Arc welding control device

• US 20070034617A1
• Filed: 06/21/2005
• Published: 02/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Mukai, Yasushi, Oyama, Hidetoshi, Muto, Yasumichi, Tabata, Yoshiyuki
• Application Number:
  US10/568,990
• Publication Number:
  US 20070034617A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/130.100
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/325 Devices for supplying or evacuating shielding gas
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20909 Forced ventilation, e.g. on heat dissipaters coupled to components

Abstract

In the conventional arc welding control unit, since the air of the outside of the equipment is applied directly to the whole of the main semiconductor for cooling, there is found a problem that dust, welding fumes and the like can accumulate on or adhere to the conductive portions of the inside of the equipment, which takes time for maintenance of the equipment. To solve this, according to the invention, there is provided an arc welding control unit having a heat radiating unit built in the box body thereof for discharging the air heated by a heat generating first electrical element to the outside. The heat radiating unit has a tunnel-type shape including an outer peripheral portion for defining a cavity portion allowing the air to flow therethrough, whereby dust, welding fumes and the like can be prevented from accumulating on or adhering to the conductive portions of the inside of the equipment.

Claims

1. An arc welding control unit comprising a heat radiating unit built in a box body for discharging the air heated by a heat generating first electrical element to the outside, wherein the heat radiating unit has a tunnel-type shape including an outer peripheral portion for defining a cavity portion allowing the air to flow therethrough.

2. An arc welding control unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein the heat radiating unit has a substantially cuboid shape including a side surface portion and a top surface portion for defining the cavity portion.

3. An arc welding control unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein the heat radiating unit has two openings respectively formed in the two side end portions of the cavity portion allowing the air to flow therethrough.

4. An arc welding control unit as set forth in claim 3, wherein the heat radiating unit is disposed such that the two openings formed in the two side end portions thereof respectively face the inside surface of the box body.

5. An arc welding control unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein the heat radiating unit uses the heat generating first electrical element in at least part of the outer peripheral portion defining the cavity portion.

6. An arc welding control unit as set forth in claim 5, wherein the heat generating first electrical element includes a heat sink having a heat radiating fin, and the heat radiating fin is exposed to the inside of the cavity portion through which the air flows.

7. An arc welding control unit as set forth in claim 3, wherein, in one of the two openings, there is provided a fan for forcing the air existing in the cavity portion to flow through the cavity portion.

8. An arc welding control unit as set forth in claim 7, wherein the fan is mounted on the opening of the heat radiating unit.

9. An arc welding control unit as set forth in claim 7, wherein the fan is mounted on an air flow hole portion formed in the box body for allowing the air to flow therethrough.

10. An arc welding control unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein the heat radiating unit includes two or more first electrical elements in the outer peripheral portion thereof defining the cavity portion.

11. An arc welding control unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein the heat radiating unit include two or more rows of cavity portions.

12. An arc welding control unit as set forth in claim 11, wherein the heat radiating unit includes fans respectively disposed in every cavity portions formed in two or more rows.

13. An arc welding control unit as set forth in claim 11, wherein the heat radiating unit allows the air of different first electrical elements in every cavity portions to flow.

14. An arc welding control unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first electrical element includes an electrical element used in an inverter circuit arranged in the arc welding control unit.

15. An arc welding control unit as set forth in claim 14, wherein the first electrical element includes a power transistor.

16. An arc welding control unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first electrical element includes a rectify diode.

17. An arc welding control unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein, in the cavity portion, there is disposed a heat generating second electrical element.

18. An arc welding control unit as set forth in claim 17, wherein the second electrical element includes a reactor.

19. An arc welding control unit as set forth in claim 17, wherein the second electrical element includes a transformer.