HEATSINK WITH IMPROVED HEAT DISSIPATION CAPABILITY

Abstract

A tandem heat sink operable to provide heat dissipation to one or more electronic components. The tandem heat sink apparatus creates air turbulence within the air stream across the one or more components through the use of pins oriented at more than one angle with respect to the base of the tandem heat sink. An airflow across one or more electronic components is disrupted by the geometry of the different pin angles of the tandem heat sink, thereby creating turbulence which increases the efficiency of the heat sink and prevents thermal shading from occurring. When the heat sink is placed on a single component, the heat sink may be situated without any overhang relative to the component due to the turbulence induced by the different pin angles and the resulting increase in heat dissipation efficiency.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] This invention relates generally to the field of electronic devices and systems, and more specifically to heat dissipation in electronic devices.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The ability of an electronic device to stay within a specified temperature region is directly related to the reliability and performance of the electronic device. Many electronic devices have strict temperature requirements for correct operation, and performance and lifetime are very sensitive to operation outside these temperature requirements. When an electronic component within a system overheats, often the entire electronic system is affected. There are many techniques available to help dissipate heat around an electronic component. Heat sinks are commonly employed in electronic systems where space is limited. Referring to FIG. 1, a simplified side view of a heat sink 100 is shown according to the prior art. Heat sink 100 is coupled to an electronic component 140 through the use of a heat sink/component interface 130. The interface 130 allows for a tight coupling between the heat sink 100 and the electronic component 140. The interface 130 is also coupled to a heat sink base 120. The heat sink base 120 acts as the primary conduction path for heat generated by electronic component 140. Heat sink base is coupled to a plethora of heat sink pins 110. The heat sink pins 110 provide several functions, including dissipation of heat generated by electronic component 140 and the creation of turbulence in the air flowing over the heat sink pins 110.

[0003] Pinned heat sinks are useful when applied in a staggered fashion where each device or component is in a different part of the airflow stream. However, when several heat sinks are placed in a line, forming a trough-shaped array, the airflow over the heat sinks tends to be uniform and the heat sinks ability to create turbulence is reduced. The propensity of the heat sinks to create thermal turbulence is critical, because turbulent airflow increases the efficiency of the heat sinks and effectively increases the heat dissipated around an electronic component. However, staggering of the heat sinks is not always a possibility due to electrical wiring lengths that have to be consistent. Moreover, orienting a heat sink in a staggered fashion may require that the heat sink hang over the edge of the component. This may not always be possible due to the geometry of the region surrounding the component.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The present invention discloses a structure for the dissipation of heat in the area around one or more electronic devices or components. Heat dissipation is achieved by the use of one or more heat sinks coupled to the one or more electronic components. The heat sinks contain a plurality of pins, where the pins associated with a particular heat sink may not be vertical, but instead are at an elevation angle relative to the base of the heat sink. The bases of the heat sinks may be rotated with respect to one another, where the rotation takes place in the plane containing the base of a particular heat sink. The net effect of the rotation of the bases of the heat sink and the elevation angle of the pins causes the flow of air across the surface of the pins to be disrupted. The increase in turbulent air flow over the heat sinks increases the efficiency of the heat sinks, providing a greater heat dissipation capability.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] The features of the invention believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself however, both as to organization and method of operation, together with objects and advantages thereof, may be best understood by reference to the following detailed description of the invention, which describes certain exemplary embodiments of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

[0006] FIG. 1 is a side view of a heat sink, according to the prior art.

[0007] FIG. 2 is a structural diagram of several exemplary heat sinks, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0008] FIG. 3 is a top view of an exemplary pin arrangement of an exemplary heat sink, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0009] FIG. 4 is a top view of an exemplary heat sink with pins at more than one angle, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0010] FIG. 5 is a first side view of an exemplary heat sink with pins at more than one angle, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0011] FIG. 6 is a second side view of an exemplary heat sink with pins at more than one angle, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail specific embodiments, with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an example of the principles of the invention and not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments shown and described. In the description below, like reference numerals are used to describe the same, similar or corresponding parts in the several views of the drawings.

[0013] Referring now to FIG. 2, a structural diagram 200 of several exemplary heat sinks are shown, according to an embodiment of the present invention. Heat sinks 230, 240, 250, and 260 are coupled to printed circuit board 210. It should be noted that one of skill in the art will recognize that heat sinks 230, 240, 250, 260 could be coupled to individual electronic components without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Bases 233, 243, 253, 263 of heat sinks 230, 240, 250, 260 are further coupled to corresponding pins 235, 245, 255, 265. Each grouping of pins 235, 245, 255, 265 form an elevation angle that is less than 90 degrees relative to bases 233, 243, 253, 263 of corresponding heat sinks 230, 240, 250, 260. In a certain embodiment of the present invention this elevation angle is 72 degrees, measured from the base. In addition to the elevation angle of pins 235, 245, 255, 265, the bases 233, 243, 253, 263 of corresponding heat sinks 230, 240, 250, 260 are oriented so that adjacent heat sinks differ by 180 degrees. This orientation can be considered a rotation in the plane of the base of each heat sink. For example, heat sink 240 is rotated 0 degrees, while heat sink 250 is rotated 180 degrees with respect to the plane containing the heat sinks. This rotation is measured with respect to a reference angle perpendicular to an edge of component 210.

