JP7476587B2 - Heat sinks and cooling devices - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a heat sink and a cooling device.

In recent years, a heat sink having multiple fin plates has been proposed for use in a liquid-cooling type cooling device that cools power devices (semiconductor elements) such as IGBTs (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors) used in power control devices installed in electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, trains, and the like.
For example, Patent Document 1 describes that the crimping process for forming a claw portion on a fin plate is performed by inserting the base of a connecting part into a locking groove and then pressing the area near the opening end on the end face of the fin plate in the plate width direction so that it is recessed more than the surrounding area.

Patent No. 6274709

A heat sink may be provided with a plurality of fins and a connecting member that is inserted into the plurality of fins to connect the plurality of fins. Here, various external forces act on the heat sink, and when an external force acts on the heat sink, there is a risk that the connecting member will come off the fin.
An object of the present invention is to prevent the connecting member from coming off the fin.

The present invention, which was completed with this objective in mind, is a heat sink comprising a plurality of fins arranged in a line in one direction, each of which has a recess formed on one side of a cross direction that intersects with the one direction, and a connecting member that is inserted into the recess of each of the plurality of fins and connects the plurality of fins, wherein the fins arranged at both ends of the one direction among the plurality of fins have openings formed therein through which the connecting member can be inserted and have a wall portion formed facing the one side of the cross direction.
Here, in a direction intersecting both the one direction and the intersecting direction, the opening may be provided at an end of the fin closer to the recess.
Furthermore, at least one of the fins arranged at both ends is provided on the one side of the opening in the intersecting direction, and has a one-side opening in which an opening for inserting a connecting member is formed and in which a wall portion facing the opposite side of the one side is formed, and a wall portion may be provided between the opening formed in the opening and the opening formed in the one-side opening in the intersecting direction.
The plate may further include a clamping member that is provided in the one direction from one side of the plurality of fins to the opposite side of the plurality of fins and that clamps the plurality of fins between itself and the connecting member.
In addition, the multiple fins may have an opposite side recess provided on one side of the recess in the cross direction and recessed on the opposite side of the one side, the opening being the opposite side recess, and the connecting member may have an inserted portion that is inserted into the opposite side recess, and a connecting portion provided on one side of the multiple fins in the one direction and connecting the portion of the connecting member that is inserted into the recess and the inserted portion.
The connection portion may be provided extending in the intersecting direction in a state in which the connecting member is inserted into the recesses and the opposite-side recesses of the plurality of fins.
In addition, the connection portion may be formed to be longer than the length of the fin in the transverse direction, and may be bent when the connecting member is inserted into the recesses and the opposite recesses of the multiple fins.
Furthermore, the fin of the plurality of fins that is located at the end opposite to the one side in the one direction may have a first opening in which an opening for the connecting member to enter is formed and a wall portion facing the one side in the crossing direction, and a second opening that is provided on the one side of the first opening and in which an opening for the connecting member to enter is formed and a wall portion facing the opposite side of the one side in the crossing direction.
The connecting member may also have an opposite side connection portion that is provided on the opposite side of the one side of the plurality of fins in the one direction and connects the portion of the connecting member that is inserted into the recess and the inserted portion.
From another perspective, the present invention is a heat sink comprising a plurality of fins arranged in a line in one direction, each of which has a recess formed on one side of a cross direction that intersects with the one direction, and an inhibitor member inserted into the recess of each of the plurality of fins and inhibiting movement of fins arranged at both ends of the one direction among the plurality of fins toward the one side in the cross direction.
From another perspective, the present invention is a cooling device comprising the above-mentioned heat sink and a case that houses the heat sink and through which a cooling liquid flows between a plurality of fins of the heat sink.

The present invention makes it possible to prevent the connecting member from coming loose from the fin.

1 is a perspective view of a liquid-cooling device according to a first embodiment; FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the II-II portion of FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the III-III portion of FIG. 2. FIG. FIG. 2 is a front view of the fin when the fin is viewed from the front side of the fin in FIG. 1 . 13A and 13B are perspective views of a connecting member. 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating a method for attaching a connecting member to a fin. 13A and 13B are diagrams showing modified examples of openings in the fins. 13A and 13B are diagrams showing other modified examples of the openings in the fins. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a connecting member according to a second embodiment. 13A to 13C are diagrams illustrating a method for attaching a connecting member to a fin. 13A to 13C are diagrams illustrating a method of attaching a connecting member to a fin as a modified example. 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating a method of attaching a connecting member to a fin as a modified example. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a connecting member according to a third embodiment. 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating a method for attaching a connecting member to a fin.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
First Embodiment
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a liquid cooling device 1 according to a first embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II of FIG.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the heat sink 10. As shown in FIG.
The liquid-cooling type cooling device 1 according to this embodiment includes a heat sink 10 having a plurality of rectangular fins 11, and a case 20 that houses the heat sink 10. The liquid-cooling type cooling device 1 also includes an inlet joint 30 that allows the coolant to flow from the outside of the case 20 to the inside, and an outlet joint 40 that allows the coolant to flow from the inside of the case 20 to the outside.
In the following description, the left side of the paper of the liquid-cooling type cooling device 1 shown in Fig. 1 will be referred to as the "left side", the right side of the paper will be referred to as the "right side", and these directions will be referred to as the "left-right direction". Furthermore, the upper side of the paper of the liquid-cooling type cooling device 1 shown in Fig. 1 will be referred to as the "upper side", the lower side of the paper will be referred to as the "lower side", and these directions will be referred to as the "up-down direction". Furthermore, the front side of the paper of the liquid-cooling type cooling device 1 shown in Fig. 1 will be referred to as the "front side", the rear side of the fins 11 will be referred to as the "rear side", and these directions will be referred to as the "front-rear direction".

The liquid-cooling type cooling device 1 is a device that cools a heat generating element P attached to the outer surface (top surface in this embodiment) of a case 20 via a flat insulating member I, using a cooling liquid circulating inside the case 20 and a heat sink 10. The heat generating element P can be, for example, a power semiconductor device such as an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT). The heat generating element P can also be, for example, an IGBT module in which an IGBT and a control circuit that controls the IGBT are packaged, or an intelligent power module in which the IGBT module and a self-protection function are packaged.

(Heat radiator 10)
The heat sink 10 has a plurality of plate-shaped fins 11 arranged in a direction perpendicular to the plate surface, and a connecting member 12 connecting the plurality of fins 11 to each other.
The fins 11 are arranged such that their longitudinal direction is in the left-right direction, their lateral direction is in the up-down direction, and their thickness direction is in the front-rear direction. The fins 11 are arranged at predetermined intervals in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the fins 11.

The connecting member 12 is formed in a rod shape. The connecting member 12 is inserted across the multiple fins 11 to connect the multiple fins 11. The connecting member 12 is provided across the direction in which the multiple fins 11 are arranged. In this embodiment, the multiple connecting members 12 are inserted into the fins 11. More specifically, the connecting members 12 are inserted into both ends of the fins 11 in the longitudinal direction and both ends of the fins 11 in the lateral direction.
The configurations of the fins 11 and the connecting members 12 will be described in detail later.

The material of the heat sink 10 can be, for example, an aluminum material such as aluminum or an aluminum alloy. The material of the heat sink 10 may also be a composite material of copper, aluminum or an aluminum alloy, and carbon. The fins 11 may be made of an aluminum carbon composite material, and the connecting members 12 may be made of an aluminum material.
The plate thickness of the heat sink 10 can be, for example, 0.3 to 1.2 mm, and is appropriately changed depending on the size of the entire liquid-cooling type cooling device 1, the type of cooling liquid flowing through the case 20, or the thermal conductivity of the fins 11.

The heat sink 10 is fixed inside the case 20 by brazing the upper ends of the multiple fins 11 to the surface (lower surface) of the top 21a of the case body 21 opposite to the surface on which the heating element P is attached, and by brazing the lower ends of the multiple fins 11 to the upper surface of the cover 22. When brazing, for example, the upper ends of the multiple fins 11 are brazed to the case body 21, the lower ends of the multiple fins 11 are brazed to the cover 22, and the case body 21 is brazed to the cover 22 all at the same time.

(Case 20)
The case 20 includes a case body 21 to which the heating element P is attached via an insulating member I, and a cover 22 that covers the opening of the case body 21 .
The case body 21 has a flat top 21a, side portions 21b protruding from each end of the top 21a in a direction perpendicular to the top 21a (downward), and flange portions 21c protruding from each end of the side portions 21b in a direction perpendicular to the side portions 21b. A heating element P is attached to the center of the surface (upper surface) of the top 21a opposite to the side on which the side portions 21b are provided, via an insulating member I. An inlet through hole 21d and an outlet through hole 21e are formed on the left and right outer sides of the portions of the top 21a where the insulating member I and the heating element P are arranged, respectively, so as to penetrate the case 20 so as to communicate between the inside and the outside.

The cover 22 is flat and rectangular, and is larger than the flange portion 21c of the case body 21. Through holes 22a are formed at the four corners of the cover 22 to pass through bolts or the like for attaching the liquid-cooling type cooling device 1 to another member.

The case 20 is configured into a box shape by brazing the flange portion 21c of the case body 21 to the cover 22 so that the heat sink 10 can be stored therein. The case body 21 and the cover 22 can be formed, for example, using an aluminum brazing sheet. In this case, a brazing material layer is located on at least one surface facing each other.
By brazing the case body 21 and the cover 22 together, an inlet side space 23 is formed below the inlet through hole 21d within the case 20, and an outlet side space 24 is formed below the outlet through hole 21e within the case 20.

(Inlet joint 30)
The inlet joint 30 has a cylindrical portion 31 and a rectangular parallelepiped portion 32, and is formed to be hollow so that the cooling liquid can flow therethrough. One end (right end) of the cylindrical portion 31 is open, and the other end is connected to the rectangular parallelepiped portion 32. A through hole 33 that communicates the inside and outside of the inlet joint 30 is formed on one surface (lower surface) of the rectangular parallelepiped portion 32. The inlet joint 30 is brazed to the case body 21 with the surface on which the through hole 33 is formed placed on the surface (upper surface) of the top portion 21a of the case body 21 on which the heating element P is attached. At that time, the inside of the inlet joint 30 is communicated with the inside of the case body 21 via the through hole 33 of the inlet joint 30 and the inlet through hole 21d of the case body 21.

(Outlet joint 40)
The outlet joint 40 has a cylindrical portion 41 and a rectangular parallelepiped portion 42, and the inside is formed to be hollow so that the coolant can flow. One end (left end) of the cylindrical portion 41 is open, and the other end is connected to the rectangular parallelepiped portion 42. A through hole 43 that communicates the inside and outside of the outlet joint 40 is formed on one surface (lower surface) of the rectangular parallelepiped portion 42. The outlet joint 40 is brazed to the case body 21 with the surface on which the through hole 43 is formed placed on the surface (upper surface) on the top 21a of the case body 21 on which the heating element P is attached. At that time, the inside of the outlet joint 40 and the inside of the case body 21 are communicated through the through hole 43 of the outlet joint 40 and the outlet through hole 21e of the case body 21.

