Heat sink interface having three-dimensional tolerance compensation
First Claim
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1. A thermal interface comprising:
- a frame having first and second opposing surfaces;
a plurality of elevated regions projecting above one of the first and second opposing surfaces of said frame;
a force providing element coupled to the thermal interface such that said force providing element provides a force to the elevated regions by being disposed through the elevated regions to provide the thermal interface with a warp-weave type pattern;
a plurality of mechanical tolerance circuits, each of said mechanical tolerance circuits coupled between at least one of said plurality of elevated regions and said frame.
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Abstract
A thermal interface includes a plurality of elevated regions and a plurality of mechanical tolerance circuits coupled to the plurality of elevated regions. The thermal interface is configured to be disposed between an array of heat generating elements and a heat sink with each of the plurality of elevated regions thermally coupled to a corresponding one or more of the array of heat generating elements. In one embodiment, the thermal interface provides a thermal path between a printed wiring board having a plurality of flip-chip circuit components disposed on an external surface thereof and a heat sink disposed over the flip-chip circuit components.
129 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A thermal interface comprising:
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a frame having first and second opposing surfaces; a plurality of elevated regions projecting above one of the first and second opposing surfaces of said frame; a force providing element coupled to the thermal interface such that said force providing element provides a force to the elevated regions by being disposed through the elevated regions to provide the thermal interface with a warp-weave type pattern; a plurality of mechanical tolerance circuits, each of said mechanical tolerance circuits coupled between at least one of said plurality of elevated regions and said frame. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A system comprising:
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an array of heat generating elements; a thermal interface comprising; a plurality of elevated regions; a force providing element coupled to the thermal interface such that said force providing element provides a force to the elevated regions by being disposed through the elevated regions to provide the thermal interface with a warp-weave type pattern; a plurality of mechanical tolerance circuits coupled to the plurality of elevated regions with each of the plurality of elevated regions thermally coupled to a corresponding one or more of the array of heat generating elements; and a heat sink coupled to said thermal interface such that said thermal interface is disposed between said array of heat generating elements and said heat sink. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A thermal interface comprising:
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a frame having first and second opposing surfaces; a first plurality of elevated regions projecting above one of the first and second opposing surfaces of said frame; a first plurality of mechanical tolerance circuits, each of the mechanical tolerance circuits coupled between at least one of said plurality of elevated regions and said frame; and a second plurality of structural ribbons, each of said second plurality of structural ribbons extending from a first end to a second opposite end of said frame and each of said second plurality of structural ribbons intersecting with a single row of said elevated regions, wherein the second plurality of structural ribbons are disposed through the elevated regions to provide the thermal interface with a warp-weave type pattern. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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Specification