Power inverter

• US 8,587,977 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2012
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Astemo Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Nishikimi, Fusanori, Nakatsu, Kinya
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Nguyen
• Application Number:
  US13/419,884
• Publication Number:
  US 20120170217A1
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• Field of Search: 363/40, 363/55, 363/56.01, 363/71, 363/72, 363/98, 363/109, 363/131, 363/141, 361/760, 361/761, 361/763, 361/767, 361/775, 361/796, 361/679.46, 361/679.47, 361/703, 361/831
• US Class Current: 363/141
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48137 the bodies being arranged next to each other, e.g. on a common substrate
• 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 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1305 Bipolar Junction Transistor [BJT]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/13055 Insulated gate bipolar transistor [IGBT]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/13091 Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor [MOSFET]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19107 off-chip wires
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/003 Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/219 in a bridge configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/5387 in a bridge configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20927 Liquid coolant without phase change

Abstract

In a power inverter, a coolant passage is fixed to a chassis to cool the chassis; the chassis is divided into a first region and a second region by providing the coolant passage in the chassis; a power module is provided in the first region as fixed to the coolant passage; a capacitor module is provided in the second region; and the DC terminal of the capacitor module is directly connected to the DC terminal of the power module.

Claims

1. A power inverter comprising:

a power module converting a direct current to an alternating current;

a capacitor module smoothing the direct current;

a chassis providing a coolant passage;

an upper case that is fixed to the chassis; and

a lower case that is fixed to the chassis, wherein;

the coolant passage is disposed between the power module and the capacitor module;

the upper case forms a first space for accommodating the power module between the upper case and the coolant passage;

the lower case forms a second space for accommodating the capacitor module between the lower case and the coolant passage;

the chassis provides a through-hole, adjacent to the coolant passage, connecting the first space and the second space;

the capacitor module comprises a capacitor cell, a positive busbar connecting to a first electrode of the capacitor cell, a negative busbar connecting to a second electrode of the capacitor cell, a capacitor positive terminal extending from the second space and connecting the positive busbar to the power module through the through-hole, a capacitor negative terminal extending from the second space and connecting the negative busbar to the power module through the through-hole, and a protecting member for protecting the capacitor positive terminal and the capacitor negative terminal; and

the protecting member extends from the second space to the through-hole.

2. A power inverter according to claim 1, wherein:

the power module has a positive terminal that extends to an area facing the through-hole and a negative terminal that extends to an area facing the through-hole;

a tip of the capacitor positive terminal is directly connected to the positive terminal;

a tip of the capacitor negative terminal is directly connected to the negative terminal.

3. A power inverter according to claim 2, wherein:

the positive terminal, the negative terminal, the capacitor positive terminal and the capacitor negative terminal are provided respectively in a plural;

the plurality of positive terminal are connected to the plurality of capacitor positive terminal; and

the plurality of negative terminal are connected to the plurality of capacitor negative terminal.

4. A power inverter according to claim 1, wherein:

the chassis provides an opening connected to the coolant passage;

the power module comprises a metal plate providing a fin, wherein

the metal plate covers the opening with the fin extending to the coolant passage.

5. A power inverter according to claim 1, wherein:

the capacitor module comprises a case accommodating the capacitor cell, wherein

the protecting member and the case is formed integrally.

16. A power inverter according to claim 5, wherein:

the case is made of a metal material.

6. A power inverter comprising:

a power module converting a direct current to an alternating current;

a capacitor module smoothing the direct current;

a chassis providing a coolant passage;

an upper case that is fixed to the chassis; and

a lower case that is fixed to the chassis, wherein;

the coolant passage is disposed between the power module and the capacitor module;

the upper case forms a first space for accommodating the power module between the upper case and the coolant passage;

the lower case forms a second space for accommodating the capacitor module between the lower case and the coolant passage;

the chassis provides a through-hole, adjacent to the coolant passage, connecting the first space and the second space;

the capacitor module comprises a capacitor cell, a positive busbar connecting to a first electrode of the capacitor cell, a negative busbar connecting to a second electrode of the capacitor cell, a capacitor positive terminal extending from the second space and connecting the positive busbar to the power module through the through-hole, and a capacitor negative terminal extending from the second space and connecting the negative busbar to the power module through the through-hole, wherein

the capacitor positive terminal and the capacitor negative terminal are surrounded by a shield; and

the shield extends to the through-hole.

7. A power inverter according to claim 6, wherein:

the power module has a positive terminal that extends to an area facing the through-hole and a negative terminal that extends to an area facing the through-hole;

a tip of the capacitor positive terminal is directly connected to the positive terminal;

a tip of the capacitor negative terminal is directly connected to the negative terminal.

8. A power inverter according to claim 7, wherein:

the positive terminal, the negative terminal, the capacitor positive terminal and the capacitor negative terminal are provided respectively in a plural;

the plurality of positive terminal are connected to the plurality of capacitor positive terminal; and

the plurality of negative terminal are connected to the plurality of capacitor negative terminal.

9. A power inverter according to claim 6, wherein:

the chassis provides an opening connected to the coolant passage;

the power module comprises a metal plate providing a fin, wherein

the metal plate covers the opening with the fin extending to the coolant passage.

10. A power inverter according to claim 6, wherein:

the capacitor module comprises a case accommodating the capacitor cell, wherein

the shield and the case is formed integrally.

17. A power inverter according to claim 10, wherein:

the case is made of a metal material.

11. A power inverter comprising:

a power module converting a direct current to an alternating current;

a capacitor module smoothing the direct current;

a chassis providing a coolant passage;

an upper case that is fixed to the chassis; and

a lower case that is fixed to the chassis, wherein;

the coolant passage is disposed between the power module and the capacitor module;

the upper case forms a first space for accommodating the power module between the upper case and the coolant passage;

the lower case forms a second space for accommodating the capacitor module between the lower case and the coolant passage;

the chassis provides a through-hole, adjacent to the coolant passage, connecting the first space and the second space;

the capacitor module comprises a capacitor cell, a positive busbar connecting to a first electrode of the capacitor cell, a negative busbar connecting to a second electrode of the capacitor cell, a capacitor positive terminal extending from the second space and connecting the positive busbar to the power module through the through-hole, a capacitor negative terminal extending from the second space and connecting the negative busbar to the power module through the through-hole, and a terminal cover covering the capacitor positive terminal and the capacitor negative terminal; and

the terminal cover extends to the through-hole.

12. A power inverter according to claim 11, wherein:

the power module has a positive terminal that extends to an area facing the through-hole and a negative terminal that extends to an area facing the through-hole;

a tip of the capacitor positive terminal is directly connected to the positive terminal;

a tip of the capacitor negative terminal is directly connected to the negative terminal.

13. A power inverter according to claim 12, wherein:

the positive terminal, the negative terminal, the capacitor positive terminal and the capacitor negative terminal are provided respectively in a plural;

the plurality of positive terminal are connected to the plurality of capacitor positive terminal; and

the plurality of negative terminal are connected to the plurality of capacitor negative terminal.

14. A power inverter according to claim 11, wherein:

the chassis provides an opening connected to the coolant passage;

the power module comprises a metal plate providing a fin, wherein

the metal plate covers the opening with the fin extending to the coolant passage.

15. A power inverter according to claim 11, wherein:

the capacitor module comprises a case accommodating the capacitor cell, wherein

the terminal cover and the case is formed integrally.

18. A power inverter according to claim 15, wherein:

the case is made of a metal material.