Magnetic blocks for thermally coupling cooling component and heat spreader

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11417451-B2
Application number	US-202017073022-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 16, 2020
Priority date	Oct 16, 2020
Publication date	Aug 16, 2022
Grant date	Aug 16, 2022

Abstract

Example implementations relate to an electronic system providing a thermal management of a removable device when connected to a host device of the electronic system. The host device includes a cooling component having a first surface, and a plurality of first blocks of magnetic materials coupled to the cooling component. The removable device includes a heat spreader having a second surface, a plurality of second blocks of magnetic materials coupled to the heat spreader, and a TIM disposed on the second surface. The removable device is detachably connectable to the host device. When the removable device is connected to the host device, and magnetic forces applied by at least one of the first blocks or second blocks to couple respective blocks to each other, the first blocks is aligned with the second blocks such that the first surface is in thermal communication with the second surface through the TIM.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic system comprising:
a host device comprising a cooling component having a first surface, and a plurality of first blocks of magnetic materials coupled to the cooling component; and
a removable device comprising a heat spreader having a second surface, a plurality of second blocks of magnetic materials coupled to the heat spreader, and a first thermal interface material (TIM) disposed on the second surface,
wherein the removable device is detachably connectable to the host device, wherein when the removable device is connected to the host device, and magnetic forces applied by at least one of the plurality of first blocks or the plurality of second blocks to couple respective blocks to each other, the plurality of first blocks is aligned with the plurality of second blocks such that the first surface is in thermal communication with the second surface through the first TIM, and wherein the first surface is a first tapered surface extending between a first end and a second end of the cooling component, wherein the second surface is a second tapered surface extending between a first end and a second end of the heat spreader, and wherein the first and second tapered surfaces are complementary surfaces to one another.

2. The electronic system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of first and second blocks of magnetic materials comprise at least one of a plurality of ferromagnetic blocks or a plurality of magnetic blocks.

3. The electronic system of claim 2 , wherein the removable device further comprises a layer of insulation material disposed on a surface of each of the plurality of ferromagnetic blocks interfacing with a corresponding magnetic block of the plurality of magnetic blocks to form a gap there between the ferromagnetic block and the corresponding magnetic block.

4. The electronic system of claim 2 , wherein the magnetic forces applied by the plurality of magnetic blocks are controllable based on at least one of a size and/or shape of the magnetic block, a grade of the magnetic block, or an arrangement of magnetic poles of the magnetic block.

5. The electronic system of claim 4 , wherein each of the plurality of magnetic block is a non-conventional magnet.

6. The electronic system of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of ferromagnetic blocks comprises a first ferromagnetic block, a second ferromagnetic block, and a third ferromagnetic block, and wherein the plurality of magnetic blocks comprises a first magnetic block, a second magnetic block, a third magnetic block, and a fourth magnetic block.

7. The electronic system of claim 6 , wherein the first and second magnetic blocks are disposed spaced apart from each other and coupled to a first end of the cooling component, wherein the first and second ferromagnetic blocks are disposed spaced apart from each other and coupled to a second end of the cooling component, wherein the third and fourth magnetic blocks are disposed spaced apart from each other and coupled to a second end of the heat spreader, and the third ferromagnetic block is coupled to a first end of the heat spreader.

8. The electronic system of claim 1 , wherein the cooling component is movably coupled to a housing of the host device via a plurality of stand-offs, and wherein when the magnetic forces applied by the at least one of the plurality of first blocks or the plurality of second blocks for coupling to each other, the cooling component moves relative to the plurality of stand-offs and compresses the first TIM in order to establish the thermal communication between the first and second surfaces.

9. The electronic system of claim 1 , wherein the host device further comprises a connector rigidly coupled to the housing, wherein the removable device further comprises a circuit board and one or more electronic components coupled to the circuit board, and wherein a portion of the circuit board is coupled to the connector when the removable device is connected to the host device.

10. The electronic system of claim 9 , wherein the heat spreader further comprises a third surface that is in thermal communication with at least one of another portion of the circuit board and the one or more electronic components via a second TIM, wherein the heat spreader dissipates a waste-heat generated by at least one of the circuit board and the one or more electronic components, to the second surface via the second TIM and the third surface, and wherein the heat spreader transfers the waste-heat to the cooling component through the second surface, the first TIM, and the first surface.

11. The electronic system of claim 1 , wherein the cooling component is at least one of a cold plate or a heat sink.

12. An electronic system comprising:
a host device comprising a cooling component having a first surface, and a plurality of first blocks of magnetic materials coupled to the cooling component,
wherein a removable device is detachably connectable to the host device, wherein the cooling component is movably coupled to a housing of the host device via a plurality of stand-offs, and wherein when the removable device is connected to the host device, and magnetic forces applied by at least one of the plurality of first blocks of magnetic materials or a plurality of second blocks of magnetic materials of the removable device to couple respective blocks to each other, i) the plurality of first blocks is aligned with the plurality of second blocks such that the first surface is in thermal communication with a second surface of a heat spreader of the removable device, through a thermal interface material (TIM) disposed on the second surface, and ii) the cooling component moves relative to the plurality of stand-offs and compresses the TIM in order to establish the thermal communication between the first and second surfaces.

13. The electronic system of claim 12 , wherein each of the plurality of first and second blocks of magnetic materials comprise at least one of a plurality of ferromagnetic blocks or a plurality of magnetic blocks.

14. The electronic system of claim 13 , wherein the removable device further comprises a layer of insulation material disposed on a surface of each of the plurality of ferromagnetic blocks interfacing with a corresponding magnetic block of the plurality of magnetic blocks to form a gap there between the ferromagnetic block and the corresponding magnetic block.

15. The electronic system of claim 13 , wherein the magnetic forces applied by the plurality of magnetic blocks are controllable based on at least one of a size and/or shape of the magnetic block, a grade of the magnetic block, or an arrangement of magnetic poles of the magnetic block.

16. The electronic system of claim 12 , wherein the first surface is a first tapered surface extending between a first end and a second end of the cooling component, wherein the second surface is a second tapered surface extending between a first end and a second end of the heat spreader, and wherein the first and second tapered surfaces are complementary surfaces to one another.

17. An electronic system comprising:
a host device comprising a connector coupled to a housing of the host device, a cooling component having a first surface, and a plurality of first blocks of magnetic materials coupled to the cooling component; and
a removable device comprising a circuit board, one or more electronic components coupled to the circuit board, a heat spreader having a second surface, disposed on at least one of the circuit board or the one or more electronic components, a plurality of second blocks of magneti

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Entpr Dev Lp

Inventors

• Franz John
• Lunsman Harvey J
• Salinas Everett

Classifications

• H01F7/0252 Primary

  PM holding devices (H01F7/021, H01F7/0215, H01F7/0226 take precedence) · CPC title

• H05K7/20772

  within server blades for removing heat from heat source · CPC title

• H05K7/14

  Mounting supporting structure in casing or on frame or rack · CPC title

• H05K7/20445

  the coupling element being an additional piece, e.g. thermal standoff · CPC title

• H05K7/20509

  Multiple-component heat spreaders; Multi-component heat-conducting support plates; Multi-component non-closed heat-conducting structures · CPC title