U.S. patent application number 16/204846 was filed with the patent office on 2020-06-04 for heat sink assemblies having removable portions.
The applicant listed for this patent is HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT LP. Invention is credited to Joseph Allen, Sunil Rao Ganta Papa Rao Bala, Kelly K. Smith.
Application Number | 20200174534 16/204846 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 70848571 |
Filed Date | 2020-06-04 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20200174534 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ganta Papa Rao Bala; Sunil Rao ;
et al. |
June 4, 2020 |
HEAT SINK ASSEMBLIES HAVING REMOVABLE PORTIONS
Abstract
An apparatus includes a chassis; a circuit board assembly; and a
heat sink assembly. The circuit board assembly includes a component
to be removably installed in the connector. The heat sink assembly
forms a cover for the chassis. The heat sink assembly includes a
first heat sink and a second heat sink. The first heat sink is
attached to the chassis, and the first heat sink includes an
opening in the cover that corresponds to a location of the
component. The second heat sink is to be attached to the first heat
sink to close the opening and to be removable from the first heat
sink to allow access to the opening to service the component.
Inventors: |
Ganta Papa Rao Bala; Sunil Rao;
(Houston, TX) ; Smith; Kelly K.; (Houston, TX)
; Allen; Joseph; (Houston, TX) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT LP |
Houston |
TX |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
70848571 |
Appl. No.: |
16/204846 |
Filed: |
November 29, 2018 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H05K 7/20418 20130101;
H05K 7/20409 20130101; G06F 1/20 20130101; H05K 7/20436 20130101;
H05K 7/20454 20130101; G06F 1/181 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G06F 1/20 20060101
G06F001/20; G06F 1/18 20060101 G06F001/18 |
Claims
1. An apparatus comprising: a chassis; a circuit board assembly
comprising a connector configured to receive a first component
removably installed in the connector; and a heat sink assembly
attached to the chassis such that the heat sink assembly and
chassis form an enclosure that houses the circuit board with the
heat sink assembly forming a cover of the enclosure, wherein the
heat sink assembly comprises: a first heat sink attached to the
chassis, wherein the first heat sink comprises an opening that,
when unclosed, allows access to the first component and a pedestal
that thermally couples a second component of the circuit board
assembly to the first heat sink; and a second heat sink to be
secured relative to the first heat sink and to engage the first
heat sink such that the second heat sink closes the opening,
wherein the second heat sink can be disengaged from the first heat
sink such that the opening is unclosed, wherein comprises a second
pedestal that is located such that, when the second heat sink is
engaging the first heat sink at the opening, the second pedestal is
above the installed location of the first component.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heat sink assembly further
comprises a hinge to enable the second heat sink to pivot relative
to the first heat sink.
3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein pivoting the second heat in a
first direction causes the second heat sink to engage the first
heat sink and close the opening and pivoting the second heat sink
in a second direction causes the second heat sink to disengage the
first heat sink such that the opening is unclosed.
4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein: the second heat sink
comprises a sidewall portion and a top portion; the opening is
defined by a sidewall portion of the first heat sink and a top
portion of the first heat sink; and the heat sink to pivot about
the hinge in a first direction to close the opening and to pivot
about the hinge in a second direction to allow side and top access
to the component.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the first heat sink comprises
a flange to circumscribe the opening; and the second heat sink
engaging the first heat sink includes the second heat sink mounting
to the flange such that the first heat sink and the second heat
sink are thermally coupled together via the flange.
6. (canceled)
7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a gap pad disposed
between the pedestal and the second component.
8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pedestal is integral with
a base plate of the first heat sink.
9. (canceled)
10. (canceled)
11. A heat sink to form a cover of an enclosure, the heat sink
comprising: a first part comprising a base to attach to a chassis,
the base comprising an opening, a plurality of fins integral with
the base and extending away from a first side of the base in a
first direction; a plurality of pedestals integral with the base
and extending away from the base in a second direction; a second
part comprising a second base that is to engage with the first base
to close the opening, wherein the second base can be removed from
the opening such that the opening is exposed, and the second base
includes a pedestal integral with the second base; and a second
plurality of fins integral with the second base.
12. The heat sink of claim 11, wherein: the first base comprises a
flange extending around an outer periphery of the opening; and the
second base is to engage with the first base to close the opening
by mounting to the flange, the flange thermally coupling the first
part to the second part.
13. The heat sink of claim 11, further comprising a hinge
connection to pivotably couple the second base to the first
base.
14. (canceled)
15. The heat sink of claim 11, wherein the second base comprises an
L-shaped portion.