In the liquid-cooled cooling device 1 configured as described above, the cooling liquid flows into the inlet space 23 in the case 20 through the inside of the inlet joint 30 and the inlet through hole 21d. Then, the cooling liquid flows leftward through the inter-fin flow path 14 formed in the gap between adjacent fins 11 of the radiator 10, and reaches the outlet space 24. The cooling liquid also flows leftward through the front flow path 15 formed between the frontmost fin 11 in the radiator 10 and the side portion 21b of the case body 21, and the rear flow path 16 formed in the gap between the rearmost fin 11 in the radiator 10 and the side portion 21b of the case body 21, and reaches the outlet space 24. The cooling liquid that reaches the outlet space 24 flows out of the case 20 through the outlet through hole 21e and the inside of the outlet joint 40.

The heat generated by the heat generating body P is dissipated through the insulating member I, the top 21a of the case body 21, and the fins 11 of the heat sink 10 to the cooling liquid flowing through the inter-fin flow paths 14, the front flow paths 15, and the rear flow paths 16. This cools the heat generating body P.

The shapes of the inlet joint 30 and the outlet joint 40 are not limited to cylindrical.
The inlet joint 30 and the outlet joint 40 may be formed, for example, in a flange shape. The flange-shaped inlet joint 30 and the outlet joint 40 may be brazed to the case body 21.

(Fin 11)
Next, the configuration of the fin 11 will be described.
FIG. 5 is a front view of the fin 11 when the fin 11 is viewed from the front side of the fin 11 in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 5 , the fin 11 is provided with an upper recess 110 , a lower recess 111 , an upper opening 112 , and a lower opening 113 .

The upper recess 110, which is an example of a recess, is provided at both ends of the fin 11 in the left-right direction. The upper recess 110 is recessed downward from the top surface of the fin 11 and is provided from the front tip to the rear tip of the fin 11. The connecting member 12 is inserted into this upper recess 110. The upper recess 110 has a left wall surface 110a that forms the left side surface and faces to the right, a right wall surface 110b that forms the right side surface and faces to the left, and a lower wall surface 110c that forms the lower side surface and faces upward.

The lower recess 111, which is an example of an opposite recess, is provided at both ends of the fin 11 in the left-right direction. The lower recess 111 is aligned in the left-right direction with the upper recess 110. The lower recess 111 is formed to be recessed upward from the lower surface of the fin 11, and has an opening inside. The lower recess 111 is provided from the front tip to the rear tip of the fin 11. A connecting member 12 is inserted into this lower recess 111. The connecting member 12 inserted into the lower recess 111 is different from the connecting member 12 inserted into the upper recess 110. The lower recess 111 has a left wall surface 111a that forms the left side surface and faces the right side, a right wall surface 111b that forms the right side surface and faces the left side, and an upper wall surface 111c that forms the upper side surface and faces downward.

The upper opening 112, which is an example of an opening, is provided to the left of the upper recess 110 provided at the left end of the fin 11, and to the right of the upper recess 110 provided at the right end of the fin 11. The two upper openings 112 are formed symmetrically. The upper opening 112 is also provided below the upper recess 110. The upper opening 112 is formed to be recessed from the side of the fin 11, and has an opening inside. The upper opening 112 has an upper wall surface 112a that forms the upper surface and faces downward, a lower wall surface 112b that forms the lower surface and faces upward, and a bottom wall surface 112c that forms the deepest surface of the upper opening 112 and faces the outside of the fin 11 in the left-right direction.

The lower opening 113, which is an example of an opening on one side, is provided to the left of the lower recess 111 provided at the left end of the fin 11 and to the right of the lower recess 111 provided at the right end of the fin 11. The two lower openings 113 are formed symmetrically. The lower opening 113 is provided above the lower recess 111. The position of the lower opening 113 in the left-right direction is aligned with the position of the upper opening 112. The lower opening 113 is formed to be recessed from the side of the fin 11, and has an opening inside. The lower opening 113 has an upper wall surface 113a that forms the upper surface and faces downward, a lower wall surface 113b that forms the lower surface and faces upward, and a bottom wall surface 113c that forms the deepest surface of the lower opening 113 and faces the outside of the fin 11 in the left-right direction.

(Connecting member 12)
Next, the configuration of the connecting member 12 will be described.
6(a) and 6(b) are perspective views of the connecting member 12. In addition, in the drawings from Fig. 6(a) onwards, the connecting member 12 located on the upper side of the two connecting members 12 may be referred to as the upper connecting member 12, and the connecting member 12 located on the lower side of the two connecting members 12 may be referred to as the lower connecting member 12.
The upper connecting member 12 shown in Fig. 6(a) is inserted into the plurality of fins 11 (see Fig. 5) from above. The lower connecting member 12 is inserted into the plurality of fins 11 from below. The upper connecting member 12 and the lower connecting member 12 have the same configuration. The connecting member 12 has an inserted portion 120 and an extension portion 123.

The inserted portion 120 is formed to extend in the front-rear direction. The inserted portion 120 is inserted into a plurality of fins 11. The inserted portion 120 has a base 121 that spans across each fin 11 provided on the heat sink 10, and a protruding portion 122 that protrudes from the base 121. The protruding portion 122 is provided with protruding portion recesses 1221 having recesses at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the inserted portion 120. The protruding portion recesses 1221 are recessed on the side opposite to the direction in which the protruding portion 122 protrudes.

The extensions 123 are provided at both ends of the connecting member 12 in the longitudinal direction. More specifically, the extensions 123 extend from the protrusions 122 arranged at both ends of the inserted portion 120 in the longitudinal direction. The extensions 123 are formed extending to the left from the tip of the protrusions 122. As shown in FIG. 6(b), the left end 123a of the extensions 123 can be bent inwardly of the connecting member 12 in the front-to-rear direction.

(Method of attaching the connecting member 12)
Next, a method for attaching the connecting member 12 to the fin 11 will be described.
7(a) and 7(b) are diagrams for explaining a method for attaching the connecting member 12 to the fins 11. Below, a method for attaching the connecting member 12 to the left end of the multiple fins 11 (see FIG. 1) will be described. In addition, in FIG. 7(a) and FIG. 7(b), the fin 11 that is disposed at the frontmost side among the multiple fins 11 is referred to as the front fin 11.

As shown in FIG. 7(a), first, the inserted portion 120 of the connecting member 12 is inserted into the fin 11. More specifically, the base 121 of the upper connecting member 12 is inserted into the upper recess 110 (see FIG. 5) of each fin 11 so that the multiple protrusions 122 (see FIG. 6(a)) of the upper connecting member 12 fit between each pair of adjacent fins 11 in the multiple fins 11. Also, the base 121 of the lower connecting member 12 is inserted into the lower recess (see FIG. 5) 111 of each fin 11 so that the multiple protrusions 122 of the lower connecting member 12 fit between each pair of adjacent fins 11 in the multiple fins 11.

7B, the end 123a of the extension 123 provided on the front side of the upper connecting member 12 is bent, and this end 123a is placed inside the upper opening 112 of the front fin 11. Also, the end 123a of the extension 123 provided on the front side of the lower connecting member 12 is bent, and this end 123a is placed inside the lower opening 113 of the front fin 11. Also, although not shown, in the fin 11 that is arranged at the rearmost side of the multiple fins 11, the end 123a of the extension 123 of the upper connecting member 12 is placed in the upper opening 112, and the end 123a of the extension 123 of the lower connecting member 12 is placed in the lower opening 113.
In this manner, the connecting member 12 is attached to the fins 11. Although not shown, connecting members 12 are also attached to the upper and lower sides of the fins 11 at the right end portions of the fins 11.

In this embodiment, the extension 123 of each connecting member 12 enters only one fin 11. However, the extension 123 of the upper connecting member 12 may be made longer than in the illustrated example so that the extension 123 enters the upper openings 112 of multiple fins 11. The extension 123 of the lower connecting member 12 may be made longer than in the illustrated example so that the extension 123 enters the lower openings 113 of multiple fins 11.

In addition, in this embodiment, each of the multiple fins 11 is provided with the upper opening 112 and the lower opening 113, but the present invention is not limited to this.
For example, the upper opening 112 and the lower opening 113 may be provided only in two of the multiple fins 11 that are located at both ends in the front-rear direction. In other words, the upper opening 112 and the lower opening 113 may be provided only in the fin 11 into which the extension portion 123 of the connecting member 12 is inserted.

As described above, in this embodiment, the fins 11 arranged at both ends in the front-rear direction among the multiple fins 11 have an upper opening 112 in which an opening for the upper connecting member 12 is formed and in which an upper wall surface 112a facing downward is formed. In other words, the upper connecting member 12 is inserted into the upper recess 110 of each of the multiple fins 11, and suppresses downward movement of the fins 11 arranged at both ends in the front-rear direction among the multiple fins 11. Therefore, the connecting member 12 can also be considered as a suppressing member that suppresses the movement of the fins 11.

Here, for example, a configuration is conceivable in which the connecting member 12 is inserted only into the upper recesses 110 of the fins 11, without inserting the connecting member 12 into the portions of the fins 11 other than the upper recesses 110, thereby connecting the multiple fins 11. As an example, a method is conceivable in which the vicinity of the portion of each fin 11 into which the connecting member 12 is inserted is pressed so that a recess is generated in the vicinity, and the connecting member 12 is pressed against each fin 11 to crimp the connecting member 12, thereby connecting the multiple fins 11. However, in general, various external forces are generated in the heat sink 10. When an external force is generated in the heat sink 10, the pressing force of the connecting member 12 by the fin 11 weakens, and there is a risk that the connecting member 12 will come off the fin 11. In addition, when a configuration is used in which the connecting member 12 is crimped, strict dimensional accuracy is required for the upper recesses 110 of the fins 11, which tends to make the production of the fins 11 complicated.

In contrast, in the present embodiment, when the upper connecting member 12 enters not only the upper recess 110 of the fin 11 but also the upper opening 112, the upper connecting member 12 is less likely to come off from the fin 11. That is, even if an external force acts downward on the fin 11 and the fin 11 tries to move downward, the upper wall surface 112a at the upper opening 112 of the fin 11 hits the upper surface of the end 123a of the extension portion 123 of the connecting member 12, and the downward movement of the fin 11 is suppressed. And, since the downward movement of the fin 11 is suppressed, the connecting member 12 is less likely to come off from the fin 11. In addition, when this configuration is used, the dimensional accuracy of the fin 11 is relaxed compared to a configuration in which the connecting member 12 is crimped. Therefore, the production of the fin 11 is suppressed from becoming complicated.

In the present embodiment, the lower connecting member 12 is provided from the front side of the fins 11 to the rear side of the fins 11, and sandwiches the fins 11 between the lower connecting member 12 and the upper connecting member 12. Therefore, the lower connecting member 12 can also be regarded as a clamping member.
In this case, even if one of the multiple fins 11 into which the extension portion 123 of the connecting member 12 is not inserted is subjected to an external force downward and attempts to move downward, this fin 11 hits the connecting member 12 on the lower side, and the downward movement of the fin 11 is suppressed.

In this embodiment, it has been described that the upper connecting member 12 is inserted into the upper recess 110 of the fin 11 and the lower connecting member 12 is inserted into the lower recess 111 of the fin 11, but this is not limited to this.
For example, the fins 11 may not be provided with the lower recesses 111. In this case, the lower connecting member 12 may support the fins 11 from the lower side of the fins 11. Also, the fins 11 may not be provided with the upper recesses 110, and the upper connecting member 12 may support the fins 11 from the upper side of the fins 11.

