Heat sink for auxiliary circuit board

• US 5,875,097 A
• Filed: 06/09/1997
• Issued: 02/23/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Power Trends, Inc. (Texas Instruments, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Power Trends, Inc. (Texas Instruments, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ashdown, Glynn Russell, Amaro, Michael, Fernandez, Claude
• Primary Examiner(s): THOMPSON, GREGORY D
• Application Number:
  US08/871,235
• Time in Patent Office: 624 Days
• Field of Search: 165/80.2, 165/80.3, 165/185, 174/16.3, 257/712, 257/713, 257/718, 257/719, 257/722, 361/688, 361/690, 361/704, 361/707, 361/709-710, 361/717-722
• US Class Current: 361/704
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/3675 characterised by the shape of the housing
• 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: H05K 7/205 Heat-dissipating body thermally connected to heat generating element via thermal paths through printed circuit board [PCB] details of PCBs relating to heat transfer H05K1/0201
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20509 Multiple-component heat spreaders; Multi-component heat-conducting support plates; Multi-component non-closed heat-conducting structures

Abstract

The heat sink is mounted on a back plane of an auxiliary circuit board and the auxiliary circuit board is mounted on a main circuit board. In one embodiment, the heat sink is planer and extends between parallel auxiliary and main circuit boards. A finned heat dissipating member is at one side of the planar portion. Mounting pins in channels mount the heat sink to the main circuit board. The second embodiment is unshaped and stands on edge to mount the auxiliary circuit board perpendicular to the main circuit boards. Mounting pins in channels of the second embodiment likewise mount the heat sink to the main circuit board.

Claims

1. A heat sink for mounting between a circuit board and a mounting surface, comprising:

a planar member of heat conducting material having a first major surface adapted to mount to the circuit board and a second major surface adapted to mount to the mounting surface, said second major surface defining a mounting plane through which projects no part of said heat sink so that said second-major surface may lie flat abutting on a planar mounting surface;

a finned heat radiating member of a heat conducting material in thermal contact with said planar member, said finned heat radiating member extending perpendicularly from said planar member on a same side of said planar member as said first major surface;

a pin mounting portion for engagement with a portion of pin extending parallel to said planar member.

2. A heat sink as claimed in claim 1, wherein said finned heat radiating member is at one side of said planar member.

3. A heat sink as claimed in claim 1, wherein said planar member is substantially rectangular in shape, said planar member having three free edges of said substantially rectangular shape, and said finned heat radiating member is at a fourth edge of said substantially rectangular shape.

4. A beat sink as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pin mounting means includes means defining a first pin mounting location at a first distance from said second major surface and means defining a second pin mounting location at a second distance from said second major surface.

5. A heat sink as claimed in claim 4, wherein said first and second means defining said pin mounting locations are channels open at said second major surface and having said pin mounting locations in said channels.

6. A heat sink as claimed in claim 5, wherein said channels include two channels extending substantially parallel across said second major surface and adapted to accepting mounting pins at both ends of said channels.

9. A heat sink as claimed in claim 1, wherein said finned beat radiating member includes a core perpendicular to said planar member and fins extending in opposite directions from said core.

10. A heat sink as claimed in claim 1, wherein said finned heat radiating member has a core extending perpendicularly from said planar member, said core having a thickness in a direction parallel to said planar member which is greater at portions closer to said planar member and less at portion farther from said planar member.

11. A beat sink as claimed in claim 10, wherein finned heat radiating member has fins extending from said core, said fins having a greater thickness adjacent said core and a lesser thickness farther from said core.

12. A heat sink as claimed in claim 11, wherein said fins extend from two opposite sides of said core.

7. A heat sink assembly for mounting between a circuit board and a mounting surface, comprising:

a planar member of a heat conducting material, said planar member having a first major surface adapted for mounting to the circuit board and a second major surface opposite said first major surface adapted for mounting on said mounting surface;

a finned heat radiating portion of a heat conducting material, said finned heat radiating portion being thermally connected to said planar member at one side of said planar member, said finned heat radiating portion extending perpendicularly from said planar member from said first major surface;

means defining first and second channels in said second major surface of said planar member at a position substantially opposite said finned heat radiating portion, said first channel being of a first depth and said second channel being of a second depth which is greater than said first depth, said first and second channels extending substantially parallel to one another;

mounting pins extending into one of said first and second channels and adapted to mount said heat sink to said mounting surface.

8. A heat sink assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein said mounting pins include a first mounting pin adapted to extend through a bore in said mounting surface and a second mounting pin adapted to attach at a surface of said mounting surface.

13. A heat sink for mounting between a circuit board and a mounting surface, comprising:

a planar member of heat conducting material having, a first major surface adapted to mount to the circuit board and a second major surface adapted to mount to the mounting surface;

a finned heat radiating member of a heat conducting material in thermal contact with said planar member, said finned heat radiating member extending perpendicularly from said planar member, said finned heat radiating member having a substantially constant cross section in a longitudinal direction parallel to said planar member;

a pin mounting channel extending into said planar member parallel to said longitudinal direction of said finned heat radiating member, said pin mounting channel being open to one of said first major surface and said second major surface.

14. A heat sink as claimed in claim 13, wherein:

said finned heat radiating member having a core extending perpendicularly from said planar member, said core having a thickness in a direction parallel to said planar member which is greater at portions closer to said planar member and less at portion farther from said planar member.