16. (canceled)
17. (canceled)
18. A method comprising: attaching a first part of a heat sink to a
chassis and thermally coupling the first part of the heat sink to
one or more components mounted on the circuit board assembly,
wherein the circuit board assembly is mounted to the chassis, the
heat sink and chassis form an enclosure that houses the circuit
board with the heat sink forming a cover of the enclosure, and the
first part of the heat sink has an opening that, when unclosed,
allows access to the circuit board assembly, wherein the first part
of the heat sink is integral with a plurality of pedestals that
extend away from the first part; and removably securing a second
part of the heat sink relative to the first part of the heat sink
and engaging the second part of the heat sink with the first part
of the heat sink such that the second part of the heat sink closes
the opening, wherein the second part is capable of being disengaged
from the first heat sink such that the opening is unclosed, wherein
the second part of the heat sink is integral with a plurality of
pedestals.
19. The method of claim 18, removably securing the second part of
the heat sink relative to the first part of the heat sink includes
rotating the second part about a hinge.
20. (canceled)
21. A method comprising: providing the apparatus of claim 1; with
the second heat sink disengaged from the first heat sink such that
the opening is unclosed, causing the second heat sink to engage the
first heat sink such that the second heat sink closes the
opening.
22. The method of claim 21, wherein the causing the second heat
sink to engage the first heat sink includes rotating the second
heat sink about a hinge.
23. A method comprising: providing the apparatus of claim 1; with
the second heat sink engaged with the first heat sink such that the
second heat sink closes the opening, causing the second heat sink
to disengage from the first heat sink such that the opening is
unclosed.
24. The method of claim 23, wherein the causing the second heat
sink to disengage from the first heat sink includes rotating the
second heat sink about a hinge.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] A semiconductor component package (a "chip," such as a
central processing unit (CPU) package, for example) may, through
its operations, generate a significant amount of thermal energy, or
heat. Accordingly, without the use of a heat sink, a heat
exchanger, to aid in removing thermal energy from the semiconductor
component package, the temperature of the package may rise outside
of an optimal operating range.
[0002] A heat sink has features to facilitate the transfer of
thermal energy from a semiconductor component package to the
surrounding environment to regulate the temperature of the package.
The heat sink may be constructed from a material that has a
relatively large thermal conductivity, such as copper or aluminum,
for purposes of enhancing the conduction of thermal energy from the
semiconductor component package, and the heat sink may have
geometrical features to enhance the transfer of thermal energy
through convection to the surrounding environment. For example, the
heat sink may have parallel fins that extend outwardly from a base
plate of the heat sink and create a relatively large surface area
to enhance the convection transfer. To thermally couple heat sink
to the semiconductor component package, the heat sink may have a
column, or pedestal, which extends inwardly from the base plate of
the heat sink toward an outer surface of the semiconductor
component package.
[0003] A deformable and thermally conductive material, called a
"gap pad," may be disposed between the end surface of the pedestal
and the outer surface of the semiconductor component package. The
gap pad bridges a space, or gap, that exists between the end
surface of the pedestal and the outer surface of the semiconductor
component package. This gap may be present for purposes of
accommodating stack-up tolerances that are associated with the
mounting of the package and/or heat sink.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a processor-based
assembly according to an example implementation.
[0005] FIG. 2 is a top view of a heat sink assembly of FIG. 1
according to an example implementation.
[0006] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the processor-based assembly
of FIG. 1 illustrating removal of a portion of the heat sink
assembly to allow access to circuit board components according to
an example implementation.
[0007] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the heat sink
assembly illustrating pedestals and gap pads according to an
example implementation.
[0008] FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a processor-based
assembly depicting a portion of the heat sink assembly being
pivoted open to allow access to circuit board components according
to a further example implementation.
[0009] FIG. 6A is a perspective view of a processor-based assembly
having a heat sink assembly with multiple removable portions to
provide multiple service windows for accessing circuit board
components according to a further example implementation.
[0010] FIG. 6B is a bottom up perspective view of a removable
portion of the heat sink assembly of FIG. 6A corresponding to a
non-heat dissipating component according to an example
implementation.
[0011] FIG. 7 is a flow diagram depicting a technique to configure
a heat sink to facilitate access to a component mounted on a
circuit board according to an example implementation.
[0012] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of an apparatus that includes
a heat sink assembly that forms a cover for a chassis and includes
a removable heat sink according to an example implementation.
[0013] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a heat sink that includes a
base having a removable portion according to an example
implementation.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0014] Some electronic products, such as gateway products, have
integral heat sinks. In this context, an "integral" heat sink for
an electronics product refers to the heat sink being used to form
part of the housing, or enclosure, for the product. For example,
the enclosure for a gateway product may be formed from a frame, or
chassis, and a heat sink. The chassis may, for example, provide the
bottom and sides of the enclosure, and the heat sink may be mounted
to the chassis and serve as a top cover of the enclosure.
[0015] Heat dissipating circuit components of an electronics
product, such as a gateway product, may rely on a heat sink to
transfer thermal energy to the surrounding environment (e.g., to
transfer thermal energy to the surrounding air through convection).
As examples, the heat dissipating circuit components may be
semiconductor packages (CPU packages, for example) and may be
installed on a main circuit board (a backplane or motherboard, for
example), on circuit modules (dual inline memory modules (DIMMs) or
computer-on-module (COM) Express modules, as examples), on
mezzanine cards (an M.2 card, for example), and so forth.
[0016] In general, the heat sink may have a base plate, parallel
fins and pedestals. The fins may be integral with the base plate
(where here, "integral" refers to the fins being part of the same,
single piece that contains the base plate), and as such, the fins
may be formed from the same thermally conductive material (e.g.,
copper, aluminum, a thermally conductive metal alloy, and so forth)
as the base plate. The fins, via convection, transfer thermal
energy that is received from the heat dissipating circuit
components to the surrounding environment. The fins extend
outwardly from the base plate of the heat sink and also extend
longitudinally along the base plate for purposes of creating a
relatively large surface area and creating spaces for sufficient
air flow between fins to transfer thermal energy to the surrounding
environment.
[0017] The pedestals are thermal bridges that conduct thermal
energy from the heat dissipating components to the heat sink. In
general, in accordance with example implementations, the pedestals
are columns that are integral with the base plate and are formed
form the same thermally conductive material as the base plate. The
pedestals extend inwardly from the baseplate so that their end
surfaces (e.g., flat surfaces) are located near corresponding heat
dissipating components of the circuit board assembly. To
accommodate stack up tolerances (i.e., spacing gaps between the
heat sink and the circuit components due to tolerances involved
with mounting the heat sink and/or circuit board assembly), the
gateway product may include deformable gap pads, which extend
between end surfaces of the pedestals and the corresponding heat
dissipating components.
[0018] If the heat sink serves as a cover of the enclosure for the
electronics product, then future upgrade options for the product
may be relatively limited. At the time of purchase of the
electronics product, the customer may select options to configure
the build of the product based on a relatively rigid set of product
specifications (communication modules, CPUs, memory components, and
so forth). The customer's ability to add or change product
functionality in the future may be restricted due to complexities
that are involved in accessing the circuit components in the
assembled electronics product. In this manner, if an integral heat
sink is removed to service or upgrade a particular circuit
component, the removal of the heat sink may destroy or misalign one
or multiple gap pads. Replacing and realigning gap pads contribute
to costs and time involved in servicing the electronics
product.
[0019] In accordance with example implementations that are
described herein, an integral heat sink assembly for an electronics
product includes one or more removable portions, which correspond
to locations of serviceable and/or upgradable circuit components of
the product. Due to the ability provided by the multiple part heat
sink assembly to remove a specific portion of the heat sink
assembly, one or multiple service zones, or windows, are created
for servicing specific components of the electronics product.
[0020] In accordance with example implementations that are
described herein, the electronics product may be a processor-based
assembly, i.e., a product that includes one or multiple hardware
processors, such as one or multiple central processing unit (CPU)
packages, one or multiple CPU cores, and so forth. As a more
specific example, as further described herein the processor-based
assembly may be a gateway product. In accordance with further
example implementations, the electronics device may not include any
processors or processor-based components.
[0021] The one or multiple removable portions of the heat sink
assembly correspond to one or multiple component locations, which
allows targeted replacement of one or multiple components that are
disposed at a particular location. For example, if a CPU package
(i.e., a "chip") of an electronics product is being serviced or
upgraded, a removable portion of the heat sink assembly that
corresponds to the location of the CPU package may be removed to
allow access to the CPU package. This access may, for example,
create sufficient space to allow a technician to remove the CPU
package from its circuit board-based socket, or connector; and this
access may, for example, create sufficient space to allow the
technician to install another CPU package in the connector. Because
the remaining portion of the heat sink assembly (other than the
removed portion) is not disturbed, gap pads that correspond to
other components of the circuit board assembly are not misaligned
or damaged, as the heat sink pedestals that correspond to these gap
pads remain in place.
[0022] As a more specific example, FIG. 1 depicts a perspective
view of an electronics product, a processor-based assembly 100, in
accordance with example implementations. The processor-based
assembly 100 may take on numerous forms, depending on the
particular application.
[0023] As an example, the processor-based assembly 100, in
accordance with example implementations, may be a gateway product
that may perform edge-related computing functions. For example, the
gateway product may perform processing functions related to
processing sensor data near the "edge" of a network where the data
is acquired, as compared to, for example, performing this
processing on a remotely disposed cloud-based server. As such, the
gateway product may be used for, as examples, processing sensor
data related to an assembly line, a molding machine tool, a camera
system, and so forth, depending on the particular
implementation.
