Electric Compressor Mounting Leg Stress Concentration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electric compressors for vehicle air conditioning are vulnerable to damage from impacts, which can expose the high-voltage inverter circuit board externally, limiting the mounting position and attitude due to the need to position mounting legs away from the inverter unit to prevent damage.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a second mounting leg with a stress concentration part, such as a constricted or stepped section, that prioritizes damage over the cover, allowing the electric compressor to maintain flexible mounting positions and attitudes without exposing the inverter unit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the mounting leg is positioned close to the inverter unit to allow flexible mounting positions and attitudes, then the adaptability of mounting positions is improved, but the inverter unit becomes vulnerable to damage from impacts
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting leg is designed as a sacrificial component with a stress concentration part that is intended to break first during impact, protecting the more valuable inverter unit. The mounting leg accepts damage in place of the inverter unit, embodying the principle of using a cheaper, replaceable component to protect critical system elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The stress concentration part acts as an intermediary element between the mounting leg and the inverter unit. It serves as a buffer that absorbs impact energy through controlled deformation, preventing direct transmission of impact forces to the inverter unit while still allowing the mounting leg to fulfill its mounting function under normal conditions.
2Reliability
If the mounting leg is positioned away from the inverter unit to protect it from impact damage, then the reliability of the inverter unit is improved, but the mounting position flexibility is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting leg structure incorporates a localized stress concentration part with different structural properties than the rest of the mounting leg. This local modification creates a weak point that concentrates stress during impact, ensuring predictable failure behavior that protects the inverter unit while maintaining the mounting leg's overall functionality and positioning capabilities.
3Device complexity
If the mounting leg structure is simplified without a stress concentration part, then the device complexity is reduced, but the inverter unit becomes exposed to impact damage
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than redesigning the entire mounting leg structure, the invention introduces a localized stress concentration part that can be implemented as a simple geometric feature such as a reduced-section area or a notch. This minimal structural modification significantly improves impact protection while adding negligible complexity to the overall mounting leg design.
Data Source
AI summary
An electric compressor mounted to a vehicle includes a motor, a compression unit driven by the motor, an inverter unit for driving the motor, a housing for accommodating the motor, the compression unit, and the inverter unit, and a cover mounted to the housing for closing a space accommodating the inverter unit. The electric compressor is fixed to the vehicle by means of a first mounting leg provided to the housing, and a second mounting leg provided to the cover. The second mounting leg includes a stress concentration part at which stress concentrates as compared with another portion of the second mounting leg.