JPH1056279A - Adjustable height heat transmission spacer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To adjust the height easily depending on the interval between a cooler and a heating element by bringing a lower slope plate having an upper surface inclining spirally about a rotary shaft into face contact with an upper slope plate having a lower surface inclining spirally. SOLUTION: The adjustable height thermal conduction spacer 1 comprises a lower slope plate 3 having an upper surface inclining spirally about a rotary shaft 5, a thermally conductive grease 4 applied to the upper surface of the lower slope plate 3, and an upper slope plate 2 to be engaged with the rotary shaft 5 of the lower slope plate 3 while having lower surface inclining spirally about the engaging part of the rotary shaft 5 and coming into face contact with the upper surface of the lower slope plate 3. These components 1, 3, 5 are preferably made of a material having high thermal conductivity, e.g. copper or aluminum. When the upper slope plate 2 is turned with respect to the lower slope plate 3 in such a thermally conductive spacer 1, the height from the lower surface to the upper surface is varied. Consequently, thermal conduction can be enhanced by interposing the thermal conduction spacer 1 between a cooler and a heating element.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a heat conducting component for bringing an electronic component, which is a heating element, mounted on a circuit board into contact with a cooling device for cooling the electronic component.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIGS. 6 and 7 are schematic sectional views showing a conventional example of a heat conducting part for bringing a heating element into contact with a cooling device.

Conventionally, as a heat conducting component used for cooling an electronic component which is a heating element such as an LSI with a cooling device, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, such as an LSI mounted on a circuit board 101 is used. A heat conduction sheet 104 or a cooling device 1 disposed between the electronic component 102 and a cooling device 103 such as a heat pipe in which a cooling liquid such as water flows inside.
A bellows 105, which is provided in a part of the cooling device 03 and through which the coolant of the cooling device 103 flows, is known.

[0004]

However, in general, when electronic components are mounted on a circuit board, the height of the electronic components is often different from that of the cooling device. Therefore, the heat conductive sheet shown in FIG. 6 has a problem that the thickness of the sheet needs to be set according to the distance between the cooling device and the electronic component. In addition, when the space between the cooling device and the electronic component is increased, the thickness of the heat conductive sheet needs to be increased accordingly. As a result, there is a problem that the thermal resistance increases and the cooling efficiency deteriorates.

Further, according to the bellows shown in FIG. 7, it is possible to make the cooling device and the electronic components come into contact with each other irrespective of the distance between them. There is a problem that it is complicated and expensive.

In view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, the present invention can adjust the height (thickness) according to the distance between the cooling device and the heating element without increasing the thermal resistance, and has a simple structure. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a variable height heat conductive spacer which is inexpensive.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, a variable height heat conductive spacer according to the present invention has a lower slope having a rotating shaft and an upper surface inclined helically about the rotating shaft. Plate, an upper slope plate engaged with the rotation axis of the lower slope plate, the lower surface of which is helically inclined around the engagement portion of the rotation shaft and is in surface contact with the upper surface of the lower slope plate;
It is characterized by comprising.

In the height-variable heat conductive spacer, a rotation spring for urging the rotation axis of the lower slope plate so as to rotate the upper slope plate to the maximum height may be mounted. Preferably, in this case,
It is preferable that the apparatus further includes a rotation stopping unit that is stopped by the upper slope plate and the lower slope plate to stop the rotation of the upper slope plate.

In any of the above-mentioned variable height heat conductive spacers, the heat conductive grease may be further provided on the upper surface of the lower slope plate, and the rotating shaft, the upper slope plate and the lower slope plate may be formed of a heat conductive grease. It is preferable that the heat conductive spacer is formed of a good material, and the variable height heat conductive spacer is disposed between the cooling device and the heating element.

In the invention configured as described above, since the lower surface of the upper slope plate and the upper surface of the lower slope plate are in helical inclination and in surface contact, the upper slope plate is rotated with respect to the lower slope plate. Then, the height (thickness) from the lower surface of the lower slope plate to the upper surface of the upper slope plate changes.

