JPH09147624A - Light modulator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To efficiently cool a light modulation part by housing a switching element in an independent room by a partition part. SOLUTION: By conducting electricity to light modulation units 1, 1,..., a light modulator performed light modulation for an illumination load by phase modulation performed by light modulation parts 2, 2,.... On the other hand, fans 18, 18,..., are individually controlled by a fan control circuit and thereby air is sent to rooms 9 to 11 based on the needs of the rooms. That is, by individually controlling the fans 18, 18,... so as to rotate these, air is supplied from an air hole 17e into a light modulation box, air is individually supplied to the rooms 9 to 11 of the units 1, 1,..., and then each of electric part items is cooled. The air is caused to flow from the fans 18, 18,..., to the outside of a box 17. Since a partition part is made of a heat insulating agent, influence given by heat generated by the switching element or the like to the electric part items in the other rooms is prevented and thus cooling is accurately performed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a light control device for controlling light control of a lighting load.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is a light control device for controlling light control of a lighting load. As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, this unit includes a light control unit 1, 1, ..., A light control box 17, and a fan.
The main components are 18,18 .... Dimming unit
1, 1 ... Have a dimming control unit 2 that controls the power supplied to a lighting load (not shown) and a substantially box-shaped casing 7 that houses the dimming control unit 2. The dimming control unit 2 controls the electric power supplied to the lighting load by appropriately setting a desired control mode. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the breaker 3 for individual opening / closing control and the lighting load are controlled. TRIAC 4, which is a semiconductor switching element for dimming control, a phase control circuit 5 that controls the phase of the TRIAC 4, a choke coil 6 arranged in series with the TRIAC 4, a dimming control unit 2, and a load terminal block. And a lead wire 2a for connecting 14 to each other. Since the dimming control unit 2 includes electric components such as a semiconductor switching element and a choke coil that generate a large amount of heat, the temperature rises significantly.

The fans 18, 18 ... Create a flow of wind and are attached below the light control units 1, 1. The dimming box 17 has a wind inflow hole 17f in the lower part and a wind outflow hole 17g in the upper part, and the wind by the fans 18, 18 ... flows into the dimming control unit 2 and the dimming units 1, 1 ... and the fan. 18,1
8 ...

[0004]

In the above-mentioned dimming device, since the dimming control section can be cooled by driving the fan, the performance deterioration due to the temperature rise of the dimming control section is suppressed and the dimming control section is kept long. We are trying to extend the life. However, since the switching element and the choke coil, which are heating elements, are arranged in the same space of the casing, it is necessary to design cooling in accordance with electric parts having a low standard temperature. That is, for example, the standard temperature of the switching element is 85 ° C. and the standard temperature of the choke coil is 110 ° C. Therefore, the temperature of the switching element having a low standard temperature is cooled to 85 ° C. or less. Therefore, useless cooling is performed for the electric component having a high standard temperature.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a dimming device capable of efficiently cooling a dimming control unit.

[0006]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a dimmer according to a first aspect of the present invention controls the power supplied to a lighting load, and a switching element for dimming the lighting load. A dimming control unit having a phase control circuit for controlling the phase of the switching element, a coil arranged in series with the switching element, and a substantially box-shaped casing for housing the dimming control unit. A plurality of dimming units each including a dimming unit, and a substantially box-shaped dimming box that houses the dimming units, wherein a switching element of a dimming control unit is provided in the casing in an independent room. It is configured to have a partitioning part for storing in.

Further, in the light control device according to the second aspect, the partition portion according to the first aspect is formed of a heat insulating material.

The dimmer according to a third aspect of the present invention is configured such that the switching element according to the first or second aspect is provided with a fan dedicated to blowing air.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a light control device in which a plurality of casings according to the first to third aspects are arranged in parallel.
The switching elements housed in the adjacent casings are arranged at different positions.

Furthermore, the dimmer according to a fifth aspect of the present invention has a structure in which the plurality of casings according to the fourth aspect are arranged side by side in the vertical direction.

[0011]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG.
This will be described with reference to FIG. The dimming device includes a plurality of dimming units 1, 1, ..., a dimming box 17, and fans 18,18,18.
And are the main constituent members. The members having the same functions as those of the conventional technique are designated by the same reference numerals.

The dimming units 1, 1, ... Perform dimming control of a plurality of lighting loads (not shown), and have a dimming control section 2 and a casing 7. The dimming control unit 2 controls the electric power supplied to the lighting load by appropriately setting a desired control mode as described in the related art.
As shown in Fig. 1, the breaker 3 for individual opening / closing control, the semiconductor triac 4 for dimming the lighting load, the phase control circuit 5 for phase control of the triac 4, and the triac 4 are connected in series. The choke coil 6 is provided.

The casing 7 is for accommodating the dimming control unit 2, and has a substantially rectangular frame 8 and three interiors of the frame 8, that is, the first room 9 and the second room. It has a first partition part 12 and a second partition part 13 that partition into 10 and a third room 11. The frame body 8 is formed of a material having a high thermal conductivity such as aluminum so as to have an upper piece 8a, a lower piece 8b, a front piece 8c, a rear piece 8d and a concave attachment piece 8e for accommodating the breaker 3.

