Clamping heat sink for an electric device

• US 5,576,933 A
• Filed: 05/15/1995
• Issued: 11/19/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Wakefield Thermal Solutions, Inc. (The Heico Cos. LLC)
• Original Assignee: Wakefield Engineering, Inc.
• Inventors: Campanella, Vincent, Vasconcelos, Osvaldo M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tolin, Gerald P.
• Application Number:
  US08/440,753
• Time in Patent Office: 554 Days
• Field of Search: 267/150, 267/160, 24/295, 24/457, 24/458, 24/625, 248/316.7, 248/505, 248/510, 411/352, 411/516, 411/522-526, 165/80.3, 165/185, 174/16.3, 257/706, 257/707, 257/723, 257/724, 257/727, 361/704, 361/707, 361/709, 361/712, 361/718, 361/719, 361/722
• US Class Current: 361/704
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2023/4081 Compliant clamping elements not primarily serving heat-conduction
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/44017 with specific mounting means for attaching to rigid or semirigid supporting structure or structure-to-be-secured

Abstract

A heat sink for frictionally engaging an electronic device. The heat sink includes an enclosure which is formed by a pair of oppositely facing vertically side walls which extend upwardly from a flat horizontal base wall. A pair of opposed resilient clamping fingers extend toward each other and downwardly from the upper ends of the vertical side walls. Each of the clamping fingers has a free rounded end for engaging with a downward biasing force the top surface of an electronic device which is placed within the enclosure of the heat sink. A stop is located on the base wall for locating the electronic device relative to the heat sink. The heat sink also has a protuberance on the inside surface of each vertical side wall for engaging the side walls of the electronic device.

Claims

1. A heat sink frictionally engaging a solid state electronic device, said electronic device having a top surface, said heat sink comprising:

(a) a flat horizontal base having a front end and a rear end;

(b) a pair of oppositely facing vertical side walls directly connected to the base and extending upwardly front the base, each of said vertical side walls having a top end, said side walls and said base forming an enclosure containing a solid state electronic device and a front opening to said enclosure at said front end receiving the electronic device;

(c) a pair of opposed resiliently deflectable fingers directly attached to the vertical side walls and extending downwardly into said enclosure from the top ends of said vertical side walls, each of said fingers lying in a respective front-to-back plane which is at an acute angle to said vertical side walls, each of said fingers having a front edge, a back edge and a rounded free end edge which extends from said front edge to said back edge within the front-to-back plane of the finger, engaging the top surface of the solid state electronic device which is inserted into said enclosure through said front opening, said fingers being deflected upwardly by the solid state electronic device which is inserted into said enclosure so that said fingers exert a downward biasing force on said electronic device for clamping said solid state electronic device between said fingers and said base; and

(d) a stop which extends upwardly from said base at a point which is spaced from said front opening thereby positioning said solid state electronic device within said enclosure.

2. A heat sink as recited in claim 1, wherein there are a plurality of heat dissipation fingers extending downwardly from the top end of each of said vertical side walls toward said base, each of said heat dissipating fingers terminating in a free end which is above the level of the free ends of said resilient fingers.

3. A heat sink as recited in claim 1, wherein said stop is a projection which is formed from said base and which extends at an acute angle to the base toward the front end of the base.

4. A heat sink as recited in claim 3, wherein there are two projections which are spaced from one another.

5. A heat sink as recited in claim 1, wherein said heat sink further comprises a pair of oppositely facing protuberances on the oppositely facing sides of said vertical side walls engaging the opposite sides of the solid state electronic device.

6. A heat sink as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said vertical side walls has a plurality of vertical slots.

7. A heat sink as recited in claim 1, wherein said heat sink is a duplex unit frictionally engaging a pair of electronic devices, wherein said pair of opposed resiliently deflectable fingers is a first pair of opposed resiliently deflectable fingers, said stop is a first stop, and said housing has a second pair of opposed resilient fingers which is identical to said first pair of opposed resilient fingers, a rear opening at said rear end and a second stop which is identical to said first stop and spaced from said rear opening.

8. A heat sink frictionally engaging a solid state electronic device which has a top surface, a bottom surface, and a pair of opposite side surfaces, said heat sink comprising:

(a) a flat horizontal base having a front end, a rear end and a top surface;

(b) a pair of oppositely facing vertical side walls directly connected to the base and extending upwardly from the base, said side walls and said base forming an enclosure contains said solid state electronic device and a front opening to said enclosure at said front end receiving the solid state electronic device into said enclosure;

(c) a pair of opposed resiliently deflectable fingers directly attached to the vertical side walls and extending downwardly from the top ends of said vertical side walls toward said base, each of said fingers having a free end engaging the top surface of the solid state electronic device which is inserted into said enclosure through said front opening said resilient fingers being deflectable upwardly by the insertion of the solid state electronic device into said enclosure so that said resilient fingers exert a downward biasing force on the electronic device for clamping the solid state electronic device between said fingers and said base;

(d) a pair of oppositely facing protuberances on the oppositely facing sides of said vertical side walls engaging the opposite side walls of the solid state electronic device which is inserted into said enclosure; and

(e) a stop which extends upwardly from said base adjacent the rear end of said base thereby positioning said solid state device within said enclosure.

