COMPONENT COUPLED TO HEAT DISSIPATION UNIT

A component coupled to a heat dissipation unit, allowing a screwing element to be pivotally coupled to a heat dissipation unit, includes a body, a stop portion, a first inner engagement portion, a second inner engagement portion and a first outer engagement portion. The body has a first part and a second part and forms therein a through hole which extends axially. The stop portion is circumferentially disposed at the rim of the first or second part. The first inner engagement portion has checking plates and corresponds in position to the stop portion. The second inner engagement portion has stop blocks disposed at the first or second part. The first outer engagement portion is disposed at the rim of the body and opposite the stop portion. The screwing element is fixed to the heat dissipation unit temporarily but firmly, thereby preventing disintegration and disconnection during transport.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates to components coupled to a heat dissipation unit and more particularly to a component coupled to a heat dissipation unit, fit to fix temporarily to the heat dissipation unit a screwing element for fixing a screw to the heat dissipation unit, and effective in preventing disintegration and disconnection during the transport of the heat dissipation unit.

2. Description of Related Art

Electronic components inside existing electronic apparatuses in operation generate heat; hence, the electronic apparatuses must be equipped with heat dissipation units to enhance the efficiency of heat dissipation with a view to preventing the electronic components from getting damaged when overheated. Hence, a heat-dissipating fin unit or a heat sink operates in conjunction with at least a cooling fan which ensures the heat dissipation of the heat dissipation unit to enhance overall heat dissipation performance. Both the conventional heat-dissipating fin unit and the conventional heat sink must be firmly mounted on the heat-generating electronic components with a support structure to transfer heat and dissipate heat efficiently.

Various ways are designed to buckle or screw different heat dissipation units to each other for the sake of assembly, for example, fixing the cooling fan and the heat sink in place by a heat sink stand or a fan frame, then inserting screwing elements, such as screws, simultaneously into holes formed on two heat dissipation units and the frame and formed with internal threads, and eventually tightening the screws to thereby put two heat dissipation units together or fixing one of the heat dissipation units to a heat source directly.

It is impossible to fix the screwing elements to the heat dissipation units before transporting the heat dissipation units. In practice, it is only when an assembly process is ready to begin that the screwing elements are inserted into the heat dissipation units and tightened. The screwing elements will be likely to get disconnected from the heat dissipation units during the transport thereof, if the screwing elements are inserted into the holes of the heat dissipation units but cannot be fixed thereto. If the screwing elements are disposed on an electronic apparatus substrate, the detached screwing elements will cause the electronic apparatuses substrate to develop a short circuit and thus end up in a failure or get damaged.

Furthermore, a person skilled in the art provides a clamp structure for temporarily clamping a screwing element to prevent the disconnection of the screwing element from a heat dissipation unit. However, the clamp structure must be customized, thereby lacking universal applicability. The lack of universal applicability poses a problem to the clamp structure, even though the clamp structure is effective in preventing the disconnection of the screwing element from the heat dissipation unit. The aforesaid conventional support structure has drawbacks as follows:

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To overcome the aforesaid drawbacks of the prior art, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a component coupled to a heat dissipation unit and adapted to prevent the disconnection of screwing elements from the heat dissipation unit during the transport thereof.

In order to achieve the above and other objectives, the present invention provides a component coupled to a heat dissipation unit, allowing a screwing element to be pivotally coupled to a heat dissipation unit, the component comprising a body, a stop portion, a first inner engagement portion, a second inner engagement portion, and a first outer engagement portion.

The body has a first part and a second part, with the first and second parts connected to each other and disposed at two ends of the body, respectively, the body forming therein a through hole extending axially to penetrate the first and second parts of the body. The stop portion is circumferentially disposed at the rim of one of the first and second parts selectively. The first inner engagement portion has a plurality of checking plates. The checking plates each extend from a through-hole-defining inner wall of the body to the center of the through hole radially, with the first inner engagement portion corresponding in position to the stop portion.

The first outer engagement portion is disposed opposite the stop portion and formed by extending the rim of the body outward.

According to the present invention, the component coupled to a heat dissipation unit ensures that screwing elements whereby a heat dissipation unit is to be screwed in place will not get disconnected during the transport of the heat dissipation unit, ensures that the component coupled to a heat dissipation unit will be universally applicable to heat dissipation units, and saves the manufacturing costs which may otherwise be incurred in duplicate development of dies.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

The aforesaid objective, structural features and functional features of the present invention are hereunder illustrated with preferred embodiments depicted with the accompany drawings.

Referring toFIGS. 1, 2 and 3, there are shown a perspective view and two cutaway views of a component coupled to a heat dissipation unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention, respectively. As shown in the diagrams, a component1coupled to a heat dissipation unit comprises a body11, a stop portion12, a first inner engagement portion13, a second inner engagement portion14, and a first outer engagement portion15.

The body11has a first part11aand a second part11b. The first and second parts11a,11bare connected to each other. The first and second parts11a,11bare disposed at two ends of the body11, respectively. The body11forms therein a through hole16which extends axially. The through hole16penetrates the first and second parts11a,11bof the body11.

The stop portion12is circumferentially disposed at the rim of one of the first and second parts11a,11bselectively. For illustrative sake, in this embodiment, the stop portion12is circumferentially disposed at the rim of the free end of the first part11aof the body11, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The stop portion12is selectively continuously circumferential or discontinuously circumferential, and it is discontinuously circumferential in this embodiment for illustrative sake, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

The first inner engagement portion13has a plurality of checking plates131. The checking plates131each extend from the inner wall (which defines the through hole16and is hereinafter referred to as the “through-hole-defining inner wall”) of the body11to the center of the through hole16radially, with the first inner engagement portion13corresponding in position to the stop portion12. The checking plates131each have a first end surface1311and a second end surface1312which face upward and downward substantially, respectively, and one of the first and second end surfaces1311,1312is oblique.

The second inner engagement portion14is selectively disposed at one of the first and second parts11a,11band has a plurality of stop blocks141. The stop blocks141each extend from the through-hole-defining inner wall of the body11to the center of the through hole16radially. In this embodiment, the stop blocks141each extend from the through-hole-defining inner wall (i.e., the inner side of the first part11athrough the inner side of the second part11b) of the body11and, in particular, extend axially from the first part11ato the second part11b. The stop blocks141each have a first top surface1411and a second top surface1412which are disposed at two ends of the stop blocks141, respectively. One of the first and second top surfaces1411,1412is oblique. Referring toFIG. 3, in another embodiment, the second inner engagement portion14is circumferentially disposed at the end of the second part11b.

The first outer engagement portion15is disposed opposite the stop portion12and formed by extending the rim of the body11outward. In this embodiment, the stop portion12is disposed at the rim of the free end of the first part11a, and thus the first outer engagement portion15is disposed at the rim of the free end of the second part11b. The first outer engagement portion15has a first surface151and a second surface152. The second surface152is curved or oblique. In this embodiment, the second surface152is curved for illustrative sake, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

Referring toFIG. 4, there is shown a perspective view of the component coupled to a heat dissipation unit according to the second embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the diagram, the second embodiment and the first embodiment share the same technical features, except that the second embodiment is characterized in that: at least a first axial slot11cand a second axial slot11dare disposed at the second part11bof the body11, positioned opposite the stop portion12(i.e., the first part11a) and corresponding to each other; the first and second axial slots11c,11dare disposed at the rim of the body11, extend axially, and are in communication with the through hole16of the body11; and the first and second axial slots11c,11ddefine a first clasp portion11eand a second clasp portion11fat the rim of the body11.

