Patents Examined by Zachary M. Pape
  • Modular monitor enclosed in a housing with a novel rear panel
    Patent number: 9049804
    Abstract: A monitor has a rear panel formed by injection molding plastic around a metal cooling element. The monitor includes a display panel, control electronics, a module support, and a monitor housing. The housing includes a front frame, the cooling element and a rear panel frame. The cooling element has cooling ducts formed between cooling fins. The rear housing panel frame has fin extensions that extend the fins of the cooling element into the rear housing panel frame. The display panel attaches to one side of the module support, while the control electronics attach to the other side. The front frame and the rear panel frame screw together, and the display panel and control electronics are clamped between the front frame and the rear panel frame. The monitor can be attached to a vehicle by slipping a retaining member into a T-shaped duct formed between two fins on the cooling element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: Mekra Lang GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Werner Lang, Simon Deffner, Jon Hohenhaus, Andreas Redlingshoefer, Jens Stuerzenhofecker
  • Flexible thermal interface for electronics
    Patent number: 9036353
    Abstract: A planar heat pipe for removing heat from an electronic device. The heat pipe includes a planar portion defining a cool end of the heat pipe and a plate portion mounted to the electronic device and defining a hot end of the heat pipe. The heat pipe also includes a serpentine portion coupled to the planar portion and the plate portion, where each of the planar portion, the plate portion and the serpentine portion include an internal chamber being in fluid communication with each other and containing a working fluid. The serpentine portion can include a plurality of elements where each element is coupled to an adjacent element at substantially a 90° angle so as to allow the serpentine portion to flex in three-degrees of freedom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Clint G. Buckman, Katrina M. Seitz, Christofer Bronnenberg
  • Dielectrophoretic cooling solution for electronics
    Patent number: 9030824
    Abstract: At least one cooling channel is positioned adjacent to an electronic component. The cooling channel communicates with plenums at each of two opposed axial ends. A dielectric fluid is received in the cooling channel. The cooling channel is provided with at least one electrode. A potential is applied to the at least one electrode such that an electric field magnitude at the downstream end of the channel is less than an upstream electric field magnitude, and such that a dielectrophoretic force on a bubble in the cooling channel will force it downstream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew Robert Pearson, Brian St. Rock
  • Power module cooling system
    Patent number: 9030822
    Abstract: A cooling system is operable to facilitate cooling a power module or other electronic assembly. The cooling system may be configured to facilitate cooling a DC/AC inverter or other electronic assembly where two power modules may be arranged in an opposing relationship relative to a coolant passageway. The opposing relationship may be suitable to minimizing a packaging size and footprint required to facilitate interacting both power modules with the coolant flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: Nadir Sharaf, Yu Qin, Reshma Rathod, Richard J. Hampo
  • Housing for a switchgear assembly module, switchgear assembly module and switchgear assembly
    Patent number: 9030809
    Abstract: A housing for a switchgear assembly module of a switchgear assembly forms a common gas space suitable for accommodating an insulating gas and three gas-insulated busbar nominal conductors of the switchgear assembly module. The housing includes three first busbar openings, which are arranged areally in a first opening plane and along a first straight line, three second busbar openings, which are arranged on a side, which is opposite the three first busbar openings, of the housing, and three outgoing conductor openings which are arranged areally in a second opening plane and along a second straight line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: ABB Technology AG
    Inventors: Arben Sabani, Diego Sologuren-Sanchez, Roland Würgler, Tilo Bolli
  • Rack structure-mounted power distribution unit
    Patent number: 9030810
    Abstract: A power distribution unit (PDU) mounted within the structure of a rack. A mechanical interface secures the PDU to a portion of the rack structure, such as within a post of the rack. The PDU is configured to provide electrical power to computing assets mounted in the rack. Securing the PDU within the rack structure allows the PDU to be placed in an unobtrusive position that does not occupy space between the rack posts, increasing the space between the rack posts available for mounting computing assets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Jon Brian Ehlen, Pierluigi Sarti
  • Multi-material protective case for sliding/articulating/rotating handheld electronic devices
    Patent number: 9025317
    Abstract: A two-piece hard shell case with a silicone or other flexible component may protect devices that hinge, slide, or otherwise articulate. A front surface hard cover may snap or connect to the front of the device while a back surface hard cover may snap or connect to the back of the device. A flexible component may be held in place under one or both of the hard shell pieces. The flexible component may be held under one or both of the hard shell covers and may have button pushers, covers, or other features to allow a user to operate a protected device while still covering the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Otter Products, LLC
    Inventors: Curtis Richardson, John Loudenslager, Jamie Johnson, Stephen Willes, Travis Smith, Alan Morine, Matthew Glanzer, Jane Michie, Cameron Magness
