JP2017077149A - Electric motor and on-vehicle device including the same, and inspection device and power input section inspection method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electric motor capable of previously measuring whether or not there is a problem in the electrical bonding state of an electric motor side pressure contact terminal, by means of a sensor, before joining to a control unit side pressure contact terminal when a control unit is mounted on the electric motor body.SOLUTION: A motor includes an electric motor body 30 having a power input section having multiple input terminals 35u-35w consisting of a flat sheet projecting from the end face on the opposite side to the output shaft 32, and a control unit 40 mounted on the electric motor body 30 while having a power output section connected electrically with the power input section and performing drive control of the electric motor body 30. In the power input section of the electric motor body 30, the input terminals 35u-35w are formed so that the tip of the terminal has a substantially trapezoidal shape, when viewing from a direction of right angle to the flat sheet surface. A plane part 34t capable of detecting the position of the terminal tip from above the terminal by means of a sensor 183 is thereby formed on the terminal upper end face.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 19

Description

  The present invention relates to an electric motor in which an electric motor main body and a control unit are integrated, and an on-vehicle apparatus including the electric motor.

  An electric motor used in an in-vehicle device such as an electric power steering device or an electric brake device mounted on a vehicle has a reduction gear box connected to its output shaft, and the rotational force reduced by the reduction gear box is driven by the in-vehicle device. Communicating as a source.

  As this type of electric motor, a motor-integrated electric motor is proposed which is driven and controlled by a control unit including a circuit board on which a control circuit is mounted, and the control unit is integrated into the electric motor body to reduce the size (for example, Patent Document 1).

Patent Document 1 describes an electric motor applied to an electric power steering apparatus. This electric motor is configured such that a power board on which a heat generating component such as a switching element that controls electric power of the electric motor is mounted and a control board on which a small current component such as a microcomputer is mounted are stacked in a circuit case. . The power board is mounted on a heat sink that also serves as a bracket on the opposite side of the three-phase brushless motor.
In the invention described in Patent Document 1, by integrating the control device and the electric motor, a wire harness and a connector are not required, and the manufacturing cost, weight, and radiation noise can be reduced. In addition, power loss is reduced, and high output can be achieved. Furthermore, by laminating the control device on the back surface of the electric motor, a configuration with good heat dissipation is obtained, and good mounting properties to the steering module can be obtained without increasing the size.

Japanese Patent No. 3614380

  However, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, the electric motor and the power board are assembled together via a heat sink that also serves as a bracket. For this reason, the electric motor and the control device cannot be assembled separately, and it is difficult to change the specifications and suppliers of the power board and the control board according to the application. In order to solve this problem, it is conceivable to mount the control unit on the electric motor separately from the electric motor and the control unit having the power board and the control board.

Usually, an end of the electric motor opposite to the output shaft is not provided with a heat sink that also serves as a bracket as described in Patent Document 1. Therefore, when the electric motor and the control unit are separated, the control unit is attached to the end opposite to the output shaft of the electric motor via the heat sink.
In this case, since the motor and the control unit are manufactured in separate processes, the power output terminal of the control unit and the power input terminal of the motor are electrically connected when the control unit is mounted on the motor. Need to form. Further, in order to bring the power board into contact with the heat sink, the power output terminal of the power board is arranged on the side opposite to the heat sink. Therefore, usually, the electric motor and the power board are electrically connected by bypassing the outside of the heat sink using a wire harness or the like.

  However, in such a normal connection method, since the current path becomes long, not only does the electrical resistance increase, but it is easy to pick up external noise, and the amount of noise dissipated to the outside also increases. In addition, when the motor and the power board are manufactured in separate processes (factories) and then transported to the assembly site (factory), the connection terminals protruding from at least one of the motor and the power board may cause an impact or the like during the transport process. Under the load, the risk of bending, breaking, chipping, etc. of the connection terminal increases. In order to avoid this risk, it is necessary to take measures such as attaching a protective member to prevent the impact load from being input to the connection terminal, resulting in an increase in the cost of the protective member and an increase in transportation cost due to an increase in volume during transportation. .

  Therefore, the present invention has been made paying attention to such problems, and an electric motor capable of electrically connecting a separately manufactured electric motor body and a control unit at a short distance, and an in-vehicle apparatus provided with the same It is another object of the present invention to provide an inspection device and a power input unit inspection method.

In order to solve the above problems, an electric motor according to one aspect of the present invention is made of a metal that has an output shaft at one end and protrudes in parallel with the axis of the output shaft on an end surface opposite to the output shaft. An electric motor main body having a power input portion having a plurality of U-shaped terminal portions made of a flat plate, and mounted on the end surface on the opposite side of the output shaft to the electric motor main body, and in pressure contact with the power input portion And a control unit that drives and controls the electric motor main body, and the electric power input unit of the electric motor main body has each U-shaped terminal portion viewed from a direction perpendicular to the plane of the flat plate. The shape of the terminal tip is formed in a substantially trapezoidal shape, and a flat portion on which the position information of the terminal tip can be detected by a sensor from above the terminal is formed on the terminal tip surface.
In order to solve the above problem, an in-vehicle device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes the above-described electric motor as a rotational drive source.

According to one aspect of the present invention, an output shaft is provided at one end, and a plurality of U-shaped terminal portions made of a metal flat plate projecting in parallel with the axis of the output shaft are provided on the end surface opposite to the output shaft. An electric motor main body having an electric power input section, and an electric motor having an electric power output section that is attached to the electric motor main body on the end surface opposite to the output shaft and is electrically connected by being pressed against the electric power input section A control unit that controls the drive of the main unit is provided, so the distance between the power output unit of the control unit and the power input of the motor main unit is shortened, the electric resistance of the current path is reduced, and noise is absorbed and dissipated. Can be suppressed.
In addition, by using the electric motor as a rotational drive source of the in-vehicle device, the electric resistance of the current path between the control unit and the electric motor main body can be reduced, and the influence of external noise can be reduced. It is possible to provide an in-vehicle device that can suppress noise diffusion to the outside.

  Here, as in the present invention, in the technology in which the distance between the power output unit of the control unit and the power input of the motor main body is shortened, if the motor side connection terminal is displaced by a certain amount or more, the control unit There is a possibility that it cannot be joined to the side connection terminal at a predetermined position. Therefore, in a motor that integrates the motor body and the control unit, whether or not there is a problem in the electrical connection state of the power input section on the motor body side can be measured in advance by a sensor before joining the control unit. Is desirable.

  In response to this problem, according to one aspect of the present invention, the power input portion of the motor main body is formed such that each U-shaped terminal portion has a substantially trapezoidal shape when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the plane of the flat plate. In addition, since a flat portion capable of detecting the position information of the terminal tip from above the terminal with a sensor is formed on the terminal tip surface, each U-type terminal portion is imaged from above the terminal and each U-type terminal is detected. If the position information of the flat part at the tip of the part is acquired, and it is determined whether or not a positional deviation of a certain amount or more has occurred in the power input part based on the acquired positional information of the flat part, Whether or not there is a problem in the electrical connection state of the power input unit can be measured in advance by a sensor before the connection with the control unit.

In addition, the present invention can be used to determine whether there is a problem in the electrical connection state of the power input unit on the motor body side, so that positional information can be measured in advance by a sensor before joining the control unit. An inspection device and a power input unit inspection method suitable for an electric motor according to an aspect of the invention are provided.
That is, in order to solve the above problems, an inspection apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention is an inspection apparatus that is used in an electric motor according to an aspect of the present invention and inspects an electric power input unit of the electric motor body. Based on the position information of the plane part acquired by the sensor that images each U-type terminal part of the power input unit from above the terminal and acquires the position information of the plane part at the tip of each U-type terminal part And a misregistration determination unit that determines whether or not a certain amount of misregistration has occurred in the power input unit.

  In order to solve the above problem, an inspection method for a power input unit according to an aspect of the present invention is a method for inspecting a power input unit of the electric motor main body in an electric motor according to an aspect of the present invention, Each U-shaped terminal portion of the power input unit is imaged from above the terminal to acquire position information of the planar portion at the tip of each U-shaped terminal portion, and the power is based on the acquired positional information of the planar portion. It is characterized in that it is determined whether or not a positional deviation of a certain amount or more has occurred in the input unit.

  According to the inspection apparatus and the power input unit inspection method according to one aspect of the present invention, in the electric motor according to one aspect of the present invention, each U-shaped terminal portion is imaged from above the terminal and the flat portion at the tip of each U-shaped terminal portion. If it is determined whether or not a positional deviation of a certain amount or more has occurred in the power input unit based on the acquired position information of the flat surface part, It can be measured in advance by a sensor before joining with the control unit whether or not there is a problem in the joint state.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the separately manufactured electric motor body and the control unit can be electrically connected at a short distance.

