Drive apparatus

• US 8,710,705 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2011
• Issued: 04/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Yamasaki, Masashi, Kabune, Hideki, Furumoto, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DANG D
• Application Number:
  US13/336,492
• Publication Number:
  US 20120098391A1
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• Field of Search: 310/68.D, 310/89, 310/68.B
• US Class Current: 310/68.D
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 5/0406 including housing for electronic control unit
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 11/33 Drive circuits, e.g. power electronics H02K11/38 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 3/50 Fastening of winding heads, equalising connectors, or connections thereto
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 5/225 Terminal boxes or connection arrangements specially adapted for submersible motors H02K5/132
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 9/227 Heat sinks

Abstract

An electronic control unit (50, 70) including semiconductor modules (501 to 506) and capacitors (701 to 706) is disposed in the axial direction of a motor (30). The semiconductor modules (501 to 506) are placed longitudinally and brought into contact with a heat sink (601). The vertical line to each of surfaces of semiconductor chips included in the semiconductor modules (501 to 506) is perpendicular to the axial line of the motor (30). Accordingly, the capacitors (701 to 706) are disposed so that at least a part of the capacitors (701 to 706) overlap the semiconductor modules (501 to 506) and heat sink (601) in the axial direction of the motor (30).

Claims

1. A drive apparatus comprising:

a motor including a cylindrical motor case that forms an outer periphery, a stator that is disposed on a radially inner side of the motor case and has windings wound about the stator to form a plurality of phases, a rotor disposed on a radially inner side of the stator, and a shaft that rotates together with the rotor;

a heat sink extended in a same direction as a center line direction of the shaft from an end wall of the motor case; and

a printed circuit board including an electronic control unit that is disposed on a heat sink side in the center line direction of the motor case, and performs control of drive of the motor,

wherein the electronic control unit includes semiconductor modules that include semiconductor chips for switching winding currents which flow through the windings of the plurality of phases, and that is placed longitudinally to be directly or indirectly in contact with a side wall surface of the heat sink so that a vertical line to each semiconductor chip surface is non-parallel to the center line of the shaft;

wherein the semiconductor modules and the heat sink are arranged to overlap each other at least partly in the center line direction;

wherein the printed circuit board is disposed at one sides of the semiconductor modules, which are opposite to the motor case in the center line direction;

wherein the shaft is provided with a magnet at a distal end thereof facing the printed circuit board;

wherein the printed circuit board includes a detection circuit for detecting the rotational position of the magnet;

wherein the end wall of the motor case is disposed between the electronic control unit and the motor case;

wherein the shaft is extended toward the printed circuit board through the end wall, the semiconductor modules and the heat sink such that the distal end faces the printed circuit board; and

wherein;

the electronic control unit includes capacitors connected in parallel between a line from power supplying sides of the semiconductor modules to a power supply and a line from grounding sides of the semiconductor modules to a ground;

the semiconductor modules, the heat sink and the capacitors overlap one another at least partly in the center line direction of the shaft; and

the shaft is extended toward the printed circuit board beyond the semiconductor modules, the heat sink and the capacitors such that the distal end faces the printed circuit board.

2. The drive apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the electronic control unit includes a choke coil disposed in a power line from the power supply for the semiconductor modules and disposed on a radially inner side of the heat sink; and

the shaft is extended toward the printed circuit board beyond the semiconductor modules, the heat sink and the choke coil such that the distal end faces the printed circuit board.

3. A drive apparatus comprising:

a motor including a cylindrical motor case that forms an outer periphery, a stator that is disposed on a radially inner side of the motor case and has windings wound about the stator to form a plurality of phases, a rotor disposed on a radially inner side of the stator, and a shaft that rotates together with the rotor;

a heat sink extended in a same direction as a center line direction of the shaft from an end wall of the motor case; and

a printed circuit board including an electronic control unit that is disposed on a heat sink side in the center line direction of the motor case, and performs control of drive of the motor,

wherein the electronic control unit includes semiconductor modules that include semiconductor chips for switching winding currents which flow through the windings of the plurality of phases, and that is placed longitudinally to be directly or indirectly in contact with a side wall surface of the heat sink so that a vertical line to each semiconductor chip surface is non-parallel to the center line of the shaft;

wherein the semiconductor modules and the heat sink are arranged to overlap each other at least partly in the center line direction;

wherein the printed circuit board is disposed at one sides of the semiconductor modules, which are opposite to the motor case in the center line direction;

wherein the shaft is provided with a magnet at a distal end thereof facing the printed circuit board;

wherein the printed circuit board includes a detection circuit for detecting the rotational position of the magnet;

wherein the end wall of the motor case is disposed between the electronic control unit and the motor case;

wherein the shaft is extended toward the printed circuit board through the end wall, the semiconductor modules and the heat sink such that the distal end faces the printed circuit board; and

wherein;

the electronic control unit includes a choke coil disposed in a power line from the power supply for the semiconductor modules and disposed on a radially inner side of the heat sink; and

the shaft is extended toward the printed circuit board beyond the semiconductor modules, the heat sink and the choke coil such that the distal end faces the printed circuit board.