(Modifications of the openings in the fins 11)
8(a) and 8(b) are diagrams showing modified examples of the openings in the fin 11. FIG.
5, the upper opening 112 and the lower opening 113 are formed so as to be recessed from the side surface of the fin 11. Here, the configuration of the openings in the fin 11 is not limited to that described above.
As shown in FIG. 8( a ), the fin 11 in the modified example is provided with an upper opening 114 and a lower opening 115 .

The upper opening 114 is aligned in the left-right direction with the position where the upper recess 110 of the fin 11 is provided. An opening is formed in the upper opening 114. The opening formed in the upper opening 114 is surrounded by a wall surface.
The lower opening 115 as an example of an opening on one side is aligned in the left-right direction with the position where the lower recess 111 of the fin 11 is provided and the position where the upper opening 114 is provided. An opening is formed in the lower opening 115. The opening formed in the lower opening 115 is surrounded by a wall surface.

In the modified example, as shown in FIG. 8(b), the extension 123 of the upper connecting member 12 is bent inwardly of the connecting member 12 in the front-to-rear direction, and this extension 123 is inserted into the upper opening 114 of the fin 11. Also, the extension 123 of the lower connecting member 12 is bent inwardly of the connecting member 12 in the front-to-rear direction, and this extension 123 is inserted into the lower opening 115 of the fin 11. In this manner, the connecting member 12 is attached to the fin 11.

Even with this configuration, when the fin 11 is subjected to a downward external force and tries to move downward, the upper surface of the upper opening 114 comes into contact with the extension 123 of the upper connecting member 12, suppressing the downward movement of the fin 11, making it difficult for the upper connecting member 12 to come off from the fin 11. Also, when the fin 11 is subjected to an upward external force and tries to move upward, the lower surface of the lower opening 115 comes into contact with the extension 123 of the lower connecting member 12, suppressing the upward movement of the fin 11, making it difficult for the lower connecting member 12 to come off from the fin 11.

In the example shown in FIG. 5, the upper opening 112 and the lower opening 113 are provided at the end of the fin 11, farther from the upper recess 110 and the lower recess 111, in the left-right direction. That is, in the example shown in FIG. 5, compared to the examples shown in FIG. 8(a) and FIG. 8(b), the opening of the fin 11 for receiving the extension 123 of the connecting member 12 is formed on the side farther from the center of the fin 11 in the left-right direction. In this case, the area of the fin 11 can be secured in the region close to the center of the fin 11 in the left-right direction, and the cooling efficiency of the heating element P (see FIG. 1) provided near the center of the fin 11 in the left-right direction can be prevented from decreasing.

(Another Modification of the Openings in the Fins 11 (Modification 2))
9(a) and 9(b) are diagrams showing another modified example (modification 2) of the openings in the fin 11. In FIG.
As shown in FIG. 9A, the fin 11 in the second modification is provided with an opening 116 .

The opening 116 is provided at the end of the fin 11 in the left-right direction from the upper recess 110 and the lower recess 111, and is provided between the upper recess 110 and the lower recess 111 in the up-down direction. This opening 116 has an opening inside by being formed so as to be recessed from the side of the fin 11. The opening formed in the opening 116 extends in the up-down direction. The opening 116 has an upper wall surface 116a that forms the upper surface and faces downward, a lower wall surface 116b that forms the lower surface and faces upward, and a bottom wall surface 116c that forms the deepest surface of the opening 116 and faces the outside of the fin 11 in the left-right direction.

In variant 2, as shown in FIG. 9(b), end 123a of extension 123 in upper connecting member 12 and end 123a of extension 123 in lower connecting member 12 are inserted inside opening 116 of fin 11. In this case, inside opening 116, end 123a of extension 123 in upper connecting member 12 is positioned higher than end 123a of extension 123 in lower connecting member 12. In this way, connecting member 12 is attached to fin 11.

Even with this configuration, when the fin 11 is subjected to a downward external force and tries to move downward, the upper wall surface 116a of the opening 116 hits the extension 123 of the upper connecting member 12, suppressing the downward movement of the fin 11, making it difficult for the upper connecting member 12 to come off from the fin 11. Also, when the fin 11 is subjected to an upward external force and tries to move upward, the lower wall surface 116b of the opening 116 hits the extension 123 of the lower connecting member 12, suppressing the upward movement of the fin 11, making it difficult for the lower connecting member 12 to come off from the fin 11.

In the example shown in FIG. 5, the fin 11 has a lower opening 113 that is provided below the upper opening 112 and has an opening for the connecting member 12 to enter and a lower wall surface 113b facing upward. In the vertical direction, a wall is provided between the opening formed in the upper opening 112 and the opening formed in the lower opening 113. In this case, the movement of the end 123a of the extension 123 is more easily restricted by the wall of the opening, compared to a configuration in which the end 123a of the extension 123 in the upper connecting member 12 and the end 123a of the extension 123 in the lower connecting member 12 are inserted into the opening 116 (see FIG. 9(a)).

Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment will be described.
The connecting member of the second embodiment is common to the connecting member 12 of the first embodiment in that it suppresses movement of the fin 11. On the other hand, the first embodiment uses a configuration in which different connecting members 12 are inserted into the upper recess 110 (see FIG. 5 ) and the lower recess 111 of the fin 11. In contrast, the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that it uses a configuration in which one connecting member is inserted into the upper recess 110 and the lower recess 111 of the fin 11.

10 is a perspective view of a connecting member 13 according to the second embodiment. Note that in the second embodiment, a description of the same configuration as in the first embodiment will be omitted.
As shown in FIG. 10 , the connecting member 13 of the second embodiment has an upper inserted portion 130 , a lower inserted portion 133 , a connecting portion 136 , an upper extending portion 137 , and a lower extending portion 138 .

