FIELD SERVICEABLE CPU MODULE

• US 20120106070A1
• Filed: 11/02/2010
• Published: 05/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Technology Advancement Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Technology Advancement Group, Inc.
• Inventors: LANDON, Trevor
• Granted Patent: US 8,537,540 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.47
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/182 with special features, e.g. for use in industrial environments; grounding or shielding against radio frequency interference [RFI] or electromagnetical interference [EMI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/183 Internal mounting support structures, e.g. for printed circuit boards, internal connecting means for buses G06F13/409
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

A computer apparatus comprising a computer chassis, a baseboard component disposed within the computer chassis and a computer module electronically coupled to the baseboard component is disclosed. A heat sink assembly is attached to the computer module to form a computer module heat sink assembly, wherein the heat sink assembly forms part of an integral exterior structure of the computer chassis. The chassis may comprise a compartment disposed through an exterior surface of the chassis for receiving the computer module heat sink assembly in mated fashion. The computer module heat sink assembly forms a water and air tight seal with the internal compartment of the chassis in mated fashion.

Claims

1. A computer apparatus comprising:

a computer chassis;

a computer module disposed within said computer chassis; and

a heat sink assembly attached to said computer module to form a computer module heat sink assembly, wherein said heat sink assembly forms part of an integral exterior structure of said computer chassis.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heat sink assembly is removably attached to said computer chassis.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the heat sink assembly is attached to said computer chassis via one or more fasteners.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer module supports computer-on-module (COM) format.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer module supports COMExpress format.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer apparatus supports a computer bus interface for connecting host bus adapters to mass storage devices.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the computer bus interface includes Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) technology.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heat sink assembly is directly attached to the computer module.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to dissipate heat through the computer module heat sink assembly and exterior to the apparatus.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to dissipate heat through the computer module into the heat sink assembly and exterior to the apparatus.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a circuit board coupled to said computer module.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the circuit board comprises a plurality of electronic components coupled thereto.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises an internal compartment disposed through an exterior surface of said chassis for receiving said computer module heat sink assembly in mated fashion.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the computer module heat sink assembly forms a water and air tight seal with the internal compartment of the chassis in mated fashion.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the computer module heat sink assembly comprises a plurality of fins integrated on a surface thereon, and the exterior of the chassis comprises a plurality of integrated fins, wherein the fins of the computer module heat sink assembly and the fins of the chassis form an integrated fin structure when the computer module heat sink assembly is mated with the compartment of the chassis.

28. A method of servicing the computer apparatus of claim 1, comprising:

accessing said computer module disposed within said computer chassis via the integral exterior structure of said computer chassis.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein servicing the computer apparatus includes upgrading one or more components of the computer apparatus.

30. A method of servicing the computer apparatus of claim 1, comprising:

accessing said computer module heat sink assembly via the integral exterior structure of said computer chassis.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein servicing the computer apparatus includes upgrading the computer module heat sink assembly.

16. A computer apparatus comprising:

a computer chassis;

a baseboard component disposed within said computer chassis;

a computer module electronically coupled to said baseboard component; and

a heat sink assembly attached to said computer module to form a computer module heat sink assembly, wherein said heat sink assembly forms part of an integral exterior structure of said computer chassis.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the heat sink assembly is removably attached to said computer chassis.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the computer module is disposed within said computer chassis.

32. A method of servicing the computer apparatus of claim 16, comprising:

accessing said computer module disposed within said computer chassis via the integral exterior structure of said computer chassis.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein servicing the computer apparatus includes upgrading one or more components of the computer apparatus.

34. A method of servicing the computer apparatus of claim 16, comprising:

accessing said computer module heat sink assembly via the integral exterior structure of said computer chassis.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein servicing the computer apparatus includes upgrading the computer module heat sink assembly.

19. A heat dissipation apparatus for an electronic device, comprising:

a computer module; and

a heat sink assembly attached to said computer module to form a computer module heat sink assembly, said heat sink assembly being formed and configured to integrate into an exterior structure of said electronic device.

20. A cooling module for an electronic device, comprising:

a computer module; and

a heat sink assembly having a plurality of fins attached to a surface thereof, said heat sink assembly being attached to said computer module to form a computer module heat sink assembly, said heat sink assembly being formed and configured to integrate into the exterior of said electronic device as an integral structure.

21. A method of manufacturing an electronic device, comprising:

providing a computer chassis;

disposing a computer module within said computer chassis;

attaching a heat sink assembly to said computer module to form a computer module heat sink assembly; and

forming an integral exterior structure of said computer chassis with said heat sink assembly.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the heat sink assembly is removably attached to said computer chassis.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the heat sink assembly is directly attached to the computer module.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

coupling a circuit board to said computer module.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

receiving said computer module heat sink assembly through an exterior surface of said chassis into an internal compartment of the electronic device.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

forming a water and air tight seal with the internal compartment of the chassis via the computer module heat sink assembly.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

forming a plurality of fins integrated on a surface of the computer module heat sink assembly;

forming a plurality of fins integrated on the exterior of the chassis; and

forming an integrated exterior fin structure formed by the fins of the computer module heat sink assembly and the fins of the chassis when the computer module heat sink assembly is mated with the compartment of the chassis.