Patents Examined by Gerald P. Tolin
  • Patent number: 5822186
    Abstract: A removable auxiliary electrical component for an electrical device that can be removed when the electrical device is powered is disclosed. The removable axillary electrical component includes a module located on an exterior portion of an electrical product. The removable axillary electrical component also includes a guard member connected to an electrical product. The electrical product includes an electrical contact portion connected to a power source of the electrical product, and a housing member containing a first electrical portion of the module. The electrical portion includes a second contact portion, the second contact portion is used for mateably engaging the first contact portion. The housing portion also includes a snap member for removable engagement with the exterior portion of the electrical product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 13, 1998
    Assignee: Apple Computer, Inc.
    Inventors: William H. Bull, Mark P. McNally
  • Patent number: 5818693
    Abstract: The apparatus is a cooling structure for laptop computers, in which the heat is transferred to a heat pipe in the cover of the case behind the display screen. The heat pipe behind the screen is interconnected with the external wall of the cover by a holding fixture which, preferably, is integrated into the cover wall during manufacture. The cover is specially constructed with high thermal conductivity carbon fibers which are oriented to preferentially conduct heat from the heat pipe to the cover and to spread the heat over the entire external surface of the cover for dissipation into the environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 6, 1998
    Assignee: Thermal Corp.
    Inventors: Scott D. Garner, Jerome E. Toth
  • Patent number: 5818695
    Abstract: A heat sink and spring clip assembly for removing heat from an electronic module and for holding the heat sink and electronic module to a circuit board, with the heat sink having a finned top surface, and a flat bottom surface larger than the electronic module for holding the electronic module between the bottom surface and the circuit board, with the bottom surface also having a downward extending leg at each corner, each leg ending with a foot for resting on the circuit board and holding the heat sink a fixed distance above the circuit board, and the spring clip for holding the heat sink to the circuit board having a substantially rectangular frame with two opposing torsion bar sides and two opposing leaf spring sides, the sides connected at four corners, and each corner having a downward extending leg with a latching notch for latching into a latching hole in the circuit board when the spring clip is pressed down over the heat sink and the leaf spring sides are compressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 6, 1998
    Assignee: Apple Computer, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert Norman Olson
  • Patent number: 5818002
    Abstract: A pressure switch is illustrated that includes only three piece parts--two dimpled covers and a spacer. By selecting both the type and thickness of cover materials, switching pressure ranges can be selected to accommodate a very wide range of operating pressures. Fine adjustment of the switching pressure may be made by modifying the cover dimples. Reliability and a hermetic seal is attained through the use of appropriate materials for the covers and spacer, together with active metal braze seals which provide high temperature, moisture and chemical resistance. A vacuum port is added for providing the ability to modify the air pressure within the pressure switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 6, 1998
    Assignee: CTS Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin D. Kurtz, Steven N. Ginn, David L. Kordecki
  • Patent number: 5815370
    Abstract: A liquid cooling module for cooling electronic circuit components and the like comprises the use of a fluidic amplifier element in conjunction with a thermally sensitive fluidic element. The thermally sensitive fluidic element responds to the change in viscosity with respect to temperature of a coolant flowing through a cooling plate. In response to the viscosity change, the thermally sensitive element produces a fluidic control signal to the fluidic amplifier element, which increases the rate of flow through the cooling plate with increasing coolant temperature and decreases the rate of flow through the cooling plate with decreasing coolant temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 29, 1998
    Inventor: Trevor G. Sutton
  • Patent number: 5814779
    Abstract: A fluid pressure responsive electric switch (100) is shown in which first and second discrete electrical switches are controlled. A first movable support ring (122) mounts first and second snap acting discs (120a, 124a) on opposite sides thereof, the discs each having the normally concave surface facing the support ring. The first disc receives a force through a pressure to force converter (134) which is transferred through the second disc to a second movable support (126) and a third snap acting disc (128a) having a normally concave surface facing a related movable contact arm. When the system pressures exceeds a first minimum level the third disc (128a) snaps allowing a motion transfer pin to transfer a force to the movable contact arm (118a) of a compressor actuation switch (118) to energize the compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 29, 1998
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: George Verras, Daniel Morin
  • Patent number: 5814780
