JP2015220427A - Electronic apparatus and pipe joint provided to the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a technique of reducing an insertion load at the time of insertion of a refrigerant pipe into a pipe joint in an electronic apparatus having a cooler therein and two gaskets disposed side-by-side between the refrigerant pipe extending from the cooler and the pipe joint.SOLUTION: An electronic apparatus comprises: a refrigerant pipe 23 extending from a built-in cooler and being inserted into an inside of a pipe joint 12 inserted through a through-hole provided to a case; two gaskets 16 and 17 disposed between the pipe joint 12 and the refrigerant pipe 21; and a ring-shaped separator 18 disposed between the two gaskets 16 and 17. A large diameter portion 121 and a small diameter portion 122 having an inner diameter less than an inner diameter of the large diameter portion 121 are provided to the pipe joint 12. The gasket 16 is disposed at the large diameter portion 121, and the gasket 17 is disposed at the small diameter portion 122 .The separator 18 has an outer diameter greater than the inner diameter of the small diameter portion 122 and is disposed at the large diameter portion 121.

Description

  The technology disclosed in this specification relates to an electronic device and a pipe joint provided in the electronic device. In particular, the present invention relates to an electronic device including an electronic component therein and a liquid-cooled cooler that cools the electronic component.

  Electronic devices that handle large amounts of electricity generate a large amount of heat from the electronic components that are housed. Therefore, a liquid cooling type cooler for cooling electronic components may be provided inside the case of the electronic device. In order to supply the refrigerant to the cooler from the outside of the electronic device or to discharge the refrigerant that has passed through the cooler to the outside of the electronic device, it is necessary to pass a refrigerant tube through the case of the electronic device. Therefore, the case is provided with a through hole. In an electronic device mounted on an automobile, it is necessary to seal between the through hole of the case and the refrigerant pipe in order to prevent moisture from entering. In general, there is also a connecting portion between a refrigerant pipe extending from a cooler inside the case and a refrigerant pipe outside the case (a refrigerant pipe supplying refrigerant to the cooler or a refrigerant pipe discharging refrigerant from the cooler to the outside of the case). It is necessary to seal. For convenience of explanation, the refrigerant pipe extending from the cooler inside the case may be referred to as an internal refrigerant pipe, and the refrigerant pipe outside the case may be referred to as an external refrigerant pipe.

  Patent Document 1 discloses an example of an electronic device including a pipe member (pipe joint) that seals between a case side surface (side wall) and a refrigerant pipe and connects an external refrigerant pipe and an internal refrigerant pipe. The technology is as follows. A configuration is disclosed in which a pipe joint is attached to a through hole provided in a case of an electronic device, and an internal refrigerant pipe is inserted into the inner periphery of the pipe joint. A gasket is disposed between the inner peripheral surface of the pipe joint and the outer peripheral surface of the internal refrigerant pipe. With this gasket, the gap between the pipe joint and the internal refrigerant pipe is sealed. An external refrigerant pipe is also connected to the pipe joint, and a gap between the pipe joint and the external refrigerant pipe is also sealed with a gasket.

  Patent Documents 2 and 3 disclose a technique in which two gaskets are arranged between a pipe member and a refrigerant pipe (internal refrigerant pipe). By disposing two gaskets, the sealing performance between the pipe member and the refrigerant pipe is improved. The two gaskets disclosed in Patent Document 2 are made of different materials. A material having high resistance to the refrigerant is used on the side through which the refrigerant passes, and a material having viscoelasticity is used on the side through which the refrigerant does not pass (atmosphere side). Even when the gasket is pushed to the atmosphere side by the pressure of the refrigerant, the viscoelastic material is deformed so as to be in close contact between the pipe member and the refrigerant pipe, so that the sealing performance can be maintained.

JP 2012-064724 A JP 2005-003110 A JP 2009-063073 A

  In Patent Document 2, a groove is provided on the outer periphery of the refrigerant pipe, and two gaskets are arranged in the groove along the axial direction of the refrigerant pipe. In a state where the gasket is disposed in the groove, the gasket is disposed between the tube member and the refrigerant tube by inserting the refrigerant tube inside the tube member. Generally, the outer diameter of the gasket is slightly larger than the inner diameter of the pipe member. Therefore, when inserting the refrigerant pipe, the gasket is pushed in the insertion direction by the tip of the pipe member. When two gaskets are arranged side by side, the other gasket is pushed by one gasket pushed by the tip of the pipe member. The other gasket is crushed in the insertion direction by the force pushed by one gasket, and the outer diameter is further increased. Therefore, a large insertion load is required when the tip of the pipe member reaches the other gasket.

