JP2020136321A - Electrical machine - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a technique for electrically connecting the temperature sensor of first case and the circuit board of a second case with a simpler structure than before.SOLUTION: The case of a power converter 10 is divided into a first case 11 and a second case 12. A reactor 20 and a temperature sensor 40 are attached to the first case 11. A circuit board 60 and a current sensor 50 are attached to the second case 12. The reactor 20 includes a projection 24 projecting toward the current sensor 50 of the second case 12. A first terminal 44 conducting with the temperature sensor 40 is attached to the projection 24. A recess 56 that fits into the projection 24 is provided in the current sensor 50. A second terminal 55 conducting with the circuit board 60 is attached to the recess 56. In a state where the first case 11 and the second case 12 are coupled, the projection 24 fits into the recess 56, the first terminal 44 touches the second terminal 55, and both conduct.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The techniques disclosed herein relate to electrical equipment. In particular, the case is divided into a first case and a second case, a temperature sensor is attached to the first case and a circuit board is attached to the second case, and the temperature sensor and the circuit board are electrically connected. Regarding electrical equipment.

In order to increase the mounting density in the case of electrical equipment, a structure may be adopted in which the case is divided into a first case and a second case, and electrical components are attached to each case. In that case, there may be a situation in which the component attached to the first case and the component attached to the second case must be electrically connected. In that case, a structure is required in which the parts housed in each case are electrically connected when the first case and the second case are connected.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a power conversion device in which a semiconductor unit and a capacitor are housed in a first case and a discharge resistor is housed in a second case. In the second case, a connecting member for electrically connecting the capacitor and the discharge resistor is arranged. The capacitor in the first case and the discharge resistor in the second case are electrically connected via a connecting member.

Further, in the power conversion device of Patent Document 1, a control board is attached to the first case, and a reactor and a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the reactor are attached to the second case. The above-mentioned connection member includes a wiring fixing portion for fixing the connection wiring for connecting the control board and the temperature sensor.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-23720

The power conversion device disclosed in Patent Document 1 requires a dedicated connecting member for electrically connecting the capacitor of the first case and the discharge resistance of the second case. Further, the connection wiring connecting the control board of the first case and the temperature sensor of the second case is fixed to the wiring fixing portion provided on the connection member. The technique disclosed in the present specification has a simpler structure than the conventional technique, and is a technique capable of electrically connecting the temperature sensor of the reactor attached to the first case and the circuit board attached to the second case. I will provide a.

The present specification relates to an electric device in which a reactor is attached to a first case, a temperature sensor is attached to the reactor, and a circuit board and a current sensor are attached to the second case. The second case is connected to the first case so that its opening (second opening) faces the opening (first opening) of the first case. A circuit for inputting the measured value of the temperature sensor is mounted on the circuit board. The reactor has a protrusion that projects toward the current sensor in the second case. A terminal (first terminal) conducting to the temperature sensor is attached to the protruding portion. The current sensor is provided with a recess that fits into the protrusion. A terminal (second terminal) conducting with the circuit board is attached to the recess. With the first case and the second case connected, the protrusion fits into the recess, and the first terminal comes into contact with the second terminal to conduct both. In the electrical equipment disclosed in the present specification, the temperature sensor and the circuit board are made conductive by fitting the protrusion provided in the reactor of the first case into the recess provided in the current sensor of the second case. The connecting member included in the power conversion device disclosed in Patent Document 1 can be omitted, and the structure becomes simpler than before.

Details and further improvements to the techniques disclosed herein will be described in the "Modes for Carrying Out the Invention" section below.

It is sectional drawing of the power converter (the state which the 2nd case is separated from the 1st case). It is sectional drawing of the power converter (the state which the 2nd case is connected to the 1st case). It is a perspective view of a reactor.

The electrical equipment of the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The electric device of the embodiment is a power converter 10 mounted on an electric vehicle. 1 and 2 show a cross-sectional view of the power converter 10. The case of the power converter 10 is divided into a first case 11 and a second case 12, and FIG. 1 shows a state in which the second case 12 is separated from the first case 11. FIG. 2 shows a state in which the first case 11 and the second case 12 are connected. In both FIGS. 1 and 2, a part of the power converter 10 is not shown. Further, the second case 12 has upper and lower openings, and the cover covering the upper opening is not shown.

The first case 11 has an opening (first opening 11a), and the second case 12 also has an opening (second opening 12a). The second case 12 is connected to the first case 11 so that the second opening 12a faces the first opening 11a of the first case 11. In FIG. 2, the bolt connecting the second case 12 to the first case 11 is not shown.

