Small volume heat sink/electronic assembly

• US 6,031,751 A
• Filed: 04/14/1999
• Issued: 02/29/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Reliance Electric Industrial Company
• Original Assignee: Reliance Electric Industrial Company
• Inventors: Janko, Steven P.
• Primary Examiner(s): BERHANE, ADOLF D
• Application Number:
  US09/292,075
• Time in Patent Office: 321 Days
• Field of Search: 363/144, 310/54, 310/58, 310/64, 165/104.33, 62/259.2
• US Class Current: 363/144
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 13/00 Arrangements for modifying heat-transfer, e.g. increasing, decreasing F28F1/00 - F28F11/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 21/084 from aluminium or aluminium alloys
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 21/085 from copper or copper alloys
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 5/005 Laminated bus-bars
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/003 Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20927 Liquid coolant without phase change
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20936 Liquid coolant with phase change

Abstract

A heat sink apparatus including a fluid conduit within a body portion wherein the body portion including at least one body member linked to the fluid conduit and forming at least first and second walls which are in different planes, the walls forming at least a first mounting surface for mounting heat generating devices.

Claims

1. An electronic brick assembly comprising:

a conduit construct which forms a passageway between first and second construct ends, the construct formed such that construct portions reside in at least first and second different planes, construct portions which reside in the first plane referred to collectively as a first construct section and construct portions which reside in the second plane referred to collectively as a second construct section;

at least one thermally conductive body member linked to the construct and forming at least one mounting surface for mounting electronic components; and

at least one electronic component mounted to the mounting surface for dissipating heat.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first construct section includes oppositely facing fore and aft sides and the body member is linked to the fore side of the first construct section.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the fore side defines a fore topology, the body member includes a heat dissipating surface which delimits the fore topology and, when the body member is linked to the fore side, the fore topology is received within the heat dissipating surface.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first construct end is linked to the first construct section and the body member essentially encases the first construct section with the first end extending therefrom.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the first construct section includes oppositely facing fore and aft sides and the body member including fore and aft body members which are each linked to the fore and aft sides, respectively to sandwich the first construct section therebetween.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the fore and aft side external surfaces of the construct portions which constitute the first construct section define fore and aft topologies, respectively, each of the fore and aft body members form a heat dissipating surface and the heat dissipating surfaces delimit, when brought together on opposite sides of the first construct section, the fore and aft topologies, respectively.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the fore and aft body sections are secured to the first construct section by a thermosetting compound.

8. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the fore and aft body sections are secured to each other via a thermosetting compound.

9. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the body member is molded onto the first construct section.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the body member includes at least first and second body members and wherein the at least one mounting surface includes at least two mounting surfaces, the first body member linked to the first construct section and forming the first mounting surface and the second body member linked to the second construct section and forming the second mounting surface.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the first and second surfaces are perpendicular.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the first and second surfaces are parallel.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the first construct section includes oppositely facing first fore and first aft sides and the second construct section includes oppositely facing second fore and second aft sides, the first body member is a first fore member and is linked to the first fore side and the second body member is a second fore member and is linked the second fore side, the first fore side defines a first fore topology and the second fore side defines a second fore topology, the first fore member includes a first heat dissipating surface which delimits the first fore topology and the second fore member includes a second heat dissipating surface which delimits the second fore topology, when the first fore member is linked to the first side, the first fore topology is received within the first heat dissipating surface and, when the second fore member is linked to the second side, the second fore topology is received within the second heat dissipating surface.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the body members are linked to the construct via a thermosetting compound.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the first construct end is linked to the first construct section and the first body member encases the first construct section with the first end extending therefrom.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the first construct section includes oppositely facing fore and aft sides and the first body member includes fore and aft body members which are each linked to the fore and aft sides to sandwich the first construct section therebetween.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the fore and aft side external surfaces of the construct portions which constitute the first construct section define fore and aft topologies, respectively, each of the fore and aft body members form a heat dissipating surface and the heat dissipating surfaces delimit the fore and aft topologies, respectively, when brought together on opposite sides of the first construct section, the heat dissipating surfaces receiving the fore and aft topologies.

18. The apparat us of claim 15 wherein the the second construct end is linked to the second construct section and the second body member encases the second construct section with the second end extending there from.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the second construct section includes oppositely facing fore and aft sides and the second body member includes fore and aft body members which are each linked to the fore and aft sides to sandwich the second construct section therebetween.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the fore and aft side external surfaces of the construct portions which constitute the second construct section define fore and aft topologies, respectively, each of the fore and aft body members form a heat dissipating surface and the heat dissipating surfaces delimit the fore and aft topologies, respectively, when brought together on opposite sides of the second construct section, the heat dissipating surfaces receiving the fore and aft topologies.

21. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the second construct section includes oppositely facing fore and aft sides and the second body member includes at least a fore body member having a dissipating surface and, wherein, the dissipating surface contacts the fore side when the fore body member is linked to the second construct section.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the fore side defines a fore topology, the fore body member includes a heat dissipating surface which delimits the fore topology and, when the fore body member is linked to the fore side, the fore topology is received within the heat dissipating surface.

23. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the construct defines at least two passageways.

24. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first construct section includes at least one manifold which opens into a plurality of construct tubes which comprise the second construct section, the body section is a first body section and the apparatus further including at least a second body section, the second body section encasing the manifold.

25. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the construct is formed of copper.

26. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the body member is formed of aluminum.

27. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the construct is formed of stainless steel.

28. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the construct resides in more than two planes.

29. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the construct is formed of a copper alloy.

30. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the body member is formed of an aluminum alloy.

31. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the construct is formed of steel.

32. An electronic brick assembly comprising:

a heat sink assembly including;

a metallic main body portion, the main body portion including at least a first wall member having first and second oppositely facing mounting surfaces;

an elongate conduit construction which forms a passageway between first and second construction ends, the construction disposed in the body portion, the first and second ends extending from the body portion; and

at least a first electronic device linked to the first first mounting surface and at least a second electronic device linked to the second mounting surface to facilitate device heat transfer to the wall.

33. The assembly of claim 32 wherein the first electronic device includes a first plurality of electronic devices and the second electronic device includes a second plurality of electronic devices.

34. The assembly of claim 33 wherein each device has a heat dissipating surface, each of the first plurality of devices is characterized by a long dimension perpendicular to a corresponding heat dissipating surface wherein the long dimensions are essentially identical and each of the second plurality of devices is characterized by a short dimension perpendicular to a corresponding heat dissipating surface wherein the short dimensions are essentially identical.

35. An electronic brick assembly comprising:

a heat sink assembly including;

a metallic main body portion, the main body portion including at least a first wall member and a second wall member which is linked to the first wall member, the first and second wall members linked such that the walls are disposed in first and second different planes, respectively;

a conduit construction which forms a passageway between first and second construction ends, the construction disposed in the body portion such that a portion of the construction is disposed in at least the first wall member, the first and second ends extending from the body portion; and

at least a first electronic device linked to the first wall member to facilitate device heat transfer to the first wall member.