Cooling Structure Separation Tool for Stuck Thermal Interfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cooling structures are difficult to separate from electronic components due to adherence of thermal interface materials and vacuum created by flatness, especially when interfacing with multiple components, posing a risk of damage during conventional removal methods.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus with threaded holes, pins, and arms is used to lift cooling structures by threading screws into the holes, engaging hooks under the structure, and abutting against mounting screws to create relative motion, allowing safe separation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If cooling structures are tightly attached to electronic components for effective heat dissipation, then thermal contact performance is improved, but separation difficulty increases due to thermal interface material adherence and vacuum effects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a separation tool as an intermediary device between the cooling structure and electronic components. This tool features engagement elements that hook onto the cooling structure and a lifting mechanism with threaded holes and pins that apply controlled upward force, enabling safe separation without direct manual pulling that could damage components or leave thermal interface material residue
Solution Approach 2:
The separation tool is divided into multiple functional segments: engagement elements (hooks) that attach to the cooling structure, a body with threaded holes for the lifting mechanism, and pins that interface with mounting screws. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function in the separation process while working together as an integrated system
2Area of stationary object
If cooling structures interface with multiple electronic components simultaneously, then heat dissipation coverage is improved, but separation complexity increases due to multiple attachment points
Solution Approach 1:
The separation tool is designed with multiple pairs of slots and corresponding threaded holes that can accommodate cooling structures interfacing with multiple electronic components. The engagement elements can simultaneously hook onto different portions of the cooling structure, and the lifting mechanism can apply distributed force through multiple pins, making the same tool applicable to various configurations without requiring different specialized tools for each scenario
Data Source
AI summary
The apparatus includes a body having one or more threaded holes and a pin for each threaded hole. Each pin has a screw configured to thread into one of the threaded holes and abutment surfaces configured to abut against loosened cooling structure mounting screws of a cooling structure. The apparatus further includes a plurality of arms coupled to the body with hooks configured to extend underneath the cooling structure. When the apparatus is mounted to the cooling structure, threading the screws into the threaded holes causes the body and arms to lift relative to the pins. Since the pins are abutted against the cooling structure mounting screws and the hooks are underneath the cooling structure, the cooling structure lifts from a base board on which it was mounted. By using multiple pins, even cooling structures with many interfaces can be easily separated.