INVERTER WITH ENCLOSURE

• US 20120182689A1
• Filed: 03/14/2012
• Published: 07/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SMA Solar Technology AG
• Original Assignee: SMA Solar Technology AG
• Inventors: Hobein, Thorsten, Donth, Andreas, Gebert, Bernd
• Granted Patent: US 9,066,454 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/695
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/003 Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20909 Forced ventilation, e.g. on heat dissipaters coupled to components

Abstract

The invention relates to an inverter with an enclosure that includes a removable hand plug which, when inserted inside the enclosure, shares an electrical connection with the inverter. The hand plug includes a fan configured to cool at least a portion of the inverter enclosure.

Claims

1. An inverter, comprising:

an enclosure configured to house inverter components of the inverter, and

a removable hand plug configured to be inserted into the enclosure and shares an electrical connection with one or more of the inverter components within the enclosure,

wherein the removable hand plug comprises a fan configured to cool at least a portion of the enclosure.

2. The inverter according to claim 1, wherein the hand plug is configured to supply power to the fan.

3. The inverter according to claim 1, wherein the hand plug is configured as a switch-disconnector.

4. The inverter according to claim 1, wherein the hand plug comprises a fan enclosure configured to secure an orientation of the fan when the hand plug is inserted into the enclosure.

5. The inverter according to claim 4, wherein the fan enclosure comprises a sliding element configured to slidingly engage a guide rail associated with the hand plug.

6. The inverter according to claim 1, wherein a back panel portion of the enclosure comprises a chimney-like section that extends along the entire length thereof, wherein when the hand plug is inserted into the enclosure, the fan is located in a vicinity of the chimney-like section for fluid communication thereto.

7. An inverter, comprising:

an enclosure;

one or more inverter elements configured to receive direct current energy and generate alternating current energy in response thereto; and

a removable hand plug configured to be selectively inserted into the enclosure,

wherein the removable hand plug comprises a fan configured to cool at least a portion of the one or more inverter elements in the enclosure when the removable hand plug is inserted into the enclosure.

8. The inverter of claim 7, wherein the fan is configured to receive power from at least one of the one or more inverter elements when the removable hand plug is inserted into the enclosure.

9. The inverter of claim 7, wherein the removable hand plug comprises a bracket to which the fan engages in a secure fashion.

10. The inverter of claim 9, wherein the bracket comprises a pair of guide rails configured to engage the fan.

11. The inverter of claim 10, wherein the fan comprises a sliding element configured to slidingly engage the pair of guide rails to secure the fan to the bracket.

12. The inverter of claim 11, wherein the fan comprises a plug configured to make an electrical connection to a source of power associated with the one or more inverter elements when the sliding element of the fan slidingly engages the guide rails to secure the fan to the bracket.