Cooling apparatus for electric motor control unit

• US 6,822,353 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2003
• Issued: 11/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Takenaka, Masayuki, Koga, Kiyotaka
• Primary Examiner(s): MULLINS, BURTON S
• Application Number:
  US10/475,148
• Publication Number:
  US 20040150271A1
• Time in Patent Office: 403 Days
• Field of Search: 310/52, 310/54, 310/58-59, 310/64, 310/67.R, 180/65.1, 180/65.8
• US Class Current: 310/64
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/003 with means for cooling the electrical propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/405 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/0412 Cooling or heating; Control of temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 1/035 with U-flow or serpentine-flow inside the conduits F28D1/0341 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2275/12 by methods involving deformation of the elements
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 11/33 Drive circuits, e.g. power electronics H02K11/38 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 16/00 Machines with more than one rotor or stator machines for transmitting mechanical power from a driving shaft to a driven shaft and comprising structurally interrelated motor and generator parts H02K51/00; permanent magnet machines with multiple rotors or stators relatively rotated for vectorially combining the excitation fields or the armature voltages H02K21/029
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/006 Structural association of a motor or generator with the drive train of a motor vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/108 with friction clutches
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/116 with gears
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 9/19 for machines with closed casing and closed-circuit cooling using a liquid cooling medium, e.g. oil
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20927 Liquid coolant without phase change
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles

Abstract

A cooling apparatus for an electric motor control unit includes a heat sink that contacts power modules of the unit, a concave portion continuously formed in the heat sink and a wall member mounted on an opening face side of the concave portion so as to be fixed to the sink together define a coolant passage in the heat sink. In the heat sink, a projection projects from a mounting surface with respect to the wall member, and is fitted into a hole of the wall member and fixed to the heat sink by press-fitting. Thus, fluid leakage from cavities in a thin wall portion at a bottom of a bolt, such as in the case of conventional bolting, is prevented.

Claims

1. A cooling apparatus for an electric motor control unit, comprising:

a heat sink contacting a module of an electric motor control unit;

a concave portion continuously formed in the heat sink; and

a wall member mounted on an opening face side of the concave portion so as to be fixed to the heat sink, the concave portion and the wall member together defining a coolant passage in the heat sink, wherein

the heat sink includes a plurality of projections projecting from a mounting surface with respect to the wall member;

the wall member includes a plurality of holes, a hole fitted onto each projection; and

the wall member fixed to the heat sink by press-fitting the projection of the heat sink.

2. The cooling apparatus for the electric motor control unit according to claim 1, wherein the concave portion is a race that winds so as to extend over an entire practical area of the heat sink.

3. The cooling apparatus for the electric motor control unit according to claim 2, wherein a dividing wall, a height of which from a bottom of the race is shorter than a depth of the race, is provided along the race.

4. The cooling apparatus for the electric motor control unit according to claim 3, wherein a contact surface of the heat sink with the module is a surface to which finish machining is applied.

5. The cooling apparatus for the electric motor control unit according to claim 3, wherein the heat sink is fixed on a driving device case of a driving device, for a vehicle including an electric motor, at a predetermined distance to define a return passage of a coolant between the driving device case and the wall member of the heat sink.

6. The cooling apparatus for the electric motor control unit according to claim 2, wherein a contact surface of the heat sink with the module is a surface to which finish machining is applied.

7. The cooling apparatus for the electric motor control unit according to claim 2, wherein the heat sink is fixed on a driving device case of a driving device, for a vehicle including an electric motor, at a predetermined distance to define a return passage of a coolant between the driving device case and the wall member of the heat sink.

8. The cooling apparatus for the electric motor control unit according to claim 1, wherein the concave portion is structured from a space between a plurality of pin-like fins rising from a bottom portion of the heat sink.

9. The cooling apparatus for the electric motor control unit according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of pin-like fins are evenly arranged over an entire practical surface of the heat sink.

10. The cooling apparatus for the electric motor control unit according to claim 9, wherein a part of the plurality of pin-like fins each have a projection of the plurality of projections at a tip thereof.

11. The cooling apparatus for the electric motor control unit according to claim 9, wherein a contact surface of the heat sink with the module is a surface to which finish machining is applied.

12. The cooling apparatus for the electric motor control unit according to claim 9, wherein the heat sink is fixed on a driving device case of a driving device, for a vehicle including an electric motor, at a predetermined distance to define a return passage of a coolant between the driving device case and the wall member of the heat sink.

13. The cooling apparatus for the electric motor control unit according to claim 8, wherein a part of the plurality of pin-like fins each have a projection of the plurality of projections at a tip thereof.

14. The cooling apparatus for the electric motor control unit according to claim 13, wherein a contact surface of the heat sink with the module is a surface to which finish machining is applied.

15. The cooling apparatus for the electric motor control unit according to claim 13, wherein the heat sink is fixed on a driving device case of a driving device, for a vehicle including an electric motor, at a predetermined distance to define a return passage of a coolant between the driving device case and the wall member of the heat sink.

16. The cooling apparatus for the electric motor control unit according to claim 8, wherein a contact surface of the heat sink with the module is a surface to which finish machining is applied.

17. The cooling apparatus for the electric motor control unit according to claim 8, wherein the heat sink is fixed on a driving device case of a driving device, for a vehicle including an electric motor, at a predetermined distance to define a return passage of a coolant between the driving device case and the wall member of the heat sink.

18. The cooling apparatus for the electric motor control unit according to claim 1, wherein a contact surface of the heat sink with the module is a surface to which finish machining is applied.

19. The cooling apparatus for the electric motor control unit according to claim 18, wherein the heat sink is fixed on a driving device case of a driving device, for a vehicle including an electric motor, at a predetermined distance to define a return passage of a coolant between the driving device case and the wall member of the heat sink.

20. The cooling apparatus for the electric motor control unit according to claim 1, wherein the heat sink is fixed on a driving device case of a driving device, for a vehicle including an electric motor, at a predetermined distance to define a return passage of a coolant between the driving device case and the wall member of the heat sink.