Semi-conductor rectifier heat sink

Claim 2

IN A SEMI-CONDUCTOR RECTIFIER ASSEMBLY FOR A POLYPHASE AC ALTERNATOR OF THE TYPE HAVING A PLURALITY OF SEMI-CONDUCTOR DIODE MEMBERS EQUAL IN NUMBER TO TWICE THE NUMBER OF ELECTRICAL PHASES IN THE ALTERNATOR OUTPUT, EACH OF THE DIODE MEMBERS HAVING A CATHODE ELECTRODE AND AN ANODE ELECTRODE, ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT MEANS INTERCONNECTING SELECTED PAIRS OF THE DIODE MEMBERS WITH THE PHASE OF THE ALTERNATOR OUTPUT SUCH THAT THE CATHODE ELECTRODES OF THE FIRST DIODE MEMBER OF A DIODE PAIR AND THE ANODE ELECTRODE OF THE SECOND DIODE MEMBER OF A DIODE PAIR ARE ELECTRICALLY COMMON AND ARE CONNECTED TO RECEIVE A PHASE OF THE ALTERNATOR OUTPUT, AND FURTHER ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT MEANS INTERCONNECTING THE ANODE ELECTRODES OF THE FIRST DIODE MEMBERS OF THE DIODE PAIRS AND INTERCONNECTING THE CATHODE ELECTRODES OF THE SECOND DIODE PAIRS AND INTERCONNECTING PAIRS FOR PRODUCING A RECTIFIED DC OUTPUT WHEREIN THE FURTHER ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT MEANS COMPRISE FIRST AND SECOND HEAT DISSIPATING PLATE MEMBERS HAVING A GENERALLY UNIFORM THICKNESS IN A FIRST DIRECTION, THE FIRST PLATE MEMBER BEING ELECTRICALLY COMMON WITH THE ANODE ELECTRODES OF THE FIRST DIODE MEMBERS OF THE DIODE PAIRS AND THE SECOND PLATE MEMBER BEING ELECTRICALLY COMMON WITH THE CATHODE ELECTRODES OF THE SECOND DIODE MEMBERS OF THE DIODE PAIRS, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING:

Claim 3

In a polyphase AC alternator, a semi-conductor rectifier assembly comprising, in combination: an even plurality of diode members, each diode member having an anode electrode and a cathode electrode, arranged in diode pairs wherein the anode electrode of one diode member of the pair is electrically connected to the cathode electrode of the other diode member of the pair; first electrical circuit means for interconnecting the anode/cathode electrical junctions of each diode pair with one electrical pair of the alternator output on a one-to-one basis; second electrical circuit means for interconnecting each of the remaining cathode electrodes and each of the remaining anode electrodes in series with an external load whereby a DC circuit may be established; said second electrical circuit means including a pair of electrically conductive heat sinking plate members, one of said pair of plate members being electrically common with the remaining cathode electrodes and the other of said pair of plate members being electrically common with the remaining diode electrodes; each of said plate members having a plurality of bores extending therethrough; and a finned element having a plurality of fin members received within said bore with fin members in contact with the sides of the bore whereby air may flow from one side of each plate member to the other side of said plate member over said fin; said diode members being arranged in thermal contact with the finned element.

Claim 4

In a polyphase AC alternator, a semi-conductor rectifier assembly comprising, in combination: an even plurality of diode members, each diode member having an anode electrode and a cathode electrode, arranged in diode pairs wherein the anode electrode of one diode member of the pair is electrically connected to the cathode electrode of the other diode member of the pair; first electrical circuit means for interconnecting the anode/cathode electrical junctions of each diode pair with one electrical pair of the alternator output on a one-to-one basis; second electrical circuit means for interconnecting each of the remaining cathode electrodes and each of the remaining anode electrodes in series with an external load whereby a DC circuit may be established; said second electrical circuit means including a pair of electrically conductive heat sinking plate members, one of said pair of plate members being electrically common with the remaining cathode electrodes and the other of said pair of plate members being electrically common with the remaining diode electrodes; each of said plate members having a plurality of bores extending therethrough; and a finned element having a plurality of fin members received within said bore with fin members in contact with the sides of the bore whereby air may flow from one side of each plate member to the other side of said plate member over said fin; said diode members being arranged in thermal contact with the finned element.

Claim 5

The rectifier assembly of claim 2 wherein said finned elements include a concavity and the diodes are located within said concavities in thermal contact with said finned elements.

Claim 6

The rectifier assembly of claim 3 wherein said finned elements are sized with respect to their associated plate member bores to permit air flow over said finned members and through at least a portion of said bores.

Claim 7

In a semi-conductor rectifier assembly for a polyphase AC alternator of the type having a plurality of semiconductor diode elements equal in number to twice the number of electrical phases of the alternator output, each diode element having anode and cathode electrodes, the diode elements being arranged in pairs with the diode elements of each pair connected electrically in series, first conductor means connecting the common anode/cathode junction of each diode pair to one phase of the alternator output, second conductor means interconnecting the remaining cathode electrodes to comprise one DC output and third conductor means interconnecting the remaining anode electrodes to comprise the second DC output wherein said second and third conductor means include first and second electrically conductive heat sinking plate members, respectively, the plate members having a generally uniform thickness in a first direction and being arranged to be in thermal and electrical communication with the remaining cathode electrodes and the remaining anode electrodes, respectively, the improvement comprising: a plurality of bores extending through said first and second plate members in the first direction; a plurality of finned elements attached to, and extending in the first direction away from, the plate membErs; each of said finned elements having a plurality of fin members extending from the finned element in a direction transverse to the first direction with the outer portions thereof in contactive engagement with the associated plate member; each of said finned elements being attached to one of said first and second plate members in proximity to at least one of said plurality of bores and arranged to permit air flowing through said one bore to flow adjacent to at least a portion of said fin members.

Claim 8

In a semi-conductor rectifier assembly for a polyphase AC alternator of the type having a plurality of semiconductor diode elements equal in number to twice the number of electrical phases of the alternator output, each diode element having anode and cathode electrodes, the diode elements being arranged in pairs with the diode elements of each pair connected electrically in series, first conductor means connecting the common anode/cathode junction of each diode pair to one phase of the alternator output, second conductor means interconnecting the remaining cathode electrodes to comprise one DC output and third conductor means interconnecting the remaining anode electrodes to comprise the second DC output wherein said second and third conductor means include first and second electrically conductive heat sinking plate members, respectively, the plate members having a generally uniform thickness in a first direction and being arranged to be in thermal and electrical communication with the remaining cathode electrodes and the remaining anode electrodes, respectively, the improvement comprising: a plurality of bores extending through said first and second plate members in the first direction; a plurality of finned elements attached to, and extending in the first direction away from, the plate membErs; each of said finned elements having a plurality of fin members extending from the finned element in a direction transverse to the first direction with the outer portions thereof in contactive engagement with the associated plate member; each of said finned elements being attached to one of said first and second plate members in proximity to at least one of said plurality of bores and arranged to permit air flowing through said one bore to flow adjacent to at least a portion of said fin members.

Claim 9

The rectifier assembly according to claim 5 wherein a plurality of air flow passages are arranged in surrounding relation to each of the finned elements in proximity to the fin members thereof.

Claim 10

The rectifier assembly according to claim 5 wherein the diode elements are received within the first and second plate member bores and are attached to the finned elements associated with the respective bores.