Patent Application
20070103872
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a heat sink assembly, and particularly to a heat sink assembly for cooling an electronic element such as a CPU by the use of a heat sink which is mounted with a fan via a fan handle.
2. Description of Related Art
A computer central processing unit (CPU) is the core administrator of electrical signals in most contemporary personal computers. Continued development of CPUs has enabled them to perform more and more functions. Heat generated by the CPUs has increased enormously. Such heat can adversely affect the operational stability of the computers. Measures must be taken to efficiently remove the heat from the CPU. Typically, a heat sink having great heat conductivity is mounted on the CPU to remove heat therefrom. A fan is often attached to the heat sink to provide forced airflow to the heat sink.
A conventional heat dissipation assembly as shown in
Accordingly, what is needed is a heat sink assembly having a fan handle for facilitating to firmly fasten a fan to a heat sink.
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a heat sink assembly comprises a heat sink, a fan and a plurality of fasteners mounting the fan onto the heat sink. The heat sink comprises a solid core and a plurality of fins projecting outwardly from the core. Each fastener comprises a self-tapping screw and a fan handle. The fan handle buckled with the fins comprises a retaining body clasping two adjacent fins therein. The retaining body has a pair of opposite lateral walls. The fan handle further has an elongated L-shaped connecting portion extending from the retaining body, and a block portion extending from and perpendicular to the connecting portion. The opposite lateral walls have inner surfaces thereof abutting against opposite sides of the two adjacent fins. A pair of arms extends upwardly from upper edges of the lateral walls of the retaining body, respectively. A channel is defined between the arms and communicates with a space defined between the two adjacent fins. Each screw has a protrusion thereon which extends through the fan into the space between the two adjacent fins to threadedly engage with the two adjacent fins. During the tapping of the screw, the screw is clamped by the arms so that the screw can be more stably held in position. The lateral walls firmly clasp the two adjacent fins therebetween for preventing the two adjacent fins from being over expanded outwardly during the screw-in of the screw.
Other advantages and novel features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Referring to
The heat sink 10 comprises a solid core 12 and a plurality of fins 14 projecting outwardly from the core 12. The fins 14 can be divided into four groups oriented at four different directions, respectively. Two neighboring groups of the fins 14 are oriented perpendicularly to each other. The core 12 comprises a central portion 120 shaped similar to a cube and four ears 122 extending outwardly from the central portion 120. The core 12 has a substantially planar top surface 124 and a substantially planar bottom surface (not shown) corresponding to the top surface 124. The top surface 124 of the core 12 is for supporting the fan 30, and the substantially planar bottom surface of the core 12 is adapted to contact a heat source (not shown), for example, a CPU. Four side surfaces of the central portion 120 and the four ears 122 form four regions. Each group of the fins 14 is formed at a corresponding region.
Also referring to
The fan handle 24 in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention is formed by stamping a single piece of metal. The fan handle 24 comprises a retaining body 26 for clasping two adjacent fins 14 in one group of the fins 14, an elongated L-shaped connecting portion 28 extending from the retaining body 26, and a block portion 29 extending from a free end of and perpendicular to the connecting portion 28. The retaining body 26 comprises a pair of opposite lateral walls 260 with inner surfaces thereof abutting against sides of the two adjacent fins 14 facing opposite directions. A width of a space between the two adjacent fins 14 is smaller than an outer diameter of the screw 22 such that the screw 22 can be inserted into the space and threadedly engage with the two adjacent fins 14 by self-tapping. A width between facing sides of the lateral walls 260 is substantially the same as that between the opposite sides of the two adjacent fins 14 such that the walls 260 can clasp the two adjacent fins 14 therebetween for preventing the two adjacent fins 14 from being deformed outwardly during the screwing of the screw 22 into the space between the two adjacent fins 14. A pair of spring arms 262 extends upwardly from upper edges of the lateral walls 260 of the retaining body 26, respectively. A channel between the arms 262 communicates with the space between the two adjacent fins 14. Each spring arm 262 comprises a lower arm 264. The lower arm 264 is bent inwardly to form a contact ridge 2640 so that the lower arms 264 are spaced more closely together than the lateral walls 260. The contact ridges 2640 of the spring arms 262 are for sandwiching the inserted screw 22 therebetween. The spring arm 262 further comprises an upper arm 266 bent outwardly from the contact ridge 2640, for facilitating the insertion of the screw 22. The retaining body 26 comprises a pair of latches 268 extending inwardly from an end of and perpendicular to the lateral walls 260 at a position remote from the block portion 29, for abutting against outer ends of the adjacent fins 14.
The fan 30 comprises a frame 32 and a motor 34 received in the frame 32. The frame 32 has a square configuration, and comprises four corners. A through hole 320 is defined at each corner, for permitting passage of the screw 22.
Referring to
It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.
