Apparatus for and method of cooling molded electronic circuits

• US 20060076124A1
• Filed: 09/06/2005
• Published: 04/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flextronics America LLC (Flextronics International Limited)
• Original Assignee: Flextronics America LLC (Flextronics International Limited)
• Inventors: Jansen, Arian, Sharifipour, Bahman
• Granted Patent: US 7,885,076 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 165/104.150
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6658 on printed circuit board H01R13/6666 - H01R13/6691 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/28 Coupling parts carrying pins, blades or analogous contacts and secured only to wire or cable
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20463 Filling compound, e.g. potted resin
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

An electronic device such as an AC/DC power adapter includes a conductive heat dissipation system. The device contains heat generating components and is powered via power supply leads by an external power supply circuit. The device further contains a thermally conductive mass that is thermally coupled to both the heat generating components and to the power supply leads. When the power supply leads are coupled to receive electricity from the external power supply circuit, heat generated by the device is thermally conducted into the external power supply circuit via the power supply leads.

Claims

1. A compact power conversion device comprising:

a) a power conversion circuit coupled to receive electric power from a power supply network via power supply leads; and

,

b) a heat conductive body thermally coupled with the power conversion circuit for substantially efficient heat transfer from the power conversion circuit and to the power supply leads, such that heat generated by the power conversion circuit is conductively transferred to the power supply network.

2. The compact power conversion device of claim 1, further comprising power output leads coupled with the power conversion circuit.

3. The compact power conversion device of claim 1, further comprising a substantially rigid body coupled with the heat conductive body and with the power conversion circuit to provide structural support.

4. The compact power conversion device of claim 1, wherein the heat conductive body is molded around at least a portion of the power conversion circuit and is molded around at least a portion of the power supply leads.

5. The compact power conversion device of claim 1, wherein the heat conductive body has at least enough thermal conductivity to allow sufficient heat dissipation under safety regulations.

6. The compact power conversion device of claim 1, wherein the heat conductive body forms also a structural enclosure for the power conversion circuit and the power supply leads.

7. The compact power conversion device of claim 6, wherein the heat conductive body conforms to accepted strength of materials standards for use as an structural element in an electrical housing.

8. The compact power conversion device of claim 1, wherein the heat conductive body comprises a UL recognized insulation material.

15. The compact power conversion device of claim 6, wherein the electrically inert, thermally conductive mass conforms to accepted strength of materials standards for use as an structural element in an electrical housing.

9. A power converter comprising:

a) a circuit for converting an electric signal;

b) power supply leads coupled to provide the electric signal to the circuit; and

,

c) an electrically inert, thermally conductive mass coupled with the circuit to transfer heat generated by the circuit to the power supply leads,

wherein the power supply leads are coupled to a power supply network such that the heat generated by the circuit is transferred to the power supply network.

10. The power converter of claim 9, further comprising power output leads coupled with the circuit.

11. The power converter of claim 9, further comprising a substantially rigid body coupled with the electrically inert, thermally conductive mass and with the circuit to provide structural support.

12. The power converter of claim 9, wherein the electrically inert, thermally conductive mass is molded around at least a portion of the circuit and is molded around at least a portion of the power supply leads.

13. The power converter of claim 9, wherein the electrically inert, thermally conductive mass has at least a minimum thermal conductivity to allow sufficient heat dissipation under safety regulations and a low electrical conductivity.

14. The power converter of claim 9, wherein the electrically inert, thermally conductive mass forms also a structural enclosure for the circuit and the power supply leads.

16. The power converter of claim 9, wherein the electrically inert, thermally conductive mass comprises a UL recognized insulation material.

17. A method of cooling an electronic device supplied by an external power source, the method comprising:

a) thermally coupling for substantially efficient heat transfer at least a portion of an electronic device to a thermally conductive body; and

,

b) thermally coupling for substantially efficient heat transfer at least a portion of each of a plurality of power supply leads to the thermally conductive body.

18. The method of cooling an electronic device of claim 17, enclosing the electronic device, at least a portion of each of the plurality of power supply leads and the thermally conductive body in any appropriate, rigid shell body, whereby the electronic device is simultaneously embedded in the rigid shell material and in the thermally conductive body.

19. The method of cooling an electronic device of claim 17, wherein the thermally conductive body comprises a UL recognized insulation material.

20. The method of cooling an electronic device of claim 17, wherein the thermally conductive body has at least a minimum thermal conductivity to allow sufficient heat dissipation under safety regulations and a low electrical conductivity.

21. An AC/DC converter assembly comprising:

a) an AC/DC converter circuit having a primary portion and a secondary portion, the primary portion and the secondary portion having a space between them with a thickness;

b) a plurality of AC plugs coupled with the AC/DC converter circuit; and

,

c) a housing comprising a thermally conductive and electrically resistive body molded around the AC/DC converter circuit and also around at least a portion of each of the plurality of AC plugs so that the thermally conductive and electrically resistive body is thermally coupled with the AC plugs and the AC/DC converter circuit,

wherein, thermal energy dissipated in the AC/DC converter circuit is thermally conducted to the AC plugs.

22. The AC/DC converter assembly of claim 21, wherein the thermally conductive and electrically resistive body comprises UL recognized insulation material.

23. The AC/DC converter assembly of claim 21, wherein the space between the primary portion and the secondary portion is filled by the housing.

24. The AC/DC converter assembly of claim 21, wherein the thickness is less than 1 millimeter.

25. The AC/DC converter assembly of claim 21, wherein the housing further comprises UL recognized insulation material formed around the thermally conductive and electrically resistive body for providing a structural enclosure for the AC/DC converter circuit.

26. The AC/DC converter assembly of claim 21, wherein the thermally conductive and electrically resistive body has at least a minimum thermal conductivity to allow sufficient heat dissipation under safety regulations and a low electrical conductivity.

27. A device for cooling one or more electronic circuits supplied by an external power source via a plurality of power supply leads, the circuits comprising a plurality of circuit elements, the elements further comprising heat producing elements, the device comprising a thermally conductive mass thermally coupled with at least the heat producing elements of the circuits and with the power supply leads.

28. A system for cooling an electronic device, the device comprising heat dissipating elements and supplied by an external power source, the means comprising:

a) means for conductively capturing heat produced by the heat dissipating elements of the device; and

,

b) means for conducting the heat captured from the heat dissipating elements of the device into the external power source.

29. A method of manufacturing a power adaptor, comprising the steps of:

a) providing a power conversion circuit, including a plurality of power supply leads, power conversion components, and power output leads; and

,

b) molding a heat conductive material around the power conversion components to form a plug structure and integrated strain relief structure.