Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-25
2001-12-11
Tolin, Gerald (Department: 2835)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C024S457000, C029S832000, C257S726000, C248S510000, C361S719000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06330160
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed, in general, to a mounting clip for electronic components and, more specifically, to a component retention spring clip for securing electronic components to a heat sink assembly.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Electronic components often generate operating temperatures that can cause component damage and circuit failure if temperature control methods are not employed. The generally preferred temperature control method is to use a heat sink to transfer heat from the heat generating components to the ambient air surrounding the associated electronic assembly. A heat sink can be made of any material with favorable heat transfer characteristics, such as copper, aluminum or steel, although aluminum is generally preferred for cost and weight reasons.
In most cases a heat generating component is placed in direct contact with a heat sink in order to provide for the most efficient transfer of heat from the component to the heat sink. After the heat sink absorbs heat from the component, the heat dissipates throughout the heat sink structure and transfers by conduction or convection to the surrounding ambient air.
A typical electronic circuit will have a number of heat generating components or devices fastened to heat sinks. This usually means that the printed wiring or circuit board on which the heat generating components are mounted must be able to accommodate a number of heat sinks. This also means that factors other than temperature control must be taken into consideration when designing a board mounted electronic assembly. For example, the amount of real estate on the board required by heat sinks must be considered in designing the board layout as well as the volume of the space available in the enclosure housing the electronic circuit. In many such cases the real estate on the board and enclosure space occupied by heat sinks will constitute a significant percentage of the total board space and enclosure volume available. This means that circuit designers must address heat dissipation problems from a space and weight viewpoint in order to produce the highly valued small electronics system that customers prefer.
Some of the space and volume concerns related to heat control have been addressed by designing new board arrangements for heat sinks. In order to permit such new arrangements to be used, new heat sink designs have also been developed to provide better thermal performance in less space.
Designing heat sinks and arranging them to provide for more efficient thermal performance in a smaller space has, in some instances, created its own set of problems. One such problem is that the amount of working space on the printed circuit or wiring board has been reduced, making it more difficult to assemble the circuit. Another problem is that the mounting surfaces on the heat sink to which the heat generating components are fastened are not as accessible as they were on prior art heat sinks. Prior art threaded fastener secured clamps can sometimes be very difficult to use in fastening electronic components to the heat sinks. In some cases, the most advantageous heat sink geometry does not provide paths for tools to reach screws and other fasteners, thereby preventing this advantageous heat sink geometry from being used with prior art clamps. These prior art devices often require significant time and effort to attach an electrical component, which, of course, adds manufacturing cost and hampers production efficiency. Prior art spring clip designs do not address the problem of mounting components on the opposing sides of a heat sink leg.
Accordingly, what is needed in the art is a device that can be used to secure heat generating components to a heat sink where access to the mounting surface on the heat sink is limited because of design considerations.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To address the above-discussed deficiencies of the prior art, the present invention provides a mounting clip for electronic components and, more specifically, to a component retention spring clip for securing electronic components to an electronic device support, such as the leg of a heat sink. In one embodiment the component retention clip is comprised of a resilient strip that has an arcuate portion and first and second ends. The resilient strip is configured to encompass an electronic component and an electronic device support adjacent to the electronic component. The arcuate portion of the component retention clip is configured to contact a portion of the electronic component, thereby partially supporting the electronic component against the electronic device support. Located at the first end of the resilient strip is a first latch configured to cooperatively engage a corresponding second latch located at the second end and retain the electronic component on the electronic device support.
The present invention in one aspect, therefore, introduces a clip or fastener to mount an electronic component on a support, such as the leg of a heat sink. The invention is particularly useful for mounting an electronic component to a heat sink where the heat sink design provides only a limited amount of access space to the electronic component after it is placed in position for mounting. In some such cases the access space is so limited that it is impossible to use prior art devices to secure components to a heat sink. The present invention overcomes this deficiency found in prior art fasteners.
In one embodiment, the resilient strip is a metallic alloy. It is particularly advantageous to use iron based alloys in this embodiment of the invention because such alloys have a superior resiliency. In another embodiment of the invention, the resilient strip is configured to encompass a plurality of electronic components. Another aspect provides for the resilient strip to be comprised of a plurality of arcuate portions. A resilient strip with a plurality of arcuate portions increases the total supporting structure of the clip and provide additional support to the component or components. This embodiment will be explained in detail herein.
In still another embodiment of the invention the component retention clip has the first and the second latches formed from the resilient strip. One aspect of this embodiment provides for the first and second latches to be formed as hooks. This embodiment permits the clip to be secured by taking advantage of the resiliency of the strip to keep the hooks together after they have been cooperatively engaged with one another.
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: 4203488 (1980-05-01), Johnson et al.
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patent: 4544942 (1985-10-01), McCarthy
patent: 5485671 (1996-01-01), Larson
patent: 6075703 (2000-06-01), Lee
patent: 6128191 (2000-10-01), Bell et al.
patent: 6201699 (2001-03-01), Ayres
Ayres John W.
Ayres Susan M.
Byrne Vincent M.
Fontana Edward C.
Lucent Technologies - Inc.
Tolin Gerald
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