COVER FOR PRESSING A PRINTED-CIRCUIT BOARD ON A HEAT SINK

Abstract

Provided is a cover for pressing a printed circuit board on a heat sink, the cover comprising a metal sheet and one or more domes arranged in the metal sheet, wherein each dome is associated with one or more slits in the shape of ring segments in the metal sheet, the ring segment-shaped slits being provided in the metal sheet side by side and spaced apart from each other, the ring segment-shaped slits surrounding the dome they are associated with. At least at one end of each ring segment-shaped slit a slit extension may be provided in the metal sheet, the slit extension at least in part pointing away from the dome the ring segment-shaped slit is associated with. Further provided is an electronic appliance that includes such a cover, a heat sink and an electronic circuit board sandwiched there between.

Claims

1. A cover for pressing a printed circuit board on a heat sink, the cover comprising: a metal sheet; and one or more domes arranged in the metal sheet; wherein each dome is associated with one or more slits in a shape of ring segments in the metal sheet, the ring segment-shaped slits being provided in the metal sheet side by side and spaced apart from each other, the ring segment-shaped slits surrounding the dome they are associated with.

2. The cover of claim 1, wherein at least at one end of each ring segment-shaped slit, a slit extension is provided in the metal sheet, the slit extension at least in part pointing away from the dome the ring segment-shaped slit is associated with.

3. The cover of claim 2, wherein the slit extensions are provided at same ends of the ring segment-shaped slits.

4. The cover of claim 3, wherein the slit extension of each ring segment-shaped slit is formed such that at least part of it partially encircles a neighboring ring segment-shaped slit, the slit extension being spaced apart from the neighboring ring segment-shaped slit.

5. The cover of claim 4, wherein the slit extension of each ring segment-shaped slit encircles less than half of the neighboring ring segment-shaped slit.

6. The cover of claim 4, wherein the slit extension of each ring segment-shaped slit comprises a first slit extension part and a second slit extension part, the first slit extension part extending away from the dome the ring segment-shaped slit is associated with, and the second slit extension part extending from the end of the first slit extension part that is opposite to the end that is connected to the ring segment-shaped slit, the second slit extension part having a ring segment shape and extending in parallel or helically to and spaced apart from the neighboring ring segment-shaped slit.

7. The cover of claim 2, wherein a slit extension is provided at both ends of each ring segment-shaped slit.

8. The cover of claim 7, wherein the slit extensions extend in a radial direction away from the dome the ring segment-shaped slit is associated with.

9. The cover of claim 7, wherein a groove is provided in the metal sheet between two adjacent slit extensions of neighboring ring segment-shaped slits, a longitudinal direction of the groove being perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the slit extensions, wherein the groove connects the adjacent slit extensions and is indented in the same direction as each dome.

10. The cover of claim 1, wherein the metal sheet and the one or more domes form one piece.

11. An electronic appliance comprising: a heat sink; an electronic circuit board; and a cover comprising a metal sheet and one or more domes arranged in the metal sheet; wherein: each dome is associated with one or more slits in a shape of ring segments in the metal sheet, the ring segment-shaped slits being provided in the metal sheet side by side and spaced apart from each other, the ring segment-shaped slits surrounding the dome they are associated with; and the electronic circuit board is sandwiched between the cover and the heat sink such that the domes of the cover press the electronic circuit board on the heat sink.

12. The electronic appliance of claim 11, wherein at least at one end of each ring segment-shaped slit, a slit extension is provided in the metal sheet, the slit extension at least in part pointing away from the dome the ring segment-shaped slit is associated with.

13. The electronic appliance of claim 12, wherein the slit extensions are provided at same ends of the ring segment-shaped slits.

14. The electronic appliance of claim 13, wherein the slit extension of each ring segment-shaped slit is formed such that at least part of it partially encircles a neighboring ring segment-shaped slit, the slit extension being spaced apart from the neighboring ring segment-shaped slit.

15. The electronic appliance of claim 14, wherein the slit extension of each ring segment-shaped slit encircles less than half of the neighboring ring segment-shaped slit.

