System with stepped three dimensional profile and venting

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9681572-B2
Application number	US-201514674388-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 31, 2015
Priority date	Mar 31, 2015
Publication date	Jun 13, 2017
Grant date	Jun 13, 2017

Abstract

A system and method are provided that comprise a circuit board including one or more processors and a chassis that holds the circuit board. The chassis includes a card receptacle that receives an electronics card. The electronics card comprises a card circuit board having electronic components including one or more processors. The card circuit board has a chassis loading end. A heat sink is provided on the circuit board and thermally coupled to one or more electronic components to dissipate heat therefrom. The heat sink has a three-dimensional envelope having a stepped end profile relative to the chassis loading end. Vent openings are provided in shielding of the electronics card for airflow from the electronics card.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a main circuit board including one or more main processors; and
a chassis that holds the main circuit board, the chassis including a card receptacle having an interior envelope with a non-uniform shape as viewed from a loading direction, the non-uniform shape defined at least in part by a boundary constraint with respect to an interfering three-dimensional (3D) region that is allocated to receive another electronic component; and
an electronics card to be loaded along the loading direction into the card receptacle, the electronics card comprising:
a card circuit board having electronic components that include one or more processors, the electronic components accessible by the one or more main processors, the card circuit board having a chassis loading end; and
a heat sink provided on the card circuit board and thermally coupled to the electronic components to dissipate heat therefrom, wherein the heat sink has a three-dimensional (3D) envelope having a stepped end profile as viewed from the chassis loading end, the stepped end profile shaped and dimensioned to match the non-uniform shape of the interior envelope of the card receptacle.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the stepped end profile includes first and second lateral sections extending different first and second heights above the card circuit board, the first and second lateral sections separated from one another along a stepped edge extending in a direction corresponding to a longitudinal axis of the card circuit board, the longitudinal axis extending from the chassis loading end to a connector mating end of the card circuit board.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the heat sink includes first and second block sections separated by a stepped edge extending in a direction of a longitudinal axis of the card circuit board, the longitudinal axis extending from the chassis loading end to a connector mating end of the card circuit board.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the first and second block sections of the heat sink have different first and second heights extending upward from the card circuit board to form the stepped end profile along a top perimeter of the heat sink.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the electronic components include input/output (I/O) conversion circuitry and the electronics card further comprises a board connector that includes a receptacle to mate with the main circuit board in the chassis.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the board connector mates with the main circuit board in the chassis in a planar arrangement such that the card circuit board and the main circuit board are generally aligned in a common plane.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the electronics card further comprises electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding provided on the card circuit board, the EMI shielding including vent openings that are positioned to align with vent apertures in the chassis.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the chassis includes a shroud surrounding the card receptacle, the shroud including vent apertures, the electronics card positioned to engage the shroud with the vent openings aligned with the vent apertures in the shroud when the electronics card is loaded into the card receptacle.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising one or more receptacle ports located at a connector mating end of the main circuit board and an electromagnetic interference (EMI) isolation shell including a bottom shielding layer located proximate to the main circuit board, the EMI isolation shell including an EMI cage at least partially surrounding the one or more receptacle ports.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the main circuit board and chassis represent a server and the electronics card represents an input/output card.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the 3-D envelope corresponds to an outer perimeter of the heat sink when viewed from the chassis loading end.

12. A method, comprising:
providing a main circuit board including one or more processors in a chassis that includes a card receptacle having an interior envelope with a non-uniform shape as viewed from a loading direction, the non-uniform shape defined at least in part by a boundary constraint with respect to an interfering three-dimensional (3D) region that is allocated to receive another electronic component; and
providing an electronics card, the electronics card comprising a card circuit board having electronic components including one or more processors, the card circuit board having a chassis loading end;
providing a heat sink on the card circuit board and thermally coupling the heat sink to the electronic components to dissipate heat therefrom; and
forming the heat sink with a three-dimensional (3D) envelope having a stepped end profile as viewed from the chassis loading end, the stepped end profile shaped and dimensioned to match the non-uniform shape of the interior envelope of the card receptacle.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the stepped end profile includes first and second lateral sections extending different first and second heights above the circuit board, the first and second lateral sections separated from one another along a stepped edge extending in a direction corresponding to a longitudinal axis of the circuit board, the longitudinal axis extending from the chassis loading end to a connector mating end of the card circuit board.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the forming includes forming the stepped end profile to include a 3D perimeter having a nonrectangular profile when viewed from the chassis loading end.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising shaping the stepped end profile of along a 3D perimeter of the electronics card to satisfy boundary constraints that define an interior envelope of the card receptacle.

16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising providing ventilation airflow for the electronics card through the chassis.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising providing electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding on the electronics card with vent openings through the EMI shielding, the vent openings aligning with vent apertures in the chassis for the ventilation airflow.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein the 3-D envelope corresponds to an outer perimeter of the heat sink when viewed from the chassis loading end.

19. An electronics card, comprising:
a circuit board having electronic components thereon, the electronic components including one or more processors, the circuit board having a chassis loading end; and
a heat sink provided on the circuit board and thermally coupled to one or more electronic components to dissipate heat therefrom, wherein the heat sink has a three-dimensional (3D) envelope having a stepped end profile, as viewed from the chassis loading end, that is shaped and dimensioned to match a non-uniform shape of an interior envelope of a card receptacle as viewed from a loading direction.,
wherein the stepped end profile includes first and second lateral sections extending different first and second heights above the circuit board, the first and second lateral sections separated from one another along a stepped edge extending in a direction corresponding to a longitudinal axis of the circuit board, the longitudinal axis extending from the chassis loading end to a connector mating end of the card circuit board.

20. The electronics card of claim 19 , further comprising electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding provided on the circuit board, the EMI shieldi

Assignees

• Lenovo Singapore Pte Ltd
• Lenovo Singapore Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Artman Paul
• Junkins Andrew Thomas
• Samper Rodrigo

Classifications

• H05K7/1487 Primary

  Blade assemblies, e.g. blade cases or inner arrangements within a blade · CPC title

• G06F1/18

  Packaging or power distribution · CPC title

• G06F1/185

  Mounting of expansion boards · CPC title

• G06F1/20

  Cooling means · CPC title