U.S. Pat. No. 12,225,691

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIGS.1and2show the bottom of a Sony PLAYSTATION® S console with the console cover off showing the expansion slot11with the slot cover10in place. On the side of the console next to the slot11are intake air vents12. Air is pulled into the bottom side of the console (top side in this view) by fan14located on circuit board. The air passes through the fan12and is discharged on the other side of the console through vents16.

FIGS.3and4show the expansion slot with the cover removed. A socket13is at the right side of the slot inFIG.3.FIG.4shows a prior art SSD memory with a heat sink15attached to its top. The SSD is inserted into socket13within the slot. Notice that the SSD memory and its heat sink to not take up the entire length of the slot. Further, the fins on the prior heat sink are parallel to the longitudinal extent of the heat sink, thus blocking air flow toward the fan.FIGS.3and4show chambers or holes17that penetrate the side wall of the slot11that is toward fan14. The fins on heat sink15are also rather tall, extending above the top surface of the heat sink and causing additional blocking of air flow across the heat sink to the holes17.

FIG.5shows the slot cover10installed over the slot11in an interior cover32of the console, which leaves the chambers or holes17open. As a result, when fan14, which is attached to the same interior cover, is operating if sucks air out of these holes creating a negative pressure in the slot under the cover10. Since the SSD is within the slot under the cover, there is very little cooling effect created by the heat sink15due to air flow and what there might be is blocked by the orientation and height of the fins on the heat sink15.

Further, the heat sink has a thermal adhesive26(FIG.8) on its bottom which allows it to be easily attached to the top of the SSD memory30as it sits in the slot in the interior cover32as shown inFIG.9. The thermal adhesive is preferably made of thermal conductive materials and cyanoacrylate, but could be made of other adhesives that allow for a firm connection as well as the ready transfer of heat from the SSD memory to the heat sink.FIG.9also shows how the chambers or holes17provide access to the area under top plate22to assist in cooling.

FIG.5shows the slot cover10installed over the slot11, which leaves the chambers or holes17open. As a result, when fan14is operating if sucks air out of these holes creating a negative pressure in the slot under the cover10. Since the SSD is within the slot under the cover, there is very litting cooling effect created by the heat sink15due to air flow and what there might be is blocked by the orientation and height of the fins on the heat sink15.

A top, rear, right side perspective view, a side view and a bottom perspective view of a heat sink20according to the present invention are shown inFIG.6,FIG.7andFIG.8, respectively. The heat sink has a top plate22, which as can be seen inFIG.10, takes the place of the slot cover10. In particular, it extends over the full extent of the opening of slot11. As better seen inFIG.7, the heat sink has a bulk body portion24which extends nearly the full length of the interior of the slot. Referring toFIG.4, it would extend all the way to the left end18of the slot10, while the top plate20extends even further to the outer edge19of the slot. Note inFIG.6, the screw hole23, which allows a screw to pass through the heat sink into the threaded receptable next to edge18to hold it in place. The other end of the heat sink is held in place by a flange27that fits into a groove in the end of the slot above where the SSD memory connects to the electrical socket in the slot.

The heat sink has fins25that extend in parallel across the heat sink top plate22(seeFIGS.6and7), as opposed to the prior art in which the heat sink fins extend longitudinally. In addition, these fins are of relatively modest height so as not to block air flow. In particular as shown inFIG.6, the height of the fins is less than the thickness of the top plate22, so they do not extend about the top surface of the top plate. The lost in surface area due to the modest size of the fins is more than made up by the size of the bulk body24. The fins can each be individually angled so as to direct the air flow toward the fan, but operation is sufficient with them all being at the same angle.

Further, the heat sink has a thermal adhesive26(FIG.8) on its bottom which allows it to be easily attached to the top of the SSD memory30as shown inFIG.9. The thermal adhesive is preferably made of thermal conductive materials and cyanoacrylate, but could be made of other adhesives that allow for a firm connection as well as the ready transfer of heat from the SSD memory to the heat sink.FIG.9also shows how the chambers or holes17provide access to the area under top plate22to assist in cooling.

The cooling system of the present invention is shown inFIGS.10and11. The intake fan14draws air into the console through the vents12. This causes cooling air to be drawn over the fins25of the top plate22of the heat sink, providing a great increase in the cooling effect over that of the prior art. In addition the fan draws air from the chambers or holes17that extend below the plate22providing additional cooling. This air reaches fan14and is pushed through the interior cover so as to exit from vents16as shown inFIG.11.

The cooling system of the present invention is shown inFIGS.10and11. The intake fan14draws air into the console through the vents12. This causes cooling air to be drawn over the fins25of the top plate22of the heat sink, providing a great increase in the cooling effect over that of the prior art. In addition the fan draws air from the chambers or holes17that extend below the plate22providing additional cooling. The air reaches fan14and is pushed through the circuit board so as to exit from vents16as shown inFIG.11.

Because of the arrangement of the heat sink according to the present invention, additional cooling is achieved because (1) its top plate is in the direct air flow and no expansion slot cover is used, (2) the fins of the top plate are relatively short and are angled across the heat sink generally toward the fan so that they provide less blockage to air flow, and (3) the bulk body is longer and thicker than the prior art, thus providing more cooling.

While the invention is explained in relation to certain embodiments, it is to be understood that various modifications thereof will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the specification. In particular, the invention is not limited to use in the PS5® and instead can be used in any electronic console with an available expansion slot. Further, the heat sink can be used in any application that has an SSD memory that needs to be cooled. Therefore, it is to be understood that the invention disclosed herein is intended to cover such modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.