Adapter cooling apparatus and method for modular computing devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9807905-B2
Application number	US-201514951808-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 25, 2015
Priority date	Nov 25, 2015
Publication date	Oct 31, 2017
Grant date	Oct 31, 2017

Abstract

Disclosed herein are apparatuses and methods for the cooling of electronic components of a COM-Express module using an adapter module to become VITA-59 compliant module. The adapter module operatively and thermally couple to a modular computing device, e.g., the COM-Express compliant module, configured with a conduction-cooled plate to provide an additional path for conducting thermal energy generated from integrated circuit components located on the modular computing device. The adapter module includes dimensions and thicknesses to form a spatial gap between an assembled system having the adapter module, the cooling plate, and the modular computing device and a cooling surface of an external heat sink to which the assembled system couples. The spatial gap relative to the cooling plate provides clearance for the adapter module to elastically deform such that the surfaces of the assembly contacts the heat sink when the assembled system is coupled thereto.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a modular computing device having a form that complies with VITA 59, the modular computing device having interfaces for coupling to a base board, the modular computing device including a circuit board with two opposing mountable surface areas, including a first surface area and a second surface area, for placement of a plurality of integrated circuit (IC) components, wherein when in an assembled configuration with the base board, the circuit board of the modular computing device is stacked with the base board such that the second surface area is proximal to the base board and the first surface is distal to the base board;
a first cooling member comprising a first base structure having a first cooling surface for coupling to a cooling surface of an external heat sink, the first base structure being fixably positioned proximal to the first surface area of the circuit board so as to form direct thermal conduction with surfaces associated with one or more IC components, of the plurality of IC components, mounted on the first surface area of the modular computing device;
a second cooling member comprising a second base structure that is fixably positioned proximal to the second surface area of the circuit board so as to form direct thermal conduction with surfaces associated with one or more IC components, of the plurality of IC components, mounted on the second surface area of the modular computing device, the second member comprising a plurality of side walls extending from the second base structure, each side wall including a second cooling surface and a wall contact surface, wherein when in the assembled configuration with the first cooling member and the modular computing device, each side wall of the second cooling member is proximately positionable with respect to the first cooling member such that the wall contact surface forms direct thermal conduction therewith and such that each of the first cooling surface of the first cooling member and the second cooling surface of the second cooling member forms direct thermal conduction with the cooling surface of the external heat sink; and
a plurality of attachment members to couple the base board of the modular computing component, the first cooling member, and the second cooling member together as a modular assembly, and to couple the modular assembly to the external heat sink,
wherein, prior to the one or more attachment members being coupled to the external heat sink, the modular assembly includes a spatial gap between the first cooling surface of the first base structure of the first member and the cooling surface of the external heat sink when the modular assembly is disposed on the cooling surface of the external heat sink; and
wherein the second base structure of the second member is configured to elastically deform when the one or more attached members are affixed to the external heat sink such that the first cooling surface of the first base structure of the first member directly contacts the cooling surface of the external heat sink.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first cooling surface of the first base structure of the first member substantially spans the first surface area of the modular computing device, and wherein the first cooling surface directly contacts the cooling surface of the external heat sink when the system is in the assembled configuration.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second cooling surface of the second member spans beyond the first cooling surface of the first base structure, and wherein the second cooling surface directly contacts the cooling surface of the external heat sink when the system is in the assembled configuration.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the external heat sink comprises one selected from the group consisting of a chassis, a heat sink, a heat spreader, a heat pipe, a cooling recirculation loop, and a mechanical fan.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second base structure of the second member is configured to elastically deform when the one or more attached members are affixed to the external heat sink such that first cooling surface of the first cooling member aligns with the second cooling surface of the second cooling member to form a contact plane with the cooling surface of the external heat sink.

6. The system of claim 1 , comprising one or more attachment members to couple the base board, modular computing component, first cooling member and second cooling member together as a modular assembly, and to couple the modular assembly to the external heat sink,
wherein, prior to the one or more attachment members being coupled to the external heat sink, the modular assembly includes a spatial gap between the wall contact surface of the second cooling member and the cooling surface of the external heat sink when the modular assembly are disposed on the cooling surface of the external heat sink.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second base structure of the second cooling member has a first maximum thickness and wherein the one or more walls of the second cooling member has a second maximum thickness, and wherein the second maximum thickness is greater than the first maximum thickness.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second base structure and the one or more side walls of the second member form a single continuous structure.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the circuit board of the modular computing device is dimensioned to conform to a Computer-On-Module Express standard.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein, when the first member and second member are in an assembled configuration, the contact surface, of the second base structure positioned proximal to the second surface area of the circuit board, forms a predetermined distance to the contact surface, of the first base structure, positioned proximal to the first surface area of the circuit board.

11. The system of claim 1 , comprising: one or more thermal interface layers formed between the one or more integrated circuits of the circuit board of the modular computing device and the first base structure of the first member.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the modular computing device comprises a multiple-pin terminal connector arranged in an array for coupling to a corresponding multiple-pin terminal connector, the second base structure of the second member comprising one or more apertures for providing a connector termination for the multiple-pin terminal connector of the circuit board.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more apertures of the second base structure is positioned proximal and corresponding to the multiple-pin terminal connector when the second member is mounted with the circuit board.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the integrated circuit (IC) components comprises, at least, one or more processor and memory integrated circuits (ICs).

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein a thermal interface material is applied between the modular computing device and the second base structure.

16. An apparatus for coupling a modular computing assembly to a heat sink, the modular computing assembly having a modular computing device having a form factor that complies with VITA 59 and coupled to a cooling plate, the apparatus comprising:
a base structure, wherein the base structure is proximally positionable to a first surface area of a circuit board of a modular computing device so as to form direct thermal conduction with a first set of one or more IC components mounted on the first surface area of the modular computing device; and
a plurality of si

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Sporer Bernd
• Weinmann Klaus
• Schneider Oleg

Classifications

• G06F1/20 Primary

  Cooling means · CPC title

• H05K7/205

  Heat-dissipating body thermally connected to heat generating element via thermal paths through printed circuit board [PCB] (details of PCBs relating to heat transfer H05K1/0201) · CPC title

• H05K5/0008

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H05K7/20154 Primary

  Heat dissipaters coupled to components · CPC title

• H05K5/13

  assembled by screws · CPC title