Electric power converter for recreational vehicle

Claim 2

A converter adapted to be mounted within an opening in a wall wherein the wall at least partially defines a structure having an interior, said converter comprising: a receptacle adapted to be received within the opening in the wall, said receptacle having a rear wall; a cover plate; means for attaching said cover plate to said receptacle to permit said cover plate to be opened to provide an opening in the receptacle through which access to the interior of said receptacle can be obtained, said cover plate being adapted to be exposed in the interior of the structure whereby access can be obtained to the interior of the receptacle from the interior of the structure; vent opening means in said cover plate whereby ventilation air from the interior of the structure can pass through the receptacle; a base mounting plate on said receptacle; a plurality of circuit elements including a step-down transformer mounted on said base mounting plate, at least a major portion of said transformer being within the interior of said receptacle between said base mounting plate and said rear wall of said receptacle; and means for releasably mounting said base mounting plate on said receptacle whereby with said cover plate opened said base mounting plate can be removed from said receptacle through the opening in said receptacle to facilitate repair and testing of said plurality of circuit elements.

Claim 3

A converter as defined in claim 1 including a first mounting plate, means for releasably mounting the first mounting plate on the receptacle with at least a portion of said first mounting plate being spaced from said base mounting plate on the side thereof remote from said rear wall of said receptacle whereby air from said vent opening means can pass between said mounting plates, and at least one heat producing circuit element mounted on said first mounting plate.

Claim 4

A converter as defined in claim 2 wherein said plurality of circuit elements on said base mounting plate includes a first circuit element, a second of said first mounting plate being removed to provide access to said first circuit element from the interior of the structure when the cover plate is open.

Claim 5

A converter as defined in claim 1 wherein said cover plate includes an end wall and a peripheral wall, said peripheral wall includes at least one section which slopes inwardly as it extends toward said end wall, at least a portion of said vent opening means being in said one section of said peripheral wall.

Claim 6

A converter as defined in claim 4 wherein said one section includes a lower section, said vent means includes an opening in said lower section, and a grid having a plurality of apertures therein extending across said opening in said lower section, said grid comprising a plurality of grid elements at least some of which have non-circular, cross-sectional configurations, said grid elements being oriented to provide the maximum cross-sectional area for said apertures in the vertical direction when the converter is received in the opening in the wall.

Claim 7

A converter as defined in claim 1 including a dc circuit breaker enclosure, an ac circuit breaker enclosure, and a wiring enclosure, all of said enclosures being within said receptacle and located on one side of said base mounting plate, and a dc circuit breaker, an ac circuit breaker, and a plurality of conductors located, respectively, in said dc circuit breaker enclosure, said ac circuit breaker enclosure, and said wiring chamber enclosure.

Claim 8

A converter adapted to be mounted within an opening in a wall wherein the wall at least partially defines a structure having an interior, said converter comprising: rectifier means for receiving and rectifying alternating current to provide fluctuating direct current; filter means for filtering the fluctuating direct current to provide filtered direct current; first means responsive to the filtered direct current to provide a high-frequency alternating current having a frequency much greater than the frequency of the alternating current received by said rectifier means; transformer means for stepping down said high-frequency alternating current to a voltage level which is less than the voltage level of the alternating current received by said rectifier means; means for converting the stepped down high-frequency alternating current to a direct current output; a receptacle adapted to be received within the opening in the wall, said receptacle having a rear wall; a cover plate; means for attaching said cover plate to said receptacle to permit said cover plate to be opened to provide an opening in said receptacle through which access to the interior of the receptacle can be obtained, said cover plate being adapted to be exposed in the interior of the structure whereby access can be obtained to the interior of the receptacle from the interior of the structure; vent opening means for permitting ventilation air to pass through the receptacle; a base mounting plate on said receptacle; each of said rectifier means, said filter means, said first means, said transformer means, and said converting means being a circuit element; means for mounting said circuit elements within said receptacle with at least said filter means and said transformer means being between said base mounting plate and said rear wall of said receptacle and with at least one of said filter or transformer means being mounted on said base mounting plate; and means for releasably mounting said base mounting plate on said receptacle whereby with said cover plate opened the base mounting plate can be removed from said receptacle through the opening in said receptacle.

Claim 9

A converter adapted to be mounted within an opening in a wall wherein the wall at least partially defines a structure having an interior, said converter comprising: rectifier means for receiving and rectifying alternating current to provide fluctuating direct current; filter means for filtering the fluctuating direct current to provide filtered direct current; first means responsive to the filtered direct current to provide a high-frequency alternating current having a frequency much greater than the frequency of the alternating current received by said rectifier means; transformer means for stepping down said high-frequency alternating current to a voltage level which is less than the voltage level of the alternating current received by said rectifier means; means for converting the stepped down high-frequency alternating current to a direct current output; a receptacle adapted to be received within the opening in the wall, said receptacle having a rear wall; a cover plate; means for attaching said cover plate to said receptacle to permit said cover plate to be opened to provide an opening in said receptacle through which access to the interior of the receptacle can be obtained, said cover plate being adapted to be exposed in the interior of the structure whereby access can be obtained to the interior of the receptacle from the interior of the structure; vent opening means for permitting ventilation air to pass through the receptacle; a base mounting plate on said receptacle; each of said rectifier means, said filter means, said first means, said transformer means, and said converting means being a circuit element; means for mounting said circuit elements within said receptacle with at least said filter means and said transformer means being between said base mounting plate and said rear wall of said receptacle and with at least one of said filter or transformer means being mounted on said base mounting plate; and means for releasably mounting said base mounting plate on said receptacle whereby with said cover plate opened the base mounting plate can be removed from said receptacle through the opening in said receptacle.

Claim 10

A converter as defined in claim 7 wherein said filter means and said transformer means are mounted on said base mounting plate.

Claim 11

A converter as defined in claim 7 including a first mounting plate, means for releasably mounting the first mounting plate on the receptacle with at least a portion of said first mounting plate being spaced from said base mounting plate on the side thereof remote from said rear wall of said receptable whereby air from said vent opening means can pass between said mounting plates, and at least one of said rectifier means and said converting means being mounted on said first mounting plate.

Claim 12

A converter as defined in claim 7 wherein said filter means is mounted on said base mounting plate and includes heat insulation means interposed between said base mounting plate and said filter means.

Claim 13

A converter as defined in claim 7 wherein said first means provides said high-frequency alternating current with a frequency of at least about 25,000 Hertz.

Claim 14

A converter as defined in claims 1 or 7 wherein said attaching means removably attaches said cover plate to said receptacle to permit said cover plate to be removed to provide access to the interior of said receptacle.