WO2012098780A1

WO2012098780A1 - Inverter apparatus and moving body mounted therewith

Info

Publication number: WO2012098780A1
Application number: PCT/JP2011/078565
Authority: WO
Inventors: 前田　好彦; 陽一榎本; 長尾　健史
Original assignee: 三洋電機株式会社
Priority date: 2011-01-19
Filing date: 2011-12-09
Publication date: 2012-07-26
Also published as: TW201233038A

Abstract

In an inverter apparatus (30), a case (40) is provided with a housing section (42) for housing an inverter circuit board (32), and the housing section (42) is divided into two spaces: a first housing section (42a), and a second housing section (42b). The first housing section (42a) has a shorter length (L1) from one external face among the external faces of the case (40) to an inner face of the case (40) opposing that external face than that of the second housing section (42a), is provided with heat radiation fins (44) extending outwards, and has switching elements arranged therein. The second housing section (42b) has a longer length (L2) from the one external face among the external faces of the case (40) to the inner face of the case (40) opposing that external face than that of the first housing section (42a), and has capacitors (61) arranged therein.

Description

Inverter apparatus and mobile unit equipped with the same

The present invention relates to an inverter device used for control of a motor. The present invention also relates to a movable body including an electric vehicle equipped with this inverter device.

Conventionally, moving bodies such as automobiles and motorcycles generally use an engine as a driving source to obtain driving power using gasoline or light oil as a fuel. However, attention has recently been focused on the development of electric vehicles that use a motor as a drive source to obtain driving power using energy as energy as a measure for environmental protection.

An inverter circuit is often used to control the motor. The inverter circuit has a function of converting DC power supplied from the power supply unit into AC power necessary for driving the motor. The inverter circuit includes a switching element formed of an FET (Field Effect Transistor) or the like. The switching element is controlled to repeat conduction and interruption of current, thereby converting DC power into AC power.

On the other hand, some inverter devices include a capacitor for smoothing the fluctuation of DC power in order to make the inverter circuit function properly. Patent Document 1 can see an example of an inverter device having an inverter circuit board provided with a switching element and a capacitor as described above. In the substrate-mounted inverter device described in Patent Document 1, a semiconductor chip having a switching element and a filter capacitor are mounted on the surface of one circuit board, and a liquid-cooled heat sink, which is a heat dissipation portion, is provided on the back surface of the circuit board.

JP 2001-286156 A

With regard to a capacitor for smoothing the variation of DC power in the inverter circuit, for example, if it is intended to satisfy the life of a commercially available part sufficient for using the electric vehicle as a moving means, the height of the capacitor is disclosed in Patent Document 1 It will be much higher than the height of the switching element as the described inverter device. When providing a case for housing and protecting the switching element and capacitor of such an inverter device, it is necessary to design the case in consideration of the shape and size of the switching element and capacitor. Failure to do so may cause the inverter device to be larger than necessary.

Furthermore, in the inverter device, it is generally necessary to provide, for example, a radiation fin or a heat sink for radiating heat generated by the switching element. When designing the case of the inverter device, these heat radiation fins and the like must also be taken into consideration. In the inverter device described in Patent Document 1, a semiconductor chip having a switching element and a filter capacitor are mounted on the surface of one circuit board, and a liquid-cooled heat sink, which is a heat dissipation unit, is provided on the back surface of the circuit board. As a result, there is a concern that the inverter device has become a relatively large device.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and is provided with a case in which a heat dissipating fin can be effectively provided in an orderly manner while housing a large capacitor in size with respect to the switching element. An object of the present invention is to provide an improved inverter device. Another object of the present invention is to provide a movable body including, for example, an electric vehicle and the like mounted with such an inverter device.

In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention relates to an inverter device in which an inverter circuit board in which a switching element and a capacitor are provided is housed in a case, wherein the case comprises a housing portion for housing the inverter circuit board. The storage portion is divided into two spaces of a first storage portion and a second storage portion, and the first storage portion has a distance from one surface of the outer surface of the case to the inner surface of the case facing the outer surface. (2) A radiation fin which is shorter than the housing portion and is formed so as to extend outward and is provided with the switching element, and the second housing portion extends from one surface of the case outer surface to the case inner surface facing the outer surface Is longer than the first storage portion, and the capacitor is disposed.

