Inverter apparatus and method therefor
First Claim
1. An inverter apparatus having an enclosure and being operative to drive an alternating-current motor, comprising:
- a converter circuit for converting an alternating-current input into a direct current and an inverter circuit for converting the direct current into the alternating current;
a power module case supporting a power module including heat generating components comprising said converter circuit and said inverter circuit, said case having pairs of parallel side faces which are sized to constitute part of the enclosure of said inverter apparatus;
a body disposed on said power module case and meeting at a first substantially planar interface, said body having pairs of parallel side faces which are sized to be part of the enclosure of said inverter apparatus and being removably fastened to said power module case by fastening means; and
a heat sink for cooling said heat generating components, said heat sink making contact with said power module case at a second substantially planar interface; and
wherein the surface area of said heat sink at said second substantially planar interface and the surface area of said power module case at said second substantially planar interface are substantially equal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An inverter apparatus having a compact design and a changeable heat sink. The apparatus includes a power module formed in a case having pairs of parallel sides and containing the respective main circuit semiconductor devices for converting an alternating current input into a direct current and then further into an alternating current of variable frequency. The heat sink also has pairs of parallel sides and interfaces with the case in a plane whereon the projections of the sink and the case are coextensive. The apparatus also has a body with pairs of parallel sides that fasten to the case and constitute part of the enclosure of the inverter apparatus. The body, case, heat sink and associated circuit elements have alignment structures that permit easy and reliable disassembly and assembly of the apparatus.
399 Citations
14 Claims
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1. An inverter apparatus having an enclosure and being operative to drive an alternating-current motor, comprising:
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a converter circuit for converting an alternating-current input into a direct current and an inverter circuit for converting the direct current into the alternating current; a power module case supporting a power module including heat generating components comprising said converter circuit and said inverter circuit, said case having pairs of parallel side faces which are sized to constitute part of the enclosure of said inverter apparatus; a body disposed on said power module case and meeting at a first substantially planar interface, said body having pairs of parallel side faces which are sized to be part of the enclosure of said inverter apparatus and being removably fastened to said power module case by fastening means; and a heat sink for cooling said heat generating components, said heat sink making contact with said power module case at a second substantially planar interface; and wherein the surface area of said heat sink at said second substantially planar interface and the surface area of said power module case at said second substantially planar interface are substantially equal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An inverter apparatus comprising a power module case supporting a power module containing main circuit semiconductor devices, a body accommodating a printed circuit board, a setting section and a display section, and a heat sink for cooling said power module, wherein said body is disposed on said power module case and fastened to said power module case by fastening means, said printed circuit board being guided to a predetermined position on said power module case by guiding means and secured to said power module case by first screw members, and said power module case being disposed in a predetermined position on said heat sink by positioning means, and wherein said power module case and heat sink are fastened integrally from above said body by second screw members.
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14. Method for using an inverter apparatus comprising a power module case, containing at least a portion of a converter circuit and an inverter circuit with a adjustable switching frequency, and a heat sink fitted to the cooling surface of said power module case and having a cooling capacity matched to an operating frequency, comprising:
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adjusting the switching frequency of said inverter circuits, and changing said heat sink such that a first heat sink higher in cooling capacity is used when the switching frequency of said inverter circuit is not less than a predetermined value, and a second heat sink lower in cooling capacity is used when the switching frequency of the inverter circuit in said inverter apparatus is less than said predetermined value.
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Specification