9. A heat sink frictionally engaging a solid state electronic device which has a top surface, a bottom surface, and a pair of opposite side surfaces, said heat sink being a stamped metal body comprising:

(a) a flat horizontal base having a front end, a rear end and a top surface;

(b) a pair of oppositely facing vertical side walls directly connected to the base and extending upwardly from the base, each of said vertical side walls having a top end and a plurality of vertical slots, each of said side walls having an inside surface which forms a rounded inside corner with the top surface of said base, said side walls and said base forming an enclosure containing the solid state electronic device and an opening to said enclosure at said front end receiving the electronic device;

(c) a pair of opposed resiliently deflectable fingers directly attached to the vertical side walls and extending downwardly from the top ends of said vertical side walls toward said base, each of said fingers having a free end engaging the top surface of the solid state electronic device which is inserted into said enclosure through said opening, said fingers being deflected upwardly by the insertion of the solid state electronic device into said enclosure so that said fingers exert a downward biasing force on said top surface of the electronic device;

(d) a pair of oppositely facing protuberances on the inside surfaces of said vertical side walls engaging the opposite side surfaces of a solid state electronic device which is inserted through said opening, said protuberances extending inwardly from said inside surfaces, at least as far inwardly as said inside corners to insure that the bottom surface of the solid state electronic device which is inserted into said enclosure does not engage said inside corners and engages the top surface of said base; and

(e) a stop which extends upwardly from said base adjacent the rear end of said base thereby positioning said solid state electronic device within said enclosure.

10. A heat sink as recited in claim 9, wherein each of said vertical side walls has a plurality of vertical slots.

11. A heat sink frictionally engaging a pair of solid state electronic devices, each of said solid state electronic devices having a top surface, said heat sink comprising:

(a) a flat horizontal base having a front end and a rear end;

(b) a pair of oppositely facing vertical side walls directly connected to the base extending upwardly from the base, each of said vertical side walls having a top end, said side walls and said base forming an enclosure containing the pair of solid state electronic devices, a front opening to said enclosure at said front end receiving a first solid state electronic device and a rear opening to said enclosure at said back end receiving a second solid state electronic device;

(c) a first pair of opposed resiliently deflectable fingers directly attached to the vertical side walls and extending from the top ends of said vertical side walls adjacent said front opening, each of said fingers lying in a front-to-back plane which is at an acute angle to said vertical side walls, each of said fingers having a front edge, a back edge and a rounded free end edge which extends from said front edge to said back edge within the front-to-back plane of said finger engaging the top surface of the first solid state electronic device which is inserted into said front opening, said first fingers being deflected upwardly by the insertion of the first solid state electronic device into said enclosure so that said first fingers exert a downward biasing force on the first solid state electronic device;

(d) a second pair of opposed resiliently deflectable fingers directly attached to the vertical side walls and extending from the top ends of said vertical side walls adjacent said back opening, each of said second pair of opposed resiliently deflectable fingers being identical to said first pair of resiliently deflectable fingers and engaging the top surface of the solid state electronic device which is inserted into said rear opening, said second pair of resiliently deflectable fingers being deflected upwardly by the insertion of the second solid state electronic device into said enclosure so that said second pair of fingers exert a downward biasing force on the top surface of the second solid state electronic device; and

(e) stop means which extends upwardly from said base between the front and back ends of said base thereby positioning the first electronic device which is inserted into said front opening and the second electronic device is inserted into said back opening and is accurately positioned within said enclosure.

12. A heat sink frictionally engaging a pair of solid state electronic devices each of said solid state electronic devices having a top surface, a bottom surface, and a pair of opposite side surfaces, said heat sink comprising:

(a) a flat horizontal base having a front end and a back end and a top surface;

(b) a pair of oppositely facing vertical side walls directly connected to the base and extending upwardly from the base, each of said vertical side walls having a top end, said side walls and said base forming an enclosure contains the pair of electronic devices, a front opening to said enclosure at said front end receiving a first solid state electronic device and a rear opening to said enclosure at said rear end receiving a second solid state electronic device;

(c) a first pair of opposed resiliently deflectable fingers directly attached to the vertical side walls and extending downwardly from the top ends of said vertical side walls toward said base adjacent said front opening, each of said fingers having a free end engaging the top surface of the first solid state electronic device which is inserted into said enclosure through said front opening said first resilient fingers being deflected upwardly by the insertion of the first solid state electronic device into said enclosure so that said first resilient fingers exert a downward biasing force on the top surface of the first solid state electronic device;

(d) a second pair of opposed resiliently deflectable fingers directly attached to the vertical side walls and extending downwardly from the top ends of said vertical side walls toward said base adjacent said back opening, each finger of said second pair of fingers having a free end engaging the top surface of the second solid state electronic device which is inserted into said enclosure through said back opening, said second pair of fingers being deflected upwardly by the insertion of the second solid state electronic device into said enclosure so that said second pair of fingers exert a downward biasing force on the top surface of the second electronic device;

(e) a first pair of oppositely facing protuberances on the oppositely facing sides of said vertical side walls adjacent said front opening engaging the opposite side surfaces of the first solid state electronic device which is inserted into said front opening;

(f) a second pair of oppositely facing protuberances on the oppositely facing sides of said vertical side walls adjacent said back opening engaging the opposite side surfaces of the second solid state electronic device which is inserted into said rear opening; and

(g) stop means which extends upwardly from said base between the front and back ends of said base thereby positioning the first electronic device which is inserted into said front opening and a second electronic device which is inserted into said rear opening and is accurately positioned within said enclosure.