Double insulated heat spreader

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10098261-B2
Application number	US-201615280567-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2016
Priority date	Jan 8, 2014
Publication date	Oct 9, 2018
Grant date	Oct 9, 2018

Abstract

An apparatus for thermal management for an electric device. In one embodiment the apparatus comprises a primary heat spreader disposed within an enclosure that contains a printed circuit board (PCB) populated with at least one electrical component, wherein the primary heat spreader is thermally conductive and wherein the interior of the enclosure is at least partially filled with an encapsulating material; a secondary heat spreader coupled to an exterior face of a first wall of the enclosure, wherein the secondary heat spreader is thermally conductive; and a thermal interface coupled between the primary head spreader and the PCB, wherein the thermal interface is thermally conductive and electrically insulating.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for thermal management for an electric device, comprising:
an enclosure formed from an electrically insulating material, wherein the enclosure contains a printed circuit board (PCB) populated with at least one electrical component;
a primary heat spreader disposed within the enclosure, wherein the primary heat spreader is thermally conductive and is thermally coupled to the enclosure, and wherein the primary heat spreader comprises a first portion and a second portion that are galvanically isolated from one another; and
a thermal interface coupled between the primary heat spreader and the PCB, wherein the thermal interface is thermally conductive and electrically insulating.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the primary heat spreader is disposed along an interior face of a first wall of the enclosure.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising a secondary heat spreader coupled to an exterior face of the first wall, wherein the secondary heat spreader is thermally conductive.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein an interior of the enclosure is at least partially filled with an encapsulating material.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the thermal interface is thermally coupled to the at least one electrical component by a plurality of thermal vias extending from the at least one electrical component through the PCB to the thermal interface.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the thermal interface is coupled to each of the PCB and the primary heat spreader by a thermal adhesive.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the PCB is mechanically coupled to the primary heat spreader by at least one insulating mechanical fastener.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the enclosure is part of a LED light fixture.

9. A power conversion apparatus with thermal management, comprising:
a power converter comprising: a power converter enclosure formed from an electrically insulating material, the power converter enclosure containing a printed circuit board (PCB) populated with at least one electrical component;
a primary heat spreader comprising a first portion and a second portion that are galvanically isolated from one another, the primary heat spreader disposed within the power converter enclosure, wherein the primary heat spreader is thermally conductive and is thermally coupled to the power converter enclosure; and
a thermal interface coupled between the primary head heat spreader and the PCB, wherein the thermal interface is thermally conductive and electrically insulating.

10. The power conversion apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the primary heat spreader is disposed along an interior face of a first wall of the power converter enclosure.

11. The power conversion apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising a secondary heat spreader coupled to an exterior face of the first wall, wherein the secondary heat spreader is thermally conductive.

12. The power conversion apparatus of claim 9 , wherein an interior of the power converter enclosure is at least partially filled with an encapsulating material.

13. The power conversion apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the electrically insulating material is a polymer.

14. The power conversion apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the power converter has a double insulated rating.

15. The power conversion apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the thermal interface is thermally coupled to the at least one electrical component by a plurality of thermal vias extending from the at least one electrical component through the PCB to the thermal interface.

16. The power conversion apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the thermal interface is coupled to each of the PCB and the primary heat spreader by a thermal adhesive.

17. The power conversion apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the PCB is mechanically coupled to the primary heat spreader by at least one insulating mechanical fastener.

18. The power conversion apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the power converter is a DC-AC inverter, and wherein the first portion of the primary heat spreader is coupled to a DC stage of the DC-AC inverter and the second portion of the primary heat spreader is coupled to an AC stage of the DC-AC inverter.

19. The power conversion apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising a renewable energy source coupled to the power converter for providing DC input power.

20. The power conversion apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the renewable energy source is a photovoltaic (PV) module.

Assignees

• Enphase Energy Inc

Inventors

• Linderman Ryan

Classifications

• H05K2201/066

  Heatsink mounted on the surface of the printed circuit board [PCB] · CPC title

• H05K1/0203

  Cooling of mounted components (H05K1/0272 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H05K1/0204 Primary

  using means for thermal conduction connection in the thickness direction of the substrate (H05K1/0207 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02M7/003

  Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections · CPC title

• H05K7/205

  Heat-dissipating body thermally connected to heat generating element via thermal paths through printed circuit board [PCB] (details of PCBs relating to heat transfer H05K1/0201) · CPC title