Power conversion device

Abstract

To provide a power conversion device capable of further improving a cooling capability while suppressing an enlargement of a thickness, and a control panel for an elevator.SOLUTION: A control board 100 comprises a control board housing 101 and an inverter unit 10 which is stored in the control board housing 101. The inverter unit 10 includes: a circuit board 14 where a plurality of circuit elements E is disposed which constitutes a brake circuit 10b and a UPS circuit U as functional circuits for adding functions relating to an elevator 200 and a power conversion circuit 10a which converts inputted DC power into AC power; and a housing 19 in which the circuit board 14 is stored. The housing 19 includes a wind tunnel w where a cooling wind which cools the plurality of circuit elements E passes, and at least a part of the plurality of circuit elements E is disposed so as to protrude inside of the wind tunnel w.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a power conversion device, and more particularly to a power conversion device disposed in a control panel for an elevator. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, a power conversion device disposed in a control panel for an elevator is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The above-mentioned Patent Document 1 discloses a printed circuit board that is installed inside a control panel installed in an elevator shaft and includes a circuit having multiple elevator-related functions and a circuit that supplies power to a motor for raising and lowering the elevator car. The printed circuit board in Patent Document 1 is stacked on top of a cooling fin, and multiple circuit elements disposed on the printed circuit board release heat through the cooling fin. In other words, the printed circuit board in Patent Document 1 has multiple circuits disposed on a single board, and therefore, in addition to an IPM (intelligent power module) that includes an inverter main circuit, multiple circuit elements such as snubber capacitors and drive elements are also disposed on top of the cooling fin. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6188563 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] As described above, in Patent Document 1, a printed circuit board on which a circuit having multiple functions is arranged includes an IPM (intelligent power module) having an inverter main circuit therein, as well as multiple circuit elements such as snubber capacitors and drive elements, all of which are arranged on a cooling fin. However, while Patent Document 1 allows for the arrangement of many elements on a printed circuit board to reduce the number of printed circuit boards and prevent the board from becoming too thick, when cooling a circuit board on which multiple circuit elements are arranged, the large number of heat-generating circuit elements may make it difficult to sufficiently cool the multiple circuit elements simply by arranging them on a cooling fin. As a result, the circuit elements may fail due to heat. Therefore, there is a need for a power conversion device and an elevator control panel that can further improve cooling capacity while preventing the board from becoming too thick.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and one object of the present invention is to provide a power conversion device and an elevator control panel that can further improve cooling capacity while suppressing an increase in thickness. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, a power conversion device according to a first aspect of the present invention is a power conversion device provided in an elevator control panel, and includes a circuit board on which are arranged a functional circuit that adds elevator-related functions and a plurality of circuit elements that constitute a power conversion circuit that converts input DC power into AC power, and a housing that houses the circuit board, the housing including an air tunnel section through which cooling air passes to cool the plurality of circuit elements, and at least some of the plurality of circuit elements are arranged so as to protrude into the air tunnel section.

[0008] As described above, a power conversion device according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a circuit board on which are arranged a functional circuit that adds an elevator function and a plurality of circuit elements that constitute a power conversion circuit that converts input DC power into AC power. The housing includes an air channel through which cooling air flows to cool the plurality of circuit elements, and at least a portion of the plurality of circuit elements protrudes into the air channel. This allows at least a portion of the plurality of circuit elements to be directly exposed to the cooling air in the air channel, thereby achieving high cooling capacity. Furthermore, since circuits including multiple functions are arranged on a single circuit board, the thickness can be reduced compared to when multiple circuit boards are stacked for each function. Furthermore, even when the circuit boards are stacked in the air channel, at least a portion of the plurality of circuit elements protrude into the air channel, so the height in the stacking direction between the circuit boards and the air channel can be reduced compared to when circuit boards with all of the plurality of circuit elements are stacked outside the air channel. As a result, the power conversion device can further improve cooling capacity while reducing thickness.

[0009] In the power converter according to the first aspect, the circuit board and the air channel are preferably stacked in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction in which the cooling air flows, and at least some of the circuit elements are arranged to protrude in the second direction toward the air channel. With this configuration, the circuit elements protrude in the second direction perpendicular to the first direction in which the cooling air flows, toward the air channel, so that the cooling air flowing in the first direction can be efficiently applied to the side surfaces of the protruding circuit elements.

[0010] In this case, the air channel preferably includes an opening on a first surface facing the circuit board, and at least some of the circuit elements are arranged to protrude into the air channel through the opening provided on the first surface. With this configuration, the circuit elements to be cooled can be easily protruded into the air channel through the opening.

[0011] In the power converter including the opening on the first surface, preferably, the air tunnel includes a partition wall configured to divide the air tunnel into a first air tunnel in which a first element having a large heat generation amount among the plurality of circuit elements is disposed, and a second air tunnel in which a second element having a small heat generation amount among the plurality of circuit elements is disposed. With this configuration, it is possible to separate the space in which the first element having a large heat generation amount and the second element having a small heat generation amount are disposed, thereby making it possible to reduce the influence of heat emitted by the first element having a large heat generation amount on the second element having a small heat generation amount.

[0012] In this case, the circuit board preferably includes a switching element, and a heat sink fixed to the switching element is disposed inside the first air tunnel. With this configuration, it is possible to cool switching elements that generate a large amount of heat without disposing the switching element in an environment where dust and the like can easily get in, such as the air tunnel.

[0013] In the power converter in which the air tunnel includes a partition wall, the first air tunnel is preferably configured to have a larger volume than the second air tunnel. This configuration allows the first air tunnel, in which the first element, which generates a large amount of heat, is disposed, to be larger, thereby providing a larger heat dissipation space and facilitating the placement of large-sized components, such as fins, used for heat dissipation. As a result, heat from the first element can be efficiently dissipated.

[0014] In this case, preferably, one end of the partition wall is connected to a side surface of the air tunnel in a third direction orthogonal to both the first and second directions, thereby separating the first and second air tunnels, the first air tunnel including a first ventilation hole at its end in the first direction, and the second air tunnel including a second ventilation hole at its side surface. With this configuration, the ventilation holes are provided at different positions for the first and second air tunnels, so that the size and opening ratio of each ventilation hole can be individually designed according to the cooling capacity required for each of the first and second elements.

[0015] In the power converter in which one end of the partition is connected to a side surface of the air tunnel, the air tunnel preferably includes a cooling fan that cools both the first air tunnel and the second air tunnel, and the cooling fan is configured to make the volume of cooling air flowing through the first air tunnel larger than the volume of cooling air flowing through the second air tunnel. With this configuration, the volume of cooling air flowing through the first air tunnel can be increased, thereby more reliably cooling the first element that generates a large amount of heat and is arranged in the first air tunnel.

[0016] In the power conversion device including the cooling fan, the cooling fan preferably includes a first fan and a second fan, the first fan cooling the first wind tunnel section, and the second fan cooling the first wind tunnel section and the second wind tunnel section. With this configuration, the volume of cooling air flowing through the first wind tunnel section can be easily made larger than the volume of cooling air flowing through the second wind tunnel section. Furthermore, the volume of air flowing through each fan can be adjusted according to the cooling capacity required for the circuit elements arranged in each of the first wind tunnel section and the second wind tunnel section.

[0017] In the power conversion device according to the first aspect, preferably, all of the plurality of circuit elements are arranged on one surface of the circuit board facing the air channel. With this configuration, the circuit elements are arranged on only one surface of the circuit board, so that the height in the stacking direction between the circuit elements and the air channel can be made smaller than when circuit elements are arranged on both surfaces of the circuit board.

[0018] The elevator control panel according to this second aspect comprises an elevator control panel main body and a power conversion device housed in the elevator control panel main body, the power conversion device including a functional circuit that adds elevator-related functions and a circuit board on which are arranged a plurality of circuit elements that constitute a power conversion circuit that converts input DC power into AC power, and a housing that houses the circuit board and has an air tunnel section through which cooling air passes to cool the plurality of circuit elements, and at least some of the plurality of circuit elements are arranged so as to protrude into the air tunnel section.

[0019] In the elevator control panel according to the second aspect, as described above, the power conversion device housed in the elevator control panel main body includes a circuit board on which are arranged multiple circuit elements constituting a functional circuit that adds elevator functions and a power conversion circuit that converts input DC power to AC power, and a housing having an air tunnel through which cooling air flows to cool the multiple circuit elements, and at least a portion of the multiple circuit elements are arranged to protrude into the air tunnel. This allows at least a portion of the multiple circuit elements to be directly exposed to the cooling air in the air tunnel, thereby achieving high cooling capacity. Furthermore, because the circuit boards are arranged on a circuit board that includes multiple functions, the thickness can be reduced compared to when multiple circuit boards are stacked for each function. Furthermore, even when the circuit boards are stacked in the air tunnel, at least a portion of the multiple circuit elements protrude into the air tunnel, which is a cooling structure. Therefore, the height in the stacking direction between the circuit boards and the air tunnel can be reduced compared to when circuit boards with all of the multiple circuit elements are stacked outside the air tunnel. As a result, it is possible to provide an elevator control panel that can further improve cooling capacity while suppressing an increase in thickness. [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a power conversion device and an elevator control panel that can further improve cooling capacity while suppressing an increase in thickness. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of an elevator system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of a control panel according to an embodiment; [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram showing electrical connections of an inverter unit according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a configuration of an inverter unit according to an embodiment; [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a side view of an inverter unit according to one embodiment. [Figure 6] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating a configuration of a circuit board according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the configuration of a wind tunnel cover according to an embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an internal configuration of an air tunnel according to an embodiment. [Figure 9] 3 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the internal structure of the inverter unit of FIG. 2. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0023] (Elevator configuration) The overall configuration of an elevator 200 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 1, elevator 200 is a device installed in a building or the like for vertically moving people or cargo. Elevator 200 includes lifting system 210, hoistway 220, and control panel 100. Lifting system 210 is a system that uses hoist 213 to move weight 212 and car 211 in the vertical direction. Hoistway 220 is a space for car 211 to ascend and descend, and is partitioned by a door to prevent people from entering except during maintenance. Control device for controlling the operation of lifting system 210 is disposed inside control panel 100, and is installed, for example, inside hoistway 220. Note that control panel 100 is an example of an "elevator control panel" in the claims.

[0025] (Control panel configuration) The configuration and functions of the control panel 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 2, the control panel 100 is composed of a control panel housing 101 and a control panel upper cover 102. The control panel housing 101 has an intake hole 101a on the side or rear surface. The control panel upper cover 102 has an exhaust hole 102a on the side surface. The control panel 100 is configured so that air drawn in through the intake hole 101a of the control panel housing 101 by a cooling fan 17 (see FIG. 4), which will be described later, is discharged from the exhaust hole 102a of the control panel upper cover 102. The control panel housing 101 is an example of the "elevator control panel main body" in the claims.

[0027] In the following description, the left-right direction (one direction in a horizontal plane) when viewing the control panel 100 from the front is defined as the X direction, with one side of the X direction being the X1 direction and the other side being the X2 direction. The up-down direction (vertical direction) of the control panel 100 is defined as the Z direction, with the upward direction being the Z1 direction and the downward direction being the Z2 direction. The direction perpendicular to the X and Z directions of the control panel 100 (the other direction in a horizontal plane) is defined as the Y direction, with the rear side when viewing the control panel 100 from the front being the Y1 direction and the front side being the Y2 direction. The Y direction is an example of the "first direction" in the claims, the Z direction is an example of the "second direction" in the claims, and the X direction is an example of the "third direction" in the claims.

[0028] 2, in which some surfaces are made transparent to illustrate the internal structure of the control panel 100, the control panel 100 includes an inverter unit 10, a circuit breaker 20, an operation unit 30, and a power storage unit 40. The air intake 101a of the control panel housing 101 is provided in the Z2 direction, which is vertically downward relative to the inverter unit 10, and air drawn in through the air intake 101a flows into the inverter unit 10. The inverter unit 10 is an example of a "power conversion device" in the claims. The function and structure of the inverter unit 10 will be described in detail below.

[0029] The circuit breaker 20 includes a first breaker 21 and a second breaker 22, and is a circuit breaker that can cut off the power supplied to the inverter unit 10 when an abnormality such as a short circuit or an overload current occurs. The operation unit 30 includes a manual switch and is configured to allow some of the operations required to control the elevator 200 to be performed manually. The power storage unit 40 includes one or more batteries 41 (two batteries 41 in this embodiment) and supplies power to the inverter unit 10 in the event of a power outage. A shielding plate 101b is disposed vertically below the operation unit 30 (in the Z2 direction). The shielding plate 101b is a flat member that extends in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction (the Z direction). The shielding plate 101b separates the space in which the battery 41, the inverter unit 10, the circuit breaker 20 and the operating unit 30 are arranged, in order to prevent the inverter unit 10, the circuit breaker 20 and the operating unit 30 from being damaged by the released corrosive gas when the battery 41 releases the corrosive gas.

[0030] With the above configuration, the control panel 100 has the function of operating the hoist 213, the brake 214, and the external equipment 60 using power supplied from an external AC power source 50 or an internal power storage unit 40, as shown in Figure 3.

[0031] (Inverter unit function) As shown in FIG. 3 , the inverter unit 10 provided in the control panel 100 includes an inverter circuit 10a, a brake circuit 10b, an external device power supply unit 10c, a UPS circuit U, and switches Q1 and Q2. During normal operation when no abnormality such as a power outage occurs, the inverter unit 10 has switch Q1 turned on (closed) and switch Q2 turned off (open). As a result, during normal operation, the inverter unit 10 converts AC power supplied from an external AC power source 50 into DC, transforms the DC power, and then converts it back into AC power to supply power to the hoist 213 and the like. The voltage amplitude of the AC power supplied from the external AC power source 50 is, for example, 400 V. Furthermore, during an abnormality such as a power outage, the inverter unit 10 has switch Q1 turned off and switch Q2 turned on. As a result, in the event of an abnormality, the inverter unit 10 converts DC power supplied from the internal power storage unit 40 into AC power and supplies the power to the hoist 213, etc. The inverter circuit 10a is an example of a "power conversion circuit" in the claims, and the brake circuit 10b and the UPS circuit U are examples of a "functional circuit" in the claims.

[0032] The inverter circuit 10a includes a converter unit 1, an inverter unit 2, an inverter control unit 3, a control unit converter 4, and a smoothing capacitor Cs. The converter unit 1 includes a plurality of diodes (not shown) and rectifies the supplied AC voltage. The inverter unit 2 includes a plurality of switches (not shown) and converts DC power output by the converter unit 1 and smoothed by the smoothing capacitor Cs into three-phase AC power, which is supplied to a load, the hoist 213. The inverter control unit 3 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and a RAM (Random Access Memory) as a processor, and controls the operation of the inverter unit 2 by executing a program (software). The control unit converter 4 converts the supplied AC power into DC power suitable for the operation of the inverter control unit 3 and outputs it.

[0033] The brake circuit 10b includes a brake control unit 5, a transformer 6, a brake control unit converter 7, and a switch Q3. The brake control unit 5 includes, for example, a CPU as a processor, a ROM, a RAM, and the like, and controls the opening and closing operation of the switch Q3 by executing a program (software). The transformer 6 boosts the voltage supplied from the UPS circuit U from, for example, 200 V to 400 V in order to output power that enables the brake 214 to operate. The brake control unit converter 7 converts the supplied AC power into DC power suitable for the operation of the brake control unit 5 and outputs the DC power.

