Electric power conversion device

Abstract

An electric power conversion device (100) comprises: a first substrate (3); a second substrate (4); a body case (1) that has a partition wall (12), and that accommodates the first substrate in a first accommodation space and the second substrate in a second accommodation space; a harness (9), one end of which has a third connector (10) that can be fitted to a first connector, and the other end of which has a fourth connector (11) that can be fitted to a second connector, the harness being electrically connected to the first and second substrates; a second connector holding mechanism (30) that is provided on the inner peripheral wall surface on the second accommodation space side among the inner peripheral wall surfaces of the body case, and holds the fourth connector; and a first connector holding mechanism (20) that is provided on the inner peripheral wall surface that is closer to the partition wall than the position where the second connector holding mechanism is provided among the inner peripheral wall surfaces on the second accommodation space side, and holds the third connector, wherein an opening (13) through which the first connector is inserted is formed in the partition wall at a position that corresponds to the position where the first connector holding mechanism is provided.

Description

Power conversion device

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a power conversion device such as a general-purpose inverter.

[0002] In an electrical device having a plurality of functions by an electric circuit board, in order to ensure expandability so that functions can be added or deleted according to the use of the electrical device and to facilitate maintenance management, the electric circuit board is divided by function, and it often has a configuration in which a plurality of electric circuit boards are combined.

[0003] For example, in a power conversion device such as a general-purpose inverter, a high-voltage circuit composed of a power module including a switching element such as an IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) and a low-voltage circuit for controlling the entire power conversion device are combined to realize the functions of the power conversion device. Since it is better to separate the high-voltage circuit and the low-voltage circuit as much as possible, the circuit constituting the power conversion device is divided into two or more electric circuit boards by function, including a main circuit board on which the high-voltage circuit is mounted and a control board on which the low-voltage circuit is mounted, and the functions of the power conversion device are often realized by electrically connecting them.

[0004] As a method of electrically connecting between electric circuit boards, there is a method of connecting via a harness. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a method of electrically connecting a main circuit board and a control board via a harness.

[0005] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2014-217241

[0006] In a power conversion device, in order to ensure an insulation distance, there is often a structure in which a partition is provided between the main circuit board and the control board and housed in a main body case. In this case, the main circuit board is housed in an accommodation space opposite to the accommodation space in which the control board is housed. In the case of a power conversion device having such a structure, in order to connect the main circuit board and the control board via a harness, it is necessary to manually perform a series of operations of connecting one end of the harness to one substrate, inserting the other end of the harness through an opening formed in the partition, and then connecting the other end of the harness to the other substrate in a narrow accommodation space, which deteriorates workability.

[0007] Furthermore, while it is desirable to make the harness connecting the main circuit board and the control board as short as possible to minimize noise interference, shortening the harness requires wiring the harness with the main circuit board and control board as close to the main case as possible. Consequently, workers must reach into the narrow space of the main case with limited access points, and the main circuit board may also contain large components such as high-capacity capacitors, further worsening work efficiency. Power converters are typically mass-produced products in factories, so improving the efficiency of product assembly is crucial from the perspective of reducing processing costs and shortening lead times.

[0008] This disclosure has been made in view of the above, and aims to provide a power conversion device that can improve the efficiency of product assembly by improving the workability of wiring work, which involves electrically connecting electrical circuit boards separated by partitions using harnesses.

[0009] To solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objective, the power converter of this disclosure comprises a first circuit board on which a first connector is mounted, a second circuit board on which a second connector is mounted, a main body case having a partition wall that divides the internal housing space into a first housing space and a second housing space, housing the first circuit board in the first housing space and housing the second circuit board in the second housing space, and a fourth connector having one end matable with the first connector and the other end matable with the second connector, thereby electrically connecting the first circuit board and the second circuit board. The device comprises a harness connected to a fourth connector, a second connector holding mechanism disposed on the inner circumferential wall surface of the main case on the side of the second housing space and holding a fourth connector, and a first connector holding mechanism disposed on the inner circumferential wall surface on the side of the second housing space that is closer to the partition wall than the position where the second connector holding mechanism is disposed and holding a third connector, wherein the partition wall has an opening formed at a position corresponding to the position where the first connector holding mechanism is disposed, through which the first connector is inserted.

[0010] The power conversion device according to this disclosure has the effect of improving the efficiency of product assembly by having the connectors at both ends of the harness held in advance by a connector holding mechanism disposed on the inner circumferential wall surface of the main case, and by having the electrical circuit board housed in a predetermined position, thereby completing the wiring work.

