JP2005166866A - Structure of housing for accommodating electric apparatuses - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To cool a plurality of electric apparatuses by using a simplified structure with the increase of the number of parts suppressed. <P>SOLUTION: An upper case 100 includes an upper flange 106, and a lower cover 300 includes a lower flange 302. The upper flange 106 of the upper case 100 and the lower flange 302 of the lower cover 300 hold a lower case 200 from the side of the outer circumference 204 of the lower case 200. Bolts 800 are inserted into bolt insertion holes provided through the upper flange 106, the lower flange 302, and the outer circumference 204 of the lower case 200. A nut is screwed onto each of the bolts 800, and the upper case 100, the lower case 200, and the lower cover 300 are fastened together for fixation. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a structure of a housing that houses electrical equipment, and more particularly to a structure of a housing that houses a plurality of electrical equipment.

  Conventionally, an electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, a fuel cell vehicle, and the like that travel by driving force from a motor are known. In such a vehicle, a PCU (Power Control Unit) including an inverter and a converter is mounted in order to convert electric power supplied to the motor and electric power generated by the motor into a desired state.

  Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2003-101277 (Patent Document 1) discloses a PCU that can cool a power module and a converter. The PCU described in Patent Document 1 includes a power module having a heat generating element, an inverter case on which the power module is placed on the bottom surface, a cooling water channel that is provided on the back side of the bottom surface of the inverter case, and through which a cooling medium flows, and a cooling water channel And a DC-DC converter attached to the lower surface of the mounting substrate.

  According to the PCU disclosed in this publication, since the power module is provided above the cooling water channel and the DC-DC converter is provided below, the power module and the DC-DC converter can be cooled by the cooling medium.

  Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2000-60149 (Patent Document 2) discloses a PCU that can cool a transistor module and a control board. The PCU described in Patent Document 2 includes a heat sink plate in which a flow path through which a cooling medium flows is formed, a transistor module provided on the upper surface of the heat sink plate, a control board provided on the lower surface of the heat sink plate, An inverter case that forms an inverter housing chamber that houses a transistor module together with a heat sink plate, and a control board case that forms a control board housing chamber that houses a control board together with the heat sink plate.

According to the PCU disclosed in this publication, the transistor module and the control board can be cooled by the cooling medium flowing in the heat sink.
JP 2003-101277 A JP 2000-60149 A

  As in the PCU described in the above publication, when a cooling passage through which a cooling medium flows is formed below a case in which an electric device is accommodated, and an electric device is also provided below the cooling passage, Although a plurality of electric devices can be cooled by the cooling passage, it is necessary to separately provide a case for protecting the electric devices provided below the cooling passage from dust and dirt. Since this case is fixed, there is a problem that the number of parts such as bolts and nuts increases.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a housing for housing an electrical device that can accommodate a plurality of electrical devices with a simple configuration that suppresses an increase in the number of components. Is to provide a structure.

  The structure of the housing that houses the electrical device according to the first invention is the structure of the housing that houses the first electrical device and the second electrical device. Each electric device includes a heating element. The structure of the housing is a box-shaped first case in which the first electric device is accommodated, and a box-shaped second case in which the second electric device is accommodated while being provided to overlap the first case. A recess formed between the first case and the first case, and a recess formed between the first case and the second case, and the first case and the second case, A sealing member that seals the recess, a cooling passage that is formed by a space surrounded by the recess and the sealing member, and through which a cooling medium that cools each electrical device flows, a first case, a second case, and Fixing means for fixing the sealing member by co-fastening.

  According to the first invention, the box-shaped first case in which the first electric device is accommodated and the box-shaped second case in which the second electric device is accommodated are provided so as to overlap each other. . A recess formed by the outer surface of the first case is provided between the first case and the second case. A sealing member that seals the recess is provided between the first case and the second case. A space surrounded by the recess and the sealing member becomes a cooling passage through which a cooling medium for cooling each electric device flows. The first case, the second case, and the sealing member are fastened together by a fixing means and fixed. Thereby, the three members of the first case, the second case, and the sealing member are fixed simultaneously. Therefore, the first case and the sealing member are fixed, and it is not necessary to fix the second case and the sealing member at a location different from the fixing location, and an increase in the number of fixing locations can be suppressed. . As a result, for example, it is possible to provide a structure of a housing that accommodates an electrical device that can accommodate a plurality of electrical devices with a simple configuration that suppresses an increase in the number of parts of fixing means such as bolts and nuts.

