IP Library Granted Patent US 12,633,804
Granted Patent B2
US 12,633,804 · App. 18/167,293 · Granted May 19, 2026

Rotary electric machine unit

Inventor: Tomohisa Sano (Kariya-city, JP)
Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
H02K11/0094H02K9/19H02M7/003
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,633,804
App. No.
18/167,293
Granted
May 19, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

In a motor unit, a power converter is provided to an outer circumferential surface of a motor case at a position distant from an outer top portion in a circumferential direction. In a power converter, a power module and a control board are accommodated in an internal space of a device case. A power converter is provided with a device cooler. A device cooler has a device cooling passage extending along a power module. In the device cooling passage, a device inlet, into which coolant flows, and a device outlet, from which coolant flows out, are provided side by side in a circumferential direction. The device inlet is located a position higher than the device outlet in the Y direction.

Claims (93)

1 . A rotary electric machine unit comprising:

a rotary electric machine in which a rotor is configured to rotate relative to a stator; and

a power converter outside the rotary electric machine and configured to convert an electric power, which is a direct current and to be supplied to the rotary electric machine, into an alternating current, wherein

a rotary shaft of the rotor extends in a direction orthogonal to a vertical direction,

the power converter includes

an electric component configured to convert the electric power,

a device housing accommodating the electric component, and

a device cooling portion defining a device cooling passage inside the device housing to cause coolant to flow therethrough to cool the electric component with the coolant,

the device housing includes

a ceiling portion extending in a direction orthogonal to a radial direction of the rotary shaft,

a wall portion extending in the radial direction, and

an inclined portion forming an upper end portion of the device housing,

the inclined portion is inclined relative to both the ceiling portion and the wall portion,

the device housing is at a position distant from a top portion of the rotary electric machine in a circumferential direction of the rotary shaft,

the device housing is inclined relative to a vertical direction,

one end and another end of the device cooling passage in the circumferential direction are an upper end and a lower end,

the device cooling passage includes a device inlet, which is to cause coolant to flow therethrough into the device cooling passage, and a device outlet, which is to cause coolant to flow therethrough from the device cooling passage,

the device inlet is at a position higher than the device outlet,

the inclined portion connects the ceiling portion with the wall portion,

the upper end of the device cooling passage is at a position lower than the inclined portion,

the device housing includes an internal space accommodating the electric component,

the inclined portion is in a flat plate shape and is bent from the ceiling portion to the wall portion,

the ceiling portion, the inclined portion, and the wall portion form the internal space, and

a lower surface of the inclined portion is in contact with the internal space.

2 . The rotary electric machine unit according to claim 1 , wherein

the upper end of the device cooling passage is side by side with the inclined portion in both the radial direction and the circumferential direction.

3 . The rotary electric machine unit according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a control board extending along the device cooling passage and configured to control an electric current flowing in the rotary electric machine, wherein

the control board is mounted with a first mounted component and a second mounted component,

the second mounted component is provided at a position lower than the first mounted component, and

the second mounted component has at least one of

a characteristic to generate heat on energization more than the first mounted component or

a characteristic of heat resistance lower than the first mounted component.

4 . The rotary electric machine unit according to claim 1 , wherein

the device cooling passage includes an extending portion extending toward the top portion of the rotary electric machine beyond the electric component in the circumferential direction, and

the device inlet is provided to the extending portion.

5 . The rotary electric machine unit according to claim 1 , wherein

the electric component has an upper surface, which faces upward, and a lower surface, which faces downward, and

the device cooling passage extends along the upper surface of the electric component.

6 . The rotary electric machine unit according to claim 1 , wherein

the device inlet and the device outlet are arranged in the circumferential direction.

7 . The rotary electric machine unit according to claim 1 , wherein

a length dimension of the device cooling passage in the circumferential direction is larger than a length dimension of the device cooling passage in an axial direction in which the rotary shaft extends.

8 . The rotary electric machine unit according to claim 1 , wherein

the device inlet is provided to the upper end of the device cooling passage, and

the device outlet is provided to the lower end of the device cooling passage.