According to this configuration, the height of the first storage portion is lower than the height of the second storage portion when the inverter device has one surface of the case outer surface down. Thereby, the level | step difference in which the height of a 1st accommodating part is lower than the height of a 2nd accommodating part also arises the outer side of a case. And the radiation fin for dissipating heat of the switching element arrange | positioned at the 1st accommodating part is formed using that this height is low. Therefore, the heights of the first storage portion and the radiation fin when one surface of the case outer surface is down can be made substantially equal to the height of the second storage portion, and the case outer surface corresponding to the top of the storage portions It can be one.

Further, in the inverter device configured as described above, the case includes an opening provided on one surface of the outer surface, and the storage portion recessed inward from the opening, and the inverter circuit board is And the opening is disposed in the vicinity of the opening.

According to this configuration, the height of the first storage portion is lower than the height of the second storage portion when the inverter device has one side where the opening portion of the case exists. Then, the switching element is disposed in the first storage section above the inverter circuit board, and the capacitor is disposed in the second storage section.

Further, in the inverter device configured as described above, the space in the storage portion is filled with a filler, and a part of the capacitor is exposed from the filler.

Generally, when filling the filler around the circuit board, it is necessary to expose part of the capacitor from the filler in consideration of the possibility of failure of the capacitor, but this configuration achieves that Be done. Therefore, the heat dissipation performance of the inverter device is further enhanced, and further, the performance of fixing the mounted components of the inverter circuit board, moisture resistance, dust resistance, etc. is improved.

Further, in the inverter device having the above configuration, the second storage portion is provided with a hole communicating with the inside and the outside of the case at a portion of the case wall facing the opening.

According to this configuration, the filler can be poured from the hole into the inside of the case. Since the first storage section is lower than the second storage section when the one side where the opening of the case is present is lower, the filler is poured until the switching element is completely covered. The part can be exposed from the filler.

Further, in the inverter device configured as described above, in the hole portion, one end on the inner side of the case is present on the inner side of the housing portion than a part of the capacitor.

According to this configuration, when the filler is poured from the hole into the inside of the case, the filler can be prevented from being applied to a part of the capacitor that is desired to be exposed from the filler.

Further, in the inverter device configured as described above, a plurality of the heat radiation fins extend along a direction in which the first storage portion and the second storage portion are arranged, and a concave shape provided between the adjacent heat radiation fins A curved surface or an inclined surface is provided at a position corresponding to the boundary between the first storage portion and the second storage portion, which is a deep portion of a ventilated path recessed in the lower portion.

According to this configuration, for example, air flows into the air passage adjacent to the radiation fin from the side facing the second storage portion of the first storage portion. The air that has flowed into the ventilation path flows along the curved surface at a location corresponding to the boundary between the first storage portion and the second storage portion and is released to the outside of the case. Thereby, the air which flows in into the ventilation path can be circulated smoothly.

Further, in the present invention, the inverter device is mounted on a mobile body including an electric vehicle and the like.

According to this configuration, in the movable body such as the electric vehicle, the heights of the first storage portion in which the switching element of the case of the inverter device is disposed and the radiation fins are substantially equal to the height of the second storage portion in which the capacitor is disposed. And their tops can be flush.

Although the term "mobile" mentioned here includes electric vehicles such as motorcycles, three-wheeled motor vehicles and four-wheeled vehicles, it goes without saying that a motor such as a boat such as a motor boat or a water toy is used as a driving source. It includes a motor-driven vehicle and a motor-driven movable body which can move unmanned without a person getting on board.

According to the configuration of the present invention, the case where the heat dissipating fins can be effectively and neatly provided while housing the large capacitor in size with respect to the switching element is provided, and the downsizing and the improvement of the heat dissipating performance are achieved. An inverter device can be provided. In addition, it is possible to provide a mobile including, for example, an electric vehicle and the like on which such an inverter device is mounted.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a side view which shows the electric vehicle which is an example of the mobile body which mounts the inverter apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the electric vehicle of FIG. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the inverter apparatus periphery of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the internal structure of the inverter apparatus of FIG. It is a vertical cross section side view of the inverter apparatus of FIG. It is the perspective view which looked at the inverter apparatus of FIG. 3 from the opening part side of a case. It is the perspective view which looked at the inverter apparatus of FIG. 3 from the radiation fin side of a case. FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional side view of the inverter device similar to FIG. 5, and is an explanatory diagram for describing a state when a filler is poured into the case.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described based on FIGS. 1 to 8.

First, the structure of an electric vehicle, which is an example of a mobile unit equipped with an inverter device according to an embodiment of the present invention, will be described using FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a side view showing an electric vehicle equipped with an inverter device, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the electric vehicle.

The electric vehicle 1 is an electric motorcycle including a front wheel 2 and a rear wheel 3 as shown in FIG. The electric vehicle 1 has a main frame 4 and a swing arm 5 as main frameworks.

A front end of the main frame 4 is bent upward, and the front end supports the front wheel 2 and the steering wheel 6 in a steerable manner. The steering wheel 6 is provided with a throttle 7 for use in acceleration and deceleration of the electric vehicle 1 and a brake lever 8 for use in braking.

A seat 9 on which the driver can sit and a battery storage portion 10 are provided at a rear end side of the main frame 4 and at a substantially central portion in the front-rear direction of the electric vehicle 1. The battery storage portion 10 is provided below the seat 9 and can store the battery 11 therein. The seat 9 also serves as a lid of the battery housing 10 and is attached to the battery housing 10 so as to be openable and closable. A luggage platform 12 is provided at a position behind the seat 9 of the main frame 4 and above the rear wheel 3.

The swing arm 5 extends rearward from below the seat 9 and the battery storage portion 10 at the rear of the main frame 4. The rear wheel 3 is supported at the rear end of the swing arm 5. Further, the rear wheel 3 is a drive wheel, and a motor 20 for driving the rear wheel 3 is provided between the rear wheel 3 and the swing arm 5. That is, the swing arm 5 supports the motor 20 and the rotational axis of the rear wheel 3 horizontally. In addition, a suspension unit 13 of the rear wheel 3 extends from the upper portion of the swing arm 5 at the position of the motor 20 toward the upper luggage platform 12.

Further, the electric vehicle 1 is provided with an inverter device 30 for performing operation control of the motor 20. The inverter device 30 is exposed so that the outer surface is exposed to the outside air. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the inverter device 30 is attached to the seat 9 and the main frame 4 at the rear of the battery storage portion 10 with a space in which air flows between the rear wheel 3 and the inverter device 30. When the electric vehicle 1 travels, air flows between the inverter device 30 and the rear wheel 3 in the direction indicated by the solid arrow A in FIG.

The inverter device 30 includes a control unit 31 and an inverter circuit unit 50 as shown in FIG. The control unit 31 is configured by a general microcomputer or the like, and functions as a processor that controls a series of operations related to driving of the motor 20 based on programs and data stored and input in the microcomputer etc. .

When the electric vehicle 1 travels, the control unit 31 sets a target torque for the motor 20 according to the degree of opening of the throttle 7 obtained from the throttle 7 operated by the driver. Then, the control unit 31 controls the inverter circuit unit 50 to adjust the current or voltage to be sent to the motor 20 and drive the motor 20.

Subsequently, detailed configurations of the motor 20 and the inverter device 30 will be described using FIGS. 3 to 8 in addition to FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the periphery of the inverter device 30, FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the inverter device 30, FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view of the inverter device 30 in vertical section, FIG. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the inverter device 30 viewed from the radiation fin side of the case, and FIG. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional side view of the inverter device 30 similar to FIG. It is an explanatory view for explaining the state at the time of pouring. In the following description, unless it is necessary to particularly limit, identification symbols of "U", "V" and "W" representing each phase of motor 20 and "H" and "L" representing power level Identification symbols may be omitted. Moreover, when generally mentioned about several switching element, a code | symbol may be abbreviate | omitted.