[0011] Front view of the power converter according to Embodiment 1 Side view of the power converter according to Embodiment 1 Exploded perspective view of the power converter according to Embodiment 1 Schematic cross-sectional view of the power converter according to Embodiment 1 Front view of the main body case 1 of the power converter according to Embodiment 1 Schematic diagram of the first connector holding mechanism 20 of the power converter according to Embodiment 1 Schematic diagram of the second connector holding mechanism 30 of the power converter according to Embodiment 1 Illustrated diagram illustrating the procedure for fitting the third connector 10 of the power converter according to Embodiment 1 into the first connector holding mechanism 20 Illustrated diagram illustrating the assembly method of the power converter according to Embodiment 1 Figure illustrating the assembly method of the power converter. Figure illustrating the assembly method of the power converter according to Embodiment 1. Figure illustrating the assembly method of the power converter according to Embodiment 1. Figure illustrating the assembly method of the power converter according to Embodiment 1. Figure flowchart illustrating the assembly procedure of the power converter according to Embodiment 1. Figure schematically showing the first connector holding mechanism 20A having an induction structure for the power converter according to Embodiment 2. Figure schematically showing the first connector holding mechanism 20B having another induction structure for the power converter according to Embodiment 2. Figure schematically showing the first connector holding mechanism 20C that is detachable from the inner circumferential wall surface of the main body case 1 of the power converter according to Embodiment 3.

[0012] A power conversion device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, this embodiment does not limit the present disclosure.

[0013] Embodiment 1. Figure 1 is a front view of a power converter according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. Figure 2 is a side view of the power converter according to Embodiment 1. Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the power converter according to Embodiment 1.

[0014] The inverter 100, which is a power conversion device, includes a main case 1, a base 2, a control board 3 which is a first circuit board, a main circuit board 4 which is a second circuit board, a front cover 5, and an operating section 6.

[0015] The main case 1 is a cylindrical housing with openings on the front and back. The main case 1 houses the control board 3 and the main circuit board 4. The front is the side of the inverter 100 that is faced by the operator who operates the inverter 100 or the worker who maintains the inverter 100. The back is the side opposite to the front.

[0016] Base 2 serves as the base on which the main circuit board 4 is mounted. Base 2 also functions as a heat sink to dissipate the heat generated by the inverter 100. The front cover 5 is a cover that is detachably attached to the main body case 1 and covers the front of the main body case 1. The operating unit 6 is mounted on the front of the main body case 1 and is used to operate the inverter 100.

[0017] Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the power conversion device according to Embodiment 1. Figure 4 shows a cross-section along the line III-III in Figure 1.

[0018] The control board 3 has a control circuit (not shown) for controlling the entire power conversion device, and a control terminal block, etc. mounted on it, and a first connector 7 for connecting to the main circuit board 4 via a harness 9 is mounted on it. The main circuit board 4 has a power module (not shown) including switching elements such as IGBTs (Insulated Gate By Polar Transistors), and a main circuit terminal block, etc. mounted on it, and a second connector 8 for connecting to the control board 3 via a harness 9 is mounted on it. The control board 3 and the main circuit board 4 are sometimes collectively referred to as the board. Also, the first connector 7 and the second connector 8 are sometimes collectively referred to as the board-side connectors.

[0019] The harness 9 has a third connector 10 at one end that can be mated with the first connector 7, and a fourth connector 11 at the other end that can be mated with the second connector 8, and electrically connects the control board 3 and the main circuit board 4. The third connector 10 and the fourth connector 11 are sometimes collectively referred to as the harness-side connectors.

[0020] A first connector holding mechanism 20 for holding the third connector 10 and a second connector holding mechanism 30 for holding the fourth connector 11 are provided on the inner circumferential wall surface of the main case 1. The second connector holding mechanism 30 is provided on the inner circumferential wall surface of the main case 1 on the side of the second housing space and holds the fourth connector 11. The first connector holding mechanism 20 is provided on the inner circumferential wall surface on the side of the second housing space, closer to the partition wall 12 than the position where the second connector holding mechanism 30 is provided and holds the third connector 10. The first connector holding mechanism 20 and the second connector holding mechanism 30 are sometimes collectively referred to as the connector holding mechanism 40.

[0021] Furthermore, the main case 1 has a partition wall 12 between the control board 3 and the main circuit board 4. That is, the main case 1 has a partition wall 12 that divides the internal storage space into a first storage space on the front side and a second storage space on the rear side, with the control board 3 housed in the first storage space and the main circuit board 4 housed in the second storage space. By having a partition wall between the control board 3 and the main circuit board 4, an insulating distance can be ensured between the control board 3 and the main circuit board 4.

[0022] Figure 5 is a front view of the main body case 1 when it is not covered by the front cover 5 and the operating section 6. An opening 13 is formed in the partition wall 12 of the main body case 1 at a position corresponding to the position where the first connector holding mechanism 20 is installed. When the control board 3 is fixed to a predetermined position on the partition wall 12, the opening 13 becomes a through hole for inserting the first connector.

[0023] Next, the specific structure of the connector holding mechanism 40 will be described. Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing the first connector holding mechanism 20 as an example of the specific structure of the connector holding mechanism 40. The first connector holding mechanism 20 is disposed on the inner circumferential wall surface of the main body case 1. Specifically, the first connector holding mechanism 20 is integrally molded on the inner circumferential wall surface of the main body case 1 by resin molding or the like. By integral molding, the number of parts can be reduced, thereby suppressing parts management costs and manufacturing costs.

[0024] The first connector holding mechanism 20 has a structure in which a first pair of arms, consisting of a first right arm 21 and a first left arm 24, extend from the inner peripheral wall surface of the main case 1 toward the internal housing space, and holds the third connector 10 in a predetermined position by gripping the side surface of the third connector 10 with this first pair of arms and simultaneously supporting the bottom surface of the third connector 10. The bottom surface of the third connector 10 is the surface opposite to the mating portion of the third connector 10. The first right arm 21 and the first left arm 24 have a shape that is symmetrical when arranged on the left and right sides as shown in Figure 6.

[0025] The first right arm 21 has a first right side holding portion 22 that holds the right side of the third connector 10 with its inner wall surface bent in an inverted L shape, and a first right bottom holding portion 23 that holds the right bottom of the third connector 10 in a plane perpendicular to the first right side holding portion 22 (in Figure 6, the first right bottom holding portion 23 is hidden by the first right side holding portion 22 and is not visible). Similarly, the first left arm 24 has a first left side holding portion 25 that holds the left side of the third connector 10 with its inner wall surface bent in an L shape, and a first left bottom holding portion 26 that holds the left bottom of the third connector 10 in a plane perpendicular to the first left side holding portion 25. The first right side holding portion 22 and the first left side holding portion 25 are sometimes collectively referred to as the first side holding portion 27. Furthermore, the first right bottom surface holding portion 23 and the first left bottom surface holding portion 26 are sometimes collectively referred to as the first bottom surface holding portion 28.

[0026] The first side holding portion 27, namely the first right side holding portion 22 and the first left side holding portion 25, grips the side of the third connector 10, thereby restricting the third connector 10 from moving in a direction parallel to its bottom surface. Furthermore, when attempting to fit the first connector 7 into the third connector 10 held by the first connector holding mechanism 20, the first bottom holding portion 28, namely the first right bottom holding portion 23 and the first left bottom holding portion 26, restricts the third connector 10 from moving in the direction of fitting the first connector 7.

[0027] Up to this point, the specific structure of the first connector retaining mechanism 20 has been described. As the structure of the second connector retaining mechanism 30 is the same as that of the first connector retaining mechanism 20, except that the orientation in which it is installed on the inner circumferential wall surface of the main body case 1 is different, only the configuration will be described, and a detailed explanation will be omitted.

[0028] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the second connector holding mechanism 30. Similar to the first connector holding mechanism 20, the second connector holding mechanism 30 has a second pair of arms consisting of a second right arm 31 and a second left arm 34. More specifically, the second right arm 31 has a second right side holding portion 32 and a second right bottom holding portion 33. The second left arm 34 has a second left side holding portion 35 and a second left bottom holding portion 36. The second right side holding portion 32 and the second left side holding portion 35 are sometimes collectively referred to as the second side holding portion 37. Similarly, the second right bottom holding portion 33 and the second left bottom holding portion 36 are sometimes collectively referred to as the second bottom holding portion 38. Each component of the second connector holding mechanism 30 performs the same function as the corresponding components of the first connector holding mechanism 20.

[0029] Next, the procedure for fitting the third connector 10 into the first connector retaining mechanism 20 will be explained. Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating the procedure for fitting the third connector 10 into the first connector retaining mechanism 20. As shown by the white arrow in Figure 8, first, the cable portion of the harness 9 is placed between the first right arm 21 and the first left arm 24 so that the third connector 10 is directly above the first connector retaining mechanism 20. Then, as shown by the black arrow in Figure 8, the third connector 10 is inserted from directly above the first connector retaining mechanism 20 between the first right arm 21 and the first left arm 24.