The power converter 10 is a device that converts the power of an in-vehicle battery into the driving power of a traveling motor. The power converter 10 includes a voltage converter circuit that boosts the voltage of the battery and an inverter circuit that converts the boosted DC power into AC power suitable for driving the motor. The main components of voltage converter circuits and inverter circuits are switching elements for power conversion.

The power converter 10 includes a plurality of switching elements, two of which are housed in the power module 70. The power converter 10 includes a plurality of power modules 70, which are arranged in an example in the Y direction of the coordinate systems of FIGS. 1 and 2. The plurality of power modules 70 are housed in the second case 12.

The plurality of power modules 70 are arranged in a row in the Y direction together with the plurality of coolers 80. The plurality of power modules 70 and the plurality of coolers 80 are alternately laminated one by one. That is, one power module 70 is sandwiched between two adjacent coolers 80. Each power module 70 is cooled from both sides.

A plurality of control terminals 74 extend upward from the upper surface of the power module 70. The control terminal 74 is connected to the circuit board 60. The control terminal 74 includes a gate terminal connected to the gate of the switching element housed in the power module 70, a sense emitter terminal connected to the sense emitter of each switching element, and the like.

A drive circuit that generates a drive signal for controlling a switching element is mounted on the circuit board 60. The drive signal generated by the drive circuit is supplied to each switching element through the control terminal 74. The circuit board 60 is also housed in the second case 12.

From the lower surface of the power module 70, three power terminals 71, 72, and 73 extend downward. Inside one power module 70, two switching elements are connected in series. The power terminals 71, 72, and 73 are connected to the high potential end, low potential end, and midpoint of the two switching elements connected in series, respectively.

A current sensor 50 is attached to the second case 12. The power terminals 71 and 72 of the power module 70 are connected to the bus bars 51 and 52 extending from the current sensor 50, respectively. Inside the current sensor 50, a current sensor element 53 is arranged so as to be adjacent to the bus bar 51. The current sensor element 53 measures the magnetic flux generated by the current flowing through the bus bar 51. Although not shown, a sensor circuit that converts the magnetic flux measured by the current sensor element 53 into the value of the current flowing through the bus bar 51 is housed inside the current sensor 50. The current sensor 50 and the circuit board 60 are connected by a signal line guide path 62, and the sensor circuit is connected to the circuit board 60 by a signal line (not shown) passing through the signal line guide path 62. That is, the current sensor 50 measures the current flowing through the bus bar 51 and transmits the measured result to the circuit board 60.

A recess 56 is provided on the lower surface of the main body of the current sensor 50. The second terminal 55 is attached to the inside of the recess 56. The second terminal 55 is connected to the circuit board 60 by a signal line 61 passing through the signal line guide path 62. The roles of the recess 56 and the second terminal 55 will be described later. The main body of the current sensor 50 is made of resin.

A reactor 20 is attached to the first case 11. The reactor 20 is a passive element in which a coil 21 is wound around a magnetic core 22. The periphery of the coil 21 is covered with a resin cover 23. The upper surface of the coil 21 is exposed from the resin cover 23. The protruding portion 24 extends upward from the side portion of the resin cover 23. In other words, the reactor 20 includes a protrusion 24 that projects upward. A first terminal 44 is attached to the side surface of the tip portion of the protrusion 24. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the projecting portion 24 extends toward the current sensor 50 attached to the second case 12, and the first case 11 and the second case 12 are connected to each other. The tip of the protrusion 24 fits into the recess 56 described above. As shown in FIG. 2, when the protrusion 24 fits into the recess 56, the first terminal 44 comes into contact with the second terminal 55. That is, the first terminal 44 conducts with the second terminal 55.

A temperature sensor 40 is attached to the reactor 20. The sensor element 41 (thermistor) of the temperature sensor 40 is in contact with the upper surface of the coil 21. The sensor element 41 is supported by the element support 42. A signal line 43 extends from the sensor element 41. The signal line 43 passes through the inside of the element support 42, further passes through the inside of the protruding portion 24 of the resin cover 23, and is electrically connected to the first terminal 44. That is, the first terminal 44 is conducting with the temperature sensor 40.

As described above, when the first case 11 and the second case 12 are connected, the protruding portion 24 fits into the recess 56, and the first terminal 44 contacts the second terminal 55 to conduct conduction. As described above, the second terminal 55 is conductive with the circuit board 60, and when the first terminal 44 and the second terminal 55 are conductive, the temperature sensor 40 (sensor element 41) and the circuit board 60 are conductive.

