Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-17
2001-07-10
Picard, Leo P. (Department: 2835)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C361S704000, C361S707000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06259600
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In some processing systems such as personal computer systems, microprocessor integrated circuits are mounted on processor circuit board assemblies. These assemblies can include processor supporting circuitry such as memories and discrete components mounted to and interconnected via a printed circuit board. In a typical processor system, the processor circuit board assembly is one of a plurality of circuit board assemblies connected to a system interconnection board or “mother board.”
Mother boards and their host computer systems are typically required to meet specified standards for mechanical configuration such that system failures are reduced and component interchangeability is maintained. For example, some personal computer mother boards are manufactured to the ATX Specification industry standard for personal computers. As processors used in personal computers become more complex, so do their supporting circuitry and the circuit board assemblies on which they are mounted. It is important that the circuit board assemblies do not compromise the mechanical characteristics of the systems in which they are mounted as their electrical requirements mature.
Also, to accommodate the rapid progress being made in processors, it is also becoming desirable that the mechanical interface between mother boards and processor circuit board assemblies be made to facilitate removal and replacement of processor circuit board assemblies such that system upgrades can be readily performed in the field. Hence, the mechanical interface for the processor circuit board assembly and the mother board should not only provide mechanical rigidity to maintain structural integrity, but should also allow for removal of the circuit board assembly to facilitate system upgrades.
As computing systems become more complex, faster and more complex processors are being developed. These processors typically consume an increasing amount of power. This presents a problem in removing heat dissipated by the processors and associated devices, since processors can suffer degraded performance and failure at high temperature.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one aspect, the present invention is directed to a processor assembly which can be mounted on another circuit board, such as the mother board of a personal computing system, which provides structural support for the processor circuit board assembly on which a processor is mounted while allowing the processor circuit board assembly to be removed readily from the mother board to accommodate system upgrades. The processor assembly of the invention includes the processor circuit board assembly on which the processor is mounted. In one embodiment, the processor circuit board assembly includes a connector at its bottom edge for connecting the processor circuit board assembly to the mother board. The processor circuit board assembly is positioned within a frame, which includes a mounting portion by which the frame can be mounted to the mother board. The frame also includes an upright slide portion for holding the processor circuit board assembly. The slide portion includes a pair of upright supports, each support including a channel for supporting the processor circuit board assembly such that the processor circuit board assembly can be held in an upright position with respect to the mother board by the pair of upright supports. When the processor circuit board assembly is held in the upright supports, the connector on the bottom edge of the processor circuit board assembly is positioned adjacent to a mating connector on the mother board. A cover can be mounted on the top portion of the frame adjacent to a top edge of the processor circuit board assembly to hold the processor circuit board assembly upright on the mother board with the connector on the processor circuit board assembly mated with the connector on the mother board.
In one embodiment, the processor assembly of the invention also includes a handle coupled to the processor circuit board assembly to facilitate removal of the processor circuit board assembly from the mother board. When the cover is removed, the handle can be used to manually pull the processor circuit board assembly off of the mother board.
In one embodiment, the mother board is compatible with the ATX Specification for a standard personal computer mother board. As such, in one embodiment, the mother board is part of a computing system which is mounted within a standard chassis. In one embodiment of the invention, in order to provide sufficient mechanical support for the processor assembly, the frame portion of the assembly is not mounted directly to the mother board. Instead, it is mounted through the mother board to the chassis of the system. This can be accomplished by using spacing fasteners positioned between the mother board and the chassis. The spacing fasteners can be fixed to the mounting portion of the frame such that the frame is mechanically mounted to the chassis. In one embodiment, each spacing fastener includes a threaded end which is threaded into threaded holes formed in the mounting portion of the frame. Each spacing fastener also preferably includes a spacing portion which supports the mother board between the frame and the chassis in stationary relation with respect to the chassis.
In another aspect, the invention is directed to a structure and method for providing cooling to the processor circuit board assembly. In accordance with this aspect of the invention, the processor assembly includes a heat sink located adjacent to the processor circuit board assembly for conducting heat away from the processor circuit board assembly. The frame includes an enclosing portion, for example, a side cover and a top cover, for at least partially enclosing the processor circuit board assembly and the heat sink. A fan is mounted on the frame to move air into the processor assembly at an air intake and of the processor assembly, across the heat sink to remove heat from the heat sink, and out of the processor assembly at an air outlet end of the assembly. This structure, namely, that including the fan, the heat sink and the enclosing portion of the frame, form a ducted cooling system for the processor assembly.
The heat sink includes a back side which is thermally coupled to the processor circuit board assembly and a front side which includes a plurality of fins. Heat is conducted from the processor circuit board assembly at the back side of the heat sink to the fins on the front side. The fan can then move air across the fins to remove heat from the processor assembly.
In one embodiment, the heat sink includes at least one raised boss positioned on the back side of the heat sink to contact a predetermined portion of the processor circuit board assembly, which can be a circuit mounted on the circuit board assembly. In one embodiment, the circuit is a microprocessor circuit. In another embodiment, the circuit is a memory circuit. The back side of the heat sink can generally include multiple raised boss regions for contacting multiple predetermined positions on the processor circuit board assembly. The position of each boss is selected such that it contacts a particular circuit on the assembly. For example, a plurality of bosses can be formed to contact a plurality of memory circuits on the processor circuit board assembly.
The processor assembly can also include a heat spreading member positioned between the processor circuit board assembly and the heat sink. The heat spreading member is thermally coupled to both the processor circuit board assembly and the back side of heat sink to conduct heat from the processor circuit board assembly to the heat sink. In particular, the heat spreading member can be coupled to a particular component, such as a microprocessor circuit, on the processor circuit board assembly to remove heat from that component. In one embodiment, the heat spreading member is made of a material having a greater thermal conductivity than the heat sink. For example, the heat spreading member can be made of copper an
Beale Michael
Reynolds Michael
Talbot Gerald
API NetWorks, Inc.
Duong Hung Van
Mills & Onello LLP
Picard Leo P.
LandOfFree
Apparatus and method for cooling a processor circuit board does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Apparatus and method for cooling a processor circuit board, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Apparatus and method for cooling a processor circuit board will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2440885