EP0680249A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Fabricated sheet metal heat sink
Assignee: AT&T Inc
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Filing: 1995-04-19
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2015-04-19
Abstract
Abstract A novel method and apparatus utilizing sheet metal fabricated to form highly effective heat sinks having a low cost is disclosed. Fabrication techniques including punching and bending are used to create one or more tubes having substantially rectangular cross-sections. The rectangular-section tubes share a common base. In a particular illustrative example of the invention, a plurality of substantially rectangular-section tubes are arranged so that the sheet metal heat sink may interface with a circuit pack having a plurality of heat-producing and other components.
Inventors
- 👤 Lit-Yan Kam
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 09:41
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10W; H10W40/00; H10W40/60; H10W40/611; H10W40/20; H10W40/22; H10W40/226; H10W40/231; H10W40/235
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
116 words
A method of making a heat sink, comprising the steps of: providing a substantially flat sheet of metal where the flat sheet defines a reference plane; bending a heat dissipative portion of the sheet to create a first substantially planar surface which is substantially perpendicular to the reference plane; bending the heat dissipative portion to create a second substantially planar surface which is substantially perpendicular to the first substantially planar surface and substantially perpendicular to the reference plane; and bending the heat dissipative portion to create a third substantially planar surface which is substantially perpendicular to the second substantially planar surface and substantially perpendicular to the reference plane so as to create a substantially rectangular-section tube.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
110 words
An apparatus for use as a heat sink comprising: a substantially flat sheet of metal where the flat sheet defines a reference plane; a first heat dissipative portion of the sheet having a substantially planar surface which is substantially perpendicular to the reference plane; a second heat dissipative portion of the sheet having a substantially planar surface which is substantially perpendicular to the first heat dissipative portion and substantially perpendicular to the reference plane; and a third heat dissipative portion having a substantially planar surface which is substantially perpendicular to the second heat dissipative portion and substantially perpendicular to the reference plane so as to create a substantially rectangular-section tube.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 1 or the apparatus of claim 2, in which the sheet includes a plurality of heat dissipating portions each bendable into a substantially rectangular-section tube in accordance with the steps of claim 1.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 3 further comprising repeating the three bending steps of claim 1 with respect to at least one unbent heat dissipating portion of the sheet to create at least one additional substantially rectangular-section tube.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method or apparatus of claim 3, in which the plurality of heat dissipating portions are formed by at least one punching step.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method or the apparatus of claim 3, in which the plurality of heat dissipating portions are formed by at least one cutting step.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 1 or the apparatus of claim 2, in which the sheet of metal is comprised of an alloy having high thermal conductivity.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 1 or the apparatus of claim 2, in which the sheet includes at least one opening for the passage of a device.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
49 words
The method of claim 3 further comprising repeating the first bending step of claim 1 with respect to at least one unbent heat dissipating portion of the sheet to create a substantially planar surface that is substantially co-planar with the first substantially planar surface in the substantially rectangular-section tube.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
14 words
The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising at least one additional substantially rectangular-section tube.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
38 words
The apparatus of claim 11 in which at least one unbent heat dissipating portion of the sheet to create a substantially planar surface that is substantially co-planar with the first substantially planar surface in the substantially rectangular-section tube.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
54 words
An apparatus for cooling heat-producing components, comprising: a base; and one or more substantially rectangular-section tubes having four walls, each one of the one or more rectangular-section tubes having the base as one of the four walls, the base and the one or more rectangular-section tubes being formed from a single sheet of metal.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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