Patent ID: 9300221
Filing Date: 2016-03-29
CPC Classification: H02M,H05K

Claim Text:
1. A power converter that converts a direct-current voltage received by the power converter to an alternating-current voltage, comprising: a body including a switching element; a plurality of semiconductor modules each having a control terminal projected from the body; a circuit board that controls the switching element to be ON and OFF; a cooler that cools the semiconductor modules; a smoothing capacitor that smooth direct-current voltage applied to the switching element; a discharge resistor disposed on a surface of the circuit board and electrically connected parallel to the smoothing capacitor, wherein the semiconductor modules are mounted on the circuit board with the control terminal; the discharge resistor includes a first connecting portion at one end of the discharge resistor in a longitudinal direction thereof and a second connecting portion at an other end of the discharge resistor in the longitudinal direction thereof; the first connecting portion is connected to the control terminal via a wiring pattern provided on the surface of the circuit board; the discharge resistor is provided with a series-connected unit in which a plurality of parallel-connected resister elements are connected in series; and the power converter is configured such that at least a part of the discharge resistor overlaps the cooler when viewing from the surface of the circuit board; the switching element is provided with a series-connected element including an upper arm switching element and a lower arm switching element; the circuit board controls the upper arm switching element and the lower arm switching element to be ON and OFF so as to convert the direct-current voltage to the alternating-current voltage; the smoothing capacitor is connected in parallel to the series-connected element; the second connecting portion is connected to one end of the smoothing capacitor via a connector provided on the circuit board and an electrically conductive connection member; the control terminal includes a detection terminal that is short-circuited to one of both ends of the series-connected element, the one of the both ends of the series-connected element being an end to which the second connecting portion is not connected; and the first connecting portion is connected to one of both ends of the smoothing capacitor via the wiring pattern and the detection terminal, the one of the both ends of the smoothing capacitor being an end to which the second connecting portion is not connected.