Patent Application
20060087014
A processor module assembly typically includes multiple layers of components, such as a processor and a heat sink, that are assembled and attached together. Prior methods for attaching a heat sink to a processor included top-attach methods that used spring-loaded screws or a cantilever spring across the top of the heat sink (see U.S. Pat. No. 6,634,890) that pull from the bottom of the heat sink assembly. Top-mounted spring-loaded screws or cantilevers require relatively large amounts of heat sink space to operate. The space could otherwise be used as an area for conducting heat. Depending on the design, top-loading systems may also use special installation procedures to ensure the load on the processor chip is not excessively uneven.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate various example systems, methods, and other example embodiments of various aspects of the invention. It will be appreciated that the illustrated element boundaries (e.g., boxes, groups of boxes, or other shapes) in the figures represent one example of the boundaries. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that one element may be designed as multiple elements or that multiple elements may be designed as one element. An element shown as an internal component of another element may be implemented as an external component and vice versa. Furthermore, elements may not be drawn to scale.
Example systems, methods, methods of manufacture, and other embodiments are described that are associated with a processor module and assembly of the processor module. In one example assembly for a processor module assembly, a bolster plate and a leaf spring are provided. The leaf spring can be pre-loaded onto the bolster plate where the leaf spring is attached to the bolster plate in a locked state. Upon attaching other components of the processor module assembly to the bolster plate, the leaf spring is configured to change to an unlocked state where it exerts a force in a direction generally away from the bolster plate and against the processor module assembly. For example, the leaf spring can be used to apply a force to hold down a processor chip and heat sink to a board. The example leaf spring can be pre-assembled into the bolster plate to provide spring-load that, in some designs, can reduce travel distances for screws used for final assembly of the processor module assembly. It will be appreciated that the term processor module is intended to also include semiconductor modules.
The following includes definitions of selected terms employed herein. The definitions include various examples and/or forms of components that fall within the scope of a term and that may be used for implementation. The examples are not intended to be limiting. Both singular and plural forms of terms may be within the definitions.
“Computer-readable medium”, as used herein, refers to a medium that participates in directly or indirectly providing signals, instructions and/or data. A computer-readable medium may take forms, including, but not limited to, non-volatile media, volatile media, and transmission media. Non-volatile media may include, for example, optical or magnetic disks and so on. Volatile media may include, for example, semiconductor memories, dynamic memory and the like. Transmission media may include coaxial cables, copper wire, fiber optic cables, and the like. Transmission media can also take the form of electromagnetic radiation, like that generated during radio-wave and infra-red data communications, or take the form of one or more groups of signals. Common forms of a computer-readable medium include, but are not limited to, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape, other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM, other optical medium, punch cards, paper tape, other physical medium with patterns of holes, a RAM, a ROM, an EPROM, a FLASH-EPROM, or other memory chip or card, a memory stick, a carrier wave/pulse, and other media from which a computer, a processor or other electronic device can read. Signals used to propagate instructions or other software over a network, like the Internet, can be considered a “computer-readable medium.”
In one embodiment, the bolster plate 100 and the leaf spring 105 are separate components that can be pre-assembled. The leaf spring 105 can be formed with a generally arced shape such as the example shown in
In one example configuration, the leaf spring 105 can be formed as a plate-like spring (e.g. see
Illustrated in
With further reference to
Illustrated in
Illustrated in
Referring to an example relationship between the openings 210 and 215 of the bolster plate 100 and the standoffs 115 and 120, a distance X3 is illustrated that represents a distance between the openings 210 and 215 (e.g. between inner side walls 400 and 405, respectively). To be able to attach or otherwise load the leaf spring 105 onto the bolster plate 100, the distance X3 can be greater than the distance X1 and less than or equal to the distance X2. To load, the leaf spring 105 can be pressed against the bolster plate 100, and the standoffs 115, 120 can be pressed into their corresponding holes, 210 and 215, respectively. The standoff 115 will engage the side wall 400 of the opening 210 and the standoff 120 will engage the side wall 405 of the opening 215. The engagement holds the leaf spring 105 from returning to its uncompressed state. It will be appreciated that as the distance X3 generally equals the distance X2, the leaf spring 105 can be substantially flat and parallel to the bolster plate 100 when loaded, if desired.
With further reference to
Illustrated in
It will be appreciated that the processor module assembly 500 can include multiple layers of components and may have a greater or lesser number of components than illustrated. In one example, the printed circuit board 520 is positioned on the bolster plate 505 where the bolster plate is configured to support the printed circuit board 520. A processor can be disposed on the printed circuit board and be operably connected thereto. In another example, if a land grid array (LGA) chip is provided between the processor 525 and the circuit board 520, an interposer 530 can be inserted. The interposer 530 can include a plurality of contacts that have a degree of springiness so that the interposer 530 can adjust for gaps between the processor 525 and the circuit board 530. A heat sink 535 can be attached to the processor 525 via a heat sink base 540. The heat sink 535 can, for example, include a fan and a plurality of fins that direct air flow to cool the processor 525.
As explained in previous examples, the leaf spring 510 can be disposed between the bolster plate and the printed circuit board 520. Prior to assembly with the circuit board 520, the leaf spring 510 is configured to be releasably attached to the bolster plate 505 in a compressed state or otherwise, pre-loaded to the bolster plate 505. In the compressed state, the leaf spring 510 can be substantially parallel with the bolster plate 505. In one example, this can be performed by inserting standoffs 545 and 550 of the leaf spring 510 into corresponding openings 555, 560, respectively, in the bolster plate 505.
Upon an application of a force that secures the multiple layers of the assembly 500 to each other, the leaf spring 510 is configured to be released from the bolster plate 505 causing the leaf spring 510 to apply a force 515 to the printed circuit board 520 to assist in holding the multiple layers together. It will be appreciated that being “released” is intended to include the example where the leaf spring 510 changes from a first state (e.g. loaded state and applying little or no force in direction 515) to a second state (e.g. unloaded state and applying a greater force than the first state in the direction 515). In one example, the standoffs 545 and 550 include internally threaded openings that are aligned with threaded openings from other components of the assembly 500. For example, a screw 565 or other securing device can be threaded through various components of the assembly 500 such as the heat sink base 540, the printed circuit board 520, and through the standoff 545. Similarly, a screw 570 or other securing device can be threaded through openings and the standoff 550 of the leaf spring 510. The force from the screws 565 and 570 can be used to draw the components together as well as release the leaf spring 510 from the bolster plate 505, as previously described, to provide a force against the circuit board 520.
In another example, the bolster plate 505 can include a recess configured to accept the leaf spring 510. Once the leaf spring 510 is positioned in the recess and loaded into the openings 555 and 560, the leaf spring 510 can be substantially flush with the bolster plate 505. In another example, a load plate can be attached to the leaf spring 510 between the printed circuit board 520. The load plate can be configured to more evenly distribute the force 515 from the leaf spring 510 against the printed circuit board 520. One example of a load plate is described with reference to
Example methods may be better appreciated with reference to flow diagrams. While for purposes of simplicity of explanation, the illustrated methodologies are shown and described as a series of blocks, it is to be appreciated that the methodologies are not limited by the order of the blocks, as some blocks can occur in different orders and/or concurrently with other blocks from that shown and described. Moreover, less than all the illustrated blocks may be required to implement an example methodology. Blocks may be combined or separated into multiple components. Furthermore, additional and/or alternative methodologies can employ additional, not illustrated blocks. While the figures illustrate various actions occurring in serial, it is to be appreciated that various actions could occur concurrently, substantially in parallel, and/or at substantially different points in time.
With reference to
In the compressed state, the leaf spring can be generally flat while when in an uncompressed state, the leaf spring has an arced shape. As such, the loading (Block 610) can include attaching the leaf spring to the bolster plate causing the leaf spring to be generally flat.
In one example configuration, the bolster plate can include a plurality of openings. As described in previous examples, the leaf spring can include a plurality of standoffs that project out from the leaf spring and are positioned within corresponding openings of the bolster plate to load the leaf spring to the bolster plate. With this configuration, the attaching (Block 615) can include threading a screw into each of the plurality of standoffs that causes the leaf spring to unload/release from the bolster plate.
The methodology 600 can optionally include positioning a load plate between the leaf spring and the processor module assembly. In one example, the positioning can include attaching the load plate to the leaf spring.
Illustrated in
The methodology 700 can optionally include forming a recess on the bolster plate that is configured to receive the leaf spring. In another example, the methodology 700 can include attaching a load plate to the leaf spring.
In one example, methodologies can be implemented as processor executable instructions and/or operations provided by a computer-readable medium. Thus, in one example, a computer-readable medium may store processor executable instructions operable to perform the method 700 using computer aided design software, a computer controlled assembly process, and the like. It is to be appreciated that other example methods described herein can also be stored on a computer-readable medium.
Illustrated in
With further reference to
In one example, the leaf spring 805 can have an arced plate-like shape while in an uncompressed state, similar to the leaf spring 105 shown in
While example systems, methods, and so on have been illustrated by describing examples, and while the examples have been described in considerable detail, it is not the intention of the applicants to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the systems, methods, and so on described herein. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention is not limited to the specific details, the representative apparatus, and illustrative examples shown and described. Thus, this application is intended to embrace alterations, modifications, and variations that fall within the scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, the preceding description is not meant to limit the scope of the invention. Rather, the scope of the invention is to be determined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
To the extent that the term “includes” or “including” is employed in the detailed description or the claims, it is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as that term is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim. Furthermore, to the extent that the term “or” is employed in the detailed description or claims (e.g., A or B) it is intended to mean “A or B or both”. When the applicants intend to indicate “only A or B but not both” then the term “only A or B but not both” will be employed. Thus, use of the term “or” herein is the inclusive, and not the exclusive use. See, Bryan A. Garner, A Dictionary of Modern Legal Usage 624 (2d. Ed. 1995).