16. The electronic appliance of claim 14, wherein the slit extension of each ring segment-shaped slit comprises a first slit extension part and a second slit extension part, the first slit extension part extending away from the dome the ring segment-shaped slit is associated with, and the second slit extension part extending from the end of the first slit extension part that is opposite to the end that is connected to the ring segment-shaped slit, the second slit extension part having a ring segment shape and extending in parallel or helically to and spaced apart from the neighboring ring segment-shaped slit.

17. The electronic appliance of claim 12, wherein a slit extension is provided at both ends of each ring segment-shaped slit.

18. The electronic appliance of claim 17, wherein the slit extensions extend in a radial direction away from the dome the ring segment-shaped slit is associated with.

19. The cover of claim 17, wherein a groove is provided in the metal sheet between two adjacent slit extensions of neighboring ring segment-shaped slits, a longitudinal direction of the groove being perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the slit extensions, wherein the groove connects the adjacent slit extensions and is indented in the same direction as each dome.

20. The cover of claim 11, wherein the metal sheet and the one or more domes form one piece.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] So that the manner in which the above recited features of the various embodiments can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the inventive concepts, briefly summarized above, can be had by reference to various embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of the inventive concepts and are therefore not to be considered limiting of scope in any way, and that there are other equally effective embodiments. It is further noted that the appended drawings are not drawn to scale and like reference numerals refer to similar elements.

[0014] FIG. 1 shows an exploded view of an electronic appliance;

[0015] FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of a cover;

[0016] FIG. 3 shows a further embodiment of a cover;

[0017] FIG. 4 shows a further embodiment of a cover;

[0018] FIG. 5 shows a further embodiment of a cover;

[0019] FIG. 6 shows a further embodiment of a cover;

[0020] FIG. 7 shows a further embodiment of a cover;

[0021] FIG. 8 shows the cover of FIG. 5 with displaced dome; and

[0022] FIG. 9 shows a comparison of the resulting pressure exerted by the respective domes of the covers shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, when the domes are displaced as shown in FIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of an electronic appliance 100 in form of an amplifier as used, for example, in a vehicle lifestyle audio system. The electronic appliance 100 comprises a printed circuit board 102 with various electronic components such as integrated circuits, a heat sink 104 with cooling fins 106 arranged on the side opposite to the printed circuit board 102, and a cover 108. The electronic components are arranged on the printed circuit board 102 opposite to the cover, facing the heat sink 104. The cover 108 and the heat sink 104 are attached to the printed circuit board 102 by screws or similar. Only the screws 110 for attaching the cover 108 to the printed circuit board 102 are shown in FIG. 1 for illustrative purposes. The heat sink 104 may be made of aluminum. The cover 108 may be made of stainless steel.

[0024] The cover 108 comprises a metal sheet 112 and several domes 114 pointing towards the printed circuit board 102. The domes 114 may be provided in the metal sheet 112 by embossing. The domes 114 are arranged in the metal sheet 112 in a way, which is described in more detail below. When assembled, the printed circuit board 102 is sandwiched between the heat sink 104 and the cover 108 such that the domes 114 of the cover 108 exert pressure onto the specific locations on the lower side of the printed circuit board 102 where integrated circuits and other electronic components are arranged on the upper side of the printed circuit board 102. Herein, terms “upper”, “lower”, “uppermost”, “lowest” and similar relate to the presentation in the respective Figures. With the domes 114 exerting pressure on these specific locations the respective electronic components become pushed against the heat sink 104, and heat transfer to the heat sink and heat dissipation are supported.

[0025] FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of a cover 200. The cover 200 includes a metal sheet 202 and a dome 204. Several domes 204 may be provided in the metal sheet 202. In the metal sheet 202 several ring segment-shaped slits 206 are provided. The ring segment-shaped slits 206 are arranged side by side (i.e., adjacent) to each other on a circle encircling the dome 204, while being spaced apart, in particular by equal distance, such that spokes 208 remain. The spokes 208 connect the dome 204 with the (rest of the) metal sheet 202. Depending on the shape of the ends of the ring segment-shaped slits 206 the spokes 208 may extend in a radial direction, or they may be inclined/angled, bended or curved. Three ring segment-shaped slits 206 are shown in FIG. 3. However, more or less than three ring segment-shaped slits may be provided with their lengths respectively adjusted. Even the provision of one ring segment-shaped slit 206 can be conceived with its ends not connected, i.e., with its ends spaced apart and forming one spoke 208 by means of which the dome 204 is connected to the metal sheet 202. Through the provision of the ring segment-shaped slits 206 the dome 204 is flexibly suspended at the metal sheet 202 via the spokes 208. The cover 200 may be made of stainless steel.

