Motor-driven compressor including a coupling structure having a protrusion and insertion portion

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9810219-B2
Application number	US-201414222842-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 24, 2014
Priority date	Mar 26, 2013
Publication date	Nov 7, 2017
Grant date	Nov 7, 2017

Abstract

A motor-driven compressor that includes a compression unit, an electric motor, a housing, a cover, and a motor driving circuit. A metal terminal electrically connects the electric motor to the motor driving circuit. A coupling base is coupled to the housing, and the motor driving circuit is coupled to the coupling base. Each of the coupling base and the housing includes an insertion portion through which the metal terminal is inserted. At least one of the coupling base and the housing includes a protrusion. The protrusion is separated from the insertion portions. At least the other of the coupling base and the housing includes a receiving portion that receives the protrusion. The coupling base is positioned relative to the housing by connection of the insertion portion of the coupling base and the insertion portion of the housing and by engagement of the protrusion and receiving portion.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A motor-driven compressor comprising:
a compression unit adapted to compress refrigerant;
an electric motor adapted to drive the compression unit;
a housing that accommodates the compression unit and the electric motor;
a cover coupled to the housing;
a motor driving circuit arranged between the housing and the cover and adapted to drive the electric motor;
a metal terminal that electrically connects the electric motor to the motor driving circuit;
a coupling base disposed outside of the housing and coupled to the housing, the coupling based including a first side surface facing the cover and an opposing second side surface facing an end wall of the housing, wherein the motor driving circuit is coupled to the first side surface of the coupling base; and the end wall of the housing is coupled to the second side surface of the coupling base;
a refrigerant passage, which is an internal is space formed within the coupling base, wherein the refrigerant flows in the refrigerant passage: and,
a supply port formed in the coupling base to connect the refrigerant passage to an external refrigerator circuit, wherein
each of the coupling base and the housing includes an insertion hole through which the metal terminal is inserted in an inserting direction,
one of the coupling base and the housing includes a tubular protrusion portion that extends in a direction parallel to the inserting direction, wherein the tubular protrusion portion is separated from the insertion holes by a predetermined distance,
the other of the coupling base and the housing includes a receiving hole that receives the tubular protrusion portion inside the receiving hole,
the coupling base is positioned relative to the housing by insertion of the metal terminal into the insertion holes of the coupling base and the housing and by insertion of the tubular protrusion portion into the receiving hole in the direction parallel to the inserting direction of the metal terminal, and
a communication passage is formed in the tubular protrusion portion to communicate the refrigerant passage of the coupling base and an interior of the housing to each other.

2. The motor-driven compressor according to claim 1 , further comprising a seal member that seals a gap between the tubular portion and a wall of the receiving hole.

3. The motor-driven compressor according to claim 1 , further comprising a heat insulation layer between the housing and the coupling base.

4. The motor-driven compressor according to claim 1 , wherein
the motor driving circuit includes a heat emitting component arranged on the coupling base, and
the refrigerant passage overlaps with a portion of the coupling base on which the heat emitting component is arranged.

5. The motor-driven compressor according to claim 1 , wherein
the housing accommodates a rotation shaft that rotates integrally with a rotor of the electric motor, and
the compression unit, the electric motor, and the motor driving circuit are arranged in this order along an axis of the rotation shaft.

6. The motor-driven compressor according to claim 1 , wherein
the housing accommodates a rotation shaft that rotates integrally with a rotor of the electric motor, and
the motor driving circuit, the compression unit, and the electric motor are arranged in this order along an axis of the rotation shaft.

7. The motor-driven compressor according to claim 1 , wherein an insulator is provided around the metal terminal, and the insertion holes of the coupling base and the housing hold the insulator.

8. A motor-driven compressor comprising:
a compression unit adapted to compress refrigerant;
an electric motor adapted to drive the compression unit;
a housing that accommodates the compression unit and the electric motor;
a cover coupled to the housing;
a motor driving circuit arranged between the housing and the cover and adapted to drive the electric motor;
a metal terminal that electrically connects the electric motor to the motor driving circuit;
a planar coupling base disposed outside of the housing and coupled to the housing, the planar coupling base including a first side surface facing the cover and an opposing second side surface facing an end wall of the housing, wherein the motor driving circuit is coupled to the first side surface of the planar coupling base, and the end wall of the housing is coupled to the second side surface of the planar coupling base;
a refrigerant passage defined by an interior of the first side surface and the second side surface of the planar coupling base, wherein the refrigerant flows in the refrigerant passage; and a supply port formed in the planar coupling base to connect the refrigerant passage to an external refrigerant circuit, wherein
each of the planar coupling base and the housing includes an insertion hole through which the metal terminal is inserted in an inserting direction, wherein a first end of the metal terminal extends through the insertion hole of the planar coupling base and is electrically connected to the motor driving circuit by a cable and a second end of the metal terminal extends through the insertion hole of the housing and into the housing,
one of the second side surface of the planar coupling base and the end wall of the housing includes a tubular protrusion portion that extends in a direction parallel to the inserting direction, wherein the tubular protrusion portion is separated from the insertion holes by a predetermined distance,
the other of the second side surface of the planar coupling base and the end wall of the housing includes a receiving hole that receives the tubular protrusion portion into an interior the receiving hole,
the planar coupling base is positioned relative to the housing by insertion of the metal terminal into the insertion holes of the planar coupling base and the housing and by insertion of the tubular protrusion portion inside the receiving hole in the direction parallel to the inserting direction of the metal terminal, and
a communication passage is formed in the tubular protrusion portion to communicate the refrigerant passage of the planar coupling base and an interior of the housing to each other.

9. The motor-driven compressor according to claim 8 , wherein
the tubular protrusion portion is arranged in one of second side surface of the coupling base and the end wall of the housing and forms the communication passage,
the receiving portion is arranged in the other one of the second side surface of the coupling base and the end wall of the housing to receive the tubular protrusion portion.

10. The motor-driven compressor according to claim 9 , further comprising a seal member that seals a gap between the tubular protrusion portion and a wall of the receiving hole.

11. The motor-driven compressor according to claim 8 , further comprising a heat insulation layer between the end wall of the housing and the second side surface of the coupling base, the heat insulation layer including a first through hole which receives the tubular protrusion portion.

12. The motor-driven compressor according to claim 8 , wherein
the motor driving circuit includes a heat emitting component arranged on the coupling base, and
the refrigerant passage overlaps with a portion of the coupling base on which the heat emitting component is arranged.

13. The motor-driven compressor according to claim 8 , wherein
the housing accommodates a rotation shaft that rotates integrally with a rotor of the electric motor, and
the compression unit, the electric motor, and the motor driving circuit are arranged in this order along an axis of the rotation shaft.

Assignees

• Toyota Jidoshokki Kk

Inventors

• Suitou Ken
• Kinoshita Yusuke
• Enami Shingo
• Yano Junya

Classifications

• F04D13/0693

  Details or arrangements of the wiring · CPC title

• F04C2240/403

  with inverter for speed control · CPC title

• F04C15/0096

  Heating; Cooling (of machines or engines in general F01P) · CPC title

• F04C2240/808

  Electronic circuits (e.g. inverters) installed inside the machine · CPC title

• F04C29/047 Primary

  Cooling of electronic devices installed inside the pump housing, e.g. inverters · CPC title