Refrigeration – Structural installation – With electrical component cooling
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-01
2001-05-15
Doerrler, William (Department: 3744)
Refrigeration
Structural installation
With electrical component cooling
C062S003700, C165S137000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06230509
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an electric apparatus comprising semiconductor components such as transistors or thyristors as well as other electrical components.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIGS. 20 and 21
show a conventional electric apparatus provided with an inverter circuit composed of semiconductor components.
FIG. 20
is a front view of the apparatus, in which view a cover and circuit boards are eliminated so that an internal arrangement of the apparatus is easily understood.
FIG. 21
is a bottom view of the apparatus, in which view a main circuit distribution terminal block for distribution of signals or electric power to customers is eliminated. Copper bus bars and wires for connection of main circuit electrical components are also eliminated in the views. The electric apparatus comprises a housing
40
made of a metal plate. The housing
40
accommodates therein a cooler
10
for cooling a semiconductor module
5
serving as a semiconductor component and a rectifier
6
, a main circuit capacitor
7
for smoothing a main circuit voltage, a rush current preventing resistor
15
for restraining a rush current, a magnet contactor
8
, a main circuit distribution terminal block
9
for electrically connecting internal main circuit electrical components to the wiring of a customer, a drive circuit board
13
for driving the semiconductor module
5
so that the module performs a switching operation, and a control circuit board
14
for controlling the apparatus.
The above-described electric apparatus has recently been miniaturized. For this purpose, a refrigerant has been used for improvement in the cooling performance of the cooler
10
. Further, semiconductor components have been disposed on an inside or a backside of a heat absorbing section
10
a
as well as on an outside or a front of thereof so that a space for disposition of the semiconductor components is saved.
In the above-described disposition of the semiconductor components, when a maintenance work is carried out upon failure of one or more of the semiconductor components, the cooler
10
on which the failed component is mounted needs to be dismounted or detached from the apparatus in order that the semiconductor component disposed on the backside of the heat absorbing section
10
a
may be replaced or decomposed. Further, in a performance test carried out after decomposition or replacement of the semiconductor components, it is difficult for a workman to confirm the performance of the semiconductor component disposed on the backside of the cooler
10
. Additionally, the cooler
10
on which the semiconductor components are mounted is sometimes moved from its regular position so that a probe of a measuring equipment etc. may be applied to the semiconductor component. In the performance test, specially prepared electrically connecting wires are used to connect the semiconductor component to main circuit components so that measurement is performed. In this case, however, the measurement sometimes shows that the characteristics of the apparatus are abnormal. The reason for this is that the electric apparatus is not constructed so as to properly cope with the performance test after the maintenance work.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an electric apparatus with an integrated semiconductor component which can provide easy replacement of the semiconductor component and easy execution of the performance test although the semiconductor component is disposed on the backside of the heat-absorbing section of the cooler.
The present invention provides an electric apparatus comprising a generally box-shaped housing having a front opening, a cover mounted on the housing so as to close and open the front opening of the housing, a cooler unit having an end supported in the housing so that the cooler unit pivots about a vertical axis, whereby the cooler unit is put into and taken out of the housing through the front opening of the housing, the cooler unit including a cooler further including a lower generally flat box-shaped heat-absorbing section, an upper heat-radiating section and a refrigerant enclosed in the cooler so as to be circulated by natural convection between the heat-absorbing and heat-radiating sections, the cooler having two opposite sides, the cooler unit further including at least two integrated semiconductor components disposed on the opposite sides of the cooler in heat transfer relation respectively, and a fan exhausting air around the heat-radiating section of the cooler outside the housing.
According to the above-described electric apparatus, the cooler unit pivots so as to be taken out of the housing when the semiconductor component is to be replaced. Accordingly, a replacing work can be rendered easier, and tests for electrical signals and characteristics of the apparatus can easily be performed.
In a preferred form, the apparatus further comprises, for example, a plate-shaped mounting member disposed in the housing so that the cooler unit and the electrical component are mounted thereon. In this case, the mounting member preferably has a measuring opening so that lengths of wires or cables connecting a probe to a measuring equipment can be reduced.
In another preferred form, the electric apparatus further comprises a cover attached to the cooler unit so as to cover the semiconductor component for extra safety for a workman during the tests for electrical signals and characteristics of the apparatus after the replacement of the semiconductor component.
For extra safety of the workman, the electric apparatus preferably further comprises an adjusting mechanism provided at the housing side for adjusting a turning angle of the cooler unit, and a holding mechanism for holding the cooler unit at the adjusted turning angle.
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patent: 4660124 (1987-04-01), Woy
patent: 5177666 (1993-01-01), Bland et al.
patent: 5471850 (1995-12-01), Cowans
patent: 5731954 (1998-03-01), Cheon
patent: 5992155 (1999-11-01), Kobayashi et al.
patent: 6055822 (2000-05-01), Pfister et al.
patent: 6088223 (2000-07-01), Diemunsch
patent: 6097596 (2000-08-01), Cipolla et al.
patent: 6109039 (2000-08-01), Hougham et al.
patent: 1916874 (1965-06-01), None
patent: 7207854 (1976-04-01), None
patent: 2710432A1 (1978-09-01), None
patent: 3713054A1 (1987-11-01), None
Doerrler William
Gray Cary Ware & Freidenrich LLP
Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
Shulman Mark
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