It is a mimetic diagram showing a vehicle provided with an electric power steering device concerning one mode of the present invention. 1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of an electric motor according to one aspect of the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows the state which isolate | separated the electric motor main body and control unit in 1st embodiment. It is a disassembled perspective view of the electric motor in a first embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the state before attaching a relay terminal part to a heat sink. It is a perspective view which shows the state after attaching the relay terminal part to the heat sink. It is a fragmentary sectional view on the VII-VII line of FIG. It is a figure which shows the state by which the relay terminal part of 1st embodiment was attached to the heat sink, Comprising: It is the figure seen from the reference surface side of the terminal holder. It is a perspective view which shows the relay terminal part of 1st embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the connection terminal of the relay terminal part of 1st embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the state before connecting the U-shaped terminal part of an electric power input part to a relay terminal part. It is a perspective view which shows the state after connecting the U-shaped terminal part of an electric power input part to a relay terminal part. It is a perspective view which shows the power board of 1st embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the state which connected the insert base on the power board of 1st embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the state which connected the control board on the insert base of 1st embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the assembly completion state of the control unit of 1st embodiment. It is a figure explaining the electric power input part of the electric motor main body of 1st embodiment, The figure (a) is a front view of an electric motor main body, (b) is the principal part enlarged view of an electric power input part. It is a figure explaining the electric power input part of the electric motor main body of 1st embodiment, The figure (a) is a top view of an electric motor main body, (b) is the principal part enlarged view of an electric power input part. It is a figure explaining the test | inspection method of the electric power input part of the electric motor main body of 1st embodiment, The figure (a) is the perspective view, (b) is a figure which shows the image of the image information which the sensor acquired. It is a figure explaining the electric power input part of an electric motor main body, The figure has shown the side view of the electric motor main body. It is a figure explaining the comparative example of the electric power input part of an electric motor main body, The same figure (a) is a principal part enlarged view of the front view of the U-shaped terminal part in a comparative example, (b) is a U-shaped terminal in a comparative example. It is a principal part enlarged view of planar view of the front-end | tip part. In 2nd embodiment, it is sectional drawing which shows the state in which the relay terminal part was attached to the heat sink. In 2nd embodiment, it is a figure which shows the state in which the relay terminal part was attached to the heat sink, Comprising: It is the figure seen from the reference surface side of the terminal holder. It is a perspective view which shows the relay terminal part of 3rd embodiment, Comprising: It is a figure which can see the anti-reference surface of a terminal holder. It is sectional drawing which shows the state in which the relay terminal part of 3rd embodiment was attached to the heat sink. In 3rd embodiment, it is a figure which shows the state by which the relay terminal part was attached to the heat sink, Comprising: It is the figure seen from the reference plane side of the terminal holder. It is a disassembled perspective view of the electric motor in 4th embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the U-shaped terminal part of the electric power input part in 4th embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the electric power input part in 4th embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the relay terminal part of 5th embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the state before mounting | wearing the heat sink with the relay terminal part of 5th embodiment. It is sectional drawing of the state which screwed the relay terminal part of 5th embodiment to the heat sink. It is a perspective view which shows the state before attaching a control unit to the electric motor main body which shows 6th embodiment of the electric motor which shows 1 aspect of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the input terminal connection state to the electric motor main body in 6th embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the state before the insulating board mounting | wearing of the relay terminal part of 6th embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the state before mounting | wearing with the relay terminal part of the heat sink in 6th embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the state which mounted | wore the heat sink in 6th embodiment with the relay terminal part. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the modification of the relay terminal part in 6th embodiment. It is a disassembled perspective view of the electric motor in 7th embodiment. It is explanatory drawing of the control unit of 7th embodiment, The figure (a) is a perspective view which shows the state which attaches the thing of the state which connected the insert base on the power board to a heat sink, The figure (b) It is a perspective view which shows the state which connected the power board, the insert base, and the heat sink. It is a perspective view which shows the assembly completion state of the control unit of 7th embodiment. It is a disassembled perspective view of the electric motor in 8th embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the example of the relay terminal part of 9th embodiment.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings as appropriate. The drawings are schematic. For this reason, it should be noted that the relationship between the thickness and the planar dimension, the ratio, and the like are different from the actual ones, and the dimensional relationship and the ratio are different between the drawings. Further, the following embodiments exemplify apparatuses and methods for embodying the technical idea of the present invention, and the technical idea of the present invention is the material, shape, structure, and arrangement of components. Etc. are not specified in the following embodiments.

[First embodiment]
As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 1 includes front wheels 2FR and 2FL and rear wheels 2RR and 2RL which are left and right steered wheels. The front wheels 2FR and 2FL are steered by an electric power steering device 3 as a vehicle-mounted device.

  The electric power steering device 3 has a steering wheel 11, and a steering force applied to the steering wheel 11 from a driver is transmitted to the steering shaft 12. The steering shaft 12 has an input shaft 12a and an output shaft 12b. One end of the input shaft 12a is connected to the steering wheel 11, and the other end is connected to one end of the output shaft 12b via the steering torque sensor 13.

The steering force transmitted to the output shaft 12 b is transmitted to the lower shaft 15 via the universal joint 14 and further transmitted to the pinion shaft 17 via the universal joint 16. The steering force transmitted to the pinion shaft 17 is transmitted to the tie rod 19 via the steering gear 18 to steer the front wheels 2FR and 2FL as steered wheels.
Here, the steering gear 18 is configured in a rack and pinion type having a pinion 18a coupled to the pinion shaft 17 and a rack 18b meshing with the pinion 18a. The rotational motion transmitted to the pinion 18a is converted into a straight motion in the vehicle width direction by the rack 18b.

  A steering assist mechanism 20 that transmits a steering assist force to the output shaft 12b is connected to the output shaft 12b of the steering shaft 12. The steering assist mechanism 20 includes a reduction gear 21 configured by, for example, a worm gear mechanism connected to the output shaft 12b, and an electric motor 22 that generates a steering assist force connected to the reduction gear 21.

  The steering torque sensor 13 detects the steering torque applied to the steering wheel 11 and transmitted to the input shaft 12a. For example, the steering torque sensor 13 converts the steering torque into a torsional angle displacement of a torsion bar (not shown) interposed between the input shaft 12a and the output shaft 12b, and converts the torsional angle displacement into a resistance change or a magnetic change and detects it. It is supposed to be configured.

  The electric motor 22 is driven and controlled by the control unit 40. The control unit 40 is supplied with direct-current power from the battery 27, receives a steering torque detection value from the steering torque sensor 13, and receives a vehicle speed detection value from the vehicle speed sensor 26. The control unit 40 calculates a steering assist command value based on the acquired steering torque detection value and vehicle speed detection value, and rotates the motor 22 to generate a necessary steering assist torque based on the calculated steering assist command value. To drive.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the electric motor 22 of the present embodiment is integrated with an electric motor main body 30 configured by, for example, a three-phase brushless motor, and a control unit 40 that drives and controls the electric motor main body 30. The electric motor main body 30 includes a cylindrical motor housing 31, a cylindrical stator around which a coil is wound, and a rotor that is rotatably disposed inside the stator. . Permanent magnets are arranged on the rotor in the circumferential direction on the surface or inside thereof. An output shaft 32 connected to the rotor projects outward from one axial end portion of the motor housing 31, and the output shaft 32 is connected to the reduction gear 21.

As shown in the separated state in FIG. 3, the electric motor main body 30 and the control unit 40 are manufactured separately, and the control unit 40 is assembled to the electric motor main body 30 in a detachable manner.
Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the motor body 30 is formed with through holes 33 u, 33 v, and 33 w in an end surface (a counter output shaft side end surface) 30 a opposite to the output shaft 32. Three input terminals 35u, 35v, and 35w individually project from the through holes 33u to 33w as power input portions 35 on the counter output shaft side end face 30a. A relay terminal portion 51 is provided on a surface of the control unit 40 on the side of the electric motor main body 30 (second surface of a heat sink 41 described later) 41g. By inserting the input terminals 35u, 35v, and 35w into the relay terminal portion 51, the electric motor main body 30 and the control unit 40 are integrated.

Each of the input terminals 35u to 35w is a metal connection terminal in which the shape of the upper end portion of the terminal viewed from the direction perpendicular to the flat plate surface is a U-shaped terminal portion 34 having a U shape. The U-shaped terminal part 34 of each input terminal 35u-35w has two protrusion pieces 34a and 34b, respectively. These input terminals 35u to 35w may be integrally connected to a stator coil connection portion (not shown) of the electric motor main body 30, but in the present embodiment, the electric motor main body 30 and the control unit 40 are separately provided. In consideration of the case of assembling, the motor body 30 is detachably formed.
That is, in this embodiment, the upper and lower ends of the three input terminals 35u to 35w are U-shaped terminal portions 34, and one end of the three input terminals 35u to 35w is inserted into the through holes 33u to 33w of the electric motor body 30. Thus, the coil connecting portion of the stator is fitted and fixed, and the other end protrudes from the non-output shaft side end face 30a. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the control unit 40 is mounted on the counter-output shaft side end face 30 a of the electric motor body 30.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 40 includes a relay terminal portion 51, a heat sink 41, a circuit board 42, and a unit cover 43 that covers them. The heat sink 41 is a disk-like member formed in a predetermined thickness made of a metal material having high thermal conductivity such as copper or aluminum. The circuit board 42 is disposed on the opposite side of the heat sink 41 from the electric motor body 30 and is covered with a unit cover 43.

