Electronics assembly having multiple side cooling and method

• US 20070097627A1
• Filed: 10/28/2005
• Published: 05/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Delphi Technologies Ip Limited (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gerbsch, Erich, Taylor, Ralph, Jeter, Michael, Ronning, Jeffrey
• Granted Patent: US 7,295,433 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/689
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/182 associated with components mounted in the printed circuit board, e.g. insert mounted components [IMC]
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20872 Liquid coolant without phase change
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20927 Liquid coolant without phase change

Abstract

An electronics assembly is provided having a substrate and at least one electronics package supported on the substrate. The electronics package also has electrical circuitry and first and second side surfaces. The assembly further includes a first heat sink device positioned in thermal communication with the first side surface of the electronics package, and a second heat sink device positioned in thermal communication with the second side surface of the electronics package.

Claims

1. An electronics assembly comprising:

a substrate;

at least one electronics package supported on the substrate, said electronics package comprising electrical circuitry and first and second side surfaces;

a first heat sink device positioned in thermal conductive communication with the first side surface of the electronics package; and

a second heat sink device positioned in thermal conductive communication with the second side surface of the electronics package.

2. The electronics assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second heat sink devices comprises a thermally conductive pedestal in thermal communication with one of the first and second side surfaces of the electronics package.

3. The electronics assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second heat sink devices comprises a pedestal in thermal communication with the substrate.

4. The electronics assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a circuit board having electrical circuitry.

5. The electronics assembly as defined in claim 1 further comprising a thermal conductive medium disposed between at least one of the first and second heat sink devices and the electronics package.

6. The electronics assembly as defined in claim 5, wherein the thermal conductive medium comprises one of a thermal conductive grease and a thermal conductive adhesive.

7. The electronics assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the first and second heat sink devices each comprises a fluid vessel for receiving a cooling fluid.

8. The electronics assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the electronics assembly is employed on an automotive vehicle.

9. The electronics assembly as defined in claim 1 further comprising a support structure for positioning the first and second heat devices on opposite first and second side surfaces of the electronics package and the substrate.

20. The electronics assembly as defined in claim 7, wherein the cooling fluid comprises liquid.

10. An automotive electronics assembly comprising:

a circuit board substrate;

at least one electronics package supported on the substrate, said electronics package comprising electrical circuitry and opposite first and second side surfaces;

a first heat sink device positioned in thermal conductive communication with the first side surface of the electronics package; and

a second heat sink device positioned in thermal conductive communication with the second side surface of the electronics package, wherein the first and second heat sink devices each comprises a fluid vessel for receiving a cooling fluid.

11. The electronics assembly as defined in claim 10, wherein the electronics package comprises a power device for use in an electric vehicle.

12. The electronics assembly as defined in claim 10, wherein the fluid vessel is in fluid communication with a vehicle radiator.

21. The electronics assembly as defined in claim 10, wherein the cooling fluid comprises liquid.

13. A method of cooling electronics in an electronics assembly, said method comprising the steps of:

providing at least one electronics package supported on a substrate;

disposing a first heat sink device in thermal conductive communication with one side surface of the electronics package;

disposing a second heat sink device in thermal conductive communication with a second side surface of the electronic package; and

cooling the electronics package by flowing cooling fluid through the first and second heat sink devices to dissipate heat away from the first and second side surfaces of the electronics package.

14. The method as defined in claim 13, wherein the step of cooling comprises passing a cooling liquid through each of the first and second heat sink devices.

15. The method as defined in claim 13 further comprising the step of disposing a thermal conductive medium between at least one of the first and second heat sinks and the electronics package.

16. The method as defined in claim 13 further comprising the step of locating the electronics assembly on an automotive vehicle.

17. The method as defined in claim 13, wherein the steps of disposing the first and second heat sink devices comprise disposing the first and second heat sink devices on opposite first and second side surfaces of the electronics package and the substrate.

18. The method as defined in claim 13, wherein the steps of disposing the first and second heat sink devices comprises disposing pedestals of the first and second heat sink devices in thermal communication with the electronics package.

19. The method as defined in claim 18, wherein the steps of disposing first and second heat sink devices comprises disposing further pedestals in thermal communication with the substrate.