Inverter

Abstract

The embodiments of the present application relate to the technical field of devices. Provided is an inverter. The inverter comprises a housing, a circuit board, a rotary switch and a knob component, wherein the rotary switch is fixed to the circuit board; the rotary switch comprises a plurality of switches and an operating shaft, the operating shaft being used for driving the plurality of switches to be switched on or off; the housing is used for accommodating the circuit board and the rotary switch; the housing comprises two side plates, which are arranged opposite each other in a first direction, one of the two side plates comprising a knob mounting hole, and the knob mounting hole extending through the one side plate in the first direction; and the knob component comprises a knob and a knob shaft, the knob shaft being configured for extending through the knob mounting hole to be in transmission connection with the operating shaft, the knob being used for driving, by means of the knob shaft, the operating shaft to rotate, and the knob and the operating shaft being arranged on two sides of the one side plate in the first direction. The inverter can alleviate the problem of the volume of the inverter being relatively large.

Description

An inverter

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on June 30, 2023, with application number 202321713204.0 and application name “A Type of Inverter”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0003] The present application relates to the field of equipment technology, and in particular to an inverter. Background Art

[0004] The rotary switch is a key component of the inverter, primarily used to turn the current on and off. In a specific inverter setup, the rotary switch is attached to the circuit board inside the inverter housing and then to the housing itself. The operating shaft of the rotary switch passes through a through-hole in the inverter housing and connects to a knob located outside the housing. A disadvantage of this type of inverter is that the housing is relatively large to accommodate the circuit board and rotary switch, resulting in a larger inverter.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] An inverter provided in an embodiment of the present application can improve the problem of the inverter being large in size.

[0007] An inverter provided in an embodiment of the present application includes a housing, a circuit board, a rotary switch, and a knob component. The rotary switch is fixed to the circuit board. The rotary switch includes multiple switches and an operating shaft. The operating shaft is used to drive the multiple switches to be turned on or off, wherein:

[0008] The housing is used to accommodate the circuit board and the rotary switch, the housing includes two side panels, the two side panels are arranged opposite to each other along a first direction, one of the two side panels includes a knob mounting hole, and the knob mounting hole passes through the one side panel along the first direction;

[0009] The knob component includes a knob and a knob shaft, the knob shaft is used to transmit and connect to the operating shaft through the knob mounting hole, the knob is used to drive the operating shaft to rotate through the knob shaft, and the knob and the operating shaft are arranged on both sides of the one side plate along the first direction.

[0010] In this solution, the knob shaft in the knob component extends into the housing and is connected to the operating shaft of the rotary switch. When assembling the inverter, the circuit board and the rotary switch fixed to the circuit board are placed into the housing, and the operating shaft of the rotary switch is coaxial with the knob mounting hole on the side panel of the housing. Subsequently, the knob shaft is extended into the housing and connected to the operating shaft of the rotary switch. During the assembly of the inverter, there is no need to translate the circuit board and the rotary switch fixed to the circuit board toward the knob mounting hole on the side panel. Therefore, in the axial direction of the knob mounting hole, there is no need for excess installation space in the housing beyond that for accommodating the circuit board and the rotary switch. This not only improves the space utilization of the housing, but also facilitates the miniaturization of the inverter and reduces production costs.

[0011] In addition, compared with the situation where the operating shaft of the rotary switch passes through the operating shaft mounting hole on the housing and is then connected to the knob, the present solution can be provided with a larger circuit board for a housing of the same size. Moreover, the rotary switch is fixed in the housing via the circuit board and does not need to be separately connected to the housing, thus avoiding the problem of redundant fixing of the rotary switch.

[0012] In one embodiment, the circuit board includes two end surfaces, which are arranged opposite each other along the first direction, with one end surface being closer to the one side panel than the other end surface. The distance between the end surface of the operating shaft and the knob mounting hole is greater than or equal to the distance between the one end surface and the knob mounting hole. That is, in a direction perpendicular to the circuit board, the projection of the operating shaft is at least partially within the circuit board. Compared to a scenario where the operating shaft completely extends beyond the circuit board in the first direction, this solution facilitates reducing the size of the housing in the first direction.

