JP2015012217A - Capacitor module - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a capacitor module which improves drainage of a case member externally packaging a plurality of capacitors.SOLUTION: The capacitor module comprises a case member which includes cylindrical parts 16 and 26 for accommodating a plurality of capacitors 4 and with which the cylindrical parts are formed along outer peripheral surfaces of the capacitors. The case member includes: a first case member (main case 6-1) covering one end side of the capacitors, and a second case member (bottom case 6-2) connected to the first case member and covering another end side of the capacitors. The first case member includes: a reinforcing rib 20 which is erected in a direction crossing the cylindrical parts and formed over the cylindrical parts; and a water conduction hole 36 for conducting water droplets deposited on surfaces of the cylindrical parts, and the second case member includes drain holes 38-1 and 38-2 for draining water guided from the water conduction holes, such that drainage of the case members is improved.

Description

The present invention relates to a capacitor module including a plurality of capacitors in a case member.

  In a device such as an automobile that uses electric energy for driving and braking, a plurality of capacitors are used to store the electric energy. Capacitors are excellent in rapid charge / discharge characteristics and are suitable for devices such as automobiles that require quick start and braking.

  In order to cope with the electric power required for starting and braking on the on-board equipment side, the required capacity and high voltage can be increased by using a plurality of capacitors for increasing the capacity of the capacitors. A capacitor module, which is an aggregate of a plurality of capacitors, meets such a demand.

  In this capacitor module, it is known to hold a plurality of capacitors in a case member (for example, Patent Document 1). In this capacitor module, it is known that an insulating resin is filled between the capacitor and the case member to insulate the capacitor and be firmly fixed inside the case member (for example, Patent Document 2 and Patent Document 3). On the other hand, the capacitor module is required to be lightened as well as insulated. However, when the insulating resin is filled, although the fixing strength and the insulating property are increased, the weight reduction is hindered. Therefore, a capacitor module that is not filled with an insulating resin has been studied (for example, Patent Document 4). In a capacitor module with multiple capacitors, the circuit board on which the circuit pattern is formed is connected to the capacitor in order to achieve the desired capacity and withstand voltage by connecting the multiple capacitors in series, parallel, or series-parallel connection. It is mounted on the module.

JP 2008-204988 A JP 2010-87269 A JP 2007-14085 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-94942

  In the capacitor module, a plurality of capacitors are covered with a case member. In a mounted device such as an automobile, such a capacitor module is installed outside the passenger compartment and exposed to the outside air. For this reason, there is a possibility that water droplets may adhere to the capacitor module due to condensation or moisture may accumulate. Even if water droplets adhere to the case member, the water droplets do not deteriorate the capacitor. However, there is a possibility that the adhered water droplets corrode the resin constituting the case member.

  Further, in a capacitor module not filled with resin, there is a possibility that water droplets adhering to the outer surface of the capacitor due to condensation or the like will enter and accumulate in the case member and not be discharged.

This invention solves the subject of a capacitor module, and it aims at improving the drainage of a case member.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a capacitor module having a cylindrical portion that houses a plurality of capacitors, and the cylindrical portion includes a case member formed along an outer peripheral surface of the capacitor, The member includes a first case member that covers one end side of the capacitor, and a second case member that is connected to the first case member and covers the other end side of the capacitor, wherein the first case member is A reinforcing rib that is erected in a crossing direction with the cylindrical portion and is formed across the cylindrical portion, and a water passage hole that guides water droplets attached to the surface of the cylindrical portion, The case member has a drain hole for discharging water introduced from the water passage hole. With such a configuration, the drainage of the case member is enhanced.

  In this capacitor module, the water passage hole may be formed in the reinforcing rib or other than the reinforcing rib.

  In this capacitor module, the drain hole may be formed on a bottom surface of the second case member.

  In the capacitor module, the second case member may include a slope portion that guides water introduced from the water passage hole to the drain hole on the inner bottom surface.

In this capacitor module, the second case member has the drainage hole in the reinforcing rib erected in the crossing direction with the cylinder part across the cylinder part, and water is introduced from the water passage hole. Water may be discharged from the reinforcing rib to the drain hole.

