Mounting fitting of heat sink and method of removing the same

Details Mounting fitting of heat sink and method of removing the same Mounting fitting of heat sink and method of removing the same

2002-06-27

2004-03-23

Thompson, Gregg D. (Department: 2835)

Electricity: electrical systems and devices

Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...

For electronic systems and devices

C024S296000, C024S456000, C165S080300, C165S185000, C174S016300, C257S718000, C257S719000, C361S710000, C361S715000, C411S523000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06711019

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a fitting for mounting a cooling apparatus for cooling a micro-processing unit (MPU) used for a personal computer or the like to the MPU, and a removing method of the fitting.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A heating value of an electronic instrument has recently increased in response to high integration of electronic components such as a semiconductor or increase of frequency of an operating clock. A problem of how junction temperatures of respective electronic components are kept within an operating temperature range becomes serious for normally operating the electronic components.
Especially, the integration and frequency of the MPU are extremely increased, so that measures against heat radiation become important for stabilizing an operation and securing the operating life.
The heat of the MPU mounted to an MPU socket is radiated by a heat sink and a fan having a motor. The heat sink increases a large heat radiating area and exchanges the heat with a refrigerant such as air. The fan forcibly feeds the refrigerant such as the air to the heat sink. Generally, the heat sink is removably mounted to the MPU so that the MPU can be replaced with a new MPU when the MPU fails or needs to be replaced.
Examples of a mounting structure and a mounting method of a conventional heat sink to an MPU are described with reference to FIG.
7
through FIG.
10
.
FIG. 7
is a perspective view of an entire MPU—heat sink—fan assembly using a mounting fitting of the conventional heat sink, and
FIG. 8
is a perspective view of the mounting fitting of the conventional heat sink.
FIG. 9A
,
FIG. 9B
, and
FIG. 9C
are sectional views of the heat sink and the fitting, and are used for illustrating a mounting method of the mounting fitting of the conventional heat sink.
FIG. 10A
,
FIG. 10B
, and
FIG. 10C
are sectional views of the heat sink and the fitting, and are used for illustrating a removing method of the mounting fitting of the conventional heat sink.
In FIG.
7
and
FIG. 9A
, MPU socket
1
is entirely formed in a plate shape having a predetermined thickness, and has first locking claw
1
a
and second locking claw
1
b
on its one side and the other side, respectively. MPU
2
of a pin grid array (PGA) type package generating heat is mounted on MPU socket
1
, and heat sink
13
touches on the upper surface of MPU
2
and radiates heat from MPU
2
.
Heat sink
13
has base part
13
a
in its lower part and fin part
13
b
disposed on base part
13
a
. Fin part
13
b
receives the heat conducted from base part
13
a
and radiates the heat to ambient air.
Fan
4
is disposed on heat sink
13
and forcibly air-cools the heat sink
13
. Mounting fitting
15
is disposed on heat sink
13
and fixes heat sink
13
.
Mounting fitting
15
is entirely formed in an M shape. Mounting fitting
15
comprises the following elements:
(a) first spring
15
a
and second spring
15
b
disposed in the intermediate positions;
(b) fulcrum
15
c
that is disposed in the boundary between first spring
15
a
and second spring
15
b
and presses heat sink
13
;
(c) first arm
15
d
connecting to an end of first spring
15
a
on the opposite side to fulcrum
15
c;
(d) second arm
15
e
connecting to an end of second spring
15
b
on the opposite side to fulcrum
15
c;
(e) plate part
15
f
disposed on first arm
15
d
and having a first locking hole engaging with first locking claw
1
a;
(f) plate part
15
g
disposed on second arm
15
e
and having a second locking hole engaging with second locking claw
1
b;
(g) plate part
15
h
having a square hole and formed near the directly above part of plate part
15
g
having the second locking hole. Bar
6
is a precision screwdriver for removal, and is thin and highly rigid.
A cooling operation of a cooling apparatus comprising the components discussed above is briefly described. The heat generated from MPU
2
is received by the bottom surface of base part
13
a
, and diffuses inside base part
13
a
. The heat then conducts to fin part
13
b
functioning as a heat radiating fin, is forcibly air-cooled by fan
4
, and is radiated to the ambient air.
Referring to
FIG. 9A
,
FIG. 9B
, and
FIG. 9C
, there is described a method of crimping and fixing heat sink
13
onto MPU
2
.
Firstly, heat sink
13
is placed on MPU
2
mounted to MPU socket
1
, mounting fitting
15
is placed on heat sink
13
, and plate part
15
f
having the first locking hole is hooked on first locking claw
1
a
of socket
1
(FIG.
9
A).
Then, while fulcrum
15
c
of mounting fitting
15
is in contact with the upper face of base part
13
a
of heat sink
13
, a load (P
1
shown in
FIG. 9B
) is applied to second spring
15
b
to press it down until the tip of second arm
15
e
contacts with the upper part of second locking claw
1
b
of socket
1
(FIG.
9
B). When second spring
15
b
is further pressed down, the lower part of second arm
15
e
touches on the slope (S shown in
FIG. 9B
) of the upper part of second locking claw
1
b
to open second arm
15
e
. Therefore, plate part
15
g
having the second locking hole is finally hooked on second locking claw
1
b
(FIG.
9
C). Fan
4
may be mounted on heat sink
13
after that, or may be previously mounted on heat sink
13
.
Referring to
FIG. 10A
,
FIG. 10B
, and
FIG. 10C
, there is described a method of removing heat sink
13
. Firstly, bar
6
is inserted into the square hole in plate part
15
h
of mounting fitting
15
, and a load (P
2
shown in
FIG. 10A
) is applied to bar
6
to press bar
6
down until the lower end of plate part
15
g
having the second locking hole moves below the lower end of second locking claw
1
b
of socket
1
(FIG.
10
A).
Then, a load (M
2
shown in
FIG. 10B
) is applied to bar
6
with load P
2
applied, thereby bending second arm
15
e
of mounting fitting
15
outwardly (FIG.
10
B). When load P
2
for pressing down second arm
15
e
is then removed, plate part
15
g
having the second locking hole comes off second locking claw
1
b
due to restoring forces of first spring
15
a
and second spring
15
b
of mounting fitting
15
(FIG.
10
C). When plate part
15
f
having the first locking hole hooked on first locking claw
1
a
is removed, the entire mounting fitting
15
is removed to allow heat sink
13
to be removed.
In another embodiment, mounting fitting
15
may be a link mechanism assembly comprising a plurality of components as shown by a perspective view of a mounting fitting of another conventional heat sink of FIG.
11
.
FIG. 12
is a perspective view of an entire MPU—heat sink—fan assembly using the mounting fitting of the heat sink of FIG.
11
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A substantially M-shaped mounting fitting made of a plate-like elastic material crimps and fixes a heat sink onto a heating element. The heating element is mounted on a socket, and the heat sink diffuses heat from the heating element. The mounting fitting of the heat sink comprises the following elements: a first spring; a second spring coupled to the first spring; a central part that is a boundary part between the first spring and the second spring and functions as a fulcrum for pressing the heat sink; a first arm connected to an end of the first spring on the opposite side from the fulcrum; a second arm connected to an end of the second spring on the opposite side from the fulcrum; a plate part having a small hole and formed in the second spring and near the second arm; and a stopper formed in a space sandwiched between the second spring and the second arm.


REFERENCES:
patent: 6256846 (2001-07-01), Lee
patent: 6301112 (2001-10-01), Lee
patent: 6343105 (2002-01-01), Huang et al.
patent: 6381813 (2002-05-01), Lai

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