Foldable LED Heat Sink PCB Assembly for Thermal Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complexity and increased labor costs in manufacturing LED light systems for emergency vehicles due to the need for metal heat sinks to manage heat generated by LEDs, which complicates the configuration of desired lighting effects.
Innovation Solution
A light system comprising separate individual rigid metal LED heat sinks with flexible printed circuit boards, allowing for heat dissipation and foldable configuration to form a polyhedron shape, with a supplemental internal heat sink and enclosure for enhanced thermal management and aesthetic integration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a metal heat sink is incorporated into the light system to manage LED heat, then thermal management is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the heat sink and printed circuit board into a single integrated component. The heat sink includes integrated circuit board portions that directly support LED components, eliminating the need for separate heat sink and PCB assemblies. This integration reduces manufacturing steps, lowers labor costs, and simplifies the overall device structure while maintaining effective thermal management.
2Temperature
If a metal heat sink is added to the light system, then heat dissipation is improved, but labor costs and manufacturing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated heat sink with built-in circuit board portions eliminates the need for separate assembly steps for mounting heat sinks and PCBs. The single-component design allows for streamlined manufacturing processes, reduced labor requirements, and faster production cycles, thereby improving manufacturing efficiency while maintaining effective heat dissipation.
3Illumination intensity
If LEDs are configured to produce desired lighting effects, then lighting performance is improved, but heat generation and thermal management complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated heat sink design with embedded circuit board portions provides direct thermal pathways from LED components to heat dissipation structures. This integration ensures efficient heat removal while maintaining the LED configurations needed for desired lighting effects, resolving the conflict between lighting performance and thermal management.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful heat generated by LEDs into a manageable thermal flow by designing integrated heat sinks that directly contact LED components. The heat that would otherwise be a problem is channeled through the integrated structure to external surfaces for efficient dissipation, turning the harmful thermal byproduct into a controlled thermal management process.
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 simplifies the manufacturing process while effectively managing heat and maintaining desired lighting effects, reducing labor costs and improving thermal efficiency in LED light systems.
Implementation Method 1
LED regions of the flexible printed circuit board carrying the LEDs are disposed on the outwardly facing LED support surfaces of the LED heat sinks whereby the LED heat sinks can dissipate heat from the LEDs
Data Source
AI summary
A light system comprises at least three separate individual rigid metal LED heat sinks each having a respective substantially planar outwardly facing LED support surface and a flexible printed circuit board. The flexible printed circuit board comprises a flexible substrate carrying a plurality of LEDs, electrical control components, electrical input components and electrical traces. LED regions of the flexible printed circuit board carrying the LEDs are disposed on the outwardly facing LED support surfaces with light-emitting surfaces of the LEDs outwardly facing. Adjacent LED heat sinks are foldably coupled to one another by joints formed by fold regions of the flexible printed circuit board extending between respective spaced-apart edges of the adjacent ones of the LED heat sinks. Each adjacent pair of the outwardly facing LED support surfaces are non-parallel to one another whereby the outwardly facing LED support surfaces are disposed on notional faces of a notional polyhedron.