The present invention relates to a heat dissipation device, and more particularly to a heat dissipation device having a removable protective cap for enclosing thermal interface material on the heat dissipation device, thereby avoiding the thermal interface material to be contaminated or destroyed before the heat dissipation device is assembled to an electronic package.
As computer technology continues to advance, electronic components such as central processing units (CPUs) of computers are being made to provide faster operational speeds and greater functional capabilities. When a CPU operates at high speed in a computer enclosure, its temperature can increase greatly. It is desirable to dissipate the generated heat quickly, for example, by using a heat sink attached to the CPU in the enclosure. This allows the CPU and other electronic components in the enclosure to function within their normal operating temperature ranges, thereby assuring the quality of data management, storage and transfer.
To improve heat conductivity between a heat sink and a CPU, thermal interface material such as thermal grease is often applied to a bottom face of the heat sink. However, thermal grease can not be applied to the heat sink in advance since it is not solid at ambient temperature and may contaminate surrounding articles or be contaminated by dust or foreign particles before the heat sink is attached to the CPU. Conventionally, the thermal grease is applied onto the heat sink just prior to attachment of the heat sink to the CPU. This operation extends the time needed for said attachment.
To overcome the above problem, various grease covers have been developed. The grease covers are attached to a bottom surface of a heat sink to enclose the thermal grease spread on the bottom of the heat sink. The thermal grease can not be contaminated by dust or foreign particles, and does not contaminate surrounding articles when the heat sink is transported or handled. By using the grease cover, the thermal grease can be applied to the heat sink in advance, thereby simplifying the process of attachment of the heat sink to the CPU. However, the grease cover is usually attached to the bottom of the heat sink by adhesive. The adhesive must be cleaned from the heat sink before the heat sink is attached to the CPU. This is unduly inconvenient.
What is needed, therefore, is a heat dissipation device having a protective cap for thermal interface material which can be readily attached to or detached from a heat sink of the heat dissipation device.
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a heat dissipation device comprises a heat sink, on a bottom of which thermal interface material is spread, two locking legs disposed at opposite sides of the heat sink, and a protective cap enclosing the thermal interface material therein. The protective cap comprises locking portions interlocked with the locking legs to retain the protective cap to the heat sink.
Other advantages and novel features of the present invention will be drawn from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention with attached drawings, in which:
Referring to
The heat sink 10 comprises a base 12 and a plurality of fins 14. The base 12 has a bottom surface 16 for thermally contacting with the CPU 54. The fins 14 extend from the base 12 away opposing to the bottom surface 16.
The clip 20 is mounted on a top of the heat sink 10 for positioning the heat sink 10 on the CPU 54. Two legs 22 extend downwardly from the clip 20, disposed at opposite sides of the heat sink 10, and being pivotable with respect to the heat sink 10. Each leg 22 defines an aperture 24 in a free end portion thereof.
Thermal interface material 30 has a rectangular shape and is evenly spread on a middle portion of the bottom surface 16 by a printing process, preferably a screen printing process.
The protective cap 40 is for being removably attached to the bottom surface 16 of the heat sink 10 to enclose the thermal interface material 30. The protective cap 40 has a generally rectangular configuration and comprises a basewall 42 and sidewalls 46 extending upwardly from a periphery of the basewall 42. A protrusion 44′ extends downwardly from a central portion of the basewall 42 and then defines a cavity 44 in the central portion of the basewall 42. Two ears 48 extend outwardly from a pair of opposite sidewalls 46. A pair of hooks 49 are formed at free ends of the ears 48 respectively, for engaging in the apertures 24 of the legs 22 of the clip 20, thereby retaining the protective cap 40 to the heat sink 10.
Referring to
Referring to
By the provision of the protective cap 40, the thermal interface material 30 can be applied to the heat sink 10 in advance. In addition, the protective cap 40 is attached to the heat sink 10 by engaging the ears 48 of the protective cap 40 in the apertures 24 of the legs 22 of the clip 20, and is removed from the heat sink 10 by disengaging the ears 48 of the protective cap 40 from the apertures 24 of the legs 22 of the clip 20. Therefore, the assembly of the heat sink 10 to the CPU 54 is simplified. In comparison with prior art, the present invention does not need to use adhesive in order to attach the protective cap for thermal interface material to the bottom surface of the heat sink; thus, the problem of prior art that the adhesive must be cleaned from the heat sink before the heat sink is attached to the CPU is overcome by the present invention.
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the clip forms apertures engagingly receiving the ears of the protective cap, thereby attaching the protective cap to the heat sink. Alternatively, the protective cap may form catch opening, and the clip may form catch means engaging in the catch opening, thereby joining the clip with the protective cap.
It is understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms without departing from the spirit thereof. Thus, the present example and embodiment are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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200420083410.9 | Aug 2004 | CN | national |