Heat sink and housing assembly

A heat sink includes a heat sink body having a plurality of stacked fins and a mounting base including a heat dissipation plate. A first surface of the heat dissipation plate is connected to a lower portion of the heat sink body. A protrusion protruding away from the heat sink body is disposed on a portion of a second surface of the heat dissipation plate opposite to the first surface. The protrusion is formed by stamping or bending the heat dissipation plate away from the heat sink body from the first surface of the heat dissipation plate.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of the filing date under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) of Chinese Patent Application No. 201811165757.0, filed on Sep. 30, 2018.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a heat sink and, more particularly, to a heat sink for an electronic device.

BACKGROUND

During operation of an electronic device, such as a high-speed electrical connector, the heat generated by the electronic device reduces electrical performance of the electronic device. A heat sink is mounted on a housing of the electronic device to reduce the temperature of the electronic device. When the heat sink is mounted on the housing, a part of the heat sink is generally fixed to the housing by a mounting frame to simplify the mounting operation.

The heat sink of the conventional high-speed electrical connector generally comprises machining parts, such as a fin, and a base arranged on a housing of the connector. The machining process requires a high manufacturing cost and impairs high-efficiency and mass production.

SUMMARY

A heat sink includes a heat sink body having a plurality of stacked fins and a mounting base including a heat dissipation plate. A first surface of the heat dissipation plate is connected to a lower portion of the heat sink body. A protrusion protruding away from the heat sink body is disposed on a portion of a second surface of the heat dissipation plate opposite to the first surface. The protrusion is formed by stamping or bending the heat dissipation plate away from the heat sink body from the first surface of the heat dissipation plate.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT(S)

Although the present disclosure will be fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings including the embodiments of the disclosure, it should be understood that modifications may be made to the disclosure by those skilled in the art. The description is to be understood as a broad disclosure for those skilled in the art, and is not intended to be limited to the exemplary embodiments described herein.

A housing assembly according to an embodiment, as shown inFIG. 1, comprises a housing200and a heat sink100. In the shown embodiment, the housing200is made of a metal sheet.

The housing200, as shown inFIG. 1, has a plurality of accommodating chambers205formed therein. In the shown embodiment, the housing200has four accommodating chambers205. The four accommodating chambers205are adapted to accommodate four electronic modules (not shown), respectively. In other embodiments, the housing200may have one, two, three, five, or more accommodating chambers205.

Each accommodating chamber205, as shown inFIG. 1, has an opening202formed in a top wall201of the housing200. The housing200has a generally cuboid shape and includes the top wall201, a bottom wall, and a pair of side walls. A plurality of partition plates203, three in the shown embodiment, are installed between the top wall201and the bottom wall to divide the interior of the housing200into four accommodating chambers205extending in a longitudinal direction. Electronic modules, which may generate heat during operation, for example, electronic device such as electrical connectors, CPUs, amplifiers; photoelectric converters; disk readers; and the like, may be accommodated in the accommodating chambers205.

The heat sink100, as shown inFIGS. 1-5, includes a heat sink body1and a mounting base. The heat sink body1has a plurality of stacked fins11, for example, made of aluminum. The thickness of each fin11is about 0.2 mm, for example. The mounting base includes a heat dissipation plate2. A first surface (top surface) of the heat dissipation plate2is connected to a lower portion of the heat sink body1.

As shown inFIGS. 1-3, a protrusion21protruding away from the heat sink body1is provided on a portion of a second surface of the heat dissipation plate2opposite to the first surface. The protrusion21is formed by stamping or bending the heat dissipation plate2away from the heat sink body1from the first surface of the heat dissipation plate2. The protrusion21is adapted to contact the electronic module to transfer heat generated by the electronic module to the heat sink body1, thereby dissipating the electronic module.

The heat sink100is mounted on the top wall201of the housing200, a portion of a bottom of the heat sink100is located outside the accommodating chamber205, and the protrusion21of each heat sink100extends through the opening203to be in contact with the electronic module accommodated in the accommodating chamber205.