Referring toFIG. 5, there is shown a perspective view of the component coupled to a heat dissipation unit according to the third embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the diagram, the third embodiment and the first embodiment share the same technical features, except that the third embodiment is characterized in that: at least a first axial slot11c, a second axial slot11dand a third axial slot11gare disposed at the second part11bof the body11, positioned opposite the stop portion12(i.e., the first part11a) and angularly spaced apart by 120° or any other angle; the first, second and third axial slots11c,11d,11gare disposed at the rim of the body11, extend axially, and are in communication with the through hole16of the body11; and the first, second and third axial slots11c,11d,11gdefine a first clasp portion11e, a second clasp portion11fand a third clasp portion11hat the rim of the body11.

Referring toFIG. 6, there is shown a perspective view of the component coupled to a heat dissipation unit according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the diagram, the fourth embodiment and the second embodiment share the same technical features, except that the fourth embodiment is characterized in that: at least a first axial slot11cand a second axial slot11dare disposed at the second part11bof the body11, positioned opposite the stop portion12(i.e., the first part11a) and corresponding to each other; the first and second axial slots11c,11dare disposed at the rim of the body11, extend axially, and are in communication with the through hole16of the body11; and the first and second axial slots11c,11ddo not fully penetrate the second part11bof the body11axially, thereby allowing the first outer engagement portion15to be circumferentially disposed at the end of the second part11bfully.

It is also feasible that the axial slots in the second, third and fourth embodiments are in the number of four or more, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

Referring toFIG. 7, there is shown a perspective view of the component coupled to a heat dissipation unit according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the diagram, the fifth embodiment and the first embodiment share the same technical features, except that the fifth embodiment is characterized in that: all cross sections of the first and second parts11a,11bof the body are non-round; for illustrative sake, the fifth embodiment is exemplified by the second part11bwith non-round cross sections, but the present invention is not limited thereto, as it is also feasible that the cross sections of the second part11bare elliptical, square, trapezoidal or polygonal; and whatever structure which matches the second part11bmust have cross sections which match the cross sections of the second part11bto prevent the second part11bfrom rotating radially relative to the structure.

Referring toFIG. 8, there is shown a perspective view of the component coupled to a heat dissipation unit according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the diagram, the sixth embodiment and the first embodiment share the same technical features, except that the sixth embodiment is characterized in that: the body11further has a third part11iand a second outer engagement portion17; the third part11iis connected to the first part11a; the second outer engagement portion17is disposed at the rim of the free end of the third part11iand formed by extending the rim of the free end of the third part11ioutward; and the second outer engagement portion17has at least a conical surface17adisposed on the top surface of the second outer engagement portion17.

Referring toFIG. 9, there is shown a cutaway view of the component coupled to a heat dissipation unit according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the diagram, the seventh embodiment and the fourth embodiment share the same technical features, except that the seventh embodiment is characterized in that the stop blocks141are disposed between the first and third parts11a,11iand disposed on the through-hole-defining inner wall surface of the body11in a continuous axial manner or a discontinuous axial manner.

Referring toFIG. 10, there is shown a perspective view of the component coupled to a heat dissipation unit according to the eighth embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the diagram, the eighth embodiment and the sixth embodiment share the same technical features, except that the eighth embodiment is characterized in that: at least a fifth axial slot11jand a sixth axial slot11kare disposed at the third part11iof the body11, positioned opposite the stop portion12(i.e., the first part11a) and corresponding to each other; the fifth and sixth axial slots11j,11kare disposed at the body11the rim, extend axially, and are in communication with the through hole16of the body11; and the fifth and sixth axial slots11j,11kdefine a fifth clasp portion11land a sixth clasp portion11mat the rim of the body11.

