Vehicle LED Cooling Element with Variable Width

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle lighting devices face challenges in maintaining a consistent operating temperature for multiple light sources over long-term use, leading to potential variations in luminous flux and color.

Innovation Solution

The cooling element of the heat dissipation arrangement is widened in the direction of the air flow, with its transverse extension varying based on air flow speed, temperature, and distance between light sources, enhancing cooling capacity and adapting to lighting requirements, and can be designed in one piece or multiple segments, with features like inclined cooling surfaces and metallization on LED carriers.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If a uniform cooling element is used for multiple light sources, then the structure is simple, but the operating temperature varies along the air flow direction

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecooling element structureVSAvoidoperating temperature uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling element features variable thickness along the air flow direction, with the first region having a first thickness and the second region having a second thickness greater than the first. This non-uniform structure creates different cooling capacities in different regions, compensating for the heating effect of air flow and maintaining uniform operating temperatures across all light sources.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Temperature

If the cooling element thickness is increased to enhance cooling capacity, then cooling effect improves, but device volume increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecooling capacityVSAvoidcooling element volume
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSVolume of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of uniformly increasing the cooling element thickness throughout, the invention applies increased thickness (second thickness > first thickness) only in the second region where air flow heating is most significant. This localized approach enhances cooling capacity where needed while minimizing overall volume increase.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The cooling element's variable thickness creates a three-dimensional structure that optimizes heat dissipation in the thickness dimension while maintaining a compact overall form factor, avoiding excessive volume increase.

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 solution ensures uniform cooling and maintains light sources within a predetermined operating temperature range, preventing undesired variations in luminous flux and color, while accommodating installation space and adapting to different lighting configurations.

Implementation Method 1

a cooling element (6) of the heat dissipation arrangement (2) is widened in the direction (R) of the air flow, with a width (B2) at a second end (9) of the light source arrangement (1) being greater than a width (B1) at a first end (5) of the light source arrangement (1)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 2

heat dissipation arrangement (2) for exchanging heat between the light source arrangement (1) and an air flow

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectConvection: Convection

Data Source

PatentEP1914472B1Illumination device for vehicles
Publication Date: 2009.09.02 HELLA GMBH & CO KGAA
  • EP1914472B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP1914472B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The device has a light source arrangement with a set of LEDs arranged along an extension plane. A heat dissipating arrangement exchanges heat between the light source arrangement and an air stream, and has a cooling unit and an electro-plating (26) that are permanently attached to the diodes. The cooling unit and the electro-plating have the heat dissipation surface that increases along a direction (R) of the air stream, where the direction runs parallel to the extension plane of the diodes.