Automotive lighting assembly cooling system
First Claim
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1. A method of cooling an automotive lighting assembly comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a heat pipe with a shell that defines a condensing area and an evaporation area, (b) providing a fluid contained within the shell of the heat pipe, the fluid located at the evaporation area, (c) providing fins within the shell of the heat pipe at the condensation area, (d) thermally coupling the light assembly to the shell of the heat pipe proximate to the evaporation area, (e) transferring heat from the light assembly though the shell of the heat pipe to the fluid to cause the fluid to evaporate and form a vapor, (f) thermally coupling a heat sink external to the heat pipe to the shell at a location proximate to the condensation area; and
(g) transferring heat from the vapor through the shell of the heat pipe at the condensation area and the fins to the heat sink.
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Abstract
An automotive lighting assembly cooling system includes a heat pipe with an evaporation area proximate to a heat generating component, such as a Light Emitting Diode (LED), and a condensing area located remote from the evaporation area. Evaporation of fluid within the heat pipe transfers heat away from the heat generating component. The efficiency of the cooling system in one embodiment is increased by including fins associated with the condensing area and placing the fins in an area where air flow external to a moving vehicle assists in cooling the fins.
177 Citations
9 Claims
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1. A method of cooling an automotive lighting assembly comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a heat pipe with a shell that defines a condensing area and an evaporation area, (b) providing a fluid contained within the shell of the heat pipe, the fluid located at the evaporation area, (c) providing fins within the shell of the heat pipe at the condensation area, (d) thermally coupling the light assembly to the shell of the heat pipe proximate to the evaporation area, (e) transferring heat from the light assembly though the shell of the heat pipe to the fluid to cause the fluid to evaporate and form a vapor, (f) thermally coupling a heat sink external to the heat pipe to the shell at a location proximate to the condensation area; and
(g) transferring heat from the vapor through the shell of the heat pipe at the condensation area and the fins to the heat sink. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. An automotive lighting assembly cooling system comprising,
a heat pipe with a shell, an evaporation area and a condensation area located remote from the evaporation area, the condensation area designed to be thermally coupled to a heat sink external to the body of a vehicle when the heat pipe is mounted to a lighting assembly which is mounted to the vehicle, and fluid located within the shell at the condensation area.
Specification