Spring clip for clamping a heat sink module to an electronic module

• US 5,581,442 A
• Filed: 06/06/1995
• Issued: 12/03/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Wakefield Thermal Solutions, Inc. (The Heico Cos. LLC)
• Original Assignee: Wakefield Engineering, Inc.
• Inventors: Morosas, Christopher G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson, Gregory D.
• Application Number:
  US08/465,725
• Time in Patent Office: 546 Days
• Field of Search: 165/80.2, 165/80.3, 165/185, 174/16.3, 248/228, 248/316.7, 248/505, 248/510, 257/706, 257/707, 257/717-719, 257/726, 257/727, 267/150, 267/160, 361/697, 361/704, 361/707, 361/709-711, 361/715-718, 361/722, 411/352, 411/516, 411/517
• US Class Current: 361/704
• 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 spring clip for clamping a heat sink module to an electronic module which has a pair of opposite side edge surfaces and a pair of spaced projections which extend from each side edge surface. The spring clip includes an elongated generally horizontal middle segment, a pair of end segments at opposite ends of the middle segment which extend in a first direction at an upward angle and a finger tab segment which is connected to the middle segment and which extends at an upward angle in a second direction which is opposite the first direction. A spring clip and heat sink assembly is formed by attaching a pair of spring clips to opposite ends of the heat sink for application to an electronic module. A heat dissipating assembly is formed by applying the spring clip and heat sink assembly to an electronic module which has a pair of projections extending from opposite edge surfaces of the electronic module. The horizontal middle segment of the spring clip can be moved from an inactive state above a respected pair of projections to an active state beneath the projections so that the middle segment is biased upwardly against the projections for clamping the heat sink to the electronic component.

Claims

1. A spring clip and heat sink assembly for clamping to an electronic module which has a first side edge surface, a first pair of projections which extend horizontally from said first side edge surface, a second side edge surface which is opposite said first side edge surface, and a second pair of projections which extend horizontally from said second side edge surface, said spring clip and heat sink assembly comprising:

(a) a heat sink comprising;

(1) a first vertical end wall at one end of said heat sink, said first vertical end wall having a first end and a second end;

(2) a second vertical end wall which is at another end of the heat sink which is opposite said one end, said second vertical end wall having a first end and a second end;

(3) a first outer edge surface which extends from the first end of said first vertical end wall to the first end of said second end wall at a right angle to said first and second vertical end walls; and

(4) a second outer edge surface which extends from the second end of said first vertical end wall to the second end of said second end wall at a right angle to said first and second vertical end walls;

(b) a first spring clip comprising;

(1) a first generally horizontal middle segment which is parallel with and outside of said first outer vertical edge surface, said first middle segment having a first end and a second end which is opposite said first end;

(2) a first end segment which is pivotally connected to the first end of said first vertical end wall and is fixed to the first end of said first middle segment;

(4) a second end segment which is pivotally connected to the first end of said second vertical end wall and is fixed to the second end of said first middle segment, and

(5) a first finger tab segment which is fixed to said first middle segment so that when said heat sink is placed on an electronic module so that said first middle segment is above said first pair of projections, downward pressure on said finger tab portion enables said first middle segment to be moved outside of and then beneath said first projections and release of downward pressure on said finger tab segment enables said first middle segment to be biased upwardly against said first projections to clamp the heat sink module to the electronic module;

(c) a second spring clip comprising;

(1) a second generally horizontal middle segment which is parallel with and outside of said first outer vertical edge surface, said second middle segment having a first end and a second end;

(2) a first end segment which is pivotally connected to the second end of said first vertical end wall and is fixed to the first end of second middle segment;

(3) a second end segment which is pivotally connected to the second end of said second vertical end wall and is fixed to the second end of said second middle segment, and

(4) a second finger tab segment which is fixed to said second middle segment so that when said heat sink is placed on an electronic module so that said second middle segment is above said second pair of projections, downward pressure on said second finger tab segment enables said second middle segment to be moved outside of and then beneath said second projections and release of downward pressure on said second finger tab segment enables said second middle to be biased upwardly against said second projections to clamp the heat sink module to the electronic module.

2. A spring clip and heat sink assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said first and second middle segments has a first horizontal portion which is connected to its respective first end segment and a second horizontal portion which is connected to its respective second end segment, and wherein each of said first and second finger tab segments is located between its respective first and second horizontal portions and is connected to each of its respective first and second horizontal portions.

3. A spring clip and heat sink assembly as recited in claim 2, wherein each of said first and second finger tab segments has an inverted U-shape and comprises a first leg portion which is connected to its respective first horizontal portion and which extends upwardly from its respective first horizontal portion to an upper end, a second leg portion which is connected to its respective second horizontal portion and which extends upwardly from its respective second horizontal portion to an upper end, and a horizontal connecting portion which connects the upper ends of its respective first and second leg portions.

4. A heat dissipating assembly as recited in claim 2, wherein each of said first and second spring clips has an inactive state in which each of its respective first and second horizontal portions extends at a relatively small upward angle to the horizontal from its respective end segment to its respective finger tab segment to an active state in which each of its respective first and second horizontal portions is substantially horizontal.

5. A spring clip and heat sink assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein each of the first and second vertical end walls of said heat sink has an aperture at its first and second end, and wherein each of the first and second end segments of each of said first and second spring clips comprises a portion which extends upwardly and toward the heat sink at a right angle from its respective substantially horizontal middle segment and a horizontal portion which extends into one of said apertures toward the other of said end segments to a end.

6. A spring clip and heat sink assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein of said first and second spring clip is a continuous length of spring wire.

7. A heat dissipating assembly comprising:

(a) an electronic module which has a first side edge surface, a first pair of projections which extend horizontally from said first side edge surface, a second side edge surface which is opposite said first side edge surface, and a second pair of projections which extend horizontally from said second side edge surface;

(b) a heat sink comprising;

(1) a first vertical end wall at a first end of said heat sink, said first vertical end wall having a first end and a second end;

(2) a second vertical end wall at a second end of the heat sink which is opposite said first end, said second vertical end wall having a first end and a second end;

(3) a first outer edge surface which extends from the first end of said first vertical end wall to the first end of said second end wall at a right angle to said first and second vertical end walls and parallel with and adjacent the first side edge surface of said electronic module; and

(4) a second outer edge surface which extends from the second end of said first vertical end wall to the second end of said second end wall at a right angle to said first and second vertical end walls and parallel with the second side edge surface of said electronic module;

(c) a first spring clip comprising;

(1) a first generally horizontal middle segment which is parallel with and outside of said first outer vertical edge surface, said horizontal middle segment having a first end and a second end which is opposite said first end;

(2) a first end segment which is pivotally connected to the first end of said first vertical end wall and is fixed to the first end of said middle segment;

(3) a second end segment which is pivotally connected to the first end of said second vertical end wall and is fixed to the second end of said middle segment, and

(4) a first finger tab segment which is fixed to said first middle segment, said first spring clip having an inactive state wherein said first middle segment rests on said first pair of projections and an active state wherein said second middle segment is beneath said first pair of projections and is biased upwardly against said first pair of projections, said first spring clip being moved from said inactive state to said active state by the application of downward pressure on said first finger tab segment to move said first middle segment outside of and then beneath said first projections, said first middle segment being biased upwardly against said first projections to clamp the heat sink module to the electronic module upon the release of downward pressure on said finger tab segment;

(d) a second spring clip comprising;

(1) a second generally horizontal middle segment which is parallel with and outside of said first outer vertical edge surface, said second middle segment having a first end and a second end;

(2) a first end segment which is pivotally connected to the second end of said first vertical end wall and is fixed to the first end of said second middle segment;

(3) a second end segment which is pivotally connected to the second end of said second vertical end wall and is fixed to the second end of its said second middle segment, and

(4) a second finger tab segment which is fixed to said second middle segment, said second spring clip having an inactive state wherein said second middle segment rests on said first pair of projections and an active state wherein second middle segment is beneath said first pair of projections and is biased upwardly against said first pair of projections, said first spring clip being moved from said inactive state to said active state by the application of downward pressure on said second finger tab segment to move said second middle segment outside of and then beneath said first projections said second middle segment being biased upwardly against said first projections to clamp the heat sink module to the electronic module upon the release of downward pressure on said finger tab portion.

8. A heat dissipating assembly as recited in claim 7, wherein each of said first and second said middle segments has a first horizontal portion which is connected to its respective first end segment and a second horizontal portion which is connected to its respective second end segment, and wherein each of said first and second finger tab segments is located between its respective first and second horizontal portions and is connected to each of its respective first and second horizontal portions.

9. A heat dissipating assembly as recited in claim 8, wherein each of said first and second finger tab segments has an inverted U-shape and comprises a first leg portion which is connected to its respective first horizontal portion and which extends upwardly from its respective first horizontal portion to an upper end, a second leg portion which is connected its respective said second horizontal portion and which extends upwardly from its respective second horizontal portion to an upper end, and a horizontal connecting portion which connects the upper ends of said first and second leg portions.

10. A heat dissipating assembly as recited in claim 8, wherein each of said first and second spring clips has an inactive state in which each of its respective first and second horizontal portions extend at a relatively small upward angle to the horizontal from its respective end segment to its respective finger tab segment, and an active state in which each of its respective first and second horizontal portions is substantially horizontal.

11. A heat dissipating assembly as recited in claim 7, wherein each of said first and second end segments of each of said first and second spring clips comprises a portion which extends upwardly and toward said first direction at a right angle from said horizontal middle segment and a horizontal portion which extends toward the other of its respective end segment to a free end.

12. A heat dissipating assembly as recited in claim 7, wherein said clip is a continuous length of spring wire.