Electric compressor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12088173-B2
Application number	US-202217688135-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 7, 2022
Priority date	Mar 9, 2021
Publication date	Sep 10, 2024
Grant date	Sep 10, 2024

Abstract

An electric compressor includes an inverter, a housing with an opening, an inverter connector, a power connector, and a cable that electrically connects both connectors. The housing accommodates the inverter. The inverter connector includes a cover, an outer sealing member, and an inner sealing member. The cover includes an insertion hole through which the cable is inserted, and is disposed in the opening so as to position the cable in the opening. The outer sealing member is interposed between the opening and the cover. The inner sealing member is interposed between the insertion hole and the cable. The insertion hole includes a restriction portion that restricts a movement of the cable, and a fitting portion that is located closer to the inverter than the restriction portion and in which the inner sealing member is fitted. The insertion hole is narrower at the restriction portion than at the fitting portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electric compressor comprising:
a compression portion configured to compress a refrigerant;
an electric motor configured to drive the compression portion;
an inverter configured to control and drive the electric motor;
a housing including a compressor housing accommodating the compression portion, a motor housing accommodating the electric motor, and an inverter box accommodating the inverter; and
a harness including an inverter connector that is electrically connected to the inverter, a power connector that is electrically connected to an external power supply, and a cable that is flexible and electrically connects the inverter connector and the power connector, wherein
the inverter box includes a front case disposed on a side close to the motor housing, and a rear case disposed on a rear side of the inverter box,
the front case has a first opening,
the housing includes a hermetic case, the hermetic case including a front cylindrical portion that protrudes forward in a cylindrical shape from an outer periphery of the hermetic case and a first rear cylindrical portion that protrudes rearward in a cylindrical shape from the outer periphery of the hermetic case,
a grommet having an annular shape is provided between the first rear cylindrical portion and the front case,
the first rear cylindrical portion is fitted in the first opening,
a second opening is formed in the front cylindrical portion,
the inverter connector includes:
a cover including an insertion hole through which the cable is inserted, and disposed in the second opening of the front cylindrical portion so as to position the cable in the second opening, the cover including a front tubular portion, a second rear cylindrical portion, and a fitting portion, the front tubular portion extending from a center of the cover to a side opposite to the inverter, the second rear cylindrical portion extending from an outer peripheral portion of the cover toward the inverter, the fitting portion extending from a position inside the second rear cylindrical portion toward the inverter,
an outer sealing member interposed between the second opening and the second rear cylindrical portion; and
an inner sealing member interposed between the fitting portion and the cable,

the outer sealing member and the inner sealing member overlapping with each other in a radial direction of the front cylindrical portion of the hermetic case,
the insertion hole includes a restriction portion that is formed through the front tubular portion to restrict a movement of the cable, and the fitting portion in which the inner sealing member is fitted, and
the insertion hole is narrower at the restriction portion than at the fitting portion.

2. The electric compressor according to claim 1 , wherein the restriction portion includes a contact surface that supports the inner sealing member.

3. The electric compressor according to claim 1 , wherein the electric compressor includes:
a bracket fixed to the housing; and
a clamp mounted to the bracket, wherein
the cable is held by the bracket and the clamp.

Assignees

• Toyota Jidoshokki Kk

Inventors

• Yamakage Shumpei
• Yano Junya
• Kinoshita Yusuke

Classifications

• H01R13/5202

  Sealing means between parts of housing or between housing part and a wall, e.g. sealing rings · CPC title

• H01R13/5213

  Covers · CPC title

• H01R13/5205

  Sealing means between cable and housing, e.g. grommet (H01R13/5221 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60H1/3222

  characterised by the compressor driving arrangements, e.g. clutches, transmissions or multiple drives (B60H1/3208, B60H1/3226 take precedence) · CPC title

• H02K11/33

  Drive circuits, e.g. power electronics (H02K11/38 takes precedence) · CPC title