As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, in the heat sink 41, an accommodation recess 41 a for accommodating the relay terminal portion 51 is provided on the surface (second surface) 41 g of the heat sink 41 on the electric motor main body 30 side. It is formed from the lower surface side toward the upper surface side. And three through-holes 41u, 41v, and 41w which penetrate to the 1st surface (upper surface) 41f of the heat sink 41 shown in FIG. 4 are formed in the bottom face (upper surface in FIG. 7) 410a of the accommodation recessed part 41a. As shown in FIG. 8, the bottom surface 410a of the storage recess 41a is painted to be a non-glossy surface.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, the storage recess 41a has a wide central recess 41b and a width extending outward from both side surfaces in the longitudinal direction of the central recess 41b (the chord direction of the disk forming the heat sink 41). And a narrow coupling recess 41c. And as shown in FIG. 7, the engaging step part 41d which snap-fit joins the relay terminal part 51 is formed in the 1st surface 41f side of the recessed part 41c for coupling, respectively. Further, a coupling release hole 41e that opens to the first surface 41f is formed on the first surface 41f side of each engagement step portion 41d.

  The relay terminal portion 51 is snap-fit coupled to the storage recess 41a. As shown in FIGS. 8 to 12, the relay terminal portion 51 includes a synthetic resin terminal holder 510 and metal connection terminals 55 u, 55 v, 55 w fixed to the terminal holder 510. The terminal holder 510 and the connection terminals 55u, 55v, 55w are integrated by insert molding. In addition, a manufacturing method is not limited to insert molding, You may manufacture by methods other than insert molding.

  The terminal holder 510 is integrally formed with a rectangular parallelepiped housing 52 and L-shaped pieces 53 that extend upward along the end surfaces of the housing 52 at the lower ends of both ends of the housing 52 in the longitudinal direction. A hook portion 54 that protrudes outward in the longitudinal direction of the housing 52 is formed at the upper end of each L-shaped piece 53. When these hook portions 54 engage with the engaging step portions 41 d formed in the coupling recess 41 c of the housing recess 41 a of the heat sink 41, a snap-fit coupling state is achieved.

The housing 52 has a reference surface 521 along the surface (second surface) 41g) of the heat sink 41 on the electric motor main body 30 side. Three guide recesses 51 u to 51 w are formed on the reference surface 521 of the housing 52. The three guide recesses 51 u to 51 w are formed at a predetermined interval in the longitudinal direction of the housing 52. The arrangement intervals of the guide recesses 51u to 51w are matched with the arrangement intervals of the input terminals 35u, 35v, and 35w.

  As shown in FIG. 9, in the housing 52, the connection terminals 55u and 55w are arranged at both ends in the longitudinal direction of one end surface in the short direction of the rectangular parallelepiped forming the housing 52, and the connection terminal 55v is the other end surface in the short direction. Are arranged at intermediate positions between the connection terminals 55u and 55w.

  As shown in FIG. 10, each of the connection terminals 55u to 55w includes a connection plate portion 55a extending in the short direction of the housing 52 and a contact plate portion 55b extending upward from one end of the connection plate portion 55a. Including it is formed in an L shape. Through holes 55c and 55d are formed in the connection plate portions 55a of the connection terminals 55u to 55w. Two projecting pieces 34a and 34b are inserted into the through holes 55c and 55d. The two protruding pieces 34a and 34b are arranged at a predetermined interval in the longitudinal direction of the housing 52, and form U-shaped terminal portions of the input terminals 35u to 35w.

  As described above, the length of the connection terminals 55u to 55w is formed in the heat sink 41 when the relay terminal portion 51 is inserted into the storage recess 41a and the recess 41b of the heat sink 41 so as to be in the snap-fit connection state. It is set so as to protrude to the upper surface side through a predetermined length through the through holes 41u, 41v and 41w.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 11 to 12, three guide recesses 51 u to 51 w are formed in the housing 52 at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction. Each of the guide recesses 51u to 51w has a shape in which the tip of a quadrangular pyramid with the reference surface 521 as the bottom is cut off. That is, the cross-sectional areas of the guide recesses 51 u to 51 w gradually decrease from the reference surface 521 toward the surface (anti-reference surface) 522 opposite to the reference surface 521.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 11, the connection plate portions 55 a of the connection terminals 55 u, 55 v, 55 w are arranged on the bottom surfaces 52 a of the guide recesses 51 u to 51 w of the housing 52. Accordingly, when the terminal holder 510 is viewed from the reference surface 521 (FIGS. 7 and 12), the through holes 55c and 55d of the connection terminals 55u, 55v and 55w are present on the bottom surface 52a of the guide recesses 51u to 51w. To do. Further, the contact plate portions 55b of the connection terminals 55u, 55v, and 55w extend to the side opposite to the reference surface 522 of the housing 52.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 9, a space 52b in which the tip portions of the input terminals 35u, 35v, and 35w are disposed is formed on the side opposite to the reference surface 522 from the bottom surface 52a of each of the guide recesses 51u to 51w. The opposite reference surface 522 side of the space 52b is opened. That is, the housing 52 of the terminal holder 510 has an opening 52c in the opposite reference surface 522 of the space 52b.
Further, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the L-shaped pieces 53 of the terminal holder 510 are formed at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the rectangular parallelepiped forming the housing 52. The L-shaped piece 53 extends toward the non-reference surface 522 side with the same surface as the reference surface 521 of the housing 52 as a base end. A hook portion 54 is formed at the tip of each L-shaped piece 53. The hook portion 54 protrudes outward in the longitudinal direction of the rectangular parallelepiped forming the housing 52.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the relay terminal portion 51 is inserted into the housing recess 41a of the heat sink 41, and the hook portion 54 of the terminal holder 510 is engaged with the engagement step portion 41d. It is attached in the storage recess 41a. The length of the connection terminals 55u to 55w is set to a length that protrudes to the upper surface side through the through holes 41u, 41v, and 41w of the heat sink 41 shown in FIG. 4 in this state.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the circuit board 42 includes a power board 44, an insert base 45, and a control board 46. The power board 44 is disposed in contact with a surface (first surface) 41 f of the heat sink 41 on the side opposite to the electric motor body 30. The insert base 45 is disposed with a predetermined distance from the power board 44. The control board 46 is arranged with a predetermined distance from the insert base 45.

  The power substrate 44 is formed of a metal substrate on which a semiconductor switching element, a relay, and the like that generate a large amount of heat, such as six MOSFETs constituting an inverter, are arranged on the upper surface. As shown in FIG. 13, through holes 47 u, 47 v and 47 w are formed in the power substrate 44 at positions facing the through holes 41 u, 41 v and 41 w formed in the heat sink 41. In addition, bus bars 48u, 48v and 48w are fixed to the power board 44 by soldering, for example, along the through holes 47u, 47v and 47w.

  As shown in FIG. 13, each of these bus bars 48u, 48v, and 48w includes a U-shaped portion 48a and a contact plate portion that is connected to the upper plate portion on the open end side of the U-shaped portion 48a and extends upward. 48b. The bus bars 48u and 48w are arranged such that the open side of the U-shaped part 48a is close to the outer side edge of the through holes 47u and 47w, and the open side of the U-shaped part 48a is the inner side of the through hole 47v. Located close to the edge. Further, the lower plate portion of the U-shaped portion 48a of each bus bar 48u to 48w is fixed by soldering so as to be connected to a wiring pattern (not shown) formed on the power board 44.

  As shown in FIG. 14, the contact plate portions 48b of the bus bars 48u to 48w are in surface contact with the connection terminals 55u to 55w of the relay terminal portion 51 protruding through the through holes 47u to 47w, and the contact plate portions of the bus bars 48u to 48w. 48b and connection terminals 55u-55w are finally integrated by joining means, such as welding, brazing, and soldering.

  The insert base 45 is a resin member in which a metal plate (not shown) is held by molding or press-fitting, and an external connection connector (not shown) is integrally formed. The insert base 45 is held by the insert base 45. All the current lines other than the large current line on the power board 44 are configured by the metal plate.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 13, the insert base 45 has a through hole into which a contact portion between the connection terminals 55u, 55v and 55w of the relay terminal portion 51 and the contact plate portion 48b of the bus bars 48u, 48v and 48w is inserted. 49u, 49v and 49w are formed.

  Furthermore, the insert base 45 is mounted with an electrolytic capacitor, a resistor, a coil, and a ceramic capacitor for noise suppression. As shown in FIG. 14, the insert base 45 is screwed to the power board 44 via an insulating spacer 50a fixed to the lower surface. The mounting of the insert base 45 to the power board 44 is not limited to screwing, and any fixing method can be applied.

  On the control board 46, control-related components including an IC chip such as a microprocessor for driving a switching element constituting the inverter are mounted. As shown in FIG. 15, the control board 46 is also screwed to the insert base 45 through an insulating spacer 50 b in the same manner as the insert base 45. The mounting of the control board 46 to the insert base 45 is not limited to screwing, and any fixing method can be applied.

  Then, after the control board 46 is mounted, signal line connection between the components mounted on the insert base 45 and the control board 46 is performed. The connection method may be, for example, DIP solder connection, press-fit terminal connection, or connector connection.

  The unit cover 43 shown in FIG. 4 is formed of a synthetic resin material in a bottomed cylindrical shape with one end open. As shown in FIG. 14, the unit cover 43 fixes the power board 44 directly on the heat sink 41, fixes the insert base 45 on the power board 44 via the spacer 50a, and fixes the insert base 45 on the insert base 45 via the spacer 50b. With the control board 46 fixed, the open end face is fitted to the upper end side outer peripheral face of the heat sink 41 so as to cover the power board 44, the insert base 45 and the control board 46 as shown in FIG.

  According to the first embodiment described above, the electric motor body 30 and the control unit 40 can be assembled in separate steps. In this case, the assembly process of the electric motor main body 30 and the assembly configuration of the control unit 40 may be performed in the same factory or in another factory.

About the electric motor main body 30, before the final assembly process, the input terminals 35u to 35w serving as the power input unit 35 may be protruded from the non-input terminal side in a state of being mounted on the electric motor main body 30. In addition, the motor body 30 may not be mounted.
That is, when the electric motor main body 30 is transported, it is possible to prevent the input terminals 35u to 35w from being bent or damaged during the transport process by transporting the motor body 30 without mounting the input terminals 35u to 35w. In this case, the input terminals 35u to 35w may be inserted into the through holes 33u to 33w of the electric motor body 30 and connected to the coil connection portion of the stator before the final assembly process with the control unit 40.

  In addition, the input terminals 35u to 35w described above may be integrally connected to the coil connection portion of the stator of the electric motor body 30. However, if the input terminals 35u to 35w are detachable, when the motor body 30 is transported, the input terminals 35u to 35w can be bent during the transport process by transporting the motor main body 30 without mounting the input terminals 35u to 35w. Damage can be prevented.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the input terminals 35u to 35w are formed so that the shape of the U-shaped groove between the two protruding pieces 34a and 34b is widened from the upper part toward the lower part. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 17B, between the left and right protruding pieces 34a and 34b, in order from the top, the first parallel portion 34u, the widened portion 34n following the parallel portion 34u, and the widened portion A second parallel portion 34d following 34n is provided.

  Here, if the three input terminals 35u, 35v, and 35w are formed with a U-shaped groove between the two projecting pieces 34a and 34b on a straight surface formed only of a pair of parallel portions, When the position of the input terminals 35u to 35w in the insertion direction is shallow, the press-fit load is small, and when the position is deep, the press-fit load is large. This press-fit load difference has a correlation with the contact pressure with the counterpart terminal (for example, I terminal) sandwiched by the U-shaped terminal portion 34. In particular, if the press-fitting load is low and the contact pressure is small, the joining reliability may not be ensured.

  In contrast, the U-shaped terminal portion 34 of the present embodiment has a width of the pressure contact portion as the U-shaped groove between the two protruding pieces 34a and 34b of the input terminals 35u to 35w moves toward the distal end side. Since the widened portion 34n is provided so as to be narrow, the change in press-fitting load and contact pressure fluctuation can be suppressed, and the joining reliability can be improved. In the example shown in FIG. 17B, the example in which the first parallel part 34u and the second parallel part 34d are provided above and below the widened part 34n is shown. The parallel part may be omitted.

Here, in this embodiment, after attaching the three input terminals 35u to 35w to the electric motor main body 30, the positions of the three input terminals 35u to 35w are inspected.
Specifically, as shown in FIG. 17, the positions of the three input terminals 35 u to 35 w of the electric motor main body 30 are in a direction orthogonal to the axis CL of the electric motor main body 30 and opposed to the surfaces of the input terminals 35 u to 35 w. When the positions of the three input terminals 35u to 35w are measured by a sensor capable of acquiring image information when viewed from the direction (that is, the direction of the paper surface of the figure), The position in the direction can be measured. However, the position in the depth direction (Ly direction shown in FIG. 18A) of each of the input terminals 35u to 35w cannot be measured from the line-of-sight direction shown in FIG.

  Now, in order to measure the position in the depth direction of the three input terminals 35u to 35w, for example, as shown in FIG. 20, a direction along the surface of each input terminal 35u to 35w (see FIG. 20) by a sensor capable of acquiring image information. It is also conceivable to measure from the Lx direction shown in FIG. However, in this case, as shown in FIG. 20, when a plurality of input terminals 35u to 35w are arranged side by side on the same plane, the input terminals 35u to 35w are arranged in the depth direction of FIG. 18 (that is, the Lx direction). It will overlap. Therefore, the position in the depth direction of the three input terminals 35u to 35w cannot be measured even from the Lx direction.

Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 17A, the image sensor 183 is arranged in a direction along the axis CL of the electric motor body 30 (a direction in which each input terminal 35u to 35w is viewed from above). The position of each input terminal 35u-35w is measured by the sensor 183.
Here, when the positions of the input terminals 35u to 35w are measured from the direction along the axis CL of the electric motor body 30, the tips of the protruding pieces 34a and 34b of the input terminals 35u to 35w are compared as shown in FIG. When the shape is pointed as in the example, a portion that can be measured by the sensor 183 (portion Tn in FIG. 21B) is shown in FIG. ) Is very small. Therefore, it is difficult to stably detect the positions of the input terminals 35u to 35w with the sensor 183.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, the sensor 183 capable of image processing is used from the direction along the axis CL of the electric motor body 30, and the shape of the tip of the protruding pieces 34a, 34b of the input terminals 35u to 35w is formed in a predetermined manner. Thus, the sensor 183 can stably measure the positions of the tips of the protruding pieces 34a and 34b of the input terminals 35u to 35w.

  That is, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 17A, the position of the three input terminals 35u, 35v, and 35w is imaged by the sensor 183. As the sensor 183, a camera or a reflective sensor that can process the image information is used. Then, the three input terminals 35u, 35v and 35w can be measured stably by the sensor 183, and as shown in FIG. 18B, the terminal tip shapes of the protruding pieces 34a and 34b of the U-shaped terminal portion 34 Is a quadrangular frustum shape in which the cross-sectional area gradually decreases from the lower side to the upper side. Each terminal tip shape of the projecting pieces 34a and 34b is formed in a substantially trapezoidal shape when viewed from the direction orthogonal to the axis CL of the electric motor body 30 (the direction facing the plate surface) (FIG. 17B). reference).

  In the example of the present embodiment, the tips of the projecting pieces 34a and 34b have a circular arc shape in which the cone surfaces of the truncated pyramid are slightly convex outward. In this example, the axis of the truncated pyramid shape of each protruding piece 34a, 34b is slightly outwardly biased with respect to the central groove, and as shown in FIG. The left and right projecting pieces 34a and 34b of 34 are asymmetric (axisymmetric with respect to the center of the U shape).

  As a result, as shown in FIG. 18B, a planar portion 34t is provided on the upper end surface of each of the protruding pieces 34a and 34b of the U-shaped terminal portion 34 so that the position of the upper end portion can be recognized by the sensor 183 capable of image processing. Yes. In the present embodiment, the shapes of the left and right protruding pieces 34a and 34b of the U-shaped terminal portion 34 are asymmetric (axisymmetric with respect to the center of the U-shape).

As described above, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 18B, the tip shapes of the protruding pieces 34a and 34b of the input terminals 35u to 35w are formed in a substantially truncated pyramid shape (front view (direction facing the plate surface). ) Is a substantially trapezoidal shape), a flat surface portion 34t that can recognize the position of the upper end portion by the sensor 183 is provided on the upper end surfaces of the protruding pieces 34a and 34b.
In the present embodiment, the left and right projecting pieces 34a and 34b of the U-shaped terminal portion 34 are asymmetric (axisymmetric with respect to the center of the U-shape), so that the terminal tips of the input terminals 35u to 35w are formed. Since the flat portion 34t that can be detected by the image-processable sensor 183 is formed, the position of the flat portion 34t at the tip of the terminal is detected from above the terminals of the input terminals 35u to 35w, and the terminal position deviation amount is stabilized. Measurement became possible.

The sensor 183 used for the inspection in the present embodiment includes an imaging unit 183a and an illumination unit 183b provided so as to surround the imaging unit 183a, as shown in a perspective view in FIG. . The illumination unit 183b can irradiate a light amount suitable for photographing by the sensor 183. For example, the illumination unit 183b can sufficiently analyze the rectangular surface boundary of the flat portion 34t at the tip of the U-shaped terminal portion 34 and its surrounding portion. Thus, a brightness difference of about 3.0 or more can be given.
As shown in FIG. 19B, the sensor 183 images the rectangular surface of the flat portion 34 t at the terminal tip of each of the input terminals 35 u to 35 w simultaneously in one visual field L. Then, the captured image data is sent to the computer 184 shown in FIG. Based on the captured image information acquired from the sensor 183, the computer 184 obtains the contour position information of the rectangular surface of the flat surface portion 34t of the terminal tip of each of the input terminals 35u to 35w, as shown in the image of FIG. Calculate.

