COOLING APPARATUS WITH DYNAMIC LOAD ADJUSTMENT

摘要

A cooling apparatus is disclosed, which may include multiple heat producing units. The cooling apparatus may also have a thermal interface material (TIM) to facilitate heat transfer away from the heat producing units. The cooling apparatus may also have multiple heat sink columns located above, and designed to conduct heat away from, corresponding heat producing units, through thermally conductive contact with corresponding portions of the TIM layer. The cooling apparatus may also have a load plate located above the heat sink columns, designed to hold the heat sink columns in a relatively fixed position above the heat producing units. The TIM layer may have an initial compressed state between the heat sink columns and the corresponding heat producing units. Each of the heat sink columns may be designed so that, in operation, the corresponding portion of the TIM layer may have a further compressed state.

主权项

1. A cooling apparatus comprising:
a plurality of heat producing units, each having a top surface; a first thermal interface material (TIM) layer, having:
a top surface; anda bottom surface adjacent to, and in thermally conductive contact with, the top surfaces of the heat producing units, to facilitate heat transfer away from the heat producing units; a plurality of heat sink columns, each having:
a top surface; anda bottom surface located above a corresponding heat producing unit that is above and in thermally conductive contact with, the top surface of a corresponding portion of the first TIM layer, each heat sink column designed to conduct heat away from the corresponding portion of the first TIM layer; anda load plate located above the top surfaces of the heat sink columns and designed to, in a latched state, hold the top surfaces of the heat sink columns in a relatively fixed position above the heat producing units, wherein:
the first TIM layer has an initial compressed state between the heat sink columns and the corresponding heat producing units; andeach of the plurality of heat sink columns is designed so that, in operation, the corresponding portion of the first TIM layer has a further compressed state.