Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-02
2001-02-06
Tolin, Gerald (Department: 2835)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C165S080400, C257S714000, C336S058000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06185099
ABSTRACT:
This application corresponds to French application 98 04095 filed Apr. 2, 1998, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to a cooling device for an electronic power system, adapted particularly to permit recharging an electrical storage battery of an automotive vehicle, at a predetermined position on a public route.
There are already known electric supply connections to permit recharging an automotive vehicle battery, on a public route, connecting the battery to the outlet by conductors. However, such outlets can be subjected to acts of vandalism and it has thus been proposed to bury recharging systems, and to carry out recharging by induction instead of using conductive cables. This known system consists in placing in a concrete box buried in the ground an electronic power housing, connected, at the input, to an electric supply cable and, at its output to a conductive cable connected to an inductor, the concrete box being closed at the level of the soil by a cast iron plate which is pierced to permit access to the inductor, this latter being designed to give rise, under the action of the electronic power housing, to an electromagnetic field acting on an inductive carried by the automotive vehicle parked above the inductor, to recharge the battery of the vehicle.
The electronic power housing generally comprises power transistors which give off substantial heat, during their operation, for example of the order of 200 watts. This emitted heat must be dissipated to avoid a temperature within the housing exceeding a temperature of the order of 50-60° C., beyond which the electronic components can be damaged. To this end, there is used as a cooling device, coils filled with cold water covering the electronic housing at the level of the emplacement of the power transistors, the circulation of cold water being carried out by a pump. It is not possible to cool the housing with ambient air by providing holes through the cast iron plate, because the concrete box must be sealed. There could also be provided, instead of cold water coils, air ventilation devices within the box.
However, these cooling devices are complicated and use moving members which can fail in the course of their operation. Moreover, these cooling devices use a drive system which consumes energy and hence increases the cost of the assembly.
The invention has for its object to overcome the mentioned drawbacks and to provide a cooling device for an electronic power system, which will be of simple construction and require no or little maintenance.
To this end, the invention has for its object a cooling device for an electronic power system, said electronic power system being connected, at the input, to an electric supply cable, and at its output, to a conductor cable connected to a power transmission system, the assembly of the device being adapted to be buried in the ground in a concrete box such that the current power transmission system will be adapted to transmit power to an electrical machine external to the device, characterized in that it comprises a sealed metallic receptacle in the form of a box filled with heat conductive liquid, a sealed compartment being located below the bottom of the box, in which is disposed the electronic power system of which at least one electronic power component is directly fixed to the lower surface of the bottom of the box, in an emplacement adapted to give rise in the receptacle to agitation of the heat conductive liquid by thermosiphoning, to dissipate in the liquid the heat discharged by the electronic power component which heats up in operation, thereby to ensure that the electronic power components do not exceed the maximum temperature tolerated by the electronic components, no matter what the external climatic conditions.
In a first embodiment, the current transmission system comprises an inductor connected to the conductive cable and disposed in a housing, said conductor housing being immersed in the heat conductive liquid contained in the metallic receptacle, said inductor being adapted to give rise to a current induced in an electrical machine located above the inductor, for example for recharging a battery of an automotive vehicle.
In an another embodiment, the current transmission system comprises a current connection to the conductor cable which passes through the receptacle over all its height, for current transmission by contact, said connection being located preferably at the level of an upper closure plate of the receptacle.
As a modification, the cable could pass through the receptacle and be connected to an inductor external to the receptacle.
Preferably, the receptacle comprises a chimney, preferably of generally truncated conical shape, extending vertically from the bottom of the receptacle and adapted to be traversed by the conductor cable which passes through, in a sealed manner, the bottom of the box and opens into the sealed compartment, so as to accelerate the thermal agitation in the liquid. The chimney is preferably substantially at the center of the receptacle, and the electronic power components are fixed to the bottom of the receptacle in emplacements spaced about the base of the chimney.
According to another characteristic, the inductor housing comprises at its base a hollow bottom in the form of a bell adapted to cap laterally the top of the chimney, so that said bell is bathed in the upper warm region of the liquid, so as to permit discharge of heat, by means of the inductor housing, to the ambient air.
According to still another characteristic, the bottom of the receptacle comprises at least one reinforcement projecting into the compartment of the electronic power system, the electronic power component or components being fixed on the lower surface of the bottom of the reinforcement or reinforcements.
It can be provided that the bottom of the receptacle comprises lugs projecting inwardly of the receptacle to permit sinking therein the securement means for the electronic component, from the lower surface of the bottom of the receptacle.
Preferably, the receptacle comprises at its base a peripheral downwardly extending skirt delimiting with the lower surface of the bottom of the receptacle the mentioned compartment. Preferably, the bottom of the compartment is closed by a closure plate, if desired with the interposition of a sealing join between the plate and the lower edge of the skirt of the receptacle.
According to still another characteristic, the mentioned skirt comprises an internal partition delimiting a recess separated from the mentioned compartment to receive a set of terminals between said electronic power system and the supply cable, said recess opening on the one hand, through a hole provided in the internal partition, into the compartment of the electronic power system for electrical connection between said system and the terminal set, and on the other hand through a hole provided in the external wall of the skirt on the exterior for passage of the supply cable. In this case, the bottom of the recess can be closed by a closure plate independently of the closure plate of the compartment, with if desired the interposition of an individual sealing joint.
In a particular embodiment, the receptacle comprises on its internal side wall, support means adapted to coact with bearing means fixed to the inductor housing, to position and support the inductor housing within the receptacle. For example, the support means can be comprised by vertical ribs projecting from the internal side walls of the receptacle and the bearing means by tongues extending within a plane perpendicular to the vertical axis of the receptacle, from a metallic crown secured to the inductor housing, said tongues being adapted to rest on the tops of the ribs. Securement means could be provided, adapted to pass through at least one tongue and the associated rib, to immobilize the inductor housing in the receptacle.
According to another characteristic, the receptacle comprises on its upper edge a peripheral collar extending outwar
Igenierie Steve
Tolin Gerald
Young & Thompson
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