HEAT SINK FASTENER

Abstract

A heat sink fastener includes a main body, a piercing body and an operating member. The main body has a pressing part for pressing a heat sink toward a heat-generating component. An engaging part and a latching leg are disposed at opposite ends of the main body. The piercing body includes a piercing part piercing through the engaging part, and a latching part below the piercing part. The operating member includes a cam pivotally connected to the piercing part and rotatable between locked and unlocked positions. At the locked position, a protrusion formed on the cam abuts a lateral edge of the piercing part to prevent the operating member from spontaneously rotating back to the unlocked position. A bent flange is formed at a periphery of the cam and engages with the engaging part.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded, isometric view of a heat sink fastener of a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an assembled view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded, isometric view of the heat sink fastener of FIG. 1, together with a heat sink and a heat-generating component mounted on a printed circuit board;

FIG. 4 is an assembled, isometric view of FIG. 3, wherein the heat sink fastener is in a unlocked position;

FIG. 5 is a front side view of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is similar to FIG. 5, but showing the fastener in a locked position.

Claims

1. A heat sink fastener comprising: a main body comprising an elongated pressing part adapted for holding a heat sink in contact with a heat-generating component, an engaging part and a latching leg respectively at opposite ends of the pressing part;a piercing body comprising a piercing part extending through the engaging part of the main body and a latching part extending downwardly from the piercing part and facing the latching leg of the main body; andan operating member comprising a handle at one end thereof, an cam at opposite ends thereof, the cam pivotally connecting to the piercing part of the piercing body and supported on the engaging part of the main body, the cam forming a protrusion adjacent to an free end thereof, the protrusion being selectively disposed at one of two opposite lateral sides of the piercing part of the piercing body to hold the fastener in one of an unlocked position and a locked position.

2. The heat sink fastener as claimed in claim 1, wherein the protrusion abuts the lateral edge of the piercing part when the fastener is in the locked position.

3. The heat sink fastener as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cam comprises a bent flange by stamping an edge on a periphery thereof from an outside to an inside thereof.

4. The heat sink fastener as claimed in claim 3, wherein the bent flange is kept in contact with the engaging part of the main body when the fastener is in the locked position.

5. The heat sink fastener as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cam has an axially extended pivot hole and has an engagement portion and a release portion formed on a periphery thereof, a distance between the pivot hole and the engagement portion is greater than that between the pivot hole and release portion.

6. The heat sink fastener as claimed in claim 1, wherein the engaging part defines two separate grooves therein for the piercing part to extend therethrough, one of the grooves being adjacent to the pressing part.

7. The heat sink fastener as claimed in claim 6, wherein the piercing part is movable up and down in the grooves of the engaging part.

8. The heat sink fastener as claimed in claim 1, wherein the piercing part comprises two piercing plates parallel to each other and pivotally connecting with the cam of the operating member.

9. The heat sink fastener as claimed in claim 8, wherein the piercing plates at a bottom thereof are connected by a connecting part.

10. The heat sink fastener as claimed in claim 1, wherein the operating member further comprises a plastic slipcover to accommodate the handle.

11. A fastener comprising: a main body comprising a pressing part adapted for holding a heat sink in contact with a heat-generating component, an engaging part and a latching leg, the engaging part and the latching leg being disposed at opposite ends of the pressing part;a piercing body comprising a piercing part piercing through the engaging part and movable up and down through the engaging part, and a latching part located below the piercing part and facing the latching leg; andan operating member comprising a cam at a free end thereof, which is pivotally connected to the piercing part and rotatable to put the pressing part under tension by exerting a force on the engaging part, and also rotatable to relax the tension by relieving the force exerted on the engaging part, the cam forming a protrusion abutting a lateral edge of the piercing part to prevent the operating member from spontaneously rotating back when in the locked position.

12. The fastener as claimed in claim 11, wherein the cam comprises a bent flange on an edge thereof.

13. The fastener as claimed in claim 12, wherein the bent flange is kept in contact with the engaging part of the main body when the fastener is in the locked position.

14. A heat sink assembly comprising: a printed circuit board;a heat-generating electronic component mounted on the printed circuit board;a retention module mounted on the printed circuit board and surrounding the electronic component;a heat sink mounted on the electronic component and thermally connecting therewith;a fastener having an elongate body pressing the heat sink against the electronic component, a latching leg integrally depending from one end of the elongate body and securely engaging with the retention module, a piercing body having an upper piercing part extending upwardly through another end of the elongate body and a lower latching part securely engaging with the retention module, and an operating member having a cam pivotably connected to the piercing part at a location above the another end of the elongate body and a handle for driving the cam to rotate;wherein the cam has a periphery formed with a bent flange extending a width from the periphery of the cam and in contact with the another end of the elongate body.

15. The heat sink assembly as claimed in claim 14, wherein the width is larger than a thickness of a metal sheet for forming the cam.

16. The heat sink assembly as claimed in claim 15, wherein the cam further forms a protrusion thereon, the protrusion abutting against a side of the piercing part to prevent the cam from spontaneous rotation.

17. The heat sink assembly as claimed in claim 14, wherein the cam further forms a protrusion thereon, the protrusion abutting against a side of the piercing part to prevent the cam from spontaneous rotation.