[0026] FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of a cover 300 that corresponds to the cover 200 but where in addition to the ring segment-shaped slits 306 slit extensions 310 are provided in the metal sheet 302. At both ends of each ring segment-shaped slit 306 a slit extension 310 is provided that points away from the dome 304, in particular in a radial direction. The slit extensions 310 may also extend in an inclined/angled manner. They may also be curved or bended. Slit extension 310 provided at different ends of a ring segment-shaped slit 306 may have mirror-inverted shapes, i.e., they may be axially symmetrically with respect to the radial direction/axis. Through the provision of the slit extensions 310 the spokes 308 become longer (than the spokes 208 of FIG. 2), resulting in less stiff suspension of the dome 304 in the metal sheet 302 compared with the dome 204 of the cover 200 shown in FIG. 2 (see also the comparison in FIG. 9).

[0027] FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of a cover 400 that corresponds to the cover 300 shown in FIG. 3 but where in addition a groove 412 is provided between adjacent slit extensions 410 of two neighboring ring segment-shaped slits 406. The groove 412 may connect the adjacent slit extensions 410 of neighboring ring segment-shaped slits 406. The grooves 412 are provided in the metal sheet 402 in the spokes 408 between the adjacent slit extensions 410. The longitudinal direction of the grooves 412 may be perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the slit extensions 410. The grooves 412 are indented in the same direction as each dome 404 that is provided in the metal sheet 402. The grooves 412 may be provided in the metal sheet 402 by embossing. The provision of the grooves 412 in the spokes 408 results in even less stiff suspension of the dome 404 in the metal sheet 402 compared with the dome 304 of the cover 300 shown in FIG. 3 (see also the comparison in FIG. 9).

[0028] FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of a cover 500 that corresponds to the cover 200 shown in FIG. 2 but where in addition a slit extension 510 is provided only at one end of each ring segment-shaped slit 506. The end of each ring segment-shaped slit 506 at which the slit extension 510 is provided may be the same end for each ring segment-shaped slit 506. The slit extension 510 at least in part points away from the dome 504. In relation to the dome 504, the slit extension 510 extends on the opposite side of the ring segment-shaped slit 506. Each slit extension 510 is formed such that at least part of it encircles the neighboring ring segment-shaped slit 506 at least partially, while being spaced apart from the neighboring ring segment-shaped slit 506. For this the slit extension 510 of each ring segment-shaped slit 506 may include a first slit extension part 510a and a second slit extension part 510b.

[0029] The first slit extension part 510a may extend in a radial direction away from the dome 504. The first slit extension part 510a may also extend in an inclined/angular manner. It may also be bend or curved. The second slit extension part 510b may extend from that end of the first slit extension part 510a that is opposite to the end of the first slit extension part 510a that is connected to the respective ring segment-shaped slit 506. I.e., the second slit extension part 510b is connected to that end of the first slit extension part 510a that is not directly connected to the ring segment-shaped slit 506. The second slit extension part 510b may have a ring segment shape, which is similar to the shape of the ring segment-shaped slits 506 but may be shorter, and may extend in parallel or helically to but spaced apart from the neighboring ring segment-shaped slit 506. The cover 500 shown in FIG. 5 exhibits even less stiff suspension of the dome 504 in the metal sheet 502 compared with the dome 404 of the cover 400 shown in FIG. 4 (see also the comparison in FIG. 9).

