# US 2017/0288565 A1 · Inverter with a multi-part housing and an internal cooling-air duct > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0288565 A1 - Document ID: US20170288565A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/625,184 - Filed: 2017-06-16 - Published: 2017-10-05 - Earliest claimed: 2015-09-14 - Assignees: SMA Solar Technology AG - Applicants: Sma Solar Technology AG - Inventors: Lars Bethke; Jens Dittmar - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170288565A1 ## CPC - H05K 7/14324: {comprising modular units, e.g. DIN rail mounted units} - H02M 1/32: Means for protecting converters other than automatic disconnection - H02M 7/003: {Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections} - H05K 5/0217: {Mechanical details of casings (covers, lids, hoods or members for covering apertures H05K5/03)} - H05K 7/2039: {characterised by the heat transfer by conduction from the heat generating element to a dissipating body (arrangements for increasing/decreasing heat-transfer, e.g. fins details, F28F13/00)} - H05K 7/20909: {Forced ventilation, e.g. on heat dissipaters coupled to components} - H05K 7/20918: {the components being isolated from air flow, e.g. hollow heat sinks, wind tunnels or funnels} - H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS - H02M: APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC, OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUT POWER; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF (transformers H01F; dynamo-electric converters H02K47/00; controlling transformers, reactors or choke coils, control or regulation of electric motors, generators or dynamo-electric converters H02P) ## Abstract An inverter for converting an input-end direct current into an output-end alternating current to be fed into an AC voltage supply system includes a first housing part with direct current connections for receiving direct current lines of a direct current generator, a second housing part with alternating current connections for receiving alternating current lines of an AC voltage supply system, a third housing part for accommodating power-electronics components of a DC voltage converter, and a fourth housing part for accommodating power-electronics components of an inverter bridge circuit. The housing parts each have an essentially planar rear wall and are arranged in such a way that they enclose a cooling-air duct with an essentially rectangular cross section, wherein the first housing part is arranged opposite the second housing part and the third housing part is arranged opposite the fourth housing part. The inverter also includes a heat sink, which has two essentially planar cooling faces opposite one another arranged in the cooling-air duct, wherein the cooling faces are assigned to the rear walls of the third housing part and the fourth housing part and are in thermal contact with power-electronics components arranged in these housing parts. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An inverter for converting an input-end direct current into an output-end alternating current to be fed into an AC voltage supply system, comprising: a first housing part with direct current connections for receiving direct current lines of a direct current generator, a second housing part with alternating current connections for receiving alternating current lines of an AC voltage supply system, a third housing part for accommodating power-electronics components of a DC voltage converter, a fourth housing part for accommodating power-electronics components of an inverter bridge circuit, wherein the housing parts each have an essentially planar rear wall and are arranged in such a way that they enclose a cooling-air duct with an essentially rectangular cross section, wherein the first housing part is arranged opposite the second housing part and the third housing part is arranged opposite the fourth housing part, a heat sink, which has two essentially planar cooling faces opposite one another arranged in the cooling-air duct, wherein the cooling faces are assigned to the rear walls of the third housing part and the fourth housing part and are in thermal contact with power-electronics components arranged in these housing parts. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The inverter according to claim 1, wherein a first part of a DC voltage intermediate circuit is arranged in the third housing part and a second part of a DC voltage intermediate circuit is arranged in the fourth housing part. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The inverter according to claim 2, wherein the first part and the second part of the DC voltage intermediate circuit are electrically 15-086-P-WO-US SMAP186WOUS connected to one another via intermediate circuit connecting lines which run within a tubular connecting duct between the third housing part and the fourth housing part, wherein an outer wall of the connecting duct is embodied in an electrically insulating fashion. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The inverter according to claim 3, wherein the connecting duct has at least two partial ducts for accommodating intermediate circuit connecting lines with a positive potential and a negative potential, wherein the partial ducts run axially along the connecting duct and are electrically insulated from one another by means of an axially running dividing wall. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The inverter according to claim 4, wherein the connecting duct has a third partial duct for accommodating intermediate circuit connecting lines with a center point potential of the DC voltage intermediate circuit, wherein the third partial duct runs axially along the connecting duct and is electrically insulated from the first and the second partial ducts by means of a further axially running dividing wall. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The inverter according to claim 2, wherein the intermediate circuit connecting lines are embodied without electrical insulation and each comprise a highly flexible mesh of electrically conductive wires. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The inverter according to claim 2, wherein the connecting duct comprises two partial tubes, wherein in each case one partial tube extends into the third housing part and into the fourth housing part. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The inverter according to claim 1, wherein coiled wire products, which are embodied as filter chokes and/or as storage chokes and are configured for filtering or storing the direct current which is to be converted and/or the alternating current which has been converted, are arranged in the first housing part and/or in the second housing part. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The inverter according to claim 1, wherein a direct current circuit breaker is arranged in the first housing part and/or an alternating current circuit breaker is arranged in the second housing part. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The inverter according to claim 1, wherein the heat sink comprises a single-part or multi-part component which is separate from the housing parts, and comprises an extruded profile, wherein cooling faces of the heat sink which are opposite one another are fitted into corresponding cutouts in the rear walls of the third housing part and of the fourth housing part. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The inverter according to claim 1, wherein the heat sink is formed by cooling ribs, wherein the cooling ribs are arranged on the rear walls of the third housing part and of the fourth housing part which are opposite one another. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The inverter according to claim 1, wherein the inverter has at least one further heat sink which is arranged on the rear wall of the first housing part or of the second housing part and is configured to cool the coiled wire products which are arranged in the first housing part and/or the coiled wire products which are arranged in the second housing part, and is thermally connected to the cooling-air duct, with the result that the further heat sink outputs heat, which has been output by the coiled wire products, to cooling air which flows through the cooling-air duct. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The inverter according to claim 1, further comprising a fan unit configured to generate a stream of cooling air through the cooling duct, arranged at one end of the cooling-air duct. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The inverter according to claim 1, wherein the fan unit is configured to be slid in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the cooling-air duct, wherein the sliding is blocked in a releasable fashion by a locking device, such that the fan unit is removable from the inverter. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The inverter according to claim 1, further comprising a cover arranged on a side of the cooling-air duct which is opposite the fan unit. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The inverter according to claim 1, further comprising a positioning device provided on a mounting side of the inverter, wherein the mounting side of the inverter is oriented in a normal fashion with respect to the axis of the cooling-air duct. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The inverter according to claim 16, wherein the positioning device is configured for positioning the inverter in an upright fashion on an essentially horizontal face such that after the inverter has been mounted, the cooling-air duct is oriented vertically. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The inverter according to claim 16, wherein the positioning device is configured to suspend the inverter from a wall, with the result that after mounting, the mounting side of the inverter is oriented parallel with respect to the wall and the cooling-air duct of the inverter is oriented perpendicularly with respect to the wall.