COOLING MODULE AND HEADLIGHT

Abstract

A cooling module includes a cooling element having a closed central part and heat-conducting elements on two sides of the central part, as well as a feeding apparatus for air. The feeding apparatus is designed as an integrated twin fan which, on the one hand, feeds ambient air from one side of the central part and, on the other hand, feeds ambient air from the other side of the central part to the cooling element.

Claims

1-9. (canceled)

10. A cooling module comprising: a cooling element having a closed central part sealing regions lying on first and second opposite sides of the closed central part against each other, wherein the cooling element also includes heat-conducting elements on the first and second sides of the closed central part; an integrated twin fan configured to feed ambient air from the first side of the closed central part and configured to feed ambient air from the second side of the closed central part to the cooling element, wherein the integrated twin fan has two fan wheels sealed against each other and an electric drive motor configured to drive the two fan wheels.

11. The cooling module of claim 10, wherein the electric drive motor is arranged centrally between the two fan wheels.

12. The cooling module of claim 10, wherein the twin fan is a radial fan.

13. The cooling module of claim 10, wherein the twin fan is configured to feed the ambient air from the first and second respective sides of the closed central part on a pressure side to the heat-conducting elements of the respective first and second side of the closed central part.

14. The cooling module of claim 10, wherein the heat-conducting elements are cooling ribs or cooling fingers.

15. The cooling module of claim 10, wherein the cooling module is integrated in a cooling module housing, wherein the cooling module housing includes air inlet openings and air outlet openings for each of the first and second sides of the closed central part, wherein the air inlet opening and the air outlet openings are are arranged on opposite sides of the cooling module housing and in opposite portions of a side of the cooling module housing.

16. A headlight comprising: a self-contained internal volume; a transparent cover disc; lighting means; means for mechanically and/or electrically controlling the lighting means; and a cooling module comprising a cooling element having a closed central part sealing regions lying on first and second opposite sides of the closed central part against each other, wherein the cooling element also includes heat-conducting elements on the first and second sides of the closed central part; and an integrated twin fan configured to feed ambient air from the first side of the closed central part and configured to feed ambient air from the second side of the closed central part to the cooling element, wherein the integrated twin fan has two fan wheels sealed against each other and an electric drive motor configured to drive the two fan wheels, wherein the closed central part forms a part of a boundary of the internal volume such that the heat-conducting elements of the first side protrude into the internal volume and the heat-conducting elements of the second side protrude into the surrounding environment.

17. The headlight of claim 16, wherein the twin fan is configured to feed the ambient air from the first and second respective sides of the closed central part on a pressure side to the heat-conducting elements of the respective first and second side of the closed central part.

18. The headlight of claim 16, wherein the headlight is a front headlight of a vehicle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

[0020] Here:

[0021] FIG. 1 shows a side view of a possible embodiment of a cooling module according to the invention in a partial sectional view;

[0022] FIG. 2 shows an aerial view of the cooling module according to FIG. 1 in a sectional view; and

[0023] FIG. 3 shows a schematic depiction of a vehicle headlight in an embodiment according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] In the depiction of FIG. 1, an integrated cooling module labelled 1 as a whole can be seen in a side view. A housing 2 of the integrated cooling module 1 is shown partially in a sectional depiction, in order to reveal a cooling element 3 having a few indicated cooling pins 4 on the side 5 facing the observer. In addition to this cooling element 3, a twin fan 6 is integrated into the housing 2, the twin fan being designed as a radial fan, wherein one of the radial fan wheels 7 is indicated by a dashed line in the housing, because it is covered by the actual housing 2.

[0025] The functionality can be best depicted in an aerial view, which can be seen in the sectional depiction of FIG. 2. The housing 2 of the cooling module 1 is received in an opening 8 of a wall labelled 9. For this purpose, a peripheral seal 10 between the wall 9 and a flange 11 is provided on the housing. The connection can, for example, be implemented by adhering, screwing, riveting, or the like. In particular, it can be implemented by clipping, for which purpose clips 12 indicated in the depiction of FIG. 2 can be seen as part of the housing. If the housing is inserted from above into the opening 8 in the depiction of FIG. 2, then it can be clipped simply and efficiently to the wall 9, preferably while deforming the installed seal 10, such that the structure is completely sealed.

[0026] An interior volume labelled 13 should now lie below the wall 9, and above the wall an outer volume labelled 14 in the surrounding environment of the cooling module 1. Via the cooling module 1, heat should now be transferred from one to the other of the two volumes 13, 14, for example from the internal volume 13 into the external volume 14 forming the surrounding environment of the structure. The cooling element 3 has a closed central part 15 that is received in the housing 2 such that the region facing the internal volume 13 is sealed off from the region facing the external volume 14. The first side 5 of the cooling element 3 or of its central part 15, here facing downwards, carries some of the cooling pins 4, as does the opposite second side 16. The seal of the region neighboring the two sides 5, 16 continues on through the housing, and is lengthened by an intermediate wall 17, which is arranged flush to the central part 15 of the cooling element 3. This intermediate wall 17 has an opening for an electric drive motor 18, which is part of the twin fan 6 and drives two impellers with their respective guide vanes 7 in parallel. The regions of the two impellers are also sealed against each other by the intermediate wall 7 and the drive motor 18, such that in the event of a sealed installation of the housing 2 in the opening 8 of the wall 9, a complete seal of the internal volume 13 against the external volume 14 is possible.

