Floating Board-Level Heat Sink Architecture for Shock-Stable Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
The relative movement between a heat sink and a circuit board due to external impact or force affects thermal coupling, leading to diminished cooling efficiency and potential damage to heat generation components.
Innovation Solution
A board-level architecture with a support plate, heat sink, circuit board, and connection members, utilizing elastic buffers and limiting members to allow the circuit board to float relative to the heat sink, maintaining thermal coupling and reducing impact damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the heat sink is disposed to float relative to the circuit board, then the heat sink can accommodate thermal expansion and installation misalignment, but the heat sink may move relative to the circuit board under external impact, affecting thermal coupling
Solution Approach 1:
The heat sink is designed to float relative to the circuit board through elastic connection members, allowing dynamic movement to accommodate thermal expansion while maintaining thermal coupling through elastic restoring force. The connection members enable the heat sink to adapt to dimensional changes of the circuit board during temperature cycles.
Solution Approach 2:
External buffers are installed around the heat sink to provide beforehand cushioning against external impacts. These buffers prevent the heat sink from moving excessively under shock loads, ensuring that thermal coupling is maintained even during accidental drops or vibrations.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the circuit board is fixed rigidly to the support plate, then structural stability is improved, but impact forces are transmitted directly to heat generation components, causing damage
Solution Approach 1:
External buffers are positioned around the heat sink to provide beforehand cushioning against external impacts. When the device experiences a drop or vibration, these buffers absorb the shock before it can be transmitted to the heat generation components, preventing damage while maintaining structural stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The external buffers act as intermediary elements between the external environment and the heat sink-circuit board assembly. They mediate the transmission of impact forces, converting harmful shock loads into manageable elastic deformation of the buffer material.
3Productivity
If the heat sink has substantial mass for effective heat dissipation, then cooling efficiency is improved, but the heat sink exerts considerable force on heat generation components during impact, causing damage
Solution Approach 1:
External buffers are installed around the heat sink to provide beforehand cushioning against external impacts. These buffers prevent the substantial mass of the heat sink from exerting damaging forces on heat generation components during accidental drops or vibrations, while allowing the heat sink to maintain its mass for effective heat dissipation.
Solution Approach 2:
The external buffers serve as intermediary elements that decouple the heat sink's substantial mass from the heat generation components during impact events. They allow the heat sink to maintain its weight for cooling efficiency while protecting vulnerable components from the inertial forces generated during acceleration or deceleration.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If the circuit board can move relative to the heat sink, then impact resistance is improved, but thermal coupling may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The circuit board is designed to move relative to the heat sink through elastic connection members, allowing dynamic movement to absorb impact energy. The elastic nature of the connection members ensures that the circuit board can float during normal operation to accommodate thermal expansion while returning to its original position after impact to maintain thermal coupling.
Solution Approach 2:
External buffers are positioned around the heat sink to provide beforehand cushioning that limits the range of motion of the circuit board during impact. This ensures that while the circuit board can move to resist impact, the movement is constrained within a range that maintains effective thermal coupling between the heat generation components and the heat sink.
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
Reduces the risk of damaging thermal interface materials and heat generation components by absorbing impact, ensuring effective heat dissipation and thermal coupling during external shocks.
Implementation Method 1
The first buffer is configured to provide acting force for driving the first circuit board to move toward the first heat sink
Implementation Method 2
The first heat generation component is thermally coupled to the first heat sink
Data Source
AI summary
A board-level architecture includes a support plate, a first heat sink, a first circuit board, a first connection member, and a first buffer. The first heat sink and the support plate are disposed opposite to each other and are fastened to each other. The first circuit board is located between the first heat sink and the support plate. The first circuit board is connected to the first heat sink through the first connection member and can move toward or away from the first heat sink. A first heat generation component is on a side that is of the first circuit board and that is proximate the first heat sink. The first heat generation component is thermally coupled to the first heat sink. The first buffer is configured to provide acting force for driving the first circuit board to move toward the first heat sink.