Patent Publication Number: US-2012024495-A1

Title: Heat dissipation apparatus

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to a heat dissipation apparatus. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Finned heat sinks have been found to be particularly effective for transferring heat through conduction from a heat-generating component such as a semiconductor chip and rapidly dissipating such heat to the environment. However, in the past, various means used to attach a heat sink to the heat-generating component does not allow the heat sink to be in intimate thermal contact with the heat-generating component. As a result, it is difficulty to remove heat generated by the heat-generating component. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the present embodiments can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present embodiments. Moreover, in the drawings, all the views are schematic, and like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded, isometric view of an exemplary embodiment of a heat dissipation apparatus. 
         FIG. 2  is an enlarged, isometric view of a fastener of the heat dissipation apparatus of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is an assembled, isometric view of the heat dissipation apparatus of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a side plan view showing the heat dissipation apparatus of  FIG. 3  fixed to a circuit board. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present disclosure, including the accompanying drawings, is illustrated by way of examples and not by way of limitation. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean at least one. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , an exemplary embodiment of a heat dissipation apparatus  1  includes a heat sink  10 , a resilient pressing member  20 , and two fasteners  30 . 
     The heat sink  10  includes an elongated, thermal-conductive base  12 , and a plurality of thermal-conductive fins  14  extending substantially perpendicularly from a top of the base  12 . A receiving groove  142  is transversely defined in the fins  14  and extends along the length direction of the base  12 . Two support portions  16  are respectively formed at opposite ends of the base  12 . A fixing hole  162  is defined in each support portion  16 . 
     The pressing member  20  includes an abutting portion  22 , and two locking portions  24  respectively extending from opposite ends of the abutting portion  22 . The abutting portion  22  is substantially arc-shaped, with the opposite ends of the abutting portion  22  tilted relative to a center of the abutting portion  22 . Each locking portion  24  is substantially V-shaped. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , each fastener  30  includes a columnar body  32  and a catch  34  extending from a first end of the body  32 . A latching hole  322  is radially defined in a second end of the body  32  opposite to the first end, corresponding to one locking portion  24  of the pressing member  20 . The catch  34  is hollowed to be readily flexed. Two opposite cutouts  36  are defined in a conjunction of the body  32  and the catch  34 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , in assembly, the locking portions  24  of the pressing member  20  are respectively latched in the latching holes  322  of the fasteners  30 , and the pressing member  20  is received in the receiving groove  142  of the heat sink  10 . When the catches  34  of the fasteners  30  are in alignment with the fixing holes  162  of the corresponding support portions  16  of the heat sink  10 , the catches  34  are urged to extend through the corresponding fixing holes  162 . Thus, the abutting portion  22  of the pressing member  20  is substantially positioned at a center of the top of the base  12  of the heat sink  10 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , in mounting the heat dissipation apparatus  1  to a circuit board  40  for transferring heat from a heat-generating component  42  mounted on the circuit board  40 , the catches  34  of the fasteners  30  are in alignment with two through holes  44  defined in the circuit board  40 . The catches  34  are urged again to be resiliently flexed and inserted in the corresponding through holes  44 . Meanwhile, the abutting portion  22  of the pressing member  20  is stretched to be resiliently flexed by the locking portions  24 , which are latched in the latching holes  322  of the fasteners  30 . 
     Thus, the abutting portion  22  abuts against the center of the top of the base  12  to urge a center of a bottom of the base  12  to be in intimate thermal contact with the heat-generating component  42 . 
     When the catches  34  extend through the corresponding through holes  44 , the catches  34  are restored to catch the circuit board  40 . Sides bounding the though holes  44  are respectively held in the corresponding cutouts  36 . Thus, the heat sink  10  is firmly secured to the circuit board  40 , with the center of the bottom of the base  12  in intimate thermal contact with the heat-generating component  42 , for quickly and efficiently dissipating heat from the heat-generating component  42 . 
     It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the embodiments have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the embodiments, the present disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in details, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the embodiments to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.