Heat sink having compliant interface to span multiple components

• US 6,982,877 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2004
• Issued: 01/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valtrus Innovations Limited (f/k/a Dolya Holdco 9 Limited) (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Franz, John P., Vinson, Wade D.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHERVINSKY, BORIS LEO
• Application Number:
  US10/783,833
• Publication Number:
  US 20050185379A1
• Time in Patent Office: 683 Days
• Field of Search: 361/703, 361/704, 361/707, 361712-714, 361717-721, 257/706, 257/707, 257/712, 257/718, 257/719, 257/722, 257/727, 165/80.3, 165/185, 174/16.3
• US Class Current: 361/719
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/367 Cooling facilitated by shape of device H01L23/38, H01L23/40, H01L23/42, H01L23/44, H01L23/46 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/433 Auxiliary members in containers characterised by their shape, e.g. pistons
• 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 system, comprising a circuit board having a heat sink spanning multiple components on the circuit board and at least one compliant pad flexibly interfacing the heat sink with the multiple components.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a computer device;

a heat sink coupled to the computer device over a plurality of components disposed on the computer device, wherein the heat sink comprises a component interface having varying heights at least substantially corresponding to heights of the plurality of components;

a compliant non-paste material flexibly engaging the component interface of the heat sink against the plurality of components;

a fastener configured to compress the compliant non-paste material between the heat sink and the plurality of components.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer device comprises a circuit board and each of the plurality of components extends to a different height on the circuit board.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the heat sink comprises a stiffening rib.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the compliant non-paste material has a thermal resistance of less than 10 degrees Celsius-square centimeter per Watt.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the fastener comprises first, second, and third mounting fasteners in a triangular configuration.

6. A system, comprising:

a rack; and

a device mounted in the rack, the device comprising;

a plurality of components;

a heat sink having an interface spanning the plurality of components, wherein the heat sink comprises surfaces that at least substantially match with heights of contact surfaces of the plurality of components; and

a flexible thermal interface material disposed between the heat sink and the plurality of components, wherein the flexible thermal interface material comprises a thermally conductive pad having a surface with an adhesive disposed thereon.

7. The system of claim 6, comprising at least one tool-free mount mechanism mounting the heat sink to the device.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the device comprises a computer server.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the flexible thermal interface material has a thermal resistance of less than 10 degrees Celsius-square centimeter per Watt.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the plurality of components comprise an electronic component having a power rating of less than 15 Watts.

11. A heat sink, comprising:

a base comprising a plurality of protruding members and a mounting surface adapted to span a plurality of electronic components having differing contact-surface heights, wherein the mounting surface comprises a plurality of surfaces disposed at different elevations that substantially conform to the differing contact-surface heights of the plurality of components;

a flexible thermal interface material disposed on the mounting surface, wherein the flexible thermal interface material is adapted to interface the heat sink flexibly with the plurality of electronic components; and

first, second, and third mounting fasteners disposed in a triangular configuration and configured to compress the thermal interface material between the base and the plurality of components.

12. The heat sink of claim 11, wherein the heat sink comprises a stiffening member extending lengthwise along the base.

13. The heat sink of claim 11, wherein the heat sink comprises at least one tool-free mounting mechanism.

14. The heat sink of claim 11, wherein the flexible thermal interface material has a thickness of less than 2 millimeters.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of protruding members comprise a plurality of fins configured to provide additional heat-transfer surface area to advance convective heat-transfer.

16. A system, comprising:

a removable heat sink comprising at least one tool-free mounting mechanism;

a circuit board having the removable heat sink spanning multiple components on the circuit board, the multiple components having differing contact-surface heights relative to the circuit board, wherein the heat sink comprises an interface structure having surfaces disposed at different heights that at least substantially correspond with the differing contact-surface heights of the multiple components; and

at least one compliant pad flexibly interfacing the heat sink with the multiple components.

17. A method, comprising:

providing a heat sink having a mounting interface adapted to span at least two components of an electronic device, wherein the mounting interface comprises multi-elevational surfaces that at least substantially elevationally correspond with contact surfaces of the at least two components; and

providing a compliant material adapted to interface the heat sink flexibly with the at least two components, wherein the compliant material comprises a thermally conducting pad having at least one surface with an adhesive disposed thereon.

18. The method of claim 17, comprising providing a tool-free mounting mechanism for mounting the heat sink to the electronic device.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the thermally conductive pad has a thermal resistance of less than 10 degrees Celsius-square centimeter per Watt.

20. A system, comprising:

means for spanning and at least substantially elevationally matching surfaces of a heat sink over a plurality of electronic components having contact surfaces of different elevations;

means for flexibly and thermally interfacing the heat sink with the plurality of components; and

means for compressing the means for flexibly and thermally interfacing between the heat sink and the plurality of components.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the means for compressing comprises means for adjusting compression of the means for flexibly and thermally interfacing.