Charging device for electric vehicles

Abstract

To obtain a charging device for an electric vehicle, capable of improving thermal arrangement environment of an upper-stage side charging unit.SOLUTION: A charging device 1 for an electric vehicle comprises a housing 2 that accommodates a plurality of charging units 30 inside. The plurality of charging units 30 vertically line up in the housing to be accommodated. The charging device 1 for the electric vehicle comprises: a first air suction port P1 provided on an upper portion of the housing 2; an air blowing fan 70 provided on an upper side of an uppermost-stage charging unit 30 in the housing 2 and blowing air downward; exhaust ports Q1 provided on a side portion of the housing 2; and a first flow path R1 that allows air introduced inside the housing 2 from the first air suction port P1 and sent on with the air blowing fan 70, to pass through a side of an upper-stage side charging unit 30, to pass through an inside of the charging unit 30 after passing between the charging unit 30 and a neighboring charging unit 30, and to discharge outside the housing 2 from an exhaust port Q1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a charging device for electric vehicles.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a rapid charger for charging the battery of an electric vehicle. This rapid charger includes a housing, a plurality of shelf plates that divide the interior of the housing in the vertical direction, a cylindrical duct that extends vertically inside the housing so as to penetrate the shelf plates, and a charging unit fixed to the duct. The charging unit has a plurality of electrical devices that generate heat during operation, and these electrical devices are fixed to a base plate that also serves as a side surface portion of the duct. An air intake for taking in external air is provided at the lower part of the housing, and the air taken in through the air intake is configured to be discharged from an exhaust port provided at the upper part of the housing through the duct.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, as in the technology described in Patent Document 1, when a plurality of charging units are accommodated in a vertically arranged state inside the housing and cooling air for cooling the charging units is made to flow from the lower part to the upper part inside the housing, the warm air generated in each charging unit flows upward inside the housing, and as the cooling air also flows to the upper side of the housing, its temperature rises. Therefore, the charging units on the upper stage side are arranged in a more thermally severe environment than the charging units on the lower stage side. Therefore, improving the thermal arrangement environment of the charging units on the upper stage side has become an issue.

[0005] The present invention was made to solve the above problems, and aims to improve the thermal environment of the upper charging unit in an electric vehicle charging device equipped with multiple charging units arranged vertically inside a housing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An electric vehicle charging device according to a first aspect of the present invention is an electric vehicle charging device comprising a housing that houses a plurality of charging units that convert power input from an external power source into power for charging an electric vehicle, wherein the plurality of charging units are housed in a vertically aligned manner within the housing, and comprises a first air intake port provided at the top of the housing, a blower fan provided above the uppermost charging unit inside the housing and blowing air downward, an exhaust port provided on the side of the housing, and a first flow path that causes air introduced into the housing from the first air intake port and blown out by the blower fan to pass to the side of the upper charging unit, pass between the charging unit and the adjacent charging unit, pass through the inside of the charging unit, and discharge to the outside of the housing from the exhaust port. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] In the electric vehicle charging device according to the present invention, a plurality of charging units are housed inside a housing in a vertically aligned manner. The housing has a first air intake port provided at the top of the housing, a blower fan provided above the uppermost charging unit inside the housing, and an exhaust port provided on the side of the housing. The blower fan is installed to blow air from above the uppermost charging unit downwards, and inside the housing, a first flow path is formed that allows air introduced into the housing from the first air intake port and blown out by the blower fan to pass along the side of the upper charging unit. This first flow path further allows the air that has passed along the side of the charging unit to pass between the charging unit and the adjacent charging unit, then pass through the inside of the charging unit, and is discharged to the outside of the housing from the exhaust port. Due to this first flow path, an airflow is generated inside the housing that descends from the blower fan towards the upper charging unit, and this airflow can cool the sides of the plurality of charging units that are arranged vertically. Furthermore, the downward airflow is strongest near the upper charging unit, and the air that passes to the side of the upper charging unit passes between that unit and the adjacent charging unit, passes through the inside of that charging unit, and is discharged from the exhaust port. This allows for efficient cooling of the upper charging unit and efficient discharge of air from the upper space inside the housing to the outside, thereby improving the thermal environment of the upper charging unit. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a front perspective view showing a partially disassembled electric vehicle charging device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a rear perspective view showing a partially disassembled electric vehicle charging device according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a side view of an electric vehicle charging device according to an embodiment, seen from the left side, with some of the side panels omitted. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view of the duct member and blower fan according to the embodiment, as seen from the rear. [Figure 5]Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the duct member, showing the state after cutting along the VV line. [Figure 6] This is a perspective view showing a component positioned between two units that are adjacent to each other, one above the other. [Figure 7] This is a cross-sectional view showing the state after cutting along the line VII-VII in Figure 6. [Figure 8] This is a cross-sectional view showing the state after cutting along the line VIII-VIII in Figure 7. [Figure 9] This is a disassembled perspective view of the charging unit. [Figure 10] This is a schematic side view of the enclosure, showing the first and second flow channels. [Figure 11] This is a schematic front view of the enclosure, showing the first and second flow channels. [Figure 12] This is a schematic front view of the enclosure, showing the third channel. [Figure 13] This is a block diagram of a charging device for an electric vehicle according to an embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Hereinafter, an electric vehicle charging device 1 (hereinafter simply referred to as "charging device 1") according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 13. For the sake of convenience of explanation, the front, rear, left, right, up, and down directions indicated as appropriate in each figure will be defined as the front, rear, left, right, up, and down directions of the charging device 1, and the positions and orientations of the components will be described accordingly. In addition, some reference numerals may be omitted in each figure to improve the clarity of the drawings.

[0010] Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the front side (front) of the charging device 1 according to this embodiment. This charging device 1 is a device for charging electric vehicles such as electric cars and plug-in hybrid vehicles. This charging device 1 is a charger that is installed, for example, in a private facility along a public road or in a public facility and used by users. This charging device 1 is a two-vehicle charging type that can charge two electric vehicles simultaneously as an example. The charging method of this charging device 1 is a rapid charging method. However, if this charging device 1 is installed, for example, in a parking lot of an apartment complex, it may be configured to use a normal charging method. Furthermore, the electric vehicles mentioned above are not limited to automobiles, but may also be motorcycles.

[0011] This charging device 1 includes a housing 2 that houses multiple charging units 30, which convert power input from an external power source, an AC power source 200 (see Figure 13), into power for charging an electric vehicle. The housing 2 is roughly rectangular in shape. The inside of the housing 2 is divided into two spaces by a partition wall 29, forming two spaces S1 and S2. Electrical equipment necessary for charging the electric vehicle is housed in the two spaces S1 and S2, separated according to their predetermined functions.

[0012] The front panel section 20, which constitutes the front wall of the housing 2, is equipped with a display panel H1 (touch panel) that displays the usage status and operation buttons of the charging device 1, an illustrated display section H2 that shows the operation procedure of the charging device 1, and a card reader H3 for authentication. In addition, box-shaped holders 7 for holding the charging connectors 5 are attached to the front sides of both the left and right sides of the housing 2. One end of the charging cable 6 is connected to the left and right charging connectors 5, and the other end of the charging cable 6 is connected to the upper part of the side panel sections 24 that constitute the left and right walls of the housing 2.

[0013] Here, referring to the block diagram of FIG. 13, the main configuration of the charging device 1 will be described. The charging device 1 is, as an example, a charger that charges an electric vehicle by a rapid charging method, and has a power conversion unit 3 that converts alternating current power input from an alternating current power source 200 such as a commercial power source into high-output and direct current power. The charging device 1 supplies the high-output and direct current power output from the power conversion unit 3 to a battery (not shown) mounted on the electric vehicle via a charging cable 6 and a charging connector 5. Thus, the charging device 1 is configured to be able to shorten the charging time compared to a normal charging method that charges with the same output as a commercial power source or the like.

[0014] The power conversion unit 3 of the present embodiment is composed of six charging units 30 connected in parallel. Each charging unit 30 has a rectifier circuit 30A, a boost circuit 30B, and a converter circuit 30C. The rectifier circuit 30A rectifies and outputs the alternating current power supplied from the alternating current power source 200. The boost circuit 30B boosts and outputs the power output from the rectifier circuit 30A. The converter circuit 30C converts and controls the power output from the boost circuit 30B into a charging voltage. In this way, in each charging unit 30, the power input from the input side is converted into direct current power. Each charging unit 30 is arranged in the first space portion S1 in the housing 2 when operating because circuit components such as semiconductor elements and coils that constitute the rectifier circuit 30A, the boost circuit 30B, and the converter circuit 30C generate heat, and is arranged separately from other electrical devices arranged in the second space portion S2. The first space portion S1 is formed inside a first housing portion 2A provided on the back side (rear portion side) of the housing 2.

[0015] The charging device 1 includes a relay unit 12 that switches whether to supply the power output from the six charging units 30 to either the left and right charging cables 6 or the charging connector 5, a relay control unit 8 that controls the relay unit 12, DB units 11 provided between the left and right charging cables 6 and the charging connector 5 and the relay unit 12 respectively, and a charging control unit 9 that controls the power (charging power) supplied from the plurality of charging units 30 to the electric vehicle. These control units 8 and 9 have a control device including at least one processor (CPU), and are configured to be able to communicate with each other using a predetermined communication standard such as CAN communication.

[0016] On the input side of the six charging units 30, a control device that controls the power supplied (input) from the AC power supply 200 is connected in a broad sense. As an example, a leakage shielding unit 10A is provided between the AC power supply 200 and the six charging units 30. The leakage shielding unit 10A is composed of a known leakage shield. The leakage shielding unit 10A is normally in an ON state where the primary side circuit is open, but has a function of closing the primary side circuit and becoming an OFF state when an overcurrent or leakage is detected in the primary side circuit. Also, a capacitor (not shown) for noise cutting is connected between the AC power supply 200 and the leakage shielding unit 10A. Further, a filter device 10B for removing noise composed of a choke coil or an LC circuit is connected between the leakage shielding unit 10A and the six charging units 30.

[0017] The input side control device including the leakage shielding unit 10A is arranged in a second space portion S2 that is adjacent to the front side with respect to the first space portion S1 inside the housing 2. This second space portion S2 is formed inside a second housing portion 2B arranged on one side in the front - rear direction (front side in FIGS. 1 etc.) with respect to the first housing portion 2A. In the second space portion S2, in addition to the leakage shielding unit 10A, the capacitor, and the filter device 10B, the DB unit 11 is arranged. Also, the relay control unit 8 and the relay unit 12 are arranged in the second space portion S2.

[0018] The DB unit 11 is connected to the output side (secondary side) of each of the six charging units 30, between the charging unit 30 and the charging cable 6 and charging connector 5. The DB unit 11 consists of a reverse current prevention circuit equipped with multiple diodes and has the function of preventing current from flowing backward between the six charging units 30 and the battery of the electric vehicle.

[0019] The relay unit 12 has a relay circuit provided for each of the multiple charging units 30, and each relay circuit switches whether to supply the output power of the charging unit 30 to the left or right charging cable 6 or the charging connector 5. The relay control unit 8 controls the above switching by the relay unit 12 (each relay circuit) based on a signal from the charging control unit 9 which has received a signal from the electric vehicle.

[0020] The power output from the six charging units 30 is supplied to the left and right charging cables 6 and charging connectors 5 via the charging control unit 9. The charging control unit 9 is configured to communicate with the electric vehicle using predetermined communication means such as CAN communication. The charging control unit 9 receives control signals from the electric vehicle via the charging connectors 5 connected to the electric vehicle's charging plug. The signals received from the electric vehicle include command values ​​for the charging current and signals related to starting or ending charging. The charging control unit 9 receives signals transmitted from the electric vehicle, determines the power output from the charging device 1 based on the received signals, and controls the start and end of charging.

[0021] Furthermore, the charging control unit 9 is electrically connected to an air-cooling fan 70 and a temperature sensor (not shown) located inside the first housing section 2A. The charging control unit 9 controls the operation of the air-cooling fan 70 based on the temperature inside the first space section S1 detected by the temperature sensor.

[0022] As described above, the inside of the housing 2 is divided into two spaces S1 and S2 to house the electrical equipment necessary for charging. The first space S1, located on the rear side of the inside of the housing 2, houses multiple charging units 30 that constitute the power conversion unit 3. In the charging device 1, multiple air-cooling channels are provided inside the housing 2 to efficiently dissipate the heat generated by the charging units 30 during operation. The structure of the housing 2 and the charging units 30 will be described in detail below.

[0023] (Enclosure) As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the housing 2 has a front panel portion 20 that constitutes the front wall of the housing 2, a rear panel portion 22 that constitutes the rear wall of the housing 2, and side panel portions 24 that constitute the left and right walls of the housing 2. These panel portions 20, 22, and 24 are decorative panels formed, for example, from sheet metal material through NC machining or bending.

[0024] Each panel section 20, 22, and 24 is erected on a support section 26 that forms the bottom wall of the housing 2, and is fixed, for example, to a structural frame (not shown) that includes the support section 26 by screws. In addition, the upper opening of the housing 2, formed by the front panel section 20, the rear panel section 22, and the left and right side panel sections 24, is closed by the ceiling panel section 28. In this way, the housing 2 has a roughly rectangular box shape.

[0025] The internal space of the housing 2 is divided into front and rear sections by a partition wall 29 (see Figure 3). As a result, the housing 2 is divided into a first housing section 2A on the rear side relative to the partition wall 29 and a second housing section 2B on the front side relative to the partition wall 29.

[0026] The side panel section 24 of the housing 2 has a rear side panel section 241 located at the rear in the front-rear direction and a front side panel section 242 located at the front in the front-rear direction. The rear side panel section 241 constitutes the left and right sides of the first housing section 2A. The front side panel section 242 constitutes the left and right sides of the second housing section 2B. That is, in housing 2, the first housing section 2A is formed by the rear panel section 22, the left and right rear side panel sections 241, the partition wall section 29, the base section 26, and the rear portion of the ceiling panel section 28, and the first space section S1 is formed inside it. In addition, in housing 2, the second housing section 2B is formed by the front panel section 20, the left and right front side panel sections 242, the partition wall section 29, the base section 26, and the front portion of the ceiling panel section 28, and the second space section S2 is formed inside it.

[0027] As shown in Figure 1, a first air intake port P1 is formed on the upper part of the left rear side panel portion 241 of the housing 2. This first air intake port P1 is provided on the upper part of the first housing portion 2A, and preferably is formed above the uppermost charging unit 30 located in the first housing portion 2A. Outside air can be introduced into the upper space of the first housing portion 2A through this first air intake port P1.

[0028] The housing 2 has a first air intake P1 and a second air intake P2 located at the bottom of the housing 2. Preferably, this second air intake P2 is formed below the lowest charging unit 30 located in the first housing section 2A, and in this embodiment, it is formed on the front surface of the rectangular frame-shaped base section 26. The second air intake P2 is provided to introduce outside air into the lower space of the first housing section 2A, and is formed by creating a grid pattern on the front surface of the base section 26. Air that has passed through the second air intake P2 from the front side of the housing 2 is introduced into the internal space (S1) of the first housing section 2A from the bottom side of the housing 2.

[0029] Six third air intakes P3 are formed in the rear side panel 241 on the left side of the housing 2, arranged vertically below the first air intake P1. Each third air intake P3 is composed of multiple slit-shaped openings formed through the rear side panel 241, for example. Each of the six third air intakes P3 corresponds to the unit air intakes 36B, which will be described later, of the six charging units 30 housed in the first space S1. As a result, the housing 2 introduces air into the interior of the housing 2 from the third air intakes P3 on the left side, and introduces air into the interior of each charging unit 30 from the unit air intakes 36B of each charging unit 30.

[0030] As shown in Figure 2, six exhaust ports Q1 arranged vertically are formed in the rear side panel 241 on the right side of the housing 2. Each exhaust port Q1 is composed of multiple slit-shaped openings formed through the rear side panel 241, for example. Each of the six exhaust ports Q1 is provided corresponding to the unit exhaust ports 38A of the six charging units 30 housed in the first space S1, which will be described later. As a result, the air discharged from the unit exhaust ports 38A of each charging unit 30 is discharged to the outside of the housing 2 through the exhaust ports Q1 provided on the right side of the housing 2.

[0031] On the other hand, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the second housing section 2B of the housing 2 does not have openings that connect the inside and outside of the outer wall of the housing 2 in the front panel section 20, the left and right front side panel sections 242, and the front portion of the ceiling panel section 28, which constitute a part of the outer wall of the housing 2. Therefore, the second housing section 2B has a sealed structure with excellent waterproof and dustproof performance that prevents rain, dust, etc. from entering the second space section S2, and can protect electrical equipment such as control boards housed in the second housing section 2B from rain, dust, etc.

[0032] (Charging unit) Figure 3 shows the left side of the housing 2 with the rear side panel 241 removed. As shown in these figures, six charging units 30 are housed in the first space S1 within the housing 2, arranged vertically. Each charging unit 30 is placed on one of six shelves 48 that are provided between the partition wall 29 and the rear panel 22 within the first space S1. Each shelf 48 is fixed to the partition wall 29 and the rear panel 22 either directly or via a frame (not shown) that constitutes the skeletal member of the housing 2, with a gap between them.

[0033] A cooling fan 70 is provided above the topmost charging unit 30. This cooling fan 70 blows air introduced into the housing 2 from the first air intake P1 towards the top of the topmost charging unit 30.

[0034] The direction of airflow from the blower fan 70 may be inclined with respect to the vertical direction of the housing 2, or it may be vertical. Alternatively, the direction of airflow may be changed at any time within a predetermined range directed downwards from the housing 2 by a movable blower fan. In this embodiment, the blower fan 70 is positioned inclined toward the partition wall 29 of the housing 2. As a result, air from the blower fan 70 is sent toward the partition wall 29 and then flows toward the space between the partition wall 29 and the charging unit 30. By inclining the direction of airflow in this way, it is possible to suppress the accumulation of air to the side of the upper charging unit 30. In addition, by blowing air toward the partition wall 29, a cooling effect is also obtained on the second space S2 within the second housing 2B.

[0035] The housing 2 is equipped with a duct member 80 for guiding the air blown out from the blower fan 70 to the side of the upper charging unit 30 (the space between the partition wall 29 and the charging unit 30). The blower fan 70 is fixed to the upper part of the housing 2 via this duct member 80.

[0036] The configuration of the duct member 80 will now be described. Figure 4 shows a perspective view of the duct member 80 as seen from the rear. Figure 5 shows a cross-section of the duct member 80 cut along the VV line in Figure 4. As shown in these figures, the duct member 80 has a first duct member 81 to which the blower fan 70 is attached, and a second duct member 82 extending downward from the first duct member 81.

[0037] The first duct member 81 has a rear wall portion 811 that slopes downward, and upper wall portion 812, lower wall portion 813, left wall portion 814, and right wall portion 815 that extend forward from the upper edge, lower edge, left edge, and right edge of the rear wall portion 811, respectively. The blower fan 70 is attached to the rear wall portion 811 so as to close the first opening K1 formed in the center of the rear wall portion 811. As a result, the blower fan 70 is positioned in an inclined position toward the partition wall portion 29 of the housing 2. The lower wall portion 813 is positioned above the uppermost charging unit 30. A second opening K2 that opens downward is formed at the front end of the lower wall portion 813, and the second duct member 82 is connected to the lower wall portion 813 so as to surround the second opening K2. Furthermore, the left wall portion 814 and the right wall portion 815 of the first duct member 81 are fixed to the partition wall portion 29 either directly via flange portions (not shown) provided at their ends, or via frames (not shown) that constitute the skeletal members, using screws or the like.

