Motor control device

Abstract

This motor control device (100) has an opening / closing door on a front surface side, and is accommodated in a control panel (200) having an opening formed in a back surface side. The motor control device (100) comprises: a housing (1) that forms an outer shell, and a fan (4) that is accommodated in the housing (1) and cools a semiconductor module (2). In the housing (1), a back surface opening (11a) is formed at a position corresponding to the opening formed in the back surface side of the control panel (200). The fan (4) is removable through the back surface opening (11a) while at least a portion of the housing (1) is accommodated in the control panel (200).

Description

Motor control device

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a motor control device that controls the driving of a motor.

[0002] Conventionally, motor control devices that control the drive of a motor are known. The motor control device is sometimes housed inside a control panel together with peripheral devices and wiring. The motor control device includes a housing that forms the outer shell, and is equipped with a semiconductor module, a control board, a heat sink, a fan, and other components. Because the fan is a finite-life component, it is removed from the housing by a maintenance technician for periodic maintenance.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an inverter unit in which a fan and other components are mounted inside a substantially rectangular parallelepiped housing. The inverter unit's fan can be removed by removing the front panel of the housing. An opening for removing the fan is formed in a side panel of the housing adjacent to the front panel. This allows the inverter unit's fan to be removed through the opening in the side panel without removing the front panel.

[0004] JP 2010-114971 A

[0005] However, when the inverter unit disclosed in Patent Document 1 is housed in a control panel, the front panel of the housing cannot be removed to remove the fan without opening the door of the control panel, and the fan cannot be removed through the opening in the side panel. To open the door of the control panel, the power supply must be turned off and the system temporarily stopped. This requires checking the operating status of the system in the control panel every time fan maintenance is performed, which is inconvenient. Furthermore, it is difficult to secure enough working space to remove the fan through the opening in the side panel.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide a motor control device that allows a maintenance worker to easily perform fan maintenance without stopping the control panel system, even when the motor control device is housed in a control panel.

[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, a motor control device according to the present disclosure is housed in a control panel that has an opening on the front side and an opening on the rear side. The motor control device includes a housing that forms an outer shell, and a fan that is housed in the housing and cools a semiconductor module. The housing has a rear opening formed in a position corresponding to the opening formed on the rear side of the control panel. The fan can be removed through the rear opening while at least a portion of the housing is housed in the control panel.

[0008] The motor control device according to the present disclosure has the advantage that, even when housed in a control panel, maintenance workers can easily perform maintenance on the fan without stopping the control panel system.

[0009] a perspective view showing a control panel in which a motor control device according to an embodiment is housed; a rear view showing a control panel in which a motor control device according to an embodiment is housed; a perspective view schematically showing an example of a housing of a motor control device according to an embodiment; a perspective view schematically showing an example of a semiconductor module, a heat sink, and a fan mounted inside the motor control device according to an embodiment; a cross-sectional view schematically showing a control panel in which a motor control device according to an embodiment is housed; a motor control device according to an embodiment, an explanatory diagram showing a direction of airflow; a perspective view showing a state in which a fan support member is attached to a fan included in a motor control device according to an embodiment; a perspective view showing a state in which the fan and fan support member included in a motor control device according to an embodiment are disassembled; FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a second detachable member of a fan support member of a motor control device according to an embodiment is detached from a third detachable member; FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a third detachable member of a fan support member of a motor control device according to an embodiment is detached from a support member provided inside a housing; FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing, from the rear side of the housing, how a fan of a motor control device according to an embodiment is being detached from the rear side of the housing;

[0010] Hereinafter, a motor control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0011] 1 is a perspective view showing a control panel 200 that houses a motor control device 100 according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the motor control device 100 according to the embodiment controls the drive of a motor (not shown), and is housed inside the control panel 200 together with peripheral devices 300 and wiring 400.

[0012] The control panel 200 is, for example, a rectangular box. An opening / closing door (not shown) is provided on the front side of the control panel 200. The control panel 200 shown in FIG. 1 has the opening / closing door open, exposing the peripheral devices 300, wiring 400, and motor control device 100 stored inside from the front side. Opening the opening / closing door of the control panel 200 enables maintenance of the peripheral devices 300, wiring 400, and motor control device 100. Two motor control devices 100 are arranged side by side. One is an inverter that converts DC power to desired AC power, and the other is a converter that converts AC power to DC power. Thus, the control panel 200 is generally configured to house and use the motor control device 100 together with the peripheral devices 300, wiring 400, and the like. The control panel 200 is not limited to the configuration shown in the figure and may be configured to house one motor control device 100 or three or more motor control devices 100. Furthermore, the control panel 200 may house the peripheral devices 300, the wiring 400, and the motor control device 100, as well as other components.