  The structure of the housing that houses the electrical device according to the second invention includes a plurality of cooling fins that protrude from the cooling passage in addition to the configuration of the first invention.

  According to the second aspect, the plurality of cooling fins provided so as to protrude into the cooling passage increases the total area in contact with the housing accommodating the electrical equipment and the cooling medium. As a result, in addition to the effect of the first invention, the efficiency with which the heat generated by the heating element is transferred to the cooling medium is improved, and the cooling performance is improved.

  In the structure of the housing that houses the electric device according to the third invention, in addition to the configuration of the first or second invention, the first case and the sealing member are stronger than the second case. The sealing member includes means for attaching a connector for electrically connecting the second electric device and the device outside the housing.

  According to the third invention, the first case and the sealing member are stronger than the second case, and the sealing member is electrically connected to the second electric device and the device outside the housing. A connector for connecting to is attached. Thereby, the rigidity of the housing can be secured by the first case and the sealing member, and the connector can be attached to the housing. Since no connector is attached to the second case, the strength of the second case can be reduced. As a result, the second case can be manufactured at low cost by using, for example, a low-strength metal sheet pressed while securing the rigidity of the housing.

  In the structure of the housing that houses the electric device according to the fourth invention, in addition to the configuration of the first or second invention, the sealing member is a flat plate. The first case includes means for attaching a connector for electrically connecting the second electric device and the device outside the housing.

  According to the fourth invention, the sealing member is a flat plate, and a connector for electrically connecting the second electric device and the device outside the housing is attached to the first case. Thereby, since a sealing member is a flat plate, a connector can be attached to a housing | casing, suppressing manufacturing cost, such as press molding and a metal mold | die, for example.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. Their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, detailed description thereof will not be repeated.

<First Embodiment>
With reference to FIG. 1, a PCU having a housing structure that houses an electrical device according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described. This PCU is mounted on a hybrid vehicle, a fuel cell vehicle, an electric vehicle, and the like. The PCU adjusts the electric power discharged from the driving battery, the capacitor, and the like to a desired state and supplies it to a motor generator and the like. Further, the PCU adjusts the electric power generated by the motor generator or the like to a desired state and stores it in a driving battery, a capacitor, or the like. Since a known technique may be used for the operation of the PCU, further detailed description will not be repeated here.

  PCU includes upper case 100, lower case 200, lower cover 300, inverter 400, converter 500, connector 600, bus bar 700, and bolt 800.

  The upper case 100 is formed using aluminum die casting. The upper case 100 is formed in a box shape so that the mold is pulled out from six directions and has an opening in the upper part. Therefore, the upper case 100 has higher strength than the lower case 200 and the lower cover 300. The opening of the upper case 100 is sealed with a lid (not shown).

  Upper case 100 includes a bottom surface 101, recesses 102, a plurality of cooling fins 103, a wire harness intake portion 104, and an upper flange 106. An inverter 400 is placed on the upper surface of the bottom surface 101. A recess 102 is provided on the back surface (lower surface) side of the bottom surface 101. The recess 102 opens toward the side opposite to the inverter 400 (the lower side in FIG. 1). As will be described later, cooling water flows through the recess 102. A plurality of cooling fins 103 are provided side by side in the recess 102 so as to protrude toward the opening, that is, toward the side opposite to the inverter 400 (the lower side in FIG. 1).

  The wire harness intake unit 104 transmits a high-voltage power boosted by the converter 500 to a motor generator (not shown), and a signal that transmits a signal generated by an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) to the inverter 400 and the converter 500. The line 105 has an opening (not shown) for taking it into the PCU.

