Thermal management for hot-swappable module

• US 20060221577A1
• Filed: 03/29/2005
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Radisys Corporation (Reliance Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Handley, William, Guthrie, Lawson, Summers, Mark D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,248,479 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/721
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20545 Natural convection of gaseous coolant; Heat transfer by conduction from electronic boards
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20727 within server blades for removing heat from heat source

Abstract

A method according to one embodiment may include providing a heat generating component disposed on a first side of a first circuit board, and transferring heat from the heat generating component through the first circuit board to a second side of the first circuit board. The method according to this embodiment may further include slidingly thermally coupling the second side of the first circuit board to a thermal solution disposed on a second circuit board. Of course, many alternatives, variations, and modifications are possible without departing from this embodiment.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a chassis comprising a first circuit board comprising an advanced telecommunications computing architecture form factor, said first circuit board comprising a thermal solution;

a second circuit board comprising at least one heat generating component disposed on a first side of said second circuit board,

a thermally conductive pathway thermally coupled to said heat generating component, said thermally conductive pathway extending from said first side of said second circuit board to a second side of said second circuit board;

a thermal interface device disposed on said second side of said circuit board and thermally coupled to said thermally conductive pathway capable of slidably thermally coupling to said thermal solution.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said second circuit board comprises an advanced mezzanine card module.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein said thermal solution comprises a heat spreader.

4. A system according to claim 3, wherein said heat spreader comprises a component cover.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein said thermally conductive pathway is coupled to said heat generating component via a heatsink thermally coupled to said heat generating component.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said second circuit board comprises a hot-swappable card.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said second circuit board comprises an advanced mezzanine card module.

6. An apparatus comprising:

a first circuit board comprising a thermal solution

a second circuit board comprising at least one heat generating component disposed on a first side of said second circuit board,

a thermally conductive pathway thermally coupled to said heat generating component, said thermally conductive pathway extending from said first side of said second circuit board to a second side of said second circuit board; and

a thermal interface device disposed on said second side of said circuit board and thermally coupled to said thermally conductive pathway, said thermal interface device capable of slidingly thermally coupling to said thermal solution.

9. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said thermal interface device comprises a thermally conductive member capable of slidingly contacting said thermal solution.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said thermal interface device comprises a resilient element biased toward contact with said thermal solution.

11. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said thermal interface device comprises a first portion thermally coupled to said thermally conductive pathway and a second portion having an arcuate geometry capable of contacting said thermal solution.

12. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said thermal solution comprise a heat spreader.

13. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said heat spreader comprises a component cover.

14. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said thermally conductive pathway is coupled to said heat generating component via a heat generating component thermal solution.

15. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said thermally conductive pathway comprises a thermally conductive member extending through said second circuit board.

16. A method of dissipating heat comprising:

providing a heat generating component disposed on a first side of a first circuit board

transferring heat from said heat generating component through said first circuit board to a second side of said first circuit board;

slidingly thermally coupling said second side of said first circuit board to a thermal solution disposed on a second circuit board.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein transferring heat through said circuit board comprises providing a thermally conductive pathway extending between said first side of said circuit board and said second side of said circuit board.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein said thermally conductive pathway is thermally coupled to said heat generating component.

19. A method according to claim 16, wherein slidingly thermally coupling said second side of said first circuit board to a thermal solution disposed on a second circuit board comprises providing a thermal interface device thermally coupled to said second side of said first circuit board and capable of sliding thermally coupling to said thermal solution.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein said thermal interface device comprises a first portion thermally coupled to said second side of said first circuit board and a second portion having an arcuate geometry capable of slidingly contacting said thermal solution.