Wireless router

• US 20060082973A1
• Filed: 10/03/2005
• Published: 04/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bountiful WiFi LLC
• Original Assignee: Bountiful WiFi LLC
• Inventors: Merrill, Robert, Egbert, David K.
• Granted Patent: US 7,256,996 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/709
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20154 Heat dissipaters coupled to components

Abstract

A wireless router dissipates heat through use of a unique heat sink having tines to increase the heat sink surface area. A housing includes lower vents and an upper vents to enable passage of an airflow. The airflow may be generated by one or more fans disposed within the housing interior. The heat sink is disposed in proximity to the upper vents and above a transceiver and an amplifier to thereby receive and dissipate heat. The wireless router is able to effectively dissipate heat generated by the transceiver and amplifier which allows for increased power output.

Claims

1. A wireless router to enable network traffic in a wireless local area network, comprising:

a housing defining an interior;

a transceiver to enable wireless communication and disposed within the interior; and

a heat sink disposed within an interior of the wireless router and including,

a core member,

a first set of tines extending from the core member to form a first concave side, and

a second set of tines extending from the core member to form a second concave side.

2. The wireless router of claim 1, wherein the first and second concave sides are substantially symmetrical to one another.

3. The wireless router of claim 1, wherein the core member approximates an X-shape and defines a third concave side and a fourth concave side.

4. The wireless router of claim 1, wherein the core member includes first and second ends and wherein tines disposed proximate to the first and second ends are shorter in length than tines disposed proximate to a middle of the core member.

5. The wireless router of claim 1, wherein the housing includes,

a lower portion having a plurality of lower vents, and

an upper portion coupled to the lower portion and having a plurality of upper vents, wherein the heat sink is disposed proximate to the upper vents.

6. The wireless router of claim 5, further comprising a fan disposed in proximity to the lower vents to generate an airflow through the lower vents and the upper vents.

7. The wireless router of claim 5, wherein the upper portion is non-planar and defines an extended interior that receives the heat sink.

8. The wireless router of claim 1, wherein the heat sink further includes,

a second core member disposed in proximity to the first core member,

a third set of tines extending from the second core member to form a third concave side, and

a fourth set of tines extending from the second core member to form a fourth concave side.

9. A wireless router to enable network traffic in a wireless local area network, comprising:

a housing defining an interior and having a lower portion with lower vents and an upper portion with upper vents;

a motherboard disposed within the interior and having a processor, memory, and a transceiver to enable wireless communication;

an amplifier board disposed above and substantially parallel to the motherboard, the amplifier board including first and second amplifiers in electrical communication with the transceiver to amplify transmitted and received signals;

a first antenna in electrical communication with the first amplifier to transmit signals;

a second antenna in electrical communication with the second amplifier to receive signals; and

a heat sink disposed above and substantially parallel to the amplifier board and proximate to the upper vents, the heat sink including a plurality of tines.

10. The wireless router of claim 9, wherein the first and second amplifiers are linear amplifiers.

11. The wireless router of claim 9, wherein the heat sink includes,

a core member,

a first set of tines extending from the core member to form a first concave side, and

a second set of tines extending from the core member to form a second concave side substantially symmetrical to the first concave side.

12. The wireless router of claim 9, wherein the heat sink includes,

a core member,

a first set of tines extending from the core member to form a first concave side, and

a second set of tines extending from the core member to form a second concave side.

13. The wireless router of claim 9, further comprising a fan disposed in proximity to the lower vents to generate an airflow through the lower vents and the upper vents.

14. The wireless router of claim 9, further comprising a buffer plate disposed on the amplifier board, the amplifier board including a heat pad onto which the buffer plate is disposed, and wherein the heat sink is coupled to the buffer plate.

15. The wireless router of claim 9, wherein the upper portion includes first and second converging surfaces and an upper surface coupled to the first and second converging surfaces to thereby define an extended interior to receive the heat sink, and wherein the upper vents are disposed within the first and second converging surfaces.

16. A wireless router to enable network traffic in a wireless local area network, comprising:

a housing defining an interior and having a lower portion with lower vents and an upper portion with upper vents;

a motherboard disposed within the interior and having a processor, memory, and a transceiver to enable wireless communication;

an amplifier board in electrical communication with the transceiver to amplify transmitted and received signals;

a first antenna in electrical communication with the amplifier board to transmit signals;

a second antenna in electrical communication with the amplifier board to receive signals;

a heat sink disposed proximate to the upper vents and including,

a core member,

a first set of tines extending from the core member to form a first concave side, and

a second set of tines extending from the core member to form a second concave side; and

a fan disposed proximate to the lower vents to generate an airflow passing through the lower vents, the tines of the heat sink, and the upper vents.

17. The wireless router of claim 16, wherein the first and second concave sides are substantially symmetrical to one another.

18. The wireless router of claim 16, wherein the core member approximates an X-shape and defines a third concave side and a fourth concave side.

19. The wireless router of claim 16, wherein the core member includes first and second ends and wherein tines disposed proximate to the first and second ends are shorter in length than tines disposed proximate to a middle of the core member.

20. The wireless router of claim 16, wherein the amplifier board includes first and second amplifiers in electrical communication with the first and second antennae respectively to amplify transmitted and received signals.

21. The wireless router of claim 20, wherein the first and second amplifiers are linear amplifiers.

22. The wireless router of claim 16, wherein the upper portion is non-planar and defines an extended interior that receives the heat sink.

23. The wireless router of claim 22, wherein the upper portion includes first and second converging surfaces and an upper surface coupled to the first and second converging to define the extended interior, and wherein the upper vents are disposed within the first and second converging surfaces.

24. The wireless router of claim 16, further comprising a buffer plate disposed on the amplifier board, the amplifier board including a heat pad onto which the buffer plate is disposed, and wherein the heat sink is coupled to the buffer plate.