4. The drive apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

the choke coil is formed of a doughnut-shaped iron core and a coil wire wound about the doughnut-shaped core; and

the shaft passes through the choke coil such that the distal end faces the printed circuit board.

5. A drive apparatus comprising:

a motor including a cylindrical motor case that forms an outer periphery, a stator that is disposed on a radially inner side of the motor case and has windings wound about the stator to form a plurality of phases, a rotor disposed on a radially inner side of the stator, and a shaft that rotates together with the rotor;

a heat sink extended in a same direction as a center line direction of the shaft from an end wall of the motor case; and

a printed circuit board including an electronic control unit that is disposed on a heat sink side in the center line direction of the motor case, and performs control of drive of the motor,

wherein the electronic control unit includes semiconductor modules that include semiconductor chips for switching winding currents which flow through the windings of the plurality of phases, and that is placed longitudinally to be directly or indirectly in contact with a side wall surface of the heat sink so that a vertical line to each semiconductor chip surface is non-parallel to the center line of the shaft;

wherein the semiconductor modules and the heat sink are arranged to overlap each other at least partly in the center line direction;

wherein the printed circuit board is disposed at one sides of the semiconductor modules, which are opposite to the motor case in the center line direction;

wherein the shaft is provided with a magnet at a distal end thereof facing the printed circuit board;

wherein the printed circuit board includes a detection circuit for detecting the rotational position of the magnet;

wherein the end wall of the motor case is disposed between the electronic control unit and the motor case;

wherein the shaft is extended toward the printed circuit board through the end wall, the semiconductor modules and the heat sink such that the distal end faces the printed circuit board;

wherein;

the heat sink includes a plurality of side walls that define mutually different planes;

the side walls are disposed to be symmetrical to each other with a center of the shaft as a reference;

the semiconductor modules are dispersedly disposed on two or more side walls out of the plurality of side walls; and

the shaft is sandwiched between the plurality of side walls and extended toward the printed circuit board beyond the semiconductor modules and the side walls of the heat sink such that the distal end faces the printed circuit board; and

wherein;

the electronic control unit includes capacitors connected in parallel between a line from power supplying sides of the semiconductor modules to a power supply and a line from grounding sides of the semiconductor modules to a ground;

the semiconductor modules, the heat sink and the capacitors overlap one another at least partly in the center line direction of the shaft; and

the shaft is extended toward the printed circuit board beyond the semiconductor modules, the heat sink and the capacitors such that the distal end faces the printed circuit board.

6. A drive apparatus comprising:

a motor including a cylindrical motor case that forms an outer periphery, a stator that is disposed on a radially inner side of the motor case and has windings wound about the stator to form a plurality of phases, a rotor disposed on a radially inner side of the stator, and a shaft that rotates together with the rotor;

a heat sink extended in a same direction as a center line direction of the shaft from an end wall of the motor case; and

a printed circuit board including an electronic control unit that is disposed on a heat sink side in the center line direction of the motor case, and performs control of drive of the motor,

wherein the electronic control unit includes semiconductor modules that include semiconductor chips for switching winding currents which flow through the windings of the plurality of phases, and that is placed longitudinally to be directly or indirectly in contact with a side wall surface of the heat sink so that a vertical line to each semiconductor chip surface is non-parallel to the center line of the shaft;

wherein the semiconductor modules and the heat sink are arranged to overlap each other at least partly in the center line direction;

wherein the printed circuit board is disposed at one sides of the semiconductor modules, which are opposite to the motor case in the center line direction;

wherein the shaft is provided with a magnet at a distal end thereof facing the printed circuit board;

wherein the printed circuit board includes a detection circuit for detecting the rotational position of the magnet;

wherein the end wall of the motor case is disposed between the electronic control unit and the motor case;

wherein the shaft is extended toward the printed circuit board through the end wall, the semiconductor modules and the heat sink such that the distal end faces the printed circuit board;

wherein;

the heat sink includes a plurality of side walls that define mutually different planes;

the side walls are disposed to be symmetrical to each other with a center of the shaft as a reference;

the semiconductor modules are dispersedly disposed on two or more side walls out of the plurality of side walls; and

the shaft is sandwiched between the plurality of side walls and extended toward the printed circuit board beyond the semiconductor modules and the side walls of the heat sink such that the distal end faces the printed circuit board; and

wherein;

the electronic control unit includes a choke coil disposed in a power line from the power supply for the semiconductor modules and disposed on a radially inner side of the heat sink; and

the shaft is extended toward the printed circuit board beyond the semiconductor modules, the heat sink and the choke coil such that the distal end faces the printed circuit board.

7. The drive apparatus according to claim 6, wherein:

the choke coil is formed of a doughnut-shaped iron core and a coil wire wound about the doughnut-shaped core; and

the shaft passes through the choke coil such that the distal end faces the printed circuit board.