Household Appliance Lighting Unit With Metal PCB Heat Dissipation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing LED lighting in household appliances, such as washing machines and tumble dryers, faces challenges with heat dissipation, which affects the light's lifespan and efficiency, and often requires expensive printed circuit boards with thick copper coatings, while maintaining compact dimensions is difficult.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates an elongate rod element with a pocket for the printed circuit board and a plug-in/soldered connection, where the holding part serves as both a heat sink and voltage supplier, allowing for flexible adaptation and improved cooling through direct contact with the ambient air, using cost-effective materials like thermoplastic for the base and metal for the holding part.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a printed circuit board with thick copper coating is used to dissipate heat, then heat dissipation is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the holding part and heat dissipation function into a single metal component. The metal holding part simultaneously supports the printed circuit board and acts as a heat sink, eliminating the need for separate thick copper coatings on the PCB. This merging of functions reduces manufacturing complexity and cost while maintaining effective heat dissipation.
Solution Approach 2:
The metal holding part serves as an intermediary heat transfer component between the printed circuit board and the base. It conducts heat from the PCB to the base, which has a large surface area for dissipation, providing an efficient thermal pathway without requiring expensive modified PCBs.
2Temperature
If the holding part is made larger to improve heat dissipation, then cooling efficiency is improved, but the overall dimensions of the lighting increase
Solution Approach 1:
The base is designed with a large surface area that extends in multiple dimensions, providing extensive heat dissipation area without increasing the height or overall footprint of the lighting assembly. The heat dissipation function is distributed across the base structure rather than requiring a larger holding part.
3Ease of manufacture
If the printed circuit board is electrically contacted at the pocket, then assembly is simplified, but electrical contact reliability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The holding part combines mechanical support and electrical contact functions in a single integrated component. The metal holding part provides both structural support for the PCB and reliable electrical contact points, eliminating the need for separate contact mechanisms and simplifying assembly while maintaining reliability.
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
This solution enhances heat dissipation by 20°K, enabling more compact designs, higher ambient temperature operation, and the use of cost-effective LEDs, while maintaining effective illumination and adaptability to different installation conditions.
Implementation Method 1
the holding part comprises a metal which ensures good thermal conductivity from the light source to the base serving as a cooling surface
Implementation Method 2
the base and the cover then form a housing for the lighting... the size of the base, which ultimately serves as a heat sink for the lighting
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a lighting unit (1), in particular for a household appliance, for example, for the drum of a washing machine, of a laundry drier or the like, having a printed circuit board (5), having a lamp (6) arranged on the printed circuit board (5) and having a socket (3) for holding the printed circuit board (5). The printed circuit board (5) is arranged on a metal holding part (8) in such a manner that a good heat conducting contact is established between the printed circuit board (5) and the holding part (8). Moreover, the holding part (8) is attached to the socket (3) in such a manner that a good heat transmission from the holding part (8) to the socket (3) is also established.