Voltage controller for alternator of vehicle

• US 7,586,222 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2006
• Issued: 09/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Takahashi, Keiji
• Primary Examiner(s): MULLINS, BURTON S
• Application Number:
  US11/509,690
• Publication Number:
  US 20070057584A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,110 Days
• Field of Search: 310/68.D, 310/64
• US Class Current: 310/64
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 19/365 with a voltage regulator

Abstract

A voltage controller has a control circuit and a heat radiating member attached to the circuit. The circuit controls a voltage of electric power generated in an alternator of a vehicle while generating heat. The member has a first surface and a second surface. The second surface of the member is formed in a smooth shape having no protrusions or hollows. A cooling wind flows on the second surface. The member receives the heat from the control circuit through the first surface and radiates the heat from the second surface to the wind.

Claims

1. A voltage controller, comprising:

a control circuit that controls a voltage of electric power generated in an alternator of a vehicle while generating heat; and

a heat radiating member, having a first surface and a second surface, that receives the heat generated from the control circuit through the first surface and radiates the received heat from the second surface,

wherein the second surface of the heat radiating member has a smooth and flat shape, and

wherein the heat radiating member is disposed such that a plane including the second surface intersects, at an angle greater than zero degrees, with a line along a radial direction that is perpendicular to a rotation axis of a rotor of the alternator and the line directs from the rotation axis to a center of the second surface of the heat radiating member.

2. The voltage controller according to claim 1, wherein the second surface of the heat radiating member has a quadrangular shape having a plurality of sides, and the heat radiating member is disposed such that each of the sides of the quadrangular shape is inclined with respect to a reference direction directing from an intersection of the rotation axis of the rotor of the alternator and the plane including the second surface to the center of the second surface.

3. The voltage controller according to claim 2, wherein the heat radiating member is disposed such that one of diagonal lines of the quadrangular shape is substantially perpendicular to the reference direction.

4. The voltage controller according to claim 2, wherein the heat radiating member is disposed such that one of diagonal lines of the second surface extends along the reference direction.

5. The voltage controller according to claim 1, wherein an intersecting angle of the plane including the second surface to the line along the radial direction is equal to or smaller than 45 degrees.

6. The voltage controller according to claim 1, wherein the second surface of the heat radiating member has a quadrangular shape having a plurality of sides, the heat radiating member is disposed such that the second surface extends along a reference radial direction that is perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotor of the alternator and the reference radial direction directs from the rotation axis to the center of the second surface of the heat radiating member, and the heat radiating member is disposed such that each of the sides of the quadrangular shape is inclined with respect to the reference radial direction.

7. The voltage controller according to claim 6, wherein the heat radiating member is disposed such that one of diagonal lines of the quadrangular shape is substantially perpendicular to the reference radial direction.

8. The voltage controller according to claim 6, wherein the heat radiating member is disposed such that one of diagonal lines of the second surface extends along the reference radial direction.

9. The voltage controller according to claim 1, further comprising:

a casing which seals the control circuit with a sealing resin so as to fix the control circuit to the sealing resin.

10. The voltage controller according to claim 1, wherein the second surface of the heat radiating member is inclined with respect to a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotor.

11. An electric rotary machine, comprising:

an electromagnetic interaction unit, having a stator and a rotor, that electromagnetically induces electric power in the stator from a rotational force of the rotor or electromagnetically converts electric power supplied to the stator to a rotational force of the rotor and outputs the induced electric power or the converted rotational force;

a control unit that controls the electromagnetic interaction unit to output the induced electric power or the converted rotational force set at a predetermined value, and generates heat during the control of the electromagnetic interaction unit; and

a heat radiating member, having a first surface and a second surface, that receives the heat generated from the control unit through the first surface and radiates the received heat from the second surface,

wherein the second surface of the heat radiating member has a smooth and flat shape, and

wherein the heat radiating member is disposed such that a plane including the second surface intersects, at an angle greater than zero degrees, with a line along a radial direction that is perpendicular to a rotation axis of a rotor of the alternator and the line directs from the rotation axis to a center of the second surface of the heat radiating member.

12. The machine according to claim 11, further comprising:

an air window through which air is taken into the machine as a cooling wind flowing substantially along an axial direction of the rotor of the electromagnetic interaction unit such that the cooling wind collides with the second surface of the heat radiating member.

13. The voltage controller according to claim 11, wherein the second surface of the heat radiating member has a quadrangular shape having a plurality of sides, and the heat radiating member is disposed such that each of the sides of the quadrangular shape is inclined with respect to a reference direction directing from an intersection of the rotation axis of the rotor and the plane including the second surface to the center of the second surface.

14. The voltage controller according to claim 11, wherein an intersecting angle of the plane including the second surface to the line along the radial direction is equal to or smaller than 45 degrees.

15. The voltage controller according to claim 11, wherein the second surface of the heat radiating member is inclined with respect to a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotor.