Heat sinking assembly for electrical components

• US 5,396,404 A
• Filed: 09/20/1993
• Issued: 03/07/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Delco Electronics Corporation (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Murphy, William S., King, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tolin, Gerald P.
• Application Number:
  US08/123,478
• Time in Patent Office: 533 Days
• Field of Search: 165/80.3, 165/185, 361/704, 361/707, 361/709, 361/710, 361/717, 361/718, 361/719, 361/722, 361/807, 361/809, 361/810, 174/16.3, 267/150, 267/160, 257/706, 257/707, 257/713, 257/727
• US Class Current: 361/719
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2023/4031 Packaged discrete devices, e.g. to-3 housings, diodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2023/4087 Mounting accessories, interposers, clamping or screwing parts
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/4006 with bolts or screws
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/4093 Snap-on arrangements, e.g. clips
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00

Abstract

A heat sink assembly for dissipating thermal energy from a heat generating electrical components wherein the heat sinking includes a component support member and a cover which surrounds and clamps the electric component to the heat sink and a method of heat sinking where the parts are not heat sunk until the cover is attached to the circuit board. The clamping force for the electrical component may also be varied for optimum heat transfer.

Claims

1. A heat sink assembly for heat generating electrical components comprising:

a retainer having first and second opposed walls defining a central cavity and an opening into said cavity; and

a housing having first and second opposed heat dissipative wall sections parallel to said first and second retainer walls, respectively, said housing wall sections having outer surfaces facing away from said heat generating components and inner surfaces which, together with said first and second retainer walls, respectively sandwich first and second parallel extending rows of said heat generating components, said housing further having a channel disposed at the opening of said retainer and extending into said cavity for biasing said first and second retainer walls toward said first and second internal surfaces of said housing, respectively.

2. The heat sink assembly of claim 1, wherein said housing functions as a portion of a cover for said assembly.

3. The heat sink assembly of claim 1, including means for drawing said housing channel into said cavity to adjust the biasing of said retainer walls.

4. A heat sink assembly for heat generating electrical components mounted on a circuit board comprising:

a retainer disposed on said circuit board and having first and second opposed walls defining a central cavity and an opening into said cavity; and

a housing having first and second internal opposed surfaces parallel to said first and second retainer walls, the heat generating electrical components being disposed in first and second parallel rows, said first row of components being sandwiched between said first retainer wall and said first internal surface of said housing, and said second row of components being sandwiched between said second retainer wall and said second internal surface of said housing, said housing further having a channel disposed at said opening of said retainer and extending into said cavity for biasing said first and second retainer walls toward said first and second internal surfaces of said housing, respectively.

5. The heat sink assembly of claim 4, wherein said housing functions as a portion of a cover for said assembly.

6. The heat sink assembly of claim 4, further comprising means for drawing said housing channel into said cavity to adjust the biasing of said retainer walls.