Apparatus for dissipating heat from a circuit board having a multilevel surface

Apparatus for dissipating heat from a circuit board having a plurality of components mounted thereon, the components having different heights, the apparatus comprising:

• a single integral heat dissipating member for dissipating heat generated by the components;
• a resilient, thermal-conductive filling material sandwiched between the heat dissipating member and the components;
• a thermal phase change material sandwiched between the heat dissipating member and at least one of the components;
• a fastener which draws the heat dissipating member towards the circuit board, the fastener compressing the filling material and the thermal phase change material sufficiently to provide heat transfer from the components so that they operate within predetermined design parameters and so that the elasticities of the filling material and the thermal phase chance material press the components against the circuit board to provide good electrical contact between the components and the circuit board.

Apparatus for dissipating heat from a circuit board having a multilevel surface, the multilevel surface resulting from faces of a plurality of components mounted thereon, the faces having different vertical heights, the apparatus comprising:

• a rigid stiffener plate having an underside and a top inlet side, the top inlet side configured to receive the circuit board while not making contact with the faces;
• a thermal-conductive, resilient material having a deformation resistance, a first side, and a second side, the second side in contact with the multilevel surface;
• a heat dissipating member having a top portion and a substantially planar bottom portion, the substantially planar bottom portion in intimate contact with the first side of the thermal-conductive resilient material;
• and
• a fastener connected between the circuit board and the substantially planar bottom portion of the heat dissipating member, the fastener drawing the circuit board and the heat dissipating member together and having a compressive force sufficient to overcome the deformation resistance of the thermal-conductive, resilient material so that the thermal-conductive, resilient material substantially molds to the contour of the multilevel surface, thereby transferring heat generated from the circuit board to the substantially planar bottom portion of the heat dissipating member and so that the elastic force of the thermal-conductive, resilient material presses the plurality of components against the circuit board to provide good electrical contact between the plurality of components and the circuit board.

Apparatus for dissipating heat from a circuit board having a multilevel surface, the multilevel surface resulting from faces of a plurality of components mounted thereon, the faces having different vertical heights, the apparatus comprising:

• a rigid stiffener plate having an underside and a top inlet side, the top inlet side configured to receive the circuit board while not making contact with the faces;
• a thermal-conductive material having a deformation resistance, a first side, and a second side, the second side in contact with the multilevel surface;
• a heat dissipating member having a top portion and a substantially planar bottom portion, the substantially planar bottom portion in intimate contact with the first side of the thermal-conductive material,
• wherein the heat dissipating member defines a first bore extending from the top portion to the substantially planar bottom portion, the first bore having a first diameter and the thermal-conductive material defines a second bore extending from the first side to the second side, the second bore having a second diameter, the second diameter being substantially equal to the first diameter;
• and
• a fastener to secure the thermal-conductive material between the circuit board and the substantially planar bottom portion of the heat dissipating member, the fastener having a compressive force sufficient to overcome the deformation resistance of the thermal-conductive material so that the thermal-conductive material substantially molds to the contour of the multilevel surface, thereby transferring heat generated from the circuit board to the substantially planar bottom portion of the heat dissipating member.

Apparatus for dissipating heat from a circuit board having a multilevel surface, the multilevel surface resulting from faces of a plurality of components mounted thereon, the faces having different vertical heights, the apparatus comprising:

• a rigid stiffener plate having an underside and a top inlet side, the top inlet side configured to receive the circuit board while not making contact with the faces;
• a thermal-conductive material having a deformation resistance, a first side, and a second side, the second side in contact with the multilevel surface;
• a heat dissipating member having a top portion and a substantially planar bottom portion, the substantially planar bottom portion in intimate contact with the first side of the thermal-conductive material;
• a fastener to secure the thermal-conductive material between the circuit board and the substantially planar bottom portion of the heat dissipating member, the fastener having a compressive force sufficient to overcome the deformation resistance of the thermal-conductive material so that the thermal-conductive material substantially molds to the contour of the multilevel surface, thereby transferring heat generated from the circuit board to the substantially planar bottom portion of the heat dissipating member;
• and
• a bolster plate with a stand-off, the stand-off having a threaded bore to provide a point of attachment for the fastener.