# US 12,181,162 B2 · Cooling structure and outdoor unit including cooling structure > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,181,162 B2 - Document ID: US12181162B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/968,970 - Filed: 2018-03-19 - Published: 2021-02-25 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2018-03-19 - Assignees: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation - Applicants: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation - Inventors: Yoshikazu Yaji; Shigetoshi Ipposhi; Naoki Suetomi; Ryuji Momose; Keisuke Iwasawa; Kentaro Yonehara; Hayato Kurino - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12181162B2 ## CPC - F24F 1/24: Cooling of electric components - F24F 1/48: characterised by air airflow, e.g. inlet or outlet airflow - F24F 1/56: Casing or covers of separate outdoor units, e.g. fan guards - F24F 11/88: Electrical aspects, e.g. circuits - F24F 13/08: Air-flow control members, e.g. louvres, grilles, flaps or guide plates (F24F7/013, F24F13/06 take precedence) - F24F 13/20: Casings or covers - F24F 2013/205: {Mounting a ventilator fan therein} - F24F: AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING (removing dirt or fumes from areas where they are produced B08B15/00; vertical ducts for carrying away waste gases from buildings E04F17/02; tops for chimneys or ventilating shafts, terminals for flues F23L17/02) ## Abstract A cooling structure includes: a heat sink to be mounted to a heat generator; and a duct, which is mounted to the heat sink, and is configured to guide an air flow flowing around the heat sink to the heat sink, wherein the heat sink has an air flow passage configured to allow the air flow to pass through the air flow passage, wherein one end side of the duct is to be mounted to an upstream side of the air flow passage, and wherein another end side of the duct is to be extended from an upstream end portion of the air flow passage to an upstream side of the air flow. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An outdoor unit, comprising: a cooling structure comprising: a heat sink to be mounted to a heat generator; and a duct, which is mounted to the heat sink, and is configured to guide an air flow flowing around the heat sink to the heat sink, and a heat exchange, wherein the heat sink includes a plurality of heat-radiating fins arranged at an interval, wherein the heat sink has an air flow passage to allow the air flow to pass through the air flow passage, wherein the duct has a downstream end portion of the duct and an upstream end portion of the duct that is closer to the heat exchange than the downstream end portion of the duct, wherein the downstream end portion of the duct is to be mounted to an upstream side of a downstream end portion of the heat sink, and wherein the upstream end portion of the duct is to be extended to an upstream side of the air flow beyond an upstream end portion of the heat sink so as to surround a periphery of the upstream end portion of the heat sink, wherein the cooling structure further comprising: a casing in which the heat generator, the heat sink, and the duct are accommodated; and an air-sending fan configured to generate the air flow, wherein the casing has an inlet port and an exhaust port, wherein a peripheral edge portion of the exhaust port includes an annular protruding portion that protrudes to an inner side of the casing wherein the annular protruding portion has a downstream end portion of the annular protruding portion and an upstream end portion of the annular protruding portion that is located closer to the heat exchange than the downstream end portion of the annular protruding portion, wherein the downstream end portion of the duct is located upstream of the air flow than the upstream end portion of the annular protruding portion, wherein the upstream end portion of the annular protruding portion is provided between the downstream end portion of the duct and the downstream end portion of the heat sink, wherein the downstream end portion of the duct is located farther from the heat exchange than the upstream end portion of the duct, and wherein the downstream end portion of the heat sink is located farther from the heat exchange than the upstream end portion of the heat sink. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The outdoor unit according to claim 1, wherein the downstream end portion of the duct is configured to cover an outer periphery of the air flow passage from the upstream end portion of the air flow passage to a middle position of the air flow passage. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The outdoor unit according to claim 1, wherein at least one surface of surfaces of the duct that form the another end side is extended to the upstream side of the air flow with respect to another surface of the surfaces of the duct that form the another end side. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The outdoor unit according to claim 3, wherein the extended surface comprises two surfaces forming a corner portion of the duct, and the two surfaces are extended from two sides forming a cross section of the air flow passage. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The outdoor unit according to claim 3, wherein the upstream end portion of the duct is extended in a direction of expanding outward as being spaced away from an upstream end portion of the air flow passage. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The outdoor unit according to claim 5, wherein the extended surface is expanded outward from the upstream end portion of the air flow passage at an inclination of 45°. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The outdoor unit according to claim 1, wherein the end portion of the downstream end portion of the duct is located on an upper side with respect to an uppermost portion of the end portion of the protruding portion. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The outdoor unit according to claim 1, the cooling structure further comprising a baffle plate configured to guide an air flow flowing out from the air flow passage toward the exhaust port, wherein the baffle plate is mounted to an inner wall of the casing that faces a downstream end portion of the air flow passage. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The outdoor unit according to claim 1, comprising: a partition plate configured to partition the casing into a machine chamber in which a compressor and other components are arranged and a fan chamber in which the air-sending fan is arranged; an electric component box in which an electric circuit board is to be accommodated; and a blocking member configured to block an air flow, wherein the electric component box is arranged across the machine chamber and the fan chamber above the partition plate, wherein, in a region of the electric circuit board to be accommodated in the electric component box on the fan chamber side, an electronic component serving as the heat generator is mounted, wherein the heat sink is mounted to the electronic component, and wherein the blocking member is arranged between an upper portion of the electric component box and an inner wall of the top panel forming a top surface of the casing. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The outdoor unit according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of heat-radiating fins are arranged at given intervals, wherein the air flow passage is formed by a gap defined between the heat-radiating fins adjacent to each other, and wherein a length of extending the upstream end portion of the duct to the upstream side with respect to the upstream end portion of the air flow passage is larger than the interval. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The outdoor unit according to claim 1, wherein the air flow passage is one or more gaps formed by the adjacent heat-radiating fins among the plurality of heat-radiating fins, wherein an upstream end portion of the air flow passage is an upstream end portion of the heat sink, and wherein the duct faces the heat sink from the downstream end portion of the duct to the upstream end portion of the air flow passage. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The outdoor unit according to claim 1, wherein the upstream end portion of the duct has an extending portion, and wherein the extending portion extends outward from the upstream end portion of the duct so as to spread both laterally and downwardly. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The outdoor unit according to claim 1, wherein the upstream end portion of the duct has an extending portion, wherein a downstream end portion of the extending portion is connected to the upstream end portion of the duct, and wherein an upstream end portion of the extending portion does not contact the heat exchange. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The outdoor unit according to claim 1, wherein the upstream end portion of the duct is to be extended horizontally to an upstream side of the air flow beyond an upstream end portion of the heat sink by a length larger than the interval at which the heat-radiating fins are arranged so as to surround a periphery of the upstream end portion of the heat sink. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The outdoor unit according to claim 1, wherein the heat sink has a downstream end portion of the heat sink and an upstream end portion of the heat sink that is closer to the heat exchange than the downstream end portion of the heat sink.