Cooling structure and cooling device including same

Abstract

This resin cooling structure forming a flow passage of a cooling medium includes first and second conveyance parts, and a cooling part. In the first and second conveyance parts, first and second space structure parts exposed to the flow passage are formed. The cooling part is provided with a cooling region for cooling a body to be cooled and a narrowest part passing through the cooling region and having the smallest cross-sectional area in the flow passage, and is positioned between the first and second conveyance parts.

Description

Cooling structure and cooling device equipped with same

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooling structure that forms a flow path for a cooling medium.

[0002] In recent years, the rapid shift to electric vehicles has led to an accelerating trend toward smaller, more powerful in-vehicle devices. In particular, in-vehicle devices equipped with electronic components that generate heat during operation are prone to high temperatures due to their smaller size and higher performance. Therefore, it is necessary to cool the installed electronic components so that they do not exceed the allowable temperature for normal operation.

[0003] As a device for efficiently cooling an in-vehicle device, for example, a cooling device using a cooling medium is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Such a cooling device uses a cooling structure that forms a flow path for the cooling medium. The cooling structure constituting the cooling device is generally made of a metal material that has excellent mechanical strength and heat dissipation properties.

[0004] JP 2015-150984 A

[0005] On the other hand, in the automotive field, there is a growing demand for lighter parts from the viewpoint of improving fuel efficiency, etc., and replacing metal parts with resin molded bodies is an effective way to meet this demand. In this regard, it is preferable to form the cooling structure from a resin material, but it is not easy to ensure the performance required for a cooling structure with a resin molded body.

[0006] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a resin cooling structure that has excellent cooling performance and durability.

[0007] To achieve the above object, one aspect of the present invention provides a resin cooling structure that forms a flow path for a cooling medium. The cooling structure includes first and second transport sections and a cooling section. The first and second transport sections have first and second spatial structure sections exposed to the flow path. The cooling section is provided with a cooling region for cooling an object to be cooled and a narrowest section that passes through the cooling region and has the smallest cross-sectional area in the flow path, and is located between the first and second transport sections.

[0008] In this cooling structure, the flow path of the cooling medium is narrowed in the cooling section where the cooling region is arranged, so the cooling medium, whose flow rate is increased in the cooling section, passes through the cooling region at high speed. As a result, in this cooling structure, the cooling medium can quickly transfer the heat absorbed from the cooling region, thereby achieving high cooling performance.

[0009] In addition, in this cooling structure, as the cooling medium passes from the first transport section to the second transport section, the flow path widens as the cooling medium flows from the cooling section into the second transport section, which causes turbulence in the cooling medium flowing from the cooling section into the second transport section, resulting in higher cooling performance.

[0010] Furthermore, in this cooling structure, the first and second transport sections are provided with spatial structures exposed to the cooling medium flow path, which disperses the stress from the cooling medium passing through the flow path. This makes it difficult for the cooling structure to be subjected to localized stress from the cooling medium passing through the flow path, resulting in high durability even in a resin structure.

[0011] The cooling structure may further include first and second connecting portions, the first connecting portion being located between the first transport portion and the cooling portion and having a cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path larger than that of the first transport portion, and the second connecting portion being located between the second transport portion and the cooling portion and having a cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path larger than that of the second transport portion.

[0012] In this cooling structure, by providing a first connection part that widens the flow path between the first transport part and the cooling part, turbulence occurs in the cooling medium flowing from the first transport part to the first connection part, and the flow path of the cooling medium flowing from the first connection part to the cooling part can be narrowed more sharply. As a result, this cooling structure can achieve even higher cooling performance.

[0013] Furthermore, in this cooling structure, by providing a second connection part between the cooling part and the second transport part, which widens the flow path, the flow path widens more rapidly when the cooling medium flows out of the cooling part. As a result, in this cooling structure, the turbulent energy of the cooling medium flowing out from the cooling part to the second connection part is increased, resulting in even higher cooling performance.

[0014] The cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path may be 10% to 41% of that of the first and second connecting portions at the narrowest portion, and 41% to 80% of that of the first and second connecting portions at the first and second transport portions.

[0015] The cooling section may be formed with a throttle structure exposed to the flow path and protruding toward the cooling region. The cooling section may be formed with a first hollow structure not exposed to the flow path. The first hollow structure may have a honeycomb structure.