Referring toFIG. 11, there is shown a perspective view of the component coupled to a heat dissipation unit according to the ninth embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the diagram, the ninth embodiment and the sixth embodiment share the same technical features, except that the ninth embodiment is characterized in that: at least a fifth axial slot11j, a sixth axial slot11kand a seventh axial slot11nare disposed at the third part11iof the body11, positioned opposite the stop portion12(i.e., the first part11a) and angularly spaced apart by 120° or any other angle; the fifth, sixth and seventh axial slots11j,11k,11nare disposed at the rim of the body11, extend axially, and are in communication with the through hole16of the body11; and the fifth, sixth and seventh axial slots11j,11k,11ndefine a fifth clasp portion11l, a sixth clasp portion11mand a seventh clasp portion110at the rim of the body11.

It is also feasible that the axial slots in the sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth embodiments are in the number of four or more, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

Referring toFIGS. 12, 13, there are shown schematic views of the operation of the present invention. Referring toFIGS. 1˜11, in this embodiment, a heat dissipation unit2, a component1coupled to a heat dissipation unit, a screwing element3, an electronic circuit substrate4, and a stand41disposed on the electronic circuit substrate4are provided.

The heat dissipation unit2has a first lateral surface21, a second lateral surface22and a plurality of apertures23. The apertures23are not only arranged in a manner to exhibit either bilateral symmetry or vertical symmetry but also penetrate the first and second lateral surfaces21,22of the heat dissipation unit2, respectively.

At least a bolt411is disposed at the stand41and corresponds in position to the apertures23. A plurality of external threads412is disposed at the rim of the at least a bolt411.

The screwing element3has a head portion31and a body portion32. The head portion31and the body portion32are connected to each other. The outer diameter of the head portion31is larger than the outer diameter of the body portion32. The body portion32further has a step recess321circumferentially disposed at the rim of the body portion32. An inner hole322is disposed at the end of the body portion32and has a plurality of internal threads323.

The stand41is disposed in the vicinity of a heat source42disposed on the electronic circuit substrate4.

An assembly process entails inserting the components1coupled to a heat dissipation unit into the apertures23, respectively, attaching the stop portion12of the body11to the first lateral surface21of the heat dissipation unit2, clasping the first outer engagement portion15to the second lateral surface22of the heat dissipation unit2, and inserting the body portion32of the screwing element3into the through hole16of the component1coupled to a heat dissipation unit body11in a manner to allow the head portion31of the screwing element3to correspond in position to one side of the first lateral surface21of the heat dissipation unit2which abuts against the stop portion12. The stop portion12not only enables the body11and the first lateral surface21of the heat dissipation unit2to get attached to each other but also functions as a washer for use in tightening the screwing element3to prevent the screwing element3from loosening after assembly.

The checking plates131of the first inner engagement portion13of the body11are in contact with the step recess321of the body portion32of the screwing element3and are capable of axial limitation. The second inner engagement portion14of the body11abuts against the rim attributed to the body portion32of the screwing element3and corresponding in position to the step recess321to prevent the retraction and disconnection of the second part11bof the body11from the through hole16of the component1coupled to a heat dissipation unit body11. Finally, the internal threads323of the inner hole322disposed at the end of the screwing element3mesh with the external threads412disposed at the rim of the bolt411; hence, before the screwing element3is tightened, the screwing element3is unlikely to get disconnected from the heat dissipation unit2during the transport thereof.

Referring toFIG. 14, there is shown a schematic view of the operation of the present invention. Referring toFIGS. 1˜11, this operation embodiment and the preceding embodiment share the same technical features, except that this embodiment is characterized in that: the component1coupled to a heat dissipation unit has the structural aspect of the fourth embodiment and has two ends coupled to the screwing element3; hence, the two ends of the component1coupled to a heat dissipation unit are penetratingly disposed at the apertures23formed on the heat dissipation unit2and thus are no longer subjected to a directional limitation, thereby rendering both the two ends available.

If the apertures23disposed on the heat dissipation unit2are not round in shape, the cross sections of the component1coupled to a heat dissipation unit can be non-round in shape to thereby prevent the component1coupled to a heat dissipation unit from rotating radially relative to the apertures23disposed at the heat dissipation unit2(as shown inFIG. 15).