[0030] In this case, in order to easily insert the cable portion of the harness 9 between the first right arm 21 and the first left arm 24, it is desirable that the first right arm 21 and the first left arm 24 be arranged on the inner circumferential wall surface with a gap at least wider than the thickness of the cable portion of the harness 9. Following this procedure, the third connector 10 can be easily fitted into the first connector retaining mechanism 20. The procedure for fitting the fourth connector 11 into the second connector retaining mechanism 30 can be carried out in a similar manner, so the explanation will be omitted.

[0031] Next, the assembly method of the power converter according to Embodiment 1 of this disclosure will be described. Figures 9 to 13 illustrate the assembly method of the power converter according to Embodiment 1 of this disclosure, with Figure 9 showing a cross-section of the main body case 1 along the line IV-IV in Figure 5. Figure 14 is a flowchart illustrating the assembly procedure of the power converter according to Embodiment 1 of this disclosure.

[0032] First, as shown in Figure 9, the harness 9 is inserted into the second housing space from the rear side of the main case 1 (Figure 14 Step 1). Then, following the procedure for fitting the connectors at both ends of the harness 9 into the connector holding mechanism 40 as described above, the third connector 10 is held by the first connector holding mechanism 20 and the fourth connector 11 is held by the second connector holding mechanism 30, as shown in Figure 10 (Figure 14 Step 2). At this time, it is not necessary to place the control board 3 on the front side of the main case 1, nor is it necessary to place the main circuit board 4 on the rear side of the main case 1. Therefore, the work can be performed with the front and rear sides of the main case 1 sufficiently open, and the harness 9 can be easily attached to the connector holding mechanism 40.

[0033] Next, as shown in Figure 11, the control board 3 is housed in a predetermined position within the first housing space (Figure 14 Step 3). The control board 3 is housed in a predetermined position within the first housing space by assembling it to a predetermined position on the partition wall 12 with screws or the like. Specifically, a fixing point for the control board 3 is provided at a predetermined position on the partition wall 12, and the control board 3 is housed in a predetermined position within the first housing space by fixing it to the fixing point for the control board 3 with screws or the like so that the side on which the first connector 7 is mounted faces the opening 13.

[0034] In this way, the first connector 7 moves in the mating direction indicated by the downward-pointing black arrow via the opening 13 formed in the partition wall 12, while the third connector 10 is prevented from moving by the first bottom holding portion 28 even when pushed in the mating direction of the first connector 7, thus the first connector 7 and the third connector 10 mate (Figure 14 Step 4).

[0035] Next, the main circuit board 4 is housed in a predetermined position within the second housing space (Figure 14, Step 5). By doing so, the second connector 8 moves in the mating direction indicated by the upward-pointing black arrow, and the second connector 8 and the fourth connector 11 are mated together (Figure 14, Step 6). At this time, the main circuit board 4 is pre-assembled to the base 2 with screws or the like, and the base 2 with the main circuit board 4 assembled is assembled to the main case 1, thereby housing the main circuit board 4 in a predetermined position within the main case 1. Specifically, a fixing point for the main circuit board 4 is provided at a predetermined position on the base 2, the main circuit board 4 is fixed to the fixing point for the main circuit board 4 with screws or the like so that the side on which the second connector 8 is mounted faces away from the base 2, and the base 2 with the main circuit board 4 assembled is assembled to the main case 1, thereby housing the main circuit board 4 in a predetermined position within the main case 1.

[0036] Finally, as shown in Figure 12, the operating unit 6 and the front cover 5 (not shown) are assembled to the main body case 1 (Figure 14, Step 7). As a result, as shown in Figure 13, the assembly of the inverter 100 is completed. Alternatively, Steps 5 and 6 may be performed first, followed by Steps 3 and 4.

[0037] As described above, in this embodiment of the power converter, the connectors at both ends of the harness 9 are held in advance by the connector holding mechanism 40 disposed on the inner circumferential wall surface of the main case 1. By assembling the control board 3 to the partition wall 12, the first connector 7 mounted on the control board 3 and the third connector 10 of the harness 9 can be mated together. Similarly, by assembling the base 2, to which the main circuit board 4 is mounted, to the main case 1, the second connector 8 mounted on the main circuit board 4 and the fourth connector 11 of the harness 9 can be mated together. Therefore, in the process of electrically connecting the control board 3 and the main circuit board 4, which are separated by a partition wall, with the harness 9, if the harness 9 is attached to the main case 1 in advance by the connector holding mechanism 40 when the access points on the front and back sides of the main case 1 are sufficiently open, the wiring connection can be completed simultaneously with only a simple circuit board assembly operation. This improves the workability of the wiring work and increases the efficiency of product assembly.