  The upper flange 106 is provided so as to surround the upper case 100 along the lower edge of the upper case 100. The upper flange 106 is provided with a plurality of bolt insertion holes through which the bolts 800 are inserted.

  Lower case 200 includes an attachment portion 202 for attaching a connector 600 to which a tip of a cable connected to equipment mounted outside the PCU, such as a drive battery, an auxiliary battery, a capacitor, and a motor generator, is fixed. The attachment portion 202 is formed so as to protrude downward (on the side opposite to the upper case 100). A seal member such as a grommet that seals between the lower case 200 and the connector 600 is attached to the attachment portion.

  Aluminum die casting is used for the lower case 200. The lower case 200 is formed such that the mold is removed from two directions (up and down directions), and a portion other than the attachment portion 202 has a flat plate shape. Therefore, the lower case 200 has a lower strength than the upper case 100, but has a higher strength than the lower cover 300.

  The lower case 200 seals the opening of the recess 102 of the upper case 100. The upper case 100 and the lower case 200 are hermetically sealed with a seal member 900 such as a field-formed gasket (FIPG: Formed In Place Gasket). A space formed by the recess 102 and the lower case 200 serves as a cooling passage through which a cooling medium for cooling the inverter 400 and the converter 500 flows. The cooling medium flows in from an inlet (not shown) provided in the upper case 100, passes through the cooling passage (a space formed by the recess 102 and the lower case 200), and is provided in the upper case 100. It flows out from the outlet (not shown).

  Converter 500 is fixed to the lower surface of lower case 200 (a position corresponding to inverter 400 across recess 102). Therefore, inverter 400 and converter 500 are arranged so as to sandwich the cooling passage (cooler). Therefore, inverter 400 and converter 500 are cooled on both sides of the cooling passage. Note that the inverter 400 housed in the upper case 100 provided with the cooling fins 103 generates a larger amount of heat than the converter 500.

  The outer peripheral portion 204 of the lower case 200 is provided with a plurality of bolt insertion holes through which the bolts 800 are inserted. These bolt insertion holes are provided at positions corresponding to the bolt insertion holes provided in the upper case 100.

  Lower cover 300 is attached below lower case 200 so as to cover converter 500. A space between the lower case 200 and the lower cover 300 is sealed with a seal member 902 such as a field molded gasket (FIPG).

  The lower cover 300 is made of a thin plate such as iron. The lower cover 300 is formed in a box shape so that the mold is pulled out from two directions (up and down directions) and has an opening upward. Since the lower cover 300 is made of a thin plate such as iron, the strength of the lower cover 300 is lower than the strength of the upper case 100 and the lower case 200. Note that the lower cover 300 may be formed of a resin such as plastic as long as requirements such as heat resistance are satisfied.

  The lower cover 300 includes a lower flange 302. The lower flange 302 is provided so as to surround the lower cover 300 along the upper edge of the lower cover 300. The lower flange 302 is provided with a plurality of bolt insertion holes through which the bolts 800 are inserted. These bolt insertion holes are provided at positions corresponding to the bolt insertion holes provided in the upper case 100 and the lower case 200.

  The inverter 400 includes an integrated inverter (integrated power module) 402 and a rear inverter (rear power module) 404. Integrated inverter 402 and rear inverter 404 include a plurality of semiconductor elements. When electric power flows through the semiconductor element, the semiconductor element generates heat.

  The integrated inverter 402 is connected to an engine (not shown) and mainly generates a motor generator (1) (not shown) that is connected to a front wheel, and is connected to a front wheel and is driven by electric power and generates power by regenerative energy ( 2) It is connected to (not shown). The integrated inverter 402 converts the alternating current supplied from the motor generator (1) and the motor generator (2) into a direct current and supplies it to the driving battery. Further, the direct current supplied from the driving battery is converted into an alternating current and supplied to the motor generator (2).

  The rear inverter 404 is connected to a rear wheel and is connected to a rear wheel drive motor (not shown) that is driven by electric power. The rear inverter 404 converts the direct current supplied from the driving battery into an alternating current and supplies the alternating current to the rear wheel drive motor.

  Converter 500 includes a DC / DC converter 502 and a boost converter (boost module) 504. DC / DC converter 502 and boosting converter 504 include semiconductor elements. When electric power flows through the semiconductor element, the semiconductor element generates heat.

  The DC / DC converter 502 is connected to the connector 600 via the bus bar 700. Thus, DC / DC converter 502 is connected to an auxiliary battery (for example, a 12V battery) mounted on the vehicle. The DC / DC converter 502 steps down the voltage value of the power supplied from the driving battery (for example, about 300V) and supplies it to the auxiliary battery.

  Boost converter 504 is connected to connector 600 via a capacitor (not shown) and a bus bar (not shown) different from bus bar 700. Thereby, boost converter 504 is connected to the drive battery. Boost converter 504 boosts the voltage of power supplied from the drive battery, for example, from about 300 V to about 500 V, and supplies the boosted voltage to motor generator (2).

  The bus bar 700 extends upward from the lower cover 300 through openings provided in the upper case 100 and the lower case 200, and extends across the seal member 902 so as to be provided in the upper case 100 and the lower case 200. The lower case 200 extends downward and is connected to the connector 600 from the inside of the mounting portion 202 of the lower case 200.

  Based on the above configuration, an action that is manifested by structural features in the PCU according to the present embodiment will be described.

  In order to fix the upper case 100, the lower case 200, and the lower cover 300, first, the outer peripheral portion 204 of the lower case 200 is sandwiched between the upper flange 106 and the lower flange 302. In this state, as shown in FIG. 2, from below the lower cover 300, the bolts 800 are inserted into the respective bolt insertion holes, and nuts are screwed to the other ends of the respective bolts 800. The lower case 200 and the lower cover 300 are fixed. Accordingly, the upper flange 106, the outer peripheral portion 204 of the lower case 200, and the lower flange 302 are fastened together by the bolt 800, and the upper case 100, the lower case 200, and the lower cover 300 are fixed.

  The heat generated in the inverter 400 and the converter 500 is transmitted to the cooling water flowing through the cooling passage (the space formed by the recess 102 and the lower case 200). At this time, the cooling water comes into contact with the plurality of cooling fins 103. The cooling fin 103 increases the area where the cooling water and the upper case 100 are in contact with each other, thereby improving the heat transfer efficiency, that is, the cooling performance. In addition, by constructing in advance a structure for cooling on the components that can be fastened together, efficient cooling is possible while reducing the number of components required for cooling.

  The strength of the upper case 100 and the lower case 200 is higher than the strength of the lower cover 300. Thereby, the strength of the PCU is ensured by the upper case 100 and the lower case 200. A connector 600 that connects the converter 500 and a device outside the PCU is attached to the lower case 200. Therefore, the lower cover 300 does not require strength for attaching the connector 600 or a seal member (for example, a grommet) that seals between the connector 600 and the lower cover 300. As a result, the strength of the PCU can be ensured while the lower cover 300 is manufactured at a low cost by pressing a thin plate such as iron.

  As described above, the PCU according to the present embodiment fixes the upper case, the lower case, and the lower cover by fastening the upper flange, the outer peripheral portion of the lower case, and the lower flange together with the bolts. Thereby, an upper case, a lower case, and a lower cover can be fixed simultaneously. Thereby, the increase in a number of parts and a work process can be suppressed.

<Second Embodiment>
With reference to FIG. 3, a PCU having a housing structure for housing an electrical device according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the first embodiment described above, the connector 600 is provided in the lower case 200, but in the present embodiment, the connector 600 is provided in the upper case 100. Therefore, the lower case 200 does not include a connector mounting portion.

  Other hardware configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment. The function about them is the same. Therefore, detailed description thereof will not be repeated here.