When a rotary spring for biasing the upper slope plate so as to rotate in the direction of the maximum height is mounted on the rotation axis of the lower slope plate, the upper slope plate is normally biased by the rotary spring. It will be in the state that was done.
Therefore, since the height from the lower surface of the lower slope plate to the upper surface of the upper slope plate is the highest, for example, before being disposed between the cooling device and the heating element, the user must move the upper portion against the urging force of the rotary spring. By rotating the slope plate, the rotation is stopped at a position where the height from the lower surface of the lower slope plate to the upper surface of the upper slope plate is the minimum height. Then, when the stopped state of the upper slope plate is released after being disposed between the cooling device and the heating element, the upper slope plate is rotated to the maximum height by the urging force of the rotation spring. Thereby, even if the height of the heating element is different from the cooling device,
The height can be easily adjusted.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The present invention relates to a heat conduction component disposed between a cooling device and a heating element, which are in surface contact with each other. It is not limited to the shape shown in the drawings as long as it is constituted by upper and lower plates, and the upper plate itself rises by rotating the upper plate relative to the lower plate.

(First Embodiment) FIG. 1 shows the structure of a first embodiment of a variable height heat conductive spacer according to the present invention.
(A) is a side view, (b) is an exploded view.

This embodiment is a heat conducting component used for bringing an electronic component, which is a heating element such as an LSI, into contact with a cooling device such as a heat pipe in which a cooling liquid is circulated. The upper plate itself is lifted by rotating the upper plate with respect to the lower plate.

That is, the variable-height heat-conducting spacer 1 of the present embodiment shown in FIG. 1 has a lower slope plate 3 having a rotating shaft 5 and an upper surface helically inclined about the rotating shaft 5.
The heat conductive grease 4 applied to the upper surface of the lower slope plate 3 is engaged with the rotating shaft 5 of the lower slope plate 3, and the lower surface is spirally inclined about the engaging portion of the rotating shaft 5 so that the lower The upper slope plate 2 is in surface contact with the upper surface of the slope plate 3. Upper slope plate 2 and its rotating shaft 5
It is preferable that the lower slope plate 3 be made of a material having good heat conductivity such as copper or aluminum. Further, the rotating shaft 5 may be provided on the upper slope plate 2 side instead of the lower slope plate 3.

In such a heat conductive spacer 1, since the lower surface of the upper slope plate 2 and the upper surface of the lower slope plate 3 are in surface contact with each other while being helically inclined about the rotating shaft 5, the lower slope plate 3 When the upper slope plate 2 is rotated, the height (thickness) from the lower surface of the lower slope plate 3 to the upper surface of the upper slope plate 2 changes.

FIG. 2 shows the contact surface between the lower surface of the upper slope plate 2 and the upper surface of the lower slope plate 3 by oblique lines and non-contact portions by white. In this figure, the height from the lower surface of the lower slope plate 3 to the upper surface of the upper slope plate 2 will be described.
(Thickness) from the lower surface of the to the upper surface of the upper slope plate 2
Is the lowest, and the proportion of the white portion is the smallest, the height (thickness) from the lower surface of the lower slope plate 3 to the upper surface of the upper slope plate 2 is the highest.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing a state in which the height-variable heat conductive spacer 1 is disposed between the cooling device and the heating element.

According to the present embodiment, the variable height heat conductive spacer 1 is arranged between the cooling device 6 and the heating element 7 shown in FIG. 3, and the upper slope plate 2 is rotated with respect to the lower slope plate 3. Thereby, the height can be adjusted according to various intervals between the cooling device 6 and the heating element 7. At this time, since the volume of the component itself does not change in accordance with the distance between the cooling device 6 and the heating element 7, it is not necessary to increase the thermal resistance. Further, since the structure is simple, it is inexpensive.

(Second Embodiment) FIG. 4 is an exploded view showing the configuration of a height-variable heat conductive spacer according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

The variable height heat conductive spacer 11 of the present embodiment shown in FIG. 3 has a lower slope plate 13 having a rotating shaft 15 and an upper surface helically inclined about the rotating shaft 15.
Thermal conductive grease 1 applied to the upper surface of lower slope plate 13
4 and the upper slope plate 12 engaged with the rotating shaft 15 of the lower slope plate 13, the lower surface of which is helically inclined around the engaging portion of the rotating shaft 15 and is in surface contact with the upper surface of the lower slope plate 13. And is composed of

In addition, the rotation axis 15 of the lower slope plate 13
Is mounted with a rotary spring 16 that urges the upper slope plate 12 to rotate in a direction of maximum height. As a result, the upper slope plate 12 is normally urged by the rotary spring 16 and the lower slope plate 13
From the lower surface to the upper surface of the upper slope plate 12 is the highest. Therefore, when the upper slope plate 12 is disposed between the cooling device and the heating element shown in FIG. 3, the upper slope plate 12 is rotated from the lower surface of the lower slope plate 13 against the urging force of the rotary spring 16. To the minimum height.

