Abstract:
A heat sink that is disposed on a heating element and absorbs the heat generated by the heating element includes: a contact surface to which recessed grooves are formed and the region of which excluding the recessed grooves is in contact with the heating element; insertion members having a thickness, which permits them to fill the recessed grooves, and come into contact with the heating element by being inserted into the recessed grooves; and a turning mechanism that separates the contact surface from the heating element by turning the insertion members in response to a manipulation while abutting the extreme ends of the insertion members against the heating element. With such arrangement, there can be provided the heat sink that can reduce time and effort for removing the heat sink from the heating element while suppressing deterioration of heat absorption capability and an information processing device including the heat sink.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to a heat sink disposed on a heating element and absorbing the heat generated by the heating element and to an information processing device including the heat sink.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0004]     Heretofore, a heat absorption member, which is called a heat sink, is disposed on an LSI package, which is attached to an electric substrate, through grease and the like for improving thermal conductivity to absorb the heat generated by the LSI package.  
         [0005]     The LSI package attached to the electric substrate may be replaced in its entirety, and, in this case, the heat sink is removed once from the LSI package.  
         [0006]     However, time and effort may be required to remove the heat sink from the LSI package because the greases and the like are solidified, and the like.  
         [0007]     To cope with this problem, there is a proposal for simply removing a heat sink from an LSI package (refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 11-347855).  
         [0008]     The publication proposes to form a recessed section to a part of the bottom surface of the heat sink in contact with the LSI package and to remove the heat sink from the LSI package by inserting a minus driver into the recessed section.  
         [0009]     However, the proposal is disadvantageous in that the heat absorption capability of the heat sink is deteriorated due to the recessed section formed on the bottom surface acting as a contact surface.  
         [0010]     An object of the present invention, which was made in consideration of the above circumstances, is to provide a heat sink arranged to reduce time and effort required to remove the heat sink from a heating element while suppressing deterioration of heat absorption capability and an information processing device including the heat sink.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0011]     The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances and provides heat sinks and information processing devices.  
         [0012]     A first heat sink of the present invention, which is disposed on a heating element and absorbs the heat generated by the heating element, includes: a contact surface to which recessed grooves are formed and the region of which excluding the recessed grooves is in contact with the heating element; insertion members that have a thickness, which permits the insertion members to fill the recessed grooves, and come into contact with the heating element by being inserted into the recessed grooves; and a turning mechanism that separates the contact surface from the heating element by turning the insertion members in response to a manipulation while abutting the extreme ends of the insertion members against the heating element.  
         [0013]     In the first heat sink of the present invention, since insertion members can be turned, force can be effectively used to separate the contact surface from the heating element. Further, since the insertion members have the thickness for filling the recessed grooves formed to the contact surface, formation of a gap between the contact surface and the heating element can be prevented. Thus, according to the first heat sink, time and labor for removing the heat sink from the heating element can be reduced while suppressing deterioration of the heat absorbing capability thereof.  
         [0014]     It is preferable that the turning mechanism be fixed to the heat sink as well as have a support member that turnably supports the insertion members.  
         [0015]     With this arrangement, the heat sink can be easily disposed on the heating element.  
         [0016]     Further, it is also preferable that the turning mechanism include spring members, which urge the insertion members in a direction where the contact surface is separated from the heating element, and attitude keeping members which keep the attitude of the insertion members inserted into the recessed grooves against the urging force of the spring members.  
         [0017]     With this arrangement, the repulsive force of the spring members can be used as force for separating the heating element from the contact surface, and further the frequency of use of a tool and the like can be reduced to separate the contact surface from the heating element.  
         [0018]     A second heat sink of the present invention, which is disposed on a heating element and absorbs the heat generated by the heating element, includes: a contact surface to which a recessed groove is formed and the region of which excluding the recessed groove is in contact with the heating element; and an insertion member having a thickness, which permits the insertion member to fill the recessed groove, extractably inserted into the recessed groove, and extracted by an extracting manipulation.  
         [0019]     In the second heat sink of the present invention, a fixed state between the heating element and the contact surface can be partly eliminated by extracting the insertion member from the recessed groove. Further, the insertion member has the thickness for filling the recessed groove formed to the contact surface. Thus, according to the second heat sink of the present invention, time and labor for removing the heat sink from the heating element can be reduced while suppressing deterioration of the heat absorbing capability thereof.  
