Pivotable support and heat sink apparatus removably connectable without tools to a computer processor

摘要

A combination support and heat sink structure is mounted within a computer housing for pivotal movement between connected and disconnected positions and includes a pair of cooling plates, one air cooled and the other liquid cooled, carried in a spaced apart, parallel opposing relationship. The two cooling plates are movable toward and away from one another and a pair of manually operable spring clip members permit a processor card to be removably sandwiched and clamped between the cooling plates without the use of tools. When the structure is pivoted to its connected position a connection edge portion of the supported processor card is operatively inserted into an adjacent backplane connection socket, and when the structure is pivoted to its disconnected position the connection edge portion of the processor card is initially moved straight outwardly from the socket, and then pivoted with the structure to its disconnected position at which point the spring clips may be unfastened, without the use of tools, to permit the removal of the processor card from the support and heat sink structure.