Fixing heat dissipating unit and electronic device having fixing heat dissipating unit

A fixing heat dissipating unit that is disposed in an electronic device is connected to a substrate and a heat source. The fixing heat dissipating unit includes a fixing element and a heat conducting element. The fixing element is connected to the substrate to hold the substrate in the electronic device. The heat conducting element is respectively connected to the heat source and the fixing element. The heat source is a part of the electronic device and the fixing element is integrated with the heat conducting element as a single component. An electronic device having the fixing heat dissipating unit is also disclosed.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This Non-provisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) on Patent Application No(s). 097130159 filed in Taiwan, Republic of China on Aug. 7, 2008, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a fixing heat dissipating unit with integrated functions of holding and heat dissipating, and an electronic device having the fixing heat dissipating unit.

2. Related Art

As the electronic devices are operating, the elements inside, such as the chips, usually generate heat energy. The accumulating heat energy may, however, easily overheat the electronic device and hence lead to the malfunction of the electronic device. Thus, the electronic device usually has a heat dissipating element, such as a fan, a metal heat dissipation sheet, a ceramic heat dissipation sheet, or a heat pipe, for heat dissipation. Nevertheless, the fan or the heat pipe takes a lot of space in the electronic device; and as for the fan, the heat flow is also another factor to be considered while designing. Hence other than the material cost, the design cost will as well be increased.

Additionally, the shaking occurred while moving the electronic device may damage the elements in the electronic device. Therefore, the fixing glue or a fixing element is normally used to hold the elements for increasing the reliability of the electronic device. For the elements needed to be held, the metal fixing elements usually provide better steadiness for the elements.

The above heat dissipating element and fixing element are usually separate elements, so the design cost or the testing time cannot be effectively controlled. Thus an important subject is to provide a fixing heat dissipating unit having integral design and an electronic device having this fixing heat dissipating unit.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing, the present invention is to provide a fixing heat dissipating unit, which can integrate the fixing element and the heat dissipating element, and an electronic device having such fixing heat dissipating unit.

To achieve the above, the present invention discloses a fixing heat dissipating unit, which is disposed in an electronic device. The fixing heat dissipating unit that is connected to a substrate and a heat source includes a fixing element and a heat conducting element. The fixing element is connected to the substrate to hold the substrate in the electronic device. The heat conducting element is connected to the heat source and the fixing element respectively. The heat source is a part of the electronic device, and the fixing element is integrated with the heat conducting element as a single component.

In addition, the present invention also discloses an electronic device includes a first substrate, a heat source, a second substrate, and a fixing heat dissipating unit. The heat source is disposed on a surface of the first substrate, and the second substrate is disposed adjacent to the first substrate. The fixing heat dissipating unit is connected to the second substrate and the heat source respectively. The fixing heat dissipating unit includes a fixing element and a heat conducting element. The fixing element is connected to the second substrate to hold the second substrate in the electronic device, and the heat conducting element is connected to the heat source and the fixing element respectively. The fixing element is integrated with the heat conducting element as a single component.

As described above, with the integrated functions of holding and heat dissipating, the fixing heat dissipating unit and the electronic device having the fixing heat dissipating unit according to the present invention transmit the heat energy generated by the heat source through the heat conducting element to the entire fixing heat dissipating unit so as to enhance the heat dissipating efficiency by increasing the heat dissipating area. Compared to the prior art, the fixing heat dissipating unit and the electronic device of the present invention can match the positions of different substrates to provide the functions of heat dissipating and holding. Therefore, this can lower the design cost, reduce the testing time and effectively increase the reliability of the electronic product.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1Ais an exploded view of an electronic device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.FIG. 1Bis an assembled view of a part of the electronic device inFIG. 1A.

Referring toFIGS. 1A and 1B, an electronic device1includes a first substrate10, a heat source20, a second substrate30, and a fixing heat dissipating unit40. The electronic device1may be a desktop, a laptop, an internet communication device, or a display device. In the embodiment, the electronic device1is an internet communication device applied to, for example, ADSL or VDSL.

The heat source20is disposed on a surface11of the first substrate10. In the embodiment, the heat source20is, for example, a chip or an active electronic element such as a transistor, which usually produces high temperature while operating. The first substrate10is a printed circuit board (PCB) or a glass circuit board (GCB) for example. Additionally, a socket12is disposed on the surface11of the first substrate10. The second substrate30is connected to the socket12and disposed adjacent to the first substrate10. The first substrate10and the second substrate30are substantially perpendicular to each other. The second substrate30is electrically connected to the first substrate10through the socket12for signal transmission. In the embodiment, the second substrate30may be a PCB or GCB for example.

It is noted that the first substrate10and/or the second substrate30further includes one or more subsystems with an independent function, and the first substrate10and/or the second substrate30is electrically connected to the electronic device1to become an integrated system with an integrated function. The independent function of the subsystem may be, for example, an operating function, signal receiving/transmitting function, or control function. The integrated system is, for example, a system having the integrated function of the above independent functions of the subsystems. Furthermore, the electronic device1may also include more substrates (not shown) in order to have various functions.

