Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US7508669?ie=ISO-8859-1&dq=6233389
Timestamp: 2014-11-28 15:49:45
Document Index: 671266387

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 3', 'art 7', 'art 3', 'art 7', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 9', 'art 7', 'arts 7', 'art 7', 'art 3', 'art 3']

Patent US7508669 - Cooling device for an electronic component, especially for a microprocessor - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inAdvanced Patent SearchPatentsA cooling device (1) for an electronic component (3), especially for a microprocessor, includes a heat sink (7, 9), which can be connected to the electronic component (3) to be cooled, such that the waste heat generated by the electronic component (3) is transferred and transported away via a thermal...http://www.google.com/patents/US7508669?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US7508669 - Cooling device for an electronic component, especially for a microprocessorAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS7508669 B2Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 10/566,797PCT numberPCT/DE2004/001361Publication dateMar 24, 2009Filing dateJun 28, 2004Priority dateJul 30, 2003Fee statusPaidAlso published asDE10335197A1, DE10335197B4, DE112004001872D2, DE502004012290D1, EP1649736A2, EP1649736B1, US20070274044, WO2005015970A2, WO2005015970A3Publication number10566797, 566797, PCT/2004/1361, PCT/DE/2004/001361, PCT/DE/2004/01361, PCT/DE/4/001361, PCT/DE/4/01361, PCT/DE2004/001361, PCT/DE2004/01361, PCT/DE2004001361, PCT/DE200401361, PCT/DE4/001361, PCT/DE4/01361, PCT/DE4001361, PCT/DE401361, US 7508669 B2, US 7508669B2, US-B2-7508669, US7508669 B2, US7508669B2InventorsHarald Fonfara, Herbert G�stl, Thorsten Miltkau, Markus Eberl, Ralf MollikOriginal AssigneeLiebert CorporationExport CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (20), Referenced by (11), Classifications (14), Legal Events (3) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetCooling device for an electronic component, especially for a microprocessorUS 7508669 B2Abstract A cooling device (1) for an electronic component (3), especially for a microprocessor, includes a heat sink (7, 9), which can be connected to the electronic component (3) to be cooled, such that the waste heat generated by the electronic component (3) is transferred and transported away via a thermal interface of the electronic component (3) on the heat sink (7, 9). The heat sink (7, 9) comprises a first heat sink part (7), which is formed for connection to the electronic component, and a second heat sink part (9), which is connected detachably to the first heat sink part (7), such that a low heat transfer resistance is given, wherein at least the predominant part of the waste heat is transferred to a coolant via the second heat sink part (9). A rack may store several electronic components (3) to be cooled, wherein each electronic component to be cooled is included in a respective system such as respective server for a data-processing system. The electronic components (3) to be cooled are each equipped with a respective cooling device (1) which carries a flow of a liquid medium.
17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the first projections comprise first ribs extending laterally across the first heat sink part and the second projections comprise second ribs extending laterally across the second heat sink part. Description
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a cooling device using a liquid coolant for cooling an electronic component, especially a microprocessor. In addition, the invention relates to a rack for storing several electronic components, such as servers for data-processing systems.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In large electronic data-processing systems, the individual electronic components, such as, for example, a plurality of servers, are stored in cabinets or racks, in order to guarantee an ordered installation and cabling of the individual components. In addition, the climate is controlled in racks or cabinets for such electronic components that is, the waste power generated by the components in the form of heat energy is dissipated with suitable means. In the following, the term rack is used both for closed cabinets and also for open shelves, in which the individual components are stored. The waste power is generated mainly by electronic parts of the individual components. In modern data-processing systems, the predominant portion of the waste power is generated by microprocessors. The waste power of a processor has been up to now on the order of magnitude of ca. 100 W. Waste power in this range was dissipated with processor fans, that is, a combination of a metallic heat sink and a fan component, from the processor into the interior of the housing of the server or the electronic components, from there into the interior of the (preferably closed) rack, and then to the outside air surrounding the rack. To this is added the waste power in the form of heat discharged from other assemblies and parts of the individual electronic components, such as power supply parts, drives, etc., that is, from a plurality of individual electronic components, which, taken by themselves, definitely discharge a relatively small amount of waste power, so that a separate cooling of these electronic components is not worthwhile, wherein these small waste powers can add up to values from 100 to 150 W and more per electronic component. Therefore, in addition to the processor fans, additional fans are usually necessary in order to dissipate all of the waste heat generated in the housing of the electronic component. For server racks, which can store up to 50 individual servers each possibly with several processors, a total waste power of 10 kW to 12.5 kW per rack is thus already generated.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention starts from the knowledge that, by means of a heat sink, which comprises a first heat sink part, which is formed for connecting to the electronic component, and a second heat sink part, which is connected detachably to the first heat sink part, such that a low resistance to heat transfer is given, wherein at least the predominant portion of the waste heat is transferred via the second heat sink part to a cooling medium, the advantage is achieved that for the first assembly of the cooling device, only the first heat sink part has to be thermally coupled and fixed to the electronic component to the cooled. This can even be performed by the manufacturer of the electronic component at the factory. In addition, the first heat sink part can also be mounted on the electronic component to be cooled by the manufacturer of this component. The first heat sink part can also be integrated with the housing of the electronic component, in particular, it can be connected permanently to this component.
