Heat sink clip with interchangeable operating body

Details Heat sink clip with interchangeable operating body Heat sink clip with interchangeable operating body

2003-02-11

2004-11-02

Schuberg, Darren (Department: 2835)

Electricity: electrical systems and devices

Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...

For electronic systems and devices

C361S715000, C165S080300, C248S510000, C257S719000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06813155

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to heat sink clips, and more particularly to a heat sink clip which easily and securely attaches a heat sink on a heat generating package without the need for a tool.
2. Description of Prior Art
A computer central processing unit (CPU) is the core administrator of electrical signals for most contemporary personal computers. Continued development of CPUs has enabled them to perform more and more functions. Heat generated by CPUs has increased commensurately. Excessive heat can adversely affect the operational stability of the computer. Measures must be taken to efficiently remove the heat from the CPU. Typically, a heat sink having great heat conductivity is mounted on the CPU to remove heat therefrom. A clip is frequently used to firmly attach the heat sink to the CPU, thus achieving greater efficiency of heat transfer.
FIG. 5
illustrates a conventional clip for fastening a heat sink to a CPU, as disclosed in Taiwan Patent No. 270560. The clip is formed from a plate of resilient material, and is generally M-shaped. The clip includes a pressing portion
10
, two elastic portions
12
extending from opposite ends of the pressing portion
10
, and two clip arms
14
depending from distal ends of the elastic portions
12
. Each arm
14
defines two slots
16
, one above the other. The lower slots
16
of the arms
14
engagingly receive ears
19
of a socket on which the CPU is mounted. The clip thereby resiliently attaches the heat sink to an upper surface of the CPU. A handle
18
is formed at the higher slot
16
of each arm
14
, for facilitating operation of the clip by hand or with a tool. However, if the handle
18
is operated by hand, it is inconvenient and uncomfortable, and may even hurt the operator's hand. If the handle
18
is operated with a tool such as a screwdriver, the screwdriver is prone to slip and damage other nearby components on a motherboard on which the socket is mounted.
FIG. 6
illustrates another kind of clip for fastening a heat sink to a CPU, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,061,239. Each of a pair of clips has a main body
10
′. A pair of hooks
12
′ extends from opposite ends of the main body
10
′, for engaging in a chassis of a heat sink. An operating body
14
′ above the main body
10
′ is pivotally attached to the main body
10
′. The operating body
14
′ has a cam
16
′ for pressing the heat sink onto a heat generating electronic package. The clip is convenient and safe to operate, and does not need a tool. However the operating body
14
′ is effectively permanently mounted on the main body
10
′. If another heat sink having a different size is used, the cams
16
′ of the clips are unlikely to be able to fit properly and press the new heat sink. Usually, another pair of differently sized clips needs to be obtained. This is inconvenient and costly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a heat sink clip which easily and securely and mounts a heat sink on a CPU.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a heat sink clip which can be used for any of a variety of differently sized heat sinks.
In order to achieve the objects set out above, a heat sink clip in accordance with the present invention includes a main body, and an operating body rotatably attached to the main body. The main body comprises a central portion, and a pair of clipping portions depending from opposite ends of the central portion respectively. A concavity is defined in a side of the main body near one of the clipping portions. A pair of mounting portions depends from a middle of the main body. A claw is formed at an end of each mounting portion. The operating body comprises a shaft rotatably received in the claws of the main body, and a handle perpendicularly extending from one end of the shaft and receivable in the concavity. A cam is formed on a center of the shaft. A pair of annular recesses is defined in the shaft at opposite sides of the cam respectively, the recesses rotatably receiving the claws of the main body. When the handle is rotated, the cam is driven to press on a heat sink. The heat sink clip thus resiliently and firmly attaches the heat sink onto an electronic package. If the operating body needs to be replaced with another operating body having a different sized cam, the operating body is easily pulled out from the claws.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:


REFERENCES:
patent: 5443591 (1995-08-01), Tsai
patent: 5477916 (1995-12-01), Lin
patent: 6118659 (2000-09-01), Adams et al.
patent: 6421242 (2002-07-01), Chen
patent: 6532153 (2003-03-01), Chiu

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