Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
2001-10-23
2003-02-11
Chervinsky, Boris (Department: 2835)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C361S707000, C361S719000, C361S720000, C361S721000, C361S784000, C361S790000, C361S803000, C174S252000, C174S255000, C257S706000, C257S712000, C257S718000, C165S080200, C165S185000, C428S901000, C438S054000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06519157
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates generally to mounting system components and, more particularly, to mounting techniques to provide a desired structural condition of components through a range of operating temperatures.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Thermoelectric cooling devices (TEC) are well known in the art for removing heat generated from components, such as for removing heat from particular electronic components of a system. Specifically, solid state materials, such as bismath-telluride (Bi
2
Te
3
), may be provided a direct current to provide automatic temperature control, in accordance with the Peltier effect, to components in communication therewith.
For example, a TEC “stack-up” may be made in which a heat source component, such as may be a single component or a number of components disposed on a shared carrier, for which temperature control is desired is placed in contact with the cold side of a TEC and a heat absorbing or dissipating component, such as a heat sink or cold plate, is placed in contact with the hot side of the TEC. In order to ensure reliability of the TEC over a wide range of environmental conditions, it is desirable to maintain “gentle” compression to TEC elements. Specifically, the TEC elements are generally fragile under tension, and are stronger under compression, and therefore, a compression interface may be useful therewith to ensure good thermal interface in the stack-up. For example, a screw or similar fastener may be engaged in an orifice of the heat source component and the heat absorbing component to apply a compressive force to the TEC stack-up. Similarly, various types of clips may be engaged along an edge of the heat source component and the heat absorbing component to apply a compressive force to the TEC stack-up.
It should be appreciated, however, that the use of TECs is not without problems. For example, in order to provide uniform temperature control across a heat source component in contact with a single TEC and to ensure TEC reliability, a substantially uniform and constant compressive force should be maintained across the interface between the heat source component and the TEC and the heat absorbing component and the TEC. However, the use of fasteners and clips in the prior art has often resulted in nonuniform and/or varying compressive forces being applied, such as throughout a range of operating temperatures. For example, Bellcore sets forth performance criteria for systems utilized in the telecommunications industry requiring such systems to perform reliably throughout a wide range of operating temperatures, such as from −40° C. to +125° C., in which simple fastening systems of the prior art used with respect to heat source components comprising more than a single component or relatively small multiple component configuration will experience nonuniform and/or widely varying compressive forces.
Moreover, fasteners and clips utilized in the past are a source of heat leaking between the TEC cold surface and the TEC hot surface. Specifically, when conventional methods are utilized in providing clamping force to the TEC stack-up, a heat path is created from the hot side of the TEC to the cold side of the TEC resulting in a thermal loop. This thermal loop impinges on the TEC's efficiency, thus reducing its usefulness in providing automatic temperature control with respect to the heat source component and/or heat absorbing component.
It should be appreciated that TECs are generally not structural elements. Specifically, although providing good compression characteristics, TECs generally are relatively weak with respect to tension or shear forces. Although such structural attributes are often acceptable when heat source and/or heat absorbing components exhibit a relatively small footprint, heat source and/or heat absorbing components having a relatively large foot print can result in excessive tension and/or shear forces being applied to a corresponding TEC of a TEC stack-up. For example, a relatively small TEC may be coupled to a heat source component having a relatively large footprint, such as an incoherently beam combined (IBC) LASER system, to provide cooling with respect to a localized source of heat. Accordingly, the heat source component may extend appreciably beyond the corresponding surface of the TEC, thereby resulting in tension and/or shear forces being exerted upon the TEC if a proper mounting configuration is not adopted and/or if uniform one predicted comparison is not maintained.
Moreover, the aforementioned performance criteria set forth by Bellcore with respect to systems utilized in the telecommunications industry may require such systems to perform reliably when exposed to dynamic forces, such as those of a physical shock and/or vibration. However, the center of gravity of the above described relatively large footprint heat source component may not correspond with the center of the TEC, further resulting in tension and/or shear forces when exposed to dynamic forces.
Accordingly, a need exists in the art for systems and methods which provide mounting structures for use with TEC stack-up configurations which provide substantially uniform and constant compression between the strata thereof, such as throughout a relatively wide range of operating temperatures. A further need exists in the art for such systems and methods to minimize heat leak such that a thermal loop is substantially minimized.
A still further need in the art exists for systems and methods which provide mounting structures for use with TEC stack-up configurations which provides a stable structural element adapted to withstand expected dynamic forces, such as those associated with a predicted level of physical shock and/or vibration. A further need exists in the art for such systems and methods to accommodate a relatively large disparity in footprint sizes of the strata thereof.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to systems and methods which utilize mounting members adapted to provide consistent and/or predictable interfacing forces with respect to strata of a laminated structure, such as the heat source, TEC, and heat absorbing layers of a TEC stack-up, throughout a range of operating temperatures. Preferably, mounting members of the present invention are adapted to provide uniform compressive pressure across a surface area, particularly the Peltier elements of a TEC, to thereby provide a sound structure which is relatively resistant to dynamic forces and environmental variations. Preferred embodiment mounting members are adapted to minimize the transfer of thermal energy therethrough, such as to substantially minimize heat leak in a TEC stack-up configuration.
A preferred embodiment of the present invention utilizes a mounting member comprised of a material selected at least in part as a function of its coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE). According to a most preferred embodiment, a material from which a mounting member of the present invention is made is selected to have a CTE slightly higher than that of the effective CTE of a structure for which the mounting member is used to provide a compressive mount. For example, where a mounting member of the present invention is utilized in providing mounting of a TEC stack-up, the CTE of the mounting member is preferably selected to be slightly higher than the effective CTE of a corresponding portion of the TEC stack-up. That is, the CTE of a mounting member of the present invention is preferably selected to be slightly higher than that associated with the combination of materials utilized in the TEC stack-up between the points at which the mounting members are affixed to the TEC stack-up.
According to a preferred embodiment, mounting members of the present invention are fixed to a structure for which the mounting member is used to provide a compressive mount at a temperature outside of an expected range of temperatures associated with the expected operation of the structure. For example, mounting members of the present invention may be so
Chervinsky Boris
Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P.
Nlight Photonics Corporation
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