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US 11,778,786 B2Granted
Thermal bridge for an electrical component
AssigneeTE Connectivity Solutions GmbH
InventorAlan Weir Bucher
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A thermal bridge includes an upper bridge assembly including upper plates arranged in an upper plate stack and a lower bridge assembly including lower plates arranged in a lower plate stack. Outer ends of the lower plates face and thermally couple to an electrical component. The upper plates and the lower plates are arranged in plate pairs. A spring element forces the upper plates and the lower plates of the plate pairs apart. The upper plates include upper limit tabs and the lower plates include lower limit tabs. The upper limit tabs and the lower limit tabs operate to limit spreading apart of the upper plates and the lower plates against the opening forces of the spring element.
Claims20
A thermal bridge comprising:
- an upper bridge assembly including a plurality of upper plates arranged in an upper plate stack, each upper plate having a front end and a rear end, each upper plate having sides between the front end and the rear end, each upper plate having an inner end and an outer end;
- a lower bridge assembly including a plurality of lower plates arranged in a lower plate stack, each lower plate having a front end and a rear end, each lower plate having sides between the front end and the rear end, each lower plate having an inner end and an outer end, the outer ends of the lower plates configured to face and thermally couple to an electrical component, the sides of the lower plates facing the sides of the upper plates to thermally interface the lower plates with the upper plates;
- a spring element positioned between the upper bridge assembly and the lower bridge assembly, the spring element including an upper spring member engaging the upper plates to bias the upper plates with an opening force generally away from the lower plates, the spring element including a lower spring member engaging the lower plates to bias the lower plates with an opening force generally away from the upper plates;
- wherein the upper plates and the lower plates are arranged in plate pairs, the spring element forcing the upper plates and the lower plates of the plate pairs apart, the upper plates including upper limit tabs, the lower plates including lower limit tabs, the upper limit tabs and the lower limit tabs operating to limit spreading apart of the upper plates and the lower plates against the opening forces of the spring element.
1 more element
A thermal bridge comprising:
- an upper bridge assembly including a plurality of upper plates arranged in an upper plate stack, each upper plate having a front end and a rear end, each upper plate having sides between the front end and the rear end, each upper plate having an inner end and an outer end;
- a lower bridge assembly including a plurality of lower plates arranged in a lower plate stack, each lower plate having a front end and a rear end, each lower plate having sides between the front end and the rear end, each lower plate having an inner end and an outer end, the outer ends of the lower plates configured to face and thermally couple to an electrical component, the sides of the lower plates facing the sides of the upper plates to thermally interface the lower plates with the upper plates;
- a spring element positioned between the upper bridge assembly and the lower bridge assembly, the spring element including an upper spring member engaging the upper plates to bias the upper plates with an opening force generally away from the lower plates, the spring element including a lower spring member engaging the lower plates to bias the lower plates with an opening force generally away from the upper plates;
- and
- a bridge frame having a first side plate at a first side of the thermal bridge and a second side plate at a second side of the terminal bridge, the bridge frame including a spar connecting the first and second side plates, the spar passing through the thermal bridge between the upper plate stack and the lower plate stack;
- wherein the upper plates and the lower plates are arranged in plate pairs, the spring element forcing the upper plates and the lower plates of the plate pairs apart, the upper plates including upper limit tabs, the lower plates including lower limit tabs, the spar being located between the upper limit tabs and the lower limit tabs, the upper limit tabs and the lower limit tabs engaging the spar to limit spreading apart of the upper plates and the lower plates against the opening forces of the spring element.
3 more elements
A thermal bridge comprising:
- an upper bridge assembly including a plurality of upper plates arranged in an upper plate stack, each upper plate having a front end and a rear end, each upper plate having sides between the front end and the rear end, each upper plate having an inner end and an outer end, the upper plates including upper bridge plates and upper spacer plates, the upper bridge plates having upper overlapping regions, wherein each upper bridge plate includes a base, a first bridge portion extending from the base and a second bridge portion extending from the base with an upper gap between the first bridge portion and the second bridge portion of the upper bridge plate, each upper spacer plate including a spacer base and a spacer tab extending from the spacer base;
- a lower bridge assembly including a plurality of lower plates arranged in a lower plate stack, each lower plate having a front end and a rear end, each lower plate having sides between the front end and the rear end, each lower plate having an inner end and an outer end, the lower plates including lower bridge plates and lower spacer plates, the lower bridge plates having lower overlapping regions, the lower plates configured to face and thermally couple to an electrical component, the lower spacer plates being aligned with the upper bridge plates and the lower bridge plates being aligned with the upper spacer plates such that the lower overlapping regions overlap with the upper overlapping regions, the sides of the lower bridge plates thermally interfacing with the sides of the upper bridge plates, wherein each lower bridge plate includes a base, a first bridge portion extending from the base and a second bridge portion extending from the base with a lower gap between the first bridge portion and the second bridge portion of the lower bridge plate, each lower spacer plate including a spacer base and a spacer tab extending from the spacer base;
- and
- a spring element positioned between the upper bridge assembly and the lower bridge assembly, the spring element including an upper spring member engaging the upper plates to bias the upper plates with an opening force in a first biasing direction generally away from the lower plates, the spring element including a lower spring member engaging the lower plates to bias the lower plates with an opening force in a second biasing direction generally away from the upper plates;
- wherein the spacer tab of the lower spacer plate is received in a corresponding upper gap and the spacer tab of the upper spacer plate is received in a corresponding lower gap, the spring element being positioned in the upper gap and the lower gap;
- and
- wherein the upper plates and the lower plates are arranged in plate pairs, the spring element forcing the upper plates and the lower plates of the plate pairs apart, the upper plates including upper limit tabs, the lower plates including lower limit tabs, the upper limit tabs and the lower limit tabs operating to limit spreading apart of the upper plates and the lower plates against the opening forces of the spring element.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.