Movable Cooling Plate Mechanism for Electronic Control Unit Thermal Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic control units face a challenge in maintaining effective cooling efficiency due to potential increased distance between the electronic device and the cooling plate during installation, which degrades the cooling performance.
Innovation Solution
The electronic control unit incorporates a movable member with a protrusion that interacts with guide grooves on the electronic device, allowing the cooling plate to be moved closer to the electronic device, thereby improving cooling efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the electronic device is installed on the rack with a fixed cooling plate, then the installation structure is simple, but the distance between the electronic device and cooling plate increases, degrading cooling efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling plate is designed to be movable in the thickness direction rather than fixed, allowing it to dynamically adjust its position. The movable member with protrusion and guide groove mechanism enables the cooling plate to move closer to the electronic device during installation, maintaining optimal cooling contact while preserving installation simplicity.
2Temperature
If the cooling plate is made movable to improve cooling efficiency, then the cooling performance improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The movable member is divided into distinct functional segments: the protrusion that engages with the guide groove, the inclined portion that enables movement, and the holding portion that secures position. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, simplifying the overall design while achieving the desired cooling plate mobility.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide groove with inclined portion automatically guides the protrusion during installation, causing the cooling plate to move closer to the electronic device without requiring external actuation. The mechanism self-activates through the installation process itself, eliminating the need for additional motors or actuators.
3Ease of operation
If the guide groove has an inclined portion to enable automatic positioning, then the installation ease improves, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The inclined portion provides more than just positioning; it also guides the entire insertion process and ensures proper alignment. By designing the inclined portion with appropriate angle and dimensions, the system achieves both easy installation and adequate positioning precision without requiring extremely tight manufacturing tolerances on all components.
Data Source
AI summary
In an electronic control unit, an electronic device including guide members at ends is installable to a rack along an installation direction orthogonal to a thickness direction. A movable member is disposed in the rack and holds a cooling plate to be movable in the thickness direction. The guide member includes a guide groove to receive a protrusion of the movable member. The guide member has an inclined portion, as a part of the guide groove, inclined relative to the installation direction and a holding portion at an end in the installation direction. The electronic device is configured to cause the movable member to move toward the electronic device by guiding the protrusion from the inclined portion toward the holding portion, after the electronic device is placed in a placement position to face the cooling plate, thereby mounted on the rack.