  Thereby, the deformation state of a plurality of terminals is measured in comparison with model data in which a predetermined pass range is set as a threshold value, and it is possible to determine pass / fail based on position information of edge points. For example, as shown in FIG. 19B, the predetermined acceptable range set as the threshold value is a shift amount α in the arrangement direction of the flat portion 34t of the terminal tip of each input terminal 35u to 35w, and each input terminal. The determination is based on whether or not the shift amount β between the two plane portions 34t for each of 35u to 35w and the shift amount γ between the adjacent plane portions 34t of the input terminals 35u to 35w are within a predetermined acceptable range. Can do.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, after the relay terminal portion 51 is attached to the heat sink 41, the positions of the connection terminals 55u to 55w are inspected, similarly to the inspection of the input terminals 35u to 35w.
That is, as described above, in this embodiment, the surface on the side opposite to the reference surface 522 of the space 52b of the terminal holder 510 is open. That is, the space 52 b is an opening 52 c that reaches the anti-reference surface 522. Therefore, when the relay terminal portion 51 attached to the heat sink 41 is viewed from the reference surface 521 side of the terminal holder 510, the background of the connection plate portion 55a of each connection terminal 55u to 55w is as shown in FIG. The bottom surface 410a.

In this state, from the reference plane 521 side, the positions of the connection terminals 55u to 55w are inspected using the sensor 183 capable of image processing, similarly to the inspection of the input terminals 35u to 35w. Specifically, in the connection terminals 55u to 55w, the sensor 183 detects end face positions of the through holes 55c and 55d of the connection plate portion 55a that are close to each other.
In the present embodiment, since the bottom surface 410a of the storage recess 41a is painted to be a non-glossy surface, the metal connection plate portion 55a is compared to the case where the bottom surface 410a of the storage recess 41a is a glossy surface. Contrast is high. Therefore, the position detection accuracy by the sensor 183 is improved.

While each terminal is inspected by the above-described inspection apparatus, the assembly of the control unit 40 is performed by first attaching the relay terminal portion 51 to the heat sink 41. As shown in FIG. 5, the housing 52 and the L-shaped piece 53 of the relay terminal portion 51 are opposed to the central recess 41b of the storage recess 41a and the coupling recess 41c of the heat sink 41 from below.
In this state, the housing 52 and the L-shaped piece 53 of the relay terminal portion 51 are inserted into the central recess 41b and the coupling recess 41c. At this time, the hook portion 54 of the L-shaped piece 53 engages with the back side wall surface of the coupling recess 41c, and the L-shaped piece 53 is inserted into the coupling recess 41c in a state of being bent toward the housing 52 side. The

  Then, when the hook portion 54 reaches the engaging step portion 41d formed in the coupling recess 41c, the outer side surface of the L-shaped piece 53 contacts the back wall of the coupling recess 41c as shown in FIG. And it becomes a snap fit connection state. In this snap-fit coupled state, the hook portion 54 engages with the engaging step portion 41d of the coupling recess 41c, so that the relay terminal portion 51 is prevented from coming out downward from the storage recess 41a, and the relay terminal portion 51 is prevented. Is held by the heat sink 41.

In this state, the reference surface of the relay terminal portion 51 (reference surface of the housing 52 of the terminal holder 510) 521 and the second surface 41g of the heat sink 41 are flush with each other, and the connection terminal 55u extends from the first surface 41f of the heat sink 41. ~ 55w protrudes upward.
Note that the reference surface 521 of the relay terminal portion 51 and the second surface 41g of the heat sink 41 may not be flush with each other. The reference surface 521 of the relay terminal portion 51 may be recessed or protruded from the second surface 41 g of the heat sink 41. When the reference surface 521 of the relay terminal portion 51 protrudes from the second surface 41 g of the heat sink 41, a recess that receives the reference surface 521 of the protruding relay terminal portion 51 is formed on the opposite end surface 30 a of the motor body 30. It is preferable to do. In this case, the electric motor main body 30 and the heat sink 41 can be positioned by the protruding reference surface 521 and the concave portion of the counter output shaft side end surface 30a.

  Next, the lower surface of the power board 44 is mounted on the first surface 41 f of the heat sink 41 so as to be in direct contact. At this time, the connection terminals 55 u to 55 w of the relay terminal portion 51 are inserted into the through holes 47 u to 47 w (FIG. 4) formed in the power board 44, and the connection terminals 55 u to 55 w are projected upward from the power board 44. And the part which protrudes upwards from the power board | substrate 44 of the connection terminals 55u-55w and the contact board part 48b of the bus-bars 48u-48w currently formed in the upper surface of the power board | substrate 44 are mutually contacted.

Next, as shown in FIG. 14, the insert base 45 is mounted on the power board 44 by screwing via the spacer 50a. Also in this case, the connection terminals 55u to 55w of the relay terminal portion 51 and the contact plate portions 48b of the bus bars 48u to 48w are protruded above the insert base 45 through the through holes 49u to 49w formed in the insert base 45.
In this state, the connection terminals 55u to 55w and the contact plate portion 48b of the bus bars 48u to 48w are joined by joining means such as welding, brazing, and soldering, and the connection terminals 55u to 55w and the bus bars 48u to 48w are connected. Electrically and mechanically connected to ensure a current path between the power board 44 and the relay terminal portion 51.

Next, the control board 46 is mounted on the insert base 45 by screwing via the spacer 50b. Thereafter, the signal line connection between the component mounted on the insert base 45 and the control board 46 is performed. The connection method may be, for example, DIP solder connection, press-fit terminal connection, or connector connection. Thereby, the circuit board 42 is formed. FIG. 15 shows this state.
Next, the circuit board 42 is covered with the unit cover 43, and the inner peripheral surface of the opening end of the unit cover 43 is fitted to the outer peripheral surface on the upper end side (first surface 41f side) of the heat sink 41, thereby assembling the control unit 40. To complete. FIG. 16 shows this state.

The electric motor 22 is assembled by the following method.
In order to assemble the electric motor main body 30 and the control unit 40, first, as shown in FIG. 3, the input terminals 35u to 35w are inserted into the through holes 33u to 33w of the counter output shaft side end surface 30a of the electric motor main body 30. The input terminals 35u to 35w are electrically and mechanically connected to the coil connection portion of the stator, and the upper ends of the input terminals 35u to 35w are protruded upward from the non-output shaft side end face 30a of the electric motor body 30.
In this assembly process, in the present embodiment, since the flat portion 34t that can be detected by the image-processable sensor 183 is formed at the terminal tips of the input terminals 35u to 35w, the terminals from above the input terminals 35u to 35w By detecting the position of the flat portion 34t at the tip, the terminal position deviation amount can be stably measured.

  That is, in this embodiment, in the process before the assembly of the electric motor main body 30 and the control unit 40, the electric motor main body 30 is set on the inspection mounting table 181 as shown in FIG. The inspection mounting table 181 is provided with a center positioning hole 182 with respect to the axis of the output shaft 32 of the electric motor body 30, and a mounting posture in which the output shaft 32 of the electric motor main body 30 is inserted into the center positioning hole 182. By doing so, the inspection posture of the electric motor main body 30 can be set. Above the inspection mounting table 181, a sensor 183 is disposed at a position facing the terminal tips of the input terminals 35 u to 35 w, and data acquired by the sensor 183 is obtained from a computer 184 that is a determination unit. The inspection apparatus 180 is configured so as to be output to

  The inspection device 180 captures the input terminals 35u to 35w of the power input unit 35 from above the terminals by the sensor 183, and acquires the position information of the flat portion 35t at the tip of each U-shaped terminal unit. Then, the computer 184 of the inspection apparatus 180 executes a predetermined inspection program and, based on the position information of the flat surface portion 35t acquired by the sensor 183, applies a certain amount or more to each input terminal 35u to 35w of the power input portion 35. It is determined whether or not there is a positional deviation.

  For example, this determination is made by comparing with an image area in which a pass range and a fail range are defined as threshold values in advance. If the acquired position information of the flat surface portion 35t is within the pass range, a certain amount of misalignment occurs. If it is determined that the position information of the acquired plane portion 35t is in the reject range exceeding the pass range, it is determined that a positional deviation of a certain amount or more has occurred (fail). .

In addition, when the position of the connection terminals 55u to 55w described above is inspected, the background of the connection plate portion 55a becomes the bottom surface 410a of the storage recess 41a. In this embodiment, the bottom surface 410a is a non-glossy surface. Also for 55u to 55w, the position detection accuracy by the sensor 183 is improved as compared with the case where the bottom surface 410a is a glossy surface.
Since the position inspection of the input terminals 35u to 35w and the connection terminals 55u to 55w of the power input unit 35 is performed on all products in the production line, the position detection accuracy by the sensor 183 is improved, so that the motor 22 The production cost can be greatly reduced.

  Thereby, when an assembly operator electrically connects the connection terminal between the control unit 40 and the electric motor main body 30, the input terminals 35u to 35w and the connection terminals 55u to 55w of the electric motor main body 30 have a certain amount or more. It is possible to know whether or not there is a positional deviation before assembly. Therefore, the assembling worker can know whether or not there is a problem in the electrical joining state of the power input unit 35 on the electric motor main body 30 side before joining with the control unit 40.