  • Housing unit with heat sink
    Patent number: 9007773
    Abstract: Described herein is an apparatus for dissipating or transferring heat from electronics secured in a housing unit. A housing unit includes a cover having a first fastener part and a base having a second fastener part. The base further includes a support structure for holding a printed circuit board (PCB) with mounted electronic components. A heat sink is placed within the base. The first fastener part and the second fastener part lock the cover and base together, with the heat sink and the PCB being secured between the support structure and the cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Flextronics AP, LLC
    Inventors: Gary Warren, Darren Van Roon, Steve Steane, Reginald C. Grills
  • Storage enclosure with pivotably mounted midplane assembly
    Patent number: 9007766
    Abstract: The invention provides storage enclosure, comprising an enclosure housing; one or more drawers slidably arranged within the enclosure housing, wherein each drawer has a pivotably mounted midplane having storage media coupled thereto wherein the storage media are coupled to both sides of the pivotably mounted midplane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Xyratex Technology Limited
    Inventor: Laurence A. Harvilchuck
  • Semiconductor packages usable with a mobile device
    Patent number: 8994169
    Abstract: A semiconductor package usable with a mobile device includes a circuit board including conductive wirings therein and contact terminals on a rear surface thereof, an integrated circuit chip positioned on a front surface of the circuit board and electrically connected to the conductive wirings, a cover including at least an opening, and to cover the integrated circuit chip such that a flow space is provided around the integrated circuit chip and the opening communicates with the flow space, and an air flow generator positioned on the cover to generate a compulsory air flow through the flow space and the opening, thereby dissipating heat out of the semiconductor package from the integrated circuit chip by the compulsory air flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: SAMSUNG Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ji-Chul Kim, Jin-Kwon Bae, Mi-Na Choi, Hee-Jung Hwang
  • Heat radiator and manufacturing method thereof
    Patent number: 8995129
    Abstract: A back metal layer (16, 31) has a plurality of stress relaxation spaces (17). Each stress relaxation space (17) is formed to open at least at one of the front surface and the back surface of the back metal layer (16, 31). A region in the back metal layer (16, 31) that is directly below a semiconductor device (12) is defined as a directly-below region (A1), and a region outside the directly-below region (A1) that corresponds to and has the same dimensions as the directly-below region (A1) is defined as a comparison region (A21). The volume of the stress relaxation spaces (17) in the range of the directly-below region (A1) is less than the volume of the stress relaxation spaces (17) formed in the range of the comparison region (A21).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki, Showa Denko K. K.
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Iwata, Shogo Mori, Tomoya Hirano, Kazuhiko Minami
  • Electronic device with air guiding plates
    Patent number: 8988873
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a main body, two air guiding plates, and a cover. The main body includes a bottom plate and two side plates extending up from opposite sides of the bottom plate. A number of mounting tabs extend from an inner side of each side plate, arranged in a row. A circuit board is supported on the bottom plate, and includes a number of electronic components located between the two rows of mounting tabs. A cutout is defined in a top of each mounting tab. A number of hooking slots are defined in a bottom of each air guiding plate. Top walls of the hooking slots of each air guiding plate are respectively supported by bottom walls of the cutouts of the corresponding row of mounting tabs. The cover is covered on a top of the main body and abuts tops of the air guiding plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Zhongshan Innocloud Intellectual Property Services Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Zhi-Bin Guan
  • Hinge mechanism for mobile electronic device
    Patent number: 8982542
    Abstract: A hinge mechanism for a mobile electronic device includes a first leaf comprising first and second fixed pivot axes and a second leaf comprising third and fourth fixed pivot axes, the four pivot axes being substantially parallel to one another. A first linkage is pivotally coupled to the first leaf at the first pivot axis and pivotally coupled to the second leaf at the fourth pivot axis. A second linkage is pivotally coupled to the first leaf such at the second pivot axis and pivotally coupled to the second leaf at the third pivot axis. The first and second leaves are pivotable at least about 180° relative to one another. A cam mechanism can be included to bias the pivotal motion of the leaves. An FPC or other electrical connector linking the leaves can pass through a passage in at least one of the linkages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventor: David Bohn
  • Heat sink, cooling module and coolable electronic board
    Patent number: 8982559
    Abstract: A heatsink is provided with a base body opposed to a heat generating body and absorbing heat from the heat generating body. Thermal resistance of that opposed portion of the base body which is opposed to the heat generating body is higher than thermal resistance of a surrounding portion surrounding the opposed portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignees: Fuchigami Micro Co., Ltd., Kagoshima University
    Inventors: Kenji Ohsawa, Katsuya Tsuruta, Toshiaki Kotani, Kei Mizuta
