GB2616123A

GB2616123A - Computer system and method for manufacturing a computer system

Info

Publication number: GB2616123A
Application number: GB2301215.6A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Neukam Wilhelm
Original assignee: Fujitsu Client Computing Ltd
Current assignee: Fujitsu Client Computing Ltd
Priority date: 2022-02-04
Filing date: 2023-01-27
Publication date: 2023-08-30
Anticipated expiration: 2043-01-27
Also published as: GB202301215D0; FR3132578A1; GB2616123B; JP2023114450A; DE102022102709A1

Abstract

A computer system 10 has a housing chassis 2 with a housing wall 3 and fastening elements 11 arranged at the wall 3. A system board (31, figure 4) accommodated in the chassis 2 has a heat-generating component (30, figure 4) disposed thereon, and a heat conducting device 12 is clamped between the wall 3 and the board 31 e.g. with the component facing the wall (3). The heat conducting device 12 is removably attached to the chassis 2 by the fastening elements 11 and dissipates heat from the component to the chassis 2. The fastening elements may be bolts projecting from, or holes in, the wall 3, with corresponding holes/bolts. The bolts may also have an internal thread for fastening the system board. The bolts may fix the heat conducting device in a predetermined area/orientation. The heat conducting device 12 may include a sheet metal part, e.g. a punched or embossed part, and may include a base plate, a contact area facing the system board, and a contact area facing the wall 3. The heat-generating device may be e.g. a chipset, processor, voltage regulator or graphics component.

Description

Computer system and method for manufacturing a computer system The invention relates to a computer system comprising a housing chassis having at least one housing wall and a system board received in the housing chassis having at least one heat-generating component disposed thereon. The invention further relates to a method for manufacturing a computer system.

Computer systems of the type mentioned above and methods for their manufacture are known from the prior art. For example, active components of a system board, such as a chipset or processor, often require special devices to dissipate the heat generated during operation of the computer system. In addition to conventional air cooling systems, which usually require a fan, heat conduction-based, preferably passive, heat dissipation devices are increasingly being used.

For example, a computer system comprising a computer housing having a plurality of side walls and a motherboard disposed in the computer housing and having at least one heat-generating component disposed thereon is known from DE 10 2019 103 071 Al. A side wall of the computer housing facing the heat-generating component includes a heat conducting body projecting toward the heat-generating component. The heat conducting body is manufactured in a die-casting process and is designed to absorb heat energy of the heat-generating component generated during intended operation by means of heat conduction and to dissipate it into the corresponding side wall by means of heat conduction. -2 -

It is the object of the present invention to describe flexible cooling concepts for computer systems as well as devices and manufacturing methods for their implementation. Preferably, the disclosed cooling concepts are intended to be suitable for a variety of differently configured computer systems and to enable particularly simple manufacture.

The above-mentioned task is solved by a computer system comprising a housing chassis with at least one housing wall and fastening elements arranged at the housing wall, a system hoard accommodated in the housing chassis with at least one heat-generating component arranged thereon, and a heat conducting device arranged in a clamping manner between the housing wall and the system board. The heat conduction device is removable attached to the housing chassis by means of the fastening elements and is designed to dissipate waste heat generated by the heat-generating component to the housing chassis.

A clamping, detachable connection between the heat conducting device and fastening elements of a housing wall makes it particularly easy to integrate the heat conducting device into the housing chassis and to adapt it depending on a specific system board used in the housing chassis. This makes it possible, in particular, to provide a uniform housing chassis for a large number of possible system boards with heat-generating components arranged at different locations. To adapt the housing chassis to the respective system board or for different thermal designs of different component manufacturers, it is only necessary to design a corresponding heat conducting device and insert it into the housing chassis. In addition to simplifying the manufacture of the computer system, the effort required to keep a large number -3 -of different housing chassis on hand can also be avoided or at least significantly reduced.

The fastening elements can, for example, be designed as bolts 5 protruding from the housing wall or the heat conducting device. In particular, they can be fastening bolts arranged at predetermined attachment points of the housing wall for fastening the system board. Such fastening bolts are typically already provided at standardized locations and 10 therefore do not cause any additional effort in the manufacture of the computer system.

In at least one embodiment, the heat conducting device comprises a sheet metal part, in particular a punched and/or embossed aluminum sheet. Such a sheet metal part is very easy and inexpensive to manufacture. In addition, aluminum sheet in particular has a high thermal conductivity and is thus well suited for producing a thermal connection between the system board and the housing wall.

In at least one embodiment, the heat-generating component is disposed on a side of the system board facing the housing wall, and the heat conducting device is arranged in a clamping manner between the housing wall and the heat-generating component. In this way, a path for direct heat transfer can be established between the heat-generating component and the housing wall.

In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, a method 30 for manufacturing a computer system is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of: -providing a housing chassis having at least one housing wall and mounting elements disposed at the housing wall; -4 - -inserting a heat conduction device into the housing chassis, wherein the heat conduction device is fixed to the housing wall by means of at least a first subset of the fastening elements; and -fastening a system board having at least one heat-generating component disposed thereon to the chassis wall by means of at least a second subset of the fastening elements such that a heat conducting connection is made between the heat-generating component and the chassis.

Such a manufacturing process is particularly easy to carry out. Compared with known manufacturing processes, it is only necessary to insert a heat conducting device loosely into the housing chassis. If necessary, this can also be done automatically, for example by a placement robot. Screwing, welding or other fastening of the heat conducting device directly to the housing chassis can be dispensed with because the heat conducting device is held securely in the housing chassis by the subsequent fastening of the system board.

Further advantageous embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the attached claims and in the following detailed description of embodiments.

Figure 1 shows a first computer system, with a heat conducting device welded to a housing wall.

Figure 2 shows a second computer system, with a heat conducting device held on additional positioning bolts.

Figure 3 shows a third computer system, with a heat conducting device held on existing fastening bolt, -5 -Figure 4 shows a schematic cross-section of one of the computer systems.

Figure 5 shows steps of a method for manufacturing a computer 5 system.

Figure 1 shows a possible embodiment of a computer system 1 having a device for dissipating heat from a heat-generating component of a system board.

The computer system 1 comprises a housing chassis 2, which in the exemplary embodiment is designed as the lower shell of a sheet steel housing. The housing chassis 2 has, among other things, a first housing wall 3 in the form of a base or bottom plate as well as further housing walls 4 and 5 formed thereon or attached thereto, which form side walls of the computer system 1.

Several fastening elements are arranged on the first housing 20 wall 3, which serve to fasten a system board not shown in Figure 1. In particular, these are fastening bolts 6 with an internal thread screwed into the first housing wall 3.

In order to cool one or more so-called thermal hotspots of the system board, a heat conducting device 7 is provided in the computer system 1 according to Figure 1, which in the exemplary embodiment is designed as an embossed aluminum sheet. A hotspot may, for example, be a location on the system board where a heat-generating component, such as a chipset, is arranged.

The heat conducting device 7 has a first, projecting area 8 and a total of four second, lowered areas 9, which are -6 -lowered in the direction of the first housing wall 3. The heat conducting device 7 is welded directly to the first housing wall 3 in the lowered areas 9, for example by spot welding.

Such an arrangement provides good heat transfer between a thermal hotspot in area 8 and the housing chassis 2 and is thus suitable for passive cooling of components such as a voltage regulator and/or a chipset. However, for this purpose the respective housing chassis 2 must be specifically adapted to the used system board, by welding the heat conducting device to it. Thus it is not possible to subsequently insert a system board other than one originally intended one into the housing chassis 2, having, for example, a chipset located at a different position.

Figure 2 shows an alternative embodiment of a computer system 10 that is particularly easy to adapt to one or more thermal hotspots at different locations of a system board. The computer system 10 shown is similar in design to the computer system 1 shown in Figure 1. Accordingly, no further description of the components already described above is provided here.

In contrast to the computer system 1, the first housing wall 3 of the computer system 10 has two additional positioning bolts 11 that serve to secure a removable heat conduction device 12 in the housing chassis 11. In this regard, the removable heat conduction device 12 has a similar structure to the previously described, welded heat conduction device 7. In particular, it also has a first, projecting area 8 and four second, lowered areas 9. -7 -

In contrast to the welded heat conducting device 7 described above, a fixing hole 13 is provided in each of two of the lowered areas 9 of the heat conducting device 12, with the aid of which the heat conducting device 12 can be fixed, e.g. located at a predetermined position, to the positioning bolt 11. In this way, a detachable connection can be made between the housing chassis 2 and the heat conducting device 12.

It is noted that the positioning pins 11, in conjunction with 10 the mounting holes 13, provide a mechanical coding that ensures that the heat conducting device 12 is uniquely fixed in a predetermined area of the housing chassis 2.

In the embodiment shown, the heat conducting device 12 is designed to be point-symmetrical with respect to the centre of the projecting area 8, so that it is also possible to install the heat conducting device 12 rotated by 180° without impairing its function.

In an alternative embodiment not shown in the figure, asymmetrically designed positioning bolts 11 and/or heat conduction devices 12 are provided, in which an orientation of the heat conduction device 12 is specified by means of the positioning bolts 11 and/or the fixing holes 13. For example, three appropriately positioned positioning bolts 11 and three fixing holes 13 can be provided in three of the four lowered areas 9.

In contrast to the arrangement according to Figure 1, the heat conducting device 12 according to Figure 2 is not firmly attached to the first housing wall 3. Instead, the heat conduction device 12 is held in a clamping manner in the housing chassis 2 by subsequent fastening of a system board to the fastening bolts 6, as described later with reference to Figure 5. Tests have shown that the clamping, detachable connection of the heat conducting device 12 has a thermal conductivity that is about 20 percent better than the spot-welded connection of the heat conducting device 7.

Figure 3 shows another computer system 20. In the computer system 20 shown in Figure 4, the provision of additional positioning bolts 11, as shown in Figure 2, has been omitted.

Instead, the removable heat sink 21 shown in Figure 3 has two mounting lugs 22 and 23, each extending to the fastening bolts 6 provided for mounting the system board.

In the exemplary embodiment shown in Figure 4, the two mounting lugs 22 and 23 form part of a common lowered area 24 that is in direct mechanical and thermal contact with the first housing wall 3. In addition, the heat conducting device 21 has two further lowered areas 25, which are also in direct contact with the first housing wall 3.

In contrast to the design according to Figures 2 and 3, no additional fixing holes are provided in the lowered areas 25. Instead, the fastening lugs 22 and 23 have fixing holes 26 near their respective ends. The diameters of the fixing holes 26 are selected such that they loosely embrace the fastening bolts 6. Thus, in the computer system 20 shown in Figure 4, it is also possible to simply loosely insert the heat conducting device 21 into the housing chassis 2, with the heat conducting device 21 subsequently being held in a clamping manner between the system board and the first housing wall 3 by mounting a system board. -9 -

Figure 4 schematically shows a cross-section through one of the computer systems 1, 10 or 20 in the assembled state. It can be seen that the corresponding heat conducting device 7, 12 or 21 is in direct heat conducting contact with a heat-generating component 30. The heat-generating component 30 may correspond to, for example, parts of a chipset of the system board 31. In this exemplary embodiment, the heat-generating component 30 is arranged on the lower side of the system board 31 facing the first housing wall 3.

Alternatively, it is also possible to arrange the heat-generating component 30 on an opposite upper side of the system board 31. In this case, the heat energy generated by the heat-generating component 30 is dissipated indirectly by means of heat conduction through the system board 31. Modern, multilayer system boards 31 in particular have a relatively high copper content, which ensures good heat conduction through the system board 31.

Figure 5 shows schematically the steps of a process for manufacturing one of the computer systems 10 or 20.

In a first step Si, a housing chassis 2 with a first housing wall 3 is produced. For example, a steel sheet can be suitably formed by punching and stamping to form a half shell.

In a subsequent step 52, one or more fastening bolts 6 are screwed into the first housing wall 3 or otherwise inserted. 30 Optionally, further positioning bolts 11 can be provided on the housing wall 3, as shown in Figure 2.

-10 -In a further step 53, one of the heat conducting devices 12 or 21 is inserted loosely into the housing chassis 2. In this step, the heat conducting device 12 or 21 is not yet finally fastened.

In a step 54, the heat conducting device 12 or 21 already inserted into the housing chassis 2 is covered in the upward direction by inserting a system board 31. Prior to this, a contact area, such as the projecting area 9, can optionally be provided with a thermal paste to improve thermal contact with a to-be-cooled, heat-generating component 30.

