Storage device heat-mitigating enclosure
In the context of an electronic storage device such as a solid-state drive, a heat-mitigating enclosure includes one or more thermal conduction inhibitor interposed in the respective top or bottom enclosing structure and positioned between a relatively high-temperature electronic component such as an ASIC controller and/or PMIC of a corresponding PCB and a relatively low-temperature electronic component such as NAND memory. Such a thermal conduction inhibitor may include one or more through-hole through the enclosure structure and/or a recess extending into the enclosure structure, with or without a low thermal conductivity material embedded therein.
1 . An electronic storage device, comprising:
an enclosure comprising:
a top enclosure part; and
a bottom enclosure part coupled with the top enclosure part; and
a printed circuit board (PCB) housed in the enclosure and comprising a high-temperature electronic component and a low-temperature electronic component; and
a thermal conduction inhibitor interposed in at least one of the top enclosure part and the bottom enclosure part and comprising a structural interruption in a continuous body of the at least one of the top enclosure part and the bottom enclosure part, the thermal conduction inhibitor positioned between an edge of the relatively high-temperature electronic component of the PCB and an edge of the relatively low-temperature electronic component of the PCB and inhibiting thermal conduction through the at least one of the top enclosure part and the bottom enclosure part from the relatively high-temperature electronic component to the relatively low-temperature electronic component.
2 . The electronic storage device of claim 1 , wherein:
the relatively high-temperature electronic component is a controller; and
the relatively low-temperature electronic component is a solid-state memory component.
3 . The electronic storage device of claim 1 , wherein:
the relatively high-temperature electronic component is a power management integrated circuit; and
the relatively low-temperature electronic component is a solid-state memory component.
4 . The electronic storage device of claim 1 , wherein the thermal conduction inhibitor comprises a through-hole through the at least one of the top enclosure part and the bottom enclosure part.
5 . The electronic storage device of claim 4 , further comprising a low thermal conductivity material disposed within the through-hole, the low thermal conductivity material having a thermal conductivity that is less than a thermal conductivity of a material of which the at least one of the top enclosure part and the bottom enclosure part is composed.
6 . The electronic storage device of claim 1 , wherein the thermal conduction inhibitor comprises a recessed portion extending through a portion of the at least one of the top enclosure part and the bottom enclosure part.
7 . The electronic storage device of claim 6 , further comprising:
a low thermal conductivity material embedded within the recessed portion, the low thermal conductivity material having a thermal conductivity that is less than a thermal conductivity of a material of which the at least one of the top enclosure part and the bottom enclosure part is composed.
8 . The electronic storage device of claim 1 , wherein the thermal conduction inhibitor comprises a grouping of slits through the at least one of the top enclosure part and the bottom enclosure part.
9 . The electronic storage device of claim 1 , wherein the thermal conduction inhibitor comprises a grouping of holes through the at least one of the top enclosure part and the bottom enclosure part.
10 . The electronic storage device of claim 1 , wherein each of the top enclosure part and the bottom enclosure part comprises a respective thermal conduction inhibitor.
11 . The electronic storage device of claim 10 , wherein each respective thermal conduction inhibitor is aligned with the other respective thermal conduction inhibitor such that the structural interruptions in the top enclosure part and the bottom enclosure part are vertically aligned relative to the PCB.
12 . An enclosure for a solid-state storage device, comprising:
a first enclosure part;
a second enclosure part coupled with the first enclosure part;
a thermal conduction inhibitor means comprising a structural interruption in at least one of the first enclosure part and the second enclosure part and positioned between an edge of a relatively high-temperature electronic component of a printed circuit board (PCB) and an edge of a relatively low-temperature electronic component of the PCB that is provided within the enclosure, the thermal conduction inhibitor means inhibiting thermal conduction through the at least one of the first enclosure part and the second enclosure part from the relatively high-temperature electronic component to the relatively low-temperature electronic component.
13 . The enclosure of claim 12 , wherein the thermal conduction inhibitor means comprises a through-hole through a portion of the at least one of the first enclosure part and the second enclosure part.
14 . The enclosure of claim 13 , further comprising:
a low thermal conductivity material disposed within the through-hole, the low thermal conductivity material having a thermal conductivity that is less than a thermal conductivity of a material of which the at least one of the first enclosure part and the second enclosure part is composed.
15 . The enclosure of claim 14 , wherein the low thermal conductivity material is composed of at least one of plastic and stainless steel.
16 . The enclosure of claim 12 , wherein the thermal conduction inhibitor means comprises a grouping of slits.
17 . The enclosure of claim 12 , wherein the thermal conduction inhibitor means comprises a grouping of holes.
18 . The enclosure of claim 12 , wherein each of the first enclosure part and the second enclosure part comprises a respective thermal conduction inhibitor means.
19 . A method, comprising:
coupling a printed circuit board (PCB) comprising a relatively high-temperature electronic means for controlling and a relatively low-temperature electronic means for non-volatile data storage to an enclosure comprising a first enclosing structure and a second enclosing structure, the first enclosing structure and the second enclosing structure comprising a continuous body;
wherein at least one of the first enclosing structure and the second enclosing structure comprises a thermal conduction inhibitor having a structural interruption in the continuous body of the at least one of the first enclosing structure and the second enclosing structure, the thermal conduction inhibitor being integral with the at least one of the first enclosing structure and the second enclosing structure and positioned between an edge of the relatively high-temperature electronic means for controlling and an edge of the relatively low-temperature electronic means for non-volatile data storage to inhibit thermal conduction through the at least one of the first enclosing structure and the second enclosing structure from the relatively high-temperature electronic means for controlling to the relatively low-temperature electronic means for non-volatile data storage.
20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein coupling the PCB to the enclosure includes coupling the PCB to each of the first enclosing structure and the second enclosing structure.