[0027] On the underside of the cooling module 1 shown facing the internal volume 13, air is now drawn in from the internal volume 13 via air inlets 19 and fed by the rotating guide vanes 7 between the cooling pins 4 of the first side 5 of the cooling element 3. Once the air has cooled down accordingly by emitting heat to the cooling pins 4 of the cooling element 3, the air then exits again from outlet openings 20 of the side of the housing 2 facing the internal volume. A circulation of the air in the internal volume 13, e.g., the internal volume 13 of a headlight 21, as depicted in FIG. 3, is thus enabled. The circulated air is cooled in the region of the cooling pin 4 of the cooling element 3 simultaneously with the circulation.

[0028] The cooling element 3 with its cooling pins 4 and the central part 15 can, for example, consist of aluminum. The heat is then very effectively conducted from the cooling pins 4 to the first side 5 of the central part 15 through the central part 15 to the cooling pins 4 on the second side 16 of the cooling element 3 or its central part 15. In addition to the impeller shown at the bottom in the depiction of FIG. 2, the twin fan 6 now moves the impeller having the guide vanes 7 shown at the top in the depiction of FIG. 2. For this purpose, both of the impellers can be arranged on one and the same shaft of the shared electric drive motor 18, and thus circulate at the same speed. In principle, a transmission for changing the rotational speed of one of the impellers would also be conceivable. The impellers are preferably analogous to each other in structure. In the region depicted above in FIG. 2 ventilated by the twin fan 6, the ambient air from the external volume 14 is now drawn in via the air inlet openings 19 located there, and flows through in a similar manner as in the other part of the integrated cooling module 1 between the cooling pins 4 on the second side 16 to the air outlet openings 20. The ambient air from the external volume 14 can absorb heat from the cooling pins 4 of the second side 16 of the cooling element 3 or of its central part 15, and release it into the environment. An efficient cooling of the interior volume 13 is thus possible without the volumes being fluidically connected to each other. Rather, they may be completely sealed.

[0029] This plays a decisive role, in particular in the case of the headlight 21 shown in FIG. 3 already mentioned. Its structure consists of a housing 22 and a transparent cover disc 23. Two fields 24 having light-emitting diodes are arranged, in a purely exemplary form, under this cover disc 23. In addition, within the housing 22, and thus in the internal volume 13 of the headlight 21, a control device 25 and a stepper motor 26 are indicated in an exemplary form. These elements in the internal volume 13 of the headlight 21 produce waste heat, which in practice can largely only be removed via the cover disc 23. In order to improve the cooling here, such that a high performance of the components within the internal volume 13 of the headlights 21 can be achieved without these components overheating, the cooling module 1 is now integrated into the headlight 21, as depicted in FIG. 3. Parts of the housing 22 of the headlight form the wall 9 shown in FIG. 2. Via the cooling module 1, heat is thus transferred from the internal volume 13 of the headlight 21 into the volume surrounding the headlight 21, which accordingly corresponds to the external volume 14 in the structure according to FIG. 2. The internal volume 13 of the headlight 21 itself can furthermore be hermetically sealed in order to prevent the intrusion of moisture, which could damage the electrical, and in particular optical components within the headlight 21.

[0030] The structure of the integrated cooling module 1 is exceptionally efficient and compact. In addition to cooling via the cover disc 23, cooling in other regions surrounding the headlight 21 is also thus enabled, for example in the region of an engine compartment, of a body cavity, or the like. The structure is exceptionally simple and efficient. It can be electrically connected both from the internal volume 13 of the headlight 21 and from the external volume 14. Only one electrical connection is necessary for the shared drive motor 18, such that this shared drive motor 18 starts working, for example, when the light is switched on, without complex control, regulation or the like being necessary for this purpose.

[0031] Although the invention has been illustrated and described in detail by way of preferred embodiments, the invention is not limited by the examples disclosed, and other variations can be derived from these by the person skilled in the art without leaving the scope of the invention. It is therefore clear that there is a plurality of possible variations. It is also clear that embodiments stated by way of example are only really examples that are not to be seen as limiting the scope, application possibilities or configuration of the invention in any way. In fact, the preceding description and the description of the figures enable the person skilled in the art to implement the exemplary embodiments in concrete manner, wherein, with the knowledge of the disclosed inventive concept, the person skilled in the art is able to undertake various changes, for example, with regard to the functioning or arrangement of individual elements stated in an exemplary embodiment without leaving the scope of the invention, which is defined by the claims and their legal equivalents, such as further explanations in the description.