Motor-Driven Compressor Harness Routing and Axial Length Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional motor-driven compressors face challenges in reducing manufacturing costs and size due to the difficulty in connecting a short motor harness to a hermetic terminal in a narrow space, which increases assembly time and costs, and the limited ability to relocate the electric motor to reduce axial length.

Innovation Solution

The compressor design includes a motor harness led out from a first coil end located on the side of the compression mechanism, with the inverter on the side of a second coil end, allowing for a longer motor harness and easier connection, and using an insulator to reduce electrical leakage and axial length.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the motor harness is made short to prevent pinching and interference, then safety and reliability are improved, but the connection becomes difficult and assembly time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprevention of motor harness pinching and interferenceVSAvoidassembly time for motor harness connection
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

A guide member is introduced as an intermediary tool to facilitate the connection of the motor harness to the hermetic terminal. The guide member includes a guide hole through which the motor harness is inserted, and a pressing member that presses the motor harness against the hermetic terminal to establish electrical connection. This intermediary device enables easy connection even with a short motor harness, resolving the contradiction between preventing pinching/interference and reducing assembly time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Length of moving object

If the electric motor is relocated to provide coil end in empty space, then axial length is reduced, but the motor position cannot be moved due to balancer positioning

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaxial length of compressorVSAvoidmotor position adjustment capability
Core Design Contradiction:
Length of moving objectVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The balancer is designed with axial extension beyond the rotor end face, allowing the balancer to extend into the empty space around the shaft support. This dimensional extension in the axial direction enables the motor to be positioned such that the coil end connects to the motor harness on the compression mechanism side, thereby reducing the overall axial length of the compressor without requiring motor relocation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentEP2159425B1Motor-driven compressor
Publication Date: 2015.10.07 TOYOTA INDUSTRIES CORP
  • EP2159425B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2159425B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP2159425B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

A motor-driven compressor includes a compression mechanism (31) for compressing refrigerant, an electric motor (11) for driving the compression mechanism (31), an inverter (21) for controlling the operation of the electric motor, and a motor harness (27) for electrically connecting the electric motor to the inverter. The compression mechanism (31) and the electric motor (11) are mechanically connected to each other. The electric motor (11) has first and second coil ends (15A,15B). The first coil end (15A) is located on the side of the compression mechanism and the inverter (21) is located on the side of the second coil end (15B). The motor harness (27) is led out from the first coil end (15A).