Vehicular exterior door handle assembly with radar module and enhanced thermal management

A method of dissipating heat from a radar transceiver of a vehicular radar sensor assembly, the method comprising:

• providing a vehicular radar sensor assembly at a vehicle, the vehicular radar sensor assembly comprising a sensor printed circuit board (PCB) having a first side and a second side opposite the first side and separated from the first side by a thickness of the sensor PCB;
• disposing a radar transceiver of the vehicular radar sensor assembly at the first side of the sensor PCB, the radar transceiver comprising a plurality of antennas for transmitting and receiving radio frequency (RF) radiation;
• providing a heat sink in thermal conductivity with the radar transceiver, wherein the radar transceiver is disposed between the heat sink and the sensor PCB;
• operating the vehicular radar sensor assembly to transmit and/or receive RF radiation at the plurality of antennas of the radar transceiver;
• wherein, while the vehicular radar sensor assembly is operated, RF radiation transmitted by the radar transceiver passes through the heat sink, and wherein the heat sink is configured to allow the transmitted RF radiation to pass through the heat sink without functioning as a waveguide for the RF radiation;
• while the vehicular radar sensor assembly is operated, conducting heat from the radar transceiver to the heat sink;
• and
• dissipating the heat, by the heat sink, away from the radar transceiver.

A vehicular exterior door handle assembly, the vehicular exterior door handle assembly comprising:

• a base portion disposed at a door handle region of a vehicular door;
• a handle portion having a grasping portion configured for a user to grasp when operating the vehicular exterior door handle assembly, the handle portion attached at the base portion;
• a radar unit that, when electrically operated, generates heat at an interior portion of the handle portion;
• and
• a heat dissipating element configured to dissipate heat from the interior portion of the handle portion;
• wherein the interior portion of the handle portion comprises a hot zone and a cold zone separated from the hot zone by a thermally insulating barrier, and wherein the radar unit is disposed at and generates heat at the hot zone of the interior portion of the handle portion;
• wherein the heat dissipating element comprises a heat pipe in thermal conductivity with the radar unit;
• and
• wherein a first end of the heat pipe is in thermal conductivity with the radar unit within the hot zone, and wherein a second end of the heat pipe distal from the first end is disposed in the cold zone, the heat pipe configured to dissipate heat from the hot zone to the cold zone.