[0038] In this embodiment, the case in which the control board 3 and the main circuit board 4 are electrically connected by a harness 9 has been described. However, the first board and the second board are not limited to the control board 3 and the main circuit board 4, and the same can be applied to cases in which electrical circuit boards separated by a partition wall are electrically connected by a harness. That is, by pre-holding the connectors at both ends of the harness 9 with the connector holding mechanism 40 disposed on the inner peripheral wall surface of the main case 1, the first board can be fitted with the first connector 7 mounted on the first board and the third connector 10 of the harness 9 simply by housing the first board in a predetermined position in the first housing space, and the second board can be fitted with the second connector 8 mounted on the second board and the fourth connector 11 of the harness 9 simply by housing the second board in a predetermined position in the second housing space. As a result, even in the work of electrically connecting electrical circuit boards separated by a partition wall with a harness, the workability of the wiring work can be improved and the efficiency of product assembly can be increased.

[0039] Embodiment 2. If the connector holding mechanism does not hold the harness-side connector in the correct holding position, there is a risk that the connector on the circuit board side may not be properly mated due to misalignment when mating it. The correct holding position is the holding position of the harness-side connector that allows it to mate with the connector on the circuit board side when the circuit board is housed in a predetermined position.

[0040] Therefore, in order to hold the harness-side connector in the correct holding position, it is best to make the gap between the harness-side connector and the connector holding mechanism as small as possible so that the harness-side connector does not shift from the correct holding position when it is held by the connector holding mechanism. In the case of the shape of the connector holding mechanism 40 of Embodiment 1, in order to make the gap between the harness-side connector and the connector holding mechanism 40 as small as possible, it is necessary to design the position of the inner wall surface of the connector holding mechanism 40 to match the outer dimensions of the harness-side connector as closely as possible. However, if this is done, when fitting the harness-side connector into the connector holding mechanism 40, it is not possible to fit it in properly unless the harness-side connector can be accurately positioned directly above the connector holding mechanism 40.

[0041] Therefore, in Embodiment 2, a configuration having a guide structure that facilitates guiding the harness-side connector to the correct holding position when fitting it into the connector holding mechanism will be described. The same parts as in Embodiment 1 will be omitted from the description, and the parts that differ from Embodiment 1 will be described.

[0042] On the inner circumferential wall surface of the main case 1, a first connector holding mechanism 20A for holding the third connector 10 and a second connector holding mechanism 30A for holding the fourth connector 11 are provided, similar to Embodiment 1. The first connector holding mechanism 20A and the second connector holding mechanism 30A are connector holding mechanisms having a guide structure. Figure 15 is a schematic diagram showing the first connector holding mechanism 20A having a guide structure as an example.

[0043] Similar to Embodiment 1, the first connector holding mechanism 20A has a first right arm 21A and a first left arm 24A. The first right arm 21A has a first right side surface holding portion 22A and a first right bottom surface holding portion 23 (in FIG. 15, the first right bottom surface holding portion 23 is hidden by the first right side surface holding portion 22A and not visible). The first left arm 24A has a first left side surface holding portion 25A and a first left bottom surface holding portion 26. The first right side surface holding portion 22A and the first left side surface holding portion 25A may be collectively referred to as the first side surface holding portion 27A.

[0044] The first side surface holding portion 27A shown in FIG. 15 has a first inclined surface 41 in a region of the inner wall surface of the first side surface holding portion 27A that is opposite to the first bottom surface holding portion 28. That is, the first side surface holding portion 27A has the first inclined surface 41 on the inner wall surface of the entrance portion into which the third connector 10 is inserted. When fitting the third connector 10 into the first connector holding mechanism 20A, even if the third connector 10 cannot be accurately carried directly above the first connector holding mechanism 20A, the first inclined surface 41 guides it into the central portion of the first connector holding mechanism 20A and can be easily fitted into the correct holding position of the first connector holding mechanism 20A. Therefore, by having such a configuration, the workability of the wiring work can be further improved and the efficiency of product assembly can be achieved.

[0045] Regarding the structure of the second connector holding mechanism 30A, it has an attracting structure equivalent to that of the first connector holding mechanism 20A, except that the orientation in which it is disposed on the inner peripheral wall surface of the first connector holding mechanism 20A and the main body case 1 is different, so detailed description and illustration are omitted. Similar to the first connector holding mechanism 20A, the second connector holding mechanism 30A also has a first inclined surface in a region of the inner wall surface of the second side surface holding portion that is opposite to the second bottom surface holding portion. That is, the second side surface holding portion has the first inclined surface on the inner wall surface of the entrance portion into which the fourth connector 11 is inserted. Each component of the second connector holding mechanism 30A also performs the same function as the corresponding component of the first connector holding mechanism 20A.

