Vehicular electric compressor

Abstract

A vehicular electric compressor (1) includes a compressor body (2) that compresses fluid sucked from outside and then discharges the fluid, using electric power as power, a protective component (4) attached on the compressor body (2), and an external attachment leg (3) attached to the compressor body (2) through the protective component (4). The protective component (4) is lower in strength than the external attachment leg (3).

Claims

1. A vehicular electric compressor, comprising: a compressor body that compresses fluid sucked from outside and then discharges the fluid, using electric power as power; a protective component provided on the compressor body; and an external attachment leg attached to the compressor body through the protective component, wherein the protective component is lower in strength than the external attachment leg, wherein the compressor body comprises a compression mechanism unit that compresses the fluid and then discharges the fluid, a motor unit that drives the compression mechanism unit, and an inverter unit that operates the motor unit, wherein the inverter unit includes an inverter that supplies the electric power to the motor unit, an inverter case that accommodates the inverter, and an inverter cover that covers the inverter accommodated in the inverter case, wherein the inverter cover is provided at an end of the compressor body and the protective component is provided directly on an outer surface of the inverter cover, wherein the external attachment leg is attached to the inverter cover through the protective component and is attached to a part outside the vehicular electric compressor, and wherein a connection between the compressor body and the protective component and another connection between the protective component and the external attachment leg are made respectively by different connection members.

2. The vehicular electric compressor according to claim 1, wherein the compressor body, the protective component, and the external attachment leg are separate components.

3. The vehicular electric compressor according to claim 1, wherein the protective component is formed of at least one material selected from engineering plastic, super engineering plastic, urethane-based rubber, and an epoxy-based adhesive.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1A is a perspective view showing a vehicular electric compressor according to a first embodiment of the present invention and is a perspective view seen from the inverter cover side.

(2) FIG. 1B is a perspective view showing the vehicular electric compressor according to the first embodiment of the present invention and is a perspective view seen from the housing side.

(3) FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a connection part in a case where an inverter cover, a protective component, and an external attachment leg are connected by a connection member.

(4) FIG. 3 is a partial side cross-sectional view of a protective component according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

(5) FIG. 4A is a perspective view showing an example of a conventional compressor body and is a perspective view seen from the inverter cover side.

(6) FIG. 4B is a perspective view showing an example of a conventional compressor body and is a perspective view seen from the housing side.

(7) FIG. 5A is a perspective view showing an example of a conventional vehicular electric compressor and is a perspective view seen from the inverter cover side.

(8) FIG. 5B is a perspective view showing an example of a conventional vehicular electric compressor and is a perspective view seen from the housing side.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

(9) Hereinafter, an embodiment of a vehicular electric compressor according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

First Embodiment

(10) Hereinafter, a vehicular electric compressor according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 2.

(11) FIGS. 1A and 1B are perspective views showing the vehicular electric compressor according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1A is a perspective view of the vehicular electric compressor seen from the inverter cover side, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the vehicular electric compressor seen from the housing side. As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, a vehicular electric compressor 1 includes a compressor body 2 that compresses fluid sucked from the outside and then discharges the fluid using electric power as power.

(12) A compressor body 2 includes a motor case 31 that accommodates a motor, a compression mechanism, and the like, and a housing (an upper housing) 21 that covers the motor case 31. An inverter case (a lower case) 11 that accommodates an inverter and the like is attached on the motor case 31 on the opposite side of the housing 21.

(13) A compression mechanism, not shown, is accommodated in a part closer to the housing 21 from a central part of the motor case 31. Such a part forms a compression mechanism unit 20 that compresses the fluid sucked from the outside and then discharges the fluid. A motor, not shown, is accommodated in a part closer to the inverter case 11 from the central part of the motor case 31. Such a part forms a motor unit 30 that drives the compression mechanism unit 20.

(14) An inverter 12 that supplies electric power to the motor unit 30 is accommodated in an inverter case 11, and an inverter 12 accommodated in the inverter case 11 is covered with an inverter cover 13. With these components, an inverter unit 10 that operates the motor unit 30 is formed.

(15) In the vehicular electric compressor 1 according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1A, a plate-like protective component 4 is attached on the inverter cover 13 of the compressor body 2. An external attachment leg 3 is attached to the inverter cover 13 of the compressor body 2 through the protective component 4. The inverter cover 13 of the compressor body 2, the protective component 4, and the external attachment leg 3 are separate components.

(16) The protective component 4 is lower in strength than the external attachment leg 3. The material used for forming the protective component 4 is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to use any material having a lower strength than aluminum alloy, which is used typically as a material of the inverter cover 13 or the external attachment leg 3. Specifically, engineering plastic (enpla) such as polyamide or polycarbonate, super engineering plastic (super enpla) such as polyimide, urethane-based rubber, an epoxy-based adhesive, and any combinations thereof can be cited for the material.

(17) Among the materials that can be used for forming the protective component 4, in a case where enpla, super enpla, and urethane-based rubber are used, the inverter cover 13, the protective component 4, and the external attachment leg 3 are connected by a connection member such as a screw or a bolt. In a case where an adhesive such as an epoxy-based adhesive is used as a material for forming the protective component 4, no connection member is necessary.

