Heat-Conductive Panel for Circuit Board Cooling and Mounting
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic device mounting and cooling systems, such as those for inverters, face challenges with the strain and damage of wire harnesses during servicing and the added cost, volume, and power consumption of forced convection systems like fans and pumps.
Innovation Solution
A heat-conductive panel assembly with fins, mounting bosses, thermal bosses, and a connector mount, where the circuit board is mechanically attached and the wire harness is secured along a rail, allowing for efficient heat dissipation and independent assembly without disturbing the connector and harness during housing access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a forced convection system (fan or pump) is used to cool the control card, then the cooling effectiveness is improved, but the device complexity, cost, volume, and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The control card housing itself serves as the heat sink, utilizing its own structure to dissipate heat without requiring external cooling components. The housing is made from a heat-conductive material and includes integrated cooling fins, allowing the housing to actively participate in cooling the control card through passive heat dissipation.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling function is merged with the housing structure. Instead of being a separate system, the heat dissipation features (fins, conductive material) are integrated directly into the housing that already encloses the control card, combining structural and thermal management functions into a single component.
2Ease of operation
If the connector is secured externally to the housing with the harness threaded through a hole, then the external interface accessibility is improved, but the wire harness is strained or damaged during servicing
Solution Approach 1:
The wire harness is pre-secured to the housing structure at multiple points along its length, not just at the connector end. This preliminary securing arrangement ensures that when the connector is accessed or removed, the harness remains supported and prevented from bearing excessive strain or damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing structure provides localized support and guidance for the wire harness at specific points along its path. Features such as harness guides or secured attachment points are placed at critical locations where the harness is most vulnerable, providing targeted protection without affecting overall harness flexibility or connector accessibility.
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 provides effective heat management and structural integrity for the circuit board, reducing the risk of harness damage and minimizing additional component costs, while maintaining portability and configurability of the electronic device.
Implementation Method 1
The panel is a heat-conductive material to conduct heat from the circuit board to the panel
Implementation Method 2
The first surface includes a plurality of fins
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus is provided that includes a housing for an electronic device. The housing includes a plurality of side walls and a removable exterior housing panel. A circuit board is mechanically attached to a first side of the panel, which faces an interior of the housing when the panel is secured to the plurality of side walls. The panel is made from a heat-conductive material to conduct heat from the circuit board to the panel and exterior environment.