Spring clamp assembly with electrically insulating shoe

Claim 2

The combination comprising: (a) a heat sink having a body of thermally conductive material with at least one substantially flat first major face extending between first and second sides thereof and a second face disposed opposite said first face having at least one groove extending between said first and second sides; (b) an electronic device package having a heat transfer face in thermally conductive contact with said first major face on said heat sink and a mounting face opposite said heat transfer face; and (c) a connector joining said heat sink to said electronic device package comprising: (i) a spring member positioned in said at least one groove and extending between said first and second sides; and (ii) electrically insulating shoes independently and removeably mounted on the ends of said spring member, a surface on each said shoe engaging said mounting face.

Claim 3

The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said spring member is constructed from electrically conductive spring steel.

Claim 4

The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said spring member and said shoes each have corresponding releaseable connectors thereon releaseably connecting said shoe to said spring member.

Claim 5

The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said spring member comprises an elongated body portion with end portions extending in the same direction substantially normal to the axis of the body portion to define a C-shaped body which is reverse bowed between said ends.

Claim 6

The combination comprising: (a) a heat sink comprising a body of thermally conductive material having at least one substantially flat first major face extending between first and second sides and a second major face disposed opposite said first face and having at least one pin fin extending from said second major face; (b) an electronic device package comprising an enclosure with a heat conductive face in thermally conductive contact with said first major face of said heat sink and a mounting face opposite said heat conductive face; and (c) a plurality of connectors joining said heat sink to said electronic device package, each connector comprising a spring member having an electrically insulating shoe connected to said spring member and an aperture in one end of said spring member positioned with said pin fin inserted therein to connect said heat sink to said spring member with said shoe engaging said mounting face.

Claim 7

The combination comprising: (a) a heat sink comprising a body of thermally conductive material having at least one substantially flat first major face extending between first and second sides and a second major face disposed opposite said first face and having at least one pin fin extending from said second major face; (b) an electronic device package comprising an enclosure with a heat conductive face in thermally conductive contact with said first major face of said heat sink and a mounting face opposite said heat conductive face; and (c) a plurality of connectors joining said heat sink to said electronic device package, each connector comprising a spring member having an electrically insulating shoe connected to said spring member and an aperture in one end of said spring member positioned with said pin fin inserted therein to connect said heat sink to said spring member with said shoe engaging said mounting face.

Claim 8

The combination defined in claim 5 wherein said spring member is constructed from electrically conductive spring steel.

Claim 9

The combination defined in claim 5 wherein said spring member and said shoe each have corresponding releaseable connectors connecting said shoe to said spring member.

Claim 10

The combination comprising: (a) a heat sink comprising a body of thermally conductive material having at least one substantially flat first major face extending between first and second sides and a second major face disposed opposite said first face with a plurality of grooves in said second face forming a plurality of fins therebetween; (b) an electronic device package comprising an enclosure with a heat conductive face in thermally conductive contact with said first major face of said heat sink and a mounting face opposite said conductive face; and (c) a plurality of connectors joining said heat sink to said electronic device package, each connector comprising a spring member, at least one slot in said spring member receiving at least part of one of said fins therein, and an individual electrically insulating shoe mounted on and carried by said spring member having a surface engaging said mounting face of said electronic device package.

Claim 11

The combination comprising: (a) a heat sink comprising a body of thermally conductive material having at least one substantially flat first major face extending between first and second sides and a second major face disposed opposite said first face with a plurality of grooves in said second face forming a plurality of fins therebetween; (b) an electronic device package comprising an enclosure with a heat conductive face in thermally conductive contact with said first major face of said heat sink and a mounting face opposite said conductive face; and (c) a plurality of connectors joining said heat sink to said electronic device package, each connector comprising a spring member, at least one slot in said spring member receiving at least part of one of said fins therein, and an individual electrically insulating shoe mounted on and carried by said spring member having a surface engaging said mounting face of said electronic device package.

Claim 12

The combination defined in claim 8 wherein said fins comprise rows of aligned pins.

Claim 13

The combination defined in claim 9 wherein: (a) said spring member extends around one of the sides of the heat sink and has an aperture which fits around at least one of said pins; and (b) said spring member and said shoe have cooperating connectors releaseably connecting said shoe to said spring member.

