Regeneration unit

Abstract

To provide a regeneration unit which can efficiently discharge heat of a regenerative resistor, generated by electric current of regenerative electric power of a motor flowing through the regenerative resistor, to the outside and prevent excessive temperature rise by resistance heating.SOLUTION: A regeneration unit 1 includes: a pair of heating elements 12 each including regeneration resistors 121 which generate heat by electric current of regenerative electric power of a motor flowing through the regenerative resistors, and a heat sink 122 which radiates heat of the heated regeneration resistors 121; and a first fan 13a configured to cool the heating elements 12. The heating elements 12 are arranged facing each other and forming a space therebetween. The first fan 13a is arranged in such a direction that air is blown to a first heat radiation space S1 between the pair of heating elements 12.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a regeneration unit. [Background technology]

[0002] As an example of this type of technology, Patent Document 1 discloses a control device that includes a heat sink to which a robot's drive circuit is attached and a heat-generating regenerative resistor that is energized by current generated by regenerative power from the motor that drives the robot. Inside the control device, a fan is arranged to cool the heat sink and the regenerative resistor. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-111740 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the technology described in Patent Document 1, the regenerative resistor is cooled by blowing air from a fan onto the regenerative resistor, but it is difficult to say that the regenerative resistor can be cooled efficiently.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of these points, and aims to provide a regenerative unit that can efficiently discharge to the outside the heat generated in the regenerative resistor when current from the motor's regenerative power is passed through it, thereby suppressing excessive temperature rise in the regenerative resistor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In view of the above problems, the regenerative unit of the present invention comprises a pair of heating elements each having a regenerative resistor that generates heat when current from the regenerative power of a motor is passed through it, a heat sink that dissipates the heat generated by the regenerative resistor, and a first fan that cools the heating elements, wherein the pair of heating elements are arranged opposite each other with a gap between them, and the first fan is arranged in a direction that blows air into a first heat dissipation space between the pair of heating elements.

[0007] According to the present invention, the regenerative resistor constituting the heating element generates heat when a current is passed through it due to the regenerative power of the motor. The heat generated by the regenerative resistor constituting the heating element can be dissipated by the heat sink constituting the heating element. Furthermore, a pair of heating elements each comprising a regenerative resistor and a heat sink are arranged facing each other with a gap between them. In other words, because the heating elements are arranged in a dispersed manner, the amount of heat generated per heating element can be reduced. Furthermore, since heat tends to accumulate in the first heat dissipation space between the pair of heating elements, by blowing air into this space from the first fan, the blown air can absorb the heat generated by the pair of heating elements. As a result, excessive temperature rise in the regenerative unit can be prevented.

[0008] In a more preferred embodiment, the heating device further comprises a plurality of second fans that blow air directly onto each of the pair of heating elements from both sides of the pair of heating elements.

[0009] According to this aspect, in addition to the first fan, the heat generating elements can also be cooled by the second fan. The second fan blows air directly onto the pair of heat generating elements from both sides of the pair of heat generating elements, so the heat generating elements can be cooled more efficiently.

[0010] In a more preferred embodiment, the device further comprises a housing that houses the pair of heating elements, the first fan, and the plurality of second fans, and an exhaust section that exhausts air blown from the first fan and the second fan is formed on one of the side walls of the housing that faces the first fan across the first heat dissipation space.

[0011] According to this aspect, an exhaust section that exhausts air blown from the first fan and the second fan is formed on the side wall of the housing that faces the first fan across the first heat dissipation space. This allows the air blown from the first fan and the second fan to flow in the same direction and be discharged from the same side wall via the exhaust section, thereby efficiently reducing the temperature inside the housing that has risen due to heat dissipation from the heat sink.

[0012] In a more preferred embodiment, the heat sinks of the pair of heat generating elements face each other across the first heat dissipation space, and the regenerative resistors of the pair of heat generating elements face the plurality of second fans.

[0013] According to this aspect, the amount of heat dissipated from the heat sink is less than the amount of heat dissipated directly from the regenerative resistor. Therefore, the heat from the heat sink can be sufficiently absorbed by simply blowing air into the first heat dissipation space with the first fan, without having to blow air directly onto the heat sink with the first fan. Furthermore, because the regenerative resistor generates heat through resistance, the regenerative resistor can be efficiently cooled by blowing air directly onto it with the second fan. As a result, the heat from the heat-generating element can be efficiently dissipated.

