Media content device with customized panel
View Patent ↗A media device, which may take the form of a set top box (STB), includes a housing or chassis that incorporates an interface panel having selectively configured regions that cooperate with components mounted on a printed circuit board. The selectively configured regions of the interface panel may advantageously provide desired clearance or contact between the interface panel and one or more of the components. In addition, the selectively configured regions of the interface panel may be arranged to provide structural support to a top panel of the chassis while providing specific heat transfer pathways between the components and the chassis. In this manner, the interface panel may be controllably designed with a desired thermal mass and/or a desired thermal conductivity in specific regions of the interface panel by varying properties of the interface panel which may include, but are not limited to, the panel thickness and material.
1. A media device comprising:
a thermally conductive chassis having a thermally conductive top panel with an external surface exposed to an environment in which an environment temperature is lower than an internal chassis temperature and an underside surface opposing the external surface of the top panel;
a circuit board located within the chassis, the circuit board having a mounting surface;
a plurality of components mounted onto the mounting surface of the circuit board, each of the components having a component height relative to the mounting surface of the circuit board; and
a thermally conductive interface panel with at least one opening or cutout extending therethrough, the interface panel comprising:
an upper surface in direct thermal contact with and bonded to the underside surface of the top panel;
a plurality of recessed portions; and
a plurality of rib portions,
wherein the least one opening or cutout surrounds a majority of at least a first one of the plurality of components,
wherein each of the recessed portions of the interface panel have a thickness that selectively varies corresponding to the component height of an associated at least one of a plurality of second ones of the components,
wherein the rib portions extend farther from the upper surface of the interface panel than the recessed portions,
wherein at least one of the recessed portions is in direct thermal contact with at least one heat-generating component of the second ones of the plurality of components to provide a thermal conductive path from the at least one heat-generating component through the interface panel and into the top panel, and
wherein the bonded upper surface of the interface panel corresponding to the rib portions provide supplemental structural reinforcement to the chassis.
2. The media device of claim 1 , wherein the variable thickness recessed portions are adjacent to at least one of the plurality of rib portions.
3. The media device of claim 2 , wherein the rib portions include free ends spaced apart from the mounting surface of the circuit board.
4. The media device of claim 2 , wherein the bonded upper surface of the interface panel corresponding to the rib portions are arranged to provide supplemental structural reinforcement for the top panel of the chassis.
5. The media device of claim 1 , wherein the top panel of the chassis is thinner than a majority of the interface panel having the variable thickness.
6. The media device of claim 1 , wherein the interface panel extends in a direction normal to the thickness to have an area that approximately covers the circuit board.
7. The media device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of components mounted on the circuit board is a heat-generating component and at least a portion of the interface panel is in direct thermal contact with the heat-generating component.
8. The media device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of rib portions of the interface panel includes at least one surface in thermal conductive contact with at least one of the components.
9. A media device comprising:
a circuit board having a mounting surface;
a plurality of components mounted onto the mounting surface of the circuit board, each of the components having a component height relative to the mounting surface of the circuit board; and a thermally conductive chassis comprising:
a thermally conductive top panel with an external surface exposed to an environment in which an environment temperature is lower than an internal chassis temperature and an underside surface opposing the external surface of the top panel; and
a thermally conductive interface panel,
wherein the interface panel is defined by an upper surface in direct thermal contact with and bonded to the underside surface of the top panel,
wherein the interface panel has at least one opening or cutout extending therethrough that surrounds a majority of at least a first one of the plurality of components,
wherein the interface panel has a plurality of rib portions and a plurality of recessed portions, the interface panel has a thickness that selectively varies corresponding to the component heights of second ones of the plurality of components to define the plurality of recessed portions,
wherein a thickness of each of the recessed portions corresponds to the component height of a respective at least second one of the plurality of components,
wherein at least one of the recessed portions is in direct thermal contact with at least one heat-generating component of the second ones of the plurality of components to provide a thermal conductive path from the at least one heat-generating component through the interface panel and into the top panel,
wherein the rib portions extend farther from the upper surface of the interface panel than the adjacent recessed portions, and
wherein the bonded upper surface of the interface panel corresponding to at least one rib portion of the plurality of ribs provides supplemental structural reinforcement to the chassis.
10. The media device of claim 9 , wherein the rib portions include free ends spaced apart from the mounting surface of the circuit board.
11. The media device of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the plurality of rib portions that has a surface in thermal conductive contact with at least one of the components.
12. A method for assembling a chassis of a media device, the method comprising:
obtaining a circuit board with a plurality of components mounted onto a mounting surface of the circuit board, each of the components having a component height; positioning the circuit board within the chassis of the media device; and
placing a thermally conductive panel over the circuit board, the panel comprising:
a thermally conductive top panel with an external surface exposed to an environment in which an environment temperature is lower than an internal chassis temperature and an underside surface opposing the external surface of the top panel; and
a thermally conductive interface panel,
wherein the interface panel is defined by an upper surface in direct thermal contact with and bonded to the underside surface of the top panel,
wherein the interface panel has a plurality of rib portions and a plurality of recessed portions, the interface panel has a thickness that selectively varies corresponding to the component heights of first ones of the plurality of components to define respective ones of the plurality of recessed portions,
wherein the rib portions extend farther from the upper surface than adjacent recessed portions,
wherein the interface panel is defined by at least one opening or cutout extending therethrough, such that the least one opening or cutout surrounds a majority of at least a second one of the plurality of components,
wherein at least one of the recessed portions is in direct thermal contact with at least one heat-generating component of the second ones of the plurality of components to provide a thermal conductive path from the at least one heat-generating component through the interface panel and into the top panel, and
wherein the bonded upper surface of the interface panel corresponding to at least one rib portion of the plurality of ribs provides supplemental structural reinforcement to the chassis.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the rib portions of the interface panel includes at least one surface in conductive contact with at least one of the components of the circuit board.