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US 6,549,411 B1Granted
Flexible heat sinks and method of attaching flexible heat sinks
OwnerEdward Herbertinventor
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OwnerEdward Herbertinventor
Estimating the term…
This invention teaches that the heat sink and/or the object from which heat is to be removed may have significant flexibility. Indeed, it may be advantageous for one or both to have significant flexibility in that it allows good conformity for good thermal contact even if one or the other is uneven. The heat sink is attached to the object from which heat is to be removed with a good adhesive or solder under vacuum or with external pressure. The flexible heat sink may be much smaller and lighter in weight than a conventional heat sink. It may use less material and have less stringent machining requirements, so it may be much more economical to fabricate and use. Because a vacuum is used to pull the interface together at all points, there are fewer gaps or voids and the adhesive layer may be much thinner, for improved heat conduction.
A flexible heat sink comprising:
A flexible module for attachment to a heat sink having a heat sink surface, said flexible module comprising:
A method of bringing an object from which heat is to be removed into good thermal contact with a heat sink, wherein the object from which heat is to be removed and the heat sink each comprise a heat sink surface, wherein the heat sink surface of at least one of the object from which heat is to be removed and the heat sink comprises a flexible heat sink surface, and wherein at least one of the object from which heat is to be removed and the heat sink has therein at least one vent tube in communication with a gap formed between the heat sink surface of the object and the heat sink surface of the heat sink, wherein the method comprises the steps of:
An assembly comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.