         [0020]     In a first information processing device of the present invention including a heat sink that is disposed on a heating element and absorbs the heat generated by the heating element, the heat sink includes: a contact surface to which recessed grooves are formed and the region of which excluding the recessed grooves is in contact with the heating element; insertion members having a thickness, which permits the insertion members to fill the recessed grooves, and coming into contact with the heating element by being inserted into the recessed grooves; and a turning mechanism that separates the contact surface from the heating element by turning the insertion members in response to a manipulation while abutting the extreme ends of the insertion members against the heating element;  
         [0021]     It is preferable that the turning mechanism of the heat sink be fixed to the heat sink as well as have a support member that turnably supports the insertion members.  
         [0022]     Further, it is also preferable that the turning mechanism of the heat sink include spring members, which urge the insertion members in a direction where the contact surface is separated from the heating element, and attitude keeping members which keep the attitude of the insertion members inserted into the recessed grooves against the urging force of the spring members.  
         [0023]     In a second information processing device of the present invention including a heat sink that is disposed on a heating element and absorbs the heat generated by the heating element, the heat sink includes: a contact surface to which a recessed groove is formed and the region of which excluding the recessed groove is in contact with the heating element; and an insertion member having a thickness, which permits the insertion member to fill the recessed groove, extractably inserted into the recessed groove, and extracted by an extracting manipulation.  
         [0024]     According to the present invention, there can be provided the heat sink that can reduce time and labor for removing the heat sink from the heating element while suppressing deterioration of heat absorption capability and an information processing device including the heat sink. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0025]      FIG. 1  is a view of a first embodiment common to a first heat sink of the present invention and a first information processing device of the present invention;  
         [0026]      FIG. 2  is a view of a second embodiment showing the heat sink;  
         [0027]      FIG. 3  is a view of the heat sink of the second embodiment corresponding to Part (c) of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0028]      FIG. 4  is a schematic configurational view of the heat sink of a third embodiment; and  
         [0029]      FIG. 5  is a view showing an alternate aspect of the first embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0030]     Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.  
         [0031]      FIG. 1  is a view of a first embodiment common to a first heat sink of the present invention and a first information processing device of the present invention.  
         [0032]     Part (a) of  FIG. 1  shows a heat sink  1  disposed on an LSI package  500 , and Part (b) of  FIG. 1  shows the heat sink  1  which is being removed from the LSI package  500 .  
         [0033]     The heat sink shown in Part (a) of  FIG. 1  is a heat absorption member composed of a main body  10 , fixing sections  11 , and manipulating sections  12  and disposed on an LSI package  500 , which is attached to an electric substrate  600 , through grease to absorb the heat of the LSI package  500 .  
         [0034]     A plate  101  is attached to the bottom surface of the main body  10  of the heat sink  1  shown in Part (a) of  FIG. 1 , and the plate  101  is in contact with the LSI package  500  through the bottom surface  101   a  thereof. Note that bottom surface  101   a  of the plate  101  corresponds to an example of the contact surface of the present invention.  
         [0035]     Each of the manipulating sections  12  shown in Part (a) of  FIG. 1  is composed of a coil spring  121  and an insertion member  122  inserted into a recessed groove formed to the bottom surface  101   a . The coil spring  121  has one end attached to the insertion member  122  and the other end attached to a base section  102  fixed to the main body  10 . When the insertion member  122  is in an attitude shown in Part (a) of  FIG. 1 , it receives urging force from the coil spring  121  to turn the extreme end of the insertion member  122  in a direction where it is apart from the contact surface  101   a  of the plate  101 .  
         [0036]     Each of the fixing sections  11  of the heat sink  1  shown in Part (a) of  FIG. 1  is composed of a screw  110 , which is tightened when the heat sink  1  is disposed on the upper surface of the LSI package  500 , and a spring  111 . The electric substrate  600  has screw holes (not shown), and the screws  110  are screwed into the screw holes against the urging force of the springs  111  and the coil springs  121  described above, thereby disposition of the heat sink  1  on the LSI package  500  is completed. The springs  111  are used to increase the degree of intimate contact between the bottom surface  101   a  of the plate  101  and the LSI package  500  as well as to prevent the screws  110  tightened once from being loosened.  