The upper insertion portion 130 is formed to extend in the front-rear direction. The upper insertion portion 130 is inserted into the upper recess 110 (see FIG. 5) of the fin 11. The upper insertion portion 130 has a base 131 that spans across each fin 11 provided on the heat sink 10, and a protrusion 132 that protrudes downward from the base 131. The protrusion 132 is provided with protrusion recesses 1321 having recesses at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the upper insertion portion 130. The protrusion recesses 1321 are recessed upward.

The lower insertion portion 133 is provided below the upper insertion portion 130 and extends in the front-rear direction. The lower insertion portion 133 is inserted into the lower recess 111 (see FIG. 5) of the fin 11. The lower insertion portion 133 has a base 134 that spans across each fin 11 provided on the heat sink 10, and a protrusion 135 that protrudes upward from the base 134. The protrusion 135 has protrusion recesses 1351 with recesses at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the lower insertion portion 133. The protrusion recesses 1351 are recessed downward.

The connection portion 136 connects the upper insertion portion 130 and the lower insertion portion 133. More specifically, the connection portion 136 is provided from the upper insertion portion 130 to the lower insertion portion 133, thereby connecting the rear end of the upper insertion portion 130 to the rear end of the lower insertion portion 133. In this embodiment, the length of the connection portion 136 in the vertical direction is the same as the length of the fin 11 in the vertical direction.

The upper extension 137 extends from the protrusion 132 disposed at the front end of the upper insertion portion 130. The upper extension 137 extends leftward from the end of the protrusion 132. Moreover, the end 137a of the upper extension 137 is capable of bending toward the inside of the connecting member 13 in the front-rear direction.
The lower extension 138 extends from the protruding portion 135 that is disposed at the front end of the lower inserted portion 133. The lower extension 138 extends leftward from the end of the protruding portion 135. Furthermore, the end 138a of the lower extension 138 is capable of bending toward the inside of the connecting member 13 in the front-rear direction.

Figures 11(a) to 11(c) are diagrams for explaining a method for attaching the connecting member 13 to the fins 11. Below, a method for attaching the connecting member 13 to the left end of multiple fins 11 (see Figure 1) is explained.

As shown in FIG. 11(a), before the connecting member 13 is inserted into the fin 11, the connecting member 13 is arranged so that the vertical distance between the upper inserted portion 130 and the lower inserted portion 133 is greater than the vertical length of the connection portion 136. In this state, the connecting member 13 is positioned so that the connection portion 136 is located behind each fin 11, the upper inserted portion 130 is located above each fin 11, and the lower inserted portion 133 is located below each fin 11. In other words, the connecting member 13 is positioned so that the upper inserted portion 130 and the lower inserted portion 133 straddle each fin 11 via the connection portion 136.

Next, using a pressing means (not shown) for pressing an object, the upper inserted portion 130 of the connecting member 13 is pressed downward and the lower inserted portion 133 is pressed upward. As a result, as shown in FIG. 11(b), the connecting member 13 is deformed so that the distance between the upper inserted portion 130 and the lower inserted portion 133 is shortened, and the upper inserted portion 130 is inserted into the upper recesses 110 of the multiple fins 11. Also, the lower inserted portion 133 is inserted into the lower recesses 111 (see FIG. 5) of the multiple fins 11.

11(c), the end 137a of the upper extension 137 is bent so that the end 137a is inserted inside the upper opening 112 of the fin 11 that is located most forward. Also, the end 138a of the lower extension 138 is bent so that the end 138a is inserted inside the lower opening 113 of the fin 11 that is located most forward.
In this manner, the connecting member 13 is attached to the fins 11. Although not shown in the drawings, the connecting member 13 is also attached to the right end portion of each of the multiple fins 11.

As described above, in this embodiment, connecting member 13 has lower inserted portion 133 that is inserted into lower recess 111, and connection portion 136 that connects upper inserted portion 130 and lower inserted portion 133. That is, in this embodiment, one connecting member 13 is inserted into upper recess 110 and lower recess 111.
Even with this configuration, when the fin 11 receives a downward external force and attempts to move downward, the upper wall surface 111c of the lower recess 111 (see FIG. 5) abuts against the lower inserted portion 133, suppressing the downward movement of the fin 11, making it difficult for the connecting member 13 to come off from the fin 11. In this case, it is also not necessary to insert the connecting member 13 into the upper opening 112 or lower opening 113 of the fin 11 that is located at the rearmost side.

In this embodiment, the upper opening 112 of the fin 11 located at the most forward position is regarded as a first opening in which an opening for the connecting member 13 to enter is formed and an upper wall surface 112a facing downward is formed. The lower opening 113 of the fin 11 located at the most forward position is regarded as a second opening in which an opening for the connecting member 13 to enter is formed and an upper wall surface 113b facing upward is formed.

In this embodiment, the connection portions 136 of the connecting member 13 are provided to extend in the vertical direction when the connecting member 13 is inserted into the upper recesses 110 and the lower recesses 111 of the multiple fins 11 .
In this case, even if the connecting portion 136 receives a force in the vertical direction from the fin 11, the connecting portion 136 is less likely to deform, and the gap between the upper inserted portion 130 and the lower inserted portion 133 is less likely to widen. Therefore, the connecting member 13 is less likely to come off the fin 11.

