Power converter

• US 8,988,861 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2012
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Yokota, Akio
• Primary Examiner(s): Datskovskiy, Michail V
• Application Number:
  US13/558,863
• Publication Number:
  US 20130028001A1
• Time in Patent Office: 971 Days
• Field of Search: 361601-640, 361/36, 361/38, 361/67, 361/657, 361715-727, 363 34- 37, 363 50- 56, 363 65- 72, 363/95, 363/98, 363/131, 363141-144, 318/376, 318/440, 307/9.1, 307/10.1, 307/10.6, 307/10.7, 307/17, 307/45, 307/46, 307/82, 307/83, 307/125, 320/116, 320/119, 320/120
• US Class Current: 361/624
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/003 Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections

Abstract

The power converter includes a power conversion section which configures a circuit for power conversion, a power bus bar extending from the power conversion section, a terminal block, and a current sensor measuring current flowing in the power bus bar. The terminal block includes a mounting surface to which a terminal portion of the power bus bar is mounted. The mounting surface faces a direction substantially perpendicular to an arrangement direction in which the power conversion section and the terminal block are arranged. The current sensor is located at a side of a bottom surface on the opposite side of the mounting surface in the terminal block. The power bus bar includes: a sensor-surrounded portion surrounded by the current sensor; and an outer surface faced portion located between the sensor-surrounded portion and the terminal portion along an outer surface on the opposite side of the power conversion section.

Claims

1. A power converter comprising:

a power conversion section that configures a circuit for power conversion;

a power bus bar that extends from the power conversion section in a first direction, the power bus bar including a terminal portion;

a terminal block that is arranged side by side with the power conversion section in the first direction at a side in which the power bus bar is extended from the power conversion section, the terminal block including a mounting surface to which the terminal portion of the power bus bar is mounted, a bottom surface on an opposite side of the mounting surface, and an outer surface on an opposite side of the power conversion section, the mounting surface and the bottom surface being parallel to the first direction, the outer surface being parallel to a second direction perpendicular to the first direction;

a current sensor that measures current flowing in the power bus bar,

wherein;

the mounting surface faces the second direction perpendicular to the first direction in which the power conversion section and the terminal block are arranged;

the current sensor is arranged side by side with the terminal block in the second direction at a side of the bottom surface of the terminal block;

the power bus bar further includes a sensor-surrounded portion surrounded by the current sensor and an outer surface faced portion located between the sensor-surrounded portion and the terminal portion along the outer surface of the terminal block in the second direction; and

the power bus bar is formed into a U-like shape by the sensor-surrounded portion, the outer surface faced portion, and the terminal portion in such a manner that the sensor-surrounded portion faces the bottom portion of the terminal block in the second direction, the outer surface faced portion faces the outer surface of the terminal block in the first direction, the terminal portion faces the mounting surface of the terminal block in the second direction, and the terminal block is located inside the U-like shape of the power bus bar.

2. The power converter according to claim 1, wherein:

the power bus bar includes a nut that is secured to a surface on the side of the terminal block in the terminal portion;

a concave groove portion is formed on the mounting surface in the terminal block, the concave groove portion having a shape corresponding to an outer shape of the nut; and

the nut is inserted in the concave groove portion.

3. The power converter according to claim 1, wherein:

the power bus bar further includes an engaging claw that is vertically arranged to the side of the mounting surface at an end portion on the opposite side of the outer surface faced portion in the terminal portion; and

the engaging claw is engaged with the terminal block.

4. The power converter according to claim 2, wherein:

the power bus bar further includes an engaging claw that is vertically arranged to the side of the mounting surface at an end portion on the opposite side of the outer surface faced portion in the terminal portion; and

the engaging claw is engaged with the terminal block.

5. The power converter according to claim 3, wherein

in the engaging claw, a vertical height in a height direction, which is the second direction where the current sensor and the terminal block are arranged, is set to be larger than a distance in the height direction between the current sensor and the sensor-surrounded portion on the side of the mounting surface.

6. The power converter according to claim 4, wherein

in the engaging claw, a vertical height in a height direction, which is the second direction where the current sensor and the terminal block are arranged, is set to be larger than a distance in the height direction between the current sensor and the sensor-surrounded portion on the side of the mounting surface.

7. The power converter according to claim 1, wherein:

the mounting surface comprises two or more mounting surfaces including a first mounting surface and a second mounting surface; and

a height position of the first mounting surface in a height direction, which is the second direction where the current sensor and the terminal block are arranged, is set to be lower than a height position of the second mounting surface.

8. The power converter according to claim 2, wherein:

the mounting surface comprises two or more mounting surfaces including a first mounting surface and a second mounting surface; and

a height position of the first mounting surface in a height direction, which is the second direction where the current sensor and the terminal block are arranged, is set to be lower than a height position of the second mounting surface.

9. The power converter according to claim 3, wherein:

the mounting surface comprises two or more mounting surfaces including a first mounting surface and a second mounting surface; and

a height position of the first mounting surface in a height direction, which is the second direction where the current sensor and the terminal block are arranged, is set to be lower than a height position of the second mounting surface.

10. The power converter according to claim 4, wherein:

the mounting surface comprises two or more mounting surfaces including a first mounting surface and a second mounting surface; and

a height position of the first mounting surface in a height direction, which is the second direction where the current sensor and the terminal block are arranged, is set to be lower than a height position of the second mounting surface.

11. The power converter according to claim 5, wherein:

the mounting surface comprises two or more mounting surfaces including a first mounting surface and a second mounting surface; and

a height position of the first mounting surface in a height direction, which is the second direction where the current sensor and the terminal block are arranged, is set to be lower than a height position of the second mounting surface.

12. The power converter according to claim 6, wherein:

the mounting surface comprises two or more mounting surfaces including a first mounting surface and a second mounting surface; and

a height position of the first mounting surface in a height direction, which is the second direction where the current sensor and the terminal block are arranged, is set to be lower than a height position of the second mounting surface.