[0034] The external device power supply unit 10c is, for example, an electric wiring, and supplies AC power to the external device 60 connected to the outside of the control panel 100. A plurality of external device power supply units 10c may be provided depending on the number of external devices 60.

[0035] The UPS circuit U includes a DC-DC converter u1, an ACDC converter u2, and an inverter u3. The DC-DC converter u1 is capable of supplying power bidirectionally. During normal operation, it transforms DC power supplied from the ACDC converter u2 and outputs it to the power storage unit 40 to charge the power storage unit 40. Meanwhile, in the event of an abnormality, the DC-DC converter u1 transforms DC power supplied from the power storage unit 40 and outputs it to the inverter u3. During normal operation, the ACDC converter u2 converts AC power supplied from the AC power source 50 into DC power and outputs it to the inverter u3. The inverter u3 converts DC power supplied from the DC-DC converter u1 or the ACDC converter u2 into AC power. Thus, the inverter u3 supplies AC power to the inverter circuit 10a, the brake circuit 10b, and the external device power supply unit 10c during both normal operation and abnormal operation.

[0036] With the above configuration, the inverter unit 10 always supplies power to the inverter control unit 3 of the inverter circuit 10a and the brake control unit 5 of the brake circuit 10b using the built-in UPS circuit U. Therefore, when this inverter unit 10 is used, it is possible to operate the lifting system 210 (see FIG. 1) without causing a period of time during which the lifting system 210 becomes uncontrollable when an abnormality occurs.

[0037] (Inverter unit structure) Next, the detailed structure of the inverter unit 10 will be described with reference to Figures 4 to 7. As shown in Figure 4, the inverter unit 10 is made up of a lid portion 11, a control board 12, a housing cover 13, a circuit board 14, an air channel cover 15, and a base 16. The inverter unit 10 also includes a cooling fan 17, a first heat sink 18a, and a second heat sink 18b inside.

[0038] The lid 11 is a cover that covers the control board 12 and is made of an insulating resin material such as PPS (Poly Phenylene Sulfide). The control board 12 is a board for inverter control on which a CPU and the like are mounted, and has a plurality of control circuit elements 12a arranged in the Y2 direction and a connector 12b for connecting external wiring and the like to the circuit board 14. The lid 11 is formed to cover only the area of ​​the control board 12 on which the control circuit elements 12a are mounted. The housing cover 13 is disposed between the control board 12 and the circuit board 14. The housing cover 13 is made of a resin material such as PPS and is configured to insulate the control board 12 from a portion of the circuit board 14.

[0039] The circuit board 14 has a surface 14a in the Y2 direction on which a plurality of circuit elements E for constituting the inverter circuit 10a, brake circuit 10b, and UPS circuit U shown in FIG. 3 are arranged. The detailed configuration of the circuit board 14 will be described later. As shown in FIG. 4, the air tunnel cover 15 is arranged between the circuit board 14 and the base 16 and is formed of a resin material such as PPS. The air tunnel cover 15 also has a first fan 17a and a second fan 17b arranged as cooling fans 17. The detailed configuration of the air tunnel cover 15 will be described later.

[0040] The base 16 is formed of a metal plate such as aluminum. The base 16 is a bent metal plate having a bottom surface 16a, a first side surface 16b, and a second side surface 16c. The base 16 is fixed to the inner surface of the control panel housing 101 (see FIG. 1) of the control panel 100 by fastening members through through-holes (not shown) in the bottom surface 16a. A second ventilation hole 16d is formed in the second side surface 16c of the base 16. A first heat sink 18a and a second heat sink 18b are disposed on the base 16. Each of the first heat sink 18a and the second heat sink 18b is formed of a metal having relatively high thermal conductivity, such as aluminum. The second side surface 16c is an example of a "side surface" in the claims.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 5, the inverter unit 10 is formed by stacking a lid portion 11, a control board 12, a housing cover 13, a circuit board 14, an air tunnel cover 15, and a base 16 into one unit. The housing cover 13 is fixed to the base 16 using fastening members (not shown) to form a housing 19 of the inverter unit 10. The air tunnel cover 15 is fixed to the base 16 using fastening members (not shown) to form an air tunnel portion w. In other words, the air tunnel portion w is a space surrounded by the air tunnel cover 15 and the base 16. The circuit board 14 is arranged inside the housing 19 and stacked in the Y direction relative to the air tunnel portion w.

[0042] Next, a detailed configuration of the circuit board 14 will be described with reference to FIG. 6. The circuit board 14 has through-holes 14d at its four corners through which fastening members can pass, and a connector 14b near its end in the Z2 direction for connecting external wiring, etc. Furthermore, a plurality of circuit elements E, including, for example, a relay R, capacitors C1, C2, C3, and Cs, a coil L, a diode D, a transformer T, a switching module SW, and circuit components K, are all arranged on a surface 14c of the circuit board 14 in the Y1 direction. The switching module SW has a plurality of switching elements therein. Note that these plurality of circuit elements E have a thickness in the Y direction. The plurality of circuit elements E also include a first element E1 with a large heat generation amount, including the coil L, and a second element E2 with a small heat generation amount, including the smoothing capacitor Cs. Note that the surface 14c of the circuit board 14 is an example of the "first surface" in the claims.

