Releasable clamp assembly for a solid state circuit element

Claim 2

In combination, a solid-state element, a heat sink having a support surface upon which the solid-state element is held, a fixed support means including a pair of supports connected to the heat sink to the opposite sides of said support surface, a spring means overlying the support surface and the outer end of the solid-state element, and releasable lever means having a saddle member movably connected to the pair of supports and spanning said support surface with said spring means secured to the saddle member and an elongated lever pivotally mounted to the fixed support means with a pivot axis normal to the elongation of the lever, said lever being coupled to the saddle member in a first predetermined position holding the saddle member and spring means toward the solid-state element and into clamping engagement with the solid-state element against said support surface to support said element in fixed relation to said support surface and in a second position holding the saddle member and the spring means from said solid-state element and thereby directly permitting the removal and insertion of the solid-state element between the spring means and the heat sink.

Claim 3

The releasable clamp assembly of claim 1 wherein said support surface in planar and said solid-state element is a disclike element having a planar end resting upon the support surface of the heat sink and having an opposite parallel planar end, a second heat sink member resting on said opposite end between the element and the spring means.

Claim 4

The releasable clamp assembly of claim 1 wherein a metal plate defines said heat sink, said pair of supports including a pair of clamp rod means extending from said metal plate in laterally spaced relation to the support surface of the heat sink and having means electrically insulating the rod means from the plate, said saddle member being movably mounted on said rod means, said spring means having a mounting member coupled to the center of the saddle member and having a pressure plate aligned with said solid-state element and having a spring element defining said spring means, said spring element being disposed between the mounting member and the pressure plate, and said lever urging said mounting member toward said pressure plate to compress said spring element and establish clamping engagement of said pressure plate against said solid-state element.

Claim 5

The releasable clamp assembly of claim 1 wherein a metal plate defines said heat sink, said pair of supports including a pair of spaced clamp rod means extending from said metal plate on diametrically opposite sides of the support surface and having means to electrically insulate the rods from the metal plate, said saddle member being pivotally connected to the outer end of a first rod means and overlying said solid-state element with the opposite second end releasably connected to the outer end of the second rod means, said spring means having a mounting member coupled to the center of the saddle member and having a pressure plate aligned with said solid-state element and having a spring element disposed between the mounting member and the pressure plate, and said lever being pivotally mounted to the upper end of the first rod means and having a cam portion aligned with a cam portion of the saddle member for urging said saddle member toward said metal plate to establish clamping engagement of said pressure plate against said solid-state element.

Claim 6

The releasable clamp assembly of claim 4 wherein said clamp rod means includes rods extending through openings in said plate and having means to prevent the back ends of the rods from passing through the openings, and an insulator means encircling said rods at said openings to electrically insulate the rods from the plate.

Claim 7

The releasable clamp assembly of claim 4 wherein said saddle member is a platelike member spanning said rod means and having the second end of the rod means coupled to the corresponding rod means by complementing teeth and a pivot connection permitting relative lateral movement between the serrated teeth for adjusting the saddle member relative to solid-state element.

Claim 8

The releasable clamp assembly of claim 4 wherein said mounting member of said spring means is pivotally connected to said saddle member and includes an outwardly opening pressure cup, said pressure plate including a guide member projecting into said pressure cup, and said spring element including a spring washer disposed between the edge of the pressure cup and the pressure plate.

Claim 9

The releasable clamp assembly of claim 1 wherein a metal plate defines said support surface, said pair of supports including a pair of clamp rods extending through openings in said plate and diametrically spaced to the opposite sides of the support surface, means to prevent the back ends of the rods from passing through the openings, an insulator means electrically insulating the rods from the plate, said saddle member being connected to the outer ends of the rods and overlying said solid-state element, said spring means having a mounting member coupled to the center of the saddle member and having a pressure plate aligned with said solid-state element and having a spring means disposed between the mounting member and the pressure plate, and said lever urging said saddle member toward said metal plate to establish said clamping engagement of said pressure plate against said solid-state element.

Claim 10

The releasable clamp assembly of claim 1 wherein a metal plate defines said heat sink, said pair of supports including a pair of clamp rods extending through openings in said metal plate and diametrically spaced to the opposite sides of the support surface of the metal plate to prevent the back ends of the rods from passing through the openings, and having means electrically insulating the rods from the metal plate, said saddle member having one end connected by a slot to a pin on the outer end of the first rod and overlying said solid-state element, the opposite end of said saddle member being releasably coupled to the outer end of the second rod by complementing teeth and by a pin passing through a pair of perpendicular slots in the saddle member and the rod, and spring means having a cup-shaped mounting member pivotally attached to the center of the saddle member and having a pressure plate aligned with said support surface and the solid-state element, said pressure plate having a cylindrical guide projecting upwardly into the mounting member and having a spring washer disposed over the guide between the outer edge of the mounting member and the pressure plate, and said lever pivotally mounted with the saddle member to the first rod aNd having a cam portion engaging a cam portion on the saddle member for selectively urging said saddle member toward said metal plate to establish said clamping engagement of said pressure plate against said solid-state element.

Claim 11

The releasable clamp of claim 9 wherein said cup-shaped mounting member includes a locking slot in the sidewall and the guide having a pin projecting outwardly through said locking slot.