Cooling box for components or circuits

Abstract

The invention relates to a cooling box ( 1 ) for electric or electronic components, consisting of a material. Said cooling box ( 1 ) is non-electrically conductive or practically non-electrically conductive, is configured in one piece or multiple pieces and has a cavity ( 4 ) that is enclosed by the material, said cavity ( 4 ) being closed or provided with at least one opening ( 2 ). To improve thermal dissipation, at least one surface region of the cooling box ( 1 ) is defined by functions of electrical and/or thermal conductivity.

1 . A cooling box for electrical or electronic component elements or circuits made of a material, the cooling box being electrically non-conductive or virtually non-conductive, being constructed in one piece or more than one piece and having a hollow space enveloped by the material, and this hollow space being closed or provided with at least one opening, wherein at least one surface region of the cooling box is defined by the functions of electrical or thermal conductivity. 
     
     
         2 . A cooling box according to  claim 1 , wherein the surface region of the cooling box which is defined by the functions of electrical or thermal conductivity is a metallization layer sintered to the material of the cooling box. 
     
     
         3 . A cooling box according to  claim 2 , wherein the surface region is a printed circuit board. 
     
     
         4 . A cooling box according to  claim 1 , wherein the hollow space of the cooling box has a heating or cooling medium admitted to it. 
     
     
         5 . A cooling box according to  claim 4 , wherein the heating or cooling medium is a gas, such as, for example, air or nitrogen or a liquid, such as, for example, water or oil. 
     
     
         6 . A cooling box according to  claim 1 , wherein the material of the cooling box consists of at least one ceramic component or a composite of different ceramics. 
     
     
         7 . A cooling box according to  claim 1 , wherein sub-pieces of a cooling box of more than one piece are connected. 
     
     
         8 . A cooling box according to  claim 1 , wherein the material of the cooling box consists of a composite material and the composite material contains electrically non-conductive or virtually non-conductive matrix materials with thermally conductive additives. 
     
     
         9 . A cooling box according to  claim 8 , wherein the matrix materials are resins, polymers or silicones. 
     
     
         10 . A cooling box according to  claim 8 , wherein the composite materials are multicomponent systems comprising a polymers or a silicones mixed with a ceramic component 
     
     
         11 . A cooling box according to  claim 1 , wherein the material of the cooling box is metal or ceramic or a composite of ceramic and metal. 
     
     
         12 . A cooling box according to  claim 1 , wherein the metallization layer is of multilayered construction. 
     
     
         13 . A cooling box according to  claim 1 , wherein electrical or electronic component elements are electrically conductively or thermally conductively connected to the cooling box. 
     
     
         14 . A cooling box according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one mounting facility is connected to the cooling box. 
     
     
         15 . A cooling box according to  claim 14 , wherein the cooling box is connected to further cooling boxes, with or without electrical or electronic component elements or circuits, via the mounting possibility. 
     
     
         16 . A cooling box according to  claim 14 , wherein the fastening of the mounting possibility is effected via screwing, riveting, clamping, adhesive bonding, crimping, welding, soldering or further fastening possibilities. 
     
     
         17 . A cooling box according to  claim 1 , wherein the cooling box is connected to at least one cooling body. 
     
     
         18 . A cooling box according to  claim 1 , wherein the surface of the cooling box or the surface of the cooling box belonging to the hollow space bears or has any desired surface structurings which bring about the effect of altering the surface. 
     
     
         19 . A cooling box according to  claim 18 , wherein one or more surface structurings or combinations thereof are arranged on one or more cooling boxes and the surface structurings are, for example, roughenings, furrows, corrugations, apertures in the surface or dendritic or branching structures. 
     
     
         20 . A cooling box according to  claim 18  or  19 , wherein the surface structurings are planar or uneven or rough surfaces which are connected, in particular in an interlocking manner or permanently or temporarily, to likewise uneven or planar or rough surfaces of components to be mounted. 
     
     
         21 . A cooling box according to  claim 1 , wherein the cooling box has an interlocking connection with component elements over the entire surface or over part of the surface. 
     
     
         22 . A cooling box according to  claim 1 , wherein the cooling box is formed flat or with cutouts or with elevations, these being formed in one piece or more than one piece with the respective cooling-box element. 
     
     
         23 . A cooling box according to one of  claim 2 , wherein the metallization layers are greater than 5 μm and are applied using Direct Copper Bonding (DCB) processes or Active Metal Brazing processes. 
     
     
         24 . A cooling box according to  claim 1 , wherein identical or different component elements are fixed on the cooling box with identical or different spatial orientations. 
     
     
         25 . A cooling box according to one of  claim 1  for use as a mounting body for component elements, in particular electrical or electronic component elements. 
     
     
         26 . A cooling box according to  claim 1 , wherein sensory components are connected to the cooling box. 
     
     
         27 . A cooling box according to  claim 1 , wherein sensory signals are derived from the partial or total deformation of the cooling box. 
     
     
         28 . A cooling box according to  claim 1 , wherein the cooling box is partially provided with metallic regions. 
     
     
         29 . A cooling box according to  claim 1 , wherein the cooling box builds up virtually no electrochemical potential with respect to other materials. 
     
     
         30 . A cooling box according to  claim 1 , wherein the cooling box is used as a heat source by the heat produced being released via the cooling box to the medium whose temperature is to be regulated. 
     
     
         31 . A cooling box according to  claim 1 , wherein the cooling box has a targeted temperature distribution due to supplied heat or cold which is transmitted to the cooling box. 
     
     
         32 . A cooling box according to  claim 1 , wherein substances are applied to the cooling box which make bonding processes possible. 
     
     
         33 . A cooling box according to  claim 1 , wherein one or more at least one light-emitting substance or at least one light-emitting component or a combination thereof are connected to the cooling box. 
     
     
         34 . A cooling box according to  claim 1 , wherein metals or metal layers are connected over the entire surface or over part of the surface to the cooling box intimately or by a mechanical interlocking connection and have an identical or different thermal conductivity to the cooling box. 
     
     
         35 . A cooling box according to  claim 1 , wherein the function of the metals is the electrical conductivity or the thermal conductivity or a color change of the surface or thermal spreading or an adhesion promoter to third materials, such as, for example, solders, adhesives, and any desired combinations of the functions of identical or different metal regions. 
     
     
         36 . A cooling box according to  claim 1 , wherein the metals or the metallization layers are connected to the material of the cooling box over the entire surface or over part of the surface with identical or different thicknesses color in identical or different metal regions. 
     
     
         37 . A cooling box according to  claim 1 , wherein identical or different metals are connected as metallization layers to the material of the cooling box over the entire surface or over part of the surface, with one or more layers with identical or different thicknesses color. 
     
     
         38 . A cooling box according to  claim 1 , wherein the cooling box has the intrinsic coloring of the material(s) used over the entire surface or over part of the surface or subregions of the cooling box are colored differently from the intrinsic coloring. 
     
     
         39 . A cooling box according to  claim 1 , wherein the cooling box is connected to at least one further geometrically identical or different cooling box via suitable connecting materials to form a type of three-dimensional array. 
     
     
         40 . A cooling box according to one of  claim 1 , wherein the cooling box is connected to one or more light-emitting substances or one or more light-emitting components and combinations thereof and, at the same time, is provided with standardized or non-standardized electrical connectors. 
     
     
         41 . A cooling box according to  claim 40 , wherein the electrical connectors are lamp bases, such as E27, E14, GU series, G series, U series or R series. 
     
     
         42 . A cooling box according to one of  claim 1 , wherein at least one or different or identical cooling boxes are embedded in a matrix material with any desired orientation or oriented in the same direction. 
     
     
         43 . A cooling box according to  claim 1 , wherein, in the case of a cooling box, a change in the heat transport is achieved by modifying the size or the coloring or modifying the geometry of the metallized surface regions or the metallization layers or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         44 . A cooling box according to  claim 1 , wherein the surface of the hollow space also assumes the functions of the surface not belonging to the hollow space. 
     
     
         45 . A cooling box according to  claim 44 , wherein high-power semiconductors with or without thermal power loss, such as, for example, MOSFETs, IGBTs, processor cores, are connected directly or indirectly to the cooling box and thus the waste heat arising is passed on to the material of the cooling box at the same time and automatically. 
     
     
         46 . A cooling box according to  claim 2 , wherein the metallization layers are applied to the outer or inner surface of the cooling box by sintering. 
     
     
         47 . A cooling box according to one of  claim 2 , wherein the metallization layers comprise tungsten. 
     
     
         48 . A cooling box according to one of  claim 1 , wherein the cooling box is provided with electrical conductor tracks, via which electrical voltages up into the kV range can be transported without electrical voltage discharge due away via the material of the cooling box. 
     
     
         49 . A cooling box according to  claim 1 , wherein the cooling box does not have any screening effect or has little screening effect with respect to electrical or magnetic or electromagnetic fields or combinations thereof, and therefore these fields can pass through the cooling box. 
     
     
         50 . A cooling box according to  claim 1 , wherein the cooling box is provided in a targeted manner with materials over the entire surface or over part of the surface, the function of these materials being to provide regions in which a different screening effect with respect to electrical or magnetic or electromagnetic fields or combinations thereof occurs in comparison with the screening effect of the material of the cooling box. 
     
     
         51 . A cooling box according to  claim 1 , wherein by applying suitable materials, such as metals, for example, in a targeted manner to the cooling box, regions are arranged which, due to their geometry, via inductive or capacitive effects or combinations thereof are capable of receiving or transmitting electrical or magnetic or electromagnetic signals. 
     
