Heatsink-less Electronic Unit Thermal Layout

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Solution Overview

Problem

The challenge is to miniaturize electronic units on vehicles without using heat sinks or metal core substrates, as traditional heat radiation methods require additional space and increase costs, while preventing thermal interference among heating components that can exceed their allowable temperature limits.

Innovation Solution

The solution involves a heatsink-less electronic unit with a metal coreless electronic substrate, where semiconductor relays and a microcomputer are arranged separately on the substrate, with the highest temperature relays positioned farthest from the microcomputer and spread across the substrate's end portions, utilizing multiple layers of copper foil conductive patterns for efficient heat dissipation without the need for heat sinks or metal core substrates.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If heat radiating components such as heatsinks or metal core substrates are used to prevent thermal interference, then component temperature control is improved, but device size and installation space increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecomponent temperature controlVSAvoiddevice size
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the heat dissipation function from separate heat radiating components (heatsinks, metal core substrates) and integrates it directly into the PCB substrate through copper foil conductive patterns. This eliminates the need for additional heat radiating components while maintaining effective heat dissipation, thereby reducing device size and installation space.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention merges the heat dissipation function with the PCB substrate by incorporating copper foil conductive patterns directly into the substrate structure. This integration combines the structural support function of the PCB with the thermal management function, eliminating the need for separate heat radiating components and reducing overall device volume.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Temperature

If heat radiating components such as heatsinks or metal core substrates are used to prevent thermal interference, then component temperature control is improved, but manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecomponent temperature controlVSAvoidmanufacturing cost
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the heat dissipation function from expensive separate heat radiating components and implements it using standard PCB copper foil conductive patterns. This approach uses materials and manufacturing processes already inherent in PCB fabrication, thereby eliminating the need for additional expensive heat radiating components and reducing manufacturing cost.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention uses the PCB substrate's copper foil conductive patterns, which are standard, inexpensive components of PCB fabrication, to perform heat dissipation. This replaces expensive heat radiating components with a cost-effective solution that leverages existing PCB structure and materials.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

3Volume of moving object

If multiple heating components are arranged closely to achieve miniaturization, then device size is reduced, but thermal interference increases causing components to exceed allowable temperature

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice sizeVSAvoidcomponent temperature
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The invention applies local quality by creating high-density copper foil conductive patterns in specific areas of the PCB substrate where heating components are located. This provides enhanced local heat dissipation capacity at critical thermal zones, allowing components to be arranged closely for miniaturization while preventing local temperature from exceeding allowable limits through targeted thermal management.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The invention utilizes multiple layers of copper foil conductive patterns in the vertical dimension of the PCB substrate to enhance heat dissipation. By stacking conductive patterns across multiple layers, the invention creates three-dimensional thermal pathways that increase heat dissipation surface area and efficiency, enabling close component arrangement without thermal interference.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

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 configuration effectively prevents thermal interference among semiconductor relays, allowing for miniaturization and space savings while maintaining component temperature within safe limits, even in conditions like rainy nights when components generate high heat, without the use of heat sinks or metal core substrates.

Implementation Method 1

utilizing multiple layers of copper foil conductive patterns for efficient heat dissipation

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentEP2953435B1Heatsink-less electronic unit
Publication Date: 2019.03.06 YAZAKI CORP
  • EP2953435B1 patent drawingFigure 1(A)~1(B)
  • EP2953435B1 patent drawingFigure 2(A)~2(B)
  • EP2953435B1 patent drawingFigure 3(A)~3(B)

AI summary

There is provided a heatsink-less electronic unit (10) including a microcomputer (11) and various semiconductor relays (12H and 12L to 14) which are mounted on a metal coreless electronic substrate (10A), wherein the microcomputer (11) is arranged on the metal coreless electronic substrate (10A), wiper relays (12H and 12L) are separated at longest distances from a location where the microcomputer (11) is arranged, and the wiper relays (12H and 12L) are also arranged separately from each other.