(Modifications of the connecting member 13)
Next, modified examples of the connecting member 13 will be described.
12A to 12C are diagrams for explaining a method of attaching a connecting member 13 to the fin 11 as a modified example.
12(a), in a modified example, the length of the connection portion 136 of the coupling member 13 in the up-down direction is longer than the length of the fin 11 in the up-down direction. As a result, the distance in the up-down direction from the tip of the protrusion 132 of the upper inserted portion 130 to the tip of the protrusion 135 of the lower inserted portion 133 is longer than the length in the up-down direction of the fin 11. In this case, as in the example shown in FIG. 11(a), even if the distance between the upper inserted portion 130 and the lower inserted portion 133 is not widened in advance, the coupling member 13 can be disposed so that the upper inserted portion 130 and the lower inserted portion 133 straddle the fins 11 via the connection portion 136.

Next, using a pressing means (not shown), the upper inserted portion 130 of the connecting member 13 is pressed downward, and the lower inserted portion 133 is pressed upward. When the upper inserted portion 130 and the lower inserted portion 133 are pressed, a bent portion 1361 is generated in the connecting portion 136, as shown in FIG. 12(b). In this example, the bent portion 1361 faces to the right. In addition, as the bent portion 1361 is generated, the distance between the upper inserted portion 130 and the lower inserted portion 133 becomes shorter, and the upper inserted portion 130 is inserted into the upper recesses 110 of the multiple fins 11. In addition, the lower inserted portion 133 is inserted into the lower recesses 111 (see FIG. 5) of the multiple fins 11.

12(c), the end 137a of the upper extension 137 is bent so that the end 137a is inserted inside the upper opening 112 of the fin 11 that is located most forward. Also, the end 138a of the lower extension 138 is bent so that the end 138a is inserted inside the lower opening 113 of the fin 11 that is located most forward.
In this manner, the connecting member 13 is attached to the fins 11. Although not shown in the drawings, the connecting member 13 is also attached to the right end portion of each of the multiple fins 11.

As described above, in the modified example, the connection portion 136 of the connecting member 13 is formed to be longer than the vertical length of the fin 11, and is bent when the connecting member 13 is inserted into the upper recess 110 and the lower recess 111 of the fin 11.
In this case, since the gap between the upper inserted portion 130 and the lower inserted portion 133 is large, when the connecting member 13 is arranged so that the upper inserted portion 130 and the lower inserted portion 133 straddle the fins 11 via the connection portion 136, the fins 11 are less likely to hit the connecting member 13. This makes it easier for the user to attach the connecting member 13 to the fins 11.

In the example shown in FIG. 12C, the curved portion 1361 of the connection portion 136 in the coupling member 13 faces to the right, but this is not limited thereto.
For example, as shown in Fig. 13(a), the curved portion 1361 may face the left side. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 13(b), the curved portion 1361 may be hooked onto the fin 11. More specifically, the curved portion 1361 may be bent inwardly of the connecting member 13 in the front-rear direction, and hooked onto a wall portion extending from the lower wall surface 112b of the upper opening 112 to the upper wall surface 113a of the lower opening 113 in the fin 11 arranged at the rearmost side.

Third Embodiment
Next, a third embodiment will be described.
The third embodiment is common to the second embodiment in that one connecting member is inserted into the upper recess 110 and the lower recess 111 of the fin 11. On the other hand, the connecting member 13 in the second embodiment is configured such that the upper inserted portion 130 (see FIG. 10) and the lower inserted portion 133 are not connected at the front end. In contrast, the third embodiment differs from the second embodiment in that the upper inserted portion and the lower inserted portion of the connecting member are connected at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the connecting member.

14 is a perspective view of a connecting member 17 according to the third embodiment. Note that in the third embodiment, a description of the same configuration as in the second embodiment will be omitted.
14, the connecting member 17 of the third embodiment is formed in an annular shape. The connecting member 17 has an upper inserted portion 170, a lower inserted portion 173, a rear connecting portion 176, and a front connecting portion 177.

The upper insertion portion 170 is formed to extend in the front-rear direction. The upper insertion portion 170 is inserted into the upper recess 110 (see FIG. 5) of the fin 11. The upper insertion portion 170 has a base 171 that spans across each fin 11 provided on the heat sink 10, and a protrusion 172 that protrudes downward from the base 171. The protrusion 172 is provided with protrusion recesses 1721 having recesses at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the upper insertion portion 170. The protrusion recesses 1721 are recessed upward.

The lower insertion portion 173 is provided below the upper insertion portion 170 and is formed to extend in the front-rear direction. The lower insertion portion 173 is inserted into the lower recess 111 (see FIG. 5) of the fin 11. The lower insertion portion 173 has a base 174 that spans across each fin 11 provided on the heat sink 10, and a protrusion 175 that protrudes upward from the base 174. In addition, the protrusion 175 has protrusion recesses 1751 with recesses at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the lower insertion portion 173. The protrusion recesses 1751 are recessed downward.

The rear connection portion 176 is provided from the rear end of the upper inserted portion 170 to the rear end of the lower inserted portion 173, thereby connecting the rear end of the upper inserted portion 170 to the rear end of the lower inserted portion 173. The length of the rear connection portion 176 in the vertical direction is longer than the length of the fin 11 in the vertical direction.
Front connection portion 177, as an example of an opposite side connection portion, is provided from the front tip of upper inserted portion 170 to the front tip of lower inserted portion 173, thereby connecting the front tip of upper inserted portion 170 and the front tip of lower inserted portion 173. The length of front connection portion 177 in the up-down direction is the same as the length of rear connection portion 176 in the up-down direction.

Figures 15(a) and 15(b) are diagrams for explaining a method for attaching the connecting member 17 to the fins 11. Below, a method for attaching the connecting member 17 to the left end of multiple fins 11 (see Figure 1) is explained. Note that in the third embodiment, the fins 11 are not provided with an upper opening 112 (see Figure 5) and a lower opening 113.

