JP7743333B2 - Electric compressor - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an electric compressor with an integrated inverter.

Many electric compressors used to compress refrigerant in vehicle air conditioners have an integrated inverter that converts DC power from an on-board battery or other source into AC power, controlling the power supply to the electric motor that drives the compression mechanism. This type of electric compressor includes a housing that houses the electric motor and compression mechanism, and an inverter accommodating section that is integral with the housing and houses the inverter. The inverter accommodating section also includes a accommodating section main body with an opening and a cover member that closes the opening of the accommodating section main body. The cover member is configured so that its peripheral edge is fastened to the accommodating section main body with bolts or the like.

Here, vibrations generated by the compression mechanism, etc., are transmitted to the cover member via the housing and the accommodating unit main body, causing the cover member to vibrate and generate noise. In this regard, Patent Document 1 describes how vibration-damping members are placed between the cover member and the heads of the bolts that secure the circuit board that makes up the inverter, thereby suppressing the vibration of the cover member and reducing the noise caused by the vibration of the cover member.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-56376

With the recent trend toward electrification of automobiles, there is a greater demand than ever for lightweight, quieter, and more electromagnetic compatibility (EMC)-compliant electric compressors. In particular, EMC measures have led to larger inverter noise filters and increased volume in the inverter housing. This has resulted in a relative decrease in the rigidity of the cover member, and the separation of the fastening points (fixing points) between the cover member and the housing body, making the cover member more susceptible to vibration. Conventional technology may not be able to sufficiently reduce noise caused by cover member vibration.

In response to this, it is possible to increase the rigidity of the cover member by increasing the number of fastening points (fixing points) toward the center of the cover member. However, inverters include circuit boards on which various electronic components such as noise filters are mounted, and increasing the number of fastening points (fixing points) toward the center of the cover member would reduce the mounting area for electronic components on the circuit board, which would place restrictions on mounting electronic components on the circuit board, making this undesirable.

In addition, some of the electronic components mounted on the inverter circuit board may require reinforcement (vibration reinforcement) to ensure the circuit board's vibration resistance.

The present invention aims to provide an electric compressor that ensures the vibration resistance of the inverter circuit board, prevents a reduction in the mounting area of electronic components on the inverter circuit board, and reduces noise caused by vibration of the cover member of the inverter accommodating section.

One aspect of the present invention provides an electric compressor. The electric compressor includes a housing that houses an electric motor and a compression mechanism driven by the electric motor; an inverter that drives the electric motor and includes a circuit board on which electronic components are mounted; an inverter accommodating section that houses the inverter, the inverter accommodating section including a accommodating section main body with an opening; a board fixing section that protrudes from the inner bottom surface of the accommodating section main body facing the opening and to which the circuit board is fixed; and a cover member that closes the opening of the accommodating section main body; and a vibration-damping member that suppresses vibration of the cover member. Certain of the electronic components are mold-sealed with thermosetting insulating resin and are fixedly disposed on the surface of the circuit board facing the cover member, and the vibration-damping member is disposed between the mold-sealed certain electronic components and the cover member.

This invention provides an electric compressor that ensures the vibration resistance of the inverter circuit board, prevents a reduction in the mounting area of electronic components on the inverter circuit board, and reduces noise caused by vibration of the cover member of the inverter accommodating section.

1 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of an electric compressor according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a view of the electric compressor according to the first embodiment, seen from the inverter accommodating portion side, with a cover member for the inverter accommodating portion removed. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a circuit configuration of an inverter of the electric compressor according to the first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the inside of an inverter accommodating section. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a power switching element. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a switching element module. 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an installation state of a switching element module (power switching element) in an inverter accommodating section. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a circuit board of an inverter. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a circuit board of an inverter. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a circuit board of an inverter. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the circuit board of the inverter is placed on the board fixing portion; 3A and 3B are diagrams illustrating an inverter accommodating section (accommodating section main body, cover member), vibration-isolating members, and an inverter circuit board. FIG. 6 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of an electric compressor according to a second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of an electric compressor according to a third embodiment.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[First embodiment]
1 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of an electric compressor 1 according to a first embodiment. The electric compressor 1 according to the first embodiment is a so-called inverter-integrated electric compressor having an integrated inverter. The electric compressor 1 may be mounted on a vehicle, for example, to form part of a refrigerant circuit of a vehicle air conditioner, and may be configured to compress and discharge refrigerant.

