Heat dissipator for a dual in line integrated circuit package

Claim 1

A heat dissipator for a dual in line integrated circuit package, said package having a longitudinally extending, generally rectangular housing with opposed top and bottom walls, opposed pairs of side and end walls, and a plurality of downwardly extending leads disposed in two longitudinally extending rows adjacent said side walls, said heat dissipator comprising: a longitudinally extending bottom contact plate, the width of said bottom contact plate being less than the distance between said rows of leads; a longitudinally extending top contact plate disposed in spaced relationship to said bottom contact plate, the width of said top contact plate substantially equalling the width of said integrated circuit package, said top contact plate including a pair of longitudinally aligned rails extending angularly downward from the side edges thereof; an intermediate segment extending between and connecting one end of each of said contact plates; and a radiator plate extending from the opposed remaining end of said top contact plate, and a downwardly projecting locking flange being interconnected between said top contact and radiator plates, said heat dissipator being unitary in construction, and formed from a resilient material whereby said heat dissipator can be slidably mounted on said integrated circuit package with said bottom contact plate being in contact with said bottom wall intermediate said rows of leads, and with said top contact plate being in coplanar and contiguous relationship with said top wall, with the rails thereof gripping the side edges of said top wall and the downwardly projecting locking flange engaging one end of said integrated circuit package, the rails and the locking flange stabilizing said heat dissipator on said integrated circuit package, such that the heat generated by said integrated circuit package during use is conducted by said top and bottom contact plates to said radiator plate for dissipating said heat and reducing the operating temperature of said integrated circuit package.