Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-26
2001-05-08
Tolin, Gerald (Department: 2835)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C024S458000, C248S510000, C361S704000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06229706
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to a clip suitable for providing a compressive force to a series of stacked components. More particularly, the present invention relates to a clip for providing a compressive force to a heat sink and a heat generating component in contact therewith.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heat sinks are widely used in the electronics industry and particularly in connection with electronic components such as integrated circuits (“ICs”) and microchips which produce unwanted thermal energy or heat as a byproduct of standard operation. The generated heat adversely affects the operation of such components, and heat sinks are used to absorb, channel away and dissipate the heat produced from such components. To accomplish this task, thermal contact is required between the heat generating component and the heat sink. To maintain such contact, securing devices such as clips are typically used for engaging the heat sink and electronic component and maintaining physical and thermal contact therebetween.
One such clip is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,712,159 (Clemens) which discloses a heat sink clip assembly having a retention member and a spring member. The clip assembly is employed in an alternating stacked arrangement, wherein the components of the assembly (the retention member and the spring member) are interleaved with the IC and heat sink such that the IC is sandwiched between the retention member and spring member, and the heat sink is placed over the spring member.
The clip assembly of Clemens has several drawbacks. In particular, placement of the heat sink over the spring member requires modification of the spring member to provide physical contact between the heat sink and IC. To accomplish this, the spring member is designed having a center cavity or pass-through which accommodates insertion of a portion of a heat sink base to provide for engagement with the IC. Also, the retention member must be specifically dimensioned for accommodating a particular IC so that the retention member can also engage the spring member when the IC is placed therebetween in an intended manner. Furthermore, the placement of the IC between the spring member and retention member, with the heat sink fitted thereover as described in Clemens renders replacement of a damaged or inoperative IC cumbersome because, the spring member must be detached and separated from the retention member and the heat sink removed to gain access to and replace the damaged IC.
Accordingly, there is a need for a spring clip assembly design which provides thermal and physical contact between a heat sink and IC and which is easy to assembly and disassemble for allowing replacement of damaged or inoperative ICs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A clip assembly design is disclosed for clamping stacked components to each other to ensure contact therebetween. For example, when the stacked components consist of a circuit board containing a microprocessor or other integrated circuit (IC) thereon, and a heat sink placed over the IC to remove heat therefrom, continuing contact between the heat sink and the IC must be maintained for efficient heat dissipation. The clip design in accordance with the present invention utilizes a retention member and a spring member, which may be separately or integrally formed, for mounting to a circuit board and heat sink and securing these components to the clip. In a preferred embodiment, the retention member includes a plurality of upstanding legs, each leg having a securing means for engaging a mounting surface of the heat sink. The securing means may comprise, for example, a lip, ledge protrusion or barb located at a far end of one or more legs. The legs are dimensioned for fitting within openings or passageways formed in the circuit board and heat sink.
When a component stack is configured in accordance with the present invention wherein (1) the spring member is positioned on the retention member on the same side as the upstanding legs, (2) the circuit board is positioned over the legs such that the circuit board rests on the spring member, (3) the heat sink is positioned over the legs so that it seats on an IC mounted to the board, and (4) a downward force is applied to the heat sink for compressing the spring, the securing means on the legs will lock against the mounting surface of the heat sink. This will compress the stacked components for maintaining physical and thermal contact between the heat sink and the IC.
Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed solely for purposes of illustration and not as a definition of the limits of the invention, for which reference should be made to the appended claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4712159 (1987-12-01), Clemens
patent: 4933746 (1990-06-01), King
patent: 5241453 (1993-08-01), Bright
patent: 5430611 (1995-07-01), Patel et al.
patent: 5570271 (1996-10-01), Lavochkin
patent: 5586005 (1996-12-01), Cipolla et al.
patent: 5603374 (1997-02-01), Wu
patent: 5648890 (1997-07-01), Loo et al.
patent: 5699229 (1997-12-01), Brownell
patent: 5734553 (1998-03-01), Hong
patent: 5818695 (1998-10-01), Olson
patent: 5847928 (1998-12-01), Hinshaw et al.
patent: 5883782 (1999-03-01), Thurston et al.
patent: 5990552 (1999-11-01), Xie
Churchill Jack
Cook Randolph H.
Jones Joseph
Pelillo Mark
Price Daniel
Aavid Thermal Products, Inc.
Cohen & Pontani, Lieberman & Pavane
Tolin Gerald
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