[0013] FIG. 2 is a rear view showing a control panel 200 that houses a motor control device 100 according to an embodiment. Note that FIG. 2 omits the interior of the control panel 200 that is visible through an opening 200a. As shown in FIG. 2 , the control panel 200 has an opening 200a formed on the rear side. As an example, the opening 200a is provided to expose a portion of the motor control device 100 to the outside of the control panel 200. Note that the position, shape, and size of the opening 200a are not limited to those shown in the figure. If there are multiple motor control devices 100, an opening 200a may be provided for each motor control device 100.

[0014] Fig. 3 is a perspective view schematically illustrating an example of a housing 1 of the motor control device 100 according to the embodiment. Fig. 4 is a perspective view schematically illustrating an example of a semiconductor module 2, a heat sink 3, and a fan 4 mounted inside the motor control device 100 according to the embodiment. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the motor control device 100 includes a housing 1 that forms an outer shell, a plurality of semiconductor modules 2, a heat sink 3, and a fan 4.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 3 , the housing 1 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The housing 1 has an internal air section 10 that forms a space on the front side, a cooling section 11 that forms a space on the rear side, and a partition plate 12 that separates the internal air section 10 and the cooling section 11. The front side of the housing 1 is disposed inside the control panel 200, facing an opening / closing door. The internal air section 10 of the housing 1 is equipped with a semiconductor module 2 and a control board (not shown), among other components. The cooling section 11 of the housing 1 is equipped with a heat sink 3, a fan 4, and other components. The partition plate 12 has a plurality of openings 12 a that communicate between the internal air section 10 and the cooling section 11. The upper and lower edges of the partition plate 12 are formed to protrude from the internal air section 10 and the cooling section 11.

[0016] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a control panel 200 that houses a motor control device 100 according to an embodiment. Note that components arranged inside the control panel 200 and components arranged inside the motor control device 100 are omitted in FIG. 5 . The dashed-dotted line in FIG. 5 indicates an opening 200a in the control panel 200. As described above, the control panel 200 houses the peripheral devices 300, wiring 400, and the motor control device 100. The motor control device 100 generates high temperatures due to current flow through the semiconductor module 2 to drive the motor. Therefore, the control panel 200 must be designed with consideration given to the heat dissipation from the motor control device 100. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5 , the motor control device 100 is configured such that the internal air unit 10 is arranged inside the control panel 200 and the cooling unit 11 is arranged outside through an opening 200a formed on the rear side of the control panel 200. That is, opening 200a formed on the back side of control panel 200 is formed with a shape and size that allows cooling unit 11 of motor control device 100 to pass through. After cooling unit 11 of housing 1 is arranged outside control panel 200 through opening 200a, motor control device 100 is fixed to control panel 200 by fixing the upper and lower ends of partition plate 12 to the back of control panel 200 with connecting members 18 such as screws or bolts. By arranging cooling unit 11 of motor control device 100 outside control panel 200 in this way, much of the exhaust heat of motor control device 100 can be released outside control panel 200, and the volume of control panel 200 can be made compact.

[0017] The semiconductor module 2 is a type of electronic component and controls the power supplied to the motor.

[0018] The heat sink 3 dissipates heat generated in the semiconductor module 2. As shown in Fig. 4, the heat sink 3 has a flat heat sink base 30 and a plurality of flat fins 31 arranged in parallel and spaced apart on one surface of the heat sink base 30. The heat sink 3 has the heat sink base 30 fixed to the partition plate 12 and the plurality of fins 31 arranged in the cooling section 11.

[0019] The heat sink base 30 is made of a metal material with relatively high thermal conductivity so that heat generated by the multiple semiconductor modules 2 provided on the other surface can be efficiently transferred to the fins 31. The heat sink base 30 is made of a metal material that is resistant to corrosion, such as aluminum or an aluminum alloy, for example.

[0020] The fins 31 are heat dissipation components made of rectangular thin plates. The fins 31 are made of a metal material with relatively high thermal conductivity so as to be able to dissipate heat generated by the semiconductor module 2. As an example, the fins 31 are made of a metal material that is resistant to corrosion, such as aluminum or an aluminum alloy.

[0021] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the direction of airflow A in the motor control device 100 according to the embodiment. The white arrow in FIG. 6 indicates the direction of airflow A generated by the fan 4. As shown in FIG. 6, the fan 4 generates airflow A that flows from below to above the cooling unit 11. That is, the airflow A flows from the bottom to the top of the housing 1. The interior of the cooling unit 11 serves as an air passage through which the airflow A generated by the fan 4 flows. By passing the airflow A generated by the fan 4 through multiple fins 31, it is possible to suppress a temperature rise in the semiconductor module 2. The fan 4 is mounted on the bottom of the housing 1 to reduce the influence of heat exhausted from the motor control device 100.

[0022] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a state in which a fan support member 5 is attached to the fan 4 included in the motor control device 100 according to the embodiment. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing an exploded state of the fan 4 and the fan support member 5 included in the motor control device 100 according to the embodiment. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing, from the side, a state in which the fan 4 and the fan support member 5 included in the motor control device 100 according to the embodiment are mounted inside the housing 1. The dashed-dotted lines in FIG. 9 indicate the opening 200a of the control panel 200 and the opening 12a of the partition plate 12, respectively. As shown in FIGS. 7 to 9 , the fan 4 is supported by the fan support member 5 and is mounted below the cooling unit 11 while being supported by the fan support member 5.

[0023] As an example, the fan 4 has blades 41 provided inside a rectangular frame 40. The number of fans 4 is not limited to two as shown in the figure, and may be one, or three or more. The fan support member 5 includes a first detachable member 50 detachably attached to the fan 4, a second detachable member 51 detachably attached to the first detachable member 50, and a third detachable member 52 detachably attached to the second detachable member 51 and to a support member 13 provided inside the housing 1. The third detachable member 52 of the fan support member 5 is disposed in the internal air section 10 of the housing 1, and the first detachable member 50 and the second detachable member 51 are disposed in the cooling section 11 of the housing 1.

[0024] As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 , the first detachable member 50 is formed by bending a metal plate into an L-shape, for example. One end of the L-shape of the first detachable member 50 is a first fixing portion 50a, and the other end of the L-shape is a second fixing portion 50b. The first fixing portion 50a is detachably attached to the frame 40 of the fan 4 with a first fixing member 53 such as a screw. The second fixing portion 50b is detachably attached to the second detachable member 51 with a second fixing member 54 such as a screw. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 , the first fixing portion 50a has an opening formed therein for allowing airflow A from the fan 4 to pass through. As an example, the first detachable member 50 is attached to each fan 4. The first detachable member 50 is not limited to the illustrated configuration, and may have other configurations as long as it is detachably attached to the frame 40 of the fan 4 and to the second detachable member 51. For example, the first detachable member 50 is not limited to a configuration in which it is attached to each fan 4 , but may be a configuration in which it is attached to a plurality of fans 4 collectively.

[0025] As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 , the second detachable member 51 is formed by bending a metal sheet into a concave shape, for example. The second detachable member 51 has a bottom surface 51a, a first side surface 51b disposed on the front side of the housing 1, a second side surface 51c disposed on the rear side of the housing 1, and a pair of third side surfaces 51d connecting the first side surface 51b and the second side surface 51c. The fan 4, to which the first detachable member 50 is attached, is disposed within a recess surrounded by the bottom surface 51a, the first side surface 51b, the second side surface 51c, and the pair of third side surfaces 51d. As shown in FIG. 8 , the bottom surface 51a has an opening formed therein for allowing airflow A from the fan 4 to pass through. As shown in FIG. 9 , the first side surface 51b is detachably attached to the third detachable member 52 by a third fixing member 55 such as a screw. The second side surface portion 51c is attached to the second fixing portion 50b of the first detachable member 50 by a second fixing member 54 such as a screw.

[0026] 10 is an explanatory diagram schematically illustrating a state in which the first detachable member 50 of the fan support member 5 of the motor control device 100 according to the embodiment has been detached from the second detachable member 51. The first detachable member 50 is detached from the second detachable member 51 by removing the second fixing member 54. The fan 4 can be removed together with the first detachable member 50 by removing the first detachable member 50 from the second detachable member 51. Note that the second detachable member 51 is not limited to the configuration shown in the figure, and may have other configurations as long as it is possible to arrange the fan 4 to which the first detachable member 50 is attached and the second detachable member 51 is detachably attached to the first detachable member 50.

[0027] As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 , the third detachable member 52 is formed by bending a metal plate into an L-shape. One end of the L-shape of the third detachable member 52 is a fixed surface 52a, and the other end of the L-shape is a protruding piece 52b protruding from the upper edge of the fixed surface 52a toward the front side. The fixed surface 52a faces the first side surface 51b of the second detachable member 51 and is detachably attached to the first side surface 51b with a third fixing member 55 such as a screw. The protruding piece 52b is also detachably attached to a support member 13 provided inside the housing 1 with a fourth fixing member 56 such as a screw. The protruding piece 52b functions as a handle when removing the fan support member 5 from inside the housing 1. As shown in FIG. 9 , the support member 13 is fixed to the front side of the partition plate 12 with a connecting member 13a such as a screw or a bolt. As a result, the third detachable member 52 of the fan support member 5 is disposed in the internal air section 10, and the first detachable member 50 and the second detachable member 51 are disposed in the cooling section 11 through the opening 12a of the partition plate 12. Note that the support member 13 is not limited to being fixed to the partition plate 12, and may be fixed to other components.

[0028] 11 is an explanatory diagram schematically illustrating a state in which the second detachable member 51 of the fan support member 5 of the motor control device 100 according to the embodiment has been detached from the third detachable member 52. The second detachable member 51 is detached from the third detachable member 52 by removing the third fixing member 55. By detaching the second detachable member 51 from the third detachable member 52, the fan 4 can be removed together with the first detachable member 50 and the second detachable member 51.

[0029] 12 is an explanatory diagram schematically illustrating a state in which the third detachable member 52 of the fan support member 5 of the motor control device 100 according to the embodiment has been detached from the support member 13 provided inside the housing 1. The third detachable member 52 is detached from the support member 13 provided inside the housing 1 by removing the fourth fixing member 56. The fan 4 becomes removable together with the fan support member 5 by removing the third detachable member 52 from the support member 13. Note that the third detachable member 52 is not limited to the configuration shown in the figure, and may have other configurations as long as it is detachably attached to the second detachable member 51 and to the support member 13 provided inside the housing 1.

[0030] The fan 4 is a limited-life component and is therefore periodically replaced by a maintenance technician. However, in the past, with motor control devices housed in a control panel, it was sometimes impossible to remove the fan from inside the housing without opening the control panel's door. To open the control panel's door, the power supply may need to be cut off and the system temporarily stopped. Therefore, every time maintenance on the fan is performed, it is necessary to check the operating status of the system in the control panel, which is inconvenient.

[0031] Therefore, the motor control device 100 according to the embodiment is configured so that the fan 4 mounted on the lower portion of the motor control device 100 can be removed from the rear side of the housing 1 for maintenance. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing, from the rear side of the housing 1, how the fan 4 included in the motor control device 100 according to the embodiment is being removed from the rear side of the housing 1. FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing, from the side of the housing 1, how the fan 4 included in the motor control device 100 according to the embodiment is being removed from the rear side of the housing 1. As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 , the motor control device 100 according to the embodiment has a rear opening 11a formed on the rear surface of the housing 1. As an example, the rear opening 11a is formed with a size that allows the fan 4 to be removed from outside the housing 1. The rear opening 11a is closed by a rear cover 14 formed of sheet metal. The rear cover 14 is fixed to the rear surface of the housing 1 with fixing members 14a such as screws.

[0032] 13 and 14 , when removing the fan 4 installed inside the housing 1 from the rear side of the housing 1, the maintenance worker first removes the fixing member 14a and removes the rear cover 14 from the housing 1. This opens the rear opening 11a, allowing the maintenance worker to access the inside of the housing 1 from the rear side of the housing 1. Next, as shown in FIG. 10 , the maintenance worker removes the second fixing member 54, removes the first detachable member 50 from the second detachable member 51, and pulls out the fan 4 together with the first detachable member 50 toward the rear side of the housing 1. This allows the maintenance worker to remove the fan 4 and perform maintenance on it.

[0033] When installing the fan 4 inside the housing 1 from the rear side thereof, the maintenance worker places the fan 4 with the first detachable member 50 attached inside the recess of the second detachable member 51, and attaches the first detachable member 50 to the second detachable member 51 with the second fixing member 54, as shown in Fig. 9. Then, the rear opening 11a of the housing 1 is closed with the rear cover 14, and the rear cover 14 is attached to the rear of the housing 1 with the fixing member 14a.

[0034] FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram showing a modified example of the housing 1 of the motor control device 100 according to the embodiment. The rear opening 11a of the housing 1 shown in FIG. 15 is formed to a size that allows the fan 4 to be removed from the outside of the housing 1 and that allows maintenance of other components arranged inside the housing 1. The rear cover 14 is formed to fit the size of the rear opening 11a. One example of the other component arranged inside the housing 1 is a heat sink 3. This allows, for example, cleaning clogged fins 31 of the heat sink 3, and by performing maintenance on the components inside the housing 1, malfunctions in the operation of the motor control device 100 can be prevented.

[0035] As described above, the motor control device 100 according to the embodiment includes the housing 1 that forms an outer shell, and the fan 4 that is housed in the housing 1 and cools the semiconductor module 2. The housing 1 has a rear opening 11a formed at a position corresponding to an opening formed on the rear side of the control panel 200. The fan 4 is removable through the rear opening 11a when at least a portion of the housing 1 is housed in the control panel 200. Therefore, with the motor control device 100 according to the embodiment, the fan 4 can be removed through the rear opening 11a of the housing 1 without opening a door provided on the front of the control panel 200. Therefore, even when the motor control device 100 is housed in the control panel 200, a maintenance worker can easily perform maintenance on the fan 4 without stopping the system of the control panel 200.

[0036] The housing 1 also has an internal air section 10 disposed inside the control panel 200, and a cooling section 11 disposed outside the control panel 200 through an opening formed on the rear side of the control panel 200. A semiconductor module 2 is mounted in the internal air section 10. A heat sink 3 and a fan 4 are mounted in the cooling section 11. Therefore, the motor control device 100 according to the embodiment can dissipate most of the heat emitted by the motor control device 100 outside the control panel 200, and the volume of the control panel 200 can be made compact.

[0037] The motor control device 100 according to the embodiment also includes a fan support member 5 that supports the fan 4 inside the housing 1. The fan support member 5 includes a first detachable member 50 attached to the fan 4, a second detachable member 51 detachably attached to the first detachable member 50, and a third detachable member 52 detachably attached to the second detachable member 51 and detachably attached to a support member 13 provided inside the housing 1. The fan 4 can be removed together with the first detachable member 50 through the rear opening 11a by removing the first detachable member 50 from the second detachable member 51. Therefore, the motor control device 100 according to the embodiment allows the fan 4 to be removed from the rear side of the housing 1 by the simple task of simply removing the first detachable member 50 from the second detachable member 51, thereby reducing the workload of a maintenance worker.

[0038] In addition, in the motor control device 100 according to the embodiment, the fan 4 mounted on the lower part of the housing 1 can be removed from the front, side or bottom of the housing 1 for maintenance.

[0039] 16 is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which the fan 4 of the motor control device 100 according to the embodiment is removed from the front side of the housing 1. As shown in Fig. 16, a front opening 10a is formed in the front of the housing 1 at a position opposite the fan 4 mounted inside the housing 1. The front opening 10a is closed by a front cover 15 made of sheet metal. The front cover 15 is fixed to the front of the housing 1 with fixing members such as screws (not shown).

[0040] 17 is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which the fan 4 included in the motor control device 100 according to the embodiment is removed from the side of the housing 1. As shown in FIG. 17 , a side opening 11b is formed in a position facing the fan 4 on a side of the housing 1 that connects the front and rear sides of the housing 1 and extends along the airflow A of the fan 4. The side opening 11b is closed by a side cover 16 made of sheet metal. The side cover 16 is fixed to the side of the housing 1 with fixing members such as screws (not shown). The side opening 11b may be formed on only one side of the housing 1, or on both the left and right side.

