GB2369156A

GB2369156A - Retaing clip for cooling fins

Info

Publication number: GB2369156A
Application number: GB0126979A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ching-Hang Shen; Hsien-Keng Hsu
Original assignee: RAY LONG ENTPR CO Ltd; Asia Vital Components Co Ltd; Ray Long Enterprise Co Ltd
Current assignee: RAY LONG ENTPR CO Ltd; Asia Vital Components Co Ltd; Ray Long Enterprise Co Ltd
Priority date: 2000-11-20
Filing date: 2001-11-09
Publication date: 2002-05-22
Anticipated expiration: 2021-11-09
Also published as: GB2369156B; DE20118015U1; FR2817027A3; TW486233U; GB0126979D0; FR2817027B3

Abstract

A retaining clip 1, for attaching a cooling fin to a central processor unit of a computer, comprising an L-shaped retaining lever 10, a resilient piece 20 and a detachable lever 30. The L-shaped retaining lever 10, is an elongated lever providing a fixing component at the bottom thereof. At one end of the L-shaped retaining lever a perpendicularly bent part extends comprising a locking hook 13, and the other end being narrow attaching part 15. The resilient piece 20, is disposed beneath the L-shaped retaining lever 10, and fixed by the fixing components (141,142). The detachable lever 30, comprises a handle 31, on one end, and a hook part 32, on the other end. An attaching slot 33, is provided on the detachable lever 30, between the two said ends, through which the narrow attaching part 15, is passed. The resilient piece 20, can have a changeable height so as to accommodate cooling fins of different sizes.

Description

RETAINING CLAMP FOR COOLING FINS

The present invention relates to a retaining clamp for cooling fins, and, particularly, to an improved retainer clamp adaptable for fixing cooling fins in different sizes firmly.

Presently, it is known that the computer is one of required equipment for an individual or a company and it is much emphasized by the user that if the running speed of computer is fast or not. However, the central processing unit (CPU), the printer, and chips for the computer having a high executing speed may result in a problem of overheat to damage the CPU, chips and etc. in the computer. In order to reduce the temperature of the CPU effectively, extruded aluminum cooling fins with fan have been provided on the CPU to dissipate the generated heat. Nevertheless, the executing speed of the CPU is getting higher to result in anincreasingrotationspeedoffancorrespondingly. Inorder to mount and detach the extruded aluminum cooling fins with fan conveniently and to allow the fan running steadily, a way has been done that the CPU is coated with adhesive to

fix the cooling fins with fan. Another way is that a retainer is utilized to hook the cooling fins firmly over the bearing base for the CPU. A conventional retainer as shown in Fig. 1 or 2 basically is a L-shaped retaining lever 10'made of bent elastic steel. The L-shaped lever 10'-includes an elongated lever part 11', and a vertical lever part 12' extending froman end of the elongated lever 11'. The vertical lever 12'has a locking hook end 13'and the other end of elongated lever 11'connects a hook 32'. The middle part

of the elongated lever part 11'has a downward bend. Because the L-shaped lever 10'is made of elastic bent steel, there are following shortcomings in spite of being able to fasten the cooling fins to the bearing base of CPU: (1) The main body of conventional retainer is made of elastic material and it may result in distortion during heat treatment.

(2) Because of falling down to the floor or being impacted, the shock causedmay result in a co-vibration force due to up and down and left and right oscillations such that the retainer occurs a phenomenon of loosening.

(3) The cooling fins provide different sizes to accommodate different models of CPU specifications. In order

to meet different requirements in size, it is necessary for the conventional retainer being made in different sizes such that the production cost including the mold tool becomes much higher.

According to the present invention, a retaining clamp for cooling fins comprises: a L-shaped retaining lever with two ends, being an elongated lever, providing a fixing part, an end thereof extending a vertical bent part with a locking hook, the other end thereof being a narrow hanging part; a resilient piece, being disposed beneath the L-shaped retaining lever and fixed by the fixing part; and a detachable lever with two ends, an end thereof extending a handle, the other end thereof providing a hook, having a fitting groove between said two ends to be passed through by the hanging part on the L-shaped retaining lever.

An object of the present invention is to provide a retainer clamp for cooling fins, in which a fixing part is arranged on an elongated lever part of L-shaped retaining lever to hold a resilient piece with a V-shaped tip for being biased to press against the cooling fins by way of a detachable lever with a hook part and a locking hook on the L-shaped retaining lever engaging with the bearing base of the CPU.

Because the L-shaped retaining lever does not provides elastic force, the iron sheet (SPC), the galvanized steel sheet (SECC), the stainless steel (SUS304), or the fiber

reinforced plastics can be utilized as the material thereof, it has no the defect of unbalanced distortion as the elastic material adopted by the prior art does while the heat treatment is processed. Furthermore, due to the L-shaped retaining lever being made of non-elastic material, the

vibration resulting from falling down to the floor or impact only makes the resilient piece generate an oscillation force moving up and down without any co-vibration forces moving left and right as the prior art does. Hence, the retaining clamp for cooling fins does not loosen easily.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a retaining clamp for cooling fins, which has a resilient piece with a V-shaped tip pressing against the cooling fins to concentrate the pressing force at the central pressing point thereof and the distance between the resilient piece and the cooling fins can be controlled easily. Hence, only

the resilient piece such as a leaf spring or a spring requires to be replaced and it is not necessary to replace the entire retaining clamp. Thus, the extra production cost including

the expense of mold tool for making the retaining clamp may be saved tremendously.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a retaining clamp for cooling fins, which is arranged a

detachable lever with a hook part to engage with the bearing base of CPU and detachably fits with a hanging part on the L-shaped lever. Furthermore, a handle part is on the detachable lever such that the detachable lever can be mounted to and detached from the L-shaped lever much more easily.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a retaining clamp for cooling fins, which has the L-shaped retaining lever at both lateral sides thereof being formed a reinforced rib respectively to strengthen the L-shaped retaining lever and the resilient piece.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a retaining clamp for cooling fins, which has reinforced

ribs at the hanging part on the L-shaped lever with a chamfer respectively and a raised point is on the hanging part corresponding to a projection part surrounded by a fitting groove on the detachable lever. Hence, the detachable lever can be attached to and detached from the L-shaped retaining lever much more easily.

