U.S. patent application number 12/656800 was filed with the patent office on 2011-08-18 for heat dissipation structure having combined cooling fins.
This patent application is currently assigned to SUN-LITE SOCKETS INDUSTRY INC.. Invention is credited to Tsan-Chi Chen.
Application Number | 20110198068 12/656800 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 48742914 |
Filed Date | 2011-08-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110198068 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Chen; Tsan-Chi |
August 18, 2011 |
Heat dissipation structure having combined cooling fins
Abstract
The present invention relates to a heat dissipation structure
comprising a metal base and a plurality of cooling fins, wherein
the metal base is formed with a receiving space therein for
receiving a heat generating object, an outer surface of the metal
base is equidistantly formed with a plurality of recesses, each of
the cooling fins is formed by a U-shaped metal plate including two
heat dissipation portions and an elastic engagement portion, the
elastic engagement portion is in U-shape and has two ends connected
to one end of each of the two heat dissipation portions
respectively, and an outer surface of the elastic engagement
portion can be engaged with an inner surface of each of the
recesses by the resilience thereof, so as to efficiently increase
the amount and heat dissipation area of the cooling fins and
greatly enhance the heat dissipation efficiency of the heat
dissipation structure.
Inventors: |
Chen; Tsan-Chi; (Chung Ho
City, TW) |
Assignee: |
SUN-LITE SOCKETS INDUSTRY
INC.
Taoyuan
TW
|
Family ID: |
48742914 |
Appl. No.: |
12/656800 |
Filed: |
February 17, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
165/185 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F21V 29/76 20150115;
F21V 29/89 20150115; F21V 29/773 20150115; H01L 2924/0002 20130101;
H01L 2924/0002 20130101; H01L 23/3672 20130101; F21Y 2115/10
20160801; H01L 2924/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
165/185 |
International
Class: |
F28F 7/00 20060101
F28F007/00 |
Claims
1. A heat dissipation structure having combined cooling fins, the
heat dissipation structure comprising: a metal base formed by
punching a one-piece metal plate or casting, and having a first
surface attached to a heat generating object and a second surface
equidistantly formed with a plurality of recesses; and a plurality
of said cooling fins, each of which is formed by punching a
one-piece metal plate or casting and includes two heat dissipation
portions and an elastic engagement portion, wherein each of the two
heat dissipation portions is a planar plate and the elastic
engagement portion is a U-shaped plate; two ends of the elastic
engagement portion having resilience and connected to one end of
the two heat dissipation portions, respectively, and the two ends
of the elastic engagement portion being pressed to be close to each
other, so that the elastic engagement portion is deformable for
being inserted and received in a corresponding said recess, while
an outer surface of the elastic engagement portion is allowed to be
engaged with an inner surface of the recess of the metal base by
the resilience of the elastic engagement portion, such that heat
generated by the heat generating object is transferred from the
metal base to the cooling fins.
2. The heat dissipation structure according to claim 1, wherein a
predetermined angle is defined between each of the heat dissipation
portions and each of the two ends of the elastic engagement
portion.
3. A heat dissipation structure having combined cooling fins, the
heat dissipation structure comprising: a metal base formed by
punching a one-piece metal plate or casting, and having a receiving
space therein for receiving a heat generating object and an outer
surface equidistantly formed with a plurality of recesses; and a
plurality of said cooling fins, each of which is formed by punching
a one-piece metal plate to be a U-shaped structure and includes two
heat dissipation portions and an elastic engagement portion,
wherein each of the two heat dissipation portions is a planar plate
and the elastic engagement portion is a U-shaped plate; two ends of
the elastic engagement portion having resilience and connected to
one end of the two heat dissipation portions, respectively, and the
two ends of the elastic engagement portion being pressed to be
close to each other, so that the elastic engagement portion is
deformable for being inserted and received in a corresponding said
recess, while an outer surface of the elastic engagement portion is
allowed to be engaged with an inner surface of the recess of the
metal base by the resilience of the elastic engagement portion,
such that heat generated by the heat generating object is
transferred from the metal base to the cooling fins.
4. The heat dissipation structure according to claim 3, wherein a
predetermined angle is defined between each of the heat dissipation
portions and each of the two ends of the elastic engagement
portion.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a heat dissipation
structure, and more particularly to a heat dissipation structure
comprising a metal base and a plurality of cooling fins, wherein
the metal base is formed with a receiving space therein for
receiving a heat generating object, an outer surface of the metal
base is equidistantly formed with a plurality of recesses, each of
the cooling fins includes two heat dissipation portions and an
elastic engagement portion, and an outer surface of the elastic
engagement portion can be engaged with an inner surface of each of
the recesses by the resilience thereof. Therefore, the present
invention not only can efficiently increase the amount of the
cooling fins and the direct contact area between the heat
dissipation structure and the ambient atmosphere so as to enhance
the heat dissipation efficiency of the heat dissipation structure,
but also can efficiently simplify the installation process of the
cooling fins without needing the welding process and using the
welding materials so as to greatly reduce the cost of the welding
process and materials and make the installation process thereof to
be more clean and environment-friendly than the conventional
welding process.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Recently, with the advance of technologies, the energy
demand is continuously increased, so that people are paying more
attention to the environmental protection issues about energies. In
comparison with traditional bulbs or lamps, a light emitting diode
(LED) has several advantages including smaller volume, saving
energy, longer usage life and excluding toxic substance, such as
mercury (Hg). Thus, LEDs are accepted by more and more people day
by day. However, because the luminous efficiency of an LED lamp is
in direct proportion to heat generated by the LED lamp, meaning
that an LED lamp having higher brightness will generate more waste
heat, so as to cause the damage of the LED lamp. In addition, after
a lamp holder of the LED lamp is long-term used under considerable
waste heat, there will be some serious problems including material
aging and light attenuation resulting in shortening the usage life
of the lamp holder. Therefore, to solve the foregoing problems,
manufacturers correspondingly develop various heat dissipation
structures (i.e. heat sinks) to enhance the heat dissipation
efficiency of the lamp holder. For example, a traditional heat
dissipation structure is described hereinafter.
[0003] Referring now to FIG. 1, a traditional heat dissipation
structure 10 is illustrated, wherein the traditional heat
dissipation structure 10 is integrally formed by extruding a metal
material through a metal extruder, and comprises a base 11 and a
plurality of cooling fins 12. The base 11 is formed with a
receiving space 111 therein for receiving a light emitting lamp
(i.e. a heat generating object). The cooling fins 12 are arranged
around an outer surface of the base 11, so that heat generated by
the light emitting lamp (the heat generating object) can be
transferred from the base 11 to the cooling fins 12 and finally
dissipated into ambient atmosphere around the cooling fins 12.
[0004] However, because the traditional heat dissipation structure
10 is integrally formed by extruding a metal material through a
metal extruder, the thickness of the cooling fins 12 formed by an
extrusion process is generally too thick due to the limitation of
current technology of the extrusion process. As a result, the
amount of the cooling fins 12 on the base 11 and the contact area
between the cooling fins 12 and the ambient atmosphere may be
insufficient, such that heat generated by the light emitting lamp
(the heat generating object) in the traditional heat dissipation
structure 10 can not be efficiently dissipated out of the base 11.
Thus, the operational temperature of the traditional heat
dissipation structure 10 may continuously increase to cause the
damage of the heat generating object.
[0005] To solve the foregoing problems, manufacturers further
developed another heat dissipation structure to enhance the heat
dissipation efficiency of the lamp holder. Referring now to FIG. 2,
a heat dissipation structure 20 is illustrated and comprises an
annular lamp holder 21 and a plurality of cooling fins 22, wherein
the annular lamp holder 21 can be used to receive a light emitting
lamp (i.e. a heat generating object) therein and an outer surface
of the annular lamp holder 21 is formed with a plurality of recess
23 and a plurality of grooves 24, both of which are alternatively
arranged on the outer surface. In assembly, one end of each of the
cooling fins 22 can be inserted into each of the recesses 23,
respectively. Then, a press tool 25 is used to press each of the
grooves 24, so that two sides of the end of each of the cooling
fins 22 are pushed by two of the adjacent grooves 24 close thereto.
As a result, the end of each of the cooling fins 22 is engaged in
each of the recesses 23, so that the annular lamp holder 21 and the
cooling fins 22 can be tightly combined into one piece.
[0006] However, because the cooling fins 22 of the heat dissipation
structure 20 are combined with the annular lamp holder 21 by the
foregoing pressing and engaging processes, the annular lamp holder
21 must be formed with the grooves 24. But, the grooves 24 occupy
some surface area of the annular lamp holder 21 where originally
can be used to install the cooling fins 22, so that the amount of
the cooling fins 22 on the annular lamp holder 21 will be limited.
As a result, the amount of the cooling fins 22 on the annular lamp
holder 21 and the contact area between the cooling fins 22 and the
ambient atmosphere will be insufficient, such that heat generated
by the light emitting lamp (the heat generating object) in the
traditional heat dissipation structure 20 can not be efficiently
dissipated out of the traditional heat dissipation structure
20.
[0007] As described above, it is important for various
manufacturers and designers of lamps to think how to develop an
innovative heat dissipation structure having a plurality of cooling
fins which are formed by punching a one-piece metal plate or
casting and can be engaged into surfaces of recesses of a metal
base by the resilience of elastic engagement portions of the
cooling fins, so as to solve the problem of the traditional heat
dissipation structure which must be formed with the grooves on the
metal base, and to increase the surface area of the metal base for
combining with the cooling fins and the amount of the cooling fins,
for the purpose of increasing the direct contact area between the
heat dissipation structure and the ambient atmosphere and
efficiently enhancing the heat dissipation efficiency of the heat
dissipation structure.
[0008] It is therefore tried by the inventor to develop a heat
dissipation structure having combined cooling fins to solve the
foregoing problems existing in the traditional heat dissipation
structure, as described above.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] An object of the present invention is to provide a heat
dissipation structure having combined cooling fins, which comprises
a metal base and a plurality of cooling fins, wherein the metal
base is formed with a receiving space therein for receiving a heat
generating object (such as a light emitting lamp, a computer CPU, a
transformer, etc.), and an outer surface of the metal base is
equidistantly formed with a plurality of recesses. Furthermore,
each of the cooling fins is formed by punching and bending a
one-piece metal plate to be a U-shaped structure, while each of the
cooling fins includes two heat dissipation portions and an elastic
engagement portion, wherein each of the two heat dissipation
portions is a planar plate, and the elastic engagement portion is a
U-shaped plate. Two ends of the elastic engagement portion have
resilience, and the two ends thereof are connected to one end of
each of the two heat dissipation portions, respectively. In
addition, the two ends of the elastic engagement portion can be
pressed to be close to each other, so that the elastic engagement
portion will be deformed for being inserted and received in each of
the recesses. Meanwhile, an outer surface of the elastic engagement
portion can be engaged with an inner surface of each of the
recesses of the metal base by the resilience of the elastic
engagement portion, so that heat generated by the heat generating
object can be transferred from the metal base to the cooling fins.
Therefore, the heat generated by the heat generating object can be
rapidly transferred from the metal base to the cooling fins, and
then dissipated to the ambient atmosphere through the cooling fins.
In the traditional heat dissipation structure, one end of each of
the cooling fins must be firstly inserted into each of the recesses
of the annular lamp holder and then each of the grooves formed
between two of the adjacent recesses is pressed by a press tool, so
that two sides of the end of each of the cooling fins are pushed by
two of the adjacent pressed grooves close thereto, and then the end
of each of the cooling fins is engaged in each of the recesses for
tightly combining the annular lamp holder and the cooling fins into
one piece. In contrast, according to the heat dissipation structure
having the combined cooling fins of the present invention, the
outer surface of the elastic engagement portion can be engaged with
the inner surface of each of the recesses of the metal base by the
resilience of the elastic engagement portion without using the
pressing and engaging processes to combine each of the cooling
fins, so as to solve the problem of the traditional heat
dissipation structure which must be formed with the grooves on the
metal base, and to increase the surface area of the metal base for
combining with the cooling fins and the amount of the cooling fins,
for the purpose of increasing the amount of the cooling fins of the
present invention which is more than twice of that of the
traditional heat dissipation structure. As a result, the present
invention can efficiently increase the amount of the cooling fins
and the direct contact area between the heat dissipation structure
and the ambient atmosphere. Therefore, the heat dissipation
efficiency of the heat dissipation structure can be substantially
enhanced, the entire heat dissipation effect of the heat
dissipation structure can be improved, and the usage life of the
heat generating object in the heat dissipation structure can be
elongated. In addition, due to thermal expansion and contraction,
when the elastic engagement portion absorbs more heat, the
resilience of the elastic engagement portion correspondingly
increases, so that the contact between the outer surface of the
elastic engagement portion and the inner surface of the recess of
the metal base becomes tighter, meaning that the heat conduction
and the heat dissipation effect will be correspondingly enhanced.
In other words, except for solving the problem of the traditional
heat dissipation structure which must be formed with the grooves on
the metal base, the present invention also simplify the
installation process of the cooling fins, so as to efficiently
increase the amount of the cooling fins on the metal base and the
contact area between the cooling fins and the metal base.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] The structure and the technical means adopted by the present
invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best
understood by referring to the following detailed description of
the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings,
wherein
[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a traditional heat
dissipation structure;
[0012] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the installation process
of another traditional heat dissipation structure;
[0013] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a heat dissipation structure
having combined cooling fins according to a first preferred
embodiment of the present invention; and
[0014] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a heat dissipation
structure having combined cooling fins according to a second
preferred embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0015] The present invention is related to a heat dissipation
structure having combined cooling fins. Referring now to FIG. 3, a
heat dissipation structure having combined cooling fins according
to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention is
illustrated. As shown, the heat dissipation structure designated by
numeral 40 comprises a metal base 41 and a plurality of cooling
fins 42, wherein a first surface of the metal base 41 (such as a
lower surface) can be attached to one surface of a heat generating
object (not shown, such as a light emitting lamp, a computer CPU, a
transformer, etc.), and a second surface thereof (such as an upper
surface) is equidistantly formed with a plurality of recesses 44.
Each of the cooling fins 42 is formed by punching and bending a
one-piece metal plate to form a U-shaped structure. Meanwhile, each
of the cooling fins 42 includes two heat dissipation portions 45
and an elastic engagement portion 46, wherein each of the two heat
dissipation portions 45 is a planar plate, and the elastic
engagement portion 46 is a U-shaped plate. Two ends of the elastic
engagement portion 46 have resilience, and the two ends thereof are
integrally connected to one end of each of the two heat dissipation
portions 45, respectively. In addition, the two ends of the elastic
engagement portion 46 can be pressed to be close to each other, so
that the elastic engagement portion 46 will be deformed for being
inserted and received in a corresponding said recess 44. Meanwhile,
an outer surface of the elastic engagement portion 46 can be
engaged with an inner surface of the recess 44 of the metal base 41
by the resilience of the elastic engagement portion 46, so that
heat generated by the heat generating object can be transferred
from the metal base 41 to the cooling fins 42.
[0016] Therefore, the heat generated by the heat generating object
can be rapidly transferred from the metal base 41 to the cooling
fins 42, and then dissipated to the ambient atmosphere through the
cooling fins 42. In the traditional heat dissipation structure, one
end of each of the cooling fins must be firstly inserted into each
of the recesses of the annular lamp holder and then each of the
grooves formed between two of the adjacent recesses is pressed by a
press tool, so that two sides of the end of each of the cooling
fins are pushed by two of the adjacent pressed grooves close
thereto, and then the end of each of the cooling fins is engaged in
each of the recesses for tightly combining the annular lamp holder
and the cooling fins into one piece. In contrast, according to the
heat dissipation structure 40 having the combined cooling fins of
the present invention, the outer surface of the elastic engagement
portion 46 can be engaged with the inner surface of each of the
recesses 44 of the metal base 41 by the resilience of the elastic
engagement portion 46 without using the pressing and engaging
processes to combine each of the cooling fins 42, so that the
cooling fins 42 can be fixed on the outer surface of the metal base
41. Thus, the problem of the traditional heat dissipation structure
which must be formed with the grooves on the metal base can be
solved, while the surface area of the metal base 41 for combining
with the cooling fins 42 and the amount of the cooling fins 42 can
be increased. Meanwhile, the amount of the cooling fins 42 of the
present invention can be increased and more than twice of that of
the traditional heat dissipation structure. As a result, the
present invention can efficiently increase the amount of the
cooling fins 42 and the direct contact area between the heat
dissipation structure 40 and the ambient atmosphere. Therefore, the
heat dissipation efficiency of the heat dissipation structure 40
can be substantially enhanced, the entire heat dissipation effect
of the heat dissipation structure 40 can be improved, and the usage
life of the heat generating object in the heat dissipation
structure 40 can be elongated. In addition, due to thermal
expansion and contraction, when the heat generating object
generates more heat and the elastic engagement portion 46 absorbs
more heat to cause the volume expansion thereof, the resilience of
the elastic engagement portion 46 will correspondingly increase, so
that the contact between the outer surface of the elastic
engagement portion 46 and the inner surface of the recess 44 of the
metal base 41 becomes tighter, meaning that the heat conduction and
the heat dissipation effect will be correspondingly enhanced. In
other words, except for solving the problem of the traditional heat
dissipation structure which must be formed with the grooves on the
metal base 41, the present invention also simplifies the
installation process of the cooling fins 42, so as to efficiently
increase the amount of the cooling fins 42 on the metal base 41 and
the contact area between the cooling fins 42 and the metal base
41.
[0017] Referring now to FIG. 4, in a second preferred embodiment of
the present invention, a heat dissipation structure 50 comprises a
metal base 51 and a plurality of cooling fins 52, wherein the metal
base 51 and each of the cooling fins 52 are formed by punching a
one-piece metal plate or casting, respectively. The metal base 51
is formed with a receiving space 53 for receiving a heat generating
object (not shown, such as a light emitting lamp, a computer CPU, a
transformer, etc.), and an outer surface of the metal base 51 is
equidistantly formed with a plurality of recesses 54. Each of the
cooling fins 52 includes two heat dissipation portions 55 and an
elastic engagement portion 56, wherein each of the two heat
dissipation portions 55 is a planar plate, and the elastic
engagement portion 56 is a U-shaped plate. Two ends of the elastic
engagement portion 56 have the resilience, and the two ends thereof
are integrally connected to one end of each of the two heat
dissipation portions 55, respectively. In addition, the two ends of
the elastic engagement portion 56 can be pressed to be close to
each other, so that the elastic engagement portion 56 will be
deformed for being inserted and received in each of the recesses
54. Meanwhile, an outer surface of the elastic engagement portion
56 can be engaged with an inner surface of each of the recesses 54
of the metal base 51 by the resilience of the elastic engagement
portion 56, so that heat generated by the heat generating object
can be transferred from the metal base 51 to the cooling fins 52.
Therefore, the present invention can simplify the installation
process of the cooling fins 52, meaning that the two heat
dissipation portions 55 can be positioned on the outer surface of
the metal base 51 by one-step installation. Furthermore, the
present invention can relatively reduce the desired amount of the
recesses 54 on the metal base 51, and correspondingly increase the
surface area of the metal base 51 for combining with the cooling
fins 52 and the amount of the cooling fins 52. As a result, the
manufacturer can one-step install the heat dissipation structure 50
on a production line by simpler and faster manufacturing process
with lower manufacture cost, so as to carry out the purpose of
reducing the manufacture cost of the heat dissipation structure
50.
[0018] Moreover, the cross-sectional profile of each of the
recesses 54 is completely identical to the profile of the outer
surface of the elastic engagement portion 56, while the profile of
the outer surface of the elastic engagement portion 56 is slightly
greater than the cross-sectional profile of each of the recesses
54. Thus, after the elastic engagement portion 56 is inserted into
the recess 54 of the metal base 51, the outer surface of the
elastic engagement portion 56 will be stably engaged with the inner
surface of the recess 54 without being separated from each other.
In addition, due to the principle of thermal expansion and
contraction, when the metal base 51 and the elastic engagement
portion 56 absorb more heat to expand their volume, the outer
surface of the elastic engagement portion 56 will be in contact
with the inner surface of the recess 54 more tightly, so as to
substantially enhance the heat dissipation effect of the heat
dissipation structure 50.
[0019] Besides, in other embodiments of the present invention, an
acute angle smaller than 90.degree. (such as)45.degree. or an
obtuse angle greater than 90.degree. (such as)120.degree. can be
defined between each of the two heat dissipation portions 55 and
each of the two ends of the elastic engagement portion 56. In other
words, according to the heat dissipation portion 55 of the present
invention, any predetermined bent angle can be defined between each
of the heat dissipation portions 55 and each of the two ends of the
elastic engagement portion 56, wherein the predetermined bent angle
is not limited to 90.degree..
[0020] In addition, the cross-sectional profile of the metal base
51 is not limited to a cylindrical shape. In other embodiments of
the present invention, the cross-sectional profile of the metal
base 51 also can be elongated planar or of other profiles.
According to the metal base 51 of the present invention, a metal
base 51 with any cross-sectional profile can be formed by punching
a one-piece metal plate or casting, wherein the cooling fins 52 are
equidistantly arranged on the metal base 51 with any
cross-sectional profile, and the outer surface of the elastic
engagement portion 56 of each of the cooling fins 52 can be fixed
on the outer surface of the metal base 51 with any cross-sectional
profile. Furthermore, the metal base 51 can be used to receive
various light emitting lamps, computer CPUs or other heat
generating objects therein.
[0021] As described above, it should be noted that terms and
descriptions in the foregoing embodiments (such as the profile of
the cooling fins or the connection relationship between the cooling
fins and the metal base) are only the preferred embodiments of the
present invention, but not limited thereto.
[0022] The present invention has been described with the preferred
embodiments thereof and it is understood that many changes and
modifications to the described embodiments can be carried out
without departing from the scope and the spirit of the invention
that is intended to be limited only by the appended claims.
* * * * *