[0041] FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the state in which the fan 4 included in the motor control device 100 according to the embodiment is removed from the underside of the housing 1. As shown in FIG. 18 , a bottom opening 11c is formed in the bottom of the housing 1 at a position facing the fan 4. The bottom opening 11c functions as an inlet for the airflow A generated by the fan 4. A notch 17 for holding the fan support member 5 is formed at the edge of the bottom opening 11c. Meanwhile, the second detachable member 51 is provided with a hook portion 57 that is hooked onto the notch 17. That is, when the first detachable member 50 and the second detachable member 51 are attached, the hook portion 57 is hooked onto the notch 17, thereby preventing the fan 4 from falling out of the bottom opening 11c. Note that, as a means for holding the fan support member 5, the second detachable member 51 may be fixed to an internal structure of the housing 1 with a fixing means such as a screw, for example.

[0042] First, a case will be described in which the fan 4 mounted on the lower part of the housing 1 is removed from the front side of the housing 1 to perform maintenance. When removing the fan 4 mounted inside the housing 1 from the front side of the housing 1, the maintenance worker first shuts off the power to the control panel 200 to stop the system. Then, as shown in FIG. 1 , the door of the control panel 200 is opened to enable access to the interior of the control panel 200 from the front side of the control panel 200. At this time, the maintenance worker accesses the interior of the control panel 200 from the front side of the control panel 200 and removes the wiring 400 from the motor control device 100. Next, as shown in FIG. 16 , the maintenance worker removes the front cover 15 from the housing 1. This opens the front opening 10a, allowing access to the interior of the housing 1 from the front side of the housing 1. 12 , the maintenance worker removes the fourth fixing member 56 to remove the third detachable member 52 from the support member 13, removes the hook portion 57 of the second detachable member 51 from the cutout portion 17, and pulls the fan 4 together with the fan support member 5 from inside the housing 1 toward the front side. This allows the maintenance worker to remove the fan 4 and perform maintenance on it. Note that because the door of the control panel 200 is open, the fan 4 can be removed from the housing 1 and therefore removed from the control panel 200.

[0043] In this way, the motor control device 100 according to the embodiment allows the fan 4 to be removed from the front side of the housing 1 by the simple task of removing the third detachable member 52 from the support member 13, thereby reducing the workload of the maintenance worker.

[0044] When installing the fan 4 inside the housing 1 from the front side of the housing 1, first, a maintenance worker places the fan 4, with the fan support member 5 attached, in an installation location inside the housing 1 and hooks the hook portion 57 of the second detachable member 51 into the cutout portion 17. Next, as shown in FIG. 9 , the maintenance worker attaches the fixing surface portion 52a of the third detachable member 52 to the support member 13 with the fourth fixing member 56. Next, the front opening 10a of the housing 1 is closed with the front cover 15 and the front cover 15 is attached to the front of the housing 1 with fixing members (not shown). Finally, the door of the control panel 200 is closed and the power supply to the control panel 200 is turned on to operate the system.

[0045] Next, a case where the fan 4 mounted on the lower part of the housing 1 is removed from the side of the housing 1 to perform maintenance will be described. When removing the fan 4 mounted inside the housing 1 from the side of the housing 1, the maintenance worker first shuts off the power to the control panel 200 to stop the system. Then, as shown in FIG. 1 , the door of the control panel 200 is opened to allow access to the interior of the control panel 200 from the front side. At this time, the maintenance worker accesses the interior of the control panel 200 from the front side of the control panel 200 and removes the wiring 400 from the motor control device 100. Next, the maintenance worker removes the front cover 15 from the housing 1. This opens the front opening 10a, allowing access to the interior of the housing 1 from the front side of the housing 1. Next, as shown in FIG. 11 , the maintenance worker removes the third fixing member 55 and detaches the second detachable member 51 from the third detachable member 52. 17 , the maintenance worker goes around to the rear side of the control panel 200 and removes the side cover 16 from the housing 1. This opens the side opening 11b, making it possible to access the inside of the housing 1 from the side of the housing 1. Next, the maintenance worker removes the hook portion 57 of the second detachable member 51 from the cutout portion 17 and pulls out the fan 4 together with the first detachable member 50 and the second detachable member 51 from the side opening 11b of the housing 1 toward the side. This allows the maintenance worker to remove the fan 4 and perform maintenance on it.

[0046] In this way, the motor control device 100 according to the embodiment allows the fan 4 to be removed from the side of the housing 1 by the simple task of removing the second detachable member 51 from the third detachable member 52, thereby reducing the workload of the maintenance worker.

