Adjustable holding device for heat sink assembly

Abstract

A heat sink holding apparatus for holding a heat sink including a spring close to an electronic device in a circuit board. The apparatus comprises: a first component configured to be attached to a circuit board; and a second component configured to be adjustably attached to the first component and including an opening configured to hold a portion of a spring of the heat sink. When the first and second components are attached together and the first component is attached to the circuit board, the heat sink retaining means is adapted to allow a force to be applied on the spring so as to retain the heat sink close to an electronic device mounted on the circuit board.

Description

Background Art

[0001] The present invention relates generally to heat sink assemblies and, more particularly, to an adjustable retention device for retaining a heat sink that may be spring loaded to an electronic device in a printed circuit board (PCB).

[0002] Electronic devices, such as microprocessors and integrated circuits (ICs), must operate within certain specified temperature ranges to perform efficiently. Excessive heat reduces the performance, reliability, life expectancy of electronic devices, and may even cause failure. Heat sinks are widely used to control excess heat. Heat sinks placed in thermal contact with electronic devices transfer heat from the electronic devices by conduction. Summary of the invention

[0003] According to some embodiments of the present invention, a heat sink retaining device is provided for retaining a heat sink including a spring close to an electronic device in a circuit board. The heat sink retaining device includes: a first component, the first component is configured to be attached to the circuit board; and a second component, the second component is configured to be adjustably attached to the first component and includes an opening, the opening being configured to retain a portion of the spring of the heat sink. When the first component and the second component are attached together and the first component is attached to the circuit board, the heat sink retaining device is adapted to allow a force to be applied to the spring so as to retain the heat sink close to the electronic device mounted on the circuit board.

[0004] According to some embodiments of the present invention, a heat sink assembly is provided for holding a heat sink including a spring close to an electronic device in a circuit board. The heat sink assembly includes: a circuit board; an electronic device mounted on the circuit board; a heat sink including a spring close to the electronic device mounted in the circuit board; and a heat sink holding device. The heat sink holding device includes: a first component, the first component is configured to be attached to the circuit board; and a second component, the second component is configured to be adjustably attached to the first component and includes an opening, which is configured to hold a portion of the spring of the heat sink. When the first component and the second component are attached together and the first component is attached to the circuit board, the heat sink holding device is suitable for allowing a force to be applied to the spring so as to hold the heat sink close to the electronic device mounted on the circuit board.

[0005] According to some embodiments of the present invention, a method for holding a heat sink including a spring close to an electronic device in a circuit board is provided. The method includes the following operations: providing a circuit board with an electronic device mounted thereon; providing a heat sink including a spring; and providing a heat sink holding device. The heat sink holding device includes: a first component, the first component is configured to be attached to the circuit board; and a second component, the second component is configured to be adjustably attached to the first component and includes an opening, the opening being configured to hold a portion of the spring of the heat sink. When the first component and the second component are attached together and the first component is attached to the circuit board, the heat sink holding device is adapted to allow a force to be applied to the spring so as to hold the heat sink close to the electronic device mounted on the circuit board. The method also includes the following operations: mounting the first component of the heat sink holding device on the circuit board; adjusting the second component of the heat sink holding device relative to the first component so that the first component and the second component are attached so as to allow a portion of the spring to be located in the opening in the second component; placing the portion of the spring in the opening in the second component; and locking the first component and the second component together so as to hold the end of the spring and apply a force to the spring to hold the heat sink close to the electronic device.

[0006] The above summary is not intended to describe each illustrated embodiment or every implementation of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] The accompanying drawings included in this application are incorporated into the specification and form a part of the specification. They illustrate embodiments of the present invention and are used to explain the principles of the present invention together with the specification. The accompanying drawings only illustrate certain embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0008] Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a thermal assembly according to an illustrative embodiment of the invention.

[0009] Figure 2 According to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the thermal assembly taken at 2-2.

[0010] Figure 3 According to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention Figure 1 A schematic perspective view of the adjustable retaining device shown in FIG.

[0011] Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view of an adjustable retention device for a heat sink assembly according to an illustrative embodiment of the invention.

[0012] Figure 5 is a flow chart of a method of holding a heat sink including a spring proximate to an electronic device on a circuit board according to an illustrative embodiment of the invention.

