Patent ID: 8225854

Claim:
A cooling unit for cooling a heating element that generates heat, the cooling unit comprising: a plurality of heat sinks, each of the heat sinks comprising: a heat transfer vessel having a heating element mounting surface for mounting of the heating element and at least one internal channel including a going channel and a returning channel for fluid flow of a cooling fluid; a header for distribution connected for fluid flow to a cooling fluid inlet of the heat sink and to the going channel of the internal channel; and a header for confluence connected for fluid flow to a cooling fluid outlet of the heat sink and to the returning channel of the internal channel, wherein the going channel and the returning channel lie on a common plane located within the heat transfer vessel, the header for distribution and the header for confluence extend parallel to each other and are located on a first side of the common plane, side-by-side each other, and in direct contact with each other, with one of the header for distribution and the header for confluence being disposed in contact with an end of the heat transfer vessel, so that the one of the header for distribution and the header for confluence that is in contact with the end of the heat transfer vessel is sandwiched by the end of the heat transfer vessel and the other of the header for distribution and the header for confluence, one of the header for distribution and the header for confluence, as a first header, is positioned nearer to the internal channel than is the other of the header for distribution and the header for confluence, the other of the header for distribution and the header for confluence being a second header, the first header is connected for fluid flow to the internal channel through a first connecting channel, the second header is connected for fluid flow to the internal channel through a second connecting channel, the second connecting channel extends from the second header to the internal channel, adjacent the first header, without being connected for fluid flow to the first header, and the internal channel is located on the first side of the common plane; a single cooling fluid inlet and a single cooling fluid outlet; a first connecting opening connecting the headers for distribution of the plurality of heat sinks for fluid flow; and a second connecting opening connecting the headers for confluence of the plurality of heat sinks for fluid flow, wherein the single cooling fluid inlet is disposed on only one of the headers for distribution of the headers for distribution of the plurality of heat sinks, the single cooling fluid outlet is disposed on only one of the headers for confluence of the headers for confluence of the plurality of heat sinks, and the internal channels within the respective heat transfer vessels of the plurality of heat sinks are in fluid communication with each other.