EXTERNAL CELLULAR HEAT SINK STRUCTURE

Abstract

An external cellular heat sink structure includes a base and a heat dissipating body integrally formed on the base. The heat dissipating body includes a plurality of hollow cellular units, wherein the neighboring cellular units are connected together, and each cellular unit has at least two openings for communicating the connected cellular units with each other. Thus, the cellular unit can provide the larger dissipation area, and each opening can let the gas pass and disperse the gas so that the time and possibility for the gas to contact the heat dissipating surface are lengthened and increased, respectively, and the heat dissipation efficiency is increased.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a technological field of a heat sink, and more particularly to an external cellular heat dissipating structure, which can be applied to a LED road lamp, a solar thermoelectric conversion apparatus or any other apparatus or element requiring heat dissipation by way of heat transfer.

2. Related Art

A typical light-emitting diode (LED) apparatus, such as a LED road lamp, generates a lot of heat with the elapse of time after being turned on. The high-temperature causes poor effects, such as the lowered working efficiency and endurability, to the LED apparatus. Thus, the typical LED apparatus is almost equipped with a heat sink or a heat dissipating system to perform the heat dissipation. The frequently seen heat sink is composed of many heat dissipating fins, which are arranged in parallel at the same level so that the heat is dissipated to the atmosphere through the surface of each heat dissipating fin. In addition, the flowing air streams can take the heat away through the gaps between the heat dissipating fins.

Because the heat sink is exposed to the atmosphere, the rain, dust or leaves may directly fall on the heat dissipating fins. Therefore, in order to prevent the problems, such as the unpredictable leakage current, the short-circuit condition or the fan failure, the outdoor heat sink is not suitable for the working in conjunction with the fan.

One method for increasing the heat dissipation efficiency is to increase the number of the heat dissipating fins to enlarge the dissipation area. However, increasing the number of heat dissipating fins would decrease the gap between the neighboring heat dissipating fins. In addition, the parallel and contour structure of the heat dissipating fins disables the heat inside the inner heat dissipating fins from being easily dissipated. Thus, the heat accumulation is produced, and the heat dissipation effect cannot be substantially enhanced.

Also, the too-dense heat dissipating fins increase the possibility of the accumulation of the dust or leaves, and disable the flowing air streams from easily passing through the gaps between the heat dissipating fins so that the heat dissipation efficiency of the heat sink is poor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an external cellular heat sink structure with the larger dissipation area, so that the flowing air streams can flow within the heat sink in many directions and the heat sink has the higher heat dissipation efficiency.

According to the above-identified object and effect, the invention discloses an external cellular heat sink structure including a base and a heat dissipating body integrally formed on the base. The heat dissipating body includes a plurality of hollow cellular units. The neighboring cellular units are connected together, and each cellular unit has at least two openings for communicating the connected cellular units with each other.

Thus, the cellular unit can provide the larger dissipation area, and each opening can let the air streams or gas streams pass and disperse the air streams or gas streams so that the time and possibility for the air streams or gas streams to contact the heat dissipating surface are lengthened and increased, respectively, and the heat dissipation efficiency is increased.

Further scope of the applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the present invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a pictorial view showing a first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic plane view showing the first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic plane view showing a second embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration showing a top-view structure and gas flow directions of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration showing another top-view structure and gas flow directions of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration showing still another top-view structure and gas flow directions of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a pictorial view showing that one side of an opening of the cellular unit of the invention has an arced wall edge.

FIG. 8 is a schematic illustration showing another structure according to a third embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 9 is a schematic illustration showing that the invention is applied to a structure of a LED road lamp.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same references relate to the same elements.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a heat sink 10 includes a base 12 and a heat dissipating body 14 integrally formed on the base 12.

In detail, the heat dissipating body 14 includes a plurality of hollow cellular units 16, wherein the neighboring cellular units 16 are connected together. In addition, the top edge of the heat dissipating body 14 is formed with an arced structure 32 (see FIG. 2) having two sides and a middle portion higher than the two sides.

As shown in FIG. 3, the top edge of the heat dissipating body 14 may be formed with a continuous arced wavy structure 34 having peaks that may be located at the same level.

According to the above-mentioned disclosure, the peaks of the arced wavy structure 34 may be located at different levels. For example, the peak at the middle position is located at a higher level, and the peak at the lateral side is located at a lower level.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the cellular unit 16 may be a hexagonal column structure, and at least two structure surfaces are selected from multiple structure surfaces of each cellular unit, and each of the selected structure surfaces is formed with an opening 18. In other words, the cellular unit 16 may have two openings 18 extending in two different directions. In detail, the neighboring cellular units 16 may communicate with one another through the openings 18 formed on the structure surfaces.

As shown in FIG. 5, the cellular unit 16 of the invention may be formed with four openings 18 extending in different directions. The neighboring and connected cellular units 16 may communicate with one another through the openings 18. However, the number of the openings 18 is not particularly restricted thereto, and may be adjusted according to the actual requirements without affecting the structural strength. In other words, the numbers of the openings 18 formed in different cellular units 16 may be the same as or different from one another.

As shown in FIG. 4 or 5, after the flowing air streams contact the heat dissipating body 14, a portion of the air streams contacts with the external surface of the heat dissipating body 14 and takes the surface heat away, and the other portion of the air streams may enter the heat dissipating body 14 from the opening 18 on the windward surface, and the air streams flow into other cellular units 16 through other openings 18. It is to be noted that the pattern and direction of the arrow represent the schematic flowing direction of the flowing air stream, but does not intend to restrict the substantial flowing direction of the air stream.

According to FIGS. 4 and 5, it is obtained that the air streams, after entering the heat dissipating body 14, can flow in different directions and continuously contact the structure surface (heat dissipating surface) of each cellular unit 16. Therefore, the air streams flowing out of the heat dissipating body 14 can concurrently take away a portion of heat of each cellular unit 16, so that the temperature of each cellular unit 16 is decreased and the good dissipation effect is obtained.

On the other hand, as the number of the openings 18 gets more, the selectivity of the air flow directions gets more and the flowing path gets longer. Thus, the time, during which the air is left in the heat dissipating body 14, is lengthened, and the air streams contact each cellular unit 16 with the longer time and the higher possibility. Thus, the air streams, flowing out of the heat dissipating body 14, can take more heat away, so that the heat dissipating body 14 has the better dissipation effect.

In addition, the more structure surfaces of the cellular unit 16 represent that the heat dissipating body 14 may have more surfaces serving as the windward surfaces. Thus, the air streams flowing in different directions may enter the heat dissipating body 14 more easily.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the top edge of the heat dissipating body 14 of the invention has the arced or wavy shape, so the air streams, flowing along the top edge of the heat dissipating body 14, can satisfy the streamline movement track, and can thus take away the heat of the heat dissipating body 14 more smoothly.

In the example of FIG. 6 showing the cellular unit 16 constituted by the hexagonal columns, two opposite structure surfaces may be selected, and each of the selected structure surfaces is formed with an opening 18, so that the two openings 18 are disposed opposite each other, and the overall heat dissipating body 14 is formed with a through channel, through which the air streams flow.

As shown in FIG. 7, at least one of the two openings 18 of each cellular unit 16 is selected, and the structure surfaces on two sides of the selected opening 18 are defined as cell walls 36. The wall edge of one of the cell walls 36 is formed into an arced wall edge 38. Consequently, the opening 18 has a bottom gap and a top gap larger than the bottom gap.

As shown in FIG. 8, another example of the invention is disclosed, wherein a heat dissipating body 14 is formed on the base 12, and the heat dissipating body 14 is composed of a plurality of cellular units 16 having quadrilateral column structures. In addition, each structure surface of the cellular unit 16 is formed with an opening 18 so that the air streams can flow through multiple channels of the heat dissipating body 14, and the air streams, after entering the heat dissipating body 14, can flow in many directions to enhance the dissipation effect.

As shown in FIG. 9, the heat sink of the invention may be applied to an outdoor opto-electronic apparatus, such as a LED road lamp 20. Thus, the base 12 may be an upper lamp shell 22 of the LED road lamp 20, and the heat dissipating body 14 and the upper lamp shell 22 are integrally formed.

While the present invention has been described by way of examples and in terms of preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited thereto. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications. Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications.

Claims

1. An external cellular heat sink structure, comprising:

a base; and

a heat dissipating body integrally formed on the base,

wherein the heat dissipating body comprises a plurality of hollow cellular units, the neighboring cellular units are connected together, and each of the cellular units has at least two openings communicating with the connected cellular units.

2. The heat sink structure according to claim 1, wherein the cellular unit has a hexagonal column structure.

3. The heat sink structure according to claim 1, wherein the two openings of the cellular unit extend in different directions.

4. The heat sink structure according to claim 1, wherein the two openings of the cellular unit are disposed opposite each other.

5. The heat sink structure according to claim 1, wherein each of two sides of one of the openings of the cellular unit has a cell wall, and a wall edge of one of the cell walls is an arced wall edge.

6. The heat sink structure according to claim 1, wherein a top edge of the heat dissipating body is formed with an arced structure having two sides and a middle portion higher than the two sides.

7. The heat sink structure according to claim 1, wherein a top edge of the heat dissipating body is formed with a continuous arced wavy structure.

8. The heat sink structure according to claim 1, wherein the base is an upper lamp shell of a LED road lamp.