[0014] In a further preferred embodiment, the housing has a pair of partition walls that divide the interior of the housing when each of the heat generating elements is attached, and the first heat dissipation space that dissipates heat from the heat sink is formed between the pair of partition walls, and a second heat dissipation space that dissipates heat from the regenerative resistor is formed between each of the partition walls and the plurality of second fans.

[0015] According to this aspect, the space inside the housing is divided into a first heat dissipation space and a second heat dissipation space by the pair of partition walls. Therefore, by dividing the space inside the housing with the partition walls, the air blown by the first fan and the air blown by the second fan can be stably flowed into the corresponding first heat dissipation space and second heat dissipation space, and air stagnation inside the housing can be suppressed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the present invention, heat generated in the regenerative resistor when a current due to regenerative power of the motor flows can be efficiently discharged to the outside, thereby preventing an excessive temperature rise in the regenerative resistor. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 10A and 10B are perspective views of the entire control device including the regenerative unit according to the present embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the internal configuration of a housing of the regeneration unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] 1A is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. 1A, and FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view taken along line YY in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the heating element according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] [Embodiment] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to Figures 1(A) to 4. Note that the embodiment described below is one aspect of the present invention and does not limit the technical scope of the present invention.

[0019] <Device configuration> 1(A) and 1(B) are perspective views of the entire control device 10 including the regenerative unit 1 according to this embodiment. The control device 10 shown in each of FIGS. 1(A) and 1(B) differs only in the perspective direction. The control device 10 according to this embodiment includes a regenerative unit 1 and a control unit 2. The regenerative unit 1 is attached to the control unit 2 while being placed on top of the control unit 2.

[0020] The control device 10 is a device that controls the operation of, for example, an articulated robot (not shown). Specifically, the control device 10 controls the driving of a motor (not shown) attached to a joint of the articulated robot. When controlling the driving of the motor, regenerative energy may be generated in the motor. When this regenerative energy is generated, the control device 10 passes the current generated in the motor, causing resistance heating in the regenerative unit 1 (its regenerative resistor).

[0021] The regeneration unit 1 has a housing 11, which houses the components shown in Fig. 2 described below. The side of the housing 11 is formed with intake ports 11a and 11b for drawing outside air into the housing 11, and exhaust ports 11c-11e for exhausting heat from inside the housing 11. Similarly, the control unit 2 also has a housing 21, which houses control boards (not shown) such as a servo board and a sequence board. The side of the housing 21 is formed with intake ports 21a and 21b and an exhaust port 21c.

[0022] The first cable 3 electrically connects the control unit 2 to the robot's motor (not shown) and other components. The current generated by the motor is passed through the first cable 3 to the control unit 2. When controlling the robot, the control board (not shown) mounted inside the control unit 2 generates heat, and air convection occurs inside the housing 21, transferring the heat from the control board toward the inside of the regenerative unit 1 located above.

[0023] The second cable 4 electrically connects the regenerative unit 1 and the control unit 2. When the robot's motor is regenerating, the current passed through the control unit 2 is passed through the second cable 4 to the regenerative unit 1. The current passed through the regenerative unit 1 passes through a regenerative resistor, causing resistance heat to be generated inside the regenerative unit 1. The heat generated by the control board and the resistance heat that accumulates inside the regenerative unit 1 is exhausted from exhaust ports 11c, 11d, and 11e using the configuration shown in Figures 2 to 3(B) described below.

[0024] Because heat moves from the inside of the control unit 2 to the inside of the regenerative unit 1, from the viewpoint of preventing internal overheating, it is preferable that the regenerative unit 1 be placed on the control unit 2. In addition, because the control unit 2 is heavier than the regenerative unit 1, it is also preferable that the regenerative unit 1 be placed on the control unit 2 from the viewpoint of stability.

[0025] 2 to 3(B), the configuration of the regeneration unit 1 according to this embodiment, more specifically, the internal configuration of the housing 11 of the regeneration unit 1 will be described. The perspective direction of FIG. 2 is the same as the perspective direction of FIG. 1(A).