The present invention can be more fully understood in the following description with reference to accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 (prior art) is a perspective view of a conventional retaining clamp for cooling fins; Fig. 2 (prior art) is a perspective view of another conventional retaining clamp for cooling fins;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a retaining clamp for cooling fins according to the present invention ; Fig. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the retaining clamp of the present invention being fastened to the cooling fins; and Fig. 5 is a sectional view of Fig. 4 illustrating the retaining clamp in a state of fastening to the cooling fins in much more detail.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 5, a retaining clamp for cooling fins according to the present invention, which is attached to a central processor unit (CPU) in a computer, comprises a L-shaped retaining lever 10, a resilient piece 20, and a detachable lever 30.

The L-shaped retaining lever (10) is an elongated lever part 11 with a vertically bent lever part (12). A locking hook (13) is provided at the end of bent lever part (12) and the elongated lever part 11 has been pressed two opposite downward hooks (141), (142). The elongated lever part (11) at a free end thereof provides a narrow hanging part (15) with a raised point 151 to keep the detachable lever (30) off falling while the detachable lever (30) is attached to the hanging part 15. Both lateral sides of the L-shaped retaining lever (10) are formed a reinforced rib (16) respectively to strengthen the L-shaped retaining lever (10) and the resilient piece (20). The respective reinforced rib (16) at the hanging part (15) is arranged a chamfer (161).

The resilient piece (20), which provides a V shape and made of leaf spring, is placed under the elongated lever part (11) and fixed by the two opposite hooks (141), (142).

The detachable lever (30) at an end thereof extends a handle (31) and at the other end thereof provides a hook part (32). The middle portion of the detachable lever (30) is pierced a fitting groove (33) for the hanging part (15)

on the L-shaped retaining lever 10 being able to pass through andaprojectionpart (331) is formed surrounding the fitting groove (33). The detachable lever (30) is passed through by the hanging part (15) and then located by the chamfers (161) at the bottom of hanging part (15).

Next, referring to Fig. 4 and accompanying Fig. 5 again, the locking hook (13) on the L-shaped retaining lever (10) and the hook part (32) on the detachable lever 30 engage with two opposite engaging ears (41), (42) on the base (4) respectively. The base (4) is fixed to the central processing unit (CPU) (6) of main board in a computer. The tip (21) of V-shaped resilient piece (20) then is urged to press against the cooling fins (5) and the CPU (6) underneath.

The L-shaped retaining lever (10) can be made of iron sheet (SPC), galvanized iron sheet (SECC), stainless steel (SUS304), or fiber reinforcedplastics. Because the L-shaped retaining lever (10) is non-elastic material, the defect such as distortion caused by heat treatment can be avoided and an unbalancing force may not generate while the cooling fins are attached to the CPU by the retaining clamp of the present invention firmly without loosening. In addition, the pressing force concentrates to the central point of the cooling fins so that the distance between the pressing force and the cooling fins is easily controlled. In order to fit the size of cooling fins, it is only necessary to replace the resilient piece such as leaf spring or spring without

the need of replacing the entire retaining clamp for saving the production cost including the expense of mold tool.

Moreover, the reinforced ribs at both lateral sides of the hanging part provides a chamfer respectively and a raised point is arranged thereon to detachably fit with the proj ection part in the fitting groove on the detachable lever without loosening. Furthermore, a handle part is provided on the detachable lever to allow the detachable lever engaging with the L-shaped retaining lever much more easily.

While the invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that modifications and variations may be easily made without departing from the spirit of this invention defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A retaining clamp for cooling fins, comprises a L-shaped retaining lever with two ends, being an elongated lever, providing a fixing part, an end thereof extending a vertical bent part with a locking hook, the other end thereof being a narrow hanging part; a resilient piece, being disposed beneath the L-shaped retaining lever and fixed by the fixing part; and a detachable lever with two ends, an end thereof extending a handle, the other end thereof providing a hook, having a fitting groove between said two ends to be passed through by the hanging part on the L-shaped retaining lever.

2. A retaining clamp for cooling fins as defined in claim 1, wherein the L-shaped retaining lever has two bent lateral sides as reinforced ribs.

3. A retaining clamp for cooling fins as defined in claim 1, wherein a raised point is provided on the hanging part of L-shaped retaining lever.

4. A retaining clamp for cooling fins as defined in claim 1, wherein the fixing part is made on the elongated lever part by way of pressing to form two opposite hooks.

5. A retaining clamp for cooling fins as defined in claim 2, wherein the reinforced ribs at the hanging part have a chamfer respectively and a projection part is surrounded by the fitting groove.

6. A retaining clamp for cooling fins as defined in claim 1, wherein the resilient piece is a leaf spring or spring.

7. A retaining clamp for cooling fins as defined in claim 1, wherein the resilient piece is inverse V shape and positioned at a bottom of the L-shaped retaining lever to be held by the fixing part.

8. A retaining clamp for cooling fins as defined in claims 1 and 5, wherein the detachable lever at two lateral sides thereof is bent as a reinforced rib respectively.