[0030] The cover 600 shown in FIG. 6 corresponds to the cover 500 shown in FIG. 5 with the difference that the second slit extension part 610b of the cover 600 is longer than the second slit extension part 510b of the cover 500. I.e., the second slit extension part 610b of the cover 600 encircles more of the neighboring ring segment-shaped slit 606 than the second slit extension part 510b of the embodiment shown in FIG. 5. This results in the cover 600 shown in FIG. 6 exhibiting even less stiff suspension of the dome 605 in the metal sheet 602 compared with the dome 504 of the cover 500 shown in FIG. 5 (see also the comparison in FIG. 9). The first slit extension part 610a of FIG. 6 may correspond to the first slit extension part 510a of FIG. 5. The slit extensions 510, 610, in particular their second slit extensions parts 510b, 610b may encircle less that half of the length of the neighboring ring segment-shaped slit 506, 606.

[0031] FIG. 7 shows a cover 700 with several domes 704 provided in the metal sheet 702. Each dome 704 is surrounded by ring segment-shaped slits 706 that may correspond to the ring segment-shaped slits 606 of the cover 600 shown in FIG. 6. The ring segmented-shaped slits 706 are provided with slit extensions 710 that include a first slit extension part 710a and a second slit extension part 710b. The slit extension 710, the first slit extension part 710a and the second slit extension part 710b of the cover 700 may correspond to the slit extension 610, the first slit extension part 610a and the second slit extension part 610b of the cover 600 shown in and described in connection with FIG. 6. Some domes of the cover 700 may also be provided with other combinations of ring segment-shaped slits and slit extensions as shown in and described in connection with FIGS. 3 to 5. Furthermore, domes 704a may be provided in the metal sheet 702 that may be provided with ring segment-shaped slits 706 without slit extensions. Moreover, ribs 712 may be provided in the metal sheet 702 to improve stiffness of the metal sheet 702 of the cover 700.

[0032] FIG. 9 shows resulting pressures/compressive forces/spring forces when the domes 204, 304, 404, 504, 604 of the covers 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 are displaced (pushed down) by a certain amount in the z direction, the z direction being the direction that is perpendicular to the plane of the metal sheet 202, 302, 402, 502, 602 (assuming no warping/distortion or other displacement of the metal sheet). FIG. 8 shows a cover 800 with axes x, y, z of a Cartesian coordinate system added. The cover 800 exemplarily corresponds to the cover 500 shown in FIG. 5 displayed top down, but may be each of the covers 200, 300, 400, 500, 600.

[0033] In FIG. 9 the cover 900 shown on the left-hand side corresponds to the cover 200 depicted in FIG. 2, and the cover 920 shown on the right-hand side corresponds to the cover 600 depicted in FIG. 6. In the diagram the abscissa represents the degree of dome displacement in mm, and the ordinate represents the resulting pressure/compressive force/spring force in N. The uppermost curve shows the resulting spring force for the dome of the cover 900 (i.e., the dome 204 of the cover 200 shown in FIG. 2, also called “Cover 050” in FIG. 9). The second uppermost curve shows the resulting spring force for the dome 304 of the cover 300 shown in FIG. 3 (also called “Cover 030” in FIG. 9). The middle curve shows the resulting spring force for the dome 404 of the cover 400 shown in FIG. 4 (also called “Cover 040” in FIG. 9). The second lowest curve shows the resulting spring force for the dome 504 of the cover 500 shown in FIG. 5 (also called “Cover 010” in FIG. 9). The lowest curve shows the resulting spring force for the dome of the cover 920 (i.e., the dome 604 of the cover 600 shown in FIG. 6, also called “Cover 020” in FIG. 9).

[0034] In line with the above description of FIGS. 2 to 6, the dome of the cover 900 exhibits the highest spring force, i.e., the highest stiffness, and, thus, the lowest flexibility when displaced, whereas the dome of the cover 920 exhibits the lowest spring force, i.e., the lowest stiffness, and, thus, the highest flexibility when displaced. This makes the cover 920 especially suitable for pressing printed circuit boards with electronic components that may have different heights against heat sinks for safe heat transfer and dissipating, while at the same time ensuring little or no warping of the metal sheet of the cover.

[0035] Any and all combinations of any of the claim elements recited in any of the claims and/or any elements described in this application, in any fashion, fall within the contemplated scope of the present disclosure and protection.

[0036] The descriptions of the various embodiments have been presented for purposes of illustration, but are not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments.

[0037] While the preceding is directed to embodiments of the present disclosure, other and further embodiments of the disclosure may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof is determined by the claims that follow.