[0046] Next, an example of another connector retention structure will be described. On the inner circumferential wall surface of the main case 1, a first connector retention mechanism 20B for holding the third connector 10 and a second connector retention mechanism 30B for holding the fourth connector 11 are provided, similar to Embodiment 1. The first connector retention mechanism 20B and the second connector retention mechanism 30B are connector retention mechanisms having a different connector retention structure than the first connector retention mechanism 20A and the second connector retention mechanism 30A. Figure 16 is a schematic diagram showing, as an example, the first connector retention mechanism 20B having a different connector retention structure.

[0047] Similar to Embodiment 1, the first connector holding mechanism 20B has a first right arm 21B and a first left arm 24B. The first right arm 21B has a first right side holding portion 22B and a first right bottom holding portion 23B (in Figure 16, the first right bottom holding portion 23B is hidden by the first right side holding portion 22B and is not visible). The first left arm 24B has a first left side holding portion 25B and a first left bottom holding portion 26B. The first right side holding portion 22B and the first left side holding portion 25B are sometimes collectively referred to as the first side holding portion 27B. Also, the first right bottom holding portion 23B and the first left bottom holding portion 26B are sometimes collectively referred to as the first bottom holding portion 28B. The first side holding portion 27B has a rib 42 extending vertically from the first bottom holding portion 28B on its inner wall surface. The rib 42 has a second inclined surface 43 at its tip. As shown in Figure 16, a rib 42 may also be provided on the inner circumferential wall surface of the main body case 1.

[0048] The positions of the inner wall surfaces of the first right-side surface holding portion 22B and the first left-side surface holding portion 25B are structured to extend outward by the thickness of the rib 42 compared to the positions of the inner wall surfaces of the first right-side surface holding portion 22 and the first left-side surface holding portion 25 in the first embodiment. A plurality of ribs 42 sandwich the third connector 10 from the side direction. By doing so, even if the rib 42 is disposed on the inner wall surface of the first side surface holding portion 27B, it extends outward by the thickness of the rib 42, so that the third connector 10 can be fitted into the first connector holding mechanism 20B.

[0049] Also, when the third connector 10 is held by the first connector holding mechanism 20B, there is almost no gap between the third connector 10 and the rib 42 except for the second inclined surface 43, so that the third connector 10 can be held at the correct holding position. When the third connector 10 is fitted into the first connector holding mechanism 20B, even if the third connector 10 cannot be accurately carried directly above the first connector holding mechanism 20B, it can be induced into the central portion of the first connector holding mechanism 20B by the second inclined surface 43 and easily fitted into the correct holding position of the first connector holding mechanism 20B. Therefore, by having such a configuration, the workability of the wiring work can be further improved and the efficiency of product assembly can be achieved.

[0050] Regarding the structure of the second connector holding mechanism 30B, it has an inducing structure equivalent to that of the first connector holding mechanism 20B, except that the direction of arrangement on the inner peripheral wall surface of the main body case 1 is different from that of the first connector holding mechanism 20B. Therefore, detailed description and illustration are omitted. Similar to the first connector holding mechanism 20B, the second connector holding mechanism 30B also has a rib 42 extending in the vertical direction from the second bottom surface holding portion on the inner wall surface of the second side surface holding portion. The rib 42 has a second inclined surface 43 at its tip. The rib 42 may also be disposed on the inner peripheral wall surface of the main body case 1. Each component of the second connector holding mechanism 30B also performs the same function as each corresponding component of the first connector holding mechanism 20B.

[0051] Embodiment 3. In Embodiment 1, an example was shown in which the connector holding mechanism 40 is integrally molded on the inner circumferential wall surface of the main body case 1. However, the connector holding mechanism only needs to be disposed on the inner circumferential wall surface of the main body case 1, and is not limited to integral molding. Embodiment 3 describes a method of disposing of the connector holding mechanism on the inner circumferential wall surface of the main body case 1 that differs from Embodiment 1. The same parts as in Embodiment 1 will be omitted from the explanation, and the parts that differ from Embodiment 1 will be described.

[0052] On the inner circumferential wall surface of the main body case 1, a first connector holding mechanism 20C for holding the third connector 10 and a second connector holding mechanism 30C for holding the fourth connector 11 are provided, similar to Embodiment 1. The first connector holding mechanism 20C and the second connector holding mechanism 30C are connector holding mechanisms that can be attached to and detached from the inner circumferential wall surface of the main body case 1.