[0024] The processor-based assembly 100, in general, is any
electronics product that includes one or multiple processor devices
(CPU(s), for example) and may be a product other than a gateway
product, in accordance with further implementations.
[0025] In accordance with example implementations, the
processor-based assembly 100 includes a heat sink (called a "heat
sink assembly 110" herein), a circuit board assembly 168, and a
chassis 160 (i.e., a frame for the assembly 100). In accordance
with example implementations, the circuit board assembly 168 may be
mounted to the chassis 160; and the heat sink assembly 110 may
serve dual functions: the heat sink assembly 110 may enhance the
removal of thermal energy from thermal energy dissipating
components of the circuit board assembly 168 to the surrounding
environment; and the heat sink assembly 110 may form a cover for an
enclosure, or housing, for the processor-based assembly 100.
[0026] In accordance with example implementations, the heat sink
assembly 110 forms a top cover for a box-like housing, or
enclosure, of the processor-based assembly 100; and the bottom
floor and sidewalls of the enclosure are formed from a bottom floor
and sidewalls of a frame, or chassis 160. In this regard, as
depicted in FIG. 1, in accordance with example implementations, the
chassis 160 may be an open structure, which has a bottom floor 161
to which the circuit board assembly 168 is mounted and four
sidewalls 164 that extend orthogonally from the bottom floor 161 at
the floor's outer periphery. The upper edges 165 of the sidewalls
164 define an opening 167 of the chassis 160 (and opening of the
enclosure); and the heat sink assembly 110, in accordance with
example implementations, may be removably mounted to the sidewalls
164 to close the opening 167 to complete the enclosure.
[0027] As depicted in FIG. 1, in accordance with example
implementations, the heat sink assembly 110 includes a top portion
111 that is constructed to extend across the opening 167 of the
chassis 160 when the heat sink assembly 110 is mounted to the
chassis 160. In accordance with example implementations, the heat
sink assembly 110 may include a pair of opposing sidewalls 113 that
extend orthogonally from the top portion 111; and when the heat
sink assembly 110 is mounted to the chassis 160, the sidewalls 113
extend over parallel sidewalls 164 (sidewalls 164-1 and 164-2, as
examples) of the chassis 160.
[0028] As depicted in FIG. 1, the top portion 111 of the heat sink
assembly 110, in accordance with example implementations, includes
a base plate 112 that forms a base for the heat sink assembly 110
and extends across the opening 167 of the chassis 160 when the
assembly 110 is mounted to the chassis 160. In general, the base
plate 112 includes an upper or externally facing surface 109 that
is oriented in a direction that extends away from the circuit board
assembly 168 and a lower or inwardly facing surface 107 (depicted
in more detail in FIG. 4) that is oriented in a direction that
extends toward the components of the circuit board assembly 168.
The base plate 112 may be formed from any of a number of thermally
conductive materials, such as aluminum, copper, or a thermally
conductive metal alloy.
[0029] The heat sink assembly 110 may also include, as depicted in
FIG. 1, parallel fins 114 that may be integral with the base plate
112. In accordance with example implementations, the fins 114 are
integral with the base plate 112, constructed from the same
thermally conductive material of the base plate 112, and extends
outwardly from the upper surface 109 of the base plate 112. In
general, the fins 114 extend longitudinally along the base plate
112 for purposes of creating an enhanced surface area for
transferring thermal energy to the surrounding environment (e.g.,
the surrounding air) via thermal convection.
[0030] In accordance with example implementations, the circuit
board assembly 168 includes various thermal energy dissipating
components that, due to their operations, produce thermal energy.
Energy dissipated by these components, in accordance with example
implementations, is transferred to the heat sink assembly 110
through conduction, and the heat sink assembly 110 transfers this
thermal energy to the surrounding environment via convection.
[0031] In accordance with some implementations, the heat sink
assembly 110 is a passive heat sink, in that the fins 114 are
disposed on the outside of the enclosure for the processor-based
assembly 100, and the processor-based assembly 100 does not include
any forced air-typed devices, such as a fan, to assist in the
removal of thermal energy from the heat sink assembly 110.
[0032] In accordance with some implementations, the circuit board
assembly 168 includes a main circuit board 169 (a motherboard or
backplane, as examples) that is mounted to the floor of the chassis
160 (via standoffs and fasteners, such as machine screws, for
example). Heat dissipating components and non-heat dissipating
components may be installed directly or indirectly on the main
circuit board 169. In accordance with example implementations, some
of these components may be mounted to the main circuit board 169
via a more permanent type of mounting, such as soldered connection
in which the external terminals or pads of the components are
soldered to traces of the circuit board 169. Other of these
components may be directly or indirectly mounted to the main
circuit board 169 via a removable mounting, such as a mounting in
which the external terminals or pads of the components are inserted
into a slot connector or socket, which has, for example,
spring-like electrical contacts.
[0033] In this context, "direct" mounting to the main circuit board
169 means that the component is mounted to the circuit board 169
without an intervening circuit board being between the component
and the circuit board 169. "Indirect" mounting refers to the
component being mounted to a first circuit board other than the
main circuit board and this first circuit board being directly or
indirectly mounted to the main circuit board 169. Thus, as an
example, a heat dissipating component may be a semiconductor
component package that is installed in a connector or socket on the
main circuit board 169. As another example, a heat dissipating
component may be a semiconductor component package that is
installed in a connector or socket in another circuit board
assembly, and this other circuit board assembly may be installed in
the main circuit board 169. As examples, the other circuit board
assembly may be a mezzanine circuit card that is installed in a
slot connector of the main circuit board 169 or a module that
installed in connector or socket of the main circuit board 169.
[0034] As a more specific example, in accordance with some
implementations, a computer-on-module (COM) Express module 175 may
be installed in a connector or socket on the main circuit board
169; and the COM Express module 175 may include such heat
dissipating components one or multiple CPU packages 174 and one or
multiple memory modules 172.
[0035] As another example, in accordance with some implementations,
an M.2. module may be installed in a connector or slot on the main
circuit board. The M.2 module may, for example, be a communication
interface or function as a solid state drive (SSD). The M.2 module
may contain memory components that dissipate heat.
[0036] In accordance with example implementations, the
processor-based assembly 100 may include one or multiple non-heat
dissipating components, which, in general, do not rely on the heat
sink assembly 110 to remove thermal energy from the components. For
example, in accordance with some implementations, the
processor-based assembly 100 may include a Complementary
Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) battery 173, which may be mounted
in a battery holder on the main circuit board 169. The CMOS battery
173 may, in general, be used to supply a voltage to maintain data
that is stored in a volatile memory of the processor-based assembly
100, such as, for example, data representing a time of day or
configuration settings for the assembly 100.
[0037] As depicted in FIG. 1, the heat sink assembly 110 includes
heat sink parts, or portions, that may be separated from each other
for purposes of servicing and/or replacing components that are
directly or indirectly mounted to the main circuit board 169: a
main heat sink portion 127 that is constructed to remain secured to
the chassis 160 during component servicing and/or replacement; and
one or multiple removable heat sink portions 126 that may be
removed from the main heat sink portion 127 of the heat sink
assembly 110 during component servicing and/or replacement.
Although FIG. 1 depicts a single, removable heat sink portion 126,
a heat sink assembly, in accordance with further example
implementations, may include multiple heat sink removable portions,
as described further herein.
[0038] The removable heat sink portion 126, when removed from the
main heat sink portion 127 of the assembly 110, opens a space that
allows a targeted, location specific access to one or multiple
components of the processor-based assembly 100. For the specific
implementation that is depicted in FIG. 1, removal of the removable
heat sink portion 126 allows access to components of the COM
Express module 175, such as the CPU package 174 and the memory
modules 172.
[0039] Due to the select, targeted access provided by the removable
heat sink portion 126, gap pads (not depicted in FIG. 1) that
correspond to components of the circuit board assembly 168 other
than the components of the COM Express module 175 may be left
intact, when the removable heat sink portion 126 is removed. This
allows a user to incorporate features in the COM Express module 175
in the future (after the product is built and delivered to the
customer) without locking the user into a feature specific
configuration at the time of purchase of the processor-based
assembly 100. Moreover, the components of the COM Express module
175 may be upgraded and/or serviced without unplugging the COM
Express module 175 from the main circuit board 169 or removing the
module 175 from the assembly 100. Therefore, for example, a first
CPU package 174 may be installed in the processor-based assembly
100 at the time of delivery to the end customer. At a later time,
the customer may upgrade the first CPU package 174 with a second,
higher performance CPU package 174 by removing the removable heat
sink portion 126; removing the first CPU package 174 from its
socket on the circuit board assembly 168; installing the second CPU
package 174 in the socket; replacing and/or realigning a gap pad
(further described herein) corresponding to the second CPU package
174; and remounting the removable heat sink portion 126 to the main
heat sink portion 127.
[0040] In accordance with example implementations, the removable
126 and main 127 heat sink portions of the heat sink assembly 110
are individual heat sinks: each heat sink portion 126, 127 includes
a subset, or portion, of the base plate 112 and each portion 126,
127 includes subsets, or portions, of the fins 114 of the overall
heat sink assembly 110. Moreover, as depicted in FIG. 1, in
accordance with example implementations, the removable heat sink
portion 126 may contain a sidewall part 122 of the sidewall 164-2
of the heat sink assembly 110. Therefore, when the removable heat
sink portion 126 is removed, part of the top and part of the side
of the heat sink assembly 110 are removed, thereby creating both
top and side access regions for servicing or upgrading components
of the COM Express module 175 (for the example implementation of
FIG. 1) or other components.