9 . The rotary electric machine unit according to claim 1 , wherein

the rotary electric machine includes an electric machine housing that accommodates the stator and the rotor and extends in the circumferential direction on an outside of the stator and the rotor,

the electric machine housing forms an electric machine cooling passage to cause coolant to flow therethrough to cool the stator and the rotor with coolant flowing through the electric machine cooling passage,

the power converter is at a position at which the power converter overlaps with the electric machine cooling passage in a radial direction of the rotary shaft, and

the power converter is at a position closer to an electric machine inlet, which is to cause coolant to flow into the electric machine cooling passage, than an electric machine outlet, which is to cause coolant to flow from the electric machine cooling passage.

10 . The rotary electric machine unit according to claim 9 , wherein

the power converter is provided to an upper side surface of the electric machine housing, such that the power converter does not protrude beyond the top portion of the electric machine housing.

11 . The rotary electric machine unit according to claim 10 , wherein

a part of the electric machine housing also serves as at least a part of the device housing.

12 . A rotary electric machine unit comprising:

a rotary electric machine in which a rotor is configured to rotate relative to a stator;

a power converter outside the rotary electric machine and configured to convert an electric power, which is a direct current and to be supplied to the rotary electric machine, into an alternating current; and

a control board extending along a device cooling passage and configured to control an electric current flowing in the rotary electric machine, wherein

a rotary shaft of the rotor extends in a direction orthogonal to a vertical direction,

the power converter includes

an electric component configured to convert the electric power,

a device housing accommodating the electric component, and

a device cooling portion defining the device cooling passage inside the device housing to cause coolant to flow therethrough to cool the electric component with the coolant,

the device housing is at a position distant from a top portion of the rotary electric machine in a circumferential direction of the rotary shaft,

the device housing is inclined relative to a vertical direction,

one end and another end of the device cooling passage in the circumferential direction are an upper end and a lower end,

the device cooling passage includes a device inlet, which is to cause coolant to flow therethrough into the device cooling passage, and a device outlet, which is to cause coolant to flow therethrough from the device cooling passage,

the device inlet is at a position higher than the device outlet,

the control board is mounted with a first mounted component and a second mounted component,

the second mounted component is at a position lower than the first mounted component,

the second mounted component has at least one of

a characteristic to generate heat on energization more than the first mounted component or

a characteristic of heat resistance lower than the first mounted component, and

the first mounted component and the second mounted component are in contact with a same surface of the control board.

13 . A rotary electric machine unit comprising:

a rotary electric machine in which a rotor is configured to rotate relative to a stator; and

a power converter outside the rotary electric machine and configured to convert an electric power, which is a direct current and to be supplied to the rotary electric machine, into an alternating current, wherein

a rotary shaft of the rotor extends in a direction orthogonal to a vertical direction,

the power converter includes

an electric component configured to convert the electric power,

a device housing accommodating the electric component, and

a device cooling portion defining a device cooling passage inside the device housing to cause coolant to flow therethrough to cool the electric component with the coolant,

the device housing is at a position distant from a top portion of the rotary electric machine in a circumferential direction of the rotary shaft,

the device housing is inclined relative to a vertical direction,

one end and another end of the device cooling passage in the circumferential direction are an upper end and a lower end,

the device cooling passage includes an extending portion extending toward the top portion of the rotary electric machine beyond the electric component in the circumferential direction,

the device cooling passage includes a device inlet, which is to cause coolant to flow therethrough into the device cooling passage, and a device outlet, which is to cause coolant to flow therethrough from the device cooling passage,

the device inlet is provided to the extending portion and at a position higher than the device outlet,

the device housing includes a ceiling portion, a wall portion, and an inclined portion,

the inclined portion forms an upper end portion of the device housing,

the inclined portion is inclined with respect to both the ceiling portion and the wall portion and connects the ceiling portion with the wall portion, and

the device inlet protrudes from the extending portion through the inclined portion and the wall portion to an outside of the device housing.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 10, 2023
From: SANO, TOMOHISA
To: DENSO CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 062654/0796 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2020-156643 · Sep 17, 2020 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTJP2021030715 · Aug 23, 2021
Related Publication 20230188007A1 · Jun 15, 2023
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