  As shown in Patent Document 2, the member on the side where the gasket is disposed is provided with a groove. In order to reduce the insertion load, it is conceivable to provide a wall that separates two gaskets in the groove so that one gasket does not push the other gasket. However, providing a wall complicates the shape of the groove and complicates its manufacture. The present specification relates to an electronic device having a cooler therein and two gaskets arranged between a refrigerant pipe extending from the cooler and another pipe (tube member) connected to the refrigerant pipe. Disclosed is a technique for realizing a reduction in insertion load when a pipe is inserted into a pipe member with a simple structure. In this specification, the pipe member connected to the internal refrigerant pipe is referred to as a pipe joint.

  An electronic device disclosed in this specification includes an electronic component therein and a liquid-cooled cooler that cools the electronic component. The electronic device includes a case having a through hole, a pipe joint inserted into the through hole, and a refrigerant pipe (internal refrigerant pipe). The refrigerant pipe extends from the cooler and is inserted inside the pipe joint. Furthermore, a first gasket and a second gasket are disposed between the inner peripheral surface of the pipe joint and the outer peripheral surface of the refrigerant pipe. A ring-shaped separator is disposed between the first gasket and the second gasket in the axial direction of the refrigerant pipe. The pipe joint has a large-diameter part that continues from the opening into which the refrigerant pipe is inserted and a deep part of the large-diameter part (the side far from the opening on the large-diameter part side of the pipe joint). A smaller diameter portion is provided. In addition, the smallest diameter part of the small diameter continues in the depth of the small diameter part. The inner diameter of the smallest diameter part is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the refrigerant pipe. That is, the refrigerant pipe passes through the large diameter portion and the small diameter portion and reaches the deepest minimum diameter portion. The first gasket is disposed at the large diameter portion, and the second gasket is disposed at the small diameter portion. And the outer diameter of a separator is larger than the internal diameter of a small diameter part, and the separator is arrange | positioned at the large diameter part. Due to the difference in inner diameter between the large diameter portion and the small diameter portion, a step is formed at the boundary between the large diameter portion and the small diameter portion. The separator is locked to the step from the opening side where the refrigerant pipe is inserted.

  According to this configuration, when the refrigerant pipe is inserted into the inner periphery of the pipe joint, the tip of the refrigerant pipe comes into contact with the first gasket first, and the first gasket is pushed in the insertion direction by the tip of the refrigerant pipe. Under the present circumstances, the separator currently latched by the level | step difference between a small diameter part and a large diameter part is arrange | positioned between the 1st gasket and the 2nd gasket. The first gasket pushed by the tip of the refrigerant pipe is blocked by the separator and does not push the second gasket. That is, the second gasket is not crushed and deformed by the first gasket. Therefore, when the front end of the refrigerant pipe reaches the second gasket, the insertion load of the refrigerant pipe is prevented from increasing.

  Moreover, said structure is realizable by providing a large diameter part and a small diameter part in the inner periphery of a pipe joint. Providing the large diameter portion and the small diameter portion is simpler than providing a wall in the groove. That is, the complexity of manufacturing the pipe joint can be reduced. In particular, the structure in which the large-diameter portion continues from the opening of the pipe joint and the small-diameter portion continues to the back of the opening has the largest inner diameter of the opening of the pipe joint, and the inner diameter decreases stepwise toward the back of the pipe. That is. A pipe joint having such a structure is easy to manufacture because a mold can be drawn from the inside of the pipe after molding in injection molding.

  According to the technology disclosed in this specification, in an electronic device in which two gaskets are arranged side by side between a refrigerant pipe extending from an internal cooler and a pipe joint, an insertion load when the refrigerant pipe is inserted into the pipe joint Can be reduced with a simple structure. Details and further improvements of the technology disclosed in this specification will be described in the following “DETAILED DESCRIPTION”.