Referring to FIG. 1, the electric compressor 1 includes an electric motor 2, a compression mechanism 3 driven by the electric motor to compress a refrigerant, a housing 4 that houses the electric motor 2 and the compression mechanism 3, an inverter 5 that drives the electric motor 2, and an inverter housing 6 that houses the inverter 5.

The electric motor 2 is, for example, a three-phase synchronous motor (brushless DC motor). The compression mechanism 3 is, for example, a scroll compression mechanism. The electric motor 2 and compression mechanism 3 are arranged in series within the housing 4 in the axial direction of the output shaft 2a of the electric motor 2. The output shaft 2a of the electric motor 2 is connected to the compression mechanism 3 (or the orbiting scroll in the case of a scroll compression mechanism).

The inverter 5 includes various electronic components (described below) and a circuit board 7 on which the various electronic components are mounted. In other words, in this embodiment, the inverter 5 is configured by mounting various electronic components on the circuit board 7.

The inverter accommodating section 6 is provided integrally with the housing 4. The inverter accommodating section 6 is located at one end of the housing 4 in the axial direction, specifically, on the opposite side of the electric motor 2 from the compression mechanism 3. In this embodiment, the inverter accommodating section 6 includes an accommodating section main body 61 formed integrally with the housing 4, and a cover member 62 that is removable from the accommodating section main body 61.

The accommodation unit main body 61 has a bottom wall 611 and a peripheral wall 612 that rises from the periphery of the bottom wall 611 and defines an opening facing the bottom wall 611. The cover member 62 is attached to the accommodation unit main body 61 and is configured to close the opening. A portion of the bottom wall 611 of the accommodation unit main body 61 (which is also the bottom wall of the inverter accommodation unit 6) forms a partition wall 8 that separates the interior of the housing 4 from the interior of the inverter accommodation unit 6. The power supply line 9 from the inverter 5 to the electric motor 2 extends through the partition wall 8 (the bottom wall 611 of the accommodation unit main body 61) in an airtight and liquid-tight manner.

Figure 2 shows the electric compressor 1 viewed from the inverter accommodating section 6 side with the cover member 62 of the inverter accommodating section 6 removed. As shown in Figure 2, the circuit board 7 that constitutes the inverter 5 is attached to the inverter accommodating section 6 (accommodating section main body 61) with multiple first fixing bolts 11 (fixing members).

Returning to Figure 1, a refrigerant inlet 4a is formed in the part of the housing 4 on the partition wall 8 side, allowing refrigerant from the outside to flow into the housing 4. The refrigerant that flows into the housing 4 flows inside the housing 4 (through the gap in the electric motor 2) and reaches the compression mechanism 3. The compression mechanism 3 is driven by the electric motor 2 to compress and discharge the refrigerant.

The refrigerant flowing into the housing 4 is, for example, a low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant that has passed through an expansion valve and an evaporator in the refrigerant circuit of the vehicle air conditioning system. Therefore, the partition wall 8 and the electric motor 2 can be cooled by the refrigerant flowing into the housing 4 from the refrigerant inlet 4a. The refrigerant flowing through the housing 4 is compressed by the compression mechanism 3, becoming a high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant that is then discharged from the compression mechanism 3. The (high-temperature, high-pressure) refrigerant discharged from the compression mechanism 3 then flows out from the refrigerant outlet 4b formed in the housing 4.

Here, we will briefly explain the inverter 5. Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example circuit configuration of the inverter 5. In this embodiment, the inverter 5 is configured to convert DC power from an external power source (e.g., an on-board battery) VB into three-phase AC power and supply it to the electric motor 2.

As shown in FIG. 3, the inverter 5 includes a smoothing capacitor 51, a switching unit 52, a control circuit 53, and a noise filter 54. As described above, these components are mounted on the circuit board 7 to form the inverter 5.

