Conforming heat sink assembly
First Claim
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1. A heat sink assembly comprising:
- a heat dispersing member;
an elastomeric member disposed between said heat dispersing member and an irregular surface to be cooled having protrusions, which physically contacts said heat dispersing member and said irregular surface;
at least one of said heat dispersing member and said elastomeric member defining a plurality of voids at a junction thereof, each of said voids disposed along the junction between said elastomeric member and said heat dispersing member and said voids spaced with respect to each other and are aligned with same protrusions, to enable said protrusions to displace said elastomeric member into said voids, to increase the amount of surface area of said elastomeric member that is in contact with said irregular surface and enhance thermal conductivity from said irregular surface to said heat dispersing member.
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Abstract
A conforming heat sink assembly including a heat dispersive element is mounted in spaced relationship to a surface from which heat is to be conducted. A thermal interface is provided for coupling the heat dispersive element to the surface from which heat is to be conducted. The thermal interface includes an elastomeric member which occupies only a portion of a volume defined by mounting the heat dispersive element proximate the surface from which heat is to be conducted. The unoccupied volume allows the elastomeric member to easily conform to the irregular surface from which heat is to be conducted to enhance thermal conductivity from the surface to the heat dispersive member.
117 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A heat sink assembly comprising:
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a heat dispersing member; an elastomeric member disposed between said heat dispersing member and an irregular surface to be cooled having protrusions, which physically contacts said heat dispersing member and said irregular surface; at least one of said heat dispersing member and said elastomeric member defining a plurality of voids at a junction thereof, each of said voids disposed along the junction between said elastomeric member and said heat dispersing member and said voids spaced with respect to each other and are aligned with same protrusions, to enable said protrusions to displace said elastomeric member into said voids, to increase the amount of surface area of said elastomeric member that is in contact with said irregular surface and enhance thermal conductivity from said irregular surface to said heat dispersing member. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A heat sink assembly comprising:
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a heat dispersing member; means mounting said dispersing member in spaced relationship to a device to be cooled having protrusions, to establish a first volume between said heat dispersing member and the device and for establishing a clamping force; and an elastomeric, thermally conductive member disposed in said first volume, at least one of said elastomeric member and said heat dispersing member defining a plurality of voids at a junction thereof, each of said voids disposed along the junction between said elastomeric member and said heat dispersing member and said voids spaced with respect to each other and are aligned with said protrusions, to enable said elastomeric member to be deformed and displaced by said protrusions into at least a portion of the unoccupied portion of said first volume to relieve stress generated by the clamping force of said means mounting between said heat dispersing member and said device to be cooled. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A thermal interface comprising:
a thermally conductive and electrically insulative elastomeric member having first and second sides, a plurality of recesses defined by said elastomeric member on said first side, said elastomeric member disposed between an irregular surface to be cooled having protrusions and a heat dispersing member with said second side toward said irregular surface, said recesses spaced with respect to each other and are aligned with said protrusions, to enable said elastomeric member to be displaced into said recesses by said protrusions, to increase the surface area of said elastomeric member that is in contact with said irregular surface and enhance thermal conductivity from said irregular surface to said heat dispersing member. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A heat sink assembly comprising:
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a printed circuit board including a first surface having at least one heat generating source, and a second, irregular surface having a plurality of protrusions from which heat is to be conducted; a heat dispersing member; means mounting said heat dispersing member proximate to said second surface of said printed circuit board; an elastomeric member disposed between said second surface and said heat dispersing member; and at least one of said heat dispersing member and said elastomeric member defining a plurality of voids at a junction thereof, each of said voids disposed along the junction between said elastomeric member and said heat dispersing member and said voids spaced with respect to each other and are aligned with said protrusions, said elastomeric member deformed by said protrusions and conformed to said irregular surface to enable said elastomeric member to be displaced into said voids by said irregular surface, to increase surface area of said elastomeric member that is in contact with said irregular surface and enhance thermal conductivity from said irregular surface to said heat dispersing member. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification