Abstract:
A cooling device to which an electric circuit may be mounted includes a cooling body provided with a front edge having bores forming V-shaped channels inside the body. Intersecting V-shaped channels are closed by plugs to thereby define a continuous cooling circuit inside the cooling body.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to cooling devices. More specifically, the present invention is concerned with a cooling device to which an electric circuit is to be mounted.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Cooling devices are well known in the art of electric circuits. They are usually designed to collect heat generated by one or more electronic components and dissipate this collected heat away from the electronic components to thereby improve their performance or, in some cases, allow them to function properly.  
         [0003]     Fluids are often used to collect the heat and to transfer it from the vicinity of the electronic components to the vicinity of the dissipating element.  
       OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     An object of the present invention is therefore to provide a cooling device for an electric circuit.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     More specifically, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a cooling assembly for an electric circuit; said cooling assembly comprising a generally planar body including an electric circuit receiving surface, a front edge and a rear edge; said body being provided with a cooling circuit having: 
        an inlet;     an outlet;     at least two pair of bores provided on said edge; each pair of bores being so configured and sized as to define a V-shaped channel; said bores being so distanced on said edge that each said V-shaped channel intersects with at least one adjacent V-shaped channel; intersections of said V-shaped channels being closed via plugs; one of said at least two pair of bores being associated with said inlet and another of said at least two pair of bores being associated with said outlet.        
 
         [0009]     According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cooling assembly for an electric circuit; said cooling assembly comprising a generally planar body including an electric circuit receiving surface and a front edge provided with at least two pair of bores each defining V-shaped channels; said cooling assembly further comprises plugs so inserted into said bores as to close intersections of said V-shaped channels, an inlet and an outlet.  
         [0010]     Other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading of the following non-restrictive description of preferred embodiments thereof, given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]     In the appended drawings:  
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a cooling device according to a first embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0013]      FIG. 2  is a top sectional view of the cooling device of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0014]      FIG. 3  is an enlargement of a portion of  FIG. 2 , illustrating two bores interconnected by a plug;  
         [0015]      FIG. 4  is a top sectional view of a cooling device according to a second embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0016]      FIG. 5  is a top sectional view of a cooling device according to a third embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0017]      FIG. 6  is a top sectional view of a cooling device according to a third embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0018]      FIG. 7  is an enlargement of a portion of  FIG. 6 , illustrating two bores interconnected by a plug.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0019]     Generally stated, the present invention proposes to use a cooling body having a circuit receiving surface and provided with a plurality of bores that interconnect to form a cooling circuit having an inlet and an outlet provided on edges of the cooling body. The interconnection between the various bores is done via the crossing of bores or via plugs that close selected bores and that are provided on the edges of the body.  
         [0020]      FIG. 1  of the appended drawings is a perspective view illustrating a cooling device  10  according to a first non-restrictive embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0021]     The cooling device  10  includes a generally planar cooling body  12  having a circuit receiving surface  14 . An electric circuit (not shown) may be mounted to the surface  14  via fasteners (not shown).  
         [0022]     The cooling body  12  is made of a single piece of heat conductive material, such as for example aluminum, that may be machined or otherwise formed into the desired shape.  
         [0023]     As can be seen in  FIG. 2 , the cooling body  12  is formed with a plurality of V-shaped channels each defined by a straight bore  16  and an angled bore  18 ; one transversal bore  20 ; an inlet  22  and an outlet  24 . The straight bores  16  being aligned with an axis of the body  12 .  
         [0024]     The straight and angled bores  16  and  18  are made from the front edge  26  of the cooling body  12 , for example by a drilling process, to yield the V-shaped channels.  
         [0025]     The straight bores  16  are equally distanced and go from the front edge  26  almost to the rear edge  28 . The main function of the angled bores  18  is to interconnect the bottom of one straight bore  16  to the opening of an adjacent straight bore  16 . The angle of the angle bores  18  is therefore dictated by the length of the straight bore  16  and by the distance separating two adjacent straight bores  16 .  
         [0026]     To make a cooling circuit having an inlet  22  and an outlet  24 , the interconnections between adjacent V-shaped channels must be closed.  
         [0027]     As can be better seen from  FIG. 3 , to close these interconnections, a straight hole  30  is made at the junction of the opening of the straight and angled bores.  
         [0028]     These straight holes  30  are so configured and sized as to receive a deformable plug  32  therein.  