The motor 20 is a three-phase brushless motor, and includes a rotor (not shown) as a rotor and a stator 21 as a stator (see FIG. 3). The rotor is provided with permanent magnets, and the stator 21 is provided with U-phase, V-phase, and W-

phase coils

22U, 22V, and 22W.

Here, the battery 11 is a direct current power supply, and the positive output terminal 11a is a high voltage side, the negative output terminal 11b is a low voltage side, and a direct current voltage is output between the positive output terminal 11a and the negative output terminal 11b. .

The inverter device 30 includes an inverter circuit unit 50 configured as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 and a smoothing circuit unit 60. In addition, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the inverter device 30 is provided with an inverter circuit board 32 configured by unevenly arranging the inverter circuit unit 50 and the smoothing circuit unit 60, and the control unit 31 described above. And a control substrate 33 installed upright with respect to the surface of the substrate 32.

The inverter circuit unit 50 includes a U-phase switching circuit 51, a V-phase switching circuit 52, and a W-phase switching circuit 53, as shown in FIG. Each switching circuit includes a pair of switching elements connected in series, and is connected in series between the positive output terminal 11 a and the negative output terminal 11 b of the battery 11 via the smoothing circuit unit 60.

The U-phase switching circuit 51 includes an upper arm side (high voltage side) switching element 51H and a lower arm side (low voltage side) switching element 51L. The V-phase switching circuit 52 includes an upper arm side (high voltage side) switching element 52H and a lower arm side (low voltage side) switching element 52L. The W-phase switching circuit 53 includes an upper arm side (high voltage side) switching element 53H and a lower arm side (low voltage side) switching element 53L. Although each switching element is drawn as an FET (field effect transistor) in FIG. 3, it is also possible to replace them with an IGBT (insulated gate bipolar transistor) or the like.

Here, each switching element is in the form of the lower side or the upper side in FIG. 4, and the upper arm side (high voltage side) switching

elements

51H, 52H, 53H and the lower arm side (low voltage side) switching element on the inverter circuit substrate 32. 51L, 52L, and 53L are disposed separately.

The connection point between the U-phase series-connected upper arm side switching element 51H and the lower arm side switching element 51L is connected to the coil 22U of the motor 20 via the current sensor 54U (see FIG. 3). The current sensor 54U has a terminal portion at a position between an electric path connecting the U-phase upper arm side switching element 51H and the lower arm side switching element 51L and a terminal portion 56U to which a power line extending toward the coil 22U is connected. It is provided adjacent to 56U (see FIG. 4). The current sensor 54 U detects a current flowing through the U phase used for drive control of the motor 20, and the signal is transmitted to the control unit 31.

The connection point between the V-phase series-connected upper arm side switching element 52H and the lower arm side switching element 52L is connected to the coil 22V of the motor 20 (see FIG. 3). In the inverter circuit board 32 shown in FIG. 4, the electric path connecting the V-phase upper arm side switching element 52H and the lower arm side switching element 52L is connected to the terminal portion 56V to which the power line extending toward the coil 22V is connected There is.

The connection point between the W-phase series-connected upper arm side switching element 53H and the lower arm side switching element 53L is connected to the coil 22W of the motor 20 via the current sensor 54W (see FIG. 3). The current sensor 54W has a terminal portion at a position between an electric path connecting the W-phase upper arm side switching element 53H and the lower arm side switching element 53L and a terminal portion 56W to which a power line extending toward the coil 22W is connected. It is provided adjacent to 56 W (see FIG. 4). The current sensor 54 W detects the current flowing in the W phase used for drive control of the motor 20, and the signal is transmitted to the control unit 31.

The current flowing in the V phase can be estimated from the current flowing in the U phase and the W phase detected using the

current sensors

54U and 54W.

Then, the switching operation of each switching element is controlled by the control unit 31, and the inverter circuit unit 50 converts direct current power into alternating current power by repeating conduction and interruption of current of each switching element. The AC power is supplied to the motor 20, whereby a current flows through the U-phase, V-phase, and W-

phase coils

22U, 22V, and 22W of the motor 20 to be driven.