         [0037]     Part (b) of  FIG. 1  shows the bottom surface  101   a  of the plate  101  separated from the LSI package  500  in such a manner that urging force acts on the insertion members  122  in a direction where the extreme ends of the insertion members  122  are separated from the bottom surface  101   a  by removing the screws  110  from the screw holes of the electric substrate  600  and that the insertion members  122  are turned while abutting the extreme ends thereof against the LSI package  500 . Note that even if the bottom surface  101   a  of the plate  101  cannot be separated from the LSI package  500  only by the urging force of the coil spring  121 , the separation of the bottom surface  101   a  from the LSI package  500  can be achieved by turning the insertion members  122  while abutting the extreme ends thereof against the LSI package  500 , that is, by lifting the rear ends of the insertion members  122 .  
         [0038]     Part (c) of  FIG. 1  is a bottom surface view of the heat sink  1  and shows that recessed grooves  101   b , into which the insertion members  122  are inserted, are formed on the bottom surface  101   a  of the plate  101 .  
         [0039]     Further, since the insertion members  122  have such a thickness that they just fill the recessed grooves  101   b , even if the insertion members  122  are inserted into the recessed grooves  101   b , no step is formed between the surfaces of the insertion members  122  on the LSI package  500  side and the bottom surface  101   a  of the plate  101 . With this arrangement, since the plate  101  comes into intimate contact with the LSI package  500 , the heat absorbing property of the heat sink  1  can be prevented from being deteriorated.  
         [0040]     Part (d) of  FIG. 1  is a bottom surface view of the heat sink  1  which is shown in Part (c) of  FIG. 1  and from which the insertion members  122  and the coil springs  121  are omitted and shows that the recessed grooves  101   b  are formed to the bottom surface  101   a.    
         [0041]     As described above, in the heat sink  1  of the embodiment, since the insertion members  122  are turned while abutting the extreme ends thereof against the LSI package  500 , force can be effectively used to separate the contact surface  101   a  from the LSI package  500 . Further, since the thickness of the insertion members  122  permits them to fill the recessed grooves  101   b  formed to the bottom surface  101   a , formation of a gap between the bottom surface  101   a  and the LSI package  500  can be prevented. Thus, according to the heat sink  1  of the embodiment, time and effort for removing the heat sink  1  from the LSI package  500  can be reduced while suppressing deterioration of the heat absorption capability thereof. Further, according to the heat sink  1  of the embodiment, since the insertion members  122  remain on the main body  10  even after the heat sink  1  is removed from the LSI package  500 , the heat sink  1  can be simply mounted on an LSI package thereafter.  
         [0042]     Next, a second embodiment common to the first heat sink of the present invention and the first information processing device of the present invention will be explained.  
         [0043]      FIG. 2  is a view showing a heat sink of the second embodiment.  
         [0044]     The heat sink  2  shown in  FIG. 2  is different from the heat sink  1  shown in  FIG. 1  in that insertion members  222  of the heat sink  2  are disposed together with fixing sections  21 , in contrast that, in the heat sink  1  shown in  FIG. 1 , the fixing sections  11  composed of the screws  110  and the springs  111  and the insertion members  122  are disposed at different positions. Note that the members shown in  FIG. 2 , which are of the same type as the members shown in  FIG. 1 , are denoted by the same reference numerals as those used in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0045]     Part (a) of  FIG. 2  is a view corresponding to Part (b) of  FIG. 1  showing the heat sink  1  and shows that the insertion member  222  is turned in a direction where the bottom surface  201   a  of a main body  20  is separated from an LSI package  500  by removing a screw  210  tightened against urging force in the extending direction of a spring  211 .  
         [0046]     Part (b) of  FIG. 2  shows a pin  213  for controlling the turn of the insertion member  222  which is kept in such an attitude that the extreme end thereof is inserted into a recessed groove  201   b  (refer to  FIG. 3 ) formed to the bottom surface  201   a  of the plate  201  by tightening the screw  210  against urging force in a direction where the spring  211  extends. Note that a slot  212   a , through which the screw  210  passes, is formed at the rear end  2122  of the insertion member  222  to guarantee the turning operation of the insertion member  222 .  
