EP3168476B1 - Housing with built-in control device and electric compressor comprising said housing - Google Patents

Description

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to the field of the automotive industry. More specifically, the invention relates to a housing adapted to contain a device for controlling the electric motor of the compressor, in particular an electric refrigeration compressor with integrated control device.

State of the art

Nowadays, the automotive field provides users of motor vehicles equipped with an air conditioning system for regulating the temperature inside the passenger compartment of said motor vehicles. Recently, the constant improvements in this field have given rise to electric compressors equipped with an integrated control device. Such electric compressors are manufactured by integrating devices of type control device into housings provided for this purpose. These electric compressors equipped with an integrated control device are now available in vehicles - such as motor vehicles - air-conditioned.

An electric compressor with an integrated control device, intended for a motor vehicle, comprises a housing housing the electric motor of the compressor, a compression mechanism and an electric motor control device, called a control device, located inside. of the case. This control device is adapted to convert the direct current, produced from a high-voltage power supply, into three-phase alternating current and to supply, via an electrical terminal, said three-phase alternating current to the electric motor of the compressor. . This electrical terminal provides power to the motor while ensuring a seal of the refrigerant circuit.

This control device of the electric motor comprises a plurality of electronic components, in particular an electronic card of the printed circuit type. By elsewhere, the compressor may include the electrical terminal, as mentioned above, as well as low and high voltage connectors. The various components mentioned above are assembled within the housing and their respective positions relative to each other must be guaranteed so as to be able to use a method of connection to the automated electronic card. Moreover, a perfect seal must also be guaranteed, which requires precise positioning of a closure cover of the housing.

Although these various components generally have dimensional tolerances, in order to facilitate their assembly, this pre-assembly step remains critical. This criticality generates alignment difficulties which, ultimately, causes defects leading to rebbus enclosures equipped with its control device, or even the compressor in its entirety, in particular due to lack of sealing between the housing and the lid.

The Applicant has highlighted the need to improve these techniques of the prior art in order to guarantee an efficient, functional and perfectly tight assembly of the various components of the control device within the compressor housing so as to be able to position and electrically connect automatically and reliably. This ensures an optimal operation of the control device and ultimately the electric compressor incorporating such a control device.

The document EP 1 450 004 discloses the features of the preamble of claim 1.

Presentation of the invention

An object of the present invention is therefore to develop a housing adapted to receive the various components of a control device of the electric motor of the compressor, more particularly an integrable control device within an electric compressor with inverter integrated, in which the positioning of said different components of said control device, relative to each other, is optimized by the very structure of the housing, to ensure their respective position and their connection to each other. This objective is perfectly achieved when the device alignment means of the device also align the lid, ensuring a seal and protection of the control device.

The present invention relates to an electric compressor housing for a vehicle, defining an interior space closed by a cover and in which is received at least one electronic card constituting a control device of an electric motor integrated in the electric compressor, the housing comprising at least one positioning device adapted to position the electronic card in the interior space, said positioning device traversing the electronic card so that a free end of the positioning device protrudes from a surface of the electronic card, said free end cooperating with said cover so as to allow the positioning of the cover in a predetermined position relative to the housing.

The position of the electronic card with respect to the other components placed in the interior space, and the position of the lid are thus provided in a particularly simple, reliable and allowing the use of methods of joining these automated components. A single positioning device, including an alignment pin, ensures a good position of the electronic card and cover.

• la position de la carte électronique aligne celle-ci par rapport à au moins un orifice ménagé dans le boîtier et configuré pour recevoir un connecteur électrique,
• ledit au moins un dispositif de positionnement est positionnée au voisinage de l'orifice, afin de fixer ladite position prédéterminée par rapport à la position dudit au moins un orifice pour un connecteur électrique au sein dudit boîtier,
• le boîtier comprend au moins un premier orifice agencé pour recevoir un premier connecteur électrique et au moins un deuxième orifice agencé pour recevoir un deuxième connecteur électrique, dans lequel le dispositif de positionnement est positionné entre le premier orifice et le deuxième orifice.
• selon une première variante, le dispositif de positionnement est localisé sur le boîtier dans une bande délimité d'une côté par le premier orifice et de l'autre par le deuxième orifice,
• de manière plus précise, le dispositif de positionnement est monté sur le boîtier dans ladite bande, et dans un bandeau délimité par une première droite passant par le sommet des deux orifices et par une seconde droite passant par le pied des deux orifices. En ce sens, le dispositif de positionnement est entre les deux orifices, au sens strict,
• le boîtier délimite un dégagement séparé de l'espace intérieur par un fond et configuré pour recevoir un moteur électrique, une borne électrique étant apte à relier électriquement la carte électronique au moteur électrique,
• un élément d'étanchéité est positionné à une interface entre un pourtour de l'espace intérieur et un pourtour du couvercle, de sorte à garantir une fermeture étanche de l'espace intérieur par ledit couvercle,
• l'élément d'étanchéité est en matière souple ou en métal fin en une combinaison multicouches de matières métallique et synthétique,
• le dispositif de positionnement coopère avec l'élément d'étanchéité, de manière à permettre le positionnement dudit élément d'étanchéité dans une position prédéterminée par rapport au boîtier.

The housing according to the invention may advantageously comprise the following characteristics taken alone or in combination:

• the position of the electronic card aligns the latter with respect to at least one orifice formed in the housing and configured to receive an electrical connector,
• said at least one positioning device is positioned in the vicinity of the orifice, in order to fix said predetermined position with respect to the position of said at least one orifice for an electrical connector within said housing,
• the housing comprises at least a first port arranged to receive a first electrical connector and at least a second port arranged to receive a second electrical connector, wherein the positioning device is positioned between the first port and the second port.
• according to a first variant, the positioning device is located on the housing in a band delimited on one side by the first orifice and on the other by the second orifice,
• more precisely, the positioning device is mounted on the housing in said strip, and in a strip delimited by a first straight line passing through the apex of the two orifices and by a second straight line passing through the foot of the two orifices. In this sense, the positioning device is between the two orifices, in the strict sense,
• the housing delimits a clearance separated from the interior space by a bottom and configured to receive an electric motor, an electrical terminal being able to electrically connect the electronic card to the electric motor,
• a sealing element is positioned at an interface between a periphery of the interior space and a periphery of the lid, so as to guarantee a sealed closure of the interior space by said lid,
• the sealing element is of flexible material or of fine metal in a multilayer combination of metallic and synthetic materials,
• the positioning device cooperates with the sealing element, so as to allow the positioning of said sealing element in a predetermined position relative to the housing.

The invention also provides an electric air conditioning compressor for a vehicle, comprising a housing according to any of the features set forth herein.

According to appearance of this compressor, a first connector is received in a first port of the housing and a second connector is received in a second port of the housing, the electronic board being connected to the first connector and the second connector by at least one weld.

Advantageously, the compressor comprises an electric motor controlled by the electronic card and is received in a clearance of the housing opposite to the interior space, relative to the bottom.

According to an alternative embodiment, the compressor comprises a spiral compression device driven by the electric motor.

The electronic card mentioned above is a major component of the control device of the electric motor housed in the compressor. A power module is also part of this control device. The latter controls the speed of rotation of the electric motor of the compressor allowing a variable refrigerant flow, and this in order to regulate the temperature inside the air-conditioned cabin of the vehicle. In this way, the rotational speed of the electric compressor may vary in response to the load demanded from the vehicle's air conditioning system.

Brief description of the drawings

• la figure 1 représente, de façon schématique, un compresseur électrique à dispositif de contrôle intégré,
• la figure 2 représente une vue de face d'un boîtier adapté pour recevoir les différents composants d'un dispositif de contrôle, selon la présente invention,
• la figure 3 est une vue de face du boîtier selon la figure 2, après positionnement d'une carte électronique en son sein,
• la figure 4 représente une vue partielle en coupe du boitier muni d'un couvercle positionné sur le boîtier adapté pour recevoir le dispositif de contrôle,
• la figure 5 représente un élément d'étanchéité adapté pour être positionné entre le boîtier et son couvercle.

The objects, objects and features of the present invention, as well as its advantages, will become more clearly apparent upon reading the present description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, with reference to the drawings, in which:

• the figure 1 represents, schematically, an electric compressor with integrated control device,
• the figure 2 represents a front view of a housing adapted to receive the different components of a control device, according to the present invention,
• the figure 3 is a front view of the case according to the figure 2 after positioning an electronic card in it,
• the figure 4 represents a partial sectional view of the housing provided with a lid positioned on the housing adapted to receive the control device,
• the figure 5 represents a sealing element adapted to be positioned between the housing and its cover.