[0013] Although the present invention may be subjected to various modifications and alternative forms, its details have been shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings and will be described in detail. However, it should be understood that it is not intended to limit the present invention to the specific embodiments described. On the contrary, it is intended to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives that fall within the scope of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] Aspects of the present invention generally relate to heat sink assemblies, and more particularly to adjustable retaining devices for retaining a heat sink that may be spring loaded to an electronic device in a printed circuit board (PCB). Although the present invention is not necessarily limited to such applications, various aspects of the present invention may be understood through a discussion of various examples using this context.

[0015] Radiators are an important part of any computer system. The heat generated by the continuous and long-term use of the computer may cause damage to the electronic components in the computer. Radiators provide a way to transfer heat away from the source and away from critical components. Radiators can be attached to electronic components or devices that generate heat so as to dissipate heat from the device. In order to increase the amount of heat transfer, radiators typically include a large surface area in contact with the surrounding (cooling) medium (such as air) or a large number of thermally conductive fins. Radiators can become large and heavy. Such radiators may be prone to tilting during installation, which may impose an unbalanced load on a module or chip located below one of the radiators, which may cause damage to the module or chip.

[0016] Heat sinks are commonly used to dissipate heat from Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) chips, Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) modules, and other integrated circuits (ICs). Considerable effort is put into the design and modeling to ensure that the load applied from the heat sink is sufficient to compress the thermal interlayer material (TIM) to the chip or module located on the PCB. Torsion spring loaded heat sinks utilize torsion springs in order to compress the heat sink to the heat generating electronic device.

[0017] Embodiments described in the present disclosure provide an adjustable retaining device that can exert a force on a spring of a spring-retained heat sink, for example, to secure the heat sink to an electronic device in a PCB. The adjustable retaining device can include, for example, a two-piece or three-piece arrangement, which can be used to retain springs of different sizes, etc. The adjustable retaining device can also be used more generally to retain other heat sinks of any suitable type, including, for example, those that include springs or torsion springs.

[0018] One feature or advantage of the disclosed structure is the adjustable nature of the adjustable retaining device for the spring loaded heat sink, which provides flexibility by having the potential to be applied to springs of different sizes and arm lengths. The ability to adjust the height of the adjustable retaining device is a cost improvement mechanism by allowing such an arrangement to be applied to a wider range of springs of different diameters and heights. Another feature or advantage is that the adjustable nature of the adjustable retaining device can prevent potential pre-deformation on the torsion spring during the installation process. Another feature or advantage is that the resilient layer on the adjustable retaining device provides a damping effect on shocks and vibrations that may be experienced by the heat sink assembly. Moreover, the resilient layer can prevent potential damage to the torsion spring or the adjustable retaining device.

[0019] Go to the attached picture, Figure 1 An example of a torsion spring held heat sink mounted as part of a thermal assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. As shown, the torsion spring held heat sink 102 is secured to the top of a device (not visible in the figure) such as an electronic device, mechanical device, chip, module, etc., by using a torsion spring 104 to secure the heat sink 102 to the PCB 106 using an adjustable retaining clip 200 attached to the printed circuit board (PCB) 106. According to an illustrative embodiment, the hook end 108 of the torsion spring 104 can be secured in the adjustable retaining clip (or device) 200 as shown. The adjustable retaining clip 200 can apply a force on the hook end 108 and the arm 110 of the torsion spring 104, which can secure the heat sink 102 to the electronic device (not visible) on the PCB 106. The heat sink assembly 100 shown is an example of one that can be used with the adjustable retaining clip 200 of the present invention or other embodiments of the adjustable retaining clip. Other suitable thermal assemblies are also contemplated.

[0020] For the sake of brevity, conventional techniques related to semiconductor device and IC fabrication may or may not be described in detail herein. In addition, the various tasks and processing steps or operations described herein may be incorporated into a more comprehensive process or process having additional operations or functions not described in detail herein. In particular, various operations in the fabrication of semiconductor devices and semiconductor-based ICs are well known, and therefore, for the sake of brevity, many conventional operations will only be briefly mentioned herein or will be omitted entirely without providing well-known processing details.