When the inverter circuit unit 50 converts DC power into AC power, the control unit 31 changes the relationship between the voltage levels of the U phase, the V phase, and the W phase with the passage of time. The motor 20 or the inverter device 30 is provided with means for detecting the position related to the rotational direction of the rotor of the motor 20, and based on the position and the desired output torque of the motor 20, the control unit 31 Select a switching element to conduct the signal.

On the other hand, the smoothing circuit unit 60 is provided on the inverter circuit substrate 32 adjacent to the inverter circuit unit 50. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the smoothing circuit unit 60 includes a plurality of capacitors 61 for smoothing the fluctuation of DC power. The condenser 61 is provided with a degassing valve 61a at its top. The degassing valve 61a is formed by a cut in which the exterior of the condenser 61 is relatively thin. The gas vent valve 61a is generally provided in a commercially available capacitor in order to release the gas generated inside the capacitor 61 to prevent the burst if the capacitor 61 should break down. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the smoothing circuit unit 60 is also provided with

terminal portions

62H and 62L to which a power line extending toward the battery 11 is connected, similarly to the inverter circuit unit 50.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 1, the inverter device 30 is attached to the rear of the seat 9 and the battery storage portion 10 by providing a space through which air flows between the rear wheel 3 and the seat 9. The inverter device 30 has the appearance shown in FIGS. 5 to 7 and includes a case 40 made of an aluminum alloy having relatively high thermal conductivity.

The case 40 is provided with an opening 41 provided on one surface of an outer surface of the substantially rectangular parallelepiped outer shape. Further, the case 40 is provided with a storage portion 42 recessed from the opening 41 toward the inside of the case 40. The housing portion 42 houses the inverter circuit board 32 provided with each switching element and the capacitor 61 and the control board 33, and covers the mounting parts of the electronic components of the boards. The inverter circuit board 32 is disposed at a position close to the opening 41 of the housing portion 42.

The location of the opening 41 of the case 40 is closed by a lid 34 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The lid 34 is screwed onto the case 40. The lid 34 is fitted to a step provided inside the periphery of the opening 41 and does not protrude outward from the outer surface of the case 40 corresponding to the opening 41.

Further, the case 40 is provided with a case terminal portion 43 for connecting a power line or the like on the right side viewed from the front. The case terminal unit 43 is connected to the three

terminal units

56U, 56V, 56W of the inverter circuit unit 50 and the two

terminal units

62H, 62L of the smoothing circuit unit 60 through the connection member 35.

The connection member 35 is made of, for example, a metal such as copper, and has a flat plate shape extending between the case terminal portion 43 and each of the terminal portions 56. The connection member 35 is fixed to the case terminal portion 43 and each of the terminal portions 56 and 62 by a screw 35 a. In this manner, the thickness of the connecting member 35 can be made relatively thin while making the cross-sectional area of the connecting member 35 as wide as possible. Therefore, a relatively large current can be supplied to the connection member 35 while occupying the space on the side of the opening 41 with respect to the inverter circuit board 32 as little as possible.

As shown in FIG. 6, the connecting member 35U connecting the case terminal portion 43 and the U-phase terminal portion 56U is formed so as to be curved in the middle. That is, the connecting member 35U extends obliquely in the middle so as to approach the V-phase connecting member 35V on the case terminal 43 side. Thereby, in the case terminal portion 43, the end portions of the three-phase connecting members 35 can be arranged at equal intervals.

Further, the inverter circuit board 32 is provided with a signal line lead-out port 32a formed by locally cutting out the board at a position corresponding to the side surface opposite to the side surface on which the case terminal portion 43 of the case 40 is provided. The signal line 36, one end of which is connected to the control board 33, passes through the signal line outlet 32a to the opening 41 side of the inverter circuit board 32 and extends along one surface of the inverter circuit board 32 toward the case terminal 43 ing. Thereby, when the signal line 36 is wired, it is prevented that the electronic component is in the way on the electronic component mounting side of the inverter circuit board 32 or the wide space is occupied on the opening 41 side with respect to the inverter circuit board 32. be able to. Therefore, it is possible to wire the signal line 36 clearly while achieving downsizing of the inverter device 30.

On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the storage portion 42 is divided into two spaces of a first storage portion 42a and a second storage portion 42b.

