Heat sink clip assembly

Details Heat sink clip assembly Heat sink clip assembly

2000-07-07

2001-09-25

Tolin, Gerald P (Department: 2835)

Electricity: electrical systems and devices

Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...

For electronic systems and devices

C024S457000, C248S510000, C257S719000, C439S485000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06295203

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a clip assembly for securing a heat sink to an electronic device, and particularly to a clip assembly having a fastener for eliminating relative movement of the clip and the heat sink.
2. Description of Related Art
An electronic device, such as a central processing unit (CPU), operates at a high speed for processing signals and data. A great amount of heat is generated due to the high speed operation. A heat sink is often used to remove heat from the CPU for keeping the CPU at an acceptable working temperature. A clip is required to secure the physical contact between the heat sink and the CPU.
A conventional clip
3
, as shown in
FIG. 3
of the attached drawings, comprises a spring central portion engaging a surface of the heat sink and two legs extending therefrom for engaging with a CPU socket connector, thereby securing the heat sink to the CPU mounted on the socket connector. The clip
3
suffers a disadvantage of being readily detached from the heat sink
5
by accidental force disengaging the clip
3
from the socket connector.
With the trend toward miniaturization in the computer industry, a flip-chip package is broadly used in CPU modules. Referring to
FIG. 4
, a flip chip is usually formed on a substrate. The conventional clip
3
attaches the heat sink
5
to the flip chip
7
. However, the heat sink
5
is readily rotated about a die edge of the flip chip
7
. Thus the heat sink
5
cannot be in full contact with the flip chip
7
, which diminishes the removing heat efficiency of the heat sink
5
.
It is thus desired to provide a heat sink clip which overcomes the above problems encountered in the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a clip assembly comprising a fastener for securely attaching the heat sink to an electronic device.
To achieve the above-mentioned object, a clip assembly in accordance with the present invention comprises a clip securely attaching a heat sink to an electronic device and a fastener abutting against the clip for preventing the clip from moving relative to the heat sink. The clip has a spring portion engaging a surface of the heat sink and two legs extending from the spring portion for engaging with catches formed on a socket connector on which the electronic device is retained. The fastener comprises a pair of latches and a resilient connecting section connected between the latches. Each latch has a protrusion extending from a distal end thereof, each protrusion extending toward the opposite protrusion for engaging with a groove defined in the heat sink for securing the clip to the heat sink.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will be drawn from the following detailed embodiment of the present invention with attached drawings, in which:


REFERENCES:
patent: 4679118 (1987-07-01), Johnson et al.
patent: 5170325 (1992-12-01), Bentz et al.
patent: 5208731 (1993-05-01), Blomquist
patent: 5386338 (1995-01-01), Jordan et al.
patent: 5594624 (1997-01-01), Clemens et al.
patent: 6130821 (2000-10-01), Gerber
patent: 6181559 (2001-01-01), Seo

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