Electric compressor

Abstract

[Problem] To enable a casing of an electric compressor to be manufactured in the same mold regardless of the shape of a connector for supplying electric power to an inverter, and to reduce manufacturing costs of the casing of the electric compressor and, by extension, the electric compressor. [Solution] This electric compressor 1 includes a motor 2, a compression mechanism 3 driven by the motor 2, a compressor casing 4 accommodating the motor 2 and the compression mechanism 3, an inverter 5 that controls the driving of the motor 2, and an inverter casing 6 accommodating the inverter 5. A connector 20 for supplying electric power to the inverter 5 is attached to a connector attachment part 10 provided on an outer surface of the inverter casing 6 via an adapter 30.

Description

Electric compressor

[0001] The present invention relates to an electric compressor mounted on a vehicle.

[0002] An example of this type of electric compressor is described in Patent Document 1. The electric compressor described in Patent Document 1 is an inverter-integrated electric compressor and constitutes a part of the refrigerant circuit of a vehicle air conditioner mounted on a vehicle and used to air-condition the vehicle interior. In the electric compressor described in Patent Document 1, a motor, a compression mechanism, and an inverter are housed in a housing (casing), and power from the vehicle power supply is supplied to the inverter via a connector.

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

[0004] The casing of the electric compressor is manufactured by die-casting, and the connector for supplying power to the inverter is often attached to the outer surface of the casing. However, the shape of the connector usually varies for each vehicle manufacturer. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare a "mold" used for manufacturing the casing of the electric compressor for each vehicle manufacturer, and there is a problem that it is difficult to manufacture the casing of the electric compressor, and thus the electric compressor, at a low cost.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to enable the casing of the electric compressor to be manufactured using the same mold regardless of the shape of the connector for supplying power to the inverter, and to reduce the manufacturing cost of the casing of the electric compressor, and thus the electric compressor.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, the electric compressor includes a motor, a compression mechanism driven by the motor, a compressor casing that houses the motor and the compression mechanism, an inverter that drives and controls the motor, and an inverter casing that houses the inverter, and a connector for supplying power to the inverter is attached to a connector attachment portion provided on the outer surface of the inverter case via an adapter.

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to manufacture the casing of an electric compressor using the same mold regardless of the shape of the connector for supplying power to the inverter, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the electric compressor casing and, consequently, the electric compressor itself.

[0008] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of an electric compressor according to an embodiment. This is an enlarged view of the main part of Figure 1, showing the connector mounting structure. This is a view A of Figure 2. This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the adapter. This is a view B of Figure 4A. This is a view C of Figure 4A. This shows the connector mounting part.

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the attached drawings.

[0010] Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an electric compressor 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The electric compressor 1 is an inverter-integrated electric compressor. The electric compressor 1 constitutes part of the refrigerant circuit of a vehicle air conditioning system (not shown) that is mounted on a vehicle and air-conditions the interior of the vehicle, and is configured to compress and discharge a refrigerant (gaseous refrigerant).

[0011] The electric compressor 1 according to this embodiment includes a motor 2, a compression mechanism 3, a compressor casing 4, an inverter 5, and an inverter casing 6.

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

[0013] The inverter 5 controls the power supply to the motor 2 to drive the motor 2. The inverter casing 6 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape and houses the inverter 5 inside. In this embodiment, the inverter casing 6 is positioned at the motor 2 side end of the compressor casing 4 and is integrated with the compressor casing 4.

[0014] Specifically, the inverter casing 6 includes a bottom wall portion 61 having a larger area than the cross-section of the compressor casing 4, and a peripheral wall portion 62 rising from the periphery of the bottom wall portion 61. A portion of the bottom wall portion 61 is integrated with the compressor casing 4, with the opening on the motor 2 side of the compressor casing 4 being closed. The opening of the inverter casing 6 on the opposite side of the bottom wall portion 61 is closed by the second cover member 8.

