Patent Publication Number: US-2009219690-A1

Title: Heat sink capable of external deflection

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to heat sinks, and more particularly, to a heat sink capable of external deflection. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     General electronic components generate high heat in operation and if the temperature of the electronic components is too high, the electronic product having the overheated electronic components will fail to function normally. Thus, the general electronic product is provided with a heat sink for keeping the electronic components working in stable operating temperature. 
     A general heat sink includes a bottom plate, a fin set mounted to the bottom plate, and a cooling fan mounted to the fin set. The bottom plate is mounted to an electronic component in need of thermal dissipation, such that the heat generated by the electronic component can be transferred to the bottom plate and the fin set. When the cooling fan is operated, the airstream is generated to take the heat away from the fin set, thus thermally dissipating the electronic component. 
     However, the efficiency of thermal dissipation has been required higher and higher and thus the above-mentioned heat sink becomes relatively larger and larger. When the heat sink is mounted to the electronic component in need of thermal dissipation, the heat sink structurally interferes with the thermal dissipation of other electronic components located around that one and the heat sink, such that the whole heat-dissipating area becomes smaller and the overall efficiency of the thermal dissipation becomes lower. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a heat sink capable of external deflection, whose heat-dissipating range is relatively larger and whose overall heat-dissipating efficiency is relatively higher. 
     The foregoing objective of the present invention is attained by the heat sink composed of a heat-dissipating member, a cooling fan, and a deflector. The heat-dissipating member includes an entrance side and an exit side. The cooling fan is mounted at the entrance side of the heat-dissipating member. The deflector includes at least one inlet, at least one outlet, and at least one passage in communication with the at least one inlet and outlet. The deflector is mounted to the heat-dissipating member in such a way that each of the at least one inlet is close to the entrance side, each of the at lease one passage extends to an external side of said exit side, and each of the at least one outlet faces a lower side of the heat-dissipating member. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an elevation view of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a rear view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded view of a part of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the structure of the deflector. 
         FIG. 6  is another exploded view of a part of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the structure of the deflector. 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention applied to a motherboard. 
         FIG. 8  is an exploded view of a part of a second preferred embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the structure of the deflector. 
         FIG. 9  is another exploded view of a part of the second preferred embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the structure of the deflector. 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the second preferred embodiment of the present invention applied to a motherboard. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-4 , a heat sink  10  capable of external deflection in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention is composed of a bottom plate  12 , a heat-dissipating member  20 , a cooling fan  30 , and a deflector  40 . Each of the bottom plate  12  and the heat-dissipating member  20  is made of heat-conductive material. The heat-dissipating member  20  includes a plurality of fins parallel spaced from one another, defining an entrance side  22  and an exit side  24 . 
     The cooling fan  30  and the heat-dissipating member  20  are connected with each other via a strut  26 . The cooling fan  30  is located at the entrance side  22  for generating and driving the airstream to pass through the heat-dissipating member  20  from the entrance side  22  to the exit side  24 . The strut  26  has a rear retaining member  27  located below the exit side  24  for forcing a part of the airstream flowing to the exit side  24  to flow toward a lower side of the heat-dissipating member  20 , thus effecting the wind deflection. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the deflector  40  includes a plurality of fin-shaped base members  41 . Each of the fin-shaped base members  41  has a first short side  42 , a second short side  43 , a first long side  44 , and a second long side  45 . A stopper  46  is mounted on each of the adjacent first long and second short sides  44  and  43  and on where each of the second long sides  45  is close to the first short side  42 . The fin-shaped base members  41  of the deflector  40  are combined in a way of being parallel spaced from one another, such that the stoppers  46  are apposed one another at a top side of the deflector  40  and a part of a bottom side of the same. A passage  47  is formed between each two adjacent base members  41 , defining an inlet  48  and an outlet  49 . Each of the inlets  48  is located at the first short side  42  of the base member  41 . Each of the outlets  49  is located at where the second long side  45  is close to the second short side  43 . The deflector  40  is mounted between the base plate  12  and a bottom side of the heat-dissipating member  20 . Each of the inlets  48  is close to the entrance side  22 . Each of the passages  47  extends to an external side of the exit side  24 , such that each of the outlets  49  faces the bottom plate  12 . Two heat pipes  50  are mounted between the heat-dissipating member  20  and the deflector  40 , each having two penetrative sections  52  and an intermediate section  54  located between the two penetrative sections  52 . The two penetrative sections  52  are mounted to the heat-dissipating member  20  in a way of passing by two sides of the deflector  40 . The intermediate section  54  is located between the heat-dissipating member  20  and the bottom plate  12  for enhancing the overall heat-dissipating efficiency of the heat sink  10 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , when the heat sink  10  is mounted to a motherboard  60 , the bottom plate  12  contacts against a surface of a central processing unit (CPU). High heat generated by the CPU in operation can be dissipated outside in such a way that the bottom plate  12  is thermally conductive and the airstream generated by the cooling fan  30  in operation flows through the heat-dissipating member  20 . The airstream of the cooling fan  30  is guided into each of the inlets  48  of the deflector  40 , in addition to the heat-dissipating member  20 , and then flows through each of the passages  47  to each of the outlets  49 . In this way, the airstream can flow out of the surface of the motherboard  60  and right toward electronic components around the CPU to take high heat generated by those electronic components to the external environment, thus effecting the thermal dissipation on the whole. 
     In addition, the deflector of the present invention can be interchanged by an alternative element as recited below. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 8-10 , a heat sink  70  capable of external deflection in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention is similar to the heat sink  10  of the first embodiment, having the following difference. Each of the base members  72  of the deflector  71  includes a hollowed portion  75  recessed toward the first long side  74  from the second long side  73 , such that the outlets  76  of the deflector  71  are located at the hollowed portions  75 . When the airstream generated by the cooling fan  77  flows out of the outlets  76 , the airstream can be interfered by the stoppers  79  at the second short sides  78  and then cooperate with the hollowed portions  75  to generate greater wind resistance. In this way, the airstream flows closer to an internal side of the heat-dissipating member  80  to also thermally dissipate electronic components closest to the periphery of the heat sink  70 . 
     Although the present invention has been described with respect to specific preferred embodiments thereof, it is no way limited to the details of the illustrated structures but changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims.