Set top box or server having snap-in heat sink and smart card reader

• US 9,392,317 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2012
• Issued: 07/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Bose, William Hofmann, Hunt, Mickey Jay
• Primary Examiner(s): Haughton, Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dhillon, Matt
• Application Number:
  US14/002,749
• Publication Number:
  US 20130347051A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,588 Days
• Field of Search: 361/690, 361/692, 361/704, 361/719, 165/185, 725/151
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/418 External card to be used in combination with the client device, e.g. for conditional access
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20509 Multiple-component heat spreaders; Multi-component heat-conducting support plates; Multi-component non-closed heat-conducting structures

Abstract

An electronic device is provided that comprises a bottom frame portion; an information card reader over the bottom frame portion; a thermal insulation layer; a circuit board over the thermal insulation layer; a top broad heat sink over the circuit board; and a top cover over the top broad heat sink.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a bottom frame portion;

an information card reader over the bottom frame portion;

a thermal insulation layer over the information card reader;

a circuit board over the thermal insulation layer, wherein the thermal insulation layer has an aperture through which the information card reader is electrically connected to the circuit board;

a top broad heat sink over the circuit board; and

a top cover over the top broad heat sink.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the top broad heat sink has a planar peripheral portion surrounding a central depression portion, the central depression portion contacting a heat generating component on the circuit board.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 further comprising a remote control receiver assembly.

4. The electronic device of claim 3 wherein the remote control receiver assembly is an infrared receiver.

5. The electronic device of claim 3 wherein the remote control receiver assembly is a radio frequency receiver.

6. The electronic device of claim 3 wherein the top broad heat sink comprises a wall portion extending from the planar peripheral portion, the wall portion contacting the remote control receiver assembly, thereby stabilizing the remote control receiver assembly.

7. The electronic device of claim 2 wherein the top broad heat sink has a second central depression portion, the central depression portion contacting a second heat generating component on the circuit board.

8. The electronic device of claim 2 wherein

the bottom frame portion comprises a pair of vertically extending portions that have clip receiving slots on two opposing sides of the bottom frame;

the top broad heat sink has a pair of opposing wall portions, each opposing wall portion having two clips that snap into the clip receiving slots, thereby securing the top broad heat sink in the bottom frame.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 further comprising an information card reader slot formed by a gap between the bottom frame and one of the two opposing sides.

10. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a set top box.

11. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the information card reader is a smart card reader.

12. The electronic device of claim 1 further comprising a remote control receiver assembly;

wherein the top broad heat sink has a planar peripheral portion surrounding a central depression portion, the central depression portion contacting a heat generating component on the circuit board; and

wherein the top broad heat sink comprises a wall portion extending from the planar peripheral portion, the wall portion contacting the remote control receiver assembly, thereby stabilizing the remote control receiver assembly.

13. The electronic device of claim 12 wherein the top broad heat sink has a second central depression portion, the second central depression portion contacting a second heat generating component on the circuit board.

14. The electronic device of claim 13 wherein

the bottom frame portion comprises a pair of vertically extending portions that have clip receiving slots on two opposing sides;

the top broad heat sink has a pair of other opposing wall portions, each opposing wall portion having two clips that snap into the clip receiving slots, thereby securing the top broad heat sink in the bottom frame.