US5038858A — Finned heat sink and method of manufacture

Claim 1

Independent Claim 101 words

A heat sink comprising: (a) a body of thermally conductive material having a first major face with at least one elongated groove therein defining a channel with a bottom, a top opening and opposed sidewalls; (b) latch means formed within said groove; (c) a relatively thin and substantially planar sheet of thermally conductive material having a thickness approximately the width of said groove with one edge of said sheet nested within said groove; and (d) retaining means extending from one face of said sheet near said one edge thereof mating with said latch means to retain said sheet within said groove.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 101 words

A heat sink comprising: (a) a body of thermally conductive material having a first major face with at least one elongated groove therein defining a channel with a bottom, a top opening and opposed sidewalls; (b) latch means formed within said groove; (c) a relatively thin and substantially planar sheet of thermally conductive material having a thickness approximately the width of said groove with one edge of said sheet nested within said groove; and (d) retaining means extending from one face of said sheet near said one edge thereof mating with said latch means to retain said sheet within said groove.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 27 words

A heat sink as defined in claim 1 wherein said latch means comprises a lip on one of said sidewalls projecting toward the other of said sidewalls.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 31 words

A heat sink as defined in claim 2 wherein said retaining means comprises at least one protrusion extending from said one face of said sheet adapted to mate with said lip.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 13 words

A heat sink as defined in claim 3 wherein said protrusion is wedge-shaped.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 22 words

A heat sink as defined in claim 1 including a spacing tab extending from one face of said sheet of conductive material.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 53 words

A heat sink as defined in claim 5 wherein said tab has a free end and a base connected to said sheet of conductive material, and wherein said tab is bent to extend outwardly from the face of said sheet a distance corresponding to the desired spacing between adjacent sheets of conductive material.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 146 words

A heat sink comprising: (a) an elongated body of thermally conductive material having a first major face and a plurality of substantially parallel channels in said first major face, each said channel have a top opening, a bottom and a first sidewall lying in a plane connecting the top opening and the bottom and a second sidewall disposed opposite said first sidewall, said second sidewall having latch means projecting therefrom toward said first sidewall; and (b) a relatively thin planar fin secured within at least one of said channels, said fin comprising a sheet of thermally conductive material having a thickness approximately equal to the width of said channels and retaining means extending from one face thereof, said retaining means positioned within said channel and mating with said latch means positioned within said channel and maintaining said fin in intimate physical contact with said first sidewall.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 146 words

A heat sink comprising: (a) an elongated body of thermally conductive material having a first major face and a plurality of substantially parallel channels in said first major face, each said channel have a top opening, a bottom and a first sidewall lying in a plane connecting the top opening and the bottom and a second sidewall disposed opposite said first sidewall, said second sidewall having latch means projecting therefrom toward said first sidewall; and (b) a relatively thin planar fin secured within at least one of said channels, said fin comprising a sheet of thermally conductive material having a thickness approximately equal to the width of said channels and retaining means extending from one face thereof, said retaining means positioned within said channel and mating with said latch means positioned within said channel and maintaining said fin in intimate physical contact with said first sidewall.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 35 words

A heat sink as defined in claim 7 wherein said second sidewall of said channel is slanted outwardly with respect to said first sidewall and said latch means comprises a lip near said top opening.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 27 words

A heat sink as defined in claim 7 wherein said retaining means is at least one protrusion projecting from the plane of one face of said fin.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 13 words

A heat sink as defined in claim 9 wherein said protrusion is wedge-shaped.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 18 words

A heat sink as defined in claim 9 wherein said protrusion is a flap punched from said fin.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 21 words

A heat sink as defined in claim 7 including spacing means adapted to position said fin parallel with an adjacent fin.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 19 words

A heat sink as defined in claim 12 wherein said spacing means comprises a flap punched from said fin.

Claim 16

Independent Claim 148 words

The method of making a finned heat sink comprising the steps of: (a) forming a body of thermally conductive material having a first major face; (b) forming a plurality of substantially parallel grooves in said first major face, each groove having a lip projecting inwardly from at least one side thereof; (c) forming a plurality of fins, each comprising a substantially flat planar body with opposed substantially parallel major faces; (d) forming retaining means on at least one major face of each of said fins, said retaining means projecting outwardly from said one major face near an edge thereof; and (e) inserting the edge of each fin having said retaining means within a groove by forcing said edge to move in a direction normal to said first major face so that said retaining means moves past and mates with said lip to retain said fin within said groove.

Claim 17

Independent Claim 148 words

The method of making a finned heat sink comprising the steps of: (a) forming a body of thermally conductive material having a first major face; (b) forming a plurality of substantially parallel grooves in said first major face, each groove having a lip projecting inwardly from at least one side thereof; (c) forming a plurality of fins, each comprising a substantially flat planar body with opposed substantially parallel major faces; (d) forming retaining means on at least one major face of each of said fins, said retaining means projecting outwardly from said one major face near an edge thereof; and (e) inserting the edge of each fin having said retaining means within a groove by forcing said edge to move in a direction normal to said first major face so that said retaining means moves past and mates with said lip to retain said fin within said groove.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1994-08-12	1995-02-11	1995-08-13	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1998-08-12	1999-02-11	1999-08-13	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2002-08-12	2003-02-11	2003-08-13	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Finned heat sink and method of manufacture

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