The circuit mounted on the circuit board 60 limits the current flowing through the reactor 20 so as to suppress an excessive temperature rise of the reactor 20 while monitoring the measured value of the temperature sensor 40. Alternatively, the circuit mounted on the circuit board 60 enhances the cooling performance with respect to the cooler (not shown) that cools the power converter 10 in order to prevent the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 40 from rising excessively. Output the command. The measured value of the temperature sensor 40 is input to the circuit mounted on the circuit board 60.

As described above, the temperature sensor 40 attached to the first case 11 and the circuit board 60 attached to the second case 12 are attached to the protrusion 24 and the second case 12 provided in the reactor 20. The current sensor 50 is relayed and electrically connected.

The protrusion 24 attached to the reactor 20 fits into the recess 56 provided in the current sensor 50. A second terminal 55 is provided on the inner surface of the recess 56, and the protrusion 24 is provided with a first terminal 44 so as to come into contact with the second terminal 55 when the protrusion 24 is fitted into the recess 56. ing. When the second case 12 is connected to the first case 11, the protruding portion 24 fits into the recess 56, and the first terminal 44 and the second terminal 55 become conductive. As a result, the temperature sensor 40 and the circuit board 60 become conductive. The power converter 10 of the embodiment can electrically connect the temperature sensor 40 housed in the first case 11 and the circuit board 60 housed in the second case 12 in a simple and space-efficient structure. it can.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, the reactor 20 is simplified and drawn. FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the reactor 20 drawn in detail. The sensor element 41 of the temperature sensor 40 is supported by the element support 42 via a leaf spring 46. The leaf spring 46 presses the sensor element 41 against the coil 21.

The signal line 43 extending from the sensor element 41 passes through the inside of the element support 42, goes out once, and then passes through the inside of the protrusion 24. As shown in FIG. 3, a part of the signal line 43 is exposed from the element support 42, but in FIGS. 1 and 2, for simplification, the signal line 43 projects directly from the inside of the element support 42. It is drawn to enter. It should be noted that the cross sections of FIGS. 1 and 2 correspond to the cross sections along the lines AA of FIG. 1 and 2 are simplified drawings of the reactor 20.

The points to be noted regarding the technique described in the examples will be described. The power converter 10 of the embodiment has a simpler structure than the conventional one without adopting a dedicated member, and is attached to the temperature sensor 40 and the second case 12 of the reactor 20 attached to the first case 11. The circuit board 60 can be electrically connected.

The first terminal 44 and the second terminal 55 come into contact with each other at the same time as connecting the first case 11 to the second case 12, and the temperature sensor 40 and the circuit board 60 are electrically connected. Such a structure simplifies the manufacturing process of the power converter 10.

The techniques disclosed herein can also be applied to electrical equipment other than power converters.

Although specific examples of the present invention have been described in detail above, these are merely examples and do not limit the scope of claims. The techniques described in the claims include various modifications and modifications of the specific examples illustrated above. The technical elements described in the present specification or drawings exhibit technical usefulness alone or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing. In addition, the techniques illustrated in the present specification or drawings can achieve a plurality of purposes at the same time, and achieving one of the purposes itself has technical usefulness.

10: Power converter 11: First case 12: Second case 20: Reactor 21: Coil 23: Resin cover 24: Projection 40: Temperature sensor 41: Sensor element 42: Element support 43: Signal line 44: First Terminal 50: Current sensor 51, 52: Bus bar 53: Current sensor element 55: Second terminal 56: Recess 60: Circuit board 70: Power module 71, 72, 73: Power terminal 80: Cooler

Claims (1)

The first case having the first opening and
A second case having a second opening and being connected to the first case so that the second opening faces the first opening.
The reactor attached to the first case and
The temperature sensor attached to the reactor and
The current sensor attached to the second case and
A circuit board mounted on the second case and on which a circuit for inputting the measured value of the temperature sensor is mounted.
Is equipped with
The reactor includes the protrusion that protrudes toward the current sensor in the second case and is attached with a first terminal that is conductive to the temperature sensor.
The current sensor has a recess that meshes with the protrusion, and includes the recess to which a second terminal conducting with the circuit board is attached.
An electric device in which the protruding portion fits into the recess and the first terminal comes into contact with the second terminal in a state where the first case and the second case are connected.

Images