Method for thermally connecting a heat sink to a cabinet

• US 6,381,844 B1
• Filed: 12/15/1999
• Issued: 05/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Bollesen, Vernon P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Echols, P. W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cozart, Jermie E.
• Application Number:
  US09/464,330
• Time in Patent Office: 874 Days
• Field of Search: 294/50, 298/900.3, 165/80.3, 165/185, 361/704, 361/707, 361/710, 361/715, 361/690, 257/718, 257/719, 257/726, 257/727, 174/16.3
• US Class Current: 29/890.03
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20318 Condensers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4935 Heat exchanger or boiler making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4987 Elastic joining of parts

Abstract

A heat sink structure includes a lower heat sink in thermal contact with a heat emitting component. The heat sink structure further includes an upper heat sink and at least one heat pipe extending from the lower heat sink to the upper heat sink. At least one spring urges the upper heat sink away from the lower heat sink and into thermal contact with a cabinet, sometimes called a cover or a lid, of a computer system. During use, the heat emitting component generates heat. This heat is conducted to the lower heat sink, the upper heat sink, and the cabinet. The cabinet dissipates heat to the outside of the computer system.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

pressing a first heat sink into thermal contact with a heat emitting component;

supporting a second heat sink above said first heat sink comprising supporting said second heat sink with at least one spring, said first heat sink being thermally connected to said second heat sink; and

pressing said second heat sink against a cabinet comprising compressing said at least one spring, wherein said compressing said at least one spring comprises;

contacting said second heat sink with said cabinet; and

moving said second heat sink towards said first heat sink with said cabinet.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one heat pipe extends from said first heat sink to said second heat sink, said moving further comprising bending said at least one heat pipe.

3. A method comprising:

pressing a first heat sink into thermal contact with a heat emitting component;

supporting a second heat sink above said first heat sink, said first heat sink being thermally connected to said second heat sink; and

pressing said second heat sink against a cabinet, wherein said cabinet is an outer cover of a computer system, said pressing said second heat sink against a cabinet comprising installing said cabinet to said computer system.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said heat emitting component generates heat, said heat being conducted to said first heat sink, said second heat sink, and said cabinet.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein said supporting comprises supporting said second heat sink with at least one spring.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said pressing said second heat sink against a cabinet further comprises compressing said at least one spring.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein a pin extends through an aperture of said first heat sink, through an aperture of said second heat sink and into a pinhead cavity of said second heat sink.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said second heat sink has freedom to move towards said first heat sink until said second heat sink contacts said first heat sink and has freedom to move away from said first heat sink until said second heat sink contacts a head of said pin.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein said pin comprises a stop, said method further comprising:

compressing a first spring between said stop and said first heat sink; and

compressing a second spring between said stop and said second heat sink.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

controlling a force exerted by said first heat sink on said heat emitting component with said first spring; and

controlling a force exerted by said second heat sink on said cabinet with said second spring.

11. A method comprising:

pressing a first heat sink into thermal contact with a heat emitting component;

supporting a second heat sink above said first heat sink, said first heat sink being thermally connected to said second heat sink; and

pressing said second heat sink against a cabinet, wherein a pin extends through an aperture of said first heat sink, through an aperture of said second heat sink and into a pinhead cavity of said second heat sink, and

wherein a first spring surrounds said pin, said first spring pressing said first heat sink into thermal contact with said heat emitting component.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said first spring presses said second heat sink against said cabinet.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said first spring exerts an equal and opposite force on said first heat sink and said second heat sink.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein said first spring has an outer diameter less than an inner diameter of a second spring, and wherein said first spring, said second spring, and said pin having a common longitudinal axis.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said first spring extends between a head of said pin and said first heat sink.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said first spring is compressed between said first heat sink and said head, and wherein said second spring is compressed between said first heat sink and said second heat sink.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

controlling a force exerted by said first heat sink on said heat emitting component with said first spring and said second spring; and

controlling a force exerted by said second heat sink on said cabinet with said second spring.