Heat Sink With Protective Outer Buckling Plate

Abstract

An exemplary heat sink includes a fin group, and a buckling plate. The fin group includes a plurality of first fins, and a second fin coupled to the first fin located at the outmost side. The second fin includes a first body and a first flange bending from a side of the first body. The first flange defines a first buckling hole therein and forms a tab in the vicinity of the first buckling hole. The buckling plate includes a second body and a second flange bending from a side of the second body. The second flange of the buckling plate faces and abuts against the first flange of the second fin. The tab of the second fin extends through the buckling plate to buckle the second fin with the buckling plate together.

Description

BACKGROUND

[0001] 1. Technical Field

[0002] The disclosure relates to heat sinks, and particularly to a heat sink which can protect a human operator from injury.

[0003] 2. Description of Related Art

[0004] Nowadays, numerous kinds of heat sinks are used to dissipate heat generated by electronic devices. Conventionally, a heat sink includes a plurality of fins. Each fin includes a body and a flange bending from a side of the body. The flange defines a buckling hole therein, and forms a buckling sheet in the vicinity of the buckling hole. The flange of each fin extends along a same direction and abuts against the body of an adjacent fin. The buckling sheet of each fin extends through the buckling hole of an adjacent fin to connect these two fins together. However, when all the fins are stacked together, the flange and the buckling sheet of the fin located at the outmost side of the stack are directly exposed, and are liable to hurt a human operator such as a factory worker.

[0005] What is needed, therefore, is a heat sink which can overcome the limitations described.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] Many aspects of the present embodiments can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present embodiments. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

[0007] FIG. 1 is an isometric, assembled view of a heat sink in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure.

[0008] FIG. 2 is similar to FIG. 1, but shows a buckling plate of the heat sink exploded away from a fin group of the heat sink.

[0009] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a first fin of the fin group of FIG. 2.

[0010] FIG. 4 is an exploded, enlarged view of a second fin of the fin group and the buckling plate of the heat sink of FIG. 2.

[0011] FIG. 5 is an exploded, enlarged view of two adjacent first fins of the fin group of FIG. 2.

[0012] FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a circled portion VI of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] Referring to FIGS. 1-2, a heat sink 1000 in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure is shown. The heat sink 1000 is used for dissipating heat generated by an electronic device, and includes a fin group 100 and a buckling plate 11. The fin group 100 includes a plurality of first fins 10 connected together, and a second fin 102 coupled to one of the first fins 10 which is located at the outmost side of the group of first fins 10. Each of the first fins 10, the second fin 102 and the buckling plate 11 is made of metal such as aluminum, copper or an alloy thereof.

[0014] Also referring to FIGS. 3-4, each of the first fins 10 and the second fin 102 includes a rectangular body 12, and two flanges 14 extending perpendicularly from top and bottom edges of the body 12 respectively, along the same direction. Each flange 14 defines a buckling hole 16 therein. Each buckling hole 16 includes a main portion 164 and an extending portion 162. A protrusion 122 protrudes outwardly from the edge of each body 12 near each buckling hole 16. In particular, at each buckling hole 16 at the top edge of the body 12, the protrusion 122 protrudes vertically up; and at each buckling hole 16 at the bottom edge of the body 12, the protrusion 122 protrudes vertically down.

[0015] Also referring to FIG. 6, a buckling sheet 18 extends outwardly and horizontally from each flange 14 of each first fin 10. Each buckling sheet 18 includes a main body 184 near the extending portion 162 of the buckling hole 16, and an extending portion 182 extending outwardly from the main body 184. A width of the main body 184 is larger than that of the extending portion 182. The extending portion 162 of each buckling hole 16 has an extending distance H equal to an extending distance D of the extending portion 182 of each buckling sheet 18 plus the thickness of the protrusion 122.

[0016] Also referring to FIG. 5, two adjacent first fins 10 are designated as first fins 10a, 10b, for convenience of description. The main bodies 184 of the buckling sheets 18 of the first fin 10a are correspondingly received in the main portions 164 of the buckling holes 16 of the first fin 10b. The extending portions 182 of the buckling sheets 18 of the first fin 10a are correspondingly received in the extending portions 162 of the buckling holes 16 of the first fin 10b. The protrusions 122 of the first fin 10b are correspondingly buckled in the extending portions 162 of the buckling holes 16 of the first fin 10a. Thus, the first fins 10a, 10b are connected together.

[0017] Also referring to FIG. 4, a tab 18a extends perpendicularly from each flange 14 of the second fin 102 towards the other flange 14. The buckling plate 11 includes a rectangular body 13, and two flanges 15 extending perpendicularly from top and bottom edges of the body 13, respectively. The body 13 defines four buckling holes 17 near the top and bottom edges thereof, corresponding to the buckling sheets 18a of the second fin 102.

[0018] The buckling plate 11 and the second fin 102 are arranged in such a manner that the flanges 15 of the buckling plate 11 face the flanges 14 of the second fin 102. After assembly, the flanges 15 of the buckling plate 11 abut against inner sides of the flanges 14 of the second fin 102. The tabs 18a of the second fin 102 are bent to be engaged in the buckling holes 17 of the buckling plate 11, thereby buckling the second fin 102 and the buckling plate 11 together.

