Floating heat sink for use with a thermal interface material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11700712-B2
Application number	US-202117463106-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 31, 2021
Priority date	Aug 31, 2021
Publication date	Jul 11, 2023
Grant date	Jul 11, 2023

Abstract

A technique and corresponding device to provide for a floating heat sink is disclosed. The technique includes a method that allows for insertion of an electronic component (e.g., an optical transceiver) into a cage that has a pre-installed heatsink. At the beginning phases of insertion, no friction is present between the electronic component and the heatsink. At or very near an insertion end phase (the electronic component is almost fully inserted), an actuator (e.g., roller or button) is impacted to impart a pivot motion via a lever arm to cause lowering of the heatsink toward the electronic component. A thermal interface material (TIM) may therefore be present to establish a thermal coupling between the heatsink and the electronic component. The TIM and heatsink contact the electronic component via a downward motion (caused by the pivot) to provide a nearly frictionless sliding impact to the TIM.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A cage assembly for receiving an electronic component for installation in a compute apparatus, comprising:
a cage defining a first opening on a first end and an internal cavity between a top, a bottom, and two sides, the top defining a second opening and having a top interior surface facing the internal cavity; and
a floating heatsink assembly retained on the cage proximate the second opening, the floating heatsink assembly including:
a lever arm including a first end and a second end;
an actuator structurally engaged to the first end of the lever arm, the actuator includes a roller or a cam;
a heatsink structurally engaged to the second end of the lever arm, the heatsink retained over the second opening and above the top interior surface of the cage; and
a pivot point defining a pivot axis about which the lever arm pivots;
wherein as the electronic component is inserted into the internal cavity, the actuator is activated to pivot the lever arm via pressure on the first end, the lever arm lowering the heatsink toward the electronic component.

2. The cage assembly of claim 1 , wherein a thermal interface material (“TIM”) is attached to a bottom of the heatsink.

3. The cage assembly of claim 2 , wherein the lowering of the heatsink toward the electronic component compresses the TIM between the bottom of the heatsink and a heat dissipating surface of the electronic component.

4. The cage assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cage assembly is rotated 180 degrees and the top of the cage becomes the bottom of the cage.

5. The cage assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cage assembly is rotated 90 degrees and the top of the cage becomes a side of the cage.

6. The cage assembly of claim 1 , wherein the heatsink, retained over the second opening and above the top interior surface of the cage, is retained at a distance tolerance to allow insertion of the electronic component without touching a thermal interface material on a bottom of the heatsink.

7. The cage assembly of claim 1 , wherein a thermal interface material is attached to a heat dissipating surface of the electronic component that aligns with the top interior surface of the cage assembly.

8. The cage assembly of claim 1 , further comprising at least one blind mate connection for the electronic component.

9. A cage assembly comprising:
a cage having four exterior sides surrounding an internal cavity;
a lever arm positioned along one of the four exterior sides of the cage;
an actuator within the internal cavity to cause pivoting of the lever arm, the actuator includes a roller or a cam;
an electronic component fully inserted into the internal cavity and causing actuation of the actuator; and
a heatsink with a thermal interface material (TIM) providing thermal connectivity between the electronic component and the heatsink,
wherein a pressure is provided by the lever arm to force the heatsink to compress the TIM against the electronic component.

10. The cage assembly of claim 9 , wherein upon initiation of removal of the electronic component, the actuator is released thereby reducing the pressure provided by the lever arm.

11. The cage assembly of claim 10 , wherein the pressure provided by the lever arm is reduced to zero when removal of the electronic component passes a point associated with an insertion end phase.

12. A method of providing thermal conductivity between a floating heatsink and an electronic component, the method comprising:
inserting the electronic component into an opening of a cage assembly configured to receive the electronic component within an internal cavity of the cage assembly;
further inserting the electronic component through the opening and into the internal cavity toward a full installation depth;
engaging an actuator with the electronic component and within the internal cavity during an insertion end phase when the electronic component is close to full installation depth, the actuator to initiate a pivot motion, the actuator includes a roller or a cam;
causing pressure on the actuator by continuing the insertion, the pressure continuing the pivot motion via pressure to pivot a lever arm to structurally engage the floating heatsink, the pivot motion moving the floating heatsink toward the electronic component within the internal cavity; and
thermally coupling the floating heatsink and the electronic component through the lowering caused by the pivot motion.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising compressing a thermal interface material (“TIM”) between the floating heatsink and the electronic component as the floating heatsink is lowered.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein during an insertion mid phase preceding the insertion end phase, a gap tolerance is maintained between the TIM and the floating heatsink, the gap tolerance eliminated as the result of the lowering.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the TIM is a paste, a gel, or a pad.

16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising engaging at least one connection for the electronic component during the insertion end phase.

17. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
removing the electronic component from the cage, at least in part, by pulling the electronic component away from a back of the cavity,
wherein upon removal of the electronic component, the actuator initiates a reversal of the pivot motion and allows movement of the lever arm in a direction to cause raising of the floating heatsink away from the electronic component within the internal cavity.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Entpr Dev Lp

Inventors

• Chow Tatt Hoong
• Nguyen Tri Luong
• Tai Mun Hoong

Classifications

• H05K7/2049 Primary

  Pressing means used to urge contact, e.g. springs · CPC title

• H05K7/20418

  the radiating structures being additional and fastened onto the housing · CPC title

• G02B6/4269 Primary

  with heat sinks or radiation fins · CPC title

• G02B6/4261

  Packages with mounting structures to be pluggable or detachable, e.g. having latches or rails · CPC title