Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-22
2001-11-27
Tolin, Gerald (Department: 2835)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C361S710000, C165S080300, C257S707000, C174S016300
Reexamination Certificate
active
06324059
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed, in general, to cooling apparatus for electronic components and, more specifically, to a apparatus and method for improving heatsink component capacity and efficiency.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A concern of electronic circuit designers is the control of component heat that builds up during circuit operation unless such heat is dissipated. Temperature control is vital to circuit reliability to prevent individual component failure as well as a consequent circuit failure caused by failed components. The preferred control method for component and circuit heat is to dissipate the excess heat into the atmosphere before temperatures rise to a level where damage can occur. Heat dissipation is usually accomplished by associating heat transfer devices, such as heat sinks, with the heat generating components to absorb component heat and radiate the excess heat into the surrounding atmosphere. Frequently, the component is mounted directly on the heat transfer device to more efficiently remove excess component heat.
The problems associated with heat control have become more pronounced as low profile and compact electronic systems have become the preferred choice of customers. These low profile and compact systems typically have design parameters that make it difficult to find space for all the required electronic components on the substrate of a printed wiring or circuit board, much less the heat transfer devices such components require to prevent heat related damage. For example, the specifications for a certain electronic system may call for a printed wiring or circuit board of not more than 125 square inches with a component height no greater than 1.24 inches. Within this limited space, over a thousand electronic components must be accommodated as well as the associated heat transfer devices necessary to remove over 100 watts of heat generated by the components.
A number of heat sinks are available on the commercial market that would otherwise be suitable for use in a compact or low profile electronic device, except for the fact that these they are only designed to accommodate only one or two electronic devices. This makes the use of these commercially available heat sinks generally unacceptable for use in low profile and compact electronic assemblies because there is not enough space on the electronic substrate to accommodate all the heat sinks required.
Although commercially available heat sinks are generally not satisfactory for use on electronic substrates designed for low profile and compact electronic assemblies, they have certain qualities that would make them attractive to designers and manufactures, if the space problem could be overcome. Some of the attractive features are their ready availability, the relatively low cost, and reliability.
In many circuits it is not uncommon to find as many as four electronic devices located in a position on the electronic substrate that could be attached to a single heat sink. In such cases, the proximity of the electronic devices also produces other desirable benefits, such as reduced pin tolerance from device to device and reduced electromagnetic interference (EMI).
Accordingly, what is needed in the art is a device and method to mount more than two electronic components on a commercially available heat sink designed for only two components. Specifically such a device should permit generally available, inexpensive heat sinks to by used on the electronic substrate of compact and low profile electronic systems. The device should permit the easy and efficient mounting of electronic components thereon, while only using a minimum number of parts.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To address the above-discussed deficiencies of the prior art, the present invention provides a heat sink assembly of a heat sink having first and second interior opposing planar surfaces joined together by a third interior planar surface and an electronic component mounting apparatus. The electronic component mounting apparatus is a resilient metal strip of a defined length having first and second ends, configured so that the first end engages an electronic component mounted against the first interior planar surface and the second end engages the opposing second interior planar surface, with the defined length of the strip springably securing the electronic component against the first interior surface.
The present invention, therefore, sets forth an apparatus for mounting electronic components on an electronic substrate. The apparatus comprises a heat sink with interior surfaces to which electronic components are secured in a novel way by the use of a resilient strip or clip.
In one embodiment of the present invention the resilient metal strip is configured so that the second end of the strip engages an electronic component mounted against the second interior planar surface of the heat sink and springably secures the electronic component against the second interior surface. In another embodiment, an electronic component is mounted on the third interior planar surface of the heat sink. In still another embodiment, the heat sink has an obverse interior planar surface on the opposite side of the third interior planar surface and an electronic component mounted on such obverse interior planar surface. In still another embodiment the electronic component mounting apparatus further has first and second end extensions coupled to the first and second ends, respectively, that are engageable with fins of the heat sink to further hold the electronic component mounting apparatus in place.
An advantageous embodiment of the heat sink assembly provides for the resilient metal strip to be configured so that it engages electronic components mounted against the first and second opposing planar surfaces and springably secures the components against such opposing planar surfaces. A further aspect of the invention is that the resilient metal strip springably securing the electronic components against the first and second opposing planar surfaces is configured to form an arc around an electronic component mounted on the third interior planar surface. The invention thus introduces an apparatus for mounting multiple electronic components to a heat sink that previously could be used to only mount one or two electronic components.
The invention also provides for an electronic wiring or circuit board substrate with a heat sink assembly of a heat sink, with first and second interior opposing planar surfaces joined together by a third interior planar surface, and an electronic component mounting apparatus of a resilient metal strip of a defined length having first and second ends, configured so that the first end engages an electronic component mounted against the first interior planar surface and the second end engages the opposing second interior planar surface to springably secure the electronic component against the first interior surface. The invention also provides for a method of forming a heat sink assembly of a heat sink, electronic components and a resilient metal strip securing certain of the electronic components to the heat sink.
The foregoing has outlined, rather broadly, preferred and alternative features of the present invention so that those skilled in the art may better understand the detailed description of the invention that follows. Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter that form the subject of the claims of the invention. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they can readily use the disclosed conception and specific embodiment as a basis for designing or modifying other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should also realize that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest form.
REFERENCES:
patent: D. 296323 (1988-06-01), McCarthy
patent: D. 313399 (1991-01-01), Earl et al.
patent: 4104701 (1978-08-01), Baranowski
patent: 4933746 (1990-06-01), King
patent: 5
Datskovsky Michael
Tolin Gerald
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