Storage drive heat sink mounting structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9594409-B1
Application number	US-201514661952-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Mar 18, 2015
Priority date	Mar 18, 2015
Publication date	Mar 14, 2017
Grant date	Mar 14, 2017

Abstract

A heat sink can be used as part of a storage drive to perform multiple functions, both structural and thermodynamic. It can be used as a heat dissipating element and it can be used as the key mechanical mounting structure for storage drives, such as hard disk drives (HDD), and any circuit boards.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A storage device comprising:
at least two drives;
first and second mating members that, when engaged, form an enclosure;
two heat sinks for mounting the at least two drives within the enclosure, each heat sink comprising:
a base having at least two mounting surfaces, each mounting surface configured for mounting one of the at least two drives to the heat sink; and
a plurality of fins extending generally perpendicularly from the base, at least one fin of the plurality of fins extending between two drives of the at least two drives; and

four shock absorbers, each shock absorber connected to one of the two heat sinks and the enclosure to isolate the at least two drives from the enclosure;
wherein each of the two heat sinks are thermally connected to the enclosure and to the at least two drives such that heat from the at least two drives is transferred from the at least two drives to the heat sinks and then to the enclosure.

2. The storage device of claim 1 , further comprising two thermal pads, each thermal pad in contact with one of the two heat sinks and the enclosure to thermally connect the respective heat sink to the enclosure.

3. The storage device of claim 2 , wherein one of the plurality of fins of each of the two heat sinks comprises a plurality of ridges extending along a surface of the fin with a plurality of spaces between adjacent ridges, the thermal pad positioned along said surface such that when fully assembled, the thermal pad is on at least some of the plurality of ridges and in at least some of the plurality of spaces due to the force of the enclosure on the thermal pad, thereby increasing the surface area of contact between the thermal pad and the heat sink.

4. The storage device of claim 1 , wherein the two heat sinks are positioned on opposite sides of the at least two drives.

5. The storage device of claim 4 , wherein the at least one fin of the plurality of fins of each of the two heat sinks that extends between the two drives of the at least two drives, extends towards the respective fin of the other heat sink.

6. The storage device of claim 5 , wherein the at least one fin of the plurality of fins of each of the two heat sinks is shorter than 15% of an overall length of either of the two drives of the at least two drives, thereby allowing airflow between the two drives of the at least two drives.

7. The storage device of claim 1 , wherein each fin of the plurality of fins of each of the two heat sinks is shorter than 15% of an overall length of either of the two drives of the at least two drives, thereby allowing airflow between the two drives of the at least two drives.

8. The storage device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fins on each heat sink comprises three fins on each of the two heat sinks.

9. The storage device of claim 8 , further comprising a printed circuit board (PCB) mounted on the two heat sinks adjacent one of the two drives of the at least two drives and between two of the three fins on each of the two heat sinks.

10. The storage device of claim 9 , wherein one of the two drives of the at least two drives is mounted on the two heat sinks with the PCB on one side of the one of the two drives and the other of the two drives on the opposite side of the one of the two drives and being between two of the three fins on each of two heat sinks.

11. The storage device of claim 1 , wherein each of the at least two drives is not in direct contact with the enclosure.

12. The storage device of claim 1 , wherein each of the at least two mounting surfaces comprises a pair of mounting holes.

13. A storage device comprising:
at least two drives;
first and second mating members that, when engaged, form an enclosure;
a heat sink for mounting the at least two drives within the enclosure, the heat sink comprising:
a base having at least two mounting surfaces, each mounting surface configured for mounting one drive of the at least two drives to the heat sink; and
a fin extending generally perpendicularly from the base and between two drives of the at least two drives; and

a plurality of shock absorbers connected to the heat sink and the enclosure to isolate the at least two drives from the enclosure;
wherein the heat sink is thermally connected to the enclosure and to the at least two drives such that heat from the at least two drives is transferred from the drives to the heat sink and then to the enclosure.

14. The storage device of claim 13 , further comprising a second heat sink, wherein each heat sink is positioned on opposite sides of the at least two drives.

15. The storage device of claim 13 , further comprising a thermal pad in contact with the heat sink and the enclosure to thermally connect the heat sink to the enclosure.

16. The storage device of claim 15 , wherein the heat sink further comprises a plurality of ridges extending along a surface of the fin with a plurality of spaces between adjacent ridges, the thermal pad positioned along said surface such that when fully assembled, the thermal pad is on at least some of the plurality of ridges and in at least some of the plurality of spaces due to the force of the enclosure on the thermal pad, thereby increasing the surface area of contact between the thermal pad and the heat sink.

17. The storage device of claim 16 , wherein the heat sink further comprises a second fin extending generally perpendicularly from the base, wherein the plurality of ridges are on the second fin.

18. A heat sink for stacking multiple drives, the heat sink comprising:
a base having first and second mounting surfaces, one surface for mounting each of two drives to the heat sink; and
first, second and third fins extending generally perpendicularly from the base, wherein:
the first and second fins are spaced to allow a printed circuit board (PCB) to be mounted between them on the heat sink,
the second and third fins are spaced to allow a first drive to be mounted between them on the heat sink at the first mounting surface, and a second drive to be mounted adjacent only the third fin at the second mounting surface, and

the first fin comprises a plurality of ridges extending along a surface of the first fin with a plurality of spaces between adjacent ridges.

19. The heat sink of claim 18 , further comprising a thermal pad positioned on at least some of the plurality of ridges and in at least some of the plurality of spaces.

20. The heat sink of claim 18 , wherein at least one of the first, second and third fins is shorter than an overall length of at least one of the first and second drives, thereby allowing airflow by the at least one of the first and second drives.

Assignees

• Western Digital Tech Inc

Inventors

• Szeremeta Wojciech
• Nguyen Ken
• Chin Kam Cheong

Classifications

• H05K7/2039

  characterised by the heat transfer by conduction from the heat generating element to a dissipating body (arrangements for increasing/decreasing heat-transfer, e.g. fins details, F28F13/00) · CPC title

• G11B33/123

  Mounting arrangements of constructional parts onto a chassis · CPC title

• G11B33/02

  Cabinets; Cases; Stands; Disposition of apparatus therein or thereon · CPC title

• H10W40/43

  by flowing gases, e.g. forced air cooling · CPC title

• G11B33/1406

  Reducing the influence of the temperature · CPC title