[0053] Figure 17 is a schematic diagram showing a first connector retaining mechanism 20C as an example of a specific structure of a connector retaining mechanism that can be attached to and detached from the inner circumferential wall surface of the main body case 1. As shown in Figure 17, the first connector retaining mechanism 20C has a projection 44 in the portion that contacts the inner circumferential wall surface of the main body case 1. The main body case 1 also has a hole 45 at a position on the inner circumferential wall surface corresponding to the projection 44 when the first connector retaining mechanism 20C is disposed on the inner circumferential wall surface. The first connector retaining mechanism 20C is disposed on the inner circumferential wall surface of the main body case 1 by fitting the projection 44 and the hole 45 together.

[0054] Thus, the first connector holding mechanism 20C may be provided with a projection 44 in the portion that contacts the inner circumferential wall surface of the main body case 1, and the first connector holding mechanism 20C may be disposed on the inner circumferential wall surface of the main body case 1 by fitting the projection 44 into a hole 45 provided on the inner circumferential wall surface of the main body case 1.

[0055] If the arrangement of the connectors mounted on the control board 3 and the main circuit board 4 could be the same for all models of the inverter 100, there would be no problem. However, depending on the model of the inverter 100, it may not be possible to use the same arrangement, and different arrangements may be necessary. In such cases, since the connector holding mechanism 40 of Embodiment 1 is integrally molded with the inner peripheral wall surface of the main body case 1, it is necessary to prepare a separate main body case 1 for each model.

[0056] In Embodiment 3, by pre-providing holes 45 at other locations on the inner circumferential wall surface of the main case 1 and pre-forming openings 13 at other locations on the partition wall 12 to match the different connector arrangements for each model of the control board 3 and main circuit board 4, the position where the connector holding mechanism is installed can be changed to match the model of the inverter 100. Therefore, even if the connector arrangements of the control board 3 and main circuit board 4 differ depending on the model of the inverter 100, the main case 1 can be used in common, and there is no need to prepare multiple main cases 1 for each model. Consequently, component management costs and manufacturing costs can be reduced.

[0057] The structure of the second connector retaining mechanism 30C is the same as that of the first connector retaining mechanism 20C, except that the orientation in which it is disposed on the inner circumferential wall surface of the main body case 1 is different, so a detailed explanation and illustration are omitted. Similar to the first connector retaining mechanism 20C, the second connector retaining mechanism 30C also has a projection 44 in the part that contacts the inner circumferential wall surface of the main body case 1. The main body case 1 also has a hole 45 at the position on the inner circumferential wall surface corresponding to the projection 44 when the second connector retaining mechanism 30C is disposed on the inner circumferential wall surface. The second connector retaining mechanism 30C is disposed on the inner circumferential wall surface of the main body case 1 by fitting the projection 44 and the hole 45 together. Each component of the second connector retaining mechanism 30C performs the same function as each component of the corresponding first connector retaining mechanism 20C.

[0058] The configurations shown in each of the embodiments described above are examples of the content of this disclosure. The configurations of each embodiment can be combined with other known technologies. The configurations of each embodiment may be combined with each other as appropriate. It is possible to omit or modify parts of the configurations of each embodiment without departing from the gist of this disclosure.

[0059] 1 Main case, 2 Base, 3 Control board, 4 Main circuit board, 5 Front cover, 6 Operating section, 7 First connector, 8 Second connector, 9 Harness, 10 Third connector, 11 Fourth connector, 12 Partition wall, 13 Opening, 20, 20A, 20B, 20C First connector holding mechanism, 21, 21A, 21B First right arm, 22, 22A, 22B First right side holding section, 23, 23B First right bottom holding section, 24, 24A, 24B First left arm, 25, 25A, 25B First left side holding section, 26, 26B First left bottom holding section, 27, 27A, 27B First side holding section, 28, 28B First bottom holding section, 30, 30A, 30B, 30C Second connector holding mechanism, 31 32 Second right arm, 33 Second right side holding section, 34 Second right bottom holding section, 35 Second left arm, 36 Second left side holding section, 37 Second side holding section, 38 Second bottom holding section, 40 Connector holding mechanism, 41 First inclined surface, 42 Rib, 43 Second inclined surface, 44 Projection, 45 Hole, 100 Inverter (power converter).