Other objectives will appear, if necessary, on reading the present description.

detailed description

The following description is intended to explain the invention in a sufficiently clear and complete manner, in particular by referring to Figures 1 to 5 but should in no way be construed as limiting the scope of the invention to the embodiments described hereinafter.

The figure 1 represents, schematically, an electric air conditioning compressor 100, integrated control device 140. The device 100 comprises an electric motor 110 adapted to operate a compression device 120, the latter may be for example a spiral compression device. The electric compressor 100 comprises a housing 130 from which the control device 140 of the electric motor is received. As mentioned above, this control device 140 forms an inverter, that is to say a means for converting a direct current into alternating current, as well as a means capable of controlling the speed of rotation of the electric motor of the compressor.

The electric motor 110 has a rotation shaft 131 which rotates about a longitudinal axis A. The housing 130 according to the invention can be attached to a first longitudinal end of the electric motor 110, by being fixed on an additional housing which houses the electric motor 110. The housing 130 defines an interior space 132 in which are arranged the components of the control device 140 of the electric motor 110, in particular an electronic card. The interior space 132 is delimited by a bottom 133 and by a peripheral wall 134 of the housing 130, the wall extending substantially perpendicular to a plane in which the bottom 133 is predominantly inscribed.

This internal space 132 also houses an electrical terminal 20, the function of which is to safely transmit the three-phase alternating current of the control device 140 to the electric motor 110, in particular by electrically isolating this current from the bottom 133. This electrical terminal 20 is advantageously an insulated glass terminal. It is also waterproof by preventing a coolant present around the electric motor 110 from entering the interior space 132.

According to another alternative, the housing 130 comprises a clearance 135 delimited by a second peripheral wall 136 which extends in a direction opposite to the extension direction of the peripheral wall 134, called the first wall, which delimits the space In other words, the housing 130 comprises, on one side of the bottom 133, the interior space, and on the other, a receiving zone of the electric motor 110.

The electrical terminal 20 comprises at least two conductive rods 20a, 20b which cooperate with an electronic card constituting the control device 140. According to the embodiment of FIG. figure 1 the electrical terminal 20 comprises three conducting rods 20a, 20b, 20c because of the three-phase nature of the current to be supplied to the electric motor 110. figure 1 that these conductive rods pass right through the bottom 133 of the housing 130, while the electrical terminal 20 is secured to the bottom 133 by mounting it either by the interior space 132 or by the clearance 135.

According to the present invention, the position of the electronic card is determined by the electrical terminal 20, in particular by at least one of the conductive rods 20a, 20b, and / or 20c which passes through this electronic card.

The figure 2 represents an embodiment of the housing 1 adapted to contain the control device. This housing 1 is particularly suitable for a control device used to control an electric compressor with integrated control device for a vehicle, preferably a motor vehicle.

The assembly composed of the housing 1 and the cover 50 (as shown on the figure 4 ) provides an interior space 132 available to receive, within it, the various electronic components of the control device. Said assembly, composed of the housing 1 and the cover 50, must constitute a sealed receptacle for receiving the various electronic components of the control device.

The housing 1 according to the figure 2 is particularly adapted to allow optimal positioning of the various electronic components and the electrical terminal 20 during its assembly. To ensure this positioning within the housing 1, said housing 1 is provided with an alignment device, said first positioning device 11. Optionally, the housing 1 comprises a second positioning device 10. Of course, the The invention also covers the embodiments in which the housing 1 is provided with a single positioning device 11.

As shown on the figure 2 the first positioning device 11 and the second positioning device 10 are relatively distant from each other. By way of example of position, the first positioning device 11 located in an upper half-compressor, while the second positioning device 10 is placed in the lower half-compressor, the compressor then being shared by a plane passing through the longitudinal axis A.

According to this example, the electrical terminal 20 is located essentially between the two positioning devices 10, 11. More specifically, the electrical terminal 20 is placed on the bottom 133 so that a line passing through a center of each positioning devices 10, 11 intersect the electrical terminal 20.

According to a step prior to the mounting of the electronic card, the first positioning device 11 and the second positioning device 10 make it possible to precisely determine the positioning of the electrical terminal 20 inside the housing 1. This determined position of the electrical terminal 20 takes its importance because this position determines the position of the electronic card.