If the computer system to be manufactured does not have any heat-generating components to be cooled by means of heat conduction, steps 53 and 54 can be omitted. For example, relatively low-power system boards or system boards cooled by other cooling devices can be installed in this way in the same housing chassis 2 that is also used to accommodate system boards 31 requiring cooling by means of heat conduction.

The inserted system board 31 is then screwed to the fastening bolts 6 in a step 55. This ensures a tight fit of a heat conducting device 12 or 21 previously inserted in the housing chassis 2.

Although only a single thermal hotspot or projecting region 8 has been described in the previously described embodiments, it is of course also possible to provide a heat conducting device with multiple projecting regions 8 or even multiple heat conducting devices to cool a plurality of heat-generating components.

List of reference signs 1 computer system 2 housing chassis 3 (first) housing wall 4 (second) housing wall (third) housing wall 6 fastening bolt 7 (welded) heat conducting device 8 projecting area 9 lowered area computer system 11 positioning bolt 12 (removable) heat conducting device 13 fixing hole computer system 21 (removable) heat conducting device 22 (first) mounting lug 23 (second) mounting lug 24 (common) lowered area (further) lowered area 26 fixing hole heat-generating component 31 system board Si -S5 procedural steps

Claims

-12 -Claims 1. A computer system (10, 20), comprising: - a housing chassis (2) with at least one housing wall (3) and fastening elements arranged at the housing wall (3); - a system board (31) accommodated in the housing chassis (2) and having at least one heat-generating component (30) disposed thereon; and - a heat conducting device (12, 21) arranged in a clamping manner between the housing wall (3) and the system board (31), wherein the heat conducting device (12, 21) is removable attached to the housing chassis (2) by means of the fastening elements and is configured to dissipate waste heat generated by the heat-generating component (30) to the housing chassis (2).
2. The computer system (10, 20) according to claim 1, wherein - the fastening elements comprise bolts (6, 11) projecting from the housing wall (3), and the heat conducting device (12, 21) comprises fixing holes (13, 26) corresponding to the bolts (6, 11); or - the fastening elements comprise fixing holes arranged in the housing wall (3), and the heat conducting device (12, 21) comprises bolts corresponding to the fixing holes. 25
3. The computer system (10, 20) according to claim 2, wherein the bolts (11) are designed as fastening bolts (6) arranged at predetermined attachment points of the housing wall (3) and having an internal thread for fastening the system board (31).
4. The computer system (10, 20) according to claim 2 or 3, wherein a mechanical coding is realized by means of the -13 -bolts (6, 11) that is configured to fix the heat conducting device (12, 21) in a predetermined area of the housing chassis (2) and/or in a predetermined orientation.
5. The computer system (10, 20) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the heat conducting device (12, 21) comprises a sheet metal part, in particular a punched and/or embossed aluminum sheet.
6. The computer system (10, 20) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the heat conducting device (12, 21) comprises a base plate and at least one first contact area (8) projecting from the base plate in the direction of the system board (31) for thermal contacting of the at least one heat-generating component (30).
7. The computer system (10, 20) according to claim 6, wherein the heat conducting device (12, 21) further comprises a second contact area (9, 24, 25) projecting in the direction of the housing wall (3) for thermally contacting or mechanically fixing to the housing wall (3).
8. The computer system (10, 20) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the heat-generating component (30) is arranged on a side of the system board (31) facing the housing wall (3) and the heat conducting device (12, 21) is arranged in a clamping manner between the housing wall (3) and the heat-generating component (30).
9. The computer system (10, 20) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the heat-generating component (30) comprises at least one of a chipset, a voltage regulator, a processor, and a graphics component.-14 -
10. A method for manufacturing a computer system (10, 20), comprising the steps of: - providing a housing chassis (2) with at least one housing wall (3) and fastening elements arranged at the housing wall; - inserting a heat conducting device (12, 21) into the housing chassis (2), wherein the heat conducting device (12, 21) is fixed to the housing wall (3) by means of at least a first subset of the fastening elements; and -fixing a system board (31) with at least one heat-generating component (30) arranged thereon by means of at least a second subset of the fastening elements to the housing wall (3) in such a way that a heat conducting connection is established between the heat-generating component (30) and the housing chassis (2).