The first storage portion 42 a is a left side portion of the storage portion 42 in FIG. 5 in which the switching element is disposed, and exists below the inverter device 30 provided in the electric vehicle 1. The first storage portion 42a is the same distance as the second storage portion 42b from the one surface of the outer surface of the case 40 provided with the opening 41 to the inner surface of the case 40 facing the outer surface, that is, the lower inner surface in FIG. Shorter than D2.

In the first housing portion 42 a, the switching elements are attached in close contact with the lower inner surface of the case 40 in FIG. 5 in order to enhance the heat dissipation effect of the switching elements. As a measure against insulation, a high thermal conductive silicon resin sheet material or grease may be interposed between the case 40 and the switching element.

Further, the first storage portion 42 a is provided with a plurality of radiation fins 44 on the outer surface of the case 40. The heat dissipating fins 44 extend outward (downward in FIG. 5) away from the inverter circuit board 32 as shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, and have a first storage portion 42a and a second storage portion 42b. Are formed in a plate-like member extending along the direction in which the The plurality of heat dissipating fins 44 are arranged substantially in parallel so that adjacent heat dissipating fins 44 face each other at an interval.

As described above, the inverter device 30 is attached to the rear of the seat 9 and the battery accommodating portion 10 with a space in which air flows between the seat 9 and the rear wheel 3 (see FIG. 1). And as shown in FIG.1 and FIG.5, the inverter apparatus 30 is attached so that the 1st accommodating part 42a exists in the lower side, and the radiation fin 44 exists in the rear wheel 3 side. That is, the inverter device 30 is provided with the heat dissipating fins 44 exposed to the upstream side in the air circulation direction so that the winds directly hit the heat dissipating fins 44. When the electric vehicle 1 travels, air flows between the inverter device 30 and the rear wheel 3 in the direction indicated by the solid line arrow A in FIG. 1, and at the radiation fin 44, the air is indicated by the solid line arrow A in FIG. Air flows in the direction.

As shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 7, ventilated air passages 45 recessed in a concave shape are provided between the adjacent heat radiation fins 44. The air passage 45 has a curved surface 45a at a position corresponding to the boundary between the first storage portion 42a and the second storage portion 42b. Thus, when the electric vehicle 1 is caused to travel, the air passage 45 adjacent to the radiation fin 44 from the side of the first accommodation portion 42 a facing the second accommodation portion 42 b, that is, the lower side of the inverter device 30 provided in the electric vehicle 1. Air flows into the The air that has flowed into the ventilation path 45 flows along the curved surface 45a at a location corresponding to the boundary between the first storage portion 42a and the second storage portion 42b and is discharged to the outside of the case, that is, to the rear of the electric vehicle 1 See Figure 1). In this way, the air flowing into the air passage 45 can be circulated smoothly. The curved surface 45a may be a slope.

The second storage portion 42 b is a right side portion of the storage portion 42 in FIG. 5 where the capacitor 61 is disposed, and exists above the inverter device 30 provided in the electric vehicle 1. The second storage portion 42b has a distance D2 from the one surface of the case 40 outer surface provided with the opening 41 to the inner surface of the case 40 facing the outer surface, that is, the lower inner surface in FIG. Longer than D1.

The capacitor 61 of the smoothing circuit unit 60 requires a capacitance of several mF, for example, in the case of requiring a life of about 10,000 hours for the electric vehicle 1 using a 2 kW motor. If such capacitance is satisfied with, for example, a few commercially available capacitors mountable on the inverter circuit board 32, the height of the capacitor may be 5 to 6 cm (see FIG. 4). And FIG. 5). For this reason, the second storage 42b is a side facing the opening 41 from the opening 41 with respect to the first storage 42a having a sufficient volume to cover the electronic components of the inverter circuit unit 50 such as switching elements. That is, the volume is further increased toward the lower side in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 5, the control board 33 is installed in the second housing portion 42 b at a position separated from the inverter circuit unit 50 with the capacitor 61 therebetween. The control board 33 is erected vertically to the mounting surface of the inverter circuit board 32 such as the capacitor 61 or the like. Thus, since the control board 33 is not disposed along the surface of the inverter circuit board 32, the inverter apparatus 30 can be further miniaturized.

