Controller for vehicle motor

• US 6,456,029 B1
• Filed: 11/13/2000
• Issued: 09/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Nichiyu Forklift Co., Ltd. (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
• Inventors: Akahane, Fumihiro, Kobayashi, Shinichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ro, Bentsu
• Application Number:
  US09/709,295
• Time in Patent Office: 680 Days
• Field of Search: 318/139, 318/801, 318/802, 318/803, 318/538, 318/722, 363/123, 363/131, 363/132, 363/133, 363/134
• US Class Current: 318/538
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/007 Physical arrangements or structures of drive train converters specially adapted for the propulsion motors of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/40 using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/003 Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

A controller for a vehicle motor includes a switching unit, a capacitor unit, output terminals and wiring lines. The switching unit is provided on a substrate to control power supply to a motor. The capacitor unit is arranged in neighborhood of the switching unit, and is connected to the switching unit. The output terminals are connected to the motor. The wiring lines connect the switching unit and the output terminals in a straight line route.

Claims

1. A controller for a vehicle motor, comprising:

a switching unit including one or more switching devices mounted on a substrate to control power supplied to a motor;

a capacitor unit arranged so as to be adjacent said switching unit, and connected to said switching unit;

output terminals to which said motor is connected;

elongated generally linear wiring bus bar type lines for connecting said switching unit and said output terminals in a straight line;

wherein said switching unit further includes a diode unit including one or more diodes respectively mounted in tandem with said switching devices on the substrate; and

wherein said bus bar type wiring lines extend in a direction orthogonal to the tandem mounting of said switching unit and said diode unit.

2. The controller for the vehicle motor according to claim 1, wherein said capacitor unit is located directly above said switching unit.

3. The controller for the vehicle motor according to claim 2, wherein said capacitor unit is mounted above said switching unit by a pair of angulated brackets.

4. The controller for the vehicle motor according to claim 3, wherein said capacitor unit is attached to said switching unit, and

wherein one portion of said angulated brackets is substantially parallel to the bus bar type wiring lines between said switching devices and said diodes.

5. The controller for the vehicle motor according to claim 1, further comprising:

a control unit, for controlling the switching unit, mounted on an additional substrate which extends upward from said substrate.

6. The controller for the vehicle motor according to claim 1, wherein said capacitor unit is electrically connected to one of said output terminals.

7. The controller of the vehicle motor according to claim 1, wherein said switching devices of said switching unit comprise IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) devices.

8. The controller of the vehicle motor according to claim 1, wherein said motor comprises a run motor used for providing movement of the vehicle, and

said controller further includes a control unit for controlling an operation of said run motor.

9. The controller of the vehicle motor according to claim 1, wherein said motor comprises a work motor used for powering a work performing device on the vehicle, and

said controller further includes a control unit for controlling an operation of the work motor.

10. A vehicle motor controller comprising:

a first switching unit including a first set of one or more switching devices mounted on a substrate for controlling power supplied to a first motor used for providing movement of a vehicle;

a first capacitor unit proximally located so as to be adjacent to said first switching unit, and connected with said first switching unit;

a first group of output terminals to which said first motor is connected;

a first group of elongated generally linear wiring lines in the form of elongated bus bars for connecting said first output terminals and said first switching unit in a straight line;

wherein said first switching unit further includes a diode unit including one or more diodes respectively mounted in tandem with said first set of switching devices; and

wherein said first group of generally linear wiring lines in the form of elongated bus bars extend in a direction orthogonal to the tandem mounting of said switching devices and said diode unit;

a second switching unit including a second set of one or more switching devices mounted on a substrate for controlling power supply to a second motor used for powering a work performing device on said vehicle;

a second capacitor unit proximally located so as to be adjacent to said second switching unit and connected with said second switching unit;

a second group of output terminals to which said second motor is connected;

second group of elongated generally linear wiring lines in the form of elongated bus bars for connecting second output terminals and said second switching unit in a straight line;

wherein said second switching unit further includes a diode unit including one or more diodes respectively mounted in tandem with said second set of switching devices; and

wherein said second group of generally linear wiring lines in the form of elongated bus bars extend in a direction orthogonal to the tandem mounting of said switching devices and said diode unit.