Thus, when the electrical terminal 20 is correctly positioned inside the housing 1 and secured to the bottom 133, thanks to the configuration formed by the two positioning devices 10, 11, the electronic card 40 can then be approximated and positioned precisely, particularly vis-à-vis high and low voltage connectors pre-positioned in orifices 21 and 22 that comprises the housing 1. Note in this regard that the first positioning device 11 is located on the housing 1 substantially between a first orifice 21 arranged to receive a high voltage electrical connector and a second low voltage electrical connector, said signal.

As shown on the figure 2 a power module 30 is positioned with four stops 31, 32, 33, 34 installed around said power module 30.

As shown on the figure 3 and according to the invention, the positioning of the electronic card 40 is as follows. The electronic card 40 is positioned at using at least one of the three conductive rods 20a, 20b, 20c of the electrical terminal 20. Simultaneously, the first positioning device 11 is received in a hole 35 formed through the electronic card 40. The correct positioning and definitive of the electronic card 40 within the interior space 132 of the housing 1 is made using this combination of means formed by the electrical terminal 20 and the first positioning device 11, adapted to pass through the electronic card 40.

In other words, the three conductive rods 20a, 20b, 20c of the electrical terminal 20 and the first positioning device 11 pass through the electronic card 40 and together dictate its positioning within the housing 1. The electrical terminal 20 and the first positioning device 11 cooperate to ensure optimal positioning of the electronic card 40 with, inter alia, the high voltage and low voltage connectors, and / or with the power module 30.

When the housing 1 is provided with the first positioning device 11, it is advantageous that it is in the vicinity of the location of the key components of the control device which must be connected with the electronic card 40.

• le premier dispositif de positionnement 11 est situé au voisinage, ou à proximité, de l'emplacement du premier orifice 21 pour un premier connecteur électrique et du deuxième orifice 22 pour un deuxième connecteur électrique 22. Avantageusement, ce premier dispositif de positionnement 11 est positionnée strictement entre lesdits premier et deuxième orifices 21, 22 pour assurer un positionnement précis de la carte électronique 40 dans la région des connecteurs soudés à la carte électronique après fixation dans le boîtier 1.

So as illustrated in figure 1 :

• the first positioning device 11 is situated in the vicinity of or near the location of the first orifice 21 for a first electrical connector and the second orifice 22 for a second electrical connector 22. Advantageously, this first positioning device 11 is positioned strictly between said first and second orifices 21, 22 to ensure a precise positioning of the electronic card 40 in the region of the connectors welded to the electronic card after fixing in the housing 1.

• de positionner correctement et aisément les composants clef du dispositif de contrôle au sein du boîtier 1, et/ou
• de positionner de manière fiable la carte électronique 40 dans une position prédéterminée, fixée par la position de la borne électrique 20 et par la position du premier dispositif de positionnement 11.

Indeed, this configuration allows:

• to correctly and easily position the key components of the control device within the housing 1, and / or
• to reliably position the electronic card 40 in a predetermined position, fixed by the position of the electrical terminal 20 and the position of the first positioning device 11.

Once the correct positioning of the electronic card 40 is ensured, the three conductive rods 20a, 20b, 20c are connected to the electronic card 40 via a connection element welded or secured to the electronic card 40. The connection element is for example a welding stud having a circular hole complementary to a section of the conductive rod that it receives. By this precise positioning of the electronic card, it is ensured that electrical contacts of the high voltage and low voltage connectors, and / or the power module 30 pass through the electronic card 40, so as to weld them to it.

According to the present invention, and as shown in figure 4 the first positioning device 11 is mounted on the housing 1 near the connector ports 21, 22 (as shown in FIG. figure 2 ), is adapted to pass right through the electronic card 40. To do this, the first positioning device 11 has in particular a sufficient length. A free end 13 of the positioning device 11 which emerges from the housing 1 is at least strictly greater than the thickness of the electronic card 40. This first positioning device 11 then projects on the surface of the electronic card 40; the portion of the first positioning device 11 projecting from the surface of said electronic card 40 serves, in turn, reference for the positioning of the cover 50 on the housing 1, allowing to correctly position the cover 50 relative to the housing 1 To do this, the free end 13 of the positioning device is housed in a hole 137 formed in the thickness of the cover 50.

As shown also in figure 4 a first end 12 of the first positioning device 11 makes it possible to position the latter in a recess in the bottom 132 delimiting the internal space 132. The first positioning device 11 passes through the material forming the printed circuit board electronic card 40 and protrudes, at a second end 13, to the surface of said electronic card 40.

A sealing element 60, made of a flexible material or a thin metal or a multilayer combination of metallic and synthetic materials, such as for example a metal seal, is positioned between the housing 1 and the cover 50, more precisely at the interface between a periphery of the interior space 132 of the housing 1 and a periphery of the cover 50. The cover 50 is fixed on the housing 1 by any suitable means, such as, for example, screws 15.

The figure 5 represents a front view of the sealing element 60 of flexible material or of fine metal or a multilayer combination of metallic and synthetic materials. When the sealing element 60 is composed of thin metal or is a multilayer combination of thin metal and synthetic flexible material, this thin metal may consist of a material such as steel, a thickness of the order 0.3 mm, so as to give it some deformation. When fixing the cover 50 on the housing 1, the sealing element 60 of fine metal undergoes compression stresses, counteracting the deformation of this sealing element 60, which is flattened, thus improving the seal between the cover 50 and the housing 1.

Said sealing member 60 is in a form allowing substantially to match the contour of the housing 1 receiving the various components of the control device according to the present invention. As shown on the figure 5 , the sealing element 60 has seven orifices located around its periphery, each of them being adapted to receive a screw intended to screw the cover 50 onto the casing 1. Furthermore, the sealing element 60 has a first extension 61, in the form of an ear, adapted to allow the passage of the first positioning device 11. The sealing element 60 also has a second extension 62, adapted to allow the passage of the second positioning device 10.

The figure 5 also shows that the two extensions 61, 62, allowing the passage of the first positioning device 11 and the second positioning device 10, are relatively distant from each other. This configuration allows an optimum position of the sealing member 60 when mounted on the periphery of the housing 1.

The above description refers to first positioning device and second positioning device. According to an exemplary embodiment, these positioning devices are circular section positioning pins, forcibly mounted in the housing 1.

Claims (11)

1. Housing (1) for an electric vehicle compressor, delimiting an interior space (132) closed by a cover (50) and in which at least one electronic card (40) constituting a control device (140) of a electric motor (110) integrated in the electric compressor, the housing (1) comprising at least one positioning device (11) adapted to position the electronic card (40) in the interior space (132), said positioning device (11) traversing the electronic board (40) so that a free end (13) of the positioning device (11) projects from a surface of the electronic board (40), said free end (13) cooperating with said cover (50) in order to allow the positioning of the cover (50) in a predetermined position relative to the housing (1), characterized in that the position of the electronic board (40) aligns it with at least one orifice (21, 22) formed in the housing (1) and configured to receive an electrical connector.
2. Housing (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein said at least one positioning device (11) is positioned in the vicinity of the orifice (21, 22).
3. Housing (1) according to the preceding claim, comprising a first orifice (21) arranged to receive a first electrical connector and at least a second orifice (22) arranged to receive a second electrical connector, wherein the positioning device (11) is positioned between the first orifice (21) and the second orifice (22).
4. Housing (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, delimiting a clearance (135) separated from the interior space (132) by a bottom (133) and configured to receive an electric motor (110), an electrical terminal (20)) being able to electrically connect the electronic card (40) to the electric motor (110).
5. Housing (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a sealing member (60) positioned at an interface between a periphery of the interior space (132) and a periphery of the cover (50) so as to guarantee sealing the inner space (132) by said cover (50).
6. Housing (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein the sealing element (60) is of flexible material or of fine metal or a multilayer combination of metallic and synthetic materials.
7. Housing (1) according to claims 5 or 6, wherein the positioning device (11) cooperates with the sealing element (60), so as to allow the positioning of said sealing element (60) in a predetermined position relative to the housing (1).
8. An electric air conditioning compressor (100) for a vehicle, comprising a housing (1) according to any one of the preceding claims.
9. Compressor according to the preceding claim, comprising a first connector received in a first orifice (21) of the housing (1) and a second connector received in a second orifice (22) of the housing (1), the electronic card (40) being connected to the first connector and the second connector by at least one weld.
10. Compressor according to any one of claims 8 or 9, comprising an electric motor (110) controlled by a control device (140) and received in a clearance (135) of the housing (1) opposite to the interior space (132), relative to a bottom (133).
11. Compressor according to the preceding claim, comprising a spiral compression device (120) driven by the electric motor (100).

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