In addition, the second storage portion 42b has a cylindrical hole 46 communicating with the inside and the outside of the case 40 on the wall of the case 40 facing the opening 41, that is, on the lower side in FIG. There is. One end of the inside of the case 40 of the hole portion 46 is present inside the housing portion 42 than a part of the capacitor 61. Therefore, in order to avoid the collision between the hole 46 and the capacitor 61, the hole 46 is disposed corresponding to the space where the capacitor 61 is not provided in the second housing 42b. The hole 46 is provided with a cylindrical plug 47 for opening and closing the hole 46. The plug 47 is attached to and removed from the hole 46 from the outside of the case 40. By engaging the threaded portion provided on the inner periphery of the hole 46 with the external thread provided on the outer periphery of the plug 47, the hole 46 can be opened and closed. The plug 47 can be rotated by inserting a hexagonal wrench or the like into a hexagonal hole 47a provided on the outside as shown in FIG.

In addition, since the stopper is provided at the end of the case 40 on the inner side of the case 40 of the hole 46, the plug 47 does not fall into the case 40 when screwed into the hole 46 from the outside of the case 40. In the hole 46 without protruding outward from the outer surface of the

Then, as shown in FIG. 5, the filler 37 is filled in the space of the storage portion 42 inside the case 40. Although the filler 37 is filled into the inside of the storage unit 42 from the portion of the lid 34 closing the opening 41, a part of the capacitor 61, that is, the top portion provided with the gas vent valve 61a is exposed from the filler 37 doing. The filler 37 is made of, for example, high thermal conductivity urethane resin or epoxy resin, and is provided for improving performance such as fixing of the mounted components of the inverter circuit board 32 and the control board 33, moisture resistance, dust resistance, and heat dissipation.

The filler 37 is poured into the case 40 in the state shown in FIG. That is, the case 40 of the inverter device 30 is held with the lid 34 on the lower side, and the filler 37 is poured into the case 40 through the hole 46 which is opened by removing the plug 47. A dispenser (not shown) is used to pour the filler 37 into the case 40, and the dispenser needle 100 is inserted into the hole 46. The tip of the dispenser needle 100 is located below one end inside the case 40 of the hole 46, that is, below the top which is a part of the condenser 61.

Then, the filler 37 is filled in the storage portion 42 to a height shown by a broken line in FIG. 8 below the tip of the dispenser needle 100. The inverter circuit board 32, the control board 33, and the switching element are buried in the filler 37, and a part of the capacitor 61, that is, the top portion provided with the gas vent valve 61a is exposed from the filler 37 as described above. In this manner, the first storage portion 42a is lower than the second storage portion 42b when the one surface where the opening 41 of the outer surface of the case 40 exists is lower, so the filler 37 is completely covered until the switching element is completely covered. The part of the capacitor 61 can be exposed from the filler 37. Also, when the filler 37 is poured from the hole 46 into the inside of the case 40, the filler 37 is prevented from being applied to a part of the capacitor 61 desired to be exposed from the filler 37, that is, the top portion provided with the gas release valve 61a. be able to.

As described above, when the inverter device 30 has the opening 41 on the outer surface of the case 40 facing down, the height of the first storage portion 42 a is lower than the height of the second storage portion 42 b. As a result, a step D3 in which the height of the first storage portion 42a is lower than the height of the second storage portion 42b also occurs outside the case 40 (see FIG. 5). And the radiation fin 44 for thermally dissipating the heat of the switching element arrange | positioned at the 1st accommodating part 42a can be formed using that this height is low. In the case of the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the case 40 is provided with the radiation fin 44 having a height corresponding to the step D3. Therefore, the height of the first storage portion 42a and the radiation fin 44 can be substantially equal to the height of the second storage portion 42b when the one surface where the opening 41 of the outer surface of the case 40 exists is downward. The tops of the receptacles in the can be made flush. As a result, the outer shape of the case 40 falls within a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape while solving the problems of temperature rise in the inverter circuit unit 50 and lack of volume in the smoothing circuit unit 60 (see FIGS. 5 and 7). Therefore, it is possible to effectively improve the downsizing of the inverter device 30 and the improvement of the heat dissipation performance.