[0041] As depicted in FIG. 1, in accordance with some
implementations, the removable heat sink portion 126 may be secured
to the main heat sink portion 127 of the heat sink assembly 110 via
removable fasteners 123, such as threaded machine screws that
extend through openings of the heat sink assembly 110 into
corresponding threaded holes of the chassis 160. More specifically,
referring to FIG. 2 (showing a top view of the heat sink assembly
110) in conjunction with FIG. 1, in accordance with example
implementations, one or multiple fasteners 123 may, for example,
attach the sidewall part 122 of the removable portion 126 to the
main portion 127 of the heat sink assembly 110; and one or multiple
fasteners 123 may attach the top portion of the removable portion
126 to the main portion 127 of the heat sink assembly 110.
[0042] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the
processor-based assembly 100, depicting the removal of the
removable heat sink portion 126 (in an upward direction 350) from
the main heat sink portion 127 of the heat sink assembly 110 in
accordance with example implementations. As depicted in the example
implementation of FIG. 3, two side fasteners 123 and one top
fastener 123 have been removed. With the removable heat sink
portion 126 being removed, a corresponding service zone, or window
310, is established in the main heat sink portion 127 (which
remains secured or fastened to the chassis 160) to allow
corresponding access to the components of the COM Express module
175.
[0043] Moreover, as depicted in FIG. 3, in accordance with some
implementations, the opening 310 in the main portion 127 is
partially circumscribed by a recessed peripheral area, or flange
314, of the main portion 127. In accordance with example
implementations, the flange 314 is constructed to form a seat to
receive a mating bottom surface of the removable portion 126 to
allow rigid mating of the heat sink portions 126 and 127 as well as
enhance the thermal coupling of the portions 126 and 127 together
when the removable heat sink portion 126 is placed within the
window 310 and secured via the fasteners 123.
[0044] As depicted in FIG. 3, in accordance with an example
implementation, opening 310 may be rectangular, the flange 314 may
have segments 360 and 364 that contact the main heat sink portion
127 when the removable heat sink portion 126 is mounted the portion
127. More specifically, as depicted in FIG. 3, three segments 360
of the flange 314 circumscribe three corresponding peripheral edges
of the opening 310 to contact the upper part of the removable heat
sink 126; and two segments 364 of the flange 310 extend along the
sidewall 164-2 of the chassis 160 to contact the sidewall part 122
of the removable heat sink portion 126.
[0045] The flange feature may have one or more of the following
advantages. The flange 314 allows the removable 126 and main 127
heat sink portions to be mechanically secured together. The flange
314 allows the removable 126 and main 127 heat sink portions to be
thermally coupled together so that when the fasteners 123 are
installed, the portions 126 and 127 contact at the flange 314 to
effectively form a single heat sink from the two portions 126 and
127.
[0046] Referring to FIG. 4 in conjunction with FIG. 1, in
accordance with some implementations, the heat sink assembly 110
includes one or multiple pedestals 402 (six example pedestals
402-1, 402-2, 402-3, 402-4, 402-5 and 402-6 being depicted in FIG.
4). In accordance with example implementations, the pedestals 402
may be integral with the base plate 112 and may be formed from the
same thermally conductive material as the base plate 112. In
accordance with example implementations, the pedestals 402 extend
orthogonally inwardly from the base plate 112 toward the components
of the circuit board assembly 168 for purposes of conducting
thermal energy from these components to the heat sink assembly 110.
For example, pedestal 402-5 and 402-6 may extend to contact power
dissipating components of the COM Express module 175; and pedestals
402-1, 402-2, 402-3 and 402-4 may, for example, extend to power
dissipating components of the circuit board assembly 168 that are
not located on the COM Express module 175.
[0047] As depicted in FIG. 4, in accordance with example
implementations, the processor-based 110 may have gap pads 407,
which have a one-to-one correspondence with the pedestals 402. In
this manner, in accordance with example implementations, each gap
pad 407 may extend between an end surface 403 (e.g., a flat end
surface) of a corresponding pedestal 402 to form a deformable
thermal bridge between the pedestal 402 and a corresponding
component of the circuit board assembly 168. In general, the gap
pads 407 accommodate stack-up tolerances to ensure sufficient
thermal contacts between the thermal dissipating components of the
circuit board assembly 168 and the corresponding pedestals 402.
[0048] For the specific example that is depicted in FIG. 4, the
removable heat sink portion 126 corresponds to the COM Express
module 175, and as such, the removal of the removable heat sink
portion 126 corresponds to gap pads 407 associated with the
components and corresponding to pedestals 402-5 and 402-6. Because
the removable heat sink portion 126 targets the portion of the heat
sink assembly 110 associated with the COM Express module 175, gap
pads 404 that are not associated with the COM Express module 175,
such as example gap pads 407 that correspond to the pedestals
402-1, 402-2, 402-3 and 402-4 are left undisturbed when the
removable heat sink portion 126 is removed.