[0019] According to the above, because the buckling plate 11 is buckled in an inner side of the second fin 102 where the flanges 14 are located, so that the tabs 18a and the flanges 14 of the second fin 102 are not directly exposed, a human operator is prevented from being hurt by the heat sink 1000 during handling of the heat sink 1000.

[0020] It is believed that the embodiment(s) and its advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the examples hereinbefore described merely being preferred or exemplary embodiments of the disclosure.

Claims

1. A heat sink comprising: a fin group, the fin group comprising: a plurality of first fins connected together; and a second fin coupled to the first fin located at the outmost side of the plurality of first fins, the second fin comprising a first body and a first flange bending from a side of the first body, the first flange defining a first buckling hole therein and forming a tab in the vicinity of the first buckling hole; and a buckling plate, the buckling plate comprising: a second body; and a second flange bending from a side of the second body, the second flange facing and abutting against the first flange of the second fin, and the tab of the second fin extending through the buckling plate to buckle the second fin and the buckling plate together.

2. The heat sink of claim 1, wherein the second body of the buckling plate defines a second buckling hole near the second flange, the second buckling hole corresponding with the tab of the second fin, the tab of the second fin being bent and extending through the second buckling hole of the buckling plate to buckle the second fin with the buckling plate together.

3. The heat sink of claim 1, wherein each of the first fins comprises a body and a flange bending from a side of the body, the flange of each first fin extending along a same direction and abutting against the body of an adjacent first fin, the flange of each first fin defining a buckling hole therein and forming a buckling sheet in the vicinity of the buckling hole, the buckling sheet of the first fin at the outmost side being received in the first buckling hole of the second fin.

4. The heat sink of claim 3, wherein a protrusion protrudes outwardly from an edge of the body of each first fin near the buckling hole, the buckling sheet of one first fin being received in the buckling hole of another first fin, the protrusion of the another first fin being buckled in the buckling hole of the one first fin.

5. The heat sink of claim 4, wherein the buckling sheet of each first fin comprises a main body and an extending portion, the buckling hole of each first fin comprising a main portion and an extending portion, the main body of the buckling sheet of the one first fin being received in the main portion of the buckling hole of the another first fin, the extending portion of the buckling sheet of the one first fin being received in the extending portion of the buckling hole of the another first fin, the protrusion of the another first fin being buckled in the extending portion of the buckling hole of the one first fin.

6. The heat sink of claim 5, wherein the extending portion of the buckling hole of the first fin has an extending distance equal to an extending distance of the extending portion of the buckling sheet plus the thickness of the protrusion.

7. The heat sink of claim 6, wherein a width of the main body of each buckling sheet is larger than that of the extending portion of each buckling sheet.

8. The heat sink of claim 5, wherein the main body of the buckling sheet of each first fin is located near the extending portion of the buckling hole of the first fin.

9. The heat sink of claim 1, wherein the buckling plate is placed in an inner side of the second fin where the first flange is located.

10. The heat sink of claim 1, wherein the second flange of the buckling plate abuts against an inner side of the first flange of the second fin.

11. The heat sink of claim 1, wherein the buckling plate is made of metal.

12. A heat sink comprising: a first fin, the first fin comprising a first body and a first flange bending from a side of the first body, a buckling sheet extending outwards from an outer edge of the first flange; a second fin coupled to the first fin, the second fin comprising a second body abutting the outer edge of the first flange of the first fin and a second flange bending from a side of the second body along a direction away from the first fin, the second flange of the second fin defining a buckling hole therein receiving the bucking sheet of the first fin, and a tab extending outwards from an outer edge of the second flange of the second fin; and a buckling plate, the buckling plate comprising a third body abutting the outer edge of the second flange of the second fin, and a third flange bending from a side of the third body to abut the second body of the second fin, the third body of the buckling plate defining a hole with the tab of the second fin engaged in the hole.

13. The heat sink of claim 12, wherein the hole of the third body of the buckling plate is defined near the third flange, the tab of the second fin being bent to be engaged in the hole of the buckling plate to buckle the second fin with the buckling plate together.

14. The heat sink of claim 12, wherein the first flange of the first fin defines a buckling hole therein, a protrusion protruding outwardly from an edge of the second body near the buckling hole of the second fin, the protrusion of the second fin being buckled in the buckling hole of the first fin.

15. A heat sink comprising: a fin and a buckling plate, the fin comprising a first body and a first flange extending from an edge of the first body towards the buckling plate, the buckling plate comprising a second body and a second flange extending from an outer edge of the second body towards the fin, the first body and the second body being spaced from each other, the first flange of the fin and the second flange of the buckling plate being located between the first body and the second body, a tab extending from the flange of one of the fin and the buckling plate, and the other one of the fin and the buckling plate defining a hole in which the tab is engaged.

16. The heat sink of claim 15, wherein the first flange of the fin abuts the second body of the buckling plate, and the second flange of the buckling plate abuts the first body of the fin.

17. The heat sink of claim 16, wherein the flanges of the fin and the buckling plate overlap each other.

18. The heat sink of claim 17, wherein the tab extends from an outer edge of the first flange of the fin, and the hole is defined in the second body of the buckling plate, and the second flange of the buckling plate contacts an inner side of the first flange of the fin which faces the second body.

19. The heat sink of claim 15, wherein the first flange of the fin defines a hole therein, and the heat sink further comprising another fin engaged in the hole of the fin.