Cooling apparatus with a resilient heat conducting member

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9370122-B2
Application number	US-201313738961-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 10, 2013
Priority date	Jan 10, 2013
Publication date	Jun 14, 2016
Grant date	Jun 14, 2016

Abstract

A cooling structure including a thermally conducting central element having a channel formed therein, the channel being configured for flow of cooling fluid there through, a first pressure plate, and a first thermally conductive resilient member disposed between the thermally conducting central element and the first pressure plate, wherein the first pressure plate, the first thermally conductive resilient member, and the thermally conducting central element form a first heat transfer path.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cooling structure comprising:
a thermally conducting central element having a channel formed therein, said channel being configured to pass a flow of cooling fluid there through;
a first pressure plate;
a first thermally conductive resilient member disposed between said thermally conducting central element and said first pressure plate, wherein said first pressure plate, said first thermally conductive resilient member, and said thermally conducting central element form a first heat transfer path, and wherein said first thermally conductive resilient member is joined to each of said thermally conducting central element and said first pressure plate forming a unitary structure; and
an elastomeric material layer applied to a side of said first thermally conductive resilient member, said side extending from said first pressure plate to said thermally conducting central element.

2. The cooling structure of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second pressure plate; and
a second thermally conductive resilient member disposed between said thermally conducting central element and said second pressure plate, wherein said second thermally conductive resilient member is disposed opposite said first thermally conductive resilient member with respect to said thermally conducting central element, and wherein said second pressure plate, said second thermally conductive resilient member, and said thermally conducting central element form a second heat transfer path.

3. The cooling structure of claim 1 , wherein said first thermally conductive resilient member is formed by a folded metal sheet.

4. The cooling structure of claim 1 , wherein said first thermally conductive resilient member applies a force creating contact between said first pressure plate and an external heat source.

5. The cooling structure of claim 1 , wherein said first thermally conductive resilient member applies a force creating contact between said thermally conducting central element and said channel.

6. The cooling structure of claim 1 , wherein said first thermally conductive resilient member applies a force sufficient to maintain a disposition between said first pressure plate and said thermally conducting central element, wherein said first pressure plate is physically connected to an external heat source.

7. The cooling structure of claim 1 , wherein said first thermally conductive resilient member is formed by a stack of metal rings.

8. A computer memory system comprising:
a substrate;
a plurality of electronic modules connected to said substrate, wherein said plurality of electronic modules are disposed parallel relative to one another and perpendicular relative to said substrate; and
a plurality of cooling structures, wherein each of said plurality of cooling structures is disposed between an adjacent pair of said plurality of electronic modules, each of said cooling structures comprising:
a thermally conducting central element having a channel formed therein, said channel being configured to pass a flow of cooling fluid there through;
a first thermally conductive resilient member contacting said thermally conducting central element;
a second thermally conductive resilient member contacting said thermally conducting central element, wherein said second thermally conductive resilient member is disposed opposite said first thermally conductive resilient member with respect to said thermally conducting central element;
a first pressure plate contacting said first thermally conductive resilient member opposite said thermally conducting central element, wherein said first pressure plate, said first thermally conductive resilient member, and said thermally conducting central element form a first heat transfer path away from a first electronic module of said adjacent pair of said plurality of electronic modules;
a second pressure plate contacting said second thermally conductive resilient member opposite said thermally conducting central element, wherein said second pressure plate, said second thermally conductive resilient member, and said thermally conducting central element form a second heat transfer path away from a second electronic module of said adjacent pair of said plurality of electronic modules; and
an elastomeric material layer applied to a side of each of said first thermally conductive resilient member and said second thermally conductive resilient member, said sides extending from respective ones of said first and second pressure plates to said thermally conducting central element.

9. The computer memory system of claim 8 , further comprising a pair of coolant plenums, wherein said plurality of cooling structures are connected between said pair of coolant plenums.

10. The computer memory system of claim 9 , wherein a first coolant plenum of said pair of coolant plenums provides said cooling fluid to said plurality of cooling structures and a second coolant plenum of said pair of coolant plenums receives said cooling fluid from said plurality of cooling structures.

11. The computer memory system of claim 8 , wherein said first thermally conductive resilient member applies a force creating contact between said first pressure plate and said first electronic module.

12. The computer memory system of claim 8 , wherein said second thermally conductive resilient member applies a force creating contact between said second pressure plate and said second electronic module.

13. The computer memory system of claim 8 , wherein said first thermally conductive resilient member and said second thermally conductive resilient member each comprise a respective folded metal sheet.

14. The computer memory system of claim 8 , wherein said first thermally conductive resilient member and said second thermally conductive resilient member each comprise a respective stack of metal rings.

15. The computer memory system of claim 8 , wherein each of said plurality of electronic modules is a Dual Inline Memory Module card.

16. A method of cooling an electronic module comprising:
providing a cooling structure disposed in contact with said electronic module;
providing a cooling fluid flowing through a channel; and
cooling said electronic module by conducting heat of said electronic module through said cooling structure to said cooling fluid flowing through said channel, wherein said cooling further comprises conducting said heat through a unitary structure of said cooling structure comprising a thermally conductive resilient member disposed between a thermally conducting central element and a pressure plate contacting said electronic module and, said unitary structure forming a heat transfer path between said electronic module and said cooling fluid flowing through said channel,
wherein said thermally conductive resilient member comprises an elastomeric material layer affecting a compliance of said thermally conductive resilient member in a direction parallel to said heat transfer path.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein said thermally conductive resilient member comprises a folded metal sheet conducting said heat of said electronic module.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein said thermally conductive resilient member comprises a stack of metal rings conducting said heat of said electronic module.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Chainer Timothy J
• Parida Pritish R
• Schultz Mark D

Classifications

• G06F2203/04108

  Touchless 2D- digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface without distance measurement in the Z direction · CPC title

• G06F2203/04805

  Virtual magnifying lens, i.e. window or frame movable on top of displayed information to enlarge it for better reading or selection · CPC title

• H05K7/20772

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

• H05K7/20009 Primary

  using a gaseous coolant in electronic enclosures (in cabinets of standardized dimensions H05K7/20536; in server cabinets H05K7/20709; in vehicle electronic casings H05K7/20845; in power control electronics H05K7/2089; in displays H05K7/20954) · CPC title

• G06F3/044 Primary

  by capacitive means · CPC title