ELECTRIC POWER CONVERTER FOR ELECTROMOTIVE VEHICLE

• US 20170104382A1
• Filed: 05/29/2015
• Published: 04/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: KAJI, Masaya, BABA, Ryusuke
• Application Number:
  US15/314,217
• Publication Number:
  US 20170104382A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 6/44 Series-parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/50 Structural details of electrical machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0007 Measures or means for preventing or attenuating collisions
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0061 relating to electrical machines
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 11/0094 Structural association with other electrical or electronic devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 11/30 Structural association with control circuits or drive circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 11/33 Drive circuits, e.g. power electronics H02K11/38 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 5/04 Casings or enclosures characterised by the shape, form or construction thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility

Abstract

An electric power converter (10) is divided into a main casing (10a) and an auxiliary casing (10b). The main casing (10a) contains a high-voltage circuit (28, 29) through which electric power for driving a motor (83) flows. The auxiliary casing (10b) contains a control circuit (19) configured to control the high-voltage circuit. The auxiliary casing (10b) is connected to the main casing (10a) by a cable (23). The main casing (10a) and the auxiliary casing (10b) are accommodated in a front compartment (2) of a vehicle together with a motor case (3) that accommodates the motor. The main casing (10a) is fixedly mounted on the motor case (3). The auxiliary casing (10b) is arranged so as to be adjacent to the main casing (10a) and is fixed to a body of the vehicle.

Claims

1. An electric power converter that converts electric power of a battery to supply the converted electric power to a drive motor, the electric power converter characterized by comprising:

a main casing containing a high-voltage circuit through which electric power for driving the motor flows, the main casing being fixedly mounted on a motor case that accommodates the motor, the main casing being accommodated in a front compartment of a vehicle; and

an auxiliary casing connected to the main casing by a cable, the auxiliary casing containing a low-voltage circuit that operates at a voltage lower than a voltage of the battery and that is configured to control the high-voltage circuit, the auxiliary casing being arranged so as to be adjacent to the main casing, the auxiliary casing being fixed to a body of the vehicle, the auxiliary casing being accommodated in the front compartment of the vehicle.

2. The electric power converter according to claim 1, wherein

a substrate on which the low-voltage circuit is implemented is contained in the auxiliary casing in an upright position.

3. The electric power converter according to claim 1, wherein

the upright position is a position in which a normal to a flat face of the substrate is directed in a horizontal direction.

4. The electric power converter according to claim 1, wherein

an engine is arranged so as to be adjacent to the motor case in a vehicle width direction, and the auxiliary casing is arranged so as to be adjacent to the main casing on a side across from the engine.

5. The electric power converter according to claim 1, wherein

the main casing and the auxiliary casing are arranged side by side in a vehicle width direction, and a front end of the auxiliary casing is located forward with respect to a front end of the main casing.

6. The electric power converter according to claim 1, wherein

the auxiliary casing is located outward of the vehicle with respect to the main casing in a vehicle width direction.

7. The electric power converter according to claim 1, wherein

the auxiliary casing is fixed to the body via a bracket or a tray.