[0026] The regeneration unit 1 according to this embodiment includes the above-mentioned components: a pair of heating elements 12 arranged facing each other with a gap between them, a first fan 13a, and a plurality (e.g., six) of second fans 13b. The pair of heating elements 12, the first fan 13a, and the plurality of second fans 13b are housed in a housing 11. The housing 11 has a rectangular parallelepiped outer shape and has first to third side walls 11A, 11B, and 11C.

[0027] An air intake 11a is formed in the first side wall 11A. A first fan 13a is attached to the second side wall 11B facing the air intake 11b. The pair of second side walls 11B face each other and are formed so as to sandwich the pair of heat generating elements 12. A plurality of (e.g., three) air intakes 11a are formed in each second side wall 11B. The second fans 13b are provided in the housing 11 in accordance with the number of air intakes 11a. Specifically, each second fan 13b is attached to the second side wall 11B facing the air intake 11a. The third side wall 11C is a side wall facing the first fan 13a across a first heat dissipation space S1 described below. The third side wall 11C has exhaust ports 11c, 11d, and 11e formed therein, which exhaust the air blown from the first fan 13a and the second fan 13b. Note that hereinafter, the exhaust ports 11c, 11d, and 11e are also collectively referred to as the exhaust section.

[0028] In this way, by providing exhaust ports 11c, 11d, and 11e (exhaust sections) for exhausting air blown from first fan 13a and second fan 13b on third side wall 11C facing first fan 13a, the air blown from first fan 13a and second fan 13b can flow in the same direction and be exhausted from the same side wall. As a result, the air flow can be stabilized, and the temperature inside housing 11, which has risen due to heat dissipation from heat sink 122, can be efficiently reduced. Note that by providing a pair of partition walls 14 (described later), the space is divided into first heat dissipation space S1 and second heat dissipation space S2, and this effect can be further enhanced.

[0029] The heating element 12 has a regenerative resistor 121 and a heat sink 122. As described above, the regenerative resistor 121 is a component that generates heat by resistance heating when a current due to regenerative power from the motor is passed through it. Each heating element 12 has a plurality of (for example, four) regenerative resistors 121, which are electrically connected in series or in parallel.

[0030] The heat sink 122 dissipates the heat generated by the regenerative resistor 121. Protruding heat dissipation fins are formed on the surface of the heat sink 122, and the regenerative resistor 121 is placed on its flat back surface (mounting surface 122a) via a heat dissipation sheet 17, which will be described later. The heat sink 122 is made of a metal material with high thermal conductivity, such as aluminum. The heat from the regenerative resistor 121, which is screwed to the heat sink 122, is easily conducted to the heat sink 122. The conducted heat is dissipated from the heat dissipation fins of the heat sink 122.

[0031] As described above, the pair of heat generating elements 12 are placed opposite each other with a gap between them, and a first heat dissipation space S1 is formed between the pair of heat generating elements 12 to dissipate heat from the pair of heat generating elements 12. More specifically, the heat dissipation fins of the heat sinks 122 of the pair of heat generating elements 12 are placed opposite each other, and heat from the heat sinks 122 is dissipated into the first heat dissipation space S1.

[0032] Each of the multiple second fans 13b is arranged so that its air intake side faces the intake port 11a and its air discharge side faces each heating element 12 (specifically, regenerative resistor 121). The multiple (three in FIG. 3(A)) second fans 13b attached to each second side wall 11B are arranged on both sides of the pair of heating elements 12. This arrangement allows the multiple second fans 13b to blow air directly onto the pair of heating elements 12 from both sides of the pair of heating elements 12.

[0033] More specifically, each of the second fans 13b can blow air directly onto any of the regenerative resistors 121. This allows the air from the second fans 13b to absorb the heat generated directly from the regenerative resistors 121, and this air can be exhausted from the exhaust ports 11d and 11e. This allows the pair of heat-generating elements 12 to be cooled efficiently.

