Stud welded pin fin heat sink
OwnerJames L. Daleinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A pin fin heat sink for use in transferring heat away from a heat generating source is described which is manufactured by fusion or stud welding of fins to a base forming a continuous thermally conductive path for heat rejection. The method permits use of a broader range of thermally conductive materials, fin geometry and fin spacing than exists in current art. Having greater flexibility in fin design enables more efficient heat sinks with greater surface area and lower thermal resistance for any given volume. Relatively long thin pins are joined autogenously to a heat sink base with closely spaced adjacent surfaces by a capacitor discharge stud welding process without the need to apply significant force to the mating parts.
Claims14
A pin fin heat sink comprising a base with a plurality of pins extending from the base, each pin being joined to the base by an autogenous stud weld comprising a continuous weld layer formed from material contributed by the pin and material contributed by the base and extending over a complete cross section of the pin to join each pin to the base, the pin being welded to the base by joining molten material from an end of each pin and from the portion of the base adjacent the end of the pin after which the molten material solidifies to form the continuous weld layer, the pin fin heat sink comprising means for cooling an electronic component.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.