[0016] At least one of the first and second transport sections may be formed with a second lightening structure that is not exposed to the flow path, and the second lightening structure may form a truss structure together with at least one of the first and second spatial structure sections.

[0017] The object to be cooled may be an in-vehicle device.

[0018] A cooling device according to one aspect of the present invention includes the cooling structure described above, and a metal member that is disposed in the cooling region of the cooling structure and is exposed to the flow path.

[0019] As described above, the present invention can provide a resin cooling structure that is excellent in cooling performance and durability.

[0020] 1. A perspective view of a cooling structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. A cross-sectional view of the cooling structure taken along line A-A' in FIG. 1. A perspective view of a base model of the cooling structure. A cross-sectional view of the base model taken along line a-a' in FIG. 3. A partial cross-sectional view showing an enlarged cooling section of the cooling structure. A cross-sectional view of the cooling structure taken along line B-B' in FIG. 2. A cross-sectional view of the cooling structure taken along line CC' and line D-D' in FIG. 2. A cross-sectional view of the cooling structure taken along line E-E' and line F-F' in FIG. 2. A perspective view of another configuration example of the cooling structure. A cross-sectional view of the cooling structure taken along line G-G' in FIG. 9. A cross-sectional view of the cooling structure taken along line H-H' in FIG. 10. A cross-sectional view of the cooling structure taken along line I-I' and line J-J' in FIG. A partial cross-sectional view of another configuration example of the cooling section of the cooling structure. A partial cross-sectional view of another configuration example of the cooling section of the cooling structure. A partial cross-sectional view of another configuration example of the cooling section of the cooling structure. A cross-sectional view of another configuration example of the cooling section of the cooling structure. A cross-sectional view of another configuration example of the first and second spatial structure parts of the cooling structure. A cross-sectional view of another example of the configuration of the first and second spatial structuring parts of the cooling structure. A cross-sectional view of another example of the configuration of the first and second spatial structuring parts of the cooling structure. A cross-sectional view of another example of the configuration of the first and second spatial structuring parts of the cooling structure. A cross-sectional view of another example of the configuration of the first and second spatial structuring parts of the cooling structure. A cross-sectional view of another example of the configuration of the first and second spatial structuring parts of the cooling structure. A cross-sectional view of another example of the configuration of the first and second spatial structuring parts of the cooling structure. A cross-sectional view of another example of the configuration of the first and second spatial structuring parts of the cooling structure.

[0021] [Introduction] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The drawings show an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis that are orthogonal to each other. The X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis are fixed coordinate systems fixed to the cooling structure 100 and are common to all the drawings. In this specification, the upper and lower sides of the paper along the Z-axis in each drawing may also be simply referred to as upper and lower sides.

[0022] 1 and 2 are diagrams showing a cooling structure 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the cooling structure 100. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the cooling structure 100 taken along line AA' in Fig. 1. The cooling structure 100 has a flat rectangular parallelepiped shape with a small dimension in the Z-axis direction, with the X-axis direction as the longitudinal direction, the Y-axis direction as the width direction, and the Z-axis direction as the height direction.

[0023] The cooling structure 100 forms a flow path 101 for a cooling medium. The flow path 101 is a space configured to allow the cooling medium to flow. In the cooling structure 100, the flow path 101 penetrates in the X-axis direction at the center in the Y-axis and Z-axis directions, and the cooling medium can flow in the X-axis direction within the flow path 101.

[0024] The cooling structure 100 also has a cooling region 102. The cooling region 102 is a region provided for cooling an object to be cooled. In the cooling structure 100, the cooling region 102 is configured as an opening that penetrates from the underside to the flow path 101 in the Z-axis direction. A metal member P that liquid-tightly closes the cooling region 102 is attached to the cooling structure 100.

[0025] The cooling structure 100 constitutes a cooling device that cools an object to be cooled together with a metal member P. In this cooling device, the upper surface of the metal member P is exposed to the flow path 101, and the lower surface of the metal member P is exposed to the outside, so that the object to be cooled that is thermally connected to the lower surface of the metal member P can be cooled by circulating a cooling medium through the flow path 101 of the cooling structure 100.

[0026] A liquid cooling medium, such as general cooling water, is assumed to be used as the cooling medium circulated through the flow path 101 in the cooling device using the cooling structure 100. The cooling water used as the cooling medium may contain an additive dissolved in water, and for example, an antifreeze agent such as ethylene glycol may be added.

[0027] The cooling structure 100 has a cooling section 110, a first transport section 120, a second transport section 130, a first connection section 140, and a second connection section 150. In the cooling structure 100, the cooling section 110, the first and second transport sections 120, 130, and the first and second connection sections 140, 150 are aligned along the X-axis direction to form a series of flow paths 101.

[0028] The cooling structure 100 is made of a resin material. The cooling structure 100 can be manufactured, for example, by separately producing an upper part and a lower part by injection molding and then joining the two parts together. Note that the manufacturing method of the cooling structure 100 is not limited to a configuration using injection molding, and may be a configuration using, for example, a 3D printer.

[0029] Examples of resin materials that make up the cooling structure 100 include thermoplastic resins such as polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyamide (PA), liquid crystal polymer (LCP), and polycarbonate (PC), and composite resin materials in which these are filled with fillers can also be used.

[0030] In the cooling structure 100, the first transport section 120, the first connection section 140, the cooling section 110, the second connection section 150, and the second transport section 130 are arranged in this order from the first end section 100a to the second end section 100b in the X-axis direction. That is, in the cooling structure 100, the first transport section 120 is located closest to the first end section 100a, and the second transport section 130 is located closest to the second end section 100b.

[0031] In the cooling structure 100, the cooling region 102 is arranged in the cooling section 110. In the cooling structure 100, the cooling medium that flows into the flow path 101 from the first end 100a on the first transport section 120 side passes through the cooling region 102 arranged in the cooling section 110 and flows out of the flow path 101 at the second end 100b on the second transport section 130 side.

[0032] The cooling structure 100 is designed based on the base model M100, which is assumed to be the simplest structure for forming a cooling medium flow path. In other words, the cooling section 110, the first and second transport sections 120, 130, and the first and second connection sections 140, 150 are designed to improve cooling performance and durability compared to the base model M100.

[0033] 3 and 4 are diagrams showing the base model M100. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the base model M100. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the base model M100 taken along line aa' in Fig. 3. The base model M100 has the same external shape as the cooling structure 100, and also has a cooling region M102 with a configuration similar to that of the cooling region 102 of the cooling structure 100.

[0034] The base model M100 has a flow path M101 that has a different configuration from the flow path 101 of the cooling structure 100. In the base model M100, the flow path M101 is configured as a rectangular parallelepiped space whose dimensions in the Y-axis and Z-axis directions are constant along the X-axis direction, that is, the area of ​​the cross section of the flow path M101 that is perpendicular to the X-axis is constant along the X-axis direction.

[0035] The dimensions of the flow path M101 of the base model M100 can be determined in various ways depending on the application of the cooling structure 100. As an example, the flow path M101 of the base model M100 can have a dimension of 150 mm in the X-axis direction, a dimension of 45 mm in the Y-axis direction, and a dimension of 12 mm in the Z-axis direction.

[0036] 5 and 6 are diagrams showing the cooling section 110 of the cooling structure 100. Fig. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of the cooling section 110 by enlarging Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the cooling section 110, obtained by cutting the cooling structure 100 along line B-B' in Fig. 2. The cooling section 110 of the cooling structure 100 has a throttle structure 111 as an additional configuration with respect to the base model M100.

[0037] The throttle structure 111 protrudes from the upper surface side toward the cooling region 102 below across the entire width of the flow path 101 in the Y-axis direction. In the cooling section 110, the throttle structure 111 is provided, so that the cross section of the flow path 101 is narrower than the cross section of the flow path M101 of the base model M100, forming a narrowest portion 101a that is the part of the flow path 101 with the narrowest cross section.

[0038] In the cooling structure 100, the flow path 101 is narrowed in the cooling section 110, so that the cooling medium whose flow rate is increased in the cooling section 110 passes through the cooling region 102 at high speed. As a result, in the cooling structure 100, the heat absorbed from the cooling region 102 by the cooling medium can be quickly transferred, thereby achieving high cooling performance.

[0039] The throttle structure 111 has a deepest part 111a that protrudes downward the deepest. That is, the throttle structure 111 is closest to the cooling region 102 at the deepest part 111a. In the flow path 101, the deepest part 111a of the throttle structure 111 forms a narrowest part 101a where the cross-sectional area is smallest.

[0040] In the throttle structure 111, the deepest part 111a is a plane along the XY plane that faces the cooling region 102 over its entire area. Therefore, in the cooling section 110, in the narrowest part 101a, which has a constant rectangular cross section, the cooling medium can pass over the cooling region 102 at high speed without losing its flow rate.

[0041] The aperture structure 111 is provided with a first connection recess 111b and a second connection recess 111c on both sides of the deepest portion 111a in the X-axis direction. The first connection recess 111b is a concave surface that connects the deepest portion 111a to the first connection portion 140. The second connection recess 111c is a concave surface that connects the deepest portion 111a to the second connection portion 150.

[0042] In the cooling structure 100, the first connection recess 111b is designed to effectively obtain the functions of improving the cooling performance of both the cooling unit 110 and the first connection unit 140 described below. Moreover, the second connection recess 111c is designed to effectively obtain the functions of improving the cooling performance of both the cooling unit 110 and the second connection unit 150 described below.

[0043] 7 collectively shows the first and second transfer sections 120, 130, which have a common configuration in the cooling structure 100. That is, Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the first transfer section 120 obtained by cutting the cooling structure 100 along line CC' in Fig. 2, and is also a cross-sectional view of the second transfer section 130 obtained by cutting the cooling structure 100 along line DD' in Fig. 2.

[0044] The first transfer section 120 of the cooling structure 100 has a first spatial structure section 121 as an additional configuration to the base model M100. The second transfer section 130 of the cooling structure 100 has a second spatial structure section 131 as an additional configuration to the base model M100. The first and second spatial structure sections 121, 131 will be described together below.

[0045] The first and second spatial structure portions 121 and 131 constitute a spatial structure exposed to the flow path 101. In this embodiment, the spatial structure refers to a structure designed to disperse stress applied by the cooling medium flowing through the flow path 101. In other words, the first and second spatial structure portions 121 and 131 are designed to constitute such a spatial structure.

[0046] In the cooling structure 100, the first and second transport sections 120 and 130 are provided with the first and second spatial structure sections 121 and 131, thereby dispersing the stress received from the cooling medium passing through the flow path 101. As a result, the cooling structure 100 is less likely to receive localized stress from the cooling medium passing through the flow path 101, and high durability can be obtained even in a resin configuration.

[0047] Specifically, the first and second spatial structure portions 121 and 131 are provided on the upper and lower surfaces of the flow channel 101, respectively, and are configured by ridge structures with triangular cross sections that extend in the X-axis direction and are arranged in two rows in the Y-axis direction. The first and second spatial structure portions 121 and 131 divide the flow channel 101 into thirds in the Y-axis direction by connecting the tops of the upper and lower ridge structures.

[0048] Fig. 8 collectively shows the first and second connecting portions 140, 150, which have a common configuration in the cooling structure 100. That is, Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the first connecting portion 140 obtained by cutting the cooling structure 100 along line E-E' in Fig. 2, and is also a cross-sectional view of the second connecting portion 150 obtained by cutting the cooling structure 100 along line F-F' in Fig. 2.

[0049] The first and second connection portions 140, 150 of the cooling structure 100 do not have any additional configuration compared to the base model M100. In other words, the first and second connection portions 140, 150 do not have a structure that reduces the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path M101 of the base model M100, so the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path 101 is ensured to be as wide as possible.

[0050] As described above, in the cooling structure 100, the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path 101 is smallest at the narrowest portion 101a and largest at the first and second connection portions 140, 150. In other words, the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path 101 in the first and second transfer portions 120, 130 is larger than that at the narrowest portion 101a and smaller than that at the first and second connection portions 140, 150.

[0051] In this way, the cooling structure 100 is configured such that the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path 101 changes as the cooling medium flows from the first end 100 a to the second end 100 b, and the flow rate of the cooling medium changes accordingly. As a result, the cooling structure 100 achieves high cooling performance in the cooling region 102.

[0052] Specifically, in the cooling structure 100, the flow path 101 widens when the cooling medium flows from the first transport section 120 into the first connection section 140. As a result, in the flow path 101, turbulent flow of the cooling medium occurs at the first connection section 140, and in this turbulent state, the cooling medium flows from the first connection section 140 into the cooling section 110.

[0053] In the cooling structure 100, turbulence is generated in the cooling medium, which promotes active mixing of momentum and thermal energy in the cooling medium, thereby dramatically increasing heat transfer between the cooling medium and the cooling region 102 while the cooling medium passes through the cooling section 110. As a result, in the cooling structure 100, the amount of heat absorbed by the cooling region 102 by the cooling medium increases, improving the cooling performance of the cooling region 102.