Claims

1. A first circuit board on which a first connector is mounted; a second circuit board on which a second connector is mounted; a main case having a partition wall that divides the internal housing space into a first housing space and a second housing space, housing the first circuit board in the first housing space and housing the second circuit board in the second housing space; a harness having a third connector at one end that can be mated with the first connector and a fourth connector at the other end that can be mated with the second connector, electrically connecting the first circuit board and the second circuit board; a second connector holding mechanism disposed on the inner circumferential wall surface of the main case on the side of the second housing space, which holds the fourth connector; a first connector holding mechanism disposed on the inner circumferential wall surface on the side of the second housing space, which is closer to the partition wall than the position where the second connector holding mechanism is disposed, which holds the third connector; wherein the partition wall is A power conversion device characterized in that an opening for inserting the first connector is formed at a position corresponding to the position in which the first connector holding mechanism is disposed.

2. The power conversion device according to claim 1, characterized in that the harness is assembled to the main body case in which the third connector is held by the first connector holding mechanism and the fourth connector is held by the second connector holding mechanism, the first circuit board is assembled to a predetermined position on the partition wall, thereby mating the first connector and the third connector through the opening, and the second circuit board is housed in a predetermined position, thereby mating the second connector and the fourth connector.

3. The power conversion device according to claim 2, characterized in that the first connector holding mechanism is disposed in a position that allows the third connector held by the first connector holding mechanism to be mated with the first connector when the first substrate is assembled to a predetermined position on the partition wall.

4. The power conversion device according to claim 2, characterized in that the second connector holding mechanism is positioned so that when the second substrate is housed in a predetermined position within the main body case, the fourth connector held by the second connector holding mechanism and the second connector can be mated together.

5. The power conversion device according to claim 2 or 4, characterized in that the second substrate is assembled to a base, and the base is assembled to the main body case, thereby housing the substrate in a predetermined position within the main body case.

6. The power conversion device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the first connector holding mechanism comprises a first pair of arms that clamp the sides of the third connector and simultaneously support the bottom surface of the third connector.

7. The power conversion device according to claim 6, characterized in that the first pair of arms have a first side holding portion that restricts the third connector from moving in a direction parallel to the bottom surface of the third connector, and a first bottom holding portion that restricts the third connector from moving in the mating direction of the first connector.

8. The power conversion device according to claim 7, characterized in that the first side holding portion has a first inclined surface on the inner wall surface of the entrance portion into which the third connector is inserted.

9. The power conversion device according to claim 7, characterized in that the first side holding portion has a rib extending vertically from the first bottom holding portion on the inner wall surface of the first side holding portion, and the rib has a second inclined surface at its tip.

10. The power conversion device according to any one of 6 to 9, characterized in that the first pair of arms are arranged on the inner circumferential wall surface of the main body case with a spacing of at least wider than the thickness of the harness cable.

11. The power conversion device according to claim 1, 2, or 4, characterized in that the second connector holding mechanism comprises a second pair of arms that clamp the sides of the fourth connector and simultaneously support the bottom surface of the fourth connector.

12. The power conversion device according to claim 11, characterized in that the second pair of arms includes a second side holding portion that restricts the fourth connector from moving in a direction parallel to the bottom surface of the fourth connector, and a second bottom holding portion that restricts the fourth connector from moving in the mating direction of the second connector.

13. The power conversion device according to claim 12, characterized in that the second side holding portion has a first inclined surface on the inner wall surface of the entrance portion into which the fourth connector is inserted.

14. The power conversion device according to claim 12, characterized in that the second side holding portion has a rib extending vertically from the second bottom holding portion on the inner wall surface of the second side holding portion, and the rib has a second inclined surface at its tip.

15. The power conversion device according to any one of claims 11 to 14, characterized in that the second pair of arms are arranged on the inner circumferential wall surface of the main body case with each arm spaced at least wider than the thickness of the harness cable.

16. The power conversion device according to any one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that the first connector holding mechanism and the second connector holding mechanism are integrally molded with the inner circumferential wall surface of the main body case.

17. The power conversion device according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the first connector retaining mechanism and the second connector retaining mechanism have projections in the portion that contacts the inner circumferential wall surface of the main body case, the main body case has holes in the inner circumferential wall surface at positions corresponding to the projections when the first connector retaining mechanism and the second connector retaining mechanism are disposed on the inner circumferential wall surface of the main body case, and the first connector retaining mechanism and the second connector retaining mechanism are disposed on the inner circumferential wall surface of the main body case by fitting the projections with the holes.

18. The power conversion device according to any one of claims 1 to 17, characterized in that the first substrate is a control substrate and the second substrate is a main circuit substrate.

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