Cooling device for electric circuit

Abstract

A cooling device to which an electric circuit may be mounted includes a cooling body provided with a front edge having bores forming V-shaped channels inside the body. Intersecting V-shaped channels are closed by plugs to thereby define a continuous cooling circuit inside the cooling body.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to cooling devices. More specifically, the present invention is concerned with a cooling device to which an electric circuit is to be mounted.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Cooling devices are well known in the art of electric circuits. They are usually designed to collect heat generated by one or more electronic components and dissipate this collected heat away from the electronic components to thereby improve their performance or, in some cases, allow them to function properly.

Fluids are often used to collect the heat and to transfer it from the vicinity of the electronic components to the vicinity of the dissipating element.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is therefore to provide a cooling device for an electric circuit.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

More specifically, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a cooling assembly for an electric circuit; said cooling assembly comprising a generally planar body including an electric circuit receiving surface, a front edge and a rear edge; said body being provided with a cooling circuit having:

• • an inlet;
  • an outlet;
  • at least two pair of bores provided on said edge; each pair of bores being so configured and sized as to define a V-shaped channel; said bores being so distanced on said edge that each said V-shaped channel intersects with at least one adjacent V-shaped channel; intersections of said V-shaped channels being closed via plugs; one of said at least two pair of bores being associated with said inlet and another of said at least two pair of bores being associated with said outlet.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cooling assembly for an electric circuit; said cooling assembly comprising a generally planar body including an electric circuit receiving surface and a front edge provided with at least two pair of bores each defining V-shaped channels; said cooling assembly further comprises plugs so inserted into said bores as to close intersections of said V-shaped channels, an inlet and an outlet.

Other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading of the following non-restrictive description of preferred embodiments thereof, given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the appended drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cooling device according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top sectional view of the cooling device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlargement of a portion of FIG. 2, illustrating two bores interconnected by a plug;

FIG. 4 is a top sectional view of a cooling device according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a top sectional view of a cooling device according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a top sectional view of a cooling device according to a third embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 7 is an enlargement of a portion of FIG. 6, illustrating two bores interconnected by a plug.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Generally stated, the present invention proposes to use a cooling body having a circuit receiving surface and provided with a plurality of bores that interconnect to form a cooling circuit having an inlet and an outlet provided on edges of the cooling body. The interconnection between the various bores is done via the crossing of bores or via plugs that close selected bores and that are provided on the edges of the body.

FIG. 1 of the appended drawings is a perspective view illustrating a cooling device 10 according to a first non-restrictive embodiment of the present invention.

The cooling device 10 includes a generally planar cooling body 12 having a circuit receiving surface 14. An electric circuit (not shown) may be mounted to the surface 14 via fasteners (not shown).

The cooling body 12 is made of a single piece of heat conductive material, such as for example aluminum, that may be machined or otherwise formed into the desired shape.

As can be seen in FIG. 2, the cooling body 12 is formed with a plurality of V-shaped channels each defined by a straight bore 16 and an angled bore 18; one transversal bore 20; an inlet 22 and an outlet 24. The straight bores 16 being aligned with an axis of the body 12.

The straight and angled bores 16 and 18 are made from the front edge 26 of the cooling body 12, for example by a drilling process, to yield the V-shaped channels.

The straight bores 16 are equally distanced and go from the front edge 26 almost to the rear edge 28. The main function of the angled bores 18 is to interconnect the bottom of one straight bore 16 to the opening of an adjacent straight bore 16. The angle of the angle bores 18 is therefore dictated by the length of the straight bore 16 and by the distance separating two adjacent straight bores 16.

To make a cooling circuit having an inlet 22 and an outlet 24, the interconnections between adjacent V-shaped channels must be closed.

As can be better seen from FIG. 3, to close these interconnections, a straight hole 30 is made at the junction of the opening of the straight and angled bores.

These straight holes 30 are so configured and sized as to receive a deformable plug 32 therein.

A deformable plug 32 is also inserted in the opening of the transversal bore 20 to properly close it.

Deformable plugs are well known in the art and will not be described in detail herein. For example, the Betapl UG manufactured by the Lee Company, Westbrook, Conn., USA, has been found an adequate plug 32. Of course, the dimensions of the straight holes 30 are advantageously in accord with the maker's directives.

Once the plugs 32 are inserted and deformed in the holes 30, a cooling circuit is formed. This cooling circuit extends from the inlet 22 to the outlet 24 as can be visualized by the arrows 34. Of course, connectors (not shown) are mounted to the inlet 22 and outlet 24 to allow connection to a cooling fluid source (not shown).

One skilled in the art will understand that the manufacture of the cooling device 10 is simple. The main steps are the formation of the body 12 having the required dimensions; the drilling of the straight, angled and transversal bores 16, 18 and 20 (by using a drill-press, for example); the drilling of the straight holes 30 (by using a drill-press, for example); the insertion of the deformable plugs 32 in the straight holes 30; the deformation of the deformable plugs 32 to seal the holes 30; and the installation of the connectors (not shown) to the inlet and outlet 22 and 24.

It is to be noted that the insertion of the plugs 32 in the holes 30 may require the tapering of the holes 30. Of course, the instructions of the plug manufacturer should be followed to insure a fluid tight closing of the holes 30.

It is to be noted that while the body of the cooling assembly is shown herein as having a generally rectangular circuit receiving surface 14, other surface shapes could be used, depending on the application.

One of the many advantages of the cooling device 10 is that the deformable plugs 32 are all positioned on the surface of the body 12. Indeed, should a leak occur, it would be easy to notice and to repair.

Turning now to FIG. 4 of the appended drawings, a cooling device 100 according to a second illustrative embodiment of the present invention will be described. It is to be noted that since the cooling device 100 is very similar to the cooling device 10 described hereinabove with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, only the main differences between these cooling devices will be described hereinbelow.

Generally stated, the main difference between the cooling device 100 and the cooling device 10 is that the all the plugged bores of the cooling device 100 are provided on the front edge 102 thereof. To obtain this configuration, one of the V-shaped channels is inverted with respect to the others.

As will easily be understood by one skilled in the art, this configuration yields a portion that is less cooled than the rest of the device 100 (see dotted portion 104). This portion 104 may be positioned anywhere on the cooling device 100 during the design, depending on the position of the heat generating components (not shown) of the electric circuit (not shown).

Turning now to FIG. 5 of the appended drawings, a cooling device 200 according to a third illustrative embodiment of the present invention will be described. It is to be noted that since the cooling device 200 is very similar to the cooling device 10 described hereinabove with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, only the main differences between these cooling devices will be described hereinbelow.

Generally stated, the cooling device 200 includes only angled bores 202 that are provided between the front edge 204 and the rear edge 206 of the body 208. Accordingly, plugs are used on both the front and rear edges 204 and 206 to form the cooling circuit.

Finally, turning to FIGS. 6 and 7 of the appended drawings, a cooling device 300 according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. The cooling device 300 is very similar to the cooling device of 200 of FIG. 5. Accordingly, for concision purposes, only the differences between these cooling devices will be described herein.

The cooling device 300 has two features that are concerned with improving the flow of fluid from the inlet 302 to the outlet 304. The first feature improving the flow is the removal of the pointed junction between adjacent angled bores 306. These pointed junctions are machined once the angled bores 306 and straight holes 308 are done. The machining takes place through the straight holes 308. As can be seen from FIG. 6, this feature allows the cooling fluid to flow with less restriction (see arrows 310).

Turning now to FIG. 7, the second feature improving the fluid flow is the concave shape of the bottom 312 of the plug 314. Indeed, this concave bottom 312 helps reduce the turbulence of the cooling fluid (see arrow 316), thereby improving the flow of cooling fluid.

Although the present invention has been described hereinabove by way of preferred embodiments thereof, it can be modified, without departing from the spirit and nature of the subject invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A cooling assembly for an electric circuit; said cooling assembly comprising a generally planar body including an electric circuit receiving surface, a front edge and a rear edge; said body being provided with a cooling circuit having:

an inlet;

an outlet;

at least two pair of bores provided on said edge; each pair of bores being so configured and sized as to define a V-shaped channel; said bores being so distanced on said edge that each said V-shaped channel intersects with at least one adjacent V-shaped channel; intersections of said V-shaped channels being closed via plugs; one of said at least two pair of bores being associated with said inlet and another of said at least two pair of bores being associated with said outlet.

2. The cooling assembly of claim 1, wherein each said at least two pair of bores include a straight bore and an angled bored so angled with respect to an axis of said body and so distanced from one another as to define said V-shaped channel.

3. The cooling assembly of claim 2, wherein said straight bores and said angled bores alternate.

4. The cooling assembly of claim 3, wherein said body further includes a U-shaped channel defined by two consecutive straight bores and a transversal bore done in a side edge of the body.

5. The cooling assembly of claim 1, wherein each said at least two pair of bores include a first angled bore and a second angled bored so angled with respect to an axis of said body and so distanced as to define said V-shaped channel.

6. The cooling assembly of claim 1, wherein said plugs used to close intersecting V-shaped channels are deformable plugs.

7. The cooling assembly of claim 1, wherein each said bore reach said rear edge of said body; each said pair or bores including a plug provided on said rear edge of said body to close said bores and define the V-shaped channel.

8. The cooling assembly of claim 5, wherein each said bore reach said rear edge of said body; each said pair or bores including a plug provided on said rear edge of said body to close said bores and define the V-shaped channel.

9. The cooling assembly of claim 8, wherein a pointed junction of each of said pair of angled bores is removed.

10. The cooling assembly of claim 1, wherein said body is made of aluminum.

11. A cooling assembly for an electric circuit; said cooling assembly comprising a generally planar body including an electric circuit receiving surface and a front edge provided with at least two pair of bores each defining V-shaped channels; said cooling assembly further comprises plugs so inserted into said bores as to close intersections of said V-shaped channels, an inlet and an outlet.

12. The cooling assembly of claim 10, wherein each said at least two pair of bores include a straight bore and an angled bored so angled with respect to an axis of said body and so distanced from one another as to define said V-shaped channel.

13. The cooling assembly of claim 12, wherein said straight bores and said angled bores alternate.

14. The cooling assembly of claim 13, wherein said body further includes a U-shaped channel defined by two consecutive straight bores and a transversal bore done in a side edge of the body.

15. The cooling assembly of claim 11, wherein each said at least two pair of bores include a first angled bore and a second angled bored so angled with respect to an axis of said body and so distanced as to define said V-shaped channel.

16. The cooling assembly of claim 11, wherein said plugs used to close intersecting V-shaped channels are deformable plugs.

17. The cooling assembly of claim 11, wherein each said bore reach a rear edge of said body; each said pair or bores including a plug provided on said rear edge of said body to close said bores and define the V-shaped channel.

18. The cooling assembly of claim 11, wherein said body is made of aluminum.

19. The cooling assembly of claim 15, wherein each said bore reach said rear edge of said body; each said pair or bores including a plug provided on said rear edge of said body to close said bores and define the V-shaped channel.

20. The cooling assembly of claim 19, wherein a pointed junction of each of said pair of angled bores is removed.