Electronic assembly with thermal channel and method of manufacture thereof

• US 10,013,033 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2015
• Issued: 07/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SanDisk Technologies LLC (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SanDisk Technologies LLC (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Dean, David L., Bennett, Dennis, Ellis, Robert W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lopez Cruz, Dimary
• Assistant Examiner(s): Feng, Zhengfu
• Application Number:
  US14/596,176
• Publication Number:
  US 20150124397A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,267 Days
• Field of Search: 36167931-67933, 36167937-67939, 36167946, 36167954, 36167949, 361693, 361694, 295921, 32475701
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/14 Structural association of two or more printed circuits providing electric connection to or between printed circuits H05K1/11, H01R12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/141 One or more single auxiliary printed circuits mounted on a main printed circuit, e.g. modules, adapters H05K1/142 and H05K1/147 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/142 Arrangements of planar printed circuit boards in the same plane, e.g. auxiliary printed circuit insert mounted in a main printed circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/144 Stacked arrangements of planar printed circuit boards
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/145 Arrangements wherein electric components are disposed between and simultaneously connected to two planar printed circuit boards, e.g. Cordwood modules
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/147 at least one of the printed circuits being bent or folded, e.g. by using a flexible printed circuit H05K1/148 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/148 Arrangements of two or more hingeably connected rigid printed circuit boards, i.e. connected by flexible means
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/14 Mounting supporting structure in casing or on frame or rack
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20145 Means for directing air flow, e.g. ducts, deflectors, plenum or guides
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

In accordance with some implementations of this invention, an electronic assembly is formed with a thermal channel that controls an air flow for the purpose of dissipating heat generated in the electronic assembly. The electronic assembly includes a top board, a bottom board and a subassembly that further includes a rail, an airflow tab and an interconnect. The subassembly couples the top and bottom boards together. The rail has an opening through which air passes. The interconnect faces the airflow tab, carries electrical signals between the top board and the bottom board, and is configured to channel air directed through the opening of the rail.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing of an electronic assembly comprising:

providing an airflow bracket comprising a rail and an airflow tab attached to and extending from the rail and forming an air barrier, the rail and the airflow tab each at least partially made of a respective conductive material and electrically coupled via the respective conductive material of the rail and the respective conductive material of the airflow tab to discharge, to an external ground, static electricity on the airflow tab and rail resulting from airflow through the electronic assembly;

attaching a top board to the rail for electrically coupling a ground of the top board and the rail; and

attaching a bottom board to the rail for electrically coupling a ground of the bottom board and the rail, the bottom board and the airflow tab positioned to form a thermal channel between the top board and the bottom board and to direct air through a vent opening of the rail.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein attaching the top board includes attaching the top board to an inner top groove of the rail.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein attaching the bottom board includes attaching the bottom board to an inner bottom groove of the rail.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising attaching the airflow tab to a locking tab of the rail for extending the thermal channel.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising coupling a mounting fastener to the rail for grounding the rail to an external system.

6. A method of manufacturing of an electronic assembly comprising:

providing an airflow bracket comprising a vent opening and a respective side;

attaching a top circuit board to a top side of the airflow bracket;

attaching a bottom circuit board to a bottom side of the airflow bracket, the bottom circuit board facing the top circuit board, the top circuit board and the bottom circuit board positioned to form a thermal channel between the top circuit board and the bottom circuit board for directing air flowing through the vent opening of the airflow bracket, wherein the respective side of the airflow bracket forms a first side of the thermal channel; and

attaching a flexible interconnect between the top circuit board and the bottom circuit board, wherein the flexible interconnect electrically couples the top circuit board with the bottom circuit board to carry electrical signals between the top circuit board and the bottom circuit board, and wherein the flexible interconnect extends along substantially a full length of a respective edge of the top circuit board and the bottom circuit board,