As shown in FIG. 15(a), first, the connecting member 17 is positioned so that the connecting member 17 surrounds the multiple fins 11. As a result, the upper insertion portion 170 of the connecting member 17 is positioned above each fin 11, the lower insertion portion 173 is positioned below each fin 11, the rear connection portion 176 is positioned behind each fin 11, and the front connection portion 177 is positioned forward of each fin 11.

Next, a pressing means (not shown) is used to press the upper inserted portion 170 downward and the lower inserted portion 173 upward. This causes the rear connection portion 176 to bend as shown in FIG. 15(b). Although not shown, the front connection portion 177 also bends in the same way as the rear connection portion 176. As the rear connection portion 176 and the front connection portion 177 bend, the distance between the upper inserted portion 170 and the lower inserted portion 173 becomes shorter, and the upper inserted portion 170 is inserted into the upper recesses 110 of the multiple fins 11. The lower inserted portion 173 is inserted into the lower recesses 111 (see FIG. 5) of the multiple fins 11.

In this manner, the connecting member 17 is attached to the fin 11. Although not shown in the figure, the connecting member 17 is also attached to the right end of each of the multiple fins 11.

As described above, in this embodiment, the connecting member 17 has a front connection portion 177 that is provided forward of the multiple fins 11 and connects the upper inserted portion 170 and the lower inserted portion 173 of the connecting member 17 .
Even with this configuration, when the fin 11 is subjected to a downward external force and attempts to move downward, the upper wall surface 111c of the lower recess 111 abuts against the lower inserted portion 173, suppressing the downward movement of the fin 11, making it difficult for the connecting member 17 to come off from the fin 11. Also, in this case, it is not necessary to insert the connecting member 17 into a portion of the fin 11 other than the upper recess 110 and the lower recess 111. Therefore, the area of the fin 11 can be secured by the amount of the openings formed in the fin 11 being reduced, and the cooling efficiency of the fin 11 can be improved.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It is clear from the claims that the technical scope of the present invention also includes various modifications or improvements to the above embodiments.

In the present invention, a connecting member is attached to each of both ends of the multiple fins 11 in the left-right direction, but this is not limited to the above. It is sufficient that a connecting member is attached to at least one end of the multiple fins 11 in the left-right direction.

Further, the fins 11 described in the present invention are formed to extend linearly in the longitudinal direction, but the shape of the fins 11 is not limited to the above.
The fins 11 may be provided in a corrugated shape, for example. That is, the fins 11 are not limited to those extending linearly.

Furthermore, the number of fins 11 provided on the heat sink 10 is not limited to the example shown in the figure.
The heat sink 10 may be provided with at least two fins 11 .

1...liquid-cooled cooling device, 10...heat sink, 11...fins, 12, 13, 17...connecting member, 20...case, 30...inlet joint, 40...outlet joint, 110...upper recess, 111...lower recess, 112...upper opening, 113...lower opening, P...heating element, I...insulating member

Claims (9)

A plurality of fins arranged in a line in one direction, each of which has a recess formed on one side in a cross direction that crosses the one direction;
a connecting member that is inserted into the recess of each of the plurality of fins and connects the plurality of fins;
Equipped with
Among the plurality of fins, fins arranged at both ends in the one direction have an opening in which the connecting member is inserted and in which a wall portion facing the one side in the intersecting direction is formed ,
The opening is provided at an end of the fin closer to the recess in a direction intersecting both the one direction and the intersecting direction, and the opening is formed so as to be recessed from a side surface of the fin.
Heat sink. At least one of the fins arranged at both ends is provided on the one side in the intersecting direction from the opening, and has a one-side opening in which an opening for receiving a connecting member is formed and in which a wall portion facing the opposite side to the one side is formed,
2. The heat sink according to claim 1, further comprising a wall provided between the opening formed in the opening portion and the opening formed in the one-side opening portion in the intersecting direction. The heat sink according to claim 1, further comprising a clamping member that is provided in the one direction from one side of the plurality of fins to the opposite side of the plurality of fins and that clamps the plurality of fins between the clamping member and the connecting member. A plurality of fins arranged in a line in one direction, each of which has a recess formed on one side in a cross direction that crosses the one direction;
a connecting member that is inserted into the recess of each of the plurality of fins and connects the plurality of fins;
Equipped with
Among the plurality of fins, fins arranged at both ends in the one direction have an opening in which the connecting member is inserted and in which a wall portion facing the one side in the intersecting direction is formed,
the plurality of fins each have an opposite side recess that is provided on the one side of the recess in the intersecting direction and recessed on the opposite side to the one side,
the opening is the opposite recess,
The connecting member is a heat sink having an inserted portion that is inserted into the opposite side recess, and a connection portion that is provided on one side of the multiple fins in the one direction and connects the portion of the connecting member that is inserted into the recess and the inserted portion. The heat sink according to claim 4 , wherein the connection portion is provided so as to extend in the intersecting direction when the coupling member is inserted into the recess and the opposite recess of the plurality of fins. The heat sink according to claim 4 , wherein the connection portion is formed to be longer than the length of the fin in the cross direction, and is bent when the connecting member is inserted into the recesses and the opposite recesses of the multiple fins. 5. The heat sink of claim 4, wherein the fin of the plurality of fins that is arranged at the end opposite the one side in the one direction has a first opening in which an opening through which the connecting member is inserted is formed and a wall portion facing the one side in the cross direction, and a second opening that is provided on the one side of the first opening, has an opening through which the connecting member is inserted and a wall portion facing the opposite side of the one side in the cross direction. The heat sink according to claim 4 , wherein the connecting member has an opposite side connection portion that is provided on the opposite side of the one side of the plurality of fins in the one direction and connects the portion of the connecting member that is inserted into the recess and the inserted portion. A heat sink according to any one of claims 1 to 8 ;
a case that houses the heat sink and through which a cooling liquid flows between a plurality of fins of the heat sink;
A cooling device comprising: