Movable Heat Sink Cooling Assembly for Height Tolerance Compensation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing cooling devices face challenges in efficiently dissipating heat from objects with slight height differences due to manufacturing tolerances, as traditional designs with integrated heat sinks are impaired by thermal paste, which can be insufficient for heat-sensitive or high-performance components.

Innovation Solution

A cooling device design where the heat sink is movably connected to a separate cooling component, allowing for adjustable positioning relative to the basic component, enabling compensation for manufacturing tolerances and maintaining effective heat transfer without relying on thick thermal paste layers.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If thermal paste is used to compensate for manufacturing tolerances, then height differences between objects can be accommodated, but heat dissipation efficiency deteriorates due to the thermal resistance of the paste layer

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadaptability to height differencesVSAvoidheat dissipation efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling device is divided into a base component and a separately movable cooling component, allowing independent adjustment of the cooling component's position to accommodate height variations without relying on thermal paste

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The cooling component is made movable relative to the base component through a movable connection mechanism, enabling dynamic adjustment of the cooling component's position to match the height of different objects being cooled, thereby eliminating the need for thick thermal paste layers

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Device complexity

If the heat sink is integrated into the base component, then the structure is simplified, but the ability to adjust for manufacturing tolerances is lost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural simplicityVSAvoidadjustability to height variations
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The integrated heat sink design is segmented into a base component and a separate cooling component, allowing the cooling component to be adjusted independently to accommodate height variations while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The movable connection mechanism provides multi-functionality by enabling both structural support and position adjustment, allowing the cooling device to adapt to different object heights without significantly increasing device complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

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 design allows for stable heat dissipation across objects with varying heights, ensuring efficient heat transfer and minimizing the impact of manufacturing tolerances, even for sensitive or high-performance components, by using a movable heat sink connected to the cooling component, which can be adjusted relative to the basic component.

Implementation Method 1

for absorbing waste heat from the object to be cooled and for passing the waste heat on to cooling fluid flowing through the cooling fluid line

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 2

for passing the waste heat on to cooling fluid flowing through the cooling fluid line

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentEP4369391A1Refrigerating device
Publication Date: 2024.05.15 ERWIN QUARDER SYSTEMTECHNIK GMBH
  • EP4369391A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4369391A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4369391A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present invention relates to a cooling device for dissipating heat from an object to be cooled, such as an electronic component, for example a chip, arranged in particular on a printed circuit board, comprising a cooling fluid line for the flow of cooling fluid, a basic component (11) having one or more cooling fluid line sections, and a heat sink (14) that can be arranged on an object to be cooled, in particular made of solid material and preferably plate-shaped, for absorbing waste heat from the object to be cooled and for transferring the waste heat to the cooling fluid flowing through the cooling fluid line of the cooling device during operation, in particular such a heat sink (14) made of metal or a thermally conductive metal alloy.The invention is characterized in that the heat sink (14) is arranged on a cooling component (12) of the cooling device which has at least one cooling fluid line section of the cooling fluid line, and which is movably connected to the base component (11) by means of a fluid-conducting connection of this cooling fluid line section to a cooling fluid line section of the base component (11), so that the cooling component (12) and the base component (11) can be moved relative to each other as required to adjust the position of the heat sink (14) of the cooling component (12) either towards each other or away from each other.