In such a configuration, it is convenient for use that the height-variable heat conductive spacer 11 is at the minimum height even before being disposed between the cooling device and the heating element. FIG. 5 shows an example of the rotation stopping means which is stopped by the upper slope plate 12 and the lower slope plate 13 to stop the rotation of the upper slope plate in order to keep the height at the minimum height in view of this point. As shown in this figure, the present embodiment further includes a rotation stopper 17 which is hooked on the lower slope plate 13 and the upper slope plate 12 as a rotation stopping means, so that it can be fixed at a minimum height in normal times. Then, by disposing the rotation stopper 17 after being disposed between the cooling device and the heating element, the cooling device and the heating element can be easily connected by the urging force of the rotation spring 16.

[0024]

As described above, the present invention provides a structure in which the lower surface of the upper slope plate and the upper surface of the lower slope plate are brought into surface contact with each other while being helically inclined about the rotation axis. By rotating the upper slope plate relative to the plate, the height (thickness) from the lower surface of the lower slope plate to the upper surface of the upper slope plate can be easily changed according to various intervals between the cooling device and the heating element. Can be. At this time, since the volume of the component itself does not change, it is not necessary to increase the thermal resistance.
Further, since the structure is simple, it is inexpensive.

Also, when a rotary spring for urging the upper slope plate to rotate in the direction of maximum height is mounted on the rotation axis of the lower slope plate, when the cooling device and the heating element are disposed between the cooling device and the heating element. The height can be easily adjusted by the urging force of the rotary spring. In addition, when disposed between the cooling device and the heating element, by providing a rotation stop means that stops the rotation of the upper slope plate at the lowest height by locking the upper slope plate and the lower slope plate, The operation at the time of height adjustment can be further simplified.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIGS. 1A and 1B show a configuration of a first embodiment of a variable height heat conductive spacer according to the present invention, wherein FIG. 1A is a side view and FIG.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a contact surface between a lower surface of an upper slope plate and an upper surface of a lower slope plate.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing a state in which a variable height heat conductive spacer is arranged between a cooling device and a heating element.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view showing the configuration of a second embodiment of the variable height heat conductive spacer of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a view showing a further preferred example of the second embodiment of the variable height heat conductive spacer of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a conventional example of a heat conducting component for bringing a heating element into contact with a cooling device.

FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a conventional example of a heat conducting component for bringing a heating element into contact with a cooling device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1,11 Height variable type heat conductive spacer 2,12 Upper slope plate 3,13 Lower slope plate 4,14 Heat conductive grill 5,15 Rotary shaft 6 Cooling device 7 Heating element 16 Rotary spring 17 Rotation stopper

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A lower slope plate having a rotation axis and having an upper surface spirally inclined around the rotation axis, being engaged with a rotation axis of the lower slope plate, and a lower surface being engaged with the rotation shaft. An upper slope plate which is helically inclined about a portion and is in surface contact with the upper surface of the lower slope plate. 2. The height-variable type according to claim 1, wherein a rotation spring that urges the upper slope plate to rotate in a maximum height direction is mounted on a rotation shaft of the lower slope plate. Heat conductive spacer. 3. The height-variable heat conductive spacer according to claim 2, further comprising a rotation stopping unit that is stopped by the upper slope plate and the lower slope plate to stop the rotation of the upper slope plate. 4. The variable height heat conductive spacer according to claim 1, further comprising heat conductive grease on an upper surface of the lower slope plate. 5. The variable height heat conductive spacer according to claim 1, wherein the rotating shaft, the upper slope plate, and the lower slope plate are formed of a material having good heat conductivity. 6. The variable height heat conductive spacer according to claim 1, which is disposed between the cooling device and the heating element.