The first partition 12 includes a first room 9 and a second room 10.
It is a partition with a heat insulating material and is formed into a substantially long plate shape.
The front piece 8c and the rear piece 8d are arranged substantially parallel to the upper piece 8a and connect the front piece 8c and the rear piece 8d. The second partition portion 13 partitions the second chamber 10 and the third chamber 11 and is also formed of a heat insulating material into a substantially long plate shape. The second partition portion 13 is arranged substantially parallel to the upper piece 8a and the front piece 8c. The rear piece 8d is connected.
In addition, the first room 9 has the TRIAC 4 and the second room 10
The choke coil 6 is housed in the third chamber 11, and the phase control circuit 5 is housed in the third chamber 11 while being electrically connected to each other.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, in the light control units 1, 1, ..., The casings 7, 7, ... Are horizontally arranged side by side, and the triacs 4 housed in the first chamber 9 are adjacent to each other. The casings 7 are arranged at different positions in the first chamber 9 so that they do not overlap when viewed from the lateral direction. 2a is a lead wire that connects the breaker 3 and the load terminal block (not shown).

The dimming box 17, which houses the dimming units 1, 1, ..., Is made of a metal material and is formed in a substantially box shape having a front surface 17a and a back surface 17b. The front surface 17a of the light control box 17 has doors 17c and 17d. The door 17d has a vent hole 17e that serves as an air passage. Also,
On the back surface 17b, the above-mentioned dimming units 1, 1 ...
Attach so that b and the rear piece 8d are parallel to each other.

Reference numeral 18 denotes a fan, which is the first of the casing 7.
The air is sent individually to the third chambers 9, 10 and 11, and the rotation thereof is controlled by a fan control circuit (not shown). The fan 18 is attached to the door 17c of the light control box 17 at a position corresponding to the light control units 1, 1.

Next, the operation of this dimmer will be described. The dimming device is a dimming control unit according to an appropriately set control mode by energizing the dimming units 1, 1.
2,2 ... Performs phase control, and performs dimming control of the lighting load. On the other hand, the fans 18, 18 ... Are individually controlled by the fan control circuit, so that the first to third rooms 9, 10, 1
The amount of air corresponding to 1 is sent to each room 9,10,11. That is, by individually controlling and rotating the fans 18, 18, the air flows into the light control box 17 through the ventilation holes 17e, and the first to third chambers 9, 10 of the respective light control units 1, 1 ... Air flows to 11 and 11 individually to cool each electric component. The air flows to the outside of the dimming box 17 from the fans 18,18 ....

In this device, electric parts such as switching elements are housed in independent rooms by partitioning parts, and each electric part is individually cooled by a fan. Therefore, each room is cooled according to the standard temperature of the electric parts. Can be cooled. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently cool the electric parts by eliminating wasteful cooling, and it is possible to make the apparatus compact and save energy. Further, since the partition portion is formed of the heat insulating material, the heat generated by the switching element or the like is unlikely to affect the electric parts in other rooms, so that the cooling can be performed accurately.
Further, since the switching elements are arranged at different positions in the first room so that the casings do not overlap each other when viewed from the lateral direction, it is easy for the wind to hit and the cooling efficiency is improved. Therefore, deterioration of the electric component due to heat is suppressed, and reliability is further improved.

Although each partition is made of a heat insulating material, it may be made of a material such as aluminum depending on the heat generation temperature of the electric component. Further, it goes without saying that the shapes of the frame and the partition of the casing are not limited to those shown in this embodiment, and can be appropriately designed according to the size and installation location of the electric component. The point is that the switching element should be housed in an independent room. Further, although the dimming units are arranged side by side in the lateral direction, it is of course possible to arrange the dimming units side by side in the vertical direction so as to utilize buoyancy. Also, although three fans are provided, it is of course possible to perform natural cooling without a fan.

[0021]

In the dimmer according to the first aspect of the present invention, the switching elements can be individually cooled by being housed in the independent rooms by the partition section, and the heat generated by the switching elements can be used by other electric appliances. Since the components are less likely to be affected, the dimming controller can be efficiently cooled, and the deterioration of the electrical components due to heat is suppressed, so that the reliability is improved.

In addition to the effect of claim 1, the dimmer according to claim 2 has the partition formed of a heat insulating material, so that the heat generated by the switching element further affects other electric parts. Since it is less likely to exert heat, it becomes easier to cool the switching elements and the like, and the reliability is further improved.

In addition to the effect of claim 1 or 2, the dimmer according to claim 3 can cool the switching element with a dedicated fan, so that the cooling efficiency can be improved.

Further, in the light control device according to the fourth aspect, in addition to the effect according to any one of the first to third aspects, since the switching elements housed in the adjacent casings are arranged at different positions, the fan is used. The wind easily hits and heat dissipation is promoted.

Further, in addition to the effect of claim 4, the dimmer of claim 5 has a plurality of casings arranged in the vertical direction, so that the cooling of the electric component is promoted by the effect of buoyancy.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a light control unit of a light control device showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view when the light control units are arranged in parallel.

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of the light control device.

FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of a light control device showing a conventional embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of the light control unit.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the light control unit viewed from another direction.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Light control unit 2 Light control unit 4 Triac (switching element) 5 Phase control circuit 6 Choke coil 7 Casing 8 Frame 9 First room 10 Second room 11 Third room 12 First partition 13 Second partition 17 Dimming box 18 fan

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A switching element for controlling electric power supplied to a lighting load, the switching element controlling dimming of the lighting load, a phase control circuit controlling a phase of the switching element, and the switching element arranged in series. Light control unit having a coil, and a plurality of light control units each including the light control unit and having a substantially box-shaped casing, and a substantially box shape having the light control unit. The dimming device having the dimming box according to 1., wherein the casing is provided with a partitioning part for housing the switching element of the dimming control part in an independent room. 2. The light control device according to claim 1, wherein the partition portion is formed of a heat insulating material. 3. The switching element is provided with a dedicated fan for blowing air.
The dimmer described. 4. The light control device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of casings are arranged in parallel, and the switching elements housed in the adjacent casings are arranged at different positions. 5. The light control device according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of casings are arranged side by side in a vertical direction.