JP2011220308A - Inverter integrated electric compressor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an inverter integrated electric compressor which eliminates the need for electric parts for connecting a capacitor with an inverter module, arrangement spaces of the electric parts, etc. thereby enabling an inverter device and a housing part of it to be made more compact and more low-cost.SOLUTION: The inverter integrated electric compressor includes: the inverter housing part disposed on the outer circumference of a housing in which an electric motor and a compressor mechanism are incorporated; and the inverter device disposed in the inverter housing part, for converting an electric power from an electric source and applying the power to the electric motor. In the inverter integrated electric compressor, the inverter device is provided with the inverter module 21 in which a power system part 24 for converting the electric power and a control system part for controlling the power system part are integrated via a resin case 28, a storage part 32 for storing the capacitor 33 is integrally formed with the outer circumference of the resin case 28 and the capacitor 33 of the inverter device is stored and disposed in the capacitor storage part 32.

Description

  The present invention relates to an inverter-integrated electric compressor in which an inverter device is integrated in an inverter accommodating portion provided in a housing.

  An inverter-integrated electric compressor is used as a compressor for a vehicle air conditioner mounted on an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle. The inverter-integrated electric compressor is provided with an inverter housing (inverter box) on the outer periphery of a housing in which the electric motor and the compressor are built, and converts DC power supplied from a power source into three-phase AC power. And it is set as the structure incorporating the inverter apparatus applied to an electric motor, and rotation speed is variably controlled based on the control signal transmitted from a vehicle side control apparatus (ECU).

  The inverter device includes a power system board and an ECU including a power system board or an intelligent power module (IPM) on which a semiconductor switching element such as an IGBT that converts DC power into three-phase AC power and applies it to an electric motor is mounted. Inverter circuit comprising a control system part equipped with a control system board and the like on which a CPU for controlling the three-phase AC power applied to the electric motor based on the control signal is supplied, and DC power is supplied to the inverter circuit And a relatively large electric component such as a capacitor (smoothing capacitor) for smoothing and stabilizing the power.

  As a structure when the inverter device is accommodated and installed in the inverter accommodating portion, a partition wall is provided in the interior, and a power system board constituting a power system portion and a control system portion of the inverter circuit on one side across the partition wall, A control system board is placed, and a relatively large electrical component such as a capacitor is placed together on the other side (for example, see Patent Documents 1 and 2), a power system board, a control system board, etc. are integrated into a module. There are known devices that are housed and installed in an inverter housing portion, and are installed by separating relatively large electrical components such as capacitors into separate housing portions (for example, see Patent Document 3).

JP 2008-19767 A JP 2009-74517 A JP 2009-275606 A

  By the way, since an inverter-integrated electric compressor used in a vehicle air conditioner is mounted in a narrow engine room, there is a high need for downsizing, and the inverter device and its housing are made compact in any way. This is a problem, and various improvements have been made. However, in this type of inverter device, as shown in Patent Documents 1-3, when the inverter devices are accommodated and installed together in one accommodation part, or electrical components such as capacitors are accommodated and installed in another accommodation part. In either case, the inverter circuit and the high-voltage electrical component such as a capacitor are separated from each other, and both are connected via a third electrical component such as a bus bar.

  For this reason, not only the third electrical component for connecting the inverter circuit and the capacitor, etc. is required, but also the arrangement space for the third electrical component becomes essential, and accordingly, a dead space is likely to occur. This has been a factor in increasing the volume and cost of the inverter device and its housing. Therefore, even though it is quite compact, there is still room for downsizing.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, eliminates the need for electrical components that connect between the capacitor and the inverter module and the arrangement space thereof, and further downsizes the inverter device and the housing portion thereof. An object is to provide an inverter-integrated electric compressor capable of reducing costs.