[0049] Referring to FIG. 5, in accordance with further example
implementations, a heat sink (called a "heat assembly 510") of a
processor-based assembly 500 may be used in place of the heat sink
assembly 100. In general, the heat sink assembly 510 has a similar
design to the heat sink assembly 110 (see FIG. 1), with the same
reference numerals being used to depict similar components.
However, unlike the heat sink assembly 110, the heat sink assembly
510 has one or multiple removable L-shaped heat sink portions 526
that may be pivoted open to establish corresponding service windows
to service and/or replace corresponding components of the circuit
board assembly 168. In this manner, referring to FIG. 5 in
conjunction with FIG. 1, instead of being attached to the main heat
sink portion 127 via fasteners 123, the removable heat portion 526
(which replaces the removable heat sink portion 126 of the assembly
110 for the example implementation depicted in FIG. 5) is attached
to the chassis 160 via a hinge connection 530. The hinge connection
530 constrains the removable heat sink portion 526 to pivot about
an axis of the hinge connection 520. Thus, the removable heat sink
portion 526 may be rotated, or pivoted, as depicted at reference
numeral 501, to open access to component(s) of the circuit board
assembly 168 and pivoted in the opposite direction to close
access.
[0050] In accordance with example implementations, a chassis 560 of
the processor-based assembly 500 may have the same general features
of the chassis 160 (FIG. 1), except that for the chassis 506, a
corresponding portion of the sidewall 164-2 has been removed, as
the removed portion is closed when the removable portion 526 is
closed. The removed sidewall portion allows enhanced access when
the removable heat sink portion 526 is pivoted open. A top fastener
(not shown) may be used to secure the removable heat sink portion
526 in its closed position to the main heat sink portion 127; and
the removable heat sink portion 526 may be pivoted about the axis
of the hinge connection 530 to expose part of the underlying
circuit board assembly 168.
[0051] Thus, in accordance with example implementations, a heat
sink assembly includes one or multiple removable heat sink
portions; and a given removable heat sink portion may be removed by
entirely separating the portion from the main portion of the heat
sink assembly (as depicted in FIG. 3) or removed by pivoting the
removable portion to the side (as depicted in FIG. 5.)
[0052] The pivotable coupling of the removable heat sink portion
526 to the main portion 127, the ability to pivot the removable
heat sink portion 526 between open and closed positions, and the
removable heat sink portion 526 being formed from top and side
portions of the heat sink assembly 110 may provide one or multiple
of the following advantages. A targeted access port is created to
access a selected component without destroying or misaligning gap
pads that are not associated with the component. An expanded access
region is created for servicing and/or replacing a given circuit
board assembly component. The time involved in accessing a
component is decreased due to the use of a fewer number of
fasteners (as compared to the heat sink assembly 110 of FIG. 1, for
example) to secure the removable portion 526 to the main portion
127.
[0053] Referring to FIG. 6A, in accordance with further example
implementations, a heat sink assembly 610 (of a processor-based
assembly 600) may be used in place of the heat sink assembly 110
(FIG. 1) or heat sink assembly 510 (FIG. 5). The heat sink assembly
610, in general, has a similar design to the heat sink assemblies
110 (FIG. 1) and 510 (FIG. 5), with the same reference numerals
being used to denote similar components. However, unlike the heat
sink assemblies 110 and 510, the main heat sink portion 127 of the
heat assembly 610 has multiple openings that receive multiple
removable heat sink portions 618 (for example, removable portions
618-1, 618-2 and 618-3 being depicted in FIG. 6). As such, the heat
sink assembly 610 allows multiple, specific windows, or zones, for
servicing components of the circuit board assembly 168 in that the
particular component or components associated with a given
removable portion 610 may be accessed by removing the portion 610
without disturbing the gap pads for other components of the circuit
board assembly 168.
[0054] Although removable heat sink portions are described herein
for purposes of servicing components that may be thermally coupled
to the heat sink assembly 110, in accordance with further example
implementations, a particular heat sink portion may be removed for
purposes of servicing a component of the printed circuit board
assembly 168 that is not thermally coupled to the heat sink
assembly 110. For example, referring to FIG. 6A, a particular
removable heat sink portion 618-2 of the heat sink assembly 610 may
be removed to service or replace a non-heat dissipating component,
such as the CMOS battery 173 (see FIG. 1).