Then, if there is no problem in the electrical connection state of the power input unit 35 on the electric motor main body 30 side, the assembling operator will guide the recessed portions 51u to 51w of the relay terminal portion 51 attached to the heat sink 41 of the control unit 40 in that state. And the input terminals 35u to 35w projecting from the opposite end surface of the electric motor body 30 are opposed to each other. Next, the assembling worker raises the electric motor main body 30, lowers the control unit 40, or makes both relatively approach.
At that time, as shown in FIG. 12, the input terminals 35u to 35w are inserted into the guide recesses 51u to 51w of the relay terminal part 51, and the protruding pieces 34a and 34b of the U-shaped terminal part 34 of the input terminals 35u to 35w are provided. Are inserted into the through holes 55c and 55d of the connection plate portions 55a of the connection terminals 55u to 55w. The U-shaped terminal portions 34 of the input terminals 35 u to 35 w are disposed in the space 52 b of the terminal holder 510.

Thereby, the protruding pieces 34a and 34b forming the U-shaped terminal portion 34 of the input terminals 35u to 35w are inserted into the through holes 55c and 55d formed in the connection plate portion 55a of the connection terminals 55u to 55w, and the input terminal 35u to 35w and connection terminals 55u to 55w are electrically and mechanically connected.
And since the connection terminals 55u-55w are connected to the bus bar (power output part of the circuit board 42) 48u-48w of the power board 44, the input terminals 35u-35w and the connection terminals 55u-55w are connected. Thus, the power input unit 35 of the electric motor main body 30 and the power output unit of the control unit 40 are electrically connected.
As described above, according to the electric motor 22 of the first embodiment, by holding the relay terminal portion 51 on the heat sink 41, the input terminals 35 u to 35 w of the electric motor body 30, the power board 44 and the insert base 45 of the control unit 40. Can be easily formed.

  Moreover, since the input terminals 35u to 35w and the connection terminals 55u to 55w of the relay terminal portion 51 are connected on a substantially straight line, the current path between the electric motor main body 30 and the control unit 40 can be minimized. The electrical resistance can be minimized, and since the current path is not exposed to the outside, it is difficult to be influenced by external noise, and noise emitted from the current path to the outside can be reduced.

  Moreover, since the relay terminal part 51 has the guide recessed parts 51u-51w which have a pyramid surface, the through-holes 55c and 55d in the connection board part 55a of the input terminals 35u-35w and the connection terminals 55u-55w of the relay terminal part 51 are provided. Even when there is a positional shift, the input terminals 35u to 35w can be guided by the guide recesses 51u to 51w, and the connection between the input terminals 35u to 35w and the connection terminals 55u to 55w can be reliably performed.

  Furthermore, if it is the structure of this embodiment, the electric motor main body 30 and the control unit 40 can be assembled in another process. In this case, the assembly process of the electric motor main body 30 and the assembly configuration of the control unit 40 may be performed in the same factory or in another factory.

  Further, since the housing 52 of the terminal holder 510 is open on the side opposite to the reference surface 522 of the space 52b (having an opening 52c), a mold used when the relay terminal portion 51 is manufactured by insert molding. Is easy to manufacture. However, the manufacturing method is not limited to insert molding, and may be manufactured by methods other than insert molding.

  Note that the electric motor according to the present invention and the vehicle-mounted device including the electric motor are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Hereinafter, other embodiments and modifications of the present invention will be described.

[Second Embodiment]
The electric motor 22 of the second embodiment is the same as the electric motor 22 of the first embodiment except for the following points.
In the control unit 40 constituting the electric motor 22 of the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 22, the non-glossy part 57 is inserted between the bottom surface 410 a of the housing recess 41 a of the heat sink 41 and the terminal holder 510. Since the heat sink 41 is made of metal and the bottom surface 410a is not painted, it has a glossy surface. Examples of the non-glossy part 57 include a plate-like part made of synthetic resin.

For example, the flat shape of the non-glossy part 57 is made the same shape as the bottom surface 410a of the storage recess 41a, and is bonded to the bottom surface 410a before the relay terminal portion 51 is attached to the storage recess 41a. Alternatively, the flat shape of the non-glossy part 57 is made the same shape as the anti-reference surface 522 of the terminal holder 510, and the non-glossy part 57 is placed on the anti-reference surface 522 of the terminal holder 510, and then the relay terminal portion 51 is placed in the storage recess 41a. May be attached.
Alternatively, the planar shape of the non-glossy part 57 is a rectangle having a size that can close the three openings 52c, and the non-glossy part 57 is bonded in advance to the anti-reference surface 522 of the terminal holder 510 to close the three openings 52c. You can leave it.

As shown in FIG. 23, when the relay terminal portion 51 attached to the heat sink 41 is viewed from the reference surface 521 side of the terminal holder 510, the background of the connection plate portion 55a of each connection terminal 55u to 55w is the non-glossy component 57. It is a surface. Therefore, compared with the case where the background of the connection plate part 55a of each connection terminal 55u-55w is a glossy surface, the contrast with respect to the metal connection plate part 55a is high. Therefore, the position detection accuracy by the sensor 183 capable of image processing such as a camera is improved.
In the electric motor 22 of the second embodiment, the same effect as the electric motor 22 of the first embodiment can be obtained. In the electric motor 22 of the second embodiment, the non-glossy part 57 is used instead of the painting process of the bottom surface 410a performed in the manufacturing process of the electric motor 22 of the first embodiment, so the number of parts increases.

[Third embodiment]
The electric motor 22 of the third embodiment is the same as the electric motor 22 of the first embodiment except for the following points.
As shown in FIG. 24, the relay terminal portion 51 included in the control unit 40 constituting the electric motor 22 of the third embodiment has a terminal holder 510A in which the surface on the side opposite to the reference surface 522 of each space 52b is closed. . That is, as shown in FIG. 25, the housing 52A of the terminal holder 510A has a shape having a bottom plate portion 52d on the side opposite to the reference surface 522 of the space 52b. The relay terminal portion 51 is manufactured by insert molding using a mold corresponding to the shape of the terminal holder 510A. Thereby, in 3rd embodiment, the bottom face 52e of each space 52b is a non-glossy surface. However, the manufacturing method is not limited to insert molding, and may be manufactured by methods other than insert molding.

  As shown in FIG. 26, when the relay terminal portion 51 attached to the heat sink 41 is viewed from the reference surface 521 side of the terminal holder 510A, the background of the connection plate portion 55a of each connection terminal 55u to 55w is not due to the bottom plate portion 52d. It has a glossy surface. Therefore, compared with the case where the background of the connection plate part 55a of each connection terminal 55u-55w is a glossy surface, the contrast with respect to the metal connection plate part 55a is high. Therefore, the position detection accuracy by the sensor 183 capable of image processing such as a camera is improved.

  In the electric motor 22 of the third embodiment, the same effect as that of the electric motor 22 of the first embodiment can be obtained. In the electric motor 22 of the third embodiment, since the opening 52c is not formed in the terminal holder 510A, the opening 52c is formed in the terminal holder 510A when the relay terminal portion 51 is manufactured by insert molding. Compared to the relay terminal portion 51 of the first embodiment, it is necessary to use a complicated mold.

[Fourth embodiment]
In the fourth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 27, U-shaped terminal portions 34 of the input terminals 35 u, 35 v, and 35 w protrude from the non-output shaft side end face 30 a of the electric motor body 30. The motor housing 31 includes a housing body 31a and a lid portion 31b. The lid portion 31b has a through hole 33 through which the input terminals 35u, 35v, and 35w pass.
As shown in FIG. 28, each input terminal 35 u, 35 v, 35 w is L-shaped and has a U-shaped U-shaped terminal portion 34, a bent portion 36, and a base end portion 37. The U-shaped U-shaped terminal portion 34 has two protruding pieces 34a and 34b. The bent portion 36 has a hole (slit) 38 penetrating the plate surface at the position of the U-shaped recess 34c in the plate width direction.

  FIG. 29 shows a state where the lid 31b is removed from the housing main body 31a. As shown in FIG. 29, the input terminals 35u to 35w are formed integrally with the attachment component 31c by insert molding of synthetic resin. Further, the attachment component 31c is fixed to the surface 31d of the housing main body 31a on the lid portion 31b side, and the base end portion 37 is connected to the motor internal circuit (the stator coil connection portion) in the motor housing 31.

Thereby, in 4th embodiment, the input terminals 35u-35w are being fixed to the housing main body 31a. By putting the input terminals 35u to 35w into the through hole 33 and attaching the lid portion 31b to the housing main body 31a, the state shown in FIG. 27 is obtained.
In the case of the configuration of the fourth embodiment, the plate-like input terminals 35u to 35w each having the U-shaped U-shaped terminal portion 34 are L-shaped and have the bent portion 36, and therefore there is no bent portion 36. The input terminals 35u to 35w are likely to be deformed in the plate thickness direction as compared with FIG.
Further, since the bent portions 36 of the input terminals 35u to 35w have the slits 38, the input terminals 35u to 35w are easily deformed in the plate width direction as compared with the case where there is no slit 38. Therefore, if it is the structure like 4th embodiment, variously between the through-holes 55c and 55d of the connection board part 55a, and the protrusion pieces 43a and 43b of the U-shaped terminal part 34 of each input terminal 35u-35w. Even in the case where there is a misalignment in any direction, the misalignment can be absorbed by the deformation of the bent portion 36 of the input terminals 35u to 35w.

[Fifth embodiment]
Further, for example, in the first embodiment, the case where the heat sink 41 and the relay terminal portion 51 are snap-fit coupled has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this.
For example, as shown in FIGS. 30 to 32, the L-shaped piece 53 of the housing 52 of the relay terminal portion 51 is omitted, and instead of this, a mounting plate portion 61 is formed, and this mounting plate portion 61 is attached to the heat sink 41. You may make it insert in the insertion recessed part 62 formed in the opposite side to the electric motor main body 30, and you may make it fix with the attachment screw 63. FIG.
In this case, as shown in FIGS. 31 and 32, a through hole 64 that penetrates the heat sink 41 toward the electric motor main body 30 is formed at a position corresponding to the guide recesses 51 u to 51 w of the relay terminal portion 51 of the insertion recess 62. Even in this case, the relay terminal portion 51 can be detachably attached to the heat sink 41, and the same effect as the first embodiment can be obtained.

[Sixth embodiment]
Next, a sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
In the sixth embodiment, a notch is formed in the outer peripheral surface of the heat sink 41, and the connection terminal is projected to the opposite side of the motor body 30 of the heat sink 41 through the notch.
That is, in the sixth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 33, the through holes 41u to 41w that pass through the connection terminals 55u to 55w of the relay terminal portion 51 formed in the heat sink 41 in the first embodiment are omitted and replaced with this. The heat sink 41 is formed with a notch 71 through which the connection terminals 55u to 55w are inserted. As shown in FIG. 33, in this example, although a part of the connection terminals 55u to 55w is configured to be visible from the cutout portion 71, the connection state of the connection terminals 55u to 55w cannot be confirmed from the outside. .

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 35, the relay terminal portion 51 has a terminal holding portion 82 extending outwardly protruding from the bottom surface side of the outer peripheral side surface of the resin housing 52. Then, the connection plate portion 55a of the connection terminals 55u to 55w is extended and extended outward from the outer peripheral side surface of the housing 52 along the upper surface of the terminal holding portion 82, and the tip of the connection plate portion 55a is bent upward. Thus, a contact plate portion 55b is formed. Further, the exposed portions of the connection plate portion 55a of the connection terminals 55u to 55w and the inner surface of the contact plate portion 55b are covered with an insulating plate 83 formed in an L shape when viewed from the side surface, and the outer surface of the contact plate portion 55b is covered. It is covered with an insulating plate 84.

  Here, in the insulating plate 83, the engagement piece 82b formed to protrude downward on the outer side of the lower plate portion 82a is engaged with the engagement recess 82c formed on the L-shaped piece 53 side of the terminal holding portion 82. Is held. The insulating plate 84 is held by the contact plate portion 55 b by engaging an L-shaped hook portion 84 a formed on the L-shaped piece 53 side with the inner surface of the insulating plate 83.

  36, as shown in FIG. 36, the relay terminal portion 51 has the housing 52 opposed to the storage recess 41a in the first embodiment from below, and the L-shaped piece 53 in the recess 41b in the first embodiment from below. Further, the contact plate portion 55b is opposed to the cutout portion 71 from below, and in this state, the relay terminal portion 51 is moved upward so that the hook portion 54 of the L-shaped piece 53 becomes the coupling recess 41c. By engaging with the formed engaging step 41d, the heat sink 41 is snap-fit coupled.

  In this coupled state, as shown in FIG. 37, the contact plate portions 55 b of the connection terminals 55 u to 55 w of the relay terminal portion 51 protrude through the notch portion 71 to the opposite side of the motor body 30 of the heat sink 41. The contact plate portions 55b of the connection terminals 55u to 55w are individually connected to bus bars 48u to 48w formed on the power board 44.

  In the sixth embodiment, the input terminals 35u to 35w are connected to the connection terminals 55u through the guide recesses 51u to 51w of the relay terminal portion 51 by pressing the heat sink 41 after facing the opposite end face of the motor body 30 on the opposite side of the output shaft. It can be held in contact with the through holes 55c and 55d formed in the connecting plate portion 55a of .about.55w.

  Thus, in the sixth embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the input terminals 35u to 35w of the electric motor body 30 are connected to the bus bars 48u to 48w and the inserts of the power board 44 via the connection terminals 55u to 55w of the relay terminal portion 51. It can be securely connected to the base 45 electrically. Therefore, the same effect as the first embodiment described above can be obtained.

  In the sixth embodiment, the case where the attachment position of the relay terminal portion 51 to the heat sink 41 is the same position as in the first embodiment has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the contact of the relay terminal portion 51 is not limited thereto. FIG. 38 shows the case where the guide recesses 51u to 51w, the through holes 55c and 55d of the connection plate 55a of the connection terminals 55u to 55w, and the fitting holes 51c and 51d are formed near the lower side of the plate 55b. As described above, the input terminals 35u to 35w of the electric motor main body 30 may be bent in a crank shape so that the insertion portions of the guide recesses 51u to 51w of the input terminals 35u to 35w are changed to the outside.

[Seventh embodiment]
In the seventh embodiment, the input terminals 35u to 35w, the connection terminals 55u to 55w, and the bus bars 48u to 48w are all provided so that the contact portions are arranged in parallel on the same plane.
That is, in the seventh embodiment, as shown in FIG. 39, the input terminals 35 u, 35 v, 35 w of the power input unit 35 protrude from a position closer to the peripheral edge of the counter-output shaft side end surface 30 a of the electric motor body 30. . Note that the input terminals 35u to 35w of the power input unit 35 have the same configuration as the power input unit (see FIGS. 28 and 29) in the fourth embodiment. The relay terminal portion 51 of the seventh embodiment does not use the insulating plates 83 and 84 in the sixth embodiment, and straight connection terminals 55u to 55w are arranged in parallel on the same plane, It is provided at a position facing the input terminals 35u to 35w. Further, for the bus bars 48u to 48w formed on the upper surface of the power board 44, the contact plate portions 48b are arranged in parallel on the same plane so that they can come into contact with the straight connection terminals 55u to 55w. It is provided at a position facing each of the connection terminals 55u to 55w.

  In the seventh embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 40A and 40B, the relay terminal portion 51 is mounted at the position of the notch portion 71 in the same manner as in the sixth embodiment, and then the first embodiment. In the same manner as described above, the contact plate portions 48b of the bus bars 48u to 48w are brought into surface contact with the connection terminals 55u to 55w of the relay terminal portion 51, and finally joined together with the insert base 45 by welding, brazing, soldering, or the like. Integrate by means. Then, as shown in FIG. 41, the open end surface of the unit cover 43 is fitted to the upper end side outer peripheral surface of the heat sink 41 so as to cover the integrated power substrate 44, insert base 45 and control substrate 46. Unit 40 is assembled.

[Eighth embodiment]
Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the case where the relay terminal portion 51 is mounted on the heat sink 41 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and as shown in the eighth embodiment in FIG. The relay terminal portion 51 is omitted, and through holes 70u to 70w are formed at positions facing the through holes 33u to 33w of the electric motor main body 30 of the heat sink 41, and the opposite output shaft side of the electric motor main body 30 in these through holes 70u to 70w. The input terminals 71u to 71w formed on the end face may be insulated and inserted.
Here, in the eighth embodiment, the length of the input terminals 71 u to 71 w is set to a length protruding from the upper surface of the insert base 45 when the control unit 40 is mounted. In this case, the input terminals 71u to 71w of the electric motor main body 30 can be directly connected to the power output part of the power board 44 or the insert base 45 without going through the relay terminal part. Therefore, the current path between the control unit 40 and the electric motor main body 30 can be minimized.

[Ninth embodiment]
Moreover, although the example which arrange | positions the relay terminal part 51 in the heat sink 41 was demonstrated in the said embodiment, it is not limited to this. For example, as in the ninth embodiment shown in FIG. 43, the relay terminal portion 51 is configured only by the resin housing 52, and the relay terminal portion 51 is disposed on the power board 44. As in the eighth embodiment shown in FIG. 42, only the through holes 70u to 70w are formed in the heat sink 41.
The input terminals 35u to 35w that have passed through the through holes 70u to 70w of the heat sink 41 are guided into the guide recesses 51u to 51w of the relay terminal portion 51 and connected to the connection plate portions 55a of the connection terminals 55u to 55w, and the housing The connection terminals 55u to 55w may be protruded and extended from both sides in the short direction of 52 and connected to the wiring pattern of the power board 44. Here, the housing 52 screws the mounting brackets 90 formed at both ends in the longitudinal direction to the heat sink 41 together with the power board 44.

