Patent ID: 7460367

Claim:
The method for dissipating thermal energy from an assemblage of conduction-cooled circuit card assemblies each having oppositely disposed edge regions at least one of which is configured for the conductive transfer of thermal energy, comprising the steps: providing a chassis configured having a backplane assembly with connectors for operative connection with said assemblage of conduction cooled circuit card assemblies; providing an assemblage of oppositely disposed conduction rail assemblies located with respect to said backplane assembly having card guide slots to receive the oppositely disposed edge regions of said conduction-cooled circuit card assemblies and retain them in a card pitch defined sequence; locating said assemblage of conduction-cooled circuit card assemblies by positioning the oppositely disposed edge regions of each within a card slot and operatively connecting it with a corresponding backplane assembly connector; compressibly engaging at least one edge region of each conduction-cooled circuit card assembly in conductive thermal transfer relationship with an operationally associated conduction rail assembly, said assemblage of conduction-cooled circuit card assemblies defining a given thermal load conductively transferable to said assemblage of conduction rail assemblies; providing one or more remote heat sink assemblies configured for the transfer of thermal energy to a flow of air and supported by said chassis at a location remote from said thermal load; providing an assemblage of heat pipes mounted with said chassis in thermal transfer relationship between said assemblage of conduction rail assemblies and said one or more remote heat sink assemblies, said assemblage of heat pipes and said one or more remote heat sink assemblies being configured to transfer at least a portion of said thermal load to said one or more remote heat sink assemblies; providing one or more proximate heat sink assemblies configured for the transfer of thermal energy to a flow of air, supported by said chassis at a location or locations establishing a conductive thermal transfer relationship with all or a portion of said assemblage of conduction rail assemblies, said one or more proximate heat sink assemblies and said one or more remote heat sink assemblies being configured in concert to effect the transfer of said thermal load to flowing air; flowing air in thermal transfer relationship with the one or more proximate heat sink assemblies to disperse thermal energy therefrom; and flowing air in thermal transfer relationship with the one or more remote heat sink assemblies to disperse thermal energy therefrom.