Cooler, electrical component unit, and refrigeration apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9877410-B2
Application number	US-201314395975-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 26, 2013
Priority date	Apr 27, 2012
Publication date	Jan 23, 2018
Grant date	Jan 23, 2018

Abstract

A cooler is placed on a power module to cool the power module with refrigerant through a refrigerant pipe, and includes a heat transfer plate having a groove into which a cooling pipe is fitted, and a presser plate configured to press the cooling pipe against the groove. The cooler includes a hinge mechanism configured to rotatably attach the presser plate to the heat transfer plate such that the presser plate is switched between an open position at which the groove is exposed and a closed position at which the presser plate covers the groove.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cooler for cooling a heat generating component with refrigerant flowing through a refrigerant pipe, the cooler comprising:
a heat transfer member having a groove into which the refrigerant pipe is fitted, and
a presser plate configured to directly press the refrigerant pipe against the groove, the presser plate being rotatably attached to the heat transfer member such that the presser plate switches between an open position at which the groove is exposed and a closed position at which the presser plate covers the groove,
a lock mechanism configured to prevent rotation of the presser plate to keep the presser plate in the closed position,
a rotary protrusion piece protruding from an end portion of the presser plate near an axis of rotation of the presser plate, and
a rotation supporter provided on one side of the heat transfer member in a direction of the groove width to engage the rotary protrusion piece and rotatably support the rotary protrusion piece,
wherein the presser plate is large enough to cover the entire groove when closed.

2. The cooler of claim 1 , wherein the lock mechanism includes
a locking protrusion piece protruding from an end portion of the presser plate remote from the axis of rotation of the presser plate, and
a rotation stopper provided on the other side of the heat transfer member that is located in the width direction of the groove and is remote from the rotation supporter, and
when the presser plate in the closed position is slid in one of directions along a length of the groove of the heat transfer member, the rotation stopper engages the locking protrusion piece to prevent the rotation of the presser plate.

3. The cooler of claim 2 , wherein an engagement member having the rotation supporter and the rotation stopper is placed on the heat transfer member.

4. The cooler of claim 3 , wherein
the engagement member includes two identically shaped engagement members each placed on a corresponding one of one end and the other end of the heat transfer member along the length of the groove,
the two identically shaped engagement members each include
two engagement portions each provided on a corresponding one of both sides of the heat transfer member along the width of the groove, and each being capable of engaging either the rotary protrusion piece or the locking protrusion piece, and
if one of the two engagement portions engages the rotary protrusion piece, the one of the two engagement portions serves as the rotation supporter, and if the one of the two engagement portions engages the locking protrusion piece, the one of the two engagement portions serves as the rotation stopper.

5. The cooler of claim 1 , wherein thermally conductive grease is applied to a laterally central portion of the groove to extend along a length of the groove.

6. An electrical component unit comprising:
a substrate on which a heat generating component is placed; and
the cooler of claim 1 placed on the heat generating component.

7. A refrigeration apparatus including a refrigerant circuit through which refrigerant circulates to perform a vapor compression refrigeration cycle, the refrigeration apparatus comprising:
the electrical component unit of claim 6 , wherein
a liquid pipe of the refrigerant circuit is fitted into the groove of the cooler of the electrical component unit.

8. The cooler of claim 2 , wherein thermally conductive grease is applied to a laterally central portion of the groove to extend along a length of the groove.

9. The cooler of claim 3 , wherein thermally conductive grease is applied to a laterally central portion of the groove to extend along a length of the groove.

10. The cooler of claim 4 , wherein thermally conductive grease is applied to a laterally central portion of the groove to extend along a length of the groove.

Assignees

• Daikin Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Teraki Junichi
• Oguri Akihiko
• Kita Masanobu

Classifications

• H10W40/641

  Snap-on arrangements, e.g. clips · CPC title

• H10W40/47 Primary

  by flowing liquids, e.g. forced water cooling · CPC title

• H05K7/20354

  Refrigerating circuit comprising a compressor · CPC title

• H01L2924/0002

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L23/473

  Electricity · mapped topic