Installation tool and method

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an installation tool and method. The invention relates to a mounting tool (1) for connecting an electronic component to a cooled surface via a thermal interface material foil (2). In order to enable a simple connection work without damaging the thermal interface material foil, the mounting tool comprises: a bottom surface (3) having a receiving region (4) dimensioned to receive the thermal interface material foil (2); spacers (7, 10) protruding from the bottom surface (3); and a recess (14) provided at a first outer edge (13) of the bottom surface (3) at a position aligned with a first attachment hole (15) provided in the thermal interface material foil (2) to allow a screw or bolt (17) to pass through the first attachment hole (15) of the thermal interface material foil (2) and the recess (14) when the electronic component (5), the thermal interface material foil (2) and the mounting tool (1) are in the stacked connection position.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a mounting tool and a method for connecting an electronic component to a cooling surface. Background Art

[0002] Special care needs to be taken to handle the heat generated by electronic components during use. If the heat is not handled properly and the temperature becomes too high, the electronic components may be damaged.

[0003] A well-known solution for handling the heat of electronic components is to connect the components to a cooling surface, such as a cooling surface of a heat sink. In this known solution, the heat load from the electronic components is conducted to the cooling surface of the heat sink, for example, from which the heat load is transferred to the surrounding environment by dissipation.

[0004] One challenge to overcome in this solution is to ensure that the heat transfer to the cooling surface is efficient enough. This can be achieved by carefully cleaning the surfaces that conduct the heat and placing a thermal interface material (TIM) foil between the surfaces. The thermal interface material foil is usually made of a very fragile material and needs to be handled very carefully so that the foil remains intact and can be placed correctly between the surfaces. Otherwise, the thermal conductivity of the thermal interface material foil may be reduced.

[0005] In practice, handling thermal interface material foils is very challenging, especially during equipment service. During repairs at the installation site, the working conditions for handling the fragile foils are often far from optimal. In addition, if the foil is damaged during installation, it may be difficult or time-consuming to obtain a new foil at the installation site. Summary of the invention

[0006] The object of the present invention is to solve the above disadvantages and to provide an installation tool and a method which significantly simplify the installation work and reduce the risk of damaging the thermal interface material foil. This object is achieved by an installation tool according to independent claim 1 and a method according to independent claim 7.

[0007] When the thermal interface material foil is arranged on the bottom surface of the mounting tool (the mounting tool is provided with a spacer protruding from the bottom surface to contact the electronic component during the connection work), the electronic component can be connected to the cooling surface by means of the screws or bolts by passing the first holes in the thermal interface material foil and the recesses provided in the outer edge of the mounting tool. In this way, the thermal interface material foil can initially be fixed precisely in the correct position so that the mounting tool can be removed before the screws or bolts are finally tightened. This minimizes the risk of damaging the thermal interface material foil during the connection process and minimizes the risk of the thermal interface material foil being incorrectly positioned between the cooling surface and the electronic component.

[0008] Preferred embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] At least one embodiment of the installation tool and the connection method will be described in more detail below by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0010] Figure 1 The thermal interface material layers and installation tools are illustrated;

[0011] Figure 2 Picture shows Figure 1 The thermal interface material layer and the mounting tool are in a stacked connection position with the electronic component; and

[0012] Figure 3 The thermal interface material layer, mounting tool, and electronic components are illustrated in a stacked connection position and connected to a cooling surface. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] Figure 1 An installation tool 1 and a thermal interface material layer 2 are illustrated. The installation tool 1 can be made of plastic, such as PET (polyethylene terephthalate) or PET-G (polyethylene terephthalate modified), or of a synthetic polymer with an amide backbone, such as nylon, or of PP (polypropylene). For example, the installation tool can be manufactured by extrusion in a mold (in which case PET may be suitable) or alternatively by 3D printing (in which case PET-G may be suitable). For example, in practice, the installation tool can be provided in a package together with the electronic component and the thermal interface material foil as a separate component or as a substitute. If the installation tool is made of a suitable material, such as PET, PP, nylon or ABS, the installation tool can be reused, which helps to efficiently clean the installation tool after use. Preferably, the material used is relatively soft, which makes it possible to bend the installation tool, for example during tool removal. This can be advantageous in confined installation spaces.

[0014] The thermal interface material (TIM) foil 2 may be a graphite sheet, for example, which is very fragile and requires careful handling to avoid fingerprints or dirt contaminating the foil. The industrial installation site where the thermal interface material foil is installed is usually not a very clean environment. Of course, thermal interface material foils made of other materials can also be used. Several alternatives of thermal interface material foils are commercially available and are suitable for use with the installation tool 1 shown to achieve the connection method.

[0015] The mounting tool 1 comprises a bottom surface 3 having a receiving area 4, the dimensions of which are designed to receive the thermal interface material foil 2. In practice, the dimensions of the thermal interface material foil 2 are usually designed to have a size and shape that matches the size and shape of the electronic component 5, which is to be connected to the cooling surface 6 by the mounting tool. In many implementations, it is advantageous to design the dimensions of the thermal interface material foil 2 so that it matches the outer boundaries of the electronic component 5 as closely as possible. In this way, it can be avoided that the thermal interface material foil 2 protrudes from the space 20 between the cooling surface 6 and the electronic component 5 during and after mounting, as this increases the risk of accidentally pulling or scratching the thermal interface material foil 2, causing it to wrinkle or damage.

[0016] In the illustrated example, the bottom surface is shown as a primarily non-perforated surface as an example. However, this is not necessary in all implementations. Instead, one or more openings may be provided in the bottom surface, such as to reduce the amount of material required to manufacture the installation tool. In addition, the provision of such additional openings may be used to adjust the flexibility of the installation tool as needed.

[0017] like Figure 1 As shown, the spacer 7 protrudes from the bottom surface 3 on at least two sides of the receiving area. Figure 1 In the embodiment of the present invention, the spacers protrude substantially vertically from the bottom surface 3 in order to contact the electronic components 5, which will be supported by these spacers. The dimensions of the spacers 7 are designed to protrude a certain distance, which is longer than the thickness of the thermal interface material foil 2. Therefore, a space 20 will be provided between the electronic component and the bottom surface, which space 20 is large enough to ensure that there is enough space between the electronic component and the installation tool, and the thermal interface material foil can be moved in this space when necessary. Of course, in order to provide such space, the spacers do not have to protrude completely vertically from the bottom surface, but in some implementations, for example, they can be inclined relative to the bottom surface.

[0018] In the example shown, the spacers 7 are arranged along the second edge 8 and the third edge 9 of the bottom face 3. These edges are opposite edges, which ensures that the space 20 required for the thermal interface foil 2 can be obtained once the electronic component is supported by these spacers. In practice, the spacers are not necessarily arranged exactly at the edges, but can be located at a distance from the edges but outside the receiving area 4 located between the opposite spacers. In many implementations, only these spacers 3 are needed.

[0019] However, in the example shown, additional support for the electronic components can be provided by means of an additional spacer 10 having a slit 11 facing the receiving area 4. Figure 1In the figure, such a spacer 10 with slits 11 can be seen along the second edge 8, the third edge 9 and the fourth edge 12. These slits will accommodate parts of the electronic component 5 so that the electronic component can be provided to the installation tool with a sliding movement controlled by the slits and the part of the electronic component accommodated in the slits.

[0020] The first outer edge 13 of the bottom face 3 is provided with notches 14 which are open in a direction outwards from the receiving area 4. These notches are arranged in predetermined positions which are selected for alignment with the first attachment holes 15 provided in the thermal interface material foil 2. Thus, when the connection method is implemented and the thermal interface material foil 2 is arranged in the correct position of the receiving area 4 of the bottom face 3 (in other words, in the Figure 1 16 in the direction of the arrow 16 in the figure), the first attachment hole 15 and the recess 14 will be located in the same position. This allows the screw or bolt 17 to pass through the first attachment hole 15 of the thermal interface material foil 2 and the recess 14 at the first outer edge 13 of the bottom surface 3.

[0021] Figure 2 Picture shows Figure 1 The thermal interface material layer 2 and the mounting tool 1 are in a stacked connection position with the electronic component 5. The electronic component may consist of only one single component, in which case the mounting tool and the connection method are implemented to connect only the single component to the cooling surface 6. However, in many practical implementations, as shown in the figure, the electronic component 5 may include several individual components 19 attached to each other (such as enclosed in a housing or attached to a circuit board). In this case, the electronic component 5 can be compared to a module, in which case the mounting tool and the connection method are implemented for the module so that all individual components 19 are connected to the cooling surface 6 simultaneously and at once.

