Trapezoidal Cooling Fin for Electrical Component Housing

The fin base is divided into multiple contact points that distribute the thermal connection across the housing surface, creating multiple continuous thermal paths instead of relying on discrete weld points. This segmentation allows the fin to maintain continuous thermal contact while simplifying the attachment process.

The patent replaces the mechanical welding or soldering system with a pressure-based mechanical contact system. The fin base is pressed against the housing surface to create continuous thermal contact, eliminating the need for thermal joining processes and significantly reducing labor intensity while maintaining reliable thermal conductivity.

The fin is constructed from a thin, flexible metal sheet that can be bent and shaped into the desired configuration. This thin-film approach allows the fin to achieve a large surface area for heat dissipation without requiring thick material, reducing weight while maintaining manufacturing simplicity. The flexibility of the thin sheet enables it to conform to the housing surface for optimal thermal contact.

The fin design transitions from a conventional two-dimensional flat structure to a three-dimensional folded configuration. By bending the thin metal sheet into multiple folds and layers, the surface area is dramatically increased within the same footprint, allowing efficient heat dissipation without increasing the overall size or weight of the component.

The fin base geometry is modified by changing key parameters such as the width of the contact surface and the angle of the sides to create a trapezoidal profile. This parameter change increases the contact surface area with the housing, enabling continuous thermal contact. The complexity is managed by optimizing these parameters within standard manufacturing capabilities.

The use of a flexible thin metal sheet allows the trapezoidal profile to be created through simple bending operations rather than complex machining. The material's flexibility enables the formation of the angled sides and expanded base area through forming processes, maintaining fabrication simplicity while achieving the desired geometric complexity for improved thermal contact.