(18) FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the connection part in a case where the inverter cover, the protective component, and the external attachment leg are connected by a connection member. Considering the damage to the compressor body 2, as shown in FIG. 2, it is favorable that the inverter cover 13 and the protective component 4 are connected by a connection member 5a and the protective component 4 and the external attachment leg 3 are connected by another connection member 5b. Without being limited to this, the connection member can be penetrated from the external attachment leg 3 to the inverter cover 13 for connection.

(19) With the configuration described above, the following effects and advantages are achieved according to the present embodiment.

(20) As described above, in the vehicular electric compressor 1 according to the present embodiment, the external attachment leg 3 is attached to the compressor body 2 (the inverter cover 13). Hence, when the vehicle collides, an excessive load is to be exerted on the external attachment leg 3. At this timing, since the protective component 4 is interposed between the compressor body 2 and the external attachment leg 3, the above load is exerted on the protective component 4. The protective component 4 is lower in strength than the external attachment leg 3, and thus the protective component 4 is certainly broken upon receiving the above load. Therefore, breakage of the inverter cover 13 and exposure of the inverter 12 that occurs accordingly can be prevented.

(21) In particular, in the case where the external attachment leg 3 is attached to the inverter cover 13, the exposure of the inverter 12 caused by the breakage of the inverter cover 13 at the time of vehicle collision and risk of electric leakage that occurs accordingly can be reduced.

(22) In the case where the compressor body 2, the protective component 4, and the external attachment leg 3 are separate components, the protective component 4 can be formed of a different material from the compressor body 2 or the external attachment leg 3. Specifically, by forming the protective component 4 with a material having a lower strength than the compressor body 2 and the external attachment leg 3, the protective component 4 can be more certainly broken at the time of vehicle collision.

(23) For a material of the protective component 4, the above-described enpla, super enpla, urethane-based rubber, and an epoxy-based adhesive can be cited. Aluminum alloy is typically used as a material for the compressor body 2 and the external attachment leg 3. Hence, in the case where the above-described material is used for forming the protective component 4, the protective component 4 having a lower strength than the compressor body 2 and the external attachment leg 3 can be formed more certainly.

(24) In the case where the inverter cover 13, the protective component 4, and the external attachment leg 3 are connected by the connection member, as shown in FIG. 2, the inverter cover 13 and the protective component 4 are connected by the connection member 5a and the protective component 4 and the external attachment leg 3 are connected by another connection member 5b. In this manner, since the connection member 5b does not reach the inverter cover 13, even when an excessive load is exerted on the external attachment leg 3 at the time of vehicle collision, the load can be prevented from being directly exerted on the inverter cover 13 through the connection member 5b. Accordingly, the load to be exerted on the compressor body 2 (the inverter cover 13) through the connection members 5a and 5b at the time of vehicle collision can be prevented. Therefore, damage to the compressor body 2 at the time of vehicle collision can be more certainly reduced.

Second Embodiment

(25) Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 3.

(26) The principle configuration according to the present embodiment is basically the same as the configuration in the first embodiment. However, the inverter cover 13 and the protective component 4 are integrated, and the structure of the protective component 4 is different from the structure in the first embodiment. Hence, in the present embodiment, such differences will be described but descriptions of other duplications will be omitted.

(27) The same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the duplicated descriptions thereof will be omitted.

(28) In the present embodiment, the inverter cover 13 and the protective component 4 are integrated in the vehicular electric compressor 1. Accordingly, the inverter cover 13 and the protective component 4 are formed of the same material. Without being limited to this, the inverter cover 13 and the protective component 4 (and the external attachment leg 3) may be separate components.

(29) FIG. 3 is a partial side cross-sectional view of the protective component according to the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, the protective component 4 includes skin layers 6a and 6b on front and rear surfaces, respectively, and includes a core layer 7 inside the protective component 4. The core layer 7 has a lattice structure (a truss structure) like a lattice-like beam. With such a configuration, the protective component 4 has a structure lower in strength than the inverter cover 13 or the external attachment leg 3. That is, the protective component 4 serves as an impact absorbing member.

(30) With the configuration described above, the following effects and advantages are achieved according to the present embodiment.

(31) As described above, in the vehicular electric compressor 1 according to the present embodiment, the inverter cover 13 and the protective component 4 are integrated. Therefore, the protective component 4 can be formed of the same material with the inverter cover 13. This can lower the weight of the electric compressor.

(32) In the present embodiment, the protective component 4 has a lattice structure. This structure can cause the protective component 4 to absorb the impact more at the time of vehicle collision and can break the protective component 4. Thus, damage to the compressor body 2 at the time of vehicle collision can be reduced more certainly.

(33) In the above-described two embodiments, the case where the external attachment leg 3 is attached to the inverter cover 13 has been described as an example, but the embodiments are not limited to this. That is, the external attachment leg 3 and the protective component 4 may be attached at any positions of the compressor body 2.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

(34) 1 vehicular electric compressor 2 compressor body 3 external attachment leg 4 protective component 5a, 5b connection member 6a, 6b skin layer 7 core layer 10 inverter unit 11 inverter case (lower case) 12 inverter 13 inverter cover 20 compression mechanism unit 21 housing (upper housing) 30 motor unit 31 motor case