[0021] For the purpose of the description herein, the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "rear", "right", "front", "vertical", "horizontal" and their derivatives shall refer to the above. Figure 1 However, it should be understood that, except where expressly specified to the contrary, the adjustable retaining clips 200, 300 ( Figure 3-Figure 4) can take various alternative orientations and step sequences. It should also be understood that the specific devices and processes shown in the drawings and described in the following disclosure are merely exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts defined in the appended claims. Therefore, other physical characteristics related to the embodiments disclosed herein should not be considered limiting unless the claims expressly state otherwise.

[0022] Figure 2 According to an embodiment of the present invention Figure 1 FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a heat assembly 100 of FIG. 1 taken at 2-2. The figure shows a heat sink 102, which includes a plurality of fins 112 and a base 114, which is compressed by a torsion spring 104 to an electronic device 116. The heat sink 102 can be vertically positioned above the electronic device 116 and can be used to dissipate heat from the electronic device 116. As shown, a layer of thermal interlayer material 118 can be compressed between the base 114 of the heat sink 102 and the electronic device 116. The electronic device 116 is vertically positioned above the PCB 106 and connected to the PCB.

[0023] Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view of an adjustable retaining clip 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The adjustable retaining clip 200 is also shown as including Figure 1 In an embodiment of the heat sink assembly 100.

[0024] The adjustable retaining clip 200 shown includes two (2) parts or components that are adjustable relative to each other and can be locked to each other as shown in dashed lines in the figure. The adjustable retaining clip 200 includes two U-shaped components, including a U-shaped base component 202 and a U-shaped insert component 204. The U-shaped base component 202 includes a center or base portion 208 connecting the first leg and the second leg 210. The center portion 208 can be attached to a PCB (e.g., Figure 1 106 in). The U-shaped base component 202 can be attached to the PCB, for example, by welding or by a press fit method. Other suitable methods of attaching the U-shaped base component 202 to the PCB are also contemplated. The U-shaped base component 202 can include a first opening or lumen and a second opening or lumen 212 in the first leg and the second leg 210, and the opening or lumen 212 can accommodate or receive a portion of the U-shaped insert component 204.

[0025] As Figure 3As shown by the arrows in FIG. 2 , the first leg and the second leg 214 of the U-shaped insert member 204 can be slidably inserted into and removed from the opening or lumen 212 in the U-shaped base member 202. The U-shaped insert member 204 includes a cutout opening 216 in a central portion 218. The cutout opening 216 can have a cylindrical shape and can be as shown in FIG. Figure 1 The cutout opening 216 is shown to receive one of the hook ends 108 of the torsion spring 104 to hold the heat sink 102 in place. The cutout opening 216 may include a layer of elastic material 220 on an inner wall 222 thereof. The layer of elastic material 220 may provide protection against the heat sink assembly 100 from being pulled by the torsion spring 104 (see FIG. Figure 1 ) to dampen the shocks and vibrations that may be experienced so as to reduce the possibility of damage.

[0026] The U-shaped base member 202 may include a plurality of openings 226 along an inner surface 228 of the first and second legs 210. The U-shaped insert member 204 may include a tab 224 along an inner surface 230 of each leg 214 that may lock or fit into the openings 226 located at different locations along the U-shaped base member 202. The plurality of openings 226 are shown as being included on the inner surface 228 of the U-shaped base member 202, but other locations are also contemplated. The plurality of openings 226 facilitates the adjustability of the adjustable retaining clip 200. Once the two members 202, 204 are locked together, if the position of the U-shaped insert member 204 needs to be changed, the legs 214 of the U-shaped insert member 204 may be pushed outwardly to remove the tab 224 from a group of openings 226 included in the plurality of openings 226.

[0027] Figure 4 300 is a schematic perspective view of an adjustable retaining clip 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The adjustable retaining clip 300 shown includes three (3) parts or components that can be locked together. The adjustable retaining clip 300 includes two U-shaped components, which include a U-shaped base component 302 and a U-shaped insert component 304. The U-shaped base component 302 includes a center or base portion 308 connecting the first leg and the second leg 310. The center portion 308 can be attached to a PCB (e.g., Figure 1 106 in). The U-shaped base component 302 can be attached to the PCB, for example, by welding or by a press fit method. Other suitable methods of attaching the U-shaped base component 302 to the PCB are also contemplated. The U-shaped base component 302 can include a first opening or lumen and a second opening or lumen 312 in the first leg and the second leg 310, and the opening or lumen 312 can accommodate or receive a portion of the U-shaped insert component 304.

