Cooled Electronic Enclosure with Integral Leak Venting
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current double-sided cooling structures for high-power electronic components require additional parts or compromise environmental integrity, lacking a seamless assembly method.
Innovation Solution
A cooled enclosure design featuring first and second housing parts cast from the same mold with built-in connecting parts that form coolant passages, allowing for leak venting to the exterior if a breach occurs, eliminating the need for separate connecting parts and ensuring a robust environmental seal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If additional separate connecting parts are added to the assembly, then the coolant passages can be formed, but the device complexity increases and the environmental seal may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting parts are integrated directly into the housing structure, eliminating separate components. The housing includes built-in connecting parts that are coupled together to form coolant passages, merging the housing and connecting parts into a single integrated structure that maintains environmental integrity without requiring additional separate parts
Solution Approach 2:
The housing serves multiple functions: it provides structural enclosure, forms coolant passages through integrated connecting parts, and maintains environmental sealing. The connecting parts serve dual purposes of structural connection and fluid pathway formation, reducing the need for additional specialized components
2Temperature
If double sided cooling structures are implemented, then cooling efficiency improves, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling structure is divided into first and second housing parts with respective coolant passages, allowing independent manufacturing of each housing from the same mold. This segmentation enables parallel production and simplifies manufacturing while achieving double-sided cooling functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The first and second housing parts are cast from the same mold, creating identical or mirror-image structures. This copying approach standardizes manufacturing processes, reduces tooling complexity, and ensures consistency in the double-sided cooling configuration
3Reliability
If integral connecting parts with leak venting are designed, then reliability improves by preventing coolant contact with electronics, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The lip structure acts as an intermediary element between the connecting parts, providing a sealing interface that receives the end of another connecting part. This intermediary lip with its associated slot creates a controlled interface that prevents direct coolant contact with electronics while managing leak paths
Solution Approach 2:
The housing parts are molded with built-in connecting parts and sealing features already integrated into the casting. Secondary machining operations are performed after molding to create precise sealing surfaces, performing critical precision work after the main structure is formed to ensure accurate sealing interfaces
Data Source
AI summary
A case assembly encloses heat generating electronic components. The case includes first and second housing parts which can be cast from the same mold. Covers are mounted to the housings to form coolant passages. The housing parts include built-in the connecting parts which are coupled together to form additional coolant passages. One of the connecting parts has a lip which sealingly receives an end of another connecting part. The lip is received by a slot adjacent to the other connecting part. The slot communicates with an exterior of the housing.