POWER SUPPLY APPARATUS INCLUDING FAN FOR AIR COOLING

• US 20110222243A1
• Filed: 03/09/2011
• Published: 09/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daihen Corporation
• Original Assignee: Daihen Corporation
• Inventors: MANABE, Haruhiko, ETOH, Tetsuya, KUREHA, Masayoshi, NAGAMI, Kazutoshi, TAJIMA, Hirotsune, GAMOU, Isamu, DOI, Toshimitsu
• Granted Patent: US 8,462,505 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/697
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/1006 Power supply

Abstract

A power supply apparatus includes an air path extending longitudinally, a fan that blows air into the air path in a direction intersecting a longitudinal direction of the air path, and a plurality of electronic components arranged in the longitudinal direction. Each of the electronic components is cooled by air passing through the air path. With this configuration, it is possible to efficiently cool the electronic components without compromising the flexibility of arrangement of the various electronic components. Also, a dust removal operation can be readily performed without the possibility of damaging the fan.

Claims

1. A power supply apparatus comprising:

an air path extending longitudinally;

a fan that blows air into the air path in a direction intersecting a longitudinal direction of the air path; and

a plurality of electronic components arranged in the longitudinal direction,

wherein each of the electronic components is cooled by air passing through the air path.

2. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fan is arranged in an intermediate portion of the air path in the longitudinal direction, and two ends of the air path in the longitudinal direction each serve as an exit for air draft.

3. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a heat sink facing the air path,

wherein the heat sink is located between the air path and each of the plurality of electronic components.

4. The power supply apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the heat sink includes a plurality of fins each extending in the longitudinal direction, and the plurality of fins are aligned with each other with gaps therebetween.

5. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first wall in which an opening facing the air path is formed;

a second wall opposed to the first wall in a first direction that is orthogonal to the longitudinal direction; and

a pair of third walls opposed to each other in a second direction that is orthogonal to both the longitudinal direction and the first direction,

wherein the air path is surrounded by the first wall, the second wall, and the pair of third walls, the plurality of electronic components are arranged along the second wall, and the fan blows air into the air path through the opening.

6. The power supply apparatus according claim 5, wherein one of the plurality of electronic component is arranged outside the air path.

7. The power supply apparatus according claim 5, wherein one of the plurality of electronic components extends through one of the first wall, the second wall, and the pair of third walls.

8. The power supply apparatus according to claim 7, wherein one of the plurality of electronic components is a reactor or a transformer and include a coil portion exposed to the air path.

9. A power supply apparatus comprising:

an air path;

a fan that includes a suction port and a discharge port and that blows air into the air path from the discharge port;

a plurality of electronic components that are cooled by air passing through the air path; and

a plurality of walls,

wherein a space that is surrounded by the plurality of walls and that is adjacent to the air path is defined, the plurality of walls include a fan-opposed wall opposed to the suction port, an intake port portion for guiding air outside the space into the space is formed in the fan-opposed wall, and the intake port portion is located in an area displaced, in an in-plane direction of the fan-opposed wall, relative to an area of the fan-opposed wall that is in front of the suction port.

10. The power supply apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the fan-opposed wall constitutes a casing cover for protecting the interior of the apparatus.

11. The power supply apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the air path extends longitudinally, the discharge port faces an intermediate portion of the air path in a longitudinal direction of the air path, the fan-opposed wall is parallel to the longitudinal direction, and the intake port portion is located in an area near an end of the fan-opposed wall in the longitudinal direction.

12. The power supply apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the intake port portion is located in a vertically intermediate portion of the fan-opposed wall or an area near a vertically upper portion of the fan-opposed wall.

13. The power supply apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising:

a front surface portion located at one end of the air path in the longitudinal direction; and

a rear surface portion located at the other end of the air path in the longitudinal direction,

wherein a ventilating hole portion in communication with the air path is formed in each of the front surface portion and the rear surface portion.

14. The power supply apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising:

a first wall in which an opening facing the air path is formed;

a second wall opposed to the first wall in a first direction that is orthogonal to the longitudinal direction; and

a pair of third walls opposed to each other in a second direction that is orthogonal to both the longitudinal direction and the first direction,

wherein the air path is surrounded by the first wall, the second wall, and the pair of third walls, the plurality of electronic components are arranged along the second wall, and the fan blows air into the air path through the opening.

15. The power supply apparatus according claim 14, wherein one of the plurality of electronic component is arranged outside the air path.

16. The power supply apparatus according claim 14, wherein one of the plurality of electronic components extends through one of the first wall, the second wall, and the pair of third walls.

17. The power supply apparatus according to claim 16, wherein one of the plurality of electronic components is a reactor or a transformer and include a coil portion exposed to the air path.

18. A power supply apparatus comprising:

a first air path;

a first fan that blows air into the first air path;

a second air path separated from the first air path;

a second fan that blows air into the second air path; and

a plurality of electronic components that are each cooled by air passing through the first air path or air passing through the second air path.

19. The power supply apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising a parting plate interposed between the first air path and the second air path,

wherein the first air path extends longitudinally, and the second air path extends longitudinally in a longitudinal direction of the first air path.

20. The power supply apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the second air path is located above the first air path, and has an air volume larger than that of the first fan.

21. The power supply apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising:

a first wall in which a first opening facing the first air path is formed;

a second wall opposed to the first wall in a first direction that is orthogonal to the longitudinal direction;

a third wall in which a second opening facing the second air path is formed; and

a fourth wall opposed to the third wall in the first direction,

wherein two ends of both the first air path and the second air path in the longitudinal ‘

direction each serve as an exit for air draft, the first fan is located in an intermediate portion of the first air path in the longitudinal direction and blows air into the first air path through the first opening, and the second fan is located in an intermediate portion of the second air path in the longitudinal direction and blows air into the second air path through the second opening.

22. The power supply apparatus according to claim 21, wherein both the first fan and the second fan discharge air in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction.

23. The power supply apparatus according to claim 22, further comprising a fan-opposed wall opposed to both the first fan and the second fan,

wherein both the first fan and the second fan are arranged in a space adjacent to both the first air path and the second air path, an intake port portion for guiding air outside the space into the space is formed in the fan-opposed wall, and the intake port portion is located in an area displaced, in an in-plane direction of the fan-opposed wall, relative to both an area of the fan-opposed wall that is in front of the first fan and an area of the fan-opposed wall that is in front of the second fan.

24. The power supply apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the intake port portion is located in a vertically intermediate portion of the fan-opposed wall or an area near a vertically upper portion of the fan-opposed wall.

25. The power supply apparatus according to claim 23, further comprising:

a front surface portion located at one end of the first air path in the longitudinal direction and at one end of the second air path in the longitudinal direction; and

a rear surface portion located at the other end of the first air path in the longitudinal direction and at the other end of the second air path in the longitudinal direction,

wherein a ventilating hole portion is formed in each of the front surface portion and the rear surface portion.

26. The power supply apparatus according to claim 22, further comprising a heat sink,

wherein one of the plurality of electronic components is a reactor or a transformer and include a coil portion exposed to the first air path, the heat sink is exposed to the second air path, and one of the plurality of electronic components extends through the fourth wall and are in contact with the heat sink.

27. The power supply apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising:

a first temperature sensor for detecting an internal temperature of the first air path; and

a second temperature sensor for detecting an internal temperature of the second air path,

wherein the first fan is controlled independently of the second fan in accordance with a signal from the first temperature sensor, and the second fan is controlled independently of the first fan in accordance with a signal from the second temperature sensor.