[0047] When installing the fan 4 inside the housing 1 from the side of the housing 1, the maintenance worker first places the fan 4, to which the first detachable member 50 and the second detachable member 51 are attached, through the side opening 11b to the installation location inside the housing 1, and hooks the hook portion 57 of the second detachable member 51 into the notch 17. Next, the maintenance worker closes the side opening 11b of the housing 1 with the side cover 16 and attaches the side cover 16 to the side of the housing 1 using a fixing member (not shown). Next, the maintenance worker moves to the front side of the control panel 200 and attaches the second detachable member 51 to the third detachable member 52 using the third fixing member 55, as shown in FIG. 9 . Next, the maintenance worker closes the front opening 10a of the housing 1 with the front cover 15 and attaches the front cover 15 to the front of the housing 1 using a fixing member (not shown). Finally, the maintenance worker closes the door of the control panel 200 and turns on the power to the control panel 200 to operate the system.

[0048] Next, a case where the fan 4 mounted on the lower part of the housing 1 is removed from the underside of the housing 1 to perform maintenance will be described. When removing the fan 4 mounted inside the housing 1 from the underside of the housing 1, the maintenance worker first shuts off the power to the control panel 200 to stop the system. Then, as shown in FIG. 1 , the door of the control panel 200 is opened to allow access to the interior of the control panel 200 from the front side. At this time, the maintenance worker accesses the interior of the control panel 200 from the front side of the control panel 200 and removes the wiring 400 from the motor control device 100. Next, the maintenance worker removes the front cover 15 from the housing 1. This opens the front opening 10a, allowing access to the interior of the housing 1 from the front side of the housing 1. Next, as shown in FIG. 11 , the maintenance worker removes the third fixing member 55 and detaches the second detachable member 51 from the third detachable member 52. 18 , the maintenance worker goes around to the rear side of the control panel 200, removes the hook portion 57 of the second detachable member 51 from the cutout portion 17 through the bottom opening 11 c of the housing 1, and pulls out the fan 4 downward from the bottom opening 11 c of the housing 1 together with the first detachable member 50 and the second detachable member 51. This allows the maintenance worker to remove the fan 4 and perform maintenance on it.

[0049] In this way, the motor control device 100 according to the embodiment allows the fan 4 to be removed from the underside of the housing 1 by the simple task of removing the second detachable member 51 from the third detachable member 52, thereby reducing the workload of the maintenance worker.

[0050] When installing the fan 4 inside the housing 1 from the underside, the maintenance worker first places the fan 4, to which the first detachable member 50 and the second detachable member 51 are attached, through the bottom opening 11c to the installation location inside the housing 1, and hooks the hook portion 57 of the second detachable member 51 into the notch 17. Next, the maintenance worker goes around to the front side of the control panel 200 and attaches the second detachable member 51 to the third detachable member 52 with the third fixing member 55, as shown in FIG. 9 . Next, the maintenance worker closes the front opening 10a of the housing 1 with the front cover 15 and attaches the front cover 15 to the front of the housing 1 with fixing members (not shown). Finally, the maintenance worker closes the door of the control panel 200 and turns on the power to the control panel 200 to operate the system.

[0051] Fig. 19 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a modified example of a control panel 200 that houses the motor control device 100 according to the embodiment. Note that Fig. 19 omits components arranged inside the control panel 200 and components arranged inside the motor control device 100. The motor control device 100 according to the embodiment has been described as having a configuration in which the internal air section 10 of the housing 1 is arranged inside the control panel 200 and the cooling section 11 of the housing 1 is arranged outside through the opening 200a formed on the back side of the control panel 200, but is not limited to this configuration.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 19 , the motor control device 100 according to the embodiment may be configured such that the cooling unit 11 is disposed inside the control panel 200 together with the internal air unit 10 of the housing 1. The motor control device 100 is disposed inside the control panel 200 such that the rear opening 11a of the housing 1 overlaps with the opening 200a of the control panel 200. The rear surface of the housing 1 is fixed to the rear surface of the control panel 200 with connecting members 19 such as screws or bolts. The rear surface of the housing 1 is formed to protrude from the upper and lower surfaces of the housing 1, for example, and the upper and lower portions of the protruding rear surface are fixed to the rear surface of the control panel 200 with the connecting members 19. A maintenance worker accesses the inside of the control panel 200 through the opening 200a formed in the rear surface of the control panel 200 and performs maintenance on the fan 4 through the rear opening 11a of the motor control device 100. Since the fan 4 is mounted inside the cooling unit 11 arranged inside the control panel 200, it can be removed to the outside of the control panel 200 by removing it to the outside of the housing 1. The opening formed on the back surface of the control panel 200 may be closed with, for example, a plate-shaped cover. The means for fixing the motor control device 100 to the control panel 200 is not limited to the form shown in FIG. 19 , and other means may be used as long as a maintenance worker can access the inside of the control panel 200 from the opening 200a formed on the back surface of the control panel 200 and perform maintenance on the fan 4 from the back opening 11a of the motor control device 100.

