Retention and cooling of plug-in electronic modules in a high shock and vibration environment

Apparatus for releasably retaining an array of plural electronic modules in thermal and mechanical contact with a frame structure including conduit for passage of a fluid coolant, said apparatus comprising:

• a first plurality of substantially parallel clamp members, each having an included fluid coolant conduit and plural spaced-apart projecting pads directed in a first direction,
• a second plurality of substantially parallel clamp members, each having an included fluid coolant conduit and plural spaced-apart projecting pads directed in a second direction generally opposite to said first direction,
• at least one of the plurality of clamp members being capable of reciprocating movement along said first and second directions;
• the individual clamp members of said first and second plurality of clamp members being interleaved with one another and defining channels between their corresponding but oppositely directed projecting pads for receiving the edges of respective electronic modules;
• and
• collective clamp movement means for collectively moving at least one of said first and second pluralities of clamp members away from the other to permit insertion and withdrawal of electronic modules along said channels and for collectively moving at least one of said first and second pluralities of clamp members toward the other to mechanically and thermally clamp the edges of electronic modules located within said channels between their oppositely directed projecting pads.

A coolant fluid conduit and clamping apparatus for use in cooling generally planar electronic modules and in physically retaining in place an array of plural parallel said electronic modules, said apparatus comprising:

• plural coolant conduit members each including
• (a) two elongated sheets of spring metal bonded together along the boundaries of an elongated indentation in at least one of the sheets to create a fluid conduit therewithin;
• and
• (b) at least one side of such conduit including pairs of spring pads formed at regular intervals therealong;
• said plural coolant conduit members being divided into two parallel arrays with the members of one such array being interleaved with respect to the members of the other such array, and
• means for moving at least one of said arrays with respect to the other array to selectively clamp the edge of an electronic module between the respective spring pads of said arrays.

A coolant fluid conduit for use in cooling electronic modules, said conduit comprising:

• two elongated sheets of spring metal bonded together along the boundaries of an elongated indentation in at least one of the sheets to create a fluid conduit therewithin;
• at least one side of such conduit including spring pads formed at regular intervals therealong;
• the edges of said sheets along such conduit being bent into pairs of spring pads at regular intervals therealong;
• and
• outer edge-contacting spring pads being bent from cut sections of the sheet edges between said first-mentioned pairs of spring pads and having contact surfaces disposed approximately perpendicular to the contact surfaces of said first-metnioned pairs of spring pads.

A coolant fluid conduit for use in cooling electronic modules, said conduit comprising:

• two elongated sheets of spring metal bonded together along the boudaries of an elongated indentation in at least one of the sheets to create a fluid conduit therewithin;
• at least one side of such conduit including spring pads formed at regular intervals therealong;
• the edges of said sheets along such conduit being bent into pairs of spring pads at regular intervals therealong;
• and
• bonded boundary areas being bent at an angle along said elongated indentation so as to increase bending resistance of the overall conduit structure.

Apparatus for cooling an electronic module, said apparatus comprising:

• a first elongated metal layer having an elongated depression formed therealong and at least one integrally formed pressure pad for thermal contact with said module;
• and
• a second elongated metal layer having a mating elongated depression formed therealong and at least one integrally formed pressure pad for thermal contact with said module;
• said first and second elongated metal layers being bonded together along the longitudinal boundaries of their respective mated depressions to form an included conduit capable of containing a fluid coolant therein;
• and
• wherein at least some of said pressure pads include a bent lip portion for positively engaging an electronic module against movement.

Apparatus for cooling an electronic module, said apparatus comprising:

• a first elongated metal layer having an elongated depression formed therealong and at least one integrally formed pressure pad for thermal contact with said module;
• a second elongated metal layer having a mating elongated depression formed therealong and at least one integrally formed pressure pad for thermal contact with said module;
• said first and second elongated metal layers being bonded together along the longitudinal boundaries of their respective mated depressions to form an included conduit capable of containing a fluid coolant therein;
• and
• supplementary contact areas disposed with surfaces approximately perpendicular to the surfaces of said pressure pads for thermal contact with an outermost edge or shoulder of an electronic module.

Apparatus for cooling an electronic module, said apparatus comprising:

• a first elongated metal layer having an elongated depression formed therealong and at least one integrally formed pressure pad for thermal contact with said module;
• a second elongated metal layer having a mating elongated depression formed therealong and at least one integrally formed pressure pad for thermal contact with said module;
• said first and second elongated metal layers being bonded together along the longitudinal boundaries of their respective mated depressions to form an included conduit capable of containing a fluid coolant therein;
• and
• at least one additional metal layer bonded between said first and second elongated metal layers along the longitudinal boundaries of their respective mated depressions and having an edge extending into said included conduit so as to increase the surface area available therewithin for thermal contact with said fluid coolant.

Apparatus for cooling an electronic module, said apparatus comprising:

• a first elongated metal layer having an elongated depression formed therealong and at least one integrally formed pressure pad for thermal contact with said module;
• a second elongated metal layer having a mating elongated depression formed therealong and at least one integrally formed pressure pad for thermal contact with said module;
• said first and second elongated metal layers being bonded together along the longitudinal boundaries of their respective mated depressions to form an included conduit capable of containing a fluid coolant therein;
• and
• integrally-formed edge-contacting pads interspersed with said pressure pads and disposed substantially perpendicular therewith along longitudinal boundaries and bent to mechanically and thermally contact the outer edge surface of said module.