  According to the present invention, any of the following effects can be obtained.

  (1) Water drops and water adhering to the outer surface of the capacitor module can be removed, improving drainage.

  (2) Water entering the case member can be discharged, and water can be prevented from staying in the case member.

  (3) Deterioration such as resin corrosion due to water retention can be prevented.

  (4) It contributes to the reduction of the water-resistant structure required to prevent water from entering, and can reduce manufacturing costs.

  (5) The reliability of the electrical system of the equipment on which the capacitor module is mounted can be improved.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become clearer with reference to the accompanying drawings and each embodiment.

It is a side view which shows the capacitor | condenser module which concerns on one embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows a part of capacitor module. It is a perspective view which decomposes | disassembles and shows the case member of a capacitor | condenser module. It is sectional drawing which shows each part cross section shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the modification of the case member of a capacitor | condenser module.

  FIG. 1 shows an example of a capacitor module according to an embodiment. In the capacitor module 2, six capacitors 4 are provided in the case 6 as an example of a plurality of capacitors. The case 6 is an example of a case member that covers the plurality of capacitors 4, and is separated into a main case 6-1 and a bottom case 6-2. The main case 6-1 is an example of a first case member, and the bottom case 6-2 is an example of a second case member.

  The main case 6-1 and the bottom case 6-2 are, for example, molded bodies molded from a thermosetting resin. The main case 6-1 and the bottom case 6-2 have a cylindrical portion 16 that houses the capacitor 4. The main case 6-1 is installed on the terminal side of each capacitor 4 and is installed on the upper side of the capacitor 4 including the terminal side. The bottom case 6-2 is installed on the bottom side of each capacitor 4 and installed on the lower outer surface portion of the capacitor 4 including the bottom side.

  A through hole for inserting a terminal of the capacitor 4 is formed on the upper surface of the main case 6-1, and the capacitor 4 is disposed in the main case 6-1 with the terminal protruding from the through hole. Attachment portions 10 and 12 are formed at both ends of the main case 6-1. Each of the attachment portions 10 and 12 is an example of means for fixing the capacitor module 2 to the mounted device side. You may form the through-hole which attaches a fixing screw to the attaching parts 10 and 12. FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, the adjacent capacitor 4 is connected to the anode terminal and the cathode terminal by a bus bar 8 and a terminal fixing screw 14 which are an example of a connecting member. The connection form may be appropriately selected according to the purpose, such as parallel connection, series connection, and series-parallel connection.

  FIG. 2 shows an enlarged part of the capacitor module 2. A plurality of cylindrical portions 16 are formed on the main case 6-1 to cover the outer shape of each capacitor 4. Each cylindrical portion 16 is connected by a connecting rib 18 and a reinforcing rib 20. The connecting rib 18 protrudes in the width direction of each tube portion 16 and connects the tube portions 16. The reinforcing rib 20 protrudes in the diameter direction of each tube portion 16 and is formed on the bottom surface side of each tube portion 16. That is, the V-shaped valley-shaped groove portion 22 is formed between the cylindrical portions 16 on the connecting rib 18 side, and the reinforcing rib 20 is a bridging portion formed between the cylindrical portions 16. The reinforcing rib 20 is formed with a fitting recess 24 that protrudes toward the bottom case 6-2. By making the shape of the main case 6-1 into a plurality of cylindrical portions covering the outer shape of each capacitor 4, it is possible to realize weight reduction and insulation as compared with a shape in which the space between the cylindrical portions is filled with resin. Further, the reinforcing rib 20 can reinforce the capacitor module 2 by preventing a decrease in strength of the capacitor module 2 due to the absence of resin between the cylindrical portions.

  In the main case 6-1, a water passage hole 36 is formed at the boundary between the cylindrical portion 16 and the reinforcing rib 20. The water passage hole 36 is formed for draining water droplets attached to the outer surface of the main case 6-1. The reinforcing rib 20 is formed for the purpose of improving the strength of the capacitor module. Water droplets adhering to the outer surface travel along the groove portion 22 and are blocked by the reinforcing rib 20, but can be drained beyond the reinforcing rib 20 by the water passage hole 36.

