Chipset cooling device of video graphic adapter card

• US 6,937,474 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2003
• Issued: 08/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Zalman Tech Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Zalman Tech Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Sang Cheol
• Primary Examiner(s): DATSKOVSKIY, MICHAIL V
• Application Number:
  US10/407,373
• Publication Number:
  US 20030189815A1
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• Field of Search: 361/683, 361/686, 361/687, 361690-697, 361/694, 361700-712, 361714-727, 361/729, 361/802, 361/803, 361/816, 257706-727, 174/15.1, 174/16.3, 174/252, 454/184, 165/80.2, 165/80.3, 165/104.33, 165/185, 165/104.32, 165/106.33, 165/121, 165/122, 165/106
• US Class Current: 361/715
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/0275 Arrangements for coupling heat-pipes together or with other structures, e.g. with base blocks; Heat pipe cores
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/427 Cooling by change of state, e.g. use of heat pipes by liquefied gas H01L23/445
• 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 chipset cooling device of a video graphics adapter (VGA) card that includes two heatsinks mounted on respective opposite surfaces of a VGA card to collectively cool a chipset of the VGA card is provided. In the chipset cooling device of a VGA card, two heatsinks are mounted on opposite surfaces of a printed circuit board (PCB) of the VGA card, respectively, and connected together by a heatpipe. Due to the use of two heatsinks to collectively cool a chipset, cooling efficiency is higher as opposed to using a single heatsink. In particular, a binding portion between a heatsink contacting the chipset of the VGA card and the heatpipe is always positioned at a lower level than a binding portion between the other, opposite heatsink and the heatpipe, thereby further enhancing the heat conduction performance of the heatpipe.

Claims

1. A chipset cooling device of a video graphics adapter card, which cools a chipset mounted on a printed circuit board of the video graphics adapter card, the chipset cooling device comprising:

a first heatsink mounted on the same side as the chipset to dissipate heat generated by the chipset;

a second heatsink mounted on a side opposite to the first heatsink, with the PCB between the first and second heatsink; and

at least one heatpipe, which connects the first heatsink and the second heatsink so as to transfer heat from the first heatsink to the second heatsink, and is folded at least once around the PCB such that an end portion is connected to the first heatsink and the other end portion is connected to the second heatsink.

2. The chipset cooling device of claim 1, wherein the heatpipe is installed in a position such that, when the video graphics adapter card is installed in a computer case, an end portion of the heatpipe connected to the first heatsink is at a lower level than the other end portion connected to the second heatsink.

3. The chipset cooling device of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second heatsinks includes a heatpipe insertion hole, and the first and second heatsinks are connected by inserting the heatpipe into the heatpipe insertion holes.

4. The chipset cooling device of claim 3, wherein each of the first and second heatsinks is comprised of two portions which together form the heatpipe insertion hole.

5. The chipset cooling device of claim 4, wherein the first heatsink comprises:

a heat-conducting block mounted to contact the top surface of the chipset to absorb heat generated by the chipset and having a first heatpipe receiving groove which receives and contacts an end portion the heatpipe; and

a fin plate tightly bound to the heat-conducting block and having a plurality of heat-dissipating fins which dissipate heat conducted via the heat-conducting block and a second heatpipe receiving groove which, together with the first heatpipe receiving groove, forms the heatpipe insertion hole of the first heatsink that receives and tightens around the an end portion of the heatpipe, and

the second heatsink comprises;

a support block mounted to be spaced apart from the printed circuit board and having a first heatpipe receiving groove which receives and contacts the other end portion of the heatpipe; and

a fin plate supported by being tightly bound to the support block and having a plurality of heat-dissipating fins which dissipate heat conducted to the fin plate along the heatpipe and a second heatpipe receiving groove which forms, together with the first heatpipe receiving groove, forms the heatpipe insertion hole of the second heatsink that receives and tightens around the other end portion of the heatpipe, and

the chipset cooling device further comprises a fixing unit which binds the first and second heatsinks to the printed circuit board.

6. The chipset cooling device of claim 5, wherein the first heatsink comprises at least two heatpipe insertion holes which are parallel to one another, the second heatsink comprises heatsink insertion holes which are parallel to one another and correspond with the heatpipe insertion holes of the first heatsink, and the end portions of the heatpipe are inserted into each of the heatpipe insertion holes of the first and second heatsinks.

