IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,738,817
Granted Patent B2
US 12,738,817 · App. 18/667,280 · Granted Sep 15, 2026

Electric work vehicle having an inverter housing

Inventors: Ryunosuke Matsumoto (Sakai, JP); Kazuto Okazaki (Sakai, JP); Shinichi Kawabata (Sakai, JP)
Assignee: KUBOTA CORPORATION
H02K11/33B60L15/007B60L50/60H05K7/1432A01D69/02A01D2101/00B60L2200/40
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,738,817
App. No.
18/667,280
Granted
Sep 15, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An inverter includes an exterior case housing a substrate provided with an inverter circuit. The exterior case includes a rectangular box-shaped case body with an opening above a space surrounded by a bottom plate portion and a peripheral wall portion of the case body, and a case lid operable to open and close the opening. Substrate stopping portions to fix the substrate are provided on an upper surface of the bottom plate portion. Also, reinforcing ribs are provided on an outer surface of the peripheral wall portion of the case body and on an inner surface of the case lid.

Claims (49)

1 . An electric work vehicle comprising:

a battery;

an electric motor to receive electric power from the battery; and

an inverter on a power supply path from the battery to the electric motor,

the inverter including an exterior case housing a substrate provided with an inverter circuit;

the exterior case including:

a rectangular or substantially rectangular box-shaped case body provided with an opening above a space surrounded by a bottom plate portion and a peripheral wall portion of the case body; and

a case lid operable to open and close the opening;

the bottom plate portion being provided on an upper surface thereof, with a substrate stopping portion to fix the substrate; and

the case body being provided with at least one reinforcing rib on an outer surface of the peripheral wall portion, and the case lid being provided with at least one reinforcing rib on an inner surface thereof,

wherein the at least one reinforcing rib on the peripheral wall portion is at least one vertical rib extending in an up-down direction, and the at least one reinforcing rib on the inner surface of the case lid is at least one diagonal grid-shaped rib extending in a diagonal direction of the case lid.

2 . The electric work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein

the at least one vertical rib does not protrude outside an outer peripheral edge of an upper end of the peripheral wall portion; and

the peripheral wall portion includes an outer wall surface between the vertical ribs positioned adjacent to each other and being a recessed wall surface recessed to be closer to an inner wall surface of the case body than a location of the vertical ribs.

3 . The electric work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one vertical rib overlaps, in a side view, with a screw hole in the peripheral wall portion to fasten the case lid to the case body.

4 . The electric work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one diagonal grid-shaped rib extends in a direction joining coupling holes for bolt insertion in a rectangular or substantially rectangular peripheral portion of the case lid.

5 . The electric work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the inner surface of the case lid includes a region in which a portion of the at least one diagonal grid-shaped rib protruding into the space does not exist, and between the case lid and a component attached to the case body at a location facing the region is a space to provide an insulation distance.

6 . The electric work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein a cushioning material is between an upper end surface of the peripheral wall portion of the case body and an inner surface of a peripheral portion of the case lid.

7 . The electric work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate stopping portion fixedly supports, on an upper surface of the bottom plate portion, a peripheral portion and a vicinity of a central portion of the substrate provided with the inverter circuit.

8 . The electric work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein

the substrate stopping portion includes a plurality of protruding pedestals to receive and fasten the substrate; and

the protruding pedestals positioned adjacent to each other are connected by a coupling rib.

9 . An electric work vehicle comprising:

a battery;

an electric motor to receive electric power from the battery; and

an inverter on a power supply path from the battery to the electric motor;

the inverter including an exterior case housing a substrate provided with an inverter circuit;

the exterior case including:

a rectangular or substantially rectangular box-shaped case body provided with an opening above a space surrounded by a bottom plate portion and a peripheral wall portion of the case body; and

a case lid operable to open and close the opening;

the bottom plate portion being provided on an upper surface thereof, with a substrate stopping portion to fix the substrate; and

the case body being provided with at least one reinforcing rib on an outer surface of the peripheral wall portion, and the case lid being provided with at least one reinforcing rib on an inner surface thereof,

wherein the bottom plate portion is provided, on a lower surface thereof, with a grid-shaped rib extending in the front-back direction and the left-right direction parallel or substantially parallel to extension directions of the peripheral wall portion in a plan view.

10 . An electric work vehicle comprising:

a battery;

an electric motor to receive electric power from the battery; and

an inverter on a power supply path from the battery to the electric motor,

the inverter including an exterior case housing a substrate provided with an inverter circuit;

the exterior case including:

a rectangular or substantially rectangular box-shaped case body open at an upper end thereof; and

a case lid operable to open and close the open upper end;

the case body and the case lid being coupled together; and

the case lid being provided, on a lower peripheral portion thereof, with a lip portion located on an outer side of an upper end portion of the case body and lower than the upper end portion,

wherein the case lid is provided, on a portion of an outer peripheral portion thereof, with a striking protrusion protruding outward.

11 . The electric work vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein

the upper end of the case body and the case lid contact each other at a point higher than the lower peripheral portion of the case lid; and

the contact point includes a gasket therein.

12 . The electric work vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein the striking protrusion protrudes horizontally outward from between bolt holes on a periphery of the outer peripheral portion of the case lid.

13 . The electric work vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein the striking protrusion is provided with a reinforcing rib extending in a protruding direction of the striking protrusion.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 24, 2024
From: MATSUMOTO, RYUNOSUKE; OKAZAKI, KAZUTO; KAWABATA, SHINICHI
To: KUBOTA CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 068675/0068 →
Priority Claims (2)
JP 2021-211636 · Dec 24, 2021 · national
JP 2021-211637 · Dec 24, 2021 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTJP2022042000 · Nov 10, 2022
Related Publication 20240305172A1 · Sep 12, 2024
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