Thermal solution with spring-loaded interface

Abstract

Thermal solution systems including a heat sink and a spreader plate mounted to the heat sink via one or more springs. Thermal gap filler provides a thermal interface between the heat sink and the spreader plate. The one or more springs provide contact force between the heat spreader plate and a component to be cooled, while accommodating dimensional variation, such as manufacturing tolerance or assembly tolerance related variation.

1 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a heat sink;   a heat spreader plate mounted to the heat sink using one or more springs; and   a first thermally conductive filler material disposed between the heat sink and the heat spreader plate;   wherein the apparatus is configured to transfer heat from a component to be cooled, wherein transferring the heat includes interfacing with the component to be cooled via the heat spreader plate, and wherein the interfacing includes the heat spreader plate receiving force via the component to be cooled, wherein the received force causes compression of the one or more springs.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the receiving the force from the component includes receiving the force from the component via a second thermally conductive filler material disposed between the component and the heat spreader plate. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the second thermally conductive filler material includes a thermal gap pad. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first thermally conductive filler material includes a thermally conductive liquid gap filling material. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first thermally conductive filler material includes a thermal gap pad. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more springs includes a wave spring. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the wave spring has an inner circumference and an outer circumference, and wherein the first thermally conductive filler material disposed between the heat sink and the heat spreader plate is disposed within the inner circumference of the wave spring. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more springs includes one or more coil springs. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more springs includes one or more leaf springs. 
     
     
         10 . A thermal solution device, comprising:
 a main body;   an interface plate;   one or more springs mounting the interface plate to the main body; and   a thermally conductive filler material disposed between the main body and the interface plate;   wherein the thermal solution device is configured to transfer heat from a component to be cooled by interfacing, using the interface plate, with the component to be cooled, and wherein the interfacing causes compression of the one or more springs.   
     
     
         11 . The thermal solution device of  claim 10 , wherein the thermally conductive filler material includes a thermal gap pad. 
     
     
         12 . The thermal solution device of  claim 10 , wherein the thermally conductive filler material includes a thermally conductive liquid gap filling material. 
     
     
         13 . The thermal solution device of  claim 10 , wherein the one or more springs includes a wave spring. 
     
     
         14 . The thermal solution device of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 an additional thermally conductive filler material disposed between the component and the heat spreader plate.   
     
     
         15 . The thermal solution device of  claim 14 , wherein the additional thermally conductive filler material includes a thermal gap pad. 
     
     
         16 . A thermal solution device, comprising:
 a heat sink;   a plurality of heat spreader plates mounted to the heat sink respectively using one or more springs; and   one or more thermally conductive filler materials disposed between the heat sink and individual ones of the plurality of heat spreader plates;   wherein the thermal solution device is configured to mount to a system that includes a plurality of components to be cooled, wherein mounting to the system causes the individual ones of the plurality of heat spreader plates to respectively interface with individual ones of the plurality of component to be cooled.   
     
     
         17 . The thermal solution device of  claim 16 , wherein the interfacing includes the individual ones of the plurality of heat spreader plates respectively receiving pressure from the individual ones of the plurality of components to be cooled to cause compression of the respective one or more springs. 
     
     
         18 . The thermal solution device of  claim 17 , wherein the individual ones of the plurality of components to be cooled include a processor. 
     
     
         19 . The thermal solution device of  claim 17 , wherein the individual ones of the plurality of components to be cooled include a printed circuit board. 
     
     
         20 . The thermal solution device of  claim 19 ,
 wherein a particular one of the plurality of heat spreader plates is configured to interface with a first side of the printed circuit board;   wherein the first side is opposite of a second side of the printed circuit board, the second side having a processor mounted thereon; and   wherein the particular one of the plurality of heat spreader plates is configured to remove heat generated by the processor.