[0055] Referring to FIG. 6B in conjunction with FIG. 6A, the
removable heat sink portion 618-2 does not have any pedestals 402
(FIG. 4). In other words, the portion of the inwardly facing base
plate surface 107 that is formed by the removable heat sink portion
618-2 may be planar surface region (i.e., a region that lies
substantially in a plane), in accordance with example
implementation. Thus, unlike a region 420 (see FIG. 4) of the base
plate surface 107 that contains pedestals 402, for the removable
heat sink portion 618-2, the outer periphery 630 of the removable
portion 618-2 circumscribes part of the surface 107, which has no
pedestals 402 (i.e., circumscribes a portion of the base plate 112
that is planar), The removable heat sink portion 618-3 does not
have any pedestals, as the CMOS battery 173 does not rely on the
heat sink assembly 110 to remove heat from the CMOS battery 173.
Therefore, no gap pads (such as the gap pads 407 that are depicted
in FIG. 4) may be destroyed or misaligned when the CMOS battery 173
is replaced, in accordance with example implementations.
[0056] Due to the correspondence of the location of the CMOS
battery 173 to the removable portion 618-3, a particular service
zone, or window, is created for purposes of allowing the CMOS
battery 173 to be periodically replaced without disturbing gap
pads. Thus, components, such as the CMOS battery 174, which have
finite lifetimes, may be replaced over the life time of the
processing-based system without disturbing heat sink gap pads.
[0057] Other implementations are contemplated, which are within the
scope of the appended claims. For example, although heat sink
assemblies are described herein as being of processor-based
assemblies, in accordance with further example implementations, a
heat sink assembly similar to the heat sink assemblies that are
described herein, may be used with an electronics product that does
not any include processors. Moreover, although heat sink assemblies
are described herein that include removable heat sink portions that
are either hinged or non-hinged, in accordance with further example
implementations, a heat sink assembly may include one or multiple
hinged, removable heat sink portions (e.g., the removable heat sink
portion 526 of FIG. 5) and one or multiple non-hinged removable
heat sink portions (e.g., the removable heat sink portion 126 of
FIG. 1). As another example, in accordance with some
implementations, a heat sink assembly may have a pivoting,
removable portion that is disposed in its entirely on the top or
side of the chassis. As yet another example, in accordance with
some implementations, heat sink assembly may have a removable
portion that does not have any pedestals (e.g., removable heat sink
portion 618-2 of FIG. 6A), with the portion being connected by a
hinge to the chassis 160 and/or with the portion having an L-shape
and extending over a sidewall of the chassis 160.
[0058] Thus, referring to FIG. 7, in accordance with example
implementations, a technique 700 includes thermally coupling (block
704) a heat sink to components that are mounted on a circuit board
to remove thermal energy from the components. The circuit board
assembly is mounted to a chassis. The technique 708 includes
configuring (block 708) the heat sink to facilitate access to a
given component while the circuit board remains mounted to the
chassis. Configuring the heat sink includes mounting a first part
of the heat sink to the chassis; and removably attaching a second
part of the heat sink to the first part of the heat sink to allow
the second part of the heat sink to be removed to allow access to
the given component.
[0059] Referring to FIG. 8, in accordance with example
implementations, an apparatus 800 includes a chassis 810; a circuit
board assembly 816; and a heat sink assembly 830. The circuit board
assembly 816 includes a connector 820 and a component 824 that is
to be removably installed in the connector 820. The heat sink
assembly 830 is to form a cover for the chassis 810. The heat sink
assembly 830 includes a first heat sink 834 that is attached to the
chassis 810. The first heat sink 834 includes an opening 838 in the
cover corresponding to a location of the component 824. The second
heat sink assembly 830 includes a second heat sink 840 to be
attached to the first heat sink 834 to close the opening and to be
removable from the first heat sink 834 to allow access to the
opening to service the component 824.
[0060] Referring to FIG. 9, a heat sink 900 includes a base 910; a
plurality of fins 914 that are integral with the base 910; and a
plurality of pedestals 920 that are integral with the base 910. The
base 910 includes a removable portion 912. A first surface 905 of
the base 910 is oriented in a first direction to face energy
dissipating components, and a second surface 907 of the base 910 is
oriented in a second direction to face away from the energy
dissipating components. The fins 914 extend away from the base 910
in the second direction to transfer thermal energy from the heat
sink 900 to a surrounding environment. The pedestals 920 extend
away from the base 910 in the first direction to conduct thermal
energy from thermally energy dissipating components. The first
surface 905 includes a first region 928 that corresponds to the
pedestals 920 and a planar region 924 that corresponds to the
removable portion 912 of the base 910. The planar region 924 has an
outer periphery that corresponds to an outer periphery of the
removable portion 912.
[0061] While the present disclosure has been described with respect
to a limited number of implementations, those skilled in the art,
having the benefit of this disclosure, will appreciate numerous
modifications and variations therefrom. It is intended that the
appended claims cover all such modifications and variations.
* * * * *