Electric compressor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12378960-B2
Application number	US-202418973714-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 9, 2024
Priority date	Dec 21, 2023
Publication date	Aug 5, 2025
Grant date	Aug 5, 2025

Abstract

An electric compressor comprising: a conductive pin; an inverter terminal; and an electrical connector. The electrical connector includes: a bus bar; a first terminal and a second terminal at opposite ends of the bus bar; and an accommodation case fixed to a motor housing. The first terminal is connected to the conductive pin outside the motor housing. The second terminal is inserted into an inverter housing. The accommodation case has a second through hole through which the conductive pin is inserted toward the first terminal and accommodates the bus bar such that the second terminal is disposed outside the accommodation case. A junction terminal connects the inverter terminal and the second terminal inside the inverter housing. The first terminal and the second terminal are respectively fitted into the conductive pin and the junction terminal by movement of the electrical connector in an axial direction of a rotary shaft.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electric compressor comprising:
a rotary shaft;
a compression unit configured to compress a fluid with rotation of the rotary shaft;
a motor configured to rotate the rotary shaft;
an inverter including an inverter circuit that drives the motor;
an inverter housing accommodating the inverter;
a motor housing having a bottomed-cylindrical shape and accommodating the motor, the motor housing cooperating with the inverter housing to define, radially outside the motor housing, an inverter chamber in which the inverter is accommodated;
a compression unit housing having a bottomed-cylindrical shape and accommodating the compression unit;
a shaft support member disposed between the motor housing and the compression unit housing, the shaft support member cooperating with the motor housing to define a motor chamber in which the motor is accommodated and cooperating with the compression unit housing to define a compression unit chamber in which the compression unit is accommodated, the shaft support member having an insertion hole through which the rotary shaft is inserted, the shaft support member supporting the rotary shaft rotatably;
a conductive pin inserted through a first through hole formed through a bottom wall of the motor housing, the conductive pin being held by the first through hole and electrically connected to the motor;
an inverter terminal having a plate shape, disposed in the inverter housing, and electrically connected to a board of the inverter circuit on which a pattern is formed; and
an electrical connector electrically connecting the conductive pin and the inverter terminal, wherein
the electrical connector includes: a bus bar having a plate shape; a first terminal and a second terminal respectively at opposite ends of the bus bar; and an accommodation case fixed to the bottom wall of the motor housing, the first terminal being connected to the conductive pin outside the motor housing, the second terminal being inserted into the inverter housing, the accommodation case having a second through hole through which the conductive pin is inserted toward the first terminal and accommodating the bus bar such that the second terminal is disposed outside the accommodation case,
a junction terminal is disposed on the inverter terminal and connects the inverter terminal and the second terminal inside the inverter housing, and
the first terminal and the second terminal are respectively fitted into the conductive pin and the junction terminal by movement of the electrical connector in an axial direction of the rotary shaft.

2. The electric compressor according to claim 1 , wherein
the inverter terminal has a first inverter terminal and a second inverter terminal respectively at opposite ends of the inverter terminal, and an extension portion located between the first inverter terminal and the second inverter terminal,
the first inverter terminal being connected to the pattern, the second inverter terminal being connected to the junction terminal, the extension portion extending so that the second inverter terminal is spaced away from the board, and
the extension portion has a bent portion that is bent so that the second inverter terminal is closer to the conductive pin than the first inverter terminal to the conductive pin.

3. The electric compressor according to claim 2 , wherein
the inverter terminal is accommodated together with the junction terminal in a resin case made of resin such that the first inverter terminal is disposed outside the resin case,
the resin case has a resin-case through hole through which the second terminal is inserted toward the junction terminal, and
the resin-case through hole is defined by a tapered surface that gradually reduces an area of an opening of the resin-case through hole in an insertion direction of the second terminal.

4. The electric compressor according to claim 3 , wherein
the electrical connector includes a plurality of the second terminals, and the resin case has a plurality of the resin-case through holes,
the resin case has a recess between the resin-case through holes adjacent to each other, and
the recess increases a creepage distance between the second terminals adjacent to each other.

5. The electric compressor according to claim 3 , wherein
the resin case has: a first accommodation portion for accommodating the junction terminal; a second accommodation portion for accommodating the bent portion; and a rib extending from the first accommodation portion to the second accommodation portion in the axial direction of the rotary shaft, and
a dimension of the rib gradually in an up-down direction of the electric compressor increases from the first accommodation portion to the second accommodation portion.

Assignees

• Toyota Jidoshokki Kk

Inventors

• Iwase Yusuke
• Ito Hiroaki

Classifications

• H02K7/14

  Structural association with mechanical loads, e.g. with hand-held machine tools or fans (with fan or impeller for cooling the machine H02K9/06) · CPC title

• F04C2240/403

  with inverter for speed control · CPC title

• H02K5/04

  Casings or enclosures characterised by the shape, form or construction thereof · CPC title

• F04C2240/30

  Casings or housings · CPC title

• H02K7/003 Primary

  Couplings; Details of shafts (means for mounting rotors on shafts H02K1/28) · CPC title