As described above, according to the above-described embodiment, while accommodating the capacitor 61 large in size with respect to the switching element, the radiation fin 44 is provided with the case 40 in which the heat dissipation fins 44 can be effectively and neatly provided. It is possible to provide an inverter device 30 which is improved. In addition, for example, the electric vehicle 1 equipped with such an inverter device 30 can be provided.

The embodiment of the present invention has been described above, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to this, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

For example, in the embodiment of the present invention, the mobile body mounted with the inverter device 30 has been described by taking the motorcycle as the electric vehicle 1 shown in FIG. 1 as an example, but the electric vehicle to be mounted is limited to the motorcycle It does not have to be, and it may be a three-wheeled automobile or a four-wheeled automobile. In addition, the moving object on which the inverter device 30 is to be mounted is not limited to the electric vehicle, and motorized vehicles such as motor boats and other ships, and watercrafts and the like are motorized vehicles using a motor as a driving source. Instead, it may be a motor-driven movable body that moves unmanned. In these movable bodies, although the inverter device of the present invention may be the whole, it is preferable that at least a portion of the heat radiation fin be exposed so as to be exposed to the outside air.

In the above embodiment, the height of the first storage portion 42a and the radiation fin 44 and the height of the second storage portion 42b are substantially equal when the one surface of the case 40 on the outer surface of the case 40 is downward. The tops of the receptacles on the outer surface are flush, but is not limited to such flush. That is, the height of the heat dissipating fins 44 when the surface on which the opening 41 on the outer surface of the case 40 exists is limited to the height shown in the present embodiment as long as the heat of the switching element can be dissipated efficiently. It does not mean that The top of the heat dissipating fin 44 may be higher or lower than the top of the second storage portion 42b.

The present invention can be used in an inverter device used to control a motor.

1 Electric vehicle (mobile)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 2 front wheel 3 rear wheel 11 battery 20

motor

22 U, 22 V, 22 W coil 30 inverter apparatus 31 control part 32 inverter circuit board 33 control board 34 lid 37 filling agent 40 case 41 opening 42 storage part 42 a first storage part 42 b second storage Section 44 Heat dissipation fin 45 Air passage 46 Hole 47 Plug 47a Hexagon socket 50 Inverter circuit 51 U phase switching circuit 52 V phase switching circuit 53 W

phase switching circuit

51H, 52H, 53H Upper arm

side switching element

51L, 52L, 53L Arm side switching element 60 Smoothing circuit section 61 Capacitor

Claims

In an inverter device which accommodates an inverter circuit board in which a switching element and a capacitor are provided inside a case,
The case includes a storage portion for storing the inverter circuit board, and the storage portion is divided into two spaces of a first storage portion and a second storage portion.
The first storage portion is provided with a radiation fin which is formed so that the distance from one surface of the case outer surface to the case inner surface opposed to the outer surface is shorter than the second storage portion and extends outward. The element is placed
The inverter device according to claim 1, wherein a distance from one surface of the outer surface of the case to the inner surface of the case opposite to the outer surface of the second storage portion is longer than the first storage portion, and the capacitor is disposed.
The case includes an opening provided on one surface of the outer surface, and the storage unit recessed inward from the opening.
The inverter device according to claim 1, wherein the inverter circuit board is disposed close to the opening.
The inverter device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a space is filled with a filler, and a part of the capacitor is exposed from the filler.
The second storage unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a hole communicating between the inside and the outside of the case is provided at a location of the case wall facing the opening. The inverter apparatus of any one term.
5. The inverter device according to claim 4, wherein one end of the inside of the case of the hole portion is located inside the storage portion from a part of the capacitor.
A plurality of the heat dissipating fins extend in a direction in which the first storage portion and the second storage portion are arranged,
Having a curved surface or a slope at a position corresponding to the boundary between the first storage portion and the second storage portion, which is a deep portion of a recessed recessed air path provided between the adjacent heat radiation fins. The inverter device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that
A mobile unit on which the inverter device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 is mounted.