The fixing heat dissipating unit40is disposed in the electronic device1and connects to the second substrate30and the heat source20, respectively. The fixing heat dissipating unit40includes a fixing element41and a heat conducting element42that are connected to each other. The material of the fixing element41and the heat conducting element42may be a heat conducting material selected from at least one of a metal, an alloy, or a polymer material. The metal may be at least one of stannum (Sn), copper (Cu), and aluminum (Al).

The fixing element41at least includes a first opening411and a second opening412, each of which is linked to at least one corner of the second substrate30to hold the second substrate30in the electronic device1. That is, two corners of the second substrate30pass through the first opening411and the second opening412respectively. Moreover, the heat conducting element42is connected to the heat source20and the fixing element41respectively. The heat source20is a part of the electronic device1, and the fixing element41is integrated with the heat conducting element42as a single component. Thus the heat conducting element42may contact the heat source20to conduct the heat energy generated by the heat source20to the fixing element41, so as to dissipate the heat through the fixing heat dissipating unit40. Additionally, a heat dissipation sheet or a heat dissipation paste (not shown) may be disposed between the heat conducting element42and the heat source20so as to enhance the heat conduction.

In the embodiment, the electronic device1further includes a housing having a lower housing51and an upper housing52. The space formed by the housing is to contain the first substrate10, the heat source20, the second substrate30, and the fixing heat dissipating unit40. The positions and the dispositions of the first substrate10, the second substrate30, and the fixing heat dissipating unit40may be changed depending on the design of the lower housing51and the upper housing52.

In the embodiment, two ends of the fixing unit41further have screw holes413and414, respectively, for enhancing the structure of the electronic device1. Screws61and62pass through the screw holes413and414, respectively, and are screwed to the lower housing51so as to fix the fixing heat dissipating unit40to the lower housing51. Although the fixing element41in the embodiment is fixed to the lower housing51by screwing, it can also be fixed to the lower housing51or the upper housing52by clipping or riveting according to the actual design needs. Naturally, the fixing heat dissipating unit40may also, for example but not limited to, be screwed on the first substrate10, for the prime concern is the structure stability.

Moreover, the assembled appearance of the lower housing51and the upper housing52in the embodiment is a triangle-like cylinder for example. It has a certain height so that after the electronic device1is connected to at least one peripheral expansion module or at least one connecting line (not shown), the structure of the electronic device1would still have a certain level of stability. If the fixing heat dissipating unit40is made of a metal or alloy, a weight allocating function may be provided after disposition so as to make the electronic device1more steady.

With reference toFIG. 2, it is another aspect of the fixing heat dissipating unit according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. A fixing element41aof a fixing heat dissipating unit40ahas only the first opening411for at least one corner of the second substrate30to pass through, hence to hold the second substrate30in the electronic device. One end of the fixing element41aalso includes the screw hole. The fixing heat dissipating unit40aand the lower housing51are locked by the screw61, and the heat conducting element42is still integrated with the fixing element41as a single component. Similarly, the heat conducting element42also contacts with the heat source20so as to conduct the heat energy generated by the heat source20to the fixing heat dissipating unit40afor dissipating the heat. In addition, a heat dissipation sheet or a heat dissipation paste (not shown) may be disposed between the heat conducting element42and the heat source20for enhancing the heat conduction.

With reference toFIG. 3, it is yet another aspect of the fixing heat dissipating unit according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. The difference between this aspect and the above aspect is that a second substrate30ais disposed in parallel to a first substrate10a, and two corners of the second substrate30apass through the first opening411and the second opening412of a fixing element41bof a fixing heat dissipating unit40b, respectively. In the embodiment, the second substrate30ais disposed substantially in parallel to the first substrate10a, which further includes two supporting elements13and14for supporting the second substrate30a. The second substrate30aincludes two openings31and32, and two screws63and64pass through the openings31and32, respectively, for connecting with the supporting elements13and14. Therefore the second substrate30ais held on the first substrate10aby the fixing heat dissipating unit40band the supporting elements13and14.

In addition, the two ends of the fixing element41bof the fixing heat dissipating unit40balso have the screw holes respectively (not shown) in the embodiment. The difference between this aspect and the above aspect is that the screws61and62pass through the two screw holes of the fixing element41band then fix the fixing heat dissipating unit40bon the first substrate10a. However, the fixing heat dissipating unit40bmay also be fixed in the housing (not shown) according to the actual needs.

To sum up, a fixing heat dissipating unit and an electronic device having such according to the present invention integrate the fixing element and the heat dissipating element so that the heat energy generated by the heat source can be conducted to the entire fixing heat dissipating unit by contacting the heat conducting element, so as to enhance the heat dissipating efficiency by increasing the heat dissipating area. Compared to the prior art, the present invention is able to lower the design cost and reduce the testing time of the fixing element and the heat dissipating element to control the production cost. The fixing heat dissipating unit and the electronic device of the present invention can provide the functions of heat dissipating, holding, and weight allocating, thereby effectively increasing the reliability of the electronic product.