Power supply with obliquely impinging airflow
First Claim
1. A power supply apparatus for supplying electrical power for a piece of equipment that produces an electrical arc, the power supply apparatus comprising:
- a housing having at least one air inlet and at least one air outlet;
an air moving device for moving cooling air from the air inlet to the air outlet along a flowpath extending through the housing; and
a heat dissipator extending in a longitudinal direction, positioned along the flowpath, and comprising an upstream portion and a downstream portion, wherein the heat dissipator is oriented along the flowpath so that an upstream section of the flowpath is proximate to the upstream portion of the heat dissipator,said flowpath having a flow axis that forms an acute angle with respect to the longitudinal direction such that air flowing from the upstream section of the flowpath impinges upon and is deflected by the heat dissipator so as to create a downstream section of the flowpath that is proximate to the downstream portion of the heat dissipator and extends generally in the longitudinal direction.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A power supply includes a housing and an air moving device for moving cooling air along a flowpath extending through the housing. A heat sink extends in a longitudinal direction and is positioned within the flowpath so that an upstream section of the flowpath has a flow axis that defines an acute angle with respect to the longitudinal direction. Therefore, air flowing from the upstream section of the flowpath impinges upon and is deflected by the heat sink toward and along a downstream section of the flowpath that has a flow axis that extends approximately in the longitudinal direction. An electrical component to be cooled is positioned within the flowpath downstream from the heat sink. A second heat sink extends in the longitudinal direction and is laterally displaced from the first heat sink so that the flowpath extends between the first heat sink and the second heat sink. The upstream ends of the heat sinks define a staggered arrangement, which is characterized by the end of one of the heat sinks extending farther then the end of the other heat sink. That staggered arrangement allows for air flowing from the upstream section of the flowpath to impinge at an acute angle upon a substantial length of the first heat sink. The air moving device is positioned in a corner of the housing that is opposite from the staggered arrangement.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A power supply apparatus for supplying electrical power for a piece of equipment that produces an electrical arc, the power supply apparatus comprising:
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a housing having at least one air inlet and at least one air outlet; an air moving device for moving cooling air from the air inlet to the air outlet along a flowpath extending through the housing; and a heat dissipator extending in a longitudinal direction, positioned along the flowpath, and comprising an upstream portion and a downstream portion, wherein the heat dissipator is oriented along the flowpath so that an upstream section of the flowpath is proximate to the upstream portion of the heat dissipator, said flowpath having a flow axis that forms an acute angle with respect to the longitudinal direction such that air flowing from the upstream section of the flowpath impinges upon and is deflected by the heat dissipator so as to create a downstream section of the flowpath that is proximate to the downstream portion of the heat dissipator and extends generally in the longitudinal direction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A power supply apparatus for supplying electrical power for a piece of equipment that produces an electrical arc, the power supply apparatus comprising:
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a housing comprising an upstream panel having peripheral edges, a downstream end opposite from the upstream panel, and a plurality of enclosing panels, wherein each of the enclosing panels extend from adjacent a respective peripheral edge of the upstream panel and substantially perpendicularly away from the upstream panel in a longitudinal direction that extends between the upstream panel and the downstream end, so that the upstream panel and the enclosing panels cooperate to at least partially define a chamber, and a corner is defined between at least one of the enclosing panels and the upstream panel; an fan for moving cooling air from adjacent to the upstream panel to adjacent to the downstream end along a flowpath extending through the housing, wherein the fan comprises a motor positioned in the corner and an impeller mounted to and rotated by the motor and the fan defines a fan flow axis that is the flow axis of an upstream section of the flowpath and defines an acute angle with respect to the longitudinal direction; and a heat sink extending approximately in the longitudinal direction and comprising an upstream portion and a downstream portion, wherein the heat sink is oriented so that the upstream section of the flowpath is adjacent to the upstream portion of the heat sink, air flowing from the upstream section of the flowpath impinges upon and is deflected by the heat sink toward and along a downstream section of the flowpath that is proximate to the downstream portion of the heat sink, and the downstream section of the flowpath has a flow axis that extends substantially in the longitudinal direction. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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23. A method for cooling components of a power supply apparatus for supplying electrical power for a piece of equipment that produces an electrical arc, the method comprising the steps of:
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moving cooling air along a flowpath within the power supply; removing heat from a primary heat dissipator that extends in a longitudinal direction by orienting the primary heat dissipator along the flowpath so that an upstream section of the flowpath is proximate to an upstream portion of the primary heat dissipator and the upstream section of the flowpath has a flow axis that defines an acute angle with respect to the longitudinal direction, so that air flowing from the upstream section of the flowpath impinges upon and is deflected by the primary heat dissipator toward and along a downstream section of the flowpath that is proximate to a downstream portion of the primary heat dissipator, and the downstream section of the flowpath has a flow axis that extends generally in the longitudinal direction; and removing heat from a secondary heat dissipator by positioning the secondary heat dissipator within the flowpath downstream from the primary heat dissipator. - View Dependent Claims (24)
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Specification