[0014] The differing base orientation of heat sinks 230, 240, 250, 260 in combination with the elevation angles of pins 235, 245, 255, 265 cause airflow 220 to be disrupted as airflow passes over heat sinks 230, 240, 250, 260. This increased turbulence of airflow 220 increases the heat dissipation capability of heat sinks 230, 240, 250, 260. It is noted that although two different orientations are shown for the base of heat sinks 230, 240, 250, 260, and a single elevation angle is shown for pins 235, 245, 255, 265, each heat sink could have a distinct amount of rotation, and each collection of pins could have a distinct elevation angle. Additionally the arrangement of the heat sinks in FIG. 2 is exemplary and is not intended to restrict the scope of the present invention. Heat sinks 230, 240, 250, 260 could be located so that one or more of heat sinks 230, 240, 250, 260 hang over an edge of a component, and one or more of heat sinks 230, 240, 250, 260 are not aligned with respect to an edge of the one or more heat sinks heat sinks 230, 240, 250, 260.

[0015] Referring now to FIG. 3 a top view of an exemplary pin arrangement 300 of the exemplary heat sink of FIG. 2 is shown, according to a certain embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 shows pins 255 and 265 coupled to corresponding base 310 and base 320, respectively. Exemplary pin arrangement 300 illustrates that collection of pins 255 has an elevation angle that is the same as an elevation angle of collection of pins 265 and base 310 has an orientation that is the same as the orientation of base 320. It is noted that each collection of pins could have more than one elevation angle without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. It is further noted that the pins comprising the collection of pins 255 could have different lengths with respect to base 310.

[0016] Referring now to FIG. 4 a top view of an exemplary heat sink 400 with pins at more than one angle is shown, according to a certain embodiment of the present invention. Heat sink 410 is shown coupled to component 430 while an airflow path 420 is shown passing over heat sink 410. Referring now to FIG. 5 a first side view 500 of exemplary heat sink 400 with pins at more than one angle is shown, according to a certain embodiment of the present invention. It is noted that collection of pins 510 appear to have a distinct 90 degree elevation angle with respect to base 520. However, referring now to FIG. 6 a second side view 600 of exemplary heat sink 400 with pins at more than one angle is shown, according to a certain embodiment of the present invention. The second side view 600 is 90 degrees rotated with respect to the first side view 500, and illustrates that collection of pins 510 actually comprises a first subcollection of pins 610 with a first elevation angle, and a second subcollection of pins 620 with a second elevation angle. Thus the spirit and scope of the present invention encompass an embodiment in which a single heat sink contains a collection of pins wherein the pins comprising the collection may have more than one elevation angle with respect to a base element.

[0017] In a certain embodiment of the present invention, more than one heat sink is coupled to a single electronic component, and each collection of pins of each heat sink coupled to the electronic component has a single elevation angle, while each heat sink is oriented with 180 degrees of rotation relative to an adjacent heat sink.

[0018] While the invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications, permutations and variations will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in light of the foregoing description. Accordingly, it is intended that the present invention embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An apparatus for the dissipation of heat, comprising: one or more base elements coupled to one or more electronic components; one or more pluralities of pins coupled to the corresponding one or more base elements; the one or more pluralities of pins oriented at one or more corresponding elevation angles with respect to one or more axes perpendicular to the one or more base elements; and each base element of the one or more base elements oriented at a rotation angle with respect to a reference rotation angle of the corresponding base element.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one or more pins of a plurality of the one or more pluralities of pins are different lengths, said length being measured from a base element.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the collection of one or more points of contact between the one or more axes and the corresponding one or more base elements lies on a straight line.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the reference rotation angle is 0 degrees, measured so that each base element of the one or more base elements is parallel to a surface of the one or more electronic components.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a specified rotation angle is defined as a clockwise rotation in the plane of a base element of the one or more base elements along a perpindicular axis passing through a centroid of said base element.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein for the one or more corresponding elevation angles, a 90 degree elevation angle is defined as perpendicular to a base element of the one or more base elements and a 0 degree angle is defined as parallel to the base element.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heat sink is placed on the component with no overhang.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more elevation angles are one distinct elevation angle, and there are two rotation angles, said rotation angles differing by 180 degrees.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more components operate in a forced air condition.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein an angle of the one or more angles is 72 degrees.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one or more of the one or more base elements are coupled to a single electronic component.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the one or more elevation angles are one distinct elevation angle, and there are two rotation angles, said rotation angles differing by 180 degrees.

13. An apparatus for the dissipation of heat, comprising: one or more heat sink elements, wherein each heat sink element further comprises: a base element coupled to an electronic component; a plurality of pins coupled to the base element; the plurality of pins oriented at an elevation angle with respect to an axis perpendicular to the base elements; and the base element oriented at a corresponding rotation angle with respect to a reference rotation angle of the base element.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein for a heat sink element of the one or more heat sink elements, the plurality of pins are different lengths, said length being measured from the base element of each heat sink element.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the one or more heat sink elements are located so that each point of attachment between each vertical axis and the corresponding base elements lies on a straight line.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein each reference rotation angle is 0 degrees, measured so that the base element is parallel to a surface of the electronic component.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein a specified rotation angle is defined as a clockwise rotation in the plane of the base element along a vertical axis passing through a centroid of said base element.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein a 90 degree elevation angle is defined as perpendicular to the base element and a 0 degree angle is defined as parallel to the base element.

19. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein one or more of the one or more heat sinks are placed on one or more corresponding components with no overhang.

20. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the one or more heat sinks have one of two distinct rotation angles and the one or more elevation angles corresponding to the one or more heat sink elements are the same.

21. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the one or more heat sink elements operate in a forced air condition.

22. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein for one or more of the one or more heat sink elements each base element is coupled to the same electronic component.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the one or more heat sinks have one of two distinct rotation angles and the one or more elevation angles corresponding to the one or more heat sink elements are the same.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the two distinct rotation angles differ by 180 degrees.