Vertical Circuit Component Mounting with Thermal Bonding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional mounting methods for power regulating components on printed wiring boards (PWBs) in Circuit Card Assemblies (CCAs) fail to maximize area utilization while effectively managing thermal and structural aspects, leading to inefficiencies in size reduction and thermal management.
Innovation Solution
A circuit component arrangement featuring a base with open channels and inlet passages for thermal bonding agents, allowing for vertical mounting of components with a thermally conductive injectable bonding agent that creates a labyrinthine bond path, enhancing thermal management and reducing bulk.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If traditional mounting methods are used for power regulating components, then electrical isolation and shorting prevention are achieved, but area utilization is not maximized and thermal management requires large PWB areas
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from traditional planar mounting to vertical mounting by defining circuit components with a height greater than their width, mounting them vertically relative to the CCA plane. This dimensional change maximizes area utilization while simplifying thermal and structural management through the vertical orientation and integrated base structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The base structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides mechanical support, thermal management pathways, and structural integrity. The thermally conductive bonding agent also serves dual purposes as both adhesive and thermal transfer medium, eliminating the need for separate fasteners and isolation techniques.
2Temperature
If conventional mounting methods are used, then structural stability is maintained, but thermal management efficiency is reduced and component bulk is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes injectable thermally conductive bonding agents that can be injected through inlet passages into open channels, creating a controlled flow path for thermal management. This injection method ensures complete filling of channels while minimizing air pockets and maximizing thermal contact between components and the base.
Solution Approach 2:
The base is segmented with multiple open channels distributed across its surface, each channel providing a dedicated thermal pathway. This segmentation allows efficient heat dissipation from multiple components simultaneously, reducing overall thermal resistance while maintaining a compact form factor.
3Area of stationary object
If vertical mounting is implemented, then area utilization is maximized and form factor is improved, but bonding agent injection and filling control becomes more challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The base is pre-configured with open channels and inlet passages during manufacturing, establishing the bonding agent flow paths before component assembly. This preliminary structuring simplifies the subsequent bonding agent injection process and ensures proper filling of all channels without requiring complex real-time control during assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The inlet passages serve as intermediaries that control the flow of bonding agent into the open channels. These passages regulate the injection process, ensuring complete and uniform filling of channels while preventing overflow or air entrapment, thereby simplifying the overall manufacturing process.
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 enables improved thermal management and reduced size by allowing for efficient vertical mounting of circuit components on PWBs, providing a superior form factor and thermal pathway while minimizing weight and bulk, particularly beneficial in aerospace applications.
Implementation Method 1
A thermally conductive injectable bonding agent adheres a plurality of circuit components to a base
Implementation Method 2
The channel includes an inlet passage passing from a surface of the base in fluid communication with the open channel for filling the bonding agent into the open channel
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
A circuit component arrangement (100) comprising: a base (102); at least one circuit component (104) mounted to the base (102); and an injectable bonding agent (106) adhering the at least one circuit component (104) in intimate thermal contact to the base (102), wherein the bonding agent (106) is disposed in a respective open channel (108) defined in an outward facing surface (110) of the base (102) in contact with each of the at least one circuit component (104), and wherein the base (102) includes two opposite sides, each having at least one circuit component (104) mounted thereto, with respective open channels (108) and bonding agent adhering the circuit components (104) to the base (102).