[0054] Furthermore, in the cooling structure 100, by widening the flow path 101 at the first connection portion 140 just before the cooling portion 110, it is possible to more rapidly narrow the flow path 101 in the cooling portion 110. As a result, in the cooling structure 100, the flow rate of the cooling medium increases more rapidly in the cooling portion 110, thereby further improving the cooling performance of the cooling region 102.

[0055] Furthermore, in the cooling structure 100, the flow path 101 widens as the cooling medium passes through the narrowest part 101a of the cooling section 110 and flows into the second connecting part 150. As a result, turbulence occurs in the cooling medium at the second connecting part 150 in the flow path 101, and the cooling medium in a spiral loop state is constantly replaced above the cooling region 102, maintaining a state in which the low-temperature part of the cooling medium is in contact with the cooling region 102. Therefore, in the cooling structure 100, the cooling performance of the cooling region 102 is further improved.

[0056] In addition, in the cooling structure 100, by providing a second connection section 150 between the cooling section 110 and the second transport section 130, which has a larger cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path 101 than the second transport section 130, the turbulent energy of the cooling medium flowing out from the narrowest section 101a provided in the cooling section 110 is increased, making it easier to improve the cooling performance of the cooling region 102.

[0057] Additionally, in the cooling structure 100, the flow path 101 is narrowed when the cooling medium flows from the second connection part 150 into the second transfer part 130. As a result, in the cooling structure 100, the turbulent flow energy of the cooling medium is less likely to be lost within the second connection part 150, making it easier to obtain the above-mentioned effect due to the turbulent flow of the cooling medium generated in the second connection part 150.

[0058] In the cooling structure 100, in order to obtain the above-mentioned effect more effectively, it is preferable that the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path 101 at the narrowest part 101a be 10% to 41% of the first and second connecting parts 140, 150. Also, in the cooling structure 100, it is preferable that the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path 101 at the first and second transfer parts 120, 130 be 41% to 80% of the first and second connecting parts 140, 150.

[0059] In the cooling structure 100, in addition to the effects of the above-described first and second spatial structure portions 121, 131, the first and second connecting portions 140, 150 generate turbulence in the cooling medium in the flow path 101, thereby further dispersing the stress applied from the cooling medium in the flow path 101. This further improves the durability of the cooling structure 100.

[0060] The cooling structure 100 can be used for various purposes. In particular, the cooling structure 100 can ensure high cooling performance and durability in a lightweight configuration using a resin material, and therefore has a greater advantage in applications where the object to be cooled is an in-vehicle device and the cooling structure 100 is installed in an automobile together with the in-vehicle device.

[0061] [Other Configuration Examples of Cooling Structure 100] (Lightening Hole Structure) Figures 9 to 12 are perspective views of the cooling structure 100 according to other configuration examples. Figure 9 is a perspective view of the cooling structure 100. Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of the cooling structure 100 taken along line G-G' in Figure 9. Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view of the cooling structure 100 taken along line H-H' in Figure 10. Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view of the cooling structure 100 taken along line I-I' and line J-J' in Figure 10.

[0062] In order to reduce the weight of the cooling structure 100 according to this configuration example, a hollowed-out structure is provided to reduce the resin material in the portions that do not contribute to the formation of the flow path 101. The cooling structure 100 according to this configuration example differs from the above-described embodiment in that a hollowed-out structure is provided in the cooling section 110 and the first and second transfer sections 120, 130.

[0063] Specifically, in the cooling structure 100 according to this configuration example, a first cutout structure 112 is provided in the cooling section 110, and second cutout structure portions 122 and 132 are provided in the first and second transfer sections 120 and 130, respectively. The first cutout structure portion 112 and the second cutout structure portions 122 and 132 constitute cutout structures that are different from each other.

[0064] The first hollowed-out structural portion 112 is provided at a position corresponding to the drawing structural portion 111, and is configured to be hollowed out in a concave shape from the upper surface of the cooling portion 110. The second hollowed-out structural portions 122, 132 are provided at positions corresponding to the first and second spatial structural portions 121, 131, and are configured to be hollowed out in a concave shape from the upper and lower surfaces of the first and second conveying portions 120, 130.

[0065] Neither the first cutout structural portion 112 nor the second cutout structural portions 122, 132 penetrates to the flow path 101, i.e., they are not exposed to the flow path 101. Therefore, in the cooling structure 100 according to this configuration example, the first cutout structural portion 112 and the second cutout structural portions 122, 132 do not affect the behavior of the cooling medium in the flow path 101.

[0066] In the cooling structure 100 according to this configuration example, the first hollowed structural portion 112 has a honeycomb structure in which hexagonal columnar holes extending in the Z-axis direction are arranged. The second hollowed structural portions 122 and 132, together with the first and second spatial structural portions 121 and 131, form a truss structure having a cross-sectional shape formed by combining triangles.

[0067] In the cooling structure 100, the first hollowed structural portion 112 and the second hollowed structural portions 122, 132 form a nodal structure (node-link structure) such as a honeycomb structure or a truss structure, which disperses stress received from the outside in addition to stress received from the cooling medium in the flow path 101. As a result, the cooling structure 100 is less likely to be subjected to localized stress due to external shocks and vibrations as well as the cooling medium in the flow path 101, thereby further improving durability.

[0068] In this way, the cooling structure 100 according to this configuration example is further lightened and has higher durability against external shocks and vibrations by providing the first lightening structural portion 112 and the second lightening structural portions 122, 132. Therefore, the cooling structure 100 according to this configuration example is even more suitable for use in cooling in-vehicle devices.

[0069] (Other Configuration Examples of the Constriction Structure 111) In the cooling structure 100, the configuration of the constriction structure 111 may be different from that described above. For example, in the constriction structure 111, the dimensions and ratios of the deepest part 111a, the first connection recess 111b, and the second connection recess 111c in the X-axis direction can be changed in various ways as shown in Fig. 13, and the position of the deepest part 111a in the X-axis direction can be changed in various ways as shown in Fig. 14.

[0070] Furthermore, in the cooling structure 100, the shape of the longitudinal cross section of the throttle structure 111 along the X-Z plane can be changed in various ways. For example, the longitudinal cross section of the throttle structure 111 can be semicircular as shown in Fig. 15, or alternatively, can be elliptical, rectangular, polygonal, etc. Furthermore, the longitudinal cross section of the throttle structure 111 may have an asymmetric shape in the X-axis direction.

[0071] Furthermore, in the cooling structure 100, it is not essential that the throttle structure 111 be provided across the entire width of the flow path 101 in the Y-axis direction, that is, the throttle structure 111 may not be provided in a part of the Y-axis direction. For example, the throttle structure 111 does not have to be provided in the center part in the Y-axis direction as shown in FIG. 16 , and conversely, it may be provided only in the center part in the Y-axis direction.

[0072] (Other Configuration Examples of the First and Second Spatial Structures 121, 131) In the cooling structure 100, the configurations of the first and second spatial structure members 121, 131 may be different from those described above. For example, as shown in Fig. 17 , the first and second spatial structure members 121, 131 may be configured to divide the flow path 101 into two flow paths with diamond-shaped cross sections by a three-row ridge structure extending in the X-axis direction.

[0073] Furthermore, the dimensions of each rib structure in the first and second spatial structure portions 121, 131 can be changed in various ways, and multiple rows of rib structures extending in the X-axis direction may be spaced apart in the Y-axis direction as shown in Figures 18 and 19. Furthermore, the cross-sectional shape of the first and second spatial structure portions 121, 131 may be a trapezoidal shape as shown in Figure 18 or a semi-elliptical shape as shown in Figure 19, other than a triangular shape.

[0074] Furthermore, the first and second spatial structure portions 121 and 131 may have a more complex spatial structure in order to better distribute the stress applied by the cooling medium flowing through the flow passage 101. For example, the first and second spatial structure portions 121 and 131 may have a honeycomb structure by dividing the flow passage 101 into a plurality of hexagonal prism-shaped flow passages extending in the X-axis direction.

[0075] In addition, the first and second spatial structure portions 121 and 131 do not have to be configured to divide the flow path 101 into a plurality of portions, that is, they may be configured to be exposed to a continuous flow path 101 in the Y-axis direction. For example, in the first and second spatial structure portions 121 and 131, the tops of the upper and lower ridge structures may be spaced apart in the Z-axis direction, as shown in Figures 21 and 22.

[0076] Furthermore, the first and second spatial structure portions 121, 131 do not have to be provided on both the upper and lower surfaces of the flow channel 101, that is, they may be provided on only one of the upper and lower surfaces of the flow channel 101. For example, the first and second spatial structure portions 121, 131 may form a spatial structure such as an arch structure shown in Fig. 23 or a dome structure shown in Fig. 24 on either the upper or lower surface of the flow channel 101.

[0077] (Other Embodiments) Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and various modifications can be made.

[0078] For example, in the cooling structure 100, the first and second spatial structure portions 121 and 131 may not have the same configuration, that is, the first and second spatial structure portions 121 and 131 may have different spatial structures. Also, the first and second spatial structure portions 121 and 131 may each be divided into a plurality of regions that have different spatial structures.

[0079] Furthermore, in the cooling structure 100, the second cutout structural portions 122, 132 may be provided on only one of the upper and lower surfaces of the first and second transfer sections 120, 130. Furthermore, in the cooling structure 100, the first cutout structural portion 112 and the second cutout structural portions 122, 132 may be configured to reduce the resin material in the portions that do not contribute to the formation of the flow path 101, and may not have a nodal structure such as a honeycomb structure or a truss structure. For example, in the cooling structure 100, the first cutout structural portion 112 and the second cutout structural portions 122, 132 may be simply configured to be hollowed out in a concave shape over the entire surface, as long as durability can be ensured.

[0080] Furthermore, in the cooling structure 100, it is sufficient that the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path 101 in the first and second connection sections 140, 150 is larger than that of the cooling section 110 and the first and second conveying sections 120, 130, and the first and second connection sections 140, 150 may also be provided with additional configurations compared to the base model M100 as necessary.

[0081] In addition, the cooling structure 100 does not necessarily have to have the first and second connecting parts 140, 150, that is, the first and second transport parts 120, 130 may be directly connected to the cooling part 110. Even in the cooling structure 100 having such a configuration, the flow rate of the cooling medium in the flow path 101 is increased above the cooling region 102 of the cooling part 110, and turbulence is generated in the cooling medium that has passed through the narrowest part 101a due to the expansion of the flow path 101, thereby improving the cooling performance.

[0082] Furthermore, the cooling device using the cooling structure 100 is not limited to a configuration in which the metal member P is attached to the cooling region 102 and the object to be cooled is cooled via the metal member P. In other words, the cooling device may be configured in such a way that the object to be cooled is directly attached to the cooling region 102 of the cooling structure 100 and the object to be cooled is directly cooled by the flow path 101.

[0083] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100... Cooling structure 101... Flow path 101a... Narrowest portion 102... Cooling region 110... Cooling section 111... Throttle structure section 112... First lightening structure section 120... First conveying section 121... First spatial structure section 122... Second lightening structure section 130... Second conveying section 131... Second spatial structure section 132... Second lightening structure section 140... First connecting section 150... Second connecting section P... Metal member

Claims

1. A cooling structure made of resin that forms a flow path for a cooling medium, comprising: first and second transport sections in which first and second spatial structure sections that are exposed to the flow path are formed; a cooling section that is located between the first and second transport sections and that passes through the cooling section and is provided with a cooling area for cooling an object to be cooled and a narrowest section that has the smallest cross-sectional area in the flow path.

2. A cooling structure as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: a first connection section located between the first transport section and the cooling section, the first connection section having a larger cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path than the first transport section; and a second connection section located between the second transport section and the cooling section, the second connection section having a larger cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path than the second transport section.

3. A cooling structure according to claim 2, wherein the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path at the narrowest part is 10% to 41% of that of the first and second connecting parts.

4. A cooling structure according to claim 3, wherein the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path in the first and second transfer sections is 41% or more and 80% or less of that in the first and second connection sections.

5. A cooling structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the cooling section is formed with a throttle structure that is exposed to the flow path and protrudes toward the cooling region.

6. A cooling structure according to claim 5, wherein the cooling section is formed with a first hollow structure that is not exposed to the flow path.

7. A cooling structure according to claim 6, wherein the first hollowed structural portion forms a honeycomb structure.

8. A cooling structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein at least one of the first and second transport sections is formed with a second hollow structure section that is not exposed to the flow path.

9. A cooling structure according to claim 8, wherein the second hollowed structural portion forms a truss structure together with at least one of the first and second spatial structural portions.

10. A cooling structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the object to be cooled is an in-vehicle device.

11. A cooling device comprising: a cooling structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4; and a metal member disposed in the cooling region of the cooling structure and exposed to the flow path.

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