Memory cooler
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsVance B. Murakami, Harold Z. Htutt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cooler for a memory module includes heat plates on the sides of the memory module and heat fins extending from the top of the heat plates. The heat fins are optimized according to simulated or actual airflow about the memory module inside an enclosure. The heat fins may curve diagonally outward from the memory module and their free ends may be arranged substantially parallel to the airflow so air flows over their larger lateral surfaces down to the memory module.
Claims16
A cooler for a memory module, comprising:
- a heat plate having a top edge and an interior side, the interior side for thermally coupling to an exterior side of the memory module;
- and
- a row of heat fins extending upward from the top edge, the heat fins being strips that are curved diagonally away from the heat plate and twisted so their free ends are substantially parallel to a simulated or an actual airflow about the memory module, wherein being curved diagonally away from the heat plate comprises being curved forward along a length of the heat plate and outward from the heat plate.
A computer system, comprising:
- an enclosure;
- a printed circuit board in the enclosure, the printed circuit board comprising memory slots;
- memory modules inserted into the memory slots;
- coolers for the memory modules, each cooler comprising:
- a first heat plate having a first top edge and a first interior side, the first interior side being thermally coupled to a first exterior side of a corresponding memory module;
- a first row of first heat fins extending upward from the first top edge, the first heat fins being first strips that are curved diagonally away from the heat plate and twisted so their free ends are substantially parallel to a simulated or an actual airflow about the memory module, wherein being curved diagonally away from the heat plate comprises being curved forward along a length of the heat plate and outward from the heat plate;
- a second heat plate having a second top edge and a second interior side, the second interior side being thermally coupled to a second exterior side of the corresponding memory module;
- and
- a second row of second heat fins extending upward from the second top edge, the second heat fins begin second strips that are curved and twisted to be parallel with the first heat fins.
A method for cooling memory modules on a printed circuit board in an enclosure, comprising:
- determining airflow about the memory modules in the enclosure by simulation or testing;
- and
- adjusting heat fins extending upward from top edges of heat plates thermally coupled to sides of the memory modules, said adjusting comprises twisting and curving the heat fins so:
- free ends of the heat fins are parallel to the airflow about the memory module in the enclosure;
- the heat fins curve diagonally away from the top edges and into the airflow;
- and
- larger lateral surfaces of the heat fins bring air down to the memory modules.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.