Electric compressor

• US 7,972,123 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2007
• Issued: 07/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kimura, Kazuya, Suitou, Ken, Koide, Tatsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodríguez; William H
• Assistant Examiner(s): KASTURE, DNYANESH G
• Application Number:
  US11/729,766
• Publication Number:
  US 20070231165A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,560 Days
• Field of Search: 417/411, 417/423.14, 361/752, 361/753, 361763-766, 361820-825, 439/76.2, 310/52, 310/54, 310/64, 310/68.R, 310/71, 310/89, 310/68.D
• US Class Current: 417/411
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 27/0873 Component parts, e.g. sealings; Manufacturing or assembly thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 35/04 the means being electric
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 39/121 Casings
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 18/0215 where only one member is moving
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2230/60 Assembly methods
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2240/808 Electronic circuits (e.g. inverters) installed inside the machine
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 29/00 Component parts, details or accessories of pumps or pumping installations, not provided for in groups F04C18/00 - F04C28/00

Abstract

An inverter assembly includes a substrate, a capacitor assembly and a coil, a varistor and a base. The base fixes and supports thereto the substrate, the capacitor assembly, the coil, and the varistor, and is detachably fixed together to a first housing with screws.

Claims

1. An electric compressor comprising:

a compressor mechanism portion;

an electric motor for driving the compressor mechanism portion;

a housing for accommodating the compressor mechanism portion and the electric motor;

an inverter assembly for converting a direct current into a multi-phase alternate current to supply the converted current to the electric motor and for controlling a rotational frequency of the electric motor;

an inverter accommodating chamber, which is provided by recessing a part of the housing, for accommodating the inverter assembly, characterized in that;

the inverter assembly includes;

a substrate having an electric circuit including a switching element;

a plurality of components including at least one of a capacitor and a coil; and

a base supporting the substrate and the plurality of components, wherein the base includes a receiving portion that covers at least a part of an exterior surface of at least one of the components, and

the inverter assembly is detachably fixed inside the inverter accommodating chamber of the housing by detachably fixing the base to the housing; and

a cover attached to the housing, the cover covers the substrate, wherein.

2. The electric compressor according to claim 1, wherein the inverter assembly includes the capacitor, the coil and a varistor as the components.

3. The electric compressor according to claim 1, wherein the detachable fixing of the inverter assembly and the housing is realized by screw members.

4. The electric compressor according to claim 1, wherein the detachable fixing of the inverter assembly and the housing is realized by only screw members.

5. The electric compressor according to claim 1, wherein said at least one of the components is fixed to the base by adhesive.

6. The electric compressor according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the components is fixed to the receiving portion by adhesive.

7. The electric compressor according to claim 1, wherein, when the electric compressor is operable, a clearance is formed in a direction of gravity side of an exterior surface of the receiving portion.

8. The electric compressor according to claim 1, wherein, when the electric compressor is operable, an exterior surface in a direction of gravity side of the receiving portion is spaced apart from a part of the housing which is opposed to the exterior surface.

9. The electric compressor according to claim 1, wherein, when the electric compressor is operable, a clearance is formed in a direction of gravity side of an exterior surface of at least one of the components.

10. The electric compressor according to claim 1, wherein, when the electric compressor is operable, an exterior surface in a direction of gravity side of at least one of the components is spaced apart from a part of the housing which is opposed to the exterior surface.

11. The electric compressor according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the components includes a plurality of capacitors, and the plurality of capacitors are integrated.

12. The electric compressor according to claim 11, wherein the integrated plurality of capacitors is received in a container, which is resin molded.

13. The electric compressor according to claim 11, wherein the component including the integrated plurality of capacitors has a mounting portion supported by the base.

14. The electric compressor according to claim 11, wherein the component including the integrated plurality of capacitors is fixed to the base by adhesive.

15. The electric compressor according to claim 11, wherein each of the integrated plurality of capacitors has terminals which are electrically connected to the electric circuit on the substrate, the electric circuit on the substrate has connecting portions to which the terminals are electrically connected, the substrate has slits formed therein from an end of the substrate to the connecting portions so that the terminals are inserted from the end of the substrate to the connecting portions through the slits.

16. The electric compressor according to claim 15, wherein the slits become continuously narrower from the end toward the connecting portions.