This advantage obviously can be achieved not only with complementary rib-shaped structures, but also very generally with structures which have sub-areas inclined at a suitable angle relative to the direction of the contact force acting on the first heat sink part in the direction towards the first heat sink part. For example, a �hedgehog structure� can be used, in which a plurality of spike-like projections on the bottom side of the second heat sink part interact with a correspondingly complementary structure on the surface of the first heat sink part. The spike-like projections have correspondingly inclined outer surfaces.
Also, only one or more cooling ribs each with at least one channel can be formed, which are located in the region of the so-called �hot spots� of the electronic component to be cooled. Through the one or more ribs and the provision of the channel or channels, such that they lie in the front region of the rib(s), the waste heat can be transferred to the coolant directly in the surroundings in which it is generated.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cooling device embodying the principles of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows a cooling device 1 schematically in a perspective view, which is mounted on an electronic component part 3, for example, a microprocessor. On its side, the microprocessor 3 is arranged on a circuit board 5, which is only hinted at and on which obviously other components or assemblies can also be provided. The circuit board 5 can be, for example, a mainboard of a server. The cooling device 1 comprises a first heat sink part 7 made from a material with good heat conductivity, for example, aluminum or copper, which is connected with good heat conductivity directly to the housing or a thermal interface of the electronic component to be cooled. Here, it can be, for example, a heat sink plate (heat spreader) of a microprocessor or of the electronic component part 3. The first heat sink part 7 has a structure on its side facing away from the component part 3 in the form of ribs 11, which can have a trapezoidal cross section as shown in FIG. 2.
The extent (parallel to the upper surface of the component part 3) of the middle region 17 of the second heat sink part 9 with the ribs 13 is at least as large as the extent of the surface of the first heat sink part 7 with the ribs 11. In this way, for a corresponding arrangement and configuration of the channels 15, an essentially constant heat transfer resistance is achieved in the contact surface of the two heat sink parts 7 and 9�at least along lines parallel to the longitudinal direction of the ribs. A middle region 17 formed in this way also has the advantage that it can be manufactured from a highly precise and economical extrusion molded part. This also applies for the first heat sink part 7.
As shown in FIG. 3, the risers 35 and 37 are formed and connected so that for each electronic component 27 or the cooling devices 1 arranged in the component (more precisely: for the partial flow of the coolant through cooling devices related to this component), the same line length is produced between the supply connection 31 and the return connection 33. This is achieved for the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 such that the actual riser regions of the risers 35, 37 run preferably essentially in parallel and in each case the connections 39 of the supply riser 35 and the return riser 37 are arranged so that the sum of the line length between the supply connection 31 and the related connection 39 of the supply riser 35 and the line length between the related connection 39 of the return riser 37 and the return connection 33 for all the electronic components or all the pairs of �associated� connections 39 of the supply riser 35 and the return riser 37 is essentially constant. If the actual riser regions running in the vertical direction in FIG. 3 for the supply and return risers 35, 37 are parallel, then for this purpose the �associated� connections 39 can be provided essentially at the same height, preferably each at the height, at which the electronic component 27 to be connected is held in the rack 29.
In this way, an essential goal and an essential advantage of the present invention is realized in a simple way, namely creating a cooling device�including a suitable mounting device�in which the cooling device 1 or the second heat sink part can be separated from the first heat sink part in a simple way without requiring direct manipulations of the critical�since it is sensitive�interface between the electronic component part 3 and the cooling device 1. In this way, especially for cooling devices with a liquid coolant, the advantage is achieved that, for example, for maintenance or repair work on the circuit board, for which the circuit board must be removed from the device, the coolant circuit does not have to be separated and also the interface between the component part 3 and the cooling device does not have to be touched or separated.
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