U.S. patent application number 12/125989 was filed with the patent office on 2008-12-25 for cooling structure for inverter housing.
This patent application is currently assigned to FANUC LTD. Invention is credited to Makoto TAKESHITA, Yuuichi YAMADA, Kazuhiro YAMAMOTO.
Application Number | 20080315736 12/125989 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39765036 |
Filed Date | 2008-12-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080315736 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
YAMADA; Yuuichi ; et
al. |
December 25, 2008 |
COOLING STRUCTURE FOR INVERTER HOUSING
Abstract
In a cabinet, an inverter housing is mounted on an inverter
housing mounting surface. Heat-exchanger-side pipe connection ports
are disposed so as to extend through the inverter housing mounting
surface toward a heat exchanger for use as an air-cooling device.
Further, controller-mounting-side pipe connection ports are
disposed so as to extend on a controller mounting side. A
refrigerant supply line is a refrigerant passage through which a
refrigerant is cyclically fed from the refrigerant cooling device.
One end of the refrigerant supply line is connected to the
heat-exchanger-side pipe connection ports or the
controller-mounting-side pipe connection ports, while the other end
is connected to the refrigerant cooling device that penetrates an
appropriate part of a wall of the cabinet and is situated in a
proper position outside the cabinet.
Inventors: |
YAMADA; Yuuichi;
(Minamitsuru-gun, JP) ; TAKESHITA; Makoto;
(Minamitsuru-gun, JP) ; YAMAMOTO; Kazuhiro;
(Minamitsuru-gun, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
LOWE HAUPTMAN HAM & BERNER, LLP
1700 DIAGONAL ROAD, SUITE 300
ALEXANDRIA
VA
22314
US
|
Assignee: |
FANUC LTD
Minamitsuru-gun
JP
|
Family ID: |
39765036 |
Appl. No.: |
12/125989 |
Filed: |
May 23, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
312/236 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H05K 7/20927
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
312/236 |
International
Class: |
F25D 19/00 20060101
F25D019/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 19, 2007 |
JP |
2007-160941 |
Claims
1. A piping structure which is disposed on a cabinet and serves to
circulate a refrigerant used to cool a heat sink of an inverter,
the piping structure comprising: pipe connection ports disposed
individually so as to extend on a controller mounting side of the
cabinet and on a heat exchanger side opposite the controller
mounting side; and a pipe for the refrigerant, selectively
connected to either the pipe connection port disposed on the
controller mounting side or the pipe connection port disposed on
the heat exchanger side.
2. The piping structure according to claim 1, wherein the pipe
connection port disposed on the controller mounting side and the
pipe connection port disposed on the heat exchanger side are formed
on the heat sink itself.
3. The piping structure according to claim 2, wherein a passage
branching point from which the pipe connection port disposed on the
controller mounting side and the pipe connection port disposed on
the heat exchanger side diverge is formed inside the heat sink.
4. The piping structure according to claim 1, wherein the pipe
connection port disposed on the controller mounting side and the
pipe connection ports disposed on the heat exchanger side are
provided on a pipe connection port setting part independent of the
heat sink, and the pipe connection port setting part has a pipe
connection port connected to the heat sink and is connected to the
heat sink.
5. The piping structure according to claim 4, wherein a passage
branching point from which the pipe connection ports disposed on
the controller mounting side and the pipe connection port disposed
on the heat exchanger side diverge is formed inside the pipe
connection port setting part.
6. A structure of a cabinet in which a piping structure for
circulating a refrigerant used to cool a heat sink of an inverter
is disposed, the piping structure comprising: pipe connection ports
disposed individually so as to extend on a controller mounting side
of the cabinet and a heat exchanger side opposite the controller
mounting side; and a pipe for the refrigerant, selectively
connected to either the pipe connection port disposed on the
controller mounting side or the pipe connection port disposed on
the heat exchanger side, the cabinet having an inverter housing
mounting surface provided with a panel cut which allows the pipe
disposed on the heat exchanger side to be connected from the
controller mounting side, the panel cut being configured to be
closed after the pipe connection.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a piping structure for a
refrigerant for cooling a heat sink of an inverter with use of the
refrigerant and a cabinet structure for the inverter.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] It is a known technique to cool a heat sink of an inverter
mounted in a controller with a coolant.
[0005] According to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No.
8-90252, an external pipe connection port of a cooling section is
set on the front surface of a power source unit, thereby solving
problems including difficulties in piping work and maintenance and
inspection operation caused when the external pipe connection port
of the cooling section is set on the rear surface of the power
source unit.
[0006] If piping for the coolant for cooling the heat sink of the
inverter is installed on the controller side, the coolant sometimes
may leak out through the connection port, possibly adversely
affecting the controller. If the piping is installed on a heat
exchanger side (i.e., the side where the heat sink (heat exchanger)
for cooling power elements and resistors is located) opposite from
a mounting surface for an inverter housing, the heat exchanger is
situated behind a cabinet, so that the piping is installed in close
contact with a wall or the like. If a sufficient space structurally
cannot be secured for piping installation or maintenance,
therefore, it is difficult to install the piping on the heat
exchanger side.
[0007] Since the cabinet is miniaturized, moreover, the inverter
housing itself is also expected to be miniaturized. Accordingly, it
is a difficult task to secure the piping space and arrange the
piping.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] Accordingly, in order to solve the above problems, the
object of the present invention is to provide a cabinet configured
so that an optimum cooling pipe arrangement can be selected
depending on a panel installer's circumstances and the pipe setting
operation can be performed with ease.
[0009] A piping structure according to the present invention is
disposed on a cabinet and serves to circulate a refrigerant used to
cool a heat sink of an inverter. The piping structure comprises:
pipe connection ports disposed individually so as to extend on a
controller mounting side of the cabinet and on a heat exchanger
side opposite the controller mounting side; and a pipe for the
refrigerant, selectively connected to either the pipe connection
port disposed on the controller mounting side or the pipe
connection port disposed on the heat exchanger side.
[0010] The pipe connection port disposed on the controller mounting
side and the pipe connection port disposed on the heat exchanger
side may be formed on the heat sink itself.
[0011] The pipe connection port disposed on the controller mounting
side and the pipe connection ports disposed on the heat exchanger
side may be provided on a pipe connection port setting part
independent of the heat sink, and the pipe connection port setting
part has a pipe connection port connected to the heat sink and is
connected to the heat sink.
[0012] A structure of a cabinet according to the present invention
has a piping structure for circulating a refrigerant used to cool a
heat sink of an inverter. The piping structure comprises: pipe
connection ports disposed individually so as to extend on a
controller mounting side of the cabinet and a heat exchanger side
opposite the controller mounting side; and a pipe for the
refrigerant, selectively connected to either the pipe connection
port disposed on the controller mounting side or the pipe
connection port disposed on the heat exchanger side. And the
cabinet has an inverter housing mounting surface provided with a
panel cut which allows the pipe disposed on the heat exchanger side
to be connected from the controller mounting side, the panel cut
being configured to be closed after the pipe connection.
[0013] With the piping structure of the present invention, a
cooling pipe arrangement can be selected from both the controller
mounting side and the heat exchanger side of the cabinet, depending
on a panel installer's circumstances, and the cabinet can be
installed easily. By the use of the pipe connection port setting
part, moreover, the heat sink can be reduced in thickness and hence
in size. Since the position of the pipe connection port of the port
setting part can be designed with a predetermined degree of
freedom, the easiness of piping work is improved. Furthermore, the
piping work and maintenance and inspection operation can be
performed with ease when the pipe connection port that extends on
the heat exchanger side is selected.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] The above and other objects and features of the present
invention will be obvious from the ensuing description of
embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in
which:
[0015] FIG. 1A is a schematic view of a cabinet on which a piping
structure for circulating a refrigerant used to cool a heat sink of
an inverter is set, the piping structure having its pipe connection
ports arranged individually on a controller mounting side and a
heat exchanger side, and shows a state in which a refrigerant
supply line is connected to a controller-mounting-side pipe
connection port;
[0016] FIG. 1B shows a state in which the refrigerant supply line
shown in FIG. 1A is connected to a heat-exchanger-side pipe
connection port;
[0017] FIG. 2A is a side view of a first example of an inverter
housing in the piping structure shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B;
[0018] FIG. 2B is a perspective view of the inverter housing shown
in FIG. 2A;
[0019] FIG. 3A is a side view of a second example of the inverter
housing in the piping structure shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, in which
a pipe connection port setting part is connected to the heat
sink;
[0020] FIG. 3B is a perspective view of the inverter housing and
the pipe connection port setting part shown in FIG. 3A; and
[0021] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a modification of the
cabinet shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0022] FIGS. 1A and 1B are schematic views of a cabinet on which a
piping structure for circulating a refrigerant used to cool a heat
sink 10 of an inverter is set. The piping structure has its pipe
connection ports arranged individually on a controller mounting
side and a heat exchanger side.
[0023] In a cabinet 1, an inverter housing 2 is mounted on an
inverter housing mounting surface 5. If necessary, a plurality of
inverter housings (not shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B) may be arranged in
the cabinet 1. Heat-exchanger-side pipe connection ports 3 are
disposed so as to extend through the inverter housing mounting
surface 5, on a controller mounting side 7 where the inverter
housing 2 is mounted (or on the side opposite from the side (heat
exchanger side 4) where the heat sink (heat exchanger) for cooling
power elements and resistors is located). Further,
controller-mounting-side pipe connection ports 6 are disposed so as
to extend on the controller mounting side 7.
[0024] A refrigerant supply line 8 through which the refrigerant
supplied from the refrigerant cooling device 9 is circulated has
one end connected to one of the heat-exchanger-side pipe connection
ports 3 or the controller-mounting-side pipe connection ports 6 and
the other end connected to the cooling device 9. The refrigerant
cooling device 9 penetrates an appropriate part of a wall of the
cabinet 1 and is situated in a proper position outside the cabinet
1. The refrigerant that is cyclically fed from the cooling device 9
may suitably be a gas such as nitrogen gas, a liquid such as water
or oil, or a solid-liquid slurry based on water and ice.
[0025] FIG. 1A shows a state in which the refrigerant supply line 8
is connected to the controller-mounting-side pipe connection port
6, and FIG. 1B shows a state in which the line 8 is connected to
the heat-exchanger-side pipe connection port 3.
[0026] FIGS. 2A and 2B show an example in which branching points 12
from which passages diverge are formed at parts of the heat sink
10. FIGS. 2A and 2B show the way the heat sink 10 itself is formed
with the pipe connection ports 3 and 6 on the h-eat-exchanger and
controller-mounting sides, respectively, of the cabinet. The
passage branching points 12 from which the heat-exchanger-side pipe
connection ports 3 and the controller-mounting-side pipe connection
ports 6 diverge are formed inside the heat sink 10.
[0027] The refrigerant that is cyclically fed through the
heat-exchanger-side pipe connection ports 3 or the
controller-mounting-side pipe connection ports 6 cools the heat
sink 10 that is disposed in the inverter housing 2. Heat from
heating parts 13 is released through the heat sink 10. The heat
sink 10 is formed by joining, for example, two aluminum plates
together. A groove is formed in at least one of the aluminum plates
so as to define a passage for the refrigerant. If the two aluminum
plates are joined together so that the groove in the one aluminum
plate faces the other aluminum plate, the refrigerant passage is
formed in the heat sink 10. Alternatively, the refrigerant passage
may be formed by laying a pipe of a different material with high
thermal conductivity, such as a copper pipe, along the groove.
Alternatively, moreover, the heat sink 10 may be formed of one
aluminum plate such that a groove is formed in one side surface of
the aluminum plate and that the refrigerant passage is formed by
laying the pipe of the different material along the groove.
[0028] As shown in FIG. 2B, the refrigerant passage is constructed
so as to extend in zigzag in a heat sink section and cool the
entire heat sink 10. Since the passage branching points 12 are thus
formed inside the heat sink 10, they require no dedicated
installation spaces.
[0029] FIGS. 3A and 3B show an example in which a pipe connection
port setting part 14 is connected to the heat sink 10 so as to form
branch passages. In this example, compared with the example in
which the passage branching points 12 are formed inside the heat
sink 10, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the heat sink 10 itself has
so simple a construction that it can be reduced in thickness.
[0030] The pipe connection port setting part 14, includes pipe
connection ports connected to the heat sink 10, heat-exchanger-side
pipe connection ports 3, and controller-mounting-side pipe
connection ports 6. Since the pipe connection port setting part 14
is independent of the heat sink 10, the respective positions of the
pipe connection ports can be suitably adjusted by changing the
shape of the part 14 as required.
[0031] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a cabinet structure
using a form of pipe connection. The inverter housing mounting
surface 5 of the cabinet 1 is provided with a panel cut 15, which
serves as an operation opening for pipe connection disposed on the
heat exchanger side 4 from the controller mounting side 7. When the
pipe connection is completed, the heat exchanger side 4 and the
controller mounting side 7 can be separated by closing the panel
cut 15 lest heat or oil mist be transferred from the heat exchanger
side 4 to the controller mounting side 7.
* * * * *