Floating Heatsink with Actuator for Frictionless TIM Insertion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heatsink designs, such as riding heatsinks, disrupt thermal interface materials (TIMs) during insertion due to friction, preventing their effective use in maintaining efficient thermal coupling between heatsinks and electronic components.
Innovation Solution
A floating heatsink implementation that uses a frictionless or nearly frictionless insertion technique, allowing a TIM to remain undisturbed by providing a clearance tolerance and utilizing an actuator to pivot the heatsink into contact with the electronic component only at the end of insertion, ensuring a solid thermal connection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a riding heatsink design is used where the heatsink is forced into contact with the electronic component during insertion, then thermal coupling is achieved, but the thermal interface material is disrupted and friction is generated during insertion
Solution Approach 1:
The heatsink is pre-positioned in a retracted state away from the electronic component before insertion occurs. The actuator is pre-configured to pivot the heatsink into contact only after insertion is complete, preventing TIM disruption during the insertion process while ensuring thermal coupling is achieved in the final state
Solution Approach 2:
The heatsink transitions from a static pre-positioned state to a dynamic pivoting motion actuated by the actuator. This dynamic movement allows the heatsink to contact the electronic component only after insertion is complete, avoiding friction and TIM disruption during insertion while maintaining reliable thermal coupling
2Reliability
If a riding heatsink design is used where the heatsink slides along the electronic component during insertion, then thermal coupling is achieved, but friction is generated that disrupts the thermal interface material
Solution Approach 1:
The heatsink is pre-positioned in a retracted state away from the electronic component before insertion occurs. The actuator mechanism is pre-configured to pivot the heatsink into contact only after insertion is complete, eliminating friction during the insertion process while ensuring thermal coupling is achieved in the final state
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of forcing the heatsink into contact during insertion (conventional approach), the invention inverts the sequence by retracting the heatsink during insertion and only contacting it after insertion is complete. This reverse approach eliminates friction and TIM disruption while achieving the same thermal coupling objective
3Object-affected harmful factors
If clearance tolerance is provided between the heatsink and electronic component, then TIM integrity is maintained, but thermal contact must be achieved through actuator pivoting
Solution Approach 1:
The heatsink assembly is segmented into the heatsink body and the actuator mechanism. The actuator serves as a separate component that controls the pivoting motion, allowing the heatsink to be pre-positioned with clearance during insertion and then brought into contact with the electronic component after insertion is complete, maintaining TIM integrity while achieving thermal coupling
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables the confident use of TIMs for improved thermal conductivity and heat dissipation, maintaining the integrity and efficiency of the thermal interface, even with electronic components like optical transceivers.
Implementation Method 1
A thermal interface material ("TIM") is sometimes placed between an electronic component heat surface and a bottom portion of a heatsink... to improve heat transfer rates
Implementation Method 2
One or more heatsinks can be thermally coupled to one or more electronic components to assist in dissipating (i.e., removing) heat... The increased surface area may be exposed to air or liquid coolant to assist in heat dissipation
Data Source
AI summary
A technique and corresponding device to provide for a floating heat sink is disclosed. The technique includes a method that allows for insertion of an electronic component (e.g., an optical transceiver) into a cage that has a pre-installed heatsink. At the beginning phases of insertion, no friction is present between the electronic component and the heatsink. At or very near an insertion end phase (the electronic component is almost fully inserted), an actuator (e.g., roller or button) is impacted to impart a pivot motion via a lever arm to cause lowering of the heatsink toward the electronic component. A thermal interface material (TIM) may therefore be present to establish a thermal coupling between the heatsink and the electronic component. The TIM and heatsink contact the electronic component via a downward motion (caused by the pivot) to provide a nearly frictionless sliding impact to the TIM.