Patents by Inventor Eric Eckberg

Eric Eckberg has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20070247813
    Abstract: A load frame has an open region exposing a surface of an electronic component. A heat sink is disposed on the load frame and has a surface in thermal contact with the surface of the electronic component. A non-influencing fastener is disposed within a bore in the heat sink and threaded into the load frame for securing the heat sink to the load frame. The non-influencing fastener includes a screw with a head; a tapered ring disposed below the head of the screw and having a tapered lower peripheral surface; a sealing ring engaging the tapered lower peripheral surface of the tapered ring; and a load washer disposed between the sealing ring and the load frame. Compression of the rings by turning of the screw into the load frame causes the sealing ring to expand against the bore of the heatsink. Preferably, the sealing ring has a curved outer surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2006
    Publication date: October 25, 2007
    Inventors: John Colbert, John Corbin, Eric Eckberg, James Gerken, Roger Hamilton, Maurice Holahan
  • Publication number: 20070236888
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a module cooling system, comprising, a module in operable communication with a circuit board, a stiffener abutting the circuit board, a heatsink abutting the module, a first biasing member biasing the heatsink towards the module, a plurality of non-influencing fasteners positionally fixing the heatsink, and a second biasing member biasing the circuit board and module towards the heatsink. Further disclosed herein is a method of mounting a module cooling system, comprising, connecting electrically a module to a circuit board, abutting a stiffener to the circuit board, abutting a heatsink to the module, biasing with a biasing member the heatsink in a direction towards the module, fixing the heatsink with non-influencing fasteners, and biasing with a second biasing member the circuit board and module towards the heatsink.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2006
    Publication date: October 11, 2007
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Eric Eckberg, Michael Good, Mark Pfeifer
  • Publication number: 20070084588
    Abstract: In a system for liquid cooling of electronics, where the electronics are subject to rotation in space, a liquid coolant storage tank includes a degassing and vortex-preventing structure to allow bubbles to float to the surface of the liquid inside the tank, and also to prevent vortices from forming near the outlet from the tank. The structure includes nested tubes or conduits. An inner conduit extends from the inlet into the tank, and its open end is covered by a second conduit with a baffle across its end, so that the flow is directed by the baffle to flow back along the outside of the inner conduit, and inside of the outer conduit. Especially at the inlet, a third conduit with large perforations surrounds the open end of the outer conduit. Smaller perforations on the inner conduit at the outlet side discourage any vortex from forming there. Reversal of the liquid flow, and the gradual increase in flow cross section prevent surging inside the tank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2005
    Publication date: April 19, 2007
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eric Eckberg, James Gerken, Cary Huettner, Roger Schmidt
  • Publication number: 20070070610
    Abstract: A low profile auto docking multi-battery pack system and an in place service PCI storage controller card system with redundant cache and concurrently maintainable redundant battery backup are provided. A first battery and a second battery are disposed in line to provide a low profile battery pack. The first battery and second battery are shrink-wrapped together inside a frame and are slideably removable through an opening in a PCI tailstock and are hot swappable. The PCI storage controller card system is defined by a two card assembly that includes an internal connector, such as a SCSI connector to connect the two cards together.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2005
    Publication date: March 29, 2007
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Lee Cleveland, Eric Eckberg, Jeffery Gathje, Michael Good, Herbert Jensen, Mark Pfeifer, John Skurdalsvold
  • Publication number: 20070035937
    Abstract: A heat transfer apparatus comprises a load frame having load springs and an open region that exposes an electronic component. The load frame is mounted to a printed circuit board on which the electronic component is mounted. A heat sink assembly is disposed on the load frame and has a main body in thermal contact with the electronic component through a thermally conductive material. The heat sink assembly has load arms for engaging the load springs. A load plate extends between the load arms and has an actuation element operative to displace the main body relative to the load plate and thereby resiliently deform the load springs and produce a load force that compresses the thermally conductive material to achieve a desired thermal interface gap between the main body and the electronic component. Non-influencing fasteners secure the heat sink to the load frame and maintain the desired thermal interface gap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2005
    Publication date: February 15, 2007
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: John Colbert, Eric Eckberg, Roger Hamilton, Mark Hoffmeyer, Amanda Mikhail, Arvind Sinha
  • Patent number: 5826325
    Abstract: A head disk assembly file has a tub-type basecasting with side walls, a floor and a pack of hard disks. The file also comprises an actuator having a set of head gimbal assemblies with magnetic heads. The actuator is secured to the file and is rotatable from a pre-merge position outside of the disks to an inner diameter position near the centers of the disks. A head merge tool comprising a merge comb with fingers interfaces with the file at a home position. In the home position, the merge comb is surrounded by but free of contact with the side walls, the floor and the head gimbal assemblies. The floor has a recess located beneath the merge comb. The recess extends from one side wall to the inner diameter of the disks and provides a clearance for a lowermost finger of the merge comb. A flexible cable extends from the actuator to the floor. A depression in the floor adjacent to the recess accommodates the flexible cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1998
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kirk B. Price, Brad J. Kriehn, Roy J. Flowers, Brad V. Johnson, Eric Eckberg