# US 10,479,398 B2 · Integrated electric power steering apparatus and manufacturing method therefor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,479,398 B2 - Document ID: US10479398B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/573,515 - Filed: 2015-10-20 - Published: 2018-04-05 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2015-10-20 - Assignees: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation - Applicants: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation - Inventors: Kentaro Urimoto; Yoshihito Asao; Akihiko Mori - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10479398B2 ## CPC - B62D 5/0406: {including housing for electronic control unit} - B23P 19/02: for connecting objects by press fit or for detaching same (B23P19/10 takes precedence) - B23P 19/10: Aligning parts to be fitted together - B62D 5/0481: {monitoring the steering system, e.g. failures} - H02K 3/28: Layout of windings or of connections between windings (windings for pole-changing H02K17/06, H02K17/14, H02K19/12, H02K19/32) - H02K 5/225: {Terminal boxes or connection arrangements (specially adapted for submersible motors H02K5/132)} - H02K 11/21: Devices for sensing speed or position, or actuated thereby (specially adapted for machines having non-mechanical commutating devices H02K29/06, H02K29/14) - H02K 11/33: Drive circuits, e.g. power electronics (H02K11/38 takes precedence) - H02K 15/14: Casings; Enclosures; Supports - H02K 15/32: Manufacture of terminal arrangements; Connecting the terminals to external circuits - B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M) - B23P: METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; COMBINED OPERATIONS; UNIVERSAL MACHINE TOOLS (arrangements for copying or controlling B23Q) - H02K: DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES (dynamo-electric relays H01H53/00; conversion of DC or AC input power into surge output power {H03K3/53}) ## Abstract A control unit for controlling an electric motor has on a wiring board at least an inverter circuit including two or more switching devices for supplying an electric current to the electric motor and a CPU for outputting command signals to the inverter circuit; the control unit, as an inverter module in which the wiring board is mounted in a housing with which a connector is integrated, is integrally fixed to the motor. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An integrated electric power steering apparatus having an electric motor that generates assist torque corresponding to steering torque produced by a vehicle driver and a control unit that controls the electric motor, the electric motor and the control unit being integrally fixed to each other, wherein the control unit is configured as a module comprising: an inverter circuit including two or more switching devices that each supply an electric current to the electric motor; a CPU that outputs command signals to the inverter circuit; a wiring board on which at least the inverter circuit and the CPU are directly mounted; a housing that contains the wiring board; and respective connectors that are provided on the housing and connect a power source apparatus and a sensor for detecting the operation state of the vehicle, which are provided outside the control unit, with the control unit, wherein the control unit configured as the module is integrally fixed to the electric motor in the axel direction of the electric motor, wherein the wiring board is contained in the housing in such a way that the surface thereof is perpendicular to the axel direction, wherein the housing has wiring members to be connected with respective winding terminals of the electric motor, wherein each of the wiring members is disposed inside the housing in such a way as to extend in the axel direction, wherein the wiring members penetrates the wiring board comprising respective wiring strip conductors and are welded to the respective winding terminals, and wherein the winding terminal of the electric motor extends to the outside of the housing and is connected with the wiring member at the outside of the housing. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The integrated electric power steering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein all electronic components, including a rotation sensor for detecting a rotation position of a rotor of the electric motor, the switching devices, a capacitor to be connected with the inverter circuit, and a filter coil, that form the control unit are mounted and arranged on the wiring board. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The integrated electric power steering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the winding terminal is connected with the wiring member through welding. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The integrated electric power steering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the winding terminal is connected with the wiring member through press-fitting. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The integrated electric power steering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit configured as the module is fixed to the axel-direction end portion of a motor case of the electric motor, by means of an adhesive. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The integrated electric power steering apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the motor case has a recess portion in the axel-direction end portion thereof, wherein in its axel-direction end portion that faces the axel-direction end portion of the motor case, the housing has a protrusion to be inserted into the recess portion, and wherein the recess portion of the motor case and the protrusion of the housing are bonded to each other by means of the adhesive. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The manufacturing method for an integrated electric power steering apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein the winding terminal of the electric motor is press-fitted with the wiring member by pressing the housing of the control unit toward the electric motor. ### Claim 8 An integrated electric power steering apparatus having an electric motor that generates assist torque corresponding to steering torque produced by a vehicle driver and a control unit that controls the electric motor, the electric motor and the control unit being integrally fixed to each other, wherein the control unit is configured as a module comprising: an inverter circuit including two or more switching devices that each supply an electric current to the electric motor; a CPU that outputs command signals to the inverter circuit; a wiring board on which at least the inverter circuit and the CPU are directly mounted; a housing that contains the wiring board; and respective connectors that are provided on the housing and connect a power source apparatus and a sensor for detecting the operation state of the vehicle, which are provided outside the control unit, with the control unit, wherein the control unit configured as the module is integrally fixed to the electric motor in the axel direction of the electric motor, wherein the wiring board is contained in the housing in such a way that the surface thereof is perpendicular to the axel direction, wherein there is provided a conductive spring member disposed between the winding terminal of the electric motor and the wiring board, and wherein one end of the conductive spring member abuts against the winding terminal so as to be electrically connected with the winding terminal and the other terminal thereof abuts against the wiring board so as to be electrically connected with the wiring board. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The integrated electric power steering apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the winding terminal has a flat portion extending in a direction perpendicular to the axel direction, wherein the wiring board has a recess portion in the surface at the electric motor side, wherein one end of the conductive spring member abuts against the flat portion of the winding terminal, and wherein the other end of the conductive spring member is inserted into the recess portion of the wiring board so as to abut against the wiring board. ### Claim 10 A manufacturing method for an integrated electric power steering apparatus having an electric motor that generates assist torque corresponding to steering torque produced by a vehicle driver and a control unit that controls the electric motor and being formed in such a way that the control unit is configured as a module comprising: an inverter circuit including two or more switching devices that each supply an electric current to the electric motor; a CPU that outputs command signals to the inverter circuit; a wiring board on which at least the inverter circuit and the CPU are directly mounted; a housing that contains the wiring board; and respective connectors that are provided on the housing and connect a power source apparatus and a sensor for detecting the operation state of the vehicle, which are provided outside the control unit, with the control unit, in such a way that the wiring board is contained in the housing in such a way that the surface thereof is perpendicular to the axel direction of the electric motor, in such a way that the housing has wiring members to be connected with respective winding terminals of the electric motor, in such a way that each of the wiring members is disposed inside the housing in such a way as to extend in the axel direction, and in such a way that the control unit configured as the module is integrally fixed to the electric motor in the axel direction of the electric motor, wherein the control unit and the electric motor are assembled separately from each other, wherein the control unit and the electric motor that are assembled separately from each other are integrally fixed to each other in the axel direction, wherein the wiring board is mounted in the housing in which the wiring member extends in the axel direction, from the electric motor side, and wherein after the electric motor and the control unit are integrated with each other, the winding terminals of the electric motor and the respective wiring members are connected with each other through welding at the outside of the housing.