[0043] Next, the detailed configuration of the air tunnel cover 15 will be described with reference to FIG. 7. The air tunnel cover 15 includes a flat portion 15a, a partition wall 15b, an opening 15c, a protruding portion 15d, a wall portion 15e, a first ventilation hole 15f, a mounting portion 15g, a housing fixing portion 15h, and a circuit fixing portion 15i. The flat portion 15a forms a surface perpendicular to the Y direction and is a portion that forms a first air tunnel portion w1 (see FIG. 8) and a second air tunnel portion w2 (see FIG. 8). The partition wall 15b is formed to extend from the flat portion 15a in the Y1 direction and separates the first air tunnel portion w1 from the second air tunnel portion w2. A plurality of openings 15c are formed in the surface of the flat portion 15a and are openings through which the first element E1 and the second element E2 provided on the circuit board 14 (see FIG. 6) protrude. A plurality of protrusions 15d are formed on the plane of the flat portion 15a and cover elements that require relatively little cooling so as not to protrude in the Y1 direction on the circuit board 14. Specifically, the protrusions 15d cover the transformer T, capacitors C2 and C3, and circuit component K among the circuit elements E shown in FIG. 6 so as not to protrude into the air channel w.

[0044] The wall portions 15e are provided at both ends of the air tunnel cover 15 on the Z-direction side, extending in the Y-direction. Each of the wall portions 15e is formed with a first ventilation hole 15f for air to flow in and out. The placement portion 15g is a portion provided with a space capable of accommodating each of the first fan 17a and the second fan 17b. The housing fixing portion 15h is a portion through which a screw for fixing the housing cover 13 and the base 16 shown in FIG. 4 passes. The circuit fixing portion 15i is formed as a screw hole, and a spacer-equipped fastening member s1 (described later) is attached to fix the circuit board 14 and the air tunnel cover 15. The wall portions 15e are an example of an "end portion" in the claims.

[0045] (Wind tunnel structure) Next, the detailed structure of the air tunnel section w will be described with reference to Figures 8 and 9. As shown in Figure 8, the air tunnel cover 15 and the base 16 are stacked in the Y direction on the circuit board 14. The air tunnel cover 15 and the base 16 also form the air tunnel section w. All of the circuit elements E (see Figure 6) arranged on the circuit board 14 are arranged in the air tunnel section w.

[0046] Here, a space where a first element E1 (see FIG. 6) including a relay R, a capacitor C1, a coil L, and a diode D, a first heat sink 18a, and a second heat sink 18b, which are provided on a circuit board 14, protrude in the Y1 direction is defined as a first air channel w1. A protrusion 15d is also formed in the first air channel w1. Cooling air generated by both the first fan 17a and the second fan 17b, which generate the same amount of air, flows through the first air channel w1. That is, in the first air channel w1, air taken in through the first ventilation holes 15f of the air channel cover 15 flows in the Z1 direction as cooling air, thereby cooling the first element E1 (see FIG. 6), the first heat sink 18a, and the second heat sink 18b. The switching module SW is fixed so that the Y1-direction surfaces of the switching module SW abut against the Y2-direction surfaces of the first heat sink 18a and the second heat sink 18b. As a result, the switching module SW is cooled via the first heat sink 18a and the second heat sink 18b.

[0047] The space into which the smoothing capacitor Cs, serving as the second element E2 (see FIG. 6) provided on the circuit board 14, protrudes in the Y1 direction is referred to as the second air tunnel w2. The second air tunnel w2 is a space defined by the air tunnel w when the partition wall 15b of the air tunnel cover 15 abuts against the side surface of the base 16 in the X1 direction. Cooling air generated by the second fan 17b flows through the second air tunnel w2. In other words, the air drawn in through the second ventilation holes 16d of the base 16 flows in the X2 and Z1 directions as cooling air, thereby cooling the smoothing capacitor Cs. The volume of the second air tunnel w2 is configured to be smaller than the volume of the first air tunnel w1. The second air tunnel w2 is configured so that the volume of the cooling air flowing through the second air tunnel w2 is smaller than the volume of the cooling air flowing through the first air tunnel w1.

[0048] As shown in the cross-sectional view of the inverter unit 10 in the X direction shown in FIG. 9, the circuit board 14 is attached to the air tunnel cover 15 by a spacer-equipped fastening member s1. The circuit board 14 and the air tunnel cover 15 are spaced apart by a distance d by the spacer-equipped fastening member s1. Note that the distance d may be ensured by a boss integrally formed on the air tunnel cover 15. Therefore, elements (not shown) mounted on the circuit board 14 and having a thickness smaller than the distance d do not protrude into the air tunnel w. Furthermore, a first element E1 (see FIG. 6), such as a relay R, having a thickness larger than the distance d protrudes in the Y1 direction through the air tunnel cover 15 and is disposed inside the air tunnel w (first air tunnel w1). Note that the first air tunnel w1 is arranged in the following order from the Z2 direction: relay R, capacitor C1, coil L, second heat sink 18b, coil L and capacitor C1, diode D, and first heat sink 18a. Furthermore, components such as the transformer T that are not cooled by cooling air but have a thickness greater than the distance d are arranged so that they do not protrude into the air tunnel w due to a protrusion 15d formed on the air tunnel cover 15, as shown by the dotted line in Fig. 9. As a result, only multiple components that require cooling are arranged in the air tunnel w.

[0049] (Effects of this embodiment) Next, the effects of this embodiment will be described.

[0050] The control panel 100 of this embodiment includes a control panel housing 101 and an inverter unit 10 housed in the control panel housing 101. The inverter unit 10 includes a circuit board 14 on which are arranged multiple circuit elements E constituting a brake circuit 10b and a UPS circuit U as functional circuits that add functions related to the elevator 200, and an inverter circuit 10a that converts input DC power to AC power. The control panel 100 also includes a housing 19 that houses the circuit board 14. The housing 19 includes an air channel w through which cooling air flows to cool the multiple circuit elements E. At least some of the multiple circuit elements E are arranged to protrude into the air channel w. This allows at least some of the multiple circuit elements E, such as coils L, to be directly exposed to the cooling air in the air channel w, thereby achieving high cooling capacity. Furthermore, since multiple functional circuits are arranged on a single circuit board 14, the overall thickness can be reduced compared to when multiple circuit boards 14 are stacked one on top of the other for each function. Furthermore, even when the circuit boards 14 are stacked in the air tunnel w, at least some of the multiple circuit elements E protrude into the air tunnel w, so the height in the Z direction of the stack of the circuit boards 14 and the air tunnel w can be reduced compared to when the circuit boards 14 are stacked such that all of the multiple circuit elements E are arranged outside the air tunnel w. As a result, the inverter unit 10 and the control panel 100 that houses the inverter unit 10 can have improved cooling capacity while preventing an increase in thickness.

[0051] In the above embodiment, the circuit board 14 and the air channel w are stacked in the Y direction perpendicular to the Z direction in which the cooling air flows, and at least some of the multiple circuit elements E are arranged to protrude in the Y1 direction toward the air channel w in the Y direction. As a result, the circuit elements E protrude in the Y1 direction toward the air channel w in the Y direction perpendicular to the Z direction in which the cooling air flows, and the cooling air flowing in the Z direction can be efficiently applied to the side surfaces of the protruding first elements E1.

[0052] In the above embodiment, the air channel w includes an opening 15c on the surface 14c facing the circuit board 14, and at least some of the circuit elements E are arranged to protrude into the air channel w through the opening 15c provided on the surface 14c. This allows the circuit elements E to be cooled to easily protrude into the air channel w through the opening 15c.

[0053] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the air tunnel w includes the partition wall 15b, and the partition wall 15b is configured to divide the air tunnel w into a first air tunnel w1 in which a first element E1 that generates a large amount of heat among the multiple circuit elements E is disposed, and a second air tunnel w2 in which a second element E2 that generates a small amount of heat among the multiple circuit elements E is disposed. This makes it possible to separate the space in which the first element E1 that generates a large amount of heat and the second element E2 that generates a small amount of heat are disposed, thereby making it possible to make the second element E2 that generates a small amount of heat less susceptible to the influence of heat emitted by the first element E1 that generates a large amount of heat.

[0054] In the above embodiment, the circuit board 14 includes a switching module SW, and a first heat sink 18a and a second heat sink 18b fixed to the switching module SW are disposed inside the first air tunnel w1. This makes it possible to cool the switching module SW that generates a large amount of heat without disposing the switching module SW in an environment where dust and the like can easily get in, such as the air tunnel w.

[0055] In the above embodiment, the first air tunnel w1 is configured to have a larger volume than the second air tunnel w2. This allows the first air tunnel w1, in which the first element E1, which generates a large amount of heat, is disposed, to be larger, thereby providing a larger heat dissipation space and facilitating the placement of large-sized components used for heat dissipation, such as the first heat sink 18a and the second heat sink 18b. As a result, heat can be efficiently dissipated from the switching module SW in contact with the first element E1 and the first heat sink 18a or the second heat sink 18b.

[0056] In the above embodiment, one end of partition wall 15b is connected to second side surface 16c in the X direction, which is perpendicular to both the Z direction and the Y direction of air tunnel w, thereby separating first air tunnel w1 and second air tunnel w2. First air tunnel w1 includes first ventilation holes 15f in first direction wall 15e, and second air tunnel w2 includes second ventilation holes 16d in second side surface 16c. As a result, first ventilation holes 15f and second ventilation holes 16d are provided in separate positions for first air tunnel w1 and second air tunnel w2, respectively. Therefore, the size and opening ratio of each of first ventilation holes 15f and second ventilation holes 16d can be individually designed according to the cooling capacity required for each of first element E1 and second element E2.

[0057] In the above embodiment, the air tunnel w includes a cooling fan 17 that cools both the first air tunnel w1 and the second air tunnel w2, and the cooling fan 17 is configured to make the volume of cooling air flowing into the first air tunnel w1 larger than the volume of cooling air flowing into the second air tunnel w2. This increases the volume of cooling air flowing into the first air tunnel w1, thereby more reliably cooling the first element E1, which generates a large amount of heat and is arranged in the first air tunnel w1.

[0058] In the above embodiment, the cooling fan 17 includes a first fan 17a and a second fan 17b, where the first fan 17a cools the first wind tunnel w1 and the second wind tunnel w2. This allows the volume of cooling air flowing through the first wind tunnel w1 to be greater than the volume of cooling air flowing through the second wind tunnel w2. Furthermore, the volume of air flowing through each of the first fan 17a and the second fan 17b can be adjusted depending on the cooling capacity required for each of the circuit elements E arranged in the first wind tunnel w1 and the second wind tunnel w2.

[0059] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, all of the multiple circuit elements E are arranged on the surface 14c of the circuit board 14 that faces the air tunnel portion w. As a result, the circuit elements E are arranged on only one surface of the circuit board 14, and therefore the height in the Z direction at which the circuit elements E and the air tunnel portion w are stacked can be made smaller than when the circuit elements E are arranged on both surfaces of the circuit board 14.

[0060] [Variations] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims rather than the above description of the embodiments, and further includes all modifications (variations) within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0061] For example, in the above embodiment, the circuit board 14 and the air tunnel portion w are stacked in the Y direction, and at least some of the circuit elements E are arranged to protrude in the Y1 direction toward the air tunnel portion w, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, it is sufficient that all of the circuit elements E are arranged to protrude in the Y1 direction toward the air tunnel portion w. Also, for example, the circuit board 14 may be arranged in the Y1 direction relative to the air tunnel portion w, and at least some of the circuit elements E may protrude in the Y2 direction toward the air tunnel portion w.

[0062] In the above embodiment, the air tunnel w includes the opening 15c on the surface 14c facing the circuit board 14, and at least some of the circuit elements E are arranged to protrude into the air tunnel w through the opening 15c provided on the surface 14c, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, for example, when using circuit elements having long wiring portions, the circuit elements may be arranged to protrude into the air tunnel w through another opening provided on the first side surface 16b or the like of the air tunnel w, bypassing the air tunnel cover 15.

[0063] In the above embodiment, the air tunnel w includes the partition wall 15b, and the partition wall 15b is configured to divide the air tunnel w into a first air tunnel w1 in which a first element E1 that generates a large amount of heat among the multiple circuit elements E is disposed, and a second air tunnel w2 in which a second element E2 that generates a small amount of heat among the multiple circuit elements E is disposed. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the air tunnel w may be a single space, or may be divided into three or more spaces. Furthermore, the air tunnel w may be divided into multiple spaces by separately installing a shielding block or the like without providing the partition wall 15b.

[0064] Furthermore, the components to which the first heat sink 18a and the second heat sink 18b are fixed are not limited to the switching module SW, and may be, for example, diodes D. A similar configuration may also be provided inside the second air channel portion w2.

[0065] In the above embodiment, one end of the partition wall 15b is connected to the second side surface 16c of the air channel w to separate the first air channel w1 and the second air channel w2. The first air channel w1 includes the first ventilation hole 15f in the first-direction wall 15e, and the second air channel w2 includes the second ventilation hole 16d in the second side surface 16c. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the position to which the partition wall 15b is connected is not limited to the second side surface 16c, and the partition wall 15b may be connected to the wall 15e of the air channel w, etc. In this case, the second air channel w2 is configured so that cooling air is generated by air flowing in from the first ventilation hole 15f, without providing the second ventilation hole 16d.

[0066] In the above embodiment, the air tunnel w includes the cooling fan 17 that cools both the first air tunnel w1 and the second air tunnel w2, and the cooling fan 17 is configured to make the volume of cooling air flowing through the first air tunnel w1 greater than the volume of cooling air flowing through the second air tunnel w2. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the cooling fan 17 may be provided in at least one of the first air tunnel w1 and the second air tunnel w2.

[0067] In the above embodiment, the cooling fan 17 includes the first fan 17a and the second fan 17b, and the first fan 17a cools the first wind tunnel w1, and the second fan 17b cools the first wind tunnel w1 and the second wind tunnel w2. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, one large cooling fan may be used to cool both the first wind tunnel w1 and the second wind tunnel w2, or three or more cooling fans may be used to cool both the first wind tunnel w1 and the second wind tunnel w2.

[0068] In the above embodiment, the first fan 17a and the second fan 17b generate the same air volume, and the arrangement positions of the first fan 17a and the second fan 17b are used to set the volume of cooling air flowing into the first air tunnel w1 to be larger than the volume of cooling air flowing into the second air tunnel w2. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the output of the first fan 17a may be controlled to be larger than the output of the second fan 17b, so that the volume of cooling air flowing into the first air tunnel w1 is larger than the volume of cooling air flowing into the second air tunnel w2.

[0069] In the above embodiment, all of the plurality of circuit elements E are arranged on the surface 14c of the circuit board 14 that faces the air channel w, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, some of the plurality of circuit elements E may be arranged on the surface 14a of the circuit board 14 that does not face the air channel w.

[0070] In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which no components were arranged on the surface 14a of the circuit board 14 that does not face the air channel w, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, a terminal block or the like may be provided on the surface 14a of the circuit board 14 that does not face the air channel w to facilitate connection to external wiring.

[0071] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example has been shown in which the control panel 100 is disposed inside the hoistway 220, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, for example, if the elevator 200 is configured to include a machine room above the hoistway 220, the control panel 100 may be disposed in the machine room. Also, the control panel 100 may be embedded in a wall near a door (not shown) through which passengers pass when getting on the car 211 of the elevator 200.