         [0047]     Part (c) of  FIG. 2  shows a cut and raised section  2221  formed by cutting and raising a part of the insertion members  222 , and Part (d) of  FIG. 2  shows a cut and raised section  2011  formed by cutting and raising a part of the plate  201  fixed to the bottom surface section of the main body  20 . The cut and raised section  2221  of the insertion member  222  and the cut and raised section  2011  of the plate  201  have through holes  2221   a  and  2011   a  formed thereto, respectively, so that a pin  213  is inserted thereinto to permit the insertion members  222  to be free to turn at a predetermined position.  
         [0048]      FIG. 3  is a view of the heat sink of the second embodiment corresponding to Part (c) of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0049]      FIG. 3  is a view of the heat sink  2  observed from the bottom surface thereof when the insertion members  222  keep an attitude shown in Part (b) of  FIG. 2  and shows the extreme ends of the insertion members  222  inserted into the recessed grooves  201   b  formed to the bottom surface  201   a.    
         [0050]     As described above, force can be effectively used to separate the contact surface  201   a  from the LSI package  500  by turning the insertion members  222  also in the heat sink  2  of the second embodiment. Further, since the thickness of the extreme ends of the insertion members  222  permits them to fill the recessed grooves  201   b  formed to the bottom surface  201   a , formation of a gap between the bottom surface  201   a  and the LSI package  500  can be prevented. Thus, according to the heat sink  2  of the second embodiment, time and effort for removing the heat sink  2  from the LSI package  500  can be reduced while suppressing deterioration of the heat absorption capability thereof. Further, according to the heat sink  2  of the second embodiment, since the insertion members  222  are arranged integrally with the main body  20  even after the heat sink  2  is removed from the LSI package  500 , the heat sink  2  can be simply mounted on an LSI package thereafter.  
         [0051]     Next, an embodiment common to a second heat sink of the present invention and a second information processing device of the present invention will be explained.  
         [0052]      FIG. 4  is a schematic configurational view of the heat sink of a third embodiment.  
         [0053]     Part (a) of  FIG. 4  shows that a heat sink  3  of the third embodiment is disposed on an LSI package  500 , an insertion member  322  is inserted into a recessed groove  301   b  formed to the bottom surface  301   a  of a plate  301  fixed to the bottom surface of a main body  30 , and screws  110  are screwed thereinto and tightened.  
         [0054]     Part (b) of  FIG. 4  shows the insertion member  322  extracted by removing the screws  110  tightened in Part (a) of  FIG. 4 .  
         [0055]     Part (c) of  FIG. 4  shows a case in which the heat sink  3  shown in Part (a) of  FIG. 4  is observed from the bottom surface thereof.  
         [0056]     In the heat sink  3  of the third embodiment, the adhesion of the plate  301  with the LSI package  500  due to solidified grease and the like can be partly broken by extracting the insertion member  322  when the heat sink  3  is removed from the LSI package  500 . Further, since the thickness of the insertion members  322  permits them to fill the recessed groove  301   b  formed to the bottom surface  301   a , formation of a gap between the bottom surface  301   a  and the LSI package  500  can be prevented. Thus, according to the heat sink  3  of the third embodiment, time and effort for removing the heat sink  3  from the LSI package  500  can be reduced while suppressing deterioration of the heat absorption capability thereof.  
         [0057]      FIG. 5  is a view showing an alternate aspect of the first embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0058]     Part (b) of  FIG. 5  shows a state in which a torsion spring  421  as a twist spring is used in place of the coil spring  121  as a tension spring used in  FIG. 1 , thereby the insertion members  122  are subjected to urging force in a direction in which they are accommodated in the recessed grooves  101   b  (refer to  FIG. 1 ) as shown in Part (a) of  FIG. 5 .  
         [0059]     Even in the aspect of  FIG. 5 , force can be effectively used to separate the bottom surface  101   a  from the LSI package  500  by turning the insertion members  122  abutted against the LSI package. Thus, according to the heat sink  1  of the aspect, time and effort for removing the heat sink from the LSI package can be reduced while suppressing deterioration of the heat absorption capability thereof. Further, according to the heat sink  1  of the aspect, since the insertion members  122  remain on the main body  10  even after the heat sink  1  is removed from the LSI package, the heat sink  1  can be simply mounted on an LSI package thereafter.