[0022] In practice, the electronic component 5 may be any type of electronic component that generates heat during operation and requires efficient removal of the generated heat. Examples of such electronic components include power electronics, such as power semiconductors and IGBT (insulated gate bipolar transistor) modules, which may be found in frequency converters or other types of electrical equipment.

[0023] exist Figure 2 In the embodiment, the connection method is achieved by placing the electronic component 5 in contact with the spacers 7, 10 protruding from the bottom surface 3 and placing the thermal interface material foil 2 in the receiving area 4 of the bottom surface 3. The order of achieving these two steps may vary from case to case.

[0024] In any case, Figure 2In the example of , the electronic component 5, the thermal material foil 2 and the mounting tool 1 are in a stacked connection position, wherein the electronic component 5 is illustrated as being at the top and the mounting tool 1 is illustrated as being at the bottom. In this position, the electronic component has a portion 22 accommodated in the slit 11 of the spacer 10, so that the electronic component is fixed in a stable position of the mounting tool. This can be obtained by friction between the slit 11 and the portion 22, and additionally or alternatively, a snap-fit ​​attachment can be provided by bending a part of the mounting tool made of an elastic plastic material.

[0025] exist Figure 2 In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , screws or bolts 17 are not yet provided. However, lines 23 illustrate the locations where these screws or bolts will be provided. Thus, at the locations of lines 23, the first attachment holes 21 in the electronic component 5, the first attachment holes 15 in the thermal interface material foil 2, and the recesses 14 provided at the first outer edge 13 of the mounting tool 1 are aligned to facilitate the accommodation of the screws or bolts.

[0026] Figure 3 The thermal interface material layer, the installation tool and the electronic component 5 are shown in FIG. Figure 2 in a stacked connection position and simultaneously connected to a cooling surface 6 .

[0027] The cooling surface 6 may be the surface of a heat sink or any other suitable cooling element capable of efficiently containing and dissipating the heat load from the electronic component 5 .

[0028] Figure 3 The illustration shows an implementation where the cooling surface is in an upright vertical position. Providing a thermal interface material foil 2 between such a vertical surface and an electronic component is particularly problematic in prior art solutions, as it is difficult to keep the thermal interface material foil 2 in the exact correct position against the cooling surface or the electronic component during the working phase of attachment using screws or bolts.

[0029] However, using the mounting tool 1, this becomes very easy, since the electronic component 5, the thermal interface material foil 2 and the mounting tool 1 can be arranged into a stacked connection position at an early stage, such as in combination with Figure 2 Thereafter, with the thermal interface material foil 2 located in the space 20 between the bottom surface of the mounting tool 1 and the electronic component 5, the screws or bolts can be passed through the first attachment holes 15, 21 and the recesses 14 to hold the thermal interface material foil 2 in the exact correct position in the space 20 while the entire package is moved and turned into a position where the mounting tool 2 contacts the vertical cooling surface 6 and the screws or bolts 17 can be attached to the cooling surface 6.

[0030] At this stage, the method step of removing the installation tool 1 can be realized before the screw or bolt 17 is finally tightened. Figure 3As shown by arrow 24 in FIG. 1 , the removal can be performed by pulling the installation tool out of the position between the cooling surface 6 and the thermal interface material foil 2. Due to this pulling, the recess 14 at the first outer edge 13 of the bottom surface 3 moves away from the screw or bolt 17. Since no spacers or other obstacles are arranged at the first outer edge of the bottom surface, the pulling process is smooth and easy. Figure 3 In the embodiment of the present invention, the installation tool 1 is pulled apart laterally while the screws or bolts 17 hold the thermal interface material foil 2 and the electronic component 5 in place. After this, the screws or bolts 17 can be finally tightened to ensure a good thermal connection between the cooling surface 6 and the electronic component 5 via the thermal interface material layer 2.

[0031] To further improve the connection, a second set of screws or bolts may be connected to the cooling surface 6 via second attachment holes 25 provided in the electronic component and via second attachment holes 26 of the thermal interface material layer, which are aligned with each other at this stage.

[0032] In the example shown, although not required in all embodiments, the mounting tool 1 is provided with a handle element 27, which facilitates the removal of the mounting tool 1. In the example shown, these handle elements 27 are implemented as parts protruding from the spacer 10 located at the corners of the second edge 8 and the fourth edge 12 and correspondingly the third edge 9 and the fourth edge 12 of the bottom face 3 of the mounting tool. However, in other implementations, the position of the handle element 27 may be different. In any case, the handle element 27 protrudes outwards from the mounting tool 1 past the electronic component 5 in the stacked connection position.

[0033] In the example shown, the receiving area 4 of the bottom surface 3 is provided with alignment holes 28, although such alignment holes are not required in all embodiments. In the stacked connection position, these alignment holes 28 are aligned with the second attachment holes 25 provided in the electronic component and with the second attachment holes 26 of the thermal interface material layer. This makes it possible to intuitively ensure that the position of the thermal interface material foil 2 is correct when making the connection with the cooling surface 26.

[0034] It should be understood that the above description and the accompanying drawings are only for illustrating the present invention. It will be clear to those skilled in the art that the present invention can be changed and modified without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A mounting tool (1) for connecting an electronic component (5) to a cooling surface (6) via a thermal interface material foil (2), characterized in that The installation tool comprises: a bottom surface (3) having a receiving area (4) sized to receive the thermal interface material foil (2), spacers (7, 10) protruding from the bottom surface (3) on at least two sides of the receiving area to contact the electronic component, and A notch (14) is provided at a first outer edge (13) of the bottom surface (3) at a position aligned with a first attachment hole (15) provided in the thermal interface material foil (2), allowing a screw or bolt (17) to pass through the first attachment hole (15) of the thermal interface material foil (2) and the notch (14) when the electronic component (5), the thermal interface material foil (2) and the installation tool (1) are in a stacked connection position.

2. The installation tool according to claim 1, wherein the spacers (7, 10) are arranged along at least a second edge (8) and a third edge (9) of the bottom surface (3), the second edge and the third edge being opposite edges of the bottom surface.

3. The mounting tool according to claim 1, wherein the mounting tool (1) comprises a handle element (27) which in the stack connection position protrudes outwardly beyond the electronic component (5).

4. The mounting tool according to claim 1, wherein the bottom surface (3) comprises an alignment hole (28) in the receiving area (4), which is aligned with a second attachment hole (25) provided in the electronic component (5) and a second attachment hole (26) provided in the thermal interface material foil (2) in the stacked connection position to allow visual observation of the position of the thermal interface material foil relative to the electronic component and the mounting tool in the stacked connection position.

5. The installation tool according to claim 1, wherein one or more of the spacers (10) located on the opposite side of the accommodating area (4) is provided with a slit (11) facing the accommodating area (4) to accommodate a portion (22) of the electronic component (5).

6. The installation tool according to claim 1, wherein the installation tool (1) is made of plastic material.

7. A method for connecting an electronic component to a cooling surface via a thermal interface material foil, wherein the method comprises: arranging the electronic component (5) to contact the spacer (7, 10) protruding from the bottom surface of the mounting tool, Before or after arranging the electronic component, arranging the thermal interface material foil (2) to the receiving area (4) of the bottom surface (3), When the thermal interface material foil (2) is located in the space (20) between the bottom surface (3) and the electronic component (5), the electronic component (5) is connected to the cooling surface (6) by means of screws or bolts (17), when the electronic component (5), the thermal interface material (2) and the installation tool (1) are in a stacked connection position, the screws or bolts extend through a first attachment hole (21) in the electronic component (5), through a first attachment hole (15) in the thermal interface material foil (2), and through a notch (14) provided at a first outer edge (13) of the bottom surface (3), and The mounting tool (1) is removed by pulling the mounting tool (1) out of position between the cooling surface (6) and the thermal interface material foil (2) so that the recess (14) at the first outer edge (13) of the bottom surface (3) moves away from the screw or bolt (17) before final tightening of the screw or bolt.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the electronic component (5) is arranged to contact the spacer (7, 10) by sliding the spacer (7, 10) in a direction parallel to the bottom surface (3), so that a portion (22) of the electronic component (5) is accommodated in a slit (11) facing the accommodating area (4), and the slit is provided in at least some of the spacers (10).

9. A method according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the installation tool (1) is removed by pulling the installation tool (1) out in a direction parallel to the bottom surface (3) using a handle (27), the handle (27) protruding from the bottom surface (3) past the electronic component (5).

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