Vehicular Electric Compressor Protective Component Collision Load

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional vehicular electric compressors face breakage and inverter exposure during collisions due to excessive load on the inverter cover, as the stress concentration portion in the external attachment leg fails to prevent load entry effectively.

Innovation Solution

A vehicular electric compressor design featuring a protective component with lower strength than the external attachment leg, interposed between the compressor body and the external attachment leg, to absorb and break under collision loads, thereby reducing damage to the inverter cover and preventing electric leakage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If an external attachment leg is attached to the inverter cover, then the compressor can be externally mounted or secured, but the inverter cover may break during vehicle collision due to excessive load

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveexternal mounting capabilityVSAvoidinverter cover strength

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

A protective component is introduced as an intermediary element between the external attachment leg and the inverter cover. This protective component absorbs collision loads preferentially, preventing excessive stress from being transmitted to the inverter cover, thus resolving the contradiction between external mounting capability and inverter cover strength

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The protective component is designed with lower strength than both the external attachment leg and the inverter cover, creating a predetermined weak point that will fail first during collision. This beforehand cushioning approach ensures that the inverter cover is protected from breakage by sacrificing the protective component instead

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

2Reliability

If a stress concentration portion is provided on the external attachment leg, then the attachment leg can break preferentially, but the load still enters the inverter cover directly without preventing breakage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveattachment leg reliabilityVSAvoidinverter cover breakage

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The protective component serves as an intermediary that completely blocks the load transmission path to the inverter cover, unlike the stress concentration portion which only modifies where the attachment leg breaks. This intermediary approach fundamentally prevents load entry to the inverter cover, resolving the harmful effect of cover breakage

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Strength

If the protective component is lower in strength than the external attachment leg, then the protective component breaks first during collision, but this requires careful material selection and design

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotective component strengthVSAvoidcomponent design complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The strength parameter of the protective component is deliberately changed to be lower than both the external attachment leg and the inverter cover. This parameter change creates a clear hierarchy of failure, ensuring the protective component breaks first while simplifying the design logic despite adding a component

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS11703041B2Vehicular electric compressor

Publication Date: 2023.07.18 MITSUBISHI HEAVY IND THERMAL SYST

AI summary

A vehicular electric compressor (1) includes a compressor body (2) that compresses fluid sucked from outside and then discharges the fluid, using electric power as power, a protective component (4) attached on the compressor body (2), and an external attachment leg (3) attached to the compressor body (2) through the protective component (4). The protective component (4) is lower in strength than the external attachment leg (3).