Smoothing capacitor 51 is connected between the power line of external power supply VB and the ground line, and smooths the DC voltage from external power supply VB.

The switching unit 52 includes six power switching elements Q1-Q6 and six diodes D1-D6. Although not limited to these, the power switching elements Q1-Q6 may be IGBTs (insulated gate bipolar transistors). The switching unit 52 is configured to convert the DC voltage from the external power source VB, which has been smoothed by the smoothing capacitor 51, into a three-phase AC voltage and supply it to the electric motor 2 by controlling (PMW control) the power switching elements Q1-Q6.

To further explain the switching unit 52, the switching unit 52 has a U-phase arm, a V-phase arm, and a W-phase arm arranged in parallel between the power line of the external power supply VB and the ground line.

The U-phase arm has two power switching elements Q1 and Q2 connected in series, with diodes D1 and D2 connected in anti-parallel to each of the power switching elements Q1 and Q2. The V-phase arm has two power switching elements Q3 and Q4 connected in series, with diodes D3 and D4 connected in anti-parallel to each of the power switching elements Q3 and Q4. The W-phase arm has two power switching elements Q5 and Q6 connected in series, with diodes D5 and D6 connected in anti-parallel to each of the power switching elements Q5 and Q6.

The midpoints of the U-, V-, and W-phase arms are connected at one end to the other end of the U-, V-, and W-phase coils of the electric motor 2, which are star-connected. That is, the midpoints of the power switching elements Q1 and Q2 of the U-phase arm are connected to the U-phase coil, the midpoints of the power switching elements Q3 and Q4 of the V-phase arm are connected to the V-phase coil, and the midpoints of the power switching elements Q5 and Q6 of the W-phase arm are connected to the W-phase coil.

By controlling the ratio between the ON period of the power switching element on the power line side of each phase arm and the ON period of the power switching element on the ground line side, i.e., by PWM controlling the multiple power switching elements Q1 to Q6, the switching unit 52 can convert the DC power from the external power source VB smoothed by the smoothing capacitor 51 into three-phase AC power and supply it to the electric motor 2, thereby driving the electric motor 2.

The control circuit 53 controls (PWM control) the power switching elements Q1 to Q6 to drive the electric motor 2 and, ultimately, the compression mechanism 3 based on a control signal from an external source (for example, the control device for the vehicle air conditioning system described above).

The noise filter 54 includes a capacitor, a coil (inductor), etc. Although not particularly limited, in this embodiment, the noise filter 54 is provided between the smoothing capacitor 51 and the switching unit 52, and mainly suppresses ripple noise and EMI/EMC noise caused by the operation of the power switching elements Q1 to Q6.

Next, the housing structure for the inverter 5 in this embodiment will be described. As described above, in this embodiment, the inverter 5 is housed in the inverter housing section 6.

[Inverter accommodating section 6]
4 is a diagram showing the interior of the inverter accommodating section 6 (without the inverter 5). As described above, the inverter accommodating section 6 includes an accommodating section main body 61 and a cover member 62. In this embodiment, the inverter accommodating section 6 also includes an installation section 63 in which the power switching elements Q1 to Q6 are installed, and a board fixing section 64 to which the circuit board 7 constituting the inverter 5 is fixed.

The installation section 63 is provided on the inner bottom surface 61a of the housing main body 61, i.e., the surface of the partition wall 8 facing the inverter housing section 6. The inner bottom surface 61a of the housing main body 61 faces the opening of the housing main body 61.

Although only one is shown in Figure 4, the installation portion 63 is formed with the same number of bolt holes 631 (i.e., six) as the number of power switching elements Q1 to Q6, into which second fixing bolts 12 (see Figure 5) are threadedly engaged as fixing members for fixing each of the power switching elements Q1 to Q6.

The board fixing portion 64 protrudes from the inner bottom surface 61a of the accommodating body 61 (toward the opening of the accommodating body 61) and is configured to support the circuit board 7 at a position farther from the inner bottom surface 61a of the accommodating body 61 than the installation portion 63. In other words, within the inverter accommodating portion 6, the circuit board 7 is positioned closer to the cover member 62 than the power switching elements Q1 to Q6. In this embodiment, the board fixing portion 64 includes multiple protrusions 641 that each protrude from the inner bottom surface of the accommodating body 61, and a bolt hole is formed on the top surface of each of the multiple protrusions 641 into which a first fixing bolt 11 (see Figures 1 and 2) serving as a fixing member is threaded.