It is a disassembled perspective view of the electronic device (inverter) of 1st Example. It is a perspective view of an inverter (without a cover). It is sectional drawing in the III-III line of FIG. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a range surrounded by a broken line IV in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a range surrounded by a broken line V in FIG. 4. In the enlarged view of the same range as FIG. 5, it is an enlarged view at the time of refrigerant pipe insertion. It is an enlarged view of the comparative example in the same range as FIG. In the enlarged view of the comparative example in the same range as FIG. 7, it is an enlarged view at the time of refrigerant pipe insertion. It is an enlarged view of 2nd Example in the same range as FIG. In the enlarged view of 2nd Example in the same range as FIG. 9, it is a figure which shows the mode of the gasket which receives the pressure from a refrigerant | coolant. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state of a gasket that receives pressure from a refrigerant in an enlarged view of the first embodiment in the same range as FIG. 5.

  (First Embodiment) An electronic apparatus according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The electronic device of the first embodiment is an inverter 2 mounted on an electric vehicle. The inverter 2 converts the DC power of the battery into AC power and supplies it to the traveling motor. FIG. 1 shows an exploded perspective view of the inverter 2. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the inverter 2. FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. Note that the illustration of the cover 59 of the inverter 2 shown in FIG. 3 is omitted in FIGS. 1 and 2 to facilitate understanding. Moreover, in FIG. 3, the structure around the pipe joint 10 is illustrated in a simplified manner. Details of the structure around the pipe joint 10 are shown in FIG.

  The inverter 2 includes a voltage converter circuit that boosts the voltage of the battery and an inverter circuit that converts the boosted DC power into AC power. The inverter 2 includes, as hardware, a plurality of power cards 22, a plurality of cooling plates 21, a stacked unit 20, a reactor 52, a capacitor 51, a circuit board (not shown), and the like. In FIG. 1, reference numeral “22” is attached to only one power card, and reference numerals are omitted for other power cards having the same shape. Similarly, in FIG. 1, the reference numeral “21” is given to only one cooling plate, and the reference numerals are omitted for other cooling plates having the same shape. In FIG. 2, the reference numerals of all power cards and cooling plates included in the stacked unit 20 are omitted. In addition, the inverter 2 includes another cooler 8 (described later).

  The inverter 2 has two independent cases (upper case 6 and lower case 7). The upper case 6 accommodates the above-described device group such as the laminated unit 20 and the reactor 52. The lower case 7 is the cooler 8 itself. The inverter 2 includes two types of coolers, and one is a cooler 8 that cools the reactor 52 and the condenser 51. The other is a stacked unit 20 in which power cards 22 and cooling plates 21 are alternately stacked, and cools the power cards 22 in a concentrated manner. The cooler 8 is fixed to the bottom surface of the upper case 6.

  The power card 22 is a package in which switching elements of a voltage converter circuit and an inverter circuit are molded with resin. The stacked unit 20 is a device in which power cards 22 and cooling plates 21 are alternately stacked. A transistor such as an IGBT is used as the switching element.

  The circuit board generates a drive signal to be supplied to the switching element. Although the circuit board is disposed above the laminated unit 20, its illustration is omitted. The power card 22, the capacitor 51, and the reactor 52 are electrically connected to each other by a metal bus bar, but the illustration thereof is omitted.

  The cooling plate 21 of the laminated unit 20 is a flat plate type cooler through which a refrigerant passes. The power card 22 is sandwiched between the cooling plates 21 on both sides, and the switching elements in the power card are efficiently cooled.

  The laminated unit 20 is further laminated with an insulating plate 55 and a leaf spring 54 at one end in the laminating direction. The laminated unit 20 is supported so as to be sandwiched between the inner surface of the upper case 6 and the support column 53. The laminated unit 20 is supported by the upper case 6 by the leaf spring 54 while applying a load in the laminating direction. Due to the load of the leaf spring 54, the adhesiveness between the alternately stacked cooling plates 21 and the power card 22 is increased, and the heat transfer efficiency from the power card 22 to the cooling plate 21 is improved.

  The inside of the cooling plate 21 is a cavity through which the refrigerant passes. Through holes are provided in both ends of the cooling plate in the longitudinal direction as viewed from the stacking direction (both ends in the Y-axis direction in the figure and both sides of the power card 22). The through holes of adjacent cooling plates 21 are connected by a connecting pipe 25. And two refrigerant pipes 23 and 24 extend from the through hole of the cooling plate 21 at the end in the stacking direction. When the stacked unit 20 is housed in the upper case 6, the refrigerant tubes 23 and 24 reach the through holes 4 and 56 of the case provided on the side surface (side wall) of the upper case 6.

  A supply pipe 61 for supplying refrigerant from the outside is connected to the through hole 56 of the case from the outside of the upper case 6. The supply pipe 61 and the refrigerant pipe 24 communicate with each other through a through hole 56 on the side surface of the case.