[0034] As described above, the heat sinks 122 of the pair of heating elements 12 face each other across the first heat dissipation space S1, and the regenerative resistors 121 of the pair of heating elements 12 face the multiple second fans 13b. Because the amount of heat dissipated from the heat sinks 122 is less than the amount of heat dissipated directly from the regenerative resistors 121, the heat from the heat sinks 122 can be sufficiently absorbed by simply flowing air through the first heat dissipation space S1 with the first fan 13a, without the need to blow air directly onto the heat sinks 122 with the first fan 13a. Furthermore, because the regenerative resistors 121 generate heat through resistance, the second fan 13b can blow air directly onto the regenerative resistors 121, allowing the regenerative resistors 121 to be efficiently cooled. As a result, the heat from the heating elements 12 can be efficiently dissipated.

[0035] The partition walls 14 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the heat generating element 12 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIGS. 3(A) and 3(B), the housing 11 further includes a pair of partition walls 14 that divide the interior of the housing 11 when the heat generating element 12 is attached. The pair of partition walls 14 divide the interior of the housing 11 into a first heat dissipation space S1 and a second heat dissipation space S2. The first heat dissipation space S1 is formed between the pair of partition walls 14 and is a space that dissipates heat from the heat sink 122. The second heat dissipation space S2 is formed between the plurality of second fans and is a space that dissipates heat from the regenerative resistor 121.

[0036] In this embodiment, the partition wall 14 is a rectangular frame. The partition wall 14 functions as a wall that divides the interior of the housing 11 by attaching the heating element 12 to the partition wall 14 so as to cover the opening 14a. Of the outer edges of the partition wall 14, a pair of outer edges extending in the vertical direction abut against the second and third side walls 11B and 11C of the housing 11, and a pair of outer edges extending in the horizontal direction abut against the bottom wall 11D and top wall 11E of the housing 11. This configuration allows the first heat dissipation space S1 and the second heat dissipation space S2 to be formed as independent spaces. The partition wall 14 has a through-hole 16 through which wiring cables (not shown) connected to the heating element 12 and the first and second fans 13a and 13b are inserted.

[0037] According to this embodiment, the space inside the housing 11 is divided into a first heat dissipation space S1 and a second heat dissipation space S2 by a pair of partition walls 14. By dividing the space inside the housing 11 with partition walls 14, the air blown from the first fan 13a and the air blown from the second fan 13b can be stably flowed into the corresponding first heat dissipation space S1 and second heat dissipation space S2, and air convection inside the housing 11 can be suppressed.

[0038] Furthermore, the temperature in the second heat dissipation space S2, where the regenerative resistor 121, which is a direct heat source, is located, is more likely to rise than the temperature in the first heat dissipation space S1, where the heat sink 122, which is an indirect heat source, is located. Therefore, the airflow rates of the first fan 13a and the second fan 13b are set so that the flow rate of air flowing through the first heat dissipation space S1 is greater than the flow rate of air flowing through the second heat dissipation space S2. In this embodiment, the airflow rates of the first fan 13a and the second fan 13b are the same, so the number of second fans 13b is greater than the number of first fans 13a. By setting the flow rate of air flowing through the first heat dissipation space S1 in this manner, the heat generated by the heat generating element 12 can be efficiently absorbed by the air.

[0039] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4 , the heat sink 122 is fixed to the mounting frame 15 with fasteners 31 such as screws (see FIG. 2 ) so that the mounting surface 122a (the back surface described above) of the regenerative resistor 121 is exposed through the opening 15a of the mounting frame 15. A heat dissipation sheet 17 corresponding to the shape of the contact surface with the regenerative resistor 121 is arranged on the mounting surface 122a. In this embodiment, the regenerative resistor 121 is fixed to the heat sink 122 with fasteners 32 such as screws (see FIG. 2 ) while the heat dissipation sheet 17 is sandwiched between the heat sink 122 and the regenerative resistor 121. The heat dissipation sheet 17 is a gel-like sheet, and by disposing the heat dissipation sheet 17 between the heat sink 122 and the regenerative resistor 121, it is possible to prevent a gap from being formed between the heat sink 122 and the regenerative resistor 121. This allows heat generated from the regenerative resistor 121 to be efficiently transferred to the heat sink 122. In FIG. 4, the fixing tool 32 and the screw holes into which the fixing tool 32 is screwed are omitted.

