Patent ID: 8837151

Claim:
A thermally-conductive interface assembly comprising a perforated thermally-conductive sheet having first and second sides and one or more perforations extending through the perforated thermally-conductive sheet from the first side to the second side, the perforated thermally-conductive sheet sandwiched between first and second layers of thermal interface material, which comprises non-phase change gap filler that is conformable to mating surfaces such that the first and second layers of thermal interface material are respectively conformable to one of the mating surfaces of at least one heat generating component of an electronic device and one of the mating surfaces of a heat dissipating member, wherein each of the first and second layers of thermal interface material has a layer thickness greater than a thickness of the perforated thermally-conductive sheet; wherein: the perforated thermally-conductive sheet comprises a flexible graphite sheet; and the thermal interface material comprises thermally-conductive polymer that encapsulates the flexible graphite sheet, covers the one or more perforations, and forms a polymer-to-polymer bond through the one or more perforations, whereby the polymer-to-polymer bond helps mechanically bond the first and second layers to the flexible graphite sheet and helps provide heat conduction between the first and second layers.