Temperature responsive thermal bridge

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9841772-B2
Application number	US-201514958137-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 3, 2015
Priority date	Dec 3, 2015
Publication date	Dec 12, 2017
Grant date	Dec 12, 2017

Abstract

A thermal bridge includes a first plate stack, a second plate stack and a temperature responsive actuator. The first plate stack is placed in thermal communication with a first electrical component and has a plurality of first plates. The second plate stack is placed in thermal communication with a second electrical component and has a plurality of second plates interleaved with the first plates. The temperature responsive actuator is coupled to at least one of the first and second plate stacks. The temperature responsive actuator changes shape based on changes in temperature to change the relative positions of the first and second plates. The temperature responsive actuator causes the first and second plates to vary thermal resistance between the first and second electrical components based on the change in relative positions of the first and second plates.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A thermal bridge between first and second electrical components, the thermal bridge comprising:
a first plate stack configured to be placed in thermal communication with the first electrical component, the first plate stack having a plurality of first plates;
a second plate stack configured to be placed in thermal communication with the second electrical component, the second plate stack having a plurality of second plates interleaved with the first plates; and
a temperature responsive actuator coupled to at least one of the first and second plate stacks, the temperature responsive actuator changing shape based on changes in temperature to change relative positions of the first and second plates, the temperature responsive actuator causing the first and second plates to vary thermal resistance between the first and second electrical components based on the change in the relative positions of the first and second plates.

2. The thermal bridge of claim 1 , wherein the first plate stack includes a first base configured to be mounted in direct thermal contact with the first electrical component, the first plates being integral with and extending from the first base, the second plate stack includes a second base configured to be mounted in direct thermal contact with the second electrical component, the second plates being integral with and extending from the second base.

3. The thermal bridge of claim 1 , wherein the first plates are generally parallel and separated by first channels, the second plates being generally parallel and separated by second channels, the second plates being received in the first channels and the first plates being received in the second channels.

4. The thermal bridge of claim 1 , wherein the first and second plates are separated by gaps, the temperature responsive actuator changing sizes of the gaps as the temperature responsive actuator changes shape to vary the thermal resistance between the first and second electrical components.

5. The thermal bridge of claim 1 , wherein the temperature responsive actuator includes a band wrapping around the first and second plate stacks, the band changing shape as the temperature responsive actuator expands and contracts.

6. The thermal bridge of claim 1 , wherein the temperature responsive actuator includes a first member and a second member coupled to the first member, the first member changing shape with respect to the second member based on temperature of the first member and temperature of the second member.

7. The thermal bridge of claim 1 , wherein the first member has a lower coefficient of thermal expansion than the second member.

8. The thermal bridge of claim 1 , wherein the temperature responsive actuator is a bimetal spring having a first member and a second member, the first and second members expanding and contracting at different rates based on changes in temperature of the first and second members.

9. The thermal bridge of claim 1 , wherein the temperature responsive actuator contracts when cooled to compress the first and second plate stacks causing the first and second plates to move closer to each other.

10. The thermal bridge of claim 1 , wherein the temperature responsive actuator contracts when heated to compress the first and second plate stacks causing the first and second plates to move closer to each other.

11. A thermal bridge between first and second electrical components, the thermal bridge comprising:
a first plate stack having a first base and a plurality of first plates extending from the first base, the first plates being separated by first channels, the first base being configured to be placed in thermal communication with the first electrical component;
a second plate stack having a second base and a plurality of second plates extending from the second base, the second plates being separated by second channels, the second base being configured to be placed in thermal communication with the second electrical component, the second plates being received in the first channels and the first plates being received in the second channels such that gaps are defined between the first and second plates; and
a temperature responsive actuator coupled to at least one of the first and second plate stacks, the temperature responsive actuator changing shape based on changes in temperature to cause the first plates and the second plates to change relative positions and change sizes of the gaps to vary thermal resistance between the first and second electrical components.

12. The thermal bridge of claim 11 , wherein the temperature responsive actuator includes a band wrapping around the first and second plate stacks, the band changing shape as the temperature responsive actuator expands and contracts.

13. The thermal bridge of claim 11 , wherein the temperature responsive actuator includes a first member and a second member coupled to the first member, the first member changing shape with respect to the second member based on temperature of the first member and temperature of the second member.

14. The thermal bridge of claim 11 , wherein the first member has a lower coefficient of thermal expansion than the second member.

15. The thermal bridge of claim 11 , wherein the temperature responsive actuator is a bimetal spring having a first member and a second member, the first and second members expanding and contracting at different rates based on changes in temperature of the first and second members.

16. The thermal bridge of claim 11 , wherein the temperature responsive actuator contracts when cooled to compress the first and second plate stacks causing the first and second plates to move closer to each other.

17. The thermal bridge of claim 11 , wherein the temperature responsive actuator contracts when heated to compress the first and second plate stacks causing the first and second plates to move closer to each other.

18. An electronic device comprising:
a first electrical component;
a second electrical component; and
a thermal bridge between the first and second electrical components, the thermal bridge comprising a first plate stack in thermal communication with the first electrical component and a second plate stack in thermal communication with the second electrical component, the first plate stack having a plurality of first plates, the second plate stack having a plurality of second plates interleaved with the first plates, the thermal bridge comprising a temperature responsive actuator coupled to at least one of the first and second plate stacks, the temperature responsive actuator changing shape based on changes in temperature to change relative positions of the first and second plates, the temperature responsive actuator causing the first and second plates to vary thermal resistance between the first and second electrical components based on the change in the relative positions of the first and second plates.

19. The electronic device of claim 18 , wherein the first plates are generally parallel and separated by first channels, the second plates being generally parallel and separated by second channels, the second plates being received in the first channels and the first plates being received in the second channels with gaps therebetween, the temperature responsive actuator changing sizes of the gaps as the temperature responsive actuator changes shape to vary the thermal resistance between the first and second electrical components.

20. The electronic device of claim 18 , wherein the temperature responsive act

Assignees

• Tyco Electronics Corp
• Te Connectivity Corp

Inventors

• Bucher Alan Weir

Classifications

• H05K7/2039 Primary

  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

• H05K7/20

  Modifications to facilitate cooling, ventilating, or heating · CPC title

• G05D23/02 Primary

  with sensing element expanding and contracting in response to changes of temperature (G05D23/13 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04B10/503

  Laser transmitters · CPC title

• H10W40/10 Primary

  Arrangements for heating · CPC title