The mounting base, as shown inFIG. 5, includes a secondary heat dissipation plate211having an area smaller than that of the heat dissipation plate2and mounted on the second surface of the heat dissipation plate2to form the protrusion21. In this embodiment, the mounting base includes the heat dissipation plate2and the secondary heat dissipation plate211. Because the secondary heat dissipation plate211is fixed on the second surface of the heat dissipation plate2, the top surface (first surface) of the heat dissipation plate2may be flat. In this way, the bottom surface of the heat sink body1has a large flat portion, thereby facilitating the fabrication of the heat sink body1.

In the embodiment shown inFIG. 5, the secondary heat dissipation plate211is fixed to the heat dissipation plate2by welding. In the heat sink500of an alternative embodiment shown inFIG. 6, the secondary heat dissipation plate211is fixed to the heat dissipation plate2by rivets212. Different numbers of secondary heat dissipation plates211may be provided and stacked together according to the height of the protrusion21to be formed.

In a heat sink300according to another embodiment, as shown inFIGS. 7-11, a protrusion22is formed by stamping the heat dissipation plate2away from the heat sink body1from the first surface of the heat dissipation plate2. After the stamping process, as shown inFIG. 7, a depression is formed on the first surface of the heat dissipation plate2. Accordingly, as shown inFIGS. 8 and 9, the lower portion of the heat sink body1has a boss16protruding downward. The boss16is engaged with an inner side of the protrusion22or depression, as shown inFIGS. 10 and 11, and the lower portion of the heat sink body1is thereby sufficiently brought into contact with the protrusion22, ensuring the heat radiation effect.

In a heat sink400according to another embodiment, as shown inFIGS. 12-14, a protrusion23is formed by bending a portion of the heat dissipation plate2a plurality of times, so that the protrusion23forms an arch bridge structure with respect to a main body of the heat dissipation plate2. Accordingly, as shown inFIG. 9, the lower portion of the heat sink body1has a boss16protruding downward. The boss16, as shown inFIG. 14, is engaged with the inner side of the protrusion23, and the lower portion of the heat sink body1is thereby sufficiently brought into contact with the protrusion23, ensuring the heat radiation effect. The structure of the heat sink body1of the heat sink300shown inFIG. 7is the same as that of the heat sink body1of the heat sink400shown inFIG. 12.

In the heat sink100,300,400or500of the above embodiments, as shown inFIGS. 1, 2, 9, and 11, the heat sink body1has a plurality of grooves15for accommodating fixing members. A plurality of fixing protrusions208are formed on the side walls of the housing200, as shown inFIG. 1, and the heat sink100,300,400or500may be mounted to the housing200by a generally arcuate-shaped fixing member passing through the grooves15and snap-fitted with the fixing protrusions208.

As shown inFIGS. 4 and 9, in an embodiment, at least one of the upper and lower edges of each fin11has a folded edge12, and the plurality of fins11are connected in sequence by the plurality of folded edges12. For example, a lamination process may be performed such that the plurality of fins11are connected in sequence by the plurality of folded edges12, and a ventilation channel14is formed between two adjacent fins11. Both the heat dissipation plate2and the secondary heat dissipation plate211may be made of aluminum, aluminum alloy, or copper sheet to improve the heat dissipation effect.

As shown inFIGS. 4, 9, 11 and 14, the lower edge of each fin11has a tab13extending downward, and the tabs13of the plurality of fins11are arranged in a row so as to form a protrusion extending in a lateral direction of the heat sink body1. A welding operation may be performed at each tab13to fix the heat sink1to the heat dissipation plate2.

Each partition plate203, as shown inFIG. 1, has at least one positioning portion207extending out of the top wall201and the bottom wall of the housing200. The positioning portion207is bent after passing through the top wall201and the bottom wall to fix the partition plate203.

As shown inFIG. 1, in the case where the electronic module is an electrical connector, the housing200has a generally cuboid shape, and the front portion of the housing200has a plurality of openings for receiving mating electrical connectors, respectively. The edges of the opening have an elastic electromagnetic shielding sheet206for increasing the electromagnetic shielding performance between the housing200and the electronic module. The lower portion of the housing200has a plurality of pins204for mounting to a mounting device such as a circuit board.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the above-described embodiments are exemplary and that modifications may be made by those skilled in the art. Structures described in the various embodiments may be freely combined without conflict in structure or principle, thereby implementing a wider variety of heat sinks and housing assemblies while solving the technical problems of the present disclosure.

Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims, and the disclosure is not limited to the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the specification.