     
         52 . A cooling box according to one of  claim 1 , wherein the cooling box is equipped with the functionality of intelligent self-identification. 
     
     
         53 . A cooling box according to  claim 1 , wherein the cooling box is connected directly or indirectly to at least one laser diode of identical or different wavelength. 
     
     
         54 . A cooling box according to  claim 1 , wherein the cooling box is connected directly or indirectly to at least one power module of identical or different design, which, for example, regulates the starting current of an electric motor. 
     
     
         55 . A cooling box according to  claim 1 , wherein only one electrical conductor of a power semiconductor is, for example, soldered onto one cooling box and at least one other electrical conductor of the power semiconductor is, for example, soldered onto another cooling box, in order to ensure optimum heat transfer at the same time as electrical insulation. 
     
     
         56 . A cooling box according to one of  claim 1 , wherein the material of the cooling box is chosen such that the cooling box can come into contact with corrosive or ionically conductive heating or cooling media. 
     
     
         57 . A cooling box according to  claim 1 , wherein the cooling box is equipped with standardized or non-standardized connectors for the heating or cooling medium. 
     
     
         58 . A cooling box according to  claim 1 , wherein the ceramic material contains as the main component 50.1% by weight to 100% by weight of ZrO 2 /HfO 2  or 50.1% by weight to 100% by weight of Al 2 O 3  or 50.1% by weight to 100% by weight of AlN or 50.1% by weight to 100% by weight of Si 3 N 4  or 50.1% by weight to 100% by weight of BeO, 50.1% by weight to 100% by weight of SiC or a combination of at least two of the main components in any desired combination in the given percentage range, and contains as the secondary component the elements Ca, Sr, Si, Mg, B, Y, Sc, Ce, Cu, Zn, Pb in at least one oxidation state and/or-or compound with a proportion of ≦49.9% by weight individually or in any desired combination in the given percentage range, and in that the main components and the secondary components are combined with one another in any desired combination with one another to form a total composition of 100% by weight, with deduction of a proportion of impurities of ≦3% by weight. 
     
     
         59 . A cooling box according to one of  claim 1 , wherein, in the case of cooling boxes of more than one piece, at least one piece of the cooling box consists of a metallic material. 
     
     
         60 . A cooling box according to one of  claim 1 , wherein the metallic piece of a cooling box consists of a combination of different metals. 
     
     
         61 . A cooling box according to  claim 1 , wherein surface regions of the cooling box over the entire surface or over part of the surface are provided with conductor tracks capable of carrying high current and standardized or non-standardized conductor connectors capable of carrying high current. 
     
     
         62 . A cooling box according to one of  claim 1 , wherein at least a thin layer <1000 μm of identical or different material is applied to the cooling box over the entire surface or over part of the surface by sputtering or lithographic processes or combinations of same. 
     
     
         63 . A cooling box according to  claim 1 , wherein an alternating stack construction of cooling box and component part to be cooled takes place by partially or completely connecting individual levels or all the levels of the stack. 
     
     
         64 . A cooling box according to  claim 1 , wherein cooling boxes of more than one piece are connected to one another by the processes of direct Copper bonding (DCB) or Active Metal Brazing (AMB) or metallizations, such as tungsten. 
     
     
         65 . A cooling box according to  claim 1 , wherein metal regions which are greater than the sealing surface also assume other functions, such as that of a seal. 
     
     
         66 . A cooling box according to  claim 1 , wherein the heating- or cooling-medium connections of at least two cooling boxes are connected to one another in series or in parallel. 
     
     
         67 . A cooling box according to  claim 66 , wherein a quantity of heat is supplied to at least one cooling box and a quantity of heat is removed from at least one further cooling box. 
     
     
         68 . A cooling box according to  claim 1 , wherein the cooling box has at least two separate self-contained hollow spaces. 
     
     
         69 . A cooling box according to  claim 1 , wherein at least two hollow spaces are connected to one another in series or in parallel, or combinations thereof, inside the cooling box or outside via the heating- or cooling-medium entrances or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         70 . A cooling box according to one of  claim 1 , wherein the heating or cooling medium flows through the cooling box via convection or is circulated by a pump or by combination of same. 
     
     
         71 . A cooling box according to  claim 1 , wherein the cooling box is provided with standardized or non-standardized optical or optoelectrical connectors or components. 
     
     
         72 . A cooling box according to  claim 1 , wherein an RFID unit is connected to the cooling box. 
     
     
         73 . A cooling box according to  claim 72 , wherein at least one conductor track of the RFID unit or at least one antenna of the RFID unit or at least one active or passive component part of the RFID unit is connected to the cooling box.