         [0029]     A deformable plug  32  is also inserted in the opening of the transversal bore  20  to properly close it.  
         [0030]     Deformable plugs are well known in the art and will not be described in detail herein. For example, the Betapl UG manufactured by the Lee Company, Westbrook, Conn., USA, has been found an adequate plug  32 . Of course, the dimensions of the straight holes  30  are advantageously in accord with the maker&#39;s directives.  
         [0031]     Once the plugs  32  are inserted and deformed in the holes  30 , a cooling circuit is formed. This cooling circuit extends from the inlet  22  to the outlet  24  as can be visualized by the arrows  34 . Of course, connectors (not shown) are mounted to the inlet  22  and outlet  24  to allow connection to a cooling fluid source (not shown).  
         [0032]     One skilled in the art will understand that the manufacture of the cooling device  10  is simple. The main steps are the formation of the body  12  having the required dimensions; the drilling of the straight, angled and transversal bores  16 ,  18  and  20  (by using a drill-press, for example); the drilling of the straight holes  30  (by using a drill-press, for example); the insertion of the deformable plugs  32  in the straight holes  30 ; the deformation of the deformable plugs  32  to seal the holes  30 ; and the installation of the connectors (not shown) to the inlet and outlet  22  and  24 .  
         [0033]     It is to be noted that the insertion of the plugs  32  in the holes  30  may require the tapering of the holes  30 . Of course, the instructions of the plug manufacturer should be followed to insure a fluid tight closing of the holes  30 .  
         [0034]     It is to be noted that while the body of the cooling assembly is shown herein as having a generally rectangular circuit receiving surface  14 , other surface shapes could be used, depending on the application.  
         [0035]     One of the many advantages of the cooling device  10  is that the deformable plugs  32  are all positioned on the surface of the body  12 . Indeed, should a leak occur, it would be easy to notice and to repair.  
         [0036]     Turning now to  FIG. 4  of the appended drawings, a cooling device  100  according to a second illustrative embodiment of the present invention will be described. It is to be noted that since the cooling device  100  is very similar to the cooling device  10  described hereinabove with reference to FIGS.  1  to  3 , only the main differences between these cooling devices will be described hereinbelow.  
         [0037]     Generally stated, the main difference between the cooling device  100  and the cooling device  10  is that the all the plugged bores of the cooling device  100  are provided on the front edge  102  thereof. To obtain this configuration, one of the V-shaped channels is inverted with respect to the others.  
         [0038]     As will easily be understood by one skilled in the art, this configuration yields a portion that is less cooled than the rest of the device  100  (see dotted portion  104 ). This portion  104  may be positioned anywhere on the cooling device  100  during the design, depending on the position of the heat generating components (not shown) of the electric circuit (not shown).  
         [0039]     Turning now to  FIG. 5  of the appended drawings, a cooling device  200  according to a third illustrative embodiment of the present invention will be described. It is to be noted that since the cooling device  200  is very similar to the cooling device  10  described hereinabove with reference to FIGS.  1  to  3 , only the main differences between these cooling devices will be described hereinbelow.  
         [0040]     Generally stated, the cooling device  200  includes only angled bores  202  that are provided between the front edge  204  and the rear edge  206  of the body  208 . Accordingly, plugs are used on both the front and rear edges  204  and  206  to form the cooling circuit.  
         [0041]     Finally, turning to  FIGS. 6 and 7  of the appended drawings, a cooling device  300  according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. The cooling device  300  is very similar to the cooling device of  200  of  FIG. 5 . Accordingly, for concision purposes, only the differences between these cooling devices will be described herein.  
         [0042]     The cooling device  300  has two features that are concerned with improving the flow of fluid from the inlet  302  to the outlet  304 . The first feature improving the flow is the removal of the pointed junction between adjacent angled bores  306 . These pointed junctions are machined once the angled bores  306  and straight holes  308  are done. The machining takes place through the straight holes  308 . As can be seen from  FIG. 6 , this feature allows the cooling fluid to flow with less restriction (see arrows  310 ).  
         [0043]     Turning now to  FIG. 7 , the second feature improving the fluid flow is the concave shape of the bottom  312  of the plug  314 . Indeed, this concave bottom  312  helps reduce the turbulence of the cooling fluid (see arrow  316 ), thereby improving the flow of cooling fluid.  
         [0044]     Although the present invention has been described hereinabove by way of preferred embodiments thereof, it can be modified, without departing from the spirit and nature of the subject invention as defined in the appended claims.