  A plurality of cylindrical portions 26 are formed on the bottom case 6-2 so as to cover the outer shape of each capacitor 4 like the main case 6-1. Each cylindrical portion 26 is connected by a connecting rib 28 and a reinforcing rib 30. The connecting rib 28 protrudes in the width direction of each cylindrical portion 26 and connects between the cylindrical portions 26. The reinforcing rib 30 protrudes in the diameter direction of each cylindrical portion 26 and is formed on the upper surface side of each cylindrical portion 26. Similar to the main case 6-1 side, on the connecting rib 28 side, a V-shaped groove 32 is formed between the cylindrical portions 26, and the reinforcing rib 30 is a bridging portion formed between the cylindrical portions 26. is there. The reinforcing rib 30 is formed with a fitting portion 34 toward the main case 6-1 side. By making the shape of the bottom case 6-2 into a plurality of cylindrical portions covering the outer shape of each capacitor 4, it is possible to reduce the weight as compared with the shape in which the space between the cylindrical portions is filled with resin, like the main case 6-1. Further, the reinforcing rib 30 functions to prevent the strength reduction of the capacitor module 2 due to the absence of resin between the cylinder portions and to reinforce the capacitor module 2. Moreover, the convex part 49 is formed in the internal peripheral surface of the cylinder part 26 of the bottom case 6-2 at equal intervals. The diameter formed inside the convex portion 49 is set to be equal to or smaller than the diameter of the capacitor 4. Therefore, when the capacitor 4 is disposed in the bottom case 6-2, the bottom surface side of the capacitor 4 is fixed, preventing vibration in the capacitor module, and reducing the load on the fixing portion between the bus bar 8 and the terminal fixing screw 14. , Connectivity is stable.

  The bottom case 6-2 is formed with a plurality of drain holes 38-2 on the bottom side.

  FIG. 3 shows a state where the bottom case 6-2 is detached from the main case 6-1. A drainage hole 38-1 is also formed in the reinforcing rib 30 of the bottom case 6-2 at the same position as the water passage hole 36 described above. The drain hole 38-1 matches the water passage hole 36 described above. The bottom case 6-2 is formed with a recess 40 for accommodating the bottom side of the capacitor 4. By forming the bottom surface on the bottom side of the bottom case 6-2, the insulation of the capacitor 4 can be made more reliable.

  4A shows a cross section taken along line IVA-IVA in FIG. The fitting part 34 on the bottom case 6-2 side is inserted and fitted into the fitting recess 24 on the main case 6-1 side, whereby the main case 6-1 and the bottom case 6-2 are combined.

  4B shows a cross section taken along line IVB-IVB in FIG. In the bottom case 6-2, a plurality of drain holes 38-2 are formed in the vicinity of the bottom 46. Each drain hole 38-2 is formed at the periphery of the bottom 46, and allows drainage in the peripheral direction of the bottom 46. Further, although the capacitor 4 is fixed by the convex portion 49, a gap is formed between the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 26 of the bottom case 6-2 where the convex portion 49 is not formed and the surface of the capacitor 4. . As a result, water such as water droplets introduced from the water passage hole 36 and water droplets existing between the main case 6-1 and the bottom case 6-2 and the capacitor 4 pass through the gap and the bottom surface of the bottom case 6-2. It moves to a direction and is drained outside from the drainage hole 38-2.

  A slope portion 48 is formed on the inner surface of the bottom portion 46 as an example of a water guide portion that guides water that has entered the bottom case 6-2 to the drain hole 38-2. The gradient part 48 is formed by a curved surface of a curved convex part with the center of the bottom part 46 convex.

  According to such a configuration, water and water droplets that have entered the bottom case 6-2 are guided to the drain hole 38-2 along the gradient of the gradient portion 48. Since each drainage hole 38-2 is formed in the peripheral direction of the bottom 46 of the bottom case 6-2, if the bottom 46 is disposed on the lower side, the drainage hole 38-2 is not related to the orientation of the capacitor module 2. Water and water droplets are guided and discharged. If the capacitor module 2 receives vibration from the mounted device, drainage of water and water droplets is promoted. An arrow W indicates the discharge and discharge direction of water.

  In addition, in this embodiment, although the gradient part 48 is illustrated as an example of a water conveyance part, the water conveyance part should just be provided with the function which guides the water which penetrate | invaded case 6 to the drain hole 38-2, The form is not limited to the inclined surface such as the inclined portion 48. For example, a space such as a gap between the inner bottom surface of the bottom 46 and the bottom surface of the capacitor 4 may be included. If such a space is provided, water can be guided, and the drainage function is enhanced in combination with the inclination angle of the gradient portion 48 described above.

  The standing wall portion 42 that forms the fitting recess 24 is placed on the upper surface of the reinforcing rib 30 of the bottom case 6-2, and a hollow portion 44 is formed between the reinforcing rib 20 and the reinforcing rib 30. The hollow portion 44 is opened at the water passage hole 36 on the reinforcing rib 20 side and at the drain hole 38-1 on the reinforcing rib 30 side. As described above, the water passage hole 36 matches the drain hole 38-1, and is formed at a position facing the water passage hole 44. As a result, water adhering to the outer surface of the cylinder portion 16 can be drained from the drain hole 38-1 after being once introduced into the water passage hole 36. When the capacitor module 2 is placed with the terminal of the capacitor 4 facing upward, the water flowing into the groove 22 can be separated from the main case 6-1 and the bottom case 6-2 through the water passage hole 36. The hollow portion 44 is connected to the cylindrical portion 26 of the bottom case 6-2. Therefore, when the capacitor module is placed with the terminals of the capacitor 4 placed laterally or obliquely upward, water droplets adhering to the outer surface of the main case 6-1 flow into the bottom case 6-2 through the water passage hole 36, Then, it drains from the drain hole 38-2.

  In addition, by forming drain holes in the bottom case 6-2 at a plurality of locations of the drain holes 38-1 and 38-2, water can be discharged more reliably even when a large amount of water is introduced into the water passage hole 36. . That is, the water guided to the water passage hole 36 is guided to the bottom case 6-2 through the path drained from the drain hole 38-1 formed at a position facing the water passage hole 36 and the cavity 44. There is a path that is discharged from the drain hole 38-2 formed in the bottom surface of the bottom case 6-2. Therefore, water can be discharged regardless of the amount of water introduced from the water passage hole 36 or the mounting angle of the capacitor module 2.

  As shown in B of FIG. 4, since the slope portion 48 has the center of the bottom portion 46 convex, the drainage function can be enhanced without changing the size of the bottom case 6-2.

<Effect of Embodiment>

  (1) Capacitor module 2 can be reinforced by the arrangement of reinforcing ribs and drainage of water droplets attached to the outer surface is possible.

  (2) Inconveniences such as deterioration of the capacitor module 2 due to water retention can be avoided.

  (3) Since water can be discharged from the bottom case 6-2, the drainage of the case 6 is improved, and even if water or water droplets enter the case 6, the stay in the case 6 can be prevented.

  (4) The water-resistant structure required to prevent water from entering can be reduced, and the manufacturing cost of the capacitor module 2 can be reduced.

  (5) Contributes to improving the reliability of the electrical system of the equipment on which the capacitor module 2 is mounted.

[Other Embodiments]

  In the said embodiment, although the gradient part 48 is formed in the circumferential direction by making the center part of the bottom part 46 into the top part, it is not limited to this. Any gradient portion may be used as long as the drain hole 38-2 side is the downstream side, and the shape of the gradient portion 48 may be a curved surface, a flat inclined surface, a groove portion, or the like.

