Refrigeration – Structural installation – With electrical component cooling
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-22
2001-11-20
Bennett, Henry (Department: 3744)
Refrigeration
Structural installation
With electrical component cooling
C062S239000, C361S715000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06318103
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to electrical component heat dissipation and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for dissipating heat from a power control module.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems of a vehicle typically include a blower motor. Often these blower motors are direct current brushed blower motors. Additionally, the system includes a power control module such as a linear power module, a pulse width modulator, or a relay resistor module, all of which provide variable speed control of the blower motor. One difficulty associated with these power control modules is that they typically generate a significant amount of heat, which must be dissipated to preserve the life of the module. The traditional method for dissipating heat has required that a heat sink attached to the power control module be designed individually for each power control module design. In addition, it is typically required that the heat sink be inserted into the airflow of the HVAC system to cool the electronic components inside of the power control module. These specially designed heat sinks have generally been large and cumbersome and typically raise the cost of the power control module by at least 15%. The requirement that the heat sink be located within the airflow of the HVAC system negatively influences the system noise and airflow.
Thus, it would be beneficial to design an apparatus and develop a method for dissipating heat from power control modules that is relatively inexpensive, and does not negatively affect system noise or air flow.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one embodiment, the present invention is a power control module comprising: a power control module having a housing and an electrical connection; a thermally conductive material having a first side in contact with the power control module and a second side in contact with a surface of an evaporator core; and the thermally conductive material conducting heat from the power control module to the surface of the evaporator core.
In another embodiment the present invention is a power control module comprising: a power control module having a housing and an electrical connection; a thermally conductive material having a first side connected to the power control module and a second side secured to a surface of an evaporator core; and the thermally conductive material conducting heat from the power control module to the surface of the evaporator core.
In yet another embodiment the present invention is a method for cooling a power control module comprising the steps of: providing a power control module having a housing and an electrical connection; providing a surface of an evaporator core; positioning a first side of a thermally conductive material against the power control module and positioning a second side of the thermally conductive material against the surface of the evaporator core; and conducting heat from the power control module through the thermally conductive material to the surface of the evaporator core.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4546619 (1985-10-01), Rohner
patent: 4616693 (1986-10-01), Dietzsch et al.
patent: 5012656 (1991-05-01), Tamura
patent: 5058391 (1991-10-01), Périot
patent: 5220809 (1993-06-01), Voss
patent: 5986882 (1999-11-01), Ekrot et al.
Pinger Chad S.
Rausch William F.
Rieger Yvonne D.
Stevenson Mark W.
Bennett Henry
Delphi Technologies Inc.
Griffin Patrick M.
Jiang Chen-Wen
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