and forms a second closed side of the thermal channel facing the first side of the thermal channel so as to retain in the thermal channel, the directed air flowing through the vent opening in the airflow bracket, wherein the thermal channel is formed by the respective side of the airflow bracket, the top and bottom circuit boards, and the flexible interconnect.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising attaching an external cover around the airflow bracket for forming the thermal channel.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the airflow bracket includes a rail that includes the vent opening, the method further comprising attaching an external cover with a locking tab of the rail within a locking tab hole of the external cover for forming the thermal channel.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein attaching the top circuit board includes attaching the top circuit board to an outer top groove of a rail of the airflow bracket for extending the thermal channel.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein attaching the bottom circuit board includes attaching the bottom circuit board to an outer bottom groove of a rail of the airflow bracket for extending the thermal channel.

11. An electronic assembly comprising:

an airflow bracket comprising a rail and an airflow tab coupled to the rail attached to and extending from the rail and forming an air barrier, the rail including a vent opening, the rail and the airflow tab each at least partially made of a respective conductive material and electrically coupled via the respective conductive material of the rail and the respective conductive material of the airflow tab to discharge, to an external ground, static electricity on the airflow tab and rail resulting from airflow through the electronic assembly;

a top circuit board attached to the rail, a ground of the top circuit board electrically coupled to the rail; and

a bottom circuit board attached to the rail, a ground of the bottom circuit board electrically coupled to the rail, the top circuit board and the airflow tab positioned to form a thermal channel between the top circuit board and the bottom circuit board for directing air through the vent opening of the rail.

12. The assembly of claim 11, wherein the top circuit board is attached to an inner top groove of the rail.

13. The assembly of claim 11, wherein the bottom circuit board is attached to an inner bottom groove of the rail.

14. The assembly of claim 11, wherein the airflow tab is attached to a locking tab of the rail for extending the thermal channel.

15. The assembly of claim 11, further comprising a mounting fastener coupled to the rail for grounding the rail to an external system.

16. The assembly of claim 11, further comprising:

a flexible interconnect attached between the top circuit board and the bottom circuit board to carry electrical signals between the top circuit board and the bottom circuit board.

17. The assembly of claim 16, further comprising an external cover around the airflow bracket for forming the thermal channel.

18. The assembly of claim 16, further comprising an external cover for forming the thermal channel, the external cover including a locking tab hole, wherein a locking tab of the rail couples to the locking tab hole of the external cover.

19. The assembly of claim 16, wherein the top circuit board is attached to an outer top groove of another of the rail for extending the thermal channel.

20. The assembly of claim 16, wherein the bottom circuit board is attached to an outer bottom groove of the rail for extending the thermal channel.

21. The assembly of claim 16, wherein the flexible interconnect is configured to channel the air directed through the vent opening of the rail.

22. The assembly of claim 11, further comprising:

an interconnect attached between the top circuit board and the bottom circuit board to carry electrical signals between the top circuit board and the bottom circuit board and configured to channel the air directed through the vent opening of the rail.

23. An electronic assembly comprising:

a top circuit board;

a bottom circuit board; and

a subassembly comprising;

a rail comprising a vent opening through which air can be directed;

an airflow tab mechanically coupled to the top circuit board and the bottom circuit board, the bottom circuit board facing the top circuit board, the airflow tab forming a first side of a thermal channel for directing air flowing through the vent opening of the rail, and the top circuit board and the bottom circuit board forming other sides of the thermal channel; and

a flexible interconnect facing the airflow tab, wherein the interconnect is attached between the top circuit board and the bottom circuit board to carry electrical signals between the top circuit board and the bottom circuit board, and wherein the flexible interconnect extends along substantially a full length of a respective edge of the top circuit board and the bottom circuit board and forms a second closed side of the thermal channel that is separate from and facing the first side of the thermal channel so as to retain in the thermal channel, the directed air flowing through the vent opening of the rail, wherein the thermal channel is formed by the airflow tab, the top and bottom circuit boards, and the flexible interconnect.

24. The electronic assembly of claim 23, further comprising an external cover that is attached around the subassembly.