7. The chipset cooling device of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second heatsinks comprises at least two heatpipe insertion holes and is comprised of two portions which together form the heatpipe insertion holes,

wherein the first heatsink comprises:

a heat-conducting block mounted to contact the top surface of the chipset to absorb heat generated by the chipset and having at least two first heatpipe receiving grooves which receive and contact the heatpipe; and

a fin plate tightly bound to the heat-conducting block and having a plurality of heat-dissipating fins which dissipate heat conducted via the heat-conducting block and second heatpipe receiving grooves which, together with the first heatpipe receiving grooves, form the heatpipe insertion holes of the first heatsink that receive and tighten around the heatpipe, and

the second heatsink comprises;

a support block mounted to be spaced apart from the printed circuit board and having at least two first heatpipe receiving grooves which receive and contact the heatpipe; and

a fin plate supported by being tightly bound to the support block and having a plurality of heat-dissipating fins which dissipate heat conducted to the fin plate along the heatpipe and second heatpipe receiving grooves which form, together with the first heatpipe receiving holes, the heatpipe insertion holes of the second heatsink that receive and tighten around the heatpipe,

the chipset cooling device further comprises a fixing unit which binds the first and second heatsinks to the printed circuit board, and

the heatpipe is formed by folding a single heatpipe in a pattern in which the heatpipe fits into every heatpipe insertion hole of the first and second heatsinks.

8. The chipset cooling device of any one of claims 5 through 7, further comprising a cooling fan attached to the first heatsink.

9. The chipset cooling device of claim 8, wherein the fin plate of the first heatsink comprises a plurality of ventilation holes in a region, and the cooling fan is fixed to correspond to the region having the plurality of ventilation holes.

10. The chipset cooling device of claim 5, wherein the heat-conducting block of the first heatsink further comprises a third heatpipe receiving groove near the first heatpipe receiving groove, which has the same shape as the first heatpipe receiving groove;

the fin plate of the first heatsink further comprises a fourth heatpipe receiving groove which, together with the third heatpipe receiving groove, forms a heatpipe insertion hole that receives and tightens around the heatpipe;

the fin plate of the second heatsink further comprises a heatpipe insertion hole extending parallel to and along the entire length of the fin plate; and

the chipset cooling device further comprises a second heatpipe having an end portion inserted into the heatpipe insertion hole formed by the third and fourth heatpipe receiving grooves of the first heatsink and the other end portion inserted into the heatpipe insertion hole formed through the fin plate of the second heatsink.

11. The chipset cooling device of claim 5 or 10, further comprising a cooling fan mounted on edges of the fin plates of the first and second heatsinks.

12. The chipset cooling device of claim 5 or 10, further comprising at least one spacing unit attached to edges of the fin plates of the first and second heatsinks to space apart the fin plates and secure the binding of the first and second heatsinks.

13. The chipset cooling device of claim 12, wherein a side support groove is formed at an edge of each fin plate of the first and second heatsinks, and the spacing unit comprises:

a rigid support bridge whose both ends extend toward the side support grooves of the fin plates of the first and second heatsinks;

bolts passing through both ends of the support bridge and entering the side support grooves; and

a nut slid into each of the side support grooves and engaging the bolt so that the support bridge is bound to the fin plates.

14. The chipset cooling device of claim 5 or 10, wherein the fin plates of the first and second heatsinks are connected as a single body by a connection member.

15. A chipset cooling device of a video graphics adapter card, which cools a chipset mounted on a printed circuit board of the video graphics adapter card, the chipset cooling device comprising:

a heatsink mounted on the same side as the chipset to dissipate heat generated by the chipset; and

at least one heatpipe folded at least once such that an end portion of the heatpipe goes around the printed circuit board and extends along a side opposite to the chipset and the other end portion of the heatpipe is attached to the heatsink.

16. The chipset cooling device of claim 15, wherein the heatsink comprises at least two heatpipe insertion holes and is comprised of two portions which together form the heatpipe insertion holes,

wherein the heatsink comprises:

a heat-conducting block mounted to contact the top surface of the chipset to absorb heat generated by the chipset and having at least two first heatpipe receiving grooves which receive and contact the heatpipe; and

a fin plate tightly bound to the heat-conducting block and having a plurality of heat-dissipating fins which dissipate heat conducted via the heat-conducting block and second heatpipe receiving grooves which, together with the first heatpipe receiving grooves, form the heatpipe insertion holes of the heatsink that receive and tighten around the heatpipe,

the chipset cooling device further comprises a fixing unit which binds the heatsink to the printed circuit board, and

the heatpipe is fitted into every heatpipe insertion hole of the heatsink.

17. The chipset cooling device of claim 16, wherein the heatpipe is formed by folding a single heatpipe in a pattern in which the heatpipes fits into every heatpipe insertion hole of the heatsink.

18. The chipset cooling device of claim 16, comprising a plurality of heatpipes each having an end portion coupled to the heatpipe insertion holes of the heatsink and the other end portion extending along and parallel to the side of the printed circuit board opposite to the heatsink.

19. The chipset cooling device of claim 18, wherein the plurality of heatpipes are installed in a position such that, when the video graphics adapter card is installed in a computer case, the end portion of each of the heatpipes coupled to the heatsink is at a lower level than its other end portion.