RADIAL FIN HEAT SINK FOR REMOTE RADIO HEADS AND THE LIKE

• US 20160066476A1
• Filed: 08/18/2015
• Published: 03/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gu, Qiyun, Xu, YongJie, Patel, Sammit
• Granted Patent: US 10,028,333 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 3/02 Elements or assemblies thereof with means for increasing heat-transfer area, e.g. with fins, with recesses, with corrugations F28F3/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/3675 characterised by the shape of the housing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20127 Natural convection
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20409 Outer radiating structures on heat dissipating housings, e.g. fins integrated with the housing

Abstract

In one embodiment, an apparatus includes three remote radio heads (RRHs) mounted on a pole using one or more triangular brackets, each RRH connected to a corresponding antenna. Each RRH includes an electronics module, a heat sink mounted on the electronics module, and a cover attached to the heat sink. The heat sink comprises a base, a plurality of attached forward-facing fins, and a pair of backward-facing fins. Each forward-facing fin and backward-facing fin comprises a proximal end attached to the base and an opposite distal end. The proximal ends of the plurality of forward-facing fins are collinear. The distal ends of the plurality of forward-facing fins and the backward-facing fins define an arc of an ellipse.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising a heat sink for an electronics module, wherein:

the heat sink comprises a base and a plurality of forward-facing fins;

a first side of the base is adapted for mounting to the electronics module;

each forward-facing fin comprises (i) a proximal end attached to a second side of the base and (ii) an opposite distal end;

the proximal ends of the plurality of forward-facing fins are collinear; and

the distal ends of the plurality of forward-facing fins define an arc of an ellipse.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the first side of the base is substantially planar; and

the second side of the base is substantially planar and parallel to the first side.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of forward-facing fins is truncatedly disposed on the first side of the base.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the further a fin of the plurality of forward-facing fins is located from a center line of the first side of the base, the shorter is the length of the fin measured from the proximal end to the distal end.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the plurality of forward-facing fins is also radially disposed on the first side of the base.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the further a fin of the plurality of forward-facing fins is located from a center line of the first side of the base, the greater is the measure of an angle between the fin and a line perpendicular to the first side of the base.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein extension lines from the fins of the plurality of forward-facing fins would intersect at an origin line beyond the second side of the base.

8. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein each forward-facing fin is perpendicular to the first side of the base.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the ellipse is a circle.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the measure of the arc is between 90 and 120 degrees.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the heat sink further comprises a pair of backward-facing fins; and

each backward-facing fin comprises a proximal end attached to the base and an opposite distal end.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the backward-facing fins define extensions of the arc defined by the distal ends of the plurality of forward-facing fins.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a cover, wherein:

the cover comprises a plate having a curvature and adapted to fit over the heat sink;

the curvature of the cover corresponds to the arc defined by the distal ends of the plurality of forward-facing fins; and

the cover is removably attached over the heat sink.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein:

the cover comprises at least one of hooks and bayonets;

the heat sink comprises apertures corresponding to the at least one of hooks and bayonets; and

the apertures are adapted to receive the at least one of hooks and bayonets for removable attachment of the cover to the heat sink.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the cover comprises both hooks and bayonets.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein:

the heat sink further comprises a pair of backward-facing fins; and

the apertures are located on the backward-facing fins.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the apparatus comprises the electronics module;

the first side of the heat sink is mounted to the electronics module;

the apparatus further comprises a cover;

the cover comprises a plate having a curvature and adapted to fit over the heat sink;

the curvature of the cover corresponds to the arc defined by the distal ends of the plurality of forward-facing fins;

the cover is removably attached over the heat sink; and

the ellipse is a circle.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein:

the electronics module, heat sink, and cover form a remote radio head (RRH) sub-assembly; and

the apparatus further comprises a bracket adapted to mount the RRH sub-assembly to a pole.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the bracket is further adapted to mount two additional instances of the RRH sub-assembly to the pole, such that the three covers form an open segmented circular cylinder.