  Upper case 100 includes an attachment portion 110 to which connector 600 is attached. The bus bar 702 extends upward from the lower cover 300 through openings provided in the upper case 100 and the lower case 200, and is connected to the connector 600 from the inner side of the upper case 100. The lower case 200 has a flat plate shape.

  The operation of the PCU according to the present embodiment based on the above configuration will be described.

  Since the connector 600 is attached to the upper case 100, it is not necessary to form an attachment portion to which the connector 600 is attached in the lower case 200. Therefore, the lower case 200 can be formed in a flat plate shape. As a result, the manufacturing process can be simplified by making the lower case 200 simple.

  As described above, in the PCU according to the present embodiment, the lower case has a flat plate shape. For this reason, the manufacturing process of a lower case can be simplified and manufacturing cost can be suppressed.

<Third Embodiment>
A third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In the first embodiment described above, the cooling fins are provided in the upper case. However, in the present embodiment, the cooling fins are provided in the lower case. Other hardware configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment. The function about them is the same. Therefore, detailed description thereof will not be repeated here.

  As shown in FIG. 4, cooling fins 206 are provided on the upper surface of the lower case 200 so as to protrude upward. Even if comprised in this way, the effect similar to the above-mentioned 1st Embodiment can be acquired. The cooling fins may be provided in both the upper case and the lower case.

<Fourth embodiment>
The fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In the first embodiment described above, the cooling fins are provided evenly. However, in this embodiment, the number (density) of cooling fins below the integrated inverter and below the rear inverter. Is different. Other hardware configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment. The function about them is the same. Therefore, detailed description thereof will not be repeated here.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the number of cooling fins 103 provided below the integrated inverter 402 is greater than the number of cooling fins 103 provided below the rear inverter 404 (the density is large). At this time, the integrated inverter 402 generates more heat than the rear inverter 404.

  If comprised in this way, in addition to the effect in the above-mentioned 1st Embodiment, each inverter can be cooled with the cooling intensity | strength according to the emitted-heat amount of an inverter, and it suppresses insufficient cooling and overcooling. it can.

  The embodiment disclosed this time is to be considered as illustrative in all points and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, rather than the description above, and is intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the terms of the claims.

It is sectional drawing which shows PCU which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is the top view which looked at the lower cover from the lower part. It is sectional drawing which shows PCU which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows PCU which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows PCU which concerns on 4th Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

  100 Upper case, 101 Bottom surface, 102 Recess, 103, 206 Cooling fin, 104 Wire harness receiving part, 106 Upper flange, 110 Mounting part, 200 Lower case, 202 Mounting part, 204 Outer part, 300 Lower cover, 302 Lower Side flange, 400 inverter, 402 integrated inverter, 404 rear inverter, 500 converter, 502 DC / DC converter, 504 boost converter, 600 connector, 700 bus bar, 702 bus bar, 800 volts.

Claims (4)

A structure of a housing that houses a first electric device and a second electric device, each of the electric devices including a heating element,
A box-shaped first case in which the first electric device is accommodated;
A box-like second case that is provided over the first case and that houses the second electrical device;
A recess provided between the first case and the second case, which is configured by an outer surface of the first case;
A sealing member located between the first case and the second case and sealing the recess;
A cooling passage formed by a space surrounded by the recess and the sealing member, and through which a cooling medium for cooling each electric device flows;
The structure of the housing | casing which accommodates an electric equipment including the fixing means for fixing the said 1st case, the said 2nd case, and the said sealing member by joint fastening.   The structure of the housing for housing the electric device according to claim 1, wherein the structure of the housing for housing the electric device includes a plurality of cooling fins provided so as to protrude into the cooling passage. The first case and the sealing member are stronger than the second case,
3. The electrical device according to claim 1, wherein the sealing member includes means for attaching a connector for electrically connecting the second electrical device and the device outside the housing. The structure of the housing. The sealing member is a flat plate,
3. The electrical device according to claim 1, wherein the first case includes means for attaching a connector for electrically connecting the second electrical device and a device outside the housing. 4. The structure of the housing that houses it.

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