Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-21
2001-01-30
Picard, Leo P. (Department: 2835)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C361S703000, C361S714000, C361S717000, C361S719000, C257S718000, C257S719000, C257S727000, C174S016300, C165S080300, C024S294000, C024S458000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06181559
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention concerns a device for attaching a heat sink, and more particularly to a device for attaching a heat sink to an electronic unit generating heat such as central processing unit of a computer.
2. Related Art
Technological development has significantly reduced the sizes of computer systems with increasing their capacities, so that various electronic devices including semiconductor devices may be packaged into a single semiconductor module. For example, a high speed central processing unit is usually achieved by packaging a cache memory and processor. The heat sink is to absorb or dissipate the heat generated during the operation of such a semiconductor module.
I have found that inefficient methods and devices for attaching a heat sink to a heat producing unit can be extremely inconvenient. Efforts have been made to improve heat sinks and securing means for heat sinks.
Exemplars of recent efforts in the art include U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,393 for
CLAMPING HEAT SINK
issued to Vasconcelos, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,638,258 for
CPU HEAT SINK FASTENER
issued to Lin, U.S. Pat. No. 5,640,305 for
ANCHOR FOR SECURING HEAT SINK TO A PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD
issued to Smithers, U.S. Pat. No. 5,661,639 for
STRUCTURE FOR ATTACHING A HEAT SINK TO A SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE
issued to Furuno, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,791,403 for
CLAMPING DEVICE ADAPTED FOR SECURING A HEAT SINK TO A CPU MOUNT TO HOLD DOWN A CPU
issued to Chiou, U.S. Pat. No. 5,883,782 for
APPARATUS FOR ATTACHING A HEAT SINK TO A PCB MOUNTED SEMICONDUCTOR PACKAGE
issued to Thurston, et al., U.S. Pat. No. P5,396,402 for
APPLIANCE FOR ATTACHING HEAT SINK TO PIN GRID ARRAY AND SOCKET
issued to Perugini, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,381,041 for
SELF CLAMPING HEAT SINK
issued to Hannon, U.S. Pat. No. P5,521,439 for
COMBINATION AND METHOD FOR COUPLING A HEAT SINK TO A SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE
issued to Casati, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,495,392 for
CPU HEAT DISSIPATING APPARATUS
issued to Shen, U.S. Pat. No. 5,898,571 for
APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CLIP
-
ON ATTACHMENT OF HEAT SINKS TO ENCAPSULATED SEMICONDUCTOR PACKAGES
issued to Mertol, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,430,610 for
SEPARABLE POSITIONING DEVICE FOR THE HEAT SINK ON COMPUTER CHIPS
issued to Hung.
While these recent efforts provide advantages, I note that they fail to adequately provide a method for efficiently and conveniently attaching a heat sink.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a device for readily attaching and detaching a heat sink to or from an electronic device generating heat.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a device which makes the heat sink tightly contact the semiconductor module.
According to an aspect of the present invention, a device for attaching a heat sink having a first and a second surface to an element generating heat in an electronic system, which element has an upper plane side contacting the first surface of the heat sink and a lower connector side connected to a printed circuit board, comprises a pair of holes formed on the upper plane side of the element at both sides of the heat sink attached to the element, a clip attached to the second surface of the heat sink having two hooked ends respectively connected with the pair of holes, a lever hinged to the clip, and a support hinged to the lever, wherein the lever is swung so as to cause the support to press or release the heat sink against or from the element. Preferably, the clip has a lever holding seat to hold a first fixing lug formed on the lever swung to cause the support to press the heat sink, thereby preventing the lever from inadvertent reverse swing. In addition, the clip may have a stopper to limit the swing of the lever for releasing the heat sink from the element, and the lever has additionally a second fixing lug resiliently fixed onto the lever swung to release the heat sink from the element.
To achieve these and other objects in accordance with the principles of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, the present invention provides an apparatus, comprising: a heat sink having a first surface and a second surface; an element generating heat, forming two apertures at a first side of said element, said first side of said element contacting said first surface of said heat sink; a fastening unit being attached to said second surface of said heat sink, said fastening unit including two hooks, each one of said two hooks being received into a respective one of said two apertures; a lever being hingedly attached to said fastening unit, said lever being movable between a first position and a second position; and a support unit being hingedly attached to said lever, said support unit contacting said second surface of said heat sink, said lever in said first position forcing said support unit to press said heat sink against said element, said lever in said second position not forcing said support unit to press said heat sink against said element.
To achieve these and other objects in accordance with the principles of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, the present invention provides an apparatus, comprising: a heat sink having a first surface and a second surface; an element generating heat, having a first side, and forming two apertures at said first side of said element, said first side of said element contacting said first surface of said heat sink; a clamp being attached to said second surface of said heat sink, said clamp including two hooks, each one of said two hooks being received into a respective one of said two apertures; and a lever being hingedly attached to said clamp, said lever being movable between a first position and a second position, said lever contacting said second surface of said heat sink, said lever in said first position pressing said heat sink against said element, said lever in said second position not-pressing said heat sink against said element.
To achieve these and other objects in accordance with the principles of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, the present invention provides a method, comprising: forming two apertures at a first side of an element, said element generating heat; attaching a clip to a first surface of a heat sink, said clip including two hooks, each one of said two hooks being received into a respective one of said two apertures, said first side of said element contacting a second surface of said heat sink; hingedly attaching a lever to said clip, said lever being movable between a first position and a second position; and hingedly attaching a support unit to said lever, said support unit contacting said first surface of said heat sink, said lever in said first position forcing said support unit to press said heat sink against said element, said lever in said second position not forcing said support unit to press said heat sink against said element.
The present invention is more specifically described in the following paragraphs by reference to the drawings attached only by way of example. Other advantages and features will become apparent from the following description and from the claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5381041 (1995-01-01), Harmon
patent: 5396402 (1995-03-01), Perugini et al.
patent: 5430610 (1995-07-01), Hung
patent: 5495392 (1996-02-01), Shen
patent: 5521439 (1996-05-01), Casati et al.
patent: 5600540 (1997-02-01), Blomquist
patent: 5611393 (1997-03-01), Vasconcelos et al.
patent: 5638258 (1997-06-01), Lin
patent: 5640305 (1997-06-01), Smithers
patent: 5661639 (1997-08-01), Furuno et al.
patent: 5771960 (1998-06-01), Lin
patent: 5791403 (1998-08-01), Chiou
patent: 5828553 (1998-10-01), Chiou
patent: 5847928 (1998-12-01), Hinshaw et al.
patent: 5883782 (1999-03-01), Thurston et al.
patent: 5898571 (1999-04-01), Mertol
patent: 5933326 (1999-08-01), Lee et al.
patent: 6061239 (2000-05-01), Blomquist
Chervinsky Boris L.
Picard Leo P.
Robert E. Bushnell, Esq.
Samsung Electronics Co,. Ltd.
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