting a control signal to the motor; and a current sensor for detecting a drive current to the motor, wherein the flow channel pipe, the connector, and the current sensor are arranged at locations different from the aforementioned side.

4. The motor control device according to claim 1, wherein the cooling jacket is made of metal.

5. A motor control device according to claim 1, comprising a bent substrate in which a single substrate is bent into a U-shape in cross-section, wherein the bent substrate comprises a first substrate portion and a second substrate portion arranged apart from each other, and a third substrate portion connecting the first substrate portion and the second substrate portion, wherein the drive substrate is located in the first substrate portion, the control substrate is located in the second substrate portion, and the substrate connection portion is located in the third substrate portion.

6. The motor control device according to claim 1, further comprising a capacitor located between the drive board and the control board.

7. A motor control device according to claim 1, comprising at least a case for housing the cooling jacket, wherein the cooling jacket has fastening portions fastened to the case, and grounding portions on which the fastening portions are located and grounded via the fastening portions and the case, and the grounding portions have a first grounding member provided that contacts the drive board and grounds the drive board, and a second grounding member provided that contacts the control board and grounds the control board.

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