Self-Locking Fastener Geometry for PCB Heatsink Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The installation of heatsinks in information handling systems often results in thermal imbalance and misalignment due to slight tilting during screw tightening, which affects CPU chipsets.
Innovation Solution
A fastening system featuring a fastener with angled protrusions and a nut with complementary angled locking features, allowing for a self-locking mechanism that maintains proper positioning and alignment through angled surface engagements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a conventional screw fastening system is used to couple the heatsink to the PCB, then the installation process is simple, but the heatsink tilts during tightening causing thermal imbalance and misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening system performs self-alignment through the complementary angled surfaces of the protrusion and locking feature. As the fastener is tightened, the angled surfaces automatically guide the heatsink into proper alignment with the PCB without requiring external alignment tools or complex adjustment mechanisms, thereby achieving high manufacturing precision through self-service functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The angled surfaces of the protrusion and locking feature are pre-configured to create a self-aligning mechanism. Before the final tightening position is reached, the angled surfaces progressively guide the heatsink into correct alignment, ensuring that by the time the fastening is complete, the thermal imbalance and misalignment issues have already been prevented through preliminary self-alignment action.
2Reliability
If the heatsink is tightly coupled to the PCB, then the thermal contact is improved, but the tilting during installation causes harmful thermal unbalance
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening system incorporates preliminary anti-action by using the angled surfaces to prevent tilting before it occurs during the tightening process. The complementary angled surfaces of the protrusion and locking feature create opposing forces that counteract any tendency toward tilting, thereby preventing thermal unbalance before it can affect the thermal contact reliability between the heatsink and PCB.
Data Source
AI summary
A fastening system, including a fastener including a threaded portion positioned on an outer surface of the fastener; a protrusion positioned on an outer surface of the fastener, the protrusion including a first angled surface; and an engagement surface; a nut corresponding to the fastener, including a threaded portion positioned on an inner surface of the nut; a first locking feature positioned on an inner surface of the nut, the first locking feature including a second angled surface; a first locking surface; a second locking feature positioned on the inner surface of the nut, the second locking feature including a third angled surface; a second locking surface.