  In the said embodiment, although the water flow hole 36 is formed in the boundary part of the cylinder part 16 and the reinforcement rib 20, it is not limited to this. The water passage hole 36 may be formed in the vicinity of the boundary between the cylindrical portion 16 and the reinforcing rib 20. That is, the water passage hole 36 may be formed in the reinforcing rib 20 or the cylindrical portion 16 in the vicinity of the boundary portion. If the water passage hole is formed at a position where water droplets or the like attached to the outer surface of the capacitor module 2 are accumulated, the water blocked by the reinforcing rib 20 does not accumulate on the outer surface of the main case 6-1. A plurality of grooves 22 and 32 may be provided.

  In the above embodiment, from the drain hole 38-1 formed at the boundary between the cylindrical portion 26 of the bottom case 6-2 and the reinforcing rib 30, and the drain hole 38-2 formed at the bottom of the bottom case 6-2, Although the water led to the water passage hole 36 is discharged, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, it is good also as a structure which formed only the drainage hole 38-2 in the bottom face of the bottom case 6-2. FIG. 5 shows a cross section showing a modification of the case member. In such a configuration, the water introduced into the case from the water passage hole 36 passes through the bottom case 6-2 via the hollow portion 44 formed by the reinforcing rib 20 and the reinforcing rib 30, and the bottom case 6-2. It can be made to discharge from the drainage hole 38-2 formed in the bottom surface of. In FIG. 5, an arrow W indicates the discharge and discharge direction of water.

  Moreover, it is good also considering only the drain hole 38-1 formed in the boundary part of the cylinder part 26 of the bottom case 6-2 and the reinforcement rib 30 as a drain hole. In this case, a through-hole penetrating the reinforcing rib 20 and the reinforcing rib 30 with the water passage hole 36 and the drain hole 38-1 as openings is formed, and water blocked by the reinforcing rib 20 is discharged by the through-hole. it can.

  In the above embodiment, the case member is separated into the main case 6-1 and the bottom case 6-2 as two case members. However, the first case member or the second case member is composed of a plurality of members. Also good.

As described above, the most preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described. The present invention is not limited to the above description. Various modifications and changes can be made by those skilled in the art based on the gist of the invention described in the claims or disclosed in the embodiments for carrying out the invention. It goes without saying that such modifications and changes are included in the scope of the present invention.

According to the present invention, water that enters the case member of the capacitor module can be discharged, so that the drainage of the case member can be improved, and water can be prevented from staying in the case member. It is possible to improve the reliability of the capacitor module, such as avoiding inconvenience such as deterioration, and is useful.

2 Capacitor module 4 Capacitor 6 Case 6-1 Main case 6-2 Bottom case 8 Bus bar 10, 12 Mounting portion 14 Terminal fixing screw 16, 26 Tube portion 18, 28 Connecting rib 20, 30 Reinforcing rib 22, 32 Groove portion 24 Fitting Concave part 34 Insertion part 36 Water flow hole 38-1, 38-2 Drainage hole 40 Concave part 42 Standing wall part 44 Cavity part 46 Bottom part 48 Gradient part 49 Convex part

Claims (5)

A capacitor module having a cylindrical portion for storing a plurality of capacitors, the cylindrical portion including a case member formed along the outer peripheral surface of the capacitor,
The case member includes a first case member that covers one end side of the capacitor, and a second case member that is connected to the first case member and covers the other end side of the capacitor;
The first case member is erected in a direction intersecting with the cylindrical portion and formed over the cylindrical portion, and a water passage hole for introducing water droplets attached to the surface of the cylindrical portion. Have
The second case member has a drain hole for discharging water introduced from the water passage hole;
Capacitor module characterized by that.   2. The capacitor module according to claim 1, wherein the water passage hole is formed in the reinforcing rib or other than the reinforcing rib. 3.   The capacitor module according to claim 1, wherein the drain hole is formed in a bottom surface of the second case member.   4. The capacitor module according to claim 1, wherein the second case member includes a slope portion that guides water introduced from the water passage hole to the drain hole on an inner bottom surface thereof. 5. The second case member has the drainage hole in a reinforcing rib that is erected in a direction intersecting with the cylindrical part across the cylindrical part, and water guided from the water passage hole is the reinforcing rib. The capacitor module according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the capacitor module is discharged to the drain hole.

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