Radar Antenna Housing Ventilation Path Design

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Solution Overview

Problem

Radar antennas face challenges in efficiently releasing heat generated by components like CPUs and magnetrons within the housing without compromising assembly ease or design aesthetics, as traditional heat release methods like fins are difficult to implement and can degrade the antenna's design.

Innovation Solution

A ventilation path is formed within the housing to penetrate it, allowing for efficient heat release without external heat release members, and components are strategically separated to prevent heat transfer, ensuring sensitive components are protected and assembly remains straightforward.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If heat release members such as fins are attached to the outer surface of the housing, then heat release ability is improved, but assembly difficulty increases and design quality deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat release abilityVSAvoidassembly difficulty
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The ventilation path is merged with the housing structure itself, forming an integrated cooling system. The housing includes internal partitions that create ventilation channels, eliminating the need for separate external heat release members. This integration maintains heat release functionality while simplifying assembly and improving design quality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The ventilation path is nested within the housing structure, with partitions creating internal channels. Heat generating components are positioned within these nested ventilation channels, allowing heat to be conducted to the housing walls and released through external surfaces without requiring attached fins or external ducts.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Volume of stationary object

If multiple heat generating components are disposed close together to save space, then device compactness is improved, but heat accumulation worsens

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice compactnessVSAvoidheat accumulation
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of stationary objectVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The housing interior is segmented into multiple ventilation channels by internal partitions. Heat generating components such as the CPU and magnetron are assigned to different channels, allowing heat to be conducted to different external surfaces of the housing. This segmentation prevents heat accumulation while maintaining compactness, as each component has its own dedicated heat release path.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Productivity

If the circuit board is disposed inside the housing to achieve modularization, then manufacturing efficiency is improved, but heat accumulation worsens

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemodularization efficiencyVSAvoidheat accumulation
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The housing structure provides localized cooling solutions within different regions. The circuit board is disposed in a specific region with dedicated ventilation channels and partitions that direct airflow and heat conduction paths. This local quality approach allows modularization while ensuring the CPU and other components on the circuit board have adequate heat release capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

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 effectively reduces heat-related failures in sensitive components while maintaining the radar antenna's design integrity and ease of assembly by allowing air to pass through the ventilation path, enhancing cooling efficiency without exposing external ducts.

Implementation Method 1

A ventilation path 18 is formed in a predetermined ventilating direction and penetrates the housing 16... allowing air to pass through the ventilation path, enhancing cooling efficiency

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectConvection: Convection

Implementation Method 2

heat easily accumulates inside the housing... since the CPU on the circuit board is a heat generating body... heat release members, such as fins, to an outer surface of the housing

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentEP2736115B1Radar antenna and radar apparatus including the same
Publication Date: 2020.10.07 FURUNO ELECTRIC CO LTD
  • EP2736115B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2736115B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2736115B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A radar antenna (2) is provided. The radar antenna (2) includes an antenna body (4), a housing (16) housing a plurality of components (9, 10, 11, 12) for controlling the antenna body (4), and a ventilation path (18) formed in a predetermined ventilating direction and penetrating the housing (16). One or more of the plurality of components (9, 10, 11, 12) are disposed inside the housing (16) to be separated from the rest of the components with respect to the ventilation path (18) therebetween.