[0040] 2, the heat sink 122 and the regenerative resistor 121 become a single structure (heat generating element 12) with the mounting frame 15 attached. The mounting frame 15 is fixed to the partition wall 14 of the heat generating element 12.

[0041] Such a heating element 12 is inserted horizontally into the housing 11 with the panel-shaped second side wall 11B removed from the housing 11. The inserted heating element 12 is supported by a height-adjustable support frame 19 extending along the lower edge of the partition wall 14, and is then attached to the frame-shaped partition wall 14 via fasteners 33 such as screws. Specifically, with the mounting frame 15 abutting against the partition wall 14 and with a heat sink inserted into the opening 14a of the partition wall 14, the heating element 12 is fixed to the partition wall 14 with fasteners 32 such as screws. Note that the support frame 19 is elongated and fixed to the partition wall 14 and the bottom wall 11D of the housing 11; however, for example, the support frame 19 may be formed integrally with the partition wall 14.

[0042] As a result, even if the heating element 12 is heavier than the other components, it can be attached to the partition wall 14 with the heating element 12 stably supported by the support frame 19 without having to adjust the height of the heating element 12. Also, by setting the vertical length of the mounting frame 15 and the height of the support frame 19, it is possible to prevent the heating element 12 from mechanically interfering with the housing 11. Furthermore, because the flange-shaped mounting frame 15 is fixed to the heating element 12, the heating element 12 can be easily attached to the partition wall 14 via the mounting frame 15.

[0043] As described above, by adjusting the positions of the first fan 13a and the second fan 13b and operating them simultaneously, the heat generated by the heat generating element 12 can be discharged from the exhaust section. As a result, overheating of the regenerative unit 1 can be efficiently suppressed. Furthermore, because the two heat generating elements 12 are disposed separately, the amount of heat generated by each heat generating element 12 can be suppressed compared to when the heat generating elements 12 are not disposed separately. Furthermore, the fact that the regenerative unit 1 can be separated from the control unit 2 is useful in that the regenerative unit 1 absorbs heat inside the housing 21 of the control unit 2 and dissipates that heat to the outside, thereby suppressing overheating inside the housing 21 of the control unit 2.

[0044] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various design modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention as set forth in the claims.

[0045] For example, in this embodiment, the heat sinks of a pair of heat generating elements are arranged to face each other, but regenerative resistors of a pair of heat generating elements may also be arranged to face each other as long as heat dissipation can be ensured. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 1: regeneration unit, 11: housing, 11A-11C: first to third side walls (side walls), 12: heating element, 121: regeneration resistor, 122: heat sink, 13a: first fan, 13b: second fan, 14: partition wall, S1: first heat dissipation space, S2: second heat dissipation space

Claims

1. a pair of heating elements each including a regenerative resistor that generates heat when a current generated by regenerative power of a motor is passed through it, and a heat sink that dissipates the heat generated by the regenerative resistor; a first fan that cools the heat generating element, The pair of heating elements are arranged opposite each other with a gap between them, The regeneration unit is characterized in that the first fan is disposed in a direction to blow air into a first heat dissipation space between the pair of heating elements.

2. The regeneration unit according to claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of second fans that blow air directly onto each of the pair of heating elements from both sides of the pair of heating elements.

3. The device further includes a housing that houses the pair of heating elements, the first fan, and the plurality of second fans, 3. The regeneration unit according to claim 2, wherein an exhaust section is formed on one of the side walls of the housing that faces the first fan across the first heat dissipation space, for exhausting air blown from the first fan and the second fan.

4. the heat sinks of the pair of heat generating elements face each other across the first heat dissipation space, The regenerative unit according to claim 3 , wherein the regenerative resistors of the pair of heating elements face the plurality of second fans.

5. the housing includes a pair of partition walls that divide the interior of the housing when the heating elements are attached, the first heat dissipation space for dissipating heat from the heat sink is formed between the pair of partition walls, 5. The regeneration unit according to claim 4, wherein a second heat dissipation space for dissipating heat from the regeneration resistor is formed between each of the partition walls and the plurality of second fans.

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