[0013] In one embodiment, the housing includes a bottom plate, the two side plates are fixedly connected to the bottom plate, and the circuit board and the bottom plate are arranged relative to each other along a second direction, which is perpendicular to the bottom plate. This reduces the size of the inverter in the second direction, making it more suitable for applications where the inverter size in the second direction is limited.

[0014] In one embodiment, the two side panels are both flat panels, and the circuit board is perpendicular to the two side panels, so as to simplify the processing steps of the two side panels and the assembly process of the inverter.

[0015] In one embodiment, the rotary switch is located between the bottom plate and the circuit board along the second direction.

[0016] In one embodiment, the knob is sealed against the one side panel, and the projection of the knob in the first direction is located within the one side panel. This reduces the possibility of the knob rotating due to misoperation and, compared to a situation where the projection of the knob in the first direction exceeds the range of the side panel, also reduces the possibility of the knob interfering with surrounding devices or components.

[0017] In one embodiment, the axial direction of the operating shaft and the axial direction of the knob shaft both overlap with the first direction.

[0018] In one embodiment, the axial direction of the operating shaft and the axial direction of the knob shaft are both parallel to the circuit board.

[0019] In one embodiment, the multiple switches are arranged in sequence along the axial direction of the operating shaft.

[0020] In one embodiment, the one side panel includes a shell locking portion, and the knob includes a knob locking portion. The shell locking portion can cooperate with the knob locking portion to limit the orientation of the knob relative to the one side panel, thereby preventing the knob from being brought to the knob shaft to change the opening and closing state of the rotary switch due to misoperation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of an inverter provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0022] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of the assembly steps of the inverter shown in FIG1 ;

[0023] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of another assembly step of the inverter shown in FIG1 ;

[0024] FIG4 is an axonometric view of a knob component in an inverter provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0025] FIG5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line EE of the knob assembly shown in FIG4 ;

[0026] FIG6 is a front view of the knob component shown in FIG4;

[0027] FIG7 is a top view of the knob component shown in FIG4;

[0028] FIG8 is a bottom view of the knob component shown in FIG4 . DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] In the related art, due to the structural characteristics of the rotary switch and the knob, when assembling the inverter, it is necessary to first place the circuit board with the rotary switch fixed thereon into the inverter housing from top to bottom, and make the operating shaft of the rotary switch coaxial with the operating shaft mounting hole on the inverter housing. Subsequently, the circuit board and the rotary switch fixed to the circuit board are translated in the direction of the operating shaft mounting hole until the operating shaft of the rotary switch passes through the operating shaft mounting hole on the housing and extends to the outside of the housing. Finally, subsequent assembly work such as fixing the knob on the operating shaft is performed. In other words, in the axial direction of the operating shaft mounting hole, the inverter housing needs to leave extra installation space, which makes the space utilization rate in the inverter housing low, and is not conducive to the miniaturization of the inverter and saving of production costs.

[0030] Based on this, an embodiment of the present application provides an inverter to solve the above problems. In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present application clearer, the present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0031] It is worth noting that the inverter in this application is an inverter with a rotary switch, for example, a photovoltaic inverter with a rotary switch.

[0032] The terms used in the following embodiments are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present application. As used in the specification and appended claims of this application, the singular expressions "a", "an", "said", "above", "the", and "this" are intended to also include expressions such as "one or more", unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0033] References to "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" in this specification mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in conjunction with that embodiment is included in one or more embodiments of the present application. Thus, phrases such as "in one embodiment," "in some embodiments," "in other embodiments," and "in yet other embodiments" appearing in various places in this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but rather mean "one or more but not all embodiments," unless otherwise specifically emphasized. The terms "including," "comprising," "having," and variations thereof mean "including but not limited to," unless otherwise specifically emphasized.

