Battery charger with wind tunnel cooling

• US 7,868,588 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2007
• Issued: 01/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Original Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Inventors: Kimball, James D., Vogel, Bernard J., Lonigro, Jeffrey, Altekruse, Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso; Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): DIAO, M BAYE
• Application Number:
  US11/853,089
• Publication Number:
  US 20090066288A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,218 Days
• Field of Search: 320/104, 320/107, 320/109
• US Class Current: 320/109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/302 Cooling of charging equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• 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: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A battery charging system which includes a main housing with a main chamber defined by a base, an end panel mounted on each end of the base, and a cover enclosing the end panels. At least one battery charging connector is connected to the housing. A power supply is connected to the at least one battery charging connector, where the power supply provides a battery charging electrical power to the at least one battery charging connector. The power supply has at least one heat generating electrical device. A tunnel is formed at least partially within the main chamber and extends between the end panels in the main chamber. At least one heat generating electrical device at least partially extends into the tunnel to be exposed to air in the tunnel to cool the heat generating electrical device.

Claims

1. A battery charging system for charging at least one battery of an external battery-powered system, comprising:

a main housing having a main chamber including a base, an end panel mounted on each end of the base, and a cover enclosing the end panels;

at least one battery charging connector connected to the housing;

a power supply connected to the at least one battery charging connector, the power supply being configured to provide a battery charging electrical power to the at least one battery charging connector and thereby charge the at least one battery of the external battery-powered system, the power supply having at least one heat generating electrical device; and

a tunnel formed at least partially within the main chamber and extending between the end panels in the main chamber, the at least one heat generating electrical device at least partially extending into the tunnel to be exposed to air in the tunnel to cool the at least one heat generating electrical device.

2. The battery charging system of claim 1, wherein the at least one battery charging connector comprises at least one battery cable.

3. The battery charging system of claim 1, further comprising a louver formed in each of the end panels aligned with the tunnel to allow air to flow through the tunnel to cool the at least one heat generating device.

4. The battery charging system of claim 1, further comprising a fan mounted in the tunnel to blow air through the tunnel.

5. The battery charging system of claim 4, wherein the fan is mounted to one of the end panels.

6. The battery charging system of claim 1, wherein the tunnel is formed by a U-shaped assembly mounted to the base and attached about openings formed in the end panels, the U-shaped assembly having two side portions and a top portion to form the tunnel.

7. The battery charging system of claim 6, wherein at least one of the side portions has therein a slot to allow at least one said heat generating electrical device to extend through the U-shaped assembly and into the tunnel to be cooled by air moving between a front panel and a rear panel of the end panels.

8. The battery charging system of claim 1, further including an interconnect circuit board mounted in the main chamber in a spaced relation to said tunnel to isolate said board from heat and air flow through the tunnel.

9. The battery charging system of claim 8, wherein at least one said heat generating electrical device is connected to the interconnect circuit board.

10. The battery charging system of claim 1, further including at least one of an input choke, and output choke and a high frequency transformer mounted within the tunnel.

11. A battery charging system for charging at least one battery of each of a plurality of external battery-powered systems, comprising:

a plurality of battery charging stations for charging the at least one battery of one of the plurality of external battery-powered systems, each of the plurality of battery charging stations including;

a main housing having a main chamber defined by a base, an end panel mounted on each end of the base each having an opening therein, and a cover enclosing the end panels;

at least one battery charging connector connected to the housing;

a power supply connected to the at least one battery charging connector to provide a battery charging electrical power and thereby charge the at least one battery of the one of the plurality of external battery-powered systems, the power supply having at least one heat generating electrical device;

a tunnel formed at least partially within the main chamber and extending between the end panels, the at least one heat generating electrical device arranged in the main chamber at a location outside of the tunnel;

at least one heat dissipating device thermally connected to the at least one heat generating electrical device and arranged to at least partially extend into an inside of the tunnel; and

at least one cable connecting the plurality of battery charging stations to deliver an input power to the plurality of battery charging stations.

12. The battery charging system of claim 11, wherein the at least one battery charging connector comprising at least one battery cable.

13. The battery charging system of claim 11, wherein at least one opening comprises a louver formed in each of the end panels and aligned with the tunnel to allow air to flow through the tunnel to cool the at least one heat dissipating device.

14. The battery charging system of claim 11, further comprising a fan mounted in the tunnel for blowing air through the tunnel.

15. The battery charging system of claim 14, wherein the fan is mounted to one of the end panels.

16. The battery charging system of claim 11, wherein the tunnel is formed by a U-shaped assembly mounted to the base and attached about openings formed in the end panels, the U-shaped assembly having two side portions and a top portion to form the tunnel.

17. The battery charging system of claim 16, wherein at least one of the side portions has therein a slot to allow at least one said heat generating electrical device to extend through the U-shaped assembly and into the tunnel to be cooled by air moving between the end panels.

18. The battery charging system of claim 11, further including an interconnect circuit board mounted in the main chamber in a spaced relation to said tunnel to isolate said board from heat and air flow through the tunnel.

19. The battery charging system of claim 18, wherein at least one said heat generating electrical device is connected to the interconnect circuit board.

20. A method of manufacturing a battery charging system for charging at least one battery of an external battery-powered system, comprising the steps of:

forming a housing having a main chamber defined by a base, an end panel mounted on each end of the base, and a cover enclosing the end panels;

connecting at least one battery charging connector to the housing;

connecting a power supply having at least one heat generating electrical device to the at least one battery charging connector to provide a battery charging electrical power to the at least one battery charging connector to thereby charge the at least one battery of the external battery-powered system;

forming an inner chamber in the main chamber extending between the end panels to form a tunnel; and

mounting the at least one heat generating electrical device to at least partially extend into the tunnel to receive the air flowing through the tunnel to cool the at least one heat generating electrical device.