[Power Switching Elements Q1 to Q6 and Switching Element Module]
5 is a diagram showing power switching elements. In this embodiment, each of the power switching elements Q1 to Q6 has an insertion hole (hereinafter referred to as a "first insertion hole") 21 through which a second fixing bolt 12 for fixing the power switching element is inserted. The first insertion hole 21 penetrates from the top surface to the bottom surface of the power switching element.

Each of the power switching elements Q1 to Q6 also has three terminals 22. In this embodiment, the three terminals 22 extend laterally from one side of the power switching element and are bent midway so that their tips point upward.

In this embodiment, the power switching elements Q1 to Q6 are solidified, i.e., integrated, with a thermosetting first insulating resin IR1 such as epoxy resin, as shown in FIG. 6, to form the switching element module 30.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the switching element module 30 is fixed to the installation portion 63 by the same number of second fixing bolts 12 as the number of power switching elements Q1 to Q6.

[Circuit board 7]
The circuit board 7 will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 8 to 11. In this embodiment, the circuit board 7 is attached and fixed to the board fixing portion 64 after the switching element module 30 is installed (fixed) on the installation portion 63.

In this embodiment, the circuit board 7 is pre-mounted with electronic components other than the power switching elements Q1-Q6 that make up the inverter 5. Specifically, in this embodiment, within the inverter accommodating section 6, the smoothing capacitor 51, diodes D1-D6, control circuit 53, filter capacitor 54a that makes up the noise filter 54, and filter coil 54b that makes up the noise filter 54 are pre-mounted on the surface 7a of the circuit board 7 that faces the cover member 62 (hereinafter referred to as the "cover member-side surface"). However, diodes D1-D6 are omitted from Figures 8-11.

The circuit board 7 also has terminal holes 71 through which the terminals 22 of the power switching elements Q1 to Q6 are connected (inserted). The circuit board 7 also has a plurality of insertion holes (hereinafter referred to as "second insertion holes") 72 through which the first fixing bolts 11 can be inserted. The second insertion holes 72 are positioned to correspond to the protrusions 641 that make up the board fixing portion 64.

In this embodiment, vibration-resistant reinforcement is provided for certain electronic components that are relatively tall, in other words, electronic components that are easily affected by vibration, among the other electronic components mounted on the circuit board 7. Although not particularly limited, in this embodiment, the certain electronic components that are relatively tall (easily affected by vibration) are the smoothing capacitor 51, the filter capacitor 54a, and the filter coil 54b.

Specifically, referring to Figures 1, 8, and 9, the specified electronic components (smoothing capacitor 51, filter capacitor 54a, and filter coil 54b) are molded and sealed with a thermosetting second insulating resin IR2 within the filter case 55, and are integrated with the filter case 55. In this state (i.e., together with the filter case 55), they are fixedly disposed on the cover member side surface 7a of the circuit board 7. The second insulating resin IR2 may be the same type of resin as the first insulating resin IR1, or a different resin.

To further explain the vibration-resistant reinforcement for the specified electronic components, the specified electronic components (smoothing capacitor 51, filter capacitor 54a, and filter coil 54b) are attached by soldering to the surface 7a of the circuit board 7 facing the cover member.

The filter case 55 is made of, for example, a metal material. As shown in FIG. 10, the filter case 55 is formed in a box shape with one open side and is large enough to accommodate the predetermined electronic components attached to the cover member side surface 7a of the circuit board 7. At least a portion of the outer bottom surface 55a of the filter case 55 is formed as a flat surface. The filter case 55 also has a plurality of insertion holes (hereinafter referred to as "third insertion holes") 551 around the opening, through which the first fixing bolts 11 can be inserted. The plurality of third insertion holes 551 are arranged to correspond to some of the second insertion holes 72 of the circuit board 7.

The circuit board 7, on which the specified electronic components are mounted, is combined with a filter case 55 filled with an appropriate amount of thermosetting second insulating resin IR2. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 10, the circuit board 7 and filter case 55 are combined with each other, with the circuit board 7 on top and the filter case 55 (filled with second insulating resin IR2) on the bottom, and the specified electronic components are inserted into the filter case 55 through the opening in the filter case 55. At this time, each third insertion hole 551 in the filter case 55 is aligned with the corresponding second insertion hole 72 in the circuit board 7. As a result, the specified electronic components soldered to the cover member-side surface 7a of the circuit board 7 are mold-sealed with the second insulating resin IR2 within the filter case 55 and integrated with the filter case 55.

Then, as shown in FIG. 11, the circuit board 7 is placed on the board fixing portion 64 of the inverter accommodating portion 6 (i.e., the upper surface of the multiple protrusions 641) with the cover member side 7a facing upward. At this time, the multiple second insertion holes 72 of the circuit board 7 are positioned over bolt holes formed on the upper surfaces of the multiple protrusions 641. Furthermore, the terminals 22 of each of the power switching elements Q1 to Q6 in the switching element module 30 installed in the installation portion 63 are inserted into the terminal holes 71 of the circuit board 7, with the tips of the terminals 22 protruding from the cover member side surface 7a of the circuit board 7.

The circuit board 7 placed on the board fixing portion 64 (the upper surface of the multiple protrusions 641) is fixed to the board fixing portion 64 by multiple first fixing bolts 11. Specifically, the multiple first fixing bolts 11 inserted through the multiple second insertion holes 72 are threaded into bolt holes formed on the upper surface of the multiple protrusions 641, thereby fixing the circuit board 7 to the board fixing portion 64. At this time, the filter case 55 is fastened together with the circuit board 7 to the board fixing portion 64 by several first fixing bolts 11 (see Figure 2). As a result, the filter case 55 is firmly fixed to the surface 7a of the circuit board 7 facing the cover member. The outer bottom surface 55a of the filter case 55 forms the tip surface of the filter case 55 fixed to the surface 7a of the circuit board 7 facing the cover member.

Furthermore, the tips of the terminals 22 of the power switching elements Q1 to Q6 are soldered to the circuit board 7, electrically connecting the power switching elements Q1 to Q6 to the circuit board 7. In other words, the power switching elements Q1 to Q6 are mounted on the surface of the circuit board 7 opposite the surface 7a facing the cover member (the surface facing the inner bottom surface 61a of the housing main body 61).

Although detailed explanation is omitted, the power supply line 9 (or its terminal portion) is also inserted into an insertion hole formed in the circuit board 7, with its tip protruding from the surface 7a of the circuit board 7 facing the cover member, and is electrically connected to the circuit board 7 by a connecting member (not shown). Furthermore, when the circuit board 7 is placed on the board fixing portion 64, it is electrically connected to the external power source VB via the connector 13.

[Cover member 62]
12 is a diagram showing the inverter accommodating section 6 (accommodating section main body 61, cover member 62), vibration-isolating member 70, and circuit board 7. In this embodiment, the cover member 62 is attached to the accommodating section main body 61 via fastening bolts (not shown) or the like after the circuit board 7 is fixed to the board fixing portion 64 and the above-mentioned electrical connections are made. In this way, the inverter 5 is accommodated in the inverter accommodating section 6.

In this embodiment, the cover member 62 has a bulge 62a that bulges in a direction away from the housing main body 61 relative to other portions of the cover member 62, in other words, in a direction away from the circuit board 7 fixed to the board fixing portion 64. The bulge 62a is provided at a position corresponding to the filter case 55 on the cover member side surface 7a of the circuit board 7, and is configured to be able to accommodate the tip end portion of the filter case 55 inside. The inner surface of the bulge 62a is flat.

When the cover member 62 is attached to the housing main body 61, a vibration-damping member 70 is disposed between the tip surface (outer bottom surface 55a) of the filter case 55 on the circuit board 7 and the inner surface of the bulge portion 62a of the cover member 62. The vibration-damping member 70 is provided primarily to reduce (including absorb) vibrations of the cover member 62. The vibration-damping member 70 can be formed from a flexible material, preferably a material that is flexible and has heat-dissipating properties. Although not particularly limited, the vibration-damping member 70 can be, for example, a sheet-shaped heat-dissipating/vibration-damping material whose main component is silicone resin.

When the cover member 62 is attached to the housing body 61, the vibration-damping member 70 is sandwiched between the tip surface (outer bottom surface 55a) of the filter case 55 and the inner surface of the bulge portion 62a of the cover member 62, and is compressed to an appropriate amount.

The electric compressor 1 according to this embodiment provides the following advantages:

Among the electronic components mounted on the circuit board 7 of the inverter 5, certain electronic components (smoothing capacitor 51, filter capacitor 54a, and filter coil 54b) are molded and sealed with a second thermosetting insulating resin IR2 and fixed on the cover-side surface 7a of the circuit board 7. More specifically, the certain electronic components are molded and sealed with the second thermosetting insulating resin IR2 within the filter case 55, and are integrated with the filter case 55. The filter case 55 is then fastened together with the circuit board 7 to the board fixing portion 64, whereby the certain electronic components are fixed together with the filter case 55 on the cover-side surface 7a of the circuit board 7. As a result, the certain electronic components are firmly fixed in an integrated state, ensuring the vibration resistance of the certain electronic components and, ultimately, the circuit board 7.

In addition, a vibration-damping member 70 that reduces vibration of the cover member 62 is positioned between the molded-sealed predetermined electronic components and the cover member 62. More specifically, it is sandwiched between the tip surface of the filter case 55 and the inner surface of the bulge portion 62a of the cover member 62 that houses the tip portion of the filter case 55. In other words, in this embodiment, the vibration-damping member 70 is positioned using the space above the area on the circuit board 7 where the predetermined electronic components are mounted. Therefore, the vibration of the cover member 62 can be reduced by the vibration-damping member 70 while minimizing a reduction in the mounting area of the electronic components on the circuit board 7. Therefore, noise caused by vibration of the cover member 62 can also be reduced.

In particular, the cover member 62 has a bulge 62a, which increases the rigidity of the cover member 62 and makes it possible to use a thicker (more compressible) vibration-damping member 70, thereby further reducing vibration of the cover member 62 and the resulting noise.

In the above-described embodiment, the filter case 55 is fastened together with the circuit board 7 to the board fixing portion 64. However, this is not limited to this. The filter case 55 only needs to be fixed on the cover member side surface 7a of the circuit board 7, and may be fixed on the cover member side surface 7a of the circuit board 7 by being fixed to a location on the housing main body 61 other than the board fixing portion 64, or may be fixed directly to the circuit board 7.

In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the cover member 62 has a bulge 62a. However, the cover member 62 does not necessarily have to have a bulge 62a. In this case, the vibration-damping member 70 can be configured to be sandwiched between the (flat) tip surface of the filter case 55 and the (flat) inner surface (flat surface) of the cover member 62 and compressed to an appropriate amount.

Second Embodiment
Figure 13 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of the electric compressor 10 according to the second embodiment. The following mainly describes the configuration of the electric compressor 10 according to the second embodiment that differs from the electric compressor 1 according to the first embodiment, and a description of the configuration that is common to the electric compressor 1 according to the first embodiment will be omitted. Furthermore, the same reference numerals will be used for components that are common to the electric compressor 1 (Figure 1) according to the first embodiment, and a description thereof will be omitted.

The main difference between the electric compressor 1 according to the first embodiment (Fig. 1) and the electric compressor 10 according to the second embodiment (Fig. 13) is that the electric compressor 10 according to the second embodiment does not use a filter case 55.

In the electric compressor 10 according to the second embodiment, the specified electronic components (smoothing capacitor 51, filter capacitor 54a, and filter coil 54b) are also fixedly disposed on the cover member side surface 7a of the circuit board 7, molded and sealed with the second insulating resin IR2. However, in the electric compressor 10 according to the second embodiment, a filter case 55 is not used, and the specified electronic components are attached by soldering to the cover member side surface 7a of the circuit board 7, and then molded and sealed with the thermosetting second insulating resin IR2 on the cover member side surface 7a of the circuit board 7, thereby being integrated with the circuit board 7.

In this case, preferably, the entire predetermined electronic component is covered with the thermosetting second insulating resin IR2 on the cover member side surface 7a of the circuit board 7, and at least a portion of the tip of the thermosetting second insulating resin IR2, in other words, the tip of the predetermined electronic component molded and sealed with the thermosetting second insulating resin IR2, is formed as a flat surface.

The vibration-damping member 70 is configured to be sandwiched between the mold-sealed predetermined electronic component and the cover member 62 and compressed to an appropriate amount. More specifically, the cover member 62 has a bulging portion 62a that bulges out in a direction away from the circuit board 7 fixed to the board fixing portion 64 relative to other portions of the cover member 62. The bulging portion 62a is configured to accommodate the tip portion of the mold-sealed predetermined electronic component therein. The inner surface of the bulging portion 62a is flat. The vibration-damping member 70 is then sandwiched between the tip portion of the mold-sealed predetermined electronic component and the inner surface of the bulging portion 62a of the cover member 62 and compressed to an appropriate amount.

The electric compressor 10 according to the second embodiment also achieves the same effects as the electric compressor 1 according to the first embodiment. That is, the vibration resistance of the circuit board 7 can be ensured, and noise caused by vibration of the cover member 62 can be reduced while preventing a reduction in the mounting area of electronic components on the circuit board 7. Note that, even in the electric compressor 10 according to the second embodiment, the cover member 62 does not necessarily have to have the bulge portion 62a.

[Third embodiment]
Fig. 14 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of an electric compressor 100 according to a third embodiment. The following mainly describes the configuration of the electric compressor 100 according to the third embodiment that differs from the electric compressor 10 according to the second embodiment, and a description of the configuration common to the electric compressor 1 (Fig. 1) according to the first embodiment and the electric compressor 10 according to the second embodiment will be omitted. Furthermore, the same reference numerals will be used for components common to the electric compressor 1 (Fig. 1) according to the first embodiment and the electric compressor 10 according to the second embodiment, and a description thereof will be omitted.

The main difference between the electric compressor 10 according to the second embodiment (Figure 13) and the electric compressor 100 according to the third embodiment (Figure 14) is that in the electric compressor 100 according to the third embodiment, of the specified electronic components (smoothing capacitor 51, filter capacitor 54a, and filter coil 54b), the smoothing capacitor 51 and filter capacitor 54a, which are taller, are not molded.

In the electric compressor 100 according to the third embodiment, mold sealing of the smoothing capacitor 51 and filter capacitor 54a, which are among the specified electronic components, is omitted. The vibration-damping member 70 is configured to reduce vibrations of the cover member 62 and also reduce vibrations of the smoothing capacitor 51 and filter capacitor 54a, which are among the specified electronic components. That is, in the electric compressor 100 according to the third embodiment, the vibration-damping member 70 is configured to be sandwiched between the smoothing capacitor 51 and the cover member 62 and compressed by an appropriate amount, and to be sandwiched between the filter capacitor 54a and the cover member 62 and compressed by an appropriate amount.

More specifically, the cover member 62 has a bulge 62a that bulges out further from the circuit board 7 fixed to the board fixing portion 64 than other portions of the cover member 62. The bulge 62a is configured to accommodate the tip end portions of the smoothing capacitor 51 and the filter capacitor 54a. The vibration-damping member 70 is configured to be appropriately compressed when sandwiched between the tip end of the smoothing capacitor 51 and the inner surface of the bulge 62a of the cover member 62, and between the tip end of the filter capacitor 54a and the inner surface of the bulge 62a of the cover member 62. The shape of the vibration-damping member 70 is determined taking into consideration, for example, the shape of the tip end of the smoothing capacitor 51, the distance between the tip end of the smoothing capacitor 51 and the inner surface of the bulge 62a of the cover member 62, the shape of the tip end of the filter capacitor 54a, and the distance between the tip end of the filter capacitor 54a and the inner surface of the bulge 62a of the cover member 62.

In the electric compressor 100 according to the third embodiment, the vibration resistance of the specified electronic components, and therefore the circuit board 7, can be ensured, and noise caused by vibration of the cover member 62 can be reduced while minimizing a reduction in the mounting area of the electronic components on the circuit board 7.

The above describes embodiments of the present invention and their variations, but the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments and variations, and further variations are possible based on the technical concept of the present invention.

1, 10, 100...electric compressor, 2...electric motor, 3...compression mechanism, 4...housing, 5...inverter, 6...inverter housing, 7...circuit board, 7a...cover member side, 30...switching element module, 51...smoothing capacitor, 54...noise filter, 54a...filter capacitor, 55...filter case (casing member), 61...housing member, 62...cover member, 62a...bulge portion, 64...board fixing portion, 70...vibration-isolating member, IR1...thermosetting first insulating resin, IR2...thermosetting second insulating resin (thermosetting resin), Q1-Q6...power switching elements

Claims (9)

a housing that accommodates an electric motor and a compression mechanism driven by the electric motor;
an inverter for driving the electric motor, the inverter including a circuit board on which electronic components are mounted;
an inverter accommodating section that accommodates the inverter, the inverter accommodating section including: an accommodating section main body having an opening; a board fixing section that is provided to protrude from an inner bottom surface of the accommodating section main body facing the opening and to which the circuit board is fixed; and a cover member that closes the opening of the accommodating section main body;
a vibration-isolating member that reduces vibration of the cover member;
Including,
predetermined electronic components among the electronic components are fixedly disposed on a surface of the circuit board facing the cover member in a state of being molded and sealed with a thermosetting resin,
the vibration-isolating member is disposed between the mold-sealed predetermined electronic component and the cover member;
Electric compressor. the predetermined electronic component is mold-sealed with the thermosetting resin within the case member to be integrated with the case member, and is fixedly disposed together with the case member on a surface of the circuit board facing the cover member,
The electric compressor according to claim 1 , wherein the vibration-isolating member is sandwiched between the case member and the cover member. The electric compressor of claim 2, wherein the case member is fastened together with the circuit board to the board fixing portion. the cover member has a bulging portion that bulges out in a direction away from the circuit board relative to other portions of the cover member and accommodates a tip end side of the case member therein;
The vibration-proof member is sandwiched between the tip surface of the case member and the inner surface of the bulging portion of the cover member.
The electric compressor according to claim 2 or 3. the predetermined electronic component is integrated with the circuit board by the thermosetting resin,
2. The electric compressor according to claim 1, wherein the vibration-isolating member is sandwiched between the predetermined electronic component that is mold-sealed and the cover member. the cover member has a bulging portion that bulges out in a direction away from the circuit board more than other portions of the cover member, and the bulging portion accommodates a tip end side of the mold-sealed predetermined electronic component therein;
the vibration-isolating member is sandwiched between a tip end of the mold-sealed predetermined electronic component and an inner surface of the bulging portion of the cover member;
The electric compressor according to claim 5 . a housing that accommodates an electric motor and a compression mechanism driven by the electric motor;
an inverter for driving the electric motor, the inverter including a circuit board on which electronic components are mounted;
an inverter accommodating section that accommodates the inverter, the inverter accommodating section including: an accommodating section main body having an opening; a board fixing section that is provided to protrude from an inner bottom surface of the accommodating section main body facing the opening and to which the circuit board is fixed; and a cover member that closes the opening of the accommodating section main body;
a vibration-isolating member that reduces vibration of the cover member;
Including,
predetermined electronic components among the electronic components are arranged on a surface of the circuit board facing the cover member,
the vibration-isolating member is sandwiched between the predetermined electronic component and the cover member;
Electric compressor. the cover member has a bulging portion that bulges out in a direction away from the circuit board more than other portions of the cover member, and the bulging portion accommodates a tip side of the predetermined electronic component therein;
the vibration-isolating member is sandwiched between the tip end of the predetermined electronic component and the inner surface of the bulging portion of the cover member;
The electric compressor according to claim 7. An electric compressor according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the specified electronic component includes at least one of a smoothing capacitor that smooths the DC voltage from a DC power supply, a filter capacitor that constitutes a noise filter, and a filter coil that constitutes a noise filter.