[0034] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an inverter provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 1, the inverter includes a housing 1, a circuit board 2, a rotary switch 3, and a knob component 4. The circuit board 2 is fixed to the housing 1, and the rotary switch 3 is fixed to the circuit board 2. Specifically, the rotary switch 3 includes an operating shaft 32 and a plurality of switches 31. The plurality of switches 31 are sequentially connected to the operating shaft 32 along its axis. The operating shaft 32 is used to drive the plurality of switches 31 to be turned on or off to achieve current flow. Obviously, the specific number of switches 31 in the rotary switch 3 is set according to actual needs and will not be detailed here.

[0035] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the assembly steps for the inverter shown in Figure 1 . Further, referring to Figures 1 and 2 , the housing 1 is used to accommodate the circuit board 2 and the rotary switch 3. The housing 1 includes two side panels, which are arranged opposite each other along a first direction A. One of the side panels, side panel a, includes a knob mounting hole 101, which extends through side panel a along the first direction A. The knob component 4 includes a knob 41 and a knob shaft 42. The knob 41 is connected to the knob shaft 42. The knob shaft 42 is configured to transmit and connect to the operating shaft 32 of the rotary switch 3 through the knob mounting hole 101 in side panel a. The knob 41 is configured to drive the operating shaft 32 of the rotary switch 3 to rotate about its own axis via the knob shaft 42. The knob 41 and the operating shaft 32 are arranged on either side of side panel a along the first direction A. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the assembly steps for the inverter shown in Figure 1 . Referring to Figures 1-3 , in this application, the knob shaft 42 in the knob component 4 extends into the housing 1 and is in transmission connection with the operating shaft 32 of the rotary switch 3. When assembling the inverter, as shown in Figures 2 and 3 , the circuit board 2 and the rotary switch 3 fixed thereto are placed into the housing 1, and the operating shaft 32 of the rotary switch 3 is aligned coaxially with the knob mounting hole 101 on the side panel a of the housing 1. Subsequently, as shown in Figure 1 , the knob shaft 42 is extended into the housing 1 and is in transmission connection with the operating shaft 32 of the rotary switch 3. During assembly of the inverter, there is no need to translate the circuit board 2 and the rotary switch 3 fixed thereto toward the knob mounting hole 101 on the side panel a. Therefore, no additional installation space is required in the housing 1 in the axial direction of the knob mounting hole 101 beyond that required to accommodate the circuit board 2 and the rotary switch 3. This not only improves the space utilization of the housing 1 but also facilitates miniaturization of the inverter and reduces manufacturing costs.

[0036] In addition, compared with the case where the operating shaft 32 of the rotary switch 3 passes through the operating shaft mounting hole on the housing 1 and is then connected to the knob 41, the present solution can be provided with a larger circuit board 2 for a housing 1 of the same size. Moreover, the rotary switch 3 is fixed in the housing 1 via the circuit board 2 and does not need to be separately connected to the housing 1, thus avoiding the problem of redundant fixing of the rotary switch 3.

[0037] For example, the axial direction of the operating shaft 32 and the axial direction of the knob shaft 42 both overlap with the first direction A, that is, the operating shaft 32 and the knob shaft 42 are both perpendicular to the side plate a. The axial direction of the operating shaft 32 and the axial direction of the knob shaft 42 are both parallel to the circuit board 2.

[0038] Continuing with reference to Figures 1 and 2, in one specific implementation, the circuit board 2 includes two end surfaces. These two end surfaces of the circuit board 2 are arranged opposite each other along a first direction A. One end surface c of the two end surfaces of the circuit board 2 is closer to the side panel a of the housing 1 than the other end surface d. The distance between the end surface e of the operating shaft 32 of the rotary switch 3 and the knob mounting hole 101 of the side panel a is greater than or equal to the distance between the end surface c of the circuit board 2 and the knob mounting hole 101. In other words, along a direction perpendicular to the circuit board 2, the projection of the operating shaft 32 is at least partially located within the confines of the circuit board 2. Clearly, compared to a scenario where the operating shaft 32 completely extends beyond the circuit board 2 along the first direction A, this solution facilitates reducing the size of the housing 1 in the first direction A.

[0039] In one implementation, the housing 1 includes a base plate 11, with both side plates fixedly connected to the base plate 11. Furthermore, the circuit board 2 and the base plate 11 are arranged relative to each other along a second direction B, which is perpendicular to the base plate 11. This reduces the size of the inverter in the second direction B, making it more suitable for applications where the inverter size in the second direction B is limited. For example, the switch 3 for rotating in the second direction B is located between the base plate 11 and the circuit board 2.

[0040] The housing 1 further includes a cover plate (not shown in the figure) and two connecting plates (not shown in the figure). The two connecting plates are fixed to the bottom plate 11 and connected between the two side plates. The bottom plate 11, the two connecting plates and the two side plates together form a receiving cavity with an open top, and the cover plate covers the open end of the receiving cavity. Exemplarily, the bottom plate 11, the two side plates and the two connecting plates of the housing 1 are an integrally formed structure. Of course, the connection method of the bottom plate 11, the two side plates and the two connecting plates is not limited to integral molding. For example, in other implementations, the bottom plate 11, the two side plates and the two connecting plates can be welded or bolted.

[0041] In one implementation, both side panels are flat, with the circuit board 2 positioned perpendicular to them. This simplifies the processing of the side panels and the inverter assembly process. Similarly, both connecting panels are flat, simplifying their processing and the inverter assembly process.

[0042] The inverter requires good sealing performance. To ensure this, in one specific implementation, the knob 41 in the knob component 4 is sealed against the side panel a. Furthermore, the projection of the knob 41 along the first direction A lies within the side panel a. This reduces the possibility of the knob 41 rotating due to misoperation and, compared to a scenario where the projection of the knob 41 along the first direction A extends beyond the side panel a, also reduces the possibility of the knob 41 interfering with surrounding devices or components.

[0043] FIG4 is an axonometric view of a knob component in an inverter provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG4 , the knob 41 in the knob component 4 includes a handle 411 and a base 412. The base 412 is used to be fixedly connected to the side panel a of the housing 1. For example, the base 412 includes a plurality of through holes, and the side panel a includes threaded holes corresponding to the plurality of through holes. The base 412 is connected to the side panel a by a plurality of screws. FIG5 is an EE sectional view of the knob component shown in FIG4 , FIG6 is a front view of the knob component shown in FIG4 , and FIG7 is a top view of the knob component shown in FIG4 . Furthermore, as shown in FIG5-FIG7 , the base 412 includes a knob shaft mounting hole (not shown in the figure) that passes through in a first direction. The knob shaft 42 is inserted into the knob shaft mounting hole, and both ends of the knob shaft 42 extend beyond the knob shaft mounting hole, and the knob shaft 42 can rotate relative to the knob shaft mounting hole. The handle 411 has a knob shaft insertion hole, into which one end of the knob shaft 42 is inserted and secured. For example, the knob shaft 42 is secured to the knob shaft insertion hole using a screw. The other end of the knob shaft 42 includes a sleeve 421, which is designed to fit over the outer circumference of the operating shaft 32 of the rotary switch 3 and be fixedly connected thereto, thereby achieving a transmission connection between the knob shaft 42 and the operating shaft 32.

[0044] Furthermore, the knob component 4 includes a dynamic seal 44 and a static seal 45. The surface of the base 412 facing the side panel a of the housing 1 includes a dynamic seal mounting groove (not shown). The dynamic seal 44 is mounted in the dynamic seal mounting groove and extends beyond the surface of the base 412 facing the side panel a of the housing 1. The dynamic seal 44 is used to seal between the base 412 and the side panel a of the housing 1. The portion where the knob shaft 42 mates with the knob shaft mounting hole includes at least one static seal mounting groove. The static seal 45 is mounted in the static seal mounting groove and extends beyond the surface of the knob shaft 42. The static seal 45 is used to seal between the knob shaft 42 and the knob shaft mounting hole. The number of static seal mounting grooves on the knob shaft 42 can be adjusted based on actual needs. For example, the number of static seal mounting grooves can be one or two. Obviously, when there are multiple static seal mounting grooves, the multiple static seal mounting grooves are arranged sequentially along the axis of the knob shaft 42.

[0045] Figure 8 is a bottom view of the knob component shown in Figure 4. As shown in Figure 8, a plurality of reinforcing ribs 46 are provided on the surface of the base 412 facing the side plate a of the housing 1 to improve the structural strength of the base 412.

[0046] In one implementation, the side panel a of the housing 1 includes a housing locking portion (not shown), and the knob 41 includes a knob locking portion 43. The housing locking portion cooperates with the knob locking portion 43 to define the position of the knob 41 relative to the side panel a, thereby preventing the handle 411 of the knob 41 from changing the open or closed state of the rotary switch due to misoperation. Specifically, the housing locking portion is a threaded hole extending through the side panel a in a first direction A, and the knob locking portion 43 includes a screw (not shown) and a through hole extending through the base 412 in the first direction. The handle 411 has an initial position and an open or closed switching position. When the handle 411 is in the open or closed switching position, the rotary switch can be switched between the open or closed state. The through hole in the base 412 is located between the initial position and the open or closed switching position of the handle 411. The threaded hole in the side panel a coincides with the axis of the through hole in the base 412. The screw passes through the through hole in the base 412 and connects to the threaded hole in the side panel a, thereby defining the position of the handle 411 relative to the side panel a. When the on / off state of the rotary switch needs to be changed, the screw is removed and the handle 411 of the knob 41 is rotated.

[0047] Obviously, those skilled in the art may make various changes and modifications to the present application without departing from the scope of the present application. Thus, if these modifications and variations of the present application fall within the scope of the claims of the present application and their equivalents, the present application is intended to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. An inverter, characterized in that: The inverter comprises a housing, a circuit board, a rotary switch and a knob component, wherein the rotary switch is fixed to the circuit board, and comprises a plurality of switches and an operating shaft, wherein the operating shaft is used to drive the plurality of switches to be turned on or off, wherein: The housing is used to accommodate the circuit board and the rotary switch, the housing comprises two side panels, the two side panels are arranged opposite to each other along a first direction, one of the two side panels comprises a knob mounting hole, and the knob mounting hole passes through the one side panel along the first direction; The knob component includes a knob and a knob shaft, the knob shaft is used to transmit and connect to the operating shaft through the knob mounting hole, the knob is used to drive the operating shaft to rotate through the knob shaft, and the knob and the operating shaft are arranged on both sides of the one side plate along the first direction.

2. The inverter according to claim 1, characterized in that: The circuit board comprises two end surfaces, the two end surfaces are arranged opposite to each other along the first direction, and one of the two end surfaces is closer to the one side plate than the other end surface; The distance between the end surface of the operating shaft and the knob mounting hole is greater than or equal to the distance between the one end surface and the knob mounting hole.

3. The inverter according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shell includes a bottom plate, the two side plates are fixedly connected to the bottom plate, and the circuit board and the bottom plate are arranged opposite to each other along a second direction, and the second direction is perpendicular to the bottom plate.

4. The inverter according to claim 1, characterized in that: The two side plates are both flat plates, and the circuit board is perpendicular to the two side plates.

5. The inverter according to claim 3, characterized in that: The rotary switch is located between the bottom plate and the circuit board along the second direction.

6. The inverter according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The knob is sealingly matched with the one side plate, and the projection of the knob along the first direction is located inside the one side plate.

7. The inverter according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The axial direction of the operating shaft and the axial direction of the knob shaft both overlap with the first direction.

8. The inverter according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The axial direction of the operating shaft and the axial direction of the knob shaft are both parallel to the circuit board.

9. The inverter according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The plurality of switches are arranged in sequence along the axial direction of the operating shaft.

10. The inverter according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The one side plate includes a shell locking portion, and the knob includes a knob locking portion. The shell locking portion can cooperate with the knob locking portion to limit the orientation of the knob relative to the one side plate.

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