Board Cooling Frame With Flexible Locking for Easy Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling devices for electronic components in vehicles are complex to install and expensive to manufacture, failing to provide an efficient and cost-effective solution for heat management.
Innovation Solution
A cooling device featuring a frame with slide slots and a locking device comprising a flexible holding element that can be easily bent into a holding configuration, allowing for simple installation and reduced component count, thereby lowering production costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional cooling devices are used, then cooling function is provided, but installation complexity increases and manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling device is divided into modular components: a frame with integrated slide slots, electronic component boards with heat-conducting plates, and independent locking devices. This segmentation allows for simplified manufacturing of individual parts and easier assembly during installation, directly addressing both manufacturing cost and installation complexity concerns.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking device incorporates a flexible retaining element that can dynamically change shape between a straight configuration (for insertion) and a bent configuration (for locking). This dynamic characteristic enables simple manual operation during installation while maintaining secure locking, reducing both manufacturing complexity and installation difficulty.
2Reliability
If a secure locking mechanism is implemented, then plate retention is ensured, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is designed to be self-actuating through the flexible retaining element. When the electronic component board is inserted into the slide slot, the retaining element automatically bends and locks the plate in position without requiring additional actuators, motors, or complex mechanical linkages. This self-service approach ensures reliable plate retention while minimizing component count and manufacturing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The retaining element is made from a flexible material that can bend and deform to engage with the electronic component board. This flexibility allows a single simple element to provide secure retention, replacing what would otherwise require multiple rigid components and complex assembly mechanisms, thus reducing device complexity while maintaining reliability.
3Ease of operation
If a flexible retaining element is used, then ease of installation improves and manufacturing cost decreases, but locking force may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible retaining element utilizes curved or bent geometry to convert small applied forces into larger locking forces through mechanical leverage. When the element is bent into its locking configuration, the curvature creates mechanical advantage that amplifies the locking force, ensuring secure retention despite the flexibility of the material and the simplicity of the installation operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The retaining element's physical parameters (shape, curvature, material properties) are optimized to provide sufficient locking force in its bent configuration while remaining easy to manipulate during installation. By carefully controlling the degree of bending, material selection, and geometric parameters, the element delivers both ease of operation and adequate locking force.
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 cooling device effectively dissipates heat from electronic components while being easy to install and manufacture, offering a cost-effective solution for heat management in vehicles.
Implementation Method 1
The heat-conducting platform 18 is configured to conduct the heat generated by the electronic component 16
Implementation Method 2
The retaining element 38 is flexible. The angular stiffness in bending of the retaining element 38... is preferably between 0.1 Nmrad-1 and 1 Nmrad-1
Data Source
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AI summary
This cooling device (14) for at least one electronic component board (12) comprises: - a frame (22), including at least one slide slot (32) for receiving an edge (20) of the board (12), and - a locking device (23) for holding the board (12) in position within the frame (22). The locking device (23) includes a retaining element for housing in the slide slot (32), the retaining element being flexible, the retaining element having a holding configuration in which the retaining element is flexed so as to press the edge (20) of the board (12) against the pressure face (36), and a release configuration in which the retaining element is straightened and allows movement of the board (12) within the slide slot (32).