Adjustable cover for air recirculation in a generator power supply

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10894295-B2
Application number	US-201715795919-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 27, 2017
Priority date	Sep 29, 2017
Publication date	Jan 19, 2021
Grant date	Jan 19, 2021

Abstract

A welding power supply having an adjustable cover is disclosed. The welding power supply includes an enclosure housing an engine, a porous radiator thermally coupled to the engine, and a fan configured to propel air through the radiator. A ventilation opening is in fluid communication with the fan and radiator. The fan is configured to move heated air along an air path and out of the ventilation opening. The air may be heated by the welding power supply components (e.g. engine, radiator, charge air cooler, oil cooler, compressor, generator, weld circuitry, and/or other components), for example. The adjustable cover is positioned over the ventilation when in a fully closed and/or partially open/closed position. The adjustable cover may be moved between fully closed, partially open/closed, and fully open positions. The amount of air that is allowed to exit the enclosure, and the amount of air that is recirculated within the enclosure, may be altered by adjusting the position of the adjustable cover.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A welding power supply, comprising:
a generator;
an engine operatively coupled to the generator;
a radiator thermally coupled to the engine; and
an enclosure that houses the generator, engine, and radiator, wherein the enclosure includes:
a ventilation plate having a ventilation grate at a first end and a recirculation opening at a second end,
a wall spaced from, and adjacent to, the ventilation plate, the wall having a ventilation opening in fluid communication with the radiator and the ventilation grate, and
a cover attached to the wall, the cover being movable between a closed position in which the cover obstructs at least a portion of the ventilation opening, and an open position in which the cover does not obstruct a portion of the ventilation opening,
wherein the cover is configured to recirculate air through the recirculation opening when the cover is in the closed position.

2. The welding power supply of claim 1 , wherein the ventilation plate is spaced from the wall such that a gap exists between the cover and at least a portion of the ventilation plate when the cover is in the closed position.

3. The welding power supply of claim 2 , wherein the cover is configured to substantially restrict air from leaving the enclosure through the ventilation grate, and redirect the air into the gap, when the cover is in the closed position.

4. The welding power supply of claim 3 , wherein at least some of the air is recirculated through the recirculation opening via the gap when the cover is in the closed position.

5. The welding power supply of claim 1 , wherein the cover includes a plurality of panels.

6. The welding power supply of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of panels includes an upper panel, a middle panel, and a lower panel, and wherein the upper panel moves over the middle panel, and the middle panel moves over the lower panel, when the cover moves from a closed position to an open position.

7. The welding power supply of claim 6 , wherein the top panel is hingedly attached to the middle panel, the middle panel is hingedly attached to the lower panel, and the lower panel is hingedly attached to the wall.

8. The welding power supply of claim 5 , wherein the enclosure further includes a plurality of clips, the clips being toolessly movable between a secured position, where the clips secure the cover to the wall when the cover is in the closed position, and an unsecured position, where the clips do not secure the cover to the wall when the cover is in the closed position.

9. The welding power supply of claim 4 , wherein the radiator is coupled to the ventilation plate.

10. The welding power supply of claim 9 , further comprising a fan mounted within a fan housing, the fan housing being coupled to the radiator, and the fan configured to move air across the radiator and through the ventilation grate.

11. The welding power supply of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the ventilation opening remains uncovered when the panels are in the closed position.

12. The welding power supply of claim 1 , further including an actuation system that moves the cover between open and closed positions in response to a control signal from a controller.

13. The welding power supply of claim 12 , further including a temperature sensor in electrical communication with the controller, wherein the controller is configured to send a control signal to the actuation system to trigger movement of the cover when the temperature sensor detects an ambient temperature at or within a predetermined threshold.

14. The welding power supply of claim 13 , wherein the predetermined threshold is above 32 degrees Fahrenheit.

15. The welding power supply of claim 13 , wherein the predetermined threshold is between 32 degrees Fahrenheit and 15 degree Fahrenheit, inclusive.

16. The welding power supply of claim 13 , wherein the predetermined threshold is below 15 degrees Fahrenheit.

17. The welding power supply of claim 13 , further including an interface configured to receive an input, wherein the predetermined threshold is set according to the input.

18. The welding power supply of claim 13 , further including a transceiver configured to receive communication from an external device, wherein the predetermined threshold is set according to the received communication.

19. A power supply, comprising:
a generator;
an engine operatively coupled to the generator;
a radiator thermally coupled to the engine; and
an enclosure that houses the generator, engine, and radiator, wherein the enclosure includes:
a ventilation plate having a ventilation grate at a first end and a recirculation opening at a second end,
a wall spaced from, and adjacent to, the ventilation plate, the wall having a ventilation opening in fluid communication with the radiator and the ventilation grate, and
a cover attached to the wall, the cover being movable between a closed position in which the cover obstructs at least a portion of the ventilation opening, and an open position in which the cover does not obstruct a portion of the ventilation opening,
wherein the cover is configured to recirculate air through the recirculation opening when the cover is in the closed position.

Assignees

• Illinois Tool Works

Inventors

• Taylor Timothy Dale
• Radtke David

Classifications

• F02B63/044

  the engine-generator unit being placed on a frame or in an housing · CPC title

• F01P2050/00

  Applications · CPC title

• B23K9/1006 Primary

  Power supply · CPC title

• F01P2001/005

  Cooling engine rooms · CPC title

• F01P1/06

  Arrangements for cooling other engine or machine parts · CPC title