[0028] If Figure 4As shown in dashed lines in FIG. 1 , the first and second legs 314 of the U-shaped insert member 304 can be slidably inserted into and removed from the opening or lumen 312 in the U-shaped base member 302. The U-shaped insert member 304 includes a cutout opening 316 in a central portion 318. The cutout opening 316 can have a cylindrical shape and can be as shown in FIG. Figure 1 The cutout opening 316 may include a layer of elastic material 320 on an inner wall 322 thereof. The layer of elastic material 320 may provide protection against the heat sink assembly 100 from being moved by the torsion spring 104 (see FIG. Figure 1 ) to dampen the shocks and vibrations that may be experienced so as to reduce the possibility of damage.

[0029] The U-shaped insert member 304 includes a plurality of cylindrical openings 324 positioned along the first and second legs 314 that facilitate adjustability of the adjustable retaining clip 300. The U-shaped base member 302 also includes cylindrical openings 326 along the first and second legs 310. The third component of the adjustable retaining clip 300 is a pin-fitting component 328 that can hold the U-shaped base member 302 and the U-shaped insert member 304 together using a pin-fit locking technique. The two (2) leg openings 326 on the U-shaped base member 302 and the two (2) leg openings 324 on the U-shaped insert member 304 can be aligned at a desired position or height to effectively secure the torsion spring 104 (e.g., in the heat sink assembly 100) to the heat sink assembly 100. Figure 1 ) is held in the desired position, and a load is applied to the heat sink 102 and held in place. The pin-fitting component 328 can then be inserted through the two U-shaped components 302, 304 to hold the two U-shaped components 302, 304 together in the desired position or height.

[0030] The pin mating component 328 may have a central planar portion 330 including a first pin and a second pin 332 extending in the same direction from a planar surface 334 on the central planar portion 330. The pin 332 is cylindrical and sized to fit through the cylindrical openings 324, 326 of the two U-shaped components 302, 304. Although the cylindrical shapes of the openings 324, 326 and the pin 332 are shown in the figures, other suitable shapes and arrangements are also contemplated by the present invention.

[0031] Figure 5 The heat sink 102 (see FIG. 1 ) includes a torsion spring 104 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 ) is held close to the circuit board 106 ( Figure 1 ) on the electronic device 116 ( Figure 2). Operation 410 of method 400 is to provide a circuit board 106 having electronic components 116 mounted thereon. Another operation 420 is to provide a heat sink 102 including a torsion spring 104. Yet another operation 430 is to provide an adjustable retaining clip or device 200 or 300 (in Figure 3 , Figure 4 middle).

[0032] The adjustable retaining device or clip 200 (e.g., Figure 1 , Figure 3 ) may include a first component 202 configured to be attached to the circuit board 106 and a second component 204 configured to be adjustably attached to the first component 202, and includes an opening 216 configured to hold the torsion spring 104 ( Figure 1 The first and second components 202, 204 are attached together, and the first component 202 is attached to the circuit board 106, and the adjustable retaining clip 200 is adapted to allow a force to be exerted on the torsion spring 104 so as to hold the heat sink 102 close to the electronic device 116 mounted on the circuit board 106.

[0033] Yet another operation 440 of the method 400 is to mount the first component 202 of the adjustable retention clip 200 on the circuit board 106. Another operation 450 is to adjust the second component 204 of the adjustable retention clip 200 relative to the first component 202 so that the first component 202 and the second component 204 are attached to allow a portion of the torsion spring 104 to be located in the opening 216 in the second component. The method 400 also includes an operation 460 of placing the end 108 of the torsion spring 104 in the opening 216 in the second component 204. Another operation 470 is to lock the first component 202 and the second component 204 together to retain the end 108 of the torsion spring 104 and apply a force to the torsion spring 104 to hold the heat sink 102 close to the electronic device 116.

[0034] If a three-part adjustable retaining device is used, such as Figure 4 , another operation in the method can be performed by using the adjustable retaining clip 300 shown in FIG. 32. For example, the third component 328 can lock the first component 302 and the second component 304 together so as to attach the first component 302 and the second component 304.

[0035] For purposes of this specification, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features of embodiments of the invention are described herein. The disclosed processes and systems should not be construed as limiting in any way. Rather, the invention is directed to all novel and non-obvious features and aspects of the various disclosed embodiments, individually and in various combinations and sub-combinations with one another. The processes and systems are not limited to any particular aspect or feature or combination thereof, nor do the disclosed embodiments require the presence of any one or more particular advantages or problems to be solved.