In order to solve the above-described problems, the inverter-integrated electric compressor of the present invention employs the following means.
That is, the inverter-integrated electric compressor according to the present invention is provided with an inverter housing portion on the outer periphery of a housing in which the electric motor and the compression mechanism are incorporated, and converts the electric power from the power source into the electric motor. In the inverter-integrated electric compressor in which the inverter device to be applied is installed, the inverter device is an inverter in which a power system unit for converting electric power and a control system unit for controlling the power unit are integrated through a resin case. A module is provided, and a housing portion for housing the capacitor is integrally formed on the outer periphery of the resin case, and the capacitor of the inverter device is housed and installed in the capacitor housing portion.

  According to the present invention, the inverter device installed inside the inverter housing unit includes an inverter module in which a power system unit that converts power and a control system unit that controls the power system unit are integrated via a resin case. And a housing portion for housing the capacitor is integrally formed on the outer periphery of the resin case, and the capacitor of the inverter device is housed and installed in the capacitor housing portion, so that the power supplied from the power source is smoothed and stabilized. The capacitor can be modularized integrally with the inverter module by housing and installing the capacitor (smoothing capacitor) in the capacitor housing part formed integrally with the resin case outer periphery of the inverter module. Therefore, a space for accommodating and installing the capacitor separately, or an electrical component for electrically connecting the capacitor and the inverter module and a space for arranging the capacitor are not required. The body-type electric compressor can be reduced in size and cost, and the assembly of the inverter device can be facilitated and productivity can be improved.

  Furthermore, the inverter-integrated electric compressor according to the present invention is the above-described inverter-integrated electric compressor, wherein the capacitor housing portion has a PN terminal for inputting power from a power source to the power system portion of the inverter module. It is formed integrally with the side surface of the resin case on the side where it is disposed.

  According to the present invention, the capacitor housing portion is integrally formed on the side surface of the resin case on the side where the PN terminal for inputting power from the power source to the power system portion of the inverter module is disposed. Can be directly connected between the P-N terminals for inputting power to the inverter module. Therefore, the third electrical component that electrically connects the capacitor and the inverter module can be omitted, and the configuration of the inverter device can be simplified, space saving, and cost reduction can be achieved.

  Furthermore, in the inverter-integrated electric compressor according to the present invention, in the inverter-integrated electric compressor, the connection terminal of the capacitor and the PN terminal for inputting electric power from a power source are integrally formed. It is characterized by that.

  According to the present invention, since the capacitor connection terminal and the PN terminal for inputting power from the power source are integrally formed, it is not necessary to manufacture the PN terminal as an independent component, and the number of components is reduced. Can be reduced, and a capacitor can be incorporated as both components. Therefore, the configuration of the inverter device can be simplified, the cost can be reduced, and work steps such as welding connection of the capacitor connection terminals to the power line can be omitted, which facilitates assembly and increases productivity. Improvements can be made.

  Furthermore, the inverter-integrated electric compressor of the present invention is the above-described inverter-integrated electric compressor, wherein the capacitor housing portion is assembled by inserting the power system portion and the control system portion into the resin case. The capacitor is formed so that it can be inserted and assembled from the same direction as the direction in which the capacitor is to be mounted.

  According to the present invention, the capacitor housing portion is formed so that the capacitor can be inserted and assembled in the same direction as the direction in which the power system portion and the control system portion are inserted and assembled in the resin case. The insertion assembly can be performed from the same direction as the direction in which the power system unit and the control system unit are inserted into the resin case. Therefore, the assembly of the capacitor can be facilitated, and the resin material is filled from the same direction when sealing the power system portion and the capacitor accommodated in the resin case with the resin material. It becomes possible to seal, and the manufacturing process can be simplified and the cost can be reduced.

  Furthermore, the inverter-integrated electric compressor of the present invention is the above-described inverter-integrated electric compressor, wherein the capacitor housed and installed in the capacitor housing portion is at least a power system portion housed and installed in the resin case. It is characterized by being sealed with the same resin material as the resin material that seals the upper surface.

  According to the present invention, the capacitor housed and installed in the capacitor housing portion is sealed with the same resin material as the resin material that seals at least the upper surface of the power system portion housed and installed in the resin case. When resin-sealing at least the power system part accommodated and installed in the capacitor housing part and the resin case, the resin material is filled from the same direction at the same time, and the resin material is thermosetting In the case of resin, the resin can be sealed by heat treatment at the same time. Therefore, it is possible to shorten the resin sealing step and the time, increase the production efficiency, and reduce the cost.

  According to the present invention, a capacitor (smoothing capacitor) that smoothes and stabilizes power supplied from a power source is housed and installed in a capacitor housing portion that is integrally formed on the outer periphery of a resin case of the inverter module. Since it can be modularized as a single unit, there is no need for a space for accommodating and installing the capacitor separately, or an electrical component for electrically connecting the capacitor and the inverter module and its placement space. It is possible to reduce the size and cost of the apparatus and its housing, and thus the inverter-integrated electric compressor, and to facilitate the assembly of the inverter apparatus and improve the productivity.

1 is an external side view of an inverter-integrated electric compressor according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the inverter module (inverter apparatus) integrated in the inverter integrated electric compressor shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a part of the inverter module (inverter circuit) shown in FIG. 2. It is a perspective view of the state which carried out resin molding of the inverter module (inverter circuit) shown in FIG.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.
FIG. 1 is an external side view of an inverter-integrated electric compressor according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of an inverter module (inverter circuit) incorporated in the compressor. It is shown.
The inverter-integrated electric compressor 1 includes a housing 2 constituting an outer shell. The housing 2 is configured by integrally fastening and fastening a motor housing 3 in which an electric motor (not shown) is accommodated and a compressor housing 4 in which a compression mechanism (not shown) is accommodated with a bolt 5. Yes. The motor housing 3 and the compressor housing 4 are pressure vessels and are made of aluminum die casting.

  An unillustrated electric motor and compression mechanism housed in the housing 2 are connected via a motor shaft, and the compression mechanism is driven by the rotation of the electric motor. A refrigerant suction port 6 is provided on one end side (right side in FIG. 1) of the motor housing 3, and low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant gas sucked into the motor housing 3 from the refrigerant suction port 6 is around the electric motor. Is distributed along the motor axial direction, and then sucked into the compression mechanism and compressed. The high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant gas compressed by the compression mechanism is discharged into the compressor housing 4 and then sent out from the discharge port 7 provided on one end side (left side in FIG. 1) of the compressor housing 4. It is configured to be.

  The housing 2 includes, for example, a lower portion on one end side (right side in FIG. 1) of the motor housing 3 and a lower portion on one end side (left side in FIG. 1) of the compressor housing 4 and an upper side 1 of the compressor housing 4. Mounting legs 8A, 8B, and 8C are provided at a total of three locations. The inverter-integrated electric compressor 1 is mounted on the vehicle side by fixing the mounting legs 8A, 8B, and 8C to the side wall of the driving motor installed in the engine room of the vehicle via brackets and bolts. It is supposed to be mounted.

  A box-shaped inverter accommodating portion 9 is integrally formed on the outer periphery of the motor housing 3 at the upper portion thereof. The inverter accommodating portion 9 has a box shape surrounded by a peripheral wall having a predetermined height with the upper surface open, and two cable outlets 10 are provided on the side surface. Further, the upper surface of the inverter accommodating portion 9 is hermetically sealed by fixing the lid member 11 with screws via a sealing material such as a gasket.

  In the inverter accommodating portion 9, DC power supplied via a power cable from a power supply unit or a battery (not shown) mounted on the vehicle is converted into three-phase AC power and accommodated in the motor housing 3. An inverter device 20 for applying to the electric motor is housed and installed. FIG. 2 shows a longitudinal sectional view of an inverter module (inverter circuit) 21 constituting the inverter device 20.

  The inverter module 21 operates with a power system unit 24 including a power system substrate 23 made of an aluminum plate on which a switching circuit 22 composed of a plurality of semiconductor switching elements such as IGBTs is mounted, and with a low voltage such as a CPU. A control system unit 27 including a control system board 26 on which a control communication circuit 25 having an element to be mounted is mounted as a module through a resin case 28. The power system board 23 is integrally insert-molded on the bottom surface side of the resin case 28 having a rectangular box shape. On the power system board 23, as shown in FIG. A switching circuit 22 composed of semiconductor switching elements is mounted.

