Drive device

• US 20050006963A1
• Filed: 05/08/2003
• Published: 01/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Takenaka, Masayuki, Yamaguchi, Kozo, Kutsuna, Naruhiko
• Granted Patent: US 7,030,520 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 310/52
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/00 Arrangement or mounting of electrical propulsion units B60K7/00 takes precedence; arrangement or mounting of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion B60K6/00; electric transmission arrangements B60K17/12; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles per se B60L; current-collectors for power supply lines of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L5/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/003 with means for cooling the electrical propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/26 characterised by the motors or the generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 11/33 Drive circuits, e.g. power electronics H02K11/38 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 5/18 with ribs or fins for improving heat transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 5/203 specially adapted for liquids, e.g. cooling jackets
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 9/22 by solid heat conducting material embedded in, or arranged in contact with, the stator or rotor, e.g. heat bridges
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20927 Liquid coolant without phase change

Abstract

A drive unit comprises an electric motor, a drive unit casing 2 accommodating therein the electric motor, an inverter 3 that controls the electric motor, and a flow passage of a refrigerant that cools the inverter. The inverter defines a space R between it and a heat sink 5 integral with a substrate of the inverter, and is mounted to the drive unit casing, the space is compartmented by separation means 8 into a first chamber R1 facing the heat sink and a second chamber R2 facing the drive unit casing, and is communicated to the flow passage of the refrigerant, and the heat sink comprises heat-sink-side fins 56 extending into the first chamber and apart from the separation means. Thereby, temperature gradient can be provided between the both chambers, and effective cooling of the heat sink and the drive unit casing can be made possible with less flow rate of the refrigerant as compared with the case where the entire space comprising a single layer is cooled by the refrigerant according to the heat-resistant temperature of the inverter.

Claims

1. A drive unit, comprising:

an electric motor;

a drive unit casing accommodating therein the electric motor;

an inverter that controls the electric motor; and

a flow passage in which a refrigerant passes therein in order to cool the inverter, wherein

the inverter is mounted on the drive unit casing such that a heat sink, united with a substrate of the inverter, defines a space that is in communication with the flow passage on a portion thereof opposed to the drive unit casing,

the space is compartmented by a separator into a first chamber facing the heat sink and a second chamber facing the drive unit casing, and

the heat sink comprises heat-sink side fins extending into the first chamber and apart from the separator.

2. The drive unit according to claim 1, wherein the drive unit casing comprises drive-unit-side fins extending into the second chamber.

3. The drive unit according to claim 2, wherein the drive-unit-side fins are apart from the separator.

4. The drive unit according to claim 3, wherein the separator comprises a low thermal conductive member made of a material of low thermal conductivity.

5. The drive unit according to claim 3, wherein the separator comprises a separation member and a low thermal conductive member provided along the separation member and made of a material of low thermal conductivity.

6. The drive unit according to claim 3, wherein the separator comprises separation members with a low thermal conductive portion therebetween.

7. The drive unit according to claim 2, wherein the separator comprises a low thermal conductive member made of a material of low thermal conductivity.

8. The drive unit according to claim 2, wherein the separator comprises a separation member and a low thermal conductive member provided along the separation member and made of a material of low thermal conductivity.

9. The drive unit according to claim 2, wherein the separator comprises separation members with a low thermal conductive portion therebetween.

10. The drive unit according to claim 1, wherein the separator comprises a low thermal conductive member made of a material of low thermal conductivity.

11. The drive unit according to claim 1, wherein the separator comprises a separation member and a low thermal conductive member provided along the separation member and made of a material of low thermal conductivity.

12. The drive unit according to claim 1, wherein the separator comprises separation members with a low thermal conductive portion there between.

13. The drive unit according to claim 1, wherein the heat-sink side fins have a column shape and are arranged lengthwise and crosswise at a predetermined pitch.

14. The drive unit according to claim 1, wherein the heat-sink side fins are rib shaped fins which are arranged parallel with the flow passage in which the refrigerant passes.

15. The drive unit according to claim 2, wherein the heat-sink side fins have a column shape and are arranged lengthwise and crosswise at a predetermined pitch and the drive-unit-side fins are rib shaped fins which are arranged parallel with the flow passage in which the refrigerant passes.

16. The drive unit according to claim 15, wherein the first chamber and the second chamber are in parallel communication with the flow passage.

17. The drive unit according to claim 1, wherein the first chamber and the second chamber are in parallel communication with the flow passage.

18. The drive unit according to claim 1, wherein the first chamber and the second chamber are in serial communication with the flow passage.

19. The drive unit according to claim 2, wherein the heat-sink side fins and the drive-unit-side fins are rib shaped fins which are arranged parallel with the flow passage in which the refrigerant passes with the heat-sink side fins arranged at smaller intervals.

20. The drive unit according to claim 2, wherein the drive-unit-side fins contact the separator.