    Abstract: A float switch having a housing, a pivoting float body and a tube containing mercury. The wires extend from the tube, into pivot arms of the float body, out of apertures within the arms and upwardly out an orifice in the top surface of the housing. The pivot arms include a pivot arm stop to center the float body within the housing. The pivot arms are sealed to prevent ingress of water into the tube. The housing includes dual rows of apertures to lessen the effects of clogging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 29, 1998
    Assignee: Rule Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott K. Batchelder, James T. Burrill, Gary M. Sable
  • Patent number: 5812376
    Abstract: A mounting assembly mounts an integrated circuit between a printed circuit board and a lower surface of a heat sink. The mounting assembly includes a plurality of electrical leads extending out from the integrated circuit and toward the printed circuit board. The electrical leads extend in a direction away from the lower surface of the heat sink. A spring is secured to the heat sink and disposed adjacent the printed circuit board and facing the integrated circuit to abut the lower surface of the heat sink such that thermal energy will pass from the integrated circuit to the heat sink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 22, 1998
    Assignee: Chrysler Corporation
    Inventors: Terry P. Mach, Kurt R. Jackson, Alfred H. Glover, Chandrakant Dave, Frank Hodges, Stephen L. Morris
  • Patent number: 5808875
    Abstract: An integrated circuit package that has no internal routing or vias within the substrate of the package. The package includes a substrate that has a plurality of bond pads and connecting contact pads located on an outer first surface of the substrate. An integrated circuit is mounted to the first surface and coupled to the bond pads. Mounted to the substrate is a solder rack which contains a plurality of contacts that couple the contact pads to an external printed circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 15, 1998
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: John Francis McMahon, Mostafa Aghazadeh, Frank Kolman
  • Patent number: 5805414
    Abstract: A neutral tie bar comprised of a unitary member having a center portion and vertically offset laterally extending ends. Disposed between the center portion and each end is a cable lug for a branch neutral cable. Extending between one neutral cable lug and an end is a neutral cable lug for an incoming neutral cable. The neutral tie bar being adapted to be electrically connected to the enclosure of the load center.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1998
    Assignee: Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc.
    Inventor: Werner Feldhaeusser
  • Patent number: 5805419
    Abstract: A socketed integrated circuit packaging system, including a packaged integrated circuit and a socket therefor, is disclosed. The integrated circuit package includes a device circuit board to which a thermally conductive slug is mounted; the underside of the device circuit board has a plurality of lands arranged in an array. The integrated circuit chip is mounted to the slug, through a hole in the device circuit board, and is wire-bonded to the device circuit board and thus to the lands on the underside. The socket is a molded frame, having a hole therethrough to receive the conductive slug of the integrated circuit package; the socket may also have its own thermally conductive slug disposed within the hole of the frame. The socket has spring contact members at locations matching the location of the lands on the device circuit board. The integrated circuit package may be inserted into the socket frame, held there by a metal or molded clip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1998
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael J. Hundt, Anthony M. Chiu
  • Patent number: 5801924
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for conductively cooling daughter card assemblies mounted to either an air or liquid cooled computer circuit module wherein the module has a cold plate and at least one mother board adjacent the cold plate. The module carries a number of daughter assemblies thereon adjacent the mother board. Each daughter card assembly has at least one daughter board which carries a number of electronic components on an element side of the board. A cooling side is disposed opposite the element side on the board. A thermally conductive plate has an inner side facing the mother board and an outer side opposite the inner side. The inner side has one or more projecting members extending perpendicularly towards the mother board. The daughter board is parallel to and in conductive contact with one side of the conductive plate. The module cold plate has a number of upstanding spacers projecting toward the mother board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 1, 1998
    Assignee: Cray Research, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard B. Salmonson
  • Patent number: 5796584
    Abstract: A bridge is used to mount a heat generating electronic component such as an RF power amplifier to a heat sink plate or the like. The bridge is made of heat conductive material to assist in dissipating heat away from the power amplifier while providing an electromagnetic border between input and output sides of the amplifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 18, 1998
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
    Inventor: Jan Myrberg
  • Patent number: 5793612
    Abstract: The genus of apparatus according to the teachings of the invention is characterized by use of a heat conducting elastomer which is compressed between an integrated circuit and a surface of a chassis made of heat conducting material such as Aluminum. The elastomer conducts heat from the integrated circuit to the surface of the chassis where it warms the entire chassis and is radiated to the ambient and removed by convection cooling. Since the chassis provides a much greater radiating and convection cooling surface, cooling of the integrated circuit is enhanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1998
    Assignee: Gadzoox Networks, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas M. Tobin, Gary Robert Schultheis
  • Patent number: 5793609
    Abstract: Operating heat generated by a PCMCIA card inserted into the base housing portion of a computer, representatively a notebook computer, is dissipated by a heat sink system disposed within the base housing. In response to insertion of the card into its associated support structure within the base housing, a metal heat sink plate member is resiliently pressed into firm engagement with a side of the inserted card by a spring member interconnected between the plate member and the card support structure. Card operating heat is efficiently transferred to the metal plate member by conduction. To dissipate the heat received by the plate member, a heat removing fluid is flowed against the plate member and caused to receive heat therefrom. Heat received by the fluid is then transferred to ambient air external to the computer to substantially lower the operating temperature of the inserted PCMCIA card.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1998
    Assignee: Compaq Computer Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel N. Donahoe, Henry E. Mecredy, III
  • Patent number: 5793611
    Abstract: An electronic device comprises a substrate having electronic parts, electric conductive wires for electrically connecting between the electronic parts, a front surface on which the electronic parts and electric conductive wires are mounted, a reverse surface and at least one electronic part back portion opposite to the electronic parts; and at least one high thermal conductivity member, a thermal conductivity coefficient thereof being higher than that of the substrate, the high thermal conductivity member being connected to the electronic part back portion while the high thermal conductivity member is opposite to the electronic parts in a substrate width direction to decrease a difference in temperature between the electronic parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1998
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Norio Nakazato, Shigeki Hirasawa, Shoji Masukawa, Heikichi Kuwahara
  • Patent number: 5793610
    Abstract: The present invention provides a cooling fan system for a chassis configured to contain heat generating electrical components and to assume horizontal and vertical alternative operating orientations. The cooling fan system includes a support member securable within the chassis and having an air flow opening formed therein. Additionally, the cooling fan system includes a louver member hingedly attached to the support member to rotate between an open position wherein a substantial air flow is allowed through the air flow opening and a closed position wherein the louver member covers the air flow opening. The louver member may be made from plastic, however, other types of rigid materials that can withstanding the chassis' operating conditions could also be used, such as metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1998
    Assignee: Dell USA, L.P.
    Inventors: Ty Schmitt, David Lyle Moss
  • Patent number: 5793613
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a heat-dissipating and supporting structure for a semiconductor electronic device to be encapsulated within a molded plastic material package, of the type having an insulated inner heat sink. In particular, it comprises a heat-sink element which has a first largest surface to be insulated by means of a plastic material layer with a first thickness, and a second largest surface, opposite from the first, to be insulated by means of a layer of plastic material with a second thickness which is thin compared to the first thickness; and a leadframe consisting of a metal strip attached to the heat-sink element on the same side as the first largest surface and comprising a peripheral holder structure located outside the heat-sink element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1998
    Assignee: SGS-Thomson Microelectronics S.r.1.
    Inventors: Renato Poinelli, Marziano Corno
  • Patent number: 5787576
    Abstract: A heat sink apparatus dissipates heat from an integrated circuit which is connected to a printed circuit board. A support member is connected to the circuit board for supporting the integrated circuit with respect to the circuit board. A metal tab in thermal communication with the integrated circuit extends from the support member in a plane substantially parallel to the circuit board. An electrically insulating thermally conductive compressible pad is positioned in contact with the metal tab for receiving heat from the tab when compressed. A thermally conductive housing is positioned adjacent the pad for compressing the pad against the tab and for receiving heat from the pad when compressed. The housing includes a plurality of fins extending therefrom for heat dissipation. A method for dissipating heat from an integrated circuit which is connected to a printed circuit board is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1998
    Assignee: Borg-Warner Automotive, Inc.
    Inventors: James David Warren, Carl Randall Vogt, Charles David Klooz
  • Patent number: 5790379
    Abstract: A natural heat dissipation device for a microprocessor. The microprocessor is conventionally mounted to a printed circuit board. The printed circuit board contains a recess that is cut-out directly below the microprocessor. Heat sink material is attached to the microprocessor through the recess. The heat sink material attached to the bottom of the microprocessor may be used alone or in conjunction with a an attached metal tray or case under the printed circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1998
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics America, Inc.
    Inventor: Ki B. Kang