Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-11
2001-10-09
Picard, Leo P. (Department: 2835)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C361S690000, C361S695000, C361S703000, C361S707000, C361S709000, C361S719000, C174S016300, C257S712000, C257S713000, C257S718000, C257S719000, C257S721000, C257S722000, C257S727000, C165S080300
Reexamination Certificate
active
06301115
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to heat sink devices for use in electronic devices, for example, to those for releasing the heat generated by CPU assemblies in desktop electronic devices to outside the housing.
In order to release the heat generated by CPU assemblies disposed in the housings of electronic devices to outside the housing, a heat sink, for example, of aluminum is conventionally attached to the CPU assembly. For example, Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3054704 discloses a known device for connecting the heat sink to the CPU assembly.
Conventional heat sink devices for use in electronic devices include fastening members for connecting the heat sink to the CPU assembly. However, these fastening members are complicated in shape and low in fastening strength. Further a space portion of predetermined width is conventionally formed in the radiating finned surface of the heat sink for fitting the fastening member therein. The provision of the space portion therefore entails the problem of correspondingly reducing the number or size of radiating fins to result in a lower radiation efficiency. The conventional fastening member has at one end thereof a portion inserted through holes in the heat sink and the CPU assembly and fixed in place by being bent at its outer end projecting outward beyond the outer surface of the CPU assembly. Accordingly, connecting the heat sink to the CPU assembly requires a cumbersome procedure. Further because the inserted portion of the conventional fastening member usually has a width of about 5 mm, the hole in the CPU assembly must be as large as at least 6 mm in diameter. This entails the problem that the CPU circuit board needs a corresponding larger space for drilling such holes, hence a disadvantage in design. It is desired that the holes to be formed in the circuit board of the CPU assembly, the heat sink, etc. be as small as possible. Preferable are, for example, holes having a diameter of up to 3 mm.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a heat sink device for use in electronic devices which is free of the foregoing problems.
The present invention provides a heat sink device for use in electronic devices which is of the type having a header portion at one side and which is adapted to release the heat generated by a CPU assembly disposed in the housing of the electronic device to the outside of the housing. The heat sink device for the electronic device is characterized in that a heat dissipating base plate of a heat sink has radiating fins on a lower surface of the base plate and a slot formed in an upper surface of the base plate and extending transversely thereof, a mount frame member being fitted to the base plate and provided with upright walls projecting upward respectively from front and rear opposite edge portions thereof and opposed to each other, the front and rear upright walls being each provided at an upper end portion thereof with an engaging projection and a fitting furrow positioned under and extending along the engaging projection, a fastening member having a striplike base fitted in the slot of the base plate of the heat sink and pinlike projections each projecting upward from a longitudinal intermediate portion of the striplike base, the radiating fins of the heat sink being inserted from above through an opening of the mount frame member to fit a lower half portion of the base plate into the opening, the base plate being provided at front and rear ends thereof with stepped portions engaged respectively with a front edge and a rear edge of the mount frame member defining the opening thereof, the CPU assembly being placed on the upper surface of the base plate of the heat sink, the fastening member having each of the pinlike projections thereof inserted from below through a hole in the CPU assembly, a circuit board of the CPU assembly having front and rear edge portions fixedly engaged with the respective engaging projections of the front and rear upright walls of the mount frame member while being fitted in the respective fitting furrows of the upright walls.
The present invention provides another heat sink device for releasing the heat generated by a CPU assembly disposed in the housing of an electronic device to the outside of the housing. The heat sink device for the electronic device is characterized in that a heat dissipating base plate of a heat sink has radiating fins on a lower surface of the base plate and a slot formed in an upper surface of the base plate and extending transversely thereof, a mount frame member being fitted to the base plate and provided with engaging projections projecting upward from respective upper edges of opposite side walls thereof for closing opposite ends of the slot in the base plate respectively, a fastening member having a striplike base fitted in the slot of the base plate of the heat sink and provided with protuberant portions, each of the protuberant portions having in a top part thereof a slit extending longitudinally thereof and a circular hole having a large diameter and communicating with one end of the slit, connecting pins being inserted through respective holes in the CPU assembly while being prevented from slipping off downward, each of the connecting pins having at a lower end thereof an engaging head projecting downward beyond a circuit board of the CPU assembly, the radiating fins of the heat sink being inserted from above through an opening of the mount frame member to fit a lower half portion of the base plate into the opening, an upper half portion of the base plate having a front edge and a rear edge engaged respectively with a front edge and a rear edge of the mount frame member defining the opening thereof, the engaging projections at the upper edges of the opposite side walls of the mount frame member being pressed inward and thereby deformed while closing the opposite ends of the slot of the heat sink base plate so as to be partly positioned in the respective slot ends and to connect the base plate to the mount frame member by the inwardly deformed projections, the CPU assembly having the connecting pins attached thereto and being placed on the upper surface of the heat sink base plate, the engaging head of each connecting pin being moved toward the slit in the protuberant portion of the fastening member base after the engaging head is inserted into the circular hole in the protuberant portion, whereby the engaging head of the pin is held by the fastening member in engagement therewith.
In the case of either of these heat sink devices, the heat sink can be firmly attached to the CPU assembly with extremely great strength. Moreover, the holes to be formed in the CPU circuit board of the CPU assembly or the heat sink can be made as small as possible, for example, with a diameter of not greater than 3 mm to ensure a great advantage in design and to meet requirements of the industry relating to electronic devices of the type mentioned. Furthermore, the fastening members, connecting pins or like fasteners are unlikely to project beyond the outer surface of the CPU assembly to ensure compactness, while the heat sink devices of the invention achieve a high radiation efficiency and are less costly to manufacture.
The present invention will be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5841633 (1998-11-01), Huang
patent: 6008990 (1999-12-01), Liu
patent: 6097601 (2000-08-01), Lee
patent: 6141220 (2000-10-01), Lin
Hashimoto Suzushi
Ito Tomio
Armstrong Westerman Hattori McLeland & Naughton LLP
Chervinsky Boris L.
Picard Leo P.
Showa Aluminum Corporation
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