[0015] The compressor casing 4, inverter casing 6, first cover member 7, and second cover member 8 are made of metal such as aluminum alloy and are mainly manufactured by die casting. In this embodiment, the compressor casing 4 and inverter casing 6 are manufactured by die casting using a single mold. However, this is not the only way. The compressor casing 4 and inverter casing 6 may be manufactured separately and then integrated by bolting or the like. The casing of the electric compressor 1 is formed by the compressor casing 4, inverter casing 6, first cover member 7, and second cover member 8.

[0016] A portion of the bottom wall 61 of the inverter casing 6, specifically the portion of the bottom wall 61 of the inverter casing 6 that closes the opening on the motor 2 side of the compressor casing 4, forms a partition wall 61a that separates the internal space of the compressor casing 4 from the internal space of the inverter casing 6. The remaining portion of the bottom wall 61 of the inverter casing 6 protrudes radially outward from the compressor casing 4.

[0017] A connector 20 for supplying power from an external source to the inverter 5 is attached to the outer surface of the inverter casing 6. In this embodiment, the connector 20 is a high-voltage connector (HV connector) for supplying high-voltage power to the inverter 5, and the external power (high-voltage power) is DC power from the vehicle's onboard battery (not shown).

[0018] Specifically, the connector 20 is attached to the outer surface of the remaining portion of the bottom wall 61 of the inverter casing 6, that is, to the outer surface of the protruding portion 61b of the bottom wall 61 of the inverter casing 6 that extends radially outward from the compressor casing 4. Furthermore, in this embodiment, a connector mounting portion 10 is provided on the outer surface of the protruding portion 61b of the bottom wall 61 of the inverter casing 6, and the connector 20 is attached to this connector mounting portion 10.

[0019] Furthermore, the compressor casing 4 is provided with an inlet 4a for allowing refrigerant from the outside to flow into the compressor casing 4, specifically between the partition wall 61a and the motor 2, and the first cover member 7 is provided with an outlet 7a for allowing the refrigerant inside the compressor casing 4 to flow out to the outside.

[0020] In the electric compressor 1, when the motor 2 is driven by power supplied from the inverter 5, the motor 2 drives the compression mechanism 3 via the rotating shaft 2a. When the compression mechanism 3 is driven, refrigerant flows into the compressor casing 4 from the inlet 4a. The refrigerant that has flowed into the compressor casing 4 passes through the motor 2 to the compression mechanism 3, where it is compressed. The refrigerant compressed by the compression mechanism 3 then flows out from the outlet 7a.

[0021] Let's further explain the inverter 5. In this embodiment, the inverter 5 is mounted on a circuit board 51 and includes an inverter circuit section 52, a filter circuit section 53, and a control circuit section 54. Here, an example is shown in which the inverter circuit section 52, the filter circuit section 53, and the control circuit section 54 are mounted on the same circuit board 51. However, it is not limited to this, and the inverter circuit section 52, the filter circuit section 53, and the control circuit section 54 may be mounted on multiple circuit boards.

[0022] The inverter circuit 52 is configured to convert the DC power supplied from the vehicle battery via the connector 20 into three-phase AC power, and to supply this three-phase AC power to the motor 2 via a power supply line 9 that extends through the partition wall 61a. The inverter circuit 52 includes a plurality of switching elements 521, specifically a total of six switching elements 521: a switching element on the upper arm side of each phase and a switching element on the lower arm side of each phase. The switching elements 521 are, for example, IGBTs. Note that two of the six switching elements 521 are shown in Figure 1.

[0023] The filter circuit section 53 includes a smoothing capacitor (not shown) for smoothing the power supplied to the inverter circuit section 52, and capacitors and coils (both not shown) that constitute a noise filter.

[0024] The control circuit unit 54 controls the switching of multiple switching elements 521 of the inverter circuit unit 52 based on a low-voltage electrical signal (low-voltage power) supplied from the control unit of the vehicle air conditioning system via a control signal connector (not shown). The control circuit unit 54 also has the function of transmitting a low-voltage signal indicating the driving state of the motor 2 to the control unit of the vehicle air conditioning system via the control signal connector. The control signal connector, like the connector 20, is attached to the outer surface of the inverter casing 6.