Claim 14

The combination defined in claim 9 wherein said spring member comprises an elongated wire body folded to form a base portion which supports said shoe, a pair of parallel arms folded at about 90° to the base portion and then reverse folded to define a contact foot which fits within a groove in said second face to secure the combination together.

Claim 15

The combination defined in claim 11 wherein said insulating shoe is removeably secured to said spring member.

Claim 16

The combination defined in claim 8 wherein said spring member comprises an elongated wire body folded to form a U-shaped base portion which captures and supports said shoe, a pair of parallel arms forming said slot folded at about 90° to the base portion to define a fulcrum and then folded at about 90° to said fulcrum and rotated about said fulcrum to define a pair of slanted lever arms which fit within a groove in said second face to secure the combination together.

Claim 17

The combination comprising: (a) a heat sink comprising a body of thermally conductive material having at least one substantially flat first major face extending between first and second sides and a second major face disposed opposite said first face with a plurality of grooves in said second face forming rows of aligned pins therebetween; (b) an electronic device package comprising an enclosure with a heat conductive face in thermally conductive contact with said first major face of said heat sink and a mounting face opposite said conductive face; and (c) a connector joining said heat sink to said electronic device package comprising a spring member, at least one slot in said spring member receiving at least one of said pins therein, and an electrically insulating shoe on the end of said spring member having a surface engaging said mounting face of said electronic device package wherein said spring member comprises an elongated wire body folded to form a base portion which supports said shoe, a pair of parallel arms folded at about 90° to the base portion and then reverse folded to define a contact foot which fits within a groove in said second face to secure the combination together.

Claim 18

The combination comprising: (a) a heat sink comprising a body of thermally conductive material having at least one substantially flat first major face extending between first and second sides and a second major face disposed opposite said first face with a plurality of grooves in said second face forming rows of aligned pins therebetween; (b) an electronic device package comprising an enclosure with a heat conductive face in thermally conductive contact with said first major face of said heat sink and a mounting face opposite said conductive face; and (c) a connector joining said heat sink to said electronic device package comprising a spring member, at least one slot in said spring member receiving at least one of said pins therein, and an electrically insulating shoe on the end of said spring member having a surface engaging said mounting face of said electronic device package wherein said spring member comprises an elongated wire body folded to form a base portion which supports said shoe, a pair of parallel arms folded at about 90° to the base portion and then reverse folded to define a contact foot which fits within a groove in said second face to secure the combination together.

Claim 19

The combination defined in claim 11 wherein said insulating shoe is removeably secured to said spring member.

Claim 20

The combination comprising: (a) a heat sink comprising a body of thermally conductive material having at least one substantially flat first major face extending between first and second sides and a second major face disposed opposite said first face with a plurality of grooves in said second face forming a plurality of fins therebetween; (b) an electronic device package comprising an enclosure with a heat conductive face in thermally conductive contact with said first major face of said heat sink and a mounting face opposite said conductive face; and (c) a connector joining said heat sink to said electronic device package comprising a spring member, at least one slot in said spring member receiving at least part of one of said fins therein, and an electrically insulating shoe on the end of said spring member having a surface engaging said mounting face of said electronic device package wherein said spring member comprises an elongated wire body folded to form a U-shaped base portion which captures and supports said shoe, a pair of parallel arms forming said slot folded at about 90° to the base portion to define a fulcrum and then folded at about 90° to said fulcrum and rotated about said fulcrum to define a pair of slanted lever arms which fit within a groove in said second face to secure the combination together.

Claim 21

The combination comprising: (a) a heat sink comprising a body of thermally conductive material having at least one substantially flat first major face extending between first and second sides and a second major face disposed opposite said first face with a plurality of grooves in said second face forming a plurality of fins therebetween; (b) an electronic device package comprising an enclosure with a heat conductive face in thermally conductive contact with said first major face of said heat sink and a mounting face opposite said conductive face; and (c) a connector joining said heat sink to said electronic device package comprising a spring member, at least one slot in said spring member receiving at least part of one of said fins therein, and an electrically insulating shoe on the end of said spring member having a surface engaging said mounting face of said electronic device package wherein said spring member comprises an elongated wire body folded to form a U-shaped base portion which captures and supports said shoe, a pair of parallel arms forming said slot folded at about 90° to the base portion to define a fulcrum and then folded at about 90° to said fulcrum and rotated about said fulcrum to define a pair of slanted lever arms which fit within a groove in said second face to secure the combination together.