Safety power supply

• US 5,235,491 A
• Filed: 04/30/1991
• Issued: 08/10/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: VERO Electronics GmbH
• Original Assignee: Bicc-Vero Electronics GmbH
• Inventors: Weiss, Harald
• Primary Examiner(s): Tolin, Gerald P.
• Application Number:
  US07/693,377
• Time in Patent Office: 833 Days
• Field of Search: 363/141, 363/144, 357/81, 307/150, 307/151, 165/80.3, 165/179, 361/379, 361/381-384, 361/388, 361/395, 361/399, 361/417, 361/419, 361/427
• US Class Current: 361/694
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20918 the components being isolated from air flow, e.g. hollow heat sinks, wind tunnels or funnels

Abstract

Power supplies are known, in particular power supplies under primary clock-pulse control, that comprise a closed housing for the primary and secondary circuits, and a forced-air cooling means to cool the heat-producing components of the circuits. A power supply is proposed in which additionally there is a ventilation conduit in communication with the air outside the housing to serve as a cooling medium. The cooling means also comprises at least one cooling-unit element, on which the heat-producing components are mounted, and a portion of said element projects into the ventilation conduit and is electrically isolated by insulating means.

Claims

1. A switching power supply having a primary clock-pulse control comprising:

a closed housing;

a primary power supply circuit with first heat producing components within said housing;

a secondary power supply circuit with second heat producing components within said housing;

a ventilation conduit disposed within said housing for communicating with air outside the housing, said air acting as a cooling medium;

a forced-air cooling means disposed within said housing, said cooling means having first and second cooling elements mounting said first and second heat producing components, respectively, said forced air cooling means projecting into said ventilation conduit and inaccessible from outside of said housing; and

,

insulating means separating said first from said second cooling elements.

2. A power supply as recited in claim 1, wherein said ventilation conduit passes through the interior of said housing and is separated therefrom by an air-tight seal.

3. A power supply as recited in claim 1, wherein said cooling elements define said ventilation conduit.

4. A power supply as recited in claim 1, wherein said ventilation conduit is at least partly bounded by said cooling elements.

5. A power supply as recited in claim 1, wherein said first and second cooling elements are disposed one behind the other, with respect to a direction of air flow.

6. A power supply as recited in claim 1, wherein said ventilation conduit is disposed from a side of said housing to another side of said housing.

7. A power supply as recited in claim 1, wherein said ventilation conduit has two parts and defines an inlet opening and an output opening, said openings each disposed on a same side of housing.

8. The power supply as recited in claim 1, wherein said cooling means directs heat generated in an interior of said housing into said ventilation conduit.

9. The power supply as recited in claim 8, further comprising means for circulating the air in said interior of said housing.

10. The power supply as recited in claim 8, wherein said cooling means has a heat-exchange unit which conducts heat from the interior space of said housing into said ventilation conduit.

11. The power supply as recited in claim 10, wherein said heat-exchange unit comprises sheet metal.

12. The power supply as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of said cooling elements and said housing comprises sheet metal.

13. The power supply as recited in claim 1, wherein said insulating means comprises a printed-circuit board having thereon at least part of said primary or secondary circuit.

14. The power supply as recited in claim 1, wherein an interior of said housing is filled with an inert gas.