[0025] Next, the mounting structure of the connector 20 to the outer surface of the inverter casing 6 will be described. As described above, the connector 20 is attached to the connector mounting portion 10 provided on the outer surface of the protruding portion 61b of the bottom wall portion 61 of the inverter casing 6. Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the main part of Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a view A of Figure 2.

[0026] In this embodiment, the protruding portion 61b of the bottom wall portion 61 of the inverter casing 6 has a rectangular shape when viewed from the compressor casing 4 side (the lower side in Figure 1). The connector mounting portion 10 is formed as a rectangular flat surface that occupies most of the outer surface of the protruding portion 61b of the bottom wall portion 61 of the inverter casing 6.

[0027] In this embodiment, the connector 20 is attached to the connector mounting portion 10 via the adapter 30. Specifically, the connector 20 is fixed to the adapter 30 by a plurality (four in this case) of connector fixing bolts 41, and the adapter 30 is fixed to the connector mounting portion 10 by a plurality (four in this case) of adapter fixing bolts 43. Furthermore, a sheet-like first sealing material 45, such as a gasket, is placed between the connector 20 and the adapter 30, and a sheet-like second sealing material 47, such as a gasket, is placed between the adapter 30 and the connector mounting portion 10.

[0028] The connector 20 includes a plurality of terminals 21 (two in this case) and a connector housing 22. The plurality of terminals 21 are high-voltage terminals. Each of the plurality of terminals 21 is formed in an elongated plate shape from a conductor such as metal. The connector housing 22 is made of an insulating resin. The connector housing 22 holds the plurality of terminals 21 spaced apart from each other and with both ends of the terminals exposed.

[0029] In this embodiment, the connector housing 22 has a base portion 23, a protruding portion 24, and a connector mounting portion 25 to which the mating connector is attached.

[0030] The base portion 23 is formed in the shape of a rectangular plate. A first through hole 26 is formed in each of the four corners of the base portion 23 through which the shaft portion of the connector fixing bolt 41 passes. Each first through hole 26 penetrates the base portion 23 in the thickness direction.

[0031] The protruding portion 24 protrudes from the center of one face of the base portion 23 (it does not need to be exactly in the center, but approximately in the center is sufficient). The aforementioned one face of the base portion 23 is the face that faces the connector mounting portion 10 when the connector 20 is attached to the connector mounting portion 10 via the adapter 30. The protruding portion 24 covers one end portion of each of the plurality of terminals 21, except for the one end portion 21a and a predetermined area near it. The other end portions of the plurality of terminals 21 protrude from the aforementioned other face of the base portion 23.

[0032] A connector (not shown) of a high-voltage harness extending from the vehicle battery is mounted as the mating connector to the connector mounting portion 25. The connector mounting portion 25 rises from the other surface of the base portion 23 and is formed to surround the other end 21b of each of the multiple terminals 21 and a predetermined area in their vicinity. The other surface of the base portion 23 is the surface that faces away from the connector mounting portion 10 when the connector 20 is attached to the connector mounting portion 10 via the adapter 30.

[0033] The adapter 30 is not particularly limited, but for example, it is made of metal. Figures 4A to 4C show the adapter 30. Figure 4A is a schematic cross-sectional view of the adapter 30, Figure 4B is a view B of Figure 4A, and Figure 4C is a view C of Figure 4A.

[0034] In this embodiment, the adapter 30 is formed in the shape of a rectangular plate or rectangular block, which is larger than the base portion 23 of the connector 20. The adapter 30 has a first surface 31 and a second surface 32. The first surface 31 is the surface facing away from the connector mounting portion 10, and the second surface 32 is the surface facing away from the first surface 31, that is, the surface facing the connector mounting portion 10. The first surface 31 and the second surface 32 are flat surfaces, and the shape and area of ​​the first surface 31 and the second surface 32 are substantially the same as those of the connector mounting portion 10.

