Set-top box having dissipating thermal loads

• US 9,220,185 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2011
• Issued: 12/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Ritter, Darin Bradley, Hunt, Mickey Jay, Gysin, Mark William, Diemer, Rodger Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Datskovskiy, Michail V
• Application Number:
  US13/698,868
• Publication Number:
  US 20130063895A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,685 Days
• Field of Search: 361/679.01, 36167946-67955, 361/688, 361/689, 361690-697, 361704-715, 361719-724, 165/80.2, 165/80.3, 165/80.4, 165/104.33, 165121-126, 165/185, 454/184, 364/708.1, 455/4.1, 455/4.2, 455/5.1, 455/6.2, 455/6.3, 235/380, 235/382, 235/382.5, 174/50.52, 174/50.54, 174/520, 174/15.1, 257706-727, 312/223.2, 312/236, 312/265
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/36 Selection of materials, or shaping, to facilitate cooling or heating, e.g. heatsinks H01L23/28, H01L23/40, H01L23/42, H01L23/44, H01L23/46 take precedence; heating H01L23/345
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/3677 Wire-like or pin-like cooling fins or heat sinks
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20409 Outer radiating structures on heat dissipating housings, e.g. fins integrated with the housing
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20445 the coupling element being an additional piece, e.g. thermal standoff

Abstract

A set-top box is provided that comprises a housing having a first vertical outer wall with a first vent and a second vertical outer wall with a second vent; a circuit board having a first heat source element and a second heat source element; a contoured heatsink in thermal engagement with the first heat source element, wherein the contoured heatsink overlies at least one-third of the circuit board and extends along the first vertical side wall; and a second heatsink contacting the second heat source element, wherein the second heatsink is located in only one half of the device and is aligned with the second vent. The multiple heatsinks and associated vents work in concert to improve heat dissipation.

Claims

1. A set-top box comprising:

a housing having a first vertical outer wall with a first vent and a second vertical outer wall with a second vent;

a circuit board having a first heat source element and a second heat source element;

a contoured heatsink in thermal engagement with the first heat source element, wherein the contoured heatsink overlies at least one-third of the circuit board and extends along a first vertical side wall;

a second heatsink contacting the second heat source element, wherein the second heatsink is located in only one half of the set-top and is aligned with the second vent; and

,

a frame pan within the housing, the frame pan having a base and embosses, wherein the base is under the circuit board and over a lower wall of the housing and the embosses contact and support the circuit board.

2. The set-top box of claim 1 wherein

the contoured heatsink has a planar peripheral portion and a central depression portion,

the planar peripheral portion surrounds at least a portion of the central depression portion, and

the central depression portion contacts the first heat source element.

3. The set-top box of claim 1 wherein

the frame pan has at least the first vertical side wall oriented along the first vertical outer wall and a second vertical side wall oriented along the second vertical outer wall, and

the first vertical side wall has a first interior vent aligned with the first vent and the second vertical side wall has a second interior vent aligned with the second vent.

4. The set-top box of claim 2 wherein

the contoured heatsink has a planar peripheral portion completely surrounding the central depression portion, and

the contoured heatsink substantially overlies the circuit board and completely overlies the second heatsink.

5. The set-top box of claim 4 wherein the second heatsink is a finned heatsink.

6. The set-top box of claim 3 wherein the contoured heatsink substantially overlies the circuit board and completely overlies the second heatsink.

7. The set-top box of claim 6 wherein the second heatsink is a finned heatsink.

8. The set-top box of claim 3 wherein

the contoured heatsink has a planar peripheral portion completely surrounding a central depression portion,

the contoured heatsink substantially overlies the circuit board and completely overlies the second heatsink, and

the central depression portion contacts the first heat source element.

9. The set-top box of claim 8 wherein the second heatsink is a finned heatsink.

10. The set-top box of claim 2 wherein

the second heatsink has a second planar peripheral portion and a second central depression,

the second planar peripheral portion surrounds at least a portion of the second central depression portion, and

the second central depression portion contacts the second heat source element.

11. The set-top box of claim 10 wherein the contoured heatsink overlies less than half the circuit board and the second heatsink overlies more than one-third of the circuit board.

12. The set-top box of claim 11 comprising the frame pan therein having the base and embosses, wherein

the base is under the circuit board and the embosses contact and supports the circuit board,

the frame pan has at least the first vertical side wall oriented along the first vertical outer wall and a second vertical side wall oriented along the second vertical outer wall, and

the first vertical side wall has a first interior vent aligned with the first vent and the second vertical side wall has a second interior vent aligned with the second vent.

13. The set-top box of claim 12, wherein the second heat source element is below the circuit board and the circuit board has heat passage via holes therethrough over the second heat source element and under the second central depression portion, whereby heat generated by the second heat source element transfers to the second heatsink through the heat passage via holes.

14. The set-top box of claim 9, wherein the second heat source element is below the circuit board and the circuit board has heat passage via holes therethrough over the second heat source element and under the second central depression portion, whereby heat generated by the second heat source element transfers to the second heatsink through the heat passage via holes.