# US 8,770,765 B2 · Thermal management of very small form factor projectors with synthetic jets > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,770,765 B2 - Document ID: US8770765B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/753,861 - Filed: 2013-01-30 - Published: 2013-06-27 - Granted: 2014-07-08 - Earliest claimed: 2006-10-13 - Assignees: Nuventix, Inc. - Applicants: Nuventix, Inc. - Inventors: Lee M. Jones; Samuel N. Heffington; Raghavendran Mahalingam - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8770765B2 ## CPC - F21V 29/60: characterised by the use of a forced flow of gas, e.g. air - F15D 1/0095: {by means of injecting jet pulses of fluid wherein the injected fluid is taken from the fluid and re-injected again, e.g. synthetic jet actuators (F15D1/008 takes precedence)} - F21V 29/74: with fins or blades - F28F 3/14: by separating portions of a pair of joined sheets to form channels, e.g. by inflation (manufacture thereof B23P) - G03B 21/16: Cooling; Preventing overheating - H10W 40/43: by flowing gases, e.g. forced air cooling - F21Y 2115/10: Light-emitting diodes [LED] - H04N 9/3144: {Cooling systems (cooling of liquid crystal cells in general G02F1/133382; cooling of projectors not peculiar to the presence of an electronic spatial light modulator G03B21/16)} - Y10S 165/908: Fluid jets - F21V: FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS THEREOF; STRUCTURAL COMBINATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES WITH OTHER ARTICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - F15D: FLUID DYNAMICS, i.e. METHODS OR MEANS FOR INFLUENCING THE FLOW OF GASES OR LIQUIDS - F28F: DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION (water and air traps, air venting F16) - G03B: APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OR FOR PROJECTING OR VIEWING THEM; APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS EMPLOYING ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR (optical parts of such apparatus G02B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; apparatus for processing exposed photographic materials G03D) - H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 - F21Y: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO THE FORM OR THE KIND OF THE LIGHT SOURCES OR OF THE COLOUR OF THE LIGHT EMITTED - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS ## Abstract A thermal management device (401) is provided which comprises a synthetic jet actuator (403) and a heat sink (405) comprising a fin (407). The fin has at least one interior channel (409) defined therein which has first and second openings that are in fluidic communication with each other. The synthetic jet actuator is adapted to direct a synthetic jet into said channel. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A thermal management device, comprising: a heat sink having first and second opposing ends; a synthetic jet ejector which directs a first synthetic jet into said first end of said heat sink; a first conduit, in fluidic communication with said synthetic jet ejector, which directs a second synthetic jet into said second end of said heat sink; and a second conduit, in fluidic communication with said synthetic jet ejector, which directs a third synthetic jet in a direction which is essentially perpendicular to the flow of at least one of said first and second synthetic jets. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The thermal management system of claim 1, wherein said second conduit is adapted to direct a third synthetic jet in a direction essentially perpendicular to the flow of each of said first and second synthetic jets. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The thermal management system of claim 1, wherein said second conduit creates a low pressure zone adjacent to said heat sink. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The thermal management system of claim 1, wherein said second conduit has a terminal end which is disposed adjacent to said heat sink. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The thermal management system of claim 4, wherein said terminal end is directed away from said heat sink. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The thermal management system of claim 5, wherein said second conduit directs a third synthetic jet in a direction essentially perpendicular to the flow of each of said first and second synthetic jets. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The thermal management system of claim 1, wherein said heat sink comprises a plurality of fins, and wherein said first and second jets are directed along the longitudinal axis of said heat sink. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The thermal management system of claim 7, wherein said heat sink comprises a plurality of fins, wherein said plurality of fins define a plurality of channels, wherein each of said plurality of channels is defined by the space between adjacent pairs of fins. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The thermal management system of claim 8, wherein said first synthetic jet is a first plurality of synthetic jets, and wherein said second synthetic jet is a second plurality of synthetic jets. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The thermal management system of claim 9, wherein each of said first plurality of synthetic jets is directed into one of said plurality of channels from said first end of said heat sink. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The thermal management system of claim 10, wherein each of said second plurality of synthetic jets is directed into one of said plurality of channels from said second end of said heat sink, and wherein each channel in said plurality of channels has at least one of said first plurality of synthetic jets directed into it and at least one of said second plurality of synthetic jets directed into it. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The thermal management system of claim 1, wherein said heat sink comprises a plurality of fins, and wherein each of said plurality of fins has a first major surface which is planar. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The thermal management system of claim 12, wherein said plurality of fins are arranged with their first major surfaces parallel to a common axis. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The thermal management system of claim 13, wherein said first and second jets are directed parallel to said common axis. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The thermal management device of claim 14, wherein said synthetic jet ejector and said heat sink are components of an integral unit. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The thermal management device of claim 14, wherein said first and second conduits are disposed along first and second major surfaces of said heat sink. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The thermal management device of claim 16, wherein said first and second major surfaces are opposing surfaces. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The thermal management device of claim 1, wherein said first and second ends of said heat sink are disposed along opposing ends of the longitudinal axis of said heat sink. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) A projector comprising the thermal management device of claim 1, wherein said projector comprises an LED light source which is in thermal communication with said heat sink. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The projector of claim 19, wherein said heat sink is in thermal contact with said first LED by way of an element selected from the group consisting of thermal interface materials and heat pipes. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The thermal management device of claim 1, wherein said heat sink comprises a rectangular base with a plurality of fins disposed thereon, and wherein the longitudinal axis of each of the plurality of fins is adjacent to the longitudinal axis of each other of said plurality of fins. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The thermal management device of claim 1, wherein said heat sink comprises a plurality of fins, wherein said plurality of fins define a plurality of channels such that each of said plurality of channels is defined by the space between adjacent pairs of fins, wherein said synthetic jet ejector directs a first synthetic jet into a first end of a first channel of said plurality of channels, and wherein said first conduit directs a second synthetic jet into a second end of said first channel of said plurality of channels.