Apparatus including heat sink structure for removing heat from a printed circuit board
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An apparatus comprising:
- a housing having an interior portion into which a printed circuit board may be inserted in an insertion direction;
a support structure to removably support a printed circuit board after insertion into the interior portion of the housing;
a thermally conductive heat sink structure disposed within said housing and positionable against the inserted printed circuit board, wherein the heat sink includes a tapered portion such that when the printed circuit board is inserted the board engages a tapered portion of the heat sink and forces the heat sink to move against the printed circuit board;
a spring mechanism for resiliently supporting said heat sink structure in forcible contact with a major side portion of the inserted printed circuit board to receive heat from the inserted printed circuit board, anda conduit for flowing fluid in thermal transfer relationship with said heat sink structure, wherein heat is transferred from the heat sink structure to the fluid.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus, such as a computer, comprises a housing having an interior portion into which a printed circuit board may be inserted. The printed circuit board, when inserted, is supported by a support structure. A spring mechanism resiliently supports a heat sink structure in contact with a major side portion of the inserted printed circuit board. During operation, fluid flows in thermal transfer relationship with the heat sink structure. In this manner, heat is transferred from the heat sink structure to the fluid.
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Citations
39 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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a housing having an interior portion into which a printed circuit board may be inserted in an insertion direction; a support structure to removably support a printed circuit board after insertion into the interior portion of the housing; a thermally conductive heat sink structure disposed within said housing and positionable against the inserted printed circuit board, wherein the heat sink includes a tapered portion such that when the printed circuit board is inserted the board engages a tapered portion of the heat sink and forces the heat sink to move against the printed circuit board; a spring mechanism for resiliently supporting said heat sink structure in forcible contact with a major side portion of the inserted printed circuit board to receive heat from the inserted printed circuit board, and a conduit for flowing fluid in thermal transfer relationship with said heat sink structure, wherein heat is transferred from the heat sink structure to the fluid. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An apparatus comprising:
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a housing having an interior portion into which a printed circuit board may be inserted in an insertion direction; a support structure to removably support a printed circuit board after insertion into the interior portion of the housing; a thermally conductive heat sink structure disposed within said housing and positionable against the inserted printed circuit board; a spring mechanism for resiliently supporting said heat sink structure in forcible contact with a major side portion of the inserted printed circuit board to receive heat from the inserted printed circuit board, wherein the spring mechanism causes the heat sink structure to move relative to the housing in a second direction transverse to the insertion direction upon insertion of a printed circuit board; and a conduit for flowing fluid in thermal transfer relationship with said heat sink structure, wherein heat is transferred from the heat sink structure to the fluid.
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16. An apparatus comprising:
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a housing having an interior portion into which a printed circuit board may be inserted; a support structure to removably support a printed circuit board after insertion into said interior portion of said housing; a heat sink structure disposed within said housing; a spring mechanism, responsive to the insertion of the printed circuit board into the housing, for causing the heat sink mechanism to forcibly engage the inserted printed circuit board to receive heat therefrom, the spring mechanism resiliently supporting the heat sink structure adjacent the interior portion of the housing for movement relative to the housing; and a conduit for flowing a fluid in thermal transfer relationship with the heat sink structure to receive heat therefrom. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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20. An apparatus comprising:
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a housing including a support structure with a connector for receiving an end surface of a circuit board inserted into an interior of the housing portion, the support structure including an inner end wall portion to be adjacent a major surface of the inserted circuit board, the major surface having a greater surface area than the end surface; a heat sink disposed within the housing portion, the heat sink including a thermally conductive plate member; and a spring mechanism interconnected between the inner end wall portion and the heat sink structure and operative to resiliently and releasably hold a side of the thermally conductive plate member in forcible contact with the major surface of the inserted circuit board; wherein, during operation, a fluid flows in thermal transfer relationship with the heat sink structure to transfer heat from the heat sink structure to the fluid. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A portable computer comprising:
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a base housing; a lid housing hingedly secured at an edge portion of the base housing; a latch mechanism to releasably hold the lid housing in a closed position against the base housing; a keyboard disposed upon an upper surface of the base housing; a display disposed upon an outer surface of the lid housing; a card support housing disposed within the base housing and to receive a circuit card inserted within the base housing; and a heat sink structure secured to the card support housing by a spring mechanism, the spring mechanism causing the heat sink structure to resiliently press against a side of the circuit card upon insertion of the circuit card within the card support housing. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. An apparatus comprising:
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a housing having an interior portion; a support structure disposed within the housing adjacent a connector; a printed circuit board disposed within the support structure and operationally coupled to the connector, the printed circuit board including a plurality of integrated circuit chips attached to a substrate and a thermally conductive cover enclosing the integrated circuit chips; a thermally conductive heat sink structure disposed within said housing and positioned in thermal contact with the thermally conductive cover of the printed circuit board; and a pathway through which fluid can flow in thermal transfer relationship with said heat sink structure such that heat is transferred from the heat sink structure to the fluid. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 39)
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36. A method of operating an electronic apparatus which includes a removable printed circuit board inserted within an apparatus housing, the method comprising:
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inserting the printed circuit board within the apparatus housing; in response to inserting the printed circuit board, resiliently pressing a heat sink structure against a side of the printed circuit board with a spring mechanism which is connected between the heat sink structure and the apparatus housing; conductively transferring printed circuit board operating heat to the heat sink structure; flowing a fluid against the heat sink structure; transferring heat from the heat sink structure to the flowing fluid; and discharging heat from the flowing fluid to ambient air external to the electronic apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38)
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Specification