Power inverter suitable for a vehicle

• US 8,614,906 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2012
• Issued: 12/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Astemo Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Nakajima, Kenichiro, Hamada, Haruki, Suzuki, Hideyo
• Primary Examiner(s): Berhane, Adolf
• Assistant Examiner(s): Quddus, Nusrat
• Application Number:
  US13/417,751
• Publication Number:
  US 20120170340A1
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• Field of Search: 180/41, 180/54.1, 361/676, 361/690, 361/704, 361/707, 361/710, 363/133, 363/132, 363/141, 363/307
• US Class Current: 363/141
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/02 comprising more than one electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/003 with means for cooling the electrical propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/26 characterised by the motors or the generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/405 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/003 Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 27/06 using dc to ac converters or inverters H02P27/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20927 Liquid coolant without phase change
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles

Abstract

A power inverter comprises at least a box-shaped housing; and a power module, a smoothing capacitor, a base plate made of a flat plate, and a rotating electric machine control circuit board arranged in order in the housing. The base plate is arranged with the fringes fixed to the inner wall surfaces of the housing, and the smoothing capacitor and rotating electric machine control circuit board are fixed.

Claims

1. A power inverter comprising:

a power module for inverting DC current to AC current;

a current sensor for detecting the AC current;

a control circuit board for providing a control circuit for controlling a drive of the power module based on the detected current by the current sensor;

a holding plate for holding the control circuit board;

an electric circuit; and

a drive circuit board which drives the power module, and is located adjacent the power module;

wherein the power module provides an AC bus bar for transmitting the AC current;

wherein the AC bus bar extends in the direction of an opening portion of a housing of said power inverter; and

wherein the current sensor is located at upper side of the drive circuit board and is connected to the control circuit board by a signal wire.

2. The power inverter according to claim 1,

wherein the electric circuit is a capacitor module for smoothing the DC current.

3. The power inverter according to claim 2,

wherein the holding plate holds the control circuit board at one face and holds the capacitor module at the other face.

4. The power inverter according to claim 1,

wherein the opening portion of the housing is at a side wall of the housing which faces the electric circuit.

5. The power inverter according to claim 4, further comprising:

a terminal box which is fixed at the side wall of the housing so as to be close the opening portion;

wherein the current sensor is installed in the terminal box.