US20120227948A1

US20120227948A1 - Heat sink fin structure

Info

Publication number: US20120227948A1
Application number: US13/045,533
Authority: US
Inventors: Li-Ling Chen
Original assignee: Asia Vital Components Co Ltd
Current assignee: Asia Vital Components Co Ltd
Priority date: 2011-03-11
Filing date: 2011-03-11
Publication date: 2012-09-13

Abstract

A heat sink fin structure includes a fin assembly and a protection unit. The fin assembly includes multiple radiating fins and an outside radiating fin. The outside radiating fin has a first main body. The protection unit has a second main body.

The first main body has at least one first protrusion edge. The second main body has at least one second protrusion edge. The second protrusion edge is assembled with the first protrusion edge so as to minimize the possibility of injury to an operator due to the exposed first protrusion edge. Also, the fin structure can be reinforced and the production efficiency of the fin structure can be promoted by means of the protection unit.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a heat sink fin structure, and more particularly to a heat sink fin structure including a fin assembly and a protection unit. The protection unit is assembled with an outside radiating fin of the fin assembly to minimize the possibility of injury to an operator due to the exposed outside radiating fin. Also, the fin structure can be reinforced and the production efficiency of the fin structure can be promoted by means of the protection unit.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Following the advance of the electronic technique, electronic components have higher and higher operation efficiency. To catch up this trend, the functional requirements for the heat sinks have become higher and higher. Most of the conventional heat sinks have adopted stacked fin assemblies for enhancing heat dissipation effect. Many manufacturers have devoted to the research and development of high-efficiency heat sinks and tried to provide improved heat sinks with higher heat dissipation effect.
With a computer host taken as an example, the central processing unit (CPU) in the computer host generates most of the heat generated by the computer host in operation. In case the heat is not efficiently dissipated, the temperature of the CPU will rise very quickly to cause deterioration of the execution efficiency. When the accumulated heat exceeds a tolerable limit, the computer will crash or even burn down in some more serious cases. Moreover, for solving the problem of electromagnetic radiation, the computer host is often enclosed in a computer case. This will affect the dissipation of the heat generated by the computer host. Therefore, it has become a critical issue how to quickly conduct out and dissipate the heat generated by the CPU and other heat-generating components.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional fin assembly 1 composed of multiple radiating fins 11. The radiating fins 11 are made of thin metal sheets by cutting. Two ends of each radiating fin 11 are bent to form two folded edges 111 in abutment with an upper plane face 112 an adjacent radiating fin 11. Accordingly, the radiating fins 11 can be stacked to form the fin assembly 1. The folded edges 111 of two ends of the radiating fin 11 and the upper plane face 112 define a heat dissipation space 113.
According to the above arrangement, the outermost radiating fin 11 is open and the folded edges 111 of the outermost radiating fin 11 are exposed to outer side. The radiating fins 11 are made of thin metal sheets by cutting. Therefore, the exposed folded edges 111 of the fin assembly 1 tend to cause injury to an operator in operation and lower the production efficiency. Also, the exposed folded edges 111 of the fin assembly 1 are likely to bend and deform due to collision. Accordingly, the conventional fin assembly 1 has the following shortcomings:
1. The conventional fin assembly is likely to cause injury to an operator in operation.
2. The conventional fin assembly is produced at lower production efficiency.
3. The conventional fin assembly is likely to deform due to collision.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a heat sink fin structure including a fin assembly and a protection unit. The protection unit is assembled with an outside radiating fin of the fin assembly to block the open space defined by the outside radiating fin so as to minimize the possibility of injury to an operator due to the exposed outside radiating fin.
A further object of the present invention is to provide the above heat sink fin structure, which is reinforced by means of the protection unit to promote the production efficiency of the heat sink fin structure.
To achieve the above and other objects, the heat sink fin structure of the present invention includes a fin assembly and a protection unit. The fin assembly is composed of multiple radiating fins that are stacked and assembled with each other. The fin assembly includes an outside radiating fin having a first main body. The first main body has at least one first protrusion edge protruding from the first main body in a stacking direction. The protection unit has a second main body. The second main body has at least one second protrusion edge protruding to the outside radiating fin. The second protrusion edge is assembled with the first protrusion edge to form the heat sink fin structure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The structure and the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional radiating fin structure;