[0072] In the above embodiment, the circuit board 14 includes the brake circuit 10b and the UPS circuit U as functional circuits, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the circuit board 14 may include at least one of the brake circuit 10b and the UPS circuit U, or may include another functional circuit.

[0073] In the above embodiment, the air tunnel cover 15 includes the protrusion 15d, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the air tunnel cover 15 may not include the protrusion 15d, and all circuit elements E, including the transformer T, which is a circuit element that does not require much cooling, may be disposed inside the air tunnel w.

[0074] In the above embodiment, the control board 12 is provided separately from the circuit board 14, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, all of the control circuit elements 12a may be disposed on the circuit board 14, so that the control board 12 is not provided.

[0075] In the above embodiment, the lid 11, the housing cover 13, and the air channel cover 15 are made of PPS resin, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the lid 11, the housing cover 13, and the air channel cover 15 may be made of any insulating material.

[0076] In the above embodiment, the base 16, the first heat sink 18a, and the second heat sink 18b are made of aluminum, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the base 16 may be made of any metal. Furthermore, the first heat sink 18a and the second heat sink 18b may be made of any metal as long as the metal has relatively high thermal conductivity.

[0077] In the above embodiment, the circuit board 14 is arranged at a distance d from the wind tunnel cover 15 by the fastening member s1 with a spacer, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the circuit board 14 and the wind tunnel cover 15 may be arranged so as to come into contact with each other by a fastening member without a spacer. [Explanation of symbols]

[0078] 10 Inverter unit (power conversion device) 10a Inverter circuit (power conversion circuit) 10b Brake circuit (functional circuit) 10c UPS circuit (functional circuit) 11 Lid 12 Control circuit 13 Housing cover 14 Circuit Board 15 Wind tunnel cover 15b Bulkhead 15c opening 15e 1st ventilation hole 16 base 16c Second side (side of the housing) 16d 2nd ventilation hole 17a No. 1 fan (cooling fan) 17b Second fan (cooling fan) 18a First heat sink (heat sink) 18b Second heat sink (heat sink) 19. Cabinet 100 Control panel (elevator control panel) 200 Elevator Cs Smoothing capacitor (second element) E Circuit Element E1 First element (circuit element) E2 Second element (circuit element) SW Switching module (switching element) w Wind tunnel section w1 1st wind tunnel section (wind tunnel section) w2 Second wind tunnel section (wind tunnel section)

Claims

1. A power conversion device provided in an elevator control panel, a circuit board on which a plurality of circuit elements are arranged that constitute a functional circuit that adds an elevator-related function and a power conversion circuit that converts input DC power into AC power; a housing that houses the circuit board, the housing includes an air channel through which cooling air passes to cool the plurality of circuit elements, At least some of the circuit elements are arranged to protrude into the air tunnel.

2. the circuit board and the air channel are stacked in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction in which the cooling air flows, The power conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein at least some of the plurality of circuit elements are arranged to protrude in a direction toward the wind tunnel portion in the second direction.

3. the air channel includes an opening on a first surface facing the circuit board, The power conversion device according to claim 2 , wherein at least some of the plurality of circuit elements are arranged so as to protrude into the air channel portion through the opening provided in the first surface.

4. the wind tunnel section includes a partition wall, 4. The power conversion device according to claim 3, wherein the partition wall is configured to divide the air tunnel portion into a first air tunnel portion in which a first element having a large heat generation amount among the plurality of circuit elements is arranged, and a second air tunnel portion in which a second element having a small heat generation amount among the plurality of circuit elements is arranged.

5. the circuit board includes a switching element; The power conversion device according to claim 4 , wherein a heat sink fixed to the switching element is disposed inside the first air channel portion.

6. The power conversion device according to claim 4 , wherein the first wind tunnel portion is configured to have a larger volume than the second wind tunnel portion.

7. an end portion on one side of the partition wall is connected to a side surface of the air tunnel portion in a third direction perpendicular to both the first direction and the second direction, thereby separating the first air tunnel portion from the second air tunnel portion; the first air channel portion includes a first ventilation hole at an end portion in the first direction, The power conversion device according to claim 6 , wherein the second wind tunnel portion includes a second ventilation hole on the side surface.

8. the wind tunnel section includes a cooling fan that cools both the first wind tunnel section and the second wind tunnel section, 8. The power conversion device according to claim 7, wherein the cooling fan is configured so that the amount of cooling air flowing in the first air channel is greater than the amount of cooling air flowing in the second air channel.

9. the cooling fan includes a first fan and a second fan; the first fan cools the first wind tunnel portion; The power conversion device according to claim 8 , wherein the second fan cools the first wind tunnel portion and the second wind tunnel portion.

10. The power conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein all of the plurality of circuit elements are arranged on a surface of the circuit board that faces the air channel portion.

11. an elevator control panel body; a power conversion device housed in the elevator control panel body, the power conversion device includes a circuit board on which are arranged a functional circuit that adds an elevator function and a plurality of circuit elements that constitute a power conversion circuit that converts input DC power into AC power; and a housing that houses the circuit board and has an air channel portion through which cooling air passes to cool the plurality of circuit elements, An elevator control panel, wherein at least some of the plurality of circuit elements are arranged so as to protrude into the interior of the air tunnel portion.

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