  The upper side of the resin case 28 is open, and various electrical components can be inserted and assembled into the inside from above. The resin case 28 includes a power system board 23, a U-V-W terminal 29 for applying three-phase AC power converted by the switching circuit 22 of the power system board 23 to the electric motor, a power system board. A number of connection terminal groups 30 and the like for connecting between the control system board 23 and the control system board 26 are integrally formed by insert molding. In addition, at the four corner portions, mounting leg portions 31 for fixing and installing the inverter module 21 in the inverter accommodating portion 9 via bolts or the like are integrally formed. The U-V-W terminal 29 is provided so as to protrude forward on the front side of the resin case 28, that is, on the side surface facing the compressor housing 4 side.

  Further, the resin case 28 has a side surface adjacent to the side surface from which the U-V-W terminal 29 protrudes, that is, the inverter module 21 accommodated and installed in the inverter accommodating portion 9. As shown in FIG. 3, a capacitor housing portion 32 for housing and installing a capacitor (smoothing capacitor) 33 is integrally formed on the side surface of the housing portion 9 opposite to the side surface where the cable outlet 10 is provided. Has been. The capacitor housing portion 32 has a rectangular shape that is substantially the same as the outer shape of the capacitor 33 along the side surface of the resin case 28, and has a configuration in which the upper surface side is opened and the capacitor 33 can be inserted and assembled from above. Has been.

  The capacitor (smoothing capacitor) 33 is provided in the PN power line that supplies power to the power system board 23 of the inverter module 21 from the power cable connected to the inverter device 20 through the cable outlet 10 and smoothes the power. This is an electrical component to be stabilized, and includes connection terminals 34A and 34B for connection to the PN power line. The pair of connection terminals 34A and 34B are formed integrally with PN terminals 35A and 35B for connecting the PN power line and the power system board 23 of the inverter module 21. The PN terminal By connecting the PN power line to 35A and 35B, the capacitor 33 is connected between the PN power lines.

  The capacitor 33 is inserted and installed from above into the capacitor housing portion 32 of the resin case 28 so as to be integrated into a module with the inverter module 21. In this state, the other ends of the PN terminals 35A and 35B are electrically connected to the power system board 23 side and the circuit.

  Further, in the inverter module 21, in order to maintain insulation, moisture resistance and vibration resistance for the power system 24 and the capacitor 33, as shown in FIGS. A resin material having excellent characteristics of insulation and moisture resistance, for example, a thermosetting epoxy resin is filled so as to cover the upper surface of the capacitor 33, and the power system portion 24 and the capacitor 33 are connected by the epoxy resin layer 36. Resin sealed. The inverter module 21 itself is installed in a sealed space (inverter housing portion 9) sealed with a gasket or the like to ensure moisture resistance and to ensure insulation by a design that maintains an insulation distance. Needless to say. Further, the resin material for sealing the power system portion 24 and the capacitor 33 may be another resin material, for example, a silicon gel material. Furthermore, instead of sealing with a resin material or a gel material, a moisture-proof coating is applied to the substrate surface. It is good also as a structure which gave.

With the configuration described above, according to the present embodiment, the following operational effects can be obtained.
The DC power supplied from the vehicle-side power supply unit to the inverter device 20 of the inverter-integrated electric compressor 1 by the power cable is input to the power system section 24 of the inverter module 21 via the PN terminals 35A and 35B. . In this process, the capacitor (smoothing capacitor) 33 connected to the PN power line is smoothed and stabilized. The DC power input to the switching circuit 22 on the power system board 23 is converted into three-phase AC power of the control command frequency by the switching operation of the semiconductor switching element controlled via the control communication circuit 25 on the control system unit 27 side. After that, it is applied to the electric motor in the motor housing 3 through the U-V-W terminal 29.

