Compressible Thermal Pad with Apertures for Camera Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Digital camera devices require thermal pads that can handle significant mechanical tolerances while maintaining low variation in compression force to prevent interference with active alignment and glue curing, especially between the PCB carrying the image sensor and the lens holder.
Innovation Solution
A thermal pad made of compressible material with apertures between its main sides, allowing for local compression without global deformation, which can be efficiently die-cut with minimal additional cost, ensuring consistent heat transfer from electronic components to cooling structures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a solid thermal pad is used to transfer heat, then heat transfer capability is improved, but compression force increases significantly with compression
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal pad incorporates a plurality of apertures running between its first and second main sides, creating a porous structure that allows the material to compress with reduced force increase. The apertures provide void space that can be depleted during compression, enabling the thermal pad to maintain heat transfer capability while reducing the rate of compression force increase compared to solid thermal pads.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a thermal pad is compressed to handle mechanical tolerances, then adaptability is improved, but compression force variation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The apertures are distributed across the thermal pad structure, allowing different regions to compress independently based on local mechanical tolerance requirements. This localized compression capability enables the thermal pad to adapt to varying mechanical tolerances across different areas while maintaining more consistent overall compression force, as the aperture depletion occurs progressively rather than uniformly across the entire pad.
3Strength
If a thermal pad is made solid for structural stability, then strength is improved, but compressibility decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal pad combines a solid base material with an aperture structure, creating a composite construction that maintains the structural stability of the solid material while introducing compressibility through the aperture voids. The solid portions provide strength and thermal conduction pathways, while the apertures enable compression and deformation without requiring the entire material to be porous or flexible.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The thermal pad effectively manages mechanical tolerances with low compression force variation, ensuring efficient heat transfer and maintaining alignment integrity in camera systems, particularly between the image sensor and lens holder.
Implementation Method 1
a thermal pad adapted to conduct heat from an electronic component
Implementation Method 2
The apertures are adapted to deform such that a volume of each aperture is decreased when the thermal pad is compressed
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to thermal pad (200) adapted to conduct heat from an electronic component (113), where the thermal pad (200) is made in a compressible material and comprises a first main side (201) and a second main side (202). The first main side (201) is adapted to face an electronic component (113) and the second main side (202) is adapted to face a structure (203) that is adapted to absorb heat from the thermal pad (202). The thermal pad (200) further comprises a plurality of apertures (204) that run between the first main side (201) and the second main side (202), where the apertures (204) are adapted to deform such that a volume (V) of each aperture (204) is decreased when the thermal pad (200) is compressed such that a first shortest distance (h1) between the first main side (201) and the second main side (202) decreases to a second shortest distance (h2) between the first main side (201) and the second main side (202).