  The other refrigerant pipe 23 of the stacked unit 20 reaches the other through hole 4 at the tip. A pipe joint 10 is fitted in the through hole 4, and the refrigerant pipe 23 is connected to the pipe joint 10. The upper opening of the external connection pipe 3 is coupled to the outside of the pipe joint 10 (the case outside). The external connection pipe 3 connects the refrigerant pipe 23 of the laminated unit 20 and the cooler 8 of the lower case 7. The lower opening of the external connection pipe 3 is connected to the refrigerant supply port 5 provided in the lower case 7. A flange 3 a is provided around the lower opening of the external connection pipe 3. The flange 3 a is coupled to the side surface around the refrigerant supply port 5 with a bolt. Illustration of the bolt is omitted. The lower case 7 is provided with another opening (refrigerant discharge port 57), to which a discharge pipe 62 is connected.

  The structure of the pipe joint 10 will be described in detail later. In addition, between the supply pipe 61 and the through hole 56 of the case, between the through hole 56 of the case and the refrigerant pipe 24, between the discharge pipe 62 and the refrigerant discharge port 57, and between the external connection pipe 3 and the refrigerant supply port 5. Although each has a specific sealing structure, in this embodiment, since the focus is on the sealing structure by the pipe joint 10, the illustration and description of the sealing structure at other locations are omitted.

  The flow of the refrigerant will be described. The refrigerant is a liquid, for example, water or LLC (Long Life Coolant). The stacked unit 20 and the cooler 8 are liquid-cooled coolers.

  The refrigerant is supplied to the inverter 2 from the outside through the supply pipe 61. The refrigerant flows into the laminated unit 20 through the through hole 56 of the case and the one refrigerant pipe 24. The refrigerant flowing in from the refrigerant pipe 24 is distributed to all the cooling plates 21 through one connection pipe 25 connected to the cooling plate 21. The refrigerant flows in the cooling plate 21 in the longitudinal direction (Y-axis direction in the figure), and cools the power card 22 in contact with the cooling plate 21. The refrigerant that has absorbed the heat of the power card 22 flows to the refrigerant pipe 23 through the other connection pipe 25 connected to the cooling plate 21. The refrigerant is further discharged from the upper case 6 through the refrigerant pipe 23 and the through hole 4 of the case.

  Thereafter, the refrigerant moves to the lower case 7 (that is, the cooler 8) through the external connection pipe 3. Inside the lower case 7, a refrigerant flow path 9 (see FIG. 3) is provided at a position corresponding to a position directly below the reactor 52 and the condenser 51 installed in the upper case 6. While the refrigerant passes through the flow path 9, the heat of the reactor 52 and the condenser 51 is absorbed. The refrigerant is finally discharged out of the inverter 2 through the discharge pipe 62 connected to the refrigerant discharge port 57. Note that a cooling system including a radiator that cools the refrigerant that has absorbed heat and a pump that circulates the refrigerant is provided outside the inverter 2. The refrigerant that has absorbed the heat of the electronic components (such as a switching element and a reactor) in the inverter 2 is cooled by the radiator and sent to the inverter 2 again.

  With reference to FIG. 4, the connection structure using the pipe joint 10 is demonstrated. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a broken line area IV in FIG. The pipe joint 10 includes a joint body 12, a flange 13, three gaskets 15, 16, 17, and a separator 18. The joint body 12 and the flange 13 are made of resin. The three gaskets 15, 16, and 17 are made of a flexible material (for example, silicon rubber). The separator 18 is made of resin. The joint body 12 is divided into a cylindrical fitting portion 12a and a cylindrical narrow-diameter portion 12b according to the function. The narrow diameter portion 12b is provided adjacent to the case outer side of the fitting portion 12a. A flange 13 is provided on the outer periphery of the joint body 12 at substantially the center in the axial direction of the joint body 12. In the following description, the upper case 6 may be simply referred to as “case 6” in order to simplify the description.

  The joint body 12 is inserted through the through hole 4 until the flange surface 13a of the flange 13 contacts the case side surface 6a around the through hole 4. The flange surface 13 a is a surface facing the case side surface 6 a of the flange 13. A gasket groove 14 b is provided on the flange surface 13 a so as to surround the joint body 12. A face seal gasket 15 is disposed in the gasket groove 14b. The face seal gasket 15 has a ring shape and surrounds the through hole 4. Although not shown, the flange 13 is fixed to the upper case 6 with bolts. At this time, the face seal gasket 15 is clamped between the case side surface 6a and the flange surface 13a, and the gap between the flange 13 and the upper case 6 is sealed. This sealing structure is a face seal structure.

  A portion of the joint body 12 closer to the inner side of the case corresponds to the fitting portion 12a, and a portion closer to the outer side of the case corresponds to the narrow-diameter portion 12b. The fitting part 12a is a part where the refrigerant pipe 23 is fitted inside. Although mentioned later in detail, fitting part 12a is constituted by three parts from which an inside diameter differs. The three parts are a large-diameter portion closest to the inner opening, a small-diameter portion that continues to the back (side far from the opening), and a minimum-diameter portion that continues to the back. The inner diameter of the minimum diameter portion is substantially equal to the outer diameter of the refrigerant pipe 23. As shown in FIG. 4, the refrigerant pipe 23 is inserted into the fitting portion 12a from the opening 12e located closer to the inside of the case. On the other hand, the narrow diameter portion 12b is a portion where the external connection pipe 3 is fitted to the outside. Therefore, the outer diameter of the narrow diameter portion 12 b is substantially equal to the inner diameter of the external connecting pipe 3. As shown well in FIG. 4, the inner diameter of the narrow-diameter portion 12b is smaller than the inner diameter of the fitting portion 12a. Therefore, a step 19 is formed at the boundary between the narrow diameter portion 12b and the fitting portion 12a. The refrigerant tube 23 is inserted until the tip reaches the step 19.

  Two gaskets 16 and 17 are arranged between the inner peripheral surface 12 d of the fitting portion 12 a and the outer peripheral surface 23 a of the refrigerant pipe 23. Of the two gaskets, the gasket disposed on the opening 12e side is referred to as a “first gasket 16”. A gasket disposed on the back side (the side far from the opening 12e) of the first gasket 16 is referred to as a “second gasket 17”. The 1st gasket 16 and the 2nd gasket 17 are arranged along with the direction of an axis of refrigerant pipe 23 (fitting part 12a). A separator 18 is disposed between the first gasket 16 and the second gasket 17 in the axial direction.

  The structure of the first gasket 16, the second gasket 17, and the separator 18 will be described with reference to the enlarged view shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a broken line region V in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, the fitting portion 12 a of the joint body 12 is provided with a large diameter portion 121 that continues from the opening 12 e into which the refrigerant pipe 23 is inserted. A small-diameter portion 122 whose inner diameter is smaller than the inner diameter of the large-diameter portion 121 continues to the back of the large-diameter portion 121. At the back of the small diameter portion 122, a minimum diameter portion 123 whose inner diameter is smaller than the inner diameter of the small diameter portion 122 continues. The first gasket 16, the second gasket 17, and the separator 18 are disposed in the large diameter portion 121 and the small diameter portion 122, respectively.

  The first gasket 16 is disposed between the inner peripheral surface 121 a of the large diameter portion 121 and the outer peripheral surface 23 a of the refrigerant pipe 23. The shape of the first gasket 16 is a ring shape, and its cross section is circular. The inner diameter of the first gasket 16 is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the refrigerant pipe 23. As shown in FIG. 5, the cross section of the first gasket 16 is deformed into an elliptical shape by being pinched between the large diameter portion 121 and the refrigerant pipe 23. By sandwiching the first gasket 16, the gap between the large diameter portion 121 and the refrigerant pipe 23 is sealed. In the present specification, the “cross section” of a gasket that is a ring-shaped member indicates a cross section orthogonal to the annular direction of the ring-shaped member.

  The second gasket 17 is disposed between the inner peripheral surface 122 a of the small diameter portion 122 and the outer peripheral surface 23 a of the refrigerant pipe 23. Similarly to the first gasket 16, the second gasket 17 has a ring shape and a circular cross section. The inner diameter of the second gasket 17 is also slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the refrigerant pipe 23. Similarly to the first gasket 16, the second gasket 17 is sandwiched between the small-diameter portion 122 and the refrigerant pipe 23, so that the cross-sectional shape thereof is deformed into an elliptical shape. By sandwiching the second gasket 17, the space between the small diameter portion 122 and the refrigerant pipe 23 is sealed. The distance at which the first gasket 16 deforms when disposed between the large diameter portion 121 and the refrigerant pipe 23 and the second gasket 17 deforms when disposed between the small diameter portion 122 and the refrigerant pipe 23. The size of the first and second gaskets 16 and 17 is determined so that the distance is the same.

