Sheet-Formed LED Heat Sink for Fluorescent Replacement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fluorescent tube lights pose disposal problems due to toxic materials, and LED-based replacements face heat dissipation issues that affect their performance.
Innovation Solution
A LED-based light with a heat sink shaped from a flat sheet of thermally conductive material, providing a high surface area to width ratio for efficient heat dissipation, which is lighter, cheaper, and requires less material than traditional extruded heat sinks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If heat sink is formed by extruding billets of material through a die, then heat dissipation capability is improved, but manufacturing cost and material usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The heat sink transitions from a three-dimensional extruded structure to a two-dimensional sheet-formed structure that is bent and shaped to create fin surfaces. This dimensional change allows for greater surface area creation from less material, improving heat dissipation while reducing manufacturing complexity and cost compared to traditional extrusion processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the heat sink by forming it from sheet material with specific bend radii and fin configurations. The sheet material is formed to have a high surface area to width ratio, optimizing heat dissipation performance while using less material than conventional extruded designs.
2Temperature
If heat sink surface area is increased through extrusion projections, then heat dissipation capability is improved, but material quantity and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The heat sink utilizes sheet material that is bent and formed to create three-dimensional fin structures, effectively using two-dimensional material to achieve three-dimensional heat dissipation surfaces. This approach increases surface area without requiring the same material quantity as traditional extruded projections.
Solution Approach 2:
The sheet material is formed with curved surfaces and rounded fin structures rather than sharp extruded edges. The curved geometry allows for more efficient heat distribution across the surface while using less material compared to angular extruded projections.
3Strength
If heat sink is made from traditional extruded material, then structural integrity is maintained, but weight and material usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The heat sink is formed from sheet material by bending and shaping, creating a lightweight structure that maintains structural integrity through proper fin design and material selection. This sheet-formed approach reduces material usage and weight compared to traditional extruded designs while preserving the necessary structural strength.
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
The solution effectively addresses heat dissipation in LED-based lights, enabling them to replace conventional fluorescent lights while being more cost-effective and environmentally friendly.
Implementation Method 1
heat sink having a high surface area to width ratio, shaped from a flat sheet of thermally conductive material
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is a method of forming a LED-based light for replacing a conventional fluorescent bulb in a fluorescent light fixture including providing a heat sink of highly thermally conductive material having opposing longitudinally extending edges, mounting a plurality of LEDs in thermally conductive relation with the heat sink and enclosing the plurality of LEDs within a light transmitting cover such that the longitudinally extending edges engage an interior of the cover to support the heat sink within the light transmitting cover.