FIG. 2 is a perspective exploded view of a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective assembled view of the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a side assembled view of the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a side assembled view of a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a side assembled view of a third embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 7 is a side assembled view of a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Please refer to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4. According to a first preferred embodiment, the heat sink fin structure 2 of the present invention includes a fin assembly 3 and a protection unit 4. The fin assembly 3 is composed of multiple radiating fins 31 that are stacked and assembled with each other. Each radiating fin 31 has a plane face 311 on one side. Two ends of the radiating fin 31 are bent to form two folded edges 312 defining therebetween a channel 313. The folded edges 312 abut against the plane face 311 of an adjacent radiating fin 31, whereby the radiating fins 31 are stacked and assembled with each other. The plane face 311 of the adjacent radiating fin 31 blocks the channel 313. The fin assembly 3 includes an outside radiating fin 32 having a first main body 321. The first main body 321 has at least one first protrusion edge 3211 outward protruding from the first main body 321 in the stacking direction. The first protrusion edge 3211 has at least one first connection section 3212. The first protrusion edges 3211 define therebetween an open space 3213.
In this embodiment, the protection unit 4 is a reverse radiating fin assembled with the outside radiating fin 32. The protection unit 4 has a second main body 41. The second main body 41 has at least one second protrusion edge 411 protruding to the outside radiating fin 32. The second protrusion edge 411 has at least one second connection section 412. The second protrusion edge 411 is assembled with the first protrusion edge 3211 by means of engagement, adhesion, insertion or press fit. The protection unit 4 blocks the open space 3213 defined by the outside radiating fin 32 to form the heat sink fin structure 2.
In this embodiment, the first connection section 3213 of the first protrusion edge 3211 of the outside radiating fin 32 is a hole, while the second connection section 412 of the second protrusion edge 411 of the protection unit 4 is a key section formed on outer side of the second protrusion edge 411. After the multiple radiating fins 31 and the outside radiating fin 32 are stacked to form the fin assembly 3, the first protrusion edge 3211 of the outside radiating fin 32 protrudes from the fin assembly 3. The outside radiating fin 32 defines the open space 3213. The first protrusion edge 3211 has an outer side and an inner side. When the protection unit 4 is connected with the outside radiating fin 32, the protection unit 4 is assembled with the inner side of the first protrusion edge 3211 of the outside radiating fin 32 with the second connection section 412 of the second protrusion edge 411 connected with the first connection section 3212 of the first protrusion edge 3211. That is, the key section of the second connection section 412 is inserted in the hole of the first connection section 3212, whereby the protection unit 4 can effectively block the open space 3213 of the outside radiating fin 32. In this case, the possibility of injury to an operator due to the exposed first protrusion edge 3211 can be minimized. Also, the structure can be reinforced and the production efficiency of the fin structure 2 can be promoted.
Please now refer to FIGS. 2 and 5, which show a second embodiment of the present invention. The second embodiment is substantially identical to the first embodiment in structure and connection relationship between the components and thus will not be repeatedly described hereinafter. The second embodiment is only different from the first embodiment in that the protection unit 4 is assembled with the outer side of the first protrusion edge 3211. The key section of the second connection section 412 is formed on an inner side of the second protrusion edge 411. When the protection unit 4 is assembled with the outside radiating fin 32, the key section of the second connection section 412 is inserted in the hole of the first connection section 3212 of the first protrusion edge 3211. In this case, the protection unit 4 can also effectively block the open space 3213 of the outside radiating fin 32.
Please now refer to FIGS. 2, 6 and 7, which show a third embodiment of the present invention. The third embodiment is substantially identical to the first embodiment in structure and connection relationship between the components and thus will not be repeatedly described hereinafter. The third embodiment is only different from the first embodiment in that the protection unit 4 has a top section and a bottom section. The top section is assembled with the inner side of the first protrusion edge 3211, while the bottom section is assembled with the outer side of the first protrusion edge 3211. Similarly, when the protection unit 4 is assembled with the outside radiating fin 32, the key section of the second connection section 412 is inserted in the hole of the first connection section 3212, whereby the protection unit 4 can also effectively block the open space 3213 of the outside radiating fin 32. Alternatively, the top section of the protection unit is assembled with the outer side of the first protrusion edge 3211, while the bottom section is assembled with the inner side of the first protrusion edge 3211. Similarly, when the protection unit 4 is assembled with the outside radiating fin 32, the key section of the second connection section 412 is inserted in the hole of the first connection section 3212, whereby the protection unit 4 can also effectively block the open space 3213 of the outside radiating fin 32. Accordingly, the possibility of injury to an operator due to the exposed first protrusion edge 3211 can be minimized. Also, the fin structure can be reinforced and the production efficiency of the fin structure 2 can be promoted.
The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the present invention, not intended to limit the scope thereof. It is understood that many changes and modifications of the above embodiments can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A heat sink fin structure comprising:

a fin assembly composed of multiple radiating fins that are stacked and assembled with each other, the fin assembly including an outside radiating fin having a first main body, the first main body having at least one first protrusion edge protruding from the first main body in a stacking direction; and

a protection unit having a second main body, the second main body having at least one second protrusion edge protruding to the outside radiating fin, the second protrusion edge being assembled with the first protrusion edge.

2. The heat sink fin structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second main body of the protection unit has at least one second connection section for connecting with the first protrusion edge.

3. The heat sink fin structure as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first protrusion edge has a first connection section positioned where the second connection section is positioned for connecting with the second connection section.

4. The heat sink fin structure as claimed in claim 3, wherein the second connection section is a key section, while the first connection section is a hole, whereby when the protection unit is assembled with the first protrusion edge, the key section is inserted in the hole.

5. The heat sink fin structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second protrusion edge is assembled with the first protrusion edge by means of engagement, adhesion, insertion or press fit.

6. The heat sink fin structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the protection unit is a reverse radiating fin assembled with the fin assembly.

7. The heat sink fin structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first protrusion edges of the outside radiating fin define an open space.

8. The heat sink fin structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the protection unit is assembled with an inner side or an outer side of the first protrusion edge.

9. The heat sink fin structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the protection unit has a top section and a bottom section, the top section being assembled with the inner side of the first protrusion edge, while the bottom section is assembled with the outer side of the first protrusion edge.

10. The heat sink fin structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the protection unit has a top section and a bottom section, the top section being assembled with the outer side of the first protrusion edge, while the bottom section is assembled with the inner side of the first protrusion edge.