Water-cooled electronic inverter

• US 9,732,765 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2015
• Issued: 08/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hayward Industries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hayward Industries, Inc.
• Inventors: Parcell, Jason Wayne, Surowinski, Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): Kershteyn, Igor
• Application Number:
  US14/734,577
• Publication Number:
  US 20150361991A1
• Time in Patent Office: 798 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 13/0686 Mechanical details of the pump control unit pump control F04D15/00
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/086 especially adapted for liquid pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/5813 Cooling the control unit
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 11/33 Drive circuits, e.g. power electronics H02K11/38 takes precedence

Abstract

A water cooled inverter is disclosed herein. More specifically, disclosed is a water cooled inverter for attachment to a water pump housing that defines a water chamber therewithin, the water cooled inverter comprising a pump seal plate, including a sealing wall that has a pump seal plate aperture therethrough, the pump seal plate aperture configured to receive a motor shaft to allow an impeller coupled to the motor shaft to propel water within the water chamber, and an inverter assembly, wherein the pump seal plate thermally couples the inverter assembly to the water chamber.

Claims

1. A water cooled inverter for attachment to a water pump housing that defines a water chamber therewithin, the water cooled inverter comprising:

a pump seal plate, including a sealing wall that has a pump seal plate aperture therethrough, the pump seal plate aperture configured to receive a motor shaft to allow an impeller coupled to the motor shaft to propel water within the water chamber; and

an inverter assembly, wherein the pump seal plate thermally couples the inverter assembly to the water chamber.

2. The water cooled inverter of claim 1, the sealing wall including a first sealing wall surface and a second sealing wall surface wherein, when the water cooled inverter is attached to the water pump housing, the first sealing wall surface contacts the water chamber and the second sealing wall surface is proximate the inverter assembly.

3. The water cooled inverter of claim 1, wherein, when the water cooled inverter is attached to the water pump housing, at least a portion of the sealing wall dissipates heat from the inverter assembly to the water chamber.

4. The water cooled inverter of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the pump seal plate is made of a thermally conductive material.

5. The water cooled inverter of claim 1, further comprising a motor faceplate, the inverter assembly positioned between the pump seal plate and the motor faceplate.

6. The water cooled inverter of claim 1, the inverter assembly comprising a ring-shaped printed circuit board that includes an inverter assembly aperture therethrough.

7. The water cooled inverter of claim 6, wherein the inverter assembly aperture is aligned with the pump seal plate aperture and is configured to receive the motor shaft.

8. The water cooled inverter of claim 4, wherein the thermally conductive material comprises at least one of a metal or a polymer.

9. The water cooled inverter of claim 1, wherein the water cooled inverter is part of a water pump assembly that further comprises at least one of the water pump housing or a motor that includes the motor shaft and the impeller.

10. A water pump assembly comprising,

a water pump housing that defines a water chamber therewithin, the water pump housing including an inlet and an outlet, the inlet being fluidly coupled to the outlet via the water chamber, and a water chamber opening;

a pump seal plate comprising a sealing wall, the sealing wall including a first seal plate surface that blocks at least a portion of the water chamber opening and a second seal plate surface, the sealing wall having a pump seal plate aperture extending from the first seal plate surface to the second seal plate surface;

a motor faceplate attached to the second seal plate surface;

an inverter assembly positioned between the pump seal plate and the motor faceplate, the inverter assembly being thermally coupled to the water chamber by way of the pump seal plate; and

a motor comprising a motor shaft and an impeller attached thereto, wherein the motor shaft extends through the pump seal plate aperture.

11. The water pump assembly of claim 10, wherein at least a portion of the sealing wall comprises a thermally conductive material.

12. The water pump assembly of claim 10, wherein at least a portion of the sealing wall dissipates heat from the inverter assembly to the water chamber.

13. The water pump assembly of claim 10, wherein the pump seal plate, the motor faceplate, and the motor form a watertight seal between the water chamber and the inverter assembly.

14. The water pump assembly of claim 10, wherein the motor faceplate provides electrical connectivity between the inverter assembly and the motor.

15. The water pump assembly of claim 10, wherein the inverter assembly comprises a ring-shaped printed circuit board that includes an inverter assembly aperture therethrough.

16. The water cooled inverter of claim 15, wherein the inverter assembly aperture is aligned with the pump seal plate aperture and is configured to receive the motor shaft.

17. The water cooled inverter of claim 11, wherein the thermally conductive material comprises at least one of a metal or a polymer.