[0035] A first through-hole 33 is provided in the center of the adapter 30 (it does not need to be exactly in the center, but approximately in the center is sufficient), extending from the first surface 31 to the second surface 32. The protruding portion 24 of the connector 20 can be inserted into the first through-hole 33. In this example, the first through-hole 33 is formed as a rectangular through-hole (rectangular cross-section). However, it is not limited to this. The first through-hole 33 only needs to be formed as a through-hole into which the protruding portion 24 of the connector 20 can be inserted, and the shape of the first through-hole 33 can be arbitrarily set.

[0036] Furthermore, each of the four corners of the adapter 30 is provided with a second through-hole 34 through which the shaft of the adapter fixing bolt 43 passes. Each second through-hole 34 penetrates from the first surface 31 to the second surface 32.

[0037] Four first female threads (screw holes) 35 are provided around the first through hole 33 on the first surface 31 of the adapter 30. The four first female threads 35 are blind holes and do not penetrate the second surface 32. They are arranged to correspond to the four first through holes 26 formed in the base portion 23 of the connector 20. A connector fixing bolt 41 can be screwed into each of the four first female threads 35.

[0038] On the second surface 32 of the adapter 30, a cylindrical projection 36 is formed that rises in a rectangular shape from around the first through hole 33. In other words, the cylindrical projection 36 has a rectangular outer shape, and the first through hole 33 is located inside the cylindrical projection 36.

[0039] The connector 20 is fixed to the first surface 31 of the adapter 30 with its protruding portion 24 (i.e., a part of the connector 20) inserted into the first through-hole 33 of the adapter 30. Specifically, the connector 20 is fixed to the first surface 31 of the adapter 30 by screwing each of the four connector fixing bolts 41 through the corresponding first through-hole 26 into the corresponding first female thread 35 of the adapter 30. Furthermore, when the connector 20 is fixed to the first surface 31 of the adapter 30, the first sealing material 45 is positioned between the connector 20 and the first surface 31 of the adapter 30, more specifically, between one surface of the base portion 23 of the connector 20 and the first surface 31 of the adapter 30.

[0040] Although detailed drawings are omitted here, the first sealing material 45 has a rectangular shape that is approximately the same size as the base portion 23 of the connector 20, and the first sealing material 45 is provided with a total of five through holes, corresponding to the four first through holes 26 of the connector 20 and the first through holes 33 of the adapter 30. Therefore, when the connector 20 is fixed to the first surface 31 of the adapter 30, the protruding portion 24 of the connector 20 and the multiple connector fixing bolts 41 pass through the first sealing material 45, thereby preventing displacement of the first sealing material 45.

[0041] Figure 5 shows the connector mounting section 10, and illustrates the state in which the connector 20, first sealing material 45, adapter 30, and second sealing material 47 have been removed from Figure 3.

[0042] At the center of the connector attachment portion 10 (it is not necessary to be exactly at the center, and it may be approximately at the center), a second through hole 11 that communicates the inside and outside of the inverter casing 6 is provided. The second through hole 11 penetrates the overhanging portion 61b of the bottom wall portion 61 of the inverter casing 6 (that is, the wall portion of the inverter casing 6), and is formed so that the cylindrical protruding portion 36 of the adapter 30 fits therein. The second through hole 11 is formed as a through hole having a rectangular shape (rectangular cross-section) so as to correspond to the outer shape of the cylindrical protruding portion 36 of the adapter 30.

[0043] At the four corners of the connector attachment portion 10, second female screws (threaded holes) 12 are provided. The second female screw 12 is a blind hole, and the adapter fixing bolt 43 can be screwed into it.

[0044] Here, as described above, in the present embodiment, the overhanging portion 61b of the bottom wall portion 61 of the inverter casing 6 has a rectangular shape when viewed from the compressor casing 4 side, and the connector attachment portion 10 is formed as a flat surface having a rectangular shape that occupies most of the outer surface of the overhanging portion 61b of the bottom wall portion 61 of the inverter casing 6. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the four second female screws 12 are formed using the peripheral wall portion 62 of the inverter casing 6. Therefore, less build-up 13 is required to form the second female screw 12, and the generation of local uneven wall thickness portions in the inverter casing 6 is suppressed.

[0045] The adapter 30 is fixed to the connector attachment portion 10 with the second surface 32 facing the connector attachment portion 10. Specifically, the adapter 30 is fixed to the connector attachment portion 10 by fitting the cylindrical protruding portion 36 formed on the second surface 32 into the second through hole 11 of the connector attachment portion 10, and screwing each of the four adapter fixing bolts 43 through the corresponding second through hole 34 into the corresponding second female screw 12 of the connector attachment portion 10. Further, when the adapter 30 is fixed to the connector attachment portion 10, the second sealing material 47 is disposed between the second surface 32 of the adapter 30 and the connector attachment portion 10.

[0046] Here, although detailed drawings are omitted, the second sealing member 47 has a rectangular shape that is approximately the same size as the adapter 30. That is, the second sealing member 47 is larger than the first sealing member 45. In other words, the second sealing member 47 has a larger sealing area than the first sealing member 45. Also, the second sealing member 47 is provided with a total of five through holes corresponding to each of the four second through holes 34 of the adapter 30 and the second through hole 11 of the connector mounting portion 10. Therefore, in a state where the adapter 30 is fixed to the connector mounting portion 10, the cylindrical protruding portion 36 of the adapter 30 and the plurality of adapter fixing bolts 43 penetrate through the second sealing member 47, thereby preventing displacement and the like of the second sealing member 47.

[0047] When the adapter 30 to which the connector 20 is fixed on the first surface 31 is fixed to the connector mounting portion 10, or when the connector 20 is fixed to the first surface 31 of the adapter 30 fixed to the connector mounting portion 10, the attachment of the connector 20 to the outer surface of the inverter casing 6 of the connector 20 is completed. The tip side of the protruding portion 24 of the attached connector 20 enters the inverter casing 6 through the second through hole 11 of the connector mounting portion 10. That is, the portions of the plurality of terminals 21 on the one end side penetrate through the bottom wall portion 61 of the inverter casing 6 and enter the inverter casing 6. Then, one end portion 21a of each terminal 21 is electrically connected to the inverter circuit portion 52 of the inverter 5. Although not particularly limited, one end portion 21a of each terminal 21 can be connected to an appropriate position on, for example, the circuit board 51 and electrically connected to the inverter circuit portion 52 through the conductive pattern on the circuit board 51.

[0048] Thereafter, when the connector of the high-voltage harness is attached to the connector attachment portion 25 of the connector 20, the plurality of terminals 21 and the high-voltage harness are electrically connected, and it becomes possible to supply the DC power from the in-vehicle battery to the inverter circuit portion 52 of the inverter 5.

[0049] In this embodiment, the second through-hole 11 of the connector mounting portion 10 (and the cylindrical projection 36 of the adapter 30) is set to be larger to accommodate the connectors 20 of each vehicle manufacturer. Therefore, the shape and size of the first through-hole 33 of the adapter 30 and the number and arrangement of the first female threads 35 of the adapter 30 should be appropriately set according to the connector 20 actually used. In other words, the adapter 30 should be appropriately modified according to the connector 20 actually used, and no modification of the connector mounting portion 10, i.e., the inverter casing 6, is required. Thus, it is possible to easily accommodate the connectors 20 of each vehicle manufacturer.

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

[0051] A connector 20 for supplying power to the inverter 5 is attached to a connector mounting portion 10 provided on the outer surface of the inverter casing 6 via an adapter 30. Therefore, by using an adapter 30 corresponding to the connector 20, it becomes possible to attach connectors 20 of various shapes to the connector mounting portion 10 of the inverter casing 6. Thus, the inverter casing 6 can be manufactured using the same mold regardless of the shape of the connector 20, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the inverter casing 6 and, consequently, the electric compressor 1.

[0052] Here, the adapter 30 is formed in a plate-like or block-like shape and has a first surface 31 and a second surface 32 facing the opposite side of the first surface 31. The adapter 30 is provided with a first through-hole 33 that penetrates from the first surface 31 to the second surface 32. The connector 20 is fixed to the first surface 31 of the adapter 30 with a protruding portion 24, which is part of the connector, inserted into the first through-hole 33. The adapter 30 is fixed to the connector mounting portion 10 with the second surface 32 facing the connector mounting portion 10. Therefore, the connector 20 can be attached to the connector mounting portion 10 using an adapter 30 with a relatively simple shape.

[0053] Furthermore, a cylindrical projection 36 is formed on the second surface 32 of the adapter 30, rising cylindrically from around the first through hole 33, and the connector mounting portion 10 is provided with a second through hole 11 that penetrates the wall of the inverter casing 6 and is formed so as to accommodate the cylindrical projection 36. Therefore, the adapter 30 can be easily positioned relative to the connector mounting portion 10. In particular, in this embodiment, the outer shape of the cylindrical projection 36 and the second through hole 11 have a rectangular shape. Therefore, it is possible to easily fix the adapter 30 to the connector mounting portion 10 while simultaneously positioning and preventing rotation of the adapter 30.

[0054] Furthermore, the connector 20 is fixed to the first surface 31 of the adapter 30 by four connector fixing bolts 41 that are screwed into four first female threads 35 provided on the first surface 31 of the adapter 30, and the adapter 30 is fixed to the connector mounting portion 10 by four adapter fixing bolts 43 that are screwed into four second female threads 12 provided on the connector mounting portion 10. Therefore, the connector 20 can be easily and stably fixed to the adapter 30, and the adapter 30 can be easily and stably fixed to the connector mounting portion 10.

[0055] Furthermore, a first sealing material 45 is placed between the connector 20 and the first surface 31 of the adapter 30, and a second sealing material 47 is placed between the second surface 32 of the adapter 30 and the connector mounting portion 10. As a result, the number of sealing materials and the sealing area at the connector mounting portion of the inverter casing can be increased compared to conventional designs, and water ingress into the inverter casing can be effectively prevented.

[0056] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the inverter casing 6 has a bottom wall portion 61 and a peripheral wall portion 62 rising from the periphery of the bottom wall portion 61, the connector mounting portion 10 is provided on the outer surface of the bottom wall portion 61 of the inverter casing 6, and four second female threads 12 are formed using the peripheral wall portion 62. As a result, less build-up material 13 is required to form the second female threads 12, the occurrence of localized uneven thickness in the inverter casing 6 is suppressed, and stable manufacturing of the inverter casing 6 becomes possible.

[0057] In the above embodiment, four connector fixing bolts 41 are used to fix the connector 20 to the adapter 30, and four adapter fixing bolts 43 are used to fix the adapter 30 to the connector mounting portion 10. However, it is not limited to this. At least one connector fixing bolt 41 and at least one adapter fixing bolt 43 may be used. The same number of first female threads 35 are provided on the adapter 30 as the number of connector fixing bolts 41, and the same number of second through holes 34 on the adapter 30 and second female threads 12 on the connector mounting portion 10 as the number of adapter fixing bolts 43 are provided.

[0058] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the outer shape of the cylindrical projection 36 formed on the second surface 32 of the adapter 30 and the second through-hole 11 provided in the connector mounting portion 10 are rectangular. However, it is not limited to this. As long as the cylindrical projection 36 fits into the second through-hole 11, the outer shape of the cylindrical projection 36 and the shape of the second through-hole 11 can be arbitrarily set. For example, the outer shape of the cylindrical projection 36 and the second through-hole 11 may be circular, oval, or a polygonal shape other than a rectangle. However, in particular, when they are rectangular or oval, fitting the cylindrical projection 36 into the second through-hole 11 is easy, and the positioning of the adapter 30 and the rotation prevention of the adapter 30 can be performed simultaneously, which is more convenient.

[0059] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, all four second female threads 12 are formed using the peripheral wall portion 62 of the inverter casing 6. However, it is not limited to this. It is sufficient that at least one of the four second female threads 12 is formed using the peripheral wall portion 62 of the inverter casing 6.

[0060] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the adapter 30 and the connector mounting portion 10 have a rectangular shape when viewed from above or from below. However, this is not limited to this. The shapes of the adapter 30 and the connector mounting portion 10 can be arbitrarily set.

[0061] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the connector 20 is a high-voltage connector for supplying high-voltage power to the inverter 5. However, it is not limited to this. The connector 20 may also serve as the control signal connector. That is, the connector 20 may be for supplying high-voltage power and low-voltage power (electrical signals) to the inverter 5. In this case, the connector 20 further has a plurality of low-voltage terminals, and the connector housing 22 holds the plurality of terminals 21 and the plurality of low-voltage terminals spaced apart from each other with both ends exposed, and has a further connector mounting portion to which the connector of the low-voltage harness is attached.

[0062] Although embodiments and some modifications of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments and modifications described above, and can of course be modified based on the technical concept of the present invention.

[0063] 1...Electric compressor, 2...Motor, 3...Compression mechanism, 4...Compressor casing, 5...Inverter, 6...Inverter casing, 10...Connector mounting section, 11...Second through hole, 12...Second female thread, 13...Build-up material, 20...Connector, 21...Terminal, 22...Connector housing, 23...Base section, 24...Protruding section, 25...Connector mounting section, 26...First through hole, 30...Adapter, 31...First surface, 32...Second surface, 33...First through hole, 34...Second through hole, 35...First female thread, 36...Cylindrical protrusion, 41...Connector fixing bolt, 43...Adapter fixing bolt, 45...First sealing material, 47...Second sealing material, 61...Bottom wall section of inverter casing, 61a...Partition wall, 61b...Protruding section, 62...Peripheral wall section of inverter casing

Claims

1. An electric compressor comprising a motor, a compression mechanism driven by the motor, a compressor casing housing the motor and the compression mechanism, an inverter for driving and controlling the motor, and an inverter casing housing the inverter, wherein a connector for supplying power to the inverter is attached via an adapter to a connector mounting portion provided on the outer surface of the inverter casing.

2. The electric compressor according to claim 1, wherein the adapter is formed in the shape of a plate or block and has a first surface and a second surface facing the opposite side of the first surface, the adapter is provided with a first through hole that penetrates from the first surface to the second surface, the connector is fixed to the first surface of the adapter with a portion of it inserted into the first through hole, and the adapter is fixed to the connector mounting portion with the second surface facing the connector mounting portion.

3. The electric compressor according to claim 2, wherein the second surface of the adapter has a cylindrical projection that rises cylindrically from around the first through hole, and the connector mounting portion is provided with a second through hole that penetrates the wall of the inverter casing and into which the cylindrical projection fits.

4. The electric compressor according to claim 3, wherein the cylindrical projection and the second through hole have a rectangular or oval shape.

5. The electric compressor according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the connector is fixed to the first surface of the adapter by at least one connector fixing bolt that is screwed into a first female thread provided on the first surface of the adapter, the adapter is fixed to the connector mounting portion by at least one adapter fixing bolt that is screwed into a second female thread provided on the connector mounting portion, a first sealing material is disposed between the connector and the first surface of the adapter, and a second sealing material is disposed between the second surface of the adapter and the connector mounting portion.

6. The electric compressor according to claim 5, wherein the inverter casing has a bottom wall portion and a peripheral wall portion rising from the periphery of the bottom wall portion, the connector mounting portion is provided on the outer surface of the bottom wall portion of the inverter casing, and the connector mounting portion is provided with a plurality of second female screws, at least one of which is formed using the peripheral wall portion of the inverter casing.

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