Heat sink for electrical circuit components

Claim 1

An apparatus comprising a front plate having an outer side for receiving a plurality of electrical circuit components, a back plate secured to a side of said front plate opposite from said outer side of said front plate, said front plate and said back plate cooperating to define a plurality of passages disposed between said front and back plates for conducting a cooling medium, a plurality of fins fixedly connected with said back plate and disposed on a side of said back plate opposite from said front plate for conducting heat away from said back plate, said plurality of fins being exposed to the atmosphere to enable heat to be transmitted from said plurality of fins to the atmosphere, pump means mounted on one of said front and back plates and connected in fluid communication with said passages for inducing a flow of cooling medium through said passages, means for forming an outlet opening in said one of said front and back plates and through which the cooling medium is conducted from said passages into said pump means, and means for forming an inlet opening in said one of said front and back plates and through which the cooling medium is conducted from said pump means into said passages.

Claim 2

An apparatus comprising a front plate having an outer side for receiving a plurality of electrical circuit components, a back plate secured to a side of said front plate opposite from said outer side of said front plate, said front plate and said back plate cooperating to define a plurality of passages disposed between said front and back plates for conducting a cooling medium, a plurality of fins fixedly connected with said back plate and disposed on a side of said back plate opposite from said front plate for conducting heat away from said back plate, said plurality of fins being exposed to the atmosphere to enable heat to be transmitted from said plurality of fins to the atmosphere, pump means mounted on one of said front and back plates and connected in fluid communication with said passages for inducing a flow of cooling medium through said passages, means for forming an outlet opening in said one of said front and back plates and through which the cooling medium is conducted from said passages into said pump means, and means for forming an inlet opening in said one of said front and back plates and through which the cooling medium is conducted from said pump means into said passages.

Claim 9

An apparatus comprising a front plate having an outer side for receiving a plurality of electrical components, a back plate secured to a side of said front plate opposite from said outer side of said front plate, said front plate and said back plate cooperating to define a plurality of passages disposed between said front and back plates for conducting a liquid cooling medium, said front plate and said back plate cooperating to define an expansion chamber disposed between said front and back plates for holding a gas which is compressible by the liquid cooling medium to accommodate expansion of the liquid cooling medium, and pump means mounted on said first end portion of one of said front and back plates for inducing a flow of liquid cooling medium in a first direction in said first series of passages and in a second direction in said second series of passages.

Claim 10

An apparatus comprising a front plate having an outer side for receiving a plurality of electrical components, a back plate secured to a side of said front plate opposite from said outer side of said front plate, said front plate and said back plate cooperating to define a plurality of passages disposed between said front and back plates for conducting a liquid cooling medium, said front plate and said back plate cooperating to define an expansion chamber disposed between said front and back plates for holding a gas which is compressible by the liquid cooling medium to accommodate expansion of the liquid cooling medium, and pump means mounted on said first end portion of one of said front and back plates for inducing a flow of liquid cooling medium in a first direction in said first series of passages and in a second direction in said second series of passages.

Claim 14

An apparatus comprising a chill plate having an outer side and surface means for at least partially defining a plurality of passages for conducting a cooling medium, said passages being disposed inwardly of and spaced apart from said outer side of said chill plate, said outer side of said chill plate being adapted to receive a plurality of electrical circuit components from which heat is conducted by a flow of a cooling medium through said passages, and pump means mounted on said chill plate and connected in fluid communication with said passages for inducing a flow of cooling medium through said passages, said pump means including an impeller which is disposed in and is rotatable relative to a pump chamber, inlet means for conducting a flow of cooling medium from said passages to the pump chamber, and outlet means for conducting a flow of cooling medium away from the pump chamber toward said passages.

Claim 15

An apparatus comprising a chill plate having an outer side and surface means for at least partially defining a plurality of passages for conducting a cooling medium, said passages being disposed inwardly of and spaced apart from said outer side of said chill plate, said outer side of said chill plate being adapted to receive a plurality of electrical circuit components from which heat is conducted by a flow of a cooling medium through said passages, and pump means mounted on said chill plate and connected in fluid communication with said passages for inducing a flow of cooling medium through said passages, said pump means including an impeller which is disposed in and is rotatable relative to a pump chamber, inlet means for conducting a flow of cooling medium from said passages to the pump chamber, and outlet means for conducting a flow of cooling medium away from the pump chamber toward said passages.

Claim 22

An apparatus comprising a front plate having an outer side for receiving a plurality of electrical circuit components, a back plate secured to a side of said front plate opposite from said outer side of said front plate, said front plate and said back plate cooperating to define a plurality of passages disposed between said front and back plates for conducting a cooling medium, said plurality of passages including a first series of passages disposed between said front and back plates and extending from a first end portion of said front plate to a second end portion of said front plate, an inlet manifold passage connected in fluid communication with said first series of passages and disposed between said first end portion of said front plate and said back plate, a second series of passages disposed between said front and back plates and extending from the second end portion of said front plate to the first end portion of said front plate, a connector manifold passage connected in fluid communication with said first and second series of passages and disposed between said second end portion of said front plate and said back plate, and an outlet manifold passage connected in fluid communication with said second series of passages and disposed between said first end portion of said front plate and said back plate, and pump means mounted on one of said front and back plates for inducing a flow of cooling medium from said outlet manifold passage through said pump means to said inlet manifold passage, for inducing a flow of a cooling medium from said inlet manifold passage through said first series of passages to said connector manifold passage, and for inducing a flow of cooling medium from said connector manifold passage through said second series of passages to said outlet manifold passage.

Claim 23

An apparatus comprising a front plate having an outer side for receiving a plurality of electrical circuit components, a back plate secured to a side of said front plate opposite from said outer side of said front plate, said front plate and said back plate cooperating to define a plurality of passages disposed between said front and back plates for conducting a cooling medium, said plurality of passages including a first series of passages disposed between said front and back plates and extending from a first end portion of said front plate to a second end portion of said front plate, an inlet manifold passage connected in fluid communication with said first series of passages and disposed between said first end portion of said front plate and said back plate, a second series of passages disposed between said front and back plates and extending from the second end portion of said front plate to the first end portion of said front plate, a connector manifold passage connected in fluid communication with said first and second series of passages and disposed between said second end portion of said front plate and said back plate, and an outlet manifold passage connected in fluid communication with said second series of passages and disposed between said first end portion of said front plate and said back plate, and pump means mounted on one of said front and back plates for inducing a flow of cooling medium from said outlet manifold passage through said pump means to said inlet manifold passage, for inducing a flow of a cooling medium from said inlet manifold passage through said first series of passages to said connector manifold passage, and for inducing a flow of cooling medium from said connector manifold passage through said second series of passages to said outlet manifold passage.

Claim 28

An apparatus comprising a front plate having an outer side for receiving a plurality of electrical components, and a back plate secured to a side of said front plate opposite from said outer side of said front plate, said front plate and said back plate cooperating to define a plurality of passages disposed between said front and back plates for conducting a liquid cooling medium, said front plate and said back plate cooperating to define an expansion chamber disposed between said front and back plates for holding a gas which is compressible by the liquid cooling medium to accommodate expansion of the liquid cooling medium, said plurality of passages including an inlet manifold passage disposed between first end portions of said front and back plates and having a first length, a connector manifold passage disposed between second end portions of said front and back plates and having a second length which is greater than said first length, an outlet manifold passage disposed between the first end portions of said front and back plates and having a third length which is less than said second length, a first series of passages disposed between said front and back plates and extending from said inlet manifold passage to said connector manifold passage for conducting liquid cooling medium from said inlet manifold passage to said connector manifold passage, a second series of passages disposed between said front and back plates and extending from said connector manifold passage to said outlet manifold passage for conducting liquid cooling medium from said connector manifold passage to said outlet manifold passage, said expansion chamber being disposed between the second end portions of said front and back plates and having a length which is greater than said first and third lengths.

Claim 29

An apparatus comprising a front plate having an outer side for receiving a plurality of electrical components, and a back plate secured to a side of said front plate opposite from said outer side of said front plate, said front plate and said back plate cooperating to define a plurality of passages disposed between said front and back plates for conducting a liquid cooling medium, said front plate and said back plate cooperating to define an expansion chamber disposed between said front and back plates for holding a gas which is compressible by the liquid cooling medium to accommodate expansion of the liquid cooling medium, said plurality of passages including an inlet manifold passage disposed between first end portions of said front and back plates and having a first length, a connector manifold passage disposed between second end portions of said front and back plates and having a second length which is greater than said first length, an outlet manifold passage disposed between the first end portions of said front and back plates and having a third length which is less than said second length, a first series of passages disposed between said front and back plates and extending from said inlet manifold passage to said connector manifold passage for conducting liquid cooling medium from said inlet manifold passage to said connector manifold passage, a second series of passages disposed between said front and back plates and extending from said connector manifold passage to said outlet manifold passage for conducting liquid cooling medium from said connector manifold passage to said outlet manifold passage, said expansion chamber being disposed between the second end portions of said front and back plates and having a length which is greater than said first and third lengths.

Claim 35

An apparatus comprising chill plate means for conducting heat away from electrical circuitry which generates heat and is on said chill plate means, passage means disposed within said chill plate means for holding liquid to which heat is transferred from said chill plate means, pump means mounted on said chill plate means for inducing a flow of liquid through said passage means within said chill plate means to promote a uniform dissipation of heat from said chill plate means, motor means mounted on said chill plate means for driving said pump means, expansion chamber means disposed within said chill plate means for holding gas which is compressible by the liquid to accommodate thermal expansion of the liquid, and a plurality of fins extending from said chill plate means to promote a transfer of heat from said chill plate means to an atmosphere around said chill plate means.

Claim 36

An apparatus comprising chill plate means for conducting heat away from electrical circuitry which generates heat and is on said chill plate means, passage means disposed within said chill plate means for holding liquid to which heat is transferred from said chill plate means, pump means mounted on said chill plate means for inducing a flow of liquid through said passage means within said chill plate means to promote a uniform dissipation of heat from said chill plate means, motor means mounted on said chill plate means for driving said pump means, expansion chamber means disposed within said chill plate means for holding gas which is compressible by the liquid to accommodate thermal expansion of the liquid, and a plurality of fins extending from said chill plate means to promote a transfer of heat from said chill plate means to an atmosphere around said chill plate means.