  In each of the above-described embodiments and modifications, the case where the electric motor 22 according to the present invention is applied to the electric power steering apparatus has been described. However, the application of the electric motor 22 according to the present invention is not limited to the electric power steering apparatus, for example, It can be used as an electric motor for any other vehicle-mounted device such as an electric brake.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Vehicle 2FR, 2FL ... Front wheel 2RR, 2RL ... Rear wheel 3 ... Electric power steering device 11 ... Steering wheel 12 ... Steering shaft 13 ... Steering torque sensor 13a ... Torsion bar 13b ... Input side rotation angle sensor 13c ... Output side rotation angle Sensor 18 ... Steering gear 20 ... Steering assist mechanism 22 ... Electric motor 30 ... Electric motor main body 31a ... Motor housing 32 ... Output shaft 33u-33w ... Through-hole 34 ... U-shaped terminal parts 34a, 34b ... Projection piece 34t ... Flat part 35u-35w ... Input terminal 40 ... Control unit 41 ... Heat sink 41a ... Storage recess 41b ... Central recess 41c ... Connection recess 41d ... engagement step 41u to 41w ... through hole 42 ... Circuit board 43 ... Unit cover 44 ... Power board 45 ... Insert Base 46 ... Control board 48u 48w ... bus bar 51 ... relay terminal part 52 ... housing 53 ... L-shaped piece 54 ... hook part 55u to 55w ... connection terminal 55a ... connection plate part 55b ... contact plate part 56 ... terminal receiving part 71 ... notch part 180 ... inspection device 181 ... Mounting table for inspection 182 ... Center positioning hole 183 ... Sensor 184 ... Computer (determination unit)

Claims (14)

An electric motor main body having an output shaft at one end and a power input portion having a plurality of U-shaped terminal portions made of a metal flat plate projecting in parallel with the axis of the output shaft on the end surface opposite to the output shaft And an electric power output unit that is mounted on the end surface opposite to the output shaft and electrically connected to the electric power input unit to drive and control the electric motor main body. A control unit,
The electric power input section of the electric motor main body has each U-shaped terminal portion formed in a substantially trapezoidal shape when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the plane of the flat plate, and the position of the terminal tip is detected from above the terminal. The electric motor is characterized in that a flat portion capable of detecting position information is formed on the tip end surface of the terminal.   An L-shaped input terminal of the power input section, the U-shaped terminal section protruding from an end surface opposite to the output shaft, and a base end section connected to an internal circuit of the electric motor body A bent portion that is a portion between the distal end portion and the proximal end portion of the U-shaped terminal portion, and the bent portion is located at the position of the concave portion of the U-shaped terminal portion in the plate width direction. The electric motor according to claim 1, wherein the electric motor has a hole penetrating it. The control unit includes a heat sink disposed on an end surface opposite to the electric motor body, a circuit board disposed on the heat sink opposite to the electric motor body, a power output unit of the circuit board, and the electric motor body. A relay terminal part for electrically connecting the power input part of
A metal connection terminal constituting the relay terminal portion, including a connection plate portion and a contact plate portion that is bent from one end of the connection plate portion and extends toward the circuit board and contacts the power output portion. It consists of an L-shaped part, and the connection plate part has a connection terminal having a through hole into which an input terminal of the power input part is inserted, and
A terminal holder made of synthetic resin that constitutes the relay terminal portion, a reference surface along a surface of the heat sink on the motor body side, a guide recessed portion of the input terminal formed on the reference surface, and the reference An anti-reference surface opposite to the surface, the connection plate portion of the connection terminal is disposed on the bottom surface of the guide recess, the contact plate portion protrudes from the anti-reference surface, and the anti-reference surface from the bottom surface A terminal holder in which a space in which the tip of the input terminal is disposed is formed on the surface side, and the anti-reference surface side of the space is open;
A storage recess formed on a surface of the heat sink on the side of the electric motor body and holding the terminal holder therein, and a storage recess having a non-glossy bottom surface.
The electric motor according to claim 1, wherein the input terminal is inserted into the through hole, and the power output unit and the power input unit are electrically connected. The control unit includes a heat sink disposed on an end surface opposite to the electric motor body, a circuit board disposed on the heat sink opposite to the electric motor body, a power output unit of the circuit board, and the electric motor body. A relay terminal part for electrically connecting the power input part of
A metal connection terminal constituting the relay terminal portion, comprising: a connection plate portion; and a contact plate portion bent from one end of the connection plate portion and extending toward the circuit board to contact the power output portion. An L-shaped part including the connection plate part, the connection terminal having a through hole into which the input terminal of the power input part is inserted;
A terminal holder made of synthetic resin that constitutes the relay terminal portion, a reference surface along a surface of the heat sink on the motor body side, a guide recessed portion of the input terminal formed on the reference surface, and the reference An anti-reference surface opposite to the surface, the connection plate portion of the connection terminal is disposed on the bottom surface of the guide recess, the contact plate portion protrudes from the anti-reference surface, and the anti-reference surface from the bottom surface A terminal holder in which a space in which the tip of the input terminal is disposed is formed on the surface side, and the anti-reference surface side of the space is open;
A storage recess formed on the surface of the heat sink of the electric motor main body and holding the terminal holder therein, and disposed between the bottom surface of the storage recess and the terminal holder, the anti-reference surface side of the space With non-glossy parts that block the opening of
The electric motor according to claim 1, wherein the input terminal is inserted into the through hole, and the power output unit and the power input unit are electrically connected. The control unit includes a heat sink disposed on an end surface opposite to the electric motor body, a circuit board disposed on the heat sink opposite to the electric motor body, a power output unit of the circuit board, and the electric motor body. A relay terminal part for electrically connecting the power input part of
A metal connection terminal constituting the relay terminal portion, including a connection plate portion and a contact plate portion that is bent from one end of the connection plate portion and extends toward the circuit board and contacts the power output portion. It consists of an L-shaped part, and the connection plate part has a connection terminal having a through hole into which an input terminal of the power input part is inserted, and
A terminal holder made of synthetic resin that constitutes the relay terminal portion, a reference surface along a surface of the heat sink on the motor body side, a guide recessed portion of the input terminal formed on the reference surface, and the reference An anti-reference surface opposite to the surface, the connection plate portion of the connection terminal is disposed on the bottom surface of the guide recess, the contact plate portion protrudes from the anti-reference surface, and the anti-reference surface from the bottom surface A terminal holder in which a space where the tip of the input terminal is arranged is formed on the surface side, and the anti-reference surface side of the space is closed with a non-glossy surface;
An accommodation recess formed on the surface of the heat sink on the side of the electric motor body, and holding the terminal holder therein;
The electric motor according to claim 1, wherein the input terminal is inserted into the through hole, and the power output unit and the power input unit are electrically connected.   A guide recess of the input terminal constituting the relay terminal portion, the guide recess having a bottom surface formed on a reference surface along a surface of the heat sink on the motor body side, on which the connection plate portion is disposed. The electric motor according to any one of claims 3 to 5. The control unit includes a heat sink disposed on an end surface opposite to the electric motor body, a circuit board disposed on the heat sink opposite to the electric motor body, a power output unit of the circuit board, and the electric motor body. A relay terminal part for electrically connecting the power input part of
The relay terminal part is held in a storage part formed on the heat sink, and electrically connects the power output part of the circuit board and the power input part of the motor body through the relay terminal part. The electric motor according to claim 1 or 2.   The relay terminal portion is connected to a power input portion of the electric motor main body, and is inserted into the U-shaped terminal portion arranged so as to protrude from the electric motor main body into the heat sink, and is connected to the terminal receiving portion. The electric motor according to claim 7, further comprising a connection terminal connected to the circuit board while being connected to the U-shaped terminal portion at a portion.   The connection terminal includes a contact plate portion protruding toward the circuit board side, and a connection plate portion extending in a direction intersecting the contact plate portion on the base side of the contact plate portion, and the connection plate portion includes the connection plate portion. The electric motor according to claim 8, wherein an insertion hole through which the U-shaped terminal portion is inserted is formed.   The electric motor according to any one of claims 3 to 9, wherein the relay terminal portion is attached to the housing portion of the heat sink by snap-fit coupling.   The electric motor according to any one of claims 3 to 9, wherein the relay terminal portion is attached to a housing portion of the heat sink by screwing.   A vehicle-mounted apparatus comprising the electric motor according to any one of claims 1 to 11 as a rotational drive source. An inspection apparatus that is used in the electric motor according to any one of claims 1 to 11 and inspects an electric power input unit of the electric motor body,
A sensor that images each U-shaped terminal portion of the power input unit from above the terminal and acquires position information of the planar portion at the tip of each U-shaped terminal portion;
An inspection apparatus comprising: a positional deviation determination unit that determines whether or not a positional deviation of a certain amount or more has occurred in the power input unit based on positional information of the planar part acquired by the sensor. . In the electric motor according to any one of claims 1 to 11, a method for inspecting an electric power input unit of the electric motor main body,
Each U-shaped terminal portion of the power input unit is imaged from above the terminal to acquire position information of the planar portion at the tip of each U-shaped terminal portion, and the power is based on the acquired positional information of the planar portion. A method for inspecting a power input unit, wherein it is determined whether or not a positional deviation of a certain amount or more has occurred in the input unit.

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