A multi-channel heat sink

Abstract

The utility model discloses a kind of multi-channel radiators, through its unique overall structure design, the two major core problems of machining difficulty and uneven heat dissipation existing in the prior art are comprehensively solved. First, the radiator body adopts the structure form of two ends open and is plugged by plug, which provides great convenience for the processing and manufacturing of complex and slender flow channels in the inner cavity, so that the processing tools can directly enter from both ends, and all flow channels and isolation pieces are efficiently formed at one time, significantly reducing the manufacturing difficulty and cost, while avoiding the leakage risk caused by opening too many process holes in the main wall surface, improving the sealing reliability and structural integrity of the product.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of radiators, and in particular to a multi-channel radiator. Background Technology

[0002] Heat sinks are key thermal management components widely used in electronic devices, power batteries, industrial machinery, and other fields. Their core function is to efficiently remove heat through flowing coolant, thereby ensuring that the equipment operates at a suitable temperature. With the continuous increase in the power density of electronic devices, higher requirements are placed on the heat dissipation efficiency and temperature uniformity of heat sinks.

[0003] Currently, common liquid-cooled radiators typically consist of a metal body with an inner cavity. Within this cavity, spacers (such as fins or baffles) are used to create meandering or parallel flow channels, increasing the heat exchange area. Coolant flows in from an inlet on the body, exits through the flow channels, and exchanges heat with the radiator body during this process.

[0004] However, existing radiators of this type have some inherent structural flaws:

[0005] Firstly, in terms of manufacturing process, for heat sinks with complex and intricate internal flow channels, especially when the channels are both narrow and long, traditional milling or extrusion molding methods from the ends are extremely difficult, costly, and cannot guarantee the integrity of the internal structure. If machining holes are made in the top or bottom wall, multiple plugs are needed to seal them after machining, which not only increases the number of parts and assembly steps but also introduces multiple potential leakage risk points.

[0006] Secondly, in terms of heat dissipation performance, traditional parallel flow channel designs often suffer from uneven coolant distribution. Since the inlet and outlet of the flow channel are usually directly connected to the manifold or cavity, slight differences in flow resistance between the channels can easily cause the coolant to preferentially flow through the channels with lower resistance, resulting in a "short circuit." This leads to inconsistent flow rates and velocities between different channels, causing localized hot spots on the radiator surface, poor overall heat dissipation uniformity, and impacting heat dissipation efficiency and service life.

[0007] Therefore, there is an urgent need in this field for a new type of radiator structure that can simplify the processing technology, reduce manufacturing costs and leakage risks, and effectively improve the uniformity of coolant distribution in each flow channel, thereby improving the overall heat dissipation performance. Utility Model Content

[0008] The main objective of this invention is to propose a multi-channel radiator, which aims to provide an efficient heat dissipation structure that is easy to manufacture and can ensure uniform flow of coolant.

[0009] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model proposes a multi-channel radiator, including a radiator body, wherein an inner cavity is provided inside the radiator body.

[0010] The inner cavity is provided with a number of isolation components, which divide the inner cavity into multiple parallel, slender flow channels;

[0011] The end walls of the radiator body are open, forming openings that communicate with all the flow channels, and each opening is sealed by a plug.

[0012] There are gaps between both ends of the isolation member and the end sidewalls corresponding to the inner cavity, thereby forming an inlet confluence area and an outlet confluence area for distributing and collecting coolant at both ends of the inner cavity.

[0013] The radiator body has four coolant inlets connected to the inlet confluence area and one coolant outlet connected to the outlet confluence area on its top or bottom wall.

[0014] The four coolant inlets are connected to a common inlet connector having one inlet and four outlets;

[0015] The coolant outlet is connected to an outlet connector with two inlets and one outlet.

[0016] Preferably, the plug is fixed to the opening of the radiator body by welding or snap-fit ​​connection.

[0017] Preferably, the heat sink body is a cuboid and is integrally formed from a thermally conductive metal material.

[0018] Preferably, the cross-sectional areas of the multiple parallel, slender flow channels are all the same.

[0019] Preferably, the cross-sectional areas of both the inlet and outlet confluence zones are larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​a single flow channel.

[0020] Preferably, both the water inlet connector and the water outlet connector are fixedly installed on the top wall of the radiator body.

[0021] Preferably, the water inlet connector is located on the top wall of the radiator body, and the water outlet connector is located on the bottom wall of the radiator body.

[0022] Preferably, the insulating member is integrally formed with the inner cavity of the radiator body.

[0023] The multi-channel radiator provided by this utility model comprehensively solves the two core problems of difficult processing and uneven heat dissipation in the prior art through its unique overall structural design. First, the radiator body adopts a structure with open ends and sealed with plugs, which greatly facilitates the processing and manufacturing of complex and slender channels in the inner cavity. This allows processing tools to enter directly from both ends, efficiently forming all channels and isolation components in one go, significantly reducing manufacturing difficulty and cost. At the same time, it avoids the leakage risk caused by opening too many process holes on the main body wall, improving the sealing reliability and structural integrity of the product. Secondly, the inlet and outlet confluence areas formed by the isolation component and the end sidewall, together with specific interfaces and dedicated connectors located on the top or bottom wall, constitute a highly efficient fluid distribution and collection system. The one-in-four-outlet inlet connector diverts the coolant into the wide inlet confluence area for secondary pressure equalization, effectively ensuring that the coolant enters each parallel flow channel with extremely uniform flow rate and pressure. The coolant flowing out of all channels is then gently converged in the outlet confluence area and smoothly discharged through the two-in-one-outlet outlet connector. This design greatly improves the flow consistency between the channels, fundamentally eliminating localized overheating and ensuring the uniformity of the heat dissipation surface temperature, thereby significantly improving the overall heat dissipation efficiency and reliability. In summary, this invention successfully combines easy processing with excellent heat dissipation performance, possessing outstanding practical value. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a view of the appearance of the present utility model;

[0025] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the radiator body. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this utility model, and not all of them. Based on the embodiments of this utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of this utility model.

[0028] It should be noted that if any directional indication (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, top, bottom, inside, outside, vertical, horizontal, longitudinal, counterclockwise, clockwise, circumferential, radial, axial, etc.) is involved in the embodiments of this utility model, the directional indication is only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of each component in a certain specific posture (as shown in the figure). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0029] Furthermore, if the embodiments of this utility model involve descriptions such as "first" or "second," such descriptions are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, features defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. Additionally, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the ability of those skilled in the art to implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, such a combination of technical solutions should be considered non-existent and not within the scope of protection claimed by this utility model.

[0030] This invention proposes a multi-channel radiator, the core of which is to provide an efficient heat dissipation structure that is easy to process and can ensure uniform flow of coolant.

[0031] In this embodiment of the utility model, such as Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the multi-channel radiator consists of a radiator body 1. The radiator body 1 has an internal cavity machined inside. To form an efficient heat exchange channel, several insulating elements 11 are provided within this internal cavity. These insulating elements 11 divide the originally continuous internal cavity into multiple parallel, elongated channels. Coolant flows through these channels, thereby carrying away heat.

[0032] Specifically, to greatly simplify the machining process of the internal cavity and internal flow channels, the end walls of both ends of the radiator body 1 are designed to be open, forming openings that directly communicate with all the slender flow channels. This design allows machining tools to enter directly from both ends, easily machining complex internal flow channel structures. After the flow channels are machined, these two openings are reliably sealed by plugs 2, thus forming a closed liquid-cooled circulation cavity.

[0033] A key improvement of this invention lies in the layout of the two ends of the flow channel.

[0034] Specifically, neither end of any of the separators 11 extends to the end wall of the inner cavity, but rather maintains a certain distance from the end wall. This design naturally forms two connected cavity regions on the same side of all flow channels at both ends of the inner cavity. One cavity region is connected to the coolant inlet 14, serving as the inlet confluence area 12, used to evenly distribute the incoming coolant to each flow channel; the other cavity region is connected to the coolant outlet 15, serving as the outlet confluence area 13, used to collect the coolant flowing out from each flow channel.

[0035] Specifically, the coolant inlet is located on the top or bottom wall of the radiator body 1.

[0036] Specifically, four coolant inlets 14 are provided at the corresponding inlet confluence area 12; and a coolant outlet 15 is provided at the corresponding outlet confluence area 13.

[0037] Specifically, to achieve better flow distribution, the four coolant inlets 14 are connected to a specific inlet connector 3. This inlet connector 3 is designed with one inlet and four outlets, i.e., a one-in-four-out configuration, which allows the incoming coolant to be divided into four streams, each entering the inlet confluence area 12 through one of the four inlets. Simultaneously, the coolant outlet 15 is connected to a specific outlet connector 4. This outlet connector 4 is designed with two inlets and one outlet, i.e., a two-in-one-out configuration, which allows the coolant from the outlet confluence area 13 to be collected and discharged.

[0038] Specifically, in a preferred embodiment, the plug 2 can be fixed to the opening of the radiator body 1 by welding or snap-fit ​​connection. Welding provides extremely high sealing and connection strength; while snap-fit ​​connection facilitates installation and subsequent maintenance.

[0039] Specifically, considering manufacturing process and heat dissipation efficiency, the heat sink body 1 is preferably designed as a cuboid and integrally formed from a highly thermally conductive metal material (such as aluminum alloy or copper) through processes such as extrusion and milling.

[0040] Specifically, to further optimize flow uniformity, the multiple elongated flow channels formed by the separator 11 within the inner cavity are designed to have the same cross-sectional area. Simultaneously, to ensure effective flow convergence, the cross-sectional areas of both the inlet convergence zone 12 and the outlet convergence zone 13 are designed to be larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​any single flow channel.

[0041] Furthermore, regarding the installation positions of the inlet and outlet connectors 4, several flexible layout options are available. In one option, both the inlet connector 3 and the outlet connector 4 can be fixedly installed on the top wall of the radiator body 1, facilitating pipe connection from the same side. In another option, the inlet connector 3 can be located on the top wall of the radiator body 1, while the outlet connector 4 can be located on the bottom wall of the radiator body 1. This diagonal arrangement may help optimize the overall fluid circulation path.

[0042] Specifically, considering structural strength and ease of manufacturing, the plurality of isolation components 11 in the inner cavity are preferably manufactured integrally with the inner cavity of the radiator body 1, thereby forming a complete, seamless, and highly efficient heat dissipation core.

[0043] In summary, this utility model solves the bottleneck of difficult processing of complex flow channels by using the design of openings at both ends and plugs 2. In addition, the end confluence area, together with the special joint design of one inlet and four outlets and two inlet and one outlet, works together to effectively improve the uniformity of coolant distribution in each parallel flow channel, and finally achieve the purpose of efficient and uniform heat dissipation of the radiator. At the same time, it also has the advantages of reliable structure and simple manufacturing.

[0044] The multi-channel radiator provided by this utility model comprehensively solves the two core problems of difficult processing and uneven heat dissipation in the prior art through its unique overall structural design. First, the radiator body adopts a structure with open ends and sealed with plugs, which greatly facilitates the processing and manufacturing of complex and slender channels in the inner cavity. This allows processing tools to enter directly from both ends, efficiently forming all channels and isolation components in one go, significantly reducing manufacturing difficulty and cost. At the same time, it avoids the leakage risk caused by opening too many process holes on the main body wall, improving the sealing reliability and structural integrity of the product. Secondly, the inlet and outlet confluence areas formed by the isolation component and the end sidewall, together with specific interfaces and dedicated connectors on the top or bottom wall, constitute a highly efficient fluid distribution and collection system. The "one inlet, four outlets" inlet connector diverts the coolant into the wide inlet confluence area for secondary pressure equalization, effectively ensuring that the coolant enters each parallel flow channel with extremely uniform flow rate and pressure. The coolant flowing out of all channels is then gently converged in the outlet confluence area and smoothly discharged through the "two inlets, one outlet" outlet connector. This design greatly improves the flow consistency between the channels, fundamentally eliminating localized overheating and ensuring the uniformity of the heat dissipation surface temperature, thereby significantly improving the overall heat dissipation efficiency and reliability. In summary, this invention successfully combines easy processing with excellent heat dissipation performance, possessing outstanding practical value.

[0045] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and does not limit the patent scope of the present utility model. All equivalent structural transformations made under the inventive concept of the present utility model using the contents of the present utility model specification and drawings, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the patent protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A multi-channel radiator, characterized in that: Includes a radiator body (1), wherein the radiator body (1) has an internal cavity; The inner cavity is provided with a plurality of isolation members (11), which divide the inner cavity into multiple parallel slender flow channels; The end walls of the radiator body (1) are open to form openings that communicate with all the flow channels, and each opening is sealed by a plug (2). There is a gap between both ends of the isolation member (11) and the end sidewalls corresponding to the inner cavity, thereby forming an inlet confluence area (12) and an outlet confluence area (13) for distributing and collecting coolant at both ends of the inner cavity. The radiator body (1) has four coolant inlets (14) connected to the inlet confluence area (12) and one coolant outlet (15) connected to the outlet confluence area (13) on its top or bottom wall. The four coolant inlets (14) are connected together to a water inlet connector (3) having one inlet end and four outlet ends; The coolant outlet (15) is connected to an outlet connector (4) having two inlet ends and one outlet end.

2. The multi-channel heat sink as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The plug (2) is fixed to the opening of the radiator body (1) by welding or snap-fit ​​connection.

3. The multi-channel heat sink as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The heat sink body (1) is a cuboid and is integrally formed from thermally conductive metal material.

4. The multi-channel heat sink as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The cross-sectional areas of the multiple parallel, slender flow channels are all the same.

5. The multi-channel heat sink as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The cross-sectional areas of the inlet confluence zone (12) and the outlet confluence zone (13) are both larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​a single flow channel.

6. The multi-channel heat sink as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The water inlet connector (3) and the water outlet connector (4) are both fixedly installed on the top wall of the radiator body (1).

7. The multi-channel heat sink as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The water inlet connector (3) is located on the top wall of the radiator body (1), and the water outlet connector (4) is located on the bottom wall of the radiator body (1).

8. The multi-channel heat sink as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The isolation component (11) is integrally formed with the inner cavity of the radiator body (1).

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