Patent ID: 6840308

Claim:
A heat sink assembly for cooling a device using circulating fluid, the heat sink assembly comprising: a housing including at least one housing inlet passage and at least one housing outlet passage; a first cavity disposed in the housing, the first cavity including a first cavity top surface and including a first cavity bottom surface opposed to the first cavity top surface, the first cavity further including a first cavity inlet side adjacent a first cavity inlet and a first cavity outlet side adjacent a first cavity outlet, the first cavity inlet in fluid communication with the at least one housing inlet passage; a plurality of first cavity column members disposed in the first cavity, the first cavity column members connected to and extending from the first cavity bottom surface to proximate the first cavity top surface, the first cavity column members arranged in a plurality of rows such that first cavity column members in a row are staggered with respect to first cavity column members in an adjacent row; a second cavity disposed in the housing, the second cavity including a second cavity top surface and including a second cavity bottom surface opposed to the second cavity top surface, the second cavity further including a second cavity inlet side adjacent to a second cavity inlet and a second cavity outlet side adjacent to a second cavity outlet, the first cavity outlet in fluid communication with the second cavity inlet through an interim connecting fluid path, and the second cavity outlet in fluid communication with the at least one housing outlet passage; and a plurality of second cavity column member disposed in the second cavity, the second cavity column members connected to and extending from the second cavity bottom surface to proximate the second cavity top surface, the second cavity column members arranged in a plurality of rows such that second cavity column members in a row are staggered with respect to second cavity column members in an adjacent row; wherein the first cavity inlet side directly opposes the first cavity outlet side such that fluid passing from the first cavity inlet to the first cavity outlet passes by the first cavity column members, and the first cavity inlet dispenses the flow of fluid along a length of the first cavity inlet side; and the first cavity outlet provides for outlet of the flow of fluid along a length of the first cavity outlet side; and wherein; the first cavity inlet includes a plurality of inlet conduits along the length of the first cavity inlet side; and the first cavity outlet is an elongated aperture extending along a length of the first cavity outlet side.