  As a result, the electric motor is rotationally driven at the control command frequency, and the compression mechanism starts the compression operation. Due to the operation of the compression mechanism, low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant gas is sucked into the motor housing 3 from the refrigerant suction port 6. The refrigerant flows around the electric motor in the direction of the motor axis toward the compressor housing 4 and is sucked into the compression mechanism, compressed to a high temperature and high pressure state, and then to the outside of the electric compressor 1 through the discharge port 7. Is sent out.

  During this time, with respect to the inverter device 20 that is integrally incorporated in the housing 2 of the inverter-integrated electric compressor 1, traveling vibration from the vehicle on which the inverter-integrated electric compressor 1 is mounted, vibration of its drive source, or electric The drive vibration of the compressor 1 itself is directly input. For this reason, the vibration is also propagated to the power system board 23, the control system board 26, and further the capacitor 33 of the inverter module 21 constituting the inverter device 20.

  However, the power system board 23 and the capacitor 33 are modularized integrally with the resin case 28, and are firmly fixed to the bottom surface of the inverter accommodating portion 9 with bolts or the like via the mounting legs 29, and the surfaces thereof are fixed. It is sealed and firmly protected by a resin material such as a thermosetting epoxy resin layer 36 having insulating properties, moisture resistance and vibration resistance. Accordingly, it is possible to ensure sufficient insulation and moisture resistance for the power system substrate 23 to which a high voltage is applied, and to sufficiently ensure vibration resistance by increasing the rigidity against vibration. .

  On the other hand, a capacitor (smoothing capacitor) 33, which is a relatively large electric component constituting the inverter device 20, is housed and installed in a capacitor housing portion 32 integrally formed on the outer periphery of the resin case 28 of the inverter module 21. The module 21 is integrated with the module 21. For this reason, the capacitor 33 can be accommodated and installed in the inverter accommodating portion 9 together with the inverter module 21.

  Therefore, in the inverter accommodating portion 9, a space for accommodating and installing the capacitor 33 separately, or a third electric component such as a bus bar for electrically connecting the capacitor 33 and the inverter module 21, and an arrangement space for the third electric component. It is possible to reduce the size and cost of the inverter device 20 and its accommodating portion 9, and thus the inverter-integrated electric compressor 1, and to facilitate the assembly of the inverter device 20 and improve productivity. Can be improved.

  Further, the capacitor housing portion 32 integrally formed on the outer periphery of the resin case 28 of the inverter module 21 is provided with PN terminals 35 </ b> A and 35 </ b> B for inputting power from the power source to the power system portion 24 of the inverter module 21. It is integrally formed on the side surface of the resin case 28 on the side. For this reason, it is possible to connect the connection terminals 34A and 34B of the capacitor 33 directly between the PN terminals 35A and 35B by accommodating and installing the capacitor 33 in the accommodating portion 32. Therefore, the capacitor 33 and the inverter The third electric component such as a bus bar that is electrically connected to the module 21 can be omitted, and the configuration of the inverter device 20 can be simplified, space saving, and cost reduction can be achieved.

  In particular, the connection terminals 34A and 34B of the capacitor 33 and the PN terminals 35A and 35B are integrally formed, so that it is not necessary to manufacture the PN terminals 35A and 35B as independent components. For this reason, the number of parts can be reduced, and the capacitor 33 can be incorporated as both parts as one part. Therefore, the configuration of the inverter device 20 can be simplified, the cost can be reduced, and the power line can be reduced. Work steps such as welding connection of the connection terminals 34A and 34B of the capacitor 33 can be omitted, and assembling can be facilitated and productivity can be improved.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the capacitor housing portion 32 is opened upward so that the capacitor 33 can be inserted and assembled from the same direction as the direction in which the power system portion 24 and the control system portion 27 are inserted and assembled into the resin case 28. Therefore, the capacitor 33 can be inserted and assembled into the capacitor housing portion 32 from the same upper direction as the direction in which the power system portion 24 and the control system portion 27 are inserted and assembled in the resin case 28. Therefore, the assembly of the capacitor 33 can be facilitated, and the power system portion 24 accommodated and installed in the resin case 28 and the surface side of the capacitor 33 are resin-sealed with a resin material such as an epoxy resin layer 36. At the same time, the resin can be filled and molded from the same direction, so that the manufacturing process can be simplified and the cost can be reduced.

  In addition, since the power system portion 24 and the capacitor 33 are sealed with the resin, both are sealed with the same resin material (thermosetting epoxy resin). Resin sealing of the installed capacitor 33 and the power system unit 24 housed and installed in the resin case 28 can be filled with resin from the same direction at the same time, and simultaneously heat-treated to be resin-sealed. Thereby, the resin sealing step and the time can be shortened, the production efficiency can be increased, and the cost can be reduced.

  Further, the capacitor 33 housed and installed in the capacitor housing part 32 and the power system part 24 housed and installed in the resin case 28 are installed with the wall of the resin case 28 separated from each other. Direct noise attack can be avoided. Further, in order to avoid this noise attack, a metal plate may be installed or embedded in a wall partitioning the capacitor housing portion 32 of the resin case 28 as necessary.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the invention concerning the said embodiment, In the range which does not deviate from the summary, it can change suitably. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the example in which the inverter housing portion 9 is integrally formed with the motor housing 3 has been described. However, the inverter housing portion 9 is not necessarily formed integrally, and a separate inverter housing portion is integrally assembled with the housing 2. It is good. The compression mechanism is not particularly limited, and any type of compression mechanism may be used.

  Moreover, although the said embodiment demonstrated the example using the power system board 23 made from the aluminum board material which mounted the switching circuit 22 which consists of switching elements, such as IGBT, as the power system part 24, the electric power which comprises this inverter circuit As the power device for control, an intelligent power module (IPM) in which a drive circuit (gate driver) and a self-protection function are integrated may be used.

  Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which the control system board 26 is installed on the upper surface of the resin case 28 has been described. However, the control system board 26 may be installed inside the resin case 28. Of course. In addition, a slit or notch is provided in the wall surface between the capacitor housing portion 32 and the resin case 28, and when the sealing resin is filled, the resin filled from one place passes through the slit or notch. May be made to flow with each other. The outer shape of the capacitor 33 is not particularly limited, and the capacitor housing portion 32 may be formed in accordance with the outer shape of the capacitor 33.

  In the above embodiment, the power system 24 and the capacitor 33 of the inverter module 21 are sealed with the same resin material (thermosetting epoxy resin). It is not necessary to stop, and the capacitor 33 may be molded or sealed with a different resin material (including a gel-like resin material).

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Inverter integrated electric compressor 2 Housing 3 Motor housing 4 Compressor housing 9 Inverter accommodating part 20 Inverter device 21 Inverter module 24 Power system part 27 Control system part 28 Resin case 32 Capacitor accommodating part 33 Capacitors 34A and 34B Connection of capacitors Terminal 35A, 35B P-N terminal 36 Epoxy resin layer

Claims (5)

Inverter-integrated electric compression in which an inverter housing portion is provided on the outer periphery of a housing containing an electric motor and a compression mechanism, and an inverter device for converting electric power from a power source and applying the electric power to the electric motor is installed therein In the machine
The inverter device includes an inverter module in which a power system unit that converts power and a control system unit that controls the power system unit are integrated through a resin case,
An inverter-integrated electric compressor, wherein a housing portion for housing a capacitor is integrally formed on an outer periphery of the resin case, and the capacitor of the inverter device is housed and installed in the capacitor housing portion.   The capacitor housing portion is integrally formed on the side surface of the resin case on the side where a PN terminal for inputting power from a power source to the power system portion of the inverter module is disposed. The inverter-integrated electric compressor according to claim 1.   The inverter-integrated electric compressor according to claim 2, wherein the connection terminal of the capacitor and the PN terminal for inputting power from a power source are integrally formed.   2. The capacitor accommodating portion is formed so that the capacitor can be inserted and assembled in the same direction as a direction in which the power system portion and the control system portion are inserted and assembled in the resin case. 4. The inverter-integrated electric compressor according to claim 3. The capacitor housed and installed in the capacitor housing part is sealed with the same resin material as that sealing at least the upper surface of the power system part housed and installed in the resin case. An inverter-integrated electric compressor according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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