  The shape of the separator 18 is also ring-shaped, but its cross section is rectangular. The outer diameter of the separator 18 is larger than the inner diameter of the small diameter portion 122. The separator 18 is disposed in the large diameter portion 121. Due to the difference in inner diameter between the large diameter portion 121 and the small diameter portion 122, a step 124 is formed at the boundary between the large diameter portion 121 and the small diameter portion 122. The separator 18 is locked to the step 124 from the opening 12e side.

  A step 125 is also formed at the boundary between the small diameter portion 122 and the minimum diameter portion 123. The outer diameter of the second gasket 17 is larger than the inner diameter of the minimum diameter portion 123, abuts against the step 125, and does not move deeper than that.

  Further, a gasket cover 12c is provided so as to cover the inner peripheral edge located on the opening 12e side of the large diameter portion 121. The gasket cover 12c prevents the first gasket 16 from being detached from the large diameter portion 121 toward the inside of the case.

  Since the refrigerant tube 23 is inserted into the fitting portion 12a while deforming the first and second gaskets 16 and 17, an insertion load is required at that time. In general, the cooling plate 21 and the refrigerant pipe 23 extending from the cooling plate 21 are made of aluminum having high thermal conductivity. Therefore, its strength is low. The insertion load when inserting the refrigerant pipe 23 into the fitting portion 12a is preferably small so that the refrigerant pipe 23 is not deformed.

  With reference to FIG. 6, the advantages of the first embodiment will be described in comparison with the comparative examples shown in FIGS. First, a comparative example will be described. FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the same range as the broken line region of FIG. 5 in the inverter 800 of the comparative example. The configuration of the inverter 800 is the same as that of the first embodiment except for the configuration shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 7, the fitting portion 812a of the joint body 812 of the comparative example has a large-diameter portion 821 that continues from the opening 812e into which the refrigerant tube 23 is inserted and a small-diameter portion that continues from the back (the far side from the opening). 822 is provided. The large diameter portion 821 continues from the opening 812e to the middle of the fitting portion 812a along the axial direction (X-axis direction) of the fitting portion 812a. The inner diameter of the small diameter portion 822 is smaller than the inner diameter of the large diameter portion 821. Accordingly, a step 823 is formed at the boundary between the small diameter portion 822 and the large diameter portion 821. Both the first gasket 816 and the second gasket 817 are arranged in the large-diameter portion 821 side by side in the axial direction (X-axis direction). The first gasket 816 is disposed on the side where the opening 812e of the large-diameter portion 821 is located than the second gasket 817. The first gasket 816 and the second gasket 817 are deformed into an elliptical shape by being sandwiched between the large diameter portion 821 and the refrigerant pipe 23.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a state when the refrigerant pipe 23 is inserted into the fitting portion 812a of the joint body 812 of the comparative example. 8 indicates the direction in which the refrigerant pipe 23 is inserted. The inner diameters of the first gasket 816 and the second gasket 817 are slightly larger than the outer diameter of the refrigerant pipe 23. Therefore, when inserting the refrigerant pipe 23, the first gasket 816 is pushed in the insertion direction (X-axis direction) by the tip of the refrigerant pipe. Since the first gasket 816 and the second gasket 817 are arranged side by side, the second gasket 817 is also pushed by the first gasket 816 pushed by the tip of the refrigerant pipe. A step 823 exists on the opposite side of the first gasket 816 with the second gasket 817 interposed therebetween. Therefore, the second gasket 817 pushed by the first gasket 816 is sandwiched between the first gasket 816 and the step 823 and deformed into an elliptical shape as shown in FIG. As well represented in FIG. 4, the second gasket 817 is deformed so as to be crushed in the insertion direction so that the major axis of the ellipse intersects the insertion direction (X-axis direction). A circle indicated by a broken line to which reference numeral 817a is attached represents a cross-sectional shape of the second gasket 817 before being deformed. The diameter of the cross-sectional shape of the second gasket 817 before deformation is R1. The major axis of the cross-sectional shape of the second gasket 817 after being deformed into an elliptical shape is R2. The major axis R2 is larger than the diameter R1. That is, the inner diameter of the second gasket 817 after the deformation is smaller than that before the deformation. Therefore, when the front end of the refrigerant pipe 23 reaches the second gasket 817, an insertion load larger than the insertion load necessary for inserting the first gasket is required.

  On the other hand, FIG. 6 is a view showing a state when the refrigerant pipe 23 is inserted into the fitting portion 12a of the joint body 12 of the first embodiment. 6 indicates the direction in which the refrigerant pipe 23 is inserted. As shown in FIG. 6, when inserting the refrigerant tube 23, the first gasket 16 is pushed in the insertion direction (X-axis direction) by the tip of the refrigerant tube 23. Between the 1st gasket 16 and the 2nd gasket 17, the separator 18 latched to the level | step difference 124 from the insertion direction is arrange | positioned. Therefore, the first gasket 16 pushed by the tip of the refrigerant pipe 23 is blocked by the separator 18. Therefore, the second gasket 17 is not pushed by the first gasket 16. That is, the second gasket 17 is not deformed when the tip of the refrigerant pipe 23 reaches the second gasket 17. Therefore, when the front end of the refrigerant pipe 23 reaches the second gasket 17, the insertion load of the refrigerant pipe 23 is prevented from increasing.

  In order to prevent the second gasket 17 from being pushed by the first gasket 16, a wall is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the fitting portion 12 a so as to be positioned between the first gasket 16 and the second gasket 17. Can be considered. However, providing a wall complicates the inner peripheral surface of the fitting portion 12a and complicates its manufacture. The configuration of the first embodiment can be realized by providing the large diameter portion 121 and the small diameter portion 122 on the inner peripheral surface of the fitting portion 12a. As described above, the pipe joint 10 is made of resin. The pipe joint 10 is formed by filling a mold with a resin and hardening the resin. The inner peripheral surface of the fitting portion 12a has a structure in which the inner diameter increases as it approaches the opening 12e due to the large-diameter portion 121 and the small-diameter portion 122 continuing from the opening of the pipe joint. A pipe joint having this structure can be easily pulled out of the pipe joint after molding. That is, the manufacture of the pipe joint 10 can be facilitated as compared to providing a wall on the inner peripheral surface of the fitting portion 12a.

  (Second Embodiment) An electronic apparatus (inverter) according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of the inverter 200 of the second embodiment in the same range as FIG. 5 of the first embodiment. The configuration of the inverter 200 is the same as that of the first embodiment except for the separator 218. Hereinafter, a separator 218 different from the first embodiment will be described. The separator 218 has a ring shape. As shown in FIG. 9, the cross section of the separator 218 is L-shaped. The separator 218 is disposed in the large diameter portion 121 so that the inside of the L shape covers the step 124 formed at the boundary between the large diameter portion 121 and the small diameter portion 122. One of the L shapes of the separator 218 is located in the small diameter portion 122. The length D1 of one of the L-shaped axial directions (X-axis direction) of the separator 218 is formed to be larger than the axial length D2 between the first gasket 16 and the gasket cover 12c.

  The advantages of the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10 in comparison with the first embodiment shown in FIG. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a state of the first and second gaskets 16 and 17 and the separator 18 that are subjected to pressure by the refrigerant entering between the refrigerant pipe 23 and the fitting portion 12a in the inverter 2 of the first embodiment. is there. The thick line arrows in FIG. 11 indicate the flow of the refrigerant that enters between the refrigerant pipe 23 and the fitting portion 12a. As shown in FIG. 11, the first and second gaskets 16 and 17 and the separator 18 are collectively pushed toward the opening 12e by the pressure from the refrigerant. In this case, there is a possibility that the second gasket 17 is deformed and enters a gap G1 formed between the separator 18 and the step 124. When the second gasket 17 enters the gap G1, a gap is formed between the second gasket 17 and the outer peripheral surface 23a of the refrigerant pipe 23, and the sealing performance of the second gasket 17 may be reduced.

  On the other hand, FIG. 10 shows the state of the first and second gaskets 16 and 17 and the separator 218 that have received pressure from the refrigerant entering between the refrigerant pipe 23 and the fitting portion 12a in the inverter 200 of the second embodiment. FIG. Thick line arrows in FIG. 10 indicate the flow of the refrigerant entering between the refrigerant pipe 23 and the fitting portion 12a. As shown in FIG. 10, the first and second gaskets 16 and 17 and the separator 218 are pushed together toward the opening 12e by the pressure from the refrigerant. In this case, since the length D1 of the separator 218 is longer than the length D2 of the first gasket 16 and the gasket cover 12c, a gap is formed between the end surface of the separator 218 in the axial direction (X-axis direction) and the step 124. Is prevented. Therefore, the second gasket 17 is prevented from entering between the separator 218 and the step 124, and the sealing performance of the second gasket 17 can be maintained.

  The length D1 of the separator 218 is greater than the difference between the length in the axial direction of the small diameter portion 122 and the length in the axial direction after deformation of the second gasket 17 (length of the major axis of the elliptical shape after deformation). small. When the refrigerant pipe 23 is inserted, the separator 218 is pushed in the axial direction (X-axis direction) by the first gasket 16. By setting the length D1 to the above length, the second gasket 17 is prevented from being pushed by the separator 218 when the refrigerant tube 23 is inserted.

  Hereinafter, points to be noted regarding the technology shown in the embodiments will be described. A pipe joint similar to that of the embodiment may be adopted between the supply pipe 61 and the case through hole 56 and between the case through hole 56 and the refrigerant pipe 24. A pipe joint similar to the embodiment may be employed between the discharge pipe 62 and the refrigerant discharge port 57 and between the external connection pipe 3 and the refrigerant supply port 5. Further, the pipe joint 10 may be made of metal.

  Specific examples of the present invention have been described in detail above, but these are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the claims. The technology described in the claims includes various modifications and changes of the specific examples illustrated above. The technical elements described in this specification or the drawings exhibit technical usefulness alone or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing. In addition, the technology exemplified in this specification or the drawings can achieve a plurality of objects at the same time, and has technical usefulness by achieving one of the objects.

2, 200: Inverter (electronic equipment)
3: External connection pipe 3a: Flange 4, 5: Through hole 6: Upper case 6a: Side face 7: Lower case 8: Cooler 9: Channel 10: Pipe joint 12: Fitting body 12a: Fitting portion 12b: Narrow Diameter portion 12c: Gasket cover 12e: Opening 13: Flange 14a: Gasket groove 15: Face seal gasket 16: First gasket 17: Second gasket 18, 218: Separator 20: Laminating unit (cooler)
21: Cooling plate 22: Power card 23, 24: Refrigerant pipe 25: Connection pipe 56, 57: Through hole 61: Supply pipe 62: Discharge pipe 121: Large diameter part 122: Small diameter part 123: Minimum diameter part 124, 125: Step

Claims (3)

An electronic device including an electronic component therein and a liquid-cooled cooler that cools the electronic component.
A case having a through hole;
A pipe joint inserted into the through hole;
A refrigerant pipe extending from the cooler and inserted inside the pipe joint;
A first gasket and a second gasket disposed between an inner peripheral surface of the pipe joint and an outer peripheral surface of the refrigerant pipe;
A ring-shaped separator disposed between the first gasket and the second gasket in the axial direction of the refrigerant pipe;
With
The pipe joint is provided with a large-diameter portion that continues from the opening into which the refrigerant pipe is inserted, and a deep-diameter portion that continues to the back of the large-diameter portion, and an inner diameter that is smaller than the inner diameter of the large-diameter portion,
The first gasket is disposed in the large diameter portion;
The second gasket is disposed in the small diameter portion;
The separator has an outer diameter larger than an inner diameter of the small-diameter portion, and is disposed in the large-diameter portion.
An electronic device characterized by that. It is a pipe joint that is inserted into a through hole provided in a case of an electronic device and connects a refrigerant pipe extending from a cooler inside the case and a refrigerant pipe outside the case,
A joint body that is inserted into the through hole and into which the cooling pipe is inserted;
A first gasket and a second gasket disposed between an inner peripheral surface of the joint body and an outer peripheral surface of the refrigerant pipe;
A ring-shaped separator disposed between the first gasket and the second gasket in the axial direction of the refrigerant pipe;
With
The joint body is provided with a large-diameter portion that continues from the opening into which the refrigerant pipe is inserted, and a deep-diameter portion that continues to the back of the large-diameter portion, and an inner diameter that is smaller than the inner diameter of the large-diameter portion,
The first gasket is disposed in the large diameter portion;
The second gasket is disposed in the small diameter portion;
The separator has an outer diameter larger than an inner diameter of the small-diameter portion, and is disposed in the large-diameter portion.
A pipe joint characterized by that. The cross section perpendicular to the annular direction of the separator is L-shaped,
The pipe joint according to claim 2, wherein the inner side of the L shape is arranged so as to cover a step formed at a boundary between the large diameter portion and the small diameter portion.

Images