Active electronically steered array with waveguide manifold thermocoupled to ICS as a heatsink

• US 10,645,840 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2019
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AVL Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: AVL Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Timmins, Ian J., Holt, Wayne, Ellis, Alan, Gropp, Adam C., Edenfield, Keith, Barratt, Bruce
• Primary Examiner(s): Crum, Jacob R
• Application Number:
  US16/284,824
• Publication Number:
  US 20190327855A1
• Time in Patent Office: 435 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/12 Coupling devices having more than two ports H01P5/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/02 Arrangements for de-icing; Arrangements for drying-out ; Arrangements for cooling; Arrangements for preventing corrosion
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0006 Particular feeding systems
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/061 Two dimensional planar arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/36 with variable phase-shifters
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20154 Heat dissipaters coupled to components
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20163 the components being isolated from air flow, e.g. hollow heat sinks, wind tunnels or funnels
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20509 Multiple-component heat spreaders; Multi-component heat-conducting support plates; Multi-component non-closed heat-conducting structures
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20536 for racks or cabinets of standardised dimensions, e.g. electronic racks for aircraft or telecommunication equipment

Abstract

A heatsink for heat dissipation amongst an active electronically steered array (AESA) on a printed circuit board (PCB) includes a metal plate having a first side and a second side; a plurality of integrally formed pockets on the first side of the metal plate each being sized and configured for congruent receipt of a corresponding one of a plurality of functional blocks of the AESA on the PCB; a plurality of waveguide manifolds on the second side of the metal plate including a plurality of holes that launch a wave transmission and a plurality of slots that guide the direction of the wave transmission; and wherein the metal plate prevents localized overheating amongst the AESA by positioning the metal plate on the PCB wherein the plurality of integrally formed pockets and the plurality of holes and the plurality of slots of the plurality of waveguide manifolds facilitate heat dissipation.

Claims

1. A heatsink for heat dissipation amongst an active electronically steered array (AESA) on a printed circuit board (PCB) comprising:

a metal plate including a first side and a second side;

a plurality of integrally formed pockets on the first side of the metal plate each being sized and configured for congruent receipt of a corresponding one of a plurality of functional blocks of the AESA on the PCB;

a plurality of waveguide manifolds on the second side of the metal plate including a plurality of holes that launch a wave transmission and a plurality of slots that guide the direction of the wave transmission; and

wherein the metal plate prevents localized overheating amongst the AESA by positioning the metal plate on the PCB wherein the plurality of integrally formed pockets and the plurality of holes and the plurality of slots of the plurality of waveguide manifolds facilitate heat dissipation.

2. The heatsink as recited in claim 1, wherein the metal plate is made of aluminum.

3. The heatsink as recited in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of integrally formed pockets is sized and configured to enclose each corresponding one of the plurality of functional blocks of the AESA to dissipate heat from the integrated circuits (ICs) that generate heat.

4. The heatsink as recited in claim 3, wherein the plurality of functional blocks of the AESA comprises one field-programmable gate array (FPGA) surrounded by eight ICs.