Electronic/electrical component housing with strips of metal plate and shape memory material forming a heat transfer path

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9603288-B2
Application number	US-201213592619-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 23, 2012
Priority date	Apr 23, 2012
Publication date	Mar 21, 2017
Grant date	Mar 21, 2017

Abstract

A housing for electronic/electrical components includes an inner panel and an outer panel, a strip of metal plate, and a strip of shape memory material. The inner panel and the outer panel are disposed parallel to each other to define an internal space. The strip of metal plate extends from an inner surface of the outer panel. The strip of shape memory material extends from an inner surface of the inner panel and is attached to or detached from the metal plate on the outer panel while changing into an original straight shape or a bent shape according to a temperature variation. When the temperature increases beyond a first transition temperature, the shape memory material straightens to form a heat transfer path. When the temperature falls below a second transition temperature, the shape memory material bends and is separated from the metal plate to interrupt the heat transfer path.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A housing for electronic/electrical components using a shape memory material, comprising:
an inner panel and an outer panel disposed parallel to each other to define an internal space between the inner panel and the outer panel;
a plurality of strips each made of metal plate and extending from an inner surface of the outer panel;
a plurality of strips each made of shape memory material and extending from an inner surface of the inner panel and configured to attach to and detach from the plurality of strips each made of metal plate on the outer panel based on a temperature variation in an ambient environment; and
wherein when the temperature of an internal heat source increases beyond a first transition temperature, the plurality of strips each made of shape memory material form a heat transfer path by being straightened to contact the plurality of strips each made of metal plate, whereas the plurality of strips each made of shape memory material are bent and separated from the plurality of strips each made of metal plate to interrupt the heat transfer path when an ambient temperature falls below a second transition temperature.

2. The housing of claim 1 , wherein each strip of the plurality of strips each made of metal plate is orthogonal to the outer panel, and each strip of the plurality of strips each made of shape memory material is orthogonal to the inner panel, and each forms and interrupts the heat transfer path in the housing depending upon the ambient temperature.

3. The housing of claim 1 , wherein a heat conductive coating layer is formed on at least one of the plurality of strips each made of metal plate and the plurality of strips each made of shape memory material.

4. The housing of claim 1 , wherein the individual strips of the plurality of shape memory material strips have different transition temperatures so as to provide different heat conductivity at different portions of the housing.

5. The housing of claim 1 , wherein the internal space defined by the inner panel and the outer panel is filled a filler formed of a foaming material having a thermal conductivity which is below a predetermined value.

Assignees

• Kwak Jin Woo
• Song Kyong Hwa
• Choi Byung Sam
• Lee Han Saem
• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kwak Jin Woo
• Song Kyong Hwa
• Choi Byung Sam
• Lee Han Saem

Classifications

• G05D23/024 Primary

  the sensing element being of the rod type, tube type, or of a similar type · CPC title

• H05K7/20436 Primary

  Inner thermal coupling elements in heat dissipating housings, e.g. protrusions or depressions integrally formed in the housing · CPC title

• H05K7/20854 Primary

  Heat transfer by conduction from internal heat source to heat radiating structure (H05K7/20863 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M2220/20

  Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane · CPC title

• Y02E60/10

  Energy storage using batteries · CPC title