Heat dissipation device

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a heat dissipation device for electronic components, and particularly to a heat dissipation device for a central processing unit with a plurality of electronic components located therearound.

[0003] 2. Related Art

[0004] Electronic devices such as central processing units (CPUs) generate a lot of heat during normal operation. This can deteriorate their operational stability and damage associated electronic devices. Thus the heat must be removed quickly to ensure normal operation. A heat dissipation device is often attached to a top surface of a CPU, to remove heat therefrom.

[0005] A conventional heat dissipation device comprises a rectangular base and a plurality fins arranged on the base. The base is made of copper and the fins are made of aluminium. The base is used to contact a CPU for transferring heat from the CPU to the fins. A fan is often attached on the heat sink for enhancing heat dissipation efficiency of the heat dissipation device. The base has a large surface for allowing more fins to mount thereon to improve heat dissipation efficiency of the heat dissipation device. However, this kind of base is prone to interfere with other electronic components of a printed circuit board around the CPU since the base is close to the printed circuit board. Thus, the other electronic components must be removed away from the base to another location on the printed circuit board, thereby wasting space of the printed circuit board under the base. Furthermore, the base has only a small area contact the CPU. The other area of the base is far from the CPU and cannot efficiently transfer heat from the CPU to the fins.

[0006] Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a heat dissipation device which will not waste space of a printed circuit board.

[0007] Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a heat dissipation device which can efficiently dissipate heat from an electronic component.

[0008] To achieve the above-mentioned objects, a heat dissipation device in accordance with the present invention comprises a mounting plate for mounting the heat dissipation device to a heat generating component, a heat sink, a core, and a fan mounted on the heat sink. The heat sink locates above the mounting plate and comprises a hollow cylinder and a plurality of fins extending outwardly from the cylinder. The core comprises a base for contacting the heat generating component and a post extending from the base through the mounting plate to be received in the cylinder thereby sandwiching the mounting plate between the base and heat sink. The mounting plate is spaced from the circuit board to allow the capacitors to locate between the mounting plate and the circuit board. The mounting plate defines a plurality of openings for providing access for cooled air from the fan to the heat generating component.

[0009] Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will be drawn from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the present invention with attached drawings, in which:

[0013] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a heat dissipation device in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a fan 1, a radiator 2, a back plate 6 and a plurality of fasteners 7. The fan 1 is for being attached on the radiator 2 and comprises a rectangular frame 14 and a plurality of vanes 18 installed in a central opening of the frame 14. The frame 14 defines four through holes 16 in four corners thereof.

[0014] The radiator 2 comprises a heat sink 20, a rectangular mounting plate 21, and a core 25. The heat sink 20 comprises a central cylinder 202 defining a through aperture 203 therein, and a plurality of spaced curviform fins 204 extending radially from the cylinder 202. Four screw holes 201 are defined in free ends of four fins 204 for engaging with four screws 12 which extend through the through holes 16 of the fan 1, respectively. The mounting plate 21 defines a through aperture 24 in a center thereof, and four through openings 23 surrounding the through aperture 24 for guiding cooled air flow from the fan 1 to a Central Processing Unit (CPU) 4 mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB) 3. Four mounting holes 22 are defined in four corners of the mounting plate 21. The core 25 comprises a base 26 and a pole 27 extending upwardly from a center of the base 26. A diameter of the pole 27 of the core 25 is slightly larger than a diameter of the through aperture 203 of the heat sink 20. In assembly of the radiator 2, the pole 27 of the core 25 extends through the through aperture 24 of the mounting plate 21 to enter the through aperture 203 of the heat sink 20. The pole 27 is interferentially received in the through aperture 203. The radiator 2 is therefore assembled together. In an alternative embodiment, the pole 27 of the core 25 can be fixedly received in the through aperture 203 by welding or the other fastening means. The pole 27 may be a hollow heat pipe filled with coolant, or a solid metal rod made from copper or aluminum etc.

[0015] The PCB 3 further comprises a plurality of electronic components 31, such as capacitors, on opposite sides of the CPU 4. Four through holes 32 are defined in four corners of the PCB 3.

[0016] Referring to FIG. 2, the back plate 6 is for being attached below the PCB 3. The back plate 6 comprises a body 60 defining an opening 64 in a center thereof, and four hollow posts 61 extending upwardly from four corner portions of the body 60. Each post 61 defines inner threads in an inner surface thereof. An annular groove 62 is defined in an outer surface of each post 61 receiving a locking ring 63 therein after the post 61 extends through a corresponding through hole 32 of the PCB 3 thereby pre-assembling the back plate 6 to the PCB 3. An insulative plate 5 may be sandwiched between the PCB 3 and the back plate 6 for insulating the PCB 3 and the back plate 6. The insulative plate 5 defines four through holes 52 corresponding to the through holes 32 of the PCB 3.

[0017] Referring to FIG. 1 again, the fasteners 7 each comprises a bolt 72, a spring 77, and a locking ring 78. The bolt 72 defines outer threads in a bottom portion thereof corresponding to the inner threads of a corresponding post 61 of the back plate 6. An annular groove 76 is defined in the bolt 72 corresponding to a corresponding locking ring 78. The locking ring 78 comprises a through hole in a center thereof and a plurality of teeth around the hole.

[0018] Referring to FIG. 3, in assembly, the fan 1 is mounted on the heat sink 20 of the radiator 2 by the screws 12 which extend through the through holes 16 of the fan 1 to engage in the screw holes 201 of the heat sink 20. The combined fan 1 and radiator 2 is then placed on the CPU 4 with the base 26 contact the CPU 4. The bolts 72 extend sequentially through the springs 77, the mounting holes 22 of the mounting plate 21, the locking rings 78 to engage with the posts 61, respectively. The locking rings 78 are received in the annular grooves 76 of the bolts 72 and abut a bottom surface of the mounting plate 21, for preventing the bolts 72 disengaging from the posts 61. The heat dissipation device is thus assembled to the PCB 3.

[0019] In operation, cooled air flow from the fan 1 passes through air passages between the fins 204 of the heat sink 20, the through openings 23 of the mounting plate 21 to blow to the CPU 4 and the other electronic components 31 adjacent the CPU 4.

[0020] In the present invention, the base 26 of the core 25 contact the CPU 4. A distance between the mounting plate 21 and the PCB 3 is equal to a thickness of the base 26 plus a thickness of the CPU 4. Thus, a larger space exists between the mounting plate 21 and the PCB 3 to allow the other electronic components 31 to be accommodated therein. Therefore, less space of the PCB 3 is waste below the mounting plate 21.

[0021] It is understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms without departing from the spirit thereof. Thus, the present example and embodiment is to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein.