Heat dissipative air guide

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9402332-B2
Application number	US-201414283743-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 21, 2014
Priority date	May 21, 2014
Publication date	Jul 26, 2016
Grant date	Jul 26, 2016

Abstract

An improved shielding cage assembly that utilizes air guides is disclosed. The shielding cage has a hollow interior configured to receive an electronic module therein which generates heat during operation. An air guide member is provided that defines an entry for surrounding air to enter the shielding cage interior and circulate around the electronic module. A thermal transfer member is provided that defines at least one exit passage for the air in the interior of the shielding cage to exit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A shielding cage comprising:
a conductive cage body including a plurality of walls that cooperatively define a hollow interior module-receiving bay which is configured to receive an electronic module therein, the cage body further including an opening through which the electronic module may be inserted or removed from the module-receiving bay;
an air guide for guiding air into the interior of the module-receiving bay, the air guide being disposed on one of the cage body walls, the air guide including at least one hollow entry passage disposed therein, the entry passage communicating at a first end thereof with the surrounding atmosphere, and the entry passage communicating, at a second end thereof, to the interior of the module-receiving bay; and,
a thermal transfer member also disposed on one of the cage body walls, the thermal transfer member including at least one hollow exit passage extending therein, the exit passage communicating at a first end thereof to the interior of the module-receiving bay and the exit passage, communicating, at a second end thereof to the surrounding atmosphere;
whereby the air guide, the module-receiving bay and the thermal transfer member cooperatively define an air flow cooling passage that extends into the shielding cage body and is configured to flow across at least one surface of the electronic module and out of the shielding cage body so as to facilitate removal of heat from the module-receiving bay.

2. The shielding cage assembly of claim 1 , wherein the air guide and thermal transfer members are separate elements.

3. The shielding cage assembly of claim 2 , wherein the shielding cage body includes first and second openings, the shielding cage body first opening communicating with the air guide entry passage second end, and the shielding cage body second opening communicating with the thermal transfer member exit passage first end.

4. The shielding cage assembly of claim 2 , wherein the thermal transfer member includes a bottom contact surface for, in operation, contacting an opposing surface of the electronic module inserted into the module-receiving bay, the bottom contact surface including a recess extending thereon, the recess communicating with the interior of the module-receiving bay and the thermal transfer member exit passage.

5. The shielding cage assembly of claim 1 , wherein the air guide entry passage and the thermal transfer exit passage are angularly disposed with respect to each other.

6. The shielding cage assembly of claim 5 , wherein the air guide entry passage extend in a horizontal direction and the thermal transfer passage extends in a vertical direction.

7. The shielding cage assembly of claim 1 , wherein the air guide includes a plenum communicating with the entry passage second end.

8. The shielding cage assembly of claim 4 , wherein the thermal transfer member includes a plurality of exit passages disposed therein, each of the exit passages including a first end, and the recess interconnects a plurality of the exit passage first ends together.

9. The shielding cage assembly of claim 8 , wherein the air guide entry passage first end is a slot extending transversely with the air guide.

10. The shielding cage assembly of claim 2 , wherein the air guide includes a plurality of entry passages disposed therein.

11. The shielding cage assembly of claim 2 , wherein the thermal transfer member partially projects into the interior of the module-receiving bay such that a bottom surface thereof contacts an opposing surface of the electronic module.

12. The shielding cage assembly of claim 2 , wherein the thermal transfer member is disposed on the cage body such that a bottom surface thereof is spaced apart from an opposing surface of the electronic module.

13. The shielding cage assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cage body includes an inner wall disposed between sidewalls of the cage body, the cage body inner wall dividing the cage body interior into two, hollow module-receiving bays.

14. The shielding cage assembly of claim 12 , further including a second thermal transfer member, each of the two thermal transfer members being associated with a respective module-receiving bay.

15. The shielding cage assembly of claim 12 , wherein the thermal transfer member includes a plurality of exit passages disposed therein and arranged in first and second exit passage arrays, each of the arrays positioned over a respective module-receiving bay.

16. The shielding cage assembly of claim 15 , wherein the thermal transfer member and the air guide are integrated together as a single piece.

17. The shielding cage assembly of claim 1 , wherein the thermal transfer member includes a body portion and a peripheral shoulder portion that extends around the thermal transfer member body portion, the assembly further including a clip that holds the thermal transfer member in place upon the shielding cage body portion.

18. The shielding cage assembly of claim 15 , wherein the exit passages are polygonal in configuration.

19. The shielding cage assembly of claim 15 , wherein the thermal transfer member includes a base portion, and the exit passages are arranged within the thermal transfer member base portion, the thermal transfer member further including a plurality of fins extending outwardly from the base portion between the exit passages, thereby dividing the exit passages into rows of exit passages.

20. The shielding cage assembly of claim 1 , wherein the air flow cooling passage changes direction at least three times.

21. The shielding cage assembly of claim 2 , wherein the thermal transfer member includes a plurality of exit passages, and a plurality of pipes inserted into selected ones of the exit passages.

22. The shielding cage assembly of claim 2 , wherein the air guide entry and thermal transfer exit passages are parallel to each other.

23. The shielding cage assembly of claim 22 , wherein the air guide includes first and second air guide halves, the first and second air guide halves being disposed upon two distinct walls of the shielding cage.

24. The shielding cage assembly of claim 23 , wherein the shielding cage body includes a plurality of module-receiving bays arranged in two rows, one row above the other row, and the thermal transfer member is disposed along a rear portion of the shielding cage, the thermal transfer member including a plurality of exit passage arranged in at least two rows which are aligned with the two rows of module-receiving bays.

25. The shielding cage assembly of claim 1 , wherein the thermal transfer member exit passage has a diameter D, and a length that is at least 3D.

26. A shielding cage assembly, comprising:
a cage body including a plurality of walls that cooperatively define at least two, hollow module-receiving bays, each of which is configured to receive an electronic module therein, each of the module-receiving bays including a front opening through which the electronic modules may be inserted or removed from the module-receiving bays;
an air guide for guiding air into the interior of the module-receiving bays, the air guide being disposed on the cage body and at least one hollow entry passage disposed therein and defining a first path for air from the surrounding atmosphere to enter the interiors of the module-receiving bays; and,
at least one thermal transfer member disposed on the cage body, the thermal transfer

Assignees

• Molex Llc

Inventors

• Mckervey Michael K
• Johnston Michael A
• Jones Eran J

Classifications

• H05K9/0007

  Casings (standardised racks H05K9/0062) · CPC title

• H05K7/20409

  Outer radiating structures on heat dissipating housings, e.g. fins integrated with the housing · CPC title

• H05K9/0041

  Ventilation panels having provisions for screening · 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

• H05K7/20145 Primary

  Means for directing air flow, e.g. ducts, deflectors, plenum or guides · CPC title