[0038] The first duct member 81 described above forms a cylindrical flow path with an upper wall portion 812, a lower wall portion 813, a left wall portion 814, and a right wall portion 815 extending from the outer peripheral edge of the rear wall portion 811. This flow path extends from the rear wall portion 811, to which the blower fan 70 is attached, to the partition wall portion 29, and guides the air blown diagonally downward by the blower fan 70 in the direction of the second opening K2 (the front side of the charging unit 30 and the space between it and the partition wall portion 29).

[0039] The second duct member 82 is attached so as to surround the second opening K2 formed in the lower wall portion 813 of the first duct member 81. This second duct member 82 extends downward from the first duct member 81 and is positioned in the space between the uppermost charging unit 30 and the partition wall portion 29. Specifically, the second duct member 82 has a vertical wall portion 821 that extends downward from the lower wall portion 813 of the first duct member 81, and side wall portions 822 that extend forward from both the left and right ends of the vertical wall portion 821. The upper end of the second duct member 82 is connected to the first duct member 81 by fixing a flange portion extending from the periphery of the second opening K2 of the lower wall portion 813 to the vertical wall portion 821 with screws or the like, and flange portions provided at the upper ends of the left and right side wall portions 822 to the lower wall portion 813 with screws or the like.

[0040] The second duct member 82 described above has a vertical wall portion 821, a side wall portion 822, and a partition wall portion 29, forming a cylindrical flow path that extends from the first duct member 81 to the lower side of the housing 2. As a result, the air that has passed through the second opening K2 of the first duct member 81 is collected in the central part of the housing 2 by the second duct member 82 and guided into the space between the partition wall portion 29 and the charging unit 30.

[0041] Figure 6 schematically shows the storage state of two charging units 30 arranged vertically side by side in the first space S1. As shown in this figure, a first convection guide member 50 and a second convection guide member 60 are attached to the underside of the upper shelves 48, excluding the lowest shelf 48, to introduce air supplied from the duct member 80 to the space between the partition wall 29 and the charging units 30 between the two charging units 30 that are arranged vertically next to each other.

[0042] The first convection induction member 50 is formed in an elongated shape along the front end of the shelf 48 and is positioned to close the gap formed between the two charging units 30 that are arranged adjacent to each other vertically. The gap formed between the upper and lower charging units 30 on the rear side of the shelf 48 is closed by the rear panel portion 22 of the housing 2.

[0043] As shown in Figure 7, the first convection guide member 50 has a flange-shaped fixing portion 52 that is fixed to the lower surface of the shelf board 48. A convection guide portion 54 is provided at the front end of the fixing portion 52, hanging downward from the fixing portion 52 and sealing the gap between the two charging units 30. An elastic portion 56 is provided at the lower end of the convection guide portion 54, extending diagonally backward from the convection guide portion 54 toward the fixing portion 52. The tip of this elastic portion 56 is overlapped with the rear end of the fixing portion 52 and is fixed together with the fixing portion 52 to the lower surface of the shelf board 48 by a joining member 58 such as a screw, clip or adhesive. As a result, the first convection guide member 50 has a closed cross-section with a triangular shape in the front-rear and up-down directions.

[0044] The first convection guiding member 50 described above is, for example, made of an elastic material such as resin. When the charging unit 30 is housed on the shelf 48, the elastic portion 56 of the first convection guiding member 50 is configured to press against the upper corner of the charging unit 30 which is placed on the lower shelf 48. At this time, the elastic portion 56 of the first convection guiding member 50 elastically deforms along the corner, causing the first convection guiding member 50 to adhere closely to the charging unit 30 and eliminating unnecessary gaps.

[0045] As shown in Figure 6, the second convection guide member 60 is formed in an elongated shape that extends in the front-rear direction along the lower surface of the shelf 48, and is made of an elastic material such as resin, for example. The second convection guide member 60 is provided between the shelf 48 and the lower charging unit 30 at a position closer to the unit exhaust port 38A of the charging unit 30 than the first convection guide member 50 (to the right of the first convection guide member 50 in Figure 6).

[0046] As shown in Figure 8, the second convection guide member 60 has flange portions (not shown in numerals) on both sides in the width direction (left-right direction) that are fixed to the lower surface of the shelf board 48 by joining members 58 such as screws, clips, or adhesives. In the center in the width direction, there is a convection guide section 62 whose cross-section in the left-right and up-down directions is V-shaped. The convection guide section 62 closes the gap between the two charging units 30 and restricts the air introduced between the two charging units 30 from flowing towards the unit exhaust port 38A side of each charging unit 30. The convection guide section 62 also restricts the air discharged from the unit exhaust port 38A of each charging unit 30 from flowing into the space between the upper and lower charging units 30.