[0036] Although the operations of some disclosed embodiments are described in a particular sequential order for ease of presentation, it should be understood that this description encompasses rearrangement unless the specific language set forth below requires a specific ordering. For example, in some cases, the operations described sequentially may be rearranged or performed simultaneously. In addition, for simplicity, the accompanying drawings may not show the various ways in which the disclosed processes can be used in conjunction with other processes. In addition, this specification sometimes uses terms like "providing" or "implementing" to describe the disclosed processes. These terms are high-level abstractions of the actual operations performed. The actual operations corresponding to these terms can vary depending on the specific implementation and are easily discernible by those of ordinary skill in the art.

[0037] As used in this application and the claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In addition, the term "comprising" means "including."

[0038] The description of various embodiments of the present invention has been given for the purpose of illustration, but it is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the described embodiments. The terms used herein are selected to explain the principles of the embodiments, practical applications, or technical improvements over technologies found on the market, or to enable other persons of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A heat sink holding device for holding a heat sink including a spring close to an electronic device in a circuit board, the heat sink holding device comprising: a first component configured to be attached to a circuit board; as well as a second component configured to be adjustably attached to the first component and including an opening configured to retain a portion of a spring of the heat sink, Wherein, when the first component and the second component are attached together and the first component is attached to the circuit board, the heat sink retaining device is adapted to allow a force to be exerted on the spring to retain the heat sink close to the electronic device mounted on the circuit board.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The second component moves relative to the first component so as to be adjusted to apply force to the spring and retain the heat sink.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein: The second component locks into the first component to attach the first component and the second component together.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: A third component locks the first component and the second component together to attach the first component and the second component.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The second component is U-shaped and includes a first leg and a second leg adapted to allow the first leg and the second leg to be slidably inserted into the first lumen and the second lumen, respectively, in the first component and locked in place to adjustably attach the first component and the second component together.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein: The first and second legs of the second component each include a tab that can be locked into one of a plurality of openings at different locations along the first and second lumens of the first component to allow adjustable attachment, wherein the plurality of openings are configured to mate with the tab.

7. The device according to claim 5, wherein: The first leg and the second leg of the second component each include a plurality of openings at different locations along the first leg and the second leg, and the first lumen and the second lumen of the first component each include a plurality of openings at different locations along the first lumen and the second lumen, and the device further includes: A third component includes a first pin and a second pin extending from the third component and configured to extend through two of the openings on the first component and corresponding two of the openings on the second component, wherein the third component is adapted to allow the first component and the second component to be attached together.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The opening comprises an elastomeric coating adapted to allow a damping effect on shocks and vibrations experienced by the spring of the heat sink.

9. A heat sink assembly for holding a heat sink including a spring close to an electronic device in a circuit board, the heat sink assembly comprising: Circuit boards; electronic components mounted on the circuit board; a heat sink, including a spring, adjacent to the electronic device mounted in the circuit board; as well as Radiator retention device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.

10. A method of holding a heat sink including a spring close to an electronic device in a circuit board, the method comprising: Providing a circuit board, on which electronic devices are mounted; providing a heat sink including a spring; A radiator retaining device is provided, the radiator retaining device comprising: a first component configured to be attached to the circuit board; and a second component configured to be adjustably attached to the first component and including an opening configured to retain a portion of the spring of the heat sink, wherein the heat sink retaining means is adapted to allow a force to be exerted on the spring to retain the heat sink proximate to the electronic device mounted on the circuit board when the first component and the second component are attached together and the first component is attached to the circuit board; mounting a first component of the heat sink retaining device on the circuit board; adjusting a second component of the heat sink retaining device relative to the first component such that the first component and the second component are attached so as to allow a portion of the spring to be positioned in the opening in the second component; placing the portion of the spring in the opening in the second component; and The first and second components are locked together to retain the ends of the spring and to apply a force to the spring to hold the heat sink proximate the electronic device.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein: The second component moves relative to the first component so as to be adjusted to apply force to the spring and retain the heat sink.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein: The radiator retaining device further comprises: A third component locks the first component and the second component together to attach the first component and the second component.

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