COOLING DEVICE FOR AN AUTOMOTIVE LUMINOUS DEVICE

• US 20190331313A1
• Filed: 04/24/2019
• Published: 10/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valeo Iluminacion SA (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Valeo Iluminacion SA (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: RUIZ, Francisco, Tudela, Santos, Infante, Sergio, Andres, Alvaro, Lobato, Miguel-Angel, Martinez Arias, Borja
• Granted Patent: US 10,914,449 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/141 Light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/192 Details of lamp holders, terminals or connectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 45/43 using gas
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 45/435 circulating the gas within a closed system
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 45/47 Passive cooling, e.g. using fins, thermal conductive elements or openings
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/67 characterised by the arrangement of fans
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/673 the fans being used for intake
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/677 the fans being used for discharging
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/76 with essentially identical parallel planar fins or blades, e.g. with comb-like cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/763 the planes containing the fins or blades having the direction of the light emitting axis
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/80 with pins or wires
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

A cooling device for cooling a light source located in an automotive luminous device. This cooling device includes a heat sink intended to be in thermal contact with the light source, a plurality of fins in direct thermal contact with the heat sink, a plurality of pins in direct thermal contact with the heat sink and a fan. The fan is arranged to make a fluid flow from an inlet of the cooling device to an outlet to the cooling device, so that the plurality of fins are nearer the inlet than the plurality of pins.

Claims

1. Cooling device for cooling a light source located in an automotive luminous device, the cooling device comprising

a heat sink intended to be in thermal contact with the light source,

a plurality of fins in direct thermal contact with the heat sink;

a plurality of pins in direct thermal contact with the heat sink;

a fan arranged to make a fluid flow from an inlet of the cooling device to an outlet to the cooling device, so that the plurality of fins are nearer the inlet than the plurality of pins.

2. Cooling device according to claim 1, wherein the fan is nearer the inlet than the plurality of fins.

3. Cooling device according to claim 1, wherein the fan is nearer the outlet than the plurality of pins.

4. Cooling device according to claim 1, wherein when the fluid is moved by the fan, it is intended to enter the inlet of the cooling device in a first direction and is intended to exit the plurality of pins in a second direction which is substantially equal to the first direction.

5. Cooling device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of fins and the plurality of pins protrude from the heat sink.

6. Cooling device according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of fins and the plurality of pins form the same angle with the heat sink.

7. Cooling device according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of pins have a frustoconical shape and the plurality of fins have a base and a top portion narrower than the base.

8. Cooling device ROM according to claim 1, further comprising

a first and second walls protruding from the heat sink in such a way that the plurality of fins and the plurality of pins are enclosed by the first and second walls;

a plenum wall located opposite to the heat sink, so as to form a closed duct with the heat sink and the first and second walls.

9. Cooling device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of pins are arranged in at least four offset rows of pins, resulting a quincunx arrangement.

10. Cooling device according to claim 9, wherein each fin is straight and define a fin line as the prolongation of the fin, in such a way that all the fin lines are parallel;

the rows of pins are parallel to the fin lines, but the fin lines do not coincide with the rows of pins.

11. Cooling device according to claim 10, wherein

the distance between two adjacent pins is comprised between 3 and 6 mm;

the distance between two adjacent fins is comprised between 4 and 6 mm; and

the distance between a fin and its closest pin is comprised between 3 and 5 mm.

12. Automotive luminous device comprising a cooling device according to claim 1;

and

a light source arranged in thermal contact with the heat sink.

13. Automotive luminous device according to claim 12, further comprising a first optical element arranged to receive light from the light source and to shape the light into a light pattern projected outside the luminous device.

14. Automotive luminous device according to claim 13, wherein the optical element is at least one of a lens, a light guide, a reflector or a collimator.

15. Automotive luminous device according to claim 12, wherein the light source is a solid-state light source, and in particular a light emitting diode or LED.

16. Cooling device according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of fins and the plurality of pins protrude from the heat sink.

17. Cooling device according to claim 2, further comprising

a first and second walls protruding from the heat sink in such a way that the plurality of fins and the plurality of pins are enclosed by the first and second walls;

a plenum wall located opposite to the heat sink, so as to form a closed duct with the heat sink and the first and second walls.

18. Cooling device according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of pins are arranged in at least four offset rows of pins, resulting a quincunx arrangement.

19. Automotive luminous device according to claim 13, wherein the light source is a solid-state light source, and in particular a light emitting diode or LED.

20. Cooling device according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of fins and the plurality of pins protrude from the heat sink.