# US 7,610,973 B2 · Automotive electric motor-generator apparatus

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- Number: US 7,610,973 B2
- Document ID: US7610973B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 10/830,320
- Filed: 2004-04-23
- Published: 2004-10-28
- Granted: 2009-11-03
- Earliest claimed: 2003-04-23
- Assignees: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Yoshihito Asao; Yutaka Kitamura
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7610973B2

## CPC

- B60K 6/405: Housings
- B60K 6/26: characterised by the motors or the generators
- B60K 6/485: Motor-assist type
- H02K 11/05: Rectifiers associated with casings, enclosures or brackets
- Y02T 10/62: Hybrid vehicles
- Y10S 903/906: Motor or generator
- B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES
- H02K: DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES (dynamo-electric relays H01H53/00; conversion of DC or AC input power into surge output power {H03K3/53})
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

## Abstract

An inverter unit is provided with: a case for housing a circuit board on which switching elements, diodes, and a capacitor are mounted; and a heat sink constructed integrally with the case. The inverter unit is mounted to an upper portion of the rotary electric machine by fixing the case to a mounting plate mounted to a boss. In addition, the inverter unit is electrically connected to three phase output terminals projecting out of a rear bracket by means of alternating-current wiring, and is electrically connected to a battery by means of direct-current wiring.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An automotive electric motor-generator apparatus comprising:
a battery;
an engine;
a rotary electric machine linked to said engine by means of a pulley and a belt, said rotary electric machine being driven by electric power from said battery to start said engine during starting of said engine, and being driven by said engine to generate alternating-current power after starting said engine; and
an inverter unit for converting direct-current power from said battery into alternating-current power and supplying said alternating-current power to said rotary electric machine during said starting of said engine, and converting alternating-current power generated in said rotary electric machine into direct-current power and charging said battery after starting said engine,
wherein said rotary electric machine comprises:
a rotor including a field winding and a supported shaft, and being rotatably disposed inside a case formed by a front bracket and a rear bracket;
a fan fixed to an axial end surface of said rotor; and
an armature disposed between said front bracket and said rear bracket so as to cover said rotor;
wherein said inverter unit comprises:
a resin case made of electrically-insulating resin;
a heat sink formed integrally with said resin case, said heat sink having a C shape and including fins extending radially disposed upright at a predetermined angular pitch in a circumferential direction on an inner wall surface of said heat sink; and
a circuit board disposed on said heat sink in an electrically-insulated state and housed inside said resin case; and
wherein said inverter unit is disposed outside the case so as to surround a bearing box of said rear bracket and directly mounted to an axial end surface of said rear bracket which is perpendicular to a center of said shaft, whereby said inverter unit is cooled by a cooling airflow formed by said fan and flowed along said fins.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The automotive electric motor-generator apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said inverter unit is located upstream of said rotary electric machine with respect to a flow direction of said cooling airflow.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The automotive electric motor-generator apparatus according to claim 2, wherein output wires of an armature winding of said armature are electrically connected to said inverter unit directly.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The automotive electric motor-generator apparatus according to claim 1, wherein output wires of an armature winding of said rotary electric machine are electrically connected to said inverter unit directly.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The automotive electric motor-generator apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said inverter unit is designed to be cooled by a cooling medium for cooling said rotary electric machine.