  • Coldplate for use with an inverter in an electric vehicle (EV) or a hybrid-electric vehicle (HEV)
    Patent number: 8971041
    Abstract: A coldplate for use with an inverter in an electric vehicle (EV) or a hybrid-electric vehicle (HEV). The inverter includes a direct current (DC) link capacitor comprising multiple film capacitors configured in a stack. The coldplate includes a first portion configured for attachment to at least one electronic component, the first portion having a perimeter and for dissipating heat generated by the electronic component. The coldplate includes a second portion oriented along the perimeter of the first portion and forming a conduit, the conduit having a chamber extending from the perimeter of the first portion and between two of the plurality of film capacitors of the DC link capacitor. The conduit has an inlet and an outlet to facilitate circulation of a coolant through the chamber of the conduit for dissipating heat generated by the DC link capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: Nadir Sharaf, Slobodan Pavlovic, Dilip Daftuar, Juan Lopez
  • Air flow system
    Patent number: 8964385
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided in one example embodiment and includes a faceplate having a plurality of slots arranged on a front portion of the faceplate, a top plate attached to a top portion of the faceplate, and a screen attached to the faceplate and the top plate. A channel may be disposed behind the faceplate and between a bottom surface of the top portion of the faceplate, a bottom surface of the top plate and a top surface of the screen. The screen may include a plurality of openings. In a specific embodiment, the apparatus may be removably attached to a removable line card of a switch. In a specific embodiment, air may be guided through the slots, by a fan operating behind the apparatus, along the channel and through the plurality of openings to one or more heat generating components on the line card.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Mandy Hin Lam, Phillip S. Ting, Susheela Nanjunda Rao Narasimhan
  • Electronic device with air guiding apparatus
    Patent number: 8958203
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a chassis and an air guiding apparatus. The chassis includes a bottom wall, a first sidewall, a second sidewall, a first end wall, a second end wall, a circuit board mounted on the bottom wall, and a fan. The air guiding apparatus includes a flexible air guiding piece. The first and second end walls each define a number of vents. A chip is mounted on the circuit board. The fan is installed in the chassis adjacent to the vents of the second end wall. The air guiding apparatus is fixed to the first end wall. A first end of the air guiding piece is stretchable to be fixed to the second end wall. The air guiding piece, the first sidewall, the first end wall, and the second end wall cooperatively bound an airflow channel for receiving the fan and the chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Cheng-Hsiu Yang, Li-Chen Chang
  • Heat dissipation device with fastener and flange
    Patent number: 8944149
    Abstract: A heat dissipation device includes a base and a fastener. The fastener includes a neck portion, a head portion formed at one end of the neck portion, and an engaging portion formed at another opposite end of the neck portion. The base defines a receiving portion through the base. The receiving portion includes an inserting hole and a mounting hole communicating with the inserting hole. A flange extends upwardly from the base toward the mounting hole. The engaging portion extends through the inserting hole from a top of the base to make the neck portion enter the inserting hole. The neck portion is then crushed into the mounting hole from the inserting hole. A top face of the head portion abuts the flange, a bottom face of the head portion abuts the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignees: Furui Precise Component (Kunshan) Co., Ltd., Foxconn Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jin-Huai Zhou, Wei-Hsiang Chang, Zhen Tang
  • Electronic device with riser card
    Patent number: 8942008
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a chassis, a mounting assembly, and an assisting member. The mounting assembly is secured to the chassis and includes a circuit board and a connector secured to the circuit board. The signal module is secured to the chassis and includes a signal card, and the signal card is engaged with the connector. The assisting member is secured to a first end of the mounting assembly and includes an assisting corner. The assisting corner abuts the signal module. The connector is located between the assisting corner and a second end of the mounting assembly, which is opposite to the first end. The second end rotates about the assisting corner, and the connector disengages from the signal card when the second end is rotated about the assisting corner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: ScienBiziP Consulting (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yu-Wei He, Wen-Da Zhang
  • Flow diversion apparatuses and methods
    Patent number: 8937806
    Abstract: Flow diversion apparatuses and methods are provided. A flow diversion apparatus can include a vent configured to permit the flow of a fluid therethrough. The apparatus can also include an electronic device capable of a range of motion across at least a portion of the vent disposed proximate at least a portion of the vent. The apparatus can include a shutter disposed proximate at least a portion of the vent opposite the electronic device. The shutter can be capable of a range of motion across at least a portion of the vent in conjunction with the electronic device. The shutter can prevent at least a portion of the fluid flowing through the vent from impinging on the electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Mark David Senatori