Cooling device for under-floor device for vehicle

• US 9,863,302 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2012
• Issued: 01/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Higashino, Hiroyuki, Nakashima, Yukio, Ipposhi, Shigetoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ciric, Ljiljana
• Application Number:
  US14/361,519
• Publication Number:
  US 20140318736A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,874 Days
• Field of Search: 165 44
• CPC Class Codes: B61C 17/00 Arrangement or disposition of parts; Details or accessories not otherwise provided for; Use of control gear and control systems
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 1/06 Arrangements for cooling other engine or machine parts
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20918 the components being isolated from air flow, e.g. hollow heat sinks, wind tunnels or funnels
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20936 Liquid coolant with phase change

Abstract

A cooling device includes a base plate to a rear surface side of which an under-floor device is attached. A heat radiating unit is attached to a front surface side of the base plate and radiating heat is conducted from the under-floor device via the base plate. A cover surrounding the heat radiating unit and including a side opening is capable of causing traveling wind to flow therein and thereout, in opposite side surfaces facing a traveling direction of a vehicle. A guide plate guides traveling wind flowing in from the side opening to the heat radiating unit by blocking at least part of a gap area between a surface connecting the opposite side surfaces and the heat radiating unit, the guide plate being provided in a side gap area between a side surface of the cover and the heat radiating unit on a traveling-wind flow-in side.

Claims

1. A cooling device for an under-floor device that is arranged under a floor of a vehicle and that cools the under-floor device by using a vehicular travel airflow generated by traveling of the vehicle, the device comprising:

a base plate to a rear surface side of which the under-floor device is attached;

a heat radiating unit that is attached to a front surface side of the base plate and radiates heat conducted from the under-floor device via the base plate;

a cover that surrounds the heat radiating unit and includes a first side surface that is perpendicular to the base plate, a second side surface that is also perpendicular to the base plate and arranged on an opposite side of the cover from the first side surface, and additional surfaces that connect the first side surface to the second side surface, the first side surface includes at least one first side opening capable of causing the vehicular travel airflow to flow into the cover through the first side surface, and the second side surface includes at least one second side opening causing the vehicular travel airflow to flow out from the cover; and

a guide plate positioned to guide the vehicular travel airflow flowing in from the at least one first side opening to the heat radiating unit by blocking at least part of a gap area between at least one of the additional surfaces and the heat radiating unit, the guide plate being provided in a side gap area between the first side surface and the heat radiating unit, and the guide plate being directly attached to the first side surface.

2. The cooling device for an under-floor device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the guide plate is arranged to block an area of the gap area excluding a rear surface side in a plane vertical to the traveling direction.

3. The cooling device for an under-floor device for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the guide plate has a C-shape arranged on a front surface side and on sides in two directions intersecting with the front surface side of the side gap area.

4. The cooling device for an under-floor device for a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein an end of the guide plate on a side of the side surface is arranged to surround the side opening along a direction excluding a rear surface side of an outermost periphery of the side opening in the side surface.

5. The cooling device for an under-floor device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the guide plate is arranged to block all areas of the gap area in a plane vertical to the traveling direction.

6. The cooling device for an under-floor device for a vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the guide plate has a rectangular frame shape arranged on a front surface side, a rear surface side, and sides in two directions intersecting with the front surface side of the side gap area.

7. The cooling device for an under-floor device for a vehicle according to claim 6, wherein an end of the guide plate on a side of the side surface is arranged to surround the side opening along an outermost periphery of the side opening in the side surface.

8. The cooling device for an under-floor device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the guide plate includes an extending portion provided to cover part of a surface of the heat radiating unit along the traveling direction, and the extending portion has an opening in part thereof.

9. The cooling device for an under-floor device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the guide plate is formed to have a gradually curved shape.

10. The cooling device for an under-floor device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the cover includes a top surface, a surface on a front surface side, and a bottom surface as surfaces connecting the opposite side surfaces, and includes an air-flow opening in each of the top surface and the bottom surface, and

in the side gap area that is on a side of the side surface with respect to an outer peripheral surface of the heat radiating unit facing the side surface of the cover inside the cover, the guide plate guides a traveling wind flowing in from the side opening to the heat radiating unit by blocking at least part of a gap area between the top surface of the cover and the heat radiating unit, at least part of a gap area between the bottom surface and the heat radiating unit, and at least part of a gap area between the surface on the front surface side and the heat radiating unit, and has a shape that does not completely cover upper and lower portions of the heat radiating unit in the traveling direction or a shape that partially covers the outer peripheral surface of the heat radiating unit.

11. The cooling device for an under-floor device for a vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the guide plate is connected to a corner portion on a side of the side opening in the outer peripheral portion of the heat radiating unit.

12. The cooling device for an under-floor device for a vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the guide plate is connected to the side surface of the cover to surround the side opening.