Capacitor mounting type inverter unit having a recessed cover

• US 7,542,318 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2006
• Issued: 06/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Masami, Danjo, Yasuyuki, Anraku, Fumio, Otsuka, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ullah; Akm E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Williams; Arun
• Application Number:
  US11/442,146
• Publication Number:
  US 20070002594A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,099 Days
• Field of Search: 363/178, 622/592
• US Class Current: 363/178
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/32225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48137 the bodies being arranged next to each other, e.g. on a common substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48139 with an intermediate bond, e.g. continuous wire daisy chain
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48247 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48472 the other connecting portion not on the bonding area also being a wedge bond, i.e. wedge-to-wedge
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73265 Layer and wire connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/73 Means for bonding being of different types provided for in two or more of groups H01L24/10, H01L24/18, H01L24/26, H01L24/34, H01L24/42, H01L24/50, H01L24/63, H01L24/71
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00012 Relevant to the scope of the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/13055 Insulated gate bipolar transistor [IGBT]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/181 Encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/30107 Inductance
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/003 Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1432 specially adapted for power drive units or power converters
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/14322 wherein the control and power circuits of a power converter are arranged within the same casing

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a capacitor mounting type inverter unit having a cooling block, an inverter including a plurality of phases of switching circuits provided on the cooling block, and a smoothing capacitor. The inverter unit includes a cover having a first recess for accommodating the inverter and a second recess for accommodating the smoothing capacitor. The second recess has a depth larger than that of the first recess. The second recess is filled with resin in the condition where the smoothing capacitor is accommodated in the second recess.

Claims

1. A capacitor mounting type inverter unit having a cooling block, an inverter including a plurality of phases of switching circuits provided on said cooling block, and a smoothing capacitor, said inverter unit comprising:

a cover having a capacitor accommodating recess for accommodating said smoothing capacitor in the cover and an inverter accommodating recess for accommodating said inverter in the cover,

said capacitor accommodating recess being filled with resin in the condition where said smoothing capacitor is accommodated in said capacitor accommodating recess;

a platelike first conductive member connected to a positive electrode of said smoothing capacitor and a plurality of positive electrode connecting portions of said switching circuits; and

a platelike second conductive member connected to a negative electrode of said smoothing capacitor and a plurality of negative electrode connecting portions of said switching circuits;

said first conductive member having a plurality of first inverter connecting portions adapted to be connected to said positive electrode connecting portions of said switching circuits, respectively, said second conductive member having a plurality of second inverter connecting portions adapted to be connected to said negative electrode connecting portions of said switching circuits, respectively, and said first inverter connecting portions and said second inverter connecting portions being arranged in the vicinity of one side surface of said cover.

2. The capacitor mounting type inverter unit according to claim 1,

wherein said capacitor accommodating recess having a depth larger than that of said inverter accommodating recess.

3. The capacitor mounting type inverter unit according to claim 1, wherein said cover has a first side surface integrally formed with a first input terminal base having a positive electrode connecting portion adapted to be connected to a positive electrode of a DC power supply and also integrally formed with a second input terminal base having a negative electrode connecting portion adapted to be connected to a negative electrode of said DC power supply,

said first conductive member having a first input power connecting portion adapted to be connected to said positive electrode connecting portion of said first input terminal base, and

said second conductive member having a second input power connecting portion adapted to be connected to said negative electrode connecting portion of said second input terminal base.

4. The capacitor mounting type inverter unit according to claim 3, further comprising a plurality of platelike inverter output conductive members respectively connected to the output terminals of said switching circuits, each of said inverter output conductive members having an inverter output connecting portion;

said cover having a second side surface different from said first side surface, said second side surface being integrally formed with a plurality of output terminal bases each having a motor connecting portion adapted to be connected to a motor; and

said motor connecting portions of said output terminal bases being connected to said inverter output connecting portions of said inverter output conductive members, respectively.

5. The capacitor mounting type inverter unit according to claim 1, further comprising a noise absorbing capacitor accommodated in said capacitor accommodating recess,

said noise absorbing capacitor being connected in parallel to said smoothing capacitor by said first conductive member and said second conductive member.

6. The capacitor mounting type inverter unit according to claim 5, wherein said noise absorbing capacitor comprises a plurality of cascaded capacitors;

said inverter unit further comprising a platelike intermediate conductive member connected to electrodes of said capacitors except the opposite ones of said capacitors,

said intermediate conductive member having a first hole adapted to be aligned with a second hole of a grounding terminal provided at a peripheral portion of said cover, and

said intermediate conductive member being connected and fixed to said cooling block by a ground connection conductive member inserted through said first hole and said second hole.

7. The capacitor mounting type inverter unit according to claim 6, further comprising positioning means for positioning said intermediate conductive member in the vicinity of said second hole of said cover.

8. The capacitor mounting type inverter unit according to claim 1, wherein said cooling block comprises a heat sink having a flat metal plate and a plurality of fins provided on said flat metal plate;

said cover having a flange closely attached and fixed to a peripheral portion of said flat metal plate of said heat sink.