[0053] The configurations shown in the above embodiments are merely examples, and may be combined with other known technologies, and parts of the configurations may be omitted or modified without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0054] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Housing, 2 Semiconductor module, 3 Heat sink, 4 Fan, 5 Fan support member, 10 Internal air section, 10a Front opening, 11 Cooling section, 11a Rear opening, 11b Side opening, 11c Bottom opening, 12 Partition plate, 12a, 200a Opening, 13 Support member, 13a, 18, 19 Connecting member, 14 Rear cover, 14a Fixing member, 15 Front cover, 16 Side cover, 17 Notch portion, 30 Heat sink base, 31 Fin, 40 Frame, 41 Blade, 50 First detachable member, 50a First fixing portion, 50b Second fixing portion, 51 Second detachable member, 51a Bottom portion, 51b First side portion, 51c Second side portion, 51d Third side portion, 52 Third detachable member, 52a Fixing surface portion, 52b Projection piece, 53 first fixing member, 54 second fixing member, 55 third fixing member, 56 fourth fixing member, 57 hook portion, 100 motor control device, 200 control panel, 300 peripheral equipment, 400 wiring.

Claims

1. A motor control device that is housed in a control panel that has an opening door on the front side and an opening formed on the back side, comprising: a housing that forms an outer shell; and a fan that is housed in the housing and cools a semiconductor module, wherein a back opening is formed in the housing at a position corresponding to the opening formed on the back side of the control panel, and the fan can be removed through the back opening when at least a portion of the housing is housed in the control panel.

2. The motor control device described in claim 1, characterized in that the housing has an internal air section arranged inside the control panel and a cooling section arranged outside the control panel through an opening formed on the back side of the control panel, the semiconductor module is mounted in the internal air section, and the fan is mounted in the cooling section.

3. A motor control device as described in claim 2, characterized in that a side opening is formed in a position facing the fan on the side of the housing that connects the front and rear sides of the housing and extends along the airflow of the fan, and the fan can be removed through the side opening.

4. A motor control device as described in claim 2 or 3, characterized in that a bottom opening is formed on the bottom surface of the housing at a position opposite the fan, and the fan is removable through the bottom opening.

5. A motor control device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that a front opening is formed in the front of the housing at a position opposite the fan, and the fan is removable through the front opening.

6. A motor control device as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a fan support member that supports the fan inside the housing, the fan support member comprising: a first detachable member attached to the fan; a second detachable member detachably attached to the first detachable member; and a third detachable member detachably attached to the second detachable member and detachably attached to a support member provided inside the housing, and the fan can be removed together with the first detachable member through the rear opening by removing the first detachable member from the second detachable member.

7. A motor control device as described in claim 3, further comprising a fan support member that supports the fan inside the housing, the fan support member comprising: a first detachable member attached to the fan; a second detachable member detachably attached to the first detachable member; and a third detachable member that is detachably attached to the second detachable member and is also detachably attached to a support member provided inside the housing, and the fan can be removed together with the first detachable member and the second detachable member through the side opening by removing the second detachable member from the third detachable member.

8. A motor control device as described in claim 4, further comprising a fan support member that supports the fan inside the housing, the fan support member comprising: a first detachable member attached to the fan; a second detachable member detachably attached to the first detachable member; and a third detachable member that is detachably attached to the second detachable member and is also detachably attached to a support member provided inside the housing, and the fan can be removed together with the first detachable member and the second detachable member through the bottom opening by removing the second detachable member from the third detachable member.

9. A motor control device as described in claim 5, further comprising a fan support member that supports the fan inside the housing, the fan support member comprising: a first detachable member attached to the fan; a second detachable member detachably attached to the first detachable member; and a third detachable member detachably attached to the second detachable member and detachably attached to a support member provided inside the housing, and the fan can be removed together with the fan support member through the front opening by removing the third detachable member from the support member.

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