[0047] The second convection guide member 60 is positioned so as to be at a predetermined distance from the right end of the first convection guide member 50 located nearby, and together with the upper charging unit 30, the lower charging unit 30, and the first convection guide member 50, it forms a third opening K3 that opens toward the front of the charging unit 30 (see Figure 6). The air blown out from the blower fan 70 and guided by the duct member 80 passes toward the front of the upper charging unit 30 (the space between it and the partition wall 29) and is introduced into the space between the upper and lower charging units 30 through the third opening K3.

[0048] Figure 9 shows an exploded perspective view of the charging unit 30. As shown in this figure, the charging unit 30 has an outer cylindrical portion 32 formed in the shape of an elongated rectangular tube. Inside the outer cylindrical portion 32 is an inner cylindrical portion 34, which is formed in the shape of a rectangular tube with an outer diameter slightly smaller than that of the outer cylindrical portion 32.

[0049] A dwelling space is formed inside the outer cylindrical portion 32 between it and the inner cylindrical portion 34. Electrical equipment constituting the charging unit 30, such as the rectifier circuit 30A, boost circuit 30B, and converter circuit 30C, is arranged in this dwelling space. These electrical devices are fixed to the outer surface of the inner cylindrical portion 34. In this configuration, the outer cylindrical portion 32, which constitutes the outer layer, protects the electrical equipment such as the rectifier circuit 30A, boost circuit 30B, and converter circuit 30C from rainwater, dust, etc. Furthermore, the internal space of the inner cylindrical portion 34 constitutes a duct space for dissipating heat generated in the dwelling space provided between the outer cylindrical portion 32 and the inner cylindrical portion 34.

[0050] The charging unit 30 is housed inside the housing 2 in an orientation where the left-right direction of the housing 2 is aligned with the axial direction of the outer cylindrical portion 32. In this state, a rectangular unit intake portion 36 is provided at one end on the left side of the charging unit 30. A rectangular unit exhaust portion 38 is provided at the other end on the right side of the charging unit 30.

[0051] The unit intake section 36 has a plate-shaped base section 36A that closes the left-side open end of the outer cylindrical section 32, and a unit intake port 36B provided on the base section 36A. The unit intake port 36B is equipped with an intake fan 40 that connects the inside and outside of the inner cylindrical section 34. This intake fan 40 is positioned opposite a third intake port P3 located on the left side of the housing 2. As a result, when the intake fan 40 is activated, air introduced into the housing 2 through the third intake port P3 is introduced into the charging unit 30 (inner cylindrical section 34) from the unit intake port 36B.

[0052] The unit intake section 36 also has a unit gripping section 36C and a wiring connection section 36D. The unit gripping section 36C is a work handle used to grip the charging unit 30 when installing or removing it. The wiring connection section 36D is provided to electrically connect the electrical equipment constituting the charging unit 30 with the wiring that is drawn out from inside the second housing section 2B of the housing 2 through the partition wall section 29.

[0053] The unit exhaust section 38 has a plate-shaped base section 38B that closes the right-side open end of the outer cylindrical section 32, and a unit exhaust port 38A provided on the base section 38B. The unit exhaust port 38A is provided as an exhaust port that connects the inside and outside of the inner cylindrical section 34. This unit exhaust port 38A is positioned opposite to the exhaust port Q1 provided on the right side of the housing 2. As a result, air introduced into the charging unit 30 (inner cylindrical section 34) by the intake fan 40 from the unit intake port 36B is discharged to the outside of the charging unit 30 from the unit exhaust port 38A and then discharged to the outside of the housing 2 through the exhaust port Q1.

[0054] In the charging device 1 described above, three flow paths (airflows) are formed in the first space S1 of the housing 2 to efficiently dissipate the heat generated by the charging unit 30. The three flow paths will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 10 to 12. Note that in Figures 10 to 12, for the sake of clarity, intake or exhaust ports that are not necessary for the explanation of the flow path in question may be omitted.

[0055] (First channel) Figure 10 is a schematic side view showing the internal structure of the housing 2, and Figure 11 is a front view of the first space S1 of the housing 2. As shown in these figures, a first airflow channel R1 is formed in the first space S1 of the housing 2 to create airflow in the upper space of the housing 2. This first airflow channel R1 is introduced into the housing 2 from a first air intake port P1 located at the top of the housing 2, and the air sent out by the blower fan 70 via the duct member 80 passes through the front side of the upper charging unit 30 (the space between it and the partition wall 29). After that, the air passes through a third opening K3, between two charging units 30 arranged adjacent to each other in the vertical direction, then passes through the inside of each charging unit 30, and is discharged to the outside of the housing 2 from the exhaust port Q1.

[0056] More specifically, the air that has passed in front of the uppermost charging unit 30 is introduced into the space between the upper and lower charging units 30 through a third opening K3 between the uppermost charging unit 30 and the second-to-last charging unit 30. Subsequently, this air is introduced into the interior of each of the uppermost and second-to-last charging units 30 through the unit intake port 36B. Then, this air is discharged to the outside of the unit through the unit exhaust port 38A of each of the uppermost and second-to-last charging units 30, and then discharged to the outside of the housing 2 through the exhaust port Q1.

[0057] The air that has passed in front of the second-to-last charging unit 30 is introduced into the space between the upper and lower charging units 30 through the third opening K3 between the second-to-last charging unit 30 and the third-to-last charging unit 30. Subsequently, this air is introduced into the interior of each of the second-to-last charging unit 30 and the third-to-last charging unit 30 through the unit intake port 36B. Then, this air is discharged to the outside of the unit through the unit exhaust port 38A of each of the second-to-last charging unit 30 and the third-to-last charging unit 30, and then discharged to the outside of the housing 2 through the exhaust port Q1.

[0058] The air that has passed in front of the third charging unit 30 from the top is introduced into the space between the upper and lower charging units 30 through the third opening K3 between the third charging unit 30 and the fourth charging unit 30 from the top. Then, this air is introduced into the interior of each of the third and fourth charging units 30 from the top through the unit intake port 36B. After being discharged to the outside of the unit through the unit exhaust port 38A of each of the third and fourth charging units 30 from the top, this air is discharged to the outside of the housing 2 through the exhaust port Q1.

[0059] Furthermore, since the third opening K3 is located on the side of the unit exhaust port 38A (opposite the unit intake port 36B) of the charging unit 30, the circulating air can come into contact with as many surfaces of the unit housing as possible. In addition, the shelf plate 48 has multiple holes, which allow the circulating air to come into contact with the housing surface of the charging unit 30.

[0060] (Second flow path) A second airflow channel R2 is formed in the first space S1 of the housing 2, creating an airflow in the lower space of the housing 2. This second airflow channel R2 allows air introduced into the housing 2 from the second air intake P2 located at the bottom of the housing 2 to pass through the front side of the lower charging unit 30 (the space between it and the partition wall 29). After passing through, the air passes through the third opening K3, between the two charging units 30 which are arranged adjacent to each other in the vertical direction, then passes through the inside of each charging unit 30, and is discharged to the outside of the housing 2 from the exhaust port Q1.

[0061] More specifically, the air that has passed in front of the lowest charging unit 30 is introduced into the space between the upper and lower charging units 30 through a third opening K3 between the lowest charging unit 30 and the second-to-last charging unit 30. Subsequently, this air is introduced into the interior of each of the lowest charging unit 30 and the second-to-last charging unit 30 through the unit intake port 36B. Then, this air is discharged to the outside of the unit through the unit exhaust port 38A of each of the lowest charging unit 30 and the second-to-last charging unit 30, and then discharged to the outside of the housing 2 through the exhaust port Q1.

[0062] The air that has passed in front of the second-to-last charging unit 30 is introduced into the space between the upper and lower charging units 30 through the third opening K3 between the second-to-last charging unit 30 and the third-to-last charging unit 30. Subsequently, this air is introduced into the interior of each of the second-to-last charging unit 30 and the third-to-last charging unit 30 through the unit intake port 36B. Then, this air is discharged to the outside of the unit through the unit exhaust port 38A of each of the second-to-last charging unit 30 and the third-to-last charging unit 30, and then discharged to the outside of the housing 2 through the exhaust port Q1.

[0063] (Third flow path) Figure 12 is a schematic front view of the first space S1 of the housing 2, illustrating the internal structure of the housing 2, and schematically shows the third flow path R3 formed in the first space S1. In this third flow path R3, air introduced into the housing 2 from the third intake port P3 by the intake fan 40 of each charging unit 30 passes through the inside of each charging unit 30 and is discharged to the outside of the housing 2 from the exhaust port Q1. In other words, air introduced into the housing 2 from the third intake port P3 located on the left side of the housing 2 passes through the unit intake port 36B of each charging unit 30, passes through the inside of the charging unit 30, is discharged from the unit exhaust port 38A, and is then discharged to the outside from the exhaust port Q1 located on the right side of the housing 2.

[0064] (Mechanism of action and effect) As described above, according to the charging device 1 of this embodiment, a plurality of charging units 30 are housed inside the housing 2 in a vertically aligned manner. The housing 2 has a first air intake port P1 provided at the top of the housing 2, a blower fan 70 provided above the uppermost charging unit 30 inside the housing 2, and an exhaust port Q1 provided on the side of the housing 2.

[0065] As shown in Figures 10 and 12, the blower fan 70 is installed to blow air from above to below the uppermost charging unit 30. Inside the housing 2, a first flow path R1 is formed that allows air introduced into the housing 2 from the first intake port P1 and blown out by the blower fan 70 to pass along the side of the upper charging unit 30. This first flow path R1 further allows the air that has passed along the side of the charging unit 30 to pass between the charging unit 30 and the adjacent charging unit 30, then to pass inside the charging unit 30, and finally to be discharged to the outside of the housing 2 from the exhaust port Q1.

[0066] Through this first flow path R1, air is blown from the blower fan 70 towards the partition wall 29 inside the housing 2, thereby cooling the partition wall 29 (the second space S2 of the housing 2). In addition, a downward airflow is generated from the blower fan 70 toward the upper charging unit 30, and this airflow can cool the sides of the multiple charging units 30 arranged vertically. Furthermore, the force of the downward airflow is strongest near the upper charging unit 30, and the air that passes beside the upper charging unit 30 passes between that charging unit 30 and the adjacent charging unit 30, passes through the inside of that charging unit 30, and is discharged from the exhaust port Q1. As a result, the upper charging unit 30 can be cooled efficiently, and the air in the upper space inside the housing 2 can be efficiently discharged to the outside of the housing 2, improving the thermal environment of the upper charging unit 30.

[0067] The charging device 1 is equipped with a duct member 80 for guiding the air blown out from the blower fan 70 to the side of the upper charging unit 30. This allows for efficient air supply to the side of the charging unit 30, thereby improving air cooling performance.

[0068] Furthermore, the blower fan 70 is positioned at an angle to direct air toward the side of the upper charging unit 30. This increases the force of the airflow toward the side of the charging unit 30, thereby improving the air cooling performance.

[0069] The charging device 1 has a second air intake port P2 located at the bottom of the housing 2, and a second airflow channel R2 is formed through the second air intake port P2 to introduce air into the interior of the housing 2. This second airflow channel R2 causes the air introduced from the second air intake port P2 to pass along the side of the lower charging unit 30. After passing through, the air passes between the charging unit 30 and the adjacent charging unit 30, then passes through the interior of the charging unit 30 and is discharged to the outside through the exhaust port Q1. Due to this second airflow channel R2, an airflow is generated inside the housing 2 that discharges the air in the lower space inside the housing 2 to the outside from the second air intake port P2 towards the exhaust port Q1. The second airflow channel R2 promotes airflow in the lower space inside the housing 2, and the lower charging unit 30 can be cooled.

[0070] Although the charging device 1 according to the embodiment has been described above, the present invention can be implemented with various modifications without departing from its spirit. Furthermore, it goes without saying that the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, in the above embodiment, one blower fan 70 is provided above the uppermost charging unit 30, but the present invention is not limited to this. Multiple blower fans may be provided above the uppermost charging unit. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the blower fan 70 is configured to be tilted to blow air toward the partition wall portion 29 of the housing 2, but the configuration is not limited to this. The blower fan may also be configured to be tilted to blow air toward the rear panel portion 22 of the housing 2, or a combination of these may be used. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the airflow rate introduced into the space between the two upper and lower charging units 30 can be adjusted by changing the size of the third opening K3. Therefore, the airflow rate flowing through each space between the multiple charging units 30 arranged inside the housing 2 can be adjusted as appropriate. For example, the third opening K3 provided in the upper space of the housing 2 and the third opening K3 provided in the lower space can be made of different sizes, and the airflow rate flowing between the upper and lower charging units 30 arranged in the upper space and the airflow rate flowing between the upper and lower charging units 30 arranged in the lower space can be adjusted, respectively. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0071] 1. Charging device for electric vehicles (charging device) 2 cabinets 30 charging units 70 Blower fan 80 Duct components 200 AC power supply (external power supply) P1 First air intake P2 Second air intake Q1 Exhaust vent R1 First channel R2 Second flow path

Claims

1. An electric vehicle charging device comprising a housing that houses multiple charging units that convert power input from an external power source into power for charging an electric vehicle, The plurality of charging units are housed in the casing in an orderly fashion, A first air intake port is provided at the top of the housing, A fan is provided inside the housing, above the uppermost charging unit, which blows air downwards. An exhaust port provided on the side of the housing, A charging device for electric vehicles, comprising: a first flow path that introduces air into the interior of the housing from the first intake port and blows it out by the blower fan, passes it to the side of the upper charging unit, passes it between the charging unit and the adjacent charging unit, passes it through the interior of the charging unit, and discharges it to the outside of the housing from the exhaust port.

2. The electric vehicle charging device according to claim 1, further comprising a duct member for guiding the air blown out from the blower fan to the side of the upper charging unit.

3. The electric vehicle charging device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the blower fan is provided at an angle so as to blow air toward the side of the upper charging unit.

4. A second air intake port is provided at the lower part of the housing, The electric vehicle charging device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a second flow path that causes air introduced into the interior of the housing from the second intake port to pass to the side of the lower charging unit, pass between the charging unit and the adjacent charging unit, then pass through the interior of the charging unit, and discharge to the outside of the housing from the exhaust port.

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