Patent ID: 8040088

Claim:
A power inverter comprising: a power module for converting direct-current to alternative current; a gate drive circuit board for supplying switching power to said power module; a rotating electric machine control circuit board for supplying a signal for controlling an electric rotating machine to said gate drive circuit board; a smoothing capacitor module connected in parallel electrically to said power module and at the side of a battery of said power module; a housing for storing said power module, said gate drive circuit board, said rotating electric machine control circuit board and said smoothing capacitor module; and an active discharge circuit formed on a board different from said rotating electric machine control circuit board for discharging charge stored in said smoothing capacitor module, wherein said power module is arranged at one side of a storage area of said housing; said smoothing capacitor module is arranged at another side of the storage area of said housing; and said active discharge circuit is arranged rather than said power module at a side nearer said smoothing capacitor module.