Inverter with enclosure

• US 9,066,454 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2012
• Issued: 06/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SMA Solar Technology AG
• Original Assignee: SMA Solar Technology AG
• Inventors: Donth, Andreas, Hobein, Thorsten, Gebert, Bernd
• Primary Examiner(s): Datskovskiy, Michail V
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gafur, Razmeen
• Application Number:
  US13/419,905
• Publication Number:
  US 20120182689A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,196 Days
• Field of Search: 361/725, 36167946-67954, 361688-723, 165 802- 803, 165/185, 165 801- 805, 165/104.33, 174 161- 163, 174 151- 152, 417/360, 363/141, 257712-722
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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, wherein the hand plug is configured as a switch-disconnector configured to selectively de-energize at least a direct current side of the inverter.

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 comprises a fan enclosure configured to secure an orientation of the fan when the hand plug is inserted into the enclosure.

4. The inverter according to claim 3, wherein the fan enclosure comprises a sliding element configured to slidingly engage a guide rail associated with the hand plug.

5. 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, and wherein the removable hand plug is configured as a switch-disconnector configured to selectively disconnect at least the direct current energy to the inverter upon removal of the removable hand plug from the inverter.

6. The inverter of claim 5, 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.

7. The inverter of claim 5, wherein the removable hand plug comprises a bracket to which the fan engages in a secure fashion.

8. The inverter of claim 7, wherein the bracket comprises a pair of guide rails configured to engage the fan.

9. The inverter of claim 8, wherein the fan comprises a sliding element configured to slidingly engage the pair of guide rails to secure the fan to the bracket.

10. The inverter of claim 9, 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.

11. 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, and wherein the hand plug is configured as a switch-disconnector configured to selectively de-energize at least a direct current side of the inverter.

12. The inverter of claim 11, wherein the removable hand plug is configured to supply power to the fan.

13. The inverter of claim 11, wherein the removable hand plug comprises a fan enclosure configured to secure an orientation of the fan when the hand plug is inserted into the enclosure.

14. The inverter of claim 13, wherein the fan enclosure comprises a sliding element configured to slidingly engage a guide rail associated with the removable hand plug.

15. The inverter of claim 11, wherein a back panel portion of the enclosure comprises a chimney-like section that extends along the entire length thereof, wherein when the removable hand plug is inserted into the enclosure, the fan is located in a vicinity of the chimney-like section for fluid communication thereto.

16. The inverter of claim 11, wherein the switch-disconnector is further configured to prevent or reduce electrical arcing upon a disconnection of the removable hand plug from a direct current energy source to inverter.

17. 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, 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, and wherein the hand plug is configured as a switch-disconnector configured to prevent or reduce electrical arcing upon a disconnection of